Sites In Melbourne Research Articles

In situ monitoring of the impacts of Melaleuca styphelioides transpiration on soil water dynamics in an urban environment

Expansive soils are susceptible to substantial cyclical moisture variations under the prevailing climate, experiencing considerable shrinkage during drought and swelling when water availability increases. These dynamic volumetric changes jeopardize the functionality of lightweight infrastructures with shallow foundations. The presence of trees may amplify seasonal soil movements, as extensive water uptake by root networks in the summer months can induce soil moisture depletion and the resulting desiccation-driven settlement around the trees. This study assessed the drying effect of mature Melaleuca styphelioides on soil movement and water dynamics at an urban experimental site in Melbourne, Australia, instrumented for in situ monitoring over 12 months. Sap flow instrumentation was used to quantify seasonal variations in tree transpiration. The monitoring results revealed that the drying influence of the tree has extended to a depth of 2.2 m. Tree root-induced soil desiccation occurred 4.0 m away from the tree, as evidenced by the seasonal soil movement profiles. Linear regression analysis showed that the soil water content explained 60% of the variability in tree transpiration. In contrast, the soil water content and suction exhibited a robust negative correlation (R2=0.96) within the active root zone.

The archaeology of 19th century oyster consumption in Melbourne

ABSTRACTThis paper presents comparative research on marine shell from four 19th century historical archaeological sites in Melbourne. The shell derives predominantly from Mud Oyster (Ostrea angasi) and Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) commercially harvested from natural reefs along the south‐east Australian coastline. The research collects quantitative data that informs on the 19th century oyster industry and investigates inter‐site shell variability and its implications for processing, consumption and discard. Dredging of subtidal reefs provides an explanation for the numerical dominance of oyster, the presence of subfossil cultch (Anadara) and the wide range of minor shellfish. Mud oyster and Sydney rock oyster comparisons in valve size, sided counts and preservation record significant differences within and between sites due to the origins, depositional conditions and the processing of the shell. These data form the basis of two models. The first predicts the archaeological representation of reef dredging and ranks shellfish according to categories, from live oysters to dead shell sampled from the reef substrate. Based on oyster shell anatomy and the separate uses of the right (lid) and left (dish) valves, the second model considers how oyster processing and consumption is characterised archaeologically in differential valve counts and pairing rates.

A Parametric Study of the Effect of Trees on Residential Footing Design on Expansive Soils

The influence of trees on residential footings constructed on expansive soils has long been a concern of geotechnical engineers since the invasive tree root could exert suction forces on the soil surrounding them and extract a considerable amount of water depending on seasonality, leading to significant shrinkage settlement and the subsequent foundation failure. In this study, a Eucalypt, Corymbia maculata, planted in an expansive clay site in Melbourne, Australia, was closely monitored for 44 months to assess tree-induced soil moisture patterns and ground movement. Monthly tree water use was measured using a sap flow sensor over 12 months. The results show that the tree consumed 53 kL of water annually, with the highest water demand of 5.9 kL in December and the lowest monthly water use of 2.7 kL in June. The soil suction and moisture content profiles reveal that the desiccating effect of tree roots extended to 3 m depth, while the ground movement data shows a significant shrinkage settlement at a distance equal to half the tree height (HT). A parametric study was also carried out to examine the influence of various parameters on footing design for the effect of trees and the consequent construction cost. It was found that homeowners could save a construction cost of about 32% if the footing is built at a distance of 0.6 HT from the tree compared to the cost for a footing constructed at a distance less than or equal to 0.5 HT.

The Analysis and Solution Suggestions of Soil Environment Problems of Two Sites in Melbourne

The Analysis and Solution Suggestions of Soil Environment Problems of Two Sites in Melbourne

Student drinking cultures in tertiary education residential accommodation: A contextual research study.

