Curbing paper wastage using flavoured feedback

In November 2009 the researcher embarked on a project aimed at reducing the amount of paper used by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) staff in their daily workplace activities. The key goal was to communicate to staff that excessive printing has a tangible and negative effect on their workplace and local environment. The research objective was to better understand what motivates staff towards more ecologically sustainable printing practises, whilst meeting their job’s demands. The current study is built on previous research that found that one interface does not address the needs of all users when creating persuasive Human Computer Interaction (HCI) interventions targeting resource consumption. In response, the current study created and trialled software that communicates individual paper consumption in precise metrics. Based on preliminary research data different metric sets have been defined to address the different motivations and beliefs of user archetypes using descriptive and injunctive normative information.

Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act : strike three

The Tourism, Racing and Fair Trading (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002 (“the Act”) which was passed on 18 April 2002 contains a number of significant amendments relevant to the operation of the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000. The main changes relevant to property transactions are: (i) Changes to the process for appointment of a real estate agent and consolidation of the appointment forms; (ii) Additions to the disclosure obligation of agents and property developers; (iii) Simplification of the process for commencing the cooling off period; (iv) Alteration of the common law position concerning when the parties are bound by a contract; (v) Removal of the requirement for a seller’s signature on the warning statement to be witnessed; (vi) Retrospective amendment of s 170 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997; (vii) Inclusion of a new power to allow inspectors to enter the place of business of a licensee or a marketeer without consent and without a warrant; and (viii) Inclusion of a new power for inspectors to require documents to be produced by marketeers. The majority of the amendments are effective from the date of assent, 24 April 2002, however, some of the amendments do not commence until a date fixed by proclamation. No proclamation has been made at the time of writing (2 May 2002). Where the amendments have not commenced this will be noted in the article. Before providing clients with advice, practitioners should carefully check proclamation details.

Refund of imputation credits

The purpose of this paper is to explain the features of the new provisions for the refund of imputation credits, which are contained in the New Business Tax System (Miscellaneous) Act (No1) 2000.1 The provisions have been introduced to ensure that:  certain eligible resident taxpayers are taxed on their dividend income at their personal marginal rate of tax; and  certain eligible resident nonprofit organisations can apply their tax exemption on their dividend income. The provisions are contained in Division 67 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 for refunds to resident individuals and superannuation entities and Division 7AA of Part IIIA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 for refunds to endorsed income tax exempt charities and certain deductible gift recipients.

Fatalities of repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition works in Hong Kong

This study examines fatalities of repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition (RMAA) works which occurred in Hong Kong between January 2000 and October 2011. A total of 119 RMAA fatalities were recorded. Particular emphasis was placed on fall from height accidents as they accounted for the vast majority of RMAA fatal accidents for the period. A cluster analysis was conducted on fall from height fatal cases. The cluster analysis clearly identified three groups of fall from height fatalities: (1) bamboo scaffolders aged between 25 and 34 who fell from external wall/facade in the beginning of weekdays; (2) miscellaneous workers aged between 45 and 54 who fell from other/unknown places in the end of weekdays; and (3) manual labour aged between 35 and 44 who fell at floor level/from floor openings in weekends. Unsafe process and improper procedures were the main unsafe condition leading to fatalities whereas safety belt not properly used was the main unsafe action leading to fatalities. Specific safety interventions were recommended for each of these groups to help avoid these fatalities.

High pressure in situ diffraction studies of metal–hydrogen systems

“Hybrid” hydrogen storage, where hydrogen is stored in both the solid material and as a high pressure gas in the void volume of the tank can improve overall system efficiency by up to 50% compared to either compressed hydrogen or solid materials alone. Thermodynamically, high equilibrium hydrogen pressures in metal–hydrogen systems correspond to low enthalpies of hydrogen absorption–desorption. This decreases the calorimetric effects of the hydride formation–decomposition processes which can assist in achieving high rates of heat exchange during hydrogen loading—removing the bottleneck in achieving low charging times and improving overall hydrogen storage efficiency of large hydrogen stores. Two systems with hydrogenation enthalpies close to −20 kJ/mol H2 were studied to investigate the hydrogenation mechanism and kinetics: CeNi5–D2 and ZrFe2−xAlx (x = 0.02; 0.04; 0.20)–D2. The structure of the intermetallics and their hydrides were studied by in situ neutron powder diffraction at pressures up to 1000 bar and complementary X-ray diffraction. The deuteration of the hexagonal CeNi5 intermetallic resulted in CeNi5D6.3 with a volume expansion of 30.1%. Deuterium absorption filled three different types of interstices, Ce2Ni2 and Ni4 tetrahedra, and Ce2Ni3 half-octahedra and was accompanied by a valence change for Ce. Significant hysteresis was observed between deuterium absorption and desorption which profoundly decreased on a second absorption cycle. For the Al-modified Laves-type C15 ZrFe2−xAlx intermetallics, deuteration showed very fast kinetics of H/D exchange and resulted in a volume increase of the FCC unit cells of 23.5% for ZrFe1.98Al0.02D2.9(1). Deuterium content, hysteresis of H/D uptake and release, unit cell expansion and stability of the hydrides systematically change with the amount of Al content. In the deuteride D atoms exclusively occupy the Zr2(Fe,Al)2 tetrahedra. Observed interatomic distances are Zr–D = 1.98–2.11; (Fe, Al)–D = 1.70–1.75A˚ . Hydrogenation slightly increases the magnetic moment of the Fe atoms in ZrFe1.98Al0.02 and ZrFe1.96Al0.04 from 1.9 �B at room temperature for the alloy to 2.2 �B for its deuteride.

