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In this paper, we altered an in-person high school tissue engineering program to create a virtual course. Through this alteration, we aimed to show that online programs can still be engaging and at the same time provide greater accessibility and flexibility to students. This was achieved through utilizing Google classroom as a virtual platform for students to engage with course modules and assessments. After analyzing pre- and post-program survey responses in both the in-person and online offerings of the CardioStart program, it was found that students improved in their understanding of all of the tissue engineering topics that were introduced in the programs. Furthermore, when comparing the results from the in-person versus online offerings of the program, it was found that the level of student understanding and learning of these topics was similar across the in-person and online programs. We were also able to engage five times the number of students online as compared to the in-person program, which was conducted yearly for six summers. However, many students indicated that their experience would have been better if hands-on activities were included to supplement their knowledge of cell culture techniques after completing the course. The online program improved accessibility and scalability of the program compared to in-person workshops. Future work will consist of bridging this virtual course and the hands-on experiments performed during the in-person program to provide interested students access to laboratory experiences.

Background Collaborative interprofessional practice improves health outcomes. Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential in improving this collaboration and the quality of care. Although the majority of IPE research focuses on students, the delivery of IPE requires multiple levels of support within educational institutions, particularly teaching staff that are positive about and advocate for IPE. This study explored the attitudes of teaching staff towards interprofessional collaboration across a range of professions in Health at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Methods A pre-test post-test design was used with 53 teaching staff from the Health Colleges, King Saud University, before and after an interprofessional development workshop. A 12-item, 3-subscale version of the IEPS was used to evaluate changes in the 3-subscales "competency and autonomy", "perceived need for cooperation" and "perception of actual cooperation". Results This study involved teaching staff from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, applied medical science and emergency medical services. Results showed positive attitudes towards IPE, including competency and autonomy, the need for cooperation, and the perception of actual cooperation. The analysis also showed a statistically significant effect of subscale 1 (competency and autonomy) was produced between the pre- and post-workshop training. Conclusion Interprofessional collaboration across the Health Colleges is an essential component of IPE, just as IPE is an integral component of interprofessional collaborative practice. The findings provided a baseline, as well as an incentive, for further development in IPE, from policy through to practice, across the Health Colleges. Findings also showed teaching staff having a positive attitude towards interprofessional collaboration. Further research is needed on tools for measuring IPC across university hierarchies and disciplines, as well as on enablers of IPE (and not just barriers).

Background Although bullying and harassment among academic staff has been well researched, research on students bullying and harassing academic teaching staff (ie, contrapower harassment) is less common. Contrapower harassment has been on the rise in academia over the last decade, partly attributable to changes in the student-faculty staff relationship. This study aimed to understand better the extent and impact of students’ contrapower harassment on paramedic academic teaching staff within Australian universities, as well as actions and interventions to address it. Methods This study used a two-phase mixed methods design. In phase 1, a convenience sample of paramedic teaching academics from 12 universities in Australia participated in an online questionnaire. In phase 2, an in-depth interview was conducted with nine participants from phase 1. Results Seventy-six academic teaching staff participated in the study. Survey results showed that most academics surveyed had experienced harassment from paramedic students, with the highest incidence of harassment occurring during student assessment periods. Alarmingly, over 30% of the academics surveyed had been ‘stalked’ by a student and over 50% had felt powerless and helpless when students had attacked them on social media. Problematic students were identified as those who presented with an over-inflated sense of entitlement or with psychological states and traits that find it challenging to accept feedback and failure, and look to externalise their failures. Reasons for increases in contrapower harassment included a complex mix of consumer and demand-driven education, on-demand (and demanding) instant gratification and degree self-entitlement, and an increase in social media and online learning (particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020). Conclusion Although most of the academics in this study experienced contrapower harassment by students, they also report that most students are level-headed and supportive, and do not carry out this type of harassment. Promoting student professionalism and reassessing student evaluations are starting points for addressing this type of harassment. Further research on the broader systemic issues that influence the contributors to contrapower harassment is needed.