Background: In Australia, harmful drinking among students aged 18-24 years in tertiary education residential accommodation (TRA) remains high, placing students at higher risk of harms than non-TRA and university peers. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the context-specific factors distinctive to TRAs that supported a heavy drinking culture among students. Conducted across three sites in Melbourne, Australia, the purpose of the study was to inform the development of context-specific harm reduction interventions for these sites. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted with 32 students to examine their lived experience of drinking within the distinctive environments of their TRAs. The data were examined using thematic data analysis. Results: Three themes were identified: (1) routine drinking in TRAs; (2) drinking for social inclusion in the TRA; and (3) TRA alcohol governance and students' self-regulation. The data show that factors contributing to these TRA drinking cultures included: liberty to store alcohol and drink on campus; freshers' belief that admission to the TRA was conditional on "partying hard"; students' belief that staff supported the TRA drinking culture; and poor dissemination and operationalisation of TRA alcohol policy. Collectively, these factors fostered an environment that enabled frequent and heavy alcohol consumption among residents. Conclusions: The TRA drinking cultures were supported by social and regulatory factors specific to these institutions and, in particular, by a liberal approach to TRA alcohol governance and poorly disseminated alcohol policy that made widespread heavy drinking possible. Drinking cultures in TRAs can be changed through appropriate interventions that include nuanced policy and effective governance.

Small Things in Everyday Places: Homelessness, Dissent and Affordances in Public Space

Abstract In ‘a world that has been built to accommodate only some’ (Ahmed 2019: 221), how do those engaging in public protest or experiencing housing insecurity make use of the material environment? In this article, we examine adaptation of the built environment in four sites in Melbourne, Australia. Everyday urban places are composed of myriad ‘small things’ acted upon as affordances for survival within structures of silencing and dispossession for the urban undercommons. We draw from cultural, spatial and atmospheric criminology to inform an ethnographic method focusing on materiality, use, adaptability and sensory composition. In so doing, our research contributes to criminological understanding of the significance of ‘minor’ events, activities and encounters in everyday life by proposing that ‘small things in everyday places’ constitute potentialities for defiance and resistance.

Valuing the improvement of a decommissioned heritage site to a multifunctional water sensitive greenspace

In this paper, we assess residents' preferences for different options of large-scale water sensitive urban improvement of a heritage site in Melbourne, the Main Outfall Sewer (MOS) reserve. We use a hedonic pricing analysis and a discrete choice experiment to understand the benefits associated with improving the MOS reserve. We find that there are significant non-market benefits associated with various options, both in terms of the potential to reflect increases in house value and in terms of people's willingness to pay for improvements in amenity and environmental quality. This information will contribute to determining investment options for this important heritage site. Importantly, we demonstrate the combination of the hedonic and stated choice willingness to pay estimates to provide an aggregate estimate of welfare, revealing a useful approach for greenspace valuation applications where multiple non-market values should be considered.

'Is there any point in me doing this?' Views and experiences of women in the Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing (DAME) trial.

The Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing (DAME) randomised controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in 2011–2015, at six sites in Melbourne, Australia to explore the effect of advising women with diabetes in pregnancy to express breast milk from 36 weeks gestation. Infants whose mothers were randomised to express in pregnancy were more likely to be exclusively breast milk fed during their hospital stay, and there was no evidence of harm. This paper explores women's views and experiences of antenatal expressing. In this two‐arm RCT, 635 women with diabetes in pregnancy who were otherwise of low medical risk were randomised at 36–37 weeks gestation to usual care (not expressing, n = 316), or the intervention, where women were advised to hand express for 10 min twice daily until birth (n = 319). Semistructured face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with 10 women who expressed antenatally. They were asked about their experiences of antenatal expressing, including how they felt about the overall experience, the amount of breast milk they expressed, making time to express, and their experience of breastfeeding. Thematic analysis of the in‐depth interviews identified six themes: (1) learning and adapting expressing, (2) feelings and sensations associated with expressing, (3) support, (4) dis/empowerment, (5) health, and (6) the value of breast milk. Women had both positive and negative experiences of antenatal expressing. If health professionals are advising antenatal expressing to women, it is important they understand the range of outcomes and experiences.

Examining tenancy duration and exit patterns in a single-site, mixed-tenure Permanent Supportive Housing setting

ABSTRACT Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is recognized as an effective intervention for individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness. However, evidence of its efficacy mostly comes from scattered-site PSH. This paper investigates tenancy duration and exit patterns in a single-site, mixed-tenure PSH setting, drawing on nine years of tenancy administration data from a site in Melbourne, Australia. Our methodology combines survival and hazard analyses of tenancy records with analysis of exit reasons. We estimate that the probability of sustaining a tenancy to two years is 50% for supported tenancies and 46% for affordable tenancies. We find that of tenancies that exit, over two-thirds do so in unfavorable circumstances, and these tenancies are shorter than those that exit in favorable circumstances. We find some tenant attributes (including age and psychiatric disability) are predictors of longer tenancies, but tenancies started earlier in the site’s history were more likely to exit early. We argue that it is vital to acknowledge that people do exit PSH and to develop effective policy and practice responses to raise tenancy durations where practicable, and ensure that more people who leave do so in favorable circumstances.

