1,541 research outputs found
Carers\u27 preferences for the delivery of therapy services for people with disability in rural Australia: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment
Background: The implementation of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is expected to generate a responsive, person-centred system that will empower people with disability to choose the services and support they receive. However little attention has been paid to examine how users of the NDIS will choose and spend their individual budgets. This study aimed to determine quantitatively the relative importance that carers of people with a disability living in rural Australia place on different therapy service delivery characteristics.
Methods: A stated preference discrete choice experiment (DCE) was incorporated into a survey of carers of people with disability living in rural Australia. Carers chose between therapy delivery services differing in attributes such as travel time to receive therapy, sector providing the service (i.e. Government, not-for-profit, private), out-of-pocket costs, person who delivers the therapy (therapist or other staff) and waiting time.
Results: A total of 133 carers completed the DCE. The majority of respondents cared for a child with a disability (84%), the average age of the person they cared for was 17 years (SD 14.25). Participants expressed strong preferences for a short waiting time (0-3 months) to receive therapy services; services delivered by a therapist, no out of pocket cost and travelling up to 4 hours to receive a therapy session (p
Conclusion: Carers of people with a disability in rural Australia exhibited strongest preferences for short waiting times (0-3 months). Therapy services that are delivered by therapy assistants or support workers will require careful introduction to achieve uptake and acceptability
Factors affecting retention of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia: discrete choice experiment questionnaire development
Objective: This paper describes the development of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire to identify the factors (attributes) that allied health professionals (AHPs) working with people with disability identify as important to encouraging them to remain practising in rural areas.
Methods: Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 97 purposively selected service providers working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a modified grounded theory approach involving thematic analysis and constant comparison.
Results: Six attributes that may influence AHPs working with people with disability in rural areas to continue to do so were inductively identified: travel arrangements, work flexibility, professional support, professional development, remuneration, and autonomy of practice. The qualitative research information was combined with a policy review to define these retention factors and ensure that they are amenable to policy changes.
Conclusion: The use of various qualitative research methods allowed the development of a policy-relevant DCE questionnaire that was grounded in the experience of the target population (AHPs)
The Mass Assembly Histories of Galaxies of Various Morphologies in the GOODS Fields
We present an analysis of the growth of stellar mass with cosmic time
partitioned according to galaxy morphology. Using a well-defined catalog of
2150 galaxies based, in part, on archival data in the GOODS fields, we assign
morphological types in three broad classes (Ellipticals, Spirals,
Peculiar/Irregulars) to a limit of z_AB=22.5 and make the resulting catalog
publicly available. We combine redshift information, optical photometry from
the GOODS catalog and deep K-band imaging to assign stellar masses. We find
little evolution in the form of the galaxy stellar mass function from z~1 to
z=0, especially at the high mass end where our results are most robust.
Although the population of massive galaxies is relatively well established at
z~1, its morphological mix continues to change, with an increasing proportion
of early-type galaxies at later times. By constructing type-dependent stellar
mass functions, we show that in each of three redshift intervals, E/S0's
dominate the higher mass population, while spirals are favored at lower masses.
This transition occurs at a stellar mass of 2--3 times 10^{10} Msun at z~0.3
(similar to local studies) but there is evidence that the relevant mass scale
moves to higher mass at earlier epochs. Such evolution may represent the
morphological extension of the ``downsizing'' phenomenon, in which the most
massive galaxies stop forming stars first, with lower mass galaxies becoming
quiescent later. We infer that more massive galaxies evolve into spheroidal
systems at earlier times, and that this morphological transformation may only
be completed 1--2 Gyr after the galaxies emerge from their active star forming
phase. We discuss several lines of evidence suggesting that merging may play a
key role in generating this pattern of evolution.Comment: 24 pages, 1 table, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the job preferences of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural Australia
Introduction: The uneven distribution of allied health professionals (AHPs) in rural and remote Australia and other countries is well documented. In Australia, like elsewhere, service delivery to rural and remote communities is complicated because relatively small numbers of clients are dispersed over large geographic areas. This uneven distribution of AHPs impacts significantly on the provision of services particularly in areas of special need such as mental health, aged care and disability services.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the relative importance that AHPs (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and psychologists – “therapists”) living in a rural area of Australia and working with people with disability, place on different job characteristics and how these may affect their retention.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to AHPs working with people with disability in a rural area of Australia over a 3-month period. Information was sought about various aspects of the AHPs’ current job, and their workforce preferences were explored using a best–worst scaling discrete choice experiment (BWSDCE). Conditional logistic and latent class regression models were used to determine AHPs’ relative preferences for six different job attributes.
