Social acceptability of forest management options: Landscape level visualisation and evaluation. Sustainable forest policy requires social acceptance. Prior research has investigated relative acceptability of options at a forest stand level. However, we have insufficient understanding of public acceptance of forest management systems implemented across the wider landscape. Only detailed knowledge of public reaction to social, environmental and economic impacts and the trade-offs involved can red ....Social acceptability of forest management options: Landscape level visualisation and evaluation. Sustainable forest policy requires social acceptance. Prior research has investigated relative acceptability of options at a forest stand level. However, we have insufficient understanding of public acceptance of forest management systems implemented across the wider landscape. Only detailed knowledge of public reaction to social, environmental and economic impacts and the trade-offs involved can reduce the divisive nature of the forest management debate. This project will use interactive, still and animated computer representations of landscapes to examine social acceptability of alternatives to clearfell harvesting. This knowledge will be integrated with biophysical data to improve management of forested landscapes.Read moreRead less
An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will ....An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for movement rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the ....Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the control system for human movement, and yet is simple enough to inform the design of artificial devices to generate or assist movement. The knowledge derived should improve mechanical and neural prosthetic systems, and guide rehabilitation protocols. The work will ultimately provide a considerable benefit to the community by reducing the social cost of a range of movement disorders.Read moreRead less
The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby en ....The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby enhance the performance of tasks encountered in daily living.Read moreRead less
Videoconferenced supervision for trainee professionals: Unintended effects. Government agencies are investing heavily in videoconferencing networks for purposes that include the education and supervision of trainee professionals. This initiative is seen to promote equity of access for professionals in remote regions. Yet the assumed equivalence between videoconferencing and face-to-face communication remains untested. The teaching principles underlying face-to-face may be inappropriate for video ....Videoconferenced supervision for trainee professionals: Unintended effects. Government agencies are investing heavily in videoconferencing networks for purposes that include the education and supervision of trainee professionals. This initiative is seen to promote equity of access for professionals in remote regions. Yet the assumed equivalence between videoconferencing and face-to-face communication remains untested. The teaching principles underlying face-to-face may be inappropriate for videoconferenced supervision. Aims of the project are to develop an investigative framework for videoconferenced supervision and to determine how videoconferencing affects the learning and affiliation processes in supervision. The main outcome will be the identification of principles to establish standards of best practice for videoconferenced supervision.Read moreRead less
Improving the competency of police officers in conducting investigative interviews of children. The current research program aims to identify factors that promote and sustain competent police interviewing of children. Although 'best-practice' guidelines in investigative interviewing have been developed, these guidelines are under-utilised by police officers in practice. Research is therefore needed to identify barriers to the implementation of these 'best-practice' guidelines and to test interve ....Improving the competency of police officers in conducting investigative interviews of children. The current research program aims to identify factors that promote and sustain competent police interviewing of children. Although 'best-practice' guidelines in investigative interviewing have been developed, these guidelines are under-utilised by police officers in practice. Research is therefore needed to identify barriers to the implementation of these 'best-practice' guidelines and to test interventions designed to improve their uptake. The expected outcome of this project is the development of interventions that will improve the quality of police training in investigative interviewing. This will increase the quality of evidence obtained from children, especially those who are victims of child abuse.Read moreRead less
A psychosocial approach to subjectivity and the changing Australian labour market. An examination of the discourses and narratives people draw on to make sense of and adapt to the changing Australian labour market will be undertaken. The meanings that are made and the patterns of adaptation to the changing workplace in terms of fatigue, uncertainty, insecurity, stress and depression, and the effects these have on workers, their families and their places of work will also be scrutinised. Attempti ....A psychosocial approach to subjectivity and the changing Australian labour market. An examination of the discourses and narratives people draw on to make sense of and adapt to the changing Australian labour market will be undertaken. The meanings that are made and the patterns of adaptation to the changing workplace in terms of fatigue, uncertainty, insecurity, stress and depression, and the effects these have on workers, their families and their places of work will also be scrutinised. Attempting to understand these narratives offers the opportunity to think about the production of healthy work narratives and healthy workers, and about possible interventions in policy, work place practices and training.Read moreRead less
Intermittent reinforcement scheduling: Improving methods for deploying speed enforcement resources. Road crashes cost Australia $6 billion a year and excessive speed is a major cause of severe traffic crashes. The innovative research will compare the impact of 'intermittent reinforcement scheduling' and 'fixed reinforcement' programs on the target behaviour. This research offers a rare opportunity to vary speed camera deployment to determine the optimal learning and deterrence mechanisms for spe ....Intermittent reinforcement scheduling: Improving methods for deploying speed enforcement resources. Road crashes cost Australia $6 billion a year and excessive speed is a major cause of severe traffic crashes. The innovative research will compare the impact of 'intermittent reinforcement scheduling' and 'fixed reinforcement' programs on the target behaviour. This research offers a rare opportunity to vary speed camera deployment to determine the optimal learning and deterrence mechanisms for speed control. This research will develop a parsimonious model of "best practice" in speed camera enforcement that will be used at the state, national and international levels to improve traffic enforcement and road user safety in metropolitan, rural and remote communities.Read moreRead less
Evaluation of profile edge markings as a road safety countermeasure: Analysis of crash statistics and on-road study of driver behaviour and attitudes. Fatigue contributes to 20% of fatal car crashes. Profile line-marking (PLM) aims to reduce fatigue-related crashes by alerting drivers when they begin veering off the road. Substantial stretches are laid annually Australia-wide, although evaluations of PLM have been unsophisticated or flawed. We aim to improve understanding of PLM impacts by inve ....Evaluation of profile edge markings as a road safety countermeasure: Analysis of crash statistics and on-road study of driver behaviour and attitudes. Fatigue contributes to 20% of fatal car crashes. Profile line-marking (PLM) aims to reduce fatigue-related crashes by alerting drivers when they begin veering off the road. Substantial stretches are laid annually Australia-wide, although evaluations of PLM have been unsophisticated or flawed. We aim to improve understanding of PLM impacts by investigating: 1)beliefs/attitudes regarding PLM (e.g. "PLM damages cars"); 2)whether road-edge PLM increases head-on crashes; 3)the efficacy of PLM with more widely spaced "ribs", with and without separate raised pavement markers; 4)underlying mechanisms (e.g. reducing fatigue, increasing visibility during night/wet) in order to improve the efficacy and efficiency of PLM use.Read moreRead less
Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced qual ....Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for rehabilitation of the upper limb.Read moreRead less