Assessing the feasibility, acceptability and impacts of an education program on hepatitis B testing uptake among ethnic Chinese in Australia: results of a randomised controlled pilot study

BackgroundIn Australia, Chinese migrants are among the populations most affected by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection but often experience late diagnosis or access to clinical care. This study aims to explore approaches to increase HBV testing in Australia’s Chinese community and inform evaluation planning, specifically to i) assess the feasibility and acceptability of HBV educational programs, and ii) compare HBV testing uptake in people receiving a tailored education resource focussing on liver cancer prevention compared with a standard HBV education package.MethodsThis is a pre-post mixed-methods pilot and feasibility study. People of Chinese ethnicity and unsure of their HBV infection or immunity status were recruited from ten community sites in Melbourne, Australia in 2019–2020. Participants were randomised to receive an education package (comprised of a leaflet and in-person one-on-one educational session) with a focus on either 1) standard HBV-related information, or 2) liver cancer prevention. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire prior to receiving the intervention and were followed up at 6 months’ time for a questionnaire and an opt-in semi-structured interview. Primary study outcomes included feasibility of study procedures, measured by recruitment, participation, and retention rates; acceptability of the education program assessed by acceptability scores; and HBV testing uptake rate in each arm. Secondary outcomes include HBV-related knowledge change, assessed by pre-post comparison; and factors affecting participants’ testing behaviour analysed using qualitative data.ResultsFifty-four participants received an education package; baseline and follow-up data from 33 (61%) were available. The study procedures of recruitment and retention were feasible; the acceptability of the education program was moderate with improved HBV-related knowledge observed. Four participants self-reported being tested: one (1/15, 7%) in the standard HBV information group and three (3/18, 17%) in the liver cancer prevention information group. Factors identified as affecting testing included perceived relevance and seriousness of HBV, healthcare access and costs of testing, and perceptions of the role of primary care providers in HBV-related care.ConclusionA tailored education program targeting ethnic Chinese in Australia was feasible with moderate acceptability. A larger study is required to determine if a liver cancer prevention message would improve HBV testing uptake in Chinese community than standard HBV education message. Supports from healthcare providers, community-based testing programs, and public health education programs are likely needed to motivate diagnostic testing among Chinese people at risk of HBV infection.

Empirical investigation into underground utility strikes for supporting incident prevention: cases in Melbourne, Australia

Underground utilities pose a hazard during excavation works. One-call services are available to prevent strikes by providing relevant drawings to contractors, such as Dial Before You Dig in Australia. Even with this service and many other technologies, incidents keep occurring at an alarming rate. The research team developed a plan to observe relevant incidents occurring at multiple sites in Melbourne. Thirty cases of service strikes were detected over a 2-year period and the data showed the existence of common causes related to proactiveness in operational management. This includes errors in the use of current tools such as geographic information systems, which need to correctly show the most up-to-date buried infrastructure to be effective. This research also highlighted the need for procedures to be followed that involved having assets marked out on site and proved through non-destructive digging prior to excavation. Two practical scenarios were used to verify the research findings.

Patient functional independence and occupational therapist time-use in inpatient services: Patient demographic and clinical correlates.

