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Measuring Australian Children’s Water Safety Knowledge: The National Water Safety Quiz

Water safety knowledge levels of Australian children are poorly understood. Royal Life Saving developed an online National Water Safety Quiz (NWSQ) as an interactive means of determining water safety knowledge amongst Australian primary school children (ages 5 to 12 years). Over a period of 8 months, a total of 4,215 children participated in the NWSQ. The NWSQ identified areas of water safety where knowledge was poor including the topics of CPR, swimming, and river safety. Children achieved a better result as they aged. Females out-performed males overall and specifically from ages 10-12 years. Children from independent schools performed better. This research is the first of its kind to measure water safety knowledge at a population level for primary school children, using an online web-based tool. Understanding children’s water safety knowledge is important as it enables the tailoring, delivery and evaluation of programs which help to reduce the burden of drowning

Perspective View on Sorption Thermodynamics: Basic Dye Uptake on Southern Nigerian Clay

Macroscopic phenomenon like adsorption has a mechanistic tie typical of thermodynamics and its principles. This work examined the thermodynamic parameters for methylene blue (MB) uptake onto modified Ekowe clay (EC). The purified clay was calcined for 4hrs. at 750 oC to obtain Natural Ekowe Clay (NEC). The purified clay was activated (1.6M H2SO4 (aq)) and calcined for 4hrs. at 750 oC obtaining Activated Ekowe Clay (AEC). Thermodynamic study applied the equilibrium data in determining the activation and heats of adsorption parameters. The concave Eyring plot suggests more than one rate-limiting steps coexisting in the sorption. For temperatures: 25, 30 and 40 oC, activation energies (3) for NEC and AEC lie between 2 - 29kJ/mol inferring physisorption. Negative activation enthalpies (ΔH * ) values confirm exothermic activations. The less negative ΔH * values, in compliance with the significant k2 values varying inversely with temperature, suggests high sorption rate. The negative activation entropy explained an associative uptake and the less negative values are attributive to a physical uptake. Negative free activation enthalpy, ΔG * indicated that uptake on the modified EC is spontaneous. High negativity of ΔG * values suggest strong physic-sorption bond. The negative ΔH * , ΔS * and ΔG * values characterize the physisorption of MB onto modified EC. Values of the isoexcess heats (qisox) obtained: 2.67kJ/mol. (NEC) and 2.47kJ/mol. (AEC) agreed with the value range of <80kJ/mol. typical to physic-sorption. This work opines that sorption of MB onto modified EC is a spontaneous exothermic multilayer phenomenon that progresses heterogeneously with continuous decrease in sorption potential and fall in isosteric heat

Black Male Collegiate Athletes’ Perceptions of Their Career and Academic Preparation: A Mixed Methods Study

We employed a mixed methods approach with sequential explanatory design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2017) and a Social Capital Theory framework (Bourdieu, 1977) to investigate three research questions: (1) In what ways were participants’ career and college readiness capital developed during high school? (2) How do participants view their academic and career growth and development prior to and after coming to college? (3) Who provided career and college development to participants in this study prior to their college entrance? Results revealed potential reasons why disparities existed between Black and White participants beginning in K-12 and continuing through college. Implications for anti-racist school counseling are given

Effect of hibiscus sabdariffa l., zingiber officinale roscoe and piper nigrum l. On the hematological parameters of alloxan induced diabetic wistar rats.

Background: Diabetes is a disease condition of metabolism clinically expressed by chronic hyperglycemia and protein disorder; it has a link to several complications that cause morbidity and mortality and native plants with antidiabetic properties can be used to avoid further progression of the disease Objective: To investigate the antidiabetic properties of combined extract of hibiscus sabdariffa l., zingiber officinale roscoe and piper nigrum l. as well as its effect on selected hematological parameters in alloxan induced diabetic wistar rats Methods: Thirty (30) male wistar rats aged between 8-10 weeks, weighing 130g to 138g were divided into five groups of six rats each and acclimatized for a week prior to the commencement of the treatments. Of the 5 groups, 4 were induced with 170mg/kg body weight of alloxan. Diabetic rats were treated with 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg of the combined extract as well as 500mg/kg of metformin. The last diabetic group was left untreated and served as the negative control. All treatments were administered for 21 days with blood glucose level and body weight of the experimental animals regularly measured during the course of the treatment. At the end of the treatments, experimental rats were sacrificed and the blood collected was used to carry out hematological analysis including White Blood Cell count(WBC), Red Blood Cell count (RBC), Hemoglobin concentration (Hb), Hematocrit (Hct) or Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and  Platelet (Plt). The results were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at P˂0.05. Results:  The combined plant extract was observed to cause a decrease in the blood sugar level and also helped to maintain the body weight of animals. Similarly, the level of the PCV and the HB significantly increased (p<0.05) after administering the combined extract at the two selected doses. Also the WBC count was significantly (p<0.05) lowered following the administration of the combined extract. Conclusion: The combined extracts of Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Zingiber Officinale and Piper Nigrum have potential in the management of hyperglycemia as well as in the improvement of hematological parameters in alloxan induced diabetic rats

