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Rail suicide: A systematic review using systems thinking
No full textRail suicide is a complex problem with significant adverse social and economic impacts. Systems thinking approaches are commonly used to understand emergent outcomes in complex systems. Systems thinking takes the system as the unit of analysis; often using a hierarchical representation to show how decisions and actions made across levels of a system (e.g., by governments, regulators, industry associations, companies, and individuals) can interact to create adverse outcomes. However, the extent to which rail suicide research has explored the problem from a systems thinking approach is unclear. A systematic review was conducted to identify: (1) the theories and methods that have been used to investigate rail suicide in the peer reviewed literature; (2) the contributory and demographic/risk factors for rail suicide identified across system levels; and (3) the preventative measures to address rail suicide that have been evaluated in published studies. The review followed the PRISMA guidelines and the systems thinking techniques AcciMap and PreventiMap were used to map factors and interventions across system levels. Gaps identified included a lack of consideration of contributory factors at higher system levels, that few preventative measures have been subject to evaluation, and that there has been little consideration of relationships between preventative measures. The review highlights the need for structured systems approaches to gain a more holistic understanding of rail suicide and to design more effective preventative measures
Validation and Comparison of Pediatric Appendicitis Scores and Management Strategies (Project SPASMS): Protocol for a Prospective Multicenter Observational Study
No full textBACKGROUND: Abdominal pain is a common reason for children to attend the Emergency Department (ED) with acute appendicitis being the most common surgical cause. Various clinical prediction scores (CPSs) have been developed to assist in determining the risk of appendicitis; however, CPSs have been inadequately validated in children and haphazardly adopted in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) EDs. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare and validate various CPSs for diagnosing pediatric appendicitis in children presenting to ANZ EDs. METHODS: This prospective multicenter observational study across 10 ANZ EDs is recruiting children 5-17 years presenting to participating EDs with acute right-sided or generalized abdominal pain lasting ≤7 days and clinician suspicion of appendicitis. CPSs will be calculated by the study team from clinician-recorded data and clinician gestalt recorded on a visual analog scale. Accuracy of CPSs will be assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and proportions correctly identified as either low-risk or high-risk based on the CPSs published cutoffs. The final diagnosis of appendicitis will be confirmed on histopathology, and the absence of appendicitis confirmed by telephone, email, or a combination of both to follow up for those discharged directly from ED. RESULTS: This study received funding in July 2023 and started enrolment in August 2023. As of October 2024, we have enrolled and completed follow-up on 1227 participants with an expected end date in mid-2025. CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to determine the best-performing CPS for diagnosing pediatric appendicitis in ANZ EDs. Implementation of this CPS in ANZ EDs has the potential to reduce health care costs, rationalize the use of health care resources, and improve the management and outcomes of childhood appendicitis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12622001293752; https://tinyurl.com/242wwenx. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/67941
Adaptive spatial planning for equitable renewable energy allocation in multi-owned buildings: A policy-integrated digital twin approach
No full textUnder-utilised rooftops in Multi-owned Buildings (MOBs) represent a vital yet untapped potential for renewable energy generation in urban areas. However, equitable energy allocation and shared benefits pose substantial challenges, hindering Renewable Energy Systems (RES) adoption. This study introduces a policy-driven adaptive framework integrating building and region-specific parameters to identify suitable energy allocation models, facilitating widespread RES adoption. The framework assesses the physical and managerial MOB characteristics, such as building age, height, and common property ownership type, alongside regional parameters, including renter proportion, affordability, and regulatory conditions. Consequently, five policy instruments are analysed, identifying how tailored region-specific policy interventions can mitigate risks, enabling equitable energy allocation. A case study in Melbourne demonstrates that high-density, low-affordability regions like the Central Business District benefit from floor area allocation models when supported by financial incentives, while affluent regions like South Melbourne thrive with dedicated legal platforms supporting energy allocation. Our findings underscore the importance of adaptive, region-specific policies over the one-size-fits-all approach for advancing RES adoption. This adaptive model selection framework, enhanced with digital twin technology for scenario analysis, offers policymakers a data-driven tool for making informed decisions, supporting resource efficiency and sustainability, and laying a pathway for equitable RES integration across urban settings
Adverse childhood experiences and adult psychopathology: A latent class analysis approach
