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Killer carbs - Monash scientist finds the key to overeating as we agePosted by: Monash University on 24/08/2008 5:41:24 PM A Monash University scientist has discovered key appetite control cells in the human brain degenerate over time, causing increased hunger and potentially weight-gain as we grow older.
More information available here. Laser robots save millions of dollars for the power industryPosted by: Swinburne University of Technology on 20/08/2008 4:52:10 PM A research team from Swinburne is heading to Adelaide in September to carry out on-site maintenance of a turbine aboard TXU Australia’s Torrens Island power station, using laser technology that could potentially save the power generation industry millions of dollars in costly and time-consuming turbine maintenance.
The Swinburne team, led by Professor Milan Brandt from the university’s Industrial Research Institute (IRIS), has played a leading role in developing the technology, which uses laser robots to carry out on-site repairs of power station turbine blades. Professor Brandt is considered one of Australia’s leading researchers in the field. The development is the result of a collaborative effort between research teams from CSIRO and Swinburne, through the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Welded Structures.
Professor Brandt said the blades of steam turbines in coal-fired power stations suffer erosion from the impact of water droplets in the steam, and need to be repaired every seven or eight years to maintain efficiency. While laser surfacing technology has been available for some time, the blades could only be repaired off-site, meaning they have to be removed and later re-fitted, resulting in downtime costs of up to $250,000 per day.
“The objective was to find a way to repair turbine blades without having to remove them,” Professor Brandt said. “The technology we have developed is called ‘In-Situ Laser Surfacing’, and overcomes this limitation by allowing on-site repair.”
Using state-of-the-art robotics and laser technology, the repair process combines a programmable robot, a special diode laser and a ‘gun’ that feeds a metallic surfacing compound into the eye of the laser, which deposits it along the edge of the turbine blade. The direct diode laser – the only one of its kind in Australia – is mounted on a coaxial head that can operate at any angle, allowing it to reach otherwise inaccessible places. The laser focuses very intense light on a small spot on the blade surface, and transmits little heat to avoid causing distortion or heat stress to the precision-shaped blades.
Repairing a turbine’s blades using this technology takes up to four weeks, compared to around ten weeks for off-site repair, with cost savings of around $2 million. The process also gives the blades a tough coating that should also significantly extend their working life.
According to Professor Brandt, this technology can also be applied to other sectors, such as the mining, automotive and aerospace industries.
“This is world-leading technology, and is an example of how the university’s research has been successfully translated into practical solutions to solve industry problems.”
A spin-off company, Hardwear Pty Ltd, has been set up to commercialise the technology, which has already attracted a lot of interest from local power generators and large international firms that make turbine blades.
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Media Contact: Cristen Teen (03) 9214 4812 or 0424 135 052
New Research offers promise in the treatment of ADHDPosted by: Victoria University on 18/08/2008 10:47:48 AM New research at Victoria University (VU) into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) examines the impact of two treatments – medication alone and medication combined with low intensity family centred therapy.
The results showed that over a period of six months 27 children diagnosed with ADHD and exhibiting behavioural and cognitive difficulties were able to achieve impressive rates of normalisation using both forms of treatment. While both treatments were found to be effective the research also indicates positive longer term outcomes when using the combined therapy approach.
Monique Roper was awarded a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) for her thesis: ‘A Comparison of two forms of treatment for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Effects on executive functioning and behaviour’.
Monique said, “I don’t know if most people will realise how prevalent ADHD is becoming. The National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (1998) reported that approximately 11 per cent of Australian children aged between 6 and 17 have a diagnosis of ADHD with the disorder having a greater frequency in boys than in girls.”
Current thought suggests that ADHD can be divided into three types – hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive, and combined. The most recent and widely accepted conceptual theories surrounding ADHD have indicated that children suffering from ADHD also have problems with executive functioning.
Monique said, “For the general public, parents and teachers, ADHD is associated with poor behaviour, with treatments being seen as effective if they reduced the symptoms i.e. improve out of control behaviour. Therefore, much current research has concentrated on improving behaviour with little attention being focussed on the underlying problems with executive functioning particularity inhibitory control.”
“In my research I have looked at the efficacy of intervention on this key aspect of cognition- especially inhibition. Cognition refers to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception This study is one of the first to examine the impact of stimulant medications on both cognitive and behavioural measures of inhibition.”
Participants in the study comprised a total sample of 27 children between the ages of 7 and 12 all of whom had received a recent diagnosis of ADHD by their consulting paediatrician; 85 per cent of the sample were male. All children had been prescribed stimulant medication by their paediatrician. They were receiving no other formal therapy. The sample was divided into two treatment groups – medication alone and combined medication, behavioural therapy group.
