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• Water retention curves (WRCs) of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) • Hysteresis of WRCs of MSWs with decomposition. • Effects of decomposition and paper content on the WRCs. • Unsaturated hydraulic and gas conductivity of MSWs. This paper investigates the drying and wetting water retention curves (WRCs) of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) with different paper contents, dry unit weights and degrees of biodegradation (DOBs). Fresh synthetic samples were prepared based on the field composition of the MSWs at Mugga Lane Landfill, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. The degraded samples were prepared in simulators with MSWs of different initial dry unit weights and decomposition periods with leachate recirculation. The water retention curves (WRCs) of the MSWs were determined using pressure plate tests, in both drying and wetting phases. The outflow from MSWs was analysed using Gardner's method to obtain the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. The results indicate that the WRCs of the MSWs are greatly affected by the DOB, paper content and dry unit weight. When DOB < 30 %, as DOB increases, the air-entry pressure of MSWs with paper increases, and the residual moisture content decreases regardless of paper content. With DOB > 30 %, the air entry pressure and residual water content depend on the balance between organic matter and highly decomposed organic constituents. The paper content affects the WRCs of MSWs due to its water retention capacity and change in the particle size distribution with decomposition. The increase in the dry unit weight of MSWs significantly increases the air entry pressure and residual moisture content, similar to the borehole samples with combined effects of biodegradation and increase in stress level from literature. Hysteresis effects have been observed during the drying and wetting of MSWs. The hysteresis of WRCs increases with the paper content and DOB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article inform people with chronic oedema of the leg and cellulitis, is compression therapy is effective than conservative treatment at reducing recurrence of cellulitis, hospital admission and leg volume.

People with innate variations of sex characteristics (also known as intersex traits or disorders or differences of sex development) have any of a wide range of innate physical traits that differ from medical and social norms for female and male bodies. Responses to these physical differences create experiences and risks of stigmatisation, discrimination, violence, and harmful medical practices intended to promote social and familial integration and conformity with gender stereotypes. As is evident globally, the Australian policy response to the existence and needs of people with innate variations of sex characteristics has been largely incoherent, variously framing the population as having disordered sex development in need of "fixing", and a third sex/gender identity group in need of recognition, with only recent engagement by intersex community-controlled civil society organisations. This paper presents an overview of the context and goals of the intersex human rights movement in Australia. Australian intersex community organisations have sought to apply human rights norms and develop new infrastructure to address key health and human rights issues, and necessitating new ways of resolving policy incoherence. Together with human rights, mental health, and public health institutions, they have called for significant changes to medical models of care and reform to research and classification systems. Intersex community organising and resourcing have made a tangible difference. The Australian Capital Territory is the first jurisdiction in the country to move ahead with reforms to clinical practice, including a legislative prohibition of certain practices without personal informed consent, oversight of clinical decision-making, and investment in psychosocial support. A national community-controlled psychosocial support service has also commenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies the theory of change model (Kotter in Harv Bus Rev 2:59–67, 1995; Moore et al. in Viet Nam J Public Health 1(1):66–75, 2013) to describe the pathway that lead to Australia's first pill testing/drug checking services in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. The paper takes each step of the model and illustrates the key activities that largely occurred over an approximately 24 month period resulting in the service being operational on 29 April 2018. The paper demonstrates that leadership, advocacy and activism are key components, alongside evidence, to bringing about public policy change. It provides a unique insight to the extensive efforts undertaken to achieving the first legally sanctioned pill testing at festivals in Australia and provides a positive case study for those seeking to introduce contested harm reduction services in the drug and alcohol field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate school‐level enrolment predictions are critical for local government and planners to allocate education‐related resources and ensure necessary school infrastructure is provided. Although individual‐level school census data are increasingly available for education departments, there is little evidence that these data are being used to improve school enrolment projections. This paper fills this methodological void by developing a School Transition Estimation and Projection (STEP) modelling framework. The STEP model simultaneously projects all schools in a city or region by all academic levels (e.g., Preschool to Year 12) and across three school sectors (Public, Catholic and Independent) using cohort information on the sources of enrolment change (i.e., Preschool entries, within district transfers, in‐migration, out‐migration, Year 12 graduates) and their trends over time. In this paper, we present the model and its application to schools in the Australian Capital Territory. We also show how the model greatly increases the capacity to understand and predict enrolment change, while increasing efficiency and reducing bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adverse incident research within residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is increasing and there is growing awareness of safety and quality issues. However, large-scale evidence identifying specific areas of need and at-risk residents is lacking. This study used routinely collected incident management system data to quantify the types and rates of adverse incidents experienced by residents of RACFs. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods design was used to examine 3 years of incident management report data from 72 RACFs in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Qualitative thematic analysis of free-text incident descriptions was undertaken to group adverse incidents into categories. The rates and types of adverse incidents based on these categories were calculated and then compared using incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Results: Deidentified records of 11 987 permanent residents (aged ≥65 years; mean (±s.d.) age 84 ± 8 years) from the facilities were included. Of the 60 268 adverse incidents, falls were the most common event (36%), followed by behaviour-related events (33%), other impacts and injuries (22%) and medication errors (9%). The number of adverse incidents per resident ranged from 0 (42%) to 171, with a median of 2. Women (IRR 0.804; P < 0.001) and residents with low care needs (IRR 0.652; P < 0.001) were significantly less likely to adverse incidents compared with men and residents with high care needs respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that data already collected within electronic management systems can provide crucial baseline information about the risk levels that adverse incidents pose to older Australians living in RACFs. What is known about the topic?: To date, research into aged care adverse incidents has typically focused on single incident types in small studies involving mitigation strategies. Little has been published quantifying the multiple adverse incidents experienced by residents of aged care facilities or reporting organisation-wide rates of adverse incidents. What does this paper add?: This paper adds to the growing breadth of Australian aged care research by providing baseline information on the rates and types of adverse incidents in RACFs across a large and representative provider. What are the implications for practitioners?: This research demonstrates that the wealth of data captured by aged care facilities' incident management information systems can be used to provide insight into areas of commonly occurring adverse incidents. Better use of this information could greatly enhance strategic planning of quality improvement activities and the care provided to residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability of transport systems may require identifying critical determinants of modal split behaviours relating to modal choices of commuters. Commuters possess different personal characteristics that may predispose modal choices. These characteristics are pertinent and