Adapting the propensity for angry driving scale for use in Australian research

Road rage is a topic that receives consistent attention in both the road safety literature and media. Before Australian research can address the underlying factors associated with road rage, there is a need for a valid instrument appropriate for use in this context. The present program of research consisted of two studies. Study 1 used a university sample to adjust the scoring technique and response options of a 19-item American measure of the propensity for angry driving with acceptable reliability and validity. In Study 2, Factor Analysis confirmed a one-factor solution and resulted in a 15-item scale, the Australian Propensity for Angry Driving Scale (Aus-PADS), with a coefficient alpha of .82 (N = 433). The Aus-PADS may be used in future research to broaden the Australian road rage literature and to improve our understanding of the underlying processes associated with road rage in order to prevent the problem. Future research should also confirm the factor structure and generate normative data with a more representative sample

"It's Huge, in a Way." Conflicting Stakeholder Priorities for Managing Hearing Impairment for People Living with Dementia in Residential Aged Care Facilities

Objectives: The aims of this study were to a) explore the impact of hearing impairment on people living with dementia in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and b) investigate management of hearing impairment for this population. / Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach, consisting of semi-structured interviews, was conducted with 23 participants across four stakeholder groups (audiologists, care staff, family members and individuals with dementia and hearing impairment living in RACFs). / Results: Thematic analysis revealed an overarching theme of “different priorities for managing hearing impairment” that emerged from the data. Audiologists and care staff prioritized different practices for managing hearing impairment: audiologists emphasized hearing aids and care staff emphasized communication strategies. Care staff also identified that current management of hearing impairment was sub-optimal as they do not prioritize managing it. / Conclusions: Residents with dementia and hearing impairment living in RACFs are not receiving optimal hearing management. Further research is required to understand the factors that influence this

Pb-free Radiation Shielding Glass Using Coal Fly Ash

In this work, Pb-free shielding glass samples were prepared by themelt quenching technique using subbituminous fly ash (SFA) composed ofxBi2O3 : (60-x)B2O3 : 10Na2O : 30SFA (where x = 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 by wt%). The samples were investigated for their physical and radiation shielding properties. The density and hardness were measured. The results showed that the density increased with the increase of Bi2O3 content. The highest value of hardness was observed for glass sample with 30 wt% of Bi2O3 concentration. The samples were investigated under 662 keV gamma ray and the results were compared with theoretical calculations. The values of the mass attenuation coefficient (μm), the atomic cross section (σe) and the effective atomic number (Zeff) were found to increase with an increase of the Bi2O3 concentration and were in good agreement with the theoretical calculations. The best results for the half-value layer (HVL) were observed in the sample with 35 wt% of Bi2O3 concentration, better than the values of barite concrete. These results demonstrate the viability of using coal fly ash waste for radiation shielding glass without PbO in the glass matrices

Treatment of specific phobia in older adults

Phobias are common in later life, yet treatment research in this population remains scant. The efficacy of exposure therapy, in combination with other Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) components, in the treatment of specific phobia with a middle and older aged sample was examined. Sixteen adults aged 45–68 with DSM-IV diagnosis of a specific phobia received a manualized intervention over ten weeks, and were compared with a control group. Results indicated significant time effects in the treatment group for the primary outcome variables of phobic severity and avoidance as well as secondary outcome variables including depression and anxiety. Symptom presence and severity also significantly declined in the treatment group. No significant changes in state anxiety were noted across the treatment period. Such results provide support for the efficacy of exposure combined with CBT treatment for specific phobia in middle to older aged adults

Social Phobia symptoms across the adult lifespan

Background: This study investigated symptom patterns that might distinguish between individuals with and without a diagnosis of Social Phobia (SP) across the adult lifespan