Results: One hundred ninety-nine AHPs completed the survey; response rate was 51 %. Of those, 165 completed the BWSDCE task. For this group of AHPs, “high autonomy of practice” is the most valued attribute level, followed by “travel BWSDCE arrangements: one or less nights away per month”, “travel arrangements: two or three nights away per month” and “adequate access to professional development”. On the other hand, the least valued attribute levels were “travel arrangements: four or more nights per month”, “limited autonomy of practice” and “minimal access to professional development”. Except for “some job flexibility”, all other attributes had a statistical influence on AHPs’ job preference. Preferences differed according to age, marital status and having dependent children.
Conclusions: This study allowed the identification of factors that contribute to AHPs’ employment decisions about staying and working in a rural area. This information can improve job designs in rural areas to increase retention
ASD intervention research in real world contexts: Refining single case designs
Abstract: There is a pressing need for intervention research that reflects real world practice to support evidence based decision making for families, professionals and administrators who support children with ASD. Some of the challenges confronting intervention research are explored, with solutions offered based on single case design methodology. Challenges with single case designs are also outlined and contemporary solutions that are applicable in real world contexts are illustrated in a study by the authors. Research utilizing these strategies may assist with facilitating practitioners to engage in practice-based research to bridge the research to practice gap in intervention with young children with ASD
Effects of Feeding Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles to Finishing Swine on Animal Performance, Manure Characteristics, and Odorous Emissions
Seventy-two finishing pigs were used to evaluate the effects of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on pig performance, manure characteristics, and odorous emissions. Three diets containing 0, 5, and 10% DDGS were fed during six 4-wk feeding periods. Week 1 served as a dietary adjustment period. Animals were housed in two feeding rooms (six pigs per room) with one treatment per room. A new group of animals (average initial Body Weight = 85.8 kg) was used for each feeding period. Diets were replicated four times. Rooms were equipped with individual shallow manure storage pits that were cleaned once weekly (day 7). On day 4 and 7 of each week manure pit samples and air samples in 10-liter Tedlar bags for olfactometry analysis were collected from each room. Dynamic dilution triangular forced-choice olfactometry was conducted using the Ac’scent International Olfactometer (St. Croix Sensory, Stillwater, MN) located in the Iowa State University Engineering Department of Agricultural and Biosystems. No differences in animal performance, as measured by average daily gain and feed efficiency, were observed (P \u3e .05). Greater feed disappearance (P \u3c .10) was observed from animals fed 10% DDGS. A nonsignificant trend of increasing odor, in terms of odor dilution threshold, was observed with increasing dietary concentration of DDGS (P = .16). A nonsignificant trend for increasing odor with increasing DDGS demonstrates the potential for diet formulation to improve odor. This increase in odor was likely due to the increased levels of dietary crude protein, amino acids, and elemental sulfur that were observed with increasing DDGS in the diets. Diet manipulation as a means to reduce odor needs to be investigated further
Comparison of Olfactometry, Gas Chromatography, and Electronic Nose Technology for Measurement of Indoor Air from Swine Facilities
Indoor air from swine finishing facilities was analyzed by olfactometry, gas chromatography (GC), and an electronic nose. Olfactometry used dynamic dilution triangular forced-choice. Air samples collected in Tedlar bags were analyzed using an AromaScan A32S electronic nose. Sixteen compounds, primarily nonsulfur protein metabolites were quantified by GC/mass spectrometry (MS) and an equation was generated to predict odor dilution threshold (R2 \u3c .3). Electronic nose evaluation of room air samples was not strongly correlated to olfactometry measures (r \u3c .2). However, the equation developed from the GC/MS analyses was capable of predicting the electronic nose response to air samples (R2 \u3e .8).