Background The importance of effective clinical supervision for emerging clinicians is well recognised, not only for practice preparation, but also for reducing future attrition rates. Also recognised are the challenges faced by both students and supervisors during the supervision experience. This study aimed to identify the qualities of the "ideal" clinical supervision environment from the perspective of clinical supervisors from both nursing and allied health. Design A qualitative study using an interview method based on action research. Methods The convergent interview method was used with 20 clinical supervisors and educators from nursing and allied health across Victoria. Interviews were recorded and data analysis occurred at the end of each pair of interviews to develop deeper questions in line with the method. Results 12 major themes emerged as "ideal" qualities with a range of suggestions on how these can be achieved. Conclusion The "ideal" qualities can be used in assessing and improving current contexts, as well as designing new clinical supervision processes, models, programs and guidelines or policies. The convergent interview method allowed for deeper level analysis than previous research.

Rationale & Objective Clinical practice guidelines recommend delivering a continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) dose of 20 to 25 mL/kg/h. However, practice patterns nationwide are highly variable; this inconsistent prescribing may lead to errors in medication dosing and increase rates of electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities. We describe an initiative to standardize CRRT practice patterns and reduce dosing variability. Study Design Quality improvement study. Setting & Participants Adult patients treated with CRRT at the University of Colorado Hospital between January 2016 and October 2017. Quality Improvement Activities An assessment of the magnitude of the variability in CRRT dosing and the following specific interventions were implemented during the course of 1 year: (1) modification of the electronic medical record (EMR) to include calculated average 24-hour dose in real time, (2) modification of the CRRT procedure note to include comments on dosing, (3) modification of the CRRT order set to display calculations, and (4) yearly educational sessions for renal fellows outlining CRRT-specific dosing targets. Outcomes The primary outcome was weekly percentage of CRRT treatments with an average delivered daily dose of 20 to 25 mL/kg/h. Process and balancing outcomes included CRRT flowsheet accuracy, documentation of rates of delivered dose, and nursing satisfaction. Analytical Approach Rates of weekly CRRT dosing in compliance with national guidelines were determined and used to create run charts showing compliance rates before and after the quality improvement interventions. Results Among 837 treatments before the intervention, 279 (33%) daily CRRT sessions achieved an average dose of 20 to 25 mL/kg/h. Following implementation of interventions, 631 of 952 (66%) treatments achieved this goal. Week-to-week variation in dosing was significantly reduced. Limitations A single-center study generating data that may not be generalizable to institutions with different CRRT nursing models or different EMR systems. Conclusions Changes to the EMR and documentation templates and education of CRRT providers about dosing were associated with doubling of the rate of appropriate CRRT dosing and reduction in dosing variability.

Background Nursing workload remains an issue in current health care contexts. The use of quantitative methodologies, methods and tools to measure workload has not produced adequate data to inform workforce policy to resolve workforce concerns about workload. Objective This study aimed to identify the influence of both culture and climate as factors in nursing workload. Methods This research used an overall critical ethnographic methodology to investigate the real lifeworkload issues of nurses. Methods included fieldwork observations and informal discussions over a 3year period and 11 in-depth interviews. Results The study identifies the impact of safety mandates on nursing workload as an invisible phenomenon within current workload methodologies. Such mandates add to nursing roles and routines, and become a ‘taken-for-granted' activity that is not always directly related to patient care, nor is a visible factor in workload measurement. Conclusion Given that workload measurements are formulated on direct patient care activities, indirect and unrecognised activities may create additional nursing workload.

This literature review examines several studies related to differences in gender communication, gender perception, and the impact of workplace discrimination. Experimental studies on gender have revealed that women’s communication style is seen as genteel and empathetic while men’s communication styles are viewed as noisy and aggressive. And yet, people view leadership qualities as inherently more masculine than feminine. These differences are also reflected in leadership styles between men and women. The question remains if women display capable communication skills and leadership, why do discriminatory practices pervade in the workplace? Through a qualitative analysis of each paper, we draw the relationship between gender perceptions and workplace discrimination, including the lack of women in executive positions. A comparison between review articles helped to illustrate the differences in approach and similarity in results of pair of studies. Social theories presented in articles help to explain social phenomenons that undermine women. Concepts such as counter-stereotypical characteristics of women are discussed and the need for institutional policy enforcements is emphasized.

