Trashtopia by Maison Briz Vegas

Description of the Work Trashtopia was a fashion exhibition at Craft Queensland’s Artisan gallery showcasing outfits made entirely from rubbish materials. The exhibition was part of an on-going series by the Queensland Fashion Archives, called Remember or Revive. Maison Briz Vegas designers, Carla Binotto and Carla van Lunn created a dystopian beach holiday tableau referencing mid-century Californian and Gold Coast beach culture and style, and today’s plastic pollution of the world’s oceans. The display engaged a popular audience with ideas about environmental destruction and climate change while bringing twentieth and twenty-first century consumer and leisure culture into question. The medium of fashion was used as a means of amusement and provocation. The fashion objects and installation questioned current mores about the material value of rubbish and the installation was also a work of environmental activism. Statement of the Research Component The work was framed by critical reflections of contemporary consumer culture and research fields questioning value in waste materials and fashion objects. The work is situated in the context of conceptual and experimental fashion design practice and fashion presentation. The exhibited work transgressed the conventional production methods and material choice of designer fashion garments, for example, discarded plastic shopping bags were painstakingly shredded to mimic ostrich feathers. The viewer was prompted to reflect on the materiality of rubbish and its potential for transformation. The exhibition also sits in the context of culture jamming and contemporary activist practice. The work references and subverts twentieth century beach holiday culture, contrasting resort wear with a contemporary picture of plastic pollution of the oceans and climate change. Hawaiian style prints contained a playful and dark narrative of dying marine-life and the viewer was invited to take a “Greetings from Trashtopia” postcard depicting fashion models floating in oceans of plastic rubbish. This reflective creative practice sought to address the question of whether fashion made from recycled rubbish materials can critically and emotionally engage viewers with questions about contemporary consumer culture and material value. This work presents an innovative model of fashion design practice in which rubbish materials are transformed into designer garments and rubbish is placed centre stage in the public presentation of the designs. In overturning the traditional model of fashion presentation, the viewer is also given a deeper connection to the recycling process and complex ideas of waste and value. In 2015 two outfits from the exhibition were selected, along with works from three leading Australian fashion labels, and four leading New Zealand labels, for a commemorative ANZAC fashion collection shown at iD Dunedin Fashion Week. The show titled, “Together Alone, revisited” reprised an Australian and New Zealand fashion exhibition first held at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2009.

Mississippi Delta subsidence primarily caused by compaction of Holocene strata

Coastal subsidence causes sea-level rise, shoreline erosion and wetland loss, which poses a threat to coastal populations. This is especially evident in the Mississippi Delta in the southern United States, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The loss of protective wetlands is considered a critical factor in the extensive flood damage. The causes of subsidence in coastal Louisiana, attributed to factors as diverse as shallow compaction and deep crustal processes, remain controversial. Current estimates of subsidence rates vary by several orders of magnitude. Here, we use a series of radiocarbon-dated sediment cores from the Mississippi Delta to analyse late Holocene deposits and assess compaction rates. We find that millennial-scale compaction rates primarily associated with peat can reach 5mm per year, values that exceed recent model predictions. Locally and on timescales of decades to centuries, rates are likely to be 10 mm or more per year. We conclude that compaction of Holocene strata contributes significantly to the exceptionally high rates of relative sea-level rise and coastal wetland loss in the Mississippi Delta, and is likely to cause subsidence in other organic-rich and often densely populated coastal plains.

Country-by-country reporting: A critical analysis

This thesis evaluates the recent work of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and civil society groups in creating requirements for multinational entities to disclose financial information on a Country-by-Country basis. Country-by-Country reports may identify profit-shifting activities and enable various stakeholders to hold multinational entities accountable for their global conduct, through the provision of transparent and decision-useful information. This thesis identifies inadequacies in current disclosure requirements and develops a standardised Country-by-Country model, which is applied to the disclosures of three multinational entities to illustrate its pragmatic feasibility and the improvement in quality of financial information available to users.