The results suggest that human panelist responses may be based on detection of compounds that were not included in GC/MS quantification procedures and are not well detected by the electronic nose
If Reasoning, Reflection, and Evidence-Based Practice are Essential to Practice, We Must Define Them
Reasoning, reflection, and evidence-based practice are considered essential to the delivery of high-quality occupational therapy services. These skills are highlighted in occupational therapy practice acts and educational standards. Unfortunately, although clearly integral to practice, reasoning, reflection, and evidence-based practice are rarely and inconsistently defined in the profession of occupational therapy. Because the terms reasoning, reflection, and evidence-based practice are used so frequently, and so often their definitions are assumed, occupational therapy students may be unclear on how they will be evaluated and, ultimately, what they will be expected to do in practice in relation to these skills. Through a review of literature, this paper identifies the need for clear conceptualizations of professional skills in occupational therapy and synthesizes the significance of reasoning, reflection, and evidence-based practice to both the education of occupational therapy students and the practice of occupational therapy. This Opinions in the Profession paper seeks to begin a discussion around actions required to advance occupational therapy as a profession through the process of clarifying how these skills are conceptualized, taught, and implemented to promote clear language in literature, education, and practice with the hope of positively impacting therapy services
The development of reading tests for use in a regularly spelled language.
Data are presented on the development of tests of reading skill in rural Tanzanian primary school pupils. Instruction in these schools is in Kiswahili, a regularly spelt language. Using a translation of a standard reading test, children could read aloud all words once they had learnt sound-letter correspondences, regardless of comprehension. In addition, children can appear to pass traditional comprehension tasks by decoding only some of the words. Three graded tests were developed which allow testing of children who either have only some letter knowledge, can read single words, or are proficient readers. The tests require children to both decode and understand the reading material in order to achieve high scores. The tests correlated well with scores on other educational achievement tests, and showed age and school grade differences. It is suggested that these tests are useful measures of reading development in a regularly spelt language. Adaptation to English and validation against standardised instruments is planned
AEGIS: Extinction and Star Formation Tracers from Line Emission
Strong nebular emission lines are a sensitive probe of star formation and
extinction in galaxies, and the [O II] line detects star forming populations
out to z>1. However, star formation rates from emission lines depend on
calibration of extinction and the [O II]/H-alpha line ratio, and separating
star formation from AGN emission. We use calibrated line luminosities from the
DEEP2 survey and Palomar K magnitudes to show that the behavior of emission
line ratios depends on galaxy magnitude and color. For galaxies on the blue
side of the color bimodality, the vast majority show emission signatures of
star formation, and there are strong correlations of extinction and [O
II]/H-alpha with restframe H magnitude. The conversion of [O II] to
extinction-corrected H-alpha and thus to star formation rate has a significant
slope with M_H, 0.23 dex/mag. Red galaxies with emission lines have a much
higher scatter in their line ratios, and more than half show AGN signatures. We
use 24 micron fluxes from Spitzer/MIPS to demonstrate the differing populations
probed by nebular emission and by mid-IR luminosity. Although extinction is
correlated with luminosity, 98% of IR-luminous galaxies at z~1 are still
detected in the [O II] line. Mid-IR detected galaxies are mostly bright and
intermediate color, while fainter, bluer galaxies with high [O II] luminosity
are rarely detected at 24 microns.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters AEGIS
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