Scottish government equality outcomes:pregnancy and maternity evidence review

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A comparison of theory and practice in market intelligence gathering for Australian micro-businesses and SMEs

Recent government sponsored research has demonstrated that there is a gap between the theory and practice of market intelligence gathering within the Australian micro, small and medium businesses (SMEs). Typically, there is a significant amount of information in literature about 'what needs to be done', however, there is little insight in terms of how market intelligence gathering should occur. This paper provides a novel insight and a comparison between the theory and practices of market intelligence gathering of micro-business and SMEs in Australia and demonstrates an anomoly in so far as typically the literature does not match what actually occurs in practice. A model for market intelligence gathering for micro-businesses and SMEs is also discussed

Diffusion Of Indigo Molecules Inside The Palygorskite Clay Channels

The search for durable dyes led several past civilizations to develop artificial pigments. Maya Blue (MB), manufactured in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, is one of the best known examples of an organic-inorganic hybrid material. Its durability is due to the unique association of indigo molecule and palygorskite, a particular fibrous clay occurring in Yucatan. Despite 50 years of sustained interest, the microscopic structure of MB and its relation to the durability remain open questions. Combining new thermogravimetric and synchrotron X-ray diffraction analyses, we show that indigo molecules can diffuse into the channel of the palygorskite during the heating process, replacing zeolitic water and stabilizing the room temperature phases of the clay

The Six University Consortium Student Mobility Project: Promoting Conflict Resolution in the North American Context

This article focuses on the North American Conflict Resolution Program - a twenty-first century mobility consortium in which universities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States exchanged students of conflict resolution. Drawing on student perceptions and, in particular, the experiences of the universities of Manitoba and Louisville, the authors discuss the positive outcomes of mobilizing students to study conflict resolution abroad for the students themselves, for faculty members involved, for university and other communities, and for the field of conflict analysis and resolution

Comparing knowledge, accessibility, and use of evidence-based chronic disease prevention processes across four countries

<p>Background: Evidence-based chronic disease prevention (EBCDP) effectively reduces incidence rates of many chronic diseases, but contextual factors influence the implementation of EBCDP worldwide. This study aims to examine the following contextual factors across four countries: knowledge, access, and use of chronic disease prevention processes.</p><p>Methods: In this cross-sectional study, public health practitioners (N = 400) from Australia (n = 121), Brazil (n = 76), China (n = 102), and the United States (n = 101) completed a 26-question survey on EBCDP. One-way ANOVA and Pearson's Chi-Square tests were used to assess differences in contextual factors of interest by country.</p><p>Results: Practitioners in China reported less knowledge of EBCDP processes (p < 0.001) and less use of repositories of evidence-based interventions, than those from other countries (p < 0.001). Academic journals were the most frequently used method for accessing information about evidence-based interventions across countries. When selecting interventions, Brazilian and Chinese practitioners were more likely to consider implementation ease while the Australian and United States practitioners were more likely to consider effectiveness (p < 0.001).</p><p>Conclusions: These findings can help inform and improve within and across country strategies for implementing EBCDP interventions.</p

Understanding STEM education focussed academics' capacity for self-determination in higher education in Australia

Education focussed STEM academic roles that unbundle or separate teaching from disciplinary research are rapidly increasing across Australia and internationally. Understanding the experiences of education focussed STEM academics is critical if we are to deliver on educational excellence and improve the quality of the student experience.  A Self-Determination Theory (SDT) lens and the three central tenets of autonomy, competence and relatedness and semi structured 90-minute interviews were used to understand the experiences of eight STEM education focussed academics in research intensive higher education institutions in Australia. This study found education focussed STEM academics had the agency and autonomy to take on a role that they valued and to which they believed they could effectively contribute. The reality of the role was restricted autonomy and uncertainty about competence and expertise. All education focussed STEM academics expressed the view of the importance of relatedness in the role through building communities which were commonly external to their school and institution and involved education focussed STEM academics in other disciplines and higher education institutions. Self-determination theory is a powerful heuristic for education focussed academics to use so they have adaptive capacity and the resilience to persist and deliver on expectations of improved STEM education

Memorial: Albert O. Brecht (1946-2012)

Albert Brecht was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1946. He attended the University of North Texas, where he had a double major in government and sociology. His interest in government led him to the University of Houston College of Law. It was there that Albert found his calling in life. He worked part-time as a student assistant in the law library. After graduating from Houston, he enrolled in the Master of Law Librarianship program at the University of Washington

Mapping the supply network and resource constraints of publicly funded university research commercial transfer within Australia

Government and academic literature support a common axiom that publicly funded research undertaken in Australian universities leads directly to an outcome available for industry to commercially develop. The revenue from commercial transfer of research only represents 7% of an Australian university's operating budget and supports Australia's low global innovation transfer ranking. To lift this low ranking, the Australian Government seeks an increase in the rate of university research that is converted to Intellectual Property for commercial transfer, triggering change in the university system to improve commercial output. Despite vast research on industry university collaboration and commercialisation, this research has found there is little work undertaken on the alignment of the university system to support the changed expectations. This research employed a methodology of multiple case study analysis using the Theory of Constraints Thinking Process to establish constraints in the system that hinder the commercial transfer of university research to industry. An investigation into published governing documents including Government directives (i.e. requirements of reporting), Acts of Incorporation, Strategic Plans and Policies of the University and interviews with system stakeholders revealed a mismatch in the synergy of both the governing documents and the stakeholder intent resulting in the identification of conflicting stakeholder goals and a primary constraint of governance misalignment. This research identified a system that is atypical, with a plural of customer and constraining factors of multiple independent goals within the system causing instances of practice dominance; siloed activities, passive attitudes; no singular customer focus; and stakeholders with little knowledge or interest in the whole system. This research established that the system of university research commercialisation is doing exactly what it is designed by its Acts and Policies, specifically, teach, research and occasionally commercially transfer the results when the opportunity arises. However, a governmental push for greater commercial transfer seeks a new outcome from this system. This research supports a radical change in the atypical system of Australian university research to ensure process support for commercial transfer of research outcomes into industry, and in turn, address Australia's low research transfer rate. The change requires legislative reform enabling a change in intent of the university research process itself, by legislating industry to take the lead in the research funding partnership with a university supporting an industry pull environment for outcome of research and, in turn, satisfy growth in Australia's research transfer as a nation