Four Ideas to Improve the Human Condition

A collection of four progressive ideas targeted for the improvement of the human condition has been compiled in this book. They were derived from the first attempted MEDP Australian Summit. Although the Summit itself did not meet expectations for a variety of reasons, the four ideas contained herein are gems derived from the Summit processes.

A new family of multi-output DC-DC converter topologies to supply an asymmetrical four-level diode-clamped inverter

Purpose Multi-level diode-clamped inverters have the challenge of capacitor voltage balancing when the number of DC-link capacitors is three or more. On the other hand, asymmetrical DC-link voltage sources have been applied to increase the number of voltage levels without increasing the number of switches. The purpose of this paper is to show that an appropriate multi-output DC-DC converter can resolve the problem of capacitor voltage balancing and utilize the asymmetrical DC-link voltages advantages. Design/methodology/approach A family of multi-output DC-DC converters is presented in this paper. The application of these converters is to convert the output voltage of a photovoltaic (PV) panel to regulate DC-link voltages of an asymmetrical four-level diode-clamped inverter utilized for domestic applications. To verify the versatility of the presented topology, simulations have been directed for different situations and results are presented. Some related experiments have been developed to examine the capabilities of the proposed converters. Findings The three-output voltage-sharing converters presented in this paper have been mathematically analysed and proven to be appropriate to improve the quality of the residential application of PV by means of four-level asymmetrical diode-clamped inverter supplying highly resistive loads. Originality/value This paper shows that an appropriate multi-output DC-DC converter can resolve the problem of capacitor voltage balancing and utilize the asymmetrical DC-link voltages advantages and that there is a possibility of operation at high-modulation index despite reference voltage magnitude and power factor variations.

The awareness and explication of disciplinarity across four senior-secondary subject areas

This paper issues a challenge to the notion of domain-general teaching and learning, positing that different subject areas require distinct approaches to developing student knowledge and understanding. The aim has been to observe and compare awareness and explication of disciplinarity in four senior secondary school subjects: Biology, History, Music and Physics. Specifically, we were interested in: (1) teachers’ concepts of what it means to ‘know the discipline’, to ‘think like a disciplinary expert’ and to ‘teach and learn the discipline’; and (2) how teachers draw these concepts together to build student knowledge in the classroom. The research informs educational practice and policy, in particular curricular initiatives involving interdisciplinary curricula.

The modern movement architecture of four South African cities

South Africa's modern architecture is not confined to the cities, but the ideas of the movement were mostly disseminated by architects and academics in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town, its four major urban centres. The lay out of significant areas of each city was also influenced by international modernist plans. In outlining the achievements and innovative designs of architects in these cities between the 1930s and 1970s, this article draws a picture of the importance of modernism in South African urban space, and of its diversity. It also draws attention to the political nature of the South African landscape and space, where modernist design was used for racial purposes, and to past and present conservation ideologies. The second part of the article concerns the conservation of modern buildings in these centres; it quotes bibliographies and lists the registers, those existing or under construction. It concludes with an overview of the conservation legislation in place and the challenges of conservation in a context of changing cultural values.

Across-country comparisons of selected infant and young child feeding indicators and associated factors in four South Asian countries

Background: Information on infant and young child feeding is widely available in Demographic and Health Surveys and National Family Health Surveys for countries in South Asia; however, infant and young child feeding indicators from these surveys have not been compared between countries in the region. Objective. To compare the key indicators of breastfeeding and complementary feeding and their determinants in children under 24 months of age between four South Asian countries. Methods: We selected data sets from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004, the India National Family Health Survey (NFHS-03) 2005–06, the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2006, and the Sri Lanka 2000 Demographic and Health Survey. Infant feeding indicators were estimated according to the key World Health Organization indicators. Results: Exclusive breastfeeding rates were 42.5% in Bangladesh, 46.4% in India, and 53.1% in Nepal. The rate of full breastfeeding ranged between 60.6% and 73.9%. There were no factors consistently associated with the rate of no exclusive breastfeeding across countries. Utilization of health services (more antenatal clinic visits) was associated with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding in India but lower rates in Nepal. Delivery at a health facility was a negative determinant of exclusive breastfeeding in India. Postnatal contacts by Public Health Midwives were a positive factor in Sri Lanka. A considerable proportion of infants under 6 months of age had been given plain water, juices, or other nonmilk liquids. The rate of timely first suckling ranged from 23.5% in India to 56.3% in Sri Lanka. Delivery by cesarean section was found to be a consistent negative factor that delayed initiation of breastfeeding. Nepal reported the lowest bottle-feeding rate of 3.5%. Socioeconomically privileged mothers were found to have higher bottlefeeding rates in most countries. Conclusions: Infant and young child feeding practices in the South Asia region have not reached the expected levels that are required to achieve a substantial reduction in child mortality. The countries with lower rates of exclusive breastfeeding have a great potential to improve the rates by preventing infants from receiving water and water-based or other nonmilk liquids during the first 6 months of life.

Teaching to the middle in Australia : four teachers tell their stories

This chapter explores the perceptions of middle years specialist teachers in the contemporary Australian schools context. Written narratives were obtained from 4 Australian teachers. Each has followed distinctly different paths to teaching in the middle years. However, each has a high leadership profile in the general schooling sector assumed relatively early in their professional careers. These teachers were asked about their entry into teaching, the pathways they pursued to teaching at the middle level, opportunities and limitations experienced for them in schools, and their conceptions of the future of middle years reforms in Australia.

Exposure to ultrafine particles and PM2.5 in four Sydney transport modes

Concentrations of ultrafine (<0.1µm) particles (UFPs) and PM2.5 (<2.5µm) were measured whilst commuting along a similar route by train, bus, ferry and automobile in Sydney, Australia. One trip on each transport mode was undertaken during both morning and evening peak hours throughout a working week, for a total of 40 trips. Analyses comprised one-way ANOVA to compare overall (i.e. all trips combined) geometric mean concentrations of both particle fractions measured across transport modes, and assessment of both the correlation between wind speed and individual trip means of UFPs and PM2.5, and the correlation between the two particle fractions. Overall geometric mean concentrations of UFPs and PM2.5 ranged from 2.8 (train) to 8.4 (bus) × 104 particles cm-3 and 22.6 (automobile) to 29.6 (bus) µg m-3, respectively, and a statistically significant difference (p <0.001) between modes was found for both particle fractions. Individual trip geometric mean concentrations were between 9.7 × 103 (train) and 2.2 × 105 (bus) particles cm-3 and 9.5 (train) to 78.7 (train) µg m-3. Estimated commuter exposures were variable, and the highest return trip mean PM2.5 exposure occurred in the ferry mode, whilst the highest UFP exposure occurred during bus trips. The correlation between fractions was generally poor, and in keeping with the duality of particle mass and number emissions in vehicle-dominated urban areas. Wind speed was negatively correlated with, and a generally poor determinant of, UFP and PM2.5 concentrations, suggesting a more significant role for other factors in determining commuter exposure.