Design guidelines for assessing and controlling spacecraft charging effects

The need for uniform criteria, or guidelines, to be used in all phases of spacecraft design is discussed. Guidelines were developed for the control of absolute and differential charging of spacecraft surfaces by the lower energy space charged particle environment. Interior charging due to higher energy particles is not considered. A guide to good design practices for assessing and controlling charging effects is presented. Uniform design practices for all space vehicles are outlined

Biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asian timber concessions : a critical evaluation of policy mechanisms and guidelines

Tropical deforestation is leading to a loss of economically productive timber concessions, as well as areas with important environmental or socio-cultural values. To counteract this threat in Southeast Asia, sustainable forest management (SFM) practices are becoming increasingly important. We assess the tools and guidelines that have been developed to promote SFM and the progress that has been made in Southeast Asia toward better logging practices. We specifically focus on practices relevant to biodiversity issues. Various regional or national mechanisms now inform governments and the timber industry about methods to reduce the impact of production forestry on wildlife and the forest environment. However, so many guidelines have been produced that it has become difficult to judge which ones are most relevant. In addition, most guidelines are phrased in general terms and lack specific recommendations targeted to local conditions. These might be reasons for the generally slow adoption of SFM practices in the region, with only a few countries having incorporated the guidelines into national legislation. Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos are among the frontrunners in this process. Overall there is progress, especially in the application of certification programs, the planning and management of high conservation value forests, the regulation and control of hunting, and silvicultural management. To reduce further forest loss, there is a need to accelerate the implementation of good forest management practices. We recommend specific roles for governments, the forestry industry, and nongovernmental organizations in further promoting the implementation of SFM practices for biodiversity conservation. (Résumé d'auteur

The statute of governance. A pivotal linkage between principles of governance and corporate practices

This paper puts forward an innovative construct called the Statute of Governance, by which a company can foster and enhance its corporate governance. The paper argues that it is not enough to list some principles of governance and a set of related good practices, as the Australian Stock Exchange has done, albeit it comprises the best available guidelines for the time being. We contend, however, that a step further should be taken, consisting of a Statute of Governance designed and passed by the Board, voted through by stockholders, and enacted by the management. Such statute is a pivotal linkage between principles and good practices, because it becomes enforceable from within the company itself, as the basic by-law concerning corporate governance.statute of governance, principles of governance, good practices, Australian Stock Exchange, corporate governance.

Mapping approach for examining waste management within construction sites

In light of increased awareness on environmental impacts from construction wastes, waste management has become an important factor in construction project management. Various waste managements have been developed by researchers to manage construction wastes. Nevertheless, less attention is given towards the management of waste handling processes on construction sites such as waste sorting and waste transport. In fact, proper flow of these processes could improve waste management effectiveness. The aim of the study is to examine waste handling process during construction through the mapping of ten project sites in Melaka using the free-flow mapping presentation technique. This will lead to the development of a proposed waste management mapping model (WMMM), which incorporates the good operations embodied in the existing practices and also the outcomes of interviews with the project proponents. The WMMM could serve as a tool assisting in planning waste management procedures as well as a vehicle for comparing waste management practices among construction sites; thus, weaknesses and good practices could be identified and improvement measures may be implemented accordingly. Personal interviews with questionnaires and on site observations were administered for data collection. Analysis was performed on results tabulated in matrix table with interpretation assisted by statistical computations. Qualitative approach was of dominant where comparative evaluation was extensively performed on the waste management practices between these ten sites. Findings revealed that the advantages of waste handling practices outnumbered the weaknesses. The WMMM was proposed based on guidelines derived from the analysis which took into account factors pertaining to cost, environmental protection and time in waste handling management. It was suggested that the proposed WMMM could be incorporated into the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report to assist waste management planning. Overall, the findings of the study have contributed to the basic understanding of the waste management practices within construction sites in Malaysi

Operational guidelines for assessing the impact of agricultural research on livelihoods. Good practices from CIMMYT

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Opening teaching landscapes: the importance of quality assurance in the delivery of open educational resources

Scholars are increasingly being asked to share teaching materials, publish in open access journals, network in social media, and reuse open educational resources (OER). The theoretical benefits of Open Educational Practices (OEP) have become understood in the academic community but thus far, the use of OER has not been rapidly adopted. We aim to understand the challenges academics face with in attempting to adopt OEP, and identify whether these are related to or stem from the functionalities afforded by current repositories of OER (ROER). By understanding what academics and experts consider good practices, we can develop guidelines for quality in the development of ROER. In this article we present the findings from a study surveying academics using OER and experts who develop and/or work with ROER. We conclude by suggesting a framework to enhance the development and quality of ROER

Food safety: maximising impact by understanding the food business context

In Australia there are 5.4 million cases of food-borne illness annually which costs the community $1.2 billion per annum. As a co-regulator in food safety, local government has a significant interest in ensuring adherence to good food safety practices.  In 2012-3 ACELG, in partnership with Queensland University of Technology, Logan City Council, Redland City Council, Sunshine Coast Council, Ipswich City Council and Environmental Health Australia (Queensland) Inc. undertook research that explored current attitudes and beliefs concerning food safety within a diverse set of food business contexts.  This research project involved focus groups or interviews with food business operators and young food handlers to explore their food safety understanding, attitudes, practices and the organisational culture in which they participated. The research concluded that local governments need to adopt a holistic approach to food safety that considers all factors that influence food safety outcomes, and a customisable food safety strategy template and accompanying guidelines have been developed to assist local governments implement such an approach. Downloads Food Safety: Maximising impact by understanding the food business context (Report) Food Safety Strategy Template (A customisable template for councils developing a food safety strategy) Food Safety Strategy Template: Supporting information (Accompanying guidelines for preparation of the food safety strategy)

Corporate governance and the informativeness of disclosures in Australia:a re-examination

We re-examine the association between corporate governance and disclosures reported by Beekes and Brown (2006), using an extended time series of Australian data. Since the ASX corporate governance guidelines were introduced in 2003, firms generally have increased their disclosure frequency and demonstrated an improvement in the timeliness of bad news relative to good news, indicating a levelling of disclosure practices and greater transparency. Better governed firms have become more cautious in their disclosure practices. However they continue to be more balanced with respect to good and bad news timeliness. Changes to disclosure laws have also influenced company practices

Survey of psychosocial support provided by UK paediatric oncology centres

Aim: To obtain a comprehensive overview of current patterns of psychosocial support provided by National Health Service ( NHS) paediatric oncology treatment centres across the UK. Methods: A postal questionnaire was sent to co-ordinators in the UK Children's Cancer Study Group ( a professional body that is responsible for the organisation of treatment and management of childhood cancer in the UK) in 21 treatment centres and three separate Teenage Cancer Trus units. A range of psychosocial topics were explored, including ratio of staff providing support to patients; facilities provided for children and families; psychosocial support services such as support groups; information provision; and transition support. Results: There were many good areas of support provided by centres, but there was also a lack of standard practices and procedures. All centres employed social workers, play specialists, and paediatric oncology outreach nurses, but patient to staff ratios varied across centres. The poorest staff provision was among psychologists, where patient to staff ratios ranged from 132:1 to 1100:1. Written information was standard practice, while provision of other types of information (audiovisual, online) varied; none of the centres provided audio information specifically for children/young people. Conclusion: This variability in practices among centres frequently occurred, as centres rarely had procedures formally agreed or recorded in writing. British government policy currently seeks to develop standards and guidelines of care throughout the National Health Service. This study further demonstrates the importance of standards and the need to agree guidelines for the provision of psychosocial support for children/young people and their families throughout the course of the illness