A University-Wide ePortfolio Initiative at Federation University Australia: Software Analysis, Test-to-Production, and Evaluation Phases

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Hains-Wesson, Rachael; Wakeling, Lara; Aldred, Peter

2014-01-01

This paper describes an ePortfolio implementation strategy at Federation University Australia, Victoria (formerly the University of Ballarat). The authors combined a personal and practical viewpoint to elicit pitfalls, challenges, and recommendations for improvement. The paper is divided into three main areas in order to outline the experiments…

Optometrists Association Australia Universal (entry-level) and Therapeutic Competency Standards for Optometry 2008.

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Kiely, Patricia M

2009-07-01

Competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and expanded in 2000 to include therapeutic competency standards. The entry-level standards cover the competencies required by a person entering the profession without therapeutic endorsement of their registration. The therapeutic competency standards address the additional competencies required for therapeutic endorsement of registration. This paper presents a revised version of the universal (entry-level) and therapeutic competency standards for the profession of optometry in Australia in 2008. Expert members of the profession and representatives from schools of optometry, registration boards in Australia, state divisions of Optometrists Association Australia and the New Zealand Association of Optometrists were consulted in the process of updating the standards. Three new elements of competency have been added to the standards. Twenty-three new performance criteria with associated indicators have been added. Some performance criteria from the earlier document have been combined. Substantial alterations were made to the presentation of indicators throughout the document. The updated entry-level (universal) and therapeutic competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Council of Optometrists Association Australia in November 2008. Competency standards are used by Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of registration and therapeutic endorsement of registration via the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand accreditation and assessment processes. They have also been used as the basis of the World Council of Optometry Global Competency-Based Model.

The University-Business Nexus in Australia. Go8 Backgrounder 26

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Group of Eight (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

An effective innovation system requires productive interactions between all its parts. Within Australia there is a view that business-university interactions are suboptimal. Government has set a target for doubling the interactions between business and publicly funded researchers by 2020; and the Group of Eight has a strategic priority to build…

Exploring the consistency, transparency and portability of dental technology education: benchmarking across Norway, Ireland and Australia.

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Myhrer, T; Evans, J L; Haugen, H K; Gorman, C; Kavanagh, Y; Cameron, A B

2016-08-01

Dental technology programmes of study must prepare students to practice in a broad range of contemporary workplaces. Currently, there is limited evidence to benchmark dental technology education - locally, nationally or internationally. This research aims to improve consistency, transparency and portability of dental technology qualifications across three countries. Data were accessed from open-source curriculum documents and five calibrated assessment items. Three institutions collaborated with Oslo and Akershus University College, Norway; Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; and Griffith University, Australia. From these, 29-44 students completed 174 assessments. The curricula reflect the community needs of each country and display common themes that underpin professional dental technology practice. Assessment results differed between institutions but no more than a normal distribution. Face-to-face assessment moderation was critical to achieve consistency. This collaborative research has led to the development of a set of guidelines for other dental technology education providers interested in developing or aligning courses internationally to enhance the portability of qualifications. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

appeals among male university students in Western Australia

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Shahriar Khandaker

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background. Smoking causes ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lung cancer killing 15,000 Australians every year. Despite extensive publicity of the harmful health effects of smoking, one in six Australian aged 15 years and over smoked daily representing 2.7 million active smokers. Objectives. The research aimed to comprehend how active university student smokers respond to different appeals employed in public service antismoking campaigns in Western Australia. Material and methods. The study examined the Quit Victoria 2006–2008 antismoking campaign using qualitative research method involving four in-depth focus group discussions with a total of twenty-four (N = 24 active male university student smokers in Western Australia between the age group of 18 to 24 years. Results . Male university students became active smokers because of the perceived image of ‘coolness,’ ‘macho,’ media influence and experimentation. Impact on sports performances predominantly encouraged respondents in attempting to quit smoking. Sixteen students (67% felt that graphic warning messages on cigarette packs had no effect on them due to desensitizing effects of repeated messages. Twenty-one participants (87.5% felt that health shock appeal was ineffective in making them quit. Emotional appeals like humor, fear, and health shock were most persuasive in advertising messages which would assist in smoking cessation. Therefore, antismoking campaigns with shock health appeals were ineffective in helping smokers to abdicate smoking. Results suggested employing emotional or combination of rational and emotional appeals in maximizing the effectiveness of antismoking advertisements. Conclusions . The study broadens the scope of devising effective antismoking campaigns and provide insightful implications for public health promoters as well as individualized care providers.

D. W. Griffith's Controversial Film, "The Birth of a Nation."

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Pitcher, Conrad

1999-01-01

Presents a lesson plan that enables students to investigate race relations during the Progressive Era by analyzing D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" and the controversy surrounding the release of the film. Explores the pros and cons of using motion pictures as teaching tool. Includes two student handouts. (CMK)

Extending the Educational Franchise: The Social Contract of Australia's Public Universities, 1850-1890

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Horne, Julia; Sherington, Geoffrey

2010-01-01

This article introduces the notion of the "educational franchise" of Australia's public universities established in the mid-nineteenth century. In his recently published study of the public university and social access in the United States, John Aubrey Douglass suggests that from the mid-nineteenth century a social contract was formed…

A Monte Carlo algorithm for sampling rare events: application to a search for the Griffiths singularity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hukushima, K; Iba, Y

2008-01-01

We develop a recently proposed importance-sampling Monte Carlo algorithm for sampling rare events and quenched variables in random disordered systems. We apply it to a two dimensional bond-diluted Ising model and study the Griffiths singularity which is considered to be due to the existence of rare large clusters. It is found that the distribution of the inverse susceptibility has an exponential tail down to the origin which is considered the consequence of the Griffiths singularity

Existence of Griffiths phase in La0.67Ca0.33Mn0.93Fe0.07O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, L.; Dayal, V.; Rama, N.; Keshri, S.

2009-01-01

Temperature variation of electrical resistivity, AC susceptibility and electron spin resonance measurements are reported for La 0.67 Ca 0.33 Mn 0.93 Fe 0.07 O 3 . The inverse of AC susceptibility shows a downturn with decreasing temperature before T c indicating the existence of Griffiths phase for the temperature range T c ≤ T ≤ T G , where T G is the Griffiths temperature. The ESR results show the existence of FM clusters in the PM region above T c which supports the presence of Griffiths phase. The ESR results also show the existence of inhomogeneous distribution of magnetic phases in the sample. A possible mechanism of the obtained results has been explained.

Stress and dietary behaviour among first-year university students in Australia: sex differences.

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Papier, Keren; Ahmed, Faruk; Lee, Patricia; Wiseman, Juliet

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between stress and food selection patterns by sex among first-year undergraduate students studying in an Australian university. Participating in this cross-sectional study were 728 (331 men and 397 female students) first-year students, ages >18 y, attending the Gold Coast Campus of Griffith University. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of three sections: sociodemographic information, stress measures, and a 7-d food frequency questionnaire. More than half (52.9%) of the participants were found to suffer from some level of stress, with relatively more female students (57.4%) suffering than men (47.4%). Men who experienced mild to moderate levels of stress were two to three times more likely to eat cereal foods (P stress level and consumption of cereal food, meat alternatives, vegetables and fruit (negative trend), highly processed food, protein powder, beverages and alcoholic beverages (all P stress were 2.22 times more likely to eat processed food (P stress were less likely to consume meat alternatives (P stress levels and the consumption of meat alternatives, vegetables and fruit (both negative trends), and processed food (all P stressed male and female students, with stress being a more significant predictor of unhealthy food selection among male students. Further research is needed using a qualitative approach to understand how stress and eating behavior are related in university students. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevention and control of schistosomiasis: a current perspective

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Inobaya MT

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Marianette T Inobaya,1 Remigio M Olveda,1 Thao NP Chau,3 David U Olveda,2 Allen GP Ross21Department of Health, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines; 2Griffith Health Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, Australia; 3Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, AustraliaAbstract: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that ranks second only to malaria in terms of human suffering in the tropics and subtropics. Five species are known to infect man and there are currently over 240 million people infected worldwide. The cornerstone of control to date has been mass drug administration with 40 mg/kg of praziquantel but there are problems with this approach. Human and bovine vaccines are in various stages of development. Integrated control, targeting the life cycle, is the only approach that will lead to sustainability and future elimination.Keywords: schistosomiais, morbidity, treatment and control, mass drug administration

Observation of a Griffiths-like Phase in the Magnetocaloric Compound Tb5Si2Ge2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magen, C.; Algarabel, P.A.; Morellon, L.; Ibarra, M.R.; Araujo, J.P.; Pereira, A.M.; Sousa, J.B.; Ritter, C.

2006-01-01

The onset of a Griffiths-like phase has been observed in Tb 5 Si 2 Ge 2 (T C =110 K) by means of magnetic susceptibility and small-angle neutron scattering experiments. We show the growth of a ferromagnetic cluster system characterized by an inverse susceptibility exponent lower than unity at T C G ≅200 K. We suggest that the Griffiths-like state is originated by local disorder within the crystallographic structure, stabilized and enhanced by competing intralayer and interlayer magnetic interactions. Both factors thus promote segregation of nanometric regions with ferromagnetic interactions

The Gendered Shaping of University Leadership in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom

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White, Kate; Bagilhole, Barbara; Riordan, Sarah

2012-01-01

This article analyses career trajectories into university management in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK), skills required to operate effectively and the power of vice-chancellors (VCs) and their impact on the gendered shaping of university leadership. It is based on qualitative research with 56 male and female senior managers.…

'Searching for the people in charge': appraising the 1983 Griffiths NHS management inquiry.

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Gorsky, Martin

2013-01-01

This is the first of two related articles in the present volume which examine the recent history of health services management using the case of the British National Health Service (NHS). In the historiography of the NHS the 1980s is widely seen as a watershed, when public policy first sought to introduce market disciplines into its operation. Administrative and managerial reforms were central to this process, and their origins and impact have been the subject of continuing debate. This article examines and evaluates one of the key events in this history, the Griffiths NHS Inquiry of 1983, which put in place the principles of 'general management' in the NHS. Drawing on both documentary records and oral evidence it offers fresh perspectives on the reasons why the Conservative government embarked on this reform, on the workings of the inquiry team under the leadership of the businessman Roy Griffiths, and on the uneven course of the implementation of his recommendations. While its initial impact arguably did not meet the expectations of its supporters, it is suggested that several of Griffiths' key concerns have grown, not diminished, in importance as aspects of subsequent health politics. These include: the need for clinician involvement in NHS management and financing; the conundrum of how to depoliticise the central direction of the service while retaining political accountability; the desirability of measuring and improving performance; and the question of how best to incorporate the wishes of patients and public in the decision-making arena.

A Comparative Study to Evaluate the Educational Impact of E-Learning Tools on Griffith University Pharmacy Students’ Level of Understanding Using Bloom’s and SOLO Taxonomies

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Abdullah Karaksha

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To design a series of e-learning tools within the framework of a defined educational pedagogy to complement the conventional pharmacology curriculum at Griffith University and evaluate the impact of this strategy on student level of understanding through taxonomic classification of student final exam answers. Methods. A series of 148 e-learning tools was designed for 3rd year undergraduate pharmacy students and incorporated into their curriculum during 2012. The educational benefits of the e-learning tools were evaluated by analyses of student level of understanding (by SOLO taxonomy at the final exams between the control group (standard curricula in 2011 and the intervention group (standard curricula + e-learning tools in 2012. Results. Backward linear regression analysis demonstrated GPA to be the most significant predictor of level of understanding, while the intervention group was a highly significant predictor for greater level of understanding in semester two. Conclusion. E-learning tools appeared to significantly improve student level of understanding as scored by the SOLO taxonomy when students engaged highly with the tools.

Thomas L. Griffiths: Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology

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American Psychologist, 2012

2012-01-01

Presents a short biography of one of the winners of the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology (2012). Thomas L. Griffiths won the award for bringing mathematical precision to the deepest questions in human learning, reasoning, and concept formation. In his pioneering work,…

Magnetic properties of a quantum transverse spin-1 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ez Zahraouy, H.

1993-09-01

Using an expansion technique for cluster identities of spin-1 localized spin systems, we study the magnetic properties of a quantum transverse spin-1 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model. The longitudinal and transverse magnetizations and the quadrupolar moments are calculated. General formula applicable to structures with arbitrary coordination number are given. (author). 38 refs, 6 figs

Effect of verbal persuasion on self-efficacy for pain-related diagnostic sensory testing in individuals with chronic neck pain and healthy controls – A randomized, controlled trial

OpenAIRE

Söderlund, Anne; Sterling, M.

2016-01-01

Anne Söderlund,1 Michele Sterling,2 1Physiotherapy, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden; 2Centre for National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine (CONROD), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Parklands, Australia Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in cold pain threshold (CTh), pressure pain threshold (PPT), cold pain tolerance (CPTo...

Facebook addiction: a reply to Griffiths (2012).

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Andreassen, Cecilie Schou; Pallesen, Ståle

2013-12-01

Our recent paper about a new Facebook addiction scale has stimulated an interesting and very welcome debate among researchers concerning the assessment of excessive use of social networking sites. The critique put forward by Griffiths (2012) is mainly built on the conception of "Facebook" as too narrow of a concept, and that assessment of addiction to social network sites in general would be more appropriate. We argue that the concept of "social network site" is not more specific than "Facebook," so "Facebook addiction" rather than "social network addiction" is defensible. We acknowledge that more research in this area is needed and point specifically to new and important directions for future research that can shed light on the mechanism of addiction to social network sites.

University Student Finances in 2012: A Study of the Financial Circumstances of Domestic and International Students in Australia's Universities

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Bexley, Emmaline; Daroesman, Suzanne; Arkoudis, Sophie; James, Richard

2013-01-01

The aim of the Australian University Student Finances Survey 2012 is to provide an evidence-based understanding of the financial circumstances of the student population in Australia (both international and domestic) through the collection of quantitative data on: access to income support and scholarships, income from paid employment and the impact…

Experiences of using the Theoretical Domains Framework across diverse clinical environments: a qualitative study

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Phillips CJ

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Cameron J Phillips,1,2 Andrea P Marshall,3,4 Nadia J Chaves,5 Stacey K Jankelowitz,6,7 Ivan B Lin,8 Clement T Loy,9,10 Gwyneth Rees,11 Leanne Sakzewski,12 Susie Thomas,13,14 The-Phung To,15 Shelley A Wilkinson,16,17 Susan Michie18 1Division of Pharmacy, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia; 2School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 3Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia; 4Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, QLD, Australia; 5Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia; 6Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, 7Institute of Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 8Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Australia, Geraldton, WA, Australia; 9School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 10Huntington Diseases Centre, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia; 11Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 12Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; 13Physiotherapy Department, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia; 14International Centre for Allied Health Evidence (iCAHE, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 15Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia; 16Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia; 17Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia; 18University College London Centre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College, London, UK Background: The Theoretical Domains

Griffiths-like phase in high TC perovskite La2FeReO6 prepared in a controlled reducing atmosphere

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Kaipamagalath, Aswathi; Palakkal, Jasnamol P.; Varma, Manoj R.

2018-05-01

The perovskite La2FeReO6 is prepared by solid-state reaction method. Calcination was done in a controlled reducing atmosphere. The structure of the compound is found to be orthorhombic with Pbnm space group. From the DC magnetic studies, the transition temperature (TC) of La2FeReO6 is found to be at 729 K. A Griffiths-like phase is present in the material with ferromagnetic short-range correlations above TC up to the Griffiths temperature TG = 863 K.

Muslim Students' Cultural and Religious Experiences in City, Suburban and Regional University Campuses in NSW, Australia

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Possamai, Adam; Dunn, Kevin; Hopkins, Peter; Worthington, Lisa; Amin, Faroque

2016-01-01

Although there has been much research about the growing ethnic and religious diversity on university campuses across the world, relatively little is known about the religious and cultural experiences of Muslim students on university campuses in Australia. We draw upon an analysis of a questionnaire that was completed by 323 Muslim students who…

Singing and Companionship in the Hawthorn University of the Third-Age Choir, Australia

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Joseph, Dawn; Southcott, Jane

2015-01-01

The international University of the Third Age (U3A) embodies the principles of lifelong learning and personal fulfilment amongst members. The research reported in this article focused on the Choir of the U3A Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia and the benefits perceived by members undertaking this active music engagement in non-competitive choral…

Attitude to the subject of chemistry in undergraduate nursing students at Fiji National University and Federation University, Australia.

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Brown, Stephen; Wakeling, Lara; Peck, Blake; Naiker, Mani; Hill, Dolores; Naidu, Keshni

2015-01-01

Attitude to the subject of chemistry was quantified in first-year undergraduate nursing students, at two geographically distinct universities. A purpose-designed diagnostic instrument (ASCI) was given to students at Federation University, Australia (n= 114), and at Fiji National University, Fiji (n=160). Affective and cognitive sub-scales within ASCI showed reasonable internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha for the cognitive sub-scale was 0.786 and 0.630, and 0.787 and 0.788 for affective sub-scale for the Federation University and Fiji National University students, respectively. Mean (SD) score for the cognitive sub-scale was 10.5 (5.6) and 15.2 (4.1) for students at Federation University and Fiji National University, respectively (PFiji National University, respectively (P < 0.001, t-test). An exploratory factor analysis (n=274) confirmed a two-factor solution consistent with affective and cognitive sub-scales, each with good internal consistency. Quantifying attitude to chemistry in undergraduate nursing students using ASCI may have utility in assessing the impact of novel teaching strategies used in the education of nursing students in areas of bioscience and chemistry. However, geographically distinct populations of undergraduate nurses may show very different attitudes to chemistry.

Travel risk behaviours and uptake of pre-travel health preventions by university students in Australia

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Heywood Anita E

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Forward planning and preventative measures before travelling can significantly reduce the risk of many vaccine preventable travel-related infectious diseases. Higher education students may be at an increased risk of importing infectious disease as many undertake multiple visits to regions with higher infectious disease endemicity. Little is known about the health behaviours of domestic or international university students, particularly students from low resource countries who travel to high-resource countries for education. This study aimed to assess travel-associated health risks and preventative behaviours in a sample of both domestic and international university students in Australia. Methods In 2010, a 28 item self-administered online survey was distributed to students enrolled at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Multiple methods of distributing links to the online survey were utilised. The survey examined the international travel history, travel intentions, infection control behaviours and self-reported vaccination history. Results A total of 1663 respondents completed the online survey, 22.1% were international students and 83.9% were enrolled at an undergraduate level. Half had travelled internationally in the previous 12 months, with 69% of those travelling only once during that time with no difference in travel from Australia between domestic and international students (p = 0.8. Uptake of pre-travel health advice was low overall with 68% of respondents reporting they had not sought any advice from a health professional prior to their last international trip. Domestic students were more likely to report uptake of a range of preventative travel health measures compared to international students, including diarrhoeal medication, insect repellent, food avoidance and condoms (P Conclusions Our study highlights the need to educate students about the risk associated with travel and improve preventative

Travel risk behaviours and uptake of pre-travel health preventions by university students in Australia.

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Heywood, Anita E; Zhang, Meng; MacIntyre, C Raina; Seale, Holly

2012-02-17

Forward planning and preventative measures before travelling can significantly reduce the risk of many vaccine preventable travel-related infectious diseases. Higher education students may be at an increased risk of importing infectious disease as many undertake multiple visits to regions with higher infectious disease endemicity. Little is known about the health behaviours of domestic or international university students, particularly students from low resource countries who travel to high-resource countries for education. This study aimed to assess travel-associated health risks and preventative behaviours in a sample of both domestic and international university students in Australia. In 2010, a 28 item self-administered online survey was distributed to students enrolled at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Multiple methods of distributing links to the online survey were utilised. The survey examined the international travel history, travel intentions, infection control behaviours and self-reported vaccination history. A total of 1663 respondents completed the online survey, 22.1% were international students and 83.9% were enrolled at an undergraduate level. Half had travelled internationally in the previous 12 months, with 69% of those travelling only once during that time with no difference in travel from Australia between domestic and international students (p = 0.8). Uptake of pre-travel health advice was low overall with 68% of respondents reporting they had not sought any advice from a health professional prior to their last international trip. Domestic students were more likely to report uptake of a range of preventative travel health measures compared to international students, including diarrhoeal medication, insect repellent, food avoidance and condoms (P students reported low risk perception of travel threats and a low corresponding concern for these threats. Our study highlights the need to educate students about the risk

Evidence of emerging Griffiths singularity in La{sub 0.5} Sr{sub 0.5} MnO{sub 3} nanocrystalline probed by magnetization and electron paramagnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiyuan [Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Fan, Jiyu, E-mail: jiyufan@nuaa.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Xu, Lisa [Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Tong, Wei [High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Hu, Dazhi [Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); He, Xun [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Zhang, Lei; Pi, Li; Zhang, Yuheng [High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

2016-06-01

We present an investigation of Griffiths singularity in La{sub 0.5} Sr{sub 0.5} MnO{sub 3} nanocrystalline by means of magnetic susceptibility and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An unusual platform was found in paramagnetic region. Based on the analysis of EPR spectrum and magnetization variation across the whole temperature range of phase transition, we confirm it is due to the presence of Griffiths singularity rather than a superparamagnetic state in the nanocrystalline system. Such a singularity phase is constituted with some correlated ferromagnetic clusters which embed in paramagnetic matrix. Although they form ferromagnetic spin correlation, the system do not yield any spontaneous magnetization. According to core–shell model, the emergence of Griffiths singularity can be considered due to the presence of local ferromagnetic fluctuations originated from surface spin disorder as the sample size is confined to nanoscale. - Highlights: • Griffiths singularity rather than superparamagnetism occurs in La{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}MnO{sub 3} nanoparticals. • The sample’s size reduced to nanoscale results in the short-range ferromagnetic interaction. • The core-shell model is used to understand the formation of Griffiths phase in nanometer La{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}MnO{sub 3}.

Nutrition guidelines for undergraduate medical curricula: a six-country comparison

OpenAIRE

Crowley, Jennifer; Ball, Lauren; Laur, Celia; Wall, Clare; Arroll, Bruce; Poole, Phillippa; Ray, Sumantra

2015-01-01

Jennifer Crowley,1 Lauren Ball,2 Celia Laur,3 Clare Wall,1 Bruce Arroll,4 Phillippa Poole,5 Sumantra Ray3 1Discipline of Nutrition, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 3Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK; 4Department of General Practice and Pri...

The Rise and Fall of Modern Greek in Australia's Universities: What Can a Quantitative Analysis Tell Us?

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Hajek, John; Nicholas, Nick

2004-01-01

In this article, we look at the state of Modern Greek in Australian universities, focusing on quantitative analysis of its rise and fall in the relatively short period of 35 years since it was first taught as a university subject in Australia. We consider the possible reasons behind this trajectory, in particular correlations with changing…

Fe-doping induced Griffiths-like phase in La0.7Ba0.3CoO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan-Guo, Huang; Xiang-Qun, Zhang; Guo-Ke, Li; Young, Sun; Qing-An, Li; Zhao-Hua, Cheng

2009-01-01

The effect of Fe-doping on the magnetic properties of the ABO 3 -type perovskite cobaltites La 0.7 Ba 0.3 Co 1–y Fe y O 3 (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.80) is reported. With no apparent structural change in any doped sample, the Curie temperature (T C ) and the magnetization (M) are greatly suppressed for y ≤ 0.30 samples, while a distinct increase in T C for the y = 0.40 sample is observed. With the further increase of Fe concentration, T C increases monotonically. Griffiths-like phases in 0.40 ≤ y ≤ 0.60 samples are confirmed. The formation of the Griffiths-like phase is ascribed to B-site disordering induced isolation of ferromagnetic (FM) clusters above T C . (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Griffith Saponite as an Analog for Clay Minerals at Yellowknife Bay in Gale Crater, Mars: A Marker for Low-temperature Hydrothermal Processes

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Morris, R.V.; Treiman, A. H.; Agresti, D. G.; Graff, T. G.; Achilles, C. N.; Rampe, E. B.; Bristow, T. F.; Ming, D. W.; Blake, D. F.; Vaniman, D. T.;

Quantum Griffiths phase in CePd1-xRhx with x ∼ 0.8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brando, M; Westerkamp, T; Deppe, M; Geibel, C; Steglich, F; Gegenwart, P

2010-01-01

The magnetic field dependence of the magnetisation (M) and the temperature dependence of the ac susceptibility (χ' = dM/dH) of CePd 1-x Rh x single crystals with 0.80 ≤ x ≤ 0.86 are analysed within the frame of the quantum Griffiths phase scenario, which predicts M ∝ H λ and χ' ∝ T λ-1 with 0 ≤ λ ≤ 1. All M vs H and χ' vs T data follow the predicted power-law behaviour. The parameter λ, extracted from χ'(T), is very sensitive to the Rh content x and varies systematically with x from -0.1 to 0.4. The value of λ, derived from M(H) measurements on a CePdo 0.2 Rho 0.8 single crystal, seems to be rather constant, λ ∼ 0.2, in a broad range of temperatures between 0.05 and 2 K and fields up to about 10 T. All observed signatures and the λ values are thus compatible with the quantum Griffiths scenario.

Observation of a Griffiths-like phase in the paramagnetic regime of ErCo2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrero-Albillos, Julia; GarcIa, Luis Miguel; Bartolome, Fernando

2009-01-01

A systematic x-ray magnetic circular dichroism study of the paramagnetic phase of ErCo 2 has recently allowed us to identify the inversion of the net magnetization of the Co net moment with respect to the applied field well above the ferrimagnetic ordering temperature, T c . The study of small-angle neutron scattering measurements has also shown the presence of short range order correlations in the same temperature region. This phenomenon, which we have denoted parimagnetism, may be related to the onset of a Griffiths-like phase in paramagnetic ErCo 2 . We have measured ac susceptibility on ErCo 2 as a function of temperature, applied field and excitation frequency. Several characteristics shared by systems showing a Griffiths phase are present in ErCo 2 , namely the formation of ferromagnetic clusters in the disordered phase, the loss of analyticity of the magnetic susceptibility and its extreme sensitivity to an applied magnetic field. The paramagnetic susceptibility allows us to establish that the magnetic clusters are only formed by Co moments as well as the intrinsic nature of those Co moments.

The bond diluted spin-1 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in a transverse field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ez Zahraouy, H.

1993-09-01

The effect of Bond-dilution on the magnetic properties of a quantum transverse spin-1 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model is investigated within an expansion technique for cluster identities of a spin-1 localized spin system. The longitudinal and transverse magnetizations and quadrupolar moments are studied for several values of the bond concentration. A general formula, applicable to structures with arbitrary coordination number N, are given. (author). 41 refs, 6 figs

Australian national networked tele-test facility for integrated systems

Science.gov (United States)

Eshraghian, Kamran; Lachowicz, Stefan W.; Eshraghian, Sholeh

2001-11-01

The Australian Commonwealth government recently announced a grant of 4.75 million as part of a 13.5 million program to establish a world class networked IC tele-test facility in Australia. The facility will be based on a state-of-the-art semiconductor tester located at Edith Cowan University in Perth that will operate as a virtual centre spanning Australia. Satellite nodes will be located at the University of Western Australia, Griffith University, Macquarie University, Victoria University and the University of Adelaide. The facility will provide vital equipment to take Australia to the frontier of critically important and expanding fields in microelectronics research and development. The tele-test network will provide state of the art environment for the electronics and microelectronics research and the industry community around Australia to test and prototype Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits and other System On a Chip (SOC) devices, prior to moving to the manufacturing stage. Such testing is absolutely essential to ensure that the device performs to specification. This paper presents the current context in which the testing facility is being established, the methodologies behind the integration of design and test strategies and the target shape of the tele-testing Facility.

Youth Transition to University in Germany and Australia: An Empirical Investigation of Healthy Eating Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Bishnu; Harker, Michael; Harker, Debra; Reinhard, Karin

2010-01-01

The transition from living at home to living independently has been characterised as a time of stress, and there is evidence to suggest that this transition from youth to young adulthood influences food choice. The current study explores this phenomenon and compares 18-24-year-old university students' motivation for food choice in Australia and…

Exercise physiologists: essential players in interdisciplinary teams for noncommunicable chronic disease management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soan EJ

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Esme J Soan,1–3 Steven J Street,1,2 Sharon M Brownie,3,4 Andrew P Hills1–31Mater Mothers' Hospital, South Brisbane, 2Mater Research Institute – University of Queensland, South Brisbane, 3Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 4Green Templeton College, Oxford University, Oxford, UKAbstract: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, are a growing public health challenge in Australia, accounting for a significant and increasing cost to the health care system. Management of these chronic conditions is aided by interprofessional practice, but models of care require updating to incorporate the latest evidence-based practice. Increasing research evidence reports the benefits of physical activity and exercise on health status and the risk of inactivity to chronic disease development, yet physical activity advice is often the least comprehensive component of care. An essential but as yet underutilized player in NCD prevention and management is the "accredited exercise physiologist," a specialist in the delivery of clinical exercise prescriptions for the prevention or management of chronic and complex conditions. In this article, the existing role of accredited exercise physiologists in interprofessional practice is examined, and an extension of their role proposed in primary health care settings.Keywords: interdisciplinary team, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, exercise physiology, accredited exercise physiologist

Dynamical replica analysis of processes on finitely connected random graphs: II. Dynamics in the Griffiths phase of the diluted Ising ferromagnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mozeika, A; Coolen, A C C

2009-01-01

We study the Glauber dynamics of Ising spin models with random bonds, on finitely connected random graphs. We generalize a recent dynamical replica theory with which to predict the evolution of the joint spin-field distribution, to include random graphs with arbitrary degree distributions. The theory is applied to Ising ferromagnets on randomly diluted Bethe lattices, where we study the evolution of the magnetization and the internal energy. It predicts a prominent slowing down of the flow in the Griffiths phase, it suggests a further dynamical transition at lower temperatures within the Griffiths phase, and it is verified quantitatively by the results of Monte Carlo simulations

Emergence of Griffiths phase and glassy mixed phase in Sm0.5Ca0.5MnO3 nanomanganites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giri, S.K.; Yusuf, S.M.; Mukadam, M.D.; Nath, T.K.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: A detailed investigation on the effect of grain size on formation of Griffiths phase, and glassy mixed phase in CE-type antiferromagnetic Sm 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 manganite are carried out. A rigorous measurement of linear and non-linear ac magnetic susceptibilities, time dependent relaxation and aging phenomena in Sm 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 nanomanganite confirm the existence of a glassy mixed phase in the low temperature regime. The signature of Griffiths phase in nanosized manganite has been confirmed from the detailed ac and dc magnetization studies. The existence of Griffiths phase is verified through the anomalous behavior of the low field temperature dependent an inverse ac and dc magnetic susceptibility. Based on experimental results, the glassy phase of nanomanganites has been attributed to the phase separation effect and interaction between the ferromagnetic clusters. A phenomenological core/shell model has also been proposed based on the surface disorder to explain the observed Griffiths phase in these nanosized manganites. Fig. 1: (Left) The plot of inverse of ac susceptibility χ ac -1 measured at f = 1 Hz and H ac = 2 Oe as a function of temperature for S750 sample. Inset shows the same for S550 sample. (Right) A schematic of the proposed model to describe the magnetic state of the Sm 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 system at different average sizes. Highlights: • Effect of grain size on Griffiths phase and glassy mixed phase is discussed. • GP is confirmed by dc, linear and non-linear ac magnetization in nanomanganites. • Glassy mixed phase is discussed by time dependent relaxation and aging phenomena. • The existence of GP is verified through an inverse ac and dc magnetic susceptibility. • A phenomenological core/shell model has been proposed based on surface disorder. -- Abstract: A detailed investigation on the effect of grain size on formation of Griffiths phase (GP), and glassy mixed phase in CE-type antiferromagnetic Sm 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3

Aftermath of Griffith Park Fire

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

In mid-May 2007, wind-driven flames raced through Griffith Park in Los Angeles, forcing hasty evacuations and threatening numerous famous landmarks and tourist spots, such as the Los Angeles Zoo and the Hollywood Sign. Ultimately, no one was injured in the fire, which may have been started by a cigarette. About 800 acres burned in the urban park, which is itself a Hollywood landmark, having been the location for several movies, including Rebel Without A Cause. This image of the park was captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite on June 6, 2007, about a month after the fire. ASTER detects both visible and infrared wavelengths of light, and both kinds have been used to make this image. Vegetation appears in various shades of red, while the burned areas appear charcoal. Roads and dense urban areas appear purplish-gray or white. Water is dark blue. Large burned areas are evident in the northwest and southeast parts of the park, with scattered smaller patches along the southern margin. Some botanical gardens and parts of a bird sanctuary, as well as some park structures like restrooms, were destroyed. The park's unburned, natural vegetation appears brick red, while the irrigated golf courses adjacent to the park are bright red. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.

Smoking among university students: a comparative study between Malaysian students in Malaysia and Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashami, B; Abdul Halim, O; Yusoff, K

1994-06-01

A total of 209 randomly selected Malaysian university students (128 from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 81 from the University of New South Wales) completed a self-filled questionnaire enquiring about their smoking behaviour and psychosocial characteristics. The prevalence of smoking was 26.6 per cent among students in Malaysia and 18.8 per cent among students in Australia (average 23.4%). Both samples have similar patterns in terms of age of starting smoking, time of the day when they smoked, family and peer history of smoking, and whether or not they inhaled deeply during smoking. The smokers tend to be male, studying beyond the first year, staying with peers outside the hostel, having financial sources other than a scholarship, and abnormal mental health score. However, the smokers from the Australian samples were noted to smoke less and made fewer attempts at quitting the habit.

Current perspectives on the ethics of selling international surrogacy support services

OpenAIRE

Fronek,Patricia

2018-01-01

Patricia Fronek1,2 1Law Futures Centre, 2School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia Abstract: This review presents current knowledge on selling surrogacy support services in developing countries. Rather than focusing on dichotomous positions, ethical issues that are present and unresolved are discussed by following the journey of surrogate mothers and highlighting the position of children whose well-being is generally assumed in surrogacy arrangem...

Correlation between the nucleation of a Griffiths-like Phase and Colossal Magnetoresistance across the compositional metal-insulator boundary in La1-xCaxMnO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Wanjun; Zhou Xuezhi; Williams, Gwyn; Privezentsev, R; Mukovskii, Y

2010-01-01

Detailed measurements of the magnetic and transport properties of single crystals La 1-x Ca x MnO 3 (0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.27) are summarized; comparisons between which (i) not only confirm that Griffiths Phase-like(GP) features are not a prerequisite for CMR, but also demonstrate that the presence of GP-like characteristics do not guarantee the appearance of CMR; (ii) indicate that whereas continuous magnetic transitions occur for 0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.25, the universality class of these transitions belongs to that of nearest-neighbour 3D Heisenberg model only for x ≤ 0.20, beyond which complications due to GP-like behaviour occur.

Effectiveness of antismoking campaigns using health shock appeals among male university students in Western Australia

OpenAIRE

Shahriar Khandaker; Juwel Rana

2016-01-01

Background. Smoking causes ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lung cancer killing 15,000 Australians every year. Despite extensive publicity of the harmful health effects of smoking, one in six Australian aged 15 years and over smoked daily representing 2.7 million active smokers. Objectives. The research aimed to comprehend how active university student smokers respond to different appeals employed in public service antismoking campaigns in Western Australia. M...

High-intensity interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training within cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannan AL

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Amanda L Hannan,1 Wayne Hing,1 Vini Simas,1 Mike Climstein,2,3 Jeff S Coombes,4 Rohan Jayasinghe,5–7 Joshua Byrnes,8 James Furness1 1Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 2Exercise Health and Performance Faculty Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 3Water Based Research Unit, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 4School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; 5Cardiology Department, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 6Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 7Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 8Centre for Applied Health Economics, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Logan, QLD, Australia Background: Aerobic capacity has been shown to be inversely proportionate to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and there is growing evidence that high-intensity interval training (HIIT appears to be more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT in improving cardiorespiratory fitness within the cardiac population. Previously published systematic reviews in cardiovascular disease have neither investigated the effect that the number of weeks of intervention has on cardiorespiratory fitness changes, nor have adverse events been collated. Objective: We aimed to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs within the cardiac population that investigated cardiorespiratory fitness changes resulting from HIIT versus MICT and to collate adverse events. Methods: A critical narrative synthesis and meta-analysis was conducted after systematically searching relevant databases up to July 2017. We searched for RCTs that compared cardiorespiratory fitness changes resulting from HIIT versus MICT interventions within the cardiac population. Results: Seventeen studies, involving 953 participants (465

Dynamic behaviour of the icosahedral Al–Pd–Mn quasicrystal with a Griffith crack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao-Fang, Wang; Ai-Yu, Zhu; Tian-You, Fan

2009-01-01

The dynamic response of an icosahedral Al–Pd–Mn quasicrystal with a Griffith crack to impact loading is investigated in this paper. The elastohydrodynamic model for the wave propagation and diffusion together with their interaction is adopted. Numerical results of stress, displacement and dynamic stress intensity factors are obtained by using the finite difference method. The effects of wave propagation, diffusion and phonon–phason coupling on the quasicrystal in the dynamic process are discussed in detail, where the phason dynamics is explored particularly. (condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties)

Tay-Sachs disease: current perspectives from Australia

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Lew RM

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Raelia M Lew,1,7 Leslie Burnett,2,3,4 Anné L Proos,2 Martin B Delatycki5,6 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, QEII Research Institute for Mothers and Infants, The University of Sydney, Australia; 2NSW Health Pathology North, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Australia; 3SEALS, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia; 4Sydney Medical School-Northern, Royal North Shore Hospital E25, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 5Department of Clinical Genetics, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia; 6Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; 7Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia Abstract: Tay-Sachs disease (TSD is a fatal, recessively inherited neurodegenerative condition of infancy and early childhood. Although rare in most other populations, the carrier frequency is one in 25 in Ashkenazi Jews. Australian high-school-based TSD preconception genetic screening programs aim to screen, educate, and optimize reproductive choice for participants. These programs have demonstrated high uptake, low psychological morbidity, and have been shown to result in fewer than expected Jewish TSD-affected births over 18 years of operation. The majority of Jewish individuals of reproductive age outside of the high school screening program setting in Australia have not accessed screening. Recent recommendations advocate supplementing the community high school screening programs with general practitioner- and obstetrician-led genetic screening of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals for TSD and other severe recessive diseases for which this group is at risk. Massively parallel DNA sequencing is expected to become the testing modality of choice over the coming years. Keywords: Tay-Sachs disease, genetic screening, Australia

Moving Griffith crack in an orthotropic strip with punches at boundary faces

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S. Mukherjee

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Integral transform technique is employed to solve the elastodynamic problem of steady-state propagation of a Griffith crack centrally situated along the midplane of orthotropic strip of finite thickness 2h and subjected to point loading with centrally situated moving punches under constant pressure along the boundaries of the layer. The problem is reduced to the solution of a pair of simultaneous singular integral equations with Cauchy-type singularities which have finally been solved through the finite Hilbert transform technique. For large h, analytical expression for the stress intensity factor at the crack tip is obtained. Graphical plots of the numerical results are also presented.

Obesity bias among health and non-health students attending an Australian university and their perceived obesity education.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Emma L; Ball, Lauren E; Leveritt, Michael D

2014-01-01

This study compared the level of prejudice against obese individuals (obesity bias) among final-year health and non-health students, and associated obesity education. Cross-sectional online survey of 479 final-year students (292 health and 187 non-health) from Griffith University, Australia. Implicit and explicit obesity bias was measured using validated tools, and perceived obesity education ranked from "none" to "excellent." Data were analyzed quantitatively using analysis of variance and independent sample t tests. Statistical significance was set at P Students' mean age was 26.2 ± 7.6 years and body mass index was 23.2 ± 4.7 kg/m(2). Health and non-health students exhibited significant levels of obesity bias. Non-health students were more likely to suggest that obese individuals lacked willpower (P = .03). Students' self-reported obesity education varied considerably. Those who reported a higher level of genetics-related obesity education were less likely to believe that obese individuals were "bad" (P = .002) or to show concern about putting on weight (P = .01). Obesity bias exists in health students in Australia and is similar to non-health students' obesity bias levels. Students' self-reported genetics-related obesity education may be associated with obesity bias. Modifications to existing health curricula should be considered to reduce obesity bias among future health professionals. Copyright © 2014 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of the genetic algorithm to blume-emery-griffiths model: Test Cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erdinc, A.

2004-01-01

The equilibrium properties of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths (BEO) model Hamiltonian with the arbitrary bilinear (1), biquadratic (K) and crystal field interaction (D) are studied using the genetic algorithm technique. Results are compared with lowest approximation of the cluster variation method (CVM), which is identical to the mean field approximation. We found that the genetic algorithm to be very efficient for fast search at the average fraction of the spins, especially in the early stages as the system is far from the equilibrium state. A combination of the genetic algorithm followed by one of the well-tested simulation techniques seems to be an optimal approach. The curvature of the inverse magnetic susceptibility is also presented for the stable state of the BEG model

The Impact of Pecha Kucha Presentations in the Assessment of a Translation Studies Unit at the University of Western Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Colombi, Anna Gadd

2017-01-01

Results of a case study on the implementation of Pecha Kucha presentations undertaken at The University of Western Australia in 2015 are presented and discussed here. Pecha Kucha, a fast-paced presentation format consisting of 20 slides set to proceed automatically every 20 seconds, was used in the assessment of the unit "Translation…

Transform Domain Robust Variable Step Size Griffiths' Adaptive Algorithm for Noise Cancellation in ECG

Science.gov (United States)

Hegde, Veena; Deekshit, Ravishankar; Satyanarayana, P. S.

2011-12-01

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is widely used for diagnosis of heart diseases. Good quality of ECG is utilized by physicians for interpretation and identification of physiological and pathological phenomena. However, in real situations, ECG recordings are often corrupted by artifacts or noise. Noise severely limits the utility of the recorded ECG and thus needs to be removed, for better clinical evaluation. In the present paper a new noise cancellation technique is proposed for removal of random noise like muscle artifact from ECG signal. A transform domain robust variable step size Griffiths' LMS algorithm (TVGLMS) is proposed for noise cancellation. For the TVGLMS, the robust variable step size has been achieved by using the Griffiths' gradient which uses cross-correlation between the desired signal contaminated with observation or random noise and the input. The algorithm is discrete cosine transform (DCT) based and uses symmetric property of the signal to represent the signal in frequency domain with lesser number of frequency coefficients when compared to that of discrete Fourier transform (DFT). The algorithm is implemented for adaptive line enhancer (ALE) filter which extracts the ECG signal in a noisy environment using LMS filter adaptation. The proposed algorithm is found to have better convergence error/misadjustment when compared to that of ordinary transform domain LMS (TLMS) algorithm, both in the presence of white/colored observation noise. The reduction in convergence error achieved by the new algorithm with desired signal decomposition is found to be lower than that obtained without decomposition. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is better than traditional adaptive filter using LMS algorithm in the aspects of retaining geometrical characteristics of ECG signal.

Problem gambling among international and domestic university students in Australia: who is at risk?

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Susan M; Thomas, Anna C; Kalé, Sudhir; Spence, Mark; Zlatevska, Natalina; Staiger, Petra K; Graffam, Joseph; Kyrios, Michael

2013-06-01

Young people are a high risk group for gambling problems and university (college) students fall into that category. Given the high accessibility of gambling in Australia and its association with entertainment, students from overseas countries, particularly those where gambling is restricted or illegal, may be particularly vulnerable. This study examines problem gambling and its correlates among international and domestic university students using a sample of 836 domestic students (286 males; 546 females); and 764 international students (369 males; 396 females) at three Australian universities. Our findings indicate that although most students gamble infrequently, around 5 % of students are problem gamblers, a proportion higher than that in the general adult population. Popular gambling choices include games known to be associated with risk (cards, horse races, sports betting, casino games, and gaming machines) as well as lotto/scratch tickets. Males are more likely to be problem gamblers than females, and almost 10 % of male international students could be classified as problem gamblers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that male gender, international student status, financial stress, negative affect and frequency of gambling on sports, horses/dogs, table games, casino gaming machines, internet casino games and bingo all significantly predicted problem gambling. Results from this study could inform gambling-education programs in universities as they indicate which groups are more vulnerable and specify which games pose more risk of problem gambling.

Nutrition in medical education: reflections from an initiative at the University of Cambridge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ball L

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Lauren Ball,1 Jennifer Crowley,2 Celia Laur,3 Minha Rajput-Ray,3 Stephen Gillam,4 Sumantra Ray3 1Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences, Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; 2Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 3Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK; 4Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Abstract: Landmark reports have confirmed that it is within the core responsibilities of doctors to address nutrition in patient care. There are ongoing concerns that doctors receive insufficient nutrition education during medical training. This paper provides an overview of a medical nutrition education initiative at the University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, including 1 the approach to medical nutrition education, 2 evaluation of the medical nutrition education initiative, and 3 areas identified for future improvement. The initiative utilizes a vertical, spiral approach during the clinically focused years of the Cambridge undergraduate and graduate medical degrees. It is facilitated by the Nutrition Education Review Group, a group associated with the UK Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme, and informed by the experiences of their previous nutrition education interventions. Three factors were identified as contributing to the success of the nutrition education initiative including the leadership and advocacy skills of the nutrition academic team, the variety of teaching modes, and the multidisciplinary approach to teaching. Opportunities for continuing improvement to the medical nutrition education initiative included a review of evaluation tools, inclusion of nutrition in assessment items, and further alignment of the Cambridge curriculum with the

Unlocking the “black box” of practice improvement strategies to implement surgical safety checklists: a process evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gillespie BM

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Brigid M Gillespie,1–3 Kyra Hamilton,4 Dianne Ball,5 Joanne Lavin,6 Therese Gardiner,6 Teresa K Withers,7 Andrea P Marshall1–3 1School of Nursing & Midwifery, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 2Gold Coast University Hospital and Health Service, Southport, 3Nursing & Midwifery Education & Research Unit (NMERU, National Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing, Menzies Health Institute of Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, 5Communio Pty Ltd, Sydney, 6Nursing & Midwifery Education & Research Unit, 7Surgical and Procedural Services, Gold Coast University Hospital and Health Service, Southport, Australia Background: Compliance with surgical safety checklists (SSCs has been associated with improvements in clinical processes such as antibiotic use, correct site marking, and overall safety processes. Yet, proper execution has been difficult to achieve.Objectives: The objective of this study was to undertake a process evaluation of four knowledge translation (KT strategies used to implement the Pass the Baton (PTB intervention which was designed to improve utilization of the SSC. Methods: As part of the process evaluation, a logic model was generated to explain which KT strategies worked well (or less well in the operating rooms of a tertiary referral hospital in Queensland, Australia. The KT strategies implemented included change champions/opinion leaders, education, audit and feedback, and reminders. In evaluating the implementation of these strategies, this study considered context, intervention and underpinning assumptions, implementation, and mechanism of impact. Observational and interview data were collected to assess implementation of the KT strategies relative to fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability. Results: Findings from 35 structured observations and 15 interviews with 96 intervention participants suggest that all of the KT strategies were consistently

Mathematical Sciences in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Jan; Muchatuta, Michelle; Wood, Leigh

2009-01-01

This article investigates enrolment trends in mathematical sciences in Australian universities. Data has been difficult to extract and the coding for mathematical disciplines has made investigation challenging. We show that the number of mathematics major undergraduates in Australia is steadily declining though the number studying…

Critical and Griffiths-McCoy singularities in quantum Ising spin glasses on d -dimensional hypercubic lattices: A series expansion study

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, R. R. P.; Young, A. P.

2017-08-01

We study the ±J transverse-field Ising spin-glass model at zero temperature on d -dimensional hypercubic lattices and in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick (SK) model, by series expansions around the strong-field limit. In the SK model and in high dimensions our calculated critical properties are in excellent agreement with the exact mean-field results, surprisingly even down to dimension d =6 , which is below the upper critical dimension of d =8 . In contrast, at lower dimensions we find a rich singular behavior consisting of critical and Griffiths-McCoy singularities. The divergence of the equal-time structure factor allows us to locate the critical coupling where the correlation length diverges, implying the onset of a thermodynamic phase transition. We find that the spin-glass susceptibility as well as various power moments of the local susceptibility become singular in the paramagnetic phase before the critical point. Griffiths-McCoy singularities are very strong in two dimensions but decrease rapidly as the dimension increases. We present evidence that high enough powers of the local susceptibility may become singular at the pure-system critical point.

International Higher Education in Australia: Unplanned Future

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Mahsood; Nair, Chenicheri Sid

2011-01-01

International education is the third largest export industry in Australia and is worth almost A$20 billion. The last ten years have witnessed significant growth in both onshore and offshore enrolments of international students in Australian universities. The offshore component of all Australian universities has been subject to scrutiny by the…

International Workshop on Electronic Density Functional Theory : Recent Progress and New Directions

CERN Document Server

Vignale, Giovanni; Das, Mukunda

1998-01-01

This book is an outcome of the International Workshop on Electronic Density Functional Theory, held at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, in July 1996. Density functional theory, standing as it does at the boundary between the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and materials science, is a great mixer. Invited experts from North America, Europe, and Australia mingled with students from several disciplines, rapidly taking up the informal style for which Australia is famous. A list of participants is given at the end of the book. Density functional theory (DFT) is a subtle approach to the very difficult problem of predicting the behavior of many interacting particles. A major application is the study of many-electron systems. This was the workshop theme, embracing inter alia computational chemistry and condensed matter physics. DFT circumvents the more conceptually straightforward (but more computationally intensive) approach in which one solves the many-body Schrodinger equation. It relies instead on r...

A Case Study of the MBA Market in Western Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Everett, James E.; Armstrong, Robert W.

