The health of older Western Australians: The role of age, gender, geographic location, psychological distress, perceived health, tobacco and alcohol

Purpose: Rates of drinking- and alcohol-related harms among older adults are increasing in most developed nations. The purpose of this paper was to explore the relationship among at-risk alcohol use, smoking, gender, geographical location, self-reported health and psychological well-being among Western Australians aged 65 years and older. Design/methodology/approach: A secondary analysis was conducted of a cross-sectional survey that collected data from 7,804 West Australians aged 65 years and older between 2013 and 2015. Participants were categorised according to the following age groups: young-old (aged 65–74 years), older-old (aged 75–84 years) and oldest-old (aged 85+ years). Findings: Results from a multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that at-risk drinking decreased with increasing age. Current smokers, males and those males and females who perceived their health to be “excellent” were more likely to report at-risk drinking, as were the oldest-old males who lived in remote communities. Psychological well-being was not a predictor of at-risk drinking. Originality/value: This paper examines drinking behaviour among a diverse population of older Western Australians. The way in which the age groups were segmented is unique, as most studies of older Australian drinking patterns aggregate the older adult population. Some of the authors’ findings support existing literature, whereas the remainder provides unique data about the relationship among at-risk drinking, geographic location and psychological well-being

Solution-processed CdS transistors with high electron mobility

Solution-processed CdS field effect transistors (FETs) and solar cells are demonstrated via spin-coating and thermal annealing of soluble cadmium thiolate compounds. The synthesis is carried out in one simple step using cadmium oxide and tertiary alkane thiols. The cadmium thiolates are soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform and may be spin-coated, like organic semiconductors, to form thin films. The cadmium thiolate films decompose rapidly at 300 ??C to yield semiconducting cadmium sulfide films. FETs are easily fabricated using these films and exhibit electron mobilities of up to 61 cm2 V -1 s-1, which compare favourably to FETs prepared from other solution-processed materials such as organic semiconductors, inorganic nanoparticles or chalcogenide films. Initial attempts to prepare hybrid bilayer solar cells were successfully realized by spin-coating a p-type semiconducting polymer layer on top of the n-type CdS film. These devices show significant photocurrent response from both the CdS and polymer layers, indicating that the CdS films are able to participate in photo-induced electron transfer from the polymer to the CdS layer as well as photo-induced hole transfer from CdS to the polymer layer.close2

The Amplifying and Buffering Effects of Virtuousness in Downsized Organizations

Virtuousness refers to the pursuit of the highest aspirations in the human condition. It is characterized by human impact, moral goodness, and unconditional societal betterment. Several writers have recently argued that corporations, in addition to being concerned with ethics, should also emphasize an ethos of virtuousness in corporate action. Virtuousness emphasizes actions that go beyond the “do no harm” assumption embedded in most ethical codes of conduct. Instead, it emphasizes the highest and best of the human condition. This research empirically examines the buffering and amplifying effects of virtuousness in organizations. The study hypothesizes that virtuousness has a positive effect on organizations because amplifying dynamics make subsequent virtuous action more likely, and buffering dynamics reduce the harmful effects of downsizing. The study reveals that two types of virtuousness – tonic and phasic – are associated with these effects.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42527/1/10551_2005_Article_5904.pd

Estimating the effects of physical violence and serious injury on health-related quality of life: Evidence from 19 waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of physical violence and serious injury on health-related quality of life in the Australian adult population. Methods: This study utilised panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. HRQoL was measured through the physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary (MCS), and short-form six-dimension utility index (SF-6D) of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Longitudinal fixed-effect regression models were fitted using 19 waves of the HILDA Survey spanning from 2002 to 2020. Results: This study found a negative effect of physical violence and serious injury on health-related quality of life. More specifically, Australian adults exposed to physical violence and serious injury exhibited lower levels of health-related quality of life. Who experienced physical violence only had lower MCS (β = −2.786, 95% CI: −3.091, −2.481) and SF-6D (β = −0.0214, 95% CI: −0.0248, −0.0181) scores if switches from not experiencing physical violence and serious injury. Exposed to serious injury had lower PCS (β = −5.103, 95% CI: −5.203, −5.004), MCS (β = −2.363, 95% CI: −2.480, −2.247), and SF-6D (β = −0.0585, 95% CI: −0.0598, −0.0572) score if the adults not experiencing physical violence and serious injury. Further, individuals exposed to both violence and injury had substantially lower PCS (β = -3.60, 95% CI: -4.086, -3.114), MCS (β = −6.027, 95% CI: −6.596, −5.459), and SF-6D (β = −0.0716, 95% CI: −0.0779, −0.0652) scores relative to when the individuals exposed to none. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that interventions to improve Australian adults’ quality of life should pay particular attention to those who have experienced physical violence and serious injury. Our findings suggest unmet mental health needs for victims of physical violence and serious injuries, which calls for proactive policy interventions that provide psychological and emotional therapy

