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This paper presents the results of a study on pre-engineered steel and aluminum, nominally “pinned”, bolted-plate (BP), staggered dovetail (S-DT), and dovetail prototype (DTP) beam-hanger connection systems for glue-laminated timber joints under a combination of shear and reversed cyclic loading. A total of seven systems were tested to observe the evolution of damage, failure modes, and moment–rotation behaviour. The interstorey drift and deflection of a building that would cause failure of each system is inferred from the ultimate rotation capacities and compared to the limit(s) prescribed by Clause 4.1.8.13.3 of the National Building Code of Canada for various building categories. The BP systems generally reached an interstorey drift exceeding 2.5%, while the S-DT and DTP systems reached drifts of 0.6% and >1.2%, respectively. The BP systems also exhibited more ductile failure modes than the S-DT and DTP systems, involving withdrawal failure of the wood screws. Recommendations are made for appropriate connectors to use in each building category considered.

Summary Preventing vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is a healthcare priority. However, the cost-effectiveness of VRE control interventions is unclear. The aim of this study was to synthesize evidence on economic evaluation of VRE control practices such as screening, contact precautions, patient cohorting, and others. The literature was searched from January 1985 to June 2018, and included economic evaluations of VRE control practices in hospital settings, published in English. A total of 4711 articles were screened; nine primary studies met our criteria. All studies evaluated some form of VRE screening and contact precautions, in populations ranging from single hospital wards (or select patient groups) to multiple healthcare facilities. There was significant variability in the interventions and comparisons used. Most studies (N = 7) conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis; two studies were cost-consequence studies. All economic evaluations were from the hospital perspective. Four studies found implementing enhanced VRE-specific control practices to be cost-effective/cost-saving and two studies found that discontinuing VRE-specific control practices was not cost-effective. Three studies found decreasing VRE-specific control practices to be cost-effective/cost-saving. The quality of the included studies was generally low according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for economic evaluations; major limitations included risks of bias in intervention effect estimates, and a lack of sensitivity analyses. Most studies show that some form of VRE screening and use of Contact Precautions is cost-effective. The low study quality and heterogeneity of interventions and comparators precludes definitive conclusions about the cost effectiveness of specific VRE control interventions. Additional high-quality economic evaluations are needed to strengthen the available evidence.

Straw bale construction has a proven track record as a viable alternative for residential construction. Structural (load-bearing) straw bale panels typically consist of stacked straw bales and plaster skins. These systems exploit the structural capacity of the plaster/straw composite. The plaster is critical for providing structural strength and stiffness, as well as protection against pests, moisture, and fire. However, plastering bales is labour intensive and costly. A recent development has been dry bale wall (DBW) panels. These panels have a perimeter timber frame, recycled wood sheathing on both sides and straw bale infill. By eliminating the labour-intensive plastering of traditional straw-bale walls, DBW panels can be constructed rapidly and off-site in a sheltered environment, thus preventing exposure of the straw to moisture during construction. This paper describes the gravity and transverse load testing (based on ASTM E72 -15 [3] ) of DBW panels in-filled with wheat straw bales. To evaluate their strength capacity and failure modes is described. The out-of-plane flexural (OPF) tests exhibited a mean allowable bending moment of 1.80kNm with a factor of safety of 3. The axial compression (AC) tests exhibited a mean allowable line load of 22.8 kN/m with a factor of safety of 2.5. The local flexural header beam (HP) tests exhibited an allowable line load of 11.2 kN/m with a factor of safety of 3. The OPF and AC capacities of the DBW exceeded the Abbasi (2014)’s conventional structural insulated (STUD) wall. However, the DBW’s header beam strength and stiffness was inferior to Abbasi (2014)’s STUD wall.

This chapter presents evidence to inform evolving Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response planning by analysing how Australians were thinking, feeling and behaving in response to the so-called “first wave” of the COVID-19 epidemic and the associated public health measures. Australia has a federated political system featuring overlapping responsibilities between a federal government, eight state and territory governments and local governments. The political geography of Australia, as an island continent, has informed the shape of the responses. The questionnaire was administered online to members of the YouGov Australia panel of individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys of public opinion. Respondents were asked to report their level of worry about the COVID-19 situation in Australia. High numbers of respondents in both Surveys provided free text responses criticising the behaviour of other people, suggesting some sort of moral, character or behavioural flaw.

Leadership in public health is necessary, relevant, and important as it enables the engagement, management, and transformation of complex public health challenges at a national level, as well as collaborating with internal stakeholders to address global public health threats. The research literature recommends exploring the journey of public health leaders and the factors influencing leadership development, especially in developing countries. Thus, we aimed to develop a grounded theory on individual leadership development in the Nepalese context. For this, we adopted constructivist grounded theory, and conducted 46 intensive interviews with 22 public health officials working under the Ministry of Health, Nepal. Data were analysed by adopting the principles of Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory. The theory developed from this study illustrates four phases of leadership development within an individual–initiation, identification, development, and expansion. The ’initial phase’ is about an individual’s wishes to be a leader without a formal role or acknowledgement, where family environment, social environment and individual characteristics play a role in influencing the actualisation of leadership behaviours. The ’identification phase’ involves being identified as a public health official after having formal position in health-related organisations. The ’development’ phase is about developing core leadership capabilities mostly through exposure and experiences. The ’expansion’ phase describes expanding leadership capabilities and recognition mostly by continuous self-directed learning. The grounded theory provides insights into the meaning and actions of participants’ professional experiences and highlighted the role of individual characteristics, family and socio-cultural environment, and workplace settings in the development of leadership capabilities. It has implications for academia to fulfill the absence of leadership theory in public health and is significant to fulfill the need of leadership models grounded in the local context of Asian countries.

