Labour Market Responses to the Abolition of Compulsory Superannuation

This paper aims to compare the labour market effects of two alternative retirement income polices: the superannuation guarantee; and the higher income taxes that would be required to fund the greater pension expenditure that would be incurred if the superannuation guarantee was removed. The labour market effects of the superannuation guarantee have already been modelled by Freebairn (1998) by undertaking comparative static analysis of a partial equilibrium model. A similar approach is used to examine the labour market effects of higher taxes. The paper sets out both theoretical models, and then considers a numerical example to compare the policy alternatives. It is concluded that the superannuation guarantee is less distortional than an “equivalent” tax increase as long as workers do not completely discount the future value of future income derived from compulsory superannuation contributions.Aging population, Labour market, Superannuation, Taxation

Luke Davies and the electrified lyric : praise and lament in Australian postmodern romantic poetry

Romanticism has always had a vibrant presence in Australia’s poetic landscape. In the critical discussion about Australian romantic poetry, the American literary scholar Paul Kane is highly visible. His 1996 book Australian Poetry: Romanticism and Negativity famously links Australian romanticism with aesthetics and states of ‘negativity.’ Kane argues that romanticism as an aesthetic movement reached Australia ‘belatedly,’ and that it came ‘in the guise of an absence.’ Negativity thus became a ‘driving force’ for Australian poets, resulting in a ‘strain’ of romantic poetry that is characterised by a recurrence of themes relating to emptiness and inauthenticity. This thesis argues that since the emergence of postmodernism in the later 20th century, a new strain of Australian romanticism has appeared: one that is material, relational, embodied, and positive. The distinct aesthetic forces of postmodernism and romanticism combine to produce an energetic charge, similar to an electric current. I refer to this new Australian style of poetic lyricism as ‘postmodern romanticism.’ The long love poem ‘Totem Poem’ (2004) by contemporary Australian poet Luke Davies is at the centre of my analysis as an exemplar of postmodern romanticism. Davies’ poetry repeatedly brings together opposites – such as the secular and sacred, the worldly and otherworldly, the ancient and modern, and the sincere and ironic – to create modes of aesthetic plenitude and disorder (or re-ordering). ‘Totem Poem’ combines the irony of postmodernism with the earnestness of romanticism, creating an effect of amplification: ‘Totem Poem’ is the 21st-century equivalent of a courtly love poem, written not for a lute or lyre, but for electric guitar. The interplay of opposites within Davies’ poetry extends to a dichotomy between the ebullient joyousness of ‘Totem Poem’ and the profound sadness of Davies’ later work Interferon Psalms (2011). The thesis also studies Robert Adamson as a contemporary Australian praise poet, and reflects upon the history of ‘lament’ within Australian poetry, arguing that lament recurs historically in Australian literature as a space for marginalised voices to bring public expression to personal suffering. These ideas are explored creatively in the accompanying poetry collection Golden Repair. The collection comprises a titular long poem, followed by a sequence of individual lyrical poems that embrace a postmodern romantic mode to express praise and lament in context of 21st-century urban and suburban Australia

NHS research ethics committees : still need more common sense and less bureaucracy

National Health Service research ethics committees exist to ensure that research performed within the NHS complies with recognised ethical standards and to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all actual or potential participants. In the past decade the operation of research ethics committees has come under, and continues to come under, close scrutiny. Researchers now consider the process of acquiring ethical approval to be so onerous that it is compromising clinical research. Medical educators also think that the process is too unwieldy to allow undergraduate students to acquire research experience, an essential learning outcome required by the General Medical Council

An investigation into the applicability of the RAD methodology when applied to the development of an information system

Within any software-related environment many tools, techniques and SDMs (Software Development Methodologies) can be applied to help control the software development lifecycle. The aim of this thesis is to assess the applicability of the RAD (Rapid Application Development) SDM to software development when designing an MIS (Management Information System) for Philips Components Washington. Both positive and negative characteristics of the approach were examined. This thesis provides detailed conclusions on each of the identified characteristics together with more general analysis of the use of SDMs. Research into several SDMs has been carried out in parallel with the development of the MIS, however the RAD SDM was predominantly used throughout the project. This study has been carried out through the analysis of information requirements around the Philips factory with an aim to providing one central system by which all production figures can be collated and reported upon. Prior to this study no standards for the choice of SDM were in place for software design, however previous SDMs used tended to be more traditional and structured in nature. Through this study, additional areas of analysis have been identified in order to further investigate the RAD SDM. Recommendations have also been provided for any future software projects that Philips may undertake with the application of the RAD methodology