1993-01-01

The Western Australia market for master's-level business administration education (MBA) is examined, particularly relating to the University of Western Australia. An overview of current Australian MBA market conditions is given; and the history, competitive environment, structure, admission policy, tuition, and student financial aid of the…

The Experience of an International University Teacher in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Abayadeera, Nadana

2013-01-01

Accounting and Business schools in Australia have a considerable number of international academic staff, and the teaching effectiveness of such staff is an increasingly salient issue. Many international teachers are non-native English speakers and have different teaching approaches and styles, often reflecting their own experiences as a learner in…

Multicritical behavior of the antiferromagnetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with the repulsive biquadratic coupling in an external magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erdinc, Ahmet; Canko, Osman; Keskin, Mustafa

2006-01-01

We have studied the antiferromagnetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with the repulsive biquadratic coupling in an external magnetic field using the lowest approximation of the cluster variation method which is identical to the mean-field approximation. First, we have investigated the thermal variations of the sublattice magnetizations and obtained four different main topological types. Then, we have calculated the phase diagrams and five main different phase diagram topologies are found. Finally, the discussion and comparison of the phase diagrams are made

Multicritical behavior of the antiferromagnetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with the repulsive biquadratic coupling in an external magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erdinc, Ahmet [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey); Canko, Osman [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey); Keskin, Mustafa [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey)]. E-mail: keskin@erciyes.edu.tr

2006-06-15

We have studied the antiferromagnetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with the repulsive biquadratic coupling in an external magnetic field using the lowest approximation of the cluster variation method which is identical to the mean-field approximation. First, we have investigated the thermal variations of the sublattice magnetizations and obtained four different main topological types. Then, we have calculated the phase diagrams and five main different phase diagram topologies are found. Finally, the discussion and comparison of the phase diagrams are made.

X- and γ-ray interaction characteristics of Griffith, Alderson, Frigerio, Goodman and Rossi tissue substitutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, V. P.; Badiger, N. M.; Vega C, H. R.

2015-10-01

Detailed information of radiation interaction, exposure and dose delivery to tissue substitutes is necessary for various branches of radiation physics. In the present investigation X- and γ-ray interaction characteristics of some tissue substitutes such as Griffith, Alderson, Frigerio, Goodman and Rossi have been studied and compared with standard tissues. Effective atomic numbers and air-kerma have been computed using mass attenuation coefficients and mass energy-absorption coefficients, respectively. Energy-absorption buildup factors for photon energy 0.015 to 15 MeV up to 40 mean free path were calculated using G-P fitting method. These investigations provide further information on the X- and γ-ray interaction of tissue substitutes for various applications in radiation physics and medical physics. (Author)

X- and γ-ray interaction characteristics of Griffith, Alderson, Frigerio, Goodman and Rossi tissue substitutes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, V. P.; Badiger, N. M. [Karnatak University, Department of Physics, Dharwad-580003, Karnataka (India); Vega C, H. R., E-mail: kudphyvps@rediffmail.com [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98068 Zacatecas, Zac. (Mexico)

2015-10-15

Detailed information of radiation interaction, exposure and dose delivery to tissue substitutes is necessary for various branches of radiation physics. In the present investigation X- and γ-ray interaction characteristics of some tissue substitutes such as Griffith, Alderson, Frigerio, Goodman and Rossi have been studied and compared with standard tissues. Effective atomic numbers and air-kerma have been computed using mass attenuation coefficients and mass energy-absorption coefficients, respectively. Energy-absorption buildup factors for photon energy 0.015 to 15 MeV up to 40 mean free path were calculated using G-P fitting method. These investigations provide further information on the X- and γ-ray interaction of tissue substitutes for various applications in radiation physics and medical physics. (Author)

Gendered Universities and the Wage Gap: Case Study of a Pay Equity Audit in an Australian University

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, Jan; Hill, Beverley

2013-01-01

Studies worldwide have found that women's pay lags behind men's in academia. This article describes pay equity policies in Australia and overseas and the use of a pay equity audit as a strategic tool to reduce gender inequities at The University of Western Australia (UWA). As a research-intensive university, UWA resembles similar universities…

Synchrotron radiation in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, R.F.

2002-01-01

Full text: Synchrotron radiation research in Australia is entering a new era with the commencement of the Australian synchrotron project, which will construct a 3 GeV third generation synchrotron facility at Monash University in Victoria. To date Australian scientists have used overseas facilities, primarily those managed by the Australian Synchrotron Research Program in Japan and the USA. A fast developing and maturing Australian synchrotron user program has developed around these overseas facilities. The field of synchrotron radiation and its importance to a wide range of research will be introduced and Australia's current involvement and facilities will be described. The current status and technical specifications of the Australian synchrotron will be presented. Copyright (2002) Australian X-ray Analytical Association Inc

Dynamic phase transitions of the Blume–Emery–Griffiths model under an oscillating external magnetic field by the path probability method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ertaş, Mehmet, E-mail: mehmetertas@erciyes.edu.tr; Keskin, Mustafa

2015-03-01

By using the path probability method (PPM) with point distribution, we study the dynamic phase transitions (DPTs) in the Blume–Emery–Griffiths (BEG) model under an oscillating external magnetic field. The phases in the model are obtained by solving the dynamic equations for the average order parameters and a disordered phase, ordered phase and four mixed phases are found. We also investigate the thermal behavior of the dynamic order parameters to analyze the nature dynamic transitions as well as to obtain the DPT temperatures. The dynamic phase diagrams are presented in three different planes in which exhibit the dynamic tricritical point, double critical end point, critical end point, quadrupole point, triple point as well as the reentrant behavior, strongly depending on the values of the system parameters. We compare and discuss the dynamic phase diagrams with dynamic phase diagrams that were obtained within the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics based on the mean-field theory. - Highlights: • Dynamic magnetic behavior of the Blume–Emery–Griffiths system is investigated by using the path probability method. • The time variations of average magnetizations are studied to find the phases. • The temperature dependence of the dynamic magnetizations is investigated to obtain the dynamic phase transition points. • We compare and discuss the dynamic phase diagrams with dynamic phase diagrams that were obtained within the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics based on the mean-field theory.

Dynamic phase transitions of the Blume–Emery–Griffiths model under an oscillating external magnetic field by the path probability method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertaş, Mehmet; Keskin, Mustafa

2015-01-01

By using the path probability method (PPM) with point distribution, we study the dynamic phase transitions (DPTs) in the Blume–Emery–Griffiths (BEG) model under an oscillating external magnetic field. The phases in the model are obtained by solving the dynamic equations for the average order parameters and a disordered phase, ordered phase and four mixed phases are found. We also investigate the thermal behavior of the dynamic order parameters to analyze the nature dynamic transitions as well as to obtain the DPT temperatures. The dynamic phase diagrams are presented in three different planes in which exhibit the dynamic tricritical point, double critical end point, critical end point, quadrupole point, triple point as well as the reentrant behavior, strongly depending on the values of the system parameters. We compare and discuss the dynamic phase diagrams with dynamic phase diagrams that were obtained within the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics based on the mean-field theory. - Highlights: • Dynamic magnetic behavior of the Blume–Emery–Griffiths system is investigated by using the path probability method. • The time variations of average magnetizations are studied to find the phases. • The temperature dependence of the dynamic magnetizations is investigated to obtain the dynamic phase transition points. • We compare and discuss the dynamic phase diagrams with dynamic phase diagrams that were obtained within the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics based on the mean-field theory

Monte Carlo simulations of the Spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwashita, Takashi; Uragami, Kakuko; Muraoka, Yoshinori; Kinoshita, Takehiro; Idogaki, Toshihiro

2010-01-01

The magnetic properties of the spin S = 2 Ising system with the bilinear exchange interaction J 1 S iz S jz , the biquadratic exchange interaction J 2 S iz 2 S jz 2 and the single-ion anisotropy DS iz 2 are discussed by making use of the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for the magnetization z >, sub-lattice magnetizations z (A)> and z (B)>, the magnetic specific heat C M and spin structures. This Ising spin system of S = 2 with interactions J 1 and J 2 and with anisotropy D corresponds to the spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model. The phase diagram of this Ising spin system on a two-dimensional square lattice has been obtained for exchange parameter J 2 /J 1 and anisotropy parameter D/J 1 . The shapes of the temperature dependence of sublattice magnetizations z (A)> and z (B)> are related with abnormal behavior of temperature dependence of z > at low temperatures and affected significantly by the single-ion anisotropy D. The staggered quadrupolar (SQ) ordering turns out to be different largely between Ising systems with the single-ion anisotropy (D ≠ 0) and without the one (D 0).

Acupuncture in Australia: regulation, education, practice, and research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhen Zheng

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Acupuncture was introduced to Australia as early as in the 1880s, and is a form of complementary and alternative medicine in this country. In the past 2 decades since the 1990s, acupuncture has experienced a rapid growth. Today, nearly 4000 acupuncturists are registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. “Acupuncturist,” “Oriental medicine practitioner,” and “Chinese medicine practitioners” are protected titles for registered acupuncturists. A bachelor's degree of 4 years in related fields is the minimal requirement for registration in Australia. Three public universities and three major private colleges offer nine undergraduate and three postgraduate programs that are approved by the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. Those three universities also offer Master-degree and Doctor of Philosophy programs. Acupuncture is well accepted by the Australians, with 10% having received this treatment and 80% general medical practitioners referring their patients to acupuncture service. All private health insurance schemes provide rebates to patients receiving acupuncture treatment, and third-party payment is also available in six of eight Australian states and territories. Research output in acupuncture has increased greatly since 2000. A majority of research focuses on acupuncture and Tai Chi as treatment modalities, and mainly investigates their mechanism of action, associated pain, and gynecological and respiratory conditions. The future direction of acupuncture in Australia is to introduce this medicine in hospitals and gain access to the medical benefit scheme so that acupuncture can be accessed by a wider community, in particular those who come from a disadvantaged background. In conclusion, improved education, regulation, and research of acupuncture in Australia put this country in a leading position among Western countries with respect to acupuncture services.

Empowerment through education and science: three intersecting strands in the career of Griffith Edwards.

Science.gov (United States)

Crome, Ilana

2015-07-01

This paper describes three important strands in the career of Griffith Edwards that define him as a leader and an innovator. Believing that education and science were critical for the development of addiction as a profession and as a field of inquiry, his approach was multi-faceted: educating all doctors to appreciate the fundamental issues in addiction; training psychiatrists in the complexity of 'dual diagnosis' and specific specialist intervention; and teaching that addiction could be a chronic condition which required care management over the life course. These three inter-related areas are directly related to the need for a range of practitioners to have an understanding of addiction so that patients can be properly managed. The greater our understanding of the nature of addiction behaviour, the more likely the potential to optimize treatment and train practitioners from different professional disciplines. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Australia needs nuclear education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemeny, L.G.

1999-01-01

A matter of increasing concern in Australian society is the absence of a Commonwealth Government policy on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The lack of University level teaching facilities in nuclear energy engineering is also perceived to be an issue of national importance which must be addressed. More and more Australians deeply regret the lack of informed realism and scientific integrity which goes into endless debates on the technical, environmental and societal aspects of nuclear energy. Within the Australian community such important issues as uranium mining in Kakadu National Park, research reactor operation at Lucas Heights, the establishment of an international nuclear waste repository in Western Australia or the domestic use of nuclear electricity generation to minimise Australia's greenhouse emissions are still being debated at the intellectual level of radio talkback programs. Decision making in such areas deserves the disciplines of appropriate tertiary education. The Australian community has a right to know the relative risks and the environmental impacts of various fuel cycles as well as the technical limitations, true costs and energy audits of the 'alternative' energy technologies. Presently the Commonwealth of Australia is without a single School of Nuclear Engineering operating at a University level. Such a situation is believed to be unprecedented amongst the developed countries of the world. It is viewed with a measure of incredulity by the academic, diplomatic and political communities of the 'developing' countries of East Asia and the Pacific Basin. Many of these have a massive investment in the growth of peaceful nuclear energy and nuclear science and technology within their borders. Copyright (1999) Australian Institute of Energy News

The practice and regulatory requirements of naturopathy and western herbal medicine in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivian Lin

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Vivian Lin1, Pauline McCabe1, Alan Bensoussan3,4, Stephen Myers5, Marc Cohen6, et al1School of Public Health; 2Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group, Australian Institute for Primary Care, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; 3National Institute for Complementary Medicine; 4University of Western Sydney, Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia; 5NatMed-Research, Department of Natural and Complementary Medicine, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia; 6Department of Complementary Medicine, RMIT University, Bundoora West, Victoria, Australia; La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, AustraliaAbstract: Australian health workforce regulation is premised on the need to protect public health and safety. Specific criteria are set out by governments to ascertain the degree of risk and the need for government intervention. A study was undertaken to understand the current state of usage and the practice of naturopathy and western herbal medicine, and to ascertain whether statutory regulation was warranted. We found increased use of these complementary therapies in the community, with risks arising from both the specific practices as well as consumers negotiating a parallel primary health care system. We also found highly variable standards of training, a myriad of professional associations, and a general failure of current systems of self-regulation to protect public health and safety. Statutory regulation was the preferred policy response for consumers, insurers, general practitioners, and most of the complementary therapists. While we found a case for statutory registration, we also argue that a minimalist regulatory response needs to be accompanied by other measures to educate the public, to improve the standards of practice, and to enhance our understanding of the interaction between complementary and mainstream health care.Keywords: health workforce regulation, complementary health care, protection of

Encouraging choice, serendipity and experimentation: experiences from Griffith University library (G11) extension and Gumurrii Centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Legerton, Graham

2013-09-01

The refurbishment and extension of existing university buildings is a critical consideration for many universities. This article details an architect's perspective of an innovative and collaborative design approach to transforming an existing library into a futuristic and student-centric interactive learning environment. The design is responsive to people, place, the community and the environment, due, in part, to the enhanced physical permeability of the building. Associated user-group forums comprised the end user client, the university's facilities body, the builder, lead architectural consultants, the Centre for Indigenous Students (Gumurrii Centre) and architectural sub-consultants. This article discusses five key design moves--"triangulate", "unique geometries and spaces", "learning aviary", "sky lounge" and "understanding flexibility". It goes on to discuss these elements in relation to designing spaces to enhance interprofessional education and collaboration. In summary, this article identifies how it is possible to maximise the value and characteristics of an existing library whilst creating a series of innovative spaces that offer choice, encourage serendipity and embrace experimentation.

Making sense of how I learn: Metacognitive capital and the first year university student

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Larmar

2014-03-01

Full Text Available 0 0 1 106 608 Griffith University 5 1 713 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-AU JA X-NONE The retention and engagement of students entering universities globally has been a significant priority area in higher education over the last decade in alignment with a widening participation agenda.  Research focusing on the successful transition of first year students has been widespread and contributed to the current body of knowledge focusing on best practices in engaging first year students. This paper focuses on a factor of significant and growing importance in this context: critical thinking. We argue that students who are not equipped with sufficient metacognitive capital when entering university are at increased risk of attrition.  Further, we suggest some possible avenues for intervention.

Increasing trends of herpes zoster in Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raina MacIntyre

Full Text Available Increasing trends in incidence of herpes zoster (HZ have been reported in Australia and internationally. This may reflect the impact of childhood VZV vaccination programs introduced universally in Australia in late 2005. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in incidence of HZ and PHN in Australia over time, and associated healthcare resource utilisation.Australian data on general practice (GP encounters for HZ, specific antiviral prescribing data from the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, emergency department presentations from the states of NSW and Victoria and national hospitalisation data for HZ were analysed for time trends using regression models. Two time periods (2000-2006 and 2006-2013 were compared which correspond broadly with the pre- and post- universal VZV vaccination period.All data sources showed increasing rates of HZ with age and over time. The GP database showed a significant annual increase in encounters for HZ of 2.5 per 100,000 between 1998 and 2013, and the rates of prescriptions for HZ increased by 4.2% per year between 2002 and 2012. In the 60+ population HZ incidence was estimated to increase from 11.9 to 15.4 per 1,000 persons using GP data or from 12.8 to 14.2 per 1,000 persons using prescription data (p<0.05, between the two periods. Hospitalisation data did not show the same increasing trend over time, except for the age group ≥80 years. Most emergency visits for HZ were not admitted, and showed significant increases over time.The burden of HZ in Australia is substantial, and continues to increase over time. This increase is seen both pre- and post-universal VZV vaccination in 2005, and is most prominent in the older population. The substantial burden of HZ, along with ageing of the Australian population and the importance of healthy ageing, warrants consideration of HZ vaccination for the elderly.

Internet use in rural and remote Western Australia

OpenAIRE

Madden, Gary G; Coble-Neal, Grant

2003-01-01

Australian telecommunications universal service policy has recently been extended to include the provision of basic data services within a contestable universal service framework. In view of this fundamental policy change,infor mation about the demand for telecommunication services is critical if competition is to deliver intended outcomes. This analysis examines the demand for Internet in rural and remote communities in Western Australia. Toward this end econometric Internet subscription ...

Establishing a distributed national research infrastructure providing bioinformatics support to life science researchers in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Maria Victoria; Griffin, Philippa C; Tyagi, Sonika; Flannery, Madison; Dayalan, Saravanan; Gladman, Simon; Watson-Haigh, Nathan; Bayer, Philipp E; Charleston, Michael; Cooke, Ira; Cook, Rob; Edwards, Richard J; Edwards, David; Gorse, Dominique; McConville, Malcolm; Powell, David; Wilkins, Marc R; Lonie, Andrew

2017-06-30

EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource (EMBL-ABR) is a developing national research infrastructure, providing bioinformatics resources and support to life science and biomedical researchers in Australia. EMBL-ABR comprises 10 geographically distributed national nodes with one coordinating hub, with current funding provided through Bioplatforms Australia and the University of Melbourne for its initial 2-year development phase. The EMBL-ABR mission is to: (1) increase Australia's capacity in bioinformatics and data sciences; (2) contribute to the development of training in bioinformatics skills; (3) showcase Australian data sets at an international level and (4) enable engagement in international programs. The activities of EMBL-ABR are focussed in six key areas, aligning with comparable international initiatives such as ELIXIR, CyVerse and NIH Commons. These key areas-Tools, Data, Standards, Platforms, Compute and Training-are described in this article. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Multicritical phase diagrams of the spin-((3)/(2)) Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on the Bethe lattice using the recursion method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekiz, Cesur; Albayrak, Erhan; Keskin, Mustafa.

2003-01-01

The multicritical behaviour of the spin-((3)/(2)) Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with bilinear and biquadratic exchange interactions and single-ion crystal field is studied on the Bethe lattice by introducing two-sublattices A and B within the exact recursion equations. Exact expressions for the free energy, the Curie or second-order phase transition temperatures, as well as for the magnetization and quadrupolar moment order parameters are obtained. The general procedure of investigation of critical properties is discussed and phase diagrams are obtained, in particular, for negative biquadratic couplings. The phase diagram of the model exhibits a rich variety of behaviours. Results are compared with other approximate methods

Is there an occupational therapy employment crisis within Australia? An investigation into two consecutive cohorts of occupational therapy graduates from a single Victorian University identifying trends in employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Fay, Pearse; Adamson, Lynne

2017-12-01

Within the context of growing concerns about a potential oversupply of occupational therapist, this research examines when, where and how long new graduates take to gain employment and identifies influences upon the health and university systems. A mixed method research design, using an online survey was adopted to investigate the topic. Two consecutive cohorts of graduates from a single university program were invited to participate. Seventy-five (58%) responses were received, with 63 (84%) currently employed in an occupational therapy role. Of the 12 (16%) not employed, only 3 (4%) described themselves as actively seeking employment in an occupational therapy role. A wide spread of employment settings and scope of practice areas was reported. Findings suggest that occupational therapy graduates are gaining employment in a range of settings and practice areas, relatively quickly. This research adds evidence to the conversation around graduate employment within a region of Australia. The Australian population, health system and university changes are possible factors influencing employment. The research reveals the difficulties in understanding the current situation with limitations in data collected, varied terminology and an ever changing job seeking environment. The research provides a starting point for the occupational therapy profession to further understand the directions the profession is taking. University programs may also benefit by using the research to tailor course content to assist graduates in gaining employment or to present students with the prospects of new employment opportunities. © 2017 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Blue Harvest: Evaluating Human Capital Management Policy for the 21st Century Air Force

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

231 Kane, Bleeding Talent, 219. 232 Sun Tzu , The Art of War, trans. Samuel B. Griffith (New York, NY: Oxford...Economics, January 1997: 165-188. 78 Sun Tzu . The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1963...63 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Exploring Public Universities as Social Enterprises

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Morgan P.; Verreynne, Martie-Louise; McAuley, Andrew; Hammond, Kevin

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how universities attempt to balance meeting their traditional mission of education, research and community engagement while remaining economically sustainable. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey was conducted in 2014 of university executives and found that universities in Australia are rapidly…

Offensive Cyber Operations: The Need for a Policy to Contend with the Future

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-10

18 Sun Tzu , The Art of War, translated by Samuel B. Griffith, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963), pg 77. 25 A policy that articulates...accessed: September 10, 2015). Sun Tzu , The Art of War, translated by Samuel B. Griffith, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963. U.S. Government...35 Bibliography

Australia's atomic conspiracy theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binnie, A.

2001-01-01

The author questions claims by the Newcastle University historian Wayne Reynolds in his book 'Australia's Bid for the Bomb', that the impetus behind the Snowy Mountains Scheme was to provide a secure source of power for the enrichment of uranium and production of heavy water so that Australia could produce its own atomic bombs. Reynolds also argued that the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) was set up so that Australia had a trained scientific workforce to produce plutonium for the bomb. While the book is well researched, Reynolds does not seem to understand the principles of basic science and engineering. After the Second World War, a manufacturing and industrial base with a skilled and trained workforce was needed so it could be converted to war or defence manufacturing when the need arose. This new manufacturing community would require electrical power to sustain it. Hydroelectricity and atomic energy could help provide these needs. Even though war was still raging, Prime Minister John Curtin looked ahead and set up a Department of Post-War Reconstruction. It was through this department that the Snowy Mountains Scheme would be established. Curtin did not live to see this. He died in 1945 but his successor, Ben Chifley, continued the vision. The author believes, an understanding of the science behind these developments and an appreciation of how how humans interact with each others when it comes to getting something they want is likely to give a more balanced view of the past

Middle Eastern Students Shut Out of the U.S. Turn to Australia and New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, David

2007-01-01

This article reports on the increase of Middle Eastern students in universities in Australia and New Zealand because of difficulties in getting visas for the United States and Britain. Difficulties in securing visas, combined with more aggressive recruiting by higher-education institutions in New Zealand and Australia, have led a growing number of…

ZZ RADDECAY, Decay Data Library for Radiological Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

Description of program or function: - Format: special format defined in documentation. - Nuclides: 500 nuclides of interest in the nuclear fuel cycle, environmental problems, nuclear medicine, fusion reactor technology, and radiological protection assessment. - Origin: DLC-80/DRALIST. ZZ-RADDECAY is a data library of half-lives, radioactive daughter nuclides, probabilities per decay and decay product energies for alpha particles, positrons, electrons, X-rays, and gamma-rays. The current data base contains approximately 500 nuclides of interest in the nuclear fuel cycle, environmental problems, nuclear medicine, fusion reactor technology, and radiological protection assessment. RADIATION DECAY VERSION 2 March 1997: This application is being provided by Aptec as 'Freeware' with permission of the author Mr. Charles Hacker, Engineering and Applied Science, Griffith University, Australia

Dynamic phase transition in the kinetic spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in an oscillating field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertas, Mehmet; Canko, Osman; Keskin, Mustafa

2008-01-01

We extend our recent paper [M. Keskin, O. Canko, M. Ertas, J. Exp. Theor. Phys. (Sov. Phys. JETP) 105 (2007) 1190.] to present a study, within a mean-field approach, the stationary states of the kinetic spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in the presence of a time-dependent oscillating magnetic field by using the Glauber-type of stochastic dynamics. We found 20 fundamental types of dynamic phase diagrams where exhibit more complex and richer phase diagrams than our recent paper. Especially, the obtained dynamic phase diagrams show the dynamic triple, quadruple and dynamic double critical end points besides dynamic tricritical points that depending on interaction parameters. The phase diagrams also exhibit a disordered (d) and the ferromagnetic-2 (f 2 ) phases, and the f 2 +d, f 2 +fq, fq+d, f 2 +f 1 +fq and f 2 +fq+d, where f 1 are fq the ferromagnetic-1 and ferroquadrupolar or simply quadrupolar phases respectively, coexistence phase regions that strongly depend on interaction parameters

Dynamic phase transition in the kinetic spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in an oscillating field

Science.gov (United States)

Ertaş, Mehmet; Canko, Osman; Keskin, Mustafa

We extend our recent paper [M. Keskin, O. Canko, M. Ertaş, J. Exp. Theor. Phys. (Sov. Phys. JETP) 105 (2007) 1190.] to present a study, within a mean-field approach, the stationary states of the kinetic spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in the presence of a time-dependent oscillating magnetic field by using the Glauber-type of stochastic dynamics. We found 20 fundamental types of dynamic phase diagrams where exhibit more complex and richer phase diagrams than our recent paper. Especially, the obtained dynamic phase diagrams show the dynamic triple, quadruple and dynamic double critical end points besides dynamic tricritical points that depending on interaction parameters. The phase diagrams also exhibit a disordered ( d) and the ferromagnetic-2 ( f2) phases, and the f2+ d, f2+ fq, fq+ d, f2+ f1+ fq and f2+ fq+ d, where f1 are fq the ferromagnetic-1 and ferroquadrupolar or simply quadrupolar phases respectively, coexistence phase regions that strongly depend on interaction parameters.

Neutron scattering science in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knott, Robert

1999-01-01

Neutron scattering science in Australia is making an impact on a number of fields in the scientific and industrial research communities. The unique properties of the neutron are being used to investigate problems in chemistry, materials science, physics, engineering and biology. The reactor HIFAR at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation research laboratories is the only neutron source in Australia suitable for neutron scattering science. A suite of instruments provides a wide range of opportunities for the neutron scattering community that extends throughout universities, government and industrial research laboratories. Plans are in progress to replace the present research reactor with a modern multi-purpose research reactor to offer the most advanced neutron scattering facilities. The experimental and analysis equipment associated with a modern research reactor will permit the establishment of a national centre for world class neutron science research focussed on the structure and functioning of materials, industrial irradiations and analyses in support of Australian manufacturing, minerals, petrochemical, pharmaceuticals and information science industries. (author)

Neutron scattering science in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knott, Robert [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Menai, NSW (Australia)

1999-10-01

Neutron scattering science in Australia is making an impact on a number of fields in the scientific and industrial research communities. The unique properties of the neutron are being used to investigate problems in chemistry, materials science, physics, engineering and biology. The reactor HIFAR at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation research laboratories is the only neutron source in Australia suitable for neutron scattering science. A suite of instruments provides a wide range of opportunities for the neutron scattering community that extends throughout universities, government and industrial research laboratories. Plans are in progress to replace the present research reactor with a modern multi-purpose research reactor to offer the most advanced neutron scattering facilities. The experimental and analysis equipment associated with a modern research reactor will permit the establishment of a national centre for world class neutron science research focussed on the structure and functioning of materials, industrial irradiations and analyses in support of Australian manufacturing, minerals, petrochemical, pharmaceuticals and information science industries. (author)

The Economics Degree in Australia: Down but Not out?

Science.gov (United States)

Round, David K.; Shanahan, Martin P.

2010-01-01

Before 1980, strong demand existed in Australia for the economics degree. Since then, competition from programs in business and management has increased. Student preferences have shifted from university and secondary economics. Economics enrollments have declined in both sectors. The authors analyze these trends and assess economic education…

Monitoring International Interest in Transnational Academic Mobility to Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, John L.

2011-01-01

This research examines the issue of transnational academic mobility of academic staff looking at potential moves to higher education institutions in Australia. By establishing a web-based portal, attracting interested parties from around the world with information about Australian universities and subsequent career opportunities, web analytics are…

Current perspectives in percutaneous atrial septal defect closure devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bissessor N

2015-07-01

Full Text Available N Bissessor1–4 1Department of Cardiology, The Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 2Division of Interventional Cardiology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 3Department of Clinical Science, Charles Sturt University Albury Campus, NSW, Australia; 4Heart Foundation, Griffith University, QLD, Australia Abstract: In the last decade, percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD closure has become the treatment of choice in most clinical presentations of ASD. Percutaneous ASD closure has established procedural safety through operator experience and improved device structure and deliverability. There have also been advances in diagnostic capabilities. Devices have evolved from large bulky meshes to repositionable, minimal residual mesh content that easily endothelializes and conforms well to surrounding structures. Biodegradable technology has been introduced and will be closely watched as a future option. The evolution of ASD closure device usage in the last four decades incorporates development that minimizes a wide range of serious side effects that have been reported over the years. Complications reported in the literature include thrombus formation, air embolization, device embolization, erosions, residual shunts, and nickel hypersensitivity. Modern devices have intermediate to long term data with outcomes that have been favorable. Devices are available in multiple sizes with improved delivery mechanisms to recapture, reposition, and safely close simple and complex ASDs amenable to percutaneous closure. In this review, commonly used devices and deployment procedures are discussed together with a look at devices that show promise for the future. Keywords: ASD, congenital, Amplatzer, Gore Helex, Biostar, Figulla

Australia and New Zealand Applied Linguistics (ANZAL): Taking Stock

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinsasser, Robert C.

2004-01-01

This paper reviews some emerging trends in applied linguistics in both Australia and New Zealand. It sketches the current scene of (selected) postgraduate applied linguistics programs in higher education and considers how various university programs define applied linguistics through the classes (titles) they have postgraduate students complete to…

The Protective Function of Meaning of Life on Life Satisfaction among Chinese Students in Australia and Hong Kong: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Jia-Yan; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Joubert, Lynette; Chan, Cecilia Lai Wan

2008-01-01

Objective: The authors compared the predictive effects of acculturative stressors and meaning of life on life satisfaction between Chinese students in Australia and in Hong Kong. Participants: In 2006, the researchers recruited 606 Chinese students studying abroad at the University of Melbourne in Australia and at 6 universities in Hong Kong.…

Responding to Individual Differences in Inclusive Classrooms in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

van Kraayenoord, Christina E.; Waterworth, David; Brady, Trish

2014-01-01

Responding to individual differences in classrooms in which there is increasing diversity is one of the challenges of inclusive education in Australia. The linking of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and assistive technologies (ATs) is one way in which this challenge can be addressed. This article describes an initiative, known as…

Research Ready Program: A First in Regional South Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Penman, Joy; Oliver, Mary

2012-01-01

In response to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Board's introduction in 2010 of the new Research Project subject, the University of South Australia's Centre for Participation and Community Engagement took the opportunity to engage further with school students by organising the Research Ready Program. The adoption of the program…

Magnetic field dependence of Griffith phase and magnetocaloric effect in Ca0.85Dy0.15MnO3

Science.gov (United States)

Nag, Ripan; Sarkar, Bidyut; Pal, Sudipta

2018-03-01

Temperature and Magnetic field dependent magnetization properties of electron doped polycrystalline sample Ca0.85Dy0.15MnO3 (CDMO) prepared by solid state reaction method have been studied. The sample undergoes ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition at about 111k. From the study of magnetic properties in terms of Arrot plots it is observed that the phase transition is of 2nd order. The Griffith phase behavior of the sample is suppressed with the increase of the applied magnetic field strength H. We have estimated the magnetic entropy change from experimental magnetization and temperature data. For a magnetic field change of 8000 Oe, the maximum value of magnetic entropy change arrives at a value of 1.126 J-kg-1 k-1 in this magnetocaloric material.

Abortion law across Australia--A review of nine jurisdictions.

Science.gov (United States)

de Costa, Caroline; Douglas, Heather; Hamblin, Julie; Ramsay, Philippa; Shircore, Mandy

2015-04-01

This article reviews the current legal status of abortion in Australia and its implications. Australian abortion law has been a matter for the states since before Federation. In the years since Federation there have been significant reforms and changes in the abortion laws of some jurisdictions, although not all. Across Australia there are now nine sets of laws, state and Commonwealth, concerned with abortion. The test of a lawful abortion varies greatly across jurisdictions. In a number of states and territories, it is necessary to establish a serious risk to the physical or mental health of the woman if the pregnancy was to continue. In some cases, the certification of two doctors is required, particularly for abortions at later gestations. There are also physical restrictions on access, such as in South Australia and the Northern Territory where abortion must take place in a hospital. Only in the ACT has abortion been removed from the criminal law altogether. Variations in the law and restrictions arising from these are not consistent with the aims and provision of the universal, accessible health care system aspired to in Australia. There is an urgent need for overall reform and the introduction of uniformity to Australia's abortion laws, including removal of abortion from the criminal law. © 2015 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Nature and frequency of services provided by child and family health nurses in Australia: results of a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmied, Virginia; Fowler, Cathrine; Rossiter, Chris; Homer, Caroline; Kruske, Sue

2014-05-01

Australia has a system of universal child and family health (CFH) nursing services providing primary health services from birth to school entry. Herein, we report on the findings of the first national survey of CFH nurses, including the ages and circumstances of children and families seen by CFH nurses and the nature and frequency of the services provided by these nurses across Australia. A national survey of CFH nurses was conducted. In all, 1098 CFH nurses responded to the survey. Over 60% were engaged in delivering primary prevention services from a universal platform. Overall, 82.8% reported that their service made first contact with families within 2 weeks of birth, usually in the home (80.7%). The proportion of respondents providing regular support to families decreased as the child aged. Services were primarily health centre based, although 25% reported providing services in other locations (parks, preschools).The timing and location of first contact, the frequency of ongoing services and the composition of families seen by nurses varied across Australian jurisdictions. Nurses identified time constraints as the key barrier to the delivery of comprehensive services. CFH nurses play an important role in supporting families across Australia. The impact of differences in the CFH nursing provision across Australia requires further investigation. What is known about the topic? Countries that offer universal well child health services demonstrate better child health and developmental outcomes than countries that do not. Australian jurisdictions offer free, universal child and family health (CFH) nursing services from birth to school entry. What does this paper add? This paper provides nation-wide data on the nature of work undertaken by CFH nurses offering universal care. Across Australia, there are differences in the timing and location of first contact, the frequency of ongoing services and the range of families seen by nurses. What are the implications for

Flinders University Electric Vehicle Project

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, D. A.

1973-01-01

Outlines the specifications and principles involved in the operation of an electric car developed by the Institute of Solar and Electochemical Energy Conversion at Flinders University in South Australia. (JR)

Consumption metrics of chardonnay wine consumers in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saliba AJ

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Anthony J Saliba,1 Johan Bruwer,2 Jasmine B MacDonald1 1School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, 2School of Marketing, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia Abstract: There is a dearth of information in the knowledge base about who the chardonnay consumer is, what their wine-consumption metrics are, what sensory characteristics they associate chardonnay with, and who influenced their perceptions. This study examines the consumer engagement with chardonnay, and contributes evidence-based research to inform future wine-business strategy. A population sample was recruited to be representative of Australian consumers. An online survey of 2,024 Australian wine consumers was conducted, 1,533 (76% of whom actually consumed chardonnay. This paper focuses only on those who consumed chardonnay. Males purchased and consumed larger quantities of chardonnay, although marginally more females consumed it. Chardonnay is considered to be characterized by full, lingering, and fruity flavors, as well as yellow color. Chardonnay is associated with dinner parties and at-home consumption. The vast majority of participants liked and had a positive perception of chardonnay. The target market for chardonnay is not only females; in fact, males appear to be the main consumers of this varietal by volume. Marketing and promotion campaigns should leverage the findings to retain current and win back other consumers. This is the first research to provide empirical explanations of consumer engagement with chardonnay, and to contribute evidence-based research in this regard.Keywords: chardonnay, consumer behavior, wine style, wine consumption, Australia

Dynamic phase transition in the kinetic spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in an oscillating field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ertas, Mehmet [Institute of Science, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey); Canko, Osman [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey); Keskin, Mustafa [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey)], E-mail: keskin@erciyes.edu.tr

2008-06-15

We extend our recent paper [M. Keskin, O. Canko, M. Ertas, J. Exp. Theor. Phys. (Sov. Phys. JETP) 105 (2007) 1190.] to present a study, within a mean-field approach, the stationary states of the kinetic spin-2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in the presence of a time-dependent oscillating magnetic field by using the Glauber-type of stochastic dynamics. We found 20 fundamental types of dynamic phase diagrams where exhibit more complex and richer phase diagrams than our recent paper. Especially, the obtained dynamic phase diagrams show the dynamic triple, quadruple and dynamic double critical end points besides dynamic tricritical points that depending on interaction parameters. The phase diagrams also exhibit a disordered (d) and the ferromagnetic-2 (f{sub 2}) phases, and the f{sub 2}+d, f{sub 2}+fq, fq+d, f{sub 2}+f{sub 1}+fq and f{sub 2}+fq+d, where f{sub 1} are fq the ferromagnetic-1 and ferroquadrupolar or simply quadrupolar phases respectively, coexistence phase regions that strongly depend on interaction parameters.

Poetics of assembly Albert Kahn and D.W. Griffith in the birth of the Machine Age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Pancorbo Crespo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract This research seeks to establish a double parallel between cinema and modern architecture, focusing on a moment of refounding of both  disciplines, the early twentieth century. We will be based on two seminal characters: DW Griffith and Albert Kahn. We will explore a temporal and geographical parallelism in their main evolutionary lines, which run through a similar way in the beginning, from the U.S to the U.S.S.R, to return again to the place of origin. This trip was triggered by the arrival to the USSR of  the first copies of the film "Intolerance" in 1918 and the arrival of Albert  Kahn in 1928 for the realization of numerous industrial projects during the First Five-Year Plan. Furthermore, we will explore a more conceptual  parallelism, studying the use of the notion of assembly in both disciplines  during that period, using again the work of our two main characters as the basis for research, but also leaning on other essential actors for that issue, like are Eisenstein and Miliutin.

Is There an Australian Idea of a University?

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Chris

2004-01-01

This paper considers the idea of a university as it exists and is discussed in Australia at the beginning of the 21st century. Australia's history and partly derivative culture provide the relatively unintellectual context for sceptical utilitarianism in relation to a system which has expanded rapidly and is frequently described as being in…

‘Surrealism and Australia: towards a world history of Surrealism’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rex Butler

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the authors write a brief history of Surrealism in relation to Australia. However, as against the usual national histories of Australian art, in which Surrealism is understood as arriving late to the country, or the later post-colonial revisions of this history, in which Surrealism is understood as undergoing certain transformations upon entering the country, what is emphasised here is the way that Australia is simply part of a world history of Surrealism. There are two wider consequences of this. The first is that Surrealism, as against its common readings, was a global art movement. The second is that we might see the connection between Australia and Surrealism as an example of a new world art history to be written in the twenty-first century, which would be not a simple universalism but something always written from a particular place.

Phase diagram of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on the simple cubic lattice calculated by the linear chain approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albayrak, Erhan; Keskin, Mustafa

2000-01-01

The linear chain approximation is used to study the temperature dependence of the order parameters and the phase diagrams of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on the simple cubic lattice with dipole-dipole, quadrupole-quadrupole coupling strengths and a crystal-field interaction. The problem is approached introducing first a trial one-dimensional Hamiltonian whose free energy can be calculated exactly by the transfer matrix method. Then using the Bogoliubov variational principle, the free energy of the model is determined. It is assumed that the dipolar and quadrupolar intrachain coupling constants are much stronger than the corresponding interchain constants and confined the attention to the case of nearest-neighbor interactions. The phase transitions are examined and the phase diagrams are obtained for several values of the coupling strengths in the three different planes. A comparison with other approximate techniques is also made

Phase diagram of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on the simple cubic lattice calculated by the linear chain approximation

CERN Document Server

Albayrak, E

2000-01-01

The linear chain approximation is used to study the temperature dependence of the order parameters and the phase diagrams of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model on the simple cubic lattice with dipole-dipole, quadrupole-quadrupole coupling strengths and a crystal-field interaction. The problem is approached introducing first a trial one-dimensional Hamiltonian whose free energy can be calculated exactly by the transfer matrix method. Then using the Bogoliubov variational principle, the free energy of the model is determined. It is assumed that the dipolar and quadrupolar intrachain coupling constants are much stronger than the corresponding interchain constants and confined the attention to the case of nearest-neighbor interactions. The phase transitions are examined and the phase diagrams are obtained for several values of the coupling strengths in the three different planes. A comparison with other approximate techniques is also made.

An Investigation into Why Students from Regional South Australia Choose to Study Business Programs in the Capital City

Science.gov (United States)

Sawyer, Janet; Ellis, Bronwyn

2011-01-01

Although Business undergraduate studies are available at the University of South Australia's (UniSA) Centre for Regional Engagement (CRE), both at the Whyalla Campus and the Mount Gambier Regional Centre (MGRC), many students from regional South Australia choose to undertake Business degrees in Adelaide, the state capital, rather than locally.…

University Satellite Campus Management Models

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Doug; Stott, Ken

2015-01-01

Among the 60 or so university satellite campuses in Australia are many that are probably failing to meet the high expectations of their universities and the communities they were designed to serve. While in some cases this may be due to the demand driven system, it may also be attributable in part to the ways in which they are managed. The…

Social Inclusion: Universities and Regional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Bruce

2011-01-01

At a time when the OECD (2007) is advocating more local engagement for higher education institutions, this study looks at a number of community initiatives in Australia where local universities have played a key role. All were studied as part of the PASCAL Universities and Regional Engagement (PURE) project, which involves a total of 19 regions…

Climate variability and change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manton, M.

2006-01-01

When Australia's climate should not be definite barrier to the population reaching 30 million by 2050, it is recognised that our climate has limited the development of the nation over the past 200 years. Indeed in 1911, based on a comparison of the climate and development between the US and Australia. Griffith Taylor predicted that Australia's population would be 19 million at the end of the 20th century, which is a pretty good 90-year forecast. The climate constraint is not only due to much of the country being semi-arid with an annual rainfall below 400 millimetres, but also due to the large year-to-year variability of rainfall across the country

Harvesting Australia's mineral wealth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-07-01

Anderson Strathclyde plc is becoming increasingly involved in supplying equipment for the coal industry in Australia. It now has 2 subsidiary companies based in Australia: Anderson Strathclyde Australia and A B Rea.

Dynamic phase transition in the kinetic spin-3/2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in an oscillating field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canko, Osman; Deviren, Bayram; Keskin, Mustafa [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey)

2006-07-26

The dynamic phase transitions are studied, within a mean-field approach, in the kinetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model under the presence of a time varying (sinusoidal) magnetic field by using the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics. The behaviour of the time-dependence of the order parameters and the behaviour of the average order parameters in a period, which is also called the dynamic order parameters, as a function of reduced temperature, are investigated. The nature (continuous and discontinuous) of transition is characterized by studying the average order parameters in a period. The dynamic phase transition points are obtained and the phase diagrams are presented in the reduced magnetic field amplitude and reduced temperature plane. The phase diagrams exhibit one, two, or three dynamic tricritical points and a dynamic double critical end point, and besides a disordered and two ordered phases, seven coexistence phase regions exist, which strongly depend on interaction parameters. We also calculate the Liapunov exponent to verify the stability of solutions and the dynamic phase transition points.

Dynamic phase transition in the kinetic spin-3/2 Blume-Emery-Griffiths model in an oscillating field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canko, Osman; Deviren, Bayram; Keskin, Mustafa

2006-01-01

The dynamic phase transitions are studied, within a mean-field approach, in the kinetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model under the presence of a time varying (sinusoidal) magnetic field by using the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics. The behaviour of the time-dependence of the order parameters and the behaviour of the average order parameters in a period, which is also called the dynamic order parameters, as a function of reduced temperature, are investigated. The nature (continuous and discontinuous) of transition is characterized by studying the average order parameters in a period. The dynamic phase transition points are obtained and the phase diagrams are presented in the reduced magnetic field amplitude and reduced temperature plane. The phase diagrams exhibit one, two, or three dynamic tricritical points and a dynamic double critical end point, and besides a disordered and two ordered phases, seven coexistence phase regions exist, which strongly depend on interaction parameters. We also calculate the Liapunov exponent to verify the stability of solutions and the dynamic phase transition points

Interference of wedge-shaped protrusions on the faces of a Griffith crack in biaxial stress. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boulet, J.A.M. [Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States)

1992-04-01

An initial investigation of the influence of protrusion interference on the fracture toughness required to prevent unstable propagation of a Griffith crack in a brittle material is described. The interference is caused by relative shear displacement of the crack faces when subjected to remote biaxial stress with neither principal stress parallel to the crack. It is shown that for room temperature cracks smaller than about one centimeter in silicon carbide, or about one millimeter in silicon nitride, the presence of interference changes the fracture stress. A mathematical model based on linear elasticity solutions and including multiple interference sites at arbitrarily specified positions on the crack is presented. Computations of the change in required fracture toughness and its dependence on wedge geometry (size and vertex angle), applied stresses (orientation and magnitude), and location of the interference site are discussed. Results indicate that a single interference site has only a slight effect on required toughness. However, the influence of interference increases monotonically with the number of interference sites. The two-dimensional model described herein is not accurate when the interference sites are closely spaced.

Strategic Avoidance: Can Universities Learn from Other Sectors?

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Greg; Hosie, Peter

2013-01-01

Universities live in interesting times. For instance, government policies in Australia are allowing for more deregulation of the student market while overseas universities are entering the Australian domestic market. In an environment of increasing uncertainty, sound strategic planning is important. Processes including benchmarking, environmental…

The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis: a meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnston S

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Samantha Johnston,1 Ekua W Brenu,1 Donald Staines,1,2 Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik1 1Griffith Health Institute, School of Medical Sciences, National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, Griffith University, Parklands, QLD, Australia; 2Gold Coast Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, Robina, QLD, Australia Purpose: To perform a meta-analysis to examine variability among prevalence estimates for CFS/ME, according to the method of assessment used. Methods: Databases were systematically searched for studies on CFS/ME prevalence in adults that applied the 1994 Centers for Disease Control (CDC case definition.1 Estimates were categorized into two methods of assessment: self-reporting of symptoms versus clinical assessment of symptoms. Meta-analysis was performed to pool prevalences by assessment using random effects modeling. This was stratified by sample setting (community or primary care and heterogeneity was examined using the I2 statistic. Results: Of 216 records found, 14 studies were considered suitable for inclusion. The pooled prevalence for self-reporting assessment was 3.28% (95% CI: 2.24–4.33 and 0.76% (95% CI: 0.23–1.29 for clinical assessment. High variability was observed among self-reported estimates, while clinically assessed estimates showed greater consistency. Conclusion: The observed heterogeneity in CFS/ME prevalence may be due to differences in method of assessment. Stakeholders should be cautious of prevalence determined by the self-reporting of symptoms alone. The 1994 CDC case definition appeared to be the most reliable clinical assessment tool available at the time of these studies. Improving clinical case definitions and their adoption internationally will enable better comparisons of findings and inform health systems about the true burden of CFS/ME. Keywords: chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, prevalence, meta-analysis

Observation of Griffiths-like phase and its tunability in La{sub 2}Ni{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}MnO{sub 6} (0≤x≤1) nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krishna Murthy, J., E-mail: krishna.jk1@gmail.com [Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India); Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Banglore 560012 (India); Devi Chandrasekhar, K. [Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan (China); Venimadhav, A. [Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

2016-11-15

Temperature and magnetic field dependent magnetic properties of La{sub 2}Ni{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}MnO{sub 6} (0≤x≤ 1) nanoparticles prepared by sol–gel method with average particle size ∼25–60 nm have been investigated. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra study have revealed the suppression of structural disorder with the increase of Co content. Magnetic ordering and magnetization properties like, transition temperature (T{sub C}), coercive field (H{sub C}) and spontaneous magnetization (M{sub S}) increases with the Co substitution at the Ni site. The inverse magnetic susceptibility above T{sub C} has shown a broad temperature regime with a downward deviation from the Curie–Weiss law, a characteristic feature of Griffiths-like phase. This temperature regime of magnetic inhomogeneity decreases with the increase of Co content and completely absent for La{sub 2}CoMnO{sub 6}. - Highlights: • The Reviewer's comments and suggestions are very good which will be more useful to which have strengthened the paper. • Regarding the Reviewer 2 comment about magnetic field dependent Griffith's phase is good. And we have done this measurement to check the GP at higher fields. • With this standard review and Editor comments, we tried to improve the paper quality.

Estudo anatômico comparativo da região cefálica pré-branquial de Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith) e Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes) (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhiniformes) relacionados com a presença do cefalofólio em Sphyrna Rafinesque Anatomical study on the pre branchial region of Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith) and Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes) (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhiniformes) related with the cephalofoil in Sphyrna Rafinesque

OpenAIRE

Maisa da Cruz Lima; Ulisses Leite Gomes; Wallace de Souza-Lima; Cristina Paragó

1997-01-01

A comparative study on the pre-branchial cranial anatomy of the scalloped hammerhead sharks [Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834)] and the Brazilian sharpnose shark [Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes, 1839)] was carried out to check the modification in the musculature, inervation and optic stalk related to the appearance of the cephalofoil in Sphyrna Rafinesque, 1810. A total of seven adults and one juvenile of R. lalandii and eight juveniles of S. lewini were examined. In S. lewini th...

Equity in Higher Education and Graduate Labour Market Outcomes in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ian W.; Mahuteau, Stephane; Dockery, Alfred M.; Junankar, P. N.