The PCAOB Audit Quality Indicator Framework Project: Feedback From Stakeholders

Audit Quality Indicators (AQIs), as defined by the Center for Audit Quality, include four different elements:firm leadership and tone at the top; engagement team knowledge, experience, and workload; monitoring; and auditor reporting. AQIs are quantitative and qualitative measures designed to improve audit quality and help audit committees select the best audit firm for their current needs. They are intended to increase the reliability and accuracy of financial reporting. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has issued a concept release proposing twenty-eight potential AQIs for use in the United States. The PCAOB release describes the AQI reporting framework and asks for public opinion on whether or not it should be implemented. This study reviews the comment letters in response to PCAOB Docket 041,Concept Release on Audit Quality Indicators, and the AQI reporting frameworks currently in place in the United Kingdom, Singapore, and other countries. After reviewing the PCAOB’s proposed AQI framework, response letters to Docket 041, and the AQI frameworks used in other countries, this paper provides an opinion on how the PCAOB should proceed with the AQI framework initiative in the U.S. The analysis suggests that AQI reporting should not be mandated in the U.S., but should become a flexible and voluntary framework that provides valuable information, enhances transparency in the audit profession, and establishes a commitment to the improvement of audit quality

Panoramic, large-screen, 3-D flight display system design

The report documents and summarizes the results of the required evaluations specified in the SOW and the design specifications for the selected display system hardware. Also included are the proposed development plan and schedule as well as the estimated rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost to design, fabricate, and demonstrate a flyable prototype research flight display system. The thrust of the effort was development of a complete understanding of the user/system requirements for a panoramic, collimated, 3-D flyable avionic display system and the translation of the requirements into an acceptable system design for fabrication and demonstration of a prototype display in the early 1997 time frame. Eleven display system design concepts were presented to NASA LaRC during the program, one of which was down-selected to a preferred display system concept. A set of preliminary display requirements was formulated. The state of the art in image source technology, 3-D methods, collimation methods, and interaction methods for a panoramic, 3-D flight display system were reviewed in depth and evaluated. Display technology improvements and risk reductions associated with maturity of the technologies for the preferred display system design concept were identified

Fatal, unintentional drowning in older people: an assessment of the role of preexisting medical conditions

Background: The number of older people (aged 65 y and over) is increasing in Australia and chronic medical conditions are common. Aquatic activities provide physical and social benefits; however, understanding the risks related to aquatic activity is important for ongoing health and wellbeing. We explore the impact of preexisting medical conditions on unintentional fatal drowning among older people in Australia. Methods: Using coronial, forensic, and medical histories from the Australian National Coronial Information System, all cases of unintentional death by drowning (or where drowning was a factor) among older people in Australia between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2012 were investigated. Preexisting medical conditions were reviewed to determine whether they were contributory to drowning. Results: Of the 506 older people who drowned, 69.0% had a preexisting medical condition. The leading contributory medical condition was cardiovascular disease, followed by dementia, depression, epilepsy, and Parkinson disease. All conditions except cardiovascular disease and depression were overrepresented compared with the proportion of the disease in the population. Falling into water was the most common activity immediately before drowning, especially among those with dementia, whereas those with cardiovascular disease were most likely to drown while swimming. Conclusions: Preexisting medical conditions contribute to drowning in older people but with unequal contributions. With the prevalence of medical conditions expected to increase as the population ages, targeted education for older people will be important. Risk management will enable older people to safely participate in aquatic activities

Using a retrospective cross-sectional study to analyse unintentional fatal drowning in Australia: ICD-10 coding-based methodologies verses actual deaths

Objectives: Fatal drowning estimates using a single underlying cause of death (UCoD) may under-represent the number of drowning deaths. This study explores how data vary by International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 coding combinations and the use of multiple underlying causes of death using a national register of drowning deaths. Design: An analysis of ICD-10 external cause codes of unintentional drowning deaths for the period 2007-2011 as extracted from an Australian total population unintentional drowning database developed by Royal Life Saving Society-Australia (the Database). The study analysed results against three reporting methodologies: primary drowning codes (W65-74), drowning-related codes, plus cases where drowning was identified but not the UCoD. Setting: Australia, 2007-2011. Participants: Unintentional fatal drowning cases. Results: The Database recorded 1428 drowning deaths. 866 (60.6%) had an UCoD of W65-74 (accidental drowning), 249 (17.2%) cases had an UCoD of either T75.1 (0.2%), V90 (5.5%), V92 (3.5%), X38 (2.4%) or Y21 (5.9%) and 53 (3.7%) lacked ICD coding. Children (aged 0-17 years) were closely aligned (73.9%); however, watercraft (29.2%) and non-aquatic transport (13.0%) were not. When the UCoD and all subsequent causes are used, 67.2% of cases include W65-74 codes. 91.6% of all cases had a drowning code (T75.1, V90, V92, W65-74, X38 and Y21) at any level. Conclusion: Defining drowning with the codes W65-74 and using only the UCoD captures 61% of all drowning deaths in Australia. This is unevenly distributed with adults, watercraft and non-aquatic transport-related drowning deaths under-represented. Using a wider inclusion of ICD codes, which are drowning-related and multiple causes of death minimises this under-representation. A narrow approach to counting drowning deaths will negatively impact the design of policy, advocacy and programme planning for prevention

Learning to Swim: What Influences Success?

Swimming and water safety skills are important life skills, particularly in Australia, where aquatic activities are regularly enjoyed. Little research has been undertaken exploring children’s swimming and water safety skills, what level they can achieve, and what factors impact their ability to learn these skills. This study explores children aged 5-12 years who participated in the Australian Capital Territory Primary Schools Swim and Survive Program, 2009-2011. Children who were more likely to achieve higher levels were older, were female, attended private school, swam at least once a fortnight, had a swimming pool at home, or visited a public swimming pool. Those who were less likely were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, had a negative experience, and swam less than once a fortnight