may be pointers to a sustainable transport system. This paper examined the status of different transport modes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja, Nigeria, to understand how the information on the modal choices of commuters can bring back the envisioned sustainable transportation in the Federal Capital Territory. Authors engaged 243 commuters whose journey originated from 5 different locations in the outskirts of the city and 1 from within with various distances ranging from 31km to 9km into the inner city of Abuja. Survey items adopted for this study were administered to commuters through convenient sampling method in these locations. The results confirm different split behaviours based on gender and location cum distances travelled to the various destinations (χ² = 18.281, p<0.01); (χ² = 15.85, p<0.05). These results suggest that gender and distance are important factors the government may consider and incorporate into future decisions for urban transport planning in the city of Abuja. The utility theory was confirmed in our study through commuters' decision to commute by tricycles despite the availability of more comfortable taxis that lack the value sought a5er by commuters. The choices expressed in this study relating to mobility pa6erns are relevant information for future policy consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia's mental health system is failing young people. Calls for accountability, strategic long-term policy planning, and regional leadership have been identified as solutions to guide mental health reform. Developing system dynamics models using a participatory approach (participatory systems modelling (PSM)) is recognized as a useful method that can support decision-making for strategic reform. This paper reports evaluation findings of a youth mental health PSM process conducted in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Baseline and follow-up mixed-methods evaluation data were collected in 2022 across diverse stakeholder groups to investigate the feasibility, value, impact, and sustainability of PSM. Although youth mental health system reform was viewed as desirable and a necessity across all stakeholder groups, shared perceptions of disabling powerless was observed regarding their ability to influence current decision-making processes to improve the youth mental health system. This suggests greater accountability is required to support systemic reform in youth mental health. PSM offers promise in improving transparency and accountability of decision-making for youth mental health, as exemplified in the ACT. However, more support and time are required to facilitate transformational change. Future research should investigate empowerment strategies to complement the implementation of findings from dynamic models developed through PSM, as well as the effectiveness of regional youth mental health policy decision-making supported by systems modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mobile health (mHealth) service is an Australian Government initiative aiming to improve the quality of health-care services. However, little is known about Australian health consumers' willingness to adopt mHealth. The purpose of this paper is to study the usage behavior of mHealth service users in Australia. While various factors may impact users' willingness to accept mHealth, this research investigates factors influencing the mHealth adoption decisions of the Australian health-care consumers, and the moderating impact of demographic factors on the usage behavior (UB) of mHealth services which has been rarely addressed in an Australian setting in the past. Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical framework is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). Data were collected from residents of the Australian Capital Territory using a survey questionnaire and examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings: The proposed mHealth usage model demonstrated a good fit and indicated that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, service quality and government influence are critical issues shaping mHealth UB. The moderation analysis revealed that users' demographics, namely, gender, age and education are instrumental in broadening the understanding of UB of mHealth service in Australia. Practical implications: The findings will inform health-care service providers about the critical importance of the key factors driving the usage of mHealth services. Health-care providers and relevant authorities can develop targeted communication strategies that maximize the acceptance of mHealth services. Furthermore, deeper understanding of users' demographic profiles would enable health-care service providers to promote their services to the right clients. Originality/value: The above findings on the factors and user demographics informing the usage of mHealth services have unique practical, contextual and theoretical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate clinicoradiological features associated with epilepsy, its resolution, and drug resistance in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: Data were gathered from the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory CP Register, encompassing children with CP born between 2003 and 2015 (n = 1916). Clinical features and the severity of impairments were compared among three groups: children with current epilepsy (n = 604), those with resolved epilepsy by age 5 years (n = 109), and those without epilepsy (n = 1203). Additionally, a subset of the registry cohort attending Children's Hospital Westmead (n = 256) was analysed to compare epilepsy and treatment characteristics between drug‐responsive (n = 83) and drug‐resistant groups (n = 147) using logistic regression and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Manual Ability Classification System levels IV and V, intellectual impairment, and vision impairment were found to be associated with epilepsy in children with CP on multivariable analysis (p < 0.01). Moderate to severe intellectual impairment and bilateral spastic CP were independent positive and negative predictors of epilepsy persistence at the age of 5 years respectively (p < 0.05). Microcephaly and multiple seizure types were predictors of drug‐resistant epilepsy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.83; 95% confidence interval 0.77–0.9). Children with a known genetic cause (14%) and CP epilepsy surgery group (4.3%) formed specific clinical subgroups in CP epilepsy. Interpretation: Our study highlights important clinical associations of epilepsy, its resolution, and treatment response in children with CP, providing valuable knowledge to aid in counselling families and identifying distinct prognostic groups for effective medical surveillance and optimal treatment. What this paper adds: Severe motor and non‐motor impairments in cerebral palsy (CP) increase epilepsy risk.Epilepsy more likely resolves in bilateral spastic and milder CP impairments.Epilepsy in CP often manifests at an early age with multiple seizure types and high drug resistance.Children with a known genetic cause and CP epilepsy surgery group represent distinct clinical subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe the relationships between outpatient encounters, continuity of care, and unplanned hospital care in children/young people with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: In this population‐based data‐linkage cohort study we included children/young people with CP identified in the New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory CP Register (birth years 1994–2018). We measured the frequency of outpatient encounters and unplanned hospital care, defined as presentations to emergency departments and/or urgent hospital admissions (2015–2020). Continuity of outpatient care was measured using the Usual Provider of Care Index (UPCI). Results: Of 3267 children/young people with CP, most (n = 2738, 83.8%, 57.6% male) had one or more outpatient encounters (123 463 total encounters, median six outpatient encounters per year during childhood). High UPCI was more common in children/young people with mild CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I–III, with no epilepsy or no intellectual disability), residing in metropolitan and areas of least socioeconomic disadvantage. Low UPCI was associated with four or more emergency department presentations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71–3.19) and one or more urgent hospital admissions (aOR 2.02; 95% CI 1.57–2.61). Interpretation: Children/young people with CP require frequent outpatient services. Improving continuity of care, particularly for those residing in regional/remote areas, may decrease need for unplanned hospital care. What this paper adds: Many children with cerebral palsy use multiple and frequent outpatient services.Better continuity of care is associated with living in metropolitan and less socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.Outpatient service utilization reduces at the time of transition to adult services.High outpatient utilization is associated with unplanned hospital care.Decreased continuity of care is associated with unplanned hospital care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Broad-toothed Rat (BTR) Mastacomys