Trade war in the Pacific: ASEAN and the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Australian politicians are keen to project our participation in two major international trade talks - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) - as unproblematic.

Framework for assessing the influence of critical infrastructure interdependencies in post-disaster reconstruction management

Due to ever increasing climate instability, the number of natural disasters affecting society and communities is expected to increase globally in the future, which will result in a growing number of casualties and damage to property and infrastructure. Such damage poses crucial challenges for recovery of interdependent critical infrastructures. Post-disaster reconstruction is a complex undertaking as it is not only closely linked to the well-being and essential functioning of society, but also requires a large financial commitment. Management of critical infrastructure during post-disaster recovery needs to be underpinned by a holistic recognition that the recovery of each individual infrastructure system (e.g. energy, water, transport and information and communication technology) can be affected by the interdependencies that exist between these different systems. A fundamental characteristic of these interdependencies is that failure of one critical infrastructure system can result in the failure of other interdependent infrastructures, leading to a cascade of failures, which can impede post-disaster recovery and delay the subsequent reconstruction process. Consequently, there is a critical need for developing a holistic strategy to assess the influence of infrastructure interdependencies, and for incorporating these interdependencies into a post-disaster recovery strategy. This paper discusses four key dimensions of interdependencies that need to be considered in a post-disaster reconstruction planning. Using key concepts and sub-concepts derived from the notion of interdependency, the paper examines how critical infrastructure interdependencies affect the recovery processes of damaged infrastructures.

Inter-organisational characteristics of resilience in a post-disaster recovery context

During post-disaster recovery, an infrastructure system may be subject to a number of disturbances originating from several other interdependent infrastructures. These disturbances might result in a series of system failures, thereby having immediate impact on societal living conditions. The inability to detect signs of disturbance from one infrastructure during recovery might cause significant disruptive effects on other infrastructure via the interconnection that exist among them. In such circumstances, it clearly appears that critical infrastructures' interdependencies affect the recovery of each individual infrastructure, as well as those of other interdependent infrastructure systems. This is why infrastructure resilience needs to be improved in function of those interdependencies, particularly during the recovery period to avoid the occurrence of a ‘disaster of disaster’ scenario. Viewed from this perspective, resilience is achieved through an inter-organisational collaboration between the different organisations involved in the reconstruction of interdependent infrastructure systems. This paper suggests that to some extent, the existing degree of interconnectedness between these infrastructure systems can also be found in their resilience ability during post-disaster recovery. For instance, without a resilient energy system, a large-scale power outage could affect simultaneously all the interdependent infrastructures after a disaster. Thus, breaking down the silos of resilience would be the first step in minimizing the risks of disaster failures from one infrastructure to cascade or escalate to other interconnected systems.

The influence of critical infrastructure interdependencies on post-disaster reconstruction: Elements of infrastructure interdependency that impede the post-disaster recovery effort

The importance of developing effective disaster management strategies has significantly grown as the world continues to be confronted with unprecedented disastrous events. Factors such as climate instability, recent urbanization along with rapid population growth in many cities around the world have unwittingly exacerbated the risks of potential disasters, leaving a large number of people and infrastructure exposed to new forms of threats from natural disasters such as flooding, cyclones, and earthquakes. With disasters on the rise, effective recovery planning of the built environment is becoming imperative as it is not only closely related to the well-being and essential functioning of society, but it also requires significant financial commitment. In the built environment context, post-disaster reconstruction focuses essentially on the repair and reconstruction of physical infrastructures. The reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts are generally performed in the form of collaborative partnerships that involve multiple organisations, enabling the restoration of interdependencies that exist between infrastructure systems such as energy, water (including wastewater), transport, and telecommunication systems. These interdependencies are major determinants of vulnerabilities and risks encountered by critical infrastructures and therefore have significant implications for post-disaster recovery. When disrupted by natural disasters, such interdependencies have the potential to promote the propagation of failures between critical infrastructures at various levels, and thus can have dire consequences on reconstruction activities. This paper outlines the results of a pilot study on how elements of infrastructure interdependencies have the potential to impede the post-disaster recovery effort. Using a set of unstructured interview questionnaires, plausible arguments provided by seven respondents revealed that during post-disaster recovery, critical infrastructures are mutually dependent on each other’s uninterrupted availability, both physically and through a host of information and communication technologies. Major disruption to their physical and cyber interdependencies could lead to cascading failures, which could delay the recovery effort. Thus, the existing interrelationship between critical infrastructures requires that the entire interconnected network be considered when managing reconstruction activities during the post-disaster recovery period.

