Commemorative Events and National Identity: Commemorating Death and Disaster in Australia

Commemorative events are held to remember all types of occasions including disastrous and tragic incidents. Due to the passage of time, the commemoration and collective memory of the event may change its significance and relevance due to changes in the associated social, political, and cultural landscape. This article examines the commemorative events associated with three tragic incidents that occurred on Australian soil, namely, the 175th anniversary of the Myall Creek massacre held in 2013, the 70th anniversary of the Second World War bombing of Darwin held in 2012, and the 10th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre held in 2006. National identity and commemorative events are strongly connected and the article examines these particular anniversaries and commemorative events in the context of Australian national identity, collective memory, and how the significance of these commemorations may change from generation to generation. The article finds each of the commemorative events have altered in their significance and are now remembered in a different light, with the Myall Creek massacre reflecting aspects of Aboriginal reconciliation; the bombing of Darwin reflecting Australia's role on the world's political stage; and the Port Arthur massacre highlighting Australia's strict gun laws.</jats:p

Orvetta Waltz

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/3467/thumbnail.jp

Containing the costs of Medicare: letter from British Columbia

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Readability, presentation and quality of allergy-related patient information leaflets: a cross sectional and longitudinal study

Objective: Patient information leaflets (PILs) are widely used to reinforce or illustrate health information and to complement verbal consultation. The objectives of the study were to assess the readability and presentation of PILs published by Allergy UK, and to conduct a longitudinal assessment to evaluate the impact of leaflet amendment and revision on readability. Methods: Readability of Allergy UK leaflets available in 2013 was assessed using Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Formula. Leaflet presentation was evaluated using the Clear Print Guidelines of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Patient Information Appraisal System developed by the British Medical Association (BMA). Changes in the leaflets’ readability scores over five years were investigated. Results: 108 leaflets, covering a wide range of allergic conditions and treatment options, were assessed. The leaflets had average SMOG and Flesch-Kincaid scores of 13.9 (range 11-18, SD 1.2) and 10.9 (range 5-17, SD 2.1) respectively. All leaflets met the RNIB Clear Print guidelines, with the exception of font size which was universally inadequate. The leaflets scored on average 10 (median 10, range 7-15) out of a maximum of 27 on the BMA checklist. The overall average SMOG score of 31 leaflets available in both 2008 and 2013 had not changed significantly. The process of leaflet revision resulted in 1% change in readability scores overall, with a predominantly upward trend with six leaflets increasing their readability score by >10% and only three decreasing by >10%. Conclusion: Allergy-related patient information leaflets are well presented but have readability levels that are higher than those recommended for health information. Involving service users in the process of leaflet design, together with systematic pre-publication screening of readability would enhance the accessibility and comprehensibility of written information for people with allergy and their careers

It\u27s a Way That They Have in Chicago

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/5500/thumbnail.jp

Remote sensing applications to hydrologic modeling

An energy balance snowmelt model for rugged terrain was devised and coupled to a flow model. A literature review of remote sensing applications to hydrologic modeling was included along with a software development outline

Binary Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae Discovered Through Photometric Variability III: The Central Star of Abell 65

A growing number of close binary stars are being discovered among central stars of planetary nebulae. Recent and ongoing surveys are finding new systems and contributing to our knowledge of the evolution of close binary systems. The push to find more systems was largely based on early discoveries which suggested that 10 to 15% of all central stars are close binaries. One goal of this series of papers is confirmation and classification of these systems as close binaries and determination of binary system parameters. Here we provide time-resolved multi-wavelength photometry of the central star of Abell 65 as well as further analysis of the nebula and discussion of possible binary--nebula connections. Our results for Abell 65 confirm recent work showing that it has a close, cool binary companion, though several of our model parameters disagree with the recently published values. With our longer time baseline of photometric observations from 1989--2009 we also provide a more precise orbital period of 1.0037577 days.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Geobase Information System Impacts on Space Image Formats

As Geobase Information Systems increase in number, size and complexity, the format compatability of satellite remote sensing data becomes increasingly more important. Because of the vast and continually increasing quantity of data available from remote sensing systems the utility of these data is increasingly dependent on the degree to which their formats facilitate, or hinder, their incorporation into Geobase Information Systems. To merge satellite data into a geobase system requires that they both have a compatible geographic referencing system. Greater acceptance of satellite data by the user community will be facilitated if the data are in a form which most readily corresponds to existing geobase data structures. The conference addressed a number of specific topics and made recommendations

What Drives Responses to Willingness-to-pay Questions? A Methodological Inquiry in the Context of Hypertension Self-management

Background: The use of economic evaluation to determine the cost-effectiveness of health interventions is recommended by decision-making bodies internationally. Understanding factors that explain variations in costs and benefits is important for policy makers. Objective: This work aimed to test a priori hypotheses defining the relationship between benefits of using self-management equipment (measured using the willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach) and a number of demographic and other patient factors. Methods: Data for this study were collected as part of the first major randomised controlled trial of self-monitoring combined with self-titration in hypertension (TASMINH2). A contingent valuation framework was used with patients asked to indicate how much they were willing to pay for equipment used for self-managing hypertension. Descriptive statistics, simple statistical tests of differences and multivariate regression were used to test six a priori hypotheses. Results: 393 hypertensive patients (204 in the intervention and 189 in the control) were willing to pay for self-management equipment and 85% of these (335) provided positive WTP values. Three hypotheses were accepted: higher WTP values were associated with being male, higher household incomes and satisfaction with the equipment. Prior experiences of using this equipment, age and changes in blood pressure were not significantly related to WTP. Conclusion: The majority of hypertensive patients who had taken part in a self-management study were prepared to purchase the self-monitoring equipment using their own funds, more so for men, those with higher incomes and those with greater satisfaction. Further research based on bigger and more diverse populations is recommended

Remote sensing applications to hydrologic modeling in the southern Sierra Nevada and portions of the San Joaquin Valley, volume 1

The author has identified the following significant results. Characteristics of LANDSAT MSS imagery present problems in using satellite radiation measurements to estimate the shortwave albedo of an alpine snow cover. Every 15 minute USGS quadrangle contains over 100,000 pixels which poses a computation problem if each pixel is to be evaluated individually. The sampling interval may be sufficiently great to mask some effects of terrain and vegetation on reflectance. Three frames of LANDSAT imagery are needed for complete coverage of the study area, yet less than one third of the area coverage from each frame covers an area of interest. Because of distortions inherent in the imagery, information regarding spacecraft altitude, attitude, and position must be statistically derived with respect to ground control points in the image whose geodetic locations are known. An inspection of shade points indicates that up to one third of the most heavily snow covered areas may saturate in bands 4 through 6. LANDSAT's 9 day repeat cycle is not optimum for snow cover reflectance modeling because the most pronounced changes in albedo occur most nearly following a new snowfall. Such a snowfall, occurring between overpasses, is inadequately represented by extrapolation from the previous overpasses