fuscus is a native murid rodent found in high rainfall areas of NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania. It is classed as Vulnerable in each state, the ACT and by the Commonwealth. It is herbivorous, feeding on grasses (especially Poa spp.) and sedges. In Victoria, it occurs from sea level to the Alpine National Park but in patches and generally in low numbers. There were few scientific reports on BTRs in Australia until the 1960s when fossil and sub-fossil remains of the species were reported from several locations, including western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, suggesting the species was once more widespread than it is today. Research in the 1960s described the habitat and biology of the BTR in Kosciuszko National Park and in 1971 a significant paper added several new locations of living BTR colonies in Victoria. Subsequent work located more sites, but little was published until the last 20 years, when threats to the future of the species and a reduction in its distribution were described. The BTR has thus undergone cycles of apparent abundance and occurrence. Climate change and other anthropogenic threats make the future survival of the BTR in Victoria uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of a firestorm, many survivors will spend time with the ruins of their homes, fossicking through the rubble or simply being present with the transformed space. Through a series of oral history interviews with survivors of the 2003 Canberra firestorm in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), this paper investigates ruined homes as spaces imbued with memory – of the fire itself, of life before the fires, and of a once imagined future. By examining the first hours and days after the firestorm, we explore the complex temporalities and spatial meanings at play in spaces that are simultaneously understood as both home and ruins. We argue that the unmaking of home by fire is a gradual process. In resistance to the rapid destruction of fire, and before the clearing of ruins by demolition crews, many firestorm survivors enact a slow and embodied process of unmaking. This enactment allows both a coming to terms with the fire's material impacts and a careful engagement with the space's mnemonic resonances. It provides important lessons for a 21st century where more frequent and intense disasters will continue to result in engagement with home-in-ruins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper considers energy as a social and commercial determinant of health. Stable access to clean and sustainable energy is integral for human wellbeing yet public health rarely considers its importance. Methods: Using NVivo qualitative analysis software we analysed all Australian federal, state and territory strategic energy policies covering varying periods between 2016-2030. We defined strategic policy as including the goals, objectives and strategies of the department regarding a specific area of policy responsibility. This criterion excluded documents such as operational guidelines. 36 energy-related policies were analyzed. Results: While the nature of energy supply is crucial to determining the impact of human and environmental health, our analysis showed that health and wellbeing are only rarely considered in policy. We developed a conceptual framework to guide our work linking energy policy with health. Australia's continued reliance on fossil fuels evident in the policies poses health risks, especially as climate change threatens physical and mental health. Yet health considerations were mainly absent from the policies. However, some jurisdictions (South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory [ACT]) had policies encouraging a fast move to renewables. Energy pricing was a key focus in each jurisdiction and had become highly politicalized in the past decade. Little attention was paid to equity considerations in the policies. Conclusion: Energy policy would be more health promoting if public health perspectives were considered during its development. On the basis of our policy analysis and literature review we conclude with recommendations for healthy energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an in medias res economic cost‐benefit analysis of a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) for beverage containers in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. The paper examines all cost elements of the scheme – scheme design and administration, scheme coordination, beverage industry compliance, household participation, business participation and container redemption infrastructure and operating costs. The paper also examines all potential benefits – avoided waste collection and transport costs; avoided material recovery facility processing cost; avoided landfill cost; avoided street sweeping cost; value of avoided litter; and value of recyclates. A wide variety of data sources is employed, and some of the critical issues are examined via several approaches. The main finding of the paper is that the ACT CDS is clearly economically worthwhile. The in medias res CBA of the ACT CDS shows the scheme to be highly efficient and thus recommends the continuation of the scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Murray–Darling Basin covers parts of four States of Australia and the whole of the Australian Capital Territory. As at 2002, its water management was well regarded internationally. Basin flows are low and variable. The most reliable streams show variations of about 12:1 between maximum and minimum annual natural flows. The longest tributary, the Darling, has a ratio of infinity. It was recognized in the 1980s that extractions from the system, largely for irrigation, had to be constrained. That led to the introduction of the "Murray‐Darling Basin Cap" which limited extractions and recognized the probability of average inflows declining, which was already being predicted by climate change modelling. The "millennium drought" of 2000–2009 was very severe and led to fears that the drop in inflows was happening faster than modelling was predicting. In 2007, the National Government, on the eve of an election, declared that the Basin had been mismanaged for a century by the States and legislated to transfer management powers from the States to the Commonwealth. That transfer has been pursued since then by National Governments of both major parties. Government claims to have "taken the politics out of Basin management and returned to the science." The evidence is that the exact opposite has occurred. The paper traces the history of water management in the Basin. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The geotechnical properties of municipal wastes based on field characterization. • Effects of leachate exposure on municipal solid wastes. • Effects of initial compositions on the geotechnical properties of municipal solid wastes. This paper investigates the geotechnical properties of a type of synthetic municipal solid waste (MSW). The tests were conducted on five groups of synthetic MSW compositions, based on the field characterization of fresh MSW samples collected from Mugga Lane landfill site, ACT, Australia. Compaction, hydraulic conductivity, compression, drained and undrained shear properties of the MSWs with water and leachate addition to the field moisture content were studied. The study shows that adding leachate could increase the maximum dry density of the MSWs under given moisture contents and compaction energies. The hydraulic conductivity of the MSWs could decrease by 100-fold when the confining pressure increases from 15 kPa to 240 kPa. The shear behaviours of the MSW samples follow the strain hardening behaviours of loose sand. The cohesion of the MSWs decreases but the friction angle of the MSWs increases with leachate addition due to the change in the surface tension and viscosity of the pore liquids and the loss of cementitious components. The addition of leachate increases the compression ratios of the MSWs by around 10% to 30% due to the change in the pH of the pore liquids. The most significant components affecting the shear and compression behaviours of the MSW were paper and wood. The effects of leachate exposure on the geotechnical properties of the MSWs is not very significant. It is important to consider the variation of MSW properties to the leachate properties (viscosity, pH and surface tension) in the large body of MSWs in the landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe patterns of use of the available Government-subsidised mental health services among people living in Australian residential aged care facilities. Methods: A retrospective population-based trend analysis was conducted, including all non-Indigenous people living in an Australian facility between 2012 and 2017. Adjusted incidence proportions and trends were estimated for four groups of mental health services. Results: The use of Medicare-subsidised mental health services was very low overall. The proportion of residents who accessed primary care mental health services increased from 1.3% in 2012/2013 to 2.4% in 2016/2017, while psychiatry service use increased from 1.9 to 2.3%. Claims for clinical psychology increased from 0.18 to 0.26%, and claims for a registered psychologist, occupational therapist or social worker rose from 0.45 to 1.2%. People with dementia were less likely than people without dementia to access all services aside from psychiatry services. Conclusions: Less than 3% of residents accessed funding subsidies for mental health services and people with dementia experienced pronounced barriers to service access. Mental health care is a pillar of the publicly-funded health system in Australia, and low use of these services among aged care residents indicates a need for organisational and policy changes to improve access. What is known about the topic? People living in residential aged care facilities report very high rates of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. What does this paper add? We demonstrate very low use (<3%) of Government-funded mental health services among people living in residential aged care facilities in Australia, with only small increases in use over time. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners should routinely assess the mental health needs of people living in residential aged care and refer for in-reach mental health services where needed, noting that facility staff are usually not trained for this role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The challenge of maintaining biodiversity by managing overabundant native fauna is often a contentious issue. This study demonstrates a means of improving animal welfare in the culling of overabundant kangaroos. We studied five populations of Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) in the Australian Capital Territory and established the percentage of juveniles throughout the year. We focused on juveniles aged 8–12 months old, as these are identified at greatest risk of poor welfare outcomes if orphaned. Our findings support the timing of culls when the fewest vulnerable juveniles are present in the population. This paper provides a scientific basis for land managers to adjust the timing of kangaroo management activities to best balance animal welfare, land management and conservation objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The rapidly growing number of people in prison in Australia, combined with the high prevalence of mental disorder in this population, results in high demand for mental health services in prison settings. Despite their critical role as part of a national mental health response, prison mental health services (PMHS) in Australia have been poorly characterised. In this paper, we describe findings of the first national survey of PMHS in Australia.Methods: We distributed a survey to key representatives of PMHS in all Australian states and territories in 2016.Results: Our method constitutes a replicable process for quantifying and comparing PMHS in Australia. We describe the structure, governance and staffing models in seven jurisdictions. When compared against international recommendations, only one Australian jurisdiction (the ACT) is funded to provide services at a level equivalent to mental health services provided in the community.Conclusion: Prison mental health services in Australia are delivered by a complex mix of government, private sector and non-government services. Services appear to be severely under-resourced when compared with the available benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International research provides support for yoga as a wellbeing intervention in prison. Until recently, no systematic research had been undertaken in Australia to assess the effectiveness of a yoga program, or consider the challenges of implementation. In 2017, the authors, in partnership with Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Corrective Services and the Yoga Foundation, introduced a pilot yoga program at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in the ACT. This paper draws on comments from the prisoners who participated in the program and the yoga teacher, as well as the perspectives of a prison psychologist and the lead author, both of whom also participated in the program. The paper reflects on the lessons learnt from developing and delivering a prison yoga program and advocates for the expansion of such programs in Australian prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roadside drug testing ('RDT') was introduced in the Australian Capital Territory ('ACT') through a private member's Bill that was fiercely debated in the ACT parliament. It was the first RDT scheme in Australia subject to human rights scrutiny, and thus parliamentarians had to weigh road safety arguments against human rights considerations in determining whether the proposed measures were proportionate. This paper focuses on the debate over RDT in the ACT parliament, how human rights and safety concerns figure, and how legal actors and 'outside audiences' are invoked. The debate was marked by frequent appeals to family members present in the public gallery and legal actors such as the Chief Police Officer, the Human Rights Commissioner, and socio-legal experts outside the chamber. Drawing from cultural legal studies scholarship on legal insiders and outside audiences in legal proceedings, this paper analyses how these stakeholders figure in human rights debates on RDT, and with what effects. The paper argues that the invocation of outside audiences reflects what Crawley and Tranter term 'a need to bring the human back' but cautions that this humanising process only brings some humans in, and therefore connects human rights to only certain human lives in certain ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the year to December 2013, emissions from Australia's transport sector increased by 53.5% compared to 1990 levels. The domestic transport sector now accounts for over 70% of liquid fuels consumed in this country,1 with passenger vehicles being the largest source of emission in this sector. Currently, the Australian Government has no fiscal instruments for mandatory fuel efficiency or carbon emission targets to reduce road transport emissions. Part 1 of the two-part series provided ex-post evidence that reforming vehicle purchase taxes/stamp duty differentiated on the basis of CO2 emissions was an effective measure to significantly reduce road transport emissions. In 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) recommended that vehicles purchase taxes be reformed on the basis of new vehicles' "environmental performance", and proposed the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT's) vehicle purchase tax/stamp duty as one model for this approach. However, the 2010 Henry Report rejected COAG's recommendation. This article revisits the COAG's recommendations and provides an analysis for Australia's policy makers on whether the tax design and price signal of ACT's vehicle purchase tax provides a model to be adopted by the rest of Australia, or whether an alternative instrument is recommended. The literature review suggests that to achieve significant reductions in average CO2 emissions from new light vehicles will depend on the choice of tax design, a strong upfront price signal, level of tax differential, public acceptance, and the interaction of other complementary tax policy measures. The article will assist policy makers in designing tax policy measures for the proposed Energy White Paper in 2015. In turn, this proposal will meet the objectives outlined in the Issues Paper, that is, to encourage a behavioural change in buyers that could lead to their choosing fuel-efficient, lowcarbon emitting new vehicles, as well as to help address the barriers and challenges to reforming vehicle purchase taxes/stamp duty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To explore the ways in which neonatal nurses draw meaning and deal with the challenges associated with caring for extremely premature babies. Background Current literature suggests that nurses face challenges providing care to certain patients because of their appearance. This article will focus on those difficulties in relation to neonatal nurses caring for infants ≤24 weeks of gestation in the neonatal intensive care unit. Extremely premature babies often have more the appearance of a foetus than the appearance of a baby, and this presented challenges for the neonatal nurses. Design This paper has used interviews and drew insights from interpretative phenomenology. Methods This paper used a series of interviews in a qualitative study informed by phenomenology. The analysis of the interview data involved the discovery of thematic statements and the analysis of the emerging themes. Results This paper outlines the difficulties experienced by neonatal nurses when caring for a baby that resembles a foetus more than it does a full-term infant. The theme the challenges of caregiving was captured by three subthemes: A foetus or a viable baby?; protective strategies and attributing personality. Conclusion This study identified that neonatal nurses experience a range of difficulties when providing care for an infant who resembled a foetus rather than a full-term baby. They employed strategies that minimised the foetal appearance and maximised the appearance and attributes associated with a newborn baby. Relevance to clinical practice Increasing survival of extremely premature infants will see nurses caring for more babies ≤24 weeks of gestation. Caring for extremely premature babies has been reported