Disrupting the new orthodoxy: Emergency intervention and Indigenous social policy

This article develops a critical analysis of the ideological framework that informed the Australian Federal government’s 2007 intervention into Northern Territory Indigenous communities (ostensibly to address the problem of child sexual abuse). Continued by recently elected Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, the NT ‘emergency response’ has aroused considerable public debate and scholarly inquiry. In addressing what amounts to a broad bi-partisan approach to Indigenous issues we highlight the way in which Indigenous communities are problematised and therefore subject to interventionist regimes that override differentiated Indigenous voices and intensify an internalised sense of rage occasioned by disempowering interventionist projects. We further argue that in rushing through the emergency legislation and suspending parts of the Racial Discrimination Act, the Howard and Rudd governments have in various ways perpetuated racialised and neo-colonial forms of intervention that override the rights of Indigenous people. Such policy approaches require critical understanding on the part of professions involved most directly in community practice, particularly when it comes to mounting effective opposition campaigns. The article offers a contribution to this end

'Practical Reconciliation': 21st Century Rehabilitation of Indigenous Paternalism?

Australian policy is again co-opting an Indigenous client population into obligation which requires adoption of government values and objectives. While previous criticism has focused on the ethical and moral failings of such an approach, this study reflects on its logical and economic elements. Presentation of the ideological background leads into study of Indigenous social housing clients and their historical resistance to imposed objectives. The account next considers Indigenous settlement and occupational options and indicates the importance of economic priorities in any debate about policy objectives. Further commentary raises the shortcomings of current trends by defining minimum requirements for social policy and then comparing them with the government's claims about meeting the needs of its Indigenous clients. The conclusion questions certain of the policy directions and provides some alternative pathways to need satisfaction

Model-based signal processing techniques for ultrasonic flaw detection: simulation studies

The ultrasonic signals observed in inspection processes can often be accurately predicted by suitable measurement models. These model predictions can be used to provide important information to guide the development of subsequent signal processing algorithms. Here such a hybrid use of ultrasonic modeling and signal processing is demonstrated in the context of the problem of detecting ultrasonic flaw signals in noise. In particular, we wish to apply this hybrid methodology as an initial approach to solving the problem of detecting hard-alpha inclusions in titanium alloys

No Significant Evidence of Cognitive Biases for Emotional Stimuli in Children At-Risk of Developing Anxiety Disorders.

This paper explores whether the increased vulnerability of children of anxious parents to develop anxiety disorders may be partially explained by these children having increased cognitive biases towards threat compared with children of non-anxious parents. Parents completed questionnaires about their child’s anxiety symptoms. Children aged 5–9 (n = 85) participated in two cognitive bias tasks: 1) an emotion recognition task, and 2) an ambiguous situations questionnaire. For the emotion recognition task, there were no significant differences between at-risk children and children of non-anxious parents in their cognitive bias scores for reaction times or for accuracy in identifying angry or happy facial expressions. In addition, there were no significant differences between at-risk children and children of non-anxious parents in the number of threat interpretations made for the ambiguous situations questionnaire. It is possible that these cognitive biases only become present subsequent to the development of an anxiety disorder, or only in older at-risk children

Primary Thyroid Gland Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare soft tissue tumor of unknown histogenesis generally characterized by the der(17)t(X;17)(p11.2;q25) translocation which results in the ASPSCR1-TFE3 gene fusion. Primary ASPS of the thyroid gland has not yet been reported. During oncology follow-up for breast cancer, a pulmonary nodule and thyroid gland mass were identified in a 71-year-old Korean male. Thyroid ultrasound showed a 5.7 cm left thyroid gland mass. After several fine needle aspirations, a thyroid gland lobectomy was performed after documenting only non-caseating granulomatous inflammation in a biopsy of the lung nodule. A 7.6 cm bulging nodular thyroid gland mass was identified, showing significant destructive invasion. Alveolar nests of large polygonal, eosinophilic, granular neoplastic cells were separated by vascularized stroma. Colloid was absent. Tumor necrosis and increased mitoses were identified. The neoplastic cells were positive with TFE3 and CD68, but negative with pancytokeratin, thyroglobulin, TTF-1, napsin-A, calcitonin, PAX8, CAIX, S100 protein, HMB45, SMA, and desmin. FISH confirmed a TFE3 gene rearrangement. The differential includes several primary thyroid gland epithelial neoplasms, paraganglioma, PEComa, melanoma, crystal storage disease, and metastatic carcinomas, especially Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma. The patient has refused additional therapy, but is alive without tumor identified (primary or metastatic)

