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Developing Multi-Modal Communication Tools for Retrofit Guidance in Ageing Bushfire-Prone Communities
No full textThe increasing frequency and severity of bushfires in Australia, combined with an ageing population in bushfire-prone regions, creates an urgent need for targeted resilience guidance for older Australians. The outcome of this research is a developed and validated user-friendly toolkit for bushfire retrofitting, tailored to the specific needs of this vulnerable older demographic. A qualitative multi-method approach was employed, incorporating a systematic literature review (SLR) and participatory design method. Two bushfire-prone regions, Bega Valley and Noosa Shire, were used as the case study contexts for this research. Data collection in these two regions involved focus groups with participants over the age of sixty and on-site fieldwork assessments of bushfire-prone properties. Several types of data including interview transcripts, physical artefacts, documents, and archival records were collected. The data was then analysed using thematic and content analysis to identify key areas of focus for the toolkit. Findings revealed that existing bushfire retrofit resources inadequately address the implementation capabilities of older people. The adapted toolkit design therefore presents a novel approach that addresses the current gaps in the literature by providing a scalable approach to retrofitting that is tailored to varied retrofitting capabilities. By effectively integrating technical building compliance standards with age-specific design considerations, the toolkit promotes the effective implementation and adoption of retrofit measures by older people, ultimately improving individual and community resilience against bushfires.</p
Snowpatch nomenclature and definitions for a changing climate
No full textLong-lying snow (snowpatches) has come under increased scrutiny for its role in alpine and high latitude environments, and as a marker of climate change. Multiple disciplines researching different aspects over many decades has led to an inconsistent and conflicting nomenclature and definitions, impeding cross-disciplinary collaboration and understanding. Scientific endeavour increasingly involves researcher collaboration, success relying on an agreed shared terminology and ontology. We present a rationalisation and simplification of the existing nomenclature and terminology, advocating wider cross-disciplinary adoption of the word snowpatch, defining a snowpatch from residual snowpack by its effect on its local environment. We advocate longevity as the most effective means to discriminate snowpatches of different types, proposing novel limits for the established qualifiers seasonal, semi-perennial and perennial, providing a clearer discrimination between them, permitting better quantification and tracking over time, and enabling greater insights into climate driven changes in snowpatch dependent vegetation communities, nivation processes and local hydrology.</p
Smartphone Proprioception for Ankle Navigation (SPAN):Reliability and Effect of Position Exposure Time
No full textThis study investigated ankle discriminative acuity and performance and measurement consistency for tests undertaken with different joint position exposure times (PETs). Twenty-four participants were tested using a novel Smartphone Proprioception for Ankle Navigation (SPAN) under four PETs, i.e., 0.25s, 0.5s, 0.75s and 1s, delivered in a random sequence, and then re-tested within one week. The results indicated a PET main effect (F = 10.12, p = 0.004, partial ƞ2 = 0.14), and limb preference main effect (F = 5.39, p = 0.03, partial ƞ2 = 0.19), without significant interactions (p > 0.05). Ankle proprioception improved with prolonged PET, with the non-dominant side outperforming the dominant side. A PET of 0.25s showed good to excellent reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.897 (95%CI: 0.761, 0.955) and 0.885 (95%CI: 0.736, 0.951), with standard errors of measurements (SEM) between 0.030 and 0.035, and minimum detectable change at 90% (MDC90) between 0.070 and 0.082, compared to poor to moderate reliability at the other three longer PETs (ICCs =0.352–0.736). The findings suggested the prolongation of PET can improve ankle proprioceptive performance but can amplify the inter-occasion variability, likely due to increased cognitive analysis with longer stimulus sampling. SPAN may thus be a cost-effective and accessible apparatus for clinical practice.</p
A Framework for Modelling Thermal Load Sensitivity Across Life
No full textForecasts of vulnerability to climate warming require an integrative understanding of how species are exposed to, are damaged by, and recover from thermal stress in natural environments. The sensitivity of species to temperature depends on the frequency, duration, and magnitude of thermal stress. Thus, there is a generally recognized need to move beyond physiological metrics based solely on critical thermal limits and integrate them with natural heat exposure regimes. Here we propose the thermal load sensitivity (TLS) framework, which integrates biophysical principles for quantifying exposure with physiological principles of the dynamics of damage and repair processes in driving sublethal impacts on organisms. Building upon the established thermal death time (TDT) model, which integrates both the magnitude and duration of stress, the TLS framework attempts to disentangle the accumulation of damage and subsequent repair processes that alter responses to thermal stress. With the aid of case studies and reproducible simulation examples, we discuss how the TLS framework can be applied to enhance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of heat stress responses. These include assessing thermal sensitivity across diverse taxonomic groups, throughout ontogeny, and for modular organisms, as well as integrating additional stressors in combination with temperature. We identify critical research opportunities, knowledge gaps, and novel ways of integrating physiological measures of thermal sensitivity to improve understanding and predictions of thermal vulnerability at various scales across life.</p
Investment and EU International Agreements