IntroductionHealth care expenditure has rapidly increased in Australia. Effective management of occupational therapy services is required to meet clinical demand. Improving our understanding of factors which influence occupational therapy service delivery is a vital step to manage workload distribution and optimise service efficiency. This study aims to examine the influence of patient sociodemographic characteristics, diagnosis and functional independence on the utilisation of occupational therapy resources in hospital inpatients over 18 years old.MethodsProspective, cross-sectional, observational cohort study of 4549 inpatients from three hospital sites in Melbourne, Australia. Data extracted from organisational databases and included in this study were: patient demographics, diagnosis, functional level assessed using the SMAF (Functional Autonomy Measurement System) and occupational therapy time-use. Data were analysed using univariable and multivariable modelling.ResultsOccupational therapy time-use was significantly associated with all variables included in analysis (p < 0.05). For each variable the amount and direction of effect differed between hospital sites. The SMAF was the only variable consistently associated with occupational therapy time-use. Higher occupational therapy time-use was associated with lower functional independence (leading to a 3.5 min increase in median occupational therapy time for every unit decrease in SMAF score).ConclusionsManagement of resources within busy hospitals require knowledge of factors associated with occupational therapist time-use. This study identified that time-use could in part be predicted by functional independence, diagnosis and sociodemographic characteristics. Occupational therapy managers can use this information to support decision making while acknowledging other patient and therapist level factors also influence time-use.

Geopolymer synthesis using low-grade clays

Due to the large contribution of cement production towards CO2 emission and rising concerns regarding climate change, substitution with alternative binders has become an established alternative to improve sustainability. Aluminosiliceous polymeric materials, known as geopolymer or alkali activated materials, have been proven to achieve a performance as good as and even superior to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Various source materials have the potential to be used for the geopolymer synthesis depending on the local availability, among which fly ash, slag, and metakaolin have received most attention. A less established alternative is low grade clay, whether as the natural clay or the waste of construction work. These have the potential for geopolymer production due to their composition and abundance worldwide. However, due to the impurities present in these low-grade clays and slower dissolution rates, the synthesised geopolymers generally display lower mechanical performance. In this research, four different clays collected form construction sites in Melbourne, Australia, were characterised, and the optimum clay selected based on the amorphous content, specific surface area, and fineness. Furthermore, a relatively low energy-demand calcination regime was applied to the chosen clay, 550° C for 1 h. For the untreated clay-based geopolymer, a 7-day compressive strength of nearly 32 MPa was achieved, which increased to approaching 50 MPa after calcination at 550° C. A range of microscopy techniques, EDS, XRD, XRF, zetametry, 27Al MAS NMR, and computerised tomography were applied to characterise the microstructure and reaction kinetics of the synthesised geopolymer.

Development and Validation of a Penicillin Allergy Clinical Decision Rule

Penicillin allergy is a significant public health issue for patients, antimicrobial stewardship programs, and health services. Validated clinical decision rules are urgently needed to identify low-risk penicillin allergies that potentially do not require penicillin skin testing by a specialist. To develop and validate a penicillin allergy clinical decision rule that enables point-of-care risk assessment of patient-reported penicillin allergies. In this diagnostic study, a multicenter prospective antibiotic allergy-tested cohort of 622 patients from 2 tertiary care sites in Melbourne, Australia (Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) was used for derivation and internal validation of a penicillin allergy decision rule. Backward stepwise logistic regression was used to derive the model, including clinical variables predictive of a positive penicillin allergy test result. Internal validation of the final model used bootstrapped samples and the model scoring derived from the coefficients. External validation was performed in retrospective penicillin allergy-tested cohorts consisting of 945 patients from Sydney and Perth, Australia, and Nashville, Tennessee. Patients who reported a penicillin allergy underwent penicillin allergy testing using skin prick, intradermal, or patch testing and/or oral challenge (direct or after skin testing). Data were collected from June 26, 2008, to June 3, 2019, and analyzed from January 9 to 12, 2019. The primary outcome for the model was any positive result of penicillin allergy testing performed during outpatient or inpatient assessment. From an internal derivation and validation cohort of 622 patients (367 female [59.0%]; median age, 60 [interquartile range{IQR}, 48-71] years) and an external validation cohort of 945 patients (662 female [70.1%]; median age, 55 [IQR, 38-68] years), the 4 features associated with a positive penicillin allergy test result on multivariable analysis were summarized in the mnemonic PEN-FAST: penicillin allergy, five or fewer years ago, anaphylaxis/angioedema, severe cutaneous adverse reaction (SCAR), and treatment required for allergy episode. The major criteria included an allergy event occurring 5 or fewer years ago (2 points) and anaphylaxis/angioedema or SCAR (2 points); the minor criterion (1 point), treatment required for an allergy episode. Internal validation showed minimal mean optimism of 0.003 with internally validated area under the curve of 0.805. A cutoff of less than 3 points for PEN-FAST was chosen to classify a low risk of penicillin allergy, for which only 17 of 460 patients (3.7%) had positive results of allergy testing, with a negative predictive value of 96.3% (95% CI, 94.1%-97.8%). External validation resulted in similar findings. In this study, PEN-FAST was found to be a simple rule that accurately identified low-risk penicillin allergies that do not require formal allergy testing. The results suggest that a PEN-FAST score of less than 3, associated with a high negative predictive value, could be used by clinicians and antimicrobial stewardship programs to identify low-risk penicillin allergies at the point of care.

