Enabling prosperity: success factors in Indigenous economic development

Public discussion about ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians tends to focus on measures such as life expectancy, child mortality, early childhood education, literacy and numeracy, and employment.  These are, rightly, essential markers of health and well-being for all people, and for decades they have provided evidence that Australia’s health and social systems have not met the needs of Indigenous Australians. However, there is another story, one that focuses on the measures of success, as evident in the many thriving Indigenous businesses and corporations around the country.  Across Australia, there is a growing story of economic security and success, in which Indigenous Australians are creating enterprises combining sound business principles with strong cultural and social foundations for the benefit of individuals, families and communities. Urbis was commissioned by Westpac to undertake research into Indigenous business development, to provide an evidence base to support the work of the Empowered Communities group. The report, Enabling Prosperity: Success Factors in Indigenous Economic Development, suggests that these factors are much the same as for any other businesses: human capital, access to capital and markets, infrastructure, location and an authorising environment created through government policy and regulation. In practice, businesses succeed because of more than one factor, and multiple factors can strengthen the capacity of a business to grow and develop.  For instance, access to capital often relies on the development of successful partnerships, while ownership of land and resources requires human capital to realise its potential. Indigenous culture can be both a support and a resource. Individual attitude and vision are also essential ingredients in business success, while government plays an important role in ensuring the regulatory environment enables rather than hinders business efforts. Much can be learned by examining successful Indigenous businesses both in Australia and internationally. Businesses are the key driver for wealth creation, helping to provide job opportunities and improve social and economic conditions. Fostering business success, therefore, has the potential to increase employment, improve living standards, and contribute to stable and nurturing communities. Current government policy frameworks, such as the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy, are largely focused on increasing education and training and generating opportunities for private sector employment and enterprise.  This is important. Just as important is the contribution that successful community or non-profit enterprises can make in providing employment, generating business investment for growth, building partnerships and demonstrating positive role models. The Empowered Communities group is such a national initiative. Formed in 2013, the group brings together Indigenous leaders from eight communities across Australia and seeks to strengthen Indigenous individuals and communities through a range of activities (see https://empoweredcomms.wordpress.com for more information). Strategies that strengthen both individual and community business initiatives will help to ensure that more Indigenous Australians have the opportunity to live successful and productive lives.  Everyone has a contribution to make in this regard. Governments can create an enabling regulatory environment. Banks can enable access to capital. Local chambers of commerce can foster business development through support and networks for new entrepreneurs. Communities and individuals can purchase goods and services from Indigenous businesses. Building a strong and vibrant Indigenous business and social enterprise sector can then contribute to improving many of the health and social indicators, such as improving nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices, and increasing employment and education.  Efforts to improve Indigenous outcomes really are everyone’s business

Improving Displacement Measurement for Evaluating Longitudinal Road Profiles

2018 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.This paper introduces a half-wavelength peak matching (HWPM) model, which improves the accuracy of vehicle based longitudinal road profilers used in evaluating road unevenness and mega-textures. In this application, the HWPM model is designed for profilers which utilize a laser displacement sensor with an accelerometer for detecting surface irregularities. The process of converting acceleration to displacement by double integration (which is used in most rofilers) is error-prone, and although there are techniques to minimize the effect of this error, this paper proposes a novel approach for improving the generated road profile results. The technique amends the vertical displacement derived from the accelerometer samples, by using data from the laser displacement sensor as a reference. The vehicle based profiler developed for this experiment (which uses the HWPM model) shows a huge improvement in detected longitudinal irregularities when compared with pre-processed results, and uses a 3-m rolling straight edge as a benchmark.Peer reviewe

The Use of an Incentive Program to Increase Motivation for Academic Performance

The effects of an incentive program (Free Hours Points Program) on academic performance were examined. Sixty student-athletes on academic probation (less than a 2.25 GPA) at a Division I university participated. Points were awarded for positive, measurable efforts towards improving academic standing. Although grade point average (GPA) did not significantly increase from one year to the next, 62% of student-athletes did demonstrate improvement on this measure. Total points earned by each individual was not significantly correlated to GPA, however, class year was significantly negatively correlated with points earned, suggesting that this type of intervention may be more effective with younger student-athletes

Young people and healthcare. Part I: Experience of the hospital environment.