IntroductionA well-established body of literature demonstrates that health and equity are strongly influenced by the consequences of governments’ policy and resultant actions (or inactions) outside the health sector. Consequently, the United Nations, and its agency the WHO, have called for national leadership and whole-of-government action to understand and address the health impacts of policies inallsectors. This research responds to that call by investigating how policymaking in four sectors—urban planning, justice, energy and environment—may influence the social determinants of health and health equity (SDH/HE).Methods and analysisThe research design is informed by a critical qualitative approach. Three successive stages are included in the design. The first involves analysing all strategic policy documents and selected legislative documents from the four sectors (n=583). The document analysis is based on a coding framework developed to identify alignment between the documents and the SDH/HE. Two policies that demonstrate good practice in regard to SDH/HE will be selected from each sector during the second stage for embedded case study analysis (total n=8). This is intended to illuminate which factors have supported recognition and action on SDH/HE in the selected policies. The third stage involves progressive theoretical integration and development to understand political and institutional facilitators and barriers to action on SDH/HE, both within and between sectors.Ethics and disseminationThe research will provide much needed evidence about how coherent whole-of-government action on SDH/HE can be advanced and contribute knowledge about how health-enhancing policy activity in the four sectors may be optimised. Learnings from the research will be shared via a project advisory group, policy briefings, academic papers, conference presentations and research symposia. Ethics approval has been secured for the embedded case studies, which involve research participants.

Background This paper reports on a five-year study using a theory-based program logic evaluation, and supporting survey and interview data to examine the extent to which the activites of the South Australian Health in All Policies initiative can be linked to population health outcomes. Methods Mixed-methods data were collected between 2012 and 2016 in South Australia (144 semi-structured key informant interviews; two electronic surveys of public servants in 2013 (n = 435) and 2015 (n = 483); analysis of state government policy documents; and construction of a program logic model to shape assessment of the feasibility of attribution to population health outcomes). Results Multiple actions on social determinants of health in a range of state government sectors were reported and most could be linked through a program logic model to making some contribution to future population health outcomes. Context strongly influences implementation; not all initiatives will be successful and experimentation is vital. Successful initiatives included HiAP influencing the urban planning department to be more concerned with the health impacts of planning decisions, and encouraging the environment department to be concerned with the health impacts of its work. Conclusions The theory-based program logic suggests that SA HiAP facilitated improved population health through working with multiple government departments. Public servants came to appreciate how their sectors impact on health. Program logic is a mechanism to evaluate complex public health interventions in a way that takes account of political and economic contexts. SA HiAP was mainly successful in avoiding lifestyle drift in strategy. The initiative encouraged a range of state government departments to tackle conditions of daily living. The broader underpinning factors dictating the distribution of power, money and resources were not addressed by HiAP. This reflects HiAP’s use of a consensus model which was driven by (rather than drove) state priorities and sought ‘win-win’ strategies.

This paper reflects on experiences of Australian public health researchers and members of research policy advisory groups (PAGs) in working with PAGs. It considers their benefits and challenges for building researcher and policy actor collaboration and ensuring policy relevance of research. Four research projects conducted between 2015 and 2020 were selected for analysis. 68 PAG members from Australian federal, state and local governments, NGOs and academics participated in providing feedback. Thematic analysis of participant feedback and researchers’ critical reflections on the effectiveness and capacity of PAGs to support research translation was undertaken. PAGs benefit the research process and can facilitate knowledge translation. PAG membership changes, differing researcher and policy actor agendas, and researchers’ need to balance policy relevance and research independence are challenges when working with PAGs. Strategies to improve the function of health policy research PAGs are identified. The paper suggests a broader adapted approach for gaining the benefits and addressing the challenges of working with PAGs. It opens theoretical and practical discussion of PAGs’ role and how they can increase research translation into policy.

Background This paper examines the extent to which actors from sectors other than health engaged with the South Australian Health in All Policies (HiAP) initiative, determines why they were prepared to do so and explains the mechanisms by which successful engagement happened. This examination applies theories of policy development and implementation. Methods The paper draws on a five year study of the implementation of HiAP comprising document analysis, a log of key events, detailed interviews with 64 policy actors and two surveys of public servants. Results The findings are analysed within an institutional policy analysis framework and examine the extent to which ideas, institutional factors and actor agency influenced the willingness of actors from other sectors to work with Health sector staff under the HiAP initiative. In terms of ideas, there was wide acceptance of the role of social determinants in shaping health and the importance of action to promote health in all government agencies. The institutional environment was initially supportive, but support waned over the course of the study when the economy in South Australia became less buoyant and a health minister less supportive of health promotion took office. The existence of a HiAP Unit was very helpful for gaining support from other sectors. A new Public Health Act offered some promise of institutionalising the HiAP approach and ideas. The analysis concludes that a key factor was the operation of a supportive network of public servants who promoted HiAP, including some who were senior and influential. Conclusions The South Australian case study demonstrates that despite institutional constraints and shifting political support within the health sector, HiAP gained traction in other sectors. The key factors that encouraged the commitment of others sectors to HiAP were the existence of a supportive, knowledgeable policy network, political support, institutionalisation of the ideas and approach, and balancing of the economic and social goals of government.

Background In February 2009 Victorian rural communities were hit by the worst bushfires in Australian history. Immediately we evaluated community groups preparing residents for bushfires. Ten years on, we are one of the few teams to evaluate medium to long term community recovery using multiple methods. As climate change becomes more visible, the frequency and intensity of disasters will increase so communities, governments and service providers need more evidence based strategies and policies. We explore how participant led visual methods provide new knowledge. Methods In study 1 participants in 3 of 7 focus groups in peoples’ homes spontaneously brought photos for us to examine before the discussions. In another participants spoke of the importance of photos they took at the time. We returned to the field to interview people in their homes about the meaning and role of photos. Results Participants wanted to inform us-as outsiders-of the awe and enormity of the fires. They created a visual record to communicate with key interest groups and ward off complacity as memories receded. Photos helped them construct timelines and meanings of the intense fires. Crucially, they recorded recovery and rebuilding in both the built and natural environments. Over the next ten years we chronicled stories from community led visual methods of communication, recovery and empowerment. We incorporated into qualitative methods participant led tours of their environments, with visual methods. Visual data collected by communities focused more strongly on the natural environment than researcher led verbal methods. Conclusions Visual sociology changes as technology provides participants in research with increased access to, and control over, visual methods. These changes can rebalance power relations between qualitative researchers and participants and bridge visual and verbal methods; crafting striking stories to influence those Australian policies unresponsive to climate change. Key messages Technological change enables participants in qualitative research to initiate visual methods to build bridges between them and researchers. Community led visual methods provide new types of data useful for theory and knowledge translation.

The Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach aims to create coherent policy across government that will improve population health, wellbeing and equity while progressing the goals of other sectors. The quest to achieve policy coherence across government has focused interest on processes that facilitate collaboration between health and many other sectors. Health and education sectors have long been seen as natural partners with mutually beneficial goals. This article focuses on a case study of HiAP work, undertaken between health and education in South Australia to increase parental engagement in children’s literacy among lower socio-economic families. It draws on a document analysis of 71 documents, seven in-depth interviews with senior policy actors and a programme logic model. The project began with the intention of using policy levers to improve long-term health outcomes through addressing child literacy, a proven social determinant of health. Because of the context in which it was operating, the project extended from a focus on policy to working directly with four schools implementing strategies to facilitate parental engagement, with the intention of finally influencing system-wide education policy. We use an institutional framework to support our analysis through a discussion of ideas, actors and institutions and how these influenced the project. The article provides insight into the facilitators and impediments to intersectoral efforts to progress shared educational and health goals and achieve sustainable change, and identifies lessons for others intending to use this approach.

Trust has been consistently identified as an important enabling factor for joined-up government activity to generate strong, integrated and effective social policy. Despite this, there has been comparatively little detailed analysis of the complexities and dynamics involved. This paper provides a detailed examination of how trust is built, nurtured and, in some instances, lost during joined-up policy activity. It draws on interview and survey data that reveal the dynamics of relationships formed under the South Australian Health in All Policies initiative. The research extends the parameters of organisational analyses of trust. Previous typologies are mostly descriptive, with limited explanatory power, typically focusing on individuals and institutions separately rather than integrating these foci to consider how trust operates within whole systems. By integrating Giddens’ theoretical perspectives on trust with existing typologies, the paper generates understanding about how trust operates as a resource within non-traditional joined-up government working relationships, serving to bridge the gap between the known and unknown, and acting as a productive resource to stimulate action within government systems that are perceived to feature high levels of risk. A model is provided to explain the interrelated dynamics of trust building, maintenance, monitoring and repair.

Intersectoral action between public agencies across policy sectors, and between levels of government, is seen as essential for effective action by governments to address social determinants of health (SDH) and to reduce health inequities. The health sector has been identified as having a crucial stewardship role, to engage other policy sectors in action to address the impacts of their policies on health. This article reports on research to investigate intersectoral action on SDH and health inequities in Australian health policy. We gathered and individually analysed 266 policy documents, being all of the published, strategic health policies of the national Australian government and eight State/Territory governments, current at the time of sampling in late 2012-early 2013. Our analysis showed that strategies for intersectoral action were common in Australian health policy, but predominantly concerned with extending access to individualized medical or behavioural interventions to client groups in other policy sectors. Where intersectoral strategies did propose action on SDH (other than access to health-care), they were mostly limited to addressing proximal factors, rather than policy settings affecting the distribution of socioeconomic resources. There was little evidence of engagement between the health sector and those policy sectors most able to influence systemic socioeconomic inequalities in Australia. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This paper reports on the systematic search and review of the literature relating to the health and wellbeing of young children across the transition to school. It identified 56 papers (including empirical studies, reviews, commentaries, and reports) relevant to the research questions and completed an interpretive systematic review to ascertain the current state of the literature. The review employed the Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) method to allow for a rigorous and systematic review of a disparate literature which stretches across several disciplines. The findings are presented in seven thematic categories: current conceptualisations of health and wellbeing, assessment and measurement, ‘school readiness’, service integration, transition actors, ‘at risk’ children, and child voice. These findings illustrate the ways in which concepts have been constructed, identified, and operationalised in early years research, practice, and policy. Moreover, it highlights that ‘what is known’ can be used to inform the review or implementation of services, practices, and partnerships that support child health and wellbeing during the transition to school.

In the 14 years from 2004 to 2018, the state of South Australia underwent a sustainability transition that saw its privately owned and operated electricity system change from 100% fossil fuel generation to a position where 50% was generated by wind and solar. However, this transition has not been without controversy. Most notably, in 2016 and again in 2017, the state was hit with major blackouts that many powerful individuals and organisations blamed on the renewables transition. The result of these blackouts and the substantial political fallout from them was the formulation and release of a new energy policy in 2017. Via a series of interviews with actors directly involved with the formulation of this new policy and an analysis of other sources attached to the state’s renewables transition, this article reflects upon the elements and motivations that made and continue to make the renewables transition in South Australia successful. In particular, the research shows that when renewables establish a critical mass of generation, they produce a path dependent trajectory that is difficult to alter. In conclusion, the experience of South Australia demonstrates a means by which renewables transitions can be expedited by public policy initiatives in a privatised market system.

Background: Job description of public health officials in Nepal has been prepared for assigning the definite role, responsibilities and authorities to exercise in different positions and circumstances. The purpose of this study was to analyse the job description of public health officials emphasizing the perspective of leadership and management.Methods: Document analysis method was used following the sequential process of skimming, reading and interpretation, and the themes were extracted by content analysis.Results: Job description of public health officials is mostly process and/or function oriented. Most of the officials are responsible for managing program and people rather than leading. Staff inspiration, motivation and encouragement, being one of the most important aspects of leadership, has been ignored in job description. District level officials are specifically assigned to manage programs and staff. As the position increases, the extent of practicing leadership increases and management decreases. Public health administrators have more leadership role as compared to public health officers; however, the proportion of management outweighs the leadership. Regional Directors have more leadership roles than other officials do. Conclusions: Role of public health officials vary from being a manager to a leader. Junior officials are predominantly the managers, mid-level officials are leadership-oriented managers, and top-level officials are leaders having managerial roles . In revising the job description (e.g., for the federal context), emphasis should be given to remove job duplication and role conflict, and should ensure role clarity, functions’ precision and output. Keywords: Document analysis; job description; leadership; Nepal; public health.

