Australian local governments and affordable housing: Challenges and possibilities

© The Author(s) 2019. For an increasing proportion of Australian households, the Australian dream of home ownership is no longer an option. Neoliberal housing policy and the financialisation of housing has resulted in a housing affordability crisis. Historically, Australian housing policy has afforded only a limited role to local government. This article analyses the results of a nation-wide survey of Australian local governments’ perceptions of housing affordability in their local government area, the possibilities for their meaningful intervention, the challenges they face, the role of councillors and councils’ perceptions of what levels of government should take responsibility for housing. Almost all of the respondents from Sydney and Melbourne councils were clear that there is a housing affordability crisis in their local government area. We apply a framework analysing housing policy in the context of neoliberalism and the related financialisation of housing in order to analyse the housing affordability crisis in Sydney and Melbourne. We conclude that in order to begin resolving the housing crisis in Australia’s two largest cities there has to be an increasing role for local government, a substantial increase in the building of social and affordable housing and a rollback of policies that encourage residential property speculation. JEL Codes: R31, R21

Comparative quantitative survey of patient experience in Barrett's oesophagus and other gastrointestinal disorders

Objective To assess health-related quality of life in patients with non-dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus (NDBO) and endoscopically treated dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus (DBO). Design This quantitative, self-administered questionnaire study was conducted across three National Health Service hospitals. Data were collected from three other cohorts; gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), colonic polyp surveillance and healthy individuals. Fisher’s exact and Spearman’s rank correlation tests were used for analysis. Propensity score matching adjusted for age, sex and comorbidities. Results 687 participants were eligible for analysis (NDBO n=306, DBO n=49, GORD n=132, colonic polyps n=152 and healthy n=48). 53% of NDBO participants reported similarly high cancer worry, comparable to DBO (50%, p=0.933) and colonic polyp participants (51%, p=0.355). Less cancer worry was reported in GORD participants (43.4%, p=0.01 vs NDBO). NDBO participants reported anxiety in 15.8% and depression in 8.6% of cases, which was similar to the other disease cohorts. Moderate or severe heartburn or acid regurgitation was found in 11% and 10%, respectively, in the NDBO cohort, comparable to DBO participants (heartburn 2% p=0.172, acid regurgitation 4% p=0.31) but lower (better) than GORD participants (heartburn 31% p=<0.001, acid regurgitation 25% p=0.001). NDBO participants with moderate or severe GORD symptoms were associated with higher rates of anxiety (p=<0.001), depression (p=<0.001) and cancer worry (p=<0.001). NDBO patients appropriately perceiving their cancer risk as low had lower rates of cancer worry (p=<0.001). Conclusion This study provides insight into the problems Barrett’s oesophagus patients may face. Future care pathways must be more patient focussed to address misconceptions of cancer risk, oesophageal cancer related worry and GORD symptom control

Doppler tomography of the transient X-ray binary Centaurus X-4 in quiescence

We present ESO-NTT low resolution spectroscopy of the neutron star X-ray transient Cen X-4 in quiescence over a complete orbital cycle. Our data reveal the presence of a K3-7 V companion which contributes 63% to the 5600-6900A flux and orbits the neutron star with a velocity semi-amplitude of K_2=145.8 +/- 1.0 km s^{-1}. This, combined with a previous determination of the inclination angle and mass ratio, yields a neutron star and companion mass of M_1=1.5 +/- 1.0 M_Sun and M_2=0.31 +/- 0.27 M_Sun, respectively. The mass donor is thus undermassive for the inferred spectral type indicating it is probably evolved, in agreement with previous studies. Doppler tomography of the H_alpha line shows prominent emission located on the companion and a slightly asymmetric accretion disc distribution similar to that seen in systems with precessing eccentric discs. Strong H_alpha emission from the companion can be explained by X-ray irradiation from the primary. No evidence is found for a hot spot in H_alpha, whereas one is revealed via Doppler tomography of the HeI lines. This can be interpreted as the hot spot and outer regions of the disc being at a higher temperature than in other systems.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

FUSE Observations of a Full Orbit of Hercules X-1: Signatures of Disk, Star, and Wind

We observed an entire 1.7 day orbit of the X-ray binary Hercules X-1 with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Changes in the O VI 1032,1037 line profiles through eclipse ingress and egress indicate a Keplerian accretion disk spinning prograde with the orbit. These observations may show the first double-peaked accretion disk line profile to be seen in the Hercules X-1 system. Doppler tomograms of the emission lines show a bright spot offset from the Roche lobe of the companion star HZ Her, but no obvious signs of the accretion disk. Simulations show that the bright spot is too far offset from the Roche lobe to result from uneven X-ray heating of its surface. The absence of disk signatures in the tomogram can be reproduced in simulations which include absorption from a stellar wind. We attempt to diagnose the state of the emitting gas from the C III 977, C III 1175, and N III 991 emission lines. The latter may be enhanced through Bowen fluorescence.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Spectroscopy and Component Masses of the Eclipsing Dwarf Nova HS0907+1902

