Inhaled particle counts on bicycle commute routes of low and high proximity to motorised traffic

Frequent exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP) is associated with detrimental effects on cardiopulmonary function and health. UFP dose and therefore the associated health risk are a factor of exposure frequency, duration, and magnitude of (therefore also proximity to) a UFP emission source. Bicycle commuters using on-road routes during peak traffic times are sharing a microenvironment with high levels of motorised traffic, a major UFP emission source. Inhaled particle counts were measured along popular pre-identified bicycle commute route alterations of low (LOW) and high (HIGH) motorised traffic to the same inner-city destination at peak commute traffic times. During commute, real-time particle number concentration (PNC; mostly in the UFP range) and particle diameter (PD), heart and respiratory rate, geographical location, and meteorological variables were measured. To determine inhaled particle counts, ventilation rate was calculated from heart-rate-ventilation associations, produced from periodic exercise testing. Total mean PNC of LOW (compared to HIGH) was reduced (1.56 x e4 ± 0.38 x e4 versus 3.06 x e4 ± 0.53 x e4 ppcc; p = 0.012). Total estimated ventilation rate did not vary significantly between LOW and HIGH (43 ± 5 versus 46 ± 9 L•min; p = 0.136); however, due to total mean PNC, accumulated inhaled particle counts were 48% lower in LOW, compared to HIGH (7.6 x e8 ± 1.5 x e8 versus 14.6 x e8 ± 1.8 x e8; p = 0.003). For bicycle commuting at peak morning commute times, inhaled particle counts and therefore cardiopulmonary health risk may be substantially reduced by decreasing exposure to motorised traffic, which should be considered by both bicycle commuters and urban planners

Four rural cemeteries in central western NSW: Islands of Australiana in a European sea?

Vascular plants present in groundstoreys of variously–managed areas in four cemeteries in central western NSW – two on the Central Western Slopes (Garra and Toogong) and two on the Central Tablelands (Lyndhurst and Carcoar) – were recorded over periods of 6–10 years. It was hypothesised that (a) areas of the cemeteries with a history of nil or low disturbance would represent high quality remnant vegetation (i.e. contain a diversity of native species but few naturalised species), and (b) that clearing of woody vegetation, together with similar management (e.g. regular mowing) would result in homogenisation of the groundstoreys such that many species, native and naturalised, would be common to all sites. 344 species (176 native, 154 naturalised and 14 non–naturalised exotics) were recorded across the four cemeteries. Many native species that were rare in the surrounding agricultural lands were present in the cemeteries (enhancing their value as conservation areas) but no cemetery contained areas of groundstorey that would qualify as ‘pristine’. Across all management areas, the proportions of naturalised species in the native + naturalised floras of the cemeteries ranged from 46 to 55 %. Though never dominant, naturalised species also comprised high proportions (42 to 51 %) of the floras of the least disturbed (nil or infrequently mown) areas within each cemetery. Many (40 %) of the species recorded occurred at only one cemetery. This partly explained why the floras of similarly– managed parts of cemeteries on the Central Western Slopes were, contrary to expectations, markedly different to those on the Central Tablelands. However, within the same botanic subdivision, floras – particularly of naturalised species in regularly mown grasslands – were more similar (‘homogenised’) than those of nil or infrequently mown grasslands

The Voluntary Right to Buy pilot: Additional analysis of completions

This report builds on detailed analysis of the lessons from the pilot programme for the Voluntary Right to Buy (VRTB). The introduction of the right to buy (RTB) for eligible tenants in specified housing association dwellings was a manifesto commitment by the Conservative party for the 2015 general election. In October 2015, the government accepted a proposal by the National Housing Federation (NHF) on behalf of its members to deliver this commitment by way of voluntary agreement rather than legislation. The VRTB pilot scheme was set up by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) the following month. The research team was commissioned in January 2016 by the National Housing Federation (NHF) and the five pilot housing associations to investigate the programme using an action learning approach. Findings from this research were published in January 2017. These findings were published before the end of the pilot programme. The overwhelming majority of the purchases from the pilot housing associations have now completed. This short follow-up report provides an update on the progress of the pilot during its final months

Capping aspiration : the millennial housing challenge

Housing costs in the south east of England are unaffordable for millennials, even in social housing. And the Shared Accommodation Rate could cause severe hardship for single 16–34 year olds claiming Housing Benefit. The housing aspirations identified during the research were tempered by realism, and younger people recognised the importance of increased earnings. However, most were pessimistic about the prospects of improving their housing situation. In terms of developing viable housing offers to meet this group’s needs, housing associations are hampered by the nature of the homes they own; the procedures and protocols they share with their local authority partners in relation to allocating and managing those homes; and the impending risk of the Shared Accommodation Rate, which could make tenancies unsustainable

Parental Perceptions of Oral Health and School-Based Dental Sealant Programs

Introduction: Community Health Needs Assessment (University of Vermont Medical Center, 2013) Identified oral health in pediatric population as a primary concern Barriers to dental care cited: access, affordability, education School-Based Sealant Program (SBSP) Dental sealants are an evidence-based method of cavity prevention CDC strongly recommends delivery via SBSPs Few Vermont schools have such a program Vermont Medicaid State Plan amendment allows dental hygienists to bill without on-site dentist (2015)4 Unique opportunity to pilot an SBSP Pilot program implemented by the University of Vermont Medical Center Community Health Improvement Goal: sustainable model able to be replicated in Vermont schools Pilot School Selection – Milton Elementary-Middle School (MEMS) Demographics representative of Vermont schools (46% free & reduced lunch program); school administration supportive of an SBSP; no existing dental education (“Tooth Tutor”) program per Vermont Office of Oral Healthhttps://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1232/thumbnail.jp

From gatekeepers to gateway constructors: Credit rating agencies and the financialisation of housing associations

This paper uses the twin metaphors of ‘gatekeeper’ and ‘gateway constructor’ as devices to explore the role of Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) as intermediaries between global corporate finance and specific institutions – housing associations in England. The analysis utilises a financialisation framing, whereby the practices, logics and measurements of finance capital, increasingly permeate government, institutional and household behaviour and discourse. This paper examines how housing associations have increasingly resorted to corporate bond finance, partly in response to reductions in government funding, and in the process engaged with CRAs. Surprisingly little research has been undertaken on the role and function of CRAs, and their impact on the organisations they rate. The case of housing associations (HAs) is of particular interest, given their historical social mission to build and manage properties to meet housing need, rather than operate as commercial private landlords conversant with market-based rationales. A case study of the large London-based HAs draws on a narrative and financial analysis of annual reports, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with senior HA finance officers to explore how CRA methodologies have been internalised and have contributed to changes in strategic and operational activities. We conclude that CRAs act both as a gatekeeper to the financial markets but also as a gateway constructor for the financial markets to enter new arenas, such as the HA sector. This dual nature of CRAs is intended as our contribution to emerging debates about the nature, the practice and the impact of financialisation on public services