After approximately 12 weeks of treatment all 27 returned for follow up treatment assessment, and then 23 children returned for a six month follow up. The data showed that those on medication alone improved significantly over the first three months, however there was an absence of continued significant improvement across most cognitive measures from three months to six months. The combined group improved over three months of continued combined therapy and that group continued to demonstrate significant improvements in cognition and behaviour over the six months of treatment.
Monique said, “To our knowledge this is the first extended duration, prospective follow up study to examine the comparative effects of medication alone and low intensity, individualised family centred behavioural therapy on both behavioural and cognitive based measures of executive functioning. This research adds to a broad body of research which will help us better understand the best ways to treat children with ADHD.”
This research has been undertaken as part of a larger body of work into ADHD by Victoria University, under the direction of Dr Alan Tucker from the School of Psychology who was also the supervisor of this research.
More information available here. VU students receive indigenous scholarshipsPosted by: Victoria University on 18/08/2008 10:47:43 AM Two indigenous Victoria University students have been awarded major scholarships which help members of Australia’s Aboriginal community pursue a university education.
First-year student Narelle Long, 19, was awarded an Indigenous Youth Leadership Program Tertiary Scholarship, which will pay her VU tuition fees for 2008 and 2009. The Federal Government scholarship offers educational opportunities and practical leadership experience to Indigenous young people from remote regions of Australia.
Narelle moved to Maribyrnong from Darwin earlier this year to study a double degree, combining a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Human Movement with a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation. She hopes to become a physiotherapist after she completes her four-year program at Footscray Park Campus.
She said: “It’s my first time away from the Northern Territory and from my family. The size of Melbourne takes some getting used to.”
Narelle, cousin of Hawthorn Hawkes’ forward Cyril Rioli, and niece of former Essendon Bombers’ great, Michael Long, is also a gifted athlete. She is combining her university studies with regular track and field training, with a goal of competing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
She said: “I noticed the scholarship on the VU website and was surprised when I won it. My Aboriginal heritage is very important because my grandfather was part of the stolen generation.”
Another VU student, Karen Hill, 21, of Richmond, has been awarded the Balwyn Rotary Indigenous Scholarship for a second year. The $20,000-a-year honour is offered for up to four years to Aboriginal students from Victoria who achieved strong results at secondary school.
She said: “The scholarship certainly makes things a lot easier because I can concentrate on my studies.”
Her school careers councillor at Bairnsdale Secondary School in East Gippsland, where Karen studied, recommended she apply for the scholarship. Now in her third year at St Albans Campus, Karen is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Therapy.
She would like to become a nutritionist when she completes her degree, perhaps within the Indigenous community, because “It’s such a huge issue, especially in remote communities”.
More information available here. Want to know if size really matters?Posted by: Victoria University on 18/08/2008 10:47:39 AM A psychology study by Victoria University (VU) researchers is investigating the link between men’s penis size, body image and mental health.
Principal researcher Dr Gerard Kennedy said the study is among the first to look at the association between men’s beliefs about their penis size, how they feel about their bodies, and psychological wellbeing.
He said: “We want to know whether men who report satisfaction with their penis size have higher self-esteem and better body image than men who are dissatisfied with the size of their penis.”
The researchers predict that men with an actual or perceived larger-than-average penis may experience greater confidence and improved body image than men who believe they have smaller-than-average members.
Kennedy said: “If men believe that a large penis size is the cultural ideal then this could affect how they perceive their general physical attractiveness.”
In addition to penis size the study will look at the effect of muscularity on self-esteem and whether men with low self-esteem are more likely to use the Internet for dating and socialising.
He said: “Given that first impressions during dating situations are largely dependent on physical attractiveness, individuals with low physical self-esteem may find it easier to use the Internet for dating and socialising purposes.”
This is the first time the relationships between male body image, self-reported physical attributes, self-esteem, and preference for Internet dating have been investigated.
So far over 300 men have taken part in the study, which consists of an online questionnaire.
Males aged over 18 can participate anonymously by visiting: http://men.andmuchmore.com/
Participants will need a tape measure and somewhere private as they are required to measure their manhood in both relaxed and aroused states.
More information available here. Boffins’ book busts Aussie Rules mythsPosted by: Victoria University on 18/08/2008 10:47:35 AM Ed Biggs, former general manager of the National Football League of Australia, launched the book, ‘A National Game, The History of Australian Rules Football’ on 6 August at Victoria University (VU).
