The climate change and development nexus

The rapid economic success achieved by the developing countries in general, and India and China in particular, has brought the issue of climate change, which is a spin-off of development, to the fore. Economic growth is essential for the eradication of poverty and generation of wealth. However, it drives energy consumption and demand for energy which, in turn, produces toxic gases like carbon dioxide (CO2 ). Thus, the price of economic growth is climate change. The paradox lies in the fact that when economic growth is the only solution to poverty, the resultant climate change (characterized by emission of greenhouse gases) also affects the poor greatly. In this context, it is observed that while traditionally the developed countries were charged with polluting the environment globally, now the developing countries have overtaken their counterparts as polluters. The developing countries have emerged, over the years, as the agents responsible for growing pollution in the world, though they are also the victims, as most of the poor people belong to the developing countries. The author explores the nexus between climate change and development in the context of the economic growth of the developing countries and its impact on them.

The design and development of an integrated system for object-oriented finite element computing

Finite Element Method (FEM) is widely used in Science and Engineering since 1960’s. The vast majority of FEM software is procedure-oriented. However, this conventional style of designing FEM software encounters problems in maintenance, reuse, and expansion of the software. Recently the object-oriented finite element method attracts the attention of lots of researchers, and now there is a growing interest in this method. In this paper, the object-oriented finite element (OOFE) is briefly introduced. Then the design and development of an integrated OOFE system is described. A comparison of the integrated OOFE system and a procedure-oriented system shows that our OOFE system has many advantages.

Relationship between body image and social and sexual functioning: gender and development trends

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between body image and social and sexual functioning. The respondents were 426 men and women from metropolitan and rural Victoria, who ranged in age from 18 to 86 years (mean age = 42.26). Respondents completed measures of attractiveness, body satisfaction, body image importance, body image behaviours, appearance comparison, social physique anxiety, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social and sexual functioning. Regression analyses were used to detelmine the prediction of social and sexual functioning by body image variables for men and women of different age groups, beyond the effects of psychological adjustment. The results demonstrated that while there were moderate correlations between body image and sociallsexual functioning variables, many of these relationships were best explained by the shared variance of self-esteem. There were some exceptions, particularly among middle-aged men, which are discussed.

Future considerations for the training and development of Australian quality managers

Adequate, appropriate training of quality managers is essential to the development and implementation of effective quality management systems. This study reports on a survey of 235 Australian quality managers to determine their perceptions of their training and development needs, the extent to which these were being met, and their views on the future of their discipline. The study found that there was a general lack of systematization, most programs were short-term and delivered by a fragmented set of providers. Many managers had received no training in the past 5 years. While the respondents were generally satisfied with the training they had received, there was evidence that their insight into their own needs was imperfect. The respondents were divided between those who thought quality management would remain a discrete field and those who saw it being absorbed by other management systems. The challenges of developing an appropriate training and development regime in this environment are discussed.

The nature and development of the general insurance industry in Australia to 1973

The development of the insurance industry in Australia in the twentieth century was fundamentally shaped by a collusive code of conduct called the tariff. This arrangement, established to overcome problems of uncertainty, initially benefited both tariff and non-tariff firms by enhancing market stability. It also reduced competition. The collusive agreements gradually broke down, however, as new entrants and products entered the market in the 1950s. Self-regulation gradually gave way as the 'rules of the game' changed. The result was a period of instability before new competitive practices, and more direct and specific regulatory requirements emerged in the 1970s.

Managing social and intellectual capital to inform design and development of learning objects : issues, applications and technologies

The purpose of this paper is to present and analyse a case example of the development and implementation of a digital learnmg object in context with academic literature in the field. The paper's content describes the creation of a multimedia learning object from conception in 2004 to completion m 2006. Provided is the rationale and outcome of a strategically funded University project aimed at illuminating an industrial case study of good management and communication practices for use in classrooms throughout the entire university. This paper is intended to act as a guide for others. Our experience as academics in successful dialogue With educational technologists will inspire and inform those embarking on similar projects, and aspects of it will generalise to development and implementation Issues for other kinds of learning objects.

Career planning and development in elite sport : an AFL perspective

This paper examines career development in elite sport, specifically the perceptions of Australian Football League (AFL) players on the career development programs offered by the AFL Players Association. HRM literature reveals considerable research in the area of career planning and development. There is however a paucity of research into career planning for elite athletes in Australia. While overseas studies indicate a lack of career planning by elite athletes for their life after sport, that is not the findings of this research. This pilot study reveals that AFL Players not only recognise the need for and value of career planning, they actively utilise the AFL Players Association, Player Development program, in particular the training and development and guidance aspects of the program, This research is useful because it provides feedback to those who formulate such programs to better cater for and create more focused programs. It also provides the basis for further research across the sport and the potential to test its applicability across other elite sports.

Framing the role of technologies in the recognition and development of staff capacities to enhance learning in higher education

There are practical initiatives which can be taken by university management to move institutions forward by engaging a broad range of staff and in cultivating leadership capabilities in teaching and learning. These initiatives are considered in terms of 12 ‘levers of engagement’ currently being implemented in our university, and shown below. Deakin, as a major flexible education provider, is used as an institutional case study of the role of technology in supporting organisational change in higher education. Many of the levers of engagement are evident in other Australian universities.

Properties of ectin isolated from Lawulu (Crysophylum roxbergi G Don) and development of jam and fruit leather using Lawulu and pineapple

Lawulu fruit (Crysophylum roxberghi GDon) possess nutritional, medicinal and functional properties. However, it is less consumed due to its  characteristic off flavour. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential of utilizing lawulu fruit for isolation of pectin and to develop jam and fruit leather. Products were evaluated based on physico-chemical and sensory properties.

Pectin isolated fromf irm ripe lawuluf ruit using 0.1 M hydrochloric acid  followed by 96% ethanol precipitation yielded 7. 3% pectin on wet weight basis and 26.1% on dry weight basis. The isolated pectin contained 0.74% ash, 0.02% acetyl content and 7.85% methoxyl content with equivalent weight 993.5. These values were comparable with commercial high methoxyl pectin. In addition, Iawulu pectin at 1.5% concentration formed a gel within 12-14 min in the presence of 68% sucrose and 0.5% citric acid.

Jam was prepared by using Iawulu-pineapple ratio as 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1 respectively. The gel strength of jam (65⁰ Brix and pH 3.1) at 0.35% commercial high methoxyl pectin was comparable with commercial mixed fruit jam. Sensory evaluation indicated a significant preference (p<.05) for jam containing lawulu-pineapple ratio of 1:2 and 1.1 respectively overthe ratio of 2:1. With increased lawulu percentage both yellowness and lightness of jam increased significantly (p<0.05).

Fruit leather was prepared by changing lawulu-pineapple ratio as 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1 respectively with 20% sucrose, 0.3% citric acid, 0.05% pectin and 100 ppm potassium metabisulphite followed by drying at 65±1⁰C for 12-14 h. Sensory evaluation data revealed that changes in lawulu-pineapple ratio had no significant effect on taste, texture and overall quality of fruit leather.   However, significant preference (p<0.05) for colour was observed with increasing lawulu percentage. Both yellowness (b' value) and lightness (L'value) of fruit leather were sign[icantly increased (p<0.05) with increasing lawulu percentage.