No full textBackground: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to poor mental health outcomes, yet much of the existing research focuses on cumulative risk rather than the impact of distinct types of adversity. This limits insights into how specific ACE patterns influence psychopathology. Additionally, inquiries into links between ACE exposure and mental health typically focus on a single symptom class, overlooking co-occurring psychopathologies. Objective: We used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify distinct patterns of ACE exposure and examine associations with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a treatment-seeking adult sample. Participants and setting: Participants were 514 adults (71 % female) aged 18–85 (M = 26.25, SD = 8.68) seeking psychological treatment. Data were collected at a public psychology clinic using self-report measures. Methods: LCA identified three classes of ACE exposure: low adversity, maltreatment (emotional/physical abuse and neglect), and household dysfunction (parental mental illness, separation). Psychopathology symptoms were assessed using the DASS-21, PCL-5, and ASRS. Associations between ACE classes and psychopathologies were analyzed using the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) three-step approach. Results: The maltreatment class showed significantly higher depression and PTSD symptoms than the low adversity class. The household dysfunction class exhibited elevated ADHD symptoms compared to both maltreatment and low adversity classes. No significant differences in anxiety were observed after controlling for covariates. Conclusions: Distinct ACE patterns were linked to specific psychopathology symptoms. Findings highlight the importance of incorporating person-centered approaches to analyzing childhood adversity, which can inform targeted prevention and treatment strategies
Urban Green Space Inequity, Socioeconomic Disparities, and Potential Health Implications in Metropolitan Melbourne
No full textUrban green spaces (UGSs) provide city residents contact with nature, offering mental and physical health benefits. However, residents’ access to green spaces in cities can be associated with their socioeconomic status (SESs). This study utilizes the Kernel Density tool as an innovative method to measure UGS inequities and their relationship with cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates. Next, the UGS patterns and their potential implications for CVD are examined across suburbs with a range of SES levels in Melbourne, Australia. The proposed method is tested in conjunction with two commonly used measures of accessibility (Network Analysis) and provision (UGS per capita). The results show that more advantaged suburbs have better access to UGS and lower CVD rates. Moreover, the analysis reveals that a more geographically dispersed UGS pattern, predominantly observed in higher SES suburbs, can be associated with lower CVD than a concentrated pattern, and the integration of the SES and UGS indicators through Kernel Density analysis reveals that inequitable access to green spaces disproportionately impacts the health incomes of socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Finally, the Kernel Density and Network Analysis tools in ArcGIS can serve as effective supplementary methods for addressing similar considerations in UGS planning and policy
Economic Cost of Suicide Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Migrants in Australia
No full textBACKGROUND: Suicide and self-harm pose significant global public health challenges with substantial economic implications. Recent Australian evidence shows considerable variations in the prevalence of suicidal behaviours and mortality among culturally and ethnically diverse population groups. This study aims to estimate the associated economic cost of suicide among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants in Australia. METHODS: We evaluated the economic impact of suicide by considering the years of life lost, years of productive life lost, and overall economic costs, including direct, indirect, and intangible costs. We used data on suicide deaths in 2020 from the National Coronial Information System. RESULTS: The estimated economic cost associated with 346 suicide deaths among CALD migrants is 8.47 million. This estimate varies in the sensitivity analysis from 3.9 billion, depending on the average age of fatality, with corresponding average costs of 11.35 million, respectively. These estimates do not capture costs associated with suicidal behaviours, which may substantially increase the economic burden. CONCLUSIONS: The significant economic impacts of CALD migrants' suicide in Australia highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive national suicide prevention programme tailored for CALD migrant populations
Towards explaining the effects of the human-technology dynamic on human agency in digital transformations
No full textThe extant theorising of digital transformation has seldom focused on the human agency and how the human agency is affected by the dynamic of human-technology that entails social conflicts. To address this, we provide a complementary explanation of digital transformations grounded in socio-cognitive and role theories. We suggest that employees’ cognitions and behaviours influence digital transformations, but this relationship is dampened by conflicts arising from the dynamic of human-technology. Survey data from 256 participants involved in digital transformations in Australia was used to test the suggested relationships. The statistical findings confirm that employees’ cognitive trust is the driving mechanism that affects digital transformation both directly and indirectly through the innovative behaviour of employees. Role conflict was found to weaken the relationships between trust and innovative behaviour and trust and digital transformation. The empirical validation of the integrative socio-cognitive and role theorising of digital transformations—highlighting the potential social conflicts arising from the human technology interactions—has important theoretical and managerial implications for the strategic decision-making governing digital transformations
Diverging network architecture of the C. elegans connectome and signaling network.