Organisational belongingness mediates the relationship between sources of stress and post-trauma outcomes in fire-fighters

Previous research with emergency service workers has examined the relationship between operational and organisational stress and negative indicators of mental health, and generally found that organisational stress is more strongly related to pathology than operational stress. The current study aimed to create and test a model predicting both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG) simultaneously in a sample of fire-fighters (N = 250). The results found that the model demonstrated good fit for the data. In contrast to previous research operational stress was directly related to PTSD symptoms, while organisational stress was not. Organisational stress was indirectly related to PTG, through the mediating role of organisational belongingness. This research identified organisational belongingness as a good target for psychosocial interventions aimed at promoting positive adaptation following the experience of trauma in emergency services.

The political decisions and policy leading to the Royal Australian Air Force having no fighters or interceptors for the coming war against Japan

The thesis provides an understanding of the ignored need for a modern air defence system for the Australian air force to meet the growing threat from Japan in the 1930s and early 1940s. The quality of advice provided to, and accepted by, Australian politicians was misleading and eliminated the need for fighters and interceptors despite glaring evidence to the contrary. Based on primary source material, including official documents, Allied and Axis pilot memoirs, popular aviation literature and newspaper and magazine articles and interviews, the thesis highlights the inability of Australian politicians to face the reality of the international situation.

Bees at war: Interspecific battles and nest usurpation in stingless bees

We provide the first evidence for interspecific warfare in bees, a spectacular natural phenomenon that involves a series of aerial battles and leads to thousands of fatalities from both attacking and defending colonies. Molecular analysis of fights at a hive of the Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria revealed that the attack was launched by a related species, Tetragonula hockingsi, which has only recently extended its habitat into southeastern Queensland. Following a succession of attacks by the same T. hockingsi colony over a 4-month period, the defending T. carbonaria colony was defeated and the hive usurped, with the invading colony installing a new queen. We complemented our direct observations with a 5-year study of more than 260 Tetragonula hives and found interspecific hive changes, which were likely to be usurpation events, occurring in 46 hives over this period. We discuss how fighting swarms and hive usurpation fit with theoretical predictions on the evolution of fatal fighting and highlight the many unexplained features of these battles that warrant further study.

Post-transcriptional regulation in the nucleus and cytoplasm: study of mean time to threshold (MTT) and narrow escape problem

Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) can be repressed and degraded by small non-coding RNA molecules. In this paper, we formulate a coarsegrained Markov-chain description of the post-transcriptional regulation of mRNAs by either small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or microRNAs (miRNAs). We calculate the probability of an mRNA escaping from its domain before it is repressed by siRNAs/miRNAs via cal- culation of the mean time to threshold: when the number of bound siRNAs/miRNAs exceeds a certain threshold value, the mRNA is irreversibly repressed. In some cases,the analysis can be reduced to counting certain paths in a reduced Markov model. We obtain explicit expressions when the small RNA bind irreversibly to the mRNA and we also discuss the reversible binding case. We apply our models to the study of RNA interference in the nucleus, examining the probability of mRNAs escaping via small nuclear pores before being degraded by siRNAs. Using the same modelling framework, we further investigate the effect of small, decoy RNAs (decoys) on the process of post-transcriptional regulation, by studying regulation of the tumor suppressor gene, PTEN : decoys are able to block binding sites on PTEN mRNAs, thereby educing the number of sites available to siRNAs/miRNAs and helping to protect it from repression. We calculate the probability of a cytoplasmic PTEN mRNA translocating to the endoplasmic reticulum before being repressed by miRNAs. We support our results with stochastic simulations

Disaster management in Nepal: Media engagement in the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Nepal, as a consequence of its geographical location and changing climate, faces frequent threats of natural disasters. According to the World Bank’s 2005 Natural Disasters Hotspots Report, Nepal is ranked the 11th most vulnerable country to earthquake and 30th to flood risk. Geo-Hazards International (2011) has classified Kathmandu as one of the world’s most vulnerable cities to earthquakes. In the last four decades more than 32,000 people in Nepal have lost their lives and annual monetary loss is estimated at more than 15 million (US) dollars. This review identifies gaps in knowledge, and progress towards implementation of the Post Hyogo Framework of Action. Nepal has identified priority areas: community resilience, sustainable development and climate change induced disaster risk reduction. However, one gap between policy and action lies in the ability of Nepal to act effectively in accordance with an appropriate framework for media activities. Supporting media agencies include the Press Council, Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Nepal Television, Radio Nepal and Telecommunications Authority and community based organizations. The challenge lies in further strengthening traditional and new media to undertake systematic work supported by government bodies and the National Risk Reduction Consortium (NRRC). Within this context, the ideal role for media is one that is proactive where journalists pay attention to a range of appropriate angles or frames when preparing and disseminating information. It is important to develop policy for effective information collection, sharing and dissemination in collaboration with Telecommunication, Media and Journalists. The aim of this paper is to describe the developments in disaster management in Nepal and their implications for media management. This study provides lessons for government, community and the media to help improve the framing of disaster messages. Significantly, the research highlights the prominence that should be given to flood, landslides, lightning and earthquakes.

