Using population surveillance data to identify factors influencing the dietary behaviours of Western Australians

The use of statistical techniques recently developed for application with sequential cross sectional data allowed quantification of the relative importance of influences on decisions about food choices. New findings included a temporal association between fast food consumption and BMI; two independent healthful eating indicators; and evidence of precursors and consequences of running out of food. While the findings are directly applicable to adults in Western Australia, the methods offer the possibility of wider application

Student as researcher: rethinking how to make research methods interesting for students

This project aimed to enable students to appreciate the technical and epistemological nuances of different phenomenological approaches. We involved a small group of self-selecting honours level undergraduate students in the plural analysis of focus group data. Students reported that this supportive teaching technique, facilitating peer working, resulted in deeper learning. This case study describes the piloting of a collaborative teaching method, engaging students as researchers. The project lasted six months, with monthly meetings from tutors to guide procedure and to support academic discussion. The group had a shared interest and joint cause but as each student also had an individual task of conducting a certain analysis, we did not observe any group member failing to offer full effort and participation. Reflections of how this type of teaching could be conducted with larger cohorts are considered and critiqued

Examining the Impact of Two Dimensions of Precarious Employment, Vulnerability and Insecurity on the Self-Reported Health of Men, Women and Migrants in Australia

Precarious employment is increasing and adversely affects health. We aimed to investigate how perception of precariousness in current employment impacts gender and migrant workers in Australia. Using cross-sectional interviews of 1292 workers born in Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines, data were collected on self-reported health, employment conditions and sociodemographics. Factor analysis of nine questions about perceptions of current employment revealed two dimensions, vulnerability and insecurity. Women had higher vulnerability scores (µ = 6.5 vs. µ = 5.5, t = 5.40, p-value (p) < 0.000) but lower insecurity scores (µ = 8.6 vs. µ = 9.3 t = −4.160 p < 0.0003) than men. Filipino-born workers had higher vulnerability compared with other migrant workers (µ = 6.5 vs. µ = 5.8 t = −3.47 p < 0.0003), and workers born in India had higher insecurity compared with other migrant workers (µ = 9.8 vs. µ = 8.9, t = −6.1 p < 0.0001). While the prevalence of insecurity varied by migrant status, the negative effect on health was higher for Australian-born workers than migrants. Increasing levels of vulnerability and insecurity impacted self-reported health negatively (Coefficient (Coef).0.34 p < 0.0001; Coef.0.25 p < 0.0001, respectively). The combination of high vulnerability and high insecurity had the greatest impact on health (Coef. 2.37 p = 0.002), followed by high vulnerability and moderate insecurity (Coef. 2.0 p = 0.007). Our study suggests that understanding both changes in employment conditions over time as well as knowledge of cultural patterns may offer the best chance of understanding the impact of precarious employment experiences.This research was funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project, grant number DP160100660

Solid-state NMR and DNP-Enhanced Solid-state NMR Analysis of Sustainable Materials

In the drive for more sustainable chemistry, a thorough understanding of the relationship between the structure and properties of any given product is essential. Molecular level characterization is key for optimization of desired properties and synthesis. For many materials, this can be done with high-resolution solution-state techniques or X-ray crystallography. However, to fully understand their structural-property relationships, materials must be studied in the state in which they will be used. Often this state is not amenable to these techniques. In these cases, solid-state NMR provides this vital information. In this work, solid-state NMR analysis has been applied to two classes of materials. Firstly, solid-state NMR was used to probe the defects in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials with potential applications in solar cells. Structural defects in these materials can improve their function but also reduce their stability. To make these perovskite solar cells commercially viable, a thorough understanding of the relationship between the material properties and the dynamics and structural differences caused by these defects is essential. Static and MAS variable temperature 1H NMR has been used to identify possible diffusion of protonic defects in MAPbI3. The second class of materials studied were polymers. For these materials, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced solid-state NMR was used. The low sensitivity of NMR limits its capability to analyse intrinsically dilute aspects of high molecular weight polymers, such as cross-links, chain-ends, and interfaces. DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR has not had the same impact on polymer analysis as it has in biological and materials science. This may be attributed to the discouragingly low enhancements seen and difficult sample handling encountered when using traditional DNP methods on polymers. In this work, the benefits, and disadvantages of two sample impregnation methods for polymer DNP have been shown. Additional benefits of polymer DNP have also been demonstrated. Beyond a simple sensitivity enhancement, DNP has been shown to provide insight to the dynamics of polymer chains and functional groups

An Evaluation of the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program (for Non-Income-Producing Properties) in North Carolina

In 1998, North Carolina introduced a tax incentive program that for the first time allowed owners of historic private residences to earn a credit worth 30% of their rehabilitation expenditures against their state income taxes. The non-profit organization Preservation North Carolina lobbied extensively for this policy, and their efforts have paid off. Since then, over 450 projects worth $60.2 million have been completed.1 In fact, the number of historic rehabilitation tax credit applications for non-income producing properties has been steadily rising each year. This might be due to a number of factors. The popularity of television shows such as This Old House and Trading Spaces and the proliferation of Home Depot and Lowes stores have created a "do it yourself" trend that has caught on across the nation. As more people take on rehabilitation projects, their friends and neighbors take note and are encouraged to start their own projects. Each year there are new historic districts added to the National Register, making hundreds more homes eligible for the tax credits. Still, the amount of rehabilitation activity in North Carolina is not what it could be. Many people have never heard of the historic rehabilitation tax credit program, and of those who have, many are confused or discouraged by the application process. They may hear that it takes time to get their project approved, and they don't want to wait for approval before beginning work. This study will examine the barriers to getting more residents to apply for the North Carolina Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. I will then look at the ways to address those barriers, in order to encourage more people to participate in the tax credit program and to stimulate historic preservation activity.Master of City and Regional Plannin

