Influence of kaolinite/carbon black hybridization on combustion and thermal decomposition behaviors of NR composites

A series of NR composites filled with modified kaolinite (MK), carbon black (CB) and the hybrid fillercontained MK and CB, were prepared by melt blending. The microstructure, combustion and thermaldecomposition behaviors of NR composites were characterized by TEM, XRD, infrared spectroscopy, conecalorimeter test (CCT) and thermal-gravimetric analysis (TG). The results show that the filler hybridizationcan improve the dispensability and shape of the kaolinite sheets in the rubber matrix and change theinterface bond between kaolinite particles and rubber molecules. NR-3 filled by 10 phr MK and 40 phr CBhas the lowest heat release rate (HRR), mass loss rate (MLR), total heat release (THR), smoke productionrate (SPR) and the highest char residue among all the NR composites. Therefore, the hybridization ofthe carbon black particles with the kaolinite particles can effectively improve the thermal stability andcombustion properties of NR composites.

Influence of eye rotation on peripheral eye length measurement obtained with a partial coherence interferometry instrument

Purpose The eye rotation approach for measuring peripheral eye length leads to concern about whether the rotation influences results, such as through pressure exerted by eyelids or extra-ocular muscles. This study investigated whether this approach is valid. Methods Peripheral eye lengths were measured with a Lenstar LS 900 biometer for eye rotation and no-eye rotation conditions (head rotation for horizontal meridian and instrument rotation for vertical meridian). Measurements were made for 23 healthy young adults along the horizontal visual field (±30°) and, for a subset of eight participants along the vertical visual field (±25°). To investigate the influence of the duration of eye rotation, for six participants measurements were made at 0, 60, 120, 180 and 210 s after eye rotation to ±30° along horizontal and vertical visual fields. Results Peripheral eye lengths were not significantly different for the conditions along the vertical meridian (F1,7 = 0.16, p = 0.71). The peripheral eye lengths for the conditions were significantly different along the horizontal meridian (F1,22 = 4.85, p = 0.04), although not at individual positions (p ≥ 0.10) and were not important. There were no apparent differences between the emmetropic and myopic groups. There was no significant change in eye length at any position after maintaining position for 210 s. Conclusion Eye rotation and no-eye rotation conditions were similar for measuring peripheral eye lengths along horizontal and vertical visual field meridians at ±30° and ±25°, respectively. Either condition can be used to estimate retinal shape from peripheral eye lengths.

Influence of stop position on spectacle magnification

Purpose To develop and use equations of spectacle magnification when the limiting stop is either the entrance pupil of the eye or an artificial pupil in front of a lens. Methods Spectacle magnification was determined for ophthalmic lenses in air and for water environments. The reference was the retinal image for an uncorrected eye in air with a natural pupil. Results When an artificial pupil is placed in front of lenses, spectacle magnification is hardly affected by lens power, unlike the usual situation where the natural pupil is used. The water environment provides interesting influences in which spectacle magnification is highly sensitive to the distance between the cornea and eye entrance pupil. In water, retinal images are approximately 18% bigger than in air. Wearing air-filled goggles in water increases retinal image size by about 13% compared with that when they are not worn. Conclusions The equations extend earlier understanding of spectacle magnification and should be useful for those wishing to determine magnification of ophthalmic lens systems when artificial pupils and environments such as water are used.

How transit route passenger load and distance can together influence quality of service

This paper investigates: - correlation between transit route passenger loading and travel distance - its implications on quality of service (QoS) and resource productivity. It uses Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) data across a weekday on a premium bus line in Brisbane, Australia. A composite load-distance factor is proposed as a new measure for profiling transit route on-board passenger comfort QoS. Understanding these measures and their correlation is important for planning, design, and operational activities.

