Archipelago: a journey across poetic islands of the self

 Paul Venzo's thesis is a poetic response to the author's relationship with Venice and the Veneto. It comprises a manuscript of poetry in English and Italian and an exegesis exploring aspects of the poet's creative practice, including translation, writing in place and intersections with literary history and form.

Notes on the distribution and breeding of the Manus Friarbird Philemon albitorques and other birds of small islands of the Admiralties Group, Papua New Guinea

Despite being a relatively common and well-known species locally, the ecology of the Manus Friarbird Philemon albitorques is not well documented in the literature. Here I present information on breeding and range extensions for this species, and for other bird species on small islands in the Admiralties Group, Papua New Guinea.

IFHTSE Global 21: heat treatment and surface engineering in the twenty-first century: Part 11 – survey of the heat treatment and surface engineering industry in Argentina at the beginning of the twenty-first century

Heat treatment and surface engineering are enabling technologies for modern industry in technologically developed countries. However, the technical requirements of industry in the developing countries, and particularly in Argentina, are often not so demanding. This article is an attempt to reflect the current status of heat treatment and surface engineering in Argentina at the beginning of the twenty-first century, particularly in terms of available technology and human resources. Emphasis is also given to the future prospects of this area of engineering.

Use of the wound-inducible NtQPT2 promoter from Nicotiana tabacum for production of a plant-made vaccine

The wound-inducible quinolinate phosphoribosyl transferase promoter from Nicotiana tabacum (NtQPT2) was assessed for its capacity to produce B-subunit of the heat-labile toxin (LTB) from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in transgenic plant tissues. Comparisons were made with the widely used and constitutive Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter. The NtQPT2 promoter produced somewhat lower average concentrations of LTB protein per unit weight of hairy root tissue but allowed better growth thereby producing similar or higher overall average yields of LTB per culture batch. Transgenic tobacco plants containing the NtQPT2-LTB construct contained LTB protein in roots but not leaves. Moreover, wounding NtQPT2-LTB transgenic plants, by removal of apices, resulted in an approximate 500% increase in LTB levels in roots when analysed several days later. CaMV35S-LTB transgenic plants contained LTB protein in leaves and roots but wounding made no difference to their LTB content.

Reconnaissance limnology of Tasmania VI. Biogeographical significance of physicochemical features of coastal lagoons of the islands of Bass Strait

The physicochemical attributes of 66 coastal dune lakes (lagoons) on islands of Bass Strait have been investigated. The full data set is available electronically. Here, selected environmental variables with known ecological significance are presented and, by reference to known sites of floristic richness in Tasmania, the lagoons most likely to harbour endemic freshwater algae are identified, as biogeographical stepping stones between the Tasmanian and mainland Australian microfloras.

The breeding biology of the White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina) on Mud Islands, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria

The White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina) is restricted to three breeding colonies within Victoria: Mud Islands and South Channel Fort in Port Phillip Bay, and Tullaberga Island off Mallacoota. Numbers of these storm petrels breeding on Mud Islands have declined considerably since early last century. White-faced Storm Petrels were recorded on Mud Islands from early September 2002 until mid-March 2003 when the last chicks fledged. Eggs were laid from late October to early December, with chicks hatching in the later half of December. The mean incubation period was 51.7 days (± 3.2 days (s.d.), range = 38–53, n = 13), and may have been extended by periods of egg neglect. The mean nestling period was 54.8 days (± 4.4 days (s.d.), range 50–70, n = 21). Chick growth is described. Hatching success was 54% and fledging success was 77.8%, with overall breeding success being 42%. Burrow densities were found to be influenced by plant species, vegetation height and soil moisture. The position of the burrow within the colony was shown to influence breeding success, with those nearer the edge of the storm petrel colony, closer to the marsh, and further from a colony of Australian White (Threskiornis molucca) and Straw-necked (T. spinicollis) Ibis recording higher success.

