The Rise of the BASIC Group Within the International Climate Regime : The Challenge of Ensuring Equitable Mitigation Obligations

The chapter examines the current emission reduction obligations within the climate regime. It looks at the formation and rise of the BASIC negotiation group within the international climate COP negotiations and examines the role that BASIC nations are now playing shaping international mitigation policy.

Prevalence and characteristics of Indigenous drink-driving convictions in Queensland, Australia

Alcohol-involved accidents are one of the leading contributors towards high injury rates among Indigenous Australians. However, there is limited information available to inform existing policies to change current rates. The study aims to provide information about the prevalence and the characteristics of such behaviour. Drink driving convictions from 2006-2010 were extracted from the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General database. Convictions were regrouped by gender, age, Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia classification (using court location) and sentence severity. A number of cross tabulations were carried out to identify relationships between variables. Standardised adjusted residuals were calculated for each cell in order to determine cell differences that contributed to the chi-square test results. Analysis revealed there were 9,323 convictions, of which the majority were for offences by males (77.5%). In relation to age, 52.6% of the convictions were of persons under 25 years of age. Age was significantly different across the five regions for males only (χ2=90.8, p<0.001), with a larger number of convictions in the ‘very remote’ region of persons over 40+ years of age. Increased remoteness was linked with high range BAC convictions for both males (χ2=168.4, p<0.001) and females (χ2=22.5, p=0.004). Monetary penalties were the primary sentence received for both males and females in all regions. The findings identify the Indigenous drink driving conviction rate to be 6 times that of the general Queensland rate and indicate that a multipronged approach is needed, with tailored strategies for remote offenders, young adults and offenders with alcohol misuse and dependency issues. Further attention is warranted in this area of road safety.

Submission to expert panel on constitutional recognition of Indigenous people

Submission recommended addition of a new 'self-enacting' preamble and enacting words to the Commownealth Constitution, and replacement of the 'race power' by a series of more specific powers relating to the recognition of native title and laws of the indigenous people.

The challenge of integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk management : lessons from bushfire and flood inquiries in an Australian context

Emergency management and climate change adaptation will increasingly challenge all levels of government because of three main factors. First, Australia is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly through the increasing frequency, duration and/or intensity of disasters such as floods and bushfires. Second, the system of government that divides powers by function and level can often act as a barrier to a well-integrated response. Third, policymaking processes struggle to cope with such complex inter-jurisdictional issues. This paper discusses these factors and explores the nature of the challenge for Australian governments. Investigations into the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires, and the 2011 Brisbane floods offer an indication of the challenges ahead and it is argued that there is a need to: improve community engagement and communication; refocus attention on resilience; improve interagency communication and collaboration; and, develop institutional arrangements that support continual improvement and policy learning. These findings offer an opportunity for improving responses as well as a starting point for integrating disaster risk management and climate change adaptation policies. The paper is based on the preliminary findings of an NCCARF funded research project: The Right Tool for the Job: Achieving climate change adaptation outcomes through improved disaster management policies, planning and risk management strategies involving Griffith University and RMIT. It should be noted from the outset that the purpose of this research project is not to criticise the actions of emergency service workers and volunteers who do an incredible job under extreme circumstances, often risking their own lives in the process. The aim is simply to offer emergency management agencies the opportunity to step back and rethink their overall approach to the challenge they face in the light of the impacts of climate change.

Identification of a serine protease inhibitor which causes inclusion vacuole reduction and is lethal to Chlamydia trachomatis

The mechanistic details of the pathogenesis of Chlamydia, an obligate intracellular pathogen of global importance, have eluded scientists due to the scarcity of traditional molecular genetic tools to investigate this organism. Here we report a chemical biology strategy that has uncovered the first essential protease for this organism. Identification and application of a unique CtHtrA inhibitor (JO146) to cultures of Chlamydia resulted in a complete loss of viable elementary body formation. JO146 treatment during the replicative phase of development resulted in a loss of Chlamydia cell morphology, diminishing inclusion size, and ultimate loss of inclusions from the host cells. This completely prevented the formation of viable Chlamydia elementary bodies. In addition to its effect on the human C. trachomatis strain, JO146 inhibited the viability of the mouse strain, Chlamydia muridarum, both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we report a chemical biology approach to establish an essential role for Chlamydia CtHtrA. The function of CtHtrA for Chlamydia appears to be essential for maintenance of cell morphology during replicative the phase and these findings provide proof of concept that proteases can be targetted for anti-microbial therapy for intracellular pathogens.

