Latest news with #UniSA
SBS Australia
10 hours ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Study highlights risk of medication poisoning in children, researcher says 'parents need to be careful'
SBS Indonesian 23/06/2025 19:01 Dr Imaina Widago is a full-time researcher at the University of South Australia. Recently, she was the lead reseacher on a study of the risk of drug harm in Australian children. Funded by the national peak body for Australia's pharmacists the Phamaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) , Dr Widagdo said. the study was to examine how large and frequent the incidence of medication-related harm was in children across the country. 'Every day, nearly a hundred children aged zero to 14 were taken to the ED for Medication Related Harm/MRH,' Dr Widagdo told SBS Indonesian. She said that almost half of these incidents could have been prevented, given that the causes were things like incorrect dosage and storage that was not securely out of children's reach. Parents need to carefully store the medicine and read the dosage guidance. Dr Imaina Widagdo Pharmacist, researcher at the University of South Australia Who can help reduce these incidents and how? Dr Widagdo also shared her next research plan. Listen to the full podcast. Listen to SBS Indonesian on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 3pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , and don't miss our podcasts.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UniSA to develop laparoscopic probe for gastrointestinal cancers
Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) are developing a laparoscopic probe aimed at gastrointestinal cancers, leveraging quantum technology. This initiative is supported by the federal government's Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite Grant. The A$405,050 ($244,854) project is being handled in collaboration with precision cancer surgery company Ferronova to create the laparoscopic probe that will accurately map tumour spread. Dr Nicole Dmochowska from the university's Future Industries Institute is spearheading the project. The laparoscopic probe will be used in conjunction with Ferronova's iron-oxide nanoparticle formulation, FerroTrace, to better detect cancerous lymph nodes during operations. This approach aims to decrease the requirement for extensive procedures, which can result in severe complications and long-term side effects for patients. UniSA's research team claims to have already shown the quantum sensor-based magnetometer probe feasibility in a Phase I trial for oral cancer. More than eight years have been dedicated to the development of magnetometer probes for cancer surgery. The Ignite grant will help facilitate the next essential phase by creating a fully functional prototype for trials in large animal models, setting the stage for future human trials. Ferronova senior researcher and development engineer Dr Aidan Cousins emphasises the advantages of the quantum probe and FerroTrace combo over current lymphatic mapping techniques that use radioactive tracers. This new method is expected to be safer and more effective. Dr Cousins said: 'This technology is particularly promising for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy before surgery, where conventional lymphatic mapping methods have limited effectiveness. 'This could be a paradigm shift in cancer treatment, enhancing the quality of life for millions of patients worldwide.' "UniSA to develop laparoscopic probe for gastrointestinal cancers" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Man working in female-dominated industry exposes sad reality of $70,000 job: 'Weirdos'
A man working as an early childcare teacher has highlighted the sad and awkward reality of working in the crucial sector. These workers are responsible for educating children as they start the navigate the world on their own. It's an important pillar of the community, and the Brisbane-based teacher said it's incredibly "rewarding". But he admitted that it isn't without its challenges. "As you would see in the news... like weirdos doing weird things to kids, and it's not nice, and it's a bit hard for me, as a male staff member in that industry," he told jobs app GetAhead. Aussie earning $180,000 a year for 'easy' job desperate for workers: 'We cannot get enough' Centrelink win for 460,000 pensioners in $450 million federal budget move CBA, Westpac, NAB confirm interest rate blow for Aussie savers ahead of RBA call "I try my best to do the most for the kids, and it's hard because it's a stereotype thing. "I guess it's that males can't look after children... like it's a motherly figure thing to look after kids. So, that's probably my biggest challenge." He is one of a tiny fraction of men in the early childcare education sector. According to figures released last year, only 3 per cent of teachers in the industry are male. The University of South Australia (UniSA) revealed that over the past 30 years, childcare workers and primary school teachers have become even more female-dominated and are now in the top five most gender-segregated careers. There have been calls to address this imbalance, however, fixing this issue is easier said than done. Jay Weatherill, director of early learning organisation Thrive by Five, said getting more men into the sector is crucial for everyone. 'Involving men in early childhood education settings is very important for both young boys and young girls to see that a nurturing role can be undertaken by a male," he said. 