Effectiveness of traineeships and apprenticeships for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population

Among those enrolled in apprenticeships and traineeships, Indigenous students are more likely to be participating in courses of study leading to lower qualifications, according to this report. Summary What we know Indigenous Australians, particularly females, are more likely than the rest of the population to participate in apprenticeships and traineeships, mostly due to the relatively younger demographic structure of the Indigenous population (as apprenticeships are typically undertaken during youth). Among those enrolled in apprenticeships and traineeships, Indigenous students are more likely to be participating in courses of study leading to lower qualifications (Certificate I and II). For both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, the key determinant of field of study is gender: males are much more likely to be participating in apprenticeships and traineeships that will result in them becoming tradespersons or related workers, and females are more likely to be working towards an occupation as an Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Worker. Indigenous Australians are less likely to be employed across all age groups. Apprenticeships are commonly seen as a useful tool for ‘Closing the Gap’. Not all apprentices and trainees are employed, but they have a much higher rate of employment compared with other students (52.1% of Indigenous apprentices are employed, compared with 31.6% of other Indigenous students). When surveyed, students generally report the benefits of having an apprenticeship as being to ‘advance my skills more generally’ and having the ‘satisfaction of achievement’. However, in addition to these universal benefits, Indigenous Australians are also much more likely to report being ‘seen as a role model for others in the community’. What works Evidence from overseas studies suggests that participation in traineeships and apprenticeships can have a positive effect on employment outcomes and earnings. A statistical analysis of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) program found that almost 15% of those who found employment through the SQW programs would not have otherwise been able to find employment. Pre-apprenticeship training nearly doubles the chance of enrolment in an apprenticeship from a base of about 10% of potential students. Pre-apprenticeship training can also be associated with higher job satisfaction, although the evidence is inconclusive. Reviews of some Indigenous-specific training and employment programs show a positive effect on employment and education and relatively high levels of job satisfaction for participants. It appears that the provision of mentors reduces cancellation rates for Indigenous apprentices. What doesn\u27t work An analysis of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Scheme found that incentives increase the number of people commencing an apprenticeship, but the scheme has no effect on retention. Apprenticeships have very little effect on employment outcomes (increased hours or wages) for those who were employed before training. What we don\u27t know There is a need for more robust data on the diverse effects of apprenticeships in an Australian, and particularly an Indigenous Australian, context. Existing studies suffer from self-selection bias. Furthermore, often only participants in apprenticeships are included in the studies, so it is possible that the observed outcome is linked to an unobserved characteristic shared by those who enrol (for example, above-average levels of motivation) that is not uniform across the population. Although there are many effective Indigenous-specific trainee programs in industries where Indigenous engagement is already relatively high (for example, mining and land management), there is no analysis on whether or not programs in these industries are more effective than other programs (for example, programs by the National Australia Bank as part of their Reconciliation Action Plan). One missing piece of evidence on effective apprenticeships and traineeships is the extent to which Indigenous apprentices and trainees are discriminated against or treated unfairly in different industries, regions and employer types.   &nbsp

Muon spin precession frequency extraction and decay positron track fitting in Run 1 of the Fermilab Muon g - 2 experiment

One of the few indications for new physics is the discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental values for the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. There is a discrepancy of 3 to 4 standard deviations between theory and the last experimental measurement made at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 2001, which measured the muon magnetic anomaly a to 540 parts per billion (ppb). This discrepancy has been consistent for many years with ever improving theoretical calculations. In order to resolve or confirm this discrepancy experiment E989, Muon g - 2, is underway to measure a to 4 times higher precision at 140 ppb. In Run 1 E989 gathered its first production data, consisting of approximately 8 × 10^9 decay positrons above an energy threshold of 1.7 GeV. This dissertation describes the experimental measurement, the detectors, the precession frequency extraction, and the track fitting of decay positrons in Run 1. The track fitting is done using a ^2 minimization algorithm to fit tracks propagated within a Geant4 reconstruction simulation including error propagation. The precession frequency is extracted using an analysis technique called the Ratio Method. The Ratio Method takes the ratio of time-shifted decay positron spectra in order to remove the decay exponential along with slowly varying effects in the data. Precession frequency extraction analyses for four near-final Run 1 datasets are presented with full systematic error evaluations. The total Run 1 precession frequency error determined in this analysis is 469.4 ppb, where the error is statistics dominated. Combined with the expected error in the magnetic field measurement of 140 ppb, the expected final error on a for Run 1 of E989 is (500 ppb), comparable to the previous measurement

