Terre Vraiment Étrange: French Travel Writing in Australia between the Gold Rush and Federation

Despite the rich heritage of the French in Australia, its corresponding field of scholarship is limited. This thesis will explore the travel writings of ten French men and women who visited Australia between the Gold Rush and Federation. Their writings constructed Australia through the lens of exoticism, as a land truly other to their experiences in Europe. Three key themes emerge across the writings: the bizarre animals and plants, the ‘savage’ Indigenous Australians, and the surprise of developed cities. Overall, this thesis will synthesise the French perspective on Australia from a corpus of essentially untapped yet highly revealing travel writings

Addressing adolescent content -area literacy through site-based instructional coaching

The methodology for this study combined a quasi-experimental design and a collective case study. Quantitative data were collected to determine if strategy-based instruction, delivered through a team teaching approach, would result in a significant increase in metacognitive awareness in participating grade 9 students as measured by the Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAl). Quantitative data were also examined to determine if the regulation component of metacognition was more positively correlated with exposure to strategy-based instruction than the knowledge component. In addition, this study attempted to understand the experiences of teachers as they learned together. The posttest results revealed that a) there was no significant difference between the groups of students at the conclusion of the study and b) neither component (knowledge of cognition nor regulation of cognition) was more correlated with exposure to the strategies than the other. Analysis of additionally collected qualitative data indicated that critical components of strategy-based instruction were likely absent during classroom instruction (e.g. explicit instruction). The intervention was not implemented to the degree needed in order for students to internalize and maintain strategy use. The results from the qualitative portion of this study suggest the following points of interest. Teachers\u27 initial concerns about engaging in collaborative partnerships with their colleagues diminished and they embraced the idea of team teaching once they took part in the experience. The way in which the instructional coach approached teachers helped to turn reluctant participants into learning partners who came to value the opportunity to collaborate and as a result advocated for the program. Teachers perceived greater student engagement and noted an increase in participation while delivering strategies through a team teaching approach in their classrooms. Teachers committed to incorporate literacy strategies into their future practice. Finally, the focus of classroom instruction was on the instructional strategies and not on the other components of strategy-based instruction including the gradual release of responsibility, promoting metacognition, and students\u27 cognitive processes

Magnetic records from latest Triassic to earliest Jurassic red beds, Utah and Arizona, and from mid-Pleistocene lake beds, New Mexico

Paleomagnetic data obtained from the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic strata of the Moenave Formation, southern Utah and northern Arizona, were used to construct a composite magnetostratigraphy and further refine the position of the base of the Jurassic in the southwest U.S.A. The composite magnetostratigraphy provides a chronostratigraphic framework to tie Triassic-Jurassic sedimentation in the southwest U.S.A to marine strata in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Italy, and to the Pangean rift history including extrusive igneous rocks, preserved in Morocco, and in the Newark Basin, northeast U.S.A. In addition, paleomagnetic data from the Moenave Formation were used to calculate a pole position for North America for the latest Triassic to earliest Jurassic time. A lesser amount of inclination error, flattening factor of 0.78, is record in Moenave Formation strata compared to observation from coeval Newark Basin strata. The new paleomagnetic pole position for North America, corrected for inclination error and 4° of clockwise Colorado Plateau rotation is located at 62.3° N, 68.0° E (A95 = 7.4°, N = 102). Pole positions from the southwest U.S.A. continue to indicate a westerly pole position for North America at the latest Triassic to earliest Jurassic time. A mid-Pleistocene lake sedimentary record obtained from the Valles Caldera, northern New Mexico was investigated using rock magnetic and paleomagnetic techniques. Lake sediments span three glacial and two interglacial intervals, MIS 14 – 10. Both detrital and diagenetic phases are preserved in sediment throughout the core. Preservation of detrital phases indicates well mixed lake conditions were more common during interglacial intervals. Discrete intervals of diagenetic phases indicate anoxic conditions are more common in sediments deposited during glacial intervals. A series of anoxic intervals are identified in sediment deposited during MIS 12 that are closely related to interstadial events characterized by increased Cyperaceae and Juniper pollen counts and increased mean annual temperatures. Paleomagnetic data are mostly normal polarity consistent with Brunhes normal polarity chron. However, paleomagnetic data combined with relative paleointensity records support the presence of three geomagnetic field phenomena 14±/Calabrian Ridge II at ~536 ka, 11± at ~400 ka, and Levantine at ~360-360 ka

