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RADelaide Metro Renaissance: Enhancing social sustainability through informed public transport policy in Adelaide, South Australia
No full text© 2025 Isabella GillAustralian public transport planning is experiencing a shift towards the provision of services which elevate the sus- tainability, liveability, and accessibility of communities. This direction of planning has been depicted in the strategic outcomes of state transport strategies which venture into the social aspects of public transport. Existing scholarship has examined the social welfare implications of the provision of (or lack of provision of) public transit in the context of engaged governance, mobilities, accountability, and a country dominated by private vehicle reliance. This research aims to build upon such themes through conceptualising the social dimensions of public transport under the banner of social sustainability and addressing engaged governance as a practice in enhancing the legitimacy of public transit policy. Drawing upon a combination of surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted with residents of Greater Adelaide, this research embodies an exploratory endeavour into the perceptions of Adelaide Metro’s performance, feedback for an improved public transport system, and the role of community engagement in public transport policy. Public consultation has spotlighted community interest in participating in public transit discussions whilst also pro- viding insight into how engagement could be nurtured with the clarification and outlining of tangible project benefits for the community. Perceptions regarding the reliability and connectivity potential of Adelaide Metro observed from this novel study signify an opportunity to expand avenues of consultation whilst paying heed to the intersection of government targets and the social sustainability of communities
Cultural responsiveness, Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports, and the settler colonial state
No full textAbstract
Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a whole school change framework and approach to learning and engagement that originated in the United States (US) and is now implemented around the world. Such a framework requires consideration of cultural responsiveness, particularly in settler colonial states such as the US and Australia. This article examines guidance for improving culturally responsive practice in the PBIS Cultural Responsiveness Field Guide: Resources for Trainers and Coaches (the Guide), a key resource for educators working with students from culturally diverse backgrounds. We employ critical policy analysis and Decolonising Race Theory (DRT) to analyse and discuss the possibilities and consequences of the Guide for educators who are working with Indigenous students in settings that inherit and uphold structural racisms endemic to colonisation. We identify possible intended and unintended effects of the Guide in settler colonial contexts, particularly Australia. Our critical analysis using DRT highlighted some silences and erasures within the PBIS cultural responsiveness advice. The tendency towards othering, binary thinking, and maintenance of the cultural status quo was also apparent. Through this analysis we show how DRT offers rich opportunities for unsettling settler colonial hegemonies in PBIS and in education more broadly
Facilitators and barriers to provision of hospital in the home: does geographical location matter? A scoping review
No full textBACKGROUND: There is an increasing imperative for hospital services delivered in the home due to overburdened hospital systems, ageing populations and rising prevalence of chronic disease. Hospital in the home services have numerous advantages including reduced mortality, reduced hospital readmission and emergency department presentations and improved patient quality of life. Despite anticipated benefits for rural communities, which typically experience high prevalence of chronic disease and high rates of potentially avoidable hospitalisation, there appears to be limited research that focusses specifically on the provision of hospital in the home care in rural areas. METHODS: The aim of this scoping review was to identify facilitators and barriers to the provision of hospital in the home services in rural areas. A scoping review of literature published in English between 1990 and 2023 was conducted using Medline and EMBASE. A key term search strategy was employed using 'hospital in the home' and 'rural' plus equivalent search terms. Inclusion criteria primarily focused on articles that described acute, in-patient bed substitution for adult patients. RESULTS: Thirty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. These articles were diverse in terms of methodology, models of care, patient populations and country of origin. Many facilitators and barriers to the provision of hospital in the home were not necessarily specific to rural contexts, for example, workflows and patient selection. Rural specific facilitators included rurally tailored models of care, and rural community strengths such as resourcefulness, social capital and reciprocity. Conversely, rural specific barriers included travel distances and associated costs, complicated by challenging weather conditions or terrain. CONCLUSION: Whilst the evidence base for provision of hospital in the home care in rural areas was limited, consideration of the facilitators and barriers identified in this review should assist with the provision of hospital in the home services in rural areas
Theoretical foundations and mechanisms of health systems responsiveness: a realist synthesis.
