The Code Red epidemic : a case study

An analysis of log files from an immune World Wide Web server was used to discover the patterns of infection from the Code Red worm variants.  Analogies are drawn to biological systems.  The need for protection is commented on.

Identifying the barriers to implementing the Victorian Department of Education and Training guidelines regarding the provisions of nutrient dense food options in school canteens

Aims & rationale/Objectives : To identify barriers to the full implementation of new guidelines regarding school canteen menus launched by The Victorian Education Department in May 2004.
Methods : A self-administered questionnaire was sent to principals, business mangers and canteen managers of 13 secondary schools in South West Victoria covered by The Greater Green Triangle area (response rate 59%). The questions explored the canteen's role, operation, staffing and profits; existence and content of canteen policy; enablers and barriers to the sale of healthier foods; introduction and promotion of healthier foods; and perceived implications of banning less healthy foods.
Principal findings : The study identified several barriers to implementing healthy menus in school canteens, these being largely consistent with those found in other studies. The majority of schools reported they were making attempts to follow the guidelines for school food services, but were experiencing difficulty in proceeding to full implementation. The barriers identified through the study were student preference for less healthy options, concerns about profitability, lack of policy or its active communication and promotion at the school level and competition from other food outlets.
Discussion : There was evidence that healthy foods had not been actively promoted, suggesting that identification of student preferences as a barrier was based on perception rather than observation. The Victorian guidelines are effectively voluntary, with no accountability measures in place.
Implications : Research needs to be conducted to provide reliable and tested information about factors which impact on student choice. Schools would benefit from specialised assistance to formulate business plans for contemporary canteens selling healthy food and a clarification of government policy.
Presentation type : Poster

Our wicked foreign game : why has association football (Soccer) not became the main code of football in Australia?

This essay examines the role of soccer in Australian popular life, emphasizing the game's position of secondary importance to rugby or Australian Rules in different regions. It draws on international comparisons with the USA or white British colonies to argue that in a uniquely multicultural country like Australia with established sporting traditions, domestic experience of the game could shape the past, present and future of soccer in the country. Given the cultural diversity of the state, it should work towards a strategic competitive advantage for the popularization of soccer in contemporary Australia

Ethical practice from the perspective of the forensic psychologist : commentary on the uses and value of the Australian Psychological Society (2007) code of ethics

Forensic practice in Australia and around the world attracts a high level of public and judicial scrutiny. The way in which the forensic psychologist conducts him or herself in ethically challenging situations is important not only to the reputation of the individual practitioner, but to the profession more widely. This paper outlines some of the ethical issues that commonly arise in forensic psychology practice and discusses these in relation to the recently published Australian Psychological Society (2007) Code of Ethics. Four ethically challenging scenarios are described and discussed in terms of how the Code might be used to offer guidance to psychologists about how they might best respond.

Not so welcoming? United States cross-border insolvency assistance

Examines the recognition of and assistance for foreign insolvency proceedings offered by the US courts under the US Code Title 11 Ch.15 (Bankruptcy Code), with particular reference to the approach to determining a centre of main interests, leading to refusal of recognition of Cayman Islands proceedings, in Re Basis Yield Alpha Fund (Master) and Re Bear Stearns High-Grade Structured Credit Strategies Master Fund Ltd (In Provisional Liquidation). Suggests that the approach under Ch.15 is more restrictive than the previous approach in the US, noting examples from case law under the previous provisions.

Practitioner perceptions of sustainability in the Building Code of Australia

Buildings have a significant impact on environmental quality, resource use, human health and productivity. One definition of sustainable building is that which meets current building needs and reduces impacts on future generations by integrating building materials and methods that promote environmental quality, economic vitality, and social benefit’ (City of Seattle, 2006). In response to a changing view of
sustainability the Building Code of Australia (BCA) adopted energy measures in 2005 to residential buildings and, in 2006, to Class 1 – 9 buildings. In many respects the measures represented a watershed for the Australian Building Regulations which had not included sustainability within the BCA. The goals of the BCA are to enable the achievement and maintenance of acceptable standards of structural sufficiency, safety (including safety from fire), health and amenity for the benefit of the community now and in the future (ABCB, 2004a). As with any change some Building Surveyors and construction practitioners viewed these measures with apprehension. How would the measures be assessed? Furthermore, was the BCA the appropriate place for these measures and was this a broadening of the scope of the building regulations beyond
its traditional remit of health and life safety in buildings? This research used a questionnaire survey the canvass the views and perceptions of Building Surveyors and Architects with regards to sustainability and the BCA in 2006.

Grammatical structures in code-switching among second generation Chinese-Australian students

This paper is based on an analysis of audio-recordings of interviews conducted at three primary schools in Victoria. The syntactic convergence or transference, which accompanies switching takes place at three levels: typological, structural and classificatory. The matrix Language Frame Model (Myers-Scotton 1993b, 1997a), revised to include the Composite Matrix Language (Bolonyai 1998), successfully deals with all forms of switching in my corpus. However, it is highly doubtful if grammatical constraints (Clyne 1987) as such exist ins witching between Chinese and English. My data rather supports the existence of facilitators or tendencies.

A question of continuing control -balancing building quality of housing and building codes

The Building Code of Australia seeks to establish “nationally consistent, minimum necessary standards of relevant, health, safety (including structural safety and safety from fire), amenity and sustainability objectives efficiently”. These goals are laudable – but where are the goals of quality and maintenance, which are also an essential part of achieving adequate and continuing health and safety for the built environment?

Defects such as dampness, settlement and cracking, staining, wood rot, termite damage, rusting, and roof leakage are common enough to suggest that there are still issues with building quality in housing. They are caused by a combination of initial poor workmanship and poor quality materials and latterly by poorly executed or inadequate maintenance.

Local architecture, developed over many years of trial and error, produce buildings linked to their climate and local materials (think of the typical “Queenslander” house). Today’s architecture imports technologies and materials from many differing countries and climates – that are not necessarily suitable for the location, nor is there necessarily the same quality control over the material quality and production. Inappropriate use and inadequate understanding of new materials and techniques can lead to the generation of further defects.

Whilst the building code contains provisions for initial-build material quality and workmanship, there is no continuing control over a house over its life span. Reliance is placed on advertising the need, for example, to employ qualified tradespeople; replace batteries in smoke detectors; and other good advice to help maintain housing to a minimum standard. Is this sufficient?

Mechanisms to make the transfer of knowledge to those who need to use it – be it the workforce or the houseowner – need to be improved. Should the building code be more visual and accessible in it’s content? Should the building code include provisions for maintenance? Should the building code require every house to have a “users manual” – much like a car? An extensive review of literature identifies the scale of the problem of poor quality housing and highlights some suggested causes – inadequate knowledge of the BCA by general housebuilders being one. However little work has been done to investigate what could be done to improve the situation. This work suggests that improvements to knowledge transfer would improve the quality of housing and a model of the knowledge transfer process is proposed, identifying those areas where the knowledge flows need to occur that would impact both the builders and users of housing.