as being stressful. It is important to understand the nature of stress facing this highly specialised neonatal nursing workforce. Supportive work environments could help to ameliorate stress, facilitate better care of tiny babies and decrease staff turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The report of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) into elder abuse highlighted the urgent need to formulate an appropriate legal response to the complex nature of elder abuse. Legal aid commissions across Australia will ultimately play a large role in this response, in no small part due to the extensive assistance already provided to vulnerable members of the community. This paper will explore how legal aid services in Australia can respond to the recommendations of the ALRC. This will be done with particular reference to some measures already taken by Legal Aid ACT to address elder abuse in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). This includes examining the need for a sociolegal model of service delivery which is reflective of a rights-based dialogue that accounts for the views of an elderly person about their legal problem. Ensuring that an effective legal service model is established, particularly one which recognises elder abuse as a violation of an elderly person's rights, is imperative if elder abuse is to be appropriately addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboriginal peoples' fire management practices captured global attention during the Australian 2019–20 'Black Summer', as a possible method to mitigate bushfire risk; however, these 'cultural burns' are no straightforward matter for public sector practice. As the slow, retrospective work to address historical and contemporary discrimination is imperfectly underway, we explore a cultural burning program supported by a government agency in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In this paper, two co-authors share their experiences helping create a cultural burning program as Aboriginal people but not as Traditional Custodians. We document the steps taken to build support, create opportunities and engage Ngunnawal and Ngambri Traditional Custodians, and identify early positive results and challenging matters being generated. We demonstrate that rather than being restricted by public sector bureaucracy, the ACT cultural burning program has leveraged policy and entwined itself around the machinery of government in a way that accesses resources, creates opportunities and is slowly but surely changing public sector practice. Nonetheless, this is a journey of iteratively learning. It remains that more substantive measures are needed to recognise Traditional Custodianship if the current cultural burning program is to become a more substantial expression of Aboriginal peoples' cultural land management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Following several deaths due to drug overdoses at music festivals in Australia, pill testing (or drug checking) has been proposed as a means of reducing the risk to young people. However, pill testing is a politically controversial policy in Australia. This paper examines the political dimension to the debate, its relationship with other social issues and how it divides party supporters. Design and Methods: The data come from the 2019 Australian Election Study survey—a large (n = 2179), nationally weighted representative probability survey conducted immediately after the federal election. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to identify the social groups, attitudes and vote preferences most associated with public views about pill testing. Results: Almost two‐thirds of the public support pill testing at music festivals. The young and those who do not attend church are most likely to express support. Supporters of other liberal social opinions, such as the legalisation of marijuana, are also strongly supportive of pill testing. Those who vote for one of the two main conservative parties are less likely to support pill testing. Discussion and Conclusions: While a majority of the public support pill testing, beyond the Australian Capital Territory this has not translated into policy in other jurisdictions. The results show that there is a high level of political polarisation surrounding opinions among both voters and political elites. This issue must be addressed if the policy is to be advanced as part of an overall harm reduction approach to drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little is known about the efficient collection of fines despite their indispensable contribution to local government budgets. This paper fills an important gap in the literature by studying the effectiveness of deterrence (enforcement) and non-deterrence (social norms) letters that aim to improve the collection of traffic and parking fines. We present results from a natural field experiment implemented in collaboration with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government. We find that both letters increase fine payments significantly. The effect of the enforcement letter is stronger than that of the social norms letter. Our analysis of heterogenous treatment effects indicates that addressing social norms does not change the behavior of young offenders, those who committed a speeding offence, those with a long outstanding debt and those with a debt above the median. In contrast, the enforcement letter is generally effective across subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Monitor settlement of landfill cells with different ages using GNSS. • Settlement of a single waste lift is monitored by settlement profilers. • Effects of biodegradation on geotechnical properties of MSWs are considered. • Predicted settlement well fits that from experimental bioreactors and landfills. This paper presents the development of a new settlement model to predict the long-term settlement of municipal solid wastes (MSWs). The total settlement of the MSWs results from the direct loss of solids due to decomposition and compression due to stress variation induced by loss of solids, flow of gas and liquid and mechanical creep. The geotechnical properties of MSWs are considered as functions of degrees of biodegradation (DOB). To validate the model, two settlement profilers (2.5 years) and three geodetic monitoring networks (2 years) were installed at Mugga Lane Landfill, ACT, Australia to monitor the settlement of an MSW lift and three closed landfill cells, respectively. The settlement rates of the landfill cells with the ages of 7, 8, 14, and 8, 9 and 15 years are 0.53, 0.35, 0.06 and 0.46, 0.36, 0.05 mm/day, respectively. In addition, 5 large scale and 3 small scale bioreactors were set up in the field and laboratory to address the long-term physical, mechanical and biochemical behaviours of the MSWs under different stress levels. The predicted settlement is compared to the test results from the bioreactors, in-situ monitoring data and the settlement predicted using an existing model, which has been improved by coupling the geotechnical properties of MSWs with DOBs. The predicted settlement using the proposed model well fits the test results and monitoring data. The settlement strain is predicted to be 28.2 % during the filling stage of the landfill and 5.9 % in 5 years after the closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) has the potential to support decision making but there are few cases of their application to public policy or planning. In this paper we review five government policies related to land use planning and environmental management in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), assess the data available to inform these policies and link the polices to the accounts that could assist with their implementation, evaluation and update. We find that a range of SEEA-based accounts are potentially useful for the plans and strategies reviewed. Data available for accounts are of varying quality, scattered and are not integrated nor regularly summarised. The available data were to produce accounts for ecosystem extent and land cover, and these provide a platform for continuing engagement with the ACT government and for developing accounts for ecosystem services, ecosystem condition and environmental protection expenditure that could inform ACT policy for land use planning, management of ecosystems, protected areas, and urban forests. Six steps for developing ecosystem accounts to support policy are recommended to accounts producers and three priority actions for SEEA-based accounting to support environmental management in the ACT are identified. Preparing the accounts and linking them directly to existing plans and strategies is a first step to acceptance and use of SEEA in the ACT and elsewhere. • Ecosystem accounts can be mapped to policy and be useful to decision makers. • Ecosystem accounts can inform the different parts of the policy cycle. • Land and ecosystem extent accounts can be produced and are the starting point for ecosystem condition and service accounts. • Data gaps and deficiencies on the physical environment can be overcome through use of global datasets and methods. • The development of spatially referenced economic data must be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has legislated and aims to be net zero