The compressed earth block (CEB) is a form of masonry unit comprised of mechanically compacted earth with a natural clay binder. CEBs typically experience a 50% reduction in compressive strength when saturated. As a result, CEBs are typically stabilised with Portland cement, hydrated lime, or metakaolin. More recently, a commercial silane/siloxane water-repellent admixture with the tradename Plasticure, specifically designed for earth construction, has become available. This paper is an experimental investigation of the influence of Plasticure on the dry and wet strengths of CEBs stabilised with Portland cement, hydrated lime, and metakaolin. Prisms were tested wet and dry with three repetitions each. In total, 106 specimens were tested. The wet specimens were soaked in water for 24 h before compressive testing. Typical CEBs without Plasticure absorbed water equal to 7 to 9% of their original weight. This resulted in reductions of compressive strengths from the dry condition by 40 to 50%. For CEBs...

There is increasing recognition of the importance of shared responsibility between community and government in supporting community preparedness in disaster risk reduction programs. However, there is limited evidence to support decision making about how best to allocate resources. This paper presents an economic analysis of the Community Fireguard Program coordinated by the Country Fire Authority in Victoria, Australia. The economic analysis evaluates the costs and benefits of the Community Fireguard program (estimated in 2012 Australian dollars) to determine the efficiency of the program in terms of its outcomes of loss of life and property loss in the event of a bushfire. We take a societal perspective, including all costs and benefits regardless of who bears the costs, who receives the benefits or who provides the resources. The analysis uses data from a previous review of the program and estimates of costs and benefits over ten years, assuming each region faces a 10-year risk of major bushfire and the CFG group learnings would last ten years. Totalled over ten years, the cost per Fireguard Group for the program is $10,884, with a range of $2697-$19,071, and in the event of a major bushfire the predicted savings from reduced property loss is $732,747 and from reduced fatality $1.4 million. Even if the risk of major bushfire event in a region were one in 100 years, the estimated cost savings in a 100-year period is $217,116 per group. The value of the psychosocial impacts was not calculated, as quantitative data are currently not available.

This paper presents a case study of Beyond Bushfires, a large, multisite, mixed method study of the psychosocial impacts of major bushfires in Victoria, Australia. A participatory approach was employed throughout the study which was led by a team of academic investigators in partnership with service providers and government representatives and used on-site visits and multiple methods of communication with communities across the state to inform decision-making throughout the study. The ethics and impacts of conducting and adapting the approach within a post-disaster context will be discussed in reference to theories and models of participatory health research. The challenges of balancing local interests with state-wide implications will also be explored in the description of the methods of engagement and the study processes and outcomes. Beyond Bushfires demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating participatory methods in large, post-disaster research studies and achieving rigorous findings and multilevel impacts, while recognising the potential for some of the empowering aspects of the participatory experience to be reduced by the scaled-up approach.

Background: Disasters have a significant impact on mental health that may be mitigated by promoting resilience. This study explores the lay perspective on public health interventions that have the potential to facilitate resilience of adults who experience a natural disaster. Conclusions: Disaster recovery interventions designed within an ecological model can promote a comprehensive integrated systems approach to support resilience in affected populations. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted 6 months post-disaster between June 2011 and January 2012 with 19 people who experienced the 2010/11 Victorian floods. Twenty lay witness statements from people who presented to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission were also selected for analysis. Transcripts were analysed using an interpretive and comparative content analysis to develop an understanding of disaster resilience interventions in an ecological framework. Results: The participants identified resilience focused interventions such as information that help individuals manage emotions and make effective decisions and plans, or enable access to resources; face-to-face communication strategies such as public events that restore or create new social connections; rebuilding of community capacity through coordination of volunteers and donations and policies that manage disaster risk. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This article describes some of the crucial theoretical, methodological and practical issues that need to be considered when evaluating Health in All Policies (HiAP) initiatives. The approaches that have been applied to evaluate HiAP in South Australia are drawn upon as case studies, and early findings from this evaluative research are provided. The South Australian evaluation of HiAP is based on a close partnership between researchers and public servants. The article describes the South Australian HiAP research partnership and considers its benefits and drawbacks in terms of the impact on the scope of the research, the types of evidence that can be collected and the implications for knowledge transfer. This partnership evolved from the conduct of process evaluations and is continuing to develop through joint collaboration on an Australian National Health & Medical Research Council grant. The South Australian research is not seeking to establish causality through statistical tests of correlations, but instead by creating a 'burden of evidence' which supports logically coherent chains of relations. These chains emerge through contrasting and comparing findings from many relevant and extant forms of evidence. As such, program logic is being used to attribute policy change to eventual health outcomes. The article presents the preliminary program logic model and describes the early work of applying the program logic approach to HiAP. The article concludes with an assessment of factors that have accounted for HiAP being sustained in South Australia from 2008 to 2013.

