Children's understanding of sustainability in their home and kindergarten

This article presents an ongoing study within early childhood education for sustainability at the Department for Early Childhood Education in Stavanger, in collaboration with the School of Early Childhood, Queensland University of Technology, in Brisbane, Australia. The study commenced in 2014, and will compare the responses to interviews of young children (4-5 years) in Brisbane with those of children in Stavanger, in order to find out ways to enhance learning about sustainability topics, to identify which kind of environmental/sustainability activities are memorable for young children, and to obtain mutual inspiration about early childhood education for sustainability from the different countries.

Effects of clear-fell harvest on bat home range.

We investigated effects of roost loss due to clear-fell harvest on bat home range. The study took place in plantation forest, inhabited by the New Zealand long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus), in which trees are harvested between the ages 26-32 years. We determined home ranges by radiotracking different bats in areas that had and had not been recently clear-fell harvested. Home ranges were smaller in areas that had been harvested. Adult male bats selected 20-25 year old stands within home ranges before and after harvest. Males selected edges with open unplanted areas when harvest had not occurred but no longer selected these at proportions greater than their availability post harvest, probably because they were then readily available. This is the first radiotracking study to demonstrate a change in home range size and selection concomitant with felling of large areas of plantation forest, and thus quantify negative effects of forestry operations on this speciose group. The use of smaller home ranges post-harvest may reflect smaller colony sizes and lower roost availability, both of which may increase isolation of colonies and vulnerability to local extinction.

Home range and habitat selection by a threatened bat in exotic plantation forest

Individuals' home ranges are constrained by resource distribution and density, population size, and energetic requirements. Consequently, home ranges and habitat selection may vary between individuals of different sex and reproductive conditions. Whilst home ranges of bats are well-studied in native habitats, they are often not well understood in modified landscapes, particularly exotic plantation forests. Although Chalinolobus tuberculatus (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) are present in plantation forests throughout New Zealand their home ranges have only been studied in native forest and forest-agricultural mosaic and no studies of habitat selection that included males had occurred in any habitat type. Therefore, we investigated C. tuberculatus home range and habitat selection within exotic plantation forest. Home range sizes did not differ between bats of different reproductive states. Bats selected home ranges with higher proportions of relatively old forest than was available. Males selected edges with open unplanted areas within their home ranges, which females avoided. We suggest males use these edges, highly profitable foraging areas with early evening peaks in invertebrate abundance, to maintain relatively low energetic demands. Females require longer periods of invertebrate activity to fulfil their needs so select older stands for foraging, where invertebrate activity is higher. These results highlight additional understanding gained when data are not pooled across sexes. Mitigation for harvest operations could include ensuring that areas suitable for foraging and roosting are located within a radius equal to the home range of this bat species.

Physical and functional implications of aquatic exercise for nursing home residents with dementia

Exercise has reported benefits for those with dementia. In the current study we investigated the feasibility of delivery and the physical and functional benefits of an innovative aquatic exercise program for adults with moderate to severe dementia living in a nursing home aged care facility. Ten adults (88.4 years, inter quartile range 12.3) participated twice weekly for 12 weeks. Anthropometric and grip strength data, and measures of physical function and balance were collected at baseline and post-intervention. Feasibility was assessed by attendance, participation, enjoyment and recruitment. Following exercise, participant's left hand grip strength had improved significantly (p = .017). Small to moderate effect sizes were observed for other measures. A number of delivery challenges emerged, but participant enjoyment, benefits and attendance suggest feasibility. Aquatic exercise shows promise as an intervention among those with dementia who live in a nursing home aged care facility. Greater program investigation is warranted.

