Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Equations For Estimating Reference Evapotranspiration In Australia, Matin Ahooghalandari, Mehdi Khiadani, Mina Esmi Jahromi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Quantifying reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) is essential in water resources management. Although, many methods have been developed with different level of accuracy, in this study, two new equations were developed and optimized for estimating ET₀ using Honey-Bee Mating Optimization (HBMO) algorithm. The firs eq. estimates ET₀ from extraterrestrial radiation (R_a), relative humidity (RH) and mean daily temperature (T_mean), while the second uses the same parameters except that mean daily temperatures is replaced with maximum daily air temperature (T_max). Both equations were developed using climatic data from eight weather stations in Western …

Discriminant Validity Of The Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (Ii) And Beck Anxiety Inventory To Confirmed Clinical Diagnosis Of Depression And Anxiety In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tina Phan, Owen Carter, Claire Adams, Grant Waterer, Li Ping Chung, Maxine Hawkins, Cobie Rudd, Mel R. Ziman, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the discriminant validity of commonly used depresson and anxiety screening tools in order to determine the most suitable tool for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD patients (n = 56) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). These scores were compared to confirmed clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview. HADS depression subscale (HADS-D) sensitivity/specificity was 78/81 %; BDI-II 89/77 %; HADS anxiety subscale (HADS-A) 71/81 %; and BAI 89/62 %. HADS-D sensitivity/specificity was improved …

Impact Of Mooring Activities On Carbon Stocks In Seagrass Meadows, Oscar Serrano, R. Ruhon, Paul S. Lavery, Gary A. Kendrick, S. Hickey, Pere Masque, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Andy D.L. Steven, Carlos M. Duarte

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Boating activities are one of the causes that threaten seagrass meadows and the ecosystem services they provide. Mechanical destruction of seagrass habitats may also trigger the erosion of sedimentary organic carbon (C_org) stocks, which may contribute to increasing atmospheric CO₂. This study presents the first estimates of loss of C_org stocks in seagrass meadows due to mooring activities in Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Sediment cores were sampled from seagrass meadows and from bare but previously vegetated sediments underneath moorings. The C_org stores have been compromised by the mooring deployment from 1930s onwards, which involved …

Learning Preferences Of Enrolled Nursing Students: Educational Preparation And Training For Workplace Readiness, Kalpana Raghunathan, Sonia Allen, Elisabeth R. Jacob

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In Australia there are two entry levels in nursing: the Registered Nurse (RN) and the Enrolled Nurse (EN). Nursing education research is predominately focused on higher education for Registered Nurses and postgraduate nursing students; as a result, the educational preferences of Enrolled Nursing students in the vocational education and training (VET) setting have not been identified. Enrolled Nursing students have some distinct educational needs as they transition through education into the workforce due to their diversity in learner characteristics and backgrounds. As the role of this group continues to expand in the workplace to meet the demands of the health …

Discriminating Talent Identified Junior Australian Footballers Using A Fundamental Gross Athletic Movement Assessment, Carle T. Woods, Henry Banyard, Ian Mckeown, Job Fransen, Sam J. Robertson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Talent identification (TID) is a pertinent component of the sports sciences, affording practitioners the opportunity to target developmental interventions to a select few; optimising financial investments. However, TID is multi-componential, requiring the recognition of immediate and prospective performance. The measurement of athletic movement skill may afford practitioners insight into the latter component given its augmented relationship with functional sport specific qualities. It is currently unknown whether athletic movement skill is a discriminant quality in junior Australian football (AF). This study aimed to discriminate talent identified junior AF players from their non-talent identified counterparts using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment. …

Distinction In Corrosion Resistance Of Selective Laser Melted Ti-6al-4v Alloy On Different Planes, Nianwei Dai, Laichang Zhang, Junxi Zhang, Xin Zhang, Qingzhao Ni, Yang Chen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Electrochemical measurements and microstructural analysis were performed to study the corrosion resistance of different planes of Ti-6Al-4V alloy manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM). The electrochemical results suggest that its XY-plane possesses a better corrosion resistance compared to XZ-plane in 1 M HCl solution, in spite of slight difference in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, suggesting that the different planes exhibit more pronounced distinction in corrosion resistance in harsher solution system. The inferior corrosion resistance of XZ-plane is attributed to the presence of more α′ martensite and less β-Ti phase in microstructure for XZ-plane than for XY-plane of the SLM-produced Ti-6Al-4V …