Objective: We aimed to map the prevalence and predictors of psychological outcomes in affected communities 3–4 years after the Black Saturday bushfires in the state of Victoria, Australia. Methods: Baseline assessment of a longitudinal cohort study in high-, medium-, and low-affected communities in Victoria. Participants included 1017 residents of high-, medium-, and low-affected fire communities. Participants were surveyed by means of a telephone and web-based interview between December 2011 and January 2013. The survey included measures of fire-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general PTSD from other traumatic events, major depressive episode, alcohol use, and general psychological distress. Results: The majority of respondents in the high- (77.3%), medium- (81.3%), and low-affected (84.9%) communities reported no psychological distress on the K6 screening scale. More participants in the high-affected communities (15.6%) reported probable PTSD linked to the bushfires than medium- (7.2%) and low-affected (1.0%) communities (odds ratio (OR): 4.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.61–8.00, p = 0.000). Similar patterns were observed for depression (12.9%, 8.8%, 6.3%, respectively) (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.17–2.85, p = 0.008) and severe psychological distress (9.8%, 5.0%, 4.9%, respectively) (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.23–3.55, p = 0.007). All communities reported elevated rates of heavy drinking (24.7%, 18.7%, 19.6%, respectively); however, these were higher in the high-affected communities (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.01–1.89, p = 0.04). Severe psychological distress was predicted by fear for one’s life in the bushfires, death of someone close to them in the bushfires, and subsequent stressors. One-third of those with severe psychological distress did not receive mental health assistance in the previous month. Conclusions: Several years following the Black Saturday bushfires the majority of affected people demonstrated resilience without indications of psychological distress. A significant minority of people in the high-affected communities reported persistent PTSD, depression, and psychological distress, indicating the need for promotion of the use of health and complementary services, community-based initiatives, and family and other informal supports, to target these persistent problems.

The Victorian Country Fire Authority in Australia runs the Community Fireguard (CFG) programme to assist individuals and communities in preparing for fire. The objective of this qualitative research was to understand the impact of CFG groups on their members' fire preparedness and response during the 2009 Australian bushfires. Social connectedness emerged as a strong theme, leading to an analysis of data using social capital theory. The main strength of the CFG programme was that it was driven by innovative community members; however, concerns arose regarding the extent to which the programme covered all vulnerable areas, which led the research team to explore the theory of diffusion of innovation. The article concludes by stepping back from the evaluation and using both applied theories to reflect on broad options for community fire preparedness programmes in general. The exercise produced two contrasting options for principles underlying community fire preparedness programmes.

This paper discusses findings from Australian research that used a qualitative and participatory methods approach to understand how children develop and negotiate their everyday mobility. Children's mobility negotiations are discussed in reference to interactions with parents, peers and places; journeys in relation to their multi-modality, compositionality and temporality; and mobility formations in terms of ‘companionship’ – travel companions, companion devices and ambient companions. Children's mobility is characterised by interdependencies that both enable and configure this mobility. Three themes – compositions, collaborations and compromises – are used to detail and describe some of the ways these interdependencies take shape and unfold.

Hempcrete is a bio-composite mix made up of hemp shives, lime, cement and water. Extensive research has shown that it has good thermal and acoustic insulation properties, and can passively regulate humidity in a built environment. However it has low compressive strength and modulus of elasticity and so cannot be used as a direct load bearing material. It is often used as an infill material in timber stud walls. The objective of this study was to determine if the hempcrete infill has sufficient strength and stiffness to act as lateral bracing and prevent weak-axis buckling of the timber studs.Seven timber walls were constructed (both half scale – 1200 mm high; and full scale - up to 2133 mm high) with varying column dimensions. Five of the walls were infilled with hempcrete of two different densities (313 kg/m3 and 715 kg/m3). Two walls were not infilled and were baseline tests. All walls were tested in compression. It was found that high density hempcrete (715 kg/m3) not only prevents weak-axis buckling o...

There has been a tendency for researchers and practitioners to overlook the needs and experiences of children and young people in relation to disasters. In this paper, we report on our exploration of the question of whether to involve children and young people in post-bushfire research, and if so how? In considering children's rights in this context we were guided by a number of conceptions of the child (reflecting research debates within the Sociology of Childhood): The citizen child; the child at risk; and the developing child. We engaged in formal, progressive consultations with experts internationally and with bushfire affected community partners. This study determined that research with children post-bushfires was an important, ethical and appropriate activity, provided the methodology was sensitive and allowed children to provide informed consent and to have a sense of control over the issues being discussed. We conclude that carefully considering a rights approach materially changed the final methodology that includes the perspectives of children and young people in research about recovery from traumatic disasters, while still respecting their right to be safe and supported.

Straw bale construction is a nonconventional technique that involves stacking common straw bales and then applying layers of plaster to form load-bearing walls. The straw bales provide insulation, whereas the plaster protects the bales from moisture and provides strength and stiffness for the wall. This technique has experienced a revival because of its environmental benefits. Because there are few codes and standards for this construction technique, engineers are often required to check and approve designs using straw bale construction before building permits will be issued. An understanding of the behavior of straw bale construction is needed for engineers to approach this system with confidence. A model for predicting the response of plastered straw bale walls subjected to concentric and eccentric compressive loading was proposed in this paper. The model was verified using experimental tests of wall panels loaded until failure. The eccentrically loaded specimens were found to have load-deflecti...

Health research is increasingly concerned with tackling health inequalities and inequities. Given that poorer health outcomes are often experienced by those who are suffering a degree of socially, economically, or environmentally determined disadvantage, it is incumbent on us as researchers to include the views and voices of diverse and sometimes marginalized or vulnerable population groups. Challenges which may accompany this imperative include engaging so-called hard-to-reach populations, and addressing an imbalance of power that often occurs between researcher and participant. Participant-guided mobile met are one strategy for rebalancing this power differential when undertaking qualitative research. In this chapter, we describe the method and several case study examples where the authors have used it. We also discuss the types of research questions for which it is particularly well-suited along with its benefits and its challenges. When compared with a more traditional face-to-face interview, participant-guided mobile methods allow participants more power and control over the interview process. In addition, the method can yield observational and visual data as well as interview data, and is useful for including children and other participants who may be less articulate or lack proficiency in the language of the interviewer as it provides opportunities to "show" as well as "tell. "

There is a need for critically informed studies that include children's perspectives on the role of children in disaster contexts, given the increased incidence of disasters resulting from the global forces of climate change. Three case studies are presented from two different disaster contexts in Australia and New Zealand, where the notion of child empowerment fits within the broader political culture of liberal democracy. Each of these case studies promotes children's right to participate, consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). In attempting to provide opportunities for children to articulate their perspective on disaster, this study recognizes the manner in which the increased prevalence and scale of disasters may further complicate and distort possibilities for the actualization of children's participation rights. In doing so the authors recommend a theory-informed approach, including recognizing the complementarity of competing theories of childhood, and advocate for children's capacity and right to participate in decision-making which affects their lives. This article promotes these concepts while still recognizing their right to safety. It also demonstrates how the use of distancing and framing provides a safe space for child involvement within disaster-related research, and provides examples of appropriate methodologies to engage children and provide opportunities for meaningful contributions. Finally, implementation partnerships are discussed as a means of embedding the research within existing supported environments.

