Older people, regeneration and health and well-being. Case study of Salford Partnership Board for Older People

This study sat within a national project aimed at demonstrating that expert knowledge housed within universities can make a positive impact in urban communities around four themes: Community Cohesion, Crime, Enterprise and Health & Wellbeing. It involved the Universities of Salford, Northumbria, Central Lancashire, Manchester Metropolitan University and Bradford. The project aimed to address key urban regeneration challenges in the North of England through inter-disciplinary collaboration between partner universities and practitioner organisations. It also sought to build a long term strategic alliance between core university partners. Within each of the four project areas there were a number of smaller projects each focusing on the relationship between the theme and urban regeneration. This study sought to establish how partnership boards for older people address the health and well being needs of people over 50 years of age including how health and wellbeing are defined; strategies older people adopt to change service providers' actions; learning by service providers about the involvement of older people on Boards; and how this influences practice. The main activity within this study was to interview Salford Partnership Board members. The findings informed further development of the Board

Concrete Box Beam Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Volume 2—Evaluation and Structural Behavior

Adjacent box beam bridges have a history of poor long-term performance including premature deterioration and failures. Leaking joints between box beams allow chloride-laden water to migrate through the superstructure and initiate corrosion. The nature of this deterioration leads to uncertainty of the extent and effect of deterioration on structural behavior. Due to limitations in previous research and understanding of the strength of deteriorated box beam bridges, conservative assumptions are made for the assessment and load rating of these bridges. Furthermore, the design of new box beam bridges, which can offer an efficient and economical solution, is often discouraged due to poor past performance. The objective of this research is to develop recommendations for inspection, load-rating, and design of adjacent box beam bridges. The research is presented in two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on the evolution of box beam design in Indiana to understand the lack of performance and durability. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) standards and bridge design manuals were reviewed to track the historical development of box beam bridges in the State. Two timelines were produced tracking important updates to box beam design. Adjacent box beam bridges within INDOT’s bridge database were also analyzed. Superstructure ratings were compared with bridge age as well as bridge characteristics to highlight possible causes for deterioration. Analyzing the INDOT inventory, data shows that the condition of adjacent box beam bridges may be affected by location, type of wearing surface, and the use of deck membranes. Six bridges were then inspected to identify common deficiencies and specific problems. Exterior beams and beams within the wheel load path tend to have higher levels of deterioration. Furthermore, leaking joints between beams leads to corrosion of reinforcement, ultimately resulting in spalling, fracture of prestressing strands, and loss of structural capacity. Volume 2 focuses on evaluating the capacity of deteriorated adjacent box beams, the development of improved load rating procedures, and new box beam design. Through a series of bridge inspections, deteriorated box beams were identified and acquired for experimental testing. The extent of corrosion was determined through visual inspection, non-destructive evaluation, and destructive evaluation. Non-destructive tests (NDT) included the use of connectionless electrical pulse response analysis (CEPRA), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and half-cell potentials. Deteriorated capacity was determined through structural testing, and an analysis procedure was developed to estimate deteriorated behavior. A rehabilitation procedure was also developed to restore load transfer of adjacent beams in cases where shear key failures are suspected. Based on the understanding of deterioration developed through study of deteriorated adjacent box beam bridges, improved inspection and load rating procedures are provided along with design recommendations for the next generation of box beam bridges

Concrete Box Beam Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Volume 1—Evolution and Performance