2017-01-01

The rate of higher education participation in Australia has increased over the past decade for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study contributes to the knowledge on the outcomes of disadvantaged individuals who complete higher education by looking at the labour market outcomes of university graduates from equity groups. The number…

Understanding the Persistence of Inequality in Higher Education: Evidence from Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Chesters, Jenny; Watson, Louise

2013-01-01

During the latter half of the twentieth century, Australia, like many countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, experienced rapid expansion in participation in higher education which was supported by government through increases in the number of publicly funded university places. However, in spite of this expansion, a…

Obesity framing for health policy development in Australia, France and Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Patchett, Annabelle D; Yeatman, Heather R; Johnson, Keryn M

2016-03-01

The obesity epidemic is a consequence of the interaction of cultural, environmental, genetic and behavioural factors; framing the issue is central to determining appropriate solutions. This study used content and thematic framing analysis to explore portrayal of responsibility for obesity in policy documents in Australia, France and Switzerland. For Australia and France, obesity causality was a combination of individual and environmental factors, but for Switzerland, it was predominantly individual. The primary solutions for all countries were health promotion strategies and children's education. Industry groups proposed more school education while health advocates advised government intervention. Where France emphasized cultural attitudes towards taste, Australia focused on sport. The French were most keen on legislating against unhealthy foods compared with Switzerland where there was opposition towards regulation of individual's choices. To curb the increasing prevalence of obesity, allocation of responsibility needs to be considered and initiatives enacted accordingly. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Final Report on Trends in R and D in New Materials Technology in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1992-04-09

Research in the field of new or advanced materials in Australia is conducted in a strong, diverse, independent university segment; a small but high quality government segment; and a very small private/commercial segment which is dominated by a few, large corporations. Australia's research and development activities relatively small in scale are away from new or advanced materials, and are oriented toward process improvement and cost reduction. Basic studies will dwindle in the future and efforts in cooperation with foreign countries will stay. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is a governmental establishment situated in Melbourne and is the largest research institute for new or advanced materials in Australia. It has plans to study ceramics, composite materials, intermetallic compounds, catalysts, etc. Its budget is two thirds from the government and the rest from aboard or from contracts with joint ventures. Among other research institutes, the Defence Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) are to be named. Semi-governmental corporations for example The Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (AOTC) and 44 universities are also engaged in some study of materials. (NEDO)

Final Report on Trends in R and D in New Materials Technology in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1992-04-09

Research in the field of new or advanced materials in Australia is conducted in a strong, diverse, independent university segment; a small but high quality government segment; and a very small private/commercial segment which is dominated by a few, large corporations. Australia's research and development activities relatively small in scale are away from new or advanced materials, and are oriented toward process improvement and cost reduction. Basic studies will dwindle in the future and efforts in cooperation with foreign countries will stay. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is a governmental establishment situated in Melbourne and is the largest research institute for new or advanced materials in Australia. It has plans to study ceramics, composite materials, intermetallic compounds, catalysts, etc. Its budget is two thirds from the government and the rest from aboard or from contracts with joint ventures. Among other research institutes, the Defence Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) are to be named. Semi-governmental corporations for example The Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (AOTC) and 44 universities are also engaged in some study of materials. (NEDO)

Ground for concern. Australia's uranium and human survival. [Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliot, M

1977-01-01

The book contains a number of articles which propose that Australia should not mine and export its uranium in order to influence the nuclear establishment against uncontrollable proliferation. Topics covered include: uranium mining in Australia, reactor safety, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons proliferation, nuclear theft and the politics of the nuclear industry.

Achievement report for fiscal 1981 on solar system survey projects implemented overseas. Singapore and Australia; 1981 nendo solar system kaigai chosa jigyo seika hokokusho. Singapore Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1982-06-01

During a 20-day survey tour to Singapore and Australia which started on February 7, 1982, visits were paid to 6 universities, 2 national or state research institutes, 2 state government agencies, 6 passive solar facilities, and some industrial societies and solar equipment manufactures. At universities and research institutes, research and experiments are earnestly under way for the development of solar heat collectors, for the research and testing of software programs therefor, and for the research and development of photovoltaic and geothermal power generation systems. In the case of photovoltaic power, in particular, many programs require the construction of pilot plants and simultaneous supply of power to general consumers with tests and experiments continued for the pilot plants for putting the technology to practical use. This is thought to demonstrate the urgent need for measures for out-of-the-way locations. Electric power is priced at 7-8 yen/kWh, approximately half the price in Japan. Marginal supply capability is low because power is generated mainly by coal and no nuclear power is available. Efforts at underground reserves exploitation have become very active and, since there is need to supply power to the back regions, funds are eagerly invested in on-site power generation and photovoltaic power development. In Australia, power supply is monopolized by state governments. Even in Australia, who enjoy 65% self-sufficiency in oil and export a substantial amounts of natural gas and coal, there are enthusiastic efforts at harnessing solar energy. (NEDO)

Proceedings of the fifth Australia-Japan workshop on plasma diagnostics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The fifth Australia-Japan Workshop on Plasma Diagnostics was held at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), Naka, Japan, from December 15 to 17 in 1999. The first workshop was held at JAERI, Naka in 1989, and the workshops have been held almost every two years in Australia and Japan under the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia on cooperation in the field of Science and Technology. In the workshops, latest research works for plasma diagnostics and plasma experiment have been presented and discussed. The research works of both countries have been developed, and the mutual understanding became deeper through the workshops. In the fifth workshop, the statuses of JT-60U (JAERI), LHD (National Institute for Fusion Science) and H-1NF (Australian National University) were introduced, and the latest research works for plasma diagnostics were also presented. The active and deeper discussions were performed. This report contains twenty-eight papers presented at the workshop. The 25 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

How Australian and Indonesian Universities Treat Plagiarism: a Comparative Study

OpenAIRE

Cahyono, Bambang Yudi

2005-01-01

This article is a part of a larger study comparing various aspects of policies on plagiarism in two university contexts. It compares policies on plagiarism in universities in Australia and Indonesia. The results of this comparative study showed that Australian and Indonesian universities treat plagiarism differently. Australian universities treat plagiarism explicitly in their university policies. In Australian universities, plagiarism is defined clearly and forms of plagiarism are explained ...

Energy in Australia 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuevas-Cubria, C.; Schultz, A.; Petchey, R.; Beaini, F.; New, R.

2011-04-01

Securing access to affordable, reliable and clean energy is one of the great challenges facing governments around the world. The Australian Government is committed to ensuring the security of Australia's domestic energy systems as a fundamental part of Australia's social and economic prosperity. Energy in Australia 2011 is a key reference for anyone with an interest in Australian energy issues. It provides a detailed overview of energy in Australia from production to consumption, and serves as a useful resource to inform industry, government and the community.

Inauguration of the Faculty of Law at the University of Wollongong.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Anthony

1991-01-01

The Chief Justice of Australia, on the occasion of inauguration of the Faculty of Law at the University of Wollongong (Australia), examines the purposes and content of academic legal education, notes the increasing numbers of students wanting to study law, and recommends more interdisciplinary studies for students of law. (DB)

Effectiveness of Concept Maps in Economics: Evidence from Australia and USA

Science.gov (United States)

Marangos, John; Alley, Sean

2007-01-01

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of concept maps as a teaching and learning tool in university level Principles of Microeconomics courses in Australia and USA. Concept mapping was incorporated in the teaching material in both courses at different countries and, at the end of the semester, the students completed a survey regarding the use,…

Expanding Higher Education: Institutional Responses in Australia from the Post-War Era to the 1970s

Science.gov (United States)

Forsyth, Hannah

2015-01-01

The history of universities in the twentieth century is, at least from the perspective of growth, a massive success. Australian higher education is no exception. Prior to the Second World War, Australia had six universities and approximately 10,500 students. Now there are in excess of one million students attending 39 institutions. In each phase…

A Report on the Peace Education Commission Program, International Peace Research Association Conference 2010, Sydney, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Toh, Swee-Hin

2010-01-01

From July 6th to 10th, 2010, International Peace Research Association (IPRA) held its biennial conference at the University of Sydney in Australia. Hosted by the University's Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies and coordinated by Jake Lynch and a team of dedicated staff and volunteers, the conference featured seven plenary panels and many…

The Cosmology Gallery: Unity through diversity in a vast and awe-inspiring universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldsmith, John

2011-06-01

Scientists, artists, religious and cultural leaders have come together to create the Cosmology Gallery at the Gravity Discovery Centre (GDC) located 70 km north of Perth, Western Australia. The Cosmology Gallery exhibitions include the multicultural cosmology artworks, Celestial Visions astronomical photography exhibition and the Timeline of the Universe. The multicultural cosmology artworks are new artworks inspired by Australian Indigenous, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, scientific and technological perspectives of the universe. The Celestial Visions exhibition features astronomical events above famous landmarks, including Stonehenge and the Pyramids. The AUD 400,000+ project was funded by Lotterywest, Western Australia and the Cosmology Gallery was officially opened in July 2008 by the Premier of Western Australia.

USE OF A GRIFFITH TUBE TO EVALUATE THE ANAEROBIC SLUDGE SEDIMENTATION IN A UASB REACTOR TREATING AN EFFLUENT WITH LONG-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. S. Miranda

Full Text Available Abstract This paper proposes to study the sedimentation characteristics of anaerobic sludge, by determining the settling velocity of sludge granules with the Griffith Tube. This is a simple, low-cost method, suitable for use in full-scale treatment plants. The settling characteristics of sludge from two laboratory-scale UASB reactors fed with saccharose and different concentrations of sodium oleate and sodium stereate were evaluated. Addition of fatty acids caused a gradual destabilization of the system, affecting overall performance. The sedimentation profile changed after addition of fatty acids to the synthetic substrate, decreased sedimentation velocity and increased granule diameter. This behaviour was attributed to the adsorption of fatty acids onto the granules, modifying the diameter, shape and density of these bioparticles.

Privatising the Public University: The Case of Law

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Margaret

2011-01-01

"Privatising the Public University: The Case of Law" is the first full-length critical study examining the impact of the dramatic reforms that have swept through universities over the last two decades. Drawing on extensive research and interviews in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada, Margaret Thornton considers the impact of the…

Analysis - what is legal medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Beran, Roy G

2008-04-01

Legal medicine addresses the interface between medicine and law in health care. The Australian College of Legal Medicine (ACLM) established itself as the peak body in legal and forensic medicine in Australia. It helped establish the Expert Witness Institute of Australia (EWIA), the legal medicine programme at Griffith University and contributes to government enquiries. Public health, disability assessment, competing priorities of privacy verses notification and determination of fitness for a host of pursuits are aspects of legal medicine. Complementing the EWIA, the ACLM runs training programmes emphasising legal medicine skills additional to clinical practice, advocating clinical relevance. Assessment of athletes' fitness and ensuring that prohibited substances are not inadvertently prescribed represent a growing area of legal medicine. Ethical consideration of health care should respect legal medicine principles rather than armchair commentary. International conventions must be respected by legal medicine and dictate physicians' obligations. The NSW courts imposed a duty to provide emergency medical care. Migration and communicable diseases are aspects of legal medicine. Police surgeons provide a face to legal medicine (which incorporates forensic medicine) underpinning its public perception of specialty recognition. Legal medicine deserves its place as a medical specialty in its own right.

McUniversities Revisited: A Comparison of University and McDonald's Casual Employee Experiences in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Nadolny, Andrew; Ryan, Suzanne

2015-01-01

The McDonaldization of higher education refers to the transformation of universities from knowledge generators to rational service organizations or "McUniversities". This is reflected in the growing dependence on a casualized academic workforce. The article explores the extent to which the McDonaldization thesis applies to universities…

Characterisation of the Use of Twitter by Australian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Stuart

2013-01-01

Universities are now observed using social media communications channels for a variety of purposes, including marketing, student recruitment, student support and alumni communication. This paper presents an investigation into the use of the Twitter social media platform by universities in Australia, using publicly available Twitter data over a…

'Newness-struggle-success' continuum: a qualitative examination of the cultural adaptation process experienced by overseas-qualified dentists in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Brennan, David S; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie D

2016-04-01

Objectives Overseas-qualified dentists constitute a significant proportion of the Australian dental workforce (approximately one in four). The aim of the present study was to provide a better understanding of the cultural adaptation process of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia, so as to facilitate their integration into the Australian way of life and improve their contribution to Australian healthcare, economy and society. Methods Life stories of 49 overseas-qualified dentists from 22 countries were analysed for significant themes and patterns. We focused on their settlement experience, which relates to their social and cultural experience in Australia. This analysis was consistent with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to qualitative social scientific research. Results Many participants noted that encounters with 'the Australian accent' and 'slang' influenced their cultural experience in Australia. Most of the participants expressed 'fascination' with the people and lifestyle in Australia, primarily with regard to the relaxed way of life, cultural diversity and the freedom one usually experiences living in Australia. Few participants expressed 'shock' at not being able to find a community of similar religious faith in Australia, as they are used to in their home countries. These issues were analysed in two themes; (1) language and communication; and (2) people, religion and lifestyle. The cultural adaptation process of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia is described as a continuum or superordinate theme, which we have entitled the 'newness-struggle-success' continuum. This overarching theme supersedes and incorporates all subthemes. Conclusion Family, friends, community and organisational structures (universities and public sector) play a vital role in the cultural learning process, affecting overseas-qualified dentist's ability to progress successfully through the cultural continuum. What is known about the topic? Australia is a popular host

Algae Reefs in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

Numerous algae reefs are seen in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia (26.0S, 113.5E) especially in the southern portions of the bay. The south end is more saline because tidal flow in and out of the bay is restricted by sediment deposited at the north and central end of the bay opposite the mouth of the Wooramel River. This extremely arid region produces little sediment runoff so that the waters are very clear, saline and rich in algae.

Preparing Chinese International Business Students for the Transition to Undergraduate Study in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Lamberton, Geoff; Ashton-Hay, Sally

2015-01-01

The diverse range of academic, social and cultural challenges experienced by Asian students when studying at Western universities is well documented. This research involved a pre-departure curriculum designed to ease the intercultural transition and adjustment for Chinese international students to a new learning environment in Australia. Moving…

Mapping Progress : Human Rights and International Students in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Jakubowicz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The rapid growth in international student numbers in Australia in the first decade of the  2000s was accompanied by a series of public crises. The most important of these was the outbreak in Melbourne Victoria and elsewhere of physical attacks on the students. Investigations at the time also pointed to cases of gross exploitation, an array of threats that severely compromised their human rights. This paper reviews and pursues the outcomes of a report prepared by the authors in 2010 for Universities Australia and the Human Rights Commission. The report reviewed social science research and proposed a series of priorities for human rights interventions that were part of the Human Rights Commission’s considerations.  New activity, following the innovation of having international students specifically considered by the Human Rights Commission, points to initiatives that have not fully addressed the wide range of questions at state.

Academics as Part-Time Marketers in University Offshore Programs: An Exploratory Study

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Poole, David; Ewan, Craig

2010-01-01

Australian universities maintain almost 900 offshore programs delivered to more than 100 000 students, primarily in the nations of Singapore, Malaysia, China, and Hong Kong (Universities Australia, 2009; IDP, 2009a). Although offshore students comprise an estimated 30 per cent of international student enrolments at Australian universities (IDP,…

Knowledge, Education, and Attitudes of International Students to IELTS: A Case of Australia

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Ata, Abe W.

2015-01-01

The main objective of this study is to determine the knowledge, education and attitudes of Chinese, Indian and Arab speaking students in Australia towards the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. A questionnaire was administered to 200 students at six university language centers to investigate their overall response towards…

Medical applications of synchrotron radiation in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, R.A.

2005-01-01

The Australian synchrotron is being built at Monash University near Melbourne. The 3 GeV machine is well-suited to the mid X-ray region and will have nine beamlines in its initial phase. The high level of biomedical research in Australia has led to the demand for a beamline capable of supporting medical research in both imaging and therapy. The design features for a versatile imaging and hard X-ray beamline capable of operating in the energy range 10-120 keV are outlined here together with a short review of some of the science that is envisaged

Proceedings of Regional Asia Pacific Defence Environmental Workshop Held in Darwin, Australia on 11-14 May 1998 (Environmental Security Series Number 5)

Science.gov (United States)

1998-05-01

actions being undertaken to combat these issues, and the mutual benefits obtained through the partnership arrangement. The Conference was also attended...1993 (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Butts, Kent Hughes (1994) Environmental security: a partnership for peace. Strategic Studies Institute...GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs) Mr. Michael Rae Program Leader-Resource Conservation World Wide Fund For Nature-Australia ( WWF -Australia

The evolution of Griffiths-phase-like features and colossal magnetoresistance in La1-xCaxMnO3 (0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.27) across the compositional metal-insulator boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Wanjun; Zhou Xuezhi; Williams, Gwyn; Mukovskii, Y; Privezentsev, R

2009-01-01

Detailed measurements of the magnetic and transport properties of single crystals of La 1-x Ca x MnO 3 (0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.27) are summarized, and lead to the following conclusions. While temperature-dependent (magneto-) resistance measurements narrow the compositionally modulated metal-insulator (M-I) transition to lie between 0.19 ≤ x c ≤ 0.20 in the series studied, comparisons between the latter magnetic data provide the first unequivocal demonstration that (i) the presence of Griffiths-phase-like (GP) features do not guarantee colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), while confirming (ii) that neither are the appearance of such features a prerequisite for CMR. These data also reveal that (iii) whereas continuous magnetic transitions occur for 0.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.25, the universality class of these transitions belongs to that of a nearest-neighbour 3D Heisenberg model only for x≤0.20, beyond which complications due to GP-like behaviour occur. The implications of the variation (or lack thereof) in critical exponents and particularly critical amplitudes and temperatures across the compositionally mediated M-I transition support the assertion that the dominant mechanism underlying ferromagnetism across the M-I transition changes from ferromagnetic super-exchange (SE) stabilized by orbital ordering in the insulating phase to double-exchange (DE) in the orbitally disordered metallic regime. The variations in the acoustic spin-wave stiffness, D, and the coercive field, H C , support this conclusion. These SE and DE interaction mechanisms are demonstrated to not only belong to the same universality class but are also characterized by comparable coupling strengths. Nevertheless, their percolation thresholds are manifestly different in this system.

Ten Years of External Quality Audit in Australia: Evaluating Its Effectiveness and Success

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Mahsood

2012-01-01

External quality audits are now being used in universities across the world to improve quality assurance, accountability for quality education and transparency of public funding of higher education. Some countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark have had external quality audits for more than a decade but there…

Climate Change. Solutions for Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coleman, T.; Hoegh-Guldberg, O.; Karoly, D.; Lowe, I.; McMichael, T.; Mitchell, C.; Pearman, G.; Scaife, P.; Reynolds, A. (eds.)

2004-06-01

The Australian Climate Group was convened in late 2003 by WWF Australia and the Insurance Australia Group (IAG) in response to the increasing need for action on climate change in Australia. This group proposes a set of solutions to lower the risk that climate change will reach a dangerous level.

Public Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Krupp, E. C.

2013-01-01

America’s first planetaria all opened in the 1930s, and each was the distinctive product of local circumstances. In Los Angeles, the populist sensibilities of Griffith J. Griffith prompted him to value the transformative power of a personal encounter with a telescope, and he quickly embraced the idea of a public observatory with free access to all. Griffith Observatory and its planetarium emerged from that intent. Authenticity, intelligibility, and theatricality were fundamental principles in Griffith’s thinking, and they were transformed into solid and enduring scientific and astronomical values by those who actually guided the Observatory’s design, construction, and programming. That said, the public profile of Griffith Observatory was most defined by its inspired hilltop location, its distinctive, commanding architecture, and its felicitous proximity to Hollywood. The Observatory is theatric in placement and in appearance, and before the Observatory even opened, it was used as a motion picture set. That continuing vocation turned Griffith Observatory into a Hollywood star. Because entertainment industry objectives and resources were part of the Los Angeles landscape, they influenced Observatory programming throughout the Observatory’s history. Public astronomy in Los Angeles has largely been framed by the Observatory’s fundamental nature. It has exhibits, but it is not a museum. It has a planetarium, but it is essentially an observatory. As a public observatory, it is filled with instruments that transform visitors into observers. This role emphasized the importance of personal experience and established the perception of Griffith Observatory as a place for public gathering and shared contact with the cosmos. The Observatory’s close and continuous link with amateur astronomers made amateurs influential partners in the public enterprise. In full accord with Griffith J. Griffith’s original intent, Griffith Observatory has all been about putting

Static quadrupolar susceptibility for a Blume–Emery–Griffiths model based on the mean-field approximation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pawlak, A., E-mail: pawlak@amu.edu.pl [Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, 61–614 Poznań (Poland); Gülpınar, G. [Department of Physics, Dokuz Eylül University, 35160 İzmir (Turkey); Erdem, R. [Department of Physics, Akdeniz University, 07058 Antalya (Turkey); Ağartıoğlu, M. [Institute of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, 35160 İzmir (Turkey)

2015-12-01

The expressions for the dipolar and quadrupolar susceptibilities are obtained within the mean-field approximation in the Blume–Emery–Griffiths model. Temperature as well as crystal field dependences of the susceptibilities are investigated for two different phase diagram topologies which take place for K/J=3 and K/J=5.0.Their behavior near the second and first order transition points as well as multi-critical points such as tricritical, triple and critical endpoint is presented. It is found that in addition to the jumps connected with the phase transitions there are broad peaks in the quadrupolar susceptibility. It is indicated that these broad peaks lie on a prolongation of the first-order line from a triple point to a critical point ending the line of first-order transitions between two distinct paramagnetic phases. It is argued that the broad peaks are a reminiscence of very strong quadrupolar fluctuations at the critical point. The results reveal the fact that near ferromagnetic–paramagnetic phase transitions the quadrupolar susceptibility generally shows a jump whereas near the phase transition between two distinct paramagnetic phases it is an edge-like. - Highlights: • MFA calculation of the quadrupolar and dipolar susceptibility in BEG model is given • The crystal-field variation of susceptibilities near the multi-critical points is examined • There are broad peaks in the quadrupolar susceptibility in the vicinity of CP • These maxima are remembrances of the very strong quadrupolar Fluctuations.

Australia's role in HIV prevention in the developing world.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, D A

1995-12-01

A scientist with the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, addresses the fact that Australians working in the area of HIV infection have been very successful in prevention, treatment, and care. In the early 1980s, a bipartisan political decision was made to foster an effective partnership between HIV-infected communities, health care providers, and governments. HIV-infected communities included sex workers, prisoners, Aboriginal people, and high profile gay community activists. These three different groups succeeded in forming such a partnership, as reflected in the fact that the annual number of new HIV cases is down to 500 from a peak of 3000 in 1984. A key method used to contain HIV infection was needle-and-syringe exchange programs and continuing access to needles to prevent HIV transmission in the injecting drug community. Even though Australia has all this experience and success, it had a backseat role in ushering in the UNAIDS program because Australia did not contribute a significant share of the agency's relatively small budget (US$100 million/year). If Australia were to give just 10%, it would acquire a front row seat along with the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, France, and the UK. These nations have the greatest say as to where UNAIDS funds go. The Australian international aid organization has recently received an increase in funds, $110 million for 4 years to spend on four areas, one of which is HIV/AIDS. Australia has just allocated $25 million for a 5-year program for HIV/STD (sexually transmitted disease) prevention in Indonesia. This money would have been able to buy Australia a leading role in UNAIDS. Australians need to reassess their priorities. Australians can help their neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region move away from their denial of HIV to HIV prevention and care. They can conduct clinical trials of shorter and more user-friendly regimens of antiviral drugs that

The Impact of Pecha Kucha Presentations in the Assessment of a Translation Studies Unit at The University of Western Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Gadd Colombi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Results of a case study on the implementation of Pecha Kucha presentations undertaken at The University of Western Australia in 2015 are presented and discussed here. Pecha Kucha, a fast-paced presentation format consisting of 20 slides set to proceed automatically every 20 seconds, was used in the assessment of the unit “Translation Localisation” for two reasons: it is a time-effective method to assess a large number of students in a short time, and it has the potential to teach students whilst also assessing them, thus killing two birds with one stone. Recent studies show that the Pecha Kucha style can improve presenting skills and English speaking skills in general. This has particular relevance when teaching large numbers of international students, such as in “Translation Localisation”, where 84% of students spoke English as their second language. The paper ultimately shows how the use of Pecha Kucha presentations in the assessment of a unit carries important pedagogical implications for students of English for Academic Purposes.

The Relative Merits of PBL (Problem-Based Learning) in University Education

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Steve

2012-01-01

In Australia, academic workloads are increasing, and university funding is decreasing. Academics and university managers are engaging in risk adverse behavior and tending to focus on customer satisfaction and student retention, potentially at the expense of academic standards. Conventional approaches to pedagogy minimize adverse student feedback,…

Partnership functioning: a case in point between government, nongovernment, and a university in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Saras; Kendall, Elizabeth; Forday, Peter; Cowan, Debbie

2013-01-01

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Queensland, Australia, do not access health services, contributing to poor health outcomes. To improve health in CALD communities, a partnership was formed between the state government, two nongovernment CALD-specific organizations (NGOs), and a university to develop a service that could facilitate health service use. This qualitative research explored the partners' perspectives on how the partnership functioned and its outcomes. We sought to (1) explore how participants engaged with the principles of partnership, the processes they used, and their beliefs about the facilitators and barriers to intersectoral collaboration and (2) gain insights into how the partners perceived the development and functioning of the partnership. Qualitative, semistructured interviews were conducted with each of the key stakeholders in the partnership (n = 4). A focus group was also conducted with those working within the two NGO partners in the delivery of the service (n = 8). Open-ended questions drawn from the literature on partnership principles were used to guide the interviews and focus group data collection. The data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic principles. The four themes identified were: (1) Perceived benefits of the partnership outweighed organizational differences; (2) respectful relationships sustained the partnership; (3) mitigating conflict enabled the purpose of the partnership to be fulfilled; and (4) a neutral interpersonal space enabled the partnership to be enacted. Our study showed how contextual pressures created within the system can damage tenuous connections that have been developed between otherwise competitive organizations, leading to dissolution of partnerships. However, the study has also shown that partnerships may be purpose and time bound, not necessarily with respect to longevity. Through strategic negotiations, partnerships can be sustained until the goal of the partnership is

The Effect of Anomie on Academic Dishonesty among University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Caruana, Albert; Ramaseshan, B.; Ewing, Michael T.

2000-01-01

Following a review of the literature on anomie and academic dishonesty at the university level, this paper reports on a survey of 300 undergraduate business students in Australia which found the newly developed measure both reliable and valid for measuring actual cheating and plagiarism. Concludes that universities need to foster development of an…

Understanding Research Strategies to Improve ERA Performance in Australian Universities: Circumventing Secrecy to Achieve Success

Science.gov (United States)

Diezmann, Carmel M.

2018-01-01

Many Australian universities have prioritised improving discipline performance on the national research assessment--Excellence for Research in Australia. However, a "culture of secrecy" pervades "Excellence in Research for Australia" (ERA). There are no specified criteria for the assignment of ratings on a 5-point scale ranging…

Uranium mining in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1984-01-01

The mining of uranium in Australia is criticised in relation to it's environmental impact, economics and effects on mine workers and Aborigines. A brief report is given on each of the operating and proposed uranium mines in Australia

Australia - a nuclear weapons testing ground

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobbs, Michael.

1993-01-01

Between 1952 and 1958 Britain conducted five separate nuclear weapons trials in Australia. Australia had the uninhabited wide open spaces and the facilities which such tests need and Britain was able to use its special relationship with Australia to get agreement to conduct atomic tests in Australia and establish a permanent test site at Maralinga. Other non-nuclear tests were conducted between 1953-1963. The story of Britain's involvement in atomic weapons testing in Australia is told through its postal history. Both official and private covers are used to show how the postal communications were established and maintained throughout the test years. (UK)

Global benchmarking of medical student learning outcomes? Implementation and pilot results of the International Foundations of Medicine Clinical Sciences Exam at The University of Queensland, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, David; Schafer, Jennifer; Hewett, David; Eley, Diann; Swanson, Dave

2014-01-01

To report pilot results for international benchmarking of learning outcomes among 426 final year medical students at the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Students took the International Foundations of Medicine (IFOM) Clinical Sciences Exam (CSE) developed by the National Board of Medical Examiners, USA, as a required formative assessment. IFOM CSE comprises 160 multiple-choice questions in medicine, surgery, obstetrics, paediatrics and mental health, taken over 4.5 hours. Significant implementation issues; IFOM scores and benchmarking with International Comparison Group (ICG) scores and United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores; and correlation with UQ medical degree cumulative grade point average (GPA). Implementation as an online exam, under university-mandated conditions was successful. Mean IFOM score was 531.3 (maximum 779-minimum 200). The UQ cohort performed better (31% scored below 500) than the ICG (55% below 500). However 49% of the UQ cohort did not meet the USMLE Step 2 CK minimum score. Correlation between IFOM scores and UQ cumulative GPA was reasonable at 0.552 (p benchmarking is feasible and provides a variety of useful benchmarking opportunities.

Uranium production in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisk, B.G.

1984-01-01

The history of uranium mining and milling in Australia is briefly outlined, particular attention being given to the development of Australia's only two operating mills, Nabarlek and Ranger, and its only operating mine, Ranger. The latter project is used to illustrate the prerequisites for development of the industry and the complex roles of the various parties involved in establishing a new mine: equity holders, customers, financiers, the securities industry, trade unions, and the public. The moves currently being taken to resolve the future of the industry in Australia, particularly the examination of issues relating to Australia's role in the nuclear fuel cycle being conducted by the Australian Science and Technology Council, preclude any firm conclusions being drawn, but the various options open to the government are reviewed and the record of Australian governments and unions and the attitude of the Australian public are described. (Author) (3 tabs., fig.)

Regional Influences on Chinese Medicine Education: Comparing Australia and Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Vincent C. H.; Zhang, Anthony L.; Adams, Jon

2016-01-01

High quality education programs are essential for preparing the next generation of Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners. Currently, training in CM occurs within differing health and education policy contexts. There has been little analysis of the factors influencing the form and status of CM education in different regions. Such a task is important for understanding how CM is evolving internationally and predicting future workforce characteristics. This paper compares the status of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong across a range of dimensions: historical and current positions in the national higher education system, regulatory context and relationship to the health system, and public and professional legitimacy. The analysis highlights the different ways in which CM education is developing in these settings, with Hong Kong providing somewhat greater access to clinical training opportunities for CM students. However, common trends and challenges shape CM education in both regions, including marginalisation from mainstream health professions, a small but established presence in universities, and an emphasis on biomedical research. Three factors stand out as significant for the evolution of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong and may have international implications: continuing biomedical dominance, increased competition between universities, and strengthened links with mainland China. PMID:27379170

Regional Influences on Chinese Medicine Education: Comparing Australia and Hong Kong

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caragh Brosnan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High quality education programs are essential for preparing the next generation of Chinese medicine (CM practitioners. Currently, training in CM occurs within differing health and education policy contexts. There has been little analysis of the factors influencing the form and status of CM education in different regions. Such a task is important for understanding how CM is evolving internationally and predicting future workforce characteristics. This paper compares the status of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong across a range of dimensions: historical and current positions in the national higher education system, regulatory context and relationship to the health system, and public and professional legitimacy. The analysis highlights the different ways in which CM education is developing in these settings, with Hong Kong providing somewhat greater access to clinical training opportunities for CM students. However, common trends and challenges shape CM education in both regions, including marginalisation from mainstream health professions, a small but established presence in universities, and an emphasis on biomedical research. Three factors stand out as significant for the evolution of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong and may have international implications: continuing biomedical dominance, increased competition between universities, and strengthened links with mainland China.

Targeted, Timely, Learning Support for International Students: One Australian University's Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Baird, Craig

2012-01-01

This paper documents the approach taken by an Australian University to enhance student study skills, development of academic language, and writing skills. The Curtin Business School (CBS) has the only fully faculty-based student learning support centre at Curtin University in Western Australia. Called the CBS Communication Skills Centre (CSC) it…

The chlorine-36 dating program at the Australian National University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fifield, L.F.; Ophel, T.R.; Bird, J.R.; Calf, G.E.; Allison, G.B.; Chivas, A.R.

1987-05-01

A chlorine-36 dating capability based on the 14UD pelletron accelerator was developed at the Australian National University during 1986 and is now entering the routine measurement phase. It involves a collaboration between the Department of Nuclear Physics, the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and CSIRO Division of Soils. The chlorine-36 dating system is described and some early results are presented for samples of chloride from salt lakes in Western Australia and soil profiles in South Australia

Australia's approach to monetary policy

OpenAIRE

Jane Sneddon Little

2002-01-01

According to Australia's Reserve Bank Act, the central bank's broad policy objectives include maintaining the stability of the currency, full employment, and the economic prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia. In 1993 the Reserve Bank of Australia adopted a specific, and thus transparent, inflation target as its operating objective; it aims to keep overall inflation between 2 percent and 3 percent on average over the business cycle.

What if there were no universities?

Science.gov (United States)

Vasbinder, Jan W

2017-12-01

To a large extent, the pursuit of science takes place in universities. In this essay, I ask the following questions. Supposing there were no universities, and that all the knowledge mankind has ever collected and generated is somehow accessible, would we invent universities to make this knowledge available to address the problems humanity faces? What should those universities perform, and what role would science play in such universities? To look for answers to those questions, I consider the nature of the problems dealt with by science, the knowledge needed to address those problems, the gap between the two, the need for interdisciplinarity and the need to educate the leaders of the future, and finally, the boundaries of scientific knowledge. © 2017 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The Delivery of Business Courses via the African Virtual University: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Graber, Mark; Bolt, Susan

2011-01-01

In this case study the delivery of business courses as a result of the partnership between the African Virtual University (AVU) and Curtin University in Western Australia is described. From 2004 to 2008, degree and diploma business courses were delivered using WebCT in the four AVU partner locations: Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), Kigali…

Multicritical dynamical phase diagrams of the kinetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with repulsive biquadratic coupling in an oscillating field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Temizer, Umuet [Department of Physics, Bozok University, 66100 Yozgat (Turkey); Kantar, Ersin [Institute of Science, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey); Keskin, Mustafa [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey)], E-mail: keskin@erciyes.edu.tr; Canko, Osman [Department of Physics, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey)

2008-06-15

We study, within a mean-field approach, the stationary states of the kinetic Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with repulsive biquadratic coupling under the presence of a time-varying (sinusoidal) magnetic field. We employ the Glauber-type stochastic dynamics to construct set of dynamic equations of motion. The behavior of the time dependence of the order parameters and the behavior of the average order parameters in a period, which is also called the dynamic order parameters, as functions of the reduced temperature are investigated. The dynamic phase transition points are calculated and phase diagrams are presented in the reduced magnetic field amplitude and reduced temperature plane. The dynamical transition from one regime to the other can be of first- or second order depending on the region in the phase diagram. According to the values of the crystal field interaction or single-ion anisotropy constant and biquadratic exchange constant, we find 20 fundamental types of phase diagrams which exhibit many dynamic critical points, such as tricritical points, zero-temperature critical points, double critical end points, critical end point, triple point and multicritical point. Moreover, besides a disordered and ordered phases, seven coexistence phase regions exist in the system.

Migration from India to Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Awasthi, S P; Chandra, A

1994-01-01

"The article examines the contemporary trends and future prospects of migration from India to Australia. The focus is on Indian Settlers and Temporary Entrants admitted to Australia for employment and Indian students admitted to Australia for higher studies. The volume of emigration for permanent residence during the early 1990s has made India one of the leading source countries of migration to Australia. A majority of Indians admitted as Settlers every year join the labor force. Recent data indicate that, among Indian Settlers, there is a preponderance of unsponsored Independent Skilled Migrants. Given the anticipated growth in the number of Indian students, the coming years are likely to witness a spurt in Skilled Temporary Workers from India." excerpt

Smoking behavior among patients and staff: a snapshot from a major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahman MA

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Muhammad Aziz Rahman,1,2 Andrew M Wilson,2–4 Rhonda Sanders,3 David Castle,2–4 Karen Daws,3 David R Thompson,2 Chantal F Ski,2 Sarah Matthews,3 Christine Wright,2 Linda Worrall-Carter1–31St Vincent's Centre for Nursing Research (SVCNR, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 2The Cardiovascular Research Centre (CvRC, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 3St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 4The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaBackground: A cross-sectional study was conducted to provide a snapshot of smoking behavior among staff and patients at a major metropolitan hospital in Melbourne.Methods: Patients and staff were surveyed using a questionnaire exploring demographics, nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom test, readiness to quit, and preference for smoking cessation options.Results: A total of 1496 people were screened within 2 hours; 1,301 participated (1,100 staff, 199 patients. Mean age was 42 years, 68% were female. There were 113 (9% current smokers and 326 (25% ex-smokers. Seven percent of the staff were current smokers compared with 19% of the patients. The Fagerstrom test showed that 47% of patients who smoked were moderately nicotine dependent compared with 21% of staff. A third of the staff who smoked did not anticipate health problems related to smoking. Most patients (79% who smoked disagreed that their current health problems were related to smoking. Although more than half of the current smokers preferred pharmacotherapy, one in two of them did not prefer behavior counseling; with consistent results among staff and patients. Multivariate analyses showed that patients were three times more likely (odds ratio 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.9–4.7 to smoke than staff.Conclusion: This study reports lower prevalence of smoking among hospital staff compared with national data. It also indicates an under-appreciation of health effects of smoking, and a

Internet Usage in Small Businesses in Regional South Australia: Service Learning Opportunities for a Local University

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Nina; Sawyer, Janet

2009-01-01

The Internet offers opportunities for electronic trading in the global marketplace and as such it can provide substantial benefits to a business. Despite this, the rate of adoption of e-commerce by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia has been slower than anticipated and these benefits are not being realised (Pease & Rowe,…

PREDICTORS OF WOMEN ACADEMICS' CAREER PROGRESSION: EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadrian G. Djajadikerta

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The issue of glass ceiling, invisible barriers that limit the access of women to higher level occupations and positions, continues to be of concern. Prior studies in this topic have been mostly conducted based on two perspectives: systemic and personal. However, neither of these two perspectives have managed to completely explain the glass ceiling phenomena in organizations. This paper focuses on higher education institutions in Australia. Incorporating both of these perspectives, this paper investigates the factors that influence career progression of women academics in Australian universities.

Glassy dielectric response in Tb2NiMnO6 double perovskite with similarities to a Griffiths phase

Science.gov (United States)

Nhalil, Hariharan; Nair, Harikrishnan S.; Bhat, H. L.; Elizabeth, Suja

2013-12-01

Results of frequency-dependent and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements performed on the double-perovskite Tb2NiMnO6 are presented. The real (\\epsilon_1 (f,T)) and imaginary (\\epsilon_2 (f,T)) parts of dielectric permittivity show three plateaus suggesting dielectric relaxation originating from the bulk, grain boundaries and the sample-electrode interfaces, respectively. The \\epsilon_1 (f,T) and \\epsilon_2 (f,T) are successfully simulated by a RC circuit model. The complex plane of impedance, Z'\\text{-}Z'' , is simulated using a series network with a resistor R and a constant phase element. Through the analysis of \\epsilon (f,T) using the modified Debye model, two different relaxation time regimes separated by a characteristic temperature, T^* , are identified. The temperature variation of R and C corresponding to the bulk and the parameter α from modified Debye fit lend support to this hypothesis. Interestingly, the T^* compares with the Griffiths temperature for this compound observed in magnetic measurements. Though these results cannot be interpreted as magnetoelectric coupling, the relationship between lattice and magnetism is markedly clear. We assume that the observed features have their origin in the polar nanoregions which originate from the inherent cationic defect structure of double perovskites.

Regional South Australia Health (RESONATE) survey: study protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Martin; Gillam, Marianne; May, Esther

2018-01-01

Introduction Access to quality healthcare services is considered a moral right. However, for people living in regional locations, timely access to the services that they need may not always be possible because of structural and attitudinal barriers. This suggests that people living in regional areas may have unmet healthcare needs. The aim of this research will be to examine the healthcare needs, expectations and experiences of regional South Australians. Methods and analysis The Regional South Australia Health (RESONATE) survey is a cross-sectional study of adult health consumers living in any private or non-private dwelling, in any regional, rural, remote or very remote area of South Australia and with an understanding of written English. Data will be collected using a 45-item, multidimensional, self-administered instrument, designed to measure healthcare need, barriers to healthcare access and health service utilisation, attitudes, experiences and satisfaction. The instrument has demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, including good content validity and internal reliability, good test–retest reliability and a high level of acceptability. The survey will be administered online and in hard-copy, with at least 1832 survey participants to be recruited over a 12-month period, using a comprehensive, multimodal recruitment campaign. Ethics and dissemination The study has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of South Australia. The results will be actively disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, social media, broadcast media, print media, the internet and various community/stakeholder engagement activities. PMID:29654014

The third conference on nuclear science and engineering in Australia, 1999. Conference handbook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The Australian Nuclear Association has organised this third Conference in a biennial series with the theme: 'A Nuclear Renaissance'. The theme is based on our perception that nuclear science and technology is on the threshold of a major expansion after a period which many thought was the onset of the Dark Ages after the old Australian Atomic Energy Commission was abolished in 1987. Fortunately, nuclear science and technology was not abolished and the AAEC was replaced by the government with ANSTO, which the government has continued to support strongly. The most recent expression of this support has been the approval of nearly $300 millions in investment in a major Replacement Research Reactor to be operational in about 2005, and the establishment of the new regulatory body ARPANSA. The conference aims to review all of the major nuclear issues of importance to Australia as we enter the 21st Century. These include: uranium mining and upgrading; the management of nuclear waste; the plans for the future by the government's major nuclear research laboratory, operated by ANSTO, including plans for constructing a major Replacement Research Reactor at Lucas Heights, the status of safeguards and nuclear regulation in Australia now that the government has set up the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, and the many and varied applications of nuclear science in Australia. The conference also presents the plans for nuclear research by the universities through the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering, and features in particular the work at the Australian National University in Canberra

The third conference on nuclear science and engineering in Australia, 1999. Conference handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

The Australian Nuclear Association has organised this third Conference in a biennial series with the theme: 'A Nuclear Renaissance'. The theme is based on our perception that nuclear science and technology is on the threshold of a major expansion after a period which many thought was the onset of the Dark Ages after the old Australian Atomic Energy Commission was abolished in 1987. Fortunately, nuclear science and technology was not abolished and the AAEC was replaced by the government with ANSTO, which the government has continued to support strongly. The most recent expression of this support has been the approval of nearly $300 millions in investment in a major Replacement Research Reactor to be operational in about 2005, and the establishment of the new regulatory body ARPANSA. The conference aims to review all of the major nuclear issues of importance to Australia as we enter the 21st Century. These include: uranium mining and upgrading; the management of nuclear waste; the plans for the future by the government's major nuclear research laboratory, operated by ANSTO, including plans for constructing a major Replacement Research Reactor at Lucas Heights, the status of safeguards and nuclear regulation in Australia now that the government has set up the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, and the many and varied applications of nuclear science in Australia. The conference also presents the plans for nuclear research by the universities through the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering, and features in particular the work at the Australian National University in Canberra.

University-Community Engagement: What does it mean?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Onyx

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This article reflects on the nature of Community-University engagement from a research focus. This entails several steps. In this I start with ‘engagement’ and what that might mean in the context of a University-based research centre. I then reflect on the nature of ‘community’ and the significance of the third sector globally and in Australia. The Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management (CACOM was the first research centre in Australia, and one of the first in the world designed explicitly to study the Community Sector and its impact. The article outlines one significant research program that emerged from the work of CACOM, namely the story of social capital research. This research was initiated by a request from community partners, and was carried out in collaboration with them. The research program led to several significant research projects which have had a major impact on theory and public policy. It challenges the nature of the University as ‘expert’ and illustrates the co-production of knowledge. The article concludes by discussing the various roles that the University can play within the co-production of research knowledge with the community, as collaborator in the research process itself, as mediator in the development of linking social capital between community and more powerful players, and as the potential site for independent and critical analysis.

Primary Maternity Units in rural and remote Australia: Results of a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruske, Sue; Kildea, Sue; Jenkinson, Bec; Pilcher, Jennifer; Robin, Sarah; Rolfe, Margaret; Kornelsen, Jude; Barclay, Lesley

2016-09-01

Primary Maternity Units (PMUs) offer less expensive and potentially more sustainable maternity care, with comparable or better perinatal outcomes for normal pregnancy and birth than higherlevel units. However, little is known about how these maternity services operate in rural and remote Australia, in regards to location, models of care, service structure, support mechanisms or sustainability. This study aimed to confirm and describe how they operate. a descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken, utilising a 35-item survey to explore current provision of maternity care in rural and remote PMUs across Australia. Data were subjected to simple descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for free text answers. Only 17 PMUs were identified in rural and remote areas of Australia. All 17 completed the survey. the PMUs were, on average, 56km or 49minutes from their referral service and provided care to an average of 59 birthing women per year. Periodic closures or downgrading of services was common. Low-risk eligibility criteria were universally used, but with some variability. Medically-led care was the most widely available model of care. In most PMUs midwives worked shift work involving both nursing and midwifery duties, with minimal uptake of recent midwifery workforce innovations. Perceived enablers of, and threats to, sustainability were reported. a small number of PMUs operate in rural Australia, and none in remote areas. Continuing overreliance on local medical support, and under-utilisation of the midwifery workforce constrain the restoration of maternity services to rural and remote Australia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Australia: Population.

Science.gov (United States)

The Australian Bureau of Census and Statistics reported on 27 August 1979 that Australia's total population was 14,376,400 at the end of the first quarter of 1979. Net immigration gain during the same period was 12,700. Natural increase was 32,100--births were 57,100 and deaths were 25,000. In January 1979, Australia introduced a new immigration scheme to improve methods of selecting immigrants. Points are awarded on the basis of personal qualities and employability; an applicant must score 60 out of 100. This scheme supersedes the earlier system under which immigrants were selected on the family reunion criterion and employability. Migrants from Britain and Ireland made up the bulk of the new comers, but their proportion has dropped from 50% in the mid-1960s to 30% in early 1979. In contrast, Asian immigrants have risen from 2% to 22% over the same period. Asian immigration began in the mid-1960s with the relaxation of the "White Australia" policy which barred non-European migrants, and increased when the ban was abolished by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1973.

Outbreaks of sarcoptic mange in free-ranging koala populations in Victoria and South Australia: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Speight, K N; Whiteley, P L; Woolford, L; Duignan, P J; Bacci, B; Lathe, S; Boardman, W; Scheelings, T F; Funnell, O; Underwood, G; Stevenson, M A

2017-07-01

To describe outbreaks of sarcoptic mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei in free-ranging koalas in Victoria (December 2008 to November 2015) and South Australia (October 2011 to September 2014). Koalas affected by mange-like lesions were reported by wildlife carers, veterinary practitioners or State Government personnel to the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at The University of Melbourne and the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at The University of Adelaide. Skin scrapings were taken from live and dead koalas and S. scabiei mites were identified. Tissues from necropsied koalas were examined histologically. Outbreaks of sarcoptic mange were found to occur in koalas from both Victoria (n = 29) and South Australia (n = 29) for the first time. The gross pathological and histopathological changes are described. We present the first reported cases of sarcoptic mange outbreaks in free-ranging koalas. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

Australia's CO2 geological storage potential and matching of emission sources to potential sinks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradshaw, J.; Bradshaw, B.E.; Wilson, P.; Spencer, L.; Allinson, G.; Nguyen, V.

2004-01-01

Within the GEODISC program of the Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre (APCRC), Geoscience Australia (GA) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have completed an analysis of the potential for the geological storage of CO 2 . The geological analysis assessed over 100 potential environmentally sustainable sites for CO 2 injection (ESSCIs) by applying a deterministic risk assessment based on the five factors of: storage capacity, injectivity potential, site details, containment and natural resources. Utilising a risked storage capacity suggests that at a regional scale Australia has a CO 2 storage potential in excess of 1600 years of current annual total net emissions. Whilst this estimate does give an idea of the enormous magnitude of the geological storage potential of CO 2 in Australia, it does not account for various factors that are evident in source to sink matching. If preferences due to source to sink matching are incorporated, and an assumption is made that some economic imperative will apply to encourage geological storage of CO 2 , then a more realistic analysis can be derived. In such a case, Australia may have the potential to store a maximum of 25% of our total annual net emissions, or approximately 100-115 Mt CO 2 per year. (author)

Community Music in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Gillian

2010-01-01

This paper presents a historical perspective to the development of community music in Australia. Finding political support in Australia's progressive arts policies of the late 1970s, community music is discussed as embracing the principles of access and equity and supporting the development of musical skills in the context of social change and…

Women and Ultramodern Buddhism in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Halafoff

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Buddhists started arriving in Australia in large numbers during the mid-1800s, and the first Buddhist societies and centres began to be formed in the mid-late 1900s. This paper examines the role of women in bringing Buddhism to and establishing it in Australia. Women have featured prominently in a small amount of scholarship, including Paul Croucher’s (1989 Buddhism in Australia: 1848–1988 and Cristina Rocha and Michelle Barker’s (eds. 2011 edited volume on Buddhism in Australia: Traditions in Change. This paper draws on these sources, but primarily on more recent digital oral histories of prominent Buddhist women and men in Australia, recorded as part of the first stage of the Buddhist Life Stories of Australia project in 2014–2015. These first-hand accounts bring the early female pioneers of Buddhism in Australia to life and provide a rich re-telling of this history with emphasis on women’s contributions to it. We also argue that these women’s experiences can best be understood through a framework of ‘ultramodern Buddhism,’ built upon theories of modern and post-modern Buddhism, as many of these women were trailblazers bridging dualisms of tradition and modernity, Asia and the West, and adhering to both feminist and Buddhist principles.

Australia: uranium and nuclear policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crick, R.

1991-01-01

Australia's uranium and nuclear policies have gone through several stages of development since the commercialisation of the industry. The early stages laid the foundations and built the superstructure of Australia's uranium development, export and safeguards policies. The uranium industry and other governments have understood the nature and operation of these policies. An important aim of this paper will be to explain the design and current construction stage of policies. This needs to be done against the background of broader industry developments. Within the past twelve months (1989/90) there have been dramatic changes, both within Australia and internationally, which have affected the uranium market. Internationally, we have seen the spot price indicators for uranium fall to an all time low. Within Australia, we have seen the removal of the fixed floor price requirement for the sale of Australia uranium. This was replaced by a requirement that contract prices reflect the market. This change in policy allowed the outcome of several major long-term contract renegotiations to be approved. It also allowed Australian producers to secure several new long-term contracts, despite the overall depressed state of the market. The 'three mines' policy remains in place although only two, Ranger in Northern Territory and Olympic Dare in Southern Australia are currently operating. The biggest unknown is the extent of future uranium demand. (author)

A disclosure scheme for protecting the victims of domestic violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Richard

2017-06-08

Richard Griffith, Senior Lecturer in Health Law at Swansea University, explains how the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme aims to protect potential victims by allowing disclosure of a partner's previous crimes.

ELearning Strategic Planning 2020: The Voice of Future Students as Stakeholders in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Finger, Glenn; Smart, Vicky

2013-01-01

Most universities are undertaking information technology (IT) strategic planning. The development of those plans often includes the voices of academics and sometimes engages alumni and current students. However, few engage and acknowledge the voice of future students. This paper is situated within the "Griffith University 2020 Strategic…

Uranium exploration in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battey, G.C.; Hawkins, B.W.