Comparison of the effectiveness of a tailored cognitive behavioural therapy with a supportive listening intervention for depression in those newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (the ACTION-MS trial): protocol of an assessor-blinded, active comparator, randomised controlled trial

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, chronic neurological disease accompanied with high rates of depression and anxiety, particularly in the early stages of diagnosis. There is evidence to suggest that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective for the treatment of depression amongst individuals with MS; however, there is a paucity of tailored CBT interventions designed to be offered in the newly diagnosed period. This trial is the first to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a tailored CBT intervention compared to a supportive listening (SL) intervention amongst individuals with MS who are depressed.MethodsACTION-MS is a two-arm parallel group, assessor-blinded, active comparator, randomised controlled trial which will test whether a tailored CBT-based intervention compared to an SL intervention can reduce depression and related factors such as anxiety, fatigue, pain and sleep problems in those newly diagnosed with MS. Sixty participants who are within 5 years of having received a diagnosis of MS and scored within the mild to moderate range of depression on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) will be recruited from MS clinics located across three hospital sites in Melbourne, Australia. The primary outcome is depression severity using the BDI-II at post-assessment. Intervention satisfaction and acceptability will be assessed. A cost-effectiveness analysis will also be conducted. Data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis.DiscussionThere is a scarcity of psychological interventions for depression targeting the newly diagnosed period. However, interventions during this time point have the potential to have a major impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of those newly diagnosed with MS. The current trial will provide data on the effectiveness of a tailored CBT intervention for the treatment of depression in those newly diagnosed with MS. Findings will also provide effect size estimates that can be used to power a later-stage multi-centre trial of treatment efficacy, and will provide information on the mechanisms underlying any treatment effects and cost-effectiveness data for delivering this intervention in outpatient MS clinics.Trial registrationISRCTN trials registry, ISRCTN63987586. Current controlled trials. Retrospectively registered on 20 October 2017.

Impact of Post-Transplant Consolidative Radiotherapy in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and a PET-CT Based Predictive Model for Relapse

