An Economic Analysis of the Luxury Car Tax in Australia

Luxury cars are a symbol of wealth, succe ss and prestige and are a commodity of a sophisticated monopolistically competitive market around the world. Considering luxury cars to be representative of s uperior goods, you would expect sales to be decreasing during an economic downturn. However, while sales of luxury cars in Europe and the US declined during the GFC, sales within Australia increased substantially. This paper presents a closer inspection of this market in Australia and particularly focuses on how the government has applied the Luxury Car Tax (LCT). It looks at the impact of the LCT on the Australian luxury car market from an economic perspectiv e, and attempts to explain the political rationale for maintaining such a tax

Quantifying marine plastic debris in a beach environment using spectral analysis

Marine plastic debris (MPD) is a globally relevant environmental challenge, with an estimated 8 million tons of synthetic debris entering the marine environment each year. Plastic has been found in all parts of the marine environment, including the surface layers of the ocean, within the water column, in coastal waters, on the benthic layer and on beaches. While research on detecting MPD using remote sensing is increasing, most of it focuses on detecting floating debris in open waters, rather than detecting MPD on beaches. However, beaches present challenges that are unique from other parts of the marine environment. In order to better understand the spectral properties of beached MPD, we present the SWIR reflectance of weathered MPD and virgin plastics over a sandy substrate. We conducted spectral feature analysis on the different plastic groups to better understand the impact that polymers have on our ability to detect synthetic debris at sub-pixel surface covers that occur on beaches. Our results show that the minimum surface cover required to detect MPD on a sandy surface varies between 2–8% for different polymer types. Furthermore, plastic composition affects the magnitude of spectral absorption. This suggests that variation in both surface cover and polymer type will inform the efficacy of beach litter detection methods

Towards the spectral mapping of plastic debris on beaches

Floating and washed ashore marine plastic debris (MPD) is a growing environmental challenge. It has become evident that secluded locations including the Arctic, Antarctic, and remote islands are being impacted by plastic pollution generated thousands of kilometers away. Optical remote sensing of MPD is an emerging field that can aid in monitoring remote environments where in-person observation and data collection is not always feasible. Here we evaluate MPD spectral features in the visible to shortwave infrared regions for detecting varying quantities of MPD that have accumulated on beaches using a spectroradiometer. Measurements were taken from a range of in situ MPD accumulations ranging from 0.08% to 7.94% surface coverage. Our results suggest that spectral absorption features at 1215 nm and 1732 nm are useful for detecting varying abundance levels of MPD in a complex natural environment, however other absorption features at 931 nm, 1045 nm and 2046 nm could not detect in situ MPD. The reflectance of some in situ MPD accumulations was statistically different from samples that only contained organic debris and sand between 1.56% and 7.94% surface cover; however other samples with similar surface cover did not have reflectance that was statistically different from samples containing no MPD. Despite MPD being detectable against a background of sand and organic beach debris, a clear relationship between the surface cover of MPD and the strength of key absorption features could not be established. Additional research is needed to advance our understanding of the factors, such as type of MPD assemblage, that contribute to the bulk reflectance of MPD contaminated landscapes

Phenotypic & Phylogenetic Analyses of New and Established Antarctic yeast

Yeasts isolated from the extreme environment of Antarctica, offer a unique opportunity to exploit characteristics not found in other microorganisms. The focus of this study was sixty yeast samples originating from the Vestfold Hills area located near the Australian Davis Base, Antarctica. Functional studies of these extremophiles using a combination of classical and molecular techniques provided a correlation analysis to be achieved verifying the placement of new species against positions of existing species. Isolates were screened using one-dimensional-sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (lD-SDS-PAGE) of whole cell proteins and yeasts grouped together according to their protein profiles. This analysis reduced the study group to 39. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of the Dl/D2 region and the internal transcribed spacers of the 26S ribosomal DNA determined relatedness among known yeast isolates. Sequence data revealed 2 unique species and a further 3 species that were closely related, but not identical, to established yeast species. Two isolates, shown to be indistinguishable through rDNA sequencing and protein analysis by ID-SDS-PAGE, were described as Cryptococcus watticus sp. nov. [type culture = CBS 9496T, NRRL Y-27556]. Sequence analyses of the DI/D2 region [26S] ribosomal DNA placed Cr. watticus in the Hymenomycetous yeasts in a cluster with Holtermannia corniformis and Cr. nyarrowii. This species has been allocated to the genus Cryptococcus on the basis of physiological and morphological characteristics. Sequence analyses placed five psychrophilic isolates (UNEl16c designated type strain) in the Archiascomycete clade with Leuconeurospora pulcherrima and Oosporidium margaritiferum. Preliminary sequencing results using the I8S (small ribosomal subunit) region indicated that strain UNEl16c was 99.8% similar with a black, Aureobasidium-like strain. This was highly unusual as UNEl16c was orange in colour and did not produce any black meristematic cells at any stage. There were also 29 isolates that were identified as previously established basidiomycetous yeast species (Cr. victoriae, Cr. nyarrowii, Cr. gilvescens, Cr. gastricus, Cr. sp. KCTC 17063, Leucosporidium antarcticum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, R. laryngis, R. minuta) and ascomycetous yeast species (Candida norvegica, C. parapsilosis, Debaryomyces hansenii). Some of these yeasts have not previously been isolated from Antarctica. The number of yeasts isolated from the Vestfold Hills thus far represented the most comprehensive biodiversity data available for Antarctic yeasts

Resistance to UVB radiation in Antarctic yeasts

Yeast cells were used as a model system to study the inter-relationship among free radicals, antioxidants and UV-induced cell damage. In particular, the effects of UV-radiation in newly isolated yeasts from the Antarctic have been studied

A novel psychrotolerant member of the hymenomycetous yeasts from Antarctica: 'Cryptococcus watticus' sp. nov.

Soil, snow and organic material, collected in November 1997 from the Vestvold Hills, Davis Base, Antarctica, were screened for yeasts. Two isolates, which were shown to be indistinguishable by rDNA sequencing and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE, are described in this communication as a novel species, Cryptococcus watticus sp. nov. (type culture, CBS 9496^T=NRRL Y-27556^T). Sequence analyses of the 26S rDNA D1/D2 region placed C. watticus in the hymenomycetous yeasts in a cluster with Holtermannia corniformis and Cryptococcus nyarrowii. This species has been allocated to the genus Cryptococcus on the basis of physiological and morphological characteristics

Echinacea intake induces an immune response through altered expression of leucocyte hsp70, increased white cell counts and improved erythrocyte antioxidant defences

Objective: To study the effect of Echinacea tablets on the expression of leucocyte heat shock protein 70 (hsp70), erythrocyte haemolysis, plasma antioxidant status, serum chemistry, haematological values and plasma alkylamide concentrations. Method: Eleven healthy individuals (26–61 years of age) were evaluated at baseline (day 1) and on day 15 after consuming two commercially blended Echinacea tablets daily for 14 days. Results: Echinacea supplementation enhanced the fold increase in leucocyte hsp70 expression after a mild heat shock (P = 0·029). White cell counts (WCC) were also increased (P = 0·043). We also observed a preventative effect against free radical induced erythrocyte haemolysis (P = 0·006) indicative of an antioxidant effect. Conclusion: The pilot study suggests that Echinacea may invoke an immune response through altered expression of hsp70 and increased WCC