The Association Between Glycosylation Of Immunoglobulin G And Hypertension: A Multiple Ethnic Cross-Sectional Study, Youxin Wang, Lucija Klarić, Xinwei Yu, Kujtim Thaqi, Jing Dong, Mislav Novokmet, Jim Wilson, Ozren Polasek, Youqin Liu, Jasminka Krištić, Siqi Ge, Maja Pučić-Baković, Lijuan Wu, Yong Zhou, Ivo Ugrina, Manshu Song, Jie Zhang, Xiuhua Guo, Qiang Zeng, Igor Rudan, Harry Campbell, Yurii Aulchenko, Gordan Lauc, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

More than half of all known proteins, and almost all membrane and extra-cellular proteins have oligosaccharide structures or glycans attached to them. Defects in glycosylation pathways are directly involved in at least 30 severe human diseases. A multiple center cross-sectional study (China, Croatia, and Scotland) was carried out to investigate the possible association between hypertension and IgG glycosylation. A hydrophilic interaction chromatography of fluorescently labeled glycans was used to analyze N-glycans attached to IgG in plasma samples from a total of 4757 individuals of Chinese Han, Croatian, and Scottish ethnicity. Five glycans (IgG with digalactosylated glycans) significantly differed in participants …

Nothing Happens Here: Songs About Perth, Jon Stratton, Adam Trainer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This essay examines Perth as portrayed through the lyrics of popular songs written by people who grew up in the city. These lyrics tend to reproduce the dominant myths about the city: that it is isolated, that it is self-satisfied, that little happens there. Perth became the focus of song lyrics during the late 1970s time of punk with titles such as 'Arsehole of the Universe' and 'Perth Is a Culture Shock'. Even the Eurogliders' 1984 hit, 'Heaven Must Be There', is based on a rejection of life in Perth. However, Perth was also home to Dave Warner, whose songs …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Insulin Resistance In A Chinese Population, Yuxiang Yan, Huanbo Xiao, Sisi Wang, Jing Zhao, Yan He, Wei Wang, Jing Dong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Chronic stress may facilitate the development of metabolic diseases. Insulin resistance is present long before the clinical manifestations of individual metabolic abnormalities. To explore whether chronic stress is an independent risk factor of insulin resistance, we investigated the relationship between the stress system, selected parameters of energy homeostasis, and insulin resistance in a Chinese population.

Methods:

We recruited 766 workers employed at four companies in Beijing. The degree of insulin resistance was determined using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The highest quartile of HOMA-IR among all study subjects was further defined as insulin resistance in our …

Superior Inhibitory Control And Resistance To Mental Fatigue In Professional Road Cyclists, Kristy Martin, Walter Staiano, Paolo Mensaspa, Tom Hennessey, Samuele M. Marcora, Richard J. Keegan, Kevin G. Thompson, David T. Martin, Shona R. Halson, Ben Rattray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

Given the important role of the brain in regulating endurance performance, this comparative study sought to determine whether professional road cyclists have superior inhibitory control and resistance to mental fatigue compared to recreational road cyclists.

Methods:

After preliminary testing and familiarization, eleven professional and nine recreational road cyclists visited the lab on two occasions to complete a modified incongruent colour-word Stroop task (a cognitive task requiring inhibitory control) for 30 min (mental exertion condition), or an easy cognitive task for 10 min (control condition) in a randomized, counterbalanced cross-over order. After each cognitive task, participants completed a 20-min time …

The Impact Of Adding Assistants In Nursing To Acute Care Hospital Ward Nurse Staffing On Adverse Patient Outcomes: An Analysis Of Administrative Health Data, Diane E. Twigg, Helen Myers, Christine M. Duffield, Judith Dianne Pugh, Lucy Gelder

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of adding assistants in nursing to acute care hospital ward nurse staffing on adverse patient outcomes using administrative health data.

Design:

Logistic regression modelling was used with linked administrative health data to examine the association between seven adverse patient outcomes and use of assistants in nursing utilising a pre-test/ post-test design. Outcomes included were in-hospital 30-day mortality, failure to rescue, urinary tract infection, pressure injury, pneumonia, sepsis and falls with injury.