1977-01-01

As a result of exploration which recommenced in 1966 Australia's uranium reserves increased from 6,200 tonnes in 1967 to 227,000 tonnes uranium by June 1976. Most discoveries in the early 1950's were made by prospectors. The increase in reserves during the past decade is the result of exploration by companies utilising improved technology in areas selected as geologically favourable. These reserves were established at relatively low cost. In the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province the ''vein'' type deposits at Jabiluka, Ranger, Koongarra and Nabarlek contain 17% of the world's reserves. Most of these discoveries resulted from the investigation of airborne radiometric anomalies but cover over the prospective host rocks will necessitate the future use of costlier and more indirect exploration techniques. There was exploration for sandstone type uranium deposits in most of Australia's sedimentary basins. The greatest success was achieved in the Lake Frome Basin in South Australia. Other deposits were found in the Ngalia and Amadeus Basins in Central Australia and in the Westmoreland area, N.W. Queensland. A major uranium deposit was found in an unusual environment at Yeelirrie, Western Australia where carnotite occurs in a caliche and clay host which fills a shallow, ancient drainage channel. Although caliche occurrences are relatively widespread on the Precambrian shield no other economic deposit has been found. Recent discoveries in the Georgetown area of Queensland indicate the presence of another uranium province but it is too early to assess its potential. The ore occurs in clastic sediments at the base of a volcanic sequence overlying a Precambrian basement. Several companies which have established large uranium reserves have a number of additional attractive prospects. Exploration activity in Australia in 1975 was at a lower level than in previous years, but the potential for discovering further deposits is considered to be high

Towards comprehensive early abortion service delivery in high income countries: insights for improving universal access to abortion in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Dawson

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Improving access to safe abortion is an essential strategy in the provision of universal access to reproductive health care. Australians are largely supportive of the provision of abortion and its decriminalization. However, the lack of data and the complex legal and service delivery situation impacts upon access for women seeking an early termination of pregnancy. There are no systematic reviews from a health services perspective to help direct health planners and policy makers to improve access comprehensive medical and early surgical abortion in high income countries. This review therefore aims to identify quality studies of abortion services to provide insight into how access to services can be improved in Australia. Methods We undertook a structured search of six bibliographic databases and hand-searching to ascertain peer reviewed primary research in English between 2005 and 2015. Qualitative and quantitative study designs were deemed suitable for inclusion. A deductive content analysis methodology was employed to analyse selected manuscripts based upon a framework we developed to examine access to early abortion services. Results This review identified the dimensions of access to surgical and medical abortion at clinic or hospital-outpatient based abortion services, as well as new service delivery approaches utilising a remote telemedicine approach. A range of factors, mostly from studies in the United Kingdom and United States of America were found to facilitate improved access to abortion, in particular, flexible service delivery approaches that provide women with cost effective options and technology based services. Standards, recommendations and targets were also identified that provided services and providers with guidance regarding the quality of abortion care. Conclusions Key insights for service delivery in Australia include the: establishment of standards, provision of choice of procedure, improved provider

University Lawyers: A Study of Legal Risk, Risk Management and Role in Work Integrated Learning Programmes

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Craig; Klopper, Christopher

2015-01-01

Work integrated learning (WIL) is in growing demand by multiple stakeholders within the higher education sector in Australia. There are significant and distinct legal risks to universities associated with WIL programmes. University lawyers, along with WIL administrators and university management, are responsible for managing legal risk. This…

Nigerian journal of technology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

student1

2013-07-02

Jul 2, 2013 ... development of information system for Community Development (CD) purposes. In this paper ... communication tools and strategies. ..... Producing Areas The Centre for Energy, ... and Intelligent Systems, Griffith University, pp.

The Incidence of Clueing in Multiple Choice Testbank Questions in Accounting: Some Evidence from Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Ibbett, Nicole L.; Wheldon, Brett J.

2016-01-01

In 2014 Central Queensland University (CQU) in Australia banned the use of multiple choice questions (MCQs) as an assessment tool. One of the reasons given for this decision was that MCQs provide an opportunity for students to "pass" by merely guessing their answers. The mathematical likelihood of a student passing by guessing alone can…

Water Recycling in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ross Young

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth and, more importantly, experiences the most variable rainfall of all the continents on our planet. The vast majority of Australians live in large cities on the coast. Because wastewater treatments plants were all located near the coast, it was thought that large scale recycling would be problematic given the cost of infrastructure and pumping required to establish recycled water schemes. This all changed when Australia experienced a decade of record low rainfall and water utilities were given aggressive targets to increase the volume of water recycled. This resulted in recycled water being accepted as a legitimate source of water for non-drinking purposes in a diversified portfolio of water sources to mitigate climate risk. To ensure community support for recycled water, Australia lead the world in developing national guidelines for the various uses of recycled water to ensure the protection of public health and the environment. Australia now provides a great case study of the developments in maximizing water recycling opportunities from policy, regulatory and technological perspectives. This paper explores the evolution in thinking and how approaches to wastewater reuse has changed over the past 40 years from an effluent disposal issue to one of recognizing wastewater as a legitimate and valuable resource. Despite recycled water being a popular choice and being broadly embraced, the concept of indirect potable reuse schemes have lacked community and political support across Australia to date.

How Australian and Indonesian Universities Treat Plagiarism: A Comparative Study

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Bambang Yudi Cahyono

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This article is a part of a larger study comparing various aspects of policies on plagiarism in two university contexts. It compares policies on plagiarism in universities in Australia and Indonesia. The results of this comparative study showed that Australian and Indonesian universities treat plagiarism differently. Australian universities treat plagiarism explicitly in their university policies. In Australian universities, plagiarism is defined clearly and forms of plagiarism are explained thoroughly, policies on plagiarism are informed to all university academic members, and there are mechanisms to manage cases related to plagiarism. In contrast, not all Indonesian universities treat plagiarism directly. Some universities depend on religious morality and academic ethics in dealing with plagiarism. Accordingly, this article recommends the explicit treatment of plagiarism in Indonesian universities.

University Academics' Experiences of Learning through Mentoring

Science.gov (United States)

Ambler, Trudy; Harvey, Marina; Cahir, Jayde

2016-01-01

The use of mentoring for staff development is well established within schools and the business sector, yet it has received limited consideration in the higher education literature as an approach to supporting learning for academics. In this study located at one metropolitan university in Australia, an online questionnaire and one-on-one…

Stigma towards mental illness among medical students in Australia and Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Zaza; Laugharne, Jonathan; Laugharne, Richard; Appiah-Poku, John

2015-06-01

Stigma towards mental illness has been found to impact adversely on medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry. This study aimed to assess the impact of stigma among final year students at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, and the University of Western Australia. A 28-item "Attitudes and stigma towards mental health" questionnaire was distributed to final year students at both universities. There was a significant difference in questionnaire scores, with Australian students showing more positive attitudes towards mental illness and lower levels of stigma compared with Ghanaian students. Stigmatization was expressed by Australian and Ghanaian students. A combination of medical school experiences and wider societal and cultural beliefs could be responsible for students' attitudes towards mental illness. Educators can develop locally relevant anti-stigma teaching resources throughout the psychiatry curriculum to improve students' attitudes towards psychiatry as a discipline and mental illness in general.

Australia's arid-adapted butcherbirds experienced range expansions during Pleistocene glacial maxima.

Science.gov (United States)

Kearns, Anna M; Joseph, Leo; Toon, Alicia; Cook, Lyn G

2014-05-30

A model of range expansions during glacial maxima (GM) for cold-adapted species is generally accepted for the Northern Hemisphere. Given that GM in Australia largely resulted in the expansion of arid zones, rather than glaciation, it could be expected that arid-adapted species might have had expanded ranges at GM, as cold-adapted species did in the Northern Hemisphere. For Australian biota, however, it remains paradigmatic that arid-adapted species contracted to refugia at GM. Here we use multilocus data and ecological niche models (ENMs) to test alternative GM models for butcherbirds. ENMs, mtDNA and estimates of nuclear introgression and past population sizes support a model of GM expansion in the arid-tolerant Grey Butcherbird that resulted in secondary contact with its close relative--the savanna-inhabiting Silver-backed Butcherbird--whose contemporary distribution is widely separated. Together, these data reject the universal use of a GM contraction model for Australia's dry woodland and arid biota.

Australia's nuclear graveyard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milliken, R.

1987-01-01

Britain and Australia have become locked in a battle of wills and wits over a nuclear legacy that is now more than 30 years old. At stake is the issue of who will pay to clean up a stretch of the central Australian outback where at least 23 kilograms of plutonium are buried in nuclear graveyards or scattered in fine particles on the ground. The plutonium was left there after a series of British nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s. The cost of cleaning it up today, and rendering the ground safe the the Aborigines who claim it as their tribal homeland, has been estimated at up to $158 million. Australia's minister for resources, Senator Gareth Evans, went to London in October 1986 to try to involve the British in the cleanup. But Britain is still taking the stand that it had discharged any obligations on this score long ago. This question is at the heart of controversy that began mounting in the late 1970s over the British nuclear tests. It was then that Aborigines and test veterans from Britain and Australia started alleging that they had been exposed to unduly high doses of radiation. Clearly, the nuclear tests, which began as a political exercise between Britain and Australia more than 30 years ago, seem destined to remain the source of much legal, diplomatic, and financial fallout between the two countries for a long time to come

Australia`s uranium opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alder, K.

1996-12-31

The book is a personal account by an insider who was deeply involved in the rise and fall of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC), and in particular in its efforts to bring Australia into the nuclear age. It reveals the thinking behind the Commission`s research programmes and major projects, such as the centrifuge enrichment program and Jervis Bay Nuclear Power project. It shows how politics, politicians and sensational journalism had disastrous effects on the AAEC, its programmes and aspirations. ills.

Australia's uranium export potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosher, D.V.

1981-01-01

During the period 1954-71 in Australia approximately 9000 MT of U 3 O 8 was produced from five separate localities. Of this, 7000 MT was exported to the United Kingdom and United States and the balance stockpiled by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC). Australia's uranium ore reserves occur in eight deposits in three states and the Northern Territory. However, 83% of Australia's reserves are contained in four deposits in lower Proterozoic rocks in the East Alligator River region of the Northern Territory. The AAEC has calculated Australia's recoverable uranium reserves by eliminating estimated losses during the mining and milling of the ores. AAEC has estimated reasonably assured resources of 289,000 MT of uranium at a recovery cost of less than US$80 per kilogram uranium. The companies have collectively announced a larger ore reserve than the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. This difference is a result of the companies adopting different ore reserve categories. On August 25, 1977, the federal government announced that Australia would develop its uranium resources subject to stringent environmental controls, recognition of Aboriginal Land Rights, and international safeguards. Australian uranium production should gradually increase from 1981 onward, growing to 10,000 to 15,000 MT by 1985-86. Further increases in capacity may emerge during the second half of the 1980s when expansion plans are implemented. Exploration for uranium has not been intensive due to delays in developing the existing deposits. It is likely that present reserves can be substantially upgraded if more exploration is carried out. 6 figures, 3 tables

Uranium exploration and mining in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wutzler, B.

1984-01-01

Uranium minerals were discovered in Australia in the years 1850 to 1900 already, but most of them were not recognised as such. It was not until 1894 that the first significant uranium find was made in Carcoar, west of Sydney. At that time, the uranium output of the world, which only amounted to a few hundred cwts, was for the most part obtained from mining areas close to the border between Saxony and Bohemia. In South Australia, uranium ore was mined experimentally for the production of radium at Radium Hill from 1906 onwards and at Mt. Painter from 1910 onwards. It was not until World War II, however, that uranium gained importance as a valuable raw material that could also be used for military purposes. The second phase of uranium mining in Australia commenced in 1944. Within ten years Australia's presumed uranium potential was confirmed by extensive exploration. The development of uranium mining in Australia is described in the present paper. (orig.)

Equality and Education: The Role of Universities and Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Fensham, Peter J.

1986-01-01

Discusses equal education issues in Victoria, Australia, summarizing the expansion of secondary and higher education since the 1940s. Explores transition problems between school and university furthering social inequalities. Views educational structures from abundancy and scarcity perspectives, cautioning that limited resources will maintain the…

Indigenous actinorhizal plants of Australia

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Indigenous species of actinorhizal plants of Casuarinaceae, Elaeagnaceae and Rhamnaceae are found in specific regions of Australia. Most of these plants belong to Casuarinaceae, the dominant actinorhizal family in Australia. Many of them have significant environmental and economical value. The other two families with ...

Recent developments: Japan and Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

Recent developments in the nuclear industry in Japan and Australia are briefly reviewed. Topics discussed include: the world energy situation; and nuclear power generation trends and completion the nuclear fuel cycle in Japan. Recent events that suggest possible policy changes in Australia are briefly discussed

Asian student migration to Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, J; Hawthorne, L

1996-01-01

"This paper presents an overview of Asian student migration to Australia, together with an analysis of political and educational aspects of the overseas student programme. It focuses on some significant consequences of this flow for Australia. The characteristics of key student groups are contrasted to provide some perspective of the diversity of historical and cultural backgrounds, with the source countries of Malaysia, Indonesia and PRC [China] selected as case studies. Since the issue of PRC students in Australia has attracted considerable public attention and policy consideration, particular focus is placed on their experience." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) excerpt

The new energy technologies in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Gleuher, M.; Farhi, R.

2005-06-01

The large dependence of Australia on the fossil fuels leads to an great emission of carbon dioxide. The Australia is thus the first greenhouse gases emitter per habitant, in the world. In spite of its sufficient fossil fuels reserves, the Australia increases its production of clean energies and the research programs in the domain of the new energies technology. After a presentation of the australia situation, the authors detail the government measures in favor of the new energy technologies and the situation of the hydroelectricity, the wind energy, the wave and tidal energy, the biomass, the biofuels, the solar energy, the ''clean'' coal, the hydrogen and the geothermal energy. (A.L.B.)

Care: what it means to Iranian immigrants in New South Wales, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Omeri, A

1997-01-01

Discoveries of linguistic terms relating to care/caring can create better understanding of diversities in expression and experiences of care of different cultures. Such linguistic understandings and discovery of "meaning-in-context" can enhance communication toward unity in light of diversity. In order to gain an understanding of expression of care/caring for Iranian immigrants in New South Wales, Australia, linguistic terms in the Persian language as discovered are described. The study, conceptualised within Leininger's theory of Culture Care diversity and universality led to the discovery of 31 linguistic care terms in the Persian language, reflecting the emic view of care for Iranian Immigrants in multicultural Australia. Using Leininger's ethnonursing research method and in depth naturalistic interviews, five types of care were abstracted from recurrent patterning and saturation according to type and meaning of care were discovered and described. The five categories describe care as: action; (hamoyat, parastari), thoughts; (ba-fakr-ham-boodan), reflecting family ties; (hambastegie), care as being Iranian, reflecting Iranian identity; (inhamani, hamonandi). Finally, care as related to context and expressed in safety and peace; (amnieyat, aramash), describing Australia as a safe and peaceful place to live. This paper will attempt to share an Iranian immigrants' emic view of care.

Principles to guide sustainable implementation of extended-scope-of-practice physiotherapy workforce redesign initiatives in Australia: stakeholder perspectives, barriers, supports, and incentives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morris J

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Joanne Morris,1 Karen Grimmer,2 Lisa Gilmore,1 Chandima Perera,3 Gordon Waddington,4 Greg Kyle,4 Bryan Ashman,5 Karen Murphy61The Physiotherapy Department, The Canberra Hospital, ACT Health, Canberra, ACT, Australia; 2International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 3Department of Rheumatology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia; 4The Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia; 5Department of Surgical Services, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia; 6Office of Allied Health Advisor, ACT Health, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaAbstract: Sustainable implementation of new workforce redesign initiatives requires strategies that minimize barriers and optimize supports. Such strategies could be provided by a set of guiding principles. A broad understanding of the concerns of all the key stakeholder groups is required before effective strategies and initiatives are developed. Many new workforce redesign initiatives are not underpinned by prior planning, and this threatens their uptake and sustainability. This study reports on a cross-sectional qualitative study that sought the perspectives of representatives of key stakeholders in a new workforce redesign initiative (extended-scope-of-practice physiotherapy in one Australian tertiary hospital. The key stakeholder groups were those that had been involved in some way in the development, management, training, funding, and/or delivery of the initiative. Data were collected using semistructured questions, answered individually by interview or in writing. Responses were themed collaboratively, using descriptive analysis. Key identified themes comprised: the importance of service marketing; proactively addressing barriers; using readily understood nomenclature; demonstrating service quality and safety, monitoring adverse events, measuring health and cost outcomes; legislative issues; registration; promoting viable

Learning French in Western Australia: A Hedonistic Journey

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Celine DOUCET

2017-12-01

Full Text Available When learning a language, motivation and emotions are central to the learning process and have considerable importance in learning. In Australia, despite the growing economic impact of its Asian neighbours and the great physical distance to France, French remains one of the most taught languages in various educational settings at different levels, and it appeals to many Australians. This review focuses on the motivations of West Australian adult learners of French. The aim of this paper is to explore students’ motivation and emotions towards their learning of French in Western Australia, teachers’ perceptions of these feelings, and how they are reflected in their teaching practice. Applying a qualitative approach, fifty students and six teachers from two universities in Perth as well as the Alliance Française de Perth, completed questionnaires and participated in semi-structured interviews. This study shows that French is mostly learned for enjoyment, personal gratification and cultural appreciation, rather than for necessity or professional reasons. The analysis of the survey results clearly portrayed the intrinsic value most students perceived in learning French. Teachers are well aware of these positive emotions, and need to establish how best to harness this passion in their teaching practices in order to maximize learning outcomes.

Environmental impact assessment - a selected bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawson, W.J.

1989-01-01

This bibliography of literature relevant to the environmental impact assessment process is essentially a list of material dealing with the environmental impact assessment process held by Griffith University Library. The list is however well supplemented with citations of material not held in the Griffith University Library. Some economic and social impact assessment citations have been included in the bibliography, as the the environmental impact assessment concept has been interpreted very broadly. The citations are arranged according to broad subject areas, such as methodology, critical reviews, social impacts etc. Citations in each of these subject areas, which are listed in the table of contents, are identified by prefixes which are given in parentheses before the subjects headings. Within each subject area the citations are arragend in alphabetic author sequence

Publications on Borneo from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 2001-2002

OpenAIRE

Sellato, Bernard

2013-01-01

The Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS) was created at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in 1998 with Professor Michael Leigh as its inaugural Director. Michael Leigh is a long-time scholar of Sarawak. His earlier publications include: The Chinese Community of Sarawak: a Study of Communal Relations (1964), The Rising Moon: Political Change in Sarawak (1974), and Council Negri Sarawak, Malaysia’s Oldest Legislature (1992). It was after a long career in Australia (University of Sydney...

Griffiths-like phase, critical behavior near the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition and magnetic entropy change of nanocrystalline La0.75Ca0.25MnO3

Science.gov (United States)

Phong, P. T.; Ngan, L. T. T.; Dang, N. V.; Nguyen, L. H.; Nam, P. H.; Thuy, D. M.; Tuan, N. D.; Bau, L. V.; Lee, I. J.

2018-03-01

In this work, we report the structural and magnetic properties of La0.75Ca0.25MnO3 nanoparticles synthesized by the sol-gel route. Rietvield refinement of X-ray powder diffraction confirms that our sample is single phase and crystallizes in orthorhombic system with Pnma space group. The facts that effective magnetic moment is large and the inverse susceptibility deviates from the Curie Weiss lawn indicate the presence of Griffiths-like cluster phase. The critical exponents have been estimated using different techniques such as modified Arrott plot, Kouvel-Fisher plot and critical isotherm technique. The critical exponents values of La0.75Ca0.25MnO3 are very close to those found out by the mean-field model, and this can be explained by the existence of a long-range interactions between spins in this system. These results were in good agreement with those obtained using the critical exponents of magnetic entropy change. The self-consistency and reliability of the critical exponent was verified by the Widom scaling law and the universal scaling hypothesis. Using the Harris criterion, we deduced that the disorder is relevant in our case. The maximum magnetic entropy change (ΔSM) calculated from the M-H measurements is 3.47 J/kg K under an external field change of 5 T. The ΔSM-T curves collapsed onto a single master curve regardless of the composition and the applied field, confirming the magnetic ordering is of second order nature. The obtained result was compared to ones calculated based on the Arrott plot and a good concordance is observed. Moreover, the spontaneous magnetization obtained from the entropy change is in excellent agreement with that deduced by classically extrapolation the Arrott curves. This result confirms the validity of the estimation of the spontaneous magnetization using the magnetic entropy change.

Argumentative and Trustworthy Scholars: The Construction of Academic Staff at Research-Intensive Universities

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Sioux; Boughey, Chrissie

2014-01-01

Research-intensive universities, such as the Russell Group in the UK, the Ivy League Colleges in the USA and the Sandstone Universities in Australia, enjoy particular status in the higher education landscape. They are, however, also often associated with social elitism and selectivity, and this has led to critique as higher education systems seek…

Lexicography in Australia | Delbridge | Lexikos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The emergence of Australian English as the national language is traced, and its relations with the Australian Aboriginal languages touched on. The greatest change in the language setting came with Australia's immigration policy in its post-World War II form. This resulted in the government's eventual recognition of Australia ...

Early history of IVF in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina Janežič

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The 1970s and 1980s represent the early era of in vitro fertilization (IVF research. This article is a concise review of the early history of IVF, focusing on the contributions made by Australian pioneers.Objectives: To research the history of the early days of IVF in Australia.Search Strategy: ‘IVF history’ was used as a search criteria in PubMed.Selection criteria: We selected articles that were dealing with Australian research on IVF in 1970–1980s and were also statistically sound where applicable.Data collection and analysis: We collected, processed, and analyzed the data, and summed up two decades of IVF research in Australia.Main results: The first ideas about introducing IVF research in Australia started in 1970. Years of trials and hard work bore success and the first baby was born in 1980. IVF procedures then spread quickly across Australia.Conclusions: Australia was a leading force in the early days of IVF and with many innovative approaches contributed greatly to the development of IVF as we know it today.

Does Lyme disease exist in Australia?

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Collignon, Peter J; Lum, Gary D; Robson, Jennifer Mb

2016-11-07

There is no convincing evidence that classic Lyme disease occurs in Australia, nor is there evidence that the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, is found in Australian animals or ticks. Lyme disease, however, can be acquired overseas but diagnosed in Australia; most people presenting with laboratory-confirmed Lyme disease in Australia were infected in Europe. Despite the lack of evidence that Lyme disease can be acquired in Australia, growing numbers of patients, their supporters, and some politicians demand diagnoses and treatment according to the protocols of the "chronic Lyme disease" school of thought. Antibiotic therapy for chronic "Lyme disease-like illness" can cause harm to both the individual (eg, cannula-related intravenous sepsis) and the broader community (increased antimicrobial resistance rates). Until there is strong evidence from well performed clinical studies that bacteria present in Australia cause a chronic debilitating illness that responds to prolonged antibiotics, treating patients with "Lyme disease-like illness" with prolonged antibiotic therapy is unjustified, and is likely to do much more harm than good.

Uranium mining in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackay, G.A.

1978-01-01

Western world requirements for uranium based on increasing energy consumption and a changing energy mix, will warrant the development of Australia's resources. By 1985 Australian mines could be producing 9500 tonnes of uranium oxide yearly and by 1995 the export value from uranium could reach that from wool. In terms of benefit to the community the economic rewards are considerable but, in terms of providing energy to the world, Australias uranium is vital

Australia's role in Pacific energy trade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McColl, G.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses Australia's resources and the expansion of its steaming coal exports. The author reviews Australia's development of its natural gas resources and future prospects for exporting to the Pacific region

Progress on RERTR issues in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ripley, M.I.; Horlock, K.W.

2002-01-01

Australia has long been involved with and sympathetic to the goals of the RERTR program. This overview paper gives a brief introduction to RERTR-related activities in Australia since RERTR-2000. (author)

Nursing Practice and Education in Australia : An Overview(The Research Society of School of Health Sciences The 41st Meeting)

OpenAIRE

吉澤, 豊子; Debra, Anderson; School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology /

2006-01-01

The many career opportunities open to registered nurses in Australia. They include Registered Nurse Level, Clinical Nurse Level, Clinical Nurse Consultant Level, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Manager/Nurse Educator, Director of Nursing, Director of Nursing and Chief Executive Officer. In 1984 nurse education was transferred to education sector (universities) and now all nurse education is conducted through a bachelor's degree at universities. This degree is three years long and when students grad...

Introduction of a university-based counselling service for older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhar, Sunil S; Silver, Mark

2014-03-01

Despite the growing number of older adults in Australia, many do not access counselling, partly because of the lack of trained mental health professionals for older people. This paper describes an innovative solution for providing counselling services to older adults, and geropsychology training to postgraduate psychology students. A university-based counselling clinic for older adults was described – an outreach service for older adults living in the community or in residential aged care facilities in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Over its first 13 months, the clinic provided a total of 266 sessions of counselling to 57 clients (41 living in residential aged care), and involved six postgraduate students. This paper describes the potential benefits of the clinic for clients and students and the resources needed to support this model of service delivery. Thus, it provides a blueprint for other universities for developing similar services for older adults.

What would a 'scientifically engaged Australia' look like?

Science.gov (United States)

Donald, Tegan N.

In 2010 the Australian Federal Government released the landmark report Inspiring Australia which described the first national strategy for engagement with the sciences, and aimed to create a ‘scientifically engaged Australia’. This study investigates what might be meant by a ‘scientifically engaged Australia’ by creating a snapshot picture of the current Australian science communication landscape: its priorities, its limitations and its key players’ envisioned recommendations for future activity. It draws on several sources of data to create this picture: academic and practitioner literature regarding the emerging concept of ‘public engagement’; literature and case studies that discuss the appropriate place for deficit model and one-way approaches to science communication; the Inspiring Australia report itself and other government policy documents; and a series of interviews with top level public figures in Australian science policy and advocacy. A central finding of this study is the absence of a universal and unambiguous definition of public engagement. In addition, in contrast to trends within much of the scholarly literature, the study highlights the persistence of one-way methods and to a lesser degree the deficit model in practice. The ongoing use and relevance of one-way communication is evident; it remains a popular, albeit often default, choice in practice and is seen as ideal for the communication of fixed messages. Science communication in Australia remains, for the foreseeable future, dominated by one-way methods, in particular in the use of traditional and social media. In this respect, a scientifically engaged Australia would seem to be one in which a great deal of one-way communication takes place, supplemented by small moves towards dialogical or participatory communication. Finally, this study highlights two dominant motivations behind the call for a ‘scientifically engaged Australia’. Much high level discourse on this topic is

Creole Languages and Educational Development. Linguistic Communications: Working Papers of the Linguistic Society of Australia, No. 13.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, R.W.

An international conference on creole languages and educational development was held at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad, from July 24-28, 1972. It was attended by scholars from Africa, Australia, Hawaii, the Caribbean region, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. The papers presented were descriptions of a…

Rapid diversification in Australia and two dispersals out of Australia in the globally distributed bee genus, Hylaeus (Colletidae: Hylaeinae).

Science.gov (United States)

Kayaalp, Pelin; Schwarz, Michael P; Stevens, Mark I

2013-03-01

Hylaeus is the only globally distributed colletid bee genus, with subgeneric and species-level diversity highest in Australia. We used one mitochondrial and two nuclear genes to reconstruct a phylogeny using Bayesian analyses of this genus based on species from Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Hawai'i, the New World and New Zealand. Our results concord with a ca. 30Mya Hylaeus crown age inferred by earlier studies, and we show that Hylaeus originated in Australia. Our phylogeny indicates only two dispersal events out of Australia, both shortly after the initial diversification of extant taxa. One of these dispersals was into New Zealand with only a minor subsequent radiation, but the second dispersal out of Australia resulted in a world-wide distribution. This second dispersal and radiation event, combined with very extensive early radiation of Hyleaus in Australia, poses a conundrum: what kinds of biogeographical and ecological factors could simultaneously drive global dispersal, yet strongly constrain further successful migrations out of Australia when geographical barriers appear to be weak? We argue that for hylaeine bees movement into new niches and enemy-free spaces may have favoured initial dispersal events, but that subsequent dispersals would not have entailed the original benefits of new niche space. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

German for Professional Purposes at the University of NSW.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Gerhard

1992-01-01

A professionally oriented language course at the University of New South Wales (Australia) is described that is designed for students who have studied German in high school and wish to continue studying it to enhance their employment prospects. Both linguistic proficiency and German business culture are emphasized. (LB)

Acculturative stressor and meaning of life as predictors of negative affect in acculturation: a cross-cultural comparative study between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Jia-Yan; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Joubert, Lynette; Chan, Cecilia Lai Wan

2007-09-01

The purpose of the present study was to compare the predictive effects of acculturative stressor and meaning of life on negative affect in the process of acculturation between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Four hundred mainland Chinese students studying at six universities in Hong Kong and 227 Chinese international students studying at the University of Melbourne in Australia completed a questionnaire that included measures of acculturative stressor, meaning of life, negative affect and demographic information. The Australian sample was found to have a higher level of acculturative stressor and negative affect than the Hong Kong sample. Acculturative stressor had a positive impact on negative affect in both samples, but the impact of different domains of acculturative stressor on negative affect varied between the two groups. Finally, meaning of life partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stressor and negative affect in the Hong Kong sample, but no such effect was found in the Australia sample. Acculturative stressor is a critical risk factor for negative affect in acculturation for Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Meaning of life acted as a protective factor that mitigated negative affect for mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong, but not for the Chinese international students in Australia. The theoretical and practical implications for resilience-based and meaning-oriented intervention for Chinese international students are discussed.

Building nuclear skills in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cameron, R.

2007-01-01

Demand for nuclear skills in Australia has traditionally been met by recruitment but as the nuclear industry grows worldwide, such skills are in demand. This paper discusses he likely numbers of skilled people needed for a nuclear industry in Australia and what initiatives have been, or could be in, taken to address the needs

Nuclear issues in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Switkowski, Z.

2007-01-01

Full text: After a twenty year pause in discussion of nuclear power in Australia, the public debate has resumed in this past year - partly in search for clean, non fossil fuel energy alternatives, and partly from the different political strategies in the lead up to this year's federal election. Although there is evidence of a revival of interest in the nuclear power globally, countries considering installing their first nuclear reactor confront formidable obstacles including community concerns and long lead times. This presentation will describe the Climate Change context which shapes political and corporate strategies, possible nuclear scenarios for Australia, solutions to the still long list of reservations, and likely milestones ahead. It concludes that if we are to decarbonise our economy, and continue on a path of improving standards of living and prosperity, then any strategy for adding the required base-load electricity generation capacity must consider nuclear power for Australia

Evolving electrical SCLM models of the Australian continent - results of the South Australia AusLAMP deployment

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, K. E.; Thiel, S.; Heinson, G. S.

2017-12-01

The Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) is an Australian initiative to map the Australian continental lithosphere using magnetotelluric (MT) stations to obtain a resistivity model of the subsurface. It is a joint project between Geoscience Australia, state surveys, and Universities. We present new MT 3D inversion results of the largest coherent array of the AusLAMP MT deployments to date covering two-thirds of South Australia, funded largely by the Geological Survey of South Australia with additional funding by Geoscience Australia and The University of Adelaide. The model extends across the South Australian Gawler Craton, including the Eucla Basin to the west of the craton and the Flinders Ranges and Curnamona Province to the east. The MT array covers parts of the Australian lithosphere, which has been largely unexplored with seismic tomography methods and provide a unique insight into the tectonic evolution of the continent. We incorporate 284 long-period (10s-10,000s) MT stations separated roughly every half degree latitude and longitude across an area spanning 1200 km x 800 km, south of latitude -28.5 degrees and from longitude 129 degrees to 141 degrees. We invert 24 discrete periods of the impedance tenor between 7 s and 13,000 s, and 22 different periods of the tipper data between 7s-8000 s period. The results show a heterogeneous lower crust and mantle lithosphere with a primarily resistive mantle (>1000 Ωm) lithosphere in the central and western part of the Gawler Craton and Eucla Domain. The model shows a generally NS oriented electric LAB offset from deeper cratonic lithosphere in the west to a shallow lithosphere along the eastern margin of the Gawler Craton extending further east towards the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic eastern part of Australia. The lower crust is generally resistive with elongated lower crustal conductivity anomalies, which are associated with major translithospheric shear zones likely existent

Early audit of renal complications in a new cardiac surgery service in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolsin, Stephen N; Stow, Peter; Bucknell, Sarah

2004-09-01

To assess the incidence of renal failure in a cardiac surgery service commencing in Australia. Prospective data collection and retrospective database analysis. A tertiary referral, university teaching hospital in the state of Victoria, Australia. The first 502 patients undergoing cardiac surgery in this institution from commencement of the service. The overall rate of renal failure was low in comparison to other studies at 0.2% (95% CI 0.04-1.3%). The rate of postoperative renal dysfunction was also low at 4.2% (95% CI 2.7-6.5%). The safety of the new service with respect to this complication of cardiac surgery was good when compared with published data. However the lack of uniform definitions of renal failure following cardiac surgery make comparisons between studies difficult. Uniform reporting of this complication would facilitate comparisons between units and quality assurance activities in this field.

Universal precautions--do Irish anaesthetists comply?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Rourke, N

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND: Anaesthetists are at high risk from blood-borne pathogens. Universal Precautions (UP) include the routine use of appropriate barrier precautions and techniques to reduce the likelihood of exposure to blood, body fluids and tissues that may contain pathogens. The compliance of Irish anaesthetists with these precautions has not been studied. AIM: To study the attitudes of Irish anaesthetists to Universal Precautions. METHOD: A postal questionnaire was sent to 210 anaesthetists currently practising in Ireland. The questionnaire was based on a model used in Australia and New Zealand. RESULTS: There was a 50% response rate to the survey. Only 15% of respondents had taken a risk history from a patient in the preceding four weeks. Resheathing of needles was commonplace. The effectiveness of hepatitis B immunisation was rarely checked and only 66% of respondents believe implementation of Universal Precautions to be practical. CONCLUSION: Irish anaesthetists comply poorly with Universal Precautions.

Models of Full-Time and Part-Time Vocational Training for School-Leavers: A Comparison between Germany and Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Deissinger, Thomas; Smith, Erica; Pickersgill, Richard

2006-01-01

This article explores some different ways of providing vocational qualifications, specifically for young people who do not go directly to university from school. The examples of Germany and Australia are discussed and show that historical, political, economic and social factors influence the preferred modes of training and their relative perceived…

Lack of Men, Flame Throwers and Rabbit Drives: Student Life in Australia's First Rural Teachers College 1945-1955

Science.gov (United States)

Potts, Anthony

2012-01-01

This article examines student life in an Australian rural teachers college. The paper is informed by studies on university student life and extends these to Australia's first rural teachers college in the period 1945-1955. It explores the diversity of students' experiences in a small college with predominately female students gradually…

The renewable energy market in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Australia is committed to an 8 per cent reduction in its emissions of greenhouse gases above 1990 levels as a result of the Kyoto Protocol for the period 2008-2012. At present, the emissions stand at 17.4 per cent above 1990 levels. Total electrical power in Australia resulting from renewable energy is in the order of 10.5 per cent. A mandatory renewable energy target of 9500 gigawatt hour (GWh) of extra renewable energy is to be produced annually by 2010, under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act. An emissions trading system has been implemented, involving one renewable energy certificate (REC) created for each megawatt hour of renewable energy generated. A significant expansion of the demand for renewable energy is expected in Australia over the next ten years, according to the Australian Greenhouse Office. Increased opportunities for local and international firms operating in the field of renewable energy are being created by the Australian government through initiatives such as the Renewable Energy Commercialization Program, and the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program. Solar, biomass, and wind power are comprised in the wealth of renewable energy resources in Australia. The market remains largely undeveloped. Firms from the United States and the European Union are the leading exporters of renewable energy technology to Australia. Public utilities and independent power producers having entered the deregulated electricity market are the consumers of renewable energy technology and services. A country with minimal duties in most cases, Australia has much in common with Canada, including similar regulatory and legal systems. Australia applies a 10 per cent goods and services tax, which would apply to Canadian exports. It was advised to consult the Australian Customs Service for additional information concerning duties that might be applicable to the renewable energy industry. 28 refs., 3 tabs

Evolution of stone management in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ming-Chak; Bariol, Simon Virgil

2011-11-01

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? There is very little contemporary data regarding stone management in Australia. This study assesses the impact of technological advances on stone management practises, and raises questions as to why there is an increasing rate of intervention for stone disease in Australia. Knowledge of management trends as demonstrated in this paper give individual surgeons a guideline for contemporary practise in this country. • To examine trends in the operative management of upper urinary tract stone disease in Australia over the past 15 years. • The Medicare Australia and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare databases were used to determine the annual number of renal colic presentations and procedural interventions undertaken for stone disease. • In Australia over the past 15 years, the annual number of procedural interventions for upper urinary tract stones has increased, primarily due to the rising number of endoscopic procedures performed. • During this period, shock wave lithotripsy numbers have remained steady whilst open and percutaneous procedures have been in decline. • The introduction of and subsequent preference for less invasive techniques has changed the management pathway of patients presenting with stone disease in Australia. • Further studies are necessary to determine whether this escalation in endoscopic procedures is due to an increase in the incidence of stone disease, earlier detection, a lower intervention threshold or a higher retreatment rate. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

The Life Story Experience of "Migrant Dentists" in Australia: Potential Implications for Health Workforce Governance and International Cooperation.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie D; Watkins, Keith; Chrisopoulos, Sergio; Brennan, David S

2016-10-10

The migration of dentists is a major policy challenge facing both developing and developed countries. Dentists from over 120 countries migrate to Australia, and a large proportion are from developing countries. The aim of the study was to assess the life story experience (LSE) of migrant dentists in Australia, in order to address key policy challenges facing dentist migration. A national survey of all migrant dentists resident in Australia was conducted in 2013. Migrant experiences were assessed through a suite of LSE scales, developed through a qualitative-quantitative study. Respondents rated experiences using a five-point Likert scale. A total of 1022 migrant dentists responded to the survey (response rate = 54.5%). LSE1 (health system and general lifestyle concerns in home country), LSE2 (appreciation towards Australian way of life) and LSE3 (settlement concerns in Australia) scales varied by migrant dentist groups, sex, and years since arrival to Australia (chi-square, P international agenda to address dentist migration. Better integration of dentist migration with the mainstream health workforce governance is a viable and opportunistic way forward. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Assessing the impact of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement on Australian and global medicines policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Searles Andrew

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract On 1 January 2005, a controversial trade agreement entered into force between Australia and the United States. Though heralded by the parties as facilitating the removal of barriers to free trade (in ways not achievable in multilateral fora, it also contained many trade-restricting intellectual property provisions and others uniquely related to altering pharmaceutical regulation and public health policy in Australia. The latter appear to have particularly focused on the world-respected process of federal government reimbursement after expert cost-effectiveness evaluation, popularly known as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ('PBS'. It remains uncertain what sort of impacts – if any – the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement ('AUSFTA' will have on PBS processes such as reference pricing and their important role in facilitating equitable and affordable access to essential medicines. This is now the field of inquiry for a major three year Australian Research Council ('ARC'-funded study bringing together a team of senior researchers in regulatory theory from the Australian National University and pharmacoeconomics from the University of Newcastle. The project proposes to monitor, assess and analyse the real and potential impacts of the AUSFTA in this area, providing Australian policy-makers with continuing expertise and options. To the extent that the AUSFTA medicines provisions may represent animportant precedent in a global strategy by industry oncost-effectiveness evaluation of pharmaceuticals, the study will also beof great interest to policy makers in other jurisdictions.

Cogeneration in Australia. Situation and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This Research Paper is mainly concerned with the status and prospects for cogeneration in Australia. An introductory chapter reviews the fundamentals of cogeneration, covering both technical and institutional aspects. A range of technologies are employed in cogeneration: these technologies and their efficiency and environmental impact effects are discussed in Chapter 2. The economics of cogeneration are a major factor in the profitability of current and potential plants. Potential factors affecting cogeneration economics are discussed .The status of cogeneration in Australia is reviewed for each State and Territory, and includes a number of case studies of existing plants. Government (federal, state, territory) policies that have a significant impact on the attractiveness of cogeneration are reviewed. Finally, the future prospects for cogeneration in Australia, drawing on the preceding chapters and a review of estimated potentials for cogeneration in Australia are presented

Recent developments in Australia's uranium mining industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, I.B.; McKay, A.D.

1998-01-01

Australia's economic, demonstrated resources of uranium (U) at the end of 1996 amounted to 622,000 tonnes U, the largest of any country. Uranium is currently produced at two mining/milling operations in Australia - Ranger in the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory, and Olympic Dam in South Australia. Improved market conditions and recent changes to Government policies have encouraged Australian companies to commit to the expansion of existing operations and the development of new uranium mines. Australia's annual production is likely to increase from its present level of 6000 tonncs (t) U 3 O 8 to approximately 12 000 t U 3 O 8 by the year 2000. (author)

Collaboration: the Key to Establishing Community Networks in Regional Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wal Taylor

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Despite the promise of community involvement, cohesion and empowerment offered by local community networks (CN using Internet Technologies, few communities in regional Australia have been able to demonstrate sustainable and vibrant CN which demonstrate increased social, cultural or self-reliance capital. The Faculty of Informatics and Communication at Central Queensland University (CQU and a local council have established a formal alliance to establish the COIN (Community Informatics projects to research issues around this topic. This paper presents the initial findings from this work and draws conclusions for possible comparison with other international experience. The research focuses attention on community understanding and cohesion, local government priorities in a community with relatively low diffusion of the Internet and the competing demands in a regional university between traditional service provision in an increasingly competitive market and the needs of establishing outreach research for altruistic, industry establishment and commercial rationale.

Real wages in Australia and Canada, 1870-1913

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greasley, David; Madsen, Jakob Brøchner; Oxley, Les

2000-01-01

Australia's and Canada's real wage experiences between 1870 and 1913 were distinctive. Faster productivity growth underpinned Canada's overtaking of Australia's wage levels. The globalization forces of migration and trade also shaped their comparative wages, principally by reducing wage growth...... in Canada. Immigration increased slightly Australia's real wages, but reduced wage levels in Canada, and tempered there the beneficial effects of rising productivity and improving terms of trade. In contrast, wage earners' share of national income rose after 1890 in Australia, with the productivity slowdown...... hitting chiefly rents and profits. Distributional shifts favouring wage earners in Australia, and the depressing effects of mass immigration on wages in Canada, limited Canada's wage lead before 1914, despite her faster productivity growth...

Challenges of Learning English in Australia towards Students Coming from Selected Southeast Asian Countries: Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Cao Thanh

2011-01-01

The paper will explore the challenges students from selected South East Asian countries (Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia) face while studying English in Australia before entering into Australian University courses. These students must contend not only with different styles of teaching and learning, but also with the challenge of adapting to a new…

Unsettling Australia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars

This book is a critical intervention into debates on Australia's cultural history. The book demonstrates the interconnectedness of themes commonly seen as separate discursive formations, and shows the fruitfulness of bringing a combined cultural studies and postcolonial approach to bear on a number...

What causes southeast Australia's worst droughts?

Science.gov (United States)

Ummenhofer, Caroline C.; England, Matthew H.; McIntosh, Peter C.; Meyers, Gary A.; Pook, Michael J.; Risbey, James S.; Gupta, Alexander Sen; Taschetto, Andréa S.

2009-02-01

Since 1995, a large region of Australia has been gripped by the most severe drought in living memory, the so-called ``Big Dry''. The ramifications for affected regions are dire, with acute water shortages for rural and metropolitan areas, record agricultural losses, the drying-out of two of Australia's major river systems and far-reaching ecosystem damage. Yet the drought's origins have remained elusive. For Southeast Australia, we show here that the ``Big Dry'' and other iconic 20th Century droughts, including the Federation Drought (1895-1902) and World War II drought (1937-1945), are driven by Indian Ocean variability, not Pacific Ocean conditions as traditionally assumed. Specifically, a conspicuous absence of Indian Ocean temperature conditions conducive to enhanced tropical moisture transport has deprived southeastern Australia of its normal rainfall quota. In the case of the ``Big Dry'', its unprecedented intensity is also related to recent higher temperatures.

The Development of a Tutor Programme in a University Hall of Residence--A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Beasley, V. J.

The tutor system within a university hall of residence at Flinders University of South Australia and a method of inquiry used to study the system are examined. Interviews with residence hall tutors revealed four concerns: the need for guidelines, the nature of academic tutoring, pastoral care and its implications, and communication channels within…

Australian and International Student Success Rates in Group of Eight Universities. Go8 Backgrounder 5

Science.gov (United States)

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2008

2008-01-01

This Go8 Backgrounder compares the academic performance of three cohorts of students in Group of Eight (Go8) universities: Australian students, international students on campus in Australia (onshore) and international students overseas (offshore). Analysis of data supplied by Go8 universities shows that in 2007 students passed 91.8% of the courses…

Culture care of Iranian immigrants in New South Wales, Australia: sharing transcultural nursing knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Omeri, A

1997-01-01

Discovery and analysis of care meanings, expressions, and practices of Iranian Immigrants in New South Wales, Australia was the focus of this ethnonursing qualitative research. The purpose of the study was to systematically discover, describe and analyse the values, beliefs, and practices of Iranian immigrants in New South Wales, Australia. The aim of the investigation was to discover transcultural nursing knowledge to guide nurses and health professionals to provide culturally congruent nursing and health care to Iranians. Leininger's theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality (Leininger, 1991) was used as the conceptual framework for the study. It was predicted that care meanings and expressions of Iranian immigrants would be influenced by their worldview, social structure features, language, and cultural values rooted in their long ethnohistorical past and reflected in their lifeways in Australia. Using the ethnonursing qualitative research method, key and general informants were purposefully selected among Iranian immigrants residing in New South Wales. Three care themes supported by a number of universal and some diverse patterns were identified for Iranian immigrants. The three themes were: (1) Care meant family and kinship ties (hambastegie) as expressed in daily lifeways and interactions with family, friends, and community; (2) Care as expressed in carrying out traditional urban gender roles (role-zan-o-mard) (Azadie zan) as well as in fulfilling emerging new role responsibilities related to equality for female Iranian immigrants; and (3) Care as preservation of Iranian identity (inhamoni, hamonandi) as expressed in traditional cultural events and health care practices. Leininger's (1991) three modes of actions and decisions were used to develop appropriate and culturally meaningful nursing care actions and decisions which were in harmony with the cultural beliefs of Iranian immigrants.

Pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meghan E Mcilwain

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Meghan E Mcilwain1,2, Jeff Harrison1, Amanda J Wheeler1,3, Bruce R Russell1,21School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 3School of Human Services, Griffith University, Queensland, AustraliaAbstract: Schizophrenia is a disabling mental illness with a lifetime prevalence of 0.7% worldwide and significant, often devastating, consequences on social and occupational functioning. A range of antipsychotic medications are available; however, suboptimal therapeutic response in terms of psychotic symptoms is common and affects up to one-third of people with schizophrenia. Negative symptoms are generally less amenable to treatment. Because of the consequences of inadequate symptom control, effective treatment strategies are required for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Clozapine has been shown to be more effective than other antipsychotics in treatment-resistant populations in several studies; however, the occurrence of adverse effects, some of which are potentially life-threatening, are important limitations. In addition to those who are intolerant to clozapine, only 30% to 50% experience clinically significant symptom improvement. This review describes the recent evidence for treatment strategies for people not responding to nonclozapine antipsychotic agents and people not responding or only partially responding to clozapine.Keywords: antipsychotic, refractory, clozapine

76 FR 65988 - Importation of Mangoes From Australia

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-25

...), and (ii) The mangoes were inspected prior to export from Australia and found free of C. mangiferae, L.... APHIS-2011-0040] RIN 0579-AD52 Importation of Mangoes From Australia AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health... concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables to allow the importation of fresh mangoes from Australia...

Risk management in a university environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, Ann; Walker, Ian

2011-06-01

Risk is an integral part of quality assurance in higher education in Australia. This paper describes a generic methodology for the identification and management of risk in a university or similar tertiary education environment and outlines a framework that enables the management of risk to be incorporated in the institution's governance cycle. The new approach here is that risk is embedded in the quality assurance framework and, in turn, in the strategic planning and budgeting processes. In many organisations, risk is implemented as a separate process and not considered in any meaningful way as integral to the strategic direction and performance of the university. The paper is based on work carried out by the authors and others between March 2008 and April 2009 to develop a comprehensive system for managing risk in a major Australian university, including processes whereby risk management could be integrated with, and add value to, the overall governance of the university. The case study is described in the appendix to this paper.

Examining supply changes in Australia's cocaine market.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Caitlin E; Chalmers, Jenny; Bright, David A; Matthew-Simmons, Francis; Sindicich, Natasha

2012-05-01

Media attention to cocaine use and supply has increased following some of the largest cocaine seizures in Australia's history. Whether there has been an expansion in supply remains unclear. This paper examines the evidence behind assertions of increased supply in Australia and the scale and nature of any apparent increase, using proxy indicators of cocaine importation, distribution and use. Eight proxies of cocaine importation, distribution and use were adopted, including amount of importation, mode of importation and supply flows to Australia. Each proxy indicator was sourced using publicly available and Australia-wide data, including information on the total weight of border seizures, mode of detection and country of embarkation of individual seizures. Data permitting, trends were examined for up to a 12 year period (1997-1998 to 2009-2010). Since 2006-2007 there was evidence of increased cocaine importation, albeit less than between 1998-1999 and 2001-2002. There were further signs that the 2006-2007 expansion coincided with a diversification of trafficking routes to and through Australia (beyond the traditional site of entry-Sydney) and shifts in the geographic distribution of use. The congruity between indicators suggests that there has been a recent expansion in cocaine supply to and distribution within Australia, but that the more notable shift has concerned the nature of supply, with an apparent growth in importation and distribution beyond New South Wales. The diversification of cocaine supply routes may increase risks of market entrenchment and organised crime throughout Australia. © 2011 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

UICEE Centre for Problem Based Learning (UCPBL) at Aalborg University

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fink, Flemming Kobberøe; Enemark, Stig; Moesby, Egon

2002-01-01

University is considered to have a strong position in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) with many years of experience. Within engineering education co-operation with industry has also always been a field of high importance for Aalborg University and part of the PBL concept. An increasing number of universities...... and engineering schools worldwide are consequently seeking consultancy and cooperation with Aalborg University. The establishment of UCPBL is therefore welcomed as a possibility to merge these activities into one organisational structure and to strengthen the effort of improving engineering education......UICEE Centre for Problem-Based Learning (UCPBL) is a global centre for Problem-Based Learning located at Aalborg University, Denmark UCPBL is established as a partner to the UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education (UICEE) located at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Aalborg...