HS0907+1902 was recently discovered to be one of a handful of deeply eclipsing dwarf novae with periods longward of the 2 -- 3 hr `gap'. This paper presents orbit-resolved spectra and time series photometry of an eclipse. The apparent velocity amplitude of the M-dwarf secondary is K_2 = 297 +- 15 km/s. The phase of the radial velocities of the H-alpha emission line wings agrees accurately (for once) with the phase of the white-dwarf motion deduced from the eclipse, and an estimate of the emission-line velocity amplitude yields K1 = 115 +- 7 km/s. The eclipse width is delta-phi = 0.060 +- 0.005. At face value, these measurements yield mass estimates of M1 = 0.99 +- 0.12 solar masses for the white dwarf and M2 = 0.38 +- 0.06 solar masses for the secondary. The eclipse width and nominal mass ratio constrain the binary inclination to be 77.3 +- 0.9 degree. The influence of systematic uncertainties on these values is discussed; the conclusion that the white dwarf is somewhat more massive than typical field white dwarfs appears to be robust. The H-alpha emission line profile out of eclipse is only slightly double-peaked, but the line shows a strong rotational disturbance in eclipse. Models of the line profile through eclipse using a flat, Keplerian disk do not give a good quantitative match to the observations.Comment: One tex file, and 7 figures Replaced because of typo in abstract (should be M2=0.38+-0.06

Irradiation of the secondary star in X-ray Nova Scorpii 1994 (=GRO J1655--40)

We have obtained intermediate resolution optical spectra of the black-hole candidate Nova Sco 1994 in June 1996, when the source was in an X-ray/optical active state (R~15.05). We measure the radial velocity curve of the secondary star and obtain a semi-amplitude of 279+/-10 km/s; a value which is 30 per cent larger than the value obtained when the source is in quiescence. Our large value for K_2 is consistent with 60 +9,-7 per cent of the secondary star's surface being heated; compared to 35 per cent, which is what one would expect if only the inner face of the secondary star were irradiated. Effects such as irradiation-induced flows on the secondary star may be important in explaining the observed large value for K_2.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted by MNRA

The quiescent light curve and evolutionary state of GRO J1655-40

We present ellipsoidal light-curve fits to the quiescent B, V, R and I light curves of GRO J1655-40 (Nova Scorpii 1994). The fits are based on a simple model consisting of a Roche-lobe filling secondary and an accretion disc around the black-hole primary. Unlike previous studies, no assumptions are made about the interstellar extinction or the distance to the source; instead these are determined self-consistently from the observed light curves. In order to obtain tighter limits on the model parameters, we used the distance determination from the kinematics of the radio jet as an additional constraint. We obtain a value for the extinction that is lower than was assumed previously; this leads to lower masses for both the black hole and the secondary star of 5.4 +/- 0.3 Msun and 1.45 +/- 0.35 Msun, respectively. The errors in the determination of the model parameters are dominated by systematic errors, in particular due to uncertainties in the modeling of the disk structure and uncertainties in the atmosphere model for the chemically anomalous secondary in the system. A lower mass of the secondary naturally explains the transient nature of the system if it is either in a late case A or early case B mass-transfer phase.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted to MNRA

Probing the atmosphere of the bulge G5III star OGLE-2002-BUL-069 by analysis of microlense H alpha line

We discuss high-resolution, time-resolved spectra of the caustic exit of the binary microlensing event OGLE 2002-BUL-69 obtained with UVES on the VLT. The source star is a G5III giant in the Galactic Bulge. During such events, the source star is highly magnified, and a strong differential magnification around the caustic resolves its surface. Using an appropriate model stellar atmosphere generated by the NextGEN code we obtained a model light curve for the caustic exit and compared it with a dense set of photometric observations obtained by the PLANET microlensing follow up network. We further compared predicted variations in the H alpha equivalent width with those measured from our spectra. While the model and observations agree in the gross features, there are discrepancies suggesting shortcomings in the model, particularly for the H alpha line core, where we have detected amplified emission from the stellar chromosphere as the source star's trailing limb exited the caustic. This achievement became possible by the provision of the OGLE-III Early Warning System, a network of small telescopes capable of nearly-continuous round-the-clock photometric monitoring, on-line data reduction, daily near-real-time modelling in order to predict caustic crossing parameters, and a fast and efficient response of a 8m-class telescope to a ``Target-Of-Opportunity'' observation request.Comment: 4 pages Latex, 3 figures, accepted for publication to astronomy and astrophysics letter

INSIG1 influences obesity-related hypertriglyceridemia in humans

In our analysis of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for plasma triglyceride (TG) levels [logarithm of odds (LOD) = 3.7] on human chromosome 7q36, we examined 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across INSIG1, a biological candidate gene in the region. Insulin-induced genes (INSIGs) are feedback mediators of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in animals, but their role in human lipid regulation is unclear. In our cohort, the INSIG1 promoter SNP rs2721 was associated with TG levels (P = 2 × 10−3 in 1,560 individuals of the original linkage cohort, P = 8 × 10−4 in 920 unrelated individuals of the replication cohort, combined P = 9.9 × 10−6). Individuals homozygous for the T allele had 9% higher TG levels and 2-fold lower expression of INSIG1 in surgical liver biopsy samples when compared with individuals homozygous for the G allele. Also, the T allele showed additional binding of nuclear proteins from HepG2 liver cells in gel shift assays. Finally, the variant rs7566605 in INSIG2, the only homolog of INSIG1, enhances the effect of rs2721 (P = 0.00117). The variant rs2721 alone explains 5.4% of the observed linkage in our cohort, suggesting that additional, yet-undiscovered genes and sequence variants in the QTL interval also contribute to alterations in TG levels in humans