Setting:

Eleven acute care metropolitan hospitals in Western Australia. Sample: Patients were retained in the dataset if they …

Can Mud (Silt And Clay) Concentration Be Used To Predict Soil Organic Carbon Content Within Seagrass Ecosystems?, Oscar Serrano, Paul Lavery, Carlos Duarte, Gary A. Kendrick, Antoni M. Calfat, P. H. York, Andy D. Steven, Peter I. Macreadie

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The emerging field of blue carbon science is seeking cost-effective ways to estimate the organic carbon content of soils that are bound by coastal vegetated ecosystems. Organic carbon (C_org) content in terrestrial soils and marine sediments has been correlated with mud content (i.e., silt and clay, particle sizes < 63 µm), however, empirical tests of this theory are lacking for coastal vegetated ecosystems. Here, we compiled data (n =  1345) on the relationship between C_org and mud contents in seagrass ecosystems (79 cores) and adjacent bare sediments (21 cores) to address whether mud can be used to predict soil C_org content. We also combined these data with the δ¹³C signatures of the soil …

Creating Shared Norms In Schools - A Theoretical Approach, Maryanne Macdonald, Eyal Gringart, Jan Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Whilst some improvements to Indigenous education outcomes have occurred in recent years, there remains considerable inequity in the educational experiences and long-term engagement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. One of the factors contributing to the challenging environment for Indigenous students is dissonance of social norms, as a result of ethnic and socioeconomic differences between teacher and student. Many hegemonic culture teachers are unaware of Standpoint Theory and the way in which normative beliefs impact on classroom interactions and student outcomes at the cultural interface. This paper draws on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TBP) to illustrate ways in which schools …

Integration Of Suboptimal Health Status And Endothelial Dysfunction As A New Aspect For Risk Evaluation Of Cardiovascular Disease, Vitalli Kupaev, Oleg Borisov, Ekaterina Marutina, Yuxiang Yan, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Suboptimal health status (SHS) is recognized as a subclinical, reversible stage of chronic disease. Association has been confirmed between SHS and cardiovascular risk factors, indicating that SHS may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. This study explored integrated risk assessment of cardiovascular disease by combining SHS questionnaire-25 (SHSQ-25) and indicators of endothelial dysfunction.

Methods:

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 459 residents of Samara, Russia, who had no history of clinical diagnosed disease and did not receive any treatment in the last 2 weeks. The SHS score was derived from the data collected in …

Photonic Microstructures For Energy-Generating Clear Glass And Net-Zero Energy Buildings, Mikhail Vasiliev, Ramzy Alghamedi, Mohammad Alam, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Transparent energy-harvesting windows are emerging as practical building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), capable of generating electricity while simultaneously reducing heating and cooling demands. By incorporating spectrally-selective diffraction gratings as light deflecting structures of high visible transparency into lamination interlayers and using improved spectrally-selective thin-film coatings, most of the visible solar radiation can be transmitted through the glass windows with minimum attenuation. At the same time, the ultraviolet (UV) and a part of incident solar infrared (IR) radiation energy are converted and/or deflected geometrically towards the panel edge for collection by CuInSe₂ solar cells. Experimental results show power conversion efficiencies in excess …

Re-Conceptualising Graduate Employability: The Importance Of Pre-Professional Identity, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite efforts to broaden the concept of graduate employability, there remains an overarching focus on developing industry-relevant employability skills. The skills-based approach is, however, too narrow and does not fully capture the complexity of graduate work-readiness. This paper argues for the redefining of graduate employability by embracing pre-professional identity (PPI) formation. PPI relates to an understanding of and connection with the skills, qualities, conduct, culture and ideology of a student's intended profession. The ‘communities of practice’ model is drawn upon to demonstrate how PPI can be developed during university years. Here, a student makes sense of his/her intended profession through …

Suppression Of Neutrophil-Mediated Tissue Damage—A Novel Skill Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Dongsheng Jiang, Jana Muschhammer, Yu Qi, Andrea Kügler, Juliane C. De Vries, Mona Saffarzadeh, Anca Sindriaru, Seppe V. Beken, Meinhard Wlaschek, Mark A. Kluth, Christoph Ganss, Natasha Y. Frank, Markus H. Frank, Klaus T. Preissner, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are crucial for tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Though of prime interest, their potentially protective role on neutrophil-induced tissue damage, associated with high morbidity and mortality, has not been explored in sufficient detail. Here we report the therapeutic skill of MSCs to suppress unrestrained neutrophil activation and to attenuate severe tissue damage in a murine immune-complex mediated vasculitis model of unbalanced neutrophil activation. MSC-mediated neutrophil suppression was due to intercellular adhesion molecule 1-dependent engulfment of neutrophils by MSCs, decreasing overall neutrophil numbers. Similar to MSCs in their endogenous niche of murine and human vasculitis, therapeutically injected MSCs …

Review Of Diabetes Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People, Samantha Burrow, Kathy Ride

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Diabetes is the world’s fastest growing chronic disease. Type 2 diabetes in particular, has reached epidemic proportions globally and in Australia, and poses a challenge for public health systems everywhere. The greatest burden tends to fall on socially disadvantaged groups and Indigenous peoples Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience disproportionately high levels of diabetes. They are three times more likely to have diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are almost twice as likely to develop gestational diabetes as non-Indigenous women. There is also evidence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are eight times …