Influence of the geometry of an immersed steel workpiece on mass transfer coefficient in a chemical heat treatment fluidised bed

The mass transfer during carburising in a fluidised bed and in a steel workpiece has been studied experimentally in this work. This involved carburising experiment in an electrically heated fluidised bed at 900–970°C with natural gas and air as the atmosphere. A steel workpiece was designed to provide a range of carbon transfer surfaces of different geometries in the fluidised bed, and the carbon transfer coefficient was measured at these surfaces. The carbon transfer coefficient was determined from the carbon distribution within the diffusion layer of the sample. An empirical relationship of the carbon potential as a function of carburising atmosphere, bed temperature and fluidising velocity was determined, based on the understanding of the mass transfer mechanism and analysis of the experimental results.

Local total and radiative heat-transfer coefficients during the heat treatment of a workpiece in a fluidised bed

The heat-transfer coefficients around a workpiece immersed in an electrically heated heat treatment fluidised bed were studied. A suspension probe designed to simulate a workpiece of complex geometry was developed to measure local total and radiative heat-transfer coefficients at a high bed temperature. The probe consisted of an energy-storage region separated by insulation from the fluidised bed, except for the measuring surface, and a multi-thermocouple measurement system. Experiments in the fluidised bed were performed for a fluidising medium of 120-mesh alumina, a wide temperature range of 110–1050 °C and a fluidising number range of 1.18–4.24. It was found that the workpiece surface temperature has a more significant effect on heat transfer than the bed temperature. The total heat-transfer coefficient at the upper surface of the workpiece sharply decreased at the start of heating, and then steadily increased as heating progressed, while a sharp decrease became a rapid increase and then a slow increase for the radiative heat-transfer coefficient. A great difference in the heat-transfer coefficients around the workpiece was observed.

The influence of heat treatment on the corrosion behaviour of as-spun amorphous Al88Ni6La6 alloy in 0.01 M NaCl solution

The effect of the heat treatment on the corrosion behaviour of amorphous Al₈₈Ni₆La₆ made by melt-spun has been investigated by electrochemical measurements. Heat treatment was carried out at 523 K and 673 K for 4 min and 15 min respectively. The evolution of the crystallization process after annealing was identified by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) as well as X-ray diffraction. The XRD patterns show that the structure of samples heat-treated at higher temperature changes towards a crystal state. The results obtained from the polarization curves reveal that all Al₈₈Ni₆La₆ alloys exhibit spontaneously passivated behaviour. Furthermore, it is noted that the partially crystallized alloy has the best corrosion resistance in comparison with as-spun amorphous and fully crystallized alloys, while the fully crystallized sample shows deterioration in the corrosion resistance.

Re-emerging conflict in the Solomon Islands? The underlying causes and triggers of the riots of April 2006

The recent tensions in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, in April 2006 provide a clear warning that despite the presence of the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands, led by the Australian government, many of the issues that led to prolonged conflict in 1998 have not yet been adequately addressed. This piece of research examines the root causes of continued conflict as experienced by the people themselves, and the triggers for the sudden explosion of violence in April 2006. It offers insights into the successes and failures of the international presence in the Solomon Islands, as well as presenting local opinions on the likelihood of further conflict. Based on the findings some suggestions are made regarding the targeting of programs, and the adaptations that may need to be made in the approach adopted by the international community.

No effect of mild heat stress on the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism at the onset of exercise

To investigate the influence of heat stress on the regulation of skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism, six active, but not specifically trained, men performed 5 min of cycling at a power output eliciting 70% maximal O(2) uptake in either 20 degrees C (Con) or 40 degrees C (Heat) after 20 min of passive exposure to either environmental condition. Although muscle temperature (T(mu)) was similar at rest when comparing trials, 20 min of passive exposure and 5 min of exercise increased (P < 0.05) T(mu) in Heat compared with Con (37.5 +/- 0.1 vs. 36.9 +/- 0.1 degrees C at 5 min for Heat and Con, respectively). Rectal temperature and plasma epinephrine were not different at rest, preexercise, or 5 min of exercise between trials. Although intramuscular glycogen phosphorylase and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity increased (P < 0.05) at the onset of exercise, there were no differences in the activities of these regulatory enzymes when comparing Heat with Con. Accordingly, glycogen use in the first 5 min of exercise was not different when comparing Heat with Con. Similarly, no differences in intramuscular concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate, lactate, pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, creatine, phosphocreatine, or ATP were observed at any time point when comparing Heat with Con. These results demonstrate that, whereas mild heat stress results in a small difference in contracting T(mu), it does not alter the activities of the key regulatory enzymes for carbohydrate metabolism or glycogen use at the onset of exercise, when plasma epinephrine levels are unaltered.