Export of radioactive cesium from agricultural fields under simulated rainfall in Fukushima

In this study, we investigated the impact of rainfall on runoff, soil erosion and consequently on the discharge of radioactive cesium in agricultural fields in Fukushima prefecture using a rainfall simulator. Simulated heavy rainfalls (50 mm h-1) generated significant runoff and soil erosion. The average concentration of radioactive cesium (the sum of 134Cs and 137Cs) in the runoff sediments was [similar]3500 Bq kg-1 dry soil, more than double the concentrations measured in the field soils which should be considered in studies using the 137Cs loss to estimate long-term soil erosion. However, the estimated mass of cesium discharged through one runoff event was less than 2% of the cesium inventory in the field. This suggested that cesium discharge via soil erosion is not a significant factor in reducing the radioactivity of contaminated soils in Fukushima prefecture. However, the eroded sediment carrying radioactive cesium will deposit into the river systems and potentially pose a radioactivity risk for aquatic living organisms.

Oesophagogastric ulceration in pigs: A visual morphological scoring guide

Objective: To provide a visual guide for oesophagogastric ulcer scoring and recognition of different morphological changes in the pars oesophagea. Design: Pig stomachs were collected at slaughter and visually evaluated and scored for parakeratosis, erosion and ulceration in the pars oesophagea. Results: A visual and descriptive guide is presented that will aid in the objective assessment and scoring of oesophagogastric ulceration in pigs within the pig health monitoring system (PHMS), namely to the four categories of 0 = normal stomach, 1 = parakeratosis and thickened epithelium, 2 = erosions and 3 = developed ulcers with and without stenosis. Conclusion: A visual guide has been developed that illustrates the full range of morphological changes that can occur in the pars oesophagea of the stomach within the few currently recognised stages of the disease.

Developing sustainable banana production systems: a case study from tropical Australia

The north Queensland banana industry is under pressure from government and community expectations to exhibit good environmental stewardship. The industry is situated on the high-rainfall north Queensland coast adjacent to 2 natural icons, the Great Barrier Reef to the east and World Heritage-listed rain forest areas to the west. The main environmental concern is agricultural industry pollutants harming the Great Barrier Reef. In addition to environmental issues the banana industry also suffers financial pressure from declining margins and production loss from tropical cyclones. As part of a broader government strategy to reduce land-based pollutants affecting the Great Barrier Reef, the formation of a pilot banana producers group to address these environmental and economic pressures was facilitated. Using an integrated farming systems approach, we worked collaboratively with these producers to conduct an environmental risk assessment of their businesses and then to develop best management practices (BMP) to address environmental concerns. We also sought input from technical experts to provide increased rigour for the environmental risk assessment and BMP development. The producers' commercial experience ensured new ideas for improved sustainable practices were constantly assessed through their profit-driven 'filter' thus ensuring economic sustainability was also considered. Relying heavily on the producers' knowledge and experience meant the agreed sustainable practices were practical, relevant and financially feasible for the average-sized banana business in the region. Expert input and review also ensured that practices were technically sound. The pilot group producers then implemented and adapted selected key practices on their farms. High priority practices addressed by the producers group included optimizing nitrogen fertilizer management to reduce runoff water nitrification, developing practical ground cover management to reduce soil erosion and improving integrated pest management systems to reduce pesticide use. To facilitate wider banana industry understanding and adoption of the BMP's developed by the pilot group, we conducted field days at the farms of the pilot group members. Information generated by the pilot group has had wider application to Australian horticulture and the process has been subsequently used with the north Queensland sugar industry. Our experiences have shown that integrated farming systems methodologies are useful in addressing complex issues like environmental and economic sustainability. We have also found that individual horticulture businesses need on-going technical support for change to more sustainable practices. One-off interventions have little impact, as farm improvement is usually an on-going incremental process. A key lesson from this project has been the need to develop practical, farm scale economic tools to clarify and demonstrate the financial impact of alternative management practices. Demonstrating continued profitability is critical to encourage widespread industry adoption of environmentally sustainable practices

G20 host Australia faces hard truths of multinational profit shifting

The G20 Finance Ministers have the opportunity this weekend to endorse the initial recommendations of the OECD on how to address the global problem of multinational tax avoidance. The work of the OECD on the issue to date is substantial. Most notable is the adoption by many nations, including Australia, of the Common Reporting Standard for the automatic exchange of tax information. This standard will allow significant inroads to be made into tax avoidance, particularly by individuals sheltering money offshore. This is the first step in an ambitious tax reform program. There is a long way to go if we are to end the issue now known as Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). This week’s release of the first of the OECD recommendations contains some positive signs that further advances will be made. It also recognises some hard truths.