Based on research mostly undertaken at Victoria University, this ground-breaking book is the first to consider the national development of the code in detail. Co-authors Robert Hess, Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart and Gregory de Moore draw upon their considerable research expertise and many never-before-published images to challenge popular conceptions about one of the country’s best loved sports. The writers expose a number of myths about the origins of the game and provide a comprehensive narrative history up to its present-day controversies.
Without fear or favour, the book tackles a range of key issues, including:
• myths surrounding the origin of the game;
• the discord between fans and managers of the game;
• the significant involvement of women in football;
• the financial and legal minefields that characterise the code;
• the immediate future of the game and its prospects for further expansion; and
• the spread of the game throughout Australia and overseas.
Published to commemorate the 150th anniversary of what is commonly believed to be the genesis of the code in 1858, the book is a wide-ranging text spanning nearly 500 pages. It traces the fascinating evolution of this truly home-grown sport that traverses the divides of age, class, gender and ethnicity, through its turbulent and exciting beginning to the multi-million dollar industry that is now embedded in the culture of the nation.
With a forward by North Melbourne legend Dr Allen Aylett, the research for the book has been based on the remarkable upsurge of academic work on football in recent decades, and includes some 50 pages of carefully documented references to reports, correspondence, minutes, publications and statistics.
‘A National Game, The History of Australian Rules Football’ is a must-read for sports historians and footy lovers alike.
The book is published by Penguin Group (Australia).
Hardback
ISBN-13: 9780670070893
RRP: $49.95
More information available here. Australians willing to pay for a better public healthcare systemPosted by: Swinburne University of Technology on 18/08/2008 10:47:16 AM Most Australians are willing to pay higher taxes to provide quality healthcare for all Australians, according to a new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
Dr Elizabeth Hardie and Dr Christine Critchley, researchers at Swinburne University of Technology interviewed 800 Australians from every state and territory about their attitudes to doctors, hospitals and health care systems.
“Our data showed that there are very high levels of trust in Australian healthcare professionals, however Australians want a better public health care system,” Hardie said.
“Overwhelmingly our sample said they were willing to pay higher taxes to have an improved healthcare system that would provide quality healthcare for all Australians. They trust their doctors, they trust the Medicare system, but they really want to improve that system.”
The results showed that general practitioners were deemed more trustworthy than specialists or hospitals. Trust ratings for non-traditional practitioners were very low, however, these alternative practitioners were trusted more by women than by men.
Hardie said the respondents also endorsed the current health care system, and had fairly-weak ‘pro-private’ attitudes and strong ‘pro-public’ attitudes.
The sample had mixed views on hospitals and health care systems with greater trust in private hospitals than in public hospitals, but greater trust in public (Medicare) than private (health insurer) systems.
“Everybody knows that public hospitals have been under pressure, they’re under-funded and under-resourced, therefore people might think there is reason to trust private hospitals which are better resourced,” Hardie said.
“Australians have faith in the system but believe that the system can be better. The public understands that professionals working within the system are doing the best they can with the resources they have.”
The researchers also measured people’s attitudes toward paying higher taxes in order to have a better public health system.
“We asked them about having a US-style user-pays system and attitudes were very negative for those questions. Overall we found that Australians were very much in favour of publicly funded healthcare,” Hardie said.
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Media Contact: Lea Kivivali, 0410 569 311
It’s not what you say – it’s who says it!Posted by: Victoria University on 14/08/2008 8:47:08 PM Australia is now the fattest nation on earth – with four million Australians classified as obese and another 5.4 million as overweight and experts say exercising is one way to reduce this frightening trend.
New research by Victoria University’s (VU) Dr Erin Pearson shows that when it comes to changing people’s exercise behaviour having the right messenger is as important as having the right message.
Dr Pearson said: “We hear all the time the message that exercise is important and yet many of us don’t take any notice. This study has given us a clue about why that might be. What we have found is that the person delivering the message needs to be someone the audience identifies with and respects in order to bring about a desired change in behaviour.”
The study investigated intervention strategies designed to get sedentary women exercising and found that interventions based on women’s social identities were far more likely to be effective.
From a pool of 214 female volunteers, Dr Pearson identified two groups whose social identities were based on the personality based self-characteristics – the ‘strong’ and ‘independent’ group and the ‘spiritual’ and ‘caring’ group.
A third control group was randomly selected. Women in all groups were aged 25 to 45 and spent less than 150 minutes per week exercising.
At the final evaluation after three months only the women in the two social identity groups were found to have maintained the increased levels of exercise.
Dr Pearson said: “By creating a mental association between a valued aspect of their social identity and the goal of physical activity it was possible to get the women to maintain an increase in their rate of exercise activity.”