Paramedics provide care in medical emergencies to patients with varying ages and from a range of settings, cultures, backgrounds and experiences. As such, the paramedic needs a very diverse skill set which is difficult to obtain at university. For this reason, undergraduate paramedic students often engage in clinical placements to apply their knowledge to real world experiences. Most of these placements, however, are in hospitals or ambulance settings, but part of the diverse community that paramedics treat are children with special needs, including children with disabilities. This study measured the attitudes of paramedic students to people with disabilities and explored the effectiveness of paramedic student clinical placements in special needs schools. 109 paramedic students enrolled in their first year of the Bachelor of Paramedicine at Monash University undertook placements in special needs schools across Victoria, Australia. These students completed the Interactions with Disabled Persons Scale. Of these students, 5 participated in two focus groups to gain a deeper understanding of their placement experience. The results showed that paramedic students enjoyed their placements and gained a more positive attitude towards special needs students, but also felt challenged and overwhelmed. Also found were four main characteristics that students believed paramedics needed to be effective; empathy, being genuine, the ability to listen to someone even though they are not speaking to you verbally, and the ability to gain the trust of someone quickly where gaining trust is difficult. This study was the first time an entire cohort of paramedic students have undertaken placements at special needs schools. The findings provide a baseline and incentive for further exploration of the benefits of the placement of paramedic students (and student from a variety of healthcare professions) in special needs schools, as well as other marginalised communities.

Background The importance of effective clinical supervision for emerging clinicians is well recognised, not only for practice preparation, but also for reducing future attrition rates. Also recognised are the challenges faced by both students and supervisors during the supervision experience. This study aimed to identify the qualities of the “ideal” clinical supervision environment from the perspective of clinical supervisors from both nursing and allied health. Design A qualitative study using an interview method based on action research. Methods The convergent interview method was used with 20 clinical supervisors and educators from nursing and allied health across Victoria. Interviews were recorded and data analysis occurred at the end of each pair of interviews to develop deeper questions in line with the method. Results 12 major themes emerged as “ideal” qualities with a range of suggestions on how these can be achieved. Conclusion The “ideal” qualities can be used in assessing and improving current contexts, as well as designing new clinical supervision processes, models, programs and guidelines or policies. The convergent interview method allowed for deeper level analysis than previous research.

The Australian Government is attempting to use a market-based mechanism to involve agriculture in activities that reduce emissions and sequester carbon. The initiative, known as the Carbon Farming Initiative, represents a significant investment as part of the government’s climate change and land-use policies. To examine the potential opportunities and constraints faced by Australia’s grain farms to engage in these carbon farming activities, we interviewed 31 grain farmers and five industry professionals. Our analysis suggests that a lack of project methodology development and the current project approval processes pose significant constraints to engagement. A particular concern for farmers is the extent of the permanence obligation requiring long-term maintenance of the carbon possibly more than 100 years and the additionality requirement regarding the common practice test that if too many others are doing the practice it will not get the required for project approval. Given the requirements of the processes and the associated transaction costs, producing offsets from dryland grain cropping operations in Australia is currently not a profitable endeavour for farmers and therefore fails to act as an incentive to participation.

Background Viral epidemics have negative and sometimes extreme impacts on psychological well-being, particularly in health care workers. Studies have reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress, distress, fear, burnout, and post-traumatic symptoms. Objective This research aimed to explore the psychological impacts of COVID 19 on paramedicine students. Methods A convergent mixed method design study was undertaken using self-reporting instruments and qualitative interviews. Results Responses were received from 151 students (38.3% responses rate). Most students experienced some level of anxiety (62%), although severe levels were only reported by 6% of respondents. Students had significantly greater odds (OR = 2.05, p = 0.045, 95% CI: 1.02, 4.12) of higher anxiety levels if they were female. Thematic analysis of the interviews largely supported these results, with themes focused on changing approaches to study, financial situation, social support, University adaptation, acceptance and career pathway choice. Conclusions This study identified and explored the anxiety and coping strategies in an undergraduate paramedicine cohort when faced with a viral epidemic. Although most of the responding paramedic students reported above normal levels of anxiety in the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, many students, with the help of learning, financial and social support, and a range of positive coping strategies, have adapted well to the impact of the pandemic and associated lockdown period.