Background Approximately half of patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) will relapse despite curative intent therapy with salvage chemotherapy (SC) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Consolidative radiotherapy (cRT) is used to reduce the risk of local relapse in high risk patients. We aimed to examine the (i) impact of cRT on outcomes, (ii) role of positron-emission tomography computerised tomography (PET-CT) imaging in predicting outcomes, (iii) identify a subgroup most likely to benefit from cRT, (iv) assess patterns of relapse to understand the mechanisms of treatment failure and (v) propose a PET-CT based risk stratification model for relapse. Patients and Methods 104 patients with R/R cHL treated with curative intent SC and ASCT between January 2000 and May 2019 were retrospectively identified from two sites in Melbourne, Australia. Fifty-six patients (54%) received peri-transplant cRT. SC consisted of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy of the clinician's choice followed by interim assessment by PET-CT imaging. Patients with a complete or partial metabolic response proceeded to ASCT. Disease status was routinely evaluated by physical examination and PET-CT imaging at time of disease relapse, at completion of salvage chemotherapy, and at three months following ASCT. A complete metabolic response on fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT was defined by Deauville Score ≤3 (uptake ≤ liver, PET negative) and compared to Deauville Score ≥4 (PET positive). Results With a median follow-up of 2.5 (range 0.2-15.2) years, the 2-year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 68.3% and 83.6%, respectively. Inferior PFS was associated with advanced stage (III or IV) disease at relapse (AS-R) (53% vs 78%; P=0.004) and PET positivity after SC (51% vs 79%; P=0.005). Compared to PET negative patients after SC, 2-year PFS was significantly inferior in patients who were PET positive and did not receive cRT (38% vs 79%; P&lt;0.001) which lost statistical significance with the addition of cRT (Figure 1A. 58% vs 79%; P=0.12) despite patients in each RT cohort having comparable baseline characteristics. This potential PFS benefit was statistically significant for PET positive patients after SC with limited stage disease at relapse [LS-R] (Figure 1B. 91% vs 44%; P=0.007) but not for patients with AS-R (31% vs 25%; P=0.90). Patients who achieved a negative PET scan without residual tumor mass had superior outcomes following ASCT as compared to patients who are PET negative with residual mass ≥2cm and PET positive patients (Figure 1C. 86% vs 70% vs 51%; P=0.007). Although cRT was associated with a non-significant improvement in local disease in patients with AS-R (P=0.05), 3/5 (60%) patients with LS-R and 5/12 (42%) patients with AS-R who received cRT had subsequent in-field relapse post ASCT. Conclusion One third of patients with relapsed/refractory cHL who received SC and ASCT subsequently relapsed within two years. cRT may abrogate the negative predictive value of a positive PET scan after SC, of which patients with LS-R are most likely to benefit. PET positive disease and residual mass ≥2cm after SC are associated with inferior PFS despite the use of cRT. Conversely, patients who are PET negative without residual tumor mass after SC have superior outcomes. cRT is associated with improved local disease control, yet approximately half of patients who relapse after cRT will still have in-field relapse, possibly warranting the evaluation of higher cRT doses. Therefore, we propose a PET-based model which may identify the patients at "high" risk of progressing after ASCT who are most likely to benefit from clinical trials examining different modalities of consolidative therapy (Figure 1D). Validation of this model is required in a larger independent population. Disclosures Ritchie: Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy; BMS: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Beigene: Research Funding; Imago: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria. MacManus:National Health and Medical Research Council Australia: Research Funding. Seymour:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Honoraria; Acerta: Consultancy, Honoraria. Dickinson:GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Merck Sharpe and Dohme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.

Emerging and legacy contaminants across land-use gradients and the risk to aquatic ecosystems

Information on potentially harmful emerging and legacy chemicals is essential to understand the risks to the environment and inform regulatory actions. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence, concentration, and distribution of emerging and legacy contaminants across a gradient of land-use intensity and determine the risk posed to aquatic ecosystems. The land-use intensity gradient considered was: background/undeveloped < low-intensity agriculture < high-intensity agriculture < urban residential < urban industrial. Twenty-five sites were sampled for surface water, sediment, and soil. A total of 218 chemicals were analyzed: pesticides, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalates, and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). The risk posed by the analyzed chemicals to the aquatic environment was measured using hazard quotients (HQs), which were calculated by dividing the maximum measured environmental concentration by a predicted no-effect concentration for each chemical. A HQ > 1 was considered to indicate a high risk of adverse effects from the given chemical. A total of 68 chemicals were detected: 19 pesticides, 18 PFAS, 28 PBDEs, two phthalates, and SCCPs (as total SCCPs). There were no significant differences in the overall chemical composition between land uses. However, the insecticide bifenthrin, PFAS, PBDEs, and phthalates were more frequently found in samples from residential and/or industrial sites, suggesting urban land uses are hotspots and potential large-scale sources of these chemicals. Nineteen chemicals had a HQ > 1; most had a restricted spatial distribution limited to high-intensity agriculture and industrial sites in Melbourne. Bifenthrin and the perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) had the highest HQs in residential and industrial sites, suggesting an increased risk to aquatic ecosystems in urban settings. The results of this study will enhance future research, predictive methods, and effective targeting of monitoring, and will help guide regulatory management actions and mitigation solutions.

\u201cYou feel like you\u2019re part of something bigger\u201d: exploring motivations for community garden participation in Melbourne, Australia