The potential value and regulation of genetic tests for complex disease risk factors

Within twenty years the technology used to identify genetic variations that confer susceptibility to complex diseases is likely to be sufficiently developed so that it can help guide individuals in their efforts to maintain healthy lifestyles. If the knowledge about one's genetic susceptibility to complex disease risk factors is shown to motivate people to become healthier it is important that this type of information is easily accessible. The current government agenda of promoting individual autonomy and responsibility for health suggests that genetic health risk information should be available in order for the public to use it to inform health-related decisions. The research presented in this thesis describes the issues discussed during a public consultation exercise on the availability of genetic testing services to the public. It also presents results of an experiment investigating the potential impact of genetic information, and the psychological factors which may influence this impact. The key findings were as follows: Complex disease risk information appears to encourage healthy behaviours, albeit to a greater extent in those already motivated to be healthy, with no apparent negative impact; Contrary to some groups' concerns, stakeholders were not worried that genetic information about complex disease risks would have any negative consequences in terms of employment or insurance discrimination; Stakeholders were concerned that the public do not understand well genetic and/or risk information, but it is likely that the public are sufficiently capable of comprehending these concepts; Stakeholders showed a 'cautious shift' in decision making. This could be related to a reluctance to hand over control of health to the individual or a genuine concern to protect a vulnerable minority of the population. The thesis discusses the potential impact of regulatory decisions on the principle of increasing individuals' responsibility for maintaining their health. It argues for a system of access which protects the minority of citizens who are at risk from misinterpreting genetic information and experiencing harm as a consequence, while imposing little or no harm or inconvenience on the majority of citizens

Clinician Driven Disparities in the Care of Black/African American Patients with Diabetes: Low Density Lipoproteins in an Urban Clinic

This quantitative, non-experimental, retrospective chart review investigated the possible presence of clinician driven disparities in the care of Black/African American patients with diabetes at an urban clinic. The study was a response to the Institute of Medicine’s call to address patient, system, and clinician issues that negatively impact management of patients with chronic diseases including diabetes. The goal is to improve patient outcomes using system wide care guidelines to increase success at meeting the nationally accepted Diabetes 5 (D5) measures. During a twelve month period, clinician response to elevated low density lipoproteins (LDLs) was assessed while considering patient preferences, side effects of medications, economic issues, and patient adherence. Patients were divided into groups with either government or private insurance and by race/ethnicity. The sample consisted of 75 individuals, 41 Caucasian, 19 African Americans, and 15 Eastern Africans. The study used an unvalidated diabetes chart assessment tool developed by the researcher. Information regarding other LDL related comorbidities were tracked including body mass index and hypertension. The study was guided by the social justice theory and Wagner’s Chronic Care Model. Findings of the study did not support clinician driven disparities. However, it was evident there is room for improvement in LDL management of patients in the study regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The research makes several recommendations for systems changes to improve outcomes of diabetes management of all patients at the clinic

Investigating the Role of the T-Cell Receptor Using Targeted Capture and High-Throughput Sequencing

Maintaining a diverse immune repertoire is crucial for protection against a wide range of pathogens. Until recently, it has been difficult to quantify this diversity and define the range of a repertoire in a healthy individual. The rise of massively parallel highthroughput sequencing has enabled researchers to gather more information than ever before, but many published works concentrate on describing individual T-cell and immunoglobulin chains. This report introduces a novel method for sequencing all a, b, g and d chains of the T-cell receptor and all immunoglobulin chains simultaneously, using high-throughput sequencing and targeted capture. Data was obtained through this method using two sequencing platforms, the Illumina MiSeq and the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine, and the analysis of data focused on the T-cell receptor using diversity measures borrowed from other scientific fields. This work demonstrated the successes and limitations of the capture technique and suggests that immune repertoire sequencing could have dramatic impact on the understanding of the immune system across a range of disease states. Therefore, a preliminary investigation was carried out into the reconstitution of the immune repertoires following paediatric haematopoeitic stem cell transplants in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia

HIV status, breastfeeding modality at 5 months and postpartum maternal weight changes over 24 months in rural South Africa

ObjectiveTo determine the effect of infant feeding practices on postpartum weight change among HIV-infected and -uninfected women in South Africa.MethodsIn a non-randomised intervention cohort study of antiretroviral therapy-naïve women in South Africa, infants were classified as exclusive (EBF), mixed (MF) or non-breastfed (NBF) at each visit. We analysed infant feeding cumulatively from birth to 5 months using 24-hour feeding history (collected weekly for each of the preceding 7 days). Using generalised estimating equation mixed models, allowing for repeated measures, we compared postpartum weight change (kg) from the first maternal postpartum weight within the first 6 weeks (baseline weight) to each subsequent visit through 24 months among 2340 HIV-infected and -uninfected women with live births and at least two postpartum weight measurements.ResultsHIV-infected (?0.2 kg CI: ?1.7 to 1.3 kg; P = 0.81) and -uninfected women (?0.5 kg; 95% CI: ?2.1 to 1.2 kg; P = 0.58) had marginal non-significant weight loss from baseline to 24 months postpartum. Adjusting for HIV status, socio-demographic, pregnancy-related and infant factors, 5-month feeding modality was not significantly associated with postpartum weight change: weight change by 24 months postpartum, compared to the change in the reference EBF group, was 0.03 kg in NBF (95% CI: ?2.5 to +2.5 kg; P = 0.90) and 0.1 kg in MF (95% CI: ?3.0 to +3.2 kg; P = 0.78).ConclusionHIV-infected and -uninfected women experienced similar weight loss over 24 months. Weight change postpartum was not associated with 5-month breastfeeding modality among HIV-infected and -uninfected women.ObjectifDéterminer l'effet des pratiques d'alimentation des nourrissons sur la variation du poids postpartum chez les femmes infectées et non infectées par le VIH en Afrique du Sud.MéthodesDans une étude de cohorte d'intervention non randomisée sur la thérapie aux antirétroviraux, les nourrissons de femmes naïves pour le traitement en Afrique du Sud, ont été classés comme allaités exclusivement au sein (EBF), recevant une alimentation mixte (MF) ou non allaités au sein (NBF), à chaque visite. Nous avons analysé l'alimentation du nourrisson cumulativement de la naissance à cinq mois, en utilisant l'historique de l'alimentation sur 24 heures (recueillies hebdomadairement pour chacun des sept jours précédents). En utilisant l’équation d'estimation des modèles mixtes généralisés, permettant des mesures répétées, nous avons comparé les changements de poids (kg) postpartum de la première mesure du poids postpartum de la mère endéans les six premières semaines (poids de base) au poids à chaque visite subséquente durant 24 mois chez 2340 femmes infectées et non infectées par le VIH, ayant eu des naissances vivantes et au moins deux mesures du poids postpartum.RésultatsLa perte de poids des femmes infectées (-0,2 kg; IC: -1,7 à 1,3 kg; P = 0,81) et non infectées (0,5 kg, IC95%: -2,1 à 1,2 kg; P = 0,58) par le VIH était marginalement non significative de la base à 24 mois postpartum. En ajustant pour le statut VIH et sociodémographique, pour les facteurs liés à la grossesse et infantiles, le mode d'alimentation sur cinq mois n’étaient pas significativement associé à la variation du poids postpartum; la variation de poids sur 24 mois postpartum comparée à celle dans le groupe EBF de référence, était de 0,03 kg chez les NBF (IC95%: -2,5 à 2,5 kg; P = 0,90) et 0,1 kg chez les MF (IC95%: -3,0 à 3,2 kg; P = 0,78).ConclusionLes femmes infectées et non infectées par le VIH connaissent une perte de poids similaire sur 24 mois. La variation du poids postpartum n'a pas été associée au mode d'allaitement à cinq mois chez les femmes infectées et non infectées par le VIH.ObjetivoDeterminar el efecto de las prácticas de alimentación de los bebés en la variación del peso materno postparto entre mujeres infectadas y no infectadas con VIH en Sudáfrica.MétodosEn una intervención en Sudáfrica no aleatorizada, dentro de un estudio de cohortes de mujeres que no habían recibido anteriormente terapia antirretroviral (naive) – los bebés de se clasificaron como recibiendo exclusivamente el pecho (EP), alimentación mixta (AM), o que no eran amamantados (NA) en cada visita. Hemos analizado la alimentación acumulativa del bebé, desde el nacimiento hasta los cinco meses de edad, utilizando un historial de alimentación de 24 horas (recogido semanalmente para los 7 días anteriores). Utilizando modelos mixtos de ecuaciones de estimación generalizadas, permitiendo medidas repetidas, hemos comparado el cambio de peso (kg) durante el postparto - desde la primera pesada dentro de las primeras seis semanas postparto (peso inicial) con cada visita subsiguiente, durante los 24 meses posteriores, para 2340 mujeres - infectadas con VIH y sin infectar – que dieron a luz bebés nacidos vivos y que tenían recogidas al menos dos pesadas postparto.ResultadosLas mujeres infectadas con VIH (-0.2 kg IC: -1.7 – 1.3 kg; P = 0.81) y aquellas no infectadas (-0.5kg; 95% IC: -2.1 – 1.2 kg; P =0.58) tenían una pérdida de peso marginal y no significativa entre el comienzo del estudio hasta los 24 meses después del parto. Ajustando para el estatus de VIH, los factores sociodemográficos y relacionados con el embarazo y el bebé, la modalidad de alimentación del bebé durante sus cinco primeros meses no estaba significativamente asociada con el cambio de peso postparto: el cambio de peso 24 meses después del parto, comparada con el cambio en referencia al grupo EP, era de 0.03 kg en NA (IC 95%: -2.5 – +2.5 kg; P = 0.90) y 0.1 kg en AM (IC 95%: -3.0 – +3.2 kg; P = 0.78).ConclusiónLas mujeres infectadas con VIH y aquellas sin infección experimentaron una pérdida de peso similar en los 24 meses postparto. El cambio de peso no estaba asociado con la modalidad de amamantamiento entre las mujeres VIH positivas y VIH negativas