Sb,123121 nuclear quadrupole resonance as a microscopic probe in the Te-doped correlated semimetal FeSb2: Emergence of electronic Griffith phase, magnetism, and metallic behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Gippius, A. A.; Zhurenko, S. V.; Hu, R.; Petrovic, C.; Baenitz, M.

2018-02-01

Sb,123121 nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) was applied to Fe(Sb1-xTex)2 in the low doping regime (x =0 , 0.01, and 0.05) as a microscopic zero field probe to study the evolution of 3 d magnetism and the emergence of metallic behavior. Whereas the NQR spectra itself reflects the degree of local disorder via the width of the individual NQR lines, the spin lattice relaxation rate (SLRR) 1 /T1(T ) probes the fluctuations at the Sb site. The fluctuations originate either from conduction electrons or from magnetic moments. In contrast to the semimetal FeSb2 with a clear signature of the charge and spin gap formation in 1 /T1(T ) T [˜exp/(Δ kBT ) ] , the 1% Te-doped system exhibits almost metallic conductivity and the SLRR nicely confirms that the gap is almost filled. A weak divergence of the SLRR coefficient 1 /T1(T ) T ˜T-n˜T-0.2 points towards the presence of electronic correlations towards low temperatures. This is supported by the electronic specific heat coefficient γ =(Cel/T ) showing a power-law divergence γ (T ) ˜T-m˜(1/T1T ) 1 /2˜T-n /2˜Cel/T which is expected in the renormalized Landau Fermi liquid theory for correlated electrons. In contrast to that the 5% Te-doped sample exhibits a much larger divergence in the SLRR coefficient showing 1 /T1(T ) T ˜T-0.72 . According to the specific heat divergence a power law with n =2 m =0.56 is expected for the SLRR. This dissimilarity originates from admixed critical magnetic fluctuations in the vicinity of antiferromagnetic long range order with 1 /T1(T ) T ˜T-3 /4 behavior. Furthermore Te-doped FeSb2 as a disordered paramagnetic metal might be a platform for the electronic Griffith phase scenario. NQR evidences a substantial asymmetric broadening of the Sb,123121 NQR spectrum for the 5% sample. This has a predominant electronic origin in agreement with the electronic Griffith phase and stems probably from an enhanced Sb-Te bond polarization and electronic density shift towards the Te atom inside Sb

WAVFH delegates' reports: Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scanlan, W.A.

1986-01-01

Radiation measuring and control before Chernobyl: Continuous measurements of fallout in different parts of Australia, including the food producing areas, have been made since the mid 1950s. Levels have decreased rapidly since the cessation of atmospheric nuclear tests in the Southern Hemisphere in 1974 and in the Northern Hemisphere in 1980. Measurements of concentrations of radionuclides arising from fallout were made for the major groups of foods affected by the radioactive contaminants, starting in the 1950s and continuing until concentrations were so low that further effort in measurement was not warranted, i.e., less than 0.1 Bq/kg or 0.1 Bq/l. Changes in the concentrations of radionuclides in foods follow the same trends as the fallout levels. Based on the low levels of fallout measured in Australia since the 1950s, and taking into account the extremely low levels during the past decade, the concentrations of radionuclides arising from fallout in foods grown and processed in Australia are extremely small. Results from the fall-out from Chernobyl. Since the Chernobyl accident, measurements of the concentrations of 137 Cs in a variety of foodstuffs grown in Australia have been made, mainly for export purposes. A summary of the results of these measurements is given in Table 111 of Attachment 2. No 134 Cs has been detected, nor is it likely to be. By taking into account these measurements, the earlier measurements of foodstuffs, predictive modelling values and the very low levels of fall-out in deposit and in air, it is concluded that the concentrations of 137 Cs in all foodstuffs grown in Australia are extremely small. Accordingly, their consumption would result in no significant risk to the health of a population. With world atmospheric conditions being as they are, it will probably be 12 to 18 months before any fallout reaches Australia. Even if some fall-out does occur, it will be minimal and should not significantly increase our very low natural levels

Scholarly activities in hospitality and tourism higher education among private higher institutions in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edmund Goh

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to explore the notion of scholarship and develop research and scholarship strategies among Private Higher Institutions delivering Tourism and Hospitality degree programs in Australia. In doing so, this paper confronts the traditional view of research publications as the only form of scholarship by traditional universities. This paper argues that the purpose of scholarship should be focused towards improving a teacher’s teaching and learning process. These new knowledge need not be limited through peer reviewed journals only, but can be achieved through less formal means of communication such as fieldtrips to industry and attending conferences. This paper utilizes the six Scholarship key points as defined on P. 19 of the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes in Australia by MCEETYA  to investigate methods to capture scholarship beyond traditional research publications. DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v3i2.108

Seismic Structure of Perth Basin (Australia) and surroundings from Passive Seismic Deployments

Science.gov (United States)

Issa, N.; Saygin, E.; Lumley, D. E.; Hoskin, T. E.

2016-12-01

We image the subsurface structure of Perth Basin, Western Australia and surroundings by using ambient seismic noise data from 14 seismic stations recently deployed by University of Western Australia (UWA) and other available permanent stations from Geoscience Australia seismic network and the Australian Seismometers in Schools program. Each of these 14 UWA seismic stations comprises a broadband sensor and a high fidelity 3-component 10 Hz geophone, recording in tandem at 250 Hz and 1000 Hz. The other stations used in this study are equipped with short period and broadband sensors. In addition, one shallow borehole station is operated with eight 3 component geophones at depths of between 2 and 44 m. The network is deployed to characterize natural seismicity in the basin and to try and identify any microseismic activity across Darling Fault Zone (DFZ), bounding the basin to the east. The DFZ stretches to approximately 1000 km north-south in Western Australia, and is one of the longest fault zones on the earth with a limited number of detected earthquakes. We use seismic noise cross- and auto-correlation methods to map seismic velocity perturbations across the basin and the transition from DFZ to the basin. Retrieved Green's functions are stable and show clear dispersed waveforms. Travel times of the surface wave Green's functions from noise cross-correlations are inverted with a two-step probabilistic framework to map the absolute shear wave velocities as a function of depth. The single station auto-correlations from the seismic noise yields P wave reflectivity under each station, marking the major discontinuities. Resulting images show the shear velocity perturbations across the region. We also quantify the variation of ambient seismic noise at different depths in the near surface using the geophones in the shallow borehole array.

A review of public opinion towards alcohol controls in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Livingstone Charles

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Increasing concern about the negative impact of alcohol on the Australian community has renewed calls for tighter regulatory controls. This paper reviews levels of and trends in public support for liquor control regulations, regulation of alcohol promotions, and alcohol pricing and taxation reforms in Australia between 1998 and 2009. Methods Six electronic databases and twenty public health and alcohol organisation websites were searched for research literature, reports and media releases describing levels of public support for alcohol controls. Only studies which randomly selected participants were included. Results Twenty-one studies were included in the review. The majority of the Australian public support most proposed alcohol controls. Levels of support are divided between targeted and universal controls. Conclusions Implementation of targeted alcohol policies is likely to be strongly supported by the Australian public, but universal controls are liable to be unpopular. Policy makers are provided with insights into factors likely to be associated with higher public support.

Radioactive waste management and disposal in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harries, J.R.

1997-01-01

A national near-surface repository at a remote and arid location is proposed for the disposal of solid low-level and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive wastes in Australia. The repository will be designed to isolate the radioactive waste from the human environment under controlled conditions and for a period long enough for the radioactivity to decay to low levels. Compared to countries that have nuclear power programs, the amount of waste in Australia is relatively small. Nevertheless, the need for a national disposal facility for solid low-level radioactive and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive wastes is widely recognised and the Federal Government is in the process of selecting a site for a national near-surface disposal facility for low and short-lived intermediate level wastes. Some near surface disposal facilities already exist in Australia, including tailings dams at uranium mines and the Mt Walton East Intractable Waste Disposal Facility in Western Australia which includes a near surface repository for low level wastes originating in Western Australia. 7 refs, 1 fig., 2 tabs

Revised Distribution of Bactrocera tryoni in Eastern Australia and Effect on Possible Incursions of Mediterranean Fruit Fly: Development of Australia's Eastern Trading Block.

Science.gov (United States)

Dominiak, Bernard C; Mapson, Richard

2017-12-05

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), commonly called 'Queensland fruit fly' in Australia, and Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) are the two most economically important fruit fly in Australia with B. tryoni in the east and Mediterranean fruit fly in the west. The two species coexisted for several decades, but it is believed that B. tryoni displaced Mediterranean fruit fly. In southeastern Australia, this was deemed inadequate for export market access, and a large fruit fly free zone (fruit fly exclusion zone) was developed in 1996 where B. tryoni was eradicated by each state department in their portion of the zone. This zone caused an artificial restricted distribution of B. tryoni. When the fruit fly exclusion zone was withdrawn in Victoria and New South Wales in 2013, B. tryoni became endemic once again in this area and the national distribution of B. tryoni changed. For export markets, B. tryoni is now deemed endemic to all eastern Australian states, except for the Greater Sunraysia Pest-Free Area. All regulatory controls have been removed between eastern states, except for some small zones, subject to domestic market access requirements. The eastern Australian states now form a B. tryoni endemic trading group or block. All Australian states and territories maintain legislation to regulate the movement of potentially infested host fruit into their states. In particular, eastern states remain active and regulate the entry of commodities possibly infested with Mediterranean fruit fly. The combination of regulatory controls limits the chances of Mediterranean fruit fly entering eastern states, and if it did, Mediterranean fruit fly is unlikely to establish in the opposition to a well-established B. tryoni population. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Child Social Exclusion Risk and Child Health Outcomes in Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Itismita Mohanty

Full Text Available This paper studies the relationship between the risk of child social exclusion, as measured by the Child Social Exclusion (CSE index and its individual domains, and child health outcomes at the small area level in Australia. The CSE index is Australia's only national small-area index of the risk of child social exclusion. It includes five domains that capture different components of social exclusion: socio-economic background, education, connectedness, housing and health services.The paper used data from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM, University of Canberra for the CSE Index and its domains and two key Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW data sources for the health outcome measures: the National Hospital Morbidity Database and the National Mortality Database.The results show positive associations between rates of both of the negative health outcomes: potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH and avoidable deaths, and the overall risk of child social exclusion as well as with the index domains. This analysis at the small-area level can be used to identify and study areas with unexpectedly good or bad health outcomes relative to their estimated risk of child social exclusion. We show that children's health outcomes are worse in remote parts of Australia than what would be expected solely based on the CSE index.The results of this study suggest that developing composite indices of the risk of child social exclusion can provide valuable guidance for local interventions and programs aimed at improving children's health outcomes. They also indicate the importance of taking a small-area approach when conducting geographic modelling of disadvantage.

Climate change and wind power in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millais, C.

2001-01-01

The article represents a stern criticism of Australia's attitude to climate change. Its climate change policy is described as 'Neanderthal'. The Australian government is said to be strongly opposed to ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The Government's policy appears to be driven by vested interests in fossil fuels. A list of eight flaws in Australia's 2% renewables target is given; the target is said to be far too small for a country with so much renewables potential. However, investment in the country's enormous wind power potential is increasing and targets are given; six reasons why Australia needs to invest in wind power are given. It is suggested that by the end of this decade, 10% of Australia's electricity could come from wind power - a web site address giving further details is given

Information Systems in Western Australian Universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig Standing

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Systems (IS teaching and research within Western Australia (WA. A brief overview of the WA environment is followed by an exploration of teaching and research in the four main Universities. This is examined against the framework for the study and, in particular, the impact of social processes (Ariav et al, 1987; Klein et al, 1991 and local contingencies (Culnan et al, 1993; Checkland and Howell, 1998, which are found to be of relevance to historic developments.

Regenerative Medicine for Battlefield Injuries

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

Manual of Experimental Embryology . University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Harris JS, Bemenderfer TB, Wessel AR, Kacena MA (2013) A review of mouse...proliferation and apoptosis . Dev Dynam 219:237-247. Patterson TE, Kumagal K, Griffith L, Muschler GF (2008) Cellular strategies for enhancement

The economic consequences of carbon taxation in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Common, M. [Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia). Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies; Hamilton, C. [Australia Institute, Deakin, ACT (Australia)

1996-12-31

Global warming is an international problem. Multilateral actions agreed to under international treaties would be the most effective means of limiting global carbon dioxide emissions. Each country, however, would have some discretion in deciding how best to meet its obligations. In this paper, a potentially important `unilateral` action on the part of Australia, a carbon tax, is examined. When combined with a package of other measures, it may be argued that carbon taxation might be a beneficial policy measure even though actions by Australia would have only a small impact on global emissions. While the arguments may be developed in the Australian context they are relevant to industrial countries more generally. After considering Australia`s current situation with respect the emissions and international greenhouse obligations, the advantages and disadvantages of a carbon tax are reviewed. Based on some modelling work on the effects of introducing a carbon tax in Australia, including projections of impacts on carbon emissions, economic growth and employment, it is concluded that, with appropriate use of carbon tax revenues, there is a prima facie case for the unilateral introduction of carbon taxation in Australia. (author). 7 tabs., refs.

Status of radionuclide monitoring stations in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, P.A.

2001-01-01

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ANSTO) first became involved in the monitoring of radionuclides in the environment in 1955 when assessing the effects on the Australian population of the radioactive releases associated with the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. (At that time ARPANSA was known as the Commonwealth X-ray and Radium Laboratory). The United Kingdom had tested weapons in Australia in 1952 and 1953 and in August 1954 entered into an agreement with the Australian Government to establish a test range at Maralinga in South Australia. The government established a Maralinga Safety Committee and through this Committee ARPANSA became involved in the surveillance of radioactive fallout over Australia. The primary function of this surveillance was to ensure that the nuclear trials would not adversely effect the health of the Australian population. A program was established to reliably assess the deposition of radioactive fallout over Australia so that exposure to the population could be estimated. This task was performed in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology and the Department of Supply. Measurements were made on daily samples of fallout dawn from 10 centres throughout Australia. A low level radiochemical facility was established in 1961 for the measurement of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in environmental samples so that the long term distribution of fallout could be tracked. In the 1960s the program was extended to measure fresh fission products reaching Australia from atmospheric testing in other countries, usually originating from test sites in the northern hemisphere. The sampling program that was established was designed so that it could be rapidly expanded when a new testing program started. At this time a permanent fallout monitoring network was established around Australia using high volume air samplers capable of sampling up to 10000 m 3 per week. Approximately six stations have been operated at any one time but the

The crustal thickness of Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Clitheroe, G.; Gudmundsson, O.; Kennett, B.L.N.

2000-01-01

We investigate the crustal structure of the Australian continent using the temporary broadband stations of the Skippy and Kimba projects and permanent broadband stations. We isolate near-receiver information, in the form of crustal P-to-S conversions, using the receiver function technique. Stacked receiver functions are inverted for S velocity structure using a Genetic Algorithm approach to Receiver Function Inversion (GARFI). From the resulting velocity models we are able to determine the Moho depth and to classify the width of the crust-mantle transition for 65 broadband stations. Using these results and 51 independent estimates of crustal thickness from refraction and reflection profiles, we present a new, improved, map of Moho depth for the Australian continent. The thinnest crust (25 km) occurs in the Archean Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia; the thickest crust (61 km) occurs in Proterozoic central Australia. The average crustal thickness is 38.8 km (standard deviation 6.2 km). Interpolation error estimates are made using kriging and fall into the range 2.5-7.0 km. We find generally good agreement between the depth to the seismologically defined Moho and xenolith-derived estimates of crustal thickness beneath northeastern Australia. However, beneath the Lachlan Fold Belt the estimates are not in agreement, and it is possible that the two techniques are mapping differing parts of a broad Moho transition zone. The Archean cratons of Western Australia appear to have remained largely stable since cratonization, reflected in only slight variation of Moho depth. The largely Proterozoic center of Australia shows relatively thicker crust overall as well as major Moho offsets. We see evidence of the margin of the contact between the Precambrian craton and the Tasman Orogen, referred to as the Tasman Line. Copyright 2000 by the American Geophysical Union.

Breeding short-tailed shearwaters buffer local environmental variability in south-eastern Australia by foraging in Antarctic waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Berlincourt, Maud; Arnould, John P Y

2015-01-01

Establishing patterns of movements of free-ranging animals in marine ecosystems is crucial for a better understanding of their feeding ecology, life history traits and conservation. As central place foragers, the habitat use of nesting seabirds is heavily influenced by the resources available within their foraging range. We tested the prediction that during years with lower resource availability, short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) provisioning chicks should increase their foraging effort, by extending their foraging range and/or duration, both when foraging in neritic (short trips) and distant oceanic waters (long trips). Using both GPS and geolocation data-loggers, at-sea movements and habitat use were investigated over three breeding seasons (2012-14) at two colonies in southeastern Australia. Most individuals performed daily short foraging trips over the study period and inter-annual variations observed in foraging parameters where mainly due to few individuals from Griffith Island, performing 2-day trips in 2014. When performing long foraging trips, this study showed that individuals from both colonies exploited similar zones in the Southern Ocean. The results of this study suggest that individuals could increase their foraging range while exploiting distant feeding zones, which could indicate that short-tailed shearwaters forage in Antarctic waters not only to maintain their body condition but may also do so to buffer against local environmental stochasticity. Lower breeding performances were associated with longer foraging trips to distant oceanic waters in 2013 and 2014 indicating they could mediate reductions in food availability around the breeding colonies by extending their foraging range in the Southern Ocean. This study highlights the importance of foraging flexibility as a fundamental aspect of life history in coastal/pelagic marine central place foragers living in highly variable environments and how these foraging strategies are use to

Australian doctors and the visual arts. Part 5. Doctor-artists in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, D G

1986-11-17

The contributions of Australian doctors to the visual arts are being described in a series of six articles. Work from doctors in New South Wales and Victoria has been covered previously. Now activities in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory are presented.

Teaching Physics Novices at University: A Case for Stronger Scaffolding

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstrom, Christine; Sharma, Manjula D.

2011-01-01

In 2006 a new type of tutorial, called Map Meeting, was successfully trialled with novice first year physics students at the University of Sydney, Australia. Subsequently, in first semester 2007 a large-scale experiment was carried out with 262 students who were allocated either to the strongly scaffolding Map Meetings or to the less scaffolding…

New undergraduate curricula in the UK and Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lumsden, M A; Symonds, I M

2010-12-01

There are many challenges facing undergraduate education in the smaller specialities such as obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G). These are similar throughout the world, although the emphasis may vary according to geography and the approach of those involved in medical education in general. The number of medical students has increased because of the greater number of doctors required, the gender balance and also because it provides revenue for the universities. This means that strategies must be developed to include more teaching units in both primary and secondary care as well as those at a distance from the main teaching provider. Australia and the UK both have this problem but, obviously, the distances involved in Australia are much greater. One of the drivers for the change in undergraduate medical education in the UK was factual overload and the need to teach basic competencies to the students. National curricula that take this into account are being developed and that in the UK has been taken up by a majority of the medical schools. The opportunities offered by O&G to provide basic skills and competencies difficult to find elsewhere in the curriculum are unparalleled. These include issues such as communication in situations where great sensitivity is required and also the impact of cultural beliefs and ethnicity on clinical practice. However, factual knowledge of medical science is also essential and ways of achieving a balance are discussed. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploiting Data Intensive Applications on High Performance Computers to Unlock Australia's Landsat Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Purss, Matthew; Lewis, Adam; Edberg, Roger; Ip, Alex; Sixsmith, Joshua; Frankish, Glenn; Chan, Tai; Evans, Ben; Hurst, Lachlan

2013-04-01

Australia's Earth Observation Program has downlinked and archived satellite data acquired under the NASA Landsat mission for the Australian Government since the establishment of the Australian Landsat Station in 1979. Geoscience Australia maintains this archive and produces image products to aid the delivery of government policy objectives. Due to the labor intensive nature of processing of this data there have been few national-scale datasets created to date. To compile any Earth Observation product the historical approach has been to select the required subset of data and process "scene by scene" on an as-needed basis. As data volumes have increased over time, and the demand for the processed data has also grown, it has become increasingly difficult to rapidly produce these products and achieve satisfactory policy outcomes using these historic processing methods. The result is that we have been "drowning in a sea of uncalibrated data" and scientists, policy makers and the public have not been able to realize the full potential of the Australian Landsat Archive and its value is therefore significantly diminished. To overcome this critical issue, the Australian Space Research Program has funded the "Unlocking the Landsat Archive" (ULA) Project from April 2011 to June 2013 to improve the access and utilization of Australia's archive of Landsat data. The ULA Project is a public-private consortium led by Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) and involving Geoscience Australia (GA), the Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing (VPAC), the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) at the Australian National University (ANU) and the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRC-SI). The outputs from the ULA project will become a fundamental component of Australia's eResearch infrastructure, with the Australian Landsat Archive hosted on the NCI and made openly available under a creative commons license. NCI provides access to researchers through significant HPC

Quantum phase transitions in random XY spin chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunder, J.E.; McKenzie, R.H.

2000-01-01

Full text: The XY spin chain in a transverse field is one of the simplest quantum spin models. It is a reasonable model for heavy fermion materials such as CeCu 6-x Au x . It has two quantum phase transitions: the Ising transition and the anisotropic transition. Quantum phase transitions occur at zero temperature. We are investigating what effect the introduction of randomness has on these quantum phase transitions. Disordered systems which undergo quantum phase transitions can exhibit new universality classes. The universality class of a phase transition is defined by the set of critical exponents. In a random system with quantum phase transitions we can observe Griffiths-McCoy singularities. Such singularities are observed in regions which have no long range order, so they are not classified as critical regions, yet they display phenomena normally associated with critical points, such as a diverging susceptibility. Griffiths-McCoy phases are due to rare regions with stronger than! average interactions and may be present far from the quantum critical point. We show how the random XY spin chain may be mapped onto a random Dirac equation. This allows us to calculate the density of states without making any approximations. From the density of states we can describe the conditions which should allow a Griffiths-McCoy phase. We find that for the Ising transition the dynamic critical exponent, z, is not universal. It is proportional to the disorder strength and inversely proportional to the energy gap, hence z becomes infinite at the critical point where the energy gap vanishes

Rethinking "Commercial" Surrogacy in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Millbank, Jenni

2015-09-01

This article proposes reconsideration of laws prohibiting paid surrogacy in Australia in light of increasing transnational commercial surrogacy. The social science evidence base concerning domestic surrogacy in developed economies demonstrates that payment alone cannot be used to differentiate "good" surrogacy arrangements from "bad" ones. Compensated domestic surrogacy and the introduction of professional intermediaries and mechanisms such as advertising are proposed as a feasible harm-minimisation approach. I contend that Australia can learn from commercial surrogacy practices elsewhere, without replicating them.

Student Perspectives on First Year Experience Initiatives Designed for Pre-Service Teachers in Their First Weeks of University Study

Science.gov (United States)

Larkin, Kevin; Rowan, Leonie; Garrick, Barbara; Beavis, Catherine

2016-01-01

Universities throughout Australia are increasingly investing significant amounts of time and money in efforts to improve the quality of first year students' experiences and, by extension, increase retention, performance and student satisfaction. This paper reports upon a pilot research project conducted at a Queensland university that investigates…

Feasibility of uranium enrichment in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-10-01

The Council considered that provided the balance between costs and markets was found to be acceptable, there was no valid reason against the Government proceeding with a study on the feasibility of, and perhaps participating in the establishment of a commercial uranium enrichment industry in Australia. Areas covered include technical expertise and industrial structure in Australia, environmental aspects and safeguards

Assessing the Performance of Educational Research in Australian Universities: An Alternative Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Laura B.

2018-01-01

This study uses bibliometric data to assess the performance of educational research in Australian universities. It provides an alternative perspective to the Australian government's Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment. ERA results suggest that the performance of educational research is substantially less compared to other…

Australia's energy profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickson, A.

1999-01-01

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE)'s biennial fuel and electricity survey provides a comprehensive database with which is possible to examine recent trends and developments in Australia's energy market. Some key development are outlined in this article. While energy consumption in Australia has been increasing steadily since 1973-74, substantial changes have occurred 'behind the scenes' in terms of the states and sectors in which energy is consumed and the overall fuel mix. Historically, the south-eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria have accounted for the largest shares of total energy consumption In recent years, however, the dominance of New South Wales and Victoria (and particularly New South Wales) has come under pressure from the states of Queensland. Western Australia, and to a lesser extent, the Northern Territory. Each of these states has experienced rapid growth in energy consumption, due mainly to a number of strongly growing energy intensive industries, particularly in the mining and minerals processing sectors. High economic and population growth over this period were also important factors. An increase in the share of natural gas- and a corresponding decline in the share of crude oil - is the most evident change to have occurred in the fuel mix since 1973-1974. However, since 1993, the trend has changed, the share of coal (and particularly brown coal) increased strongly, making it the primary fuel source for thermal electricity generation. This recent shift has been driven by developments in Queensland and Victoria

University and Vocational Education, and Youth Labour Market Outcomes in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, Gary N.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of university and vocational education, and other influences on a variety of labour market outcomes for Australian youths aged between 16 and 25. The six labour market outcomes investigated are: occupational status, hourly and weekly earnings, employment, unemployment and full-time work. The…

Poéticas del montaje Albert Kahn y D.W.Griffith en el nacimiento de la era de la máquina

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Luis Pancorbo Crespo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Resumen Esta investigación trata de establecer un doble paralelismo entre cine y arquitectura moderna, centrándose en un momento de refundación de ambas disciplinas, los primeros años del siglo XX y apoyándonos en dos personajes seminales: D.W. Griffith y Albert Kahn. Exploraremos primero un paralelismo temporal y geográfico en sus líneas evolutivas principales, que recorren un camino similar en sus inicios, desde los Estados Unidos hasta la URSS, para volver al lugar de origen. Este viaje fue activado gracias a la llegada a la URSS de las primeras copias de la película” Intolerancia” en 1918 y de Albert Kahn en 1928 para la realización de numerosas obras industriales durante el Primer Plan Quinquenal. Por otro lado, exploraremos un paralelismo de carácter más conceptual, estudiando el uso de la noción de montaje en ambas disciplinas durante ese periodo, utilizando otra vez la obra de nuestros dos protagonistas como base de la investigación, pero recurriendo también a otros esenciales para el tema como son los soviéticos Eisenstein y Miliutin.

Inclusive university experience in Australia: Perspectives of students with intellectual disability and their mentors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rillotta, Fiona; Arthur, Jillian; Hutchinson, Claire; Raghavendra, Parimala

2018-01-01

Inclusive post-secondary education (PSE) delivers positive personal, social and academic outcomes. However, there is limited support for students with intellectual disability (ID) to participate in higher education, particularly in Australia. This study investigated the expectations and experiences of students with ID in an inclusive individual support PSE programme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students ( n = 4) and peer mentors ( n = 6) at the beginning and end of one academic semester. Participants were asked about inclusive practices, goal attainment, mentoring experiences and skill development. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Four major themes and several subthemes were identified: self-determination (e.g. self-confidence), social development (e.g. social networks), intellectual development (e.g. subject knowledge) and inclusive practices. The results emphasized the value of inclusive PSE for students with ID. Recommendations regarding future practices of inclusive PSE for people with ID are provided.

UV/EB curing in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, R.; Garnett, J.; Loo Teck Ng

1999-01-01

Progress in LTV/EB curing is reviewed in Australia. Generally the technology is used by those industries where curing is well developed in Europe and North America, however the scale is an order of magnitude lower due to the smaller market size. The Asian economic crisis does not appear to have affected expansion of the technology in Australia. EB continues to be successfully used in the packaging and foam fields whilst in UV, security devices, particularly banknotes are steadily expanding especially in export markets have been studied

An Aboriginal Adult Literacy Campaign Pilot Study in Australia using Yes I Can

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bob Boughton

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In 2012, the remote Aboriginal community of Wilcannia in western NSW hosted the first Australian pilot of a Cuban mass adult literacy campaign model known as Yes I Can. The aim was to investigate the appropriateness of this model in Aboriginal Australia. Building on an intensive community development process of ‘socialisation and mobilisation’, sixteen community members with very low literacy graduated from the basic literacy course, with the majority continuing on into post-literacy activities, further training and/or employment. The pilot was initiated by the National Aboriginal Adult Literacy Campaign Steering Committee (NAALCSC consisting of Aboriginal leaders from the education and health sectors, and managed by the University of New England (UNE, working in partnership with the Wilcannia Local Aboriginal Land Council as the local lead agency. The pilot was supported by a Cuban academic who came to Australia for this purpose, and included a Participatory Action Research (PAR evaluation led by the UNE Project Manager. In this paper, members of the project team and the NAALCSC describe the pilot and reflect on its outcomes.

Managing Academic Staff in Changing University Systems: International Trends and Comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Farnham, David, Ed.

This collection of 17 essays focuses on how faculty are employed, rewarded, and managed at universities in developed and developing nations. The essays, which include an introduction, 10 essays discussing European practices, two that focus on Canada and the United States, three which focus on Australia, Japan, and Malaysia, and a concluding…

A solar power plant for Curtin University Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palanichamy, C

2016-01-01

The Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) is the first and largest offshore campus of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, and the first foreign university to be established in East Malaysia in partnership with the Sarawak State Government. Today's major concern of Curtin is its monthly electrical energy consumption and the electricity bill since its monthly energy consumption exceeds 0.3 Million kWh, and the corresponding electricity bill surpasses RM 95000. Such a situation necessitates Curtin to curtail the heavy energy consumption with immediate effect. Introducing Renewable Energy Source such as PV Solar Systems is a cost-effective and environmental friendly solution to reduce the exponential increase in energy consumption charges of Curtin. Hence, this paper proposes a 90 kW solar power plant for Curtin Sarawak. (paper)

A solar power plant for Curtin University Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Palanichamy, C.

2016-03-01

The Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) is the first and largest offshore campus of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, and the first foreign university to be established in East Malaysia in partnership with the Sarawak State Government. Today's major concern of Curtin is its monthly electrical energy consumption and the electricity bill since its monthly energy consumption exceeds 0.3 Million kWh, and the corresponding electricity bill surpasses RM 95000. Such a situation necessitates Curtin to curtail the heavy energy consumption with immediate effect. Introducing Renewable Energy Source such as PV Solar Systems is a cost-effective and environmental friendly solution to reduce the exponential increase in energy consumption charges of Curtin. Hence, this paper proposes a 90 kW solar power plant for Curtin Sarawak.

The role of augmentative and alternative communication for children with autism: current status and future trends

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Iacono T

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Teresa Iacono,1 David Trembath,2 Shane Erickson3 1Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC, Australia; 2Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 3Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Background: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC interventions are used for children with autism, often as stand-alone communication interventions for those who are minimally verbal. Our aim was to synthesize the evidence for AAC interventions for children (up to 21 years, and then consider the role of AAC within established, comprehensive, evidence-based autism interventions targeting learning across multiple developmental domains.Design: We completed a systematic search of three databases (OVID Medline, PsycINFO, ERIC as well as forward citation and hand searches to identify systematic reviews of AAC intervention efficacy research including children with autism, published between 2000 and March 2016 in peer-reviewed journals. Data pertaining to the quality indicators of included studies, effect sizes for intervention outcomes, and evidence for effectiveness were extracted for descriptive analysis.Results: The search yielded 17 systematic reviews. Most provided indicators of research quality for included studies, of which only relatively few provided conclusive results. Communication targets tended to be focused on teaching children to make requests. Still, effect size measures for included studies indicated that AAC was effective to highly effective.Conclusion: There is growing evidence for the potential benefits of AAC for children with autism, but there is a need for more well-designed studies and broader, targeted outcomes. Furthermore, a lack of evidence for the role of AAC within comprehensive intervention programs may account for a tendency by autism researchers and practitioners to neglect this intervention. Attempts to

Renewable energy development and prospects in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad Zahedi

2000-01-01

Development of renewable energies in Australia is still in its infancy and will require active support by government, utilities and financing institutions to ensure a steady growth. Much has been done to increase the utilisation of renewable energies in the energy supply, but much still remains to be done, especially in the areas of promotion, demonstration, training and technology transfer. This process will lead to meeting the energy needs of the population in rural areas and to contributing to a suitable development of the region during the next century. Australia is endowed with a wealth of renewable energy resources that hold great promise for addressing a host of important environmental, employment and socioeconomic issues. Australia has a set of climate, geographic and other factors that provide favourable conditions for many specific renewable energy applications. The objectives of this paper is to look at the current situation of renewable energies in Australia, opportunities, constraints, current projects, available potential and future prospects. (Author)

Integrating deep Earth dynamics in paleogeographic reconstructions of Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Heine, Christian; Müller, R. Dietmar; Steinberger, Bernhard; DiCaprio, Lydia

2010-03-01

It is well documented that the Cenozoic progressive flooding of Australia, contemporaneous with a eustatic sea level fall, requires a downward tilting of the Australian Plate towards the SE Asian subduction system. Previously, this large-scale, mantle-convection driven dynamic topography effect has been approximated by computing the time-dependent vertical shifts and tilts of a plane, but the observed subsidence and uplift anomalies indicate a more complex interplay between time-dependent mantle convection and plate motion. We combine plate kinematics with a global mantle backward-advection model based on shear-wave mantle tomography, paleogeographic data, eustatic sea level estimates and basin stratigraphy to reconstruct the Australian flooding history for the last 70 Myrs on a continental scale. We compute time-dependent dynamic surface topography and continental inundation of a digital elevation model adjusted for sediment accumulation. Our model reveals two evolving dynamic topography lows, over which the Australian plate has progressively moved. We interpret the southern low to be caused by sinking slab material with an origin along the eastern Gondwana subduction zone in the Cretaceous, whereas the northern low, which first straddles northern Australia in the Oligocene, is mainly attributable to material subducted north and northeast of Australia. Our model accounts for the Paleogene exposure of the Gulf of Carpentaria region at a time when sea level was much higher than today, and explains anomalous Late Tertiary subsidence on Australia's northern, western and southern margins. The resolution of our model, which excludes short-wavelength mantle density anomalies and is restricted to depths larger than 220 km, is not sufficient to model the two well recorded episodes of major transgressions in South Australia in the Eocene and Miocene. However, the overall, long-wavelength spatio-temporal pattern of Australia's inundation record is well captured by combining

Exploring the Efficacy of Training and Development for Liaison Librarians at Deakin University, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Sabina

2018-01-01

Australian universities are operating in a complex, dynamic and competitive global market. Increasingly university administrations are seeking the competitive edge over rival institutions. In order to support their institution's strategic agenda and maintain their relevance to their institution, libraries will need staff who are highly skilled and…

[Study of quality control on Cuscuta chinensis and C. australia].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hui-bin; Lin, Jian-qun; Lu, Ning; Lin, Jian-qiang

2007-11-01

To study the estimate method of C. chinensis and C. australia. HPLC was used to determine the contents of four kinds of flavones of C. chinensis and C. australia growing on different hosts. C. chinensis and C. australia growing on different hosts both had hyperoside, quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. The content range of hyperoside was 2.790-6.502 mg/g and was higher than other flavones. The content ranges of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin were 0.025-0.176 mg/g, 0.001-0.213 mg/g and 0.001-0.077 mg/g, respectively. The contents of hyperoside and quercetin are higher in C. chineasis than in C. australia. The contents of kaempferol and isorhamnetin are lower in C. chinensis than in C. australia. The hosts influence flavones content of C. chinensis and C. australia.

The Symbolic Role of Academic Boards in University Academic Quality Assurance

Science.gov (United States)

Rowlands, Julie

2013-01-01

While much research on quality assurance in higher education has centred on issues related to the impact on teaching and learning and academic staff, there is a significant gap in the area of quality assurance and academic governance. Within Australia the roles of university academic boards (also known as academic senates or faculty senates) have…

The discovery and development of uranium in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasson, K.R.

1988-01-01

The history of the discovery of Australia's uranium deposits is reviewed. The exploration can be conveniently divided into three periods - pre-1944, when the only significant discoveries were made by prospectors in South Australia at Radium Hill and Mount Painter; 1944-1960 and post-1967. The second period saw uranium discoveries in the Northern Territory and Queensland, most of which were made by prospectors using hand-held geiger counters and rewarded by the Australian Government. Since 1967 new deposits have been found in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia by companies using maps, airborne radiometric surveys and sophisticated equipment. The step from the discovery of Mary Kathleen by prospectors to finding Roxby Downs by a combination of geophysical methods, geological concepts and deep drilling was a very big one

Dioxins levels in Australia. Key findings of studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivory, A.; Mobbs, C. [Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (Australia)

2004-09-15

The Australian Government established the National Dioxins Program (NDP) in 2001 to improve knowledge about levels of dioxins in Australia. The program aims to determine levels, assess the risks to Australians and the environment, and to consider appropriate management actions. Starting in mid 2001and completed in 2004, the studies constituted the largest survey of dioxin levels ever undertaken in Australia. The findings will contribute to debate on how to deal with dioxins in Australia, as well as helping to meet obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which Australia ratified on 20 May 2004. These studies will also contribute to a better understanding about dioxins in the southern hemisphere. This paper provides a summary of the key findings of these studies and the risk assessments.

The Problem of Scale in Indigenous Knowledge: a Perspective from Northern Australia

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Marc Wohling

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, indigenous knowledge has been widely touted by researchers and natural resource managers as a valuable contributor to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. In Australia, the concept of indigenous knowledge has gained such rapid currency that it has tended toward an essentialized and universal truth rather than remaining a diverse range of highly localized and contested knowledge. In this paper, I undertake a critical analysis of some of the current issues around the interpretation and application of indigenous knowledge and its relationship with natural resource management in northern Australia. Through a focus on how indigenous knowledge operates at a range of scales, I argue that indigenous knowledge is not adapted to the scales and kinds of disturbances that contemporary society is exerting on natural systems. Rather than being realistic about the limitations of indigenous knowledge, I argue that nonindigenous interpretations of indigenous knowledge have propelled us toward reified meanings, abstracted concepts, and an information-based taxonomy of place. The result can be the diminishing and ossifying of a dynamic living practice and the failure to recognize expressions of indigeneity in contemporary forms.

Political and economic structure and energy industry status of Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bang, K.Y. [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea, Republic of)

1998-06-01

Looking at the composition of energy resources import of Korea per each country, Australian-made import takes up 11.8% of total energy resources import. It possesses the highest import composition of 30.5% when petroleum sector is excluded. In the order of Korea`s mineral import per each country, Australia still keep the number one position every year though Korea keep promoting the diversification of import sources. In the mean time, reflecting on the treatment aspect of import country of Australia, when Korea`s energy, the import size of resources, import intensity of Australia`s primary raw material resources and international resources situation are considered, Korea is thought to receive less treatment from Australia as the second export country of Australia than Japan who is the number one export country of Australia, relatively. Though the increase ratio of Korean tourists in Australia is the highest for the past few years and international promotion effect shows big with the IMF financial support of Korea who faces sudden economic crisis recently as a momentum, sincere evaluation through in-depth analysis between Korea and Australia is still in the initial stage. The necessity to diagnosis the general political and economic structure of Australia more in detail emerges as trade volume between two countries keep growing, esp. in the import of energy and resources sectors, the number of visits between two countries keep increasing. Therefore, the purpose of this study lies mainly in the structure of the new Australian government, general macroeconomics structure and the understanding of energy industry-related status such as energy supply and demand, development status of energy, related laws, and government`s energy agencies, etc. 6 refs., 3 figs., 22 tabs.

Innovative industry alignment at RMIT to develop skills for uranium industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhargava, S.K.

2010-01-01

'Full text:' RMIT University has recently introduced new teaching and research training programs on uranium processing technology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. These programs have been implemented to improve young scientists and engineers' awareness of Australia's uranium processing industry, and to help provide future employees with improved background knowledge to the industry. The teaching program involves joint course development and lectures delivered by the leading scientists from ANSTO (Dr Suzanne Burling and Dr Chris Griffith) and Rio Tinto (Dr Stephen Grocott). This lecture series, which is offered to final year applied science and chemical engineering students, covers a range of topics and issues related to uranium processing including uranium mining, methods for chracterising uranium ores, extraction of uranium, the nuclear fuel cycle, waste and safety. The research training program involves honours and PhD students undertaking research projects on uranium mineralogy and uranium extraction. Research students are also provided with extensive training on how to conduct research safely using radioactive materials. The research programs are undertaken in RMIT's new EPA approved, low level radiation laboratory which has been dedicated to research projects on uranium processing. An extended overview of both of these new programs will be presented. This program is unique in Australia and is designed to address the issue of skill shortage in the ever growing Uranium industry world wide. International collaborators in this program will be most welcomed. (author)

Lingue e migrazione. Un caso di studio: l’Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Wulstan Christiansen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract – This chapter focuses upon two contrasting features of the linguistic situation in Australia. On the one hand, together with nationhood, the past hundred or so years have seen the evolution of a distinct national variety of English in Australia recognizable also outside Australia. On the other, Australia, though a young nation, has been continuously inhabited by the various Aborigine and Torre Strait Islander communities for thousands of years. These have traditionally spoken a wide variety of different languages, some of which of great interest to linguists due to their peculiarity. Increasingly, although the use of Aborigine languages has until very recently been in steady decline, since the 1950s in particular, diverse ethnic groups speaking a variety of languages, both European and Asian, have settled in Australia. The National Policy on Languages (1987 formally directed Australia towards multilingualism and the teaching of English as a first and second language is promoted together with that of Aborigine and community languages. Consequently, Australia has been one of the first nations to try to capitalise on its own linguistic diversity, both as a means of strengthening links with the outside world and as a way of promoting a multiethnic and multicultural society at home. Australia presents then an interesting case study for those working with discourse in immigration domains who are concerned with the way that language policy (or the lack of one may effect social harmony and serve not only as an indicator of the way that migrants are received and treated, but also a catalyst in itself for greater mutual respect.

The characteristics of oncology social work in Australia: Implications for workforce planning in integrated cancer care.

Science.gov (United States)

Pockett, Rosalie; Peate, Michelle; Hobbs, Kim; Dzidowska, Monika; L Bell, Melanie; Baylock, Brandi; Epstein, Irwin

2016-12-01

To describe the demographics, professional characteristics, self-reported professional development needs and research involvement of oncology social workers in Australia and to describe perceived barriers to provision of quality psychosocial care. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to social workers working in the oncology field who were contacted through three professional organizations; the Australian Association of Social Workers, Oncology Social Work Australia and the Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group, the University of Sydney. A snowball recruitment method was adopted to maximize the sample size. Two thirds of respondents had over 10 years professional practice experience but with lesser experience in oncology settings. Twenty-eight percent had post-graduate qualifications. Professional development needs were reported as moderate or high by 68% of respondents. No association between professional needs and work setting was found. Years of experience in oncology practice and living in an urban area increased the likelihood of involvement in research. Barriers to psychosocial care included poor understandings of the social work role, time constraints and an inadequate number of social work positions. In this first Australian study of the social work oncology workforce, the results demonstrated active, well-qualified and experienced social workers providing frontline services to people with cancer and their caregivers in geographically diverse locations across Australia. Inadequate resources and a lack of integrated psychosocial care were identified as barriers to comprehensive cancer care. The need for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social workers was identified as an urgent workforce priority. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

EDITORIAL: Fluctuations and noise in photonics and quantum optics: a special issue in memory of Hermann Haus

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Derek; Shapiro, Jeffrey H.; Yamamoto, Yoshihisa

2004-08-01

, USA Peter R Smith Loughborough University of Technology, UK Rodney S Tucker University of Melbourne, Australia Howard M Wiseman Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia Stuart A Wolf DARPA, Arlington, VA, USA Anton Zeilinger University of Vienna, Austria Xi-Cheng Zhang Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA

Casemix funding in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Braithwaite, J; Hindle, D; Phelan, P D; Hanson, R

1998-06-01

Casemix funding for hospitals with the use of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), which organise patients' conditions into similar clinical categories with similar costs, was introduced in Australia five years ago. It has been applied in different ways and to a greater or lesser extent in different Australian States. Only Victoria and South Australia have implemented casemix funding across all healthcare services. Attempts have been made to formally evaluate its impact, but they have not met the required scientific standards in controlling for confounding factors. Casemix funding remains a much-discussed issue. In this Debate, Braithwaite and Hindle take a contrary position, largely to stimulate policy debate; Phelan defends the casemix concept and advocates retaining its best features; and Hanson adds a plea for consumer input.

Modelling the Balassa-Samuelson Effect in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khorshed Chowdhury

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the Balassa-Samuelson hypothesis in Australia using the ARDL cointegrationframework. Evidence was found of a significant long-run relationship between real exchange rate andAustralia-US productivity differential during the period of 1950-2003. The results indicate that a one per centincrease in labour productivity in Australia relative to the US will lead to 5.6 per cent appreciation in the realexchange rate of Australia. The estimated coefficient for the error correction term is -0.1983 and is highlysignificant, indicating that the deviation from the long term real exchange rate equilibrium path is correctedby nearly 20 per cent over the following year. The Author suspects that the elasticity coefficient is “overestimated”due to the exclusion of relevant explanatory variables in the analytical model. The real exchangerate movements are affected by real fundamentals and policy-induced shifts in its real fundamentals. Thefundamentals include the terms of trade, government expenditure, real interest rate differentials, net foreignliabilities among others along with labour productivity differential.

Australia's mandatory renewable energy target (MRET): an assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kent, Anthony; Mercer, David

2006-01-01

In June 2004, the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, released the long-awaited government blueprint for the favoured policy direction for the country's energy sector, Securing Australia's Energy Future. In part this document was a response to a review of the operation of Australia's mandatory renewable energy target (MRET), a regime that started in April 2001. MRET was put under detailed scrutiny from March 2003 onwards by a four-person panel (the Tambling Committee), appointed by the Howard coalition (conservative) government, that received 248 detailed submissions and finally released its findings to the public in January 2004. This paper presents an overview of (i) the range of opinions on MRET presented to the Tambling Inquiry; (ii) the recommendations of that Committee; (iii) the final judgement on MRET enunciated in Securing Australia's Energy Future; and (iv) the response of the States

Australia's uranium policy: an examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crook, K.A.W.; Derborough, M.A.; Diesendorf, M.; Inall, E.K.; Peaslee, D.C.; Taylor, S.R.

1974-12-01

The mining and export of Australian Uranium poses problems for the safety of the world that any responsible government is bound to consider. The following note lists the major problems, attempts to assess their importance, and to suggest what lines may be relevant to Australia for their solution. These problems were examined because of the concern about the appropriateness of attempting to fulfill projected world energy needs by any means; and their fulfillment, by using nuclear fuels carries special problems of biological, social and political hazards. Any development of Australia's uranium resources should be considered in this light. (author)

Radioimmunoassay for the detection of Australia-SH antigen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerhardt, H [Giessen Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Zentrum fuer Innere Medizin

1974-06-01

Among infectious diseases, hepatitis presents a great problem in all countries with a high medical standard. The number of Australia antigen-positive cases rises from year to year, due to the increase in drug-fixer hepatitis and blood transfusions. Highly sensitive and at the same time practicable methods are therefore required for the identification of Australia antigen carriers and their elimination as blood donors. The most sensitive of all currently used tests for the detection of Australia antigen is the 'solid phase' radioimmunoassay since it permits an objective and quantitative measurement of the antigen.

The Curriculum for English Language Teacher Education in Australian and Vietnamese Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Minh Hue

2013-01-01

This paper examines the curricula for English language teacher education in two universities, one in Australia and the other in Vietnam. Specifically, it analyses the structures of the two curricula, compares and contrasts them, and examines how the development of the curricula was shaped by distinctive contextual factors. Sources of data include…

How Learning Designs, Teaching Methods and Activities Differ by Discipline in Australian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Leanne

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the learning designs, teaching methods and activities most commonly employed within the disciplines in six universities in Australia. The study sought to establish if there were significant differences between the disciplines in learning designs, teaching methods and teaching activities in the current Australian context, as…

How should Australia regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide?

Science.gov (United States)

White, Ben; Willmott, Lindy

2012-12-01

This article invites consideration of how Australia should regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. It attempts to pose this question as neutrally as possible, acknowledging that both prohibition and legalisation of such conduct involve decisions about regulation. It begins by charting the wider field of law at the end of life, before considering the repeated, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempts at law reform in Australia. The situation in Australia is contrasted with permissive jurisdictions overseas where voluntary euthanasia and/or assisted suicide are lawful. The authors consider the arguments for and against legalisation of such conduct along with the available empirical evidence as to what happens in practice both in Australia and overseas. The article concludes by outlining a framework for deliberating on how Australia should regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. It asks a threshold question of whether such conduct should be criminal acts (as they presently are), the answer to which then leads to a range of possible regulatory options.

Implications of climate change for tourism in Australia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amelung, B.; Nicholls, S.

