Sequence analysis of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in Australia: alterations after its release

Liver samples from rabbits killed by RHDV, collected from five States in Australia in 1996 and 1997 were analysed by RT-PCR. A 398 bp fragment of the capsid protein (VP60) gene was amplified by PCR and directly sequenced. The alignment of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences and their comparison with the original strain of the virus released in Australia indicated genetic changes after two years have been small with 98.2% to 100% identity. The constructed phylogenetic tree suggests slight differences in nucleotide substitutions in various States but there is no clear evidence of clustering of sequences according to their geographic origin. In practical terms, sequencing of viral RNA provides a means of testing the efficacy of further releases and subsequent spread of the virus if such a strategy is employed as a means of enhancing RHD as a biological control of the wild rabbit in Australia.

Finite element analysis of flow patterns near geological lenses in hydrodynamic and hydrothermal systems

We use theoretical and numerical methods to investigate the general pore-fluid flow patterns near geological lenses in hydrodynamic and hydrothermal systems respectively. Analytical solutions have been rigorously derived for the pore-fluid velocity, stream function and excess pore-fluid pressure near a circular lens in a hydrodynamic system. These analytical solutions provide not only a better understanding of the physics behind the problem, but also a valuable benchmark solution for validating any numerical method. Since a geological lens is surrounded by a medium of large extent in nature and the finite element method is efficient at modelling only media of finite size, the determination of the size of the computational domain of a finite element model, which is often overlooked by numerical analysts, is very important in order to ensure both the efficiency of the method and the accuracy of the numerical solution obtained. To highlight this issue, we use the derived analytical solutions to deduce a rigorous mathematical formula for designing the computational domain size of a finite element model. The proposed mathematical formula has indicated that, no matter how fine the mesh or how high the order of elements, the desired accuracy of a finite element solution for pore-fluid flow near a geological lens cannot be achieved unless the size of the finite element model is determined appropriately. Once the finite element computational model has been appropriately designed and validated in a hydrodynamic system, it is used to examine general pore-fluid flow patterns near geological lenses in hydrothermal systems. Some interesting conclusions on the behaviour of geological lenses in hydrodynamic and hydrothermal systems have been reached through the analytical and numerical analyses carried out in this paper.

A sociolinguistic approach to applied epistemology: Examining technocratic values in global 'knowledge' policy

This special issue presents an excellent opportunity to study applied epistemology in public policy. This is an important task because the arena of public policy is the social domain in which macro conditions for ‘knowledge work’ and ‘knowledge industries’ are defined and created. We argue that knowledge-related public policy has become overly concerned with creating the politico-economic parameters for the commodification of knowledge. Our policy scope is broader than that of Fuller (1988), who emphasizes the need for a social epistemology of science policy. We extend our focus to a range of policy documents that include communications, science, education and innovation policy (collectively called knowledge-related public policy in acknowledgement of the fact that there is no defined policy silo called ‘knowledge policy’), all of which are central to policy concerned with the ‘knowledge economy’ (Rooney and Mandeville, 1998). However, what we will show here is that, as Fuller (1995) argues, ‘knowledge societies’ are not industrial societies permeated by knowledge, but that knowledge societies are permeated by industrial values. Our analysis is informed by an autopoietic perspective. Methodologically, we approach it from a sociolinguistic position that acknowledges the centrality of language to human societies (Graham, 2000). Here, what we call ‘knowledge’ is posited as a social and cognitive relationship between persons operating on and within multiple social and non-social (or, crudely, ‘physical’) environments. Moreover, knowing, we argue, is a sociolinguistically constituted process. Further, we emphasize that the evaluative dimension of language is most salient for analysing contemporary policy discourses about the commercialization of epistemology (Graham, in press). Finally, we provide a discourse analysis of a sample of exemplary texts drawn from a 1.3 million-word corpus of knowledge-related public policy documents that we compiled from local, state, national and supranational legislatures throughout the industrialized world. Our analysis exemplifies a propensity in policy for resorting to technocratic, instrumentalist and anti-intellectual views of knowledge in policy. We argue that what underpins these patterns is a commodity-based conceptualization of knowledge, which is underpinned by an axiology of narrowly economic imperatives at odds with the very nature of knowledge. The commodity view of knowledge, therefore, is flawed in its ignorance of the social systemic properties of ��knowing’.