National Health Service policy in the UK recommends that the hospital built environment should cater for the needs of younger and older children, adolescents and carers. However, previous studies have indicated that it is a challenge to address the needs of such a wide age range, and that hospital design and systems typically are more age-appropriate for young children than for adolescents. The aim of the present study is to explore how adolescents who have not been regular patients experience the hospital environment. Using a qualitative methodology, we explore the responses of four young people who participated in a hospital intervention study. Results suggest that a paediatric ward designed specifically for adolescents was experienced positvely by participants. Other areas of the hospital serving a wide age range of patients (Emergency Department and Radiography, for example) were not experienced as positively. Implications for hospital design, staff training and future research are explored.This collaborative project with the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust was commissioned by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust and managed by the Real Ideas Organisation

UAS Literary & Arts Journal

Proof copy provided by Tidal Echoes.Featuring the work of students, faculty, and staff of the University of Alaska Southeast and members of the community.A Note from Emily Wall -- Editor’s Note -- Mask -- Image of Nora, Rendering Seal Oil -- Based of course on hearsay -- Bowl with Spoon -- Gathering Indigo -- Shed -- Decay -- At the Core -- After Summer Time -- Sitka Fishing Boat -- Pericles at the Beach -- Funny Face Fido (detail) -- The Answer Dog -- Direction of the Wind -- Eagle -- An Interview with Nathan Jackson -- Water Becoming Land -- An Interview with John Straley -- Halibut Point View -- Night Monsters -- Sea Lion -- Trophy -- Humpback Flukes -- Homecoming -- Spinning Tires -- Hiking the Salt Chuck Trail -- Sitka Rose -- Columbine -- Chocolate Lily -- Bleeding Hearts -- Salmon Egg Puller—$2.15 an hour -- Granddaughters Dancing -- Sitka Sentinel -- Kootznoowoo -- Ode to Wildlife -- Dinner Party -- Floating Islands (detail) -- To My Departed Kishka -- Wisteria -- Untitled -- Fairweather Laundry -- Struggling with My Language -- “Culture” in the Juneau Museum -- Thane -- Juneau Goldbelt & 9th -- Pink Blue Leaves -- Slow Fall -- Tango -- Pacific Coast Mask with Copper Luster -- Against Confessional -- Sunday Afternoon 3:30 to 3:31 -- Downtown -- Tony, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey -- Land and Water Series -- On the Day They Buried Gus Hall -- Solju Sapnu -- Nattie -- The First Half of the Last Century -- A Church Remains -- Mexican Wall -- Eagle Reflections -- The Saving Son -- Axh Leelk’w -- Sinister Place -- Blue Halibuts -- Fishing Again -- The Masai -- Wanting to Know Water -- For Women Like Me -- Mountain Bleu -- Untitled -- Single Word Title -- Charms (detail) -- e.e isn’t Cummings back -- Mocha Gal -- Poppies -- Ideal Woman Blues -- Near the End -- Poet at Work -- Stills -- Serenity -- Lupine Bugs -- Spring Fiddleheads -- What a Piece of Work! -- Biographie

Kunskap inom socialtjänsten: en studie om kunskapssynen inom IFO i en medelstor svensk kommun.

The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge within the social services. We narrowed the study down from general knowledge to scientifically produced knowledge and how the social workers relate to such knowledge. We aimed to see how the social workers perceive different knowledge and how they relate to the different sources of knowledge. We also examined the different factors that will enable and motivate social workers to stay updated with scientifically produced knowledge that is relevant to their work. We also examined what limits the ability or motivation for renewing ones knowledge. The questionnaires were sent out to 95 people, of whom 85 people from three different units within the Individual and Family care section at the social services responded. The three units work toward children and their families, adolescents and their families and adults. The social workers answered a questionnaire form that was sent out through e-mail and was collected in paper form a week later. All the participant responses were kept anonymous and the participants also had an opportunity to reflect freely at the end of the questionnaire. The most important conclusions we have come to is that scientific knowledge is as hard for our participants to define as it seems to be for other participants in other studies. The amount of work that the social workers have, limits them to seek and take part of scientifically produced knowledge. We also believe that if the scientifically produced knowledge were more accessible for the social workers, then they would have a greater opportunity to indulge themselves in it, which we believe would benefit the clients and the society in general