Effectiveness of traineeships and apprenticeships for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population

Indigenous young people in Australia are much more likely to be neither studying nor participating in paid employment than their non-Indigenous peers. However, there is evidence that traineeships and apprenticeships can have a positive effect on employment outcomes and earnings. This paper provides an overview of the effectiveness of apprenticeships and traineeships for Indigenous young people in Australia. It looks at the data on participation rates, gender differences, occupation types, employment outcomes, and personal outcomes, and reviews the local and international research evidence on their impacts. The paper also discusses the gaps in the research and what is needed to support effective policy in this area.This report was commisioned by Closing the Gap Clearing Hous

Examination of Time-of-Day Differences in Fear-Related Memory Behavior in Male and Female Rats

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders are often characterized by impairment of the circadian system. Fear extinction learning is known to be modulated by the circadian system, but it is unclear if the time of extinction training or the time of extinction testing determines fluctuations in behavioral responses, or if these modulations are also present in female rats. Furthermore, it is unclear if fear relapse mechanisms show circadian rhythmicity. In experiment 1, rats were fear conditioned and extinction trained at zeitgeber time 4 (ZT4), ZT10, ZT16, or ZT22 and underwent five extinction testing sessions, separated by 6hr, beginning 24hrs after training. Rats trained at all times exhibited similar behavior at the time of extinction training. However, rats tested at ZT16 (active phase) demonstrated enhanced fear extinction recall memory and rats tested at ZT4 (inactive phase) demonstrated weaker fear extinction recall memory. In a follow-up experiment (experiment 3), results showed that male and female rats housed in constant darkness (DD) also exhibited time-of-day differences during fear extinction recall testing. These results suggest that fear extinction recall behavior may be regulated by the circadian system, and that molecular clocks in the prefrontal cortex may regulate molecular mechanisms associated with fear extinction memory retrieval. Follow-up experiments examined circadian modulation of fear relapse behavior. In experiment 2, rats trained at either ZT4 or Z16 underwent fear relapse testing 24, 36, or 48hrs later. No significant effects were observed; however, experiment 1, which tested rats for fear relapse 72hrs following extinction sessions, observed trending results that suggest that fear relapse behavior is enhanced at ZT16. For this reason, experiment 3 also examined fear relapse behavior 72hrs following extinction testing (as in experiment 1) and replicated the results of experiment 1 fear relapse. These data suggest that the circadian system may also modulate of fear relapse behavior, particularly spontaneous recovery of fear responses

Convection Enhanced Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Brain Gliomas

Malignant brain gliomas are almost always fatal, with a five year survival rate of only 3%. This is due in part to the difficulty of treating tumors chemically or surgically. They are often deep within the brain, where drugs cannot easily diffusive due to the blood-brain barrier and where surgery could be deadly. Emerging techniques for improved treatment include direct infusion of treatment drugs, like Paclitaxel, into the tumor in a procedure known as convection-enhanced drug delivery. These procedures require days of carefully monitored infusion to ensure tumor destruction while preserving surrounding tissue. To better understand the drug distribution and dosing options for different tumor sizes without dangerous medical tests, we have modeled the drug distribution within the tumor and surrounding tissue computationally. The model shows drug distributions consistent with current clinical results after a five day procedure. This model could now be used to better define dosing levels and procedure parameters to maximize tumor removal while preserving healthy tissue in individually unique cases