BackgroundIncreased global urbanisation has led to public health challenges. Community gardens are identified as a mechanism for addressing socio-ecological determinants of health. This study aims to explore motives for joining community gardens, and the extent to which participation can be facilitated given barriers and enablers to community gardening. Such a study fills a gap in the public health literature, particularly in the Australian context.MethodsThis paper presents findings from semi-structured interviews with 23 participants from 6 community gardens across Melbourne. Applying phenomenological, epistemological and reflexive methodologies and thematic analysis of the data, this study provides a snapshot of drivers of community garden participation.ResultsResults were categorised into six enabling themes to participation. These themes revolved around (i) family history, childhood and passion for gardening; (ii) productive gardening, sustainability and growing fresh produce in nature; (iii) building social and community connections; (iv) community and civic action; (v) stress relief; and (vi) building identity, pride and purpose. Time costs incurred, garden governance and vandalism of garden spaces were among the barriers to community garden participation.ConclusionAlthough an interest in the act of gardening itself may be universally present among community gardeners to varying degrees, the findings of this study suggest that motivations for participation are diverse and span a range of ancestral, social, environmental, and political domains. This study contributes exploratory insights on community garden motivations and sustained involvement across multiple urban sites in Melbourne (Australia). This study recommends extending this work by undertaking future quantitative research that can move from local case studies to a national guidelines on how to engage more people in urban agriculture activities like community gardening.

Post-Hospitalization Short-Term Oxygen Therapy: Use of a Clinical Management Pathway and Long-Term Follow-Up.

Home oxygen therapy is commonly prescribed for patients who remain hypoxemic at hospital discharge, although evidence supporting this practice is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate oxygen prescription and follow-up for patients who were prescribed post-discharge short-term oxygen therapy (STOT) and to assess their long-term outcome. A retrospective audit was undertaken of subjects prescribed STOT following hospitalization at a single site in Melbourne, Australia, between January 2011 and December 2015. During the study period, a designated clinical pathway for STOT prescription and follow-up after hospital discharge was in place. Chart review was performed to collect subject demographics and comorbidities, results of oxygen assessment (arterial blood gas and 6-min walk tests) and prescription, and results at follow-up re-assessment and mortality. Over five 5 years, 205 subjects were prescribed STOT upon hospital discharge. Common indications for oxygen treatment were chronic lung disease (54%) and dyspnea palliation (26%). Of the 152 subjects who were discharged with non-palliative oxygen therapy, 28% did not fulfil the recommended prescribing criteria or did not have recommended assessments. Among the 118 subjects who returned for re-assessment 4 weeks after initial oxygen provision, 47 (40%) did not fulfill criteria for long-term oxygen therapy. The 1-y cumulative survival rate for the study population was 56%. A significant proportion of subjects who were prescribed post-discharge STOT did not fulfill the recommended prescribing criteria. The long-term prognosis for subjects who were prescribed post-discharge STOT was poor.

Effects of deep tillage and municipal green waste compost amendments on soil properties and tree growth in compacted urban soils

Large trees are often seen as a means of offsetting negative consequences of growing urban densification. To increase the tree canopy cover of dense urban landscapes, developers, planners and urban tree managers are often forced to plant into damaged and compacted sites. Compacted urban soils can hinder the establishment and growth of deep rooted, woody plants by: 1) impeding root exploration and development which is critical for water and nutrient acquisition; 2) reducing infiltration of water into the soil and the availability of water to plants; and 3) reducing gas exchange and the balance between anaerobic and aerobic conditions.At three sites in Melbourne, Australia with compacted and damaged soils, we established four soil remediation treatments: 1 & 2) tillage to 0.25 m with and without 50% (v/v) municipal green waste compost (MGWC) additions, and 3 & 4) tillage to 0.5 m with and without 50% MGWC addition, plus a non-remediated control. Each treatment was replicated (n = 3), and one Corymbia maculata (spotted gum) tree was planted into the centre of each 2 × 2 m treatment plot (n = 15), at all three sites (n = 45).Bulk density and field-saturated hydraulic conductivity were improved by tillage, at least in the short-term. The use of MGWC may maintain these changes for longer. Depending on site soil conditions tree growth may be improved by tillage alone. At one site, we found that additions of MGWC lead to nitrogen immobilisation due to site soil conditions. At another site, deep tillage (with or without MGWC) led to significantly improved tree growth.Compacted and degraded urban soils may be improved through simple tillage and/or organic amendment strategies for the successful establishment of deep rooted woody plants. However, site soil conditions will dictate whether the addition of MGWC is beneficial or not, as one site showed no positive response to any tillage or MGWC. This research has examined a technique that can be used by landscape managers to improve soil physical characteristics and, in certain circumstances, can improve deep-rooted woody plant establishment and growth in challenging compacted urban soil conditions.