UAS Literary & Arts Journal

Proof copy provided by Tidal Echoes.Featuring the work of students, faculty, and staff of the University of Alaska Southeast and members of the community.A Note from Loren, Sometimes Known as Senior Editor -- A Letter from Josh, Affectionately Known as “Sugah” (say it with a southern accent) -- A Note from Emily Wall -- On the Move -- Dangly Jangly Things -- Taco Surf -- Midwestern Trash -- On the Distaff Side -- Christmas Joy -- The Three Little McCormicks -- Trollin’ Ray’s Brain: An Interview with Ray Troll -- His Long Coat Turning -- First Autumn -- Pinta Cove Birthday Gifts -- September Wings -- When in Rome -- Early Morning Conspiracy Theory -- Flesh Wound -- Two Ravens, Five Ways -- Shades of Brown: The Question -- Hayfield-Clarke Psychiatric Center -- Hardscrabble -- Smoked Meat Sandwiches -- Slime Squishing Through Gold: An Interview with Nora Marks Dauenhauer -- Berries -- Buds -- Grandpa Jakwteen in Eclipse -- Cross Talk -- Voices -- Trouble -- Flying Home -- Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay -- Genocide -- Raven, Saving It for Later -- Mama Abel’s -- Settling In -- Blue -- Dad at 27 -- Dad photographs mother -- Backyard theatre & Oz -- Love-in, Easter Day, 1968 -- Topanga Corral -- Swallowing Senora -- Keeping Time on the Kee Nax Trail -- Ode to Ching -- Beneath the Surface (chapter title) -- A Visit from the Wild -- Teacher’s Pets -- Centennial -- See Spot Rot -- With Salsa -- Moonbaby -- The Fine Art of Raising a Tarpaulin -- Prologue -- Epiphany 2008 -- View of Auke Lake -- Shark Fins -- Translating Pasternak -- Raven Boys -- Institutional Back Door -- Uneasy Disguise -- Christmas Wind -- The Life and Times of the Orlando Bloom Fan Club -- Writer & Artist Biographie

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Elongate Hemlock Scale Induce Changes in Foliar and Twig Volatiles of Eastern Hemlock

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is in rapid decline because of infestation by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; \u27HWA\u27) and, to a lesser extent, the invasive elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa; \u27EHS\u27). For many conifers, induced oleoresin-based defenses play a central role in their response to herbivorous insects; however, it is unknown whether eastern hemlock mobilizes these inducible defenses. We conducted a study to determine if feeding by HWA or EHS induced changes in the volatile resin compounds of eastern hemlock. Young trees were experimentally infested for 3 years with HWA, EHS, or neither insect. Twig and needle resin volatiles were identified and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We observed a suite of changes in eastern hemlock\u27s volatile profile markedly different from the largely terpenoid-based defense response of similar conifers. Overall, both insects produced a similar effect: most twig volatiles decreased slightly, while most needle volatiles increased slightly. Only HWA feeding led to elevated levels of methyl salicylate, a signal for systemic acquired resistance in many plants, and benzyl alcohol, a strong antimicrobial and aphid deterrent. Green leaf volatiles, often induced in wounded plants, were increased by both insects, but more strongly by EHS. The array of phytochemical changes we observed may reflect manipulation of the tree\u27s biochemistry by HWA, or simply the absence of functional defenses against piercing-sucking insects due to the lack of evolutionary contact with these species. Our findings verify that HWA and EHS both induce changes in eastern hemlock\u27s resin chemistry, and represent the first important step toward understanding the effects of inducible chemical defenses on hemlock susceptibility to these exotic pests

Antigenic specificity of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity directed against human immunodeficiency virus in antibody-positive sera

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) specific for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been described for HIV-infected individuals. To determine the antigenic specificity of this immune response and to define its relationship to the disease state, an ADCC assay was developed using Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell line targets infected with vaccinia virus vectors expressing HIV proteins. The vaccinia virus vectors induced appropriate HIV proteins (envelope glycoproteins gp160, gp120, and gp41 or gag proteins p55, p40, p24, and p17) in infected lymphoblastoid cell lines as demonstrated by radioimmunoprecipitation and syncytia formation with c8166 cells. Killer cell-mediated, HIV-specific ADCC was found in sera from HIV-seropositive but not HIV-seronegative hemophiliacs. This HIV-specific response was directed against envelope glycoprotein but was completely absent against target cells expressing the HIV gag proteins. The ADCC directed against gp160 was present at serum dilutions up to 1/316,000. There was no correlation between serum ADCC titer and the stage of HIV-related illness as determined by T-helper-cell numbers. These experiments clearly implicated gp160 as the target antigen of HIV-specific ADCC activity following natural infection. Vaccines which stimulate antibodies directed against gp160, which are capable of mediating ADCC against infected cells, could be important for protection against infection by cell-associated virus