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In the case of nuclear or radiological emergencies, rapid examination of individuals from affected areas is necessary. The limited capacity of existing laboratories and dosimetric methods requires narrowing down, using short -term emergency dosimetry, the areas in which people should be examined first. Quartz, the abundant mineral widely used in dating and luminescence retrospective dosimetry, is an obvious candidate for a dosimeter in such cases. Until now, most dose reconstruction studies using quartz from buildings, structures and ceramics have used high-temperature thermoluminescence (TL) or optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from relatively stable trapping systems. The separation of residual signals from long -term exposure to natural radioactivity and time-consuming measurement sequences is an issue with the high-temperature methods. While less explored for dose reconstruction, the TL emission below 200 degrees C from metastable traps holds the potential for emergency dosimetry due to reduced interference with background radiation effects. The presence of this TL signal in quartz shortly after radiological events would clearly indicate recent high dose -rate exposure. In this research, the dose-response of the nominal 150 degrees C and 210 degrees C TL signals and short-lived OSL signals from two reference quartz samples have been tested. It was found that, in the case of bright grains, both TL peaks can be used for dosimetry in the 0.05-3.0 Gy range. Contrary to earlier studies showing that the electron lifetime in traps responsible for the peak at 150 degrees C is sufficient for short -term emergency dosimetry, we demonstrate that the 150 degrees C peak consists of two components of different lifetimes. As well as having different lifetimes, one component quickly decreases under light exposure, while the other, originating from deeper traps, is light-resistant. Both components can be used for dose estimation. Nevertheless, the second component, which de

En sistemas TAC de haz Cónico (CBCT) cada adquisición se realiza con la cama inmóvil por lo que el campo de visión esta limitado por el tamaño del detector. Para superar esta limitación, es común realizar adquisiciones sucesivas para distintas posiciones de la cama que posteriormente se combinan para aumentar el campo de visión en la dirección longitudinal. Para evitar la aparición de dobles bordes en el volumen resultante, es necesario conocer el desplazamiento exacto de la cama, el cual tradicionalmente se ha obtenido mediante calibraciones geométricas previas con maniquíes de calibración. Esto implica que la calibración debe repetirse de forma periódica para adaptarse a los cambios que pueda sufrir el equipo. Como alternativa, en este trabajo proponemos el uso de un algoritmo de calibración automático capaz de obtener los parámetros de desalineamiento en tiempo real permitiendo la obtención de imágenes multicama en sistemas CBCT de pequeño animal sin necesidad de una calibración previa.

This paper presents a conceptual hybrid model that embodies a synergistic approach by integrating principles from operations research (OR) with steps from the design science research methodology (DSRM). The model is applied to develop an evacuation support system for a group of hospitals located in Western Sydney, Australia, exposed to the risk of floods induced by climate change. By combining these two approaches, the conceptual hybrid model effectively overcomes the limitations associated with traditional DSRM and provides a comprehensive research framework for addressing OR problems. The research findings hold significant implications for academia, professionals, and policy makers engaged in the field of disaster risk management. Moreover, this study offers valuable insights into enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of OR-based solutions in practical scenarios, thus contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this area.

Further developments in luminescence dating, dosimetry and temperature-sensing require a deep understanding of luminescence processes and their driving parameters. Natural quartz is one of the most widely used minerals for these purposes. Still, poor reproducibility of results often hampers comparability and credibility from findings in the literature. We identified the lack of suitable natural reference samples as a pivotal problem impeding significant progression. Ideally, basic investigations involve several laboratories working on well-characterised reference quartz samples with different characteristics. Investigations should include multiple complementing methods to analyse luminescence properties and mineralogical and geochemical composition. Here, we present such a multi-technique luminescence comparison of two natural quartz samples. Next to the recently introduced Fontainebleau (FB) reference quartz, we propose another reference sample derived from the ‘Silver Sands of Morar’ (lab code ‘MR’; Scotland, UK). Our experiments confirm that both quartz samples behave fundamentally different in terms of signal composition and sensitivity. The comparative characterisation of both samples targeted electron traps via thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques and luminescence centres via radioluminescence and time-resolved OSL spectrometry. In summary, we conclude that all observed differences are likely the results of divergent defect concentrations rather than variances in defects' composition (nature). The measurement data of our study are accessible open-access for inspection by others.

