Hydrogen storage with gravel and pipes in lakes and reservoirs.

Climate change is projected to have substantial economic, social, and environmental impacts worldwide. Currently, the leading solutions for hydrogen storage are in salt caverns, and depleted natural gas reservoirs. However, the required geological formations are limited to certain regions.

Impact of an educational intervention on hand hygiene practice among nursing students, with a focus on hand drying efficacy.

Background: Hand hygiene and its significance for reducing the spread of infection is well evidenced and has been brought into sharp focus following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a crucial clinical skill in ensuring safe healthcare, little is known regarding nursing students' effectiveness of hand hygiene practice.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on hand hygiene practice, designed by the research team for first year pre-registration nursing students.

Patient safety culture as a space of social struggle: understanding infection prevention practice and patient safety culture within hospital isolation settings - a qualitative study.

Background: In recent times, infection prevention and patient safety have become a global health policy priority with thought being given to understanding organisational culture within healthcare, and of its significance in initiating sustained quality improvement within infection prevention and patient safety. This paper seeks to explore the ways in which engagement of healthcare workers with infection prevention principles and practices, shape and inform patient safety culture within the context of hospital isolation settings; and vice-versa.

Research Methods: In this paper, we utilise focus group interviews at two hospital sites within one health board in order to engage healthcare staff in elaborating on their understandings of infection prevention practices and patient safety culture within isolation settings in their organisation.

Extreme dissipation and intermittency in turbulence at very high Reynolds numbers.

Extreme dissipation events in turbulent flows are rare, but they can be orders of magnitude stronger than the mean dissipation rate. Despite its importance in many small-scale physical processes, there is presently no accurate theory or model for predicting the extrema as a function of the Reynolds number. Here, we introduce a new model for the dissipation probability density function (PDF) based on the concept of significant shear layers, which are thin regions of elevated local mean dissipation.

COVID-19 and hand hygiene: the vital importance of hand drying.

The significance of hand hygiene for preventing the transmission of microorganisms and reducing the spread of infection has been brought into sharp focus following the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In the months since the initial outbreak, international public health campaigns and practitioner education has concentrated on hand washing and hand sanitising, with very little reference to hand drying, if any at all. However, hand drying is integral to effective hand hygiene, and is important in controlling the spread of microorganisms and maintaining healthy skin integrity.

Global resource potential of seasonal pumped hydropower storage for energy and water storage.

Seasonal mismatches between electricity supply and demand is increasing due to expanded use of wind, solar and hydropower resources, which in turn raises the interest on low-cost seasonal energy storage options. Seasonal pumped hydropower storage (SPHS) can provide long-term energy storage at a relatively low-cost and co-benefits in the form of freshwater storage capacity. We present the first estimate of the global assessment of SPHS potential, using a novel plant-siting methodology based on high-resolution topographical and hydrological data.

The stigmatisation of source isolation: a literature review.

Background: Isolation precautions in patients with multi-drug-resistant bacteria and other communicable infectious agents can be associated with adverse effects. Patients' perspectives of isolation suggest that the imposed environment and procedures create barriers to their physical, social and emotional needs.

Aims: The purpose of this paper is to review the literature to uncover any reliable evidence supporting the assertion that stigma is a significant characteristic of the experience of source isolation in healthcare settings.

A scoping review to assess the impact of public education campaigns to affect behavior change pertaining to antimicrobial resistance.

Background: Years of global antibiotic misuse has led to the progression of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing a direct threat to public health. To impact AMR and maintain antimicrobial viability, educational interventions toward fostering positive AMR behavior change have been employed with some success.

Methods: This scoping review sought to identify research-supporting use of public educational AMR campaigns, and their efficacy toward informing positive AMR behaviors to inform current debate.

Infection prevention control and organisational patient safety culture within the context of isolation: study protocol.

Background: Healthcare associated infection (HCAI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, there have been high profile successes in infection prevention control (IPC), such as the dramatic reductions in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections (which is viewed as one proxy indicator of overall harm) and Clostridium difficile in the UK. Nevertheless, HCAI remains a costly burden to health services, a source of concern to patients and the public and at present, is receiving priority from policy makers as it contributes to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The neglected element of hand hygiene - significance of hand drying, efficiency of different methods and clinical implication: A review.

Hand hygiene is a fundamental strategy for controlling the spread of infection. Careful hand drying is integral to the process of hand hygiene, which aims to optimise the removal of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Ineffective hand drying results in wet hands that are an infection risk increasing the potential for cross-infection, occupational contact dermatitis for healthcare practitioners, harm to patients and environmental contamination.

Quality of life, recovery and decision-making: a mixed methods study of mental health recovery in social care.

Purpose: Mental health care is a complex system that includes social care organisations providing support for people with continuing needs. The relationship over time between decisional conflict, social support, quality of life and recovery outcomes across two time periods for people experiencing mental health problems in receipt of social care was investigated.

Methods: This is a mixed methods study comprised of a quantitative survey at two time points using measures of decisional conflict, social support, recovery and quality of life in a random sample (n = 122) using social care services in Wales, UK.

A review of isolation practices and procedures in healthcare settings.

