title: Rapid holistic assessment and rating of post-earthquake hospital functionality

authors: Boston, Megan

abstract: Hospitals play a critical role in ensuring community safety. It is imperative that they remain operational during and after an earthquake, to provide immediate and ongoing medical care. However, experience shows frequent closures and evacuations of hospitals during and after earthquakes. These decisions are frequently made quickly out of concern for patient and staff safety, and occur within minutes or hours of the event, prior to any formal assessment of structural and nonstructural components. Emergency managers and facility operators need a rapid rating tool to assess damage and predict hospital functionality based on limited information. Such a tool would improve access to medical services and reduce the number of unnecessary hospital evacuations and closures during a critical time of earthquake recovery. This research project works on creating the framework for developing a modelling tool that estimates functionality based on estimated physical damage and other disruptions at the time of an earthquake and predicts the ability of the hospital to provide medical care to the injured. The model incorporates a holistic evaluation matrix that takes inputs of physical damage, utility and back up outages, supplies and equipment, staffing, business and record functions, and facility access to estimate hospital functionality (service availability and capacity). The matrix and model aim to address challenges in estimating quantity and quality of service after a disaster. Outputs of the final model will provide a hospital rating – an indication of the hospital safety and functionality – and inform decisions for evacuations, partial or complete closure, or continued operations.

text: Rapid holistic assessment and rating of post-earthquake hospital functionality Hospitals play a critical role in ensuring community safety. It is imperative that they remain operational during and after an earthquake, to provide immediate and ongoing medical care. However, experience shows frequent closures and evacuations of hospitals during and after earthquakes. These decisions are frequently made quickly out of concern for patient and staff safety, and occur within minutes or hours of the event, prior to any formal assessment of structural and nonstructural components. Emergency managers and facility operators need a rapid rating tool to assess damage and predict hospital functionality based on limited information. Such a tool would improve access to medical services and reduce the number of unnecessary hospital evacuations and closures during a critical time of earthquake recovery. This research project works on creating the framework for developing a modelling tool that estimates functionality based on estimated physical damage and other disruptions at the time of an earthquake and predicts the ability of the hospital to provide medical care to the injured. The model incorporates a holistic evaluation matrix that takes inputs of physical damage, utility and back up outages, supplies and equipment, staffing, business and record functions, and facility access to estimate hospital functionality (service availability and capacity). The matrix and model aim to address challenges in estimating quantity and quality of service after a disaster. Outputs of the final model will provide a hospital rating – an indication of the hospital safety and functionality – and inform decisions for evacuations, partial or complete closure, or continued operations.

year: 2019

title: Stable isotope probing: Technical considerations when resolving ¹⁵N-labeled RNA in gradients

authors: Addison, Sarah Louise

subjects: bacteria

abstract: RNA based stable isotope probing (SIP) facilitates the detection and identification of active members of microbial populations that are involved in the assimilation of an isotopically labeled compound. ¹⁵N-RNA-SIP is a new method that has been discussed in recent literature but has not yet been tested. Herein, we define the limitations to using ¹⁵N-labeled substrates for SIP and propose modifications to compensate for some of these shortcomings. We have used ¹⁵N-RNA-SIP as a tool for analysing mixed bacterial populations that use nitrogen substrates. After incubating mixed microbial communities with ¹⁵N-ammonium chloride or ¹⁵N₂ we assessed the fractionation resolution of ¹⁵N-RNA by isopycnic centrifugation in caesium trifluoroacetate (CsTFA) gradients. We found that the more isotopic label incorporated, the further the buoyant density (BD) separation between ¹⁵N- and ¹⁴N-RNA, however it was not possible to resolve the labeled from unlabeled RNA definitively through gradient fractionation. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the extracted RNA and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis of the enrichment cultures provided some insight into the organisms involved in nitrogen fixation. This approach is not without its limitations and will require further developments to assess its applicability to other nitrogen-fixing environments.

text: Stable isotope probing: Technical considerations when resolving ¹⁵N-labeled RNA in gradients RNA based stable isotope probing (SIP) facilitates the detection and identification of active members of microbial populations that are involved in the assimilation of an isotopically labeled compound. ¹⁵N-RNA-SIP is a new method that has been discussed in recent literature but has not yet been tested. Herein, we define the limitations to using ¹⁵N-labeled substrates for SIP and propose modifications to compensate for some of these shortcomings. We have used ¹⁵N-RNA-SIP as a tool for analysing mixed bacterial populations that use nitrogen substrates. After incubating mixed microbial communities with ¹⁵N-ammonium chloride or ¹⁵N₂ we assessed the fractionation resolution of ¹⁵N-RNA by isopycnic centrifugation in caesium trifluoroacetate (CsTFA) gradients. We found that the more isotopic label incorporated, the further the buoyant density (BD) separation between ¹⁵N- and ¹⁴N-RNA, however it was not possible to resolve the labeled from unlabeled RNA definitively through gradient fractionation. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the extracted RNA and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis of the enrichment cultures provided some insight into the organisms involved in nitrogen fixation. This approach is not without its limitations and will require further developments to assess its applicability to other nitrogen-fixing environments.

year: 2010-01

title: 'Closing the Gaps': From postcolonialism to Kaupapa Māori and beyond.

authors: Mahuika, Nepia

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: The article discusses New Zealand history, particularly examining Māori theories and interpretations of history. It considers postcolonial theory and Kaupapa Māori theory. The author comments on the government policy of "closing the gaps," referring to efforts to improve the conditions of underachieving New Zealand groups. He also reflects on Mātauranga, a Māori concept concerning knowledge. The history and oral tradition of the people of the Māori iwi, or social unit, of Ngati Porou is also discussed.

text: 'Closing the Gaps': From postcolonialism to Kaupapa Māori and beyond. The article discusses New Zealand history, particularly examining Māori theories and interpretations of history. It considers postcolonial theory and Kaupapa Māori theory. The author comments on the government policy of "closing the gaps," referring to efforts to improve the conditions of underachieving New Zealand groups. He also reflects on Mātauranga, a Māori concept concerning knowledge. The history and oral tradition of the people of the Māori iwi, or social unit, of Ngati Porou is also discussed.

year: 2011