How transit route passenger load and distance can together influence quality of service

This paper investigates quality of service and resource productivity implications of transit route passenger loading and travel distance. Weekday Automatic Fare Collection data for a premium radial bus route in Brisbane, Australia, is used to investigate correlation between load factor and distance factor. Relationships between boardings and transit work indicate that distance factor generally increases with load factor. Time series analysis is then presented by examining each direction on an hour by hour basis. Inbound correlation is medium to strong across the entire span of service and strong for daytime services up to 19:30, while outbound correlation is strong across the entire span. Passengers tend to be making longer distance, peak direction commuter trips under the least comfortable conditions under stretched peak schedules than off-peak. Therefore productivity gains may be possible by adjusting fleet utilization during off-peak times. Weekday profiles by direction are established for a composite load-distance factor. A threshold corresponding to standing passengers on the Maximum Load Segment reveals that on-board loading and travel distance combined are more severe during the morning inbound peak than evening outbound peak, although the sharpness of the former suggests that encouraging shoulder peak travel during the morning would be more effective than evening peak. Further research suggested includes: consideration of travel duration factor, relating noise within hour to Peak Hour Factor, profiling load-distance factor across a range of case studies, and relating load-distance factor threshold to line length.

Informal kinship care in rural China : the influence of Confucianism and attachment

This article examines the role of informal kinship care in addressing the emotional needs and mental health, along with relationships, of school-age children left behind in rural China. Rural–urban migration in China has caused many rural children to be left behind in their local communities. Based on semi-structured interview data, this article explores Confucianism’s impact on Chinese kin caregivers’ understandings of children’s needs and their childrearing practices to address these needs. Through the lens of attachment theory, this study identified a close affective bond between children left behind and their kin caregivers. This relationship is underpinned by kin caregivers’ high commitment and love for children, and the Confucian concept of ‘benevolence’. It not only provides children left behind with a sense of belonging, it also alleviates their trauma/grief due to separation from their parents

Perceptions that influence occupational exposure reporting

Statistics on health care workers' occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens underestimate the true extent of the problem because of a tendency for underreporting. A descriptive correlational design was used to investigate compliance with standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting practices among perioperative nurses in Australia. The study found that although intention to report both percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures was relatively high, mean compliance rates for actually reporting exposures incurred were considerably lower. The perception of barriers to reporting significantly influenced compliance.

Food literacy : what is it and does it influence what we eat?

"Food literacy" has emerged as a term to describe the everyday practicalities needed for healthy eating. It is increasingly used in policy, practice, research and in the public arena. This thesis empirically defined the term, identified its components, and developed models of its relationship to nutrition and health. Food literacy was examined from two perspectives; that of food experts and that of individuals using the case study of young people experiencing disadvantage. The research provides a common language and conceptualisation of food literacy which is being used by governments, policy-makers and practitioners to guide investment and practice.

Doing adaptation differently? Does neoliberalism influence adaptation planning in Queensland?

Australian cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Adapting to climate change is a critical task for contemporary spatial planning, one that is widely recognised by the planning profession and beginning to receive substantive attention in planning policy. However adaptation takes place within the context of established spatial governance regimes and planning cultures, and examples of effective adaptation are often grounded in progressive contexts markedly different than Australia. In Australia, planning is subject to strong neoliberal reform agendas (Gleeson & Low, 2000a, 2000b) and national adaptation policies align with neoliberal views (Granberg & Glover, 2011). Planning in Queensland has been subject to deregulation (Buxton et al., 2012) and the continued influence of neoliberalism (Wright & Cleary, 2012). The influence of neoliberalism on climate change adaptation has received little consideration in research and literature. This paper reviews a case study of adaptation planning through the lens of the recent and contemporary influences of neoliberalism. It examines spatial/land-use planning for climate change adaptation in Queensland, identifying the underlying rationales, priorities and strategies. A justification for such an investigation is advanced based on the challenges to planning facilitating adaptation and identified links to neoliberalism. A preliminary analysis of interviews with planners is then used to identify and discuss the ideological influences practitioners perceive in current approaches to adaptation in Queensland and the implications of such.

What factors influence nurses’ assessment practices? Development of the Barriers to Nurses’ use of Physical Assessment Scale