Cyclone-induced mixing does not cool SST in the post-monsoon north Bay of Bengal

High-resolution data from the TRMM satellite shows that sea surface temperature (SST) cools by 3 degrees C under the tracks of pre-monsoon tropical cyclones in the north Indian Ocean. However, even the strongest post-monsoon cyclones do not cool the open north Bay of Bengal. In this region, a shallow layer of freshwater from river runoff and monsoon rain caps a deep warm layer. Therefore, storm-induced mixing is not deep, and it entrains warm subsurface water. It is possible that the hydrography of the post-monsoon north Bay favours intense cyclones.

PW376 A pilot study of a post-discharge nurse-led, educational intervention on cardiac self-efficacy and anxiety in post-PCI patients

Introduction Hospitalisation for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is often short, with limited nurse-teaching time and poor information absorption. Currently, patients are discharged home only to wait up to 4-8 weeks to commence a secondary prevention program and visit their cardiologist. This wait is an anxious time for patients and confidence or self-efficacy (SE) to self-manage may be low. Objectives To determine the effects of a nurse-led, educational intervention on participant SE and anxiety in the early post-discharge period. Methods A pilot study was undertaken as a randomised controlled clinical trial. Thirty-three participants were recruited, with n=13 randomised to the intervention group. A face-to-face, nurse-led, educational intervention was undertaken within the first 5-7 days post-discharge. Intervention group participants received standard post-discharge education, physical assessment, with a strong focus on the emotional impact of cardiovascular events and PCI. Early reiteration of post-discharge education was offered, along with health professional support with the aim to increase patients’ SE and to effectively manage their post-discharge health and well being, as well as anxieties. Self-efficacy to return to normal activities was measured to gauge participants’ abilities to manage post-PCI after attending the intervention using the cardiac self-efficacy (CSE) scale. State and trait anxiety was also measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to determine if an increase in SE would influence participant anxiety. Results There were some increases in mean CSE scores in the intervention group participants over time. Areas of increase included return to normal social activities and confidence to change diet. Although reductions were observed in mean state and trait anxiety scores in both groups, an overall larger reduction in intervention group participants was observed over time. Conclusion It is essential that patients are given the education, support, and skills to self-manage in the early post-discharge period so that they have greater SE and are less anxious. This study provides some initial evidence that nurse-led support and education during this period, particularly the first week following PCI, is beneficial and could be trialled using alternate modes of communication to support remote and rural PCI patients and extend to other cardiovascular patients.

The Post-Illumination Pupil Response (PIPR)

Purpose The post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) has been quantified using four metrics, but the spectral sensitivity of only one is known; here we determine the other three. To optimize the human PIPR measurement, we determine the protocol producing the largest PIPR, the duration of the PIPR, and the metric(s) with the lowest coefficient of variation. Methods The consensual pupil light reflex (PLR) was measured with a Maxwellian view pupillometer. - Experiment 1: Spectral sensitivity of four PIPR metrics [plateau, 6 s, area under curve (AUC) early and late recovery] was determined from a criterion PIPR to a 1s pulse and fitted with Vitamin A1 nomogram (λmax = 482nm). - Experiment 2: The PLR was measured as a function of three stimulus durations (1s, 10s, 30s), five irradiances spanning low to high melanopsin excitation levels (retinal irradiance: 9.8 to 14.8 log quanta.cm-2.s-1), and two wavelengths, one with high (465nm) and one with low (637nm) melanopsin excitation. Intra and inter-individual coefficients of variation (CV) were calculated. Results The melanopsin (opn4) photopigment nomogram adequately describes the spectral sensitivity of all four PIPR metrics. The PIPR amplitude was largest with 1s short wavelength pulses (≥ 12.8 log quanta.cm-2.s-1). The plateau and 6s PIPR showed the least intra and inter-individual CV (≤ 0.2). The maximum duration of the sustained PIPR was 83.0±48.0s (mean±SD) for 1s pulses and 180.1±106.2s for 30s pulses (465nm; 14.8 log quanta.cm-2.s-1). Conclusions All current PIPR metrics provide a direct measure of the intrinsic melanopsin photoresponse. To measure progressive changes in melanopsin function in disease, we recommend that the PIPR be measured using short duration pulses (e.g., ≤ 1s) with high melanopsin excitation and analyzed with plateau and/or 6s metrics. Our PIPR duration data provide a baseline for the selection of inter-stimulus intervals between consecutive pupil testing sequences.