The Law of Real Property Mortgages [2nd. Ed.]

This book examines the principles and practice of real estate mortgages in an easily accessible text referenced to all the Australian States. It specifically deals with the major theoretical and practical aspects of the land mortgage, including vitiating factors in formation, mortgagees’ powers and duties and mortgagors’ rights – both statutory and other – as well as assignment, insurance and discharge. It focuses exclusively on real estate mortgages and provides a thorough account of the law through analysis of the plethora of court decisions and statutory provisions in this area. Duncan and Dixon analyse the substance of the mortgage transaction from creation through to rights of enforcement. In its detailed consideration of the rights and obligations of mortgagors and mortgagees, it covers topics such as priorities and tacking, insurance, variation and assignment, rights of discharge, entry into possession, foreclosure and power of sale. In addition, the book contains a separate chapter on factors that may affect the validity and enforcement of a mortgage, together with separate consideration of a mortgagee’s right to enforce a guarantee provided on behalf of a mortgagor, and the rights and liabilities associated with a receivership regime initiated by

The effect of retail store managers on aboriginal diet in remote communities

Key nutrient densities of the diet of two remote northern coastal Aboriginal communities were measured using the store-turnover method during the periods that three store managers were responsible for each store respectively. Individual store managers were a greater determinant of nutrient density than the community itself. Furthermore, nutrient densities tended to be highest in both communities when their stores were administered by one particular store manager. The results support the notion that store managers wield considerable power over the food supply of remote Aboriginal communities, and raise questions concerning the ability of Aboriginal community members to influence their own food supplies in retail stores. However, the study also confirms that store managers can be important allies in efforts to improve Aboriginal dietary intake.

Power profiles of multifocal contact lenses and their interpretation

Purpose Many contact lens (CL) manufacturers produce simultaneous-image lenses in which power varies either smoothly or discontinuously with zonal radius. We present in vitro measurements of some recent CLs and discuss how power profiles might be approximated in terms of nominal distance corrections, near additions, and on-eye visual performance. Methods Fully hydrated soft, simultaneous-image CLs from four manufacturers (Air Optix AQUA, Alcon; PureVision multifocal, Bausch & Lomb; Acuvue OASYS for Presbyopia, Vistakon; Biofinity multifocal- ‘‘D’’ design, Cooper Vision) were measured with a Phase focus Lens Profiler (Phase Focus Ltd., Sheffield,UK) in a wet cell and powerswere corrected to powers in air. All lenses had zero labeled power for distance. Results Sagittal power profiles revealed that the ‘‘low’’ add PureVision and Air Optix lenses exhibit smooth (parabolic) profiles, corresponding to negative spherical aberration. The ‘‘mid’’ and ‘‘high’’ add PureVision and Air Optix lenses have biaspheric designs, leading to different rates of power change for the central and peripheral portions. All OASYS lenses display a series of concentric zones, separated by abrupt discontinuities; individual profiles can be constrained between two parabolically decreasing curves, each giving a valid description of the power changes over alternate annular zones. Biofinity lenses have constant power over the central circular region of radius 1.5 mm, followed by an annular zone where the power increases approximately linearly, the gradient increasing with the add power, and finally an outer zone showing a slow, linear increase in power with a gradient being almost independent of the add power. Conclusions The variation in power across the simultaneous-image lenses produces enhanced depth of focus. The throughfocusnature of the image, which influences the ‘‘best focus’’ (distance correction) and the reading addition, will vary with several factors, including lens centration, the wearer’s pupil diameter, and ocular aberrations, particularly spherical aberration; visual performance with some designs may show greater sensitivity to these factors.