The notion of 'isolation' in infectious diseases refers to the possibility of people known or suspected to be infected from the wider population, and has historically been used to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Isolation practices in healthcare settings evolved over the 20th century resulting in a focus on the disruption of known routes of potential transmission. There was renewed attention to infection prevention and control (IPC) in the UK at the turn of the 20th century after high-profile reports acknowledged the importance of IPC as a key indicator of high-quality clinical care, and the impact of healthcare-acquired infections.

Source isolation and patient wellbeing in healthcare settings.

Multi-resistant bacteria pose an increasing and significant challenge to public health. Isolation precautions in patients with multi-drug-resistant bacteria and other communicable infectious agents can be associated with adverse effects. Although few would dispute the need for such practices in preventing the spread of transmissible infections, patients' perspectives of isolation suggest that the imposed environment creates barriers to their physical, social and emotional needs.

Buoyancy and turbulence-driven atmospheric circulation over urban areas.

In the buoyancy and turbulence-driven atmospheric circulations (BTDAC) that occur over urban areas where the approach means wind speeds are very low (less than turbulent fluctuations and typically <3m/sec), the surface temperatures are significantly higher than those in the external rural areas, and the atmosphere above the mixing layer is stably stratified. In this paper, the mechanisms of BTDAC formation are studied through laboratory experiments and modelling, with additional low-level inflow from external rural areas and a divergent outflow in the opposite direction in the upper part of the mixed layer. Strong turbulent plumes in the central region mix the flow between lower and higher levels up to the inversion height.

Asian Urban Environment and Climate Change: Preface.

The Asian Network on Climate Science and Technology (www.ancst.org), in collaboration with Tsinghua University, held a conference on environmental and climate science, air pollution, urban planning and transportation in July 2015, with over 40 Asian experts participating and presentation.

Study protocol: a mixed methods study to assess mental health recovery, shared decision-making and quality of life (Plan4Recovery).

Background: Recovery in mental health care is complex, highly individual and can be facilitated by a range of professional and non-professional support. In this study we will examine how recovery from mental health problems is promoted in non-medical settings. We hypothesise a relationship between involvement in decisions about care, social support and recovery and quality of life outcomes.

Characteristics of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface of a non-isothermal jet.

The turbulent/non-turbulent interface of a jet is characterized by sharp jumps ('discontinuities') in the conditional flow statistics relative to the interface. Experiments were carried out to measure the conditional flow statistics for a non-isothermal jet, i.e.

The hidden contribution of the health care assistant: a survey-based exploration of support to their role in caring for the acutely ill patient in the general ward setting.

Aim: To examine the feelings, support and feedback available to health care assistants (HCA) when caring for acutely ill ward patients.

Background: The role of the HCA continues to evolve with increased responsibility for patient care. Contextual issues that affect their contribution to acute care management of the ward patient have been given limited attention.

Vital signs for vital people: an exploratory study into the role of the Healthcare Assistant in recognising, recording and responding to the acutely ill patient in the general ward setting.

Aim: To examine the contribution of the Healthcare Assistant (HCA) as the recogniser, responder and recorder of acutely ill patients within the general ward setting.

Background: Concerns have been highlighted regarding the recognition and management of the acutely ill patient within the general ward setting. The contribution of the HCA role to this process has been given limited attention.

Exploring the meaning of, the barriers to and potential strategies for promoting physical activity among urban Indigenous Australians.

Issue Addressed: There is evidence that many of the chronic lifestyle-related problems faced by Australia's Indigenous population are related to physical inactivity. However, little is known as to how to introduce physical activity programs that will be meaningful, relevant and acceptable to Australia's Indigenous people.

Methods: Seventeen focus groups involving 96 Indigenous adult participants, explored the meaning of, the barriers to, and potential strategies for promoting physical activity among urban Indigenous Australians.

Knowledge of and preferred sources of assistance for physical activity in a sample of urban Indigenous Australians.

Background: To examine urban Indigenous Australians' knowledge of the current Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG) and identify their preferred sources of assistance or advice regarding physical activity.

Method: Self-completed questionnaire data were collected from 194 participants; the questionnaires sought information on standard demographics including an assessment of their perceived physical activity level relative to peers. Outcome measures were agreement with five statements from the current PAG and indicators of preferred sources of assistance or advice regarding physical activity.

Validation of a 24-h physical activity recall in indigenous and non-indigenous Australian adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of a modified version of the widely used previous day physical activity recall (PDPAR-24) self-report instrument in a diverse sample of Australian adolescents comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (A&TSI) and non-indigenous high school students. A sample of 63 A&TSI and 59 non-indigenous high school students (N=122) from five public secondary schools participated in the study. Participants completed the PDPAR-24 after wearing a sealed electronic pedometer on the previous day.

Evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet: new understanding and challenges.

This brief paper has two purposes. First, we gauge developments in the study of the Antarctic ice sheet over the last seven years by comparing the contents of this issue with the volume produced from an American Geophysical Union meeting, held in September 1998, on the West Antarctic ice sheet. We focus on the uptake of satellite-based observation; ice-ocean interactions; ice streams as foci of change within the ice sheet; and the time scales on which the ice sheet is thought to operate.

The experiences of trained nurses caring for critically ill patients within a general ward setting.

Background: The concept that critical care is a service rather than a location has been increasingly highlighted. However, there is limited information regarding nurses' perceptions of caring for critically ill patients outside of high dependency areas.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence the experiences of trained nurses caring for critically ill patients within a general ward setting.