emissions by 2045. Such ambitious targets have implications for the contribution of hydrogen and its storage in gas distribution networks Therefore, we need to understand now the impacts on the gas distribution network of the transition to 100% hydrogen. Assessment of the viability of decarbonising the ACT gas network will be partly based on the cost of reusing the gas network for the safe and reliable distribution of hydrogen. That task requires each element of the natural gas safety management system to be evaluated. This article describes the construction of a test facility in Canberra, Australia used to identify issues raised by 100% hydrogen use in the medium pressure distribution network, consisting of nylon and polyethylene (PE) as a means of identifying measures necessary to ensure ongoing validity of the network's regulatory safety case. Evoenergy (the ACT's gas distribution company) have constructed a Test Facility, incorporating an electrolyser, a gas supply pressure reduction and mixing skid a replica gas network and a domestic installation with gas appliances. Jointly with Australian National University (ANU) and Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) the Company has commenced a program of "bench testing", initially with 100% hydrogen to identify gaps in the safety case specifically focusing on the materials, work practices and safety systems in the ACT. The facility is designed to assess: • Materials in use including aged network materials and components • Construction and installation techniques both greenfield and live gas work • Purging and filling techniques • Leak detection both underground and above ground • Emergency response and make safe techniques • Issues associated with use of hydrogen in light commercial and domestic appliances. To educate and train: • Technicians and gas fitters on infrastructure installation and management • Emergency response services on responding to hydrogen related emergencies in a network environment; and • manage public perceptions of hydrogen in a network environment. Australia has an enviable safety record for the safe and reliable transport, distribution and use of natural gas. The ACT natural gas network owned and operated by Evoenergy is one of the newest in Australia and has leveraged off the best materials and practices in Australia to build its network. The paper addresses major safety issues relating to the production/storage, distribution and consumer end use of hydrogen injected into existing gas distribution networks. The analysis is guided by the Safety Management System. The Hydrogen Testing Facility described in the paper provide tools for evaluation of hydrogen safety matters in the ACT and Australia-wide. Testing to date has confirmed that polyethylene and nylon pipe and their respective jointing techniques can contain 100% hydrogen at pressures used for the distribution of natural gas. Testing has also confirmed that current installation work practices on polyethylene and nylon pipe and joints are suitable for hydrogen service. This finding is subject to variation attributable to staff training and skill levels and further testing has been programmed as outlined in this paper. Testing of gas isolation by clamping and simulated repair on the hydrogen network has established that standard natural gas isolation techniques work with 100% hydrogen at natural gas pressures. • World first leak testing of hydrogen impact on nylon distribution pipe. • Leak testing of hydrogen on nylon and polyethylene pipe under real world conditions. • Testing of existing gas distribution work practices for safe use with hydrogen. • Testing each element of a gas Safety Management System for safe use with hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role that social support and social networks play in mediating isolation and stress experienced by vulnerable families is well established. However, a major issue facing supportive human services is to find and engage families with limited social networks and link them to supports that could improve outcomes for their families. This paper reports on the results of in-depth interviews with 20 sole parents with children aged under 5 who were not well connected to services. It documents their social networks with the use of a social network map. Using a social capital lens, the analysis attempts to differentiate the different relationships in the participants' lives. Most participants were not satisfied with their informal networks, with conflicted or ambivalent reliance on family, absence of support and community engagement and fragility of informal networks. Although this group of isolated mothers does encounter the formal service system, the opportunities to increase and strengthen their networks do not eventuate. Better understanding of the nature and extent of social networks can inform practitioners and policy-makers of the critical factors needed to increase service use for parents with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in levels of academic achievement according to socio-economic status ( SES), and parental education in particular, have been a persistent feature of Australian education systems. Young people with highly educated parents are more likely than their peers with low-educated parents to attain high levels of achievement at school. Students with low levels of achievement are less likely than their high achieving peers to complete Year 12 and are more likely to experience negative post-school outcomes. The SES of the neighbourhood, and in particular, the school attended, has also been found to have an effect on levels of both academic achievement and attainment. For this paper, we conduct analyses of National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy test scores for four cohorts of secondary school students attending government schools in the Australian Capital Territory to examine the associations between parental education, school attended and levels of educational achievement. Our findings show that students with university-educated parents achieve at much higher levels than their peers with low-educated parents and that attending a school with a higher proportion of students from educationally disadvantaged families has a negative effect on educational achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides the results of the first research designed to test for pesticide residue analysis conducted on seed yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) tubers produced via the Adaptive Yam Minisett technique (AYMT). AYMT uses a pesticide-based water dip to treat setts (~75 g) cut from a yam tuber, and these setts are planted to produce healthy seed yams. While the dip is known to be effective in terms of sett survival in the field along with quantity and yield of seed yams produced, one potential issue is the carry-over of chlorpyrifos from treated setts into the seed yams. The research reported here describes the results from an experimental plot established in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria designed to address this issue. A total of 54 seed yam tubers (18 seed yams from each plot) were analyzed from control (untreated), half-dose and full-dose pesticide dip treatments and results show that there is no carryover of chlorpyrifos from treated setts into the seed yams. There may also be potential to significantly reduce pesticide concentration in the dip, although this requires further research before a new recommendation can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines defendants' argumentative discourse in the 2008 Nigerian investigative public hearings on the Federal Capital Territory administration. The data, which consist of nine defendants' presentations, are analyzed qualitatively, using a combination of the pragma-dialectical and extended pragma-dialectical theories of argumentation. The findings show that the hearing panel initially starts of as the institutional protagonist and defendants as the antagonists, and but later serve as the institutional antagonist and protagonists, respectively. The defendants tend to use analogy and causal argumentation schemes while employing subordinative and complementary coordinative argumentation structures. The defendants also employ different strategic maneuvers at different argumentative stages of the critical discussion. Due to the politico-forensic communicative domain and information-seeking genre of the investigative public hearing discourse, the concluding stage is suspended. Thus, the study shows the influence of communicative activity type on the argumentative activities in a critical discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic theory predicts that pricing electricity to better‐reflect the costs imposed by peak demand will benefit consumers by deferring network capacity augmentation. To date, the Australian Capital Territory is one of the first Australian jurisdictions to see significant uptake rates of more cost‐reflective network electricity tariffs by small consumers. This paper identifies lessons learned from the implementation of these tariffs, suggesting consumers have responded to price signals, thereby improving network utilisation. It also finds that the uptake of cost‐reflective tariffs is considerably greater under an opt‐out tariff assignment policy, and