The clinical utility of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia as a routine assessment in nursing homes

Objective To examine the clinical utility of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) in nursing homes. Setting 14 nursing homes in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia. Participants 92 residents with a mean age of 85 years. Measurements Consenting residents were assessed by care staff for depression using the CSDD as part of their routine assessment. Specialist clinicians conducted assessment of depression using the Semi-structured Clinical Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders for residents without dementia or the Provisional Diagnostic Criteria for Depression in Alzheimer Disease for residents with dementia to establish expert clinical diagnoses of depression. The diagnostic performance of the staff completed CSDD was analyzed against expert diagnosis using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The CSDD showed low diagnostic accuracy, with areas under the ROC curve being 0.69, 0.68 and 0.70 for the total sample, residents with dementia and residents without dementia, respectively. At the standard CSDD cutoff score, the sensitivity and specificity were 71% and 59% for the total sample, 69% and 57% for residents with dementia, and 75% and 61% for residents without dementia. The Youden index (for optimizing cut-points) suggested different depression cutoff scores for residents with and without dementia. Conclusion When administered by nursing home staff the clinical utility of the CSDD is highly questionable in identifying depression. The complexity of the scale, the time required for collecting relevant information, and staff skills and knowledge of assessing depression in older people must be considered when using the CSDD in nursing homes.

Feature article coverage of Australian out-of-home care : portrayals and policy reform

Mandatory reporting is a key aspect of Australia’s approach to protecting children and is incorporated into all jurisdictions’ legislation, albeit in a variety of forms. In this article we examine all major newspaper’s coverage of mandatory reporting during an 18-month period in 2008-2009, when high-profile tragedies and inquiries occurred and significant policy and reform agendas were being debated. Mass media utilise a variety of lenses to inform and shape public responses and attitudes to reported events. We use frame analysis to identify the ways in which stories were composed and presented, and how language portrayed this contested area of policy. The results indicate that within an overall portrayal of system failure and the need for reform, the coverage placed major responsibility on child protection agencies for the over-reporting, under-reporting, and overburdened system identified, along with the failure of mandatory reporting to reduce risk. The implications for ongoing reform are explored along with the need for robust research to inform debate about the merits of mandatory reporting.

Point Henry Bushfire Safety : 10 Year Plan

Bushfire responsive design and management strategy at the bioregion scale. 248 Page document containing text, original designs, photographs, masterplans and critique - created as an alternative community-based strategy for risk mitigation and management reponse to bushfire in the Point Henry and Bremer Bay region of Western Australia. Document drafted as an alternative to a local government commissioned plan which had many shortcomings. It was presented as a 'powerpoint' presentaion at a public meeting in Bremer Bay on 7th April 2014 and disseminated to local community members and councillors to encourage public debate and feedback to the Shire of Jerramungup, WA.

Associations between early shared music activities in the home and later child outcomes : findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

The benefits of early shared book reading between parents and children have long been established,yet the same cannot be said for early shared music activities in the home. This study investigated the parent–child home music activities in a sample of 3031 Australian children participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) study. Frequency of shared home music activities was reported by parents when children were 2–3 years and a range of social, emotional,and cognitive outcomes were measured by parent and teacher report and direct testing two years later when children were 4–5 years old. A series of regression analyses (controlling for a set of important socio-demographic variables) found frequency of shared home music activities to have a small significant partial association with measures of children’s vocabulary, numeracy, attentional and emotional regulation, and prosocial skills. We then included both book reading and shared home music activities in the same models and found that frequency of shared home music activities maintained small partial associations with measures of prosocial skills, attentional regulation, and numeracy. Our findings suggest there may be a role for parent-child home music activities in supporting children’s development.

Never at Home? Migrants Between Societies

This chapter explores the dialectic meaning of ‘home’, and movement away from home. Movement away from home – migration – is characterized as a dynamic, dialectic, and developmental experience. We emphasize the sense of being at home and the intertwined sense of identity as interlinked and mutually defining anchors of our existence that become inevitably shaken and ruptured in the experience of migration. But when looking at how this rupture is experienced and managed, we highlight the inherently complex and dialectic nature of migration, instead of seeing it as a unidirectional sequence of rupture → shock → coping → new stable being. We discuss the complexities of migration experiences as entailing dialectics of home and non-home, rupture and continuity, novelty and everydayness, changing and remaining. The sense of being at home is simultaneously enabling and constraining, helping us to build self-continuity in a new environment, yet also holding us back and distancing us from novelty. Similarly, migration is a threat, yet also a promise; it is a painful, yet possibly exhilarating experience that makes us lose our centre of security and familiarity, yet also opens up opportunities for transformation and re-invention.