'That's going to be important not only for their experiences and relationships that they form in life, but also a more inclusive society.' This was echoed by UniSA education expert Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne. 'When young boys don't see men in early education or carer roles, that is until upper primary or even high school, they inherently learn that men do not belong in such roles, which only adds to a cycle of gender segregation," he said. The Brisbane-based early childhood teacher said he secured his $70,000 per year job after completing his diploma in 2024. Under this pathway, you can get paid to work in the sector as an apprentice. However, to become fully qualified, you'll need to complete a Bachelor's degree in early childhood teaching, which takes three to four years to complete. "You need to love childcare," he said. "That's what I say to people. We have young trainees come in and they hate it within the first couple of months because it's a lot of got to be able to just push through." He decided to pursue the job because his mum was in early childhood education and has loved the idea of the role all his life. "It's just rewarding, like it's the zero to five, which is the most crucial part of a child's life," he in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gen Z graduate with $50,000 HECS debt reveals degree she regrets: 'One interview'
A young Aussie has revealed her regrets about going to university as she's found her degree 'collecting dust' while she struggles to get a job. Many young Aussies have been questioning their decisions to pursue tertiary education due to their huge HECS debts and the difficulty in finding full-time work after graduating. Aleshya graduated from UniSA in 2023 with a Bachelor of Design and $50,000 worth of HECS debt, after previously studying engineering for two years. The 24-year-old told Yahoo Finance she took a gap year after graduating and was now applying for graduate and design jobs with no luck. 'I mostly have been ghosted. I did have one phone interview for a retail store. I had an offer to do an interview as a graphic designer for a marketing agency but it ended up not being for me,' she said. RELATED Gen-Z worker defends 'stupid' $45,000 HECS move: 'Didn't want to tell my parents' Woolworths worker justifies $50,000 pay cut after quitting to avoid return to office: 'Rather be happy' Rare new gold 50c coins for Australians worth $20: 'Beauty' Aleshya, who has applied for 30 jobs this year, said it was a 'difficult' time for young people to find work, even if they had university degrees. 'I'm from Adelaide and there's an even smaller amount of opportunities. In regards to grad programs, I know they are highly competitive,' she said. 'Sometimes the job would be junior but then they would want a couple of years of experience.' Aleshya currently works two jobs, one in hospitality and one in retail, which she admitted wasn't the position she thought she'd be in after graduating. 'Going in, I thought, look, I'll work my minimum wage retail hospitality jobs and then after uni, I'll be making a big girl salary,' she said. 'But so far, I'm still working the same hospo and retail jobs at 24 years old.' New research by job site Indeed found the majority of job seekers (67 per cent) and employers (55 per cent) now believed that on-the-job experience was more attractive than university degrees when it came to hiring. Indeed career expert Sally McKibbin said the research highlighted a 'pivotal shift' in the hiring landscape. 'Employers are increasingly of the view that on-the-job experience has the potential to speak louder than a formal qualification,' she said. 'Higher education is of course still incredibly valuable and also valued, but Australia's job market is evolving and therefore so too is our approach to hiring.' While design can be a hard industry to crack into, the jobs market is tight across the board right now making it harder for jobseekers, particularly those with less experience and skills to leverage. Australia's unemployment rate edged higher to 4.1 per cent in January, up from 4 per cent in December. Job ads rose 5.1 per cent during the month, the largest monthly rise since October 2021, the latest SEEK data found. Applications per job ad dropped by just 0.1 per cent during the month, but the platform noted that levels were 'still very elevated' compared to historical trends as competition amongst candidates remains strong. Aleshya shared a video on social media about her experience since graduating from university and numerous other young Aussies said they were in similar boats. "I graduated last year too!! There's like no jobs," one said. "Two years post design degree in the working world, it is ROUGH in this market right now," another said. "Um yeah the same thing for me with my bachelor of psychological science. I have to retrain. Nursing and teaching are two-year degrees because you already have a degree," a third added. Aleshya said she felt like she didn't get as much value as she had hoped from her university degree. 