Synthesis and structural studies of N- and P-donor ligands in Chromium(III) complexes

The fundamental knowledge of Cr(III) chemistry has been enhanced via detailed structural and spectroscopic studies of largely novel compounds that may potentially be active tri- and tetramerisation precursors. The compounds are based on various monodentate and bidentate nitrogen and phosphorus ligands which have been coordinated to [CrCl3 (thf) 3]. The few compounds that have been synthesised previously have in this study been made via novel synthetic routes and incorporate a combination of new and more detailed analysis than was carried out previously. The eight structures determined, in addition to offering novel crystallographic data, also provided insights into the synthetic pathways leading to compound formation. The isolation of monomeric structures suggests direct ligand substitution, while the cationic-anionic structures suggest the presence of dimeric intermediates which have been cleaved asymmetrically. Infrared and Raman spectra of these structures were able to add weight to these pathway proposals and, by means of vibrational comparisons, assisted in the general band assignments of the compounds' spectra where structures were not available. Vibrational shifts relative to the free ligands, as well as metal–ligand vibrations in the far infrared region, were also of significant value in terms of ligand coordination and geometry. Closely associated with the infrared and Raman spectra analysis was the generation of theoretical spectra using Density Functional Theory calculations. The excellent agreement between the calculated and experimental spectra confirmed the vibrational assignments. Also generated by computational means were the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) of the compounds which indicated the sites of potential nucleophilic and electrophilic attack. 1H NMR spectroscopy is a technique normally avoided when studying paramagnetic materials. However, by employing a largely novel approach, information pertaining to both ligand coordination and reaction times was obtained. FAB-MS assisted in the confirmation that the single crystal determinations did indeed reflect the composition of the bulk precipitated samples. It also provided additional structural information through the identification of fragmentation patterns which could not be gained by techniques such as elemental analysis.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010.Chemistryunrestricte

The Second Pen

The Second Pen evaluates the historical relevancy of prevalent monikers for William Shakespeare-- namely, The Bard, Swan of Avon, and Upstart Crow. While Brennan finds the general concept of the moniker to encapsulate Shakespeare\u27s current historical legacy, he equally finds the aforementioned monikers to misrepresent this. Brennan offers The Second Pen as a moniker for Shakespeare that redresses the distortions of the others. He concentrates his defense of its relevancy around a defense of William Shakespeare as the second pen which Ben Jonson\u27s 1605 Sejanus quarto names as a collaborator in the writing of a preceding stage version of the drama

Structural studies of thallium(I)thourea complexes

See Abstract in on Page 9Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Chemistryunrestricte

Landscape Preferences, Amenity, and Bushfire Risk in New South Wales, Australia

This paper examines landscape preferences of residents in amenity-rich bushfire-prone landscapes in New South Wales, Australia. Insights are provided into vegetation preferences in areas where properties neighbor large areas of native vegetation, such as national parks, or exist within a matrix of cleared and vegetated private and public land. In such areas, managing fuel loads in the proximity of houses is likely to reduce the risk of house loss and damage. Preferences for vegetation appearance and structure were related to varying fuel loads, particularly the density of understorey vegetation and larger trees. The study adopted a qualitative visual research approach, which used ranking and photo-elicitation as part of a broader interview. A visual approach aids in focusing on outcomes of fuel management interventions, for example, by using the same photo scenes to firstly derive residents’ perceptions of amenity and secondly, residents’ perceptions of bushfire risk. The results are consistent with existing research on landscape preferences; residents tend to prefer relatively open woodland or forest landscapes with good visual and physical access but with elements that provoke their interest. Overall, residents’ landscape preferences were found to be consistent with vegetation management that reduces bushfire risk to houses. The terms in which preferences were expressed provide scope for agency engagement with residents in order to facilitate management that meets amenity and hazard reduction goals on private land