No full textHealth systems responsiveness is a key health systems goal, operationalised as an outcome measured across domains such as dignity and confidentiality. It also reflects values and inputs towards improved health. In this realist synthesis, we critically reviewed underpinning theories, examined mechanisms, and propose a theoretical model of health systems responsiveness. Four theories enhance the understanding of responsiveness: Complex Adaptive Systems, Human Agency, Health Equity, Justice and Social Accountability, and Cultural Capital. It is a social construct reflecting what people expect from the system within social and cultural contexts; and what systems actors (providers, managers) expect from people in the context of standards of care and available resources. Responsiveness is shaped by the societal context of care and the health systems context. Domains of responsiveness are inter-related and comprise values, processes and resources. Our proposed theory highlights the importance of favourable social and organisational contexts in triggering sense of agency, literacy and empowerment that contribute to enhanced people's capacity to engage with health systems and health system's capacity to respond to people's expectations. We hope it offers a useful heuristic to inform efforts in improving health systems responsiveness
Mitigating Investor Reactions to Financial Misconduct: The Moderating Roles of Firm Commitment Cues
No full textAbstract
Corporate financial misconduct has garnered increased interest in business ethics research. Although prior research has provided insights into the consequences of financial misconduct, our understanding of why investors react differently to similar instances of misconduct, especially in emerging markets, remains limited. In this study, we first argue that direct information on the severity of misconduct is the primary basis for investors’ evaluations. Next, drawing on screening theory, we theorize that in contexts characterized by high information asymmetry, indirect information about existing firm commitment cues plays a vital screening role by demonstrating the firm’s legitimacy and capability. Subsequently, we develop a tripod framework that integrates the social, market, and strategy dimensions as firm commitment cues that serve as fundamental screening mechanisms to mitigate the adverse effect of misconduct severity on investor reactions. We use a sample of 344 Chinese listed firms that engaged in financial misconduct during 2009–2019 and find that greater misconduct severity results in more negative investor reactions. However, this negative relationship is weakened when the firm demonstrates stronger social and strategy commitments but not stronger market commitment
Temporal mineralocorticoid receptor activation regulates the molecular clock and transcription of cardiovascular disease modulators in myeloid cells
No full textInappropriate mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation in monocytes/macrophages promotes cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. However, the specific pathways whereby the MR regulates macrophage phenotype are not fully defined. We recently identified bidirectional regulation of the MR and the molecular circadian clock in cardiac cells. Given that immune cells are important regulators of cardiac pathology, we investigated whether MR regulates the molecular circadian clock and time of day expression of inflammatory mediators in splenic monocytes/macrophages using myeloid MR null mice (MyMRKO). RNAseq and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis of whole spleen from floxed control (FC) or MyMRKO revealed differential expression of clock genes Per2, Cry1, REV-ERBα, and DBP at (Zeitgeber time) ZT0 versus ZT12. Time-of-day regulation of numerous gene targets was also disordered in MyMRKO spleen versus FC including iNOS2, CXCR4, FABP3, S100A8 and S100A9, and FGF1. Aldosterone induction of REV-ERBα, Cry1, iNOS, IL-1β, Arg-1, IL-10, CCL2, and Spp1 was greater when delivered at ZT0 versus ZT12, when corticosterone levels are low. Moreover, oscillating expressions of Per2, REV-ERBα, and other clock components were regulated by 10 nM aldosterone or corticosterone in immortalized bone marrow-derived cells, supporting a direct role for MR modulation of cellular clock time. Significant differences observed between male and female samples underscore the role of sex in the modulation of circadian signaling and MR-dependent pro-inflammatory phenotype in myeloid cells. Cardiac macrophage-specific bulk RNAseq and scRNAseq datasets verified MR-dependent regulation of many temporally induced genes in immune cell subsets, whereas FACS analysis showed that immune cell populations were mostly unchanged, and that IL-1β expression is highest in myeloid cells consistent with MyMRKO regulating IL-1β in this population. Our findings demonstrate the dynamic influence of MR transcriptional control of circadian clock and inflammatory pathways in myeloid cells, highlighting potential sex-based differences and offering insights into potential mechanisms underpinning MR modulation of myeloid cell phenotype.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) signaling dynamically regulates the circadian clock and inflammatory gene expression in myeloid cells. Using myeloid-specific MR knockout mice, we identified disrupted time-of-day expression of core clock and inflammatory genes, with sex-based differences in response. These findings reveal novel MR-circadian clock interactions in immune cells and suggest a time- and sex-dependent mechanism by which MR shapes macrophage phenotype and potentially cardiac inflammation
COVID-19 policy response and housing tenure transition