No full textThis chapter considers the implications of the EU’s legal framework for its treaty-making practice and policy choices in the field of foreign investment. The scope of the EU’s powers in relation to investment was partially clarified in Opinion 2/15, confirming shared competence of the EU and its Member States for the conclusion of modern international investment agreements. This chapter examines the competences and legal bases for the conclusion of different types of EU international agreements with investment provisions. Based on this analysis, the EU treaty-making practice and related policy outcomes in the field of foreign investment are considered, demonstrating internal constraints of the EU legal framework for the efficiency of the EU international investment policy. With uncertainty about EU investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) reforms, and sustainability at the core of EU external action, the focus of EU international agreements in the field of investment is shifting towards improving investment regulatory governance beyond ISDS, with a view to align trade and investment efforts in promoting sustainable development
Prevalence and Epidemiological Patterns of Enterobius vermicularis Infection in Thailand: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full textBackground: Enterobiasis, caused by Enterobius vermicularis, is recognized as a common intestinal helminthiasis worldwide. Despite multiple surveys in Thailand, no pooled synthesis at the country level has been carried out to evaluate prevalence patterns, temporal trends, or vulnerable groups. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken to provide an updated and comprehensive estimate of the prevalence of E. vermicularis in Thailand and to identify high-risk populations for targeted interventions. Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD420251053217). Studies reporting E. vermicularis infection in Thailand were systematically searched in international and Thai databases. Pooled prevalence and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed according to year, region, age, population type, and diagnostic method. Results: A total of 56 studies, including 52,765 participants, were analyzed. The overall pooled prevalence was estimated at 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1–5.9%), with a decline observed in the subgroup analysis by publication year, from 4.75% in 2000–2009 to 1.15% in 2020–2023. The highest prevalence was reported in Central Thailand (7.93%). High infection rates were found among immigrant children (25.2%), hilltribe children (19.9%), Karen students (15.5%), and children in orphanages (11.4%). A markedly higher prevalence was detected by the Scotch tape method compared with direct smear/concentration (12.9% vs. 0.33%). No significant difference in infection risk was observed between males and females (OR = 1.03, p = 0.65). Conclusions: The pooled prevalence of E. vermicularis in Thailand was estimated at 3.6%, but this figure should be interpreted with caution due to high heterogeneity across studies. More meaningful insights were identified in subgroup analyses, which revealed a temporal decline in prevalence, geographic clustering in Central Thailand, and disproportionately high infection rates among socioeconomically disadvantaged child populations. No statistically significant association was found between gender and risk of infection. These patterns underscore the need for targeted screening, deworming, and hygiene interventions, along with the standardized use of the Scotch tape technique for accurate surveillance and comparability of future studies
A mixed methods evaluation of an alcohol and other drug psychoeducation program for clients with complex support needs
No full textBackgroundClients with co-occurring and complex needs represent an important segment of the alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment population. Retaining and engaging individuals in AOD treatment is challenging, and this pursuit is further impeded when clients present with complex support needs. This study sought to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed psychoeducation program for this clientele, attending a non-residential treatment service in New South Wales.MethodsThe study employed a mixed methods approach. The team analysed aggregated non identifiable routinely collected data, including alcohol and other drug use, psychological distress and quality of life metrics pre and post intervention. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were also conducted with consenting clients and clinicians to complement quantitative data.ResultsTwenty-five eligible clients consented to have their data used for this study and nine consented to participate in an interview. Results show a significant decrease in psychological distress among clients at exit compared to baseline, however no significant change in quality-of-life scores or substance use was quantitatively observed. Some clients self-reported a reduction in substance use and most appreciated the flexibility of the one-on-one service offering.ConclusionsOur findings show that the psychoeducational program delivered to clients with complex support needs at Rendu House is feasible and acceptable to both clients and clinicians, and that the use of routinely collected data to measure treatment outcomes is viable within this setting. Our findings also demonstrate the value of qualitative inquiry in situating narratives of recovery among clients with complex needs where improvements may be incremental
Exploring How Young People’s Access To News Literacy Education Influences Their Digital Civic Engagement
No full textThis study examines the effectiveness of news literacy education on young Australian’s digital civic engagement using propensity score matching, a method that ensures balanced comparisons between those who have received news literacy education and those who haven’t. A representative online survey of young Australians aged 12–16 years (n = 627) was conducted in June 2023. We found no differences in young people’s exposure to news literacy education opportunities based on age, gender, and region. However, parents’ education has a significance influence on young people’s exposure to news literacy education. A regression analysis reveals that news literacy education is positively related to young people’s digital civic engagement, confirmed by the propensity score matching analysis. The study demonstrates the critical role of news literacy education in fostering informed and engaged digital citizens, highlighting the need for inclusive and comprehensive news literacy programs in the national curriculum