consultation plays an important role in gaining community support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how people with chronic illnesses respond to absences of continuity and coordination of care. Little work has been done on how the ill person might mitigate flaws in a less than optimal system. Our qualitative research, carried out among 91 participants in Australia, reveals that people with chronic illnesses create strategies to facilitate the management of their care. These strategies included efforts to improve communication between themselves and their health care practitioners; keeping personal up-to-date medication lists; and generating their own specific management plans. While we do not submit that it is patients' responsibility to attend to gaps in the health system, our data suggests that chronically ill people can, in and through such strategies, exert a measure of agency over their own care; making it effectively more continuous and coordinated. Participants crafted strategies according to the particular social and bodily rhythms that their ongoing illnesses had lent to their lives. Our analysis advances the view that the ill body itself is capable of enfolding the health system into the rhythms of illness - rather than the ill body always fitting into the overarching structural tempo. This entails an agent-centric view of time in illness experience. A Virtual Abstract of this paper can be found at: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) solar power use is increasing globally. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has legislated a renewable energy target of 90% by 2020; to reach this target, use of distributed PV solar arrays is expected to increase. Cloud cover can cause the power output of PV installations to rapidly increase or decrease, resulting in ACT-wide collective ramp events. Accurate forecasts of when the ramp events will occur are needed for electricity providers to plan for these abrupt output changes and to ensure that electricity supplies remain stable. This paper categorizes the weather events that cause changes in the output of rooftop PV arrays in the ACT, providing a foundation for future PV output forecasting to be based on weather event identification. This paper identifies citywide collective ramp events, which occur when a 60% change in collective PV power output (with respect to the clear-sky potential) is experienced within 60 min. Such events are termed critical collective ramp events. Throughout the period between January 2012 and July 2014, 34 critical ramp events occurred. Eighteen of these events were positive collective ramp events, caused most frequently by Australian northwest cloud bands and radiation fog dissipation. Sixteen negative collective ramp events were recorded, and they were caused most frequently by the passage of cold fronts and thunderstorms. The categories developed herein will make it possible to improve short-term solar forecasting methods and to enable meteorologists to contribute to forecasting critical events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from centralised, fossil fuel-powered generating units to distributed energy resources (DER) represents a significant step forward, offering numerous benefits. However, this shift also presents operational challenges for distribution network service providers (DNSPs) and the electricity markets. In this paper, we introduce our innovative solution for allocating network capacity in the form of operating envelopes, shaped to enhance customer participation in energy and reserve markets. Our approach also provides DNSPs with network support flexibility of DER which can be leveraged to either increase network throughput for market services or postpone network augmentation. This study outlines our initial findings from Project Converge 1 1 https://arena.gov.au/projects/project-converge-act-distributed-energy-resources-demonstration-pilot/. —a comprehensive real-world trial involving 1000 active customers (the largest participant cohort in Australia) located in the Australian Capital Territory. Within, we discuss the challenges we have encountered, the opportunities that have arisen, potential avenues for future expansion, and the invaluable insights gained during the pre-trial phase of the project. • Proposing shaped operating envelopes – a novel extension of dynamic operating envelopes to allocate network capacity amongst aggregators. • Enabling DER to participate in energy, FCAS and network support market while empowering DNSPs to postpone network augmentation. • Real-world implementation of our approach in a live trial in Australia with more that active 1000 customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Woolshed Creek fossil site near the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Canberra, contains brachiopods Atrypa duntroonensis (early Homerian, early Silurian, ca 430.5 Ma) within a mudstone of the Canberra Formation. Their discovery in 1844 by the Reverend William B. Clarke ("the Father of Australian Geology"), and subsequent comparison with other fossil collections from around the world, contributed significantly to the nineteenth century debate about the oldest rocks in Australia. The fossil site is now on the ACT Government Heritage List and recent site improvements make it readily accessible via a pathway from the sports grounds of the Royal Military College. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Utilization of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory ( RKI) and Recovery Attitudes Questionnaire ( RAQ) in southeastern Australia raised questions about the RAQ, including links between attitudes, faith, and culture in supporting the recovery journey. These questions are particularly important when considered in the context of people with mental illness who live in secular multicultural societies. Conclusions This paper discusses the cultural appropriateness of the RAQ in Australian settings, and identifies the need to develop rigorous, inclusive recovery outcome measures. Practice Implications It is important to identify what best motivates people in their recovery journey, and to find a way to harness these motivating factors to achieve the best possible outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This paper explores the impact and mechanisms for successful implementation of a speech language pathology assistant (SLPA) role into a rehabilitation setting using a traineeship approach. Methods. Multiple data sources were used, including interviews with key stakeholders, documentary evidence and a workload audit. Results. The SLPA role increased clinical service capacity by 28 h per week across the service and required a total of 3 h per week of supervision input (the equivalent of 38 min per speech and language pathologist (SLP)). The SLPA used non-clinical time for training and administration. Mechanisms that facilitated the implementation of the SLPA role were: support for existing staff; formal knowledge and skills in training; consultation and engagement; access to a competency framework; close working with the registered training organisation; clearly defined role and delegation boundaries; clear supervision structures; confidence in own role; supportive organisational culture; vision for expansion of the role; engaging the SLPs in training and development; and a targeted recruitment approach. Conclusion. The development and implementation of a new trainee SLPA role using a traineeship approach required a large amount of supervision and training input from the SLPs. However, it was perceived that these efforts were offset by the increased service capacity provided by the introduction of a trainee role and the high levels of satisfaction with the new role. What is known about this topic? Efficient delegation to assistants requires supervising staff to have a clear understanding of the roles and experience of assistants. There has been little evaluation of assistant training models to date. What does this paper add? The net benefit of an allied health assistant in speech pathology far outweighs the input required to provide training and supervision. The paper identifies a range of mechanisms to facilitate the implementation and efficient use of the assistant role. What are the implications for practitioners? The implementation of assistant roles requires support for both the assistant and the supervising staff member. Engaging the supervising staff in training the assistant enhances role understanding and effective delegation to the assistant staff member. Although the role development requires a great deal of local investment, there is potential for more efficient implementation of new roles through sharing of resources, such as competencies, assessments and training tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld), limits on human rights in Queensland must now be justified. Section 13(1) sets out the test for justification and s 13(2) lists a number of factors that 'may' be relevant. At first blush, the word 'may' makes the factors seem like a smorgasbord, to be picked from as one fancies. This paper contends that the factors in s 13(2) align closely with 'structured proportionality', such that the factors are prerequisites for a conclusion that a limit is justified, rather than optional