Aim To develop and psychometrically test the Barriers to Nurses’ use of Physical Assessment Scale. Background There is growing evidence of failure to recognise hospitalised patients at risk of clinical deterioration, in part due to inadequate physical assessment by nurses. Yet, little is known about the barriers to nurses’ use of physical assessment in the acute hospital setting and no validated scales have been published. Design Instrument development study. Method Scale development was based on a comprehensive literature review, focus groups, expert review and psychometric evaluation. The scale was administered to 434 acute care registered nurses working at a large Australian teaching hospital between June and July 2013. Psychometric analysis included factor analysis, model fit statistics and reliability testing. Results The final scale was reduced to 38 items representing seven factors, together accounting for 57.7% of the variance: (1) reliance on others and technology, (2) lack of time and interruptions, (3) ward culture, (4) lack of confidence, (5) lack of nursing role models, (6) lack of influence on patient care, and; (7) specialty area. Internal reliability ranged from .70 to .86. Conclusion Findings provide initial evidence for the validity and reliability of the Barriers to Nurses’ use of Physical Assessment Scale and point to the importance of understanding the organisational determinants of nurses’ assessment practices. The new scale has potential clinical and research applications to support nursing assessment in acute care settings.

The influence of school science teachers : the differential importance attributed by males and females to encouragement from science teachers

Research on the achievement and retention of female students in science and mathematics is located within a context of falling levels of participation in physical science and mathematics courses in Australian schools, and underrepresentation of females in some science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. The Interests and Recruitment in Science (IRIS) project is an international project that aims to contribute to understanding and improving recruitment, retention and gender equity in STEM higher education. Nearly 3500 first year students in 30 Australian universities responded to the IRIS survey of 5-point Likert items and open responses. This paper explores gender differences in first year university students’ responses to three questions about important influences on their course choice. The IRIS study found good teachers were rated highly by both males and females as influential in choosing STEM courses, and significantly higher numbers of females rated personal encouragement from senior high school science teacher as very important. In suggestions for addressing sex disparities in male-dominated STEM courses, more females indicated the importance of good teaching/encouragement and more females said (unspecified) encouragement. This study relates to the influence of school science teachers and results are discussed in relation to implications for science education.

The influence of teachers on students' decisions about choosing science : comparing student and teacher perceptions

This paper reports results from a study comparing teachers’ and students’ perceptions about the relative degree of influence parents, teachers, friends, older students and careers advisors have on students’ decisions about enrolling in non-compulsory high school science subjects. The comparison was carried out as part of the Choosing Science project - a large-scale Australian study of 15 year-old students’ experiences of school science and intentions regarding further participation. The study found that students considered their science teachers to have had the greatest influence, followed by parents and then friends. In contrast, however, science teachers believed their students to be most influenced in their decisions by friends and peers, followed by older students and siblings and parents, with teachers themselves having relatively little influence. Both groups believed that advice from careers advisors was of little influence. The findings are unique in the science education literature in providing an insight into differences and similarities in the perceptions of students and their teachers. In particular they indicate that teachers play a far greater role in students’ decisions about enrolling in science than they believe. This has important implications for science teachers and teacher educators in terms of appreciating their influence and applying it in ways that encourage participation in science courses.

Frequency dielectric influence of imaginary admittance on oil-paper insulation system-a case study

Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS) is used to assess the insulation condition of oil-paper power transformers. Dissipation factor is one of the conventional indicators to analyze insulation ageing status. In this paper, the imaginary admittance of the transformers insulation, after removal of the geometric capacitance, is proposed as an alternative indicator to assist in the interpretation of ageing status. Ageing effects on the imaginary admittance are investigated both through simulation results and experimental results.

The influence of Monte Carlo source parameters on detector design and dose perturbation in small field dosimetry

To obtain accurate Monte Carlo simulations of small radiation fields, it is important model the initial source parameters (electron energy and spot size) accurately. However recent studies have shown that small field dosimetry correction factors are insensitive to these parameters. The aim of this work is to extend this concept to test if these parameters affect dose perturbations in general, which is important for detector design and calculating perturbation correction factors. The EGSnrc C++ user code cavity was used for all simulations. Varying amounts of air between 0 and 2 mm were deliberately introduced upstream to a diode and the dose perturbation caused by the air was quantified. These simulations were then repeated using a range of initial electron energies (5.5 to 7.0 MeV) and electron spot sizes (0.7 to 2.2 FWHM). The resultant dose perturbations were large. For example 2 mm of air caused a dose reduction of up to 31% when simulated with a 6 mm field size. However these values did not vary by more than 2 % when simulated across the full range of source parameters tested. If a detector is modified by the introduction of air, one can be confident that the response of the detector will be the same across all similar linear accelerators and the Monte Carlo modelling of each machine is not required.