No full textHousing tenure transition is an important policy consideration in Australia, where the value of housing has grown rapidly over the last decade. The paper empirically examines how COVID-19 response strategies influenced housing tenure transition. Specifically, it examines (1) the impact of COVID-19 support payment on housing tenure transition, (2) the relationship between working from home and housing tenure transition, and (3) whether individuals who were working and at the same time receiving COVID-19 support payment are more likely to acquire a home or transition from renting to owning a home. We employ two measures of housing tenure transition: homeownership and rent-to-own transition. On one hand, our results show an insignificant positive relationship between COVID-19 support payment and housing transition, however, the combined impact of COVID-19 support payment and working during the pandemic on housing tenure transition turned out to be significant and positive. This suggests that individuals working during the COVID period and at the same time receiving COVID-19 support payments are more likely to own a home or transition from renting to home ownership. On the other hand, we find that the prevalence of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic increases the probability of acquiring a new home for work-related activities. Saving explains why individuals who were working and receiving COVID-19 support payments are more likely to own a home or transition from renting to home ownership
Recruiting Young People for Digital Mental Health Research: Lessons From an AI-Driven Adaptive Trial
No full textBACKGROUND: With increasing adoption of remote clinical trials in digital mental health, identifying cost-effective and time-efficient recruitment methodologies is crucial for the success of such trials. Evidence on whether web-based recruitment methods are more effective than traditional methods such as newspapers, media, or flyers is inconsistent. Here we present insights from our experience recruiting tertiary education students for a digital mental health artificial intelligence-driven adaptive trial-Vibe Up. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effectiveness of recruitment via Facebook and Instagram compared to traditional methods for a treatment trial and compared different recruitment methods' retention rates. With recruitment coinciding with COVID-19 lockdowns across Australia, we also compared the cost-effectiveness of social media recruitment during and after lockdowns. METHODS: Recruitment was completed for 2 pilot trials and 6 minitrials from June 2021 to May 2022. To recruit participants, paid social media advertising on Facebook and Instagram was used, alongside mailing lists of university networks and student organizations or services, media releases, announcements during classes and events, study posters or flyers on university campuses, and health professional networks. Recruitment data, including engagement metrics collected by Meta (Facebook and Instagram), advertising costs, and Qualtrics data on recruitment methods and survey completion rates, were analyzed using RStudio with R (version 3.6.3; R Foundation for Statistical Computing). RESULTS: In total, 1314 eligible participants (aged 22.79, SD 4.71 years; 1079, 82.1% female) were recruited to 2 pilot trials and 6 minitrials. The vast majority were recruited via Facebook and Instagram advertising (n=1203; 92%). Pairwise comparisons revealed that the lead institution's website was more effective in recruiting eligible participants than Facebook (z=3.47; P=.003) and Instagram (z=4.23; P<.001). No differences were found between recruitment methods in retaining participants at baseline, at midpoint, and at study completion. Wilcoxon tests found significant differences between lockdown (pilot 1 and pilot 2) and postlockdown (minitrials 1-6) on costs incurred per link click (lockdown: median Aus 0.22], IQR Aus 0.47 [US 0.29]; postlockdown: median Aus 0.62], IQR Aus 1.47 [US 0.92]; W=9087; P<.001) and the amount spent per hour to reach the target sample size (lockdown: median Aus 2.95], IQR Aus 1.22-13.29 [US 4.70-25.31 [US 15.87]; W=16044; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Social media advertising via Facebook and Instagram was the most successful strategy for recruiting distressed tertiary students into this artificial intelligence-driven adaptive trial, providing evidence for the use of this recruitment method for this type of trial in digital mental health research. No recruitment method stood out in terms of participant retention. Perhaps a reflection of the added distress experienced by young people, social media recruitment during the COVID-19 lockdown period was more cost-effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621001092886; https://tinyurl.com/39f2pdmd; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621001223820; https://tinyurl.com/bdhkvucv
Is #bodypositivity influential for sexual minority men? An ecological momentary assessment study on the effects of viewing body positivity content on social media
No full textBody positivity content on social media refers to content that rejects narrowly defined beauty standards and celebrates body diversity. Previous research has found that viewing body positivity content is associated with more positive body image (e.g., higher body satisfaction). However, no research to date has examined the links between body positivity social media content and body image among sexual minority men. Our primary aim was to determine whether exposure to body positivity was associated with body satisfaction and mood. Our secondary aim was to explore how comparing oneself to body positivity influences body satisfaction and mood. Sexual minority men recruited from Grindr (n = 530; Mage= 33.36) completed a 1-week ecological momentary assessment protocol reporting whether they encountered body positivity content on their own social media feeds and completing self-report measures of state body satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect. Contrary to hypotheses, unique exposure to body positivity had no significant association with body satisfaction, negative affect or positive affect. Furthermore, comparing oneself to body positive content was associated with lower body satisfaction (b = -1.88, p = .002), reduced positive affect (b = -1.85, p = .004), and heightened negative affect (b = 2.21, p = .004). Our findings suggest that while body positivity content on social media may be well-intentioned, it does not improve body image among sexual minority men and could worsen mood and body image. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which body positivity content targeting sexual minority men aligns with academic and lay definitions of body positivity