A Rapid Co-Culture Stamping Device For Studying Intercellular Communication, Amin Hassanzadeh-Barforoushi, Jonathan Shemesh, Nona Farbehi, Mohsen Asadnia, Guan H. Yeoh, Richard P. Harvey, Robert E. Nordon, Majid E. Warkiani

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Regulation of tissue development and repair depends on communication between neighbouring cells. Recent advances in cell micro-contact printing and microfluidics have facilitated the in-vitro study of homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell interaction. Nonetheless, these techniques are still complicated to perform and as a result, are seldom used by biologists. We report here development of a temporarily sealed microfluidic stamping device which utilizes a novel valve design for patterning two adherent cell lines with well-defined interlacing configurations to study cell-cell interactions. We demonstrate post-stamping cell viability of > 95%, the stamping of multiple adherent cell types, and the ability to control the seeded …

Expression Of Cell-Surface Marker Abcb5 Causes Characteristic Modifications Of Glucose, Amino Acid And Phospholipid Metabolism In The G3361 Melanoma-Initiating Cell Line, Norbert W. Lutz, Pallavi Banerjee, Brian J. Watson, Jie Ma, Patrick J. Cozzone, Markus H. Frank

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We present a pilot study aimed at determining the effects of expression of ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5), a previously described marker for melanoma-initiating cells, on cellular metabolism. Metabolic profiles for two groups of human G3361 melanoma cells were compared, i.e. wildtype melanoma cells with intact ABCB5 expression (ABCB5-WT) and corresponding melanoma cell variants with inhibited ABCB5 expression, through shRNA-mediated gene knockdown (ABCB5-KD). A comprehensive metabolomic analysis was performed by using proton and phosphorus NMR spectroscopy of cell extracts to examine water-soluble metabolites and lipids. Parametric and non-parametric statistical analysis of absolute and relative metabolite levels yielded significant differences for …

Permanent Slides For Morphological Studies Of Small Crustaceans: Serban's Method And Its Variation Applied On Bathynellacea (Malacostraca), Giulia Perina, Ana I. Camacho

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Morphological studies of small invertebrates often involve the preparation of slides to observe minute body parts under a compound microscope. Preparation should facilitate observation, through traditional optical microscopy, of small surface structures on different planes, like pores, spines and setae. Various methods and techniques, using different mounting media that specialists have adopted to observe and preserve small crustaceans, have their advantages and disadvantages.Within the order Bathynellacea, specimens in the family Bathynellidae are particularly challenging due to their small size (0.5 to 2.25 mm body length) and very delicate exoskeleton, which tends to be completely digested when using common clearing mounting …

The Stability Of Old Skills During Transfer, Craig P. Speelman, John D. Forbes, Kris Giesen, Matthew Parkinson, Lois Johnson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This research was designed to evaluate the extent to which power functions can predict performance on a task when performance context has been altered. Since power functions reliably describe performance improvements during practice, an assumption implicit in some theories of skill acquisition and transfer is that transfer performance will continue to improve as an extrapolation of the practice power function. In the training phase of Experiment 1, 120 participants practiced solving simple problems from the six-times table. In the transfer phase, these same problems were presented again, intermixed with problems from one of the six conditions differing in various respects …

Does Nurses’ Health Affect Their Intention To Remain In Their Current Position?, Lin Perry, Robyn Gallagher, Christine M. Duffield, David Sibbritt, Jen Bichel-Findlay, Rachel Nicholls

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim:

To investigate and describe nurses’ and midwives’ physical health, rates of symptoms and disease, and to determine if these factors contribute to intention to leave.

Background:

The nursing and midwifery workforce is ageing yet little is known about their physical health or its relationship to intention to leave.

Methods:

An online survey of health and work-related assessments was distributed through the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association and professional contacts.

Results:

Nurses and midwives (n = 5041) reported good-very good health overall. With 22.2% intending to leave in the next 12 months, older age, better …

Scriveners And Notaries: All Fools At The Blackfriars, Charles Edelman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

GEORGE CHAPMAN’s delightful comedy, All Fools , is rare amongst early modern plays in that it was performed both by a company of adult actors, the Admiral’s Men, and by the boy players at Blackfriars.