Replacing the metal oxide layer with a polymer surface modifier for high-performance inverted polymer solar cells

Replacing ZnO with PEIE, both as a surface modifier for the low work function electrode and as an electron selective layer, enhances the performance and air stability of inverted polymer solar cells by improving electron transport, wettability between the active layer and the cathode, and maximizing light absorption within the active layer without light interference.close3

The impact of Internet-based specific activities on the perceptions of Internet addiction, quality of life, and excessive usage: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Recent research has examined the context in which preference for specific online activities arises, leading researchers to suggest that excessive Internet users are engaged in specific activities rather than ‘generalized’ Internet use. The present study aimed to partially replicate and expand these findings by addressing four research questions regarding (i) participants' preferred online activities, (ii) possible expected changes in online behavior in light of hypothetical scenarios, (iii) perceived quality of life when access to Internet was not possible, and (iv) how participants with self-diagnosed Internet addiction relate to intensity and frequency of Internet use. Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted using convenience and snowball sampling to recruit participants. A total of 1057 Internet users with ages ranging from 16 to 70 years (M age = 30 years, SD = 10.84) were recruited online via several English-speaking online forums. Results: Most participants indicated that their preferred activities were (i) accessing general information and news, (ii) social networking, and (iii) using e-mail and/or online chatting. Participants also reported that there would be a significant decrease of their Internet use if access to their preferred activities was restricted. The study also found that 51% of the total sample perceived themselves as being addicted to the Internet, while 14.1% reported that without the Internet their life would be improved. Conclusions: The context in which the Internet is used appears to determine the intensity and the lengths that individuals will go to use this tool. The implications of these findings are further discussed

High mobility solution-processed hybrid light emitting transistors

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of high-performance, solution-processed hybrid (inorganic-organic) light emitting transistors (HLETs). The devices employ a high-mobility, solution-processed cadmium sulfide layer as the switching and transport layer, with a conjugated polymer Super Yellow as an emissive material in non-planar source/drain transistor geometry. We demonstrate HLETs with electron mobilities of up to 19.5 cm2/V s, current on/off ratios of >107, and external quantum efficiency of 10-2% at 2100 cd/m2. These combined optical and electrical performance exceed those reported to date for HLETs. Furthermore, we provide full analysis of charge injection, charge transport, and recombination mechanism of the HLETs. The high brightness coupled with a high on/off ratio and low-cost solution processing makes this type of hybrid device attractive from a manufacturing perspective.open0

Hierarchical Star Formation in Nearby LEGUS Galaxies

Hierarchical structure in ultraviolet images of 12 late-type LEGUS galaxies is studied by determining the numbers and fluxes of nested regions as a function of size from ~1 to ~200 pc, and the number as a function of flux. Two starburst dwarfs, NGC 1705 and NGC 5253, have steeper number-size and flux-size distributions than the others, indicating high fractions of the projected areas filled with star formation. Nine subregions in 7 galaxies have similarly steep number-size slopes, even when the whole galaxies have shallower slopes. The results suggest that hierarchically structured star-forming regions several hundred parsecs or larger represent common unit structures. Small galaxies dominated by only a few of these units tend to be starbursts. The self-similarity of young stellar structures down to parsec scales suggests that star clusters form in the densest parts of a turbulent medium that also forms loose stellar groupings on larger scales. The presence of super star clusters in two of our starburst dwarfs would follow from the observed structure if cloud and stellar subregions more readily coalesce when self-gravity in the unit cell contributes more to the total gravitational potential.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for ApJ

Engineered carbon-nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensors for biomolecules

The study of electrochemical behavior of bioactive molecules has become one of the most rapidly developing scientific fields. Biotechnology and biomedical engineering fields have a vested interest in constructing more precise and accurate voltammetric/amperometric biosensors. One rapidly growing area of biosensor design involves incorporation of carbon-based nanomaterials in working electrodes, such as one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional graphene, and graphene oxide. In this review article, we give a brief overview describing the voltammetric techniques and how these techniques are applied in biosensing, as well as the details surrounding important biosensing concepts of sensitivity and limits of detection. Building on these important concepts, we show how the sensitivity and limit of detection can be tuned by including carbon-based nanomaterials in the fabrication of biosensors. The sensing of biomolecules including glucose, dopamine, proteins, enzymes, uric acid, DNA, RNA, and H2O2 traditionally employs enzymes in detection; however, these enzymes denature easily, and as such, enzymeless methods are highly desired. Here we draw an important distinction between enzymeless and enzyme-containing carbon-nanomaterial-based biosensors. The review ends with an outlook of future concepts that can be employed in biosensor fabrication, as well as limitations of already proposed materials and how such sensing can be enhanced. As such, this review can act as a roadmap to guide researchers toward concepts that can be employed in the design of next generation biosensors, while also highlighting the current advancements in the field.ope