Although disasters are a major cause of mental health problems and typically affect large numbers of people and communities, little is known about how social structures affect mental health after a disaster. The authors assessed the extent to which mental health outcomes after disaster are associated with social network structures.In a community-based cohort study of survivors of a major bushfire disaster, participants (N=558) were assessed for probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and probable depression. Social networks were assessed by asking participants to nominate people with whom they felt personally close. These nominations were used to construct a social network map that showed each participant's ties to other participants they nominated and also to other participants who nominated them. This map was then analyzed for prevailing patterns of mental health outcomes.Depression risk was higher for participants who reported fewer social connections, were connected to other depressed people, or were connected to people who had left their community. PTSD risk was higher if fewer people reported being connected with the participant, if those who felt close to the participant had higher levels of property loss, or if the participant was linked to others who were themselves not interconnected. Interestingly, being connected to other people who in turn were reciprocally close to each other was associated with a lower risk of PTSD.These findings provide the first evidence of disorder-specific patterns in relation to one's social connections after disaster. Depression appears to co-occur in linked individuals, whereas PTSD risk is increased with social fragmentation. These patterns underscore the need to adopt a sociocentric perspective of postdisaster mental health in order to better understand the potential for societal interventions in the wake of disaster.

Community-based disasters are collectively experienced events that overwhelm local capacity, resulting in the destruction of public, private, and environmental assets, human suffering, and disruption of systems. 1 Affected communities typically face a long period of restoration and recovery. It is often necessary for people to find temporary or permanent alternative accommodation, either within the disaster-affected community or in a different location. 2 This paper explores the impact of post-disaster relocation through a case study of bushfires that occurred in February 2009 in Victoria, Australia. It focuses on decision-making in relation to moving out of a disasteraffected community and the impact of that decision on personal wellbeing. Personal wellbeing is conceptualized in this case study as a combination of life satisfaction (current and anticipated), personal resilience, and subjective overall health rating. The psychological sense of community and its relationship to relocation decisions and experiences will also be explored.

The search for more sustainable construction methods has renewed interest in straw-bale construction. Rectangular straw bales stacked in a running bond and plastered on the interior and exterior faces have been shown to have adequate strength to resist typical loads found in one- and two-storey structures. The straw bales provide excellent insulation, while possessing low embodied energy compared to conventional insulation materials. The structural behaviour of a load-bearing plastered straw-bale wall subject to uniform compressive loading has been the focus of a number of studies reported in the literature. However, in a typical building wall, there will be numerous locations (such as around window and door openings) where the load paths produce areas of concentrated stress. The behaviour in these regions cannot necessarily be predicted using tests from uniformly loaded wall assemblies. This paper describes experiments on plastered single bale assemblies subjected to three-point bending. These a...

This paper presents the fatigue behavior of an integrated crosstie system for an Advanced Rapid Transit (ART). The crosstie system consists of steel base plates welded to a hollow structural section, and a concrete guideway slab. The steel-wheeled ART is operated by linear induction motors (LIM) and provides a unique load configuration to the crosstie system, including electromagnetic force and gravity load. To absorb dynamic effects from the ART, elastomeric pads are placed under the base plates. A three-dimensional finite element analysis is conducted to examine the fatigue performance of the crosstie, on the basis of cumulative damage theory. The study focuses on stress progression, displacements, and stress concentrations in the crosstie system subjected to fatigue load of up to three million cycles. The effect of pad deterioration on the fatigue behavior of the crosstie is evaluated. Design recommendations to improve the sustainability of the crosstie system are discussed.

This article contributes to the study of children and the internet by reporting on findings from an ethnographic study of children's online use, experience and regulation in Melbourne, Australia. As part of a social inclusion study of technology use, we worked with children and their families in the contexts of everyday and home internet use. This article begins by identifying age-related gaps in the literature on children's online risks, and then moves on to a discussion of the research findings relating to children's online mediation, conduct and competence. By developing a concept of digital wellbeing the article argues that rather than focus only on risk protection measures, it is important to equip children with the knowledge and skills to be active, ethical and critical participants online.

Global awareness of environmental issues such as climate change and resource depletion has grown dramatically in recent years. As a result, there has been a surge of interest in developing alternative building techniques and materials which are capable of meeting our structural needs with lower energy and material consumption. These technologies are particularly attractive for housing. Much of the global demand for housing is currently being driven by economic growth in developing countries. Additionally, natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have destroyed houses in many countries where limited economic wealth makes reconstruction a challenge. This has resulted in shortages of permanent housing in these areas. This paper explores the structural behaviour of earthbag housing under vertical compressive loading, in an attempt to broaden our quantitative understanding of this alternative building technique. This technique is assessed, along with other alternative construction techniques, for suitability in southern Sri Lanka, an area heavily damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The deterioration attributable to corrosion of concrete structures reinforced with unbonded, posttensioned tendons is a costly problem. Recent research has shown composite materials such as fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) to be suitable alternatives to steel because they provide similar strength without susceptibility to electrochemical corrosion. Carbon-FRP (CFRP) in particular has great promise for prestressed applications because it shows resistance to corrosion in environments that might be encountered in concrete and experiences less relaxation than steel. This paper outlines the testing and implementation of a posttensioned system that uses CFRP tendons to replace corroded, unbonded posttensioned steel tendons. This system was then implemented in a parking garage in downtown Toronto. To the writers’ knowledge, this is the first example of an unbonded, posttensioned tendon replacement using FRP tendons. The system used split-wedge anchors designed specifically for CFRP tendons. The dead end was ancho...

