The super challenge of retirement income policy

Examines the economic impacts of Australia\u27s ageing population and decreasing housing affordability. Executive Summary Australia’s three-pillar approach to retirement income is internationally well regarded. However, many Australians currently approaching retirement face potential poverty, especially if they do not own their own homes. Australia’s aged dependency ratio (the number of people over 65 for every working-age person 15 to 64) is expected to double over the next 40 years, and the Australian Government recognises that current arrangements are fiscally unsustainable. Many Australians nearing retirement age today have not had compulsory superannuation for their entire working lives. While this issue will abate as the system matures, Australians are still worried they are not saving enough to live comfortably in retirement. Home ownership is a growing retirement issue. Renters not only have no owneroccupied housing wealth, but they also have considerably lower holdings of other forms of wealth. In  younger households, the net wealth of owners is around double that of renters. In older households, the net wealth of owners is around six times higher than that of renters. While home ownership among current retirees is up to 85 per cent, increasing numbers of retirees do not own their own dwellings and live at the mercy of the expensive private rental market in low economic resource (LER) households. The number of older income- and asset-poor households is likely to grow rapidly over the next 40 years, and many are likely to be in the private rental market

Regulation, competition and banking markets

Banks use a mix of wholesale and deposit funds to finance lending. If a country is a net importer of wholesale funds, then a financial crisis in a foreign country can \u27infect\u27 the banking system by raising the cost of wholesale funds. Indeed, countries such as Australia imported a crisis through the wholesale funding market in the recent global financial crisis. We present a model to show how a rise in the costs of wholesale funding can trigger a crisis in an otherwise healthy banking sector. We also consider a range of government policies, such as \u27bailouts\u27, minimum equity requirements, entry restrictions and limits on wholesale funding, that may be deployed to prevent such a crisis. In particular, we focus on the implications of such policies for the structure and level of competition in banking and the rates paid by borrowers and received by depositors, in \u27normal times\u27. We show that some policies, such as minimum equity requirements, can stabilise the banking sector. Other policies, such as licensing, can limit competition but have ambiguous implications for bank stability

19F NMR evidence for interactions between the c-AMP binding sites on the c-AMP receptor protein from E. coli

AbstractThe 19F NMR spectra of 3-fluorotyrosine containing c-AMP receptor protein (CRP) from E. coli have been recorded in the presence of increasing amounts of c-AMP. One of the signals (from Tyr B) shifts upfield by 0.6 ppm in the presence of excess c-AMP and shows both slow and fast exchange behaviour during the titration. This is evidence for interactions between the two c-AMP binding sites on the CRP dimer leading to different dissociation rate constants (≤ 75 s−1; ≥ 350 s−1) for complexes containing one and two c-AMP molecules

In-service training delivery system

The purpose of this project is to develop and conduct cost-efficient, time efficient, and on-going quality in-service training that will meet the operational needs of the Criminal Justice Academy staff

In-service training delivery system

The purpose of this project is to develop and conduct cost-efficient, time efficient, and on-going quality in-service training that will meet the operational needs of the Criminal Justice Academy staff

The histological appearance of the epithelium and related structures of the buccal cavity of the gold fish

A considerable amount of literature is available regarding various aspects of fish behaviour, anatomy, histology, dentition and feeding habits. Authoritative sources describe certain features and behavioural responses under experimental conditions of varying species o f fish and frequently lead one to assume that stated facts generally apply tc, all species. Detailed information regarding any one species Is scanty and a book of general teleost anatomy appears to be unavailable

Innate immune defences in the human endometrium

The human endometrium is an important site of innate immune defence, giving protection against uterine infection. Such protection is critical to successful implantation and pregnancy. Infection is a major cause of preterm birth and can also cause infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Natural anti-microbial peptides are key mediators of the innate immune system. These peptides, between them, have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral activity and are expressed at epithelial surfaces throughout the female genital tract. Two families of natural anti-microbials, the defensins and the whey acidic protein (WAP) motif proteins, appear to be prominent in endometrium. The human endometrial epithelium expresses beta-defensins 1–4 and the WAP motif protein, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor. Each beta-defensin has a different expression profile in relation to the stage of the menstrual cycle, providing potential protection throughout the cycle. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor is expressed during the secretory phase of the cycle and has a range of possible roles including anti-protease and anti-microbial activity as well as having effects on epithelial cell growth. The leukocyte populations in the endometrium are also a source of anti-microbial production. Neutrophils are a particularly rich source of alpha-defensins, lactoferrin, lysozyme and the WAP motif protein, elafin. The presence of neutrophils during menstruation will enhance anti-microbial protection at a time when the epithelial barrier is disrupted. Several other anti-microbials including the natural killer cell product, granulysin, are likely to have a role in endometrium. The sequential production of natural anti-microbial peptides by the endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and at other sites in the female genital tract will offer protection from many pathogens, including those that are sexually transmitted

Monofilament Vaporization Propulsion (MVP) - CubeSat Propulsion System with Inert Polymer Propellant

CUA has developed an electrothermal thruster which consumes an inert polymer propellant fiber. This technology retains performance characteristics competitive with other warm gas systems, but enables more accessibility to micropropulsion via dramatically reduced cost and the elimination of range safety concerns. CUA’s Monofilament Vaporization Propulsion (MVP) draws from extrusion 3D printer technology to feed and melt polymer propellant in preparation for evaporation and heating up to 1100K using CUA’s micro-resistojet technology. Despite undergoing depolymerization and two separate phase changes, the system power requirements are manageable, demonstrating typical specific thrusts of 0.16 mN/W, and a maximum specific impulse in excess of 100 s. 1U system performance exceeds 500 N-s total impulse