Dr Pearson said that in the future it should be quite easy for exercise providers to classify people according to their social identities and then design interventions that will continue to be effective over a long period.
More information available here. Refugee education in universities and TAFEs needs an holistic approach
Posted by: Victoria University on 14/08/2008 8:46:56 PM A landmark report by Victoria University’s (VU) Institute for Community, Ethnicity and Policy Alternatives (ICEPA) offers a best practice model for the tertiary education and training sector to improve access for refugees.
Report co-author and ICEPA Director, Associate Professor Danny Ben-Moshe, said the report calls for a systematic approach to educational service provision to help refugee students overcome the major barriers they face when seeking access to TAFE and Higher Education.
The best practice model recommended by the report includes:
• fee relief (most refugees say they cannot participate in education without this),
• support with transport (particularly in rural and regional areas),
• waver of materials costs,
• the provision of role models and mentors (ideally other refugees who have now settled and can appreciate the experience of new arrivals) and,
• understanding of, and assistance with, the diverse child-care needs of refugees.
Ben-Moshe said: “Refugee student needs have to be addressed holistically rather than just their educational needs. If the students are to achieve their educational outcomes institutions have to take into account their socio-economic and cultural circumstance and provide general life education services beyond the usual remit of an education provider.”
“Educational institutions need to change the way they think and take on board the broader needs of the refugees, such as housing and child care. They can do this by having a liaison officer that works with the refugees and external bodies such as service providers.”
The report, entitled ‘Refugee Access and Participation in Tertiary Education and Training’, was based on a study of six Victorian TAFE and Higher Education providers. It noted that barriers for refugees include a lack of understanding of the culture of Australian educational institutions, language barriers, and a sense of exclusion from the student community.
The report made recommendations for institutional capacity building and educational flexibility, including:
• the implementation of workplace learning strategies,
• accelerated and intensive learning – particularly for highly skilled refugees who are seeking recognition of overseas qualifications,
• extended English language training – it is widely recognised that the 510 hours of English language training is insufficient to acquire English language skills to a level required in the workplace,
• the provision of ‘taster units’ in fields of study to assist refugees to understand the training system and vocational pathways, and
• the delivery of a familiarisation program that supports students in understanding how to negotiate and understand the training system.
Ben-Moshe said improved systems were needed to enable monitoring, tracking and evaluation of refugee students’ progress through the education system.
“This should include the identification of students as refugees when enrolling at tertiary institutions so that their progress can be identified and monitored.”
Further recommendations made by the report were for institutions to engage a dedicated worker to coordinate and oversee the support strategies and systems required to help refugee participation.
Ben-Moshe. “It is important for refugees to have a single point of contact, a person who they could come to know and to trust – this is the one factor that makes the biggest difference.”
“A program of cross-cultural training should also be implemented for TAFE and Higher Education teachers and other staff such as librarians, to inform them of the needs of refugees and appropriate responses.”
“The release of the report today on World Refugee Day is a timely reminder that we can and should do more to help new arrivals settle into our community and education is a powerful tool in promoting integration.”
Victoria University holds its first graduation ceremony in BeijingPosted by: Victoria University on 14/08/2008 8:46:41 PM Victoria University (VU) has held its first graduation ceremony in China – this is the first graduation ceremony held in China for a Melbourne-based university.
Seventy of the 165 students graduating attended the ceremony. They graduated from three higher education faculties and one vocational education (TAFE) faculty – most of the students were from VU’s Faculty of Business and Law, and many now hold senior positions in government and commerce.
With eight university partners and more than 2000 students in China-based programs, VU is among the most engaged Australian universities in China. Its programs are run in conjunction with the Beijing Jiaotong University, Central University of Finance and Economics Beijing, Henan College of Finance and Taxation, Henan University, Liaoning University, Shandong Jianzhu University, Sichuan University and Tianjin University Boustead College.
The graduation ceremony was attended by 24 members of the University’s Chancellors’ Party, including VU Chancellor, Justice Frank Vincent, AO, QC, and Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Elizabeth Harman.
Professor Harman said VU wanted to celebrate the achievements of its China-based students, in a year that coincides with the country hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics.
“The graduation ceremony in Beijing presents a wonderful opportunity for Victoria University to honour our students and their families, especially in such a significant year for China,” she said.
Also in attendance at the Beijing ceremony was Ke Li, who was a major force in establishing links between VU’s predecessor institution – the Footscray Institute of Technology (FIT) – and the Beijing Institute of Physical Education, considered China’s premier sports institute. Mr Li is the recipient of FIT’s first honorary doctorate in 1986.
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