Research communication for immediate impact: climate adaptation in Australia

Abstract Research into climate change adaptation is challenged by funding organisations to demonstrate immediate research impact through near term reference in sector- specific communication and policy documents. Critically, research funded to inform decision makers and current policy about adapting to climate change must engage with end users and implement communication initiatives that lead to research adoption. Moreover, researchers need to better understand the components that contribute to effective engagement and communication to plan successful strategies to engage with the range of vulnerable sectors affected by climate change. Given the importance of research application, Primary Investigators for National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) funded projects had to consider end user engagement and communication. This paper identifies some common factors in three NCCARF cases which successfully demonstrated swift access to climate adaptation research in three sectors; human health, emergency management, and settlements and infrastructure. Early and ongoing engagement between researchers and the intended knowledge users shaped both the research focus and output formats. Stakeholders involved in coordinated and sustained communication programs disseminated and promoted the research through multiple channels. These agents of dissemination included; funders (NCCARF, universities and industry bodies); information users (government agencies and professional bodies), and both mass media and social media

Chick brain cholinergic receptors studied by antagonist labelling: distribution, ontogeny & function

By means of an in vitro labelling technique and methods of light microscope autoradiography the distribution of/muscarinic cholinergic receptor, labelled L by the tritiated antagonists I-Quinuclidinyl benzilate or Propylbenzilylcholine mustard, and the distribution of the nicotinic cholinergic receptor, labelled by a-Bungarotoxin, was shown in thin tissue sections of the young post hatch chick brain. The distribution of muscarinic cholinergic receptor in the chick brain was found to be widespread. The highest density concentrations of muscarinic receptors, for example in the paleostriatum augmentatum and hyperstriatum ventrale of the forebrain, thalamic and mesencephalic relay nuclei, optic tectum and brain stem nuclei, were found to be highly regionally localised. In contrast, nicotinic receptors were found to be concentrated to mesencephalic and diencephalic regions of the brain, in particular to colliculi and the principal optic relay nuclei of the diencephalon. The density of nicotinic receptor in the forebrain, apart from the olfactory lobe, was found to be very low. The concentration of muscarinic receptor throughout the brain was found to be at least one order of magnitude greater than the concentration of nicotinic cholinergic receptor. Without exception, all regions populated by substantial concentrations: of nicotinic receptor were also populated by substantial concentrations of muscarinic receptor. On the other hand, a number of brain regions populated by high densities of muscarinic receptor were found to be almost devoid of specific a-bungarotoxin labelled nicotinic cholinergic receptor, eg. the hyperstriatum ventrale. H antagonist labelled muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic receptors in chick brain tissue slices were shown to be similar to values given by other reports for alternative tissue preparations. The great majority of H muscarinic antagonist binding sites were shown to be specific, ie. atropine 'sensitive' or displaced. Evidence has been given which suggests that muscarinic antagonists are labelling a heterogeneous population of receptor. Questions concerning the identity of muscarinic antagonist labelled receptor are discussed. The distribution of antagonist labelled muscarinic receptor in the chick brain was compared with in vitro labelled autoradiographed brain sections of the 50 day post natal rat brain, with the objective of discovering whether homologous neurons of the rat and chick brain showed similar patterns of distribution and concentrations of muscarinic receptor. For the great majority of established and assumed homologous neuronal populations between these species of vertebrate brain, correspondence of distribution and density of receptor was shown. Where differences were apparent, eg. cell layers of the olfactory bulb, these differences have been suggested to reflect the increase, or alternatively decrease, of particular cholinoceptiye cell-types, possibly micro circuit interneurons, subserving the greater or lesser emphasis of particular sensory modalities between these, species of vertebrate. The distribution of antagonist labelled muscarinic receptor, again using in vitro labelling autoradiographic localisation proceedures, was measured in the in ovo and early post hatch chick brain. High densities of muscarinic receptor were shown in those regions of 10 days in ovo brains which, post hatch, are populated by (regionally comparative)high densities of receptor. In addition almost all regions of the post hatch, chick brain, shown to be populated by low densities of muscarinic receptor, were shown during the latter stages of in ovo development.to be populated by transient moderate to high densities of muscarinic receptor, eg. ectostriatum, hyperstriatum and intercalatus superior. Between 12 and 19 days in ovo, all regions of the developing chick brain, but in particular regions of the mid- and forebrain, were characterised by patterns of muscarinic receptor distribution which were found to occur only during in ovo brain development. Antagonist labelled muscarinic binding sites, apparently localised to parallel arrays of cells r disappeared around 19 days in ovo for reasons which may reflect a change in muscarinic ligand binding properties or a change in access of the radiolabelled ligand to receptor binding sites, restricted around this age by oligodendrogliogenesis and subsequent neuronal process myelination

History of Military Schools of the United States: Origin, Rise, Decline, Resurgence, and Potential in Future Public Secondary Education

This study examined military schools in the United States from events which resulted in the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point to 2011. From 1802 to 2011, 834 military schools have operated in the United States, privately and publicly funded, and including teaching components for elementary, secondary, and college levels. The importance of understanding this subject has grown as the number of military charter and public secondary schools has increased tenfold since 1999. This study’s purpose was four fold, the first of which is to identify those men who have had the greatest impact on military schools in the United States. The second purpose was to illustrate that the military schools were not an educational format largely restricted to the South. The third purpose was to identify those social, political, and economy events which impacted military schools. The final purpose of this study was to establish evidence that from 1999 to 2011 the popularity of the military school format made a return. Additionally the study provided an analysis of the military school culture and an examination of the efficacy of public and charter military secondary schools compared to similar nonmilitary public and charter schools

Phenomena in the propagation of ultrasonic vibrations in nickel wire

Bibliography: pages 113-114.A wave-train-echo technique, with repeated forward-and-return travels of the signal, was used to study the propagation of ultrasonic waves in nickel wire. In particular, the origin of often observed anomalous waves in nickel wire was investigated. A possible explanation of an aspect of the phenomenon was devised. During continuing investigation of the phenomenon of anomalous waves, an unexpected effect of stress on the attenuation of ultrasonic waves in annealed nickel wire was observed. Attention was transferred to the new phenomenon, and extensive experimental work carried out to measure the effects of direct and flexural stress on the attenuation. The effect was found to occur with torsional stress also. Computer-aided determinations of attenuation were made from the experimental readings of signal strength for variations of stress and signal frequency. A detailed study and documentation of known processes of attenuation of acoustic vibrations in solids was made. Indications of the nature of the mechanism of stress-dependent attenuation have been sought, and a tentative conclusion arrived at