Government cracks down on tax avoidance through foreign investment rules

The Turnbull Government announced yet another measure aimed at addressing tax base erosion and profit shifting, placing additional requirements on new foreign investment under the existing national interest test. In the last 12 months Australia has seen various reforms within the tax system. However, this latest initiative is a shift as it links Australia’s tax regime with its foreign investment regime. It sends a broader signal to the market that Australia will look beyond the collection of tax revenues to a consideration of national interest.

Interatomic potentials for fusion reactor material simulations

Fusion energy is a clean and safe solution for the intricate question of how to produce non-polluting and sustainable energy for the constantly growing population. The fusion process does not result in any harmful waste or green-house gases, since small amounts of helium is the only bi-product that is produced when using the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium as fuel. Moreover, deuterium is abundant in seawater and tritium can be bred from lithium, a common metal in the Earth's crust, rendering the fuel reservoirs practically bottomless. Due to its enormous mass, the Sun has been able to utilize fusion as its main energy source ever since it was born. But here on Earth, we must find other means to achieve the same. Inertial fusion involving powerful lasers and thermonuclear fusion employing extreme temperatures are examples of successful methods. However, these have yet to produce more energy than they consume. In thermonuclear fusion, the fuel is held inside a tokamak, which is a doughnut-shaped chamber with strong magnets wrapped around it. Once the fuel is heated up, it is controlled with the help of these magnets, since the required temperatures (over 100 million degrees C) will separate the electrons from the nuclei, forming a plasma. Once the fusion reactions occur, excess binding energy is released as energetic neutrons, which are absorbed in water in order to produce steam that runs turbines. Keeping the power losses from the plasma low, thus allowing for a high number of reactions, is a challenge. Another challenge is related to the reactor materials, since the confinement of the plasma particles is not perfect, resulting in particle bombardment of the reactor walls and structures. Material erosion and activation as well as plasma contamination are expected. Adding to this, the high energy neutrons will cause radiation damage in the materials, causing, for instance, swelling and embrittlement. In this thesis, the behaviour of a material situated in a fusion reactor was studied using molecular dynamics simulations. Simulations of processes in the next generation fusion reactor ITER include the reactor materials beryllium, carbon and tungsten as well as the plasma hydrogen isotopes. This means that interaction models, {\it i.e. interatomic potentials}, for this complicated quaternary system are needed. The task of finding such potentials is nonetheless nearly at its end, since models for the beryllium-carbon-hydrogen interactions were constructed in this thesis and as a continuation of that work, a beryllium-tungsten model is under development. These potentials are combinable with the earlier tungsten-carbon-hydrogen ones. The potentials were used to explain the chemical sputtering of beryllium due to deuterium plasma exposure. During experiments, a large fraction of the sputtered beryllium atoms were observed to be released as BeD molecules, and the simulations identified the swift chemical sputtering mechanism, previously not believed to be important in metals, as the underlying mechanism. Radiation damage in the reactor structural materials vanadium, iron and iron chromium, as well as in the wall material tungsten and the mixed alloy tungsten carbide, was also studied in this thesis. Interatomic potentials for vanadium, tungsten and iron were modified to be better suited for simulating collision cascades that are formed during particle irradiation, and the potential features affecting the resulting primary damage were identified. Including the often neglected electronic effects in the simulations was also shown to have an impact on the damage. With proper tuning of the electron-phonon interaction strength, experimentally measured quantities related to ion-beam mixing in iron could be reproduced. The damage in tungsten carbide alloys showed elemental asymmetry, as the major part of the damage consisted of carbon defects. On the other hand, modelling the damage in the iron chromium alloy, essentially representing steel, showed that small additions of chromium do not noticeably affect the primary damage in iron. Since a complete assessment of the response of a material in a future full-scale fusion reactor is not achievable using only experimental techniques, molecular dynamics simulations are of vital help. This thesis has not only provided insight into complicated reactor processes and improved current methods, but also offered tools for further simulations. It is therefore an important step towards making fusion energy more than a future goal.

Thin capitalisation – the multinational tax avoidance strategy the budget forgot

We have already seen major amendments to Australia’s tax regime to tackle base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). Several more significant measures were announced in the federal budget, most notably the diverted profits tax, aimed at multinationals which shift tax to a lower taxing jurisdiction. Yet to date, a very simple tax minimisation strategy has been largely ignored in the ongoing reforms and was ignored in the federal budget. Excessive debt loading is a problem that not been afforded the same attention as other aggressive tax planning strategies adopted by multinationals.

