45 th Annual Conference of the Architectural Science Association

ABSTRACT: The use of lightweight construction systems is common in Australia. Thermal mass materials can be combined with 'lightweight' domestic timber-framed construction to improve the thermal performance of buildings. This paper examines design advice available to designers called Rules of Thumb. These are useful because designers often do not have the information or finance for detailed thermal modelling, particularly during the initial design stages of the project. The quality of the guidance given is important to effective building operation. The paper therefore investigates current Rules of Thumb for construction and suggests how these rules can be improved. It suggests that a holistic systems approach is needed, climate-by-climate which identifies both the quality (kg/m 2 ) and location (specific floors, walls, ceilings) of the thermal mass for the specific levels of energy savings and comfort levels. A number of improvements to the existing Rules of Thumb are recommended such as relating them more widely to overall building thermal systems and using rules that augment each other. New rules are suggested for design, which satisfy energy conservation measures now required in practice and by legislation

The Well-being and Support Needs of Australian Caregivers of Neurodiverse Children

Caregivers of children with neurodiverse needs are known to experience challenges and hardship due to the increased needs of the child and the lack of support available. This study aimed to explore the support needs and well-being of caregivers of children with neurodiverse needs in Australia. Sixty-six caregivers participated in an online survey asking questions about support needs. The results highlighted five main themes that caregivers commonly experienced including: barriers to community engagement, impact on close relationships, negative impact on mental health and identity, financial hardship, and identified support needs. Findings identified multiple unmet needs existing amongst caregivers and further emphasises the importance of addressing these needs to improve the quality of life of caregivers of children with neurodiverse needs

Essential versus accessory aspects of cell death: recommendations of the NCCD 2015

Cells exposed to extreme physicochemical or mechanical stimuli die in an uncontrollable manner, as a result of their immediate structural breakdown. Such an unavoidable variant of cellular demise is generally referred to as ‘accidental cell death’ (ACD). In most settings, however, cell death is initiated by a genetically encoded apparatus, correlating with the fact that its course can be altered by pharmacologic or genetic interventions. ‘Regulated cell death’ (RCD) can occur as part of physiologic programs or can be activated once adaptive responses to perturbations of the extracellular or intracellular microenvironment fail. The biochemical phenomena that accompany RCD may be harnessed to classify it into a few subtypes, which often (but not always) exhibit stereotyped morphologic features. Nonetheless, efficiently inhibiting the processes that are commonly thought to cause RCD, such as the activation of executioner caspases in the course of apoptosis, does not exert true cytoprotective effects in the mammalian system, but simply alters the kinetics of cellular demise as it shifts its morphologic and biochemical correlates. Conversely, bona fide cytoprotection can be achieved by inhibiting the transduction of lethal signals in the early phases of the process, when adaptive responses are still operational. Thus, the mechanisms that truly execute RCD may be less understood, less inhibitable and perhaps more homogeneous than previously thought. Here, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death formulates a set of recommendations to help scientists and researchers to discriminate between essential and accessory aspects of cell death

Young Australians’ Attitudes to the Military and Military Service

What are young Australians’ understandings of, and attitudes to, the military and military service? This article describes a pilot study of 320 young Australian university students’ attitudes to the military and military service during a time when Australia was engaged in the Afghanistan war. The main purpose of this study was to develop a survey instrument for further work in researching civil–military relations in Australia. Civil–military relations describe the complex set of relationships between the civil and military spheres. The role of the military, the relationship between the state and the military, the division of labor between civilian and military entities, foreign policy, and knowledge of military service are some of the fields that constitute a study of civil–military relations. This article reports on beliefs about, and attitudes to the specificities of military service and responses to the broader field of civil–military relations

Flow cytometry identifies an early stage of platelet apoptosis produced by agonists of the P2X1 and P2X7 receptors

Platelets express P2X1 receptors and our data also show the expression of P2X7 receptors. We studied the role of both receptors in platelet apoptosis by incubation of PRP with P2X agonists, then centrifuged to remove viable platelets, and analyzed the supernatant by flow cytometry to identify a sparse platelet-derived population that stained with MitoTracker dyes and CD41. BzATP, a potent agonist of P2X receptors, and ABT737, an activator of intrinsic apoptosis, produced altered platelets that stained moderately for annexin V and corresponded to an early stage apoptotic platelet (ESAP). Over a range of BzATP concentrations, we observed a dose-dependent formation of ESAPs between 5 and 500 uM BzATP, together with a variable formation of ESAPs at nanomolar ATP or BzATP (50–200 nM). Production of ESAPs occurred with αβ-meATP, while responses with either BzATP or αβ-meATP showed desensitization at a higher agonist concentration. Formation of ESAPs by either 100 nM or 0.5 mM BzATP was inhibited by preincubation of platelets with latrunculin A, an inhibitor of the actin cytoskeleton that prevents apoptosis. ESAP production was totally inhibited by preincubation of platelets with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, which removes cholesterol from lipid rafts. Our data show that both P2X1 and P2X7 receptors are localized in platelet lipid rafts where P2X-agonists act to produce early stage apoptotic platelets

The dissection of paraprofessional support in inclusive education: ‘you\u27re in mainstream with a chaperone’

The experiences of young people with disabilities of inclusive schooling are largely underresearched. This paper reports recent findings of a small-scale Australian qualitative study, in which secondary students with vision impairment spoke about their experiences of receiving paraprofessional support. Two overarching themes emerged from this study: ‘light’ and ‘heavy’ paraprofessional support. The results presented here demonstrate that participants described that support personnel upheld the strong arm of the special education tradition, which was manifestly detrimental to their inclusion. Raw data is presented to elucidate the emergent themes, and to explain the various pedagogical and general support roles of class and special educators in eliminating the need for direct paraprofessional presence in lessons. The light and heavy model of support is also examined in terms of how it fits into the complexity of the education discourse and the young people’s own aspirations for full inclusion