Extreme weather events such as floods are predicted to become increasingly common and severe as the climate changes. Effectively functioning hospitals are critical to a community's resilience to the adverse health impacts of such events. Yet many hospitals have not been designed with extreme weather risks in mind and are built in flood-prone areas, raising concerns about their ability to support community healthcare needs when they eventuate. While considerable research has been conducted on developing disaster responses to maintain healthcare services in the face of floods, there is a paucity of research on hospital evacuating planning. Addressing this critical gap in research, this paper explores current state-of-the-art hospital evacuation transportation models to identify key factors for developing more effective evacuation planning for future flooding risks. A new modelling framework is proposed, which addresses the limitations of existing hospital evacuation models and proposes factors that should be incorporated into future models to enhance community resilience to growing flood risks due to climate change.

Direct links between carbonaceous chondrites and their parent bodies in the solar system are rare. The Winchcombe meteorite is the most accurately recorded carbonaceous chondrite fall. Its pre-atmospheric orbit and cosmic-ray exposure age confirm that it arrived on Earth shortly after ejection from a primitive asteroid. Recovered only hours after falling, the composition of the Winchcombe meteorite is largely unmodified by the terrestrial environment. It contains abundant hydrated silicates formed during fluid-rock reactions, and carbon- and nitrogen-bearing organic matter including soluble protein amino acids. The near-pristine hydrogen isotopic composition of the Winchcombe meteorite is comparable to the terrestrial hydrosphere, providing further evidence that volatile-rich carbonaceous asteroids played an important role in the origin of Earth’s water.

The frequency and severity of floods is increasing in many countries, and hospitals play an essential role in protecting the community from their potentially devastating impacts. However, many hospitals are vulnerable to flooding having been designed and located without these risks in mind. In such situations, evacuation of vulnerable patients to safer alternative healthcare facilities might be the most reasonable response. However, there has been little research into hospital evacuation, and to address this research gap, this paper presents an innovative hospital evacuation model that can facilitate the optimal scheduling and sequencing of hospital evacuation under indeterministic flooding conditions. The proposed model combines a flood simulator and a mathematical model. Assuming the high levels of complexity of a realistic hospital evacuation system, a BendersDecomposition approach is developed to cope with large size problems. A case study in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is used to illustrate the proposed model, and results confirm that the model can generate effective plans to evacuate hospitals in the shortest time possible in flood emergency conditions. The findings of this study contribute new theoretical and practical insights to a growing body of knowledge about disaster response strategies in hospitals and have implications for health service management and health policymakers in countries where health infrastructures are vulnerable to increasing climate change risks.

Unique vulnerabilities are intrinsic to Pacific Island Countries which shape risk perception and influence adaptive decision making to natural hazards. This study aims to examine ongoing risks caused by hydro-meteorological hazards, with a focus on micro-level household response to increasing vulnerabilities, in addition to macro-level community related vulnerabilities. Data collection was undertaken through semi-structured interviews in three hydro-meteorological hazard-prone communities, dominated by members of the Indi-Fijian community, that is, the Indian diaspora, in the Western part of Fiji. The findings were analysed using descriptive, interpretive and inferential analysis. The findings reveal that climatic, physical, cultural and socio-economic factors render households more vulnerable at a micro-level. The research also revealed that members of the Indian community normally have lower levels of societal cohesion, have an inherent individualistic approach to disasters and lack access to communal assets such as land, rendering them more vulnerable at a community level. As a coping mechanism, households were found to have a higher likelihood of adhering to social adaptive strategies such as making behavioural, informational, and educational changes for risk reduction. According to this study, participants show a high degree of risk perception with a sound understanding of storm surge, flood peaks and extents as well as prolonged dry spells. The study recommends avenues for combining scientific knowledge together with citizen science for better hazard risk analysis as future research. To ensure appropriate risk mitigation, governments should implement effective warning systems and undertake capacity building prior to disasters to initiate adequate response to forecast warnings.

This discussion paper explores how area-based approaches (ABAs) can contribute to national adaptation and responsiveness to disasters in Solomon Islands. People centred, geographically targeted, and multi-sectorial, ABAs provide a developmental approach to disaster response. Framed around the principles of ABAs (Figure 1), the project draws on international experience through the review of desktop literature relevant to Solomon Islands and exploratory stakeholder interviews to consider the suitability of ABAs to disaster response in Solomon Islands.Recognising the need for increased collaboration and coordination across sectors, agencies and levels of government, this discussion paper has been drafted to initiate a conversation with Pacific Island people, including government representatives at all levels, local civil society organisations (CSOs) and the wider community involved with and impacted by disaster management and response. It is also an invitation to international non-government organisations (INGOs) working in the Pacific to consider and contribute to an alternative approach to humanitarian disaster response.