Reconciliation is well documented in a number of species, including nonhuman primates, dolphins, wolves, and many others. Researchers studied domestic dogs in a variety of natural and artificially-created packs. While each report some evidence of reconciliation, they found more dispersal than reconciliation occurred postconflict, with cohort relationships being a factor. In the present study, we observed which of three reconciliation theories best predicted observed behavior (Reconciled Hierarchy Hypothesis, Good Relationship Hypothesis, Uncertainty Reduction Hypothesis). We studied reconciliation in domestic dogs in a fluid, changing group of domestic dogs visiting a fenced two-acre dog park. In 72 one-hour sessions across eight months, 177 dogs were observed. There were 14 dyadic conflicts involving 21 dogs—eleven demonstrated postconflict reconciliation. During Baseline, Victims were significantly more affiliative than were Aggressors (F(1,20) = 15.67, p

BACKGROUND Time-resolved quantification of physical activity can contribute to both personalized medicine and epidemiological research studies, for example, managing and identifying triggers of asthma exacerbations. A growing number of reportedly accurate machine learning algorithms for human activity recognition (HAR) have been developed using data from wearable devices (eg, smartwatch and smartphone). However, many HAR algorithms depend on fixed-size sampling windows that may poorly adapt to real-world conditions in which activity bouts are of unequal duration. A small sliding window can produce noisy predictions under stable conditions, whereas a large sliding window may miss brief bursts of intense activity. OBJECTIVE We aimed to create an HAR framework adapted to variable duration activity bouts by (1) detecting the change points of activity bouts in a multivariate time series and (2) predicting activity for each homogeneous window defined by these change points. METHODS We applied standard fixed-width sliding windows (4-6 different sizes) or greedy Gaussian segmentation (GGS) to identify break points in filtered triaxial accelerometer and gyroscope data. After standard feature engineering, we applied an Xgboost model to predict physical activity within each window and then converted windowed predictions to instantaneous predictions to facilitate comparison across segmentation methods. We applied these methods in 2 datasets: the human activity recognition using smartphones (HARuS) dataset where a total of 30 adults performed activities of approximately equal duration (approximately 20 seconds each) while wearing a waist-worn smartphone, and the Biomedical REAl-Time Health Evaluation for Pediatric Asthma (BREATHE) dataset where a total of 14 children performed 6 activities for approximately 10 min each while wearing a smartwatch. To mimic a real-world scenario, we generated artificial unequal activity bout durations in the BREATHE data by randomly subdividing each activity bout into 10 segments and randomly concatenating the 60 activity bouts. Each dataset was divided into ~90% training and ~10% holdout testing. RESULTS In the HARuS data, GGS produced the least noisy predictions of 6 physical activities and had the second highest accuracy rate of 91.06% (the highest accuracy rate was 91.79% for the sliding window of size 0.8 second). In the BREATHE data, GGS again produced the least noisy predictions and had the highest accuracy rate of 79.4% of predictions for 6 physical activities. CONCLUSIONS In a scenario with variable duration activity bouts, GGS multivariate segmentation produced smart-sized windows with more stable predictions and a higher accuracy rate than traditional fixed-size sliding window approaches. Overall, accuracy was good in both datasets but, as expected, it was slightly lower in the more real-world study using wrist-worn smartwatches in children (BREATHE) than in the more tightly controlled study using waist-worn smartphones in adults (HARuS). We implemented GGS in an offline setting, but it could be adapted for real-time prediction with streaming data.

Objective The study goal is to highlight strategies for promoting relevance of research capacity-building efforts targeting community organizations (CO)s. Methods Two community partners, representing two COs, were invited to participate in CO research development trainings, Community Research Forums (Forum)s. Their contributions were documented via Forum document review. Forum participants, representatives from other COs, completed post-Forum surveys to identify additional training needs and rate Forum impact relative to their training expectations. A content-based analysis and descriptive statistics were used to summarize needs assessment- and impact-related survey responses, respectively. Results Community partners were involved in eight Forum-related activities including marketing (planning), facilitation (implementation), and manuscript coauthorship (dissemination). Eighty-one individuals, representing 55 COs, attended the Forums. Needs assessment responses revealed a desire for additional assistance with existing Forum topics (e.g., defining research priorities) and a need for new ones (e.g., promoting organizational buy in for research). Ninety-one percent of participants agreed that the Forum demonstrated the value of research to COs and how to create a research agenda. Conclusions Including community partners in all Forum phases ensured that CO perspectives were integrated throughout. Post-Forum needs and impact assessment results will help in tailoring, where needed, future training topics and strategies, respectively.