considerations. However, there are a number of possible exceptions to that general rule which give the word 'may' work to do. These include 'internal limitations' which modify the test of justification, and the need for flexibility in how public entities go about giving proper consideration to human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgound. This study describes patient characteristics and presentations to community-based primary care medical services in the after-hours period. Methods. A cross-sectional survey completed by practitioners was voluntarily conducted over one weeknight and weekend in 2019 at 31 of 51 extended hours general practices (GP), three of three medical deputising services and three of three nurse-led walk-in clinics (WICs). Results. Of 3371 community-based after-hours presentations, 934 consultation records were obtained (overall response: 28%). Emergency departments reported 524 triage code 4 and 5 patients within the study period. Problems managed in community-based after-hours services were most often rated as non-urgent (n = 482; 51.6%) and new (n = 606; 64.9%). The most common community-based after-hours presentations were diagnostic or disease related (e.g. infections or injury; n = 667; 59.5%). The most common body systems impacted were respiratory (n = 329; 29.6%), skin (n = 164; 16.4%) and general/unspecified (e.g. fever; n = 164; 16.4%). Community-based after-hours services reported different types of presentations, with medical deputising services reporting more urgent presentations, GPs reporting more procedural presentations and walk-in clinics reporting more skin-related issues (e.g. wound care). Conclusions. Community-based after-hours medical services contribute significantly to after-hours medical care in the ACT. Patients are self-selecting community-based after-hours medical services appropriately based on problems managed by practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across fifteen years to 2015-2016 the rate of public complaints against police in the Australian Capital Territory fell by an extraordinary 79%. This was a much larger and longer-term reduction in complaints than occurred anywhere else in Australia, and it is very unusual in the international policing literature. The paper attempts to examine the nature of this change in greater detail, and possible factors that may have influenced the change. Unlike some other studies, however, there was limited evidence of specific point-in-time innovations that may have affected the trend. Nonetheless, it is likely that a range of reforms in policing influenced the change, with possible lessons for other departments struggling with significant complaint problems. The main reforms included improved custody procedures, greater attention to ethics in recruitment and training, a complaints system focused on managing officer behaviour, enlarged external oversight, and more attention to de-escalation skills in use-of-force training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-breeding migration of an adult male little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) was followed from south-eastern Australia to the Northern Territory using a GPS satellite transmitter. The bird bred in open woodland habitat on the edge of the city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), before it flew more than 3300 km in 18 days, to winter in an area of eucalypt savannah in the Northern Territory. It remained there for 59 days, within a range of ~30 km2, after which the last signal was transmitted. The bird was subsequently resighted back in its ACT territory at the end of winter, thus completing a return migration. This is the first confirmation of post-breeding migration for the species. The little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) is listed as Vulnerable in the Australian Capital Territory, but the movements and ranges of birds breeding in the ACT are unknown. An adult male bird was tracked by GPS-satellite transmitter between the ACT and the Northern Territory. This paper gives the first confirmation that little eagles can migrate between southern and northern Australia and conservation of the species needs to be of nation-wide consideration. Photo by Stuart Rae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectrum of major and emerging mycotoxins in sesame and soybean grains from the six zones of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria was determined using Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 47 samples (24 sesame and 23 soybean were collected from farmers' stores. Seven regulated mycotoxins in sesame and five in soybean including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) were detected. However, concentrations were generally lower than regulatory limits set in the EU for raw grains with the exception of ochratoxin A (OTA) exhibiting a maximum concentration level of 23.1 µg kg-1 in one of the soybean samples. This is the first report concerning the contamination of sesame and soybean in Abuja, FCT-Nigeria with the emerging mycotoxins addressed by recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion papers totalling 10 in number. These include beauvericin (BEA), moniliformin (MON), sterigmatocystin (STE), altertoxin-I (ATX-I), alternariol (AOH), alternariol methylether (AME) though at relatively low µg kg-1 range. This preliminary data indicate that sesame and soybean might be relatively safe commodities in view of the profile of mycotoxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History matters. Yet, explanations about the contemporary dynamics around informal settlements in global South cities are often divorced from their historical antecedents. We argue that a retrospective approach is important in analyzing and understanding the current dynamics around informal settlements. Applying the historical institutionalism approach and the concepts of critical junctures and path dependency, this paper develops an institutionalist approach to exploring the messy and complex dynamics of urban informal settlements in Abuja, Nigeria. Using interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and participant observations, we identify four key critical junctures: the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ACT of 1976; the Land Use ACT of 1978, the 1979 master plan of Abuja, and the attempted demolition of Mpape in 2012 and the resulting 5-year court case that ended in 2017. These critical junctures have created path dependencies that explain the contemporary state of the urban informal settlements in Abuja, particularly in relation to land rights and tenure (in)security. This study shows how inconsistencies in the formulation of policies and their implementation in the planning of cities are a result of historically embedded problems. Insights into such historical legacies are the first step to a comprehensive understanding and future planning of urban informal settlements. • History matters. Contemporary cities are shaped by legacies of the past as well as current governance circumstances. • The use of critical junctures and path dependency frameworks provides meaningful insights into the informalisation processes of informal settlements. • Informal settlements in Abuja are the result of the path-dependent actions of the state and non-state actors. • Insights into historical legacies are important for sustainable future planning and regularisation of urban informal settlements. • Future studies on urban informal settlements need to account for the historical antecedents and path-dependencies in their governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To validate the Period ImPact and Pain Assessment (PIPPA) self-screening tool for menstrual disturbance in teenagers. Cross-sectional study. Three senior high schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. A total of 1066 girls between 15 and 19 years of age. A quantitative paper survey collected self-reports of menstrual bleeding patterns, typical and atypical symptoms, morbidities, and interference with daily activities. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to examine associations between PIPPA questions. Generalized linear models compared total score and subscores by validation criteria: pain, school absence, and body mass index (BMI). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the predictiveness of menstrual disturbance indicators by total PIPPA score. Reports of pain, interference, and concern within the PIPPA items and between both the MDOT and PIPPA questionnaires were significantly correlated (P <.0001). The indicator "missing school" was highly associated (P <.0001) with pain and interference. Obesity (BMI ≥30) was associated with higher PIPPA scores, as was underweight (BMI≤18.4). Where 0 = no disturbance, 5 = high disturbance, aggregated PIPPA scores found 75% scoring 0-2 (out of 5) and 25% scoring 3-5 (257/1037). High scores of 4 or 5 (out of 5) were 7% (72/1037) and 3.7% (38/1037), respectively. PIPPA is a valid screening tool for pain-related menstrual disturbance that affects functioning in young women. PIPPA subdomains of pain/interference have good validity relative to indicators of pain and interference and are responsive to age, BMI, and school absence differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]