Nanostructured metal hydrides for hydrogen storage studied by in situ synchrotron and neutron diffraction

This work was focused on studies of the metal hydride materials having a potential in building hydrogen storage systems with high gravimetric and volumetric efficiencies of H storage and formed / decomposed with high rates of hydrogen exchange. In situ diffraction studies of the metal-hydrogen systems were explored as a valuable tool in probing both the mechanism of the phase-structural transformations and their kinetics. Two complementary techniques, namely Neutron Powder Diffraction (NPD) and Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SR XRD) were utilised. High pressure in situ NPD studies were performed at D2 pressures reaching 1000 bar at the D1B diffractometer accommodated at Institute Laue Langevin, Grenoble. The data of the time resolved in situ SR XRD were collected at the Swiss Norwegian Beam Lines, ESRF, Grenoble in the pressure range up to 50 bar H2 at temperatures 20-400°C. The systems studied by NPD at high pressures included deuterated Al-modified Laves-type C15 ZrFe2-xAlx intermetallics with x = 0.02; 0.04 and 0.20 and the CeNi5-D2 system. D content, hysteresis of H uptake and release, unit cell expansion and stability of the hydrides systematically change with Al content. Deuteration exhibited a very fast kinetics; it resulted in increase of the unit cells volumes reaching 23.5 % for ZrFe1.98Al0.02D2.9(1) and associated with exclusive occupancy of the Zr2(Fe,Al)2 tetrahedra. For CeNi5 deuteration yielded a hexahydride CeNi5D6.2 (20°C, 776 bar D2) and was accompanied by a nearly isotropic volume expansion reaching 30.1% (∆a/a=10.0%; ∆c/c=7.5%). Deuterium atoms fill three different interstitial sites including Ce2Ni2, Ce2Ni3 and Ni4. Significant hysteresis was observed on the first absorption-desorption cycle. This hysteresis decreased on the absorption-desorption cycling. A different approach to the development of H storage systems is based on the hydrides of light elements, first of all the Mg-based ones. These systems were studied by SR XRD. Reactive ball milling in hydrogen (HRBM) allowed synthesis of the nanostructured Mg-based hydrides. The experimental parameters (PH2, T, energy of milling, ball / sample ratio and balls size), significantly influence rate of hydrogenation. The studies confirmed (a) a completeness of hydrogenation of Mg into MgH2; (b) indicated a partial transformation of the originally formed -MgH2 into a metastable -MgH2 (a ratio / was 3/1); (c) yielded the crystallite size for the main hydrogenation product, -MgH2, as close to 10 nm. Influence of the additives to Mg on the structure and hydrogen absorption/desorption properties and cycle behaviour of the composites was established and will be discussed in the paper.

Support services for higher degree research students: A survey of three Australian universities

A survey was conducted across three Australian universities to identify the types and format of support services available for higher degree research (HDR, or MA and Ph.D.) students. The services were classified with regards to availability, location and accessibility. A comparative tool was developed to help institutions categorise their services in terms of academic, administrative, social and settlement, language and miscellaneous (other) supports. All three universities showed similarities in the type of academic support services offered, while differing in social and settlement and language support services in terms of the location and the level of accessibility of these services. The study also examined the specific support services available for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students. The three universities differed in their emphases in catering to CALD needs, with their allocation of resources reflecting these differences. The organisation of these services within the universities was further assessed to determine possible factors that may influence the effective delivery of these services, by considering HDR and CALD student specific issues. The findings and tools developed by this study may be useful to HDR supervisors and university administrators in identifying key support services to better improve outcomes for the HDR students and universities.

Therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in children : An audit of 443 procedures and literature review

The safety, effectiveness and capabilities of therapeutic upper fibreoptic endoscopy in children undergoing therapeutic endoscopic procedures (n = 443) was studied. Therapy for gastrointestinal bleeding formed the major group (injection sclerotherapy for varices, n = 197 procedures; thermocoagulation for haemorrhagic gastritis, n = 1; and photocoaulation for Dieulafoy's disease, n = 1). Sclerotherapy was 97% effective in controlling acute bleeding and 84% effective in obliterating varices with no serious complications or deaths. Oesophageal dilatations for surgical, caustic, congenital and peptic strictures and achalasia (n = 193) were performed with no oesophageal perforations or deaths. Foreign bodies were retrieved (n = 34) with no failures or complications. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was performed (n = 11) with one failure, proceeding to an unsuccessful surgical gastrostomy. Miscellaneous procedures included endoscopic transpyloric tube placement (n = 5) and endoscopic diathermy of pyloric web (n = 1). Therapeutic fibreoptic endoscopy is therefore concluded to be safe and effective in children, replacing rigid oesophagoscopy and some traditional surgical approaches.