Malaria is responsible for close to 1 million deaths each year, mostly among African children. Red blood cells (RBCs) of children with severe malarial anemia show loss of complement regulatory proteins such as complement receptor 1 (CR1). We carried out this study to identify socio-economic, environmental, and biological factors associated with the loss of RBC CR1. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a malaria holoendemic area of western Kenya. Twelve socioeconomic, environmental, and biological factors were examined for a relationship with RBC CR1 level using bivariate linear regression followed by creation of a multivariate linear regression model. A significant positive relationship between RBC CR1 level and use of mosquito countermeasures was found. However, there was no evidence of a significant relationship between RBC CR1 level and malaria infection or parasitemia level. Reducing mosquito exposure may aid in the prevention of severe malarial anemia by reducing the number of infections and thus preserving RBC CR1.

David Price,1,2 Alan Kaplan,3 Rupert Jones,4 Daryl Freeman,5 Anne Burden,2 Shuna Gould,2 Julie von Ziegenweidt,2 Muzammil Ali,2 Christine King,2 Mike Thomas6 1Academic Centre of Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, 2Research in Real-Life, Cambridge, UK; 3Family Physician Airways Group of Canada, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada; 4Centre for Clinical Trials and Health Research, Plymouth University, Plymouth, 5Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, Norwich, 6Primary Care Research, University of Southhampton, Southhampton, UK Background: Randomized controlled trials indicate that addition of a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) such as tiotropium may improve asthma control and reduce exacerbation risk in patients with poorly controlled asthma, but broader clinical studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of LAMA in real-life asthma care. Methods: Medical records of adults with asthma (aged ≥18 years) prescribed tiotropium were obtained from the UK Optimum Patient Care Research Database for the period 2001–2013. Patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were excluded, but no other clinical exclusions were applied. Two primary outcomes were compared in the year before (baseline) and the year after (outcome) addition of tiotropium: exacerbations (asthma-related hospital emergency department attendance or inpatient admission, or acute oral corticosteroid course) and acute respiratory events (exacerbation or antibiotic prescription with lower respiratory consultation). Secondary outcomes included lung function test results and short-acting β2 agonist usage. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for variables measured on the interval scale, the marginal homogeneity test for categorized variables, and the paired t-test for lung function indices. Results: Of the 2,042 study patients, 83% were prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid and 68% a long-acting ß2 agonist during the baseline year; 67% were prescribed both. Comparing baseline and outcome years, the percentage of patients having at least one exacerbation decreased from 37% to 27% (P

Background: Efficacy trials suggest that extra-fine particle beclometasone dipropionate-formoterol (efBDP-FOR) is comparable to fluticasone propionate-salmeterol (FP-SAL) in preventing asthma exacerbations at a clinically equivalent dosage. However, switching from FP-SAL to efBDP-FOR has not been evaluated in real-world asthma patients. Aims: The REACH (Real-world Effectiveness in Asthma therapy of Combination inHalers) study investigated the clinical and cost effectiveness of switching typical asthma patients from FP-SAL to efBDP-FOR. Methods: A retrospective matched (1:3) observational study of 1,528 asthma patients aged 18–80 years from clinical practice databases was performed. Patients remaining on FP-SAL (n=1,146) were compared with those switched to efBDP-FOR at an equivalent or lower inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dosage (n=382). Clinical and economic outcomes were compared between groups for the year before and after the switch. Non-inferiority (at least equivalence) of efBDP-FOR was tested against FP-SAL by comparing exacerbation rates during the outcome year. Results: efBDP-FOR was non-inferior to FP-SAL (adjusted exacerbation rate ratio 1.01 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.37)). Switching to efBDP-FOR resulted in significantly better (p