Philip Henslowe’s Diary of the Rose Theatre’s business affairs shows that in 1596 and 1597, Chapman’s first two comedies for the Admiral’s Men, The Blind Beggar of Alexandria and An Humorous Day’s Mirth , were great commercial successes. ¹ However, Henslowe’s practice of noting the title of each play with the daily takings, which he began in February of 1592, stopped on 5 November 1597. …

Does Evidence Influence Policy? Resource Allocation And The Indigenous Burden Of Disease Study, Christopher Doran, Rod Ling, Andrew M. Searles, Peter S. Hill

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective

The Indigenous Burden of Disease (IBoD) report is the most comprehensive assessment of Indigenous disease burden in Australia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effect of the IBoD report on Australian Indigenous health policy, service expenditure and research funding. Findings have significance for understanding factors that may influence Indigenous health policy.

Methods

The potential effect of the IBoD report was considered by: (1) conducting a text search of pertinent documents published by the federal government, Council of Australian Governments and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) and observing the quantity …

Omics' Biomarkers Associated With Chronic Low Back Pain: Protocol Of A Retrospective Longitudinal Study, M. Allegri, Manuela De Gregori, Cristina E. Minella, Catherine Klersy, Wei Wang, Moira G. Sim, Christian Gieger, Judith Manz, Iain K. Pemberton, Jane Macdougall, Frances M. Williams, Jan Van Zundert, Klaas Buyse, Gordan Lauc, Ivan Gudelj, Dragan Primorac, Andrea Skelin, Yurii S. Aulchenko, Lennart C. Karssen, Leonardo Kapural, Richard L. Rauck, Guido Fanelli

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) produces considerable direct costs as well as indirect burdens for society, industry and health systems. CLBP is characterised by heterogeneity, inclusion of several pain syndromes, different underlying molecular pathologies and interaction with psychosocial factors that leads to a range of clinical manifestations. There is still much to understand in the underlying pathological processes and the non-psychosocial factors which account for differences in outcomes. Biomarkers that may be objectively used for diagnosis and personalised, targeted and cost-effective treatment are still lacking. Therefore, any data that may be obtained at the-omics' level (glycomics, Activomics and genome-wide …

Peer-Mentors Reflect On The Benefits Of Mentoring: An Autoethography, Sarah R. Booth, Margaret K. Merga, Saiyidi Mat Roni

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Many PhD candidates bring with them a wealth of knowledge and skills; however, these may not sufficiently prepare candidates to work with high autonomy on a project with often limited interaction with the wider research community. A peer-mentor program model, in which a mentor delivers dyadic and group support to higher degree by research students from different disciplines and backgrounds, has the potential to enhance candidates’ knowledge and skills. However, the mentors themselves can experience significant advantages, as peer-mentoring can also have a positive effect on the mentors’ research experience. In order to further understanding of the potential benefits of …

Periodization Strategies In Older Adults: Impact On Physical Function And Health, Jennifer Conlon, Greg Haff, James J. Tufano, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

This study compared the effect of periodized versus nonperiodized (NP) resistance training (RT) on physical function and health outcomes in older adults.

Methods

Forty-one apparently healthy untrained older adults (women = 21, men = 20; 70.9 ± 5.1 yr; 166.3 ± 8.2 cm; 72.9 ± 13.4 kg) were recruited and randomly stratified to a NP, block periodized, or daily undulating periodized training group. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and after a 22-wk × 3 d·wk⁻¹ RT intervention, including; anthropometrics, body composition, blood pressure and biomarkers, maximal strength, functional capacity, balance confidence, and quality of life.

Results

Thirty-three …

Models For Community Based Day Care For Older People: A Narrative Review, Caroline Bulsara, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Rosemary Saunders

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

Older Australians are choosing to live within the community and there are a number of initiatives to enable this sector of the population to do so for longer. In an effort to ensure that they remain both physically and psychologically engaged, one initiative has been to provide community based day care (CBDC).

Method:

A narrative review was undertaken through searching MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, Scopus and AgeInfo using keywords related to facility related, target group related and purpose/program of CBDC services.

Results:

Results indicated that there is a much research investigating different approaches but little consensus regarding the optimal delivery …

Community-Wide Distribution Of A Catalytic Device To Reduce Winter Ambient Fine Particulate Matter From Residential Wood Combustion: A Field Study, Olivia Johnston, Fay Johnston, John Todd, Grant Williamson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Residential wood combustion is the main source of elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during winter in many towns of Tasmania, Australia. A commercially available firebox catalyst in Australia has previously been shown to reduce visible smoke emissions and the manufacturer reports reductions in particle emissions generated from individual wood heaters in laboratory settings. This study aimed to evaluate the potential for community-wide distribution of the catalyst to improve the ambient winter air quality in the field. The study was set in four rural towns in northern Tasmania with similar topography, population size, and proportion of houses using wood …