Energy efficient home with price sensitive stochastically programmable TCAs

Introduction of dynamic pricing in present retail market, considerably affects customers with an increased cost of energy consumption. Therefore, customers are enforced to control their loads according to price variation. This paper proposes a new technique of Home Energy Management, which helps customers to minimize their cost of energy consumption by appropriately controlling their loads. Thermostatically Controllable Appliances (TCAs) such as air conditioner and water heater are focused in this study, as they consume more than 50% of the total household energy consumption. The control process includes stochastic dynamic programming, which incorporated uncertainties in price and demand variation. It leads to an accurate selection of appliance settings. It is followed by a real time control of selected appliances with its optimal settings. Temperature set points of TCAs are adjusted based on price droop which is a reflection of actual cost of energy consumption. Customer satisfaction is maintained within limits using constraint optimization. It is showed that considerable energy savings is achieved.

Collecting in an urban context: Relationships between collections and space in the home

Collecting has become a popular hobby within Western society, with collectables including anything from ‘bottle tops’ to ‘skyscrapers’. As the nature and size of these collections can impact upon the use of space in the home, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the collections, space in the home and the impacts on others. This qualitative study explores the experiences of 11 Australian collectors, investigating the motivations, practices and adaption techniques used within their urban home environment. The themes of sentimentality, sociability and spatial tensions, including physical, personal and use of space are discussed within the context of their home and family environments. Overall the practice of collecting objects is a complex, varied, sentimental and sociable activity, providing enjoyment, knowledge and friendships. Space can be a central consideration to the practice of collecting as collections shape and are shaped by the available space in a household.

Fixing the alignment: An exploration of budgeting practices in the home

Budgeting is an important means of controlling ones finances and reducing debt. This paper outlines our work towards designing more user centred technology for individual and household budgeting. Based on an ethnographically informed study with 15 participants, we highlight a misalignment between people's actual budgeting practices and those supported by off-the-shelf budgeting aids. In addressing this misalignment we outline three tenets that may be incorporated into future work in this area. These include (1) catering for the different phases of engagement with technology; (2) catering for the practices of hiding and limiting access to money, and; (3) integrating materiality into technical solutions.

Barriers to entering affordable home ownership for young people: A preliminary study from university students’ perspectives

Over the last two decades, housing affordability has been a problem for young people, and identified as factor leading to youth homelessness. The National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness developed a roadmap for preventing this problem (National Youth Commission, 2008). The roadmap recommends increasing the supply of affordable housing for young people as an important strategy to reduce the risk of homelessness problems. In addition, understanding the barriers and the needs of young people is a significant part of the development of a national affordable housing strategy. This paper explores issues encountered by young people when they enter the housing market as first home buyers. A short survey was conducted to review the barriers to entry, classified by income levels, housing cost and availability of affordable housing. In the current competitive job market, young people have minimal work experience, relatively low job security and low income. In addition to these barriers, participants also suggested other barriers towards the purchase of their first home, such as lack of knowledge of legal issues and lack of government funding. This study suggests the need for both government and educational support for young people around housing choices and the development of financial strategies to manage barriers towards owning their first home.

Beyond energy savings: Exploring how design can extend the scope of eco-feedback for users in the home

As energy use information is becoming increasingly visible and sharable, this research aimed to inform the design of eco-feedback systems for the home. It involved observation and analysis of people's practices, which involve energy use, and their use of a domestic eco-feedback system. The question was asked: how can design best engage people with energy consumption information- making feedback more relevant to home occupants? In addressing this, a specifically bottom-up approach was employed, studying what people actually do with eco-feedback, rather than what technologists imagine eco-feedback will do to people.