Government Control Over Health-Related Not-For-Profit Organisations: Agency for International Development v Alliance for Open Society International Inc 570 US_ (2013)

The relationship between government and the not-for-profit (NFP) sector has important implications for society, especially in relation to the delivery of public health measures and the protection of the environment. In key health-related areas such as provision of medical services, welfare, foreign aid and education, governments have traditionally preferred for the NFP sector to act as service partners, with the relationship mediated through grants or funding agreements. This service delivery arrangement is intended to provide a diversity of voices, and encourage volunteerism and altruism, in conjunction with the purposes and objectives of the relevant NGO. Under the pretence of "accountability", however, governments increasingly are seeking to impose intrusive conditions on grantees, which limit their ability to fulfil their mission and advocate on behalf of their constituents. This column examines the United States Supreme Court decision, Agency for International Development v Alliance for Open Society International Inc 570 US_(2013), and compares it to the removal of gag clauses in Australian federal funding rules. Recent national changes to the health-related NFP sector in Australia are then discussed, such as those found in the Charities Act 2013 (Cth) and the Not-for-Profit Sector Freedom to Advocate Act 2013 (Cth). These respectively include the establishment of the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission, the modernising of the definition of "charity" and statutory blocks on "gag" clauses. This analysis concludes with a survey of recent moves by Australian States to impose new restrictions on the ability of health-related NFPs to lobby against harmful government policy Among the responses considered is the protection afforded by s 51l(xxiiiA) of the Australian Constitution. This constitutional guarantee appears to have been focused historically on preventing medical and dental practitioners and related small businesses being practically coerced into government or large-scale private corporate operations. As such, it may prohibit civil conscription arising not only from "gag clauses" in managed care contracts, but also from "gag clauses" in governmental ideological controls over taxpayer-funded, health-related NFPs

Examination of the Regional Supply and Demand Balance for Renewable Electricity in the United States Through 2015

This report examines the balance between the demand and supply of new renewable electricity in the United States on a regional basis through 2015. It expands on a 2007 NREL study (Swezey et al. 2007) that assessed the supplynational basis. As with the earlier study, this analysis relies on estimates of renewable energy supplies compared to demand for renewable energy generation needed to meet existing state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies in 28 states, as well as demand by consumers who voluntarily purchase renewable energy. However, it does not address demand by utilities that may procure cost-effective renewables through an integrated resource planning process or otherwise. The analysis examines two supply scenarios: 1) a business as usual (BAU) scenario based on current growth rates in renewable energy supply in each region and 2) a market-based scenario that differs only in an assumed higher overall level of wind energy development nationally (based on estimates from BTM Consult and referred to as “high wind case”). Because the BTM Consult (2008) projections are only available nationally, and are not broken out regionally, this analysis uses results from a recent study by DOE (DOE 2008) that presents a scenario of 20% wind energy penetration by 2030 to apportion the wind energy capacity by region

Growing Towards a Sustainable Biofuel Future: A Comprehensive Policy Strategy for Navigating Tradeoffs and Stakeholder Interests in U.S. Agriculture

Rapid growth of biofuels production in the United States is reshaping the agricultural industry, delivering both benefits and conflict among stakeholders. Routes forward on biofuels production should be viewed in the context of economic, land use, environmental, and energy security tradeoffs and their potential impacts in the future. This report discusses the current, emerging, and prospective conflicts arising from increased biofuels production, recommends policies to resolve these conflicts, and identifies likely areas of support and opposition from stakeholder groups. The report focuses heavily on ethanol, because ethanol accounts for 95 percent of U.S. biofuels production (Worldwatch 2006); however, many of the trade-offs and recommendations identified in the report can and should be applied to biofuels more generally. This report does not attempt to assess whether or not biofuels are the best option for transportation fuel use. Rather, it accepts that current mandates, policies, and market conditions will result in increased biofuel production and proposes policies to support growth in more economically and environmentally sustainable manners

Scaling air quality effects from alternative jet fuel in aircraft and ground support equipment

Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 74-78).Many of the nation's largest airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport are located within areas designated by the EPA as having ambient particulate matter concentrations that exceed National Ambient Air Quality standards. When inhaled, fine particulate matter can enter the blood stream from the lungs and increase the risk of illness and premature mortality. This thesis examines the potential of two jet fuel types, ultra low sulfur jet fuel and synthetic paraffinic kerosene, to reduce aviation's contribution to ambient particulate matter concentrations. Scaling factors were developed for airport criteria pollutant emissions to model alternative jet fuels in aircraft and ground support equipment. These linear scaling factors were based on currently published studies comparing standard diesel and jet fuels with alternative jet fuels. It was found that alternative jet fuels lower or maintain all air pollutant emissions considered (primary particulate matter, sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides, unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide) for both aircraft and ground support equipment. To quantify the potential benefits of changing fuel composition on ambient particulate matter concentrations, a study of the Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport was completed using both emissions inventory analysis and atmospheric modeling. The atmospheric modeling captures both primary particulate matter and other emissions that react in the atmosphere to form secondary particulate matter. It was found that the use of an ultra low sulfur jet fuel in aircraft gas turbines could reduce the primary particulate matter inventory by 37% and synthetic paraffinic kerosene could reduce the primary particulate matter inventory by 64%. The atmospheric modeling predicts that an ultra low sulfur jet fuel in aircraft could reduce ambient particulate matter concentrations due to aircraft by up to 57% and synthetic paraffinic kerosene could reduce particulate matter concentrations due to aircraft by up to 67%. Thus, this study indicates that the majority of air quality benefits at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport that could be derived from the two fuels considered can be captured by removing the sulfur from jet fuel through the use of an ultra low sulfur jet fuel.by Pearl Donohoo.S.M.in Technology and Polic

Examination of the Regional Supply and Demand Balance for Renewable Electricity in the United States Through 2015: Projecting From 2009 Through 2015 (Revised)

This report examines the balance between the demand and supply of new renewable electricity in the United States on a regional basis through 2015. It expands on a 2007 NREL study (Swezey et al. 2007) that assessed the supply and demand balance on a national basis. As with the earlier study, this analysis relies on estimates of renewable energy supplies compared to demand for renewable energy generation needed to meet existing state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies in 28 states, as well as demand by consumers who voluntarily purchase renewable energy. However, it does not address demand by utilities that may procure cost-effective renewables through an integrated resource planning process or otherwise. The analysis examines two supply scenarios: 1) a business as usual (BAU) scenario based on current growth rates in renewable energy supply in each region and 2) a market-based scenario that differs only in an assumed higher overall level of wind energy development nationally (based on estimates from BTM Consult and referred to as “high wind case”). Because the BTM Consult (2008) projections are only available nationally, and are not broken out regionally, this analysis uses results from a recent study by DOE (DOE 2008) that presents a scenario of 20% wind energy penetration by 2030 to apportion the wind energy capacity by region

An evaluation of human factors research for ultrasonic inservice inspection

This work was undertaken to determine if human factors research has yielded information applicable to upgrading requirements in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI, improving methods and techniques in Section V, and/or suggesting relevant research. A preference was established for information and recommendations which have become accepted and standard practice. Manual Ultrasonic Testing/Inservice Inspection (UT/ISI) is a complex task subject to influence by dozens of variables. This review frequently revealed equivocal findings regarding effects of environmental variables as well as repeated indications that inspection performance may be more, and more reliably, influenced by the workers` social environment, including managerial practices, than by other situational variables. Also of significance are each inspector`s relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities, and determination of these is seen as a necessary first step in upgrading requirements, methods, and techniques as well as in focusing research in support of such programs, While understanding the effects and mediating mechanisms of the variables impacting inspection performance is a worthwhile pursuit for researchers, initial improvements in industrial UTASI performance may be achieved by implementing practices already known to mitigate the effects of potentially adverse conditions. 52 refs., 2 tabs

Fiscal Year 1996

PNNL successfully completed the three tasks: Task 1 - This task provided DISA with an updated set of design checklists that can be used to measure compliance with the Style Guide. These checklists are in Microsoft{reg_sign}Word 6.0 format. Task 2 - This task provided a discussion of two basic models for using the Style Guide and the Design Checklist, as a compliance tool and as a design tool