Kesämökkikäynnin virkistysarvon määrittäminen matkakustannusmenetelmällä

Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena on määrittää kesämökkikäynnin virkistysarvo. Aihetta ei ole aikaisemmin tutkittu, vaikka kesämökkeily on merkittävä osa suomalaista elämää. Kesämökkikäynnin virkistysarvo tarkoittaa hyötyä, jonka yksilö saa kesämökillä virkistäytymisestä. Virkistäytyminen kesämökillä pitää sisällään kaiken kesämökillä ja sen ympäristössä tapahtuvan harrastamisen ja rentoutumisen. Koska ympäristö on tärkeässä osassa mökillä virkistäytymisessä, tässä tutkielmassa on lisäksi tarkoitus tutkia, kuinka mökkiympäristön ominaisuudet vaikuttavat virkistysarvoon. Tarkasteltavina ympäristön ominaisuuksina ovat virkistäytymisen estävät leväkukinnot ja mökin rannattomuus. Koska mökkeily toisaalta myös kuormittaa ympäristöä, tutkielmassa tutkitaan myös, kuinka sähköistys, ympäristöä kuormittava kesämökin ominaisuus, vaikuttaa virkistysarvoon. Virkistysarvo on markkinaton hyöty, joten sen määrittämiseen on käytettävä jotain markkinattomien hyödykkeiden arvottamismenetelmää. Tässä työssä arvottaminen tapahtuu matkakustannusmenetelmällä, jota käytetään yleisesti ympäristön tarjoamien virkistyspalveluiden taloudelliseen arvottamiseen. Kesämökkikäyntien kysyntää kuvaava matkakustannusmallin ekonometrinen mallintaminen suoritetaan negatiivisella binomimallilla. Tutkielman tulosten mukaan noin neljän päivän pituinen käynti sähköistetyllä kesämökillä, jossa on ranta eivätkä levät häiritse virkistäytymistä, tuottaa 167-205 euron suuruisen virkistyshyödyn. Virkistäytymisen estävät leväkukinnot laskevat arvoa 40 prosentilla ja mökin rannattomuus 45 prosentilla. Käynti sähköistetyllä mökillä tuottaa 3-5 prosenttia korkeamman virkistyshyödyn kuin käynti sähköistämättömällä mökillä. Suomessa kesän aikana tehtävien mökkikäyntien yhteenlaskettu virkistyshyöty on 430-530 miljoonaa, jos mökillä on ranta, jossa levistä ei ole haittaa. Häiritsevät leväkukinnot laskevat yhteenlaskettua virkistyshyötyä 30 miljoonalla ja rannattomuus 10-20 miljoonalla. Sähköistys nostaa yhteenlaskettua virkistyshyötyä 20-30 miljoonalla eurolla.