Brett Williams,1 Christine King,1 Tanya Edlington,21Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice, Monash University, Franskton, VIC, 2The Conversation Clinic Pty Ltd, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Background: Clinical supervisors are responsible for managing many facets of clinical learning and face a range of challenges when the need for "difficult" conversations arises, including the need to manage conflict and relationships. Methods: Spotlight on Conversations Workshop was developed to improve the capacity of clinical supervisors to engage in difficult conversations. They were designed to challenge the mindset of clinical supervisors about difficult conversations with students, the consequences of avoiding difficult conversations, and to offer activities for practicing difficult conversations. Preworkshop, postworkshop, and 4-month follow-up evaluations assessed improvements in knowledge, intent to improve, and confidence along with workshop satisfaction. Results: Nine workshops were delivered in a range of locations across Victoria, Australia, involving a total of 117 clinical supervisors. Preworkshop evaluations illustrated that more than half of the participants had avoided up to two difficult conversations in the last month in their workplace. Postworkshop evaluation at 4 months showed very high levels of satisfaction with the workshop's relevancy, content, and training, as well as participants' intention to apply knowledge and skills. Also shown were significant changes in participants' confidence to have difficult conversations not only with students but also with other peers and colleagues. In follow-up in-depth interviews with 20 of the 117 participants, 75% said they had made definite changes in their practice because of what they learned in the workshop and another 10% said they would make changes to their practice, but had not had the opportunity yet to do so. Conclusion: We conclude that the Spotlight on Conversations Workshop can improve the clinical supervisor–student relationship as well as build general difficult conversation capacity for a range of stakeholders in clinical settings. Keywords: clinical, education, supervision, communication

David Price,1,2 Andrew M Wilson,3 Alison Chisholm,4 Anna Rigazio,2 Anne Burden,2 Michael Thomas,5 Christine King2 1Centre for Academic Primary Care, The Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, 2Research in Real-Life, Cambridge, 3Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 4Respiratory Effectiveness Group, Cambridge, 5Primary Medical Care, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK Purpose: Acute, severe asthma exacerbations can be difficult to predict and thus prevent. Patients who have frequent exacerbations are of particular concern. Practical exacerbation predictors are needed for these patients in the primary-care setting. Patients and methods: Medical records of 130,547 asthma patients aged 12–80 years from the UK Optimum Patient Care Research Database and Clinical Practice Research Datalink, 1990–2013, were examined for 1 year before (baseline) and 1 year after (outcome) their most recent blood eosinophil count. Baseline variables predictive (P400/µL (versus ≤400/µL) increased the likelihood of two or more exacerbations >1.4-fold (odds ratio [OR]: 1.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39, 1.58); P25-fold (OR: 25.7 [95% CI: 23.9, 27.6]; P

Ramadan fasting, involving abstinence from fluid and food from sunrise to sundown, results in prolonged periods without nutrient intake and inflexibility with the timing of eating and drinking over the day. Dietary choices may also change due to special eating rituals. Although nutrition guidelines are specific to the sport, to the periodized training and competition calendar, and to the individual, many promote the consumption of carbohydrate and fluid before and during exercise, and consumption of protein, carbohydrate, and fluids soon after the session is completed. Failing to meet overall nutritional needs, or to provide specific nutritional support to a session of exercise, is likely to impair acute performance and reduce the effectiveness of training or recovery. Muslim athletes who fast during Ramadan should use overnight opportunities to consume foods and drinks that can supply the nutrients needed to promote performance, adaptation, and recovery in their sports. Because of the benefits of being able to consume at least some of these nutrients before, during or after an exercise session, the schedule of exercise should be shifted where possible to the beginning or end of the day, or during the evening when some nutritional support can be provided.

PurposeThis paper aims to consider the position of Jehovah's Witnesses during the Third Reich.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on recent research, the author considers leadership and followership lessons that can be gleaned from the Third Reich period of history.FindingsHistorians write of the “Führerprinzip” or the “leadership principle” by which Adolf Hitler is seen to have taken and held power in Nazi Germany. Hitler and the Nazi leadership managed to conduct a programme of unthinkable acts, including institutionalised murder on a gargantuan scale, with seemingly limited internal challenge or resistance. Subsequent analysis undertaken in the aftermath of the Nuremberg and Eichmann trials argues that the majority of people will carry out instructions if these are given by an authority figure, even if their action harms others. However, as Professor Milgram and his successors have also shown, not everyone will behave in this way; some people refuse to obey orders which contravene their moral sense or values. This paper aims to summarise the story of one group of people – Jehovah's Witnesses – who, during the Third Reich, refused to comply.Originality/valueThe author offers this paper as a case study to highlight some issues about moral leadership, leadership by example, and about the inspiration that can come from unexpected quarters.