2014-01-01

This study assesses the impacts of projected climate change on Australia's tourism industry. Based on application of the Tourism Climatic Index, it investigates potential changes in climatic attractiveness for Australia's major destinations, and discusses implications for tourist flows and tourism

Optometry Australia Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiely, Patricia M; Slater, Jared

2015-01-01

Competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and 2000, and again in 2008, when therapeutic competency standards were introduced but differentiated from the entry-level competencies. Therapeutic competencies were an additional requirement for the purpose of endorsing optometric registration to allow prescription of medicines for conditions of the eye. Recent changes to educational and registration requirements mean that therapeutic competencies are now required at entry-level. To address this and to ensure the standards reflect current best practice, a full revision of the standards was undertaken. A steering committee oversaw the review of the standards, which involved a literature review, workshops with optometrists and broad consultation with stakeholders, including the Optometry Board of Australia, individual optometrists and employers of optometrists, to identify changes needed. Representatives of the profession from Australia and New Zealand and from academia in Australia were involved. A modified document based on the feedback received was circulated to the State Divisions and the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia. The updated standards reflect the state of entry to the optometric profession in 2014; competencies for prescribing of scheduled medicines are included, new material has been added, other areas have been modified. The updated entry-level competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia in March 2014. Competency standards have been updated so that they continue to be current and useful for the profession, individual optometrists and Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of accreditation of optometric programs and assessment of overseas-trained optometrists. This paper details the revision process and presents the 2014 version of

Reduction in the hepatitis B related burden of disease--measuring the success of universal immunisation programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Alison

2002-01-01

There is collective evidence from countries of both low and high endemicity that administration of hepatitis B vaccination at birth saves lives and reduces the burden of disease from acute and chronic infection. However, a discussion on the cost-effectiveness of vaccination for HBV is beyond the scope of this article. In Australia, longer term follow-up of HBV disease burden is required following the more recent introduction of routine and universal infant vaccination. Universal vaccination for HBV at birth can be seen as a 'safety-net' against infection at a very young age. However, it is estimated that the effect of universal infant vaccination will not be evident for at least another 15 years in Australia. The obstacles to vaccination with HBV, which have historically included fears that the vaccine may be linked to multiple sclerosis, should be put to rest, and concerns about the thiomersal content allayed by communicating the current availability of thiomersal-free vaccines to all providers and parents or care-givers. Furthermore, ongoing adverse events surveillance should be in place to detect any rare adverse events which may be related to the vaccine. Currently, more than one half of the world's infants are still not being immunised for HBV, and the need for a global initiative for universal infant hepatitis B vaccination is apparent. This is especially true for countries with high prevalence, and the costing issues and logistics of such an initiative still remain to be addressed. In addition, there is a need to address the implementation of guidelines for screening and vaccination of families who have immigrated to Australia from countries with a high prevalence of hepatitis B.

Dermatology training and practice in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebaratnam, Deshan F; Murrell, Dédée F

2014-10-01

Dermatology is a relatively young discipline in Australia compared to other specialities within the medical fraternity. From its humble beginnings, the profession has evolved significantly over the decades and is now represented by the Australasian College of Dermatologists which is charged with training the next generation of dermatologists and advocating for and advancing the profession. The authors reviewed and describe the history of dermatology training and practice in Australia. Despite the progress in education, there are only 415 dermatologists serving a population of 23.3 million (1 per 58 000) and yet it has the highest incidence and prevalence of skin cancer in the world. The scope of clinical practice is wide in Australia, with clinicians well versed in medical and procedural dermatology. It is hoped that Australian dermatology will continue to bolster the dermatology profession globally. © 2014 The International Society of Dermatology.

Sex Education in South Australia: The Past and the Present

Science.gov (United States)

Talukdar, Joy; Aspland, Tania; Datta, Poulomee

2013-01-01

In South Australia, sex education has been controversial since its inception. The Australasian White Cross league and the Family Planning Association of South Australia were the pioneers of sex education in South Australia. The framing of a national framework and the implementation of the SHARE (Sexual Health and Relationships Education) project…

Big News: The Indian Media and Student Attacks in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Wade

2016-05-01

Full Text Available By any measure, 2009 was a big year for news in India. And yet the safety of Indian students in Australia ranked among the major news events in India that year. The India-Australia Poll 2013 found 65 per cent of respondents believed the Indian media had accurately reported the problems faced by Indian students in Australia in 2009-10. That implies two-thirds of Indians accepted the Indian media’s mostly negative depictions of Australia. Those who believed the media reporting about Australia had been accurate were more likely to be from large cities, be tertiary educated and have relatively high-incomes. The poll found 62 per cent of respondents thought Australia was a dangerous place for Indian students and that 61 per cent believed attacks on Indian students were motivated by racism. The results suggest negative perceptions about Australia created by the media’s portrayal of the student attacks linger in the Indian community. The timing of the initial attacks, and the imagery associated with them, helped attract and sustain media attention on the issue. The diplomatic tensions created by the crisis highlighted the growing influence of the broadcast media on India’s foreign relations. But the episode also exposed a deep lack of understanding about India in Australia. Governments were slow to comprehend how much damage media coverage of student attacks could do to Australia’s reputation in India.

The Honeymoon project: Australia`s first in situ leach uranium project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ackland, M.C. [Southern Cross Resources Inc. Toowond, QLD (Australia)

1997-12-31

The Honeymoon uranium deposit is one of several roll front uranium deposits in South Australia. It was discovered in 1971, the project developed in the 1970`s, and was ready for demonstration of the In Situ Leaching (ISL) production techniques by January 1983, when the project was stopped, despite it having met the environmental approvals to proceed, due to the Australian Labour Party`s `three mines policy`. From 1983 until March 1996 the project was mothballed. In late 1996 Southern Cross Resources Inc. (SCRI) reached agreement with Mount Isa Mining (MIM) to purchase its uranium interests in Honeymoon, Goulds Dam and EL 2310 whilst simultaneously acquiring Sedimentary Holdings NL`s interests in EL 2310. By April 1997 these interests were consolidated in SCRI`s wholly owned subsidiary, Southern Cross Resources Australia Ply Ltd which is the operating company. Activities are presently underway to rehabilitate the existing treatment plant and continue the program that was outlined in the approved 1981 Honeymoon Environmental Impact Statement. 2 tabs., 3 figs.

Smoking in Australian University Students and Its Association with Socio-Demographic Factors, Stress, Health Status, Coping Strategies, and Attitude

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jing; Buys, Nicholas; Stewart, Donald; Shum, David; Farquhar, Lynette

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of smoking amongst university students in Brisbane, Australia and associated risk factors. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional design was used for the study. A sample of 2,414 university students aged 18-30 was examined to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use. Smoking was measured by…

Australia's uranium resources and production in the world context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, A.; Lambert, I.; Miezitis, Y.

2001-01-01

Australia has 654 000 tonnes uranium (U) in Reasonably Assured Resources (RAR) recoverable at ≤US$40/kg U, which is the largest of all national resource estimates reported in this category. Australia also has the world's largest resources in RAR recoverable at ≤US$80/kg U, with 29% of world resources in this category. Other countries that have large resources in this category include Kazakhstan (19%), Canada (14%), South Africa (10%), Brazil (7%), Namibia (6%), Russian Federation (6%), and United States (5%). In 2000, the main developments in Australia's uranium mining industry were that production reached a record level of 8937 t U 3 O 8 (7579 t U), and commercial operations commenced at the new in situ leach operation at Beverley during November. Australia's total production for 2000 was 27% higher than for 1999. Uranium oxide was produced at the Olympic Dam (4500 t U 3 O 8 ), Ranger (4437 t U 3 O 8 ) and Beverley operations, although production from Beverley for the year was not reported. Australia's share of the world's annual uranium production has increased steadily from about 10.8% (3,712 tonnes U) in 1995 to 21.9% in 2000. Throughout this period Australia has maintained its position as the world's second-largest producer of uranium, behind Canada

Validation of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale for Multicultural Screening in Danish Memory Clinics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Thomas Rune; Andersen, Birgitte Bo; Gottrup, Hanne

2013-01-01

Background/Aims: The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) is a brief cognitive screening test that was developed to detect dementia in multicultural populations. The RUDAS has not previously been validated in multicultural populations outside of Australia. The aim of this study...

Uranium mining in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1980-01-01

Known uranium deposits and the companies involved in uranium mining and exploration in Australia are listed. The status of the development of the deposits is outlined and reasons for delays to mining are given

Creating White Australia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McLisky, Claire Louise; Carey, Jane

Vedtagelsen af White Australien som regeringens politik i 1901 viser, at hvidheden var afgørende for den måde, hvorpå den nye nation i Australien blev konstitueret. Og alligevel har historikere i vid udstrækning overset hvidhed i deres studier af Australiens race fortid. 'Creating White Australia...

University Library Strategy Development: A Conceptual Model of Researcher Performance to Inform Service Delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Maddox, Alexia; Zhao, Linlin

2017-01-01

This case study presents a conceptual model of researcher performance developed by Deakin University Library, Australia. The model aims to organize research performance data into meaningful researcher profiles, referred to as researcher typologies, which support the demonstration of research impact and value. Three dimensions shaping researcher…

Australia/Japan thermal coal settlements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLean, A.

2000-01-01

After prolonged negotiations, Australian suppliers and Japanese buyers have reached agreement on the benchmark thermal coal prices for the Japanese financial year 2000 (April 1, 2000 to March 31, 2001). The benchmark price as negotiated with the Chubu and Tohoku power utilities is about US$1.20 down on last year's price of $29.95. The actual price change to each supplier varies slightly depending on the calorific value of each product as calculated against a benchmark value of 6700kcal/kg on a gross air-dried basis. It is strange, but the Australians and Japanese both have some reason to crow about the outcome of the negotiation. In US dollar terms, compared with April 1, 1999, the suppliers have secured a price rise from A$45.39 to A$47.97; while the Japanese can point to having achieved a price reduction from Y3551/t to Y3162/t. The joys of exchange rate fluctuations. The result can only be seen as a good one for Australia, especially as it is alleged that one of the Australian suppliers opened negotiations by putting a US$1 price reduction on the table. It is worth noting that the significance of the benchmark coal price is waning, with the annual negotiations in Japan covering only 14Mt of a total seaborne trade of some 450Mt. Consequently, few tonnes are marketed at the benchmark price and Australia finds itself in fierce competition with suppliers from Indonesia, China and Russia for huge, short-term tenders at FOB prices. Recent winning Australian bids have been barely over US$20/t FOBT ex east coast Australia-nearly 30% below the new US$28.75 benchmark price. Finally, on the negotiating table will come the settlements for the semi coking coals. This is where Australia should hold the trump card. Japan simply cannot replace, from other countries, the near 30Mt of high quality coal it purchases each year from Australia. But already the whiff of a US$1.45-US$1.50 price reduction hangs in the air. Copyright (2000) Australian Journal of Mining

Country Report on Building Energy Codes in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shui, Bin; Evans, Meredydd; Somasundaram, Sriram

2009-04-02

This report is part of a series of reports on building energy efficiency codes in countries associated with the Asian Pacific Partnership (APP) - Australia, South Korea, Japan, China, India, and the United States of America (U.S.). This reports gives an overview of the development of building energy codes in Australia, including national energy policies related to building energy codes, history of building energy codes, recent national projects and activities to promote building energy codes. The report also provides a review of current building energy codes (such as building envelope, HVAC, and lighting) for commercial and residential buildings in Australia.

Australia: Approaching an energy crossroads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falk, Jim; Settle, Domenica

2011-01-01

This paper considers energy policy in Australia in the context of its considerable energy resources, climate change and a recent change in government. It examines the possible paths that future energy use and policy in Australia could take, including published projections based largely on a 'business as usual' approach and projections based on a dramatic shift towards more efficient use of energy and renewable energy technologies. It also considers the various factors affecting future policy direction, including energy security, the advocacy in Australia for establishing nuclear electricity generation and other parts of the nuclear fuel-cycle, responses to climate change, and carbon sequestration. It concludes that while the Australian Government is currently reluctant to move away from a dependence on coal, and unlikely to adopt nuclear energy generation, a low-emissions future without waiting for the deployment of carbon capture and storage and without resorting to nuclear power is within reach. However, in the face of strong pressure from interest groups associated with energy intensive industry, making the necessary innovations will require further growth of community concern about climate change, and the development of greater understanding of the feasibility of employing low carbon-emissions options.

Factors influencing warfarin control in Australia and Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernaitis, Nijole; Ching, Chi Keong; Teo, Siew Chong; Chen, Liping; Badrick, Tony; Davey, Andrew K; Crilly, Julia; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2017-09-01

Warfarin is widely used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Variations in warfarin control, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR), have been reported across different regions and ethnicities, particularly between Western and Asian countries. However, there is limited data on comparative factors influencing warfarin control in Caucasian and Asian patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine warfarin control and potential factors influencing this in patients with NVAF in Australia and Singapore. Retrospective data was collected for patients receiving warfarin for January to June 2014 in Australia and Singapore. TTR was calculated for individuals with mean patient TTR used for analysis. Possible influential factors on TTR were analysed including age, gender, concurrent co-morbidities, and concurrent medication. The mean TTR was significantly higher in Australia (82%) than Singapore (58%). At both sites, chronic kidney disease significantly lowered this TTR. Further factors influencing control were anaemia and ageWarfarin control was significantly higher in Australia compared to Singapore, however chronic kidney disease reduced control at both sites. The different levels of control in these two countries, together with patient factors further reducing control may impact on anticoagulant choice in these countries with better outcomes from warfarin in Australia compared to Singapore. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multicritical phase diagrams of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with repulsive biquadratic coupling including metastable phases: the pair approximation and the path probability method with pair distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keskin, Mustafa; Erdinc, Ahmet

2004-01-01

As a continuation of the previously published work, the pair approximation of the cluster variation method is applied to study the temperature dependences of the order parameters of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model with repulsive biquadratic coupling on a body centered cubic lattice. We obtain metastable and unstable branches of the order parameters besides the stable branches and phase transitions of these branches are investigated extensively. We study the dynamics of the model by the path probability method with pair distribution in order to make sure that we find and define the metastable and unstable branches of the order parameters completely and correctly. We present the metastable phase diagram in addition to the equilibrium phase diagram and also the first-order phase transition line for the unstable branches of the quadrupole order parameter is superimposed on the phase diagrams. It is found that the metastable phase diagram and the first-order phase boundary for the unstable quadrupole order parameter always exist at the low temperatures which are consistent with experimental and theoretical works

A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo; Westaway, Michael C; Muller, Craig; Sousa, Vitor C; Lao, Oscar; Alves, Isabel; Bergström, Anders; Athanasiadis, Georgios; Cheng, Jade Y; Crawford, Jacob E; Heupink, Tim H; Macholdt, Enrico; Peischl, Stephan; Rasmussen, Simon; Schiffels, Stephan; Subramanian, Sankar; Wright, Joanne L; Albrechtsen, Anders; Barbieri, Chiara; Dupanloup, Isabelle; Eriksson, Anders; Margaryan, Ashot; Moltke, Ida; Pugach, Irina; Korneliussen, Thorfinn S; Levkivskyi, Ivan P; Moreno-Mayar, J Víctor; Ni, Shengyu; Racimo, Fernando; Sikora, Martin; Xue, Yali; Aghakhanian, Farhang A; Brucato, Nicolas; Brunak, Søren; Campos, Paula F; Clark, Warren; Ellingvåg, Sturla; Fourmile, Gudjugudju; Gerbault, Pascale; Injie, Darren; Koki, George; Leavesley, Matthew; Logan, Betty; Lynch, Aubrey; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth A; McAllister, Peter J; Mentzer, Alexander J; Metspalu, Mait; Migliano, Andrea B; Murgha, Les; Phipps, Maude E; Pomat, William; Reynolds, Doc; Ricaut, Francois-Xavier; Siba, Peter; Thomas, Mark G; Wales, Thomas; Wall, Colleen Ma'run; Oppenheimer, Stephen J; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Durbin, Richard; Dortch, Joe; Manica, Andrea; Schierup, Mikkel H; Foley, Robert A; Lahr, Marta Mirazón; Bowern, Claire; Wall, Jeffrey D; Mailund, Thomas; Stoneking, Mark; Nielsen, Rasmus; Sandhu, Manjinder S; Excoffier, Laurent; Lambert, David M; Willerslev, Eske

2016-10-13

The population history of Aboriginal Australians remains largely uncharacterized. Here we generate high-coverage genomes for 83 Aboriginal Australians (speakers of Pama-Nyungan languages) and 25 Papuans from the New Guinea Highlands. We find that Papuan and Aboriginal Australian ancestors diversified 25-40 thousand years ago (kya), suggesting pre-Holocene population structure in the ancient continent of Sahul (Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania). However, all of the studied Aboriginal Australians descend from a single founding population that differentiated ~10-32 kya. We infer a population expansion in northeast Australia during the Holocene epoch (past 10,000 years) associated with limited gene flow from this region to the rest of Australia, consistent with the spread of the Pama-Nyungan languages. We estimate that Aboriginal Australians and Papuans diverged from Eurasians 51-72 kya, following a single out-of-Africa dispersal, and subsequently admixed with archaic populations. Finally, we report evidence of selection in Aboriginal Australians potentially associated with living in the desert.

Radiation doses from computed tomography in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, J.E.M.; Tingey, D.R.C.

1997-11-01

Recent surveys in various countries have shown that computed tomography (CT) is a significant and growing contributor to the radiation dose from diagnostic radiology. Australia, with 332 CT scanners (18 per million people), is well endowed with CT equipment compared to European countries (6 to 13 per million people). Only Japan, with 8500 units (78 per million people), has a significantly higher proportion of CT scanners. In view of this, a survey of CT facilities, frequency of examinations, techniques and patient doses has been performed in Australia. It is estimated that there are 1 million CT examinations in Australia each year, resulting in a collective effective dose of 7000 Sv and a per caput dose of 0.39 mSv. This per caput dose is much larger than found in earlier studies in the UK and New Zealand but is less than 0.48 mSv in Japan. Using the ICRP risk factors, radiation doses from CT could be inducing about 280 fatal cancers per year in Australia. CT is therefore a significant, if not the major, single contributor to radiation doses and possible risk from diagnostic radiology. (authors)

Quarantine, exports and animal disease in Australia 1901-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Aj

2011-09-01

The Constitution forming the Australian Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1901 provided that animal and animal products imported into and exported from Australia would be under the authority of the national government. By mutual agreement, the Quarantine Act 1908 provided for the states to continue the delivery of services under contract until 1995 when the Commonwealth took back full responsibility for quarantine services. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s there were world pandemics of livestock diseases and Australia ceased the import of many species. By the 1970s, the livestock industries sought relaxation of import restrictions to gain access to diversified genetic stock. By the use of new technologies, many species can now be imported into Australia through tight importation protocols. With the advent of the World Trade Organization and implementation of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement, Australia has developed a risk-based framework to support the development of import conditions for animals and animal products. Australia's 'Acceptable Level of Protection' has been set to provide a low likelihood of disease entry. Being an island continent, Australia can apply strong controls over imports and exports of all commodities and relatively few outbreaks of exotic animal diseases have occurred by breach of quarantine, but the outbreaks of rinderpest in 1923 and equine influenza in 2007 were notable exceptions. © 2011 The Author. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2011 Australian Veterinary Association.

A New Era for Research Education in Australia?

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Helene; Smith, Bradley; King, Max; Evans, Terry

2012-01-01

Use of the Australian research assessment exercise, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) to influence the policy and practice of research education in Australia will undoubtedly have many consequences, some of them unintended and potentially deleterious. ERA is a retrospective measure of research quality; research education is prospective.…

An Analysis of Introductory Programming Courses at UK Universities

OpenAIRE

Murphy, Ellen; Crick, Tom; Davenport, James H.

2016-01-01

Context: In the context of exploring the art, science and engineering of programming, the question of which programming languages should be taught first has been fiercely debated since computer science teaching started in universities. Failure to grasp programming readily almost certainly implies failure to progress in computer science. Inquiry: What first programming languages are being taught? There have been regular national-scale surveys in Australia and New Zealand, with the only US surv...

Mineral industry in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parbo, S.A.

1982-01-01

The paper reviews the history and growth of the mineral industry in Australia and its significance to the nation's economic growth and overseas trade, particularly over the last twenty years during which time production of coal, iron ore, manganese and mineral sands has increased greatly and new discoveries of petroleum, bauxite and nickel have given rise to major new industries. Australia ranks fourteenths in the value of world trade and is among the world's largest exporters of alumina, iron ore, mineral sands, coal, lead, zinc and nickel. Some details of production, processing and exports of the major minerals are given. Comment is made on the policies and roles of the six State Governments and the Federal Government in respect of ownership and control of the mining, processing and exporting of both energy and non-energy minerals. (orig.) [de

Summer spawning of Porites lutea from north-western Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Stoddart, C. W.; Stoddart, J. A.; Blakeway, D. R.

2012-09-01

Most coral species off Australia's west coast spawn in the austral autumn (March-April), with a few species also spawning in the southern spring or early summer (November-December). This is the reverse timing to spawning recorded off Australia's east coast. Porites lutea, a gonochoric broadcast spawner that is common on Australia's west coast, is shown here to spawn in the months of November or December, as it does on Australia's east coast. Spawning occurred between 2 and 5 nights after full moon, with the majority of spawning activity on night 3. Gametes developed over three to four months with rapid development in the last two weeks before spawning. Zooxanthellae were typically observed in mature oocytes, only a week before spawning so their presence may provide a useful indicator of imminent spawning.

Uranium mining in Canada and Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackenzie, B.W.; Whillans, R.T.; Williams, R.M.; Doggett, M.D.

1991-01-01

This study compared the impact of taxation on the economic viability and competitive position of uranium mining in Canada and Australia. The evaluation is based on four types of uranium deposit and four hypothetical project models. The deposits are assumed to have been discovered and delineated, and are awaiting a mine development decision. The models, initially appraised on a before-tax basis, are then subjected to taxation in each of six jurisdictions. Several taxation criteria are assessed in each case, including after-tax measures of investment incentive, discounted tax revenues, effective tax rates, intergovernmental tax shares, and comparative tax levels. The impact of taxation is shown to be both high and variable. The taxation systems in Saskatchewan and Australia's Northern Territory generate the most government revenue and provide the lowest incentive for investment. Canada's Northwest Territories and Ontario provide the best investment incentive and collect the least amount of taxes. South Australia and Western Australia tend to be positioned between these extremes. The study demonstrates that only the very best uranium mining projects have a chance of being developed under current market conditions, and even these can be rendered uneconomic by excessive taxation regimes. It follows that exceptionally good quality targets will have to be identified to provide the economic justification for uranium exploration. These realities will likely restrict uranium exploration and development activities for some time, not an unexpected response to a market situation where low prices have been caused largely by excess supply. (L.L.)

Medical e-commerce for regional Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, D K; Mikelaitis, P

2001-12-01

The residents of rural and regional Australia have less access to health care services than in capital cities. There is a reluctance of General Practitioners to practice in the country. New information technology and government initiatives are now addressing this problem. High bandwidth videoconferencing is now being routinely used to provide psychiatric consultations to areas without this service. But this (like many other implementations of telecommunication technologies to health) has resulted in loss of revenue to regional Australia while benefiting capital cities. Thus, the current implementation of telecommunication technology to health has resulted in loss of revenue of the regions while increasing the bias towards the cities. Further, the system is not economically viable and requires the Government to inject funds for the smooth operation of the system. This paper proposes the use of telecommunication technology for enabling the communities of regional Australia to access health facilities via physical and virtual clinics. The proposed technique is self supporting and is based in the country with the intent to prevent the drain of resources from regional Australia. The technique attempts to eradicate the problem at the root level by providing a business opportunity that is based in and to cater for the needs of the remote communities. The proposed system would provide health services by physical and virtual clinics and while serving the communities would be profit centres- and thus attracting doctors and other resources to the remote communities.

The introduction and subsequent extinction of the camel tick Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) dromedarii (Acari, Ixodidae) in Australia, with a review of the introduction of foreign ticks to Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Mackenzie L

2018-03-01

Historically, several tick taxonomists have reported Hyalomma aegyptium within Australia due to misidentifications. This has resulted in confusion relating to the occurrence of the genus Hyalomma within Australia. Based on the recent discovery of museum specimens of Hyalomma dromedarii, misidentified as H. aegyptium, the historical occurrence of H. dromedarii is reported for the first time within Australia, along with its apparent subsequent extinction. The introduction and naturalisation of foreign tick species into Australia is also reviewed.

A short history of the origins of radiography in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Tony [University Department of Rural Health, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Locked Bag 9783 NEMSC, Tamworth NSW 2348 (Australia)], E-mail: tony.smith@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

2009-12-15

At the time of Roeentgen's discovery of X-rays, Australia was in a period of social transition. Federation under a centralised Australian government was at hand, while regional population centres were growing rapidly under various influences, such as the gold rush of the 1850s, the opening up of new pastoral land and the Great Drought of the 1890s. Reports of Roeentgen's discovery first appeared in Australian newspapers towards the end of January 1896. The first limited description of his experimental techniques appeared on the 15th February, arousing excitement in the antipodean scientific community. Independent attempts were made to produce X-ray images at several locations in Australia, the necessary apparatus being widely available. Three men have been separately credited with having been the first to produce a radiographic image using the techniques described by Roeentgen. Thomas Rankin Lyle, a Professor at Melbourne University performed a demonstration on the 3rd March 1896, X-raying a colleague's foot. The image was reproduced in the newspaper the following day. Lyle also performed a pre-surgical foreign body localisation on 12th June. Meanwhile, electrician and amateur scientist, Walter Filmer, produced a radiograph at Newcastle, also to localise a needle prior to surgical removal. Although the date of this examination is uncertain, it reportedly took place within days of the 15th February newspaper story, making it both the first successful attempt at radiography and the first medical use of X-rays in Australia. Filmer was later appointed to Newcastle Hospital as honorary 'X-ray operator'. The third was a catholic priest and Science Master at St Stanislaus' College at Bathurst in western New South Wales, Father Joseph Slattery. On 25th July 1896 he X-rayed the hand of a former student to locate gunshot pellets, saving the hand from amputation. All three men were remarkable for their scientific knowledge and ability and all are

A short history of the origins of radiography in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Tony

2009-01-01

At the time of Roeentgen's discovery of X-rays, Australia was in a period of social transition. Federation under a centralised Australian government was at hand, while regional population centres were growing rapidly under various influences, such as the gold rush of the 1850s, the opening up of new pastoral land and the Great Drought of the 1890s. Reports of Roeentgen's discovery first appeared in Australian newspapers towards the end of January 1896. The first limited description of his experimental techniques appeared on the 15th February, arousing excitement in the antipodean scientific community. Independent attempts were made to produce X-ray images at several locations in Australia, the necessary apparatus being widely available. Three men have been separately credited with having been the first to produce a radiographic image using the techniques described by Roeentgen. Thomas Rankin Lyle, a Professor at Melbourne University performed a demonstration on the 3rd March 1896, X-raying a colleague's foot. The image was reproduced in the newspaper the following day. Lyle also performed a pre-surgical foreign body localisation on 12th June. Meanwhile, electrician and amateur scientist, Walter Filmer, produced a radiograph at Newcastle, also to localise a needle prior to surgical removal. Although the date of this examination is uncertain, it reportedly took place within days of the 15th February newspaper story, making it both the first successful attempt at radiography and the first medical use of X-rays in Australia. Filmer was later appointed to Newcastle Hospital as honorary 'X-ray operator'. The third was a catholic priest and Science Master at St Stanislaus' College at Bathurst in western New South Wales, Father Joseph Slattery. On 25th July 1896 he X-rayed the hand of a former student to locate gunshot pellets, saving the hand from amputation. All three men were remarkable for their scientific knowledge and ability and all are deserving of the title of

Australia's nuclear headache

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinova, D.

1997-01-01

With the temporary storage of nuclear waste, constituted by HIFAR spent fuel, at Lucas Heights reaching full capacity by 1998, there is an urgent need for a technical, social and political solution. Some of the fundamental uncertainties in relation to nuclear waste disposal and hence the operation of a nuclear research reactor in Australia are presented

Ethical issues surrounding e-gambling data collection

OpenAIRE

Griffiths, MD; Whitty, M

2011-01-01

Online gambling data collection is becoming a focus of interest for various stakeholders in the online gaming industry, since it is relevant for advertising, attracting new players, exploring new markets and trying out new products. Mark Griffiths, of Nottingham Trent University, and Monica Whitty, of the University of Leicester, give an overview of some of the ethical issues raised by data collection in the gaming industry and research undertaken in the gambling studies field.

Pioneering developments of marine renewable energy in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Manasseh

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The history of ocean renewable energy developments in Australia is reviewed. A layperson’s description of the physical operating principle is given for the main classes of technology that have been tested in Australian waters. The Australian marine domain possesses among the world’s most energetic wave-energy resources, driven by powerful mid-latitude westerly winds. The northern coast of Western Australia has tidal ranges significant on a global scale, and some geographical features around the continent have local tidal resonances. The East Australian Current, one of the world’s major western boundary currents, runs along the eastern Australian seaboard, offering potential for ocean-current energy. Sea-water temperatures in the tropical north-east of Australia may permit ocean thermal energy conversion. While this abundance of resources makes Australia an ideal location for technology development, the population is highly concentrated in a few large cities, and transmission infrastructure has developed over a century to supply cities from traditional power plants. Several wave-power developments have resulted in demonstration of deployments in Australian waters, three of which have been grid connected. Trials of tidal devices have also occurred, while other classes of ocean renewable energy have not yet been trialled. The prospects for marine renewable energy in Australia are discussed including non-traditional applications such as coastal protection and energy export.

Global nuclear waste repository proposal highlights Australia`s nuclear energy vacuum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1999-06-01

The Pangea proposal is disscused and considered relevant to Australia. A five-year research program by the company has identified Australia and Argentina as having the appropriate geological, economic and democratic credentials for such a deep repository, with Australia being favoured. A deep repository would be located where the geology has been stable for several hundred million years, so that there need not be total reliance on a robust engineered barrier system to keep the waste securely isolated for thousands of years. It would be a commercial undertaking and would have dedicated port and rail infrastructure. It would take spent fuel and other wastes from commercial reactors, and possibly also waste from weapons disposal programs. Clearly, while the primary ethical and legal principle is that each country is entirely responsible for its own waste, including nuclear waste (polluter pays etc), the big question is whether the concept of an international waste repository is acceptable ethically. Political and economic questions are secondary to this. By taking a fresh look at the reasons for the difficulties which have faced most national repository programs, and discarding the preconception that each country must develop its own disposal facilities, it is possible to define a class of simple, superior high isolation sites which may provide a multi-national basis for solving the nuclear waste disposal problem. The relatively small volumes of high-level wastes or spent fuel which arise from nuclear power production make shared repositories a feasible proposition. For small countries, the economies of scale which can be achieved make the concept attractive. For all countries, objective consideration of the relative merits of national and multi-national solutions is a prudent part of planning the management of long-lived radioactive wastes

76 FR 17617 - Changes to Treatments for Citrus Fruit From Australia

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-30

... Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2008-0140] Changes to Treatments for Citrus Fruit From Australia AGENCY... Australia into the United States. These new treatments will continue to prevent the introduction or... from Australia into the United States. We also proposed to establish an approved irradiation dose for...

Discrimination, Affirmative Action and Women Academics: A Case Study of the University of New England.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Bronwyn

1982-01-01

Sex discrimination in employment is analyzed based on definitions developed through antidiscrimination legislation in Australia. Experiences at one university are used to illustrate how discrimination manifests and perpetuates itself in a cycle of attitudes, acts, and outcomes. Substantial data on employment patterns and practices are presented.…

Enhancing Students' Self-Efficacy in Making Positive Career Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Reddan, Gregory

2015-01-01

Field Project A is an elective course in the Bachelor of Exercise Science program at Griffith University and includes elements of both career development learning and work-integrated learning. This paper aims to determine the effects of the learning activities and assessment items developed for the course on students' self-efficacy in making…

Combining Quality Work-Integrated Learning and Career Development Learning through the Use of the SOAR Model to Enhance Employability

Science.gov (United States)

Reddan, Gregory; Rauchle, Maja

2017-01-01

This paper presents students' perceptions of the benefits to employability of a suite of courses that incorporate both work-integrated learning (WIL) and career development learning (CDL). Field Project A and Field Project B are elective courses in the Bachelor of Exercise Science at Griffith University. These courses engage students in active and…

Understanding and Overcoming Barriers: Learning Experiences of Undergraduate Sudanese Students at an Australian University

Science.gov (United States)

Gately, Natalie Jane; Ellis, Suzanne; Britton, Katherine; Fleming, Tina

2017-01-01

An increase in migration of Sudanese and South Sudanese people to Australia due to civil unrest in their home country has increased the numbers of Sudanese students at university. Migrant experiences, particularly those of English as a second language, can impact negatively on education and learning. Inconsistencies between student scores on…

Australia's Uranium and thorium resources and their global significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, I.B.; McKay, A.; Miezitis, Y.

2006-01-01

Full text: Full text: Australia's world-leading uranium endowment appears to result from the emplacement of uranium enriched felsic igneous rocks in three major periods during the geological evolution of the continent. Australia has over 27% of the world's total reasonably assured uranium resources (RAR) recoverable at < US$80/kgU (which approximates recent uranium spot prices). Olympic Dam is the largest known uranium deposit, containing approximately 19% of global RAR (and over 40% of global inferred resources) recoverable at < US$80/kg U; the uranium is present at low concentrations and the viability of its recovery is underpinned by co-production of copper and gold. Most of Australia's other identified resources are within Ranger, Jabiluka, Koongarra, Kintyre and Yeelirrie, the last four of which are not currently accessible for mining. In 2004, Australia's three operating uranium mines - Ranger, Olympic Dam, and Beverley -produced 22% of global production. Canada was the only country to produce more uranium (29%) and Kazakhstan (9%) ranked third. Considerably increased uranium production has been recently foreshadowed from Australia (through developing a large open pit at Olympic Dam), Canada (mainly through opening of the Cigar Lake mine), and Kazakhstan (developing several new in situ leach mines). These increases should go a long way towards satisfying demand from about 2010. Olympic Dam has sufficient resources to sustain such increased production over many decades. Thorium is expected to be used in some future generations of nuclear reactors. Australia also has major (but incompletely quantified) resources of this commodity, mainly in heavy mineral sands deposits and associated with alkaline igneous rocks. It is inevitable that the international community will be looking increasingly to Australia to sustain its vital role in providing fuels for future nuclear power generation, given its world-leading identified resources, considerable potential for new

Achelia shepherdi n. sp. and other Pycnogonida from Australia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stock, Jan H.

1973-01-01

Records of 10 species of shallow water Pycnogonida from Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales, including Achelia shepherdi n. sp., Parapallene avida Stock, 1973 (♀ new to science), and Anoplodactylus pulcher Carpenter, 1907 (new to Australia).

Nuclear regulation in Australia - future possibilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, J.; Bardsley, J.

1997-01-01

Australia's current nuclear regulatory arrangements reflect two major factors: that we are a federation, with a constitutional division of powers between the Commonwealth and the States, and that we have no nuclear industry, other than uranium mining. Australia's only nuclear facilities are operated by a Commonwealth instrumentality, ANSTO. Current Commonwealth regulatory arrangements are a response to international treaty commitments -principally the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) -and to the commencement of commercial uranium mining and export in the late 1970's. Although at present no nuclear industry activities, other than mining, are in prospect, this might not always be the case, and with the establishment of ARPANSA (the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency) it is timely to give some thought to regulatory arrangements which might be appropriate to Australia's future circumstances. This paper will discuss the regulation activities relating to the nuclear fuel cycle , i e activities involved with the production and use of nuclear materials (uranium, thorium and plutonium) for the generation of energy through nuclear fission

A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia

KAUST Repository

Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo; Westaway, Michael C.; Muller, Craig; Sousa, Vitor C.; Lao, Oscar; Alves, Isabel; Bergströ m, Anders; Athanasiadis, Georgios; Cheng, Jade Y.; Crawford, Jacob E.; Heupink, Tim H.; Macholdt, Enrico; Peischl, Stephan; Rasmussen, Simon; Schiffels, Stephan; Subramanian, Sankar; Wright, Joanne L.; Albrechtsen, Anders; Barbieri, Chiara; Dupanloup, Isabelle; Eriksson, Anders; Margaryan, Ashot; Moltke, Ida; Pugach, Irina; Korneliussen, Thorfinn S.; Levkivskyi, Ivan P.; Moreno-Mayar, J. Ví ctor; Ni, Shengyu; Racimo, Fernando; Sikora, Martin; Xue, Yali; Aghakhanian, Farhang A.; Brucato, Nicolas; Brunak, Sø ren; Campos, Paula F.; Clark, Warren; Ellingvå g, Sturla; Fourmile, Gudjugudju; Gerbault, Pascale; Injie, Darren; Koki, George; Leavesley, Matthew; Logan, Betty; Lynch, Aubrey; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth A.; McAllister, Peter J.; Mentzer, Alexander J.; Metspalu, Mait; Migliano, Andrea B.; Murgha, Les; Phipps, Maude E.; Pomat, William; Reynolds, Doc; Ricaut, Francois-Xavier; Siba, Peter; Thomas, Mark G.; Wales, Thomas; Wall, Colleen Ma’ run; Oppenheimer, Stephen J.; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Durbin, Richard; Dortch, Joe; Manica, Andrea; Schierup, Mikkel H.; Foley, Robert A.; Lahr, Marta Mirazó n; Bowern, Claire; Wall, Jeffrey D.; Mailund, Thomas; Stoneking, Mark; Nielsen, Rasmus; Sandhu, Manjinder S.; Excoffier, Laurent; Lambert, David M.; Willerslev, Eske

2016-01-01

The population history of Aboriginal Australians remains largely uncharacterized. Here we generate high-coverage genomes for 83 Aboriginal Australians (speakers of Pama-Nyungan languages) and 25 Papuans from the New Guinea Highlands. We find that Papuan and Aboriginal Australian ancestors diversified 25-40 thousand years ago (kya), suggesting pre-Holocene population structure in the ancient continent of Sahul (Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania). However, all of the studied Aboriginal Australians descend from a single founding population that differentiated ∼10-32 kya. We infer a population expansion in northeast Australia during the Holocene epoch (past 10,000 years) associated with limited gene flow from this region to the rest of Australia, consistent with the spread of the Pama-Nyungan languages. We estimate that Aboriginal Australians and Papuans diverged from Eurasians 51-72 kya, following a single out-of-Africa dispersal, and subsequently admixed with archaic populations. Finally, we report evidence of selection in Aboriginal Australians potentially associated with living in the desert. © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved

A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia

KAUST Repository

Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo

2016-09-20

The population history of Aboriginal Australians remains largely uncharacterized. Here we generate high-coverage genomes for 83 Aboriginal Australians (speakers of Pama-Nyungan languages) and 25 Papuans from the New Guinea Highlands. We find that Papuan and Aboriginal Australian ancestors diversified 25-40 thousand years ago (kya), suggesting pre-Holocene population structure in the ancient continent of Sahul (Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania). However, all of the studied Aboriginal Australians descend from a single founding population that differentiated ∼10-32 kya. We infer a population expansion in northeast Australia during the Holocene epoch (past 10,000 years) associated with limited gene flow from this region to the rest of Australia, consistent with the spread of the Pama-Nyungan languages. We estimate that Aboriginal Australians and Papuans diverged from Eurasians 51-72 kya, following a single out-of-Africa dispersal, and subsequently admixed with archaic populations. Finally, we report evidence of selection in Aboriginal Australians potentially associated with living in the desert. © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved

Development of wildfires in Australia over the last century

Science.gov (United States)

Nieradzik, Lars Peter; Haverd, Vanessa; Briggs, Peter; Canadell, Josep G.; Smith, Ben

2017-04-01

developed at the CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Canberra, Australia and will be part of the upcoming release of the dynamic global vegetation model LPJ-GUESS version 4.1 within the MERGE project at Lund University, Sweden. It will also be included in the EC-Earth ESM within the EU Horizon 2020 project CRESCENDO.

Self-reported harassment and bullying in Australian universities: explaining differences between regional, metropolitan and elite institutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skinner, Timothy C.; Peetz, David; Strachan, Glenda

2015-01-01

© 2015 Association for Tertiary Education Management and the LH Martin Institute for Tertiary Education Leadership and Management. We analyse data from the largest survey of university staff in Australia to determine whether bullying and harassment are more common in regional than metropolitan...... of harassment. This probably reflected the labour market and resource context of regional universities. Binary logistic regression indicated that a perceived lack of support for professional development partially explained the effect of regional status on differences in the rates of harassment/bullying across...... university types. Markers of organisational culture only partially account for differences in the rates of harassment/bullying between university types....

Developing Professional Skills in a Third-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Course Offered in Western Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Jeffrey G.; Kagi, Robert I.; Phillips, David N.

1998-10-01

"This unit gave me a broad industrial view of the chemical world and I am grateful for the professional skills I gained." That is the response of one graduate several years after he had taken the "Chemistry and Technology" unit that we present in the third year of the undergraduate chemistry course at Western Australia's Curtin University of Technology. Students in tertiary education are effectively "cocooned from the real world". There is a growing need for a teaching that links students to situations they will encounter upon gaining employment. The Chemistry and Technology unit has been developed over a 12-year period and is presented in the final semester of the course. It comprises six modules and is taught by lecturers from industry and the staff of the School. The Professional Practice, Consumer Chemistry, and Environmental modules are ones that most teachers could consider in their course. The other three modules are specific to Western Australia's needs, but could be modified or replaced to cater to other employment circumstances. A survey of recent graduates yielded complimentary responses to the appropriateness of such a unit in the course.

Reengineering in Australia: factors affecting success

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felicity Murphy

1998-11-01

Full Text Available Business process reengineering (BPR is being used in many organisations worldwide to realign operations. Most of the research undertaken has been focused on North American or European practices. The study reported here replicates a US reengineering study in an Australian context by surveying large public and private sector Australian organisations. The study makes three main contributions by: (1 presenting a picture of BPR practices in Australia, (2 clarifying factors critical to the success of reengineering projects in Australia, and (3 providing a comparison of factors leading to success in Australian BPR projects with those found in the US.

Big gas project for Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jemain, A.

2005-01-01

Australia is re-launching its ambitions in liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the Greater Gorgon project of offshore exploitation of the natural gas reserves of the continental shelf of NW Australia. These reserves would represent 200 million tons of LNG which will be exported towards China and USA. The project will cost 11 billion dollars and will yield 2 billion dollars per year. It is managed by a consortium which groups together Chevron Corp. (50%), Shell (25%) and ExxonMobil (25%). Technip company is partner of the project. The China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has announced its intention to become also partner of the project, and maybe Japan, South Korea and Taiwan will wish too. Short paper. (J.S.)

"I Knew Jean-Paul Sartre": Philosophy of Education as Comedy

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Morwenna; Peters, Michael A.

2014-01-01

Ludwig Wittgenstein suggests that "A serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes". The idea for this dialogue comes from a conversation that Michael Peters and Morwenna Griffiths had at the Philosophy of Education of Great Britain annual meeting at the University of Oxford, 2011. It was sparked by an…

Uranium mining in Australia: dreams--and reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1977-01-01

By the early 1980's if the current mining projects described are allowed to go on stream, Australia will be able to produce at least 10 900 tons of U$sub 3$O$sub 8$ annually from ores whose grade ranges from a low of 0.150% to a high of 2.300%. The Jabiluka Project of uranium mining is described, and plans for other mines are discussed in Queensland, South and Western Australia. 2 refs

Prospects for the uranium industry in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-02-01

The report covers the basic issues of the coming uranium era discussing the world supply and demand situation, the trend in uranium prices and the continuing move to nuclear power as the world's primary source of electrical energy. In Australia, unknowns such as future contract prices and quantities, production start dates, royalties and the outcome of the environmental inquiry create the speculative image of the uranium stocks. The first section of the report discusses the technical aspects of the nuclear industry but is necessarily brief because the real story is the world trend to nuclear power for economic and political reasons and the old story of supply and demand (discussed in section two). Within Australia some companies are better placed than others to benefit from the uranium era. Section three looks at prices and section four reviews the individual companies involved in the uranium industry in Australia. (author)

Prospects for the uranium industry in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1976-02-01

The report covers the basic issues of the coming uranium era discussing the world supply and demand situation, the trend in uranium prices and the continuing move to nuclear power as the world's primary source of electrical energy. In Australia, unknowns such as future contract prices and quantities, production start dates, royalties and the outcome of the environmental inquiry create the speculative image of the uranium stocks. The first section of the report discusses the technical aspects of the nuclear industry but is necessarily brief because the real story is the world trend to nuclear power for economic and political reasons and the old story of supply and demand (discussed in section two). Within Australia some companies are better placed than others to benefit from the uranium era. Section three looks at prices and section four reviews the individual companies involved in the uranium industry in Australia.

Sexual and reproductive health and philanthropic funding in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill-Atkinson, Liz; Vaughan, Cathy; Williams, Hennie

2014-09-01

Background Australia's philanthropic sector is growing and could support efforts to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH). However, philanthropy is often misunderstood in Australia and there is limited evidence of philanthropic support for SRH initiatives. We aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to philanthropic funding of SRH initiatives in Australia. A qualitative approach was used and involved 13 in-depth interviews with professionals from the philanthropic sector, and from organisations and services involved in SRH. Barriers to organisations in seeking philanthropic funding for SRH activities included insufficient resources for writing grant applications and the small financial value of philanthropic grants. Facilitators to seeking philanthropic funding for SRH included a perception that government funding is shrinking and that philanthropic research grants are less competitive than government grants. Philanthropic participants identified that barriers to funding SRH include the sensitive nature of SRH and the perceived conservative nature of philanthropy. Facilitators identified by these participants in supporting SRH initiatives included networking and relationships between grant-makers and grant-seekers. All participants agreed that philanthropy does and could have a role in funding SRH in Australia. The findings of this research suggest that barriers to philanthropic funding for SRH in Australia exist for organisations attempting to access philanthropic funding. Philanthropic organisations could provide more financial support to Australian SRH service providers, as happens in countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. Addressing these barriers and promoting the facilitators could lead to increased awareness of SRH by Australia's philanthropic sector.

Working in Australia's heat: health promotion concerns for health and productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sudhvir; Hanna, Elizabeth G; Kjellstrom, Tord

2015-06-01

This exploratory study describes the experiences arising from exposure to extreme summer heat, and the related health protection and promotion issues for working people in Australia. Twenty key informants representing different industry types and occupational groups or activities in Australia provided semi-structured interviews concerning: (i) perceptions of workplace heat exposure in the industry they represented, (ii) reported impacts on health and productivity, as well as (iii) actions taken to reduce exposure or effects of environmental heat exposure. All interviewees reported that excessive heat exposure presents a significant challenge for their industry or activity. People working in physically demanding jobs in temperatures>35°C frequently develop symptoms, and working beyond heat tolerance is common. To avoid potentially dangerous health impacts they must either slow down or change their work habits. Such health-preserving actions result in lost work capacity. Approximately one-third of baseline work productivity can be lost in physically demanding jobs when working at 40°C. Employers and workers consider that heat exposure is a 'natural hazard' in Australia that cannot easily be avoided and so must be accommodated or managed. Among participants in this study, the locus of responsibility for coping with heat lay with the individual, rather than the employer. Heat exposure during Australian summers commonly results in adverse health effects and productivity losses, although quantification studies are lacking. Lack of understanding of the hazardous nature of heat exposure exacerbates the serious risk of heat stress, as entrenched attitudinal barriers hamper amelioration or effective management of this increasing occupational health threat. Educational programmes and workplace heat guidelines are required. Without intervention, climate change in hot countries, such as Australia, can be expected to further exacerbate heat-related burden of disease and loss

Proceedings of the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on Educational Technologies (5th, Sydney, Australia, December 11-13, 2017)

Science.gov (United States)

Kommers, Piet, Ed.; Issa, Tomayess, Ed.; Isaias, Pedro, Ed.; Hol, Ana, Ed.

2017-01-01

These proceedings contain the papers and posters of the 5th International Conference on Educational Technologies 2017 (ICEduTech 2017), which has been organised by the International Association for Development of the Information Society and co-organised by the Western Sydney University, held in Sydney, Australia, 11-13 December 2017. ICEduTech is…

The oldest brachiopods from the lower cambrian of South Australia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Topper, Timothy Paul; Holmer, Lars E.; Skovsted, Christian B.

2013-01-01

The morphology and organophosphatic shell structure of the paterinate brachiopod Askepasma is documented using new and previously collected specimens from the lower Cambrian of South Australia. Lack of adequately preserved material has seen the majority of paterinate specimens previously reported...... from South Australia referred to the genus Askepasma and treated under open nomenclature. Large collections of paterinates from the lower Cambrian Wilkawillina, Ajax, and Wirrapowie limestones in the Arrowie Basin, South Australia have prompted redescription of the type species Askepasma toddense...... and the erection of a new species, Askepasma saproconcha sp. nov. Askepasma saproconcha sp. nov. currently represents the oldest known brachiopod from the lower Cambrian successions in South Australia with a FAD in pre-trilobitic (Terreneuvian, Cambrian Stage 2, lower Atdabanian) strata in the basal part...

Harmonising and Matching IPR Holders at IP Australia

OpenAIRE

T’Mir D. Julius; Gaétan de Rassenfosse

2014-01-01

This document describes the methodology developed by the Melbourne Institute to: (i) harmonise holders of intellectual property rights (IPRs) at IP Australia (applications for patent, designs, trademarks and plant breeder’s rights); (ii) match Australian IPRs holders to the Australian business register; (iii) identify the ultimate owners within Australia; and (iv) identify which holders are small and medium size enterprises.

Internet advertising of artificial tanning in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Team, Victoria; Markovic, Milica

2006-08-01

Artificial tanning, defined as deliberate exposure to ultraviolet rays produced by artificial tanning devices, is a new and emerging public health issue in Australia and globally. Epidemiological research suggests that artificial tanning may contribute to the incidence of melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer as well as other health problems. Given that Australia has a high incidence of skin cancer, we have undertaken a study to explore how artificial tanning has been promoted to its users. The aim was to analyze the completeness and accuracy of information about artificial tanning. A content analysis of web sites of tanning salons and distributors of tanning equipment in Australia was conducted. A total of 22 web sites were analyzed. None of the solarium operators or distributors of equipment provided full information about the risks of artificial tanning. Fifty-nine percent of web advertisements had no information and 41% provided only partial information regarding the risks of artificial tanning. Pictures with the image of bronze-tanned bodies, predominantly women, were used by all web advertisers. In light of the success of sun-safety campaigns in Australia, the findings of future epidemiological research on the prevalence of artificial tanning and sociological and anthropological research on why people utilize artificial tanning should be a basis for developing effective targeted health promotion on the elimination of artificial tanning in the country.