Prenatal exposure to recreational drugs affects global motion perception in preschool children

Chakraborty, A. et al. Prenatal exposure to recreational drugs affects global motion perception in preschool children. Sci. Rep. 5, 16921; doi: 10.1038/srep16921 (2015).Prenatal exposure to recreational drugs impairs motor and cognitive development; however it is currently unknown whether visual brain areas are affected. To address this question, we investigated the effect of prenatal drug exposure on global motion perception, a behavioural measure of processing within the dorsal extrastriate visual cortex that is thought to be particularly vulnerable to abnormal neurodevelopment. Global motion perception was measured in one hundred and forty-five 4.5-year-old children who had been exposed to different combinations of methamphetamine, alcohol, nicotine and marijuana prior to birth and 25 unexposed children. Self-reported drug use by the mothers was verified by meconium analysis. We found that global motion perception was impaired by prenatal exposure to alcohol and improved significantly by exposure to marijuana. Exposure to both drugs prenatally had no effect. Other visual functions such as habitual visual acuity and stereoacuity were not affected by drug exposure. Prenatal exposure to methamphetamine did not influence visual function. Our results demonstrate that prenatal drug exposure can influence a behavioural measure of visual development, but that the effects are dependent on the specific drugs used during pregnancy.This research was supported by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse grants 2RO1DA014948 and RO1DA021757 and the Auckland Medical Research Foundation

Machine learning methods for automated classification of tumors with papillary thyroid carcinoma-like nuclei : A quantitative analysis

When approaching thyroid gland tumor classification, the differentiation between samples with and without “papillary thyroid carcinoma-like” nuclei is a daunting task with high inter-observer variability among pathologists. Thus, there is increasing interest in the use of machine learning approaches to provide pathologists real-time decision support. In this paper, we optimize and quantitatively compare two automated machine learning methods for thyroid gland tumor classification on two datasets to assist pathologists in decision-making regarding these methods and their parameters. The first method is a feature-based classification originating from common image processing and consists of cell nucleus segmentation, feature extraction, and subsequent thyroid gland tumor classification utilizing different classifiers. The second method is a deep learning-based classification which directly classifies the input images with a convolutional neural network without the need for cell nucleus segmentation. On the Tharun and Thompson dataset, the feature-based classification achieves an accuracy of 89.7% (Cohen’s Kappa 0.79), compared to the deep learning-based classification of 89.1% (Cohen’s Kappa 0.78). On the Nikiforov dataset, the feature-based classification achieves an accuracy of 83.5% (Cohen’s Kappa 0.46) compared to the deep learning-based classification 77.4% (Cohen’s Kappa 0.35). Thus, both automated thyroid tumor classification methods can reach the classification level of an expert pathologist. To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing feature-based and deep learning-based classification regarding their ability to classify samples with and without papillary thyroid carcinoma-like nuclei on two large-scale datasets

An Unusual Migration of A Stent: A Case Report

Stent dislodgment and embolization is a rare complication of coronary stenting. There are reports of intra-coronary stent entrapment, stripping, and dislodgement during percutaneous coronary interventions causing potentially life threatening complications, including intra-coronary or systemic embolization. Reports of dislodgment and migration of previously placed drug eluting intra-coronary stent several months after deployment are very limited in the literature. We describe a drug eluting stent dislodgment and migration in an 88 year-old male 10 months after its deployment

A concept analysis of befriending

Aim. To report an analysis of the concept of Befriending. Background. Befriending is an intervention used in a range of nursing, health and social care settings to provide support for individuals who are socially isolated or lack social support. However, in many cases befriending and its impact remains poorly understood and under researched. Concept analysis provides clarification of the concept and basis for further research and development. Design. Concept analysis. Data sources. AMED, Psyc Articles, Psych Info, Medline, MedlinePlus, Social Science Index and CINHAL databases were searched for literature published between 1993–2013 using the search term Befriending. Methods. Walker and Avant’s method of concept analysis was chosen. This combined with insights from Risjord’s work produced a theoretical concept analysis which focused on the concept in peer reviewed academic literature. Results. There are currently several ways the mechanisms of befriending and its effects on individuals and communities are understood. It is possible however to identify key attributes which define the concept and differentiate it from related concepts, such as peer support and mentoring. Key attributes are that it is an organised intervention, involving the creation of an emotionally connected friendlike relationship, where there is a negotiation of power. Conclusion. This concept analysis has clarified current understandings and uses of befriending. It provides the basis for widening the focus of research into the effectiveness and impact of befriending on those who are befriended, those who befriend and the communities where befriending takes place