Fiji has played a leading role globally in highlighting the significant impacts of climate change on the world and, in particular, on the Pacific island region. In a recent workshop on Climate Induced Security in November 2020, Fijis Roving Ambassador noted that: “The fight against climate change cannot be won by government’s alone — we need to work with business and industries, cities and states, civil society representatives, academic institutions, and other actors”. This multi-stakeholder, ‘whole of nation’ approach to combatting climate change becomes of existential importance following the most recent findings of the International Panel of Climate Change report that carbon dioxide emissions are still climbing and in the Pacific region extreme climatic events are likely to get more severe unless drastic action is taken globally.Across the region, Pacific Island leaders have made strong calls to action including the Pacific Island Forum Boe Declaration on Regional Security1 (2018) and the Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Action Now2 (2019). In Fiji, the National Adaptation Plan Framework provides a strong foundation for action. It acknowledges the importance of implementing “location and context-specific” responses to climate pressures, and that success relies on community participation and ownership, and on leadership at the sub-national level.Recognising the value of location and context, this project explores how area-based approaches (ABAs) can contribute to national adaptation and responsiveness which is tailored to place and specifically addresses 10 key principles 3). The project draws on international experience to frame inquiry, reviews desktop academic literature and reports, and finally conducts exploratory interviews with stakeholders representing government, international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and local and community NGOs operating in Fiji. For this initial study we focused on the greater urban environment of Suva.

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are at threat of increased frequency and severity of tropical cyclones and floods, fuelled by climate change. At the same time, PICs are rapidly urbanising. This brings many benefits, but also presents new challenges concerning disaster preparedness, protecting often flood prone densely populated settlements, and making critical infrastructure more resilient.Recent successful urban post-disaster recovery experiences globally have highlighted the need for approaches that are locally focused, multisectoral, people-centred and highly participatory. Area-based approaches (ABAs) championed in particular by the Global Shelter Cluster in other parts of the world, embody these criteria, and are quickly gaining traction among humanitarian actors as an effective means of working within urban complexity.This synthesis report presents findings from research undertaken in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu concerning each country’s urban response to naturally-triggered disasters, and the degree to which key elements of ABAs are in place and are utilised. These elements are: locally focused, people centred response; adaptive processes; multi-sector collaboration and assessment; and reflective practice (Figure 1). The research comprised 40 key informant interviews across the three countries, as well as a review of existing reports and literature. While the focus was on urban areas, the lessons were drawn from nationwide experience.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss what people perceive as risks and resilience factors, and how they build everyday resilience. Design/methodology/approach: The study focuses on Kampung (literally “village”) Plampitan, a neighbourhood in the inner-city part of Surabaya. The research used field observation, in-depth interviews and workshops during community meetings to collect data. Findings: The results show how people respond to daily risks and find the support necessary to survive. The problems and risks revealed in the study include crime and economic difficulties, such as unemployment and insufficient income. Coping strategies identified are classified into place-based adaption, people-based network and political network. These strategies can serve as a starting point for local communities to assess their resilience and assist them in enhancing “everyday” resilience. Originality/value: The paper argues that the concept of resilience must go beyond top-down approaches to disaster risk management and integrate bottom-up understanding from the perspective of local people, especially among marginal and disadvantaged communities. The paper develops the emerging and overlooked concept of “everyday resilience” and suggests that it is essential in surviving both “everyday” or small-scale chronic risks and large-scale disasters.

The history of agricultural terraces remains poorly understood due to problems in dating their construction and use. This has hampered broader research on their significance, limiting knowledge of past agricultural practices and the long-term investment choices of rural communities. The authors apply OSL profiling and dating to the sediments associated with agricultural terraces across the Mediterranean region to date their construction and use. Results from five widely dispersed case studies reveal that although many terraces were used in the first millennium AD, the most intensive episodes of terrace-building occurred during the later Middle Ages (c. AD 1100-1600). This innovative approach provides the first large-scale evidence for both the longevity and medieval intensification of Mediterranean terraces.

The frequency and intensity of both human-made and natural disasters are predicted to increase, and hospitals play a critically important role in reducing injury and mortality rates. However, there is increasing evidence that many hospitals are vulnerable to disasters, and more effective strategies are needed to enable the safe evacuation of patients to alternative healthcare centres. Transport planning is central to this process, but there has been no systematic and critical review of the research on this critically important challenge. This means there is no collective synthesis of this literature for hospital managers, policymakers, and researchers to refer to in addressing these important vulnerabilities. This paper reports the findings of a critical literature review to contribute practical insights for health facilities planning and management decision-making in a context where both the likelihood and consequences of natural disasters are increasing in many countries.