To date, much of the research on green roof technology has focused on the capacity for these systems to contribute to the cooling of buildings during summer months. The thermal performance of green roofs in cold climate conditions is critical to understanding the potential of these roofs to decrease energy use in buildings during winter. This paper compares the behavior of two green roof systems with that of a conventional built-up roof by making use of a novel hot box testing apparatus. The green roofs tested are classified as extensive systems. Each system included: a 3 mm thick styrene butadiene rubber waterproofing membrane, 0.2 mm thick polyethylene slip sheet, a 76 mm thick extruded polystyrene insulation layer, 2 mm thick filter fabric, a 51 mm drainage layer followed by a 2 mm thick filter cloth, either 100 mm or 150 mm growing medium, and a 25 mm thick wild flower vegetated mat. The conventional roof consisted of a 2 mm thick layer of Kraft™ vapour retarder bonded with insulation adhesiv...

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the flexural behaviour of masonry walls that have been reinforced using near-surface mounted (NSM) or externally bonded (EB) reinforcement, under out-of-plane loading. The study simulates retrofitting applications and also proposes the NSM technique for new wall construction, using pre-grooved blocks, in lieu of the conventional method of internal reinforcing and grouting. To accommodate the NSM reinforcement, the grooves in the masonry blocks were aligned with ducts used to anchor the NSM reinforcement in the concrete footing. Seven wall specimens were tested, including walls reinforced with conventional and stainless steel bars, glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP), and carbon FRP (CFRP) reinforcement. The study demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the NSM technique for new construction. Walls with NSM reinforcement showed a superior performance to those with EB reinforcement. It was shown that increasing the FRP reinforcement ratio may result in a change of failure mode, and as such, the increase in strength may not be proportional to the increase in reinforcement ratio. NSM steel reinforced walls showed a superior performance in terms of strength, stiffness and the ductility associated with the formation of a plastic hinge at the base.

Despite prolonged droughts over the last decade across rural South Australia the majority of farmers continue to farm. This research asks the questions, 'what helps them to 'get by'?', and 'does this mean that they are resilient?'. In this study, resilience implies a strengths-based approach to mental health and well-being whilst other drought response programs focus on identifying and responding to problems or deficits. In using resilience to understand mental health and wellbeing in farm families, we move beyond the perceptions that resilience is a series of traits or characteristics, which protect an individual from the impact of adversity. Instead, we view resilience as a systemic process embedded in the wider social contexts that enables individuals to make judgements and decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.

This study investigates the strengthening of intact steel–concrete composite girders and the repair of notched steel beams, using carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials with Young's modulus varying from 150 to 400 GPa. Three large-scale (6100 mm long) steel–concrete girders scaled down (4:1) with accurate proportional dimensions from a bridge, were tested. Also, 15 small-scale (1000 mm long) W-sections with various levels and configurations of loss in the tension flange, induced by notching, were tested. Flexural strength and stiffness of the composite girders were increased by 51% and 19%, respectively. The outer CFRP short layer debonded prematurely, followed by concrete crushing. No debonding occurred between the inner CFRP layer and steel. Complete cutting of tension flanges in W-sections reduced their ultimate capacity and stiffness by 62% and 45%, respectively, whereas 50% loss of the flanges resulted in insignificant reductions. In the former, the CFRP repair resulted in strength recoveries, up to 79%. In the latter, insignificant gains were observed. A model was developed for CFRP-strengthened composite girders, verified, and used in a parametric study. It showed that the higher the CFRP modulus, the higher the gain in stiffness, but the lower the gain in flexural strength, due to the inherent reduction of tensile strength of CFRPs with higher modulus.

The concepts of “green building” and “sustainable construction” have received tremendous interest in North America in the past decade, as shown by the growth in the numbers of L.E.E.D.™ ce...

Light rail systems are an important transportation mode in urban centers. An advanced rail transit system has been developed that utilizes linear induction motors (LIM) for propulsion and braking of the vehicles. Due to the tight motor-to-rail air gap tolerances required for the efficient operation of the LIM system, the trackwork requires special consideration. An innovative crosstie trackwork system has been developed to address competing requirements for high stiffness to ensure efficient operation of the LIM, and low track stiffness for acceptable ride quality. The crosstie incorporates a hollow structural steel section welded at each end to formed steel base plates which are supported by elastomeric pads. The crosstie supports steel running rails. This paper describes a finite-element model developed to predict the response of a crosstie to loads that simulate the passage of a steel wheeled transit vehicle. The model uses tetrahedral elements for the hollow structural steel section and the base plates. The elastomeric pads are modeled using elastic foundation elements. The model predicts stresses and deflections in the crosstie. An experimental program that was carried out on the crosstie to investigate its fatigue performance and to obtain data to verify the finite-element model is also described. The model conservatively predicts crosstie deflections and stresses. The hot spot stress approach is used to provide a conservative fatigue life prediction of the crosstie.

Evidence on social determinants of health and health equity (SDH/HE) is abundant but often not translated into effective policy action by governments. Governments’ health policies have continued to privilege medical care and individualised behaviour-change strategies. In the light of these limitations, the 2008 Commission on the Social Determinants of Health called on health agencies to adopt a stewardship role; to take action themselves and engage other government sectors in addressing SDH/HE. This article reports on research using analysis of health policy documents – published by nine Australian national or regional governments – to examine the extent to which the Australian health sector has taken up such a role.We found policies across all jurisdictions commonly recognised evidence on SDH/HE and expressed goals to improve health equity. However, these goals were predominantly operationalised in health care and other individualised strategies. Relatively few strategies addressed SDH/HE outside of access to health care, and often they were limited in scope. National policies on Aboriginal health did most to systemically address SDH/HE.We used Kingdon's (2011) multiple streams theory to examine how problems, policies and politics combine to enable, partially allow, or prevent action on SDH/HE in Australian health policy.

