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Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into Compulsory Income Management
No full textImproving food security for populations receiving welfare benefits is a stated primary purpose of the Australian income management legislation. The limited evaluation data on the various income management schemes indicates that they have not been successful in improving food security. Evaluation data on the food security impacts of the ‘place-based income management’ (PBIM) trial has been especially scarce. I completed a research project in 2017 targeting that knowledge gap with an evaluation of PBIM including empirical field research evaluating the impact of PBIM on food security for trial participants in the New South Wales (NSW) trial site of Bankstown,3 under the ‘BasicsCard’ regime. I note this is now being transitioned to ‘enhanced income management’ under the ‘SmartCard’ system;4 many of the critiques of the BasicsCard which I offer in this submission are not ameliorated by this transition to a further form of income management
Nonuniformity in stress transfer across FRP width of FRP-concrete interface
No full textThe nonuniformity of stress and strain analysis is an important consideration that describes the bond behavior between concrete and externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates. The interfacial stress transfer between FRP and concrete generates a longitudinal strain gradient in the longitudinal (or FRP fiber) direction. Most of the available studies in this area have focused on nonuniformity in the longitudinal direction. In this paper, the nonuniformity in the FRP width direction is investigated by studying the strain distribution using digital image correlation (DIC) full-field optical techniques. In the direction along the FRP width, there is an area in the middle that has consistent strain and stress, while the edge regions have strain and stress gradients. During the complete debonding process, the width of the central area is found to be insignificantly affected by the concrete strength but significantly affected by the FRP stiffness. The fracture characteristics below the central region are purely Mode II fracture. However, the complex curved cracks and high in-plane shear strains at the interface near the FRP edge regions show a mixed mode with Modes II and III. This boundary effect results in a significant difference in the bond–slip characteristics of FRP along the width direction. The maximum bond stress of the central region is higher than that of the edge region. However, for FRP with higher stiffness, the in- homogeneity of the stress distribution is weakened. Moreover, it is reasonable to find that calculating the sum of the bearing capacity of the single FRP strips along the width direction is close to the experimental bond strength. Based on the research findings in this study, it is qualitatively recommended that the width factor model in calculating FRP-concrete bond strength should include the significant effect of FRP stiffness
[In Press] Cognitive and emotional factors influencing the incorporation of advice into decision-making across the adult lifespan
No full textObjectives: The present study sought to investigate the influence of advice on decisionmaking in older age, as well as the potential influence of depressive symptoms and agerelated differences in the cognitively demanding emotion regulation on advice-taking. Method: A non-clinical sample (N = 156; 50% female; 47 young: M age = 29.87, SD = 5.58; 54 middle-aged: M age = 50.91, SD = 7.13; 55 older: M age = 72.51, SD = 5.33) completed a judge-advisor task to measure degree of advice-taking, as well as measures of fluid intelligence, depressive symptoms, confidence, perceived advice accuracy, and emotion regulation. Results: Age did not influence degree of advice-taking. Greater depressive symptoms were associated with more reliance on advice, but only among individuals who identified as emotion regulators. Interestingly, older age was associated with perceiving advice to be less accurate. Discussion: The study contributes to the sparse literature on advice-taking in older age. Cognitive and emotional factors influence the degree to which advice is incorporated into decision-making in consistent ways across the adult lifespan. A key difference is that older adults take as much advice as younger adults despite perceiving the advice to be less accurate
Sydney Science Park: Summer Air and Soil Temperatures 2023-24
No full textTransforming open, vegetated space to new settlements results in warmer microclimates. This is because the introduction of materials with a low solar reflectivity and high capacity to store and re-emit solar energy leads to warmer air and surface temperatures. Waste heat from anthropogenic activities further adds to warming. In a climate change era, it is necessary to plan and develop settlements that will keep cool in increasingly hotter summers. Yet, the apparent lack of detailed information about microclimate conditions of an area prior to development (i.e., ante constructio) limits our capacity to quantify the amount of warming caused by development and subsequent changes to its design to reduce these warming effects. It is the lack of ‘before-after’ microclimate data that prevents evidence-based planning and design of cooler settlements. Here we establish a baseline of summer air and soil temperatures across the Sydney Science Park before the site is developed. This project demonstrates leadership towards data-based urban planning and design that informs the construction of cooler settlements. Microclimatic variability across the 420-hectare site was documented from 1 December 2023 to 29 February 2024. More than 560,000 measurements – 524,160 of air temperature and 37,308 of soil temperature – were collected. Key findings: - The average variation of air temperatures among 29 measurement locations spanning the entire site was 1.2°C (22.9-24.1°C) - Maximum daytime air temperature differences across the site were as high as 8°C. - The northwest of the site was cooler during the day than the southeast. - Being close to water reduced day- and nighttime air temperatures. - The Cottage site had the warmest microclimate. - The area in the southeast that will be developed first had the highest air temperatures during an extreme heat event. - Like air temperature, soil temperature was lower in the western section of the site compared to the east, despite having more water bodies in the east. Transforming the site from pastures to thriving urban spaces will require extensive landscaping and extensive planting of trees. Optimal air and soil temperature for plants growing in temperate climates are between 20°C and 30°C. Mean soil temperatures at the Sydney Science Park ranged from 24°C to 26°C, however daily maximum temperature of topsoil regularly exceed 30°C. Keeping topsoils cool will assist in maintaining tree health and thus speed up canopy cover across the site. This project has established the microclimate baseline of the Sydney Science Park prior to development activities. Identical data collections should be repeated on a regular basis (i.e., every 3 years) to develop a refined understanding of the temperature dynamics introduced by urban development. The site offers a unique opportunity to quantify the thermal impacts of land use change in Western Sydney and assess the efficacy of a wide range of urban heat mitigation strategies using blue-green infrastructure, climate-responsive design and cool materials
Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Planetary Health
No full textThis report presents the research findings from a portfolio developed between 2021 and 2024 at Western Sydney University (WSU) by Eleanor Robson to attain the qualification of a Doctor of Cultural Research. Eleanor's industry scholarship was co-funded by Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) and the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at WSU. The portfolio investigates how planetary health might be implemented as a novel way of thinking about our relationship with nature and how this can inform innovative and effective local sustainability policy governance pathways
Tracing the graphic heritage of Hackney's migrant communities through food
No full textThe borough of Hackney’s position within the East End of London, and its proximity to the docks, means that migrants have been settling there since the 18th century. The borough can be described as ‘super-diverse’ (Vertovec, 2007) with several well-established, large communities of migrants who settled in Hackney in the 1900s having been joined by many more recent arrivals from across the world. These newer arrivals bring with them not only diversity in terms of their country of origin, but also language, religion, migration channels and immigration status, gender, and socioeconomic status (Vertovec, 2007). This chapter focuses primarily on diversity in relation to country of origin, ethnicity and lan-guage and outlines how, as part of the process of negotiating a sense of belonging and identity, food’s ‘graphic heritage’ (Harland & Xu, 2021) plays a critical part in facilitating the navigation of a transnational and ‘translocal’ space (Brickell & Datta, 2011), connecting migrants with notions of ‘home’ in the material present and a remembered or imagined sense of ‘home’ elsewhere in the past
Measuring willingness to accept social robot's recommendations (WASRR)
No full textSocial robots are increasingly being used in the hospitality industry to provide service recommendations. Recommendations have been shown to impact customer satisfaction and lead to higher sales. However, a lack of a measurement of willingness to accept social robot recommendations (WASRR) makes it difficult for managers to evaluate the usefulness of these recommendations to customers. How do consumers perceive the recommendations provided by social robots? This study will adopt Churchill (1979) and Devillis (1991) to develop the WASRR scale that will provide a strong diagnostic assessment of the recommendations. The paper will discuss the first stage of scale development, which includes a literature review, a thesaurus search, and expert panel interviews. WASRR scale will help organisations improve customer satisfaction, efficiency, and productivity by deploying social robots to provide recommendations in industries facing labour shortages. Additionally, the WASRR scale will help assess the ability of social robots to provide recommendations
The role of diet and gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles. Currently, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impacts 50 million individuals, with projections anticipating an increase to 152 million by the year 2050. Despite the increasing global prevalence of AD, its underlying pathology remains poorly understood, posing challenges for early diagnosis and treatment. Recent research suggests a link between gut dysbiosis and the aggregation of Aβ, the development of tau proteins, and the occurrence of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are associated with AD. However, investigations into the gut–brain axis (GBA) in the context of AD progression and pathology have yielded inconsistent findings. This review aims to enhance our understanding of microbial diversity at the species level and the role of these species in AD pathology. Additionally, this review addresses the influence of confounding elements, including diet, probiotics, and prebiotics, on AD throughout different stages (preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD) of its progression
Is virtual reality a panacea to promote the health of people with neurodevelopmental disabilities? : current evidence, challenges and the way forward
No full textVirtual reality (VR) is increasingly being used in healthcare with numerous applications from exposure therapy in mental healthcare to pain management in various health conditions. VR also has application to support people with neurodevelopmental disabilities, who experience poorer mental and physical health and greater inequities than those without disabilities. This chapter discusses the latest evidence in therapeutic VR to improve health outcomes for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Positive outcomes are described in relation to communication and social skills, motor skills and psychological well-being. While evidence is promising in relation to improving health outcomes, concerns remain with building a strong evidence base. This includes the robustness of studies, demonstrating positive outcomes, the paucity of co-design with those with lived experience of disability and the critical need for implementation and efficacy of interventions to be studied concurrently. Critical safety and ethical concerns are also discussed, particularly regarding immersive VR using head-mounted displays and the need for choice and control over use. The role of clinicians and support professionals/carers and equity of access are important considerations and are discussed with recommendations. The findings indicate that VR may be a useful therapeutic tool, but not a panacea for all health concerns, and warrant more exploration for validation
[In Press] Supporting the inclusion of gender and sexuality diversity in schools : auditing Australian education departmental policies
No full textWhile school policies are not a panacea, gender and sexuality diversity-inclusive policies have the potential to relieve educators’ concerns about what they are ‘allowed’ to engage with in respect to GSD inclusivity and to guide their proactive efforts to support gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) students. Unfortunately, policies enabling educators’ proactive, positive support for GSD students are far from systematised in schools across Australia’s eight states and territories. This paper presents an audit of publicly available policy guidance for educators in Australia’s government schools, analysing these against an original evaluative set of best-practice criteria developed from research recommendations from the field of GSD-inclusivity in K-12 schools. Analyses for each state/territory are provided. Results from this audit highlight the unevenness in articulated policy support available to Australian educators and illustrate the criticality of developing Australian federal policy mandates with respect to GSD inclusivity and professional development for educators, including both articulated expectations for the creation/maintenance of a safe and affirming environment as well as pragmatic support for how to create school cultural change