Analysis of the phase behavior of the aqueous poly(ethylene glycol)-Ficoll system

The PEG-Ficoll polymer phase system is one that has been overlooked in the past for biotechnology applications because of the stability of its emulsions. However, new applications, such as emulsion coating of cells, are appearing that rely on this very property. Ficoll is highly polydisperse and multimodal with three distinct Ficoll peaks in gel permeation chromatography. As a result, the transition between one-phase and two-phase systems is blurred and the binodials obtained through turbidometric titration and tie-line analysis differ significantly. Moreover, since the three Ficoll peaks partition differently, tie-line analysis cannot be described by a simple model of the aqueous two-phase system. A simple modification to the model allowed for excellent fit, and this modification may prove well-suited for the many practical cases where aqueous two-phase systems fail to display parallel tie-lines as implicitly assumed in the simpler model.

Convergence analysis of a discrete-time single-unit gradient ICA algorithm

We revisit the one-unit gradient ICA algorithm derived from the kurtosis function. By carefully studying properties of the stationary points of the discrete-time one-unit gradient ICA algorithm, with suitable condition on the learning rate, convergence can be proved. The condition on the learning rate helps alleviate the guesswork that accompanies the problem of choosing suitable learning rate in practical computation. These results may be useful to extract independent source signals on-line.

The communication rights in the information society (CRIS) campaign: Applying social movement theories to an analysis of global media reform

Social movement theories offer useful conceptual and analytical tools to the study and research of global media reform movements. This article is a critical analysis of the Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS) campaign. It explores its successes and blind-spots in the light of social movement theory, in particular resource mobilization theory (RMT), and offers practical directions for the movement to move on from where it is to where it ought to be.

Compositional analysis of teas from Australian supermarkets

Caffeine, total amino acids, water extract and moisture content are considered to be quality indicators for leaf teas and teabags. These analyses were examined in 20 leaf teas and 36 teabags sampled from Australian supermarkets. About 70% of the analysed samples showed a moisture content higher than Vie maximum accepted level, 6.5%, for tea storage and marketing by the tea industries and traders. Water appropriate extract of 15 samples out of 36 teabags was lower than that of the teas without teabags, which indicates that the quality of the paper used for teabags needs to be evaluated. Moreover, one of the black leaf tea samples was found to have a water extract below the lower limit of international standards. Four green and black teas of the same brand, claimed to contain less than 3% caffeine, were found to have 3-4%, the same as the other samples analysed in this study. The mean total contents of amino acids were 2.50% and 1.76% in black leaf teas and the teabags, respectively, whereas they were 3.44% and 2.28% in green leaf teas and the teabags, respectively. Furthermore, the weights of 28 teabags out of 36 samples were found to lie outside of the proposed +/- 2% variation accepted by the tea industries and traders, and 4 samples showed even larger variation, 10% being out of the proposed weights. This investigation also showed that the solubility of caffeine and water extract was affected by the permeability of teabags, whereas total amino acids were very variable. These results suggest that an efficient and practical quality control system for both imported and Australian-made teas in the Australian supermarkets should be developed, implemented and enforced. Chemical analysis should be a part of the system for establishing an objective assessment for the quality control. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The status and relevance of Vietnamese journalism education: An empirical analysis

Based primarily on data from indepth interviews with senior journalists and journalism educators as well as a content analysis of journalism curricula, this paper sets out to provide an overview of the demand, overall provision structure, teaching materials and methods of Vietnamese journalism education. It first shows that with a fast expansion in both size and substance, the Vietnamese media system is beginning to feel the urgent need for formal journalism education. However, the country's major journalism programs have been criticised for producing hundreds of unqualified journalism graduates a year. In general, the most deplorable aspects of Vietnamese journalism education include its body of outdated and awkward teaching material, its undue focus on theories and politics at the expense of practical training, its lack of qualified teaching staff and its inadequate teaching resources.