Effect of carbohydrate ingestion on glucose kinetics during exercise in the heat

Six endurance-trained men [peak oxygen uptake (VO₂) = 4.58 ± 0.50 (SE) l/min] completed 60 min of exercise at a workload requiring 68 ± 2% peak VO₂ in an environmental chamber maintained at 35°C (<50% relative humidity) on two occasions, separated by at least 1 wk. Subjects ingested either a 6% glucose solution containing 1 µCi [3-³H]glucose/g glucose (CHO trial) or a sweet placebo (Con trial) during the trials. Rates of hepatic glucose production [HGP = glucose rate of appearance (R_a) in Con trial] and glucose disappearance (R_d), were measured using a primed, continuous infusion of [6,6-^₂H]glucose, corrected for gut-derived glucose (gut R_a) in the CHO trial. No differences in heart rate, VO₂, respiratory exchange ratio, or rectal temperature were observed between trials. Plasma glucose concentrations were similar at rest but increased (P < 0.05) to a greater extent in the CHO trial compared with the Con trial. This was due to the absorption of ingested glucose in the CHO trial, because gut R_a after 30 and 50 min (16 ± 5 µmol · kg^-1 · min^-1) was higher (P < 0.05) compared with rest, whereas HGP during exercise was not different between trials. Glucose R_d was higher (P < 0.05) in the CHO trial after 30 and 50 min (48.0 ± 6.3 vs 34.6 ± 3.8 µmol · kg^-1 · min^-1, CHO vs. Con, respectively). These results indicate that ingestion of carbohydrate, at a rate of ~1.0 g/min, increases glucose Rd but does not blunt the rise in HGP during exercise in the heat.

Effect of glycerol-induced hyperhydration on thermoregulation and metabolism during exercise in the heat

This study examined the effect of glycerol ingestion on fluid homeostasis, thermoregulation, and metabolism during rest and exercise. Six endurance-trained men ingested either 1 g glycerol in 20 ml H₂O.kg^-1 body weight (bw) (GLY) or 20 ml H₂O.kg^-1bw (CON) in a randomized double-blind fashion, 120 min prior to undertaking 90 min of steady state cycle exercise (SS) at 98 % of lactate threshold in dry heat (35 degrees C, 30 % RH), with ingestion of CHO-electrolyte beverage (6 % CHO) at 15-min intervals. A 15-min cycle, where performance was quantified in kJ, followed (PC). Pre-exercise urine volume was lower in GLY than CON (1119 ± 97 vs. 1503 ± 146 ml· 120 min^-1; p < .05). Heart rate was lower (p < .05) throughout SS in GLY, while forearm blood flow was higher (17.1 ± 1.5 vs. 13.7 ± 3.0 ml.100 g tissue·min^-1; p < .05) and rectal  temperature lower (38.7 ± 0.1 vs. 39.1 ± 0.1 ° C; p < .05) in GLY late in SS. Despite these changes, skin and muscle temperatures and circulating catecholamines were not different between trials. Accordingly, no differences were observed in muscle glycogenolysis, lactate accumulation, adenine nucleotide, and phosphocreatine degradation or inosine 5'-monophosphate accumulation when comparing GLY with CON. Of note, the work performed during PC was 5 % greater in GLY (252 ± 10 vs. 240 ± 9 kJ; p < .05). These results demonstrate that glycerol, when ingested with a bolus of water 2 hours prior to exercise, results in fluid retention, which is capable of reducing cardiovascular strain and enhancing thermoregulation. Furthermore, this practice increases exercise performance in the heat by mechanisms other than alterations in muscle metabolism.