Does firefighting foam affect the growth of some Australian native plants?

Firefighting foams (Class A foams) are an effective and widespread firefighting tool, and are frequently used in environmentally sensitive areas. They are known to be ecologically damaging in aquatic environments; however, their impacts at the plant species or ecosystem level are relatively unknown. Reports of shoot damage to plants, suppressed flowering and changes in plant community composition suggest that the environmental damage caused by their use may be unacceptable. Applications of four levels of foam to seedlings of seven Australian plant species, from five representative and widespread families, showed no detectable impacts on a range of vegetative growth characteristics. The results are encouraging for continued use of firefighting foam in sensitive natural habitats.

Integration of 3-PG into SWAT to simulate the growth of evergreen forests

SWAT cannot accurately simulate the seasonal fluctuations or the long-term trend of the Leaf Area Index (LAI) of evergreen forests. This deficiency has detrimental impacts for the prediction of interception and transpiration, two processes that have a significant influence on catchment water yield. This paper details the integration of the forest growth model 3-PG with SWAT to improve the simulation of LAI for evergreen forests. The integrated model, called SWAT/3-PG, was applied to the Woady Yaloak River Catchment in southern Australia where eucalyptus forests and pine plantations account for 30% of the total land use. SWAT/3-PG simulated the LAI of eucalypts and pines more accurately and realistically than the original version of SWAT. Forest LAI simulated by SWAT/3-PG agreed reasonably well with estimates of forest LAI derived independently from a Landsat satellite image. SWAT/3- PG has considerable value as a tool that managers can utilise to predict the impacts of land use change in catchments where evergreen forests are prevalent.

Influence of nitriding gases on the growth of boron nitride nanotubes

Boron nitride (BN) nanotubes of different sizes and tubular structures exhibit very different mechanical and chemical properties, as well as different applications. BN nanotubes of different sizes and nanostructures have been produced in different nitriding gases in a milling and annealing process, in which elemental boron powder was first milled in NH₃ for 150 h and subsequently annealed at 1,200 °C for 6 h. The influence of nitriding gases was investigated by using N₂, NH₃, N₂–H₂ mixture gases. A relatively slow nitriding reaction in NH₃ gas leaded to a 2D growth of BN (002) basal planes and the formation of thin BN nanotubes without the help of metal catalysts. Fast nitriding reactions occurred in N₂ or N₂–H₂ mixture gases, catalyzed by metal particles, resulted in 3D crystal growth and the formation of many large cylindrical and bamboo tubes.

Cultural factors behind the growth of e-learning in Malaysia Academic guanxi

This paper aims to discover and examine ways in which cultural factors shape the adoption and use of information technology for online teaching. This research focuses on influential early adopters in the tertiary education sector in Malaysia who have become change-agents by inspiring small networks of their peers. The study examines the concept of guanxi to understand the operation of trust and inspiration in networking and teamwork in the Asian academic environment. This study points to the importance of developing guanxi, through the middle-down nurturing of peer networks, in developing a rich and rewarding environment for the development of online teaching.

The moral imperative of designating patient safety and quality care as a national nursing research priority

Since the early 1990s, research studies conducted respectively in the USA, UK and Australia have found that between 4 and 16.6 per cent of patients suffer from some kind of harm (including permanent disability and death) as a result of human errors and adverse events while in hospital. It has been further estimated that approximately 50 per cent of these human errors/adverse events resulting in harm could have been prevented. In response to the significant financial, social, and political implications of these figures, a range of processes have been put in place in an attempt to improve patient safety and quality care in Australia. Nonetheless, it is evident that more can be done to improve the status quo. One process that warrants consideration is that of peak health professional groups and organisations providing active leadership in the promotion of patient safety, such as by making a visible and recognisable commitment to patient safety as a strategic research priority area. In this paper it is contended that, given the moral importance of patient safety and quality care in nursing and related health care domains, the inseparable link between nursing practice and patient safety, and the central role that research has to play in driving safety improvements in these domains, it is morally imperative that the nursing profession gives sustained and focussed public attention to patient safety and quality care as a national research priority.

Effect of morphine on the growth rate of Calliphora stygia (Fabricius) (Diptera : Calliphoridae) and possible implications for forensic entomology

Insect specimens collected from decomposing bodies enable forensic entomologists to estimate the minimum post-morten interval (PMI). Drugs and toxins within a corpose may affect the development rate of insects that feed on them and it is vital to quantify these effects to accurately calculate minimum PMI.... This suggests that C. sygia is a reliable model to use to accurately age a corpse containing morphine at any of the concentrations investigated.

The profit imperative

This wide-ranging work convincingly argues that a minority can only radically transform a pattern of production and consumption through the commercial sphere of a liberal democracy. In constructing the argument, creative use is made of important works in ontology, social philosophy, political philosophy, sociology, micro-economics and ethics.

The right to an impartial hearing trumps the social imperative of bringing accused to trial even 'down under'

Accused persons who are subjected to a saturation level of negative media coverage may be denied an impartial hearing, which is perhaps the most important aspect of the right to a fair hearing. Despite this, the courts have generally held that the social imperative of prosecuting accused trumps the interests of the accused. The justification for an impartial hearing stems from the repugnance of convicting the innocent. Viewed dispassionately, this imperative is not absolute, given that every legal system condones procedures which result in the conviction of some innocent people. While the importance of guarding against wrongful convictions has been overstated, the imperative to bring to trial all accused has been even more exaggerated. The legal system has displayed a capacity to deal with cases where the guilty walk free. The institutional integrity of the criminal justice system would be significantly compromised by convictions that are tarnished by pre-judgment. Confidence in the criminal justice system is more important than individual criminal accountability. The inability to receive an impartial hearing should result in a permanent stay. The only exception is where the alleged crime has the capacity to cause widespread fear or social unrest. This only applies in relation to serious acts of terrorism. This article focuses on recent legal fair trial developments in Australia, however, the analysis, reasoning and conclusion applies in relation to all jurisdictions where juries determine guilt and innocence.

Restructuring the architecture of state regulation in the Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand cleaning industries and the growth of precarious employment

This paper examines changes in the commercial cleaning industry in Australasia which are occurring against a backdrop of significant transformation in the mode of labour market regulation in both countries. Specifically, whereas for most of the twentieth century both Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia had systems of labour market regulation in which the state provided minimum wage and work protections through the interventions of arbitration courts, in the past few years these courts have either been abolished (in the case of New Zealand) or severely restricted in their ambit (in the case of Australia), all as part of a neoliberal effort to introduce “flexibility” into labour markets. The result has been an erosion of wages and a worsening of conditions of employment for cleaners and many other groups of workers. At the same time, this transformation in the architecture of labour market regulation poses significant challenges to unions seeking to represent cleaners and other low-paid service sector workers.