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Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic declared in early 2020 led to the closure of Australia's international borders and the stranding of thousands of Australians overseas. We surveyed "stranded" Australians pre- and post-repatriation to evaluate their stress-coping responses at the time and the longer-term impacts of their experience. Method: Stranded Australians (n = 587; 18–70 years of age; M = 40.15, SD = 11.90) completed a survey measuring COVID-19 impact, stressor appraisal and coping strategy, and psychological adjustment, and 203 of them completed a follow-up survey of psychological adjustment and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms post-repatriation. Results: Path analysis showed that "primary" appraisals of the repatriation situation (i.e. as a threat or challenge) were positively associated with negative affect, use of avoidant coping, and poorer psychological adjustment. Although the follow-up survey revealed improvements in psychological adjustment, initial use of avoidant coping was associated with higher levels of PTSD post-repatriation. Conclusion: Primary appraisals and avoidant coping were associated with poorer psychological adjustment and longer-term PTSD symptomatology. The results highlight the need for ongoing mental health support for repatriated Australians and call for higher prioritisation of practical and mental health support in the event of future border closures. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: Australians were stranded overseas in large numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a combination of border closures, restrictions on travel, and limited availability of repatriation flights. "Stranded" Australians received limited practical, informational, and health-related support from the Australian Government while awaiting repatriation. Little is known about the stressors faced by stranded Australians, the psychological impact of these stressors, the coping strategies they employed at the time, and the longer-term relevance of these strategies for their psychological functioning upon returning to Australia. What this topic adds: Results showed that over a third of stranded Australians reported "severe" to "extreme" levels of psychological adjustment problems both pre and post repatriation. Worse outcomes were seen in stranded Australians who appraised their repatriation situation as a threat or challenge and who engaged in avoidant coping in response. The results highlight the need for ongoing mental health support for repatriated Australians and call for higher prioritisation of practical and mental health support in the event of future border closures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During this demonstration project, an overhead portion of a four-wire power distribution circuit was converted to a five-wire system. The fifth wire is an isolated neutral that carries all of the unbalanced return current. The measurements suggested that a ground relay could be set much lower on a five-wire system than a comparable four-wire system for improved high-impedance fault detection. Stray voltage was also much lower when the circuit was operated as a five-wire configuration. Magnetic fields were generally lower on the five-wire circuit than at the same locations during four-wire operation. Conversion of an existing four-wire system to a five-wire system presented several unique concerns including fifth-wire placement, crew safety and operations, and how to interface the five-wire system with the existing four-wire distribution system. Index Terms--Grounding, high-impedance faults, magnetic fields, power distribution, stray voltage.