Diurnal variations in ocular aberrations of human eyes

Purpose: To investigate the diurnal variations in ocular wavefront aberrations over two consecutive days in young adult subjects. Materials and methods: Measurements of both lower-order (sphero-cylindrical refractive powers) and higher-order (3rd and 4th order aberration terms) ocular aberrations were collected for 30 young adult subjects at ten different times over two consecutive days using a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer. Fifteen subjects were myopic and 15 were emmetropic. Five sets of measurements were collected each day at approximately 3 hourly intervals, with the first measurement taken at ~9 am and the final measurement at ~9 pm. Results: Spherical equivalent refraction (p = 0.029) and spherical aberration (p = 0.043) were both found to undergo significant diurnal variation over the two measurement days. The spherical equivalent was typically found to be at a maximum (i.e. most hyperopic) at the morning measurement, with a small myopic shift of 0.37 ± 0.15 D observed over the course of the day. The mean spherical aberration of all subjects (0.038 ± 0.048 μm) was found to be positive during the day and gradually became more negative into the evening, with a mean amplitude of change of 0.036 ± 0.02 μm. None of the other considered sphero-cylindrical refractive power components or higher-order aberrations exhibited significant diurnal variation over the two days of the experiment (p>0.05). Except for the lower-order astigmatism at 90/180 deg (p = 0.040), there were no significant differences between myopes and emmetropes in the magnitude and timing of the observed diurnal variations (p>0.05). Conclusions: Significant diurnal variations in spherical equivalent and spherical aberration were consistently observed over two consecutive days of measurement. Research and clinical applications requiring precise refractive error and wavefront measurements should take these diurnal changes into account when interpreting wavefront data.

On display : Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and the assembly of place

Each September since 1983 in the rural Shire of Ravensthorpe, Western Australia, volunteers collect samples of up to 700 wildfl ower species which are then displayed in the Ravensthorpe Senior Citizens Centre from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm daily over a two-week period. This chapter offers an ethnographic interpretation of this enduring annual event focusing on the 25th show held in 2007. The study contributes to understanding the complex and nuanced role of local wildflower shows in shaping and supporting rural senses of place and of community. Importantly, this particular type of festival, and more specifically this local instance, foregrounds a less-remarked aspect of festivals, namely the (re)production and celebration of place-specific knowledge through validations of, and interconnections between, scientific flower classification and emotive experience. This feature, encapsulated in Laurel Lamperd’s poem above, invites consideration of the ways in which local place knowledge and the simultaneous (re)production of ‘place’ are constituted by a complex layering of rational, objective ways of knowing and those which emphasize emotions, aesthetics and memories. This rural wildflower show not only mobilises both the rational and the emotional in ‘making sense of the world’ for local residents and for tourists, but also offers insights into the production of place as constituted in and through relations between humans and non-human life forms (Cloke & Jones, 2001; Conradson, 2005; see also Chapter 6).

Design of a least-cost battery-supercapacitor energy storage system for realizing dispatchable wind power

A statistical approach is used in the design of a battery-supercapacitor energy storage system for a wind farm. The design exploits the technical merits of the two energy storage mediums, in terms of the differences in their specific power and energy densities, and their ability to accommodate different rates of change in the charging/discharging powers. By treating the input wind power as random and using a proposed coordinated power flows control strategy for the battery and the supercapacitor, the approach evaluates the energy storage capacities, the corresponding expected life cycle cost/year of the storage mediums, and the expected cost/year of unmet power dispatch. A computational procedure is then developed for the design of a least-cost/year hybrid energy storage system to realize wind power dispatch at a specified confidence level.