'I felt like I didn't learn that much because of the way the courses were structured. Sometimes you had to Google and learn off YouTube and forums how to do things,' she told Yahoo Finance. She's not the only young person who feels this way. A survey by Hult International Business School found 77 per cent of young workers thought they learnt more in six months at their job than during their degree. A whopping 85 per cent wished their university or college better prepared them for what workplaces are like and only 24 per cent said they had all the skills that they need for their current role. More than half said that their tertiary education didn't prepare them "at all" for their job. Despite her experience with university, Aleshya said she thinks higher education can still be valuable for other Aussies. 'I do think going to university is valuable because I value education and I value learning. I do believe that you are helping yourself for your future,' she said. Aleshya said she was continuing to apply for grad jobs and has been sharing her journey building her portfolio online, which she hopes will help her turn her 'dream career into a reality'. 'Your university degree isn't going to define what you can and can't do. I think it's how you build on everything else in your life,' she in to access your portfolio
CNN
27-01-2025
- Health
- CNN
Forget 21 days. Most healthy new habits take at least two months to stick
Wondering why you're already struggling with that New Year's resolution? A new study suggests that forming healthy new habits takes a lot longer than we thought. For years, popular wisdom has held that it takes just 21 days to add a new habit to your daily routine. But according to recent research from the University of South Australia (UniSA), new habits typically take around two months to engrain, and can take up to almost a year. The researchers reached this conclusion after conducting a meta-analysis of 20 earlier studies, published between 2008 and 2023, and involving more than 2,600 participants. These studies measured habitual behavior to find an overall trend in the length of time taken for healthy habits to form. Habits included exercise, drinking water, taking vitamins and flossing. The researchers hope their findings will motivate people to stick with trying to form healthy habits even if it is taking longer than expected. 'I think the main thing is that it helps people set realistic expectations,' Ben Singh, research fellow at UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance and co-author of the study, told CNN. 'It's not often a quick fix.' The study, published in the journal Healthcare, found that the median time taken to form new, healthy habits was 59-66 days, but it could take as long as 335 days. Singh stressed that how long it takes to form healthy habits is different for each person and depends on what the habit is. 'Sometimes we found that the simple behaviors, (like) if someone wanted to start flossing each day, might take someone a week to get into their routine,' Singh explained, 'but more complex behaviors such as changing someone's diet and physical activity can take a lot longer.' He explained that the 21-days myth stems from the 1960 book 'Psycho-Cybernetics' by plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz, in which the author observed that his patients typically took around 21 days to get used to their new appearance following surgery. Singh said people held onto the idea of a 'quick fix' as motivation. So, is there a danger that the new research will make them more reluctant to try to establish new habits in the first place? 'There is the possibility that it will put people off and maybe discourage them and demotivate them,' said Singh. '(But) some people (who) may think that it's going to take them 21 days, but then after 21 days they're still struggling, then at least this research and this evidence provides people with some realistic benchmarks that they can follow.' Singh said the study also offers specific tips for forming healthy habits. 'If (people) want to start eating healthier or exercising more, then integrating those new habits in the mornings tends to be more effective than trying to integrate them later on in the day,' he said, 'because people tend to lose motivation or get busier later in the days, (so) they're less likely to follow that behavior.' For example, if you want to get into a habit of eating more fruit, Singh recommends having an apple with a morning coffee. Benjamin Gardner, director of the Habit Application and Theory (HabitAT) Group at the University of Surrey, England, suggested the results of the study should be interpreted carefully. 'It is important to urge caution around the idea that people either 'have a habit' or 'don't have a habit', which is implicit in this study,' Gardner, who was not involved in the research, told CNN. 'In reality, habit varies on a continuum – in other words, habit becomes stronger over time, rather than reaching a magic point at which it is 'fully formed.'' Gardner said the best way to form a habit is through what is known as 'context-consistent repetition,' identifying a situation that you encounter regularly, and then doing your chosen behavior each time you encounter that situation. More research is still needed to find out how successful people were in sustaining the new habits examined in the study, Singh noted. 'A lot of the research was quite short term,' he said. 'We really need a lot more longer-term research. So (if) someone has successfully changed their habits and improved their behavior after 12 weeks, are they still following that behavior 12 months down the track?' The overall message of the research is clear, though: If you want to make 2025 your year of healthy habits, be patient – the new you may well make an appearance in a matter of months rather than weeks.