Teaching principles of genetics through SNP analysis

An understanding of inheritance requires comprehension of genetic processes at all levels, from molecules to populations. Frequently genetics courses are separated into molecular and organismal genetics and students may fail to see the relationships between them. This is particularly true with human genetics, because of the difficulties in designing experimental approaches which are consistent with ethical restrictions, student abilities and background knowledge, and available time and materials. During 2005 we used analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two genetic regions to enhance student learning and provide a practical experience in human genetics. Students scanned databases to discover SNPs in a gene of interest, used software to design PCR primers and a restriction enzyme based assay for the alleles, and carried out an analysis of the SNP on anonymous individual and family DNAs. The project occupied eight to ten hours per week for one semester, with some time spent in the laboratory and some spent in database searching, reading and writing the report. In completing their projects, students acquired a knowledge of Mendel’s first law (through looking at inheritance patterns), Mendel’s second law and the exceptions (the concepts of linkage and linkage disequilibrium), DNA structure (primer design and restriction enzyme analysis) and function (SNPs in coding and non-coding regions), population genetics and the statistical analysis of allele frequencies, genomics, bioinformatics and the ethical issues associated with the use of human samples. They also developed skills in presentation of results by publication and conference participation. Deficiencies in their understanding (for example of inheritance patterns, gene structure, statistical approaches and report writing) were detected and guidance given during the project. SNP analysis was found to be a powerful approach to enhance and integrate student understanding of genetic concepts.

Goal orientation, ability and task performance: A moderated analysis

Achievement goal orientation represents an individual's general approach to an achievement situation, and has important implications for how individuals react to novel, challenging tasks. However, theorists such as Yeo and Neal (2004) have suggested that the effects of goal orientation may emerge over time. Bell and Kozlowski (2002) have further argued that these effects may be moderated by individual ability. The current study tested the dynamic effects of a new 2x2 model of goal orientation (mastery/performance x approach/avoidance) on performance on a simulated air traffic control (ATC) task, as moderated by dynamic spatial ability. One hundred and one first-year participants completed a self-report goal orientation measure and computerbased dynamic spatial ability test and performed 30 trials of an ATC task. Hypotheses were tested using a two-level hierarchical linear model. Mastery-approach orientation was positively related to task performance, although no interaction with ability was observed. Performance-avoidance orientation was negatively related to task performance; this association was weaker at high levels of ability. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

Hydrothermal Stability Analysis of Carbonised Template Molecular Sieve Silica Membranes

For fuel cell CO clean up application, the presence of water with silica membranes greatly reduces their selectivity to CO. We show results of a new functional carbonised template membrane of around 13nm thickness which offered hydrothermal stability with no compromise to the membrane’s H2/CO permselectivity of 16. Lost permeance was also regenerated.

A matching pursuit-based signal complexity measure for the analysis of newborn EEG

This paper presents a new relative measure of signal complexity, referred to here as relative structural complexity, which is based on the matching pursuit (MP) decomposition. By relative, we refer to the fact that this new measure is highly dependent on the decomposition dictionary used by MP. The structural part of the definition points to the fact that this new measure is related to the structure, or composition, of the signal under analysis. After a formal definition, the proposed relative structural complexity measure is used in the analysis of newborn EEG. To do this, firstly, a time-frequency (TF) decomposition dictionary is specifically designed to compactly represent the newborn EEG seizure state using MP. We then show, through the analysis of synthetic and real newborn EEG data, that the relative structural complexity measure can indicate changes in EEG structure as it transitions between the two EEG states; namely seizure and background (non-seizure).