Reducing health inequalities by focusing health promotion efforts on specific areas rather than individuals is based on the premise that changing something about a place may improve health outcomes for people living in that place. This paper examines the evidence base regarding the efficacy of area-based interventions by reviewing evaluations of interventions aimed at reducing inequities between groups and which are based on changing a specific place. Only 24 papers met our review criteria. The overall success of area-based interventions was difficult to gauge due to the use of multiple strategies, inadequate evaluation reports, variation in the size or type of area, insufficient funding for implementation, policy changes over the course of the program and lack of long-term evaluations. However, the value of changing a place, area or location in some way was demonstrated in several studies which were adequately funded and evaluated. Thus, there is some evidence that area-based interventions reduce inequit...

Unbonded seven-wire prestressing strands provide the primary reinforcement in post-tensioned concrete slabs. Strand corrosion can result in broken wires, which require expensive inspections and strand replacements. During these inspections, strands that are suspected of being corroded are exposed and inspected visually and a screwdriver penetration test is performed. Penetration of the screwdriver between any two adjacent wires is an indication that one of the wires may be broken or that the strand is unstressed or de-stressed. In this study, penetration tests were conducted on corroded strands with broken wires. The purpose of the study was twofold: to determine the distance from an inspection location where a wire break may be detected using penetration tests and to determine how corrosion products between the wires of a strand affect the accuracy of the penetration tests. During testing, corroded strands were stressed to typical service-load levels and the load and boundary conditions of an unbonded, post-tensioned concrete slab were simulated. Two outer wires were cut in succession, and penetration tests were performed along the strand. It was observed that penetration can be achieved between a broken and an unbroken wire within a region where the strain in the broken wire is less than about 200*e.

Background: Conflicting recommendations exist related to which facial protection should be used by health care workers to prevent transmission of acute respiratory infections, including pandemic influenza. We performed a systematic review of both clinical and surrogate exposure data comparing N95 respirators and surgical masks for the prevention of transmissible acute respiratory infections. Methods: We searched various electronic databases and the grey literature for relevant studies published from January 1990 to December 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies and case–control studies that included data on health care workers wearing N95 respirators and surgical masks to prevent acute respiratory infections were included in the meta-analysis. Surrogate exposure studies comparing N95 respirators and surgical masks using manikins or adult volunteers under simulated conditions were summarized separately. Outcomes from clinical studies were laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection, influenza-like illness and workplace absenteeism. Outcomes from surrogate exposure studies were filter penetration, face-seal leakage and total inward leakage. Results: We identified 6 clinical studies (3 RCTs, 1 cohort study and 2 case–control studies) and 23 surrogate exposure studies. In the meta-analysis of the clinical studies, we found no significant difference between N95 respirators and surgical masks in associated risk of (a) laboratory-confirmed respiratory infection (RCTs: odds ratio [OR] 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64–1.24; cohort study: OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.03–6.41; case–control studies: OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.25–3.36); (b) influenza-like illness (RCTs: OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.19–1.41); or (c) reported workplace absenteeism (RCT: OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.57–1.50). In the surrogate exposure studies, N95 respirators were associated with less filter penetration, less face-seal leakage and less total inward leakage under laboratory experimental conditions, compared with surgical masks. Interpretation: Although N95 respirators appeared to have a protective advantage over surgical masks in laboratory settings, our meta-analysis showed that there were insufficient data to determine definitively whether N95 respirators are superior to surgical masks in protecting health care workers against transmissible acute respiratory infections in clinical settings.

BACKGROUNDPrior data suggest that vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) bacteremia is associated with worse outcomes than vancomycin-sensitive Enterococcus (VSE) bacteremia. However, many studies evaluating such outcomes were conducted prior to the availability of effective VRE therapies.OBJECTIVETo systematically review VRE and VSE bacteremia outcomes among hospital patients in the era of effective VRE therapy.METHODSElectronic databases and grey literature published between January 1997 and December 2014 were searched to identify all primary research studies comparing outcomes of VRE and VSE bacteremias among hospital patients, following the availability of effective VRE therapies. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality, while total hospital length of stay (LOS) was a secondary outcome. All meta-analyses were conducted in Review Manager 5.3 using random-effects, inverse variance modeling.RESULTSAmong all the studies reviewed, 12 cohort studies and 1 case control study met inclusion criteria. Similar study designs were combined in meta-analyses for mortality and LOS. VRE bacteremia was associated with increased mortality compared with VSE bacteremia among cohort studies (odds ratio [OR], 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38–2.35; I2=0%; n=11); the case-control study estimate was similar, but not significant (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 0.97–3.82). LOS was greater for VRE bacteremia patients than for VSE bacteremia patients (mean difference, 5.01 days; 95% CI, 0.58–9.44]; I2=0%; n=5).CONCLUSIONSDespite the availability of effective VRE therapy, VRE bacteremia remains associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality and LOS when compared to VSE bacteremia.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;37(1):26–35

The traditional Euler’s buckling theory of slender columns indicates that column capacity depends on flexural rigidity (EI), rather than material strength. As such, the availability of ultrahigh modulus carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates, which could be much stiffer than steel, can offer a unique alternative for strengthening slender steel columns, in lieu of welding or bolting steel plates. In this study, twelve 2.6 m long S75×8 steel columns of 197 slenderness ratio that represents the upper limit permitted by code were tested under concentric axial loading using pin-ended conditions. The columns were allowed to buckle around their weak axes. CFRP plates were adhesively bonded to the flanges of the steel I-shape sections in nine of the columns. The main parameters studied were the level of initial out-of-straightness [length(L)/8,387 to L/1,020], CFRP modulus (168–430 GPa), CFRP reinforcement ratio (13–34%) and the length of CFRP plate (33–95% of L). The gain in axial strength due to ...