Luonnonhoitopellot maatalousympäristön luonnon monimuotoisuuden edistämisessä

Luonnonhoitopellot lisättiin uutena vapaaehtoisena toimenpiteenä maatalouden ympäristötukeen vuonna 2009. Luonnonhoitopeltoihin kuuluvat monivuotiset nurmipellot sekä niitty-, riista- ja maisemakasveilla kylvetyt pellot. Toimenpiteen avulla pyritään suojelemaan ja lisäämään maatalousympäristön luonnon monimuotoisuutta sekä muun muassa vähentämään maatalouden ravinnehuuhtoumia. Vuonna 2010 luonnonhoitopeltoja oli yli seitsemän prosenttia Suomen viljelyalasta. Luonnonhoitopeltojen ympäristövaikutusten arvioiminen ja toimenpiteen kehittäminen on tärkeää, jotta toimenpiteeseen käytettävät varat eivät valu hukkaan. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, millainen merkitys luonnonhoitopelloilla on maatalousympäristön monimuotoisuuden kannalta; millaiset luonnonhoitopellot ovat monimuotoisuuden kannalta arvokkaimpia; ja kuinka toimenpidettä kannattaa kehittää. Kysymyksiin pyrittiin vastaamaan tutkimalla putkilokasvilajistoa, -lajirikkautta ja kasvillisuuden rakennetta erilaisilla luonnonhoitopelloilla, sekä vertaamalla luonnonhoitopeltojen kasvillisuutta pientareiden ja niittyjen kasvillisuuteen. Maastotyö luonnonhoitopelloilla tehtiin kesällä 2010 Uudenmaan ja Pohjois-Pohjanmaan ELY-keskusalueilla. Lisäksi tutkimuslohkoista kerättiin tietoja viljelijäkyselyn kautta. Niittypellot osoittautuivat tutkimuksessa lajirikkaimmaksi luonnonhoitopeltotyypiksi, mikä selittynee lähinnä sillä, että ne kylvetään heikosti kilpailukykyisellä siemenseoksella. Nurmi- ja niittypelloilla lohkon viljavuus korreloi negatiivisesti lajirikkauden kanssa. Lajikoostumukseltaan kaikki luonnonhoitopellot eroavat toisistaan sekä maatalousympäristön puoliluonnontilaisista elinympäristöistä, ja lisäävät siten monimuotoisuutta maisematasolla. Luonnonhoitopeltojen lajisto ei ole kuitenkaan suojelun kannalta erityisen arvokasta. Toimenpiteen maatalousympäristöä rikastuttavaa vaikutusta vähentää, että tällä hetkellä valtaosa luonnonhoitopelloista on monivuotisia nurmipeltoja. Luonnonhoitopeltojen siemenseoksia kehittämällä, perustamis- ja hoitomenetelmiä tutkimalla ja neuvontaan panostamalla voidaan lisätä luonnonhoitopeltojen arvoa niin luonnon, viljelijän kuin yhteiskunnankin kannalta.

Characterization of cast irons for optimum performance by overall rating method

An experimental investigation was carried out to Characterise the performance of four types of cast iron under adhesive wear, erosive wear, cavitation erosion and low frequency thermal cycling. Results indicate that vermicular graphite iron has the best rating among the cast irons investigate,based on the overall performance as well as cost consideration.

Verification of Masonry Building Code to Flexural Behavior of Cement-Stabilized Soil Block

Most studies involving cement-stabilized soil blocks (CSSB) concern material properties, such as the characteristics of erosion and strength and how the composition of the block affects these properties. Moreover, research has been conducted on the performance of various mortars, investigating their material properties and the tensile bond strength between CSSB units and mortar. In contrast, very little is currently known about CSSB masonry structural behavior. Because structural design codes of traditional masonry buildings were well developed over the past century, many of the same principles may be applicable to CSSB masonry buildings. This paper details the topic of flexural behavior of CSSB masonry walls and whether the Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) code can be applied to this material for improved safety of such buildings. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000566. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Cross-Linked, Biodegradable, Cytocompatible Salicylic Acid Based Polyesters for Localized, Sustained Delivery of Salicylic Acid: An In Vitro Study

In order to suppress chronic inflammation while supporting cell proliferation, there has been a continuous surge toward development of polymers with the intention of delivering anti-inflammatory molecules in a sustained manner. In the above backdrop, we report the synthesis of a novel, stable, cross-linked polyester with salicylic acid (SA) incorporated in the polymeric backbone and propose a simple synthesis route by melt condensation. The as-synthesized polymer was hydrophobic with a glass transition temperature of 1 degrees C, which increases to 17 degrees C upon curing. The combination of NMR and FT-IR spectral techniques established the ester linkages in the as-synthesized SA-based polyester. The pH-dependent degradation rate and the rate of release of salicylic acid from the as-synthesized SA-based polymer were studied at physiological conditions in vitro. The polyester underwent surface erosion and exhibited linear degradation kinetics in which a change in degradation rate is observed after 4-10 days and 24% mass loss was recorded after 4 months at 37 degrees C and pH 7.4. The delivery of salicylic acid also showed a similar change in slopes, with a sustained release rate of 3.5% in 4 months. The cytocompatibility studies of these polyesters were carried out with C2C12 murine myoblast cells using techniques like MTT assay and flow cytometry. Our results strongly suggest that SA-based polyester supports cell proliferation for 3 days in culture and do not cause cell death (<7%), as quantified by propidium iodide (PI) stained cells. Hence, these polyesters can be used as implant materials for localized, sustained delivery of salicylic acid and have applications in adjuvant cancer therapy, chronic wound healing, and as an alternative to commercially available polymers like poly(lactic acid) and poly(glycolic acid) or their copolymers.