No full textThe connectome describes the complete set of synaptic contacts through which neurons communicate. While the architecture of the C. elegans connectome has been extensively characterized, much less is known about the organization of causal signaling networks arising from functional interactions between neurons. Understanding how effective communication pathways relate to or diverge from the underlying structure is a central question in neuroscience. Here, we analyze the modular architecture of the C. elegans signal propagation network, measured via calcium imaging and optogenetics, and compare it to the underlying anatomical wiring measured by electron microscopy. Compared to the connectome, we find that signaling modules are not aligned with the modular boundaries of the anatomical network, highlighting an instance where function deviates from structure. However, we find that some of the most striking features of the anatomical network are preserved, as exemplified by the pharynx, which is delineated into a separate community in both anatomy and signaling. We analyze the cellular compositions of the signaling architecture and find that its modules are enriched for specific cell types and functions, suggesting that the network modules are neurobiologically relevant. Lastly, we identify a "rich club" of hub neurons in the signaling network. The membership of the signaling rich club differs from the rich club detected in the anatomical network, challenging the view that structural hubs occupy positions of influence in functional (signaling) networks. The only overlap between the two rich clubs is given by neurons AVEL/R, which have some of the highest degrees in the anatomical network, again illustrating the preservation of the most pronounced features of the network. Our results provide new insight into the interplay between brain structure, in the form of a complete synaptic-level connectome, and brain function, in the form of a system-wide causal signal propagation atlas
Volumetric Comparison of Overall Brain and Neuropil Size Between Social and Non-social Spiders: Exploring the Social Brain Hypothesis
No full textThe social brain hypothesis predicts that the relative size of specific brain regions is driven by the cognitive capacity required to manage complex (social) situations. Spiders are intriguing models to test this hypothesis, as sociality is rare in this usually solitary and aggressive group. Here, we used microCT to compare the central nervous system and brain volumes between social and solitary females of the species in two taxonomic groups, huntsman and crab spiders. Overall, we found no difference in relative CNS and brain volume between social and solitary species. However, social huntsman spiders Delena cancerides had larger arcuate and mushroom bodies than the solitary huntsman species Isopeda villosa and Heteropoda jugulans. Social crab spiders Xysticus bimaculatus had larger visual neuropils than the solitary species Thomisus spectabilis and Tharrhalea evanida. Social huntsman spiders exhibit intricate social behavior, including prey sharing and kin recognition, which could explain the higher investment in brain structures that are related to cognitive integration. They also had smaller venom glands, possibly due to their prey-sharing behavior. In social crab spiders, the low-light leafnest may have driven enlarged visual neuropils. Some variations in specific brain regions between solitary and social species were consistent with the social brain hypothesis, but the patterns differed between lineages. Thus, it is likely that other ecological drivers affect the development of specific brain regions in spiders. Our study provides the essential knowledge platform to conduct experimental manipulations of social and environmental conditions on these spiders to directly test their impact on brain structures, coupled with tests of relevant behavior