Melanopsin mediated post-illumination pupil response in early age-related macular degeneration

Purpose To determine whether melanopsin expressing intrinsically photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cell (ipRGC) inputs to the pupil light reflex (PLR) are affected in early age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods The PLR was measured in 40 participants (20 early AMD and 20 age-matched controls) using a custom-built Maxwellian-view pupillometer. Sinusoidal stimuli (0.5 Hz, 11.9 s duration, 35.6° diameter) were presented to the study eye and the consensual pupil response was measured for stimuli with high melanopsin excitation (464nm; blue) and with low melanopsin excitation (638 nm; red) that biased activation to the outer retina. Two melanopsin PLR metrics were quantified: the Phase Amplitude Percentage (PAP) during the sinusoidal stimulus presentation and the Post-Illumination Pupil Response (PIPR). The PLR during stimulus presentation was analyzed using latency to constriction, transient pupil response and maximum pupil constriction metrics. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The blue PIPR was significantly less sustained in the early AMD group (p<0.001). The red PIPR was not significantly different between groups (p>0.05). The PAP and blue stimulus constriction amplitude were significantly lower in the early AMD group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups in the latency or transient amplitude for both stimuli (p>0.05). ROC analysis showed excellent diagnostic accuracy for the blue PIPR metrics (AUC>0.9). Conclusions This is the initial report that the melanopsin controlled PIPR is dysfunctional in early AMD. The non-invasive, objective measurement of the ipRGC controlled PIPR has excellent diagnostic accuracy for early AMD.

Effect of age and refractive error on the melanopsin mediated Post-Illumination Pupil Response (PIPR)

Melanopsin containing intrinsically photosensitive Retinal Ganglion cells (ipRGCs) mediate the pupil light reflex (PLR) during light onset and at light offset (the post-illumination pupil response, PIPR). Recent evidence shows that the PLR and PIPR can provide non-invasive, objective markers of age-related retinal and optic nerve disease, however there is no consensus on the effects of healthy ageing or refractive error on the ipRGC mediated pupil function. Here we isolated melanopsin contributions to the pupil control pathway in 59 human participants with no ocular pathology across a range of ages and refractive errors. We show that there is no effect of age or refractive error on ipRGC inputs to the human pupil control pathway. The stability of the ipRGC mediated pupil response across the human lifespan provides a functional correlate of their robustness observed during ageing in rodent models.

The post-illumination pupil response of melanopsin expressing retinal ganglion cells

Purpose The post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) has been quantified in the literature by four metrics. The spectral sensitivity of only one metric is known and this study quantifies the other three. To optimize the measurement of the PIPR in humans, we also determine the stimulus protocol producing the largest PIPR, the duration of the PIPR, and the metric(s) with the lowest coefficient of variation. Methods The consensual pupil light reflex (PLR) was measured with a Maxwellian view pupillometer (35.6° diameter stimulus). - Experiment 1: Spectral sensitivity of four PIPR metrics [plateau, 6 s, area under curve (AUC) early and late recovery] was determined from a criterion PIPR (n = 2 participants) to a 1 s pulse at five wavelengths (409-592nm) and fitted with Vitamin A nomogram (ƛmax = 482 nm). - Experiment 2: The PLR was measured in five healthy participants [29 to 42 years (mean = 32.6 years)] as a function of three stimulus durations (1 s, 10 s, 30 s), five irradiances spanning low to high melanopsin excitation levels (retinal irradiance: 9.8 to 14.8 log quanta.cm-2.s-1), and two wavelengths, one with high (465 nm) and one with low (637 nm) melanopsin excitation. Intra and inter-individual coefficients of variation (CV) were calculated. Results The melanopsin (opn4) photopigment nomogram adequately described the spectral sensitivity derived from all four PIPR metrics. The largest PIPR amplitude was observed with 1 s short wavelength pulses (retinal irradiance ≥ 12.8 log quanta.cm-2.s-1). Of the 4 PIPR metrics, the plateau and 6 s PIPR showed the least intra and inter-individual CV (≤ 0.2). The maximum duration of the sustained PIPR was 83.4 ± 48.0 s (mean ± SD) for 1 s pulses and 180.1 ± 106.2 s for 30 s pulses (465 nm; 14.8 log quanta.cm-2.s-1). Conclusions All current PIPR metrics provide a direct measure of intrinsic melanopsin retinal ganglion cell function. To measure progressive changes in melanopsin function in disease, we recommend that the intrinsic melanopsin response should be measured using a 1 s pulse with high melanopsin excitation and the PIPR should be analyzed with the plateau and/or 6 s metrics. That the PIPR can have a sustained constriction for as long as 3 minutes, our PIPR duration data provide a baseline for the selection of inter-stimulus intervals between consecutive pupil testing sequences.