Adjacent box beam bridges have a history of poor long-term performance including premature deterioration and failures. Leaking joints between box beams allow chloride-laden water to migrate through the superstructure and initiate corrosion. The nature of this deterioration leads to uncertainty of the extent and effect of deterioration on structural behavior. Due to limitations in previous research and understanding of the strength of deteriorated box beam bridges, conservative assumptions are made for the assessment and load rating of these bridges. Furthermore, the design of new box beam bridges, which can offer an efficient and economical solution, is often discouraged due to poor past performance. The objective of this research is to develop recommendations for inspection, load-rating, and design of adjacent box beam bridges. The research is presented in two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on the evolution of box beam design in Indiana to understand the lack of performance and durability. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) standards and bridge design manuals were reviewed to track the historical development of box beam bridges in the State. Two timelines were produced tracking important updates to box beam design. Adjacent box beam bridges within INDOT’s bridge database were also analyzed. Superstructure ratings were compared with bridge age as well as bridge characteristics to highlight possible causes for deterioration. Analyzing the INDOT inventory, data shows that the condition of adjacent box beam bridges may be affected by location, type of wearing surface, and the use of deck membranes. Six bridges were then inspected to identify common deficiencies and specific problems. Exterior beams and beams within the wheel load path tend to have higher levels of deterioration. Furthermore, leaking joints between beams leads to corrosion of reinforcement, ultimately resulting in spalling, fracture of prestressing strands, and loss of structural capacity. Volume 2 focuses on evaluating the capacity of deteriorated adjacent box beams, the development of improved load rating procedures, and new box beam design. Through a series of bridge inspections, deteriorated box beams were identified and acquired for experimental testing. The extent of corrosion was determined through visual inspection, non-destructive evaluation, and destructive evaluation. Non-destructive tests (NDT) included the use of connectionless electrical pulse response analysis (CEPRA), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and half-cell potentials. Deteriorated capacity was determined through structural testing, and an analysis procedure was developed to estimate deteriorated behavior. A rehabilitation procedure was also developed to restore load transfer of adjacent beams in cases where shear key failures are suspected. Based on the understanding of deterioration developed through study of deteriorated adjacent box beam bridges, improved inspection and load rating procedures are provided along with design recommendations for the next generation of box beam bridges

Association of waist circumference with outcomes in an acute general surgical unit

Background: Obesity prevalence is increasing in Australia, particularly in non-metropolitan areas. The effect of obesity on acute surgical outcomes is not known. We aimed to record waist circumference (WC) (surrogate for obesity) amongst acute surgical unit (ASU) patients in a New South Wales regional hospital, and compare outcome measures (length of stay (LOS), unplanned return to theatre, readmission rates, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality). Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 4 months of consecutive ASU admissions, excluding age Results: Of 695 admissions, 512 met the inclusion criteria (47.1% female, average age 52.8 years (SD 22.3)), with 85.1% (P \u3c 0.001) of females and 69.4% (P =0.166)ofmales having an increased- or high-risk WC. This compares to rates amongst inner regional populations of 71.0% (female) and 66.4% (male). LOS was longer for high-risk patients (5.0 days versus 3.7 days, P = 0.002). However, the mean age of high-risk patients was greater (56.6 years versus 46.9 years, P = 0.001) and LOS was longer for those aged ≥60 (P \u3c 0.001). After controlling for age, high-risk WC was not associated with any outcome measure, except amongst ICU admissions, where high-risk patients stayed longer (15.5 days versus 6.8 days, P \u3c0.001). Conclusion: Increased- and high-risk WC was overrepresented amongst female ASU patients. High-risk WC was associated with a significantly greater LOS in patients admitted to ICU. High-risk WC was not associated with other outcomes independent of age. WC is useful for quantifying obesity in the inpatient settin

The Question of School Resources and Student Achievement: A History and Reconsideration

One question posed continually over the past century of education research is to what extent school resources affect student outcomes. From the turn of the century to the present, a diverse set of actors, including politicians, physicians, and researchers from a number of disciplines, have studied whether and how money that is provided for schools translates into increased student achievement. The authors discuss the historical origins of the question of whether school resources relate to student achievement, and report the results of a meta- analysis of studies examining that relationship. They find that policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders have addressed this question using diverse strategies. The way the question is asked, and the methods used to answer it, is shaped by history, as well by the scholarly, social, and political concerns of any given time. The diversity of methods has resulted in a body of literature too diverse and too inconsistent to yield reliable inferences through meta-analysis. The authors suggest that a collaborative approach addressing the question from a variety of disciplinary and practice perspectives may lead to more effective interventions to meet the needs of all students

Load Distribution of Adjacent Prestressed Concrete Box Beam Bridges

One of the most common bridge types is the adjacent prestressed concrete box beam bridge because the system is economical and simple to build; over 43,000 are currently in service within the US. However, they are highly susceptible to strand corrosion and concrete deterioration which can result in early loss of load capacity. Therefore, an experimental program sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) was initiated to determine the behavior of deteriorated beams and develop recommendations for load rating and design of this bridge type. Displacement sensors were installed on a bridge in service to measure its deformation under load. Modifications of the bridge condition were made in phases. These phases included the initial condition, removal of the asphalt layer, cutting of the shear keys (beam joint), and construction of a concrete deck. The bridge used in this project was constructed of seven adjacent box beams, with a length of forty feet. Finally, after comparing the results, the change in load distribution was evaluated to determine how much the shear keys contribute to this, and if the addition of a concrete deck was an appropriate rehabilitation solution for the structure