Devising and Assessing an Intervention to help Extend the Attention Span of a Child with Cerebral Palsy

Literature suggests that children with developmental impairment of motor skills may have an increased risk of disorders of learning, including attentional and working memory (WM) difficulties, which may remain undetected. Whilst there are many clinical studies which focus on limb function and movement, very few studies have explored the cognitive difficulties of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Among cognitive difficulties, working memory (WM) and attention seemed particularly important. In the present research, an extensive pilot focusing on working memory identified insuperable methodological difficulties. The study therefore focused instead on sustaining attention (readily identifiable from observed behaviours) and on testing the ability of an intervention to increase attention. The research consisted of close observation of a single individual with CP in a single-case study design. The present study, within the action research paradigm, incorporates some features of single case methodology; specifically, of the ABA withdrawal design. The design consisted of three phases: A no-intervention baseline phase (A), an intervention phase (B), and a no-intervention withdrawal phase, followed by return to a (new) baseline (A). The initial baseline assessment involved a series of observations during unstructured play sessions. This was to establish typical movement patterns for the participant with CP so that these could be distinguished from later movement patterns associated with the interventions. The idea of ‘pattern’ was the central concept chosen for the intervention because it is central to mathematical understanding and is part of the school curriculum. Activities were planned which were not being taught or practised at other times. Sustained improvement in attention in successive baselines would suggest the intervention programme was successful in effecting a stable change. Results demonstrate the intervention was successful in supporting a child with cerebral palsy to develop his attentional ability. This was evidenced through increased time on-task across the intervention. The child was able to choose what to pay attention to and what to ignore when undertaking adult-led learning tasks