Resilience, of individuals, is a well-established concept in the psychology/mental health literatures, but has been little explored in relation to communities. Related theory in the community development and social impact assessment literature provides insight into qualities and assets of communities that enable them to develop effectively or to adapt to major changes. This article reports the components of community and individual resilience identified through a participatory action research study within a rural Australian community. These are social networks and support; positive outlook; learning; early experiences; environment and lifestyle; infrastructure and support services; sense of purpose; diverse and innovative economy; embracing differences; beliefs; and leadership. These components entail interactions between individuals, the community, infrastructure, the environment and the economy in the process of building resilience. The findings extend from previous research by recognizing environmental and economic factors, infrastructure and support services, as enhancing resilience, and expand the limited evidence base for those wishing to promote resilience at the community scale. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This paper provides the first detailed discussion of a set of principles developed when two epistemologies (Critical Systems Thinking and Cultural Ecofeminism) where systematically compared. There are five principles themed around gender sensitivity; valuing voices from the margins; no longer regarding the environment as ‘outside’ the realm of theoretical research; selecting appropriate methodologies; and promoting the achievement of plurally desirable and sustainable social changes. The analysis subjects the principles to scrutiny from broader literature on direct and indirectly related concepts. The analysis also provides sets of theoretical recommendations for practitioners to embed single or multiple principles in their own repertoires of practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sur le bassin versant du Gardon d’Anduze, choisi par le SCHAPI comme bassin experimental en ce qui concerne la modelisation des crues rapides, des mesures de permeabilite ont ete realisees depuis 2002 par le BRGM. Apres analyse statistique, une valeur de permeabilite a ete affectee a chacune des unites pedo paysagere du bassin versant, permettant ainsi la realisation d’une cartographie spatialisee de la permeabilite des sols. Ces valeurs de permeabilite ont ete integrees dans le modele d’ecoulement hortonien STREAM. Le coefficient de correlation obtenu (r 2 = 0,83) demontre la bonne relation entre les debits observes et simules, que ce soit sur le bassin du gardon d’Anduze ou bien les sous bassins versants de Mialet et de Saumane pour lesquels des donnees limnigraphiques sont disponibles. La correlation baisse significativement lorsqu’on prend une permeabilite homogene de 30 mm/h sur l’ensemble du bassin, permeabilite moyenne calculee en fonction de la surface des differentes entites pedo paysageres. On demontre ainsi l’interet de la prise en compte d’une permeabilite des sols spatialisee pour la modelisation, avec un modele hortonien tel STREAM, des ecoulements sur un bassin versant mediterraneen tel que le Gardon d’Anduze.

In spite of the significant government focus on community engagement, there is some question as to how effectively community views are incorporated and heard by government. In exploring these concerns, we suggest that it is more effective to consider the issue from the perspective of communities engaging government rather than government engaging community. In doing this, we have developed a methodological approach that focuses on building the capacity of community to more effectively engage government in an effort to strengthen their own community in ways that are meaningful within that community. We illustrate this process with a case study of government engagement undertaken by representatives from the small rural community of Tara in western Queensland. While the case study focuses on community engaging government, this approach could be equally well applied to other forms of non-government institutional engagement that are relevant in other community settings.

case study is presented to examine the durability of the five principles of feminist systems theory devised to improve community development projects and produce better outcomes for marginalised people and the environment. The development of these principles can be traced to work comparing two emancipatory epistemologies, Critical Systems Thinking and Cultural Ecofeminism (Stephens, Jacobson, King, 2009) and were then exposed to broader literature (Stephens, Jacobson, King, 2010). The principles guide social science and management research. This paper presents a case study of a community based healthy lifestyle intervention programme based in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. The Carrot on a Stick programme was retrospectively analysed from the perspective of each of the five principles. The principles did not inform the original design of the programme, yet the study reveals that four of the principles are present and inform the implementation of Carrot on a Stick. The study holds implications for the design and evaluation of community intervention programmes, especially when they involve people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

This paper provides the findings of a study to locate the similarity and/or differences between two epistemologies: critical systems thinking and cultural ecofeminism. Selected texts from authors in each field were coded and compared using the Constant comparative analysis, grounded theory method. The analysis revealed a multitude of similarities across a range of concepts, including systems thinking language; challenges to positivist science, reason and instrumentalism; ethics and morality and praxis. The analysis also revealed several emergent principles for working towards a feminist systems theory of practice.