An Investigation on Allocative Efficiency and Implications of New Funding Plans for the Australian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Mamun, Shamsul Arifeen Khan; Rahman, Mohammand Mafizur

2016-01-01

In 2013 and 2014, the Australian Federal Government introduced the Gonski reforms and fee deregulation measures to reform the prevailing financing provisions for education sectors in Australia. The central proposition of the proposed new measures was to reduce the funding of public universities by the Federal Government. One likely consequence of…

Tissue banking in australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ireland, Lynette; McKelvie, Helen

2003-01-01

The legal structure for the regulation of tissue banking has existed for many years. In Australia, the donation of human tissue is regulated by legislation in each of the eight States and Territories. These substantially uniform Acts were passed in the late 1970's and early 1980's, based on model legislation and underpinned by the concept of consensual giving. However, it was not until the early 1990's that tissue banking came under the notice of regulatory authorities. Since then the Australian Government has moved quickly to oversee the tissue banking sector in Australia. Banked human tissue has been deemed to be a therapeutic good under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, and tissue banks are required to be licensed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and are audited for compliance with the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice- Human Blood and Tissues. In addition, tissue banks must comply with a myriad of other standards, guidelines and recommendations.

Pleistocene Paleoart of Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert G. Bednarik

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Pleistocene rock art is abundant in Australia, but has so far received only limited attention. Instead there has been a trend, begun over a century ago, to search for presumed depictions of extinct megafauna and the tracks of such species. All these notions have been discredited, however, and the current evidence suggests that figurative depiction was introduced only during the Holocene, never reaching Tasmania. Nevertheless, some Australian rock art has been attributed to the Pleistocene by direct dating methods, and its nature implies that a significant portion of the surviving corpus of rock art may also be of such age. In particular much of Australian cave art is of the Ice Age, or appears to be so, and any heavily weathered or patinated petroglyphs on particularly hard rocks are good candidates for Pleistocene antiquity. On the other hand, there is very limited evidence of mobiliary paleoart of such age in Australia.

Selective substitution in orbital domains of a low doped manganite: an investigation from Griffiths phenomenon and modification of glassy features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, K; Banerjee, A

2009-01-01

An effort is made to study the contrast in magnetic behavior resulting from minimal disorder introduced by substitution of 2.5% Ga or Al in Mn site of La 0.9 Sr 0.1 MnO 3 . It is considered that Ga or Al selectively create disorder within the orbital domains or on its walls, causing enhancement of Griffiths phase (GP) singularity for the former and disappearance of it in the latter case. It is shown that Ga replaces Mn 3+ , which is considered to be concentrated within the domains, whereas Al replaces Mn 4+ , which is segregated on the hole-rich walls, without causing any significant effect on structure or ferromagnetic transition temperatures. Thus, it is presumed that the effect of disorder created by Ga extends across the bulk of the domain having correlation over a similar length scale, resulting in enhancement of the GP phenomenon. In contrast, the effect of disorder created by Al remains restricted to the walls, resulting in the modification of the dynamics arising from the domain walls and suppresses the GP. Moreover, contrasting features are observed in the low temperature region of the compounds; a re-entrant spin-glass-like behavior is observed in the Ga-doped sample, while the observed characteristics for the Al-doped sample are ascribed only to modified domain wall dynamics with the absence of any glassy phase. Distinctive features in third-order susceptibility measurements reveal that the magnetic ground state of the entire series comprises of orbital domain states. These observations bring out the role of the nature of disorder on the GP phenomenon and also reconfirms the character of self-organization in low doped manganites.

Unequal Bargaining? Australia's Aviation Trade Relations with the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Russell

2001-01-01

International aviation trade bargaining is distinguished by its use of a formal process of bilateral bargaining based on the reciprocal exchange of rights by states. Australia-United States aviation trade relations are currently without rancour, but this has not always been the case and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, their formal bilateral aviation negotiations were a forum for a bitter conflict between two competing international aviation policies. In seeking to explain the bilateral aviation outcomes between Australia and the United States and how Australia has sought to improve upon these, analytical frameworks derived from international political economy were considered, along with the bilateral bargaining process itself. The paper adopts a modified neorealist model and concludes that to understand how Australia has sought to improve upon these aviation outcomes, neorealist assumptions that relative power capabilities determine outcomes must be qualified by reference to the formal bilateral bargaining process. In particular, Australia's use of this process and its application of certain bargaining tactics within that process remain critical to understanding bilateral outcomes.

Effect of Weather Variability on Seasonal Influenza Among Different Age Groups in Queensland, Australia: A Bayesian Spatiotemporal Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiaodong; Mengersen, Kerrie; Milinovich, Gabriel; Hu, Wenbiao

2017-06-01

The effects of weather variability on seasonal influenza among different age groups remain unclear. The comparative study aims to explore the differences in the associations between weather variability and seasonal influenza, and growth rates of seasonal influenza epidemics among different age groups in Queensland, Australia. Three Bayesian spatiotemporal conditional autoregressive models were fitted at the postal area level to quantify the relationships between seasonal influenza and monthly minimum temperature (MIT), monthly vapor pressure, school calendar pattern, and Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage for 3 age groups (Weather variability appears to be more influential on seasonal influenza transmission in younger (0-14) age groups. The growth rates of influenza at postal area level were relatively small for older (≥65) age groups in Queensland, Australia. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Change, technology and higher education: are universities capable of organisational change?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Marshall

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Technology and change are so closely related that the use of the word innovation seems synonymous with technology in many contexts, including that of higher education. This paper contends that university culture and existing capability constrain such innovation and to a large extent determine the nature and extent of organisational change. In the absence of strong leadership, technologies are simply used as vehicles to enable changes that are already intended or which reinforce the current identity. These contentions are supported by evidence from e-learning benchmarking activities carried out over the past five years in universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Phylogenetic analysis reveals multiple introductions of Cynodon species in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, M; Frère, C H; Harris-Shultz, K; Anderson, W F; Godwin, I D; Lambrides, C J

2012-11-01

The distinction between native and introduced flora within isolated land masses presents unique challenges. The geological and colonisation history of Australia, the world's largest island, makes it a valuable system for studying species endemism, introduction, and phylogeny. Using this strategy we investigated Australian cosmopolitan grasses belonging to the genus Cynodon. While it is believed that seven species of Cynodon are present in Australia, no genetic analyses have investigated the origin, diversity and phylogenetic history of Cynodon within Australia. To address this gap, 147 samples (92 from across Australia and 55 representing global distribution) were sequenced for a total of 3336bp of chloroplast DNA spanning six genes. Data showed the presence of at least six putatively introduced Cynodon species (C. transvaalensis, C. incompletus, C. hirsutus, C. radiatus, C. plectostachyus and C. dactylon) in Australia and suggested multiple recent introductions. C. plectostachyus, a species often confused with C. nlemfuensis, was not previously considered to be present in Australia. Most significantly, we identified two common haplotypes that formed a monophyletic clade diverging from previously identified Cynodon species. We hypothesise that these two haplotypes may represent a previously undescribed species of Cynodon. We provide further evidence that two Australian native species, Brachyachne tenella and B. convergens belong in the genus Cynodon and, therefore, argue for the taxonomic revision of the genus Cynodon. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Financial Worldwide Crisis: The Anti-Counter Cycle of Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joao NEGREIROS

2013-12-01

Full Text Available If Australia has been subject to major influences by the United States and European countries, why is its economy healthier than their counter partners? What are the economic foundations that underline this anti-counter cycle of financial worldwide crisis from Australia? What are some of the lessons that countries from Europe that have not fared during the current financial worldwide crisis should learn from Australia? The purpose of this paper is to review the present Australian management system. Four changes are identified including embracement of corporate governance, a shift to adopt more R&D activities, a shift to adopt environmental sustainability practices and emerging corporate social responsibility. On the conclusions settings, a recap and recommendation on how Portugal, a member of the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain Southern European Countries club forgot to embrace directives that have been applied in Australia, to avoid the actual financial and identity crisis.

Overcoming barriers to wind project finance in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kann, Shayle

2009-01-01

The wind power industry in Australia is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade, primarily due to a forthcoming expanded national renewable energy target (RET) which will mandate that renewable sources provide approximately 20% of Australia's electricity production by 2020. However, development of new wind generation in Australia has stalled as a result of several barriers to project finance, the mechanism through which most wind farms have been developed historically. This paper provides an overview of wind power financing in Australia in light of recent political and financial trends. Drawing upon existing literature and a series of stakeholder interviews, it identifies three primary barriers to project finance: regulatory risk surrounding legislation of the RET, semi-privatization of electricity retailers in New South Wales, and limited capital availability resulting from the recent global credit crisis. The paper concludes that the confluence of these barriers limits the availability of long-term contracts that provide revenue certainty for pre-construction wind projects, while simultaneously making these contracts a necessity in order to obtain project finance. In an attempt to mitigate these effects, this paper identifies four alternative development strategies that can be pursued.

A Review of Roof Harvested Rainwater in Australia

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Chirhakarhula E. Chubaka

2018-01-01

Full Text Available To address concern regarding water sustainability, the Australian Federal Government and many state governments have implemented regulatory mechanisms and incentives to support households to purchase and install rainwater harvesting systems. This has led to an increase in rainwater harvesting in regional and urban Australia. This review examines the implementation of the regulatory mechanisms across Australia. In addition, the literature investigating the potential health consequences of rainwater consumption in Australia was explored. Studies demonstrated that although trace metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and iron were present in Australian rainwater, these metallic elements were generally found below the health limit guideline, except in high industrial areas. In addition, pathogenic or indicator microorganisms that include, but are not limited to, Escherichia coli, total and faecal coliforms, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Cryptosporidium, Enterococci, Giardia, Aeromonas, and Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC have been detected in rainwater collected in Australia. However, epidemiological evidence suggests that drinking rainwater does not increase the risk of gastrointestinal disease. It was also identified that there is a need for further research investigating the potential for rainwater to be a source of infection for opportunistic pathogens.

Radiological terrorism and Australia's response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, D.

2003-01-01

A terrorist attack in Australia involving dispersal of radioactive material is different from conventional terrorist attacks involving explosives. The trauma experienced by victims during an explosive incident includes cuts, broken limbs, burns and shock. When an explosive device involving radioactive materials is involved, there are a number of additional characteristics including the contamination of victims and the surrounding area and the potential requirement for ongoing monitoring and decontamination. Response actions may require additional complex emergency response measures including immediate protective actions to protect those potentially exposed to contamination, mass casualty care, and public and mental health. There are concerns that terrorist organizations are showing increasing interest in acquiring radiological material that could be used with explosive. A dirty bomb or technically known as a radiological dispersal device (RDD) is a device designed to spread radioactive contamination over a wide area and pose a health and safety threat to those within the contaminated area. The radioactive material could be in the form of a large chunk of material, fine powder, a liquid mist, or a gas. The material may also be spread in other ways, such as by simply emptying a container over the desired area. As RDD's do not require large amounts of explosives, there is unlikely to be a large numbers of casualties, however the areas contaminated by the radiological material may cause immediate and long term health risks to those exposed. An RDD is a weapon of Mass Disruption rather than destruction. While the likelihood of RDD's being employed by terrorist in Australia is still considered remote, Australia's emergency response organizations are developing plans to ensure a rapid and comprehensive response occurs should such an event occur in this country, The presentation will outline Australia's response arrangements at the local/state level and the type of federal

Women in nuclear (WiN) Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lackenby, Joanne

2015-01-01

Founded in 1992, Women in Nuclear Global (WiN Global) is a worldwide organisation that supports and encourages women working in nuclear and radiation applications. Membership of WiN is made up of chapters and individuals from over 105 countries and various international organisations. As of August 2015, WiN has approximately 25 000 members in total, some of which are men. WiN Australia Inc. (a chapter of WiN Global) was formally founded in 2005 and has grown to approximately 160 members, with two affiliate members from New Zealand. Members work in a variety of fields including research, policy, defence, meteorology, reactor engineering and maintenance, reactor operations, medical physics, law, supporting roles, nuclear medicine and medical physics, mining, academia and safeguards. The objectives of WiN Global and WiN Australia can broadly be summarised as: 1) to increase awareness and information in the public, especially amongst women and the younger generations, about the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, science and technology 2) facilitate networking between individuals, chapters and with other nuclear organisations 3) to support women working in nuclear energy, science and technology 4 )to hold an annual conference and mentor the younger generations of nuclear professionals. The 2015 WiN Annual Global Conference was held in Vienna and attracted over 450 participants from 50 countries, which highlights the remarkable success of Women in Nuclear. Notable activities carried out by WiN Australia over recent years include hosting the 2014 WiN Annual Global Conference in Sydney: securing a WiN Global Executive position for Oceania: participation in workshops, panels and conferences: ongoing leadership of two important WiN Global working groups: and transition to an incorporated Association. A new WiN Australia Executive Committee was elected in September 2015. Future plans for WiN Australia focus on increased engagement and networking with think tanks, nuclear. and

Media and Australia's replacement reactor project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keenan, Pamela

2001-01-01

In September 1997, the Commonwealth Government of Australia announced a proposal to build a replacement nuclear research reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney. Extensive public consultation, parliamentary debate and independent reports were prepared to ensure that the new facility would meet strict international requirements, national safety and environmental standards, and performance specifications servicing the needs of Australia - for decades to come. On 6 June 2000, Argentine company INVAP SE was announced as the preferred tenderer. In July 2000 contracts were signed between INVAP and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation for the construction the replacement reactor, due to be completed in 2005. In order to retain a strong local presence, INVAP undertook a joint venture with two of Australia's foremost heavy construction businesses. Briefly the new research reactor will be a replacement for the ageing Australian Reactor (HIFAR). Nuclear science and technology, in Australia, is no stranger to media controversy and misinformation. Understandably the announcement of a preferred tenderer followed by the signing of contracts, attracted significant national and international media attention. However in the minds of the media, the issue is far from resolved and is now a constant 'news story' in the Australian media. Baseless media stories have made claims that the project will cost double the original estimates; question the credibility of the contractors; and raise issues of international security. The project is currently linked with Australia's requirements for long term nuclear waste management and there has been an attempt to bring national Indigenous People's issues into play. Some of these issues have been profiled in the press internationally. So, just to set the record straight and give you an appropriate impression of what's 'really happening' I would like to highlight a few issues, how ANSTO dealt with these, and what was finally reported

Australia : the view from down under

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Champion de Crespigny, R.J. [Normandy Mining Ltd., Adelaide (Australia)

2002-07-01

Australia has been a leader in global mineral exploration expenditure since 1993. It is a country with an outstanding exploration record, vast tracts of land, and minimal exploration with great datasets. It is also one of the world's most stable governments where projects are easily developed with world class technology and people. Although Australian exploration has been successful, trends must be carefully observed to see if the cycle may turn. The best success rate has been for gold. Between 1970 and 2000, 136 discoveries were made, including 7 significant deposits with greater than 12 m ozs reserves operating or under construction. There are 11 advanced projects with potential for more than 40 m ozs. Other successful exploration ventures in Australia have been in the mineral sands, nickel, base metals, copper and diamonds, each against difficult commodity prices. Australia is cost competitive with Africa, Asia, Latin America, Canada and the United States. It was noted that large areas of Australia still remain unexplored, with the Central Australian Proterozoic area holding more than 5,000,000 square km of prospective terrains. The paper highlighted the Lake Mackay Project, the Yilgarn Craton, exploration drilling in the Yandal region, and the mineral potential in the Westside and Barton areas. From 1995 to 2001, nine new gold mines have been successfully commissioned at a cost of half the world average. The advantages include an excellent infrastructure in camps, world class support in construction, and a favourable Australian dollar and tax regime. The paper also described major projects commissioned between 1996 and 2000 for base metals (lead, zinc, silver and copper), nickel, aluminium and magnesium. 15 figs.

Expectations of vulnerability in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice M Neikirk

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The ability of refugees to gain admission to Australia is increasingly based on perceptions of helplessness, suffering and ‘deservingness’. One consequence is that men in particular are marginalised following resettlement.

Australia explores apprehensively the renewable energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colrat, M.

2005-01-01

The development of new energy technologies worldwide is a result of the depletion of fossil fuel and non-renewable resources and of the collective awareness about the potential consequences of the greenhouse effect. The strong dependence of Australia with respect to fossil fuels is a consequence of its abundant resources (mainly coal) but leads to important CO 2 emissions. Australia is thus the first emitter of greenhouse gases per habitant in the world and its contribution to global emissions is of 1.6% for only 0.3% of the world population. Fortunately, despite fossil fuel reserves amply sufficient with respect to the needs, the production of clean energy is developing in Australia and research programs have been implemented for the exploration of new energy generation technologies: wind turbines for weak winds, hybrid wind-diesel power systems, oscillating wave column (OWC) power generation systems, bio-energetic cultivation techniques (combined production of eucalyptus oil, of activated charcoal, and of electricity with soil desalination), photovoltaic power generation, EnviroMission project of giant solar tower, research on hydrogen production techniques (solar thermal conversion of natural gas, water electrolysis with photo-electrodes), fuel cells for domestic cogeneration, hot dry rock geothermal systems. (J.S.)

Perceived boundary of 'differences' and 'sameness' by Japanese students in Australia : Is difference in cultures a significant variable for constructing interpersonal relationship?

OpenAIRE

小柳, 志津

2003-01-01

Thirty-one Japanese undergraduate and postgraduate students in Australian universities participated in semi-structured interviews to examine the interpersonal relationships between Japanese students and other nationalities in Australia, in particular, Australians and other international students. It was found that the Japanese students tended to form closer relationships and feel more comfortable in communicating with other Asian students than Australians, and that many regard Asian students ...

Legitimizing knwoledge of the workplace? Exploring critical perspectives on learning partnerships between universities and corporate organizations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gustavs, J.; Clegg, S.R.

2005-01-01

As a result of changing conditions of funding, emanating in a sense of crisis about viability and the need to find new sources of revenue, many universities in Australia and elsewhere are moving into new areas of application in novel partnerships with corporate organizations, to deliver 'work-based

Sustainability in Higher Education's Annual Reports: An Empirical Study on Australian and Austrian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffhauser-Linzatti, Michaela Maria; Ossmann, Stefan F.

2018-01-01

Purpose: Higher education institutions are regarded as forerunners and pioneers of sustainability. However, it is to question whether they actually fulfill their role model function. This paper aims to reveal whether selected universities in Australia and Austria meet the reporting expectations about their activities on sustainability in very…

An Analysis of the Geographic Distribution of Recently Graduated Dentists from the University of Western Australia: The World's Most Isolated Dental School

Science.gov (United States)

Gurbuxani, Amit; Kruger, Estie; Tennant, Marc

2013-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the geographic distribution of all new dentists who graduated over a period of six years. Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is one of the world's most isolated cities, with a population of approximately 1.6 million people, situated over 2000km from its nearest next major capital…

Super size me: is a big Australia good for our health?

Science.gov (United States)

Pelser, Deborah

2010-05-03

Australia faces a federally instigated migration drive aimed at increasing its population to 35 million by 2049. Immigration is welcomed by politicians, economists and business people, who credit it with helping Australia fare better than other developed countries during the recent global financial crisis. Australia's capital cities will have to expand considerably to house the new migrants. Increased urbanisation, when not accompanied by appropriate town planning, is associated with higher rates of chronic disease. Despite the migration drive, Australia's population will continue to age, and by 2056 one in four Australians will be over the age of 65 years. Australian health services are already heavily burdened. Health professionals must engage with governments to ensure that appropriate plans are put in place to accommodate the increased burden of disease that will accompany a more populous Australia. Failure to do so will compromise the health of our nation.

Re-Presenting, Performing Critical/Post-Critical Research Realities

Science.gov (United States)

Heimans, Stephen; Singh, Parlo

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to focus on the relations between theory and research methods in educational research by mapping out our own research journeys. The paper arises out of a plenary talk at a "Theory Workshop" (May 13-15, 2016) that the Australian Association for Educational Research facilitated with Griffith University in Brisbane.…

Predictive value of developmental testing in the second year for cognitive development at five years of age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alastair G Sutcliffe

2010-09-01

Full Text Available There is mixed evidence about the predictive validity of the Griffiths mental developmental scales. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of developmental assessments of children in their second year using the Griffiths mental development scales for neuro-developmental status at five years using the Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence, revised (WPPSI-R. In a longitudinal study 253 children were assessed in their second year of life using the Griffiths scales and again at five years using the WPPSI-R. The scores were compared and the predictability of the WPPSI-R outcome on the basis of Griffiths scores was assessed. The WPPSI-R full scale IQ and the performance IQ at age five could be predicted moderately by the Griffiths general quotient (GQ and by the personal/social scale. The Griffiths GQ was not a significant predictor of verbal IQ at age 5. The Griffiths performance scale predicted subsequent WPPSI-R performance IQ, and marginally the Full Scale IQ. For the early identification of children at risk for language delay, the Griffiths scales may not be suitable. However, a shortened form would be useful to predict overall cognitive development from the second year to school entry, focussing on the personal-social and performance scales.

New developments on the uranium sector in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graul, H.; Hilger, W.

1978-01-01

Australia is one of the richest countries as far as uranium is concerned. The Jabiluka deposit alone is considered to be the largest single uranium deposit of the Western world. The overall known assured uranium reserves in Australia amount to 465.000 tons U 3 O 8 at cost ranges between 15 and 30 US Dollar per pound U 3 O 8 , i.e. approximately 21% of the known world reserves. Most of the Australien uranium ore is of relatively high grade and nearly all of it could be mined from open pit. At this stage Mary Kathleen in Queensland is the only producing uranium mine in Australia. The actual political attitude of the Australian government prevents the Australian uranium industry from beeing further developed. (orig.) 891 HP/orig. 892 MKO [de

History and management of sirex wood wasp in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Angus J. Carnegie

2007-01-01

This paper reviews the history and management of Sirex noctilio in Australia, including information from previous reviews as well as more recent data. The sirex wood wasp, Sirex noctilio, is one of the most important insect pests of Pinus radiata in Australia. Native to Europe, North Africa and Turkey, S...

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMENGARUHI IMPOR GANDUM INDONESIA DARI AUSTRALIA TAHUN 1980-2013

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Istiadi Priyo Utomo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Ketika konsumsi gandum Indonesia meningkat maka impor gandum ditingkatkan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan konsumsi masyarakat akan makanan berbahan dasar gandum. Salah satu pengekspor gandum terbesar untuk Indonesia adalah Australia. Produksi gandum Australia cenderung berfluktuatif. Namun ketika produksi gandum Australia menurun impor gandum Indonesia dari Australia justru meningkat. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif dengan data time series berdasarkan tahun periode 1980-2013. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah Ordinary Least Square (OLS. Pengujian secara parsial digunakan uji t-statistik dan pengujian secara serempak digunakan uji F-statistik. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa produksi gandum Australia tidak berpengaruh dan signifikan terhadap impor gandum Indonesia dari Australia dengan nilai koefisiens ebesar 0,0000802. Konsumsi gandum Indonesia berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap impor gandum Indonesia dari Australia dengan koefisien sebesar 0,000241. Kurs berpengaruh positif terhadap impor gandum Indonesia dari Australia dengan nilai koefisien sebesar 0,000501. Saran dari penelitian ini maka pemerintah perlu menekan impor gandum dengan mengeluarkan kebijakan penanaman komoditas pertanian alternatif pengganti gandum untuk bahan tepung terigu seperti singkong. Masyarakat perlu kembali beralih mengkonsumsi komoditas lokal.  When the Indonesian wheat consumption increases, imports of wheat increased to meet the consumption needs of the community will be wheat-based foods. One of the biggest wheat exporter to Indonesia is Australia. Australian wheat production is likely to fluctuate. But when the Australian wheat production decreased Indonesian wheat imports from Australia have increased. This research is a quantitative study with time series data based on the period 1980-2013. The analytical method used is Ordinary Least Square (OLS. Partial test used statistical t-test and test simultaneously used the F

Is Ips grandicollis disrupting the biological control of Sirex noctilio in Australia?

Science.gov (United States)

Angus J. Carnegie; Andrew D. Loch

2011-01-01

Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio) is considered one of the most serious threats to exotic Pinus radiata plantations in Australia. This exotic wasp has been established in Australia for more than six decades. The most significant outbreak occurred in the Green Triangle region of southeastern South Australia-western Victoria in the...

Socio-demographic, ecological factors and dengue infection trends in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Akter, Rokeya; Naish, Suchithra; Hu, Wenbiao; Tong, Shilu

2017-01-01

Dengue has been a major public health concern in Australia. This study has explored the spatio-temporal trends of dengue and potential socio- demographic and ecological determinants in Australia. Data on dengue cases, socio-demographic, climatic and land use types for the period January 1999 to December 2010 were collected from Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, respectively. Descriptive and linear regression analyses were performed to observe the spatio-temporal trends of dengue, socio-demographic and ecological factors in Australia. A total of 5,853 dengue cases (both local and overseas acquired) were recorded across Australia between January 1999 and December 2010. Most the cases (53.0%) were reported from Queensland, followed by New South Wales (16.5%). Dengue outbreak was highest (54.2%) during 2008-2010. A highest percentage of overseas arrivals (29.9%), households having rainwater tanks (33.9%), Indigenous population (27.2%), separate houses (26.5%), terrace house types (26.9%) and economically advantage people (42.8%) were also observed during 2008-2010. Regression analyses demonstrate that there was an increasing trend of dengue incidence, potential socio-ecological factors such as overseas arrivals, number of households having rainwater tanks, housing types and land use types (e.g. intensive uses and production from dryland agriculture). Spatial variation of socio-demographic factors was also observed in this study. In near future, significant increase of temperature was also projected across Australia. The projected increased temperature as well as increased socio-ecological trend may pose a future threat to the local transmission of dengue in other parts of Australia if Aedes mosquitoes are being established. Therefore, upgraded mosquito and disease surveillance at different ports should

"Unhelpfully Complex and Exceedingly Opaque": Australia's School Funding System

Science.gov (United States)

Dowling, Andrew

2008-01-01

Australia's system of school funding is notoriously complex and difficult to understand. This article shines some light on this issue by describing clearly the processes of school funding that currently exist in Australia. It describes the steps taken by federal and state governments to provide over $30 billion each year to government and…

The Transition to Full-Time Work of Young People Who Do Not Go to University. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Research Report 49

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, Gary N.

2006-01-01

This report focuses on the transition to full-time employment of young people who do not go to university. The majority of Australia's school leavers do not enroll in university, and it is important to better understand the pathways that they follow. The report uses a substantial longitudinal dataset to map the dynamics of the youth labour market,…

Status of Women In Physics in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, C. P.

2009-04-01

The status of women in physics is Australia has remained mostly steady until recently, with the appointment of several eminent women in major government of public roles. Australia seems to maintain the same gender ratio for those studying and working in physics. There is no overall coordination of programs to assist women into the workplace but there is generally goodwill. Success in attracting and retaining women in the physics workforce appears to depend on the local culture, initiatives, and attitude of the most senior person in the organization.

Recommendations for an energy policy for Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-10-01

Over the next few years, Australia must modify its dependence on natural oil and place greater reliance on other fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. The recommendations contained in this report are the result of two years of study, and the long term energy prospects for Australia and energy resource policies for coal, liquid fuels, nuclear energy, solar energy and natural gas are considered in detail. Energy conservation policies and the identification of areas where energy research, development and demonstration need to be undertaken are also covered. (J.R.)

Uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy - opportunities for Australia?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-12-01

On 6 June 2006, the Prime Minister announced the appointment of a taskforce to undertake an objective, scientific and comprehensive review of uranium mining, value-added processing and the contribution of nuclear energy in Australia in the longer term. This is known as the Review of Uranium Mining Processing and Nuclear Energy in Australia, referred to in this report as the Review. The Prime Minister asked the Review to report by the end of 2006. A draft report was released for public comment on 21 November 2006 and was also reviewed by an expert panel chaired by the Chief Scientist (see Appendix F). The Review is grateful for comments provided on the draft report by members of the public. The report has been modified in the light of those comments. In response to its initial call for public comment in August 2006 the Review received over 230 submissions from interested parties. It also conducted a wide range of consultations with organisations and individuals in Australia and overseas, and commissioned specialist studies on various aspects of the nuclear industry. Participating in the nuclear fuel cycle is a difficult issue for many Australians and can elicit strong views. This report is intended to provide a factual base and an analytical framework to encourage informed community discussion. Australia's demand for electricity will more than double before 2050. Over this period, more than two-thirds of existing electricity generation will need to be substantially upgraded or replaced and new capacity added. The additional capacity will need to be near-zero greenhouse gas emitting technology if Australia is just to keep greenhouse gas emissions at today's levels. Many countries confront similar circumstances and have therefore considered the use of nuclear power for some of the following reasons: the relative cost competitiveness of nuclear power versus the alternatives; security of supply and independence from fossil fuel energy imports; diversity of domestic

Children's Environmental Health Indicators in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sly, J Leith; Moore, Sophie E; Gore, Fiona; Brune, Marie Noel; Neira, Maria; Jagals, Paul; Sly, Peter D

2016-01-01

Adverse environmental exposures in early life increase the risk of chronic disease but do not attract the attention nor receive the public health priority warranted. A safe and healthy environment is essential for children's health and development, yet absent in many countries. A framework that aids in understanding the link between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes are environmental health indicators-numerical estimates of hazards and outcomes that can be applied at a population level. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a set of children's environmental health indicators (CEHI) for physical injuries, insect-borne disease, diarrheal diseases, perinatal diseases, and respiratory diseases; however, uptake of steps necessary to apply these indicators across the WHO regions has been incomplete. A first indication of such uptake is the management of data required to measure CEHI. The present study was undertaken to determine whether Australia has accurate up-to-date, publicly available, and readily accessible data on each CEHI for indigenous and nonindigenous Australian children. Data were not readily accessible for many of the exposure indicators, and much of the available data were not child specific or were only available for Australia's indigenous population. Readily accessible data were available for all but one of the outcome indicators and generally for both indigenous and nonindigenous children. Although Australia regularly collects data on key national indicators of child health, development, and well-being in several domains mostly thought to be of more relevance to Australians and Australian policy makers, these differ substantially from the WHO CEHI. The present study suggests that the majority of these WHO exposure and outcome indicators are relevant and important for monitoring Australian children's environmental health and establishing public health interventions at a local and national level and collection of appropriate

The Columbia University microbeam II endstation for cell imaging and irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigelow, A.W.; Ross, G.J.; Randers-Pehrson, G.; Brenner, D.J.

2005-01-01

The Columbia University Microbeam II has been built to provide a focused ion beam for irradiating designated mammalian cells with single particles. With the interest in irradiating non-stained cells and cells in three-dimensional tissue samples, the endstation was designed to accommodate a variety of imaging techniques, in addition to fluorescent microscopy. Non-stained cells are imaged either by quantitative phase microscopy (QPm) [IATIA, Box Hill North, Victoria, 3129, Australia [1

A comedy of errors: uranium policy in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorentino, C.M.R.

1990-01-01

This contribution outlines the socio-economic factors that played an all-too-important role in the development of the Australian uranium industry. Initially, uranium policy was determined by its strategic value and Australia's commitment to the nuclear deterrence philosophy. Later on, in a complete reversal, the morality of Australia's participation in the nuclear fuel cycle was intensely debated, and during the last few years, decisions have been based on political expediency. Thus the current government has an anti-uranium policy but allows restricted mining. It is concluded that the next few years will be crucial to the future of the uranium industry, when Australia could capture a significant proportion of the 1990's market. However, for this to happen, deregulation of the industry must occur allowing the lead times required by marketing and construction of new mines. 15 refs

A holistic group psychotherapeutic intervention for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and its comorobid depression and anxiety

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

M.A. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can be described as a bodily idiom - a nonverbal language which may have its roots in unspeakable dilemmas (Griffiths & Griffiths, 1994). The splitting of languages and silencing of the body may be the soil in which such symptoms grow. Unutterable conflicts lead to the symptoms being trapped within the body until the body itself begins to "speak" (Griffiths & Griffiths, 1994). In essence, this study seeks to evaluate the effects of attaching language, fe...

"Sydney sandstone": Heritage Stone from Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Barry; Kramar, Sabina

2014-05-01

Sydney is Australia's oldest city being founded in 1788. The city was fortunate to be established on an extensive and a relatively undeformed layer of lithified quartz sandstone of Triassic age that has proved to be an ideal building stone. The stone has been long identified by geologists as the Hawkesbury Sandstone. On the other hand the term "Sydney sandstone" has also been widely used over a long period, even to the extent of being utilised as the title of published books, so its formal designation as a heritage stone will immediately formalise this term. The oldest international usage is believed to be its use in the construction of the Stone Store at Kerikeri, New Zealand (1832-1836). In the late 19th century, public buildings such as hospitals, court houses as well as the prominent Sydney Town Hall, Sydney General Post Office, Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of New South Wales as well as numerous schools, churches, office building buildings, University, hotels, houses, retaining walls were all constructed using Sydney sandstone. Innumerable sculptures utilising the gold-coloured stone also embellished the city ranging from decorative friezes and capitals on building to significant monuments. Also in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sydney sandstone was used for major construction in most other major Australian cities especially Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane to the extent that complaints were expressed that suitable local stone materials were being neglected. Quarrying of Sydney sandstone continues today. In 2000 it was recorded noted that there were 33 significant operating Sydney sandstone quarries including aggregate and dimension stone operations. In addition sandstone continues to be sourced today from construction sites across the city area. Today major dimension stone producers (eg Gosford Quarries) sell Sydney sandstone not only into the Sydney market but also on national and international markets as cladding and paving products

Framing the Socialisation Process of the DBA Candidate: What Can Universities Offer and What Should Candidates Bring?

Science.gov (United States)

Pervan, Simon; Blackman, Deborah; Sloan, Terry; Wallace, Michelle; Vocino, Andrea; Byrne, Cathy

2016-01-01

In Australia, the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) remains a popular program but considerable anguish persists within the university sector over just what it is offering students. In this article, we use the process of postgraduate socialisation to understand how candidates, supervisors and administrators navigate pathways to successful…

Patents Associated with High-Cost Drugs in Australia

OpenAIRE

Christie, Andrew F.; Dent, Chris; McIntyre, Peter; Wilson, Lachlan; Studdert, David M.

2013-01-01

Australia, like most countries, faces high and rapidly-rising drug costs. There are longstanding concerns about pharmaceutical companies inappropriately extending their monopoly position by "evergreening" blockbuster drugs, through misuse of the patent system. There is, however, very little empirical information about this behaviour. We fill the gap by analysing all of the patents associated with 15 of the costliest drugs in Australia over the last 20 years. Specifically, we search the patent...

Coal mining in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mills, L J

1981-12-01

In 1959 black coal production in Australia totalled some 21.9 million tonnes per annum, 70% of this being produced from underground mines in the coalfields of New South Wales. By 1980 output levels had increased by nearly 350% to 75.4 million tonnes per annum (54% of which was exported) compared with 5% some 20 years earlier. Because it is blessed with large reserves of coal and other forms of energy, it is inevitable that the Australian coal mining industry will be required to play a major role in the development of the international coal market through to the end of the present century. Experts now predict a need for the black coal output in Australia to be developed from its present level to a minimum of 293 million tonnes per annum by the year 2000. This paper examines the present circumstances in the Australian coal industry and attempts to outline the development which has to be undertaken in order to meet the needs of an energy hungry world.

Year book Australia 1985

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cameron, R J

1985-01-01

The Year Book is the principal reference work produced by the Central Office of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It provides a comprehensive and detailed statistical review of all aspects of the economy and social conditions of Australia. In addition, it contains descriptive matter dealing with Australia's history, geography, physiography, climate and meteorology, government, defence and repatriation services and international relations. The first Official Year Book was published in 1908. This is the sixty-ninth Year Book issued under the authority of the Commonwealth Government and follows a similar pattern to previous editions. However, chapters have been revised and new material has been added. Most of the statistics contained in this volume relate to the years ended June or December 1983 or 1984. More detailed, and in many cases more recent, statistics are available in other ABS publications. The more significant of these publications are listed at the end of the relevant chapters of the Year book; the ABS Catalogue of Publications (1101.0) lists all current publications of the ABS.

The practice of clinical neuropsychology in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponsford, Jennie

2016-11-01

This paper describes the development and practice of clinical neuropsychology in Australia. Clinical Neuropsychology has shown rapid growth in Australia over the past three decades. Comprehensive and specialized training programs are producing high quality graduates who are employed in a broad range of settings or private practice. Australia now has a substantial number of clinical neuropsychologists with specialist training. Whilst the majority of Australian clinical neuropsychologists still undertake assessment predominantly, there are growing opportunities for clinical neuropsychologists in rehabilitation and in a broad range of research contexts. Cultural issues relating to the assessment of Indigenous Australians and immigrants from many countries present significant challenges. Some major contributions have been made in the realms of test development and validation across various age groups. Australian clinical neuropsychologists are also contributing significantly to research in the fields of traumatic brain injury, aging and dementias, epilepsy, memory assessment, rehabilitation, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders. Expansion of roles of clinical neuropsychologists, in domains such as rehabilitation and research is seen as essential to underpin continuing growth of employment opportunities for the profession.

22 CFR 126.14 - Special comprehensive export authorizations for NATO, Australia, and Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... NATO, Australia, and Japan. 126.14 Section 126.14 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL... authorizations for NATO, Australia, and Japan. (a) Comprehensive authorizations. With respect to NATO members, Australia, Japan, and Sweden, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls may provide the comprehensive...

Economy Profile of Australia

OpenAIRE

World Bank Group

2017-01-01

Doing Business 2018 is the 15th in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. This economy profile presents the Doing Business indicators for Australia. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 190 economies; for 2018 Aust...

An Investigation into the Non-bulk Rail Freight Transport in Australia

OpenAIRE

Hadi Ghaderi; Stephen Cahoon; Hong-Oanh Nguyen

2015-01-01

In the last decade freight transport has gained further momentum in Australia, partly through significant demand growth at both domestic and international levels and partly as the result of Australia's long term need for infrastructure decision making. Amongst the freight task, non-bulk freight is the fastest growing freight task in Australia and is forecast to grow much faster than the rate of population growth and the average national GDP growth. However, rail's share in the non-bulk market...

Learning global health: a pilot study of an online collaborative intercultural peer group activity involving medical students in Australia and Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrose, Mark; Murray, Linda; Handoyo, Nicholas E; Tunggal, Deif; Cooling, Nick

2017-01-13

There is limited research to inform effective pedagogies for teaching global health to undergraduate medical students. Theoretically, using a combination of teaching pedagogies typically used in 'international classrooms' may prove to be an effective way of learning global health. This pilot study aimed to explore the experiences of medical students in Australia and Indonesia who participated in a reciprocal intercultural participatory peer e-learning activity (RIPPLE) in global health. Seventy-one third year medical students (49 from Australia and 22 from Indonesia) from the University of Tasmania (Australia) and the University of Nusa Cendana (Indonesia) participated in the RIPPLE activity. Participants were randomly distributed into 11 intercultural 'virtual' groups. The groups collaborated online over two weeks to study a global health topic of their choice, and each group produced a structured research abstract. Pre- and post-RIPPLE questionnaires were used to capture students' experiences of the activity. Descriptive quantitative data were analysed with Microsoft Excel and qualitative data were thematically analysed. Students' motivation to volunteer for this activity included: curiosity about the innovative approach to learning; wanting to expand knowledge of global health; hoping to build personal and professional relationships; and a desire to be part of an intercultural experience. Afer completing the RIPPLE program, participants reported on global health knowledge acquisition, the development of peer relationships, and insight into another culture. Barriers to achieving the learning outcomes associated with RIPPLE included problems with establishing consistent online communication, and effectively managing time to simultaneously complete RIPPLE and other curricula activities. Medical students from both countries found benefits in working together in small virtual groups to complement existing teaching in global health. However, our pilot study

Patch testing in Australia: Is it adequate?

Science.gov (United States)

Tizi, Stephanie; Nixon, Rosemary L

2016-08-01

Patch testing (PT) is essential for making the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). However, the extent of PT undertaken by Australian dermatologists is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the rate and type of PT in Australia, the perceived obstacles to PT, and to explore the exposure to PT in dermatology training. Data were collected on private PT (analysing Medicare item numbers) and public hospital-based PT (estimated via verbal reports). An online survey on PT was sent to Fellows of the Australasian College of Dermatologists. It was found that total PT numbers, combining Medicare item number and public hospital data, were below the suggested optimum in all states and in Australia overall. Of the 173 respondents to the survey, 61% reported they patch tested and 78% reported they referred for PT. TrueTest was the most commonly used PT system, although it is known to be inadequate. Dermatologists who PT as registrars were significantly more likely to PT as consultants (P value = 0.0029). Cost, expertise required and staffing were considered major obstacles to performing PT. Accessibility and cost to the patient were common obstacles to referral. The combination of suboptimal PT rates and inadequate PT means that patients are missing out on being diagnosed with ACD in Australia. Increasing the exposure of registrars to PT, supporting specialised centres, the development of the Australian Baseline Series and the Contact Allergen Bank will, it is hoped, improve the rates of comprehensive PT in Australia. © 2015 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Hocknull, Scott A.; White, Matt A.; Tischler, Travis R.; Cook, Alex G.; Calleja, Naomi D.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, David A.

2009-01-01

Background Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids. Methodology/Principal Findings We describe three new dinosaurs from the late Early Cretaceous (latest Albian) Winton Formation of eastern Australia, including; Wintonotitan wattsi gen. et sp. nov., a basal titanosauriform; Diamantinasaurus matildae gen. et sp. nov., a derived lithostrotian titanosaur; and Australovenator wintonensis gen. et sp. nov., an allosauroid. We compare an isolated astragalus from the Early Cretaceous of southern Australia; formerly identified as Allosaurus sp., and conclude that it most-likely represents Australovenator sp. Conclusion/Significance The occurrence of Australovenator from the Aptian to latest Albian confirms the presence in Australia of allosauroids basal to the Carcharodontosauridae. These new taxa, along with the fragmentary remains of other taxa, indicate a diverse Early Cretaceous sauropod and theropod fauna in Australia, including plesiomorphic forms (e.g. Wintonotitan and Australovenator) and more derived forms (e.g. Diamantinasaurus). PMID:19584929

New Mid-Cretaceous (latest Albian dinosaurs fromWinton, Queensland, Australia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott A Hocknull

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe three new dinosaurs from the late Early Cretaceous (latest Albian Winton Formation of eastern Australia, including; Wintonotitan wattsi gen. et sp. nov., a basal titanosauriform; Diamantinasaurus matildae gen. et sp. nov., a derived lithostrotian titanosaur; and Australovenator wintonensis gen. et sp. nov., an allosauroid. We compare an isolated astragalus from the Early Cretaceous of southern Australia; formerly identified as Allosaurus sp., and conclude that it most-likely represents Australovenator sp. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The occurrence of Australovenator from the Aptian to latest Albian confirms the presence in Australia of allosauroids basal to the Carcharodontosauridae. These new taxa, along with the fragmentary remains of other taxa, indicate a diverse Early Cretaceous sauropod and theropod fauna in Australia, including plesiomorphic forms (e.g. Wintonotitan and Australovenator and more derived forms (e.g. Diamantinasaurus.

Emerging tropical diseases in Australia. Part 1. Leptospirosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tulsiani, Suhella; Lau, C L; Graham, G C

2010-01-01

Human leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance that causes significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing nations. In this review, the history, epidemiology, transmission, clinical presentation and treatment of this disease, and its impact in Australia, are discus......Human leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance that causes significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing nations. In this review, the history, epidemiology, transmission, clinical presentation and treatment of this disease, and its impact in Australia...

Parental Divorce in Australia, Cohorts Born 1900 - 1975

OpenAIRE

M. D. R. Evans; Jonathan Kelley

2004-01-01

This paper examines the sources of parental divorce in Australia using respondents' retrospective reports of parents' behaviour in the IsssA-Pool database, a pooled series of representative national samples of Australia conducted between 1984 and 2002 (N=19,601 valid cases for this analysis). We analyse the probability of divorce using logistic regression models. The results include a very large effect of time, with people reaching age 14 before the Family Law Act took effect being much less ...

Joint Special Operations University SOF-Power Workshop: A Way Forward for Special Operations Theory and Strategic Art

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-01

participants‘ particular points of view and may be helpful in researching, developing, testing, and explaining theory. The Secret War in Laos was...Jan 1985. Tse -Tung, Mao. On Guerrilla Warfare. Praeger, New York: 1961. The Use and Utility of Force; Force Fungibles Art, Robert J. and...Penguin Books, New York: 1968. Griffith, Samuel B., (BrigGen (Ret) USMC). On Guerrilla Warfare – Mao Tse -Tung. Praeger, New York: 1961

Online Education Systems in Scandinavian and Australian Universities: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten Flate Paulsen

2002-10-01

Full Text Available This article presents a comparative study of online education systems in Norwegian, Swedish, and Australian universities. The online education systems discussed comprise content creation tools and systems for learning management, student management, and accounting. The author of this article arrives at the conclusion that there seems to be a general lack of integration between theses systems in all three countries. Further, there seems to be little focus on standards specifications such as IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS and Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM in higher education in all three countries. It was found that both Norway and Sweden value the importance of nationally developed learning management systems and student management systems; however, this does not seem to be the case in Australia. There also seems to be much more national coordination and governmental coercion concerning the choice of student management systems used in Sweden and Norway, than is the case in Australia. Finally, with regard to online education, the most striking difference between these three countries is that of economic policy. In Australia, education is considered an important export industry. In Norway and Sweden, however, the export of education does not seem to be an issue for public discussion.

Chikungunya virus infection in travellers to Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Douglas F; Druce, Julian D; Chapman, Scott; Swaminathan, Ashwin; Wolf, Josh; Richards, Jack S; Korman, Tony; Birch, Chris; Richards, Michael J

2008-01-07

We report eight recent cases of Chikungunya virus infection in travellers to Australia. Patients presented with fevers, rigors, headaches, arthralgia, and rash. The current Indian Ocean epidemic and Italian outbreak have featured prominently on Internet infectious disease bulletins, and Chikungunya virus infection had been anticipated in travellers from the outbreak areas. Diagnosis was by a generic alphavirus reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with confirmatory sequencing. Prompt diagnosis of Chikungunya virus infections is of public health significance as the mosquito vectors for transmission exist in Australia. There is potential for this infection to spread in the largely naïve Australian population.

The Creeping Blight of Islamophobia in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda Briskman

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In the latter months of 2014, following events in faraway Iraq and Syria, Australia responded forcefully at home. The manufactured fear of a terrorist attack resulted in police raids, increased counter-terrorism legislation and scare campaigns to alert the public to 'threat'. Although Islamophobia rose in Australia after 2001 it has been latent in recent years. It is on the rise again with collateral damage from government measures including verbal and physical attacks on Australian Muslims. Vitriol is also directed at asylum seekers and refugees. Media, government and community discourses converge to promote Islam as dangerous and deviant.

77 FR 35353 - Biotech Life Sciences Trade Mission to Australia

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-13

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Biotech Life Sciences Trade Mission to... Commercial Service (CS) is organizing a Biotech Life Sciences trade mission to Australia, October 29-November.... biotechnology and life science firms. The goals of the trade mission to Australia are to (1) increase U.S...

Aboriginal mitogenomes reveal 50,000 years of regionalism in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobler, Ray; Rohrlach, Adam; Soubrier, Julien; Bover, Pere; Llamas, Bastien; Tuke, Jonathan; Bean, Nigel; Abdullah-Highfold, Ali; Agius, Shane; O'Donoghue, Amy; O'Loughlin, Isabel; Sutton, Peter; Zilio, Fran; Walshe, Keryn; Williams, Alan N; Turney, Chris S M; Williams, Matthew; Richards, Stephen M; Mitchell, Robert J; Kowal, Emma; Stephen, John R; Williams, Lesley; Haak, Wolfgang; Cooper, Alan

2017-04-13

Aboriginal Australians represent one of the longest continuous cultural complexes known. Archaeological evidence indicates that Australia and New Guinea were initially settled approximately 50 thousand years ago (ka); however, little is known about the processes underlying the enormous linguistic and phenotypic diversity within Australia. Here we report 111 mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from historical Aboriginal Australian hair samples, whose origins enable us to reconstruct Australian phylogeographic history before European settlement. Marked geographic patterns and deep splits across the major mitochondrial haplogroups imply that the settlement of Australia comprised a single, rapid migration along the east and west coasts that reached southern Australia by 49-45 ka. After continent-wide colonization, strong regional patterns developed and these have survived despite substantial climatic and cultural change during the late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. Remarkably, we find evidence for the continuous presence of populations in discrete geographic areas dating back to around 50 ka, in agreement with the notable Aboriginal Australian cultural attachment to their country.

The economic impact of the Australia-United States free trade agreement

OpenAIRE

Shiro Armstrong

2015-01-01

The Australia–United States free trade agreement (AUSFTA) came into effect in 2005. It was the second preferential trade agreement that Australia signed, after its agreement with Singapore, and marked a departure from the primacy of Australia’s previous trade policy of unilateral and multilateral trade liberalisation towards preferential liberalisation. This paper assesses the economic effects of AUSFTA by applying the Productivity Commission’s gravity model of trade from its Bilateral ...

Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia: an international comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Hush, Julia M; Yung, Vivian; Mackey, Martin; Adams, Roger; Wand, Benedict M; Nelson, Roger; Beattie, Paul

2012-01-01

Objectives: (1) To attain a quantitative estimate of patient satisfaction with physiotherapy care for musculoskeletal conditions in Australia; (2) to compare the observed level of patient satisfaction with care in Australia with those from other countries; and (3) to compare factors contributing to patient satisfaction between Australia and the United States (US). Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 274 patients presenting for physiotherapy treatment of a musculoskeletal disorder in Australian clinics. Patient satisfaction was measured using the 20-item MedRisk Instrument for Measuring Patient Satisfaction with Physical Therapy Care (MRPS) and satisfaction scores were compared with those from Northern Europe, North America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. To investigate factors contributing to patient satisfaction between Australia and the US, we compared 20-item MRPS data from Australian and Spanish-speaking US cohorts. Results: Mean Australian MRPS satisfaction score was 4.55 (95% confidence interval: 4.51–4.59) on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 indicates high dissatisfaction and 5 indicates high satisfaction. This high level of patient satisfaction is consistent with international data. Australian respondents specifically valued interpersonal aspects of care, including advice and information about their condition and an explanation about self-management. The correlation between treatment outcomes and global patient satisfaction was low (r = −0.22). A comparison of data collected from Australia and the US showed that MRPS items regarding interpersonal aspects of care, such as the therapists’ communication skills, correlated strongly with global satisfaction in both countries. However, there were other questionnaire items for which the correlation with global satisfaction was significantly different between Australia and the US. Conclusions: Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia is high and comparable with

The Job Consciousness for Radiological Technologists in Korea, Canada, and Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Eun Ok; Kwon, Deok Mun; Park, Kwang Hun; Choi, Seung Yoon; Jung, Chung Hyun; Bae, Sang Il; Oh, Chang Woo

2009-01-01

This study attempts to provide basic information on overseas employment to the radiological technologists and students majoring in radiology in Korea who consider the overseas employment by investigating the job consciousness for radiological technologists in Canada and Australia which have a high level of interest for overseas employment and want to compare their status with that of Korean radiological technologists. This study was performed by visiting hospitals such as Prince George Regional Hospital, 1475 Edmonton Street, Prince George, BC, Canada on August 13, 2007, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road Melbourne 3004, Australia on August 4, 2008, and other Korea hospitals that show the similar scale as Canada and Australia on September 10, 2007. The results were summarized as follows : 1. Differences were observed in this sexual composition, such as 18 males (90%) in Korea, 14 females (73.7%) in Canada, and 25 females in Australia (86.2%). 2. The item of 'aptitude' which is one of the most important criteria, showed the highest level in Korea, Canada, and Australia, and the second most considered item was 'salary'. 3. In the values in jobs, the items of 'economic self-sufficiency', 'recognized by others', and 'establishing a social position' represented high levels in Korea, and the items of 'like the job itself', 'establishing self-actualization', 'feel the meaning of life', and 'make new friends' showed high levels in Canada and Australia. 4. Regarding the item of 'a job is important as much as a marriage', 'Yes' showed high level in Korea, and 'No' showed high levels in Canada and Australia. 5. Radiological technologists in Korea demonstrated a low level in the job consciousness compared to those of Canada and Australia. Although this study shows some limitations for showing whole idea of radiological technologists due to the lack of the scope in samples for each country as a practical manner, this study can be regarded significant to compare some countries

The provision of family-centred intensive care bereavement support in Australia and New Zealand: Results of a cross sectional explorative descriptive survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Marion; Coombs, Maureen; Wetzig, Krista

2017-05-01

Caring for the bereaved is an intrinsic part of intensive care practice with family bereavement support an important aspect of the nursing role at end of life. However, reporting on provision of intensive care family bereavement support at a national level has not been well reported since an Australian paper published ten years ago. The objective was to investigate provision of family bereavement support in intensive care units (ICU) across New Zealand (NZ) and Australia. A cross-sectional exploratory descriptive web-based survey was used. All ICUs [public/private, neonatal/pediatrics/adults] were included. The survey was distributed to one nursing leader from each identified ICU (n=229; 188 in Australia, 41 in NZ). Internal validity of the survey was established through piloting. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Ethical approval was received by the ethics committees of two universities. One-hundred and fifty-three (67%) responses were received from across New Zealand and Australia with 69.3% of respondents from the public sector. Whilst respondents reported common bereavement practices to include debriefing for staff after a traumatic death (87.9%), there was greater variation in sending a sympathy card to families (NZ 54.2%, Australia 20.8%). Fifty percent of responding New Zealand units had a bereavement follow-up service compared to 28.3% of Australian unit respondents. Of those with follow-up services, 92.3% of New Zealand units undertook follow-up calls to families compared to 76.5% of Australian units. Bereavement follow-up services were mainly managed by social workers in Australia and nursing staff in New Zealand. This is the first Australia and New Zealand-wide survey on ICU bereavement support services. Whilst key components of family bereavement support remain consistent over the past decade, there were fewer bereavement follow-up services in responding Australian ICUs in 2015. As a quality improvement initiative, support for this

A stalled revolution? Gender role attitudes in Australia, 1986-2005

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Egmond, M.; Baxter, J.; Buchler, S.; Western, M.

2010-01-01

This paper examines trends over time in attitudes to gender equality in Australia. We use data from repeated cross-sectional surveys in Australia to investigate trends in beliefs about men's and women's work and family roles between 1986 and 2005. We find that men are consistently more conservative

Personal Coaching: Reflection on a Model for Effective Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Kerryn

2015-01-01

The article "Personal Coaching: A Model for Effective Learning" (Griffiths, 2006) appeared in the "Journal of Learning Design" Volume 1, Issue 2 in 2006. Almost ten years on, Kerryn Griffiths reflects upon her original article. Specifically, Griffiths looks back at the combined coaching-learning model she suggested in her…

Banknote Quality in Australia

OpenAIRE

Arianna Cowling; Monica Howlett

2012-01-01

The Reserve Bank aims to keep the quality of banknotes in circulation high to ensure that they meet the needs of the public and to make it more difficult for counterfeits to be passed or remain in circulation. This article discusses the quality of banknotes in Australia and Reserve Bank initiatives that have improved the quality of banknotes in recent years.

The increasing financial impact of chronic kidney disease in australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Patrick S; Kingsley, Michael I; Morton, R Hugh; Scanlan, Aaron T; Dalbo, Vincent J

2014-01-01

The aim of this investigation was to determine and compare current and projected expenditure associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), renal replacement therapy (RRT), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Australia. Data published by Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and World Bank were used to compare CKD-, RRT-, and CVD-related expenditure and prevalence rates. Prevalence and expenditure predictions were made using a linear regression model. Direct statistical comparisons of rates of annual increase utilised indicator variables in combined regressions. Statistical significance was set at P Australia's healthcare system, compared to CVD. Research focusing on novel preventative/therapeutic interventions is warranted.

Annotated bibliography of uranium in Australia, 1970-1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Faircheallaigh, C.; Webb, A.; Wade-Marshall, D.

1989-01-01

The bibliography contains 845 separate numbered items which deal with uranium mining in Australia during the period 1970-1987, which it was feasible to annotate, which are publicly available, and which are not of a highly technical nature. The bibliography is not restricted to material originating in Australia. The items are organised into nine major subject areas on the basis of their principal subject matter, with cross references being added in cases where more than one subject area is dealt with. The nine sections deal with the development and structure of the Australian uranium industry; the uranium debate; uranium policies; uranium and Aborigines; economic issues; domestic processing and utilisation of Australian uranium; environmental issues; nuclear proliferation and safeguards; and the major individual uranium projects. The bibliography is preceded by a chapter on its scope, organisation and sources and by an overview providing background information on the nuclear fuel cycle, uranium in Australia and Australian uranium policy and is followed by an author index

Occupational skin disease in Victoria, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Cahill, Jennifer L; Williams, Jason D; Matheson, Melanie C; Palmer, Amanda M; Burgess, John A; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Nixon, Rosemary L

2016-05-01

To describe the characteristics of patients with occupational skin disease (OSD) in a tertiary referral clinic in Victoria, Australia. A retrospective review was conducted of records from patients seen at the Occupational Dermatology Clinic in Melbourne, Australia between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2010. Of the 2894 people assessed in the clinic during the 18-year period, 44% were women and 56% were men. In all, 2177 (75%) were diagnosed with occupational skin disease (OSD). Of the patients with a work-related skin condition, 45% (n = 979) were considered to be atopic. The most common diagnosis in those with OSD was irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) (44%), followed by allergic contact dermatitis (33%) and endogenous eczema (11%). Women were significantly more likely to have soaps and detergents (P Occupational groups with the highest incidence of OSD were the hair and beauty professions (70 per 100 000), followed by machine and plant operators (38 per 100 000) and health-care workers (21 per 100 000). We confirm the importance of occupational contact dermatitis as the most common cause of OSD, with ICD being the most common diagnosis. There are differences in the causes of ICD between our group of male and female workers. For the first time in Australia, rates of OSD in certain industries have been calculated. © 2015 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

The Population Origins and Expansion of Feral Cats in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Yurchenko, Andrey A.; David, Victor A.; Scott, Rachael; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Driscoll, Carlos; O’Brien, Stephen J.; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn

2016-01-01

The historical literature suggests that in Australia, the domestic cat (Felis catus) had a European origin [~200 years before present (ybp)], but it is unclear if cats arrived from across the Asian land bridge contemporaneously with the dingo (4000 ybp), or perhaps immigrated ~40000 ybp in association with Aboriginal settlement from Asia. The origin of cats in Australia is important because the continent has a complex and ancient faunal assemblage that is dominated by endemic rodents and marsupials and lacks the large placental carnivores found on other large continents. Cats are now ubiquitous across the entire Australian continent and have been implicit in the range contraction or extinction of its small to medium sized (cats using 15 short tandem repeat (STR) genomic markers. Their origin appears to come exclusively from European founders. Feral cats in continental Australia exhibit high genetic diversity in comparison with the low diversity found in populations of feral cats living on islands. The genetic structure is consistent with a rapid westerly expansion from eastern Australia and a limited expansion in coastal Western Australia. Australian cats show modest if any population structure and a close genetic alignment with European feral cats as compared to cats from Asia, the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Indian Ocean), and European wildcats (F. silvestris silvestris). PMID:26647063

Neutrons down-under: Australia's research reactor review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, Allan

1995-01-01

Australian research reactor review commenced in September 1992, the Review had the following Terms of Reference: Whether, on review of the benefits and costs for scientific, commercial, industrial and national interest reasons, Australia has a need for a new reactor; a review of the present reactor, HIFAR, to include: an assessment of national and commercial benefits and costs of operations, its likely remaining useful life and its eventual closure and decommissioning; if Australia has a need for a new nuclear research reactor, the Review will consider: possible locations for a new reactor, its environmental impact at alternative locations, recommend a preferred location, and evaluate matters associated with regulation of the facility and organisational arrangements for reactor-based research. From the Review findings the following recommendations were stated: keep HIFAR going; commission a PRA to ascertain HIFAR's remaining life and refurbishment possibilities; identify and establish a HLW repository; accept that neither HIFAR nor a new reactor can be completely commercial; any decision on a new neutron source must rest primarily on benefits to science and Australia's national interest; make a decision on a new neutron source in about five years' time (1998). Design Proposals for a New Reactor are specified

Climate change in Australia: technical report 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The purpose of this report is to provide an up-to-date assessment of observed climate change over Australia, the likely causes, and projections of future changes to Australia's climate. It also provides information on how to apply the projections in impact studies and in risk assessments. The two main strategies for managing climate risk are mitigation (net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions) to slow climate change and adaptation to climate impacts that are unavoidable. A number of major advances have been made since the last report on climate change projections in Australia (CSIRO 2001) including: a much larger number of climate and ocean variables are projected (21 and 6 respectively); a much larger number (23) of climate models are used; the provision of probabilistic information on some of the projections, including the probability of exceeding the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles; greater emphasis on projections from models that are better able to simulate observed Australian climate; a detailed assessment of observed changes in Australian climate and likely causes; and information on risk assessment, to provide guidance for using climate projections in impact studies

Psycho-oncology in Australia: a descriptive review.

Science.gov (United States)

Butow, P; Dhillon, H; Shaw, J; Price, M

2017-01-01

Australia has a thriving Psycho-Oncology research and clinical community. In this article, the Australian health system in which Psycho-Oncology is embedded is described. Clinical Psycho-Oncology services are outlined, in terms of their composition, processes and reach. The development of the internationally ground-breaking Australian Psychosocial guidelines for the care of adults with cancer is described. Two large Psycho-Oncology organisations which are strongly linked to mainstream Oncology organisations are discussed: the Australian Psycho-Oncology Society (OzPos, a primarily clinician-led and focused organisation) and the Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG, a national cancer clinical trial group). OzPos is a special interest group within the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, while PoCoG is one of 14 cancer clinical trial groups funded by the national government. It is these strong connections with major multidisciplinary cancer organisations, and a culture of collaboration and co-operation, that have made Psycho-Oncology grow and thrive in Australia. Examples of large collaborative programs of Psycho-Oncology research are provided, as well as the mechanisms used to achieve these outcomes.

Radiation doses from computed tomography in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, J.E.M.; Tingey, D.R.C.

1996-01-01

Recent surveys in the UK and New Zealand have shown that although the number of CT examinations small compared to conventional Radiology, CT contributes about 20% to the overall dose from diagnostic radiology. In view of these findings and the rapid increase in the number of CT facilities in recent years, a survey of the number of facilities, frequency of examination, techniques and patient doses has been performed. Australia, with 329 units is well endowed with CT equipment compared to European Countries and New Zealand. For many examinations a wide range was found in the number of slices and slice widths used and this led to a large spread in the corresponding doses. Assuming the practices of the non-responders are statistically similar to those who responded, some preliminary estimates of population doses can be made. There could be as many as 1.1 million CT examinations each year in Australia resulting in a per capur effectie dose of 0.36 mSv. Although the results of this survey are still subject to some refinement, they indicate that CT is a major, and possibly the dominant, contributor to doses from diagnostic radiology in Australia. (author)

Cetacean morbillivirus in coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Western Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Nahiid; Duignan, Pádraig J; Wang, Jianning; Bingham, John; Finn, Hugh; Bejder, Lars; Patterson, Anthony P; Holyoake, Carly

2014-04-01

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several epizootics in multiple species of cetaceans globally and is an emerging disease among cetaceans in Australia. We detected CeMV in 2 stranded coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Western Australia. Preliminary phylogenetic data suggest that this virus variant is divergent from known strains.

Cetacean Morbillivirus in Coastal Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, Western Australia

OpenAIRE

Stephens, Nahiid; Duignan, Pádraig J.; Wang, Jianning; Bingham, John; Finn, Hugh; Bejder, Lars; Patterson, Anthony P.; Holyoake, Carly

2014-01-01

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several epizootics in multiple species of cetaceans globally and is an emerging disease among cetaceans in Australia. We detected CeMV in 2 stranded coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Western Australia. Preliminary phylogenetic data suggest that this virus variant is divergent from known strains.

The Gender Wage Gap: A Comparison of Australia and Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidd, Michael P.; Shannon, Michael

1996-01-01

Data from the 1989 Canadian Labour Market Activity Survey and 1989-90 Australian Income Distribution Survey suggest that a lower rate of return to education and labor market experience and a lower level of wage inequality in Australia are responsible for the smaller gender wage gap in Australia than in Canada. (SK)

Nature: a colour comparison between Northern South Africa and Northern Australia

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Baumbach, J

2009-10-01

Full Text Available During 1983 DSTO in Australia measured the reflectances of grass, trees and soil in northern Australia, using a custom-build spectroradiometer. During 2002 CSIR in South Africa performed similar measurements in northern South Africa, using a...

Travel mode and physical activity at Sydney University.

Science.gov (United States)

Rissel, Chris; Mulley, Corinne; Ding, Ding

2013-08-09

How staff and students travel to university can impact their physical activity level. An online survey of physical activity and travel behaviour was conducted in early November 2012 to inform planning of physical activity and active travel promotion programs at the University of Sydney, Australia as part of the "Sit Less, Move More" sub-committee of the Healthy University Initiative, and as baseline data for evaluation. There were 3,737 useable responses, 60% of which were from students. Four out of five respondents travelled to the University on the day of interest (Tuesday, November 30, 2012). The most frequently used travel modes were train (32%), car as driver (22%), bus (17%), walking (17%) and cycling (6%). Staff were twice as likely to drive as students, and also slightly more likely to use active transport, defined as walking and cycling (26% versus 22%). Overall, 41% of respondents were sufficiently active (defined by meeting physical activity recommendations of 150 min per week). Participants were more likely to meet physical activity recommendations if they travelled actively to the University. With a high proportion of respondents using active travel modes or public transport already, increasing the physical activity levels and increasing the use of sustainable travel modes would mean a mode shift from public transport to walking and cycling for students is needed and a mode shift from driving to public transport or active travel for University staff. Strategies to achieve this are discussed.

Partners in ecocide: Australia's complicity in the uranium cartel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venturini, V.G.

1983-01-01

In 1972 uranium producers from France, South Africa, Australia, Great Britain and Canada organized an international cartel to control the production and sale of uranium. The complicity of Australia in the manipulation of the market by and on behalf of C.R.A., Mary Kathleen Uranium, Pancontinental and Queensland Mines is discussed. The roles of both governments and companies and the antitrust implications of the cartel are considered

Population policies in Southeast Asia and Australia: the international relevance of domestic affairs.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, G W

1984-01-01

been unrealisticably high. Until 1983 Southeast Asia presented a fairly united front on population policy matters. The momentous break occurred when the Malaysian Prime Minister announced to his current 15 million people a target of 70 million for Malaysia's population and followed this up with pronatalist policies in support of this goal. The key point in the context of this paper, is to emphasize that perceptions of national self-interest have led to the adoption of widely divergent policies in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. Singapore is offering strong financial incentives for its socioeconomically disadvantaged groups to have fewer children. Malaysia's incentives to have more people will have most impact on the disadvantaged groups. There is little difference between Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam on fertility goals, and their perceptions of the problem appear similar. Malaysian population and ethnic policies have had a number of direct effects on Australia. It was ethnic politics that determined Malaysia's hard line attitude toward Vietnamese refugees. Australia's acceptance of large numbers of Vietnamese refugees probably resulted as much from the strong pressure applied by ASEAN nations to do so as from humanitarian grounds. Another aspect of Malaysian ethnic politics which has had direct repercussions on Australia is the discrimination against non-Malay students for places in Malaysian universities.

Australia's TERN: Advancing Ecosystem Data Management in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Phinn, S. R.; Christensen, R.; Guru, S.

2013-12-01

Globally, there is a consistent movement towards more open, collaborative and transparent science, where the publication and citation of data is considered standard practice. Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) is a national research infrastructure investment designed to support the ecosystem science community through all stages of the data lifecycle. TERN has developed and implemented a comprehensive network of ';hard' and ';soft' infrastructure that enables Australia's ecosystem scientists to collect, publish, store, share, discover and re-use data in ways not previously possible. The aim of this poster is to demonstrate how TERN has successfully delivered infrastructure that is enabling a significant cultural and practical shift in Australia's ecosystem science community towards consistent approaches for data collection, meta-data, data licensing, and data publishing. TERN enables multiple disciplines, within the ecosystem sciences to more effectively and efficiently collect, store and publish their data. A critical part of TERN's approach has been to build on existing data collection activities, networks and skilled people to enable further coordination and collaboration to build each data collection facility and coordinate data publishing. Data collection in TERN is through discipline based facilities, covering long term collection of: (1) systematic plot based measurements of vegetation structure, composition and faunal biodiversity; (2) instrumented towers making systematic measurements of solar, water and gas fluxes; and (3) satellite and airborne maps of biophysical properties of vegetation, soils and the atmosphere. Several other facilities collect and integrate environmental data to produce national products for fauna and vegetation surveys, soils and coastal data, as well as integrated or synthesised products for modelling applications. Data management, publishing and sharing in TERN are implemented through a tailored data

Prostate cancer incidence in Australia correlates inversely with solar radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Loke, Tim W; Seyfi, Doruk; Sevfi, Doruk; Khadra, Mohamed

2011-11-01

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Increased sun exposure and blood levels of vitamin D have been postulated to be protective against prostate cancer. This is controversial. We investigated the relationship between prostate cancer incidence and solar radiation in non-urban Australia, and found a lower incidence in regions receiving more sunlight. In landmark ecological studies, prostate cancer mortality rates have been shown to be inversely related to ultraviolet radiation exposure. Investigators have hypothesised that ultraviolet radiation acts by increasing production of vitamin D, which inhibits prostate cancer cells in vitro. However, analyses of serum levels of vitamin D in men with prostate cancer have failed to support this hypothesis. This study has found an inverse correlation between solar radiation and prostate cancer incidence in Australia. Our population (previously unstudied) represents the third group to exhibit this correlation. Significantly, the demographics and climate of Australia differ markedly from those of previous studies conducted on men in the United Kingdom and the United States. • To ascertain if prostate cancer incidence rates correlate with solar radiation among non-urban populations of men in Australia. • Local government areas from each state and territory were selected using explicit criteria. Urban areas were excluded from analysis. • For each local government area, prostate cancer incidence rates and averaged long-term solar radiation were obtained. • The strength of the association between prostate cancer incidence and solar radiation was determined. • Among 70 local government areas of Australia, age-standardized prostate cancer incidence rates for the period 1998-2007 correlated inversely with daily solar radiation averaged over the last two decades. •  There exists an association between less solar radiation and higher prostate cancer incidence in Australia. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU

Cetacean Morbillivirus in Coastal Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, Western Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Duignan, Pádraig J.; Wang, Jianning; Bingham, John; Finn, Hugh; Bejder, Lars; Patterson, Anthony P.; Holyoake, Carly

2014-01-01

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several epizootics in multiple species of cetaceans globally and is an emerging disease among cetaceans in Australia. We detected CeMV in 2 stranded coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Western Australia. Preliminary phylogenetic data suggest that this virus variant is divergent from known strains. PMID:24656203

Support for Restorative Justice in a Sample of U.S. University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlin, Eileen M; Gibbs, Jennifer C; Kavanaugh, Philip R; Lee, Joongyeup

2017-02-01

Theories of restorative justice suggest that the practice works best when offenders are enmeshed in multiple interdependencies or attachments to others and belong to a culture that facilitates communitarianism instead of individualism. Restorative justice principles and practices are thus believed to be incongruent with the individualistic culture and legal system of the United States, especially compared with that of nations like Australia and Japan. Using a nonprobability convenience sample of students enrolled in a large public university in the United States, our study examines attitudes toward restorative justice as a fair and just process for reintegrating offenders and meeting the needs of victims. Results indicate that our sample holds less punitive attitudes than citizens in either Australia or Japan. Our findings are discussed in light of recent policy shifts in the United States that suggest a concerted move toward decarceration following the 2008 recession.

Refugee women as entrepreneurs in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John van Kooy

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The ‘Stepping Stones to Small Business’ programme in Australia is appreciated by participants but has shown that ‘entrepreneurship’ is a problematic concept in the context of women from refugee backgrounds.

Deliberate introduction of the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, into Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenner, F

2010-04-01

The European rabbit was brought to Australia as a companion animal by early settlers. It sometimes escaped, but failed to survive in the Australian bush. In 1879 wild rabbits were deliberately sent to Victoria to provide game for wealthy settlers to shoot. They soon spread all over Australia, except in the tropics, and became Australia's major animal pest. After careful testing in Australian wildlife and in humans, control by myxoma virus was introduced at various sites between 1937 and 1950, spreading all over the Murray-Darling Basin in 1950. Within one year mutations in the virus had led to slightly less virulence, and these continued for the next 50 years. In the early 21st Century testing viruses obtained from wild rabbits showed that the majority of these viruses were more virulent than the virus used to initiate the epidemic. In 1995 another virus specific for European rabbits, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, escaped from areas in which field trials were being carried out and spread around Australia. It was more successful than myxomatosis for rabbit control in arid regions.

Digital Cadavers: Online 2D Learning Resources Enhance Student Learning in Practical Head and Neck Anatomy within Dental Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud M. Bakr

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Head and neck anatomy provides core concepts within preclinical dental curricula. Increased student numbers, reduced curricula time, and restricted access to laboratory-based human resources have increased technology enhanced learning approaches to support student learning. Potential advantages include cost-effectiveness, off-campus access, and self-directed review or mastery opportunities for students. This study investigated successful student learning within a first-year head and neck anatomy course at the School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Griffith University, Australia, taught by the same teaching team, between 2010 and 2015. Student learning success was compared, for cohorts before and after implementation of a supplementary, purpose-designed online digital library and quiz bank. Success of these online resources was confirmed using overall students’ performance within the course assessment tasks and Student Evaluation of Course surveys and online access data. Engagement with these supplementary 2D online resources, targeted at improving laboratory study, was positively evaluated by students (mean 85% and significantly increased their laboratory grades (mean difference 6%, P<0.027, despite being assessed using cadaveric resources. Written assessments in final exams were not significantly improved. Expanded use of supplementary online resources is planned to support student learning and success in head and neck anatomy, given the success of this intervention.

Oral Cancer: An Evaluation of Knowledge and Awareness in Undergraduate Dental Students and the General Public.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakr, Mahmoud M; Skerman, Emma; Khan, Usman; George, Roy

To evaluate the knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors associated with oral cancer amongst undergraduate dental students and members of the general public. This study was open for a period of six months (Jan-June, 2013) to all undergraduate dental students in the 4th and 5th year of the dental science programme and dental patients attending the School of Dentistry, Griffith University, Australia. The survey evaluated the knowledge and awareness of clinical signs and symptoms and risk factors of oral cancers. A total of 100 undergraduate students and 150 patients provided informed consent and participated in this survey study. Both patients and dental students were aware of the importance of early detection of oral cancer. With the exception of smoking and persistent ulceration, this study indicated that the knowledge about oral cancer, its signs, symptoms and risk factors was limited amongst participants. This study highlights the need to raise awareness and knowledge pertaining to oral cancer, not only in the general community but also amongst those in the dental field. Specific points of concern were the common intraoral sites for oral cancer, erythroplakia as a risk factor, the synergistic action of smoking and alcohol, and HPV (human papilloma virus) as risk factors for oral cancer.

Integration of Traditional and E-Learning Methods to Improve Learning Outcomes for Dental Students in Histopathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ariana, Armin; Amin, Moein; Pakneshan, Sahar; Dolan-Evans, Elliot; Lam, Alfred K

2016-09-01

Dental students require a basic ability to explain and apply general principles of pathology to systemic, dental, and oral pathology. Although there have been recent advances in electronic and online resources, the academic effectiveness of using self-directed e-learning tools in pathology courses for dental students is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if blended learning combining e-learning with traditional learning methods of lectures and tutorials would improve students' scores and satisfaction over those who experienced traditional learning alone. Two consecutive cohorts of Bachelor of Dentistry and Oral Health students taking the general pathology course at Griffith University in Australia were compared. The control cohort experienced traditional methods only, while members of the study cohort were also offered self-directed learning materials including online resources and online microscopy classes. Final assessments for the course were used to compare the differences in effectiveness of the intervention, and students' satisfaction with the teaching format was evaluated using questionnaires. On the final course assessments, students in the study cohort had significantly higher scores than students in the control cohort (plearning tools such as virtual microscopy and interactive online resources for delivering pathology instruction can be an effective supplement for developing dental students' competence, confidence, and satisfaction.

Recent developments in Australia's uranium mining industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, A.D.

2001-01-01

Uranium is produced at two mining/milling operations in Australia - Ranger in the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory, and Olympic Dam in South Australia. In 1996, Ranger produced 4138 tonnes (t) U 3 O 8 from stockpiled ore mined from Ranger No. 1 Orebody. The capacity of the Ranger mill is being expanded to 5000 tonnes per annum (tpa) U 3 O 8 to coincide with the commencement of mining from No. 3 Orebody in mid-1997. The Olympic Dam copper-uranium-gold-silver deposit is the world's largest deposit of low cost uranium. The operation currently has an annual production of 85,000 t copper, 1700 t U 3 O 8 and associated gold and silver. WMC Ltd proposes to expand annual production to 200 000 t copper and approximately 4600 t U 3 O 8 by end of 1999. The environmental impact of the expansion is being assessed jointly by both Commonwealth and South Australian Governments. A draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released in May. Since its election in March 1996, the Liberal/National Party Coalition Government has made a number of changes to the Commonwealth Government's policies relating to uranium mining, including removal of the former Government's 'three mines' policy, and relaxation of the guidelines for foreign investment in Australian uranium mines. These changes, together with an improved outlook for the uranium market, have resulted in proposals to develop new mines at Jabiluka (Northern Territory), Kintyre (Western Australia) and Beverley (South Australia). Energy Resources of Australia Ltd proposes to develop an underground mine at Jabiluka with the ore to be processed at Ranger mill. Initial production will be 1800 tpa U 3 O 8 which will increase to 4000 tpa U 3 O 8 by the 14th year. The draft EIS was released for public comment in October 1996, and the final EIS is to be released in June 1997. Canning Resources Ltd proposes to mine the Kintyre deposit by open cut methods commencing in 1999 with an annual production of 1200 tpa U 3 O 8

The Job Consciousness for Radiological Technologists in Korea, Canada, and Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Eun Ok; Kwon, Deok Mun; Park, Kwang Hun; Choi, Seung Yoon; Jung, Chung Hyun [Dept. of Radiologic Technology, Daegu Health College, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Sang Il [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Chang Woo [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Severance Hospital Cancer Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2009-06-15

This study attempts to provide basic information on overseas employment to the radiological technologists and students majoring in radiology in Korea who consider the overseas employment by investigating the job consciousness for radiological technologists in Canada and Australia which have a high level of interest for overseas employment and want to compare their status with that of Korean radiological technologists. This study was performed by visiting hospitals such as Prince George Regional Hospital, 1475 Edmonton Street, Prince George, BC, Canada on August 13, 2007, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road Melbourne 3004, Australia on August 4, 2008, and other Korea hospitals that show the similar scale as Canada and Australia on September 10, 2007. The results were summarized as follows : 1. Differences were observed in this sexual composition, such as 18 males (90%) in Korea, 14 females (73.7%) in Canada, and 25 females in Australia (86.2%). 2. The item of 'aptitude' which is one of the most important criteria, showed the highest level in Korea, Canada, and Australia, and the second most considered item was 'salary'. 3. In the values in jobs, the items of 'economic self-sufficiency', 'recognized by others', and 'establishing a social position' represented high levels in Korea, and the items of 'like the job itself', 'establishing self-actualization', 'feel the meaning of life', and 'make new friends' showed high levels in Canada and Australia. 4. Regarding the item of 'a job is important as much as a marriage', 'Yes' showed high level in Korea, and 'No' showed high levels in Canada and Australia. 5. Radiological technologists in Korea demonstrated a low level in the job consciousness compared to those of Canada and Australia. Although this study shows some limitations for showing whole idea of radiological technologists due to the lack of the scope

Epidemiology of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in Australia, 2000-2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vally Hassan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are an important cause of gastroenteritis in Australia and worldwide and can also result in serious sequelae such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS. In this paper we describe the epidemiology of STEC in Australia using the latest available data. Methods National and state notifications data, as well as data on serotypes, hospitalizations, mortality and outbreaks were examined. Results For the 11 year period 2000 to 2010, the overall annual Australian rate of all notified STEC illness was 0.4 cases per 100,000 per year. In total, there were 822 STEC infections notified in Australia over this period, with a low of 1 notification in the Australian Capital Territory (corresponding to a rate of 0.03 cases per 100,000/year and a high of 413 notifications in South Australia (corresponding to a rate of 2.4 cases per 100,000/year, the state with the most comprehensive surveillance for STEC infection in the country. Nationally, 71.2% (504/708 of STEC infections underwent serotype testing between 2001 and 2009, and of these, 58.0% (225/388 were found to be O157 strains, with O111 (13.7% and O26 (11.1% strains also commonly associated with STEC infections. The notification rate for STEC O157 infections Australia wide between 2001-2009 was 0.12 cases per 100,000 per year. Over the same 9 year period there were 11 outbreaks caused by STEC, with these outbreaks generally being small in size and caused by a variety of serogroups. The overall annual rate of notified HUS in Australia between 2000 and 2010 was 0.07 cases per 100,000 per year. Both STEC infections and HUS cases showed a similar seasonal distribution, with a larger proportion of reported cases occurring in the summer months of December to February. Conclusions STEC infections in Australia have remained fairly steady over the past 11 years. Overall, the incidence and burden of disease due to STEC and HUS in Australia appears

Enterovirus D68 disease and molecular epidemiology in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Avram; Roberts, Jason; Lang, Jurissa; Tempone, Simone; Kesson, Alison; Dofai, Alfred; Daley, Andrew J; Thorley, Bruce; Speers, David J

2015-08-01

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has received considerable recent attention as a cause of widespread respiratory illness. Neurological syndromes such as acute flaccid paralysis following EV-D68 infection have also been reported in a small number of cases. To summarize the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of laboratory confirmed EV-D68 cases in Australia. We combined EV-D68 data acquired through laboratory surveillance in Western Australia with cases from national enterovirus surveillance and regional acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance. Clinical data was obtained for EV-D68 cases and capsid protein sequences were used for phylogenetic analysis. Sporadic cases of EV-D68 were recorded in Australia since 2008, with peaks in activity during 2011 and 2013. EV-D68 was primarily associated with respiratory disease, but was also detected in cerebrospinal fluid of one patient and faeces of two patients presenting with AFP. EV-D68 has been circulating in Western Australia and is likely to have also been present in the wider region for a number of years, causing primarily respiratory disease. Detection of EV-D68 in cerebrospinal fluid of one patient and in faeces of two AFP cases reinforces the association between EV-D68 and neurological disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Balancing health and industrial policy objectives in the pharmaceutical sector: lessons from Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Steve; McMahon, Meghan; Greyson, Devon

2008-08-01

Policy-makers worldwide struggle to balance health with industrial policy objectives in the pharmaceutical sector. Tensions arise over pricing and reimbursement in particular. What health plans view as necessary to maintain equitable access to medicines, industry views as inimical to R&D and innovation. Australia has grappled with this issue for years, even incorporating the goal of "maintaining a responsible and viable medicines industry" into its National Medicines Policy. This case study was conducted via a narrative review that examined Australia's experiences balancing health and industrial policy objectives in the pharmaceutical sector. The review included electronic databases, grey literature and government publications for reports on relevant Australian policy published over the period 1985-2007. While pharmaceutical companies claim that Australia's pricing and reimbursement policies suppress drug prices and reduce profits, national policy audits indicate these claims are misguided. Australia appears to have secured relatively low prices for generics and "me-too drugs" while paying internationally competitive prices for "breakthrough" medicines. Simultaneously, Australia has focused efforts on local pharmaceutical investment through a variety of industry-targeted R&D incentive policies. Despite the fact that policy reviews suggest that Australia has achieved balance between health and industrial policy objectives, the country continues to face criticism from industry that its health goals harm innovation and R&D. Recent reforms raise the question whether Australia can sustain the apparent balance.

Human research ethics committees in technical universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Koepsell, David; Brinkman, Willem-Paul; Pont, Sylvia

2014-07-01

Human research ethics has developed in both theory and practice mostly from experiences in medical research. Human participants, however, are used in a much broader range of research than ethics committees oversee, including both basic and applied research at technical universities. Although mandated in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, non-medical research involving humans need not receive ethics review in much of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Our survey of the top 50 technical universities in the world shows that, where not specifically mandated by law, most technical universities do not employ ethics committees to review human studies. As the domains of basic and applied sciences expand, ethics committees are increasingly needed to guide and oversee all such research regardless of legal requirements. We offer as examples, from our experience as an ethics committee in a major European technical university, ways in which such a committee provides needed services and can help ensure more ethical studies involving humans outside the standard medical context. We provide some arguments for creating such committees, and in our supplemental article, we provide specific examples of cases and concerns that may confront technical, engineering, and design research, as well as outline the general framework we have used in creating our committee. © The Author(s) 2014.

Dental hygiene student experiences in external placements in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Jane A; Hayes, Melanie J; Wallace, Linda

2012-05-01

While placements in external locations are being increasingly used in dental education globally, few studies have explored the student learning experience at such placements. The purpose of this study was to investigate student experiences while on external placement in a baccalaureate dental hygiene program. A self-reporting questionnaire was distributed to final-year dental hygiene students (n=77) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2010. The questionnaire included questions regarding the type of placement, experiences offered, supervision, resources available, and lasting impressions. Responding students were generally positive about their external placement experience and indicated that the majority of facilities provided them with the opportunity to provide direct patient care and perform clinical tasks typical of a practicing hygienist. However, there was a statistically significant difference in their opinions about discipline-focused and community placements. Students indicated that their external placement experience provided opportunities to learn more about time and patient management, including hands-on experience with specific clinical tasks. Ongoing evaluations are necessary to ensure that external placements meet both student needs and intended learning outcomes within dental hygiene programs.

Breastfeeding mothers returning to work: experiences of women at one university in Victoria, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilmour, Carole; Monk, Hilary; Hall, Helen

2013-07-01

Working women need to juggle work, child care and family to continue to breastfeed. This qualitative study's aim was to explore women's experiences of returning to work following the birth of their baby. Focus groups were held with women within one multi-campus university, who had commenced breastfeeding at birth and had returned to work or study within 12 months. In addition, educators working with babies in childcare centres on two of the campuses were interviewed. Thematic analysis was employed used Rogoff's (2003) three planes of analysis, the individual, the interpersonal and the cultural-institutional. Three themes, proximity, flexibility, and communication, were identified relating to the factors impacting on women and their choices to breastfeed or wean on returning to work. From a socio-cultural perspective these themes can be understood as situated within the interrelated contexts of workplace, child care and family. Limitations of the study include the small number of participants and recruitment from one university.

Measuring Research Impact in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Gunn, Andrew; Mintrom, Michael

2018-01-01

The implementation of the national Research Engagement and Impact Assessment in Australia provides a timely opportunity to review attempts to improve the non-academic impact of academic research. The impact agenda represents a new phase in academic research evaluation and funding, characterised by a heightened need to demonstrate a return on…

20 CFR 25.201 - How is the Special Schedule applied for employees in Australia?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... employees in Australia? 25.201 Section 25.201 Employees' Benefits OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAMS... How is the Special Schedule applied for employees in Australia? (a) The special schedule of compensation established by subpart B of this part shall apply in Australia with the modifications or additions...

The Population Origins and Expansion of Feral Cats in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Peter B S; Yurchenko, Andrey A; David, Victor A; Scott, Rachael; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Driscoll, Carlos; O'Brien, Stephen J; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn

2016-03-01

The historical literature suggests that in Australia, the domestic cat (Felis catus) had a European origin [~200 years before present (ybp)], but it is unclear if cats arrived from across the Asian land bridge contemporaneously with the dingo (4000 ybp), or perhaps immigrated ~40000 ybp in association with Aboriginal settlement from Asia. The origin of cats in Australia is important because the continent has a complex and ancient faunal assemblage that is dominated by endemic rodents and marsupials and lacks the large placental carnivores found on other large continents. Cats are now ubiquitous across the entire Australian continent and have been implicit in the range contraction or extinction of its small to medium sized (cats using 15 short tandem repeat (STR) genomic markers. Their origin appears to come exclusively from European founders. Feral cats in continental Australia exhibit high genetic diversity in comparison with the low diversity found in populations of feral cats living on islands. The genetic structure is consistent with a rapid westerly expansion from eastern Australia and a limited expansion in coastal Western Australia. Australian cats show modest if any population structure and a close genetic alignment with European feral cats as compared to cats from Asia, the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Indian Ocean), and European wildcats (F. silvestris silvestris). © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Food safety regulations in Australia and New Zealand Food Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Dilip

2014-08-01

Citizens of Australia and New Zealand recognise that food security is a major global issue. Food security also affects Australia and New Zealand's status as premier food exporting nations and the health and wellbeing of the Australasian population. Australia is uniquely positioned to help build a resilient food value chain and support programs aimed at addressing existing and emerging food security challenges. The Australian food governance system is fragmented and less transparent, being largely in the hands of government and semi-governmental regulatory authorities. The high level of consumer trust in Australian food governance suggests that this may be habitual and taken for granted, arising from a lack of negative experiences of food safety. In New Zealand the Ministry of Primary Industries regulates food safety issues. To improve trade and food safety, New Zealand and Australia work together through Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and other co-operative agreements. Although the potential risks to the food supply are dynamic and constantly changing, the demand, requirement and supply for providing safe food remains firm. The Australasian food industry will need to continually develop its system that supports the food safety program with the help of scientific investigations that underpin the assurance of what is and is not safe. The incorporation of a comprehensive and validated food safety program is one of the total quality management systems that will ensure that all areas of potential problems are being addressed by industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Universal access to ambulance does not increase overall demand for ambulance services in Queensland, Australia.

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Tippett, Vivienne C; Toloo, Ghasem Sam; Eeles, David; Ting, Joseph Y S; Aitken, Peter J; Fitzgerald, Gerard J

2013-02-01

To determine the impact of the introduction of universal access to ambulance services via the implementation of the Community Ambulance Cover (CAC) program in Queensland in 2003-04. The study involved a 10-year (2000-01 to 2009-10) retrospective analysis of routinely collected data reported by the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and by the Council of Ambulance Authorities. The data were analysed for the impact of policy changes that resulted in universal access to ambulance services in Queensland. QAS is a statewide, publically funded ambulance service. In Queensland, ambulance utilisation rate (AUR) per 1000 persons grew by 41% over the decade or 3.9% per annum (10-year mean=149.8, 95% CI: 137.3-162.3). The AUR mean after CAC was significantly higher for urgent incidents than for non-urgent ones. However projection modelling demonstrates that URs after the introduction of CAC were significantly lower than the projected utilisation for the same period. The introduction of universal access under the Community Ambulance Cover program in Queensland has not had any significant independent long-term impact on demand overall. There has been a reduction in the long-term growth rate, which may have been contributed to by an 'appropriate use' public awareness program.

Estudo anatômico comparativo da região cefálica pré-branquial de Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith e Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhiniformes relacionados com a presença do cefalofólio em Sphyrna Rafinesque Anatomical study on the pre branchial region of Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith and Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhiniformes related with the cephalofoil in Sphyrna Rafinesque

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Maisa da Cruz Lima

1997-01-01

Full Text Available A comparative study on the pre-branchial cranial anatomy of the scalloped hammerhead sharks [Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834] and the Brazilian sharpnose shark [Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes, 1839] was carried out to check the modification in the musculature, inervation and optic stalk related to the appearance of the cephalofoil in Sphyrna Rafinesque, 1810. A total of seven adults and one juvenile of R. lalandii and eight juveniles of S. lewini were examined. In S. lewini the levator palaliquadrati and the levator labii superioris were the most modified cephalic muscles, as they became dorsalventrally attached and laterally developed. Among the oculomotor muscles, the recti followed the lateral expansion of the head constituting the rectal stalk associated with the nerves II, III, IV and VI and the optic stalk. It was observed that the oculomolorius branch "a" does not inervate the adductor mandibulae as it was mentioned in a previous paper. The myological structures and the inervation pattern presented diagnostic characters. Despite the shared characters between Carcharhinidae and the Sphyrnidae, the cephalofoil represents an autapomorphy which includes all the hammerhead sharks in the family Sphyrnidae.

Undergraduate student drinking and related harms at an Australian university: web-based survey of a large random sample

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Hallett Jonathan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is considerable interest in university student hazardous drinking among the media and policy makers. However there have been no population-based studies in Australia to date. We sought to estimate the prevalence and correlates of hazardous drinking and secondhand effects among undergraduates at a Western Australian university. Method We invited 13,000 randomly selected undergraduate students from a commuter university in Australia to participate in an online survey of university drinking. Responses were received from 7,237 students (56%, who served as participants in this study. Results Ninety percent had consumed alcohol in the last 12 months and 34% met criteria for hazardous drinking (AUDIT score ≥ 8 and greater than 6 standard drinks in one sitting in the previous month. Men and Australian/New Zealand residents had significantly increased odds (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.9-2.3; OR: 5.2; 95% CI: 4.4-6.2 of being categorised as dependent (AUDIT score 20 or over than women and non-residents. In the previous 4 weeks, 13% of students had been insulted or humiliated and 6% had been pushed, hit or otherwise assaulted by others who were drinking. One percent of respondents had experienced sexual assault in this time period. Conclusions Half of men and over a third of women were drinking at hazardous levels and a relatively large proportion of students were negatively affected by their own and other students' drinking. There is a need for intervention to reduce hazardous drinking early in university participation. Trial registration ACTRN12608000104358

Optometry Australia Scope of Practice Survey 2015.

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Kiely, Patricia M; Cappuccio, Skye; McIntyre, Ellen

2017-05-01

This paper presents results from the inaugural Scope of Practice Survey of Optometry Australia members conducted in October 2015. The survey gathered information related to confidence in detecting and diagnosing key ocular conditions, grading diabetic retinopathy, prescribing scheduled medicines, access to equipment, confidence using equipment, incidence of patients requiring therapeutic management, referral practices and services provided. The survey was developed, piloted, modified and administered to members of Optometry Australia (excluding student and retired members), who had a current email address. Results were collated and analysed using Microsoft Excel. Of the 587 optometrists in clinical practice who responded, 254 (43 per cent) had therapeutic endorsement of registration. The majority of respondents practised in a major city or surrounding suburbs (63 per cent). Independent practice was the most frequently cited practice type (58 per cent). The estimated average number of patients seen in a week was 48; there was a steady decrease in the number of patients per week with increasing age, from 53 for optometrists in their 20s to 27 for optometrists aged over 70. There was very high confidence (over 93 per cent) in ability to grade diabetic retinopathy and diagnose a range of ocular conditions. Confidence in performance of more advanced techniques was higher for endorsed than non-endorsed optometrists. Approximately 12 per cent of patients required a Schedule 4 therapeutic prescription. The most frequently recommended over-the-counter medications were for dry eye for both endorsed and non-endorsed optometrists. The most frequently prescribed Schedule 4 medications were anti-inflammatories. The most challenging conditions to prescribe for were glaucoma, microbial keratitis and uveitis. Approximately one in six therapeutically endorsed optometrists reported unexpected side effects of medications they had prescribed. Information from the survey will guide

Improving the International Student Experience in Australia through Embedded Peer Mentoring

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Outhred, Tim; Chester, Andrea

2013-01-01

As Australia endeavors to sustain growth of its international education industry, there have been major concerns regarding the experience of international students. This review examines the international student experience in Australia, particularly issues surrounding study-work-life balance (SWLB), acculturation, health, and well-being. The…

The distribution of maternity services across rural and remote Australia: does it reflect population need?

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Rolfe, Margaret I; Donoghue, Deborah Anne; Longman, Jo M; Pilcher, Jennifer; Kildea, Sue; Kruske, Sue; Kornelsen, Jude; Grzybowski, Stefan; Barclay, Lesley; Morgan, Geoffrey Gerard

2017-02-23

Australia has a universal health care system and a comprehensive safety net. Despite this, outcomes for Australians living in rural and remote areas are worse than those living in cities. This study will examine the current state of equity of access to birthing services for women living in small communities in rural and remote Australia from a population perspective and investigates whether services are distributed according to need. Health facilities in Australia were identified and a service catchment was determined around each using a one-hour road travel time from that facility. Catchment exclusions: metropolitan areas, populations above 25,000 or below 1,000, and a non-birthing facility within the catchment of one with birthing. Catchments were attributed with population-based characteristics representing need: population size, births, demographic factors, socio-economic status, and a proxy for isolation - the time to the nearest facility providing a caesarean section (C-section). Facilities were dichotomised by service level - those providing birthing services (birthing) or not (no birthing). Birthing services were then divided by C-section provision (C-section vs no C-section birthing). Analysis used two-stage univariable and multivariable logistic regression. There were 259 health facilities identified after exclusions. Comparing services with birthing to no birthing, a population is more likely to have a birthing service if they have more births, (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 1.50 for every 10 births, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.33-1.69]), and a service offering C-sections 1 to 2 h drive away (aOR: 28.7, 95% CI [5.59-148]). Comparing the birthing services categorised by C-section vs no C-section, the likelihood of a facility having a C-section was again positively associated with increasing catchment births and with travel time to another service offering C-sections. Both models demonstrated significant associations with jurisdiction but not socio

Violence against ambulance personnel: a retrospective cohort study of national data from Safe Work Australia

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Brian J Maguire

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives and importance: Paramedics have high rates of occupational injury and fatality. The objective of this study is to describe their specific risks of violence-related injury. Study type: This retrospective cohort study is an examination of retrospective data provided by Safe Work Australia (SWA. Methods: An examination of the 300 cases of serious claims of injury related to assaults, violence, harassment and bullying that occurred among individuals identified as ambulance officers and paramedics in Australia from 2001 to 2014. Paramedic risks likely vary by exposures such as hours worked and call volume. To examine how those exposures may influence risk, the available data were used to estimate rates based on hours worked and call volume. Results: The data show that, for serious injuries among paramedics in Australia between 2001 and 2014, the total number of violence-related cases increased from 5 to 40 per year; the number of cases of injury secondary to assault tripled from 10 to 30; and the rate of cases by call volume doubled from 6 to 12. The cost of these injuries was approximately AUD$250 000 for the year 2013–14. The median time at work lost per individual case of ‘work-related harassment and/or workplace bullying’ was 9.6 weeks. Although females comprised 32% of the paramedic workforce, they were the victims in 42% of cases of exposure to violence and 40% of harassment cases. Conclusions: Although anecdotal reports indicate that some interventions have been attempted, violence against paramedics continues to be a growing problem in Australia. The data presented in this study allow for a better understanding of the problem and can support efforts by ambulance service administrators, physicians, paramedics and university researchers to work together to develop and publish evidence based, cost-effective solutions to reduce the risk of workplace violence. Effective solutions will likely be multifaceted and include training

Newborn bloodspot screening policy framework for Australia

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Peter O'Leary

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background The aim of newborn bloodspot screening (NBS is to identify rare genetic and non-genetic conditions in children soon after birth in order to commence therapies that prevent the development of progressive, serious, and irreversible disabilities. Universal NBS programmes have been implemented in most countries, with minor adaptations to target conditions most relevant to the local healthcare environment. Aims In this article, we describe the initiatives of international and Australian governments to develop policies to address the expansion of NBS in their healthcare systems. Methods We have reviewed published public policies and literature to formulate recommendations based on clinical, social, legal, and ethical principles to inform a national governance and policy framework for Australia. Results Australian policy makers have been slow to develop a coordinated plan. While the experience from other governments can guide our national policy, there are specific areas that require further consideration by Australian health experts. Key reforms involve the separation of policy and operational activities, multidisciplinary decision-making and oversight by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council for policy direction. Conclusion A formal national policy framework will guide the coordination of NBS services that can adapt to the needs of Australian children and families.