Inductively coupled plasma-assisted RF magnetron sputtering deposition of boron-doped microcrystalline Si films

An innovative custom-designed inductively coupled plasma-assisted RF magnetron sputtering deposition system has been developed to synthesize B-doped microcrystalline silicon thin films using a pure boron sputtering target in a reactive silane and argon gas mixture. Films were deposited using different boron target powers ranging from 0 to 350 W at a substrate temperature of 250 °C. The effect of the boron target power on the structural and electrical properties of the synthesized films was extensively investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Hall-effect system. It is shown that, with an initial increase of the boron target power from 0 to 300 W, the structural and electrical properties of the B-doped microcrystalline films are improved. However, when the target power is increased too much (e.g. to 350 W), these properties become slightly worse. The variation of the structural and electrical properties of the synthesized B-doped microcrystalline thin films is related to the incorporation of boron atoms during the crystallization and doping of silicon in the inductively coupled plasma-based process. This work is particularly relevant to the microcrystalline silicon-based p-i-n junction solar cells.

Diagnostics and two-dimensional simulation of low-frequency inductively coupled plasmas with neutral gas heating and electron heat fluxes

This article presents the results on the diagnostics and numerical modeling of low-frequency (∼460 KHz) inductively coupled plasmas generated in a cylindrical metal chamber by an external flat spiral coil. Experimental data on the electron number densities and temperatures, electron energy distribution functions, and optical emission intensities of the abundant plasma species in low/intermediate pressure argon discharges are included. The spatial profiles of the plasma density, electron temperature, and excited argon species are computed, for different rf powers and working gas pressures, using the two-dimensional fluid approach. The model allows one to achieve a reasonable agreement between the computed and experimental data. The effect of the neutral gas temperature on the plasma parameters is also investigated. It is shown that neutral gas heating (at rf powers≥0.55kW) is one of the key factors that control the electron number density and temperature. The dependence of the average rf power loss, per electron-ion pair created, on the working gas pressure shows that the electron heat flux to the walls appears to be a critical factor in the total power loss in the discharge.

E and H regimes of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of diamond-like carbon film in low frequency inductively coupled plasma reactor

This paper reports on the efficient deposition of hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) film in a plasma reactor that features both the capacitively and inductively coupled operation regimes. The hydrogenated DLC films have been prepared on silicon wafers using a low-frequency (500 kHz) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. At low RF powers, the system operates as an asymmetric capacitively coupled plasma source, and the film deposition process is undertaken in the electrostatic (E) discharge regime. Above the mode transition threshold, the high-density inductively coupled plasma is produced in the electromagnetic (H) discharge regime. It has been shown that the deposition rate and hardness of the DLC film are much higher in the H-mode deposition regime. For a 2.66-Pa H-mode CH4 + Ar gas mixture discharge, the deposited DLC film exhibits a mechanical hardness of 18 GPa, Young's modulus of 170 GPa, and compressive stress of 1.3 GPa.

Synthesis and characterization of ternary AL-C-N compound

Efficient hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC) film deposition in a plasma reactor that features both the capacitive and inductively coupled operation regimes is reported. The hydrogenated DLC films have been prepared on silicon wafers using a low-frequency (500 kHz) inductively coupled plasma (LF ICP) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system. At low RF powers, the system operates as an asymmetric capacitively coupled plasma source, and the film deposition process is undertaken in the electrostatic (E) discharge regime. The films deposited in the electrostatic mode feature graphite-like structure. Above the mode transition threshold, the high-density inductively coupled plasma is produced in the electromagnetic (H) discharge regime. Raman spectrometry suggests the possibility to control relative proportions of sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon. Variation of the DC substrate bias results in dramatic modification of the film structure from the polymeric (unbiased substrates) to the diamond-like (optimized bias). It has been shown that the deposition rate and hardness of the DLC film are much higher in the H-mode deposition regime. For a 20 m Torr H-mode CH4+Ar gas mixture discharge, the DLC film exhibits mechanical hardness of 18 GPa, Young's modulus of 170 GPa, and compressive stress of 1.3 GPa.