How refugees experience the australian workplace: A comparative mixed methods study

There is a growing body of evidence indicating poorer working conditions for migrant workers, particularly refugees, compared with native-born workers. Our objectives were to compare exposure to workplace psychosocial stressors in working refugees with other migrant groups and Australian-born workers of Caucasian ancestry and to describe the working experience of refugees. Cross-sectional surveys collected information on the workplace stressors of job complexity, control, security, bullying, and racial discrimination from six migrant groups (n = 1062) and Caucasian Australians (n = 1051); semi-structured face-to-face interviews were used with currently employed refugees (n = 30). Content analysis examined the qualitative data. Compared to all other groups, working refugees were more likely to report experiencing racial discrimination in the workplace and to report exposure to more than three hazards. Content analysis indicated that working refugees are working below their capacity, in terms of hours and qualifications, and in jobs that were low status and lacked security. Despite challenging work conditions, participants reported adequate health and safety training and feeling a sense of pride in their work. These findings highlight the need for better support for refugees in negotiating the workplace once they find employment and the importance of employers providing an inclusive and equitable workplace

Solid-state NMR and DNP-Enhanced Solid-state NMR Analysis of Sustainable Materials

In the drive for more sustainable chemistry, a thorough understanding of the relationship between the structure and properties of any given product is essential. Molecular level characterization is key for optimization of desired properties and synthesis. For many materials, this can be done with high-resolution solution-state techniques or X-ray crystallography. However, to fully understand their structural-property relationships, materials must be studied in the state in which they will be used. Often this state is not amenable to these techniques. In these cases, solid-state NMR provides this vital information. In this work, solid-state NMR analysis has been applied to two classes of materials. Firstly, solid-state NMR was used to probe the defects in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials with potential applications in solar cells. Structural defects in these materials can improve their function but also reduce their stability. To make these perovskite solar cells commercially viable, a thorough understanding of the relationship between the material properties and the dynamics and structural differences caused by these defects is essential. Static and MAS variable temperature 1H NMR has been used to identify possible diffusion of protonic defects in MAPbI3. The second class of materials studied were polymers. For these materials, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced solid-state NMR was used. The low sensitivity of NMR limits its capability to analyse intrinsically dilute aspects of high molecular weight polymers, such as cross-links, chain-ends, and interfaces. DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR has not had the same impact on polymer analysis as it has in biological and materials science. This may be attributed to the discouragingly low enhancements seen and difficult sample handling encountered when using traditional DNP methods on polymers. In this work, the benefits, and disadvantages of two sample impregnation methods for polymer DNP have been shown. Additional benefits of polymer DNP have also been demonstrated. Beyond a simple sensitivity enhancement, DNP has been shown to provide insight to the dynamics of polymer chains and functional groups

Inter-individual variation in nucleotide excision repair in young adults: effects of age, adiposity, micronutrient supplementation and genotype

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is responsible for repairing bulky helix-distorting DNA lesions and is essential for the maintenance of genomic integrity. Severe hereditary impairment of NER leads to cancers such as those in xeroderma pigmentosum, and more moderate reductions in NER capacity have been associated with an increased cancer risk. Diet is a proven modifier of cancer risk but few studies have investigated the potential relationships between diet and NER. In the present study, the plasmid-based host cell reactivation assay was used to measure the NER capacity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from fifty-seven volunteers aged 18–30 years before and after 6 weeks of supplementation with micronutrients (selenium and vitamins A, C and E). As a control, nine individuals remained unsupplemented over the same period. Volunteers were genotyped for the following polymorphisms in NER genes: ERCC5 Asp1104His (rs17655); XPC Lys939Gln (rs2228001); ERCC2 Lys751Gnl (rs13181); XPC PAT (an 83 bp poly A/T insertion–deletion polymorphism in the XPC gene). NER capacity varied 11-fold between individuals and was inversely associated with age and endogenous DNA strand breaks. For the first time, we observed an inverse association between adiposity and NER. No single polymorphism was associated with the NER capacity, although significant gene–gene interactions were observed between XPC Lys939Gln and ERCC5 Asp1104His and XPC Lys939Gln and ERCC2 Lys751Gnl. While there was no detectable effect of micronutrient supplementation on NER capacity, there was evidence that the effect of fruit intake on the NER capacity may be modulated by the ERCC2 Lys751Gnl single nucleotide polymorphism

Using Cross-Sectional Data to Identify and Quantify the Relative Importance of Factors Associated with and Leading to Food Insecurity

Australian governments routinely monitor population household food insecurity (FI) using a single measure-'running out of food at least once in the previous year'. To better inform public health planning, a synthesis of the determinants and how they influence and modify each other in relation to FI was conducted. The analysis used data from the Health &amp; Wellbeing Surveillance System cross-sectional dataset. Weighted means and multivariable weighted logistic regression described and modelled factors involved in FI. The analysis showed the direction and strength of the factors and a path diagram was constructed to illustrate these. The results showed that perceived income, independent of actual income was a strong mediator on the path to FI as were obesity, smoking and other indicators of health status. Eating out three or more times a week and eating no vegetables more strongly followed FI than preceded it. The analysis identified a range of factors and demonstrated the complex and interactive nature of them. Further analysis using propensity score weighted methods to control for covariates identified hypothetical causal links for investigation. These results can be used as a proof of concept to assist public health planning