Code of practice for the use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in Western Australia

Agricultural and veterinary chemicals are a critically important input to modern farming systems. There is, however an increasing responsibility on the spray operator and his supervisor to use them with utmost safety. An effective way of providing the “rules” of safe chemical use is through a Code of Practice, the concept of which arose because of the increase in new and emerging agricultural industries and their impact on traditional uses of agricultural chemicals.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1087/thumbnail.jp

Australia - Report for The Indigenous World, 1999-2000

The article contrasts two Australias. One is a modern, open, inclusive society which wants to heal its history and the wounds of indigenous peoples through genuine reconciliation as a precondition for life as a unified nation in a busy, multi-racial world. The other associates its own comfort with a hazy past in which 'blacks knew their place' and women, intellectuals, people with foreign accents, and new-fangled technology were not forever challenging the adequacy of old prejudices and limited education. This latter Australia has no future but feeds fringe groups and eccentric little political parties lashing out at foreigners, minorities, and worldliness in general while major parties mute their ideals while hoping to harvest or not lose such voters

Integrating sustainability in the architectural design education process - taxonomy of challenges and guidelines

The last decade have seen substantial calls and increasing pressure for developing an integrated design teaching framework, where sustainability is an imperative priority. This paper focuses on presenting a taxonomy of the main challenges encountered within the educational domain, in the attempt to reach an effective integration. The paper also presents a set guidelines to address and try to resolve the noted challenges. As the use of Building Performance Simulation (BPS) applications is a central approach in this process aiming to reach energy efficient buildings, the paper focuses on the shortcomings noted as a result of the use of these applications in the design studios, with particular emphasis on the thermal and lighting aspects of the simulation. The taxonomy presented is a summary of the findings from literature review, as well as the surveys results which were part of the author's research project discussed in the paper

Expanding the conversational terrain: Using a choice experiment to assess community preferences for post-disaster redevelopment options

The Canterbury region of New Zealand was shaken by major earthquakes on the 4th September 2010 and 22nd February 2011. The quakes caused 185 fatalities and extensive land, infrastructure and building damage, particularly in the Eastern suburbs of Christchurch city. Almost 450 ha of residential and public land was designated as a ‘Red Zone’ unsuitable for residential redevelopment because land damage was so significant, engineering solutions were uncertain, and repairs would be protracted. Subsequent demolition of all housing and infrastructure in the area has left a blank canvas of land stretching along the Avon River corridor from the CBD to the sea. Initially the Government’s official – but enormously controversial – position was that this land would be cleared and lie fallow until engineering solutions could be found that enabled residential redevelopment. This paper presents an application of a choice experiment (CE) that identified and assessed Christchurch residents’ preferences for different land use options of this Red Zone. Results demonstrated strong public support for the development of a recreational reserve comprising a unique natural environment with native fauna and flora, healthy wetlands and rivers, and recreational opportunities that align with this vision. By highlighting the value of a range of alternatives, the CE provided a platform for public participation and expanded the conversational terrain upon which redevelopment policy took place. We conclude the method has value for land use decision-making beyond the disaster recovery context

Prediction of acoustic transmission in heavily damped system using hybrid Ray-Tracing-SEA method

Classic statistical energy analysis mainly deals with the energy transmission of system with relatively low damping. With the application of passive damping treatments, one of the fundamental assumptions in SEA, i.e., a diffused field, tends to fail. The energy attenuation along transmission path becomes so significant that there may exist large energy level difference within one structural component. In light of this, this study proposes to use a hybrid ray-tracing-SEA method to predict the acoustic transmission in heavily damped system. Heavily damped structural components are treated as “coupling elements” instead of normal “subsystems.” The energy transmission from one structural element to a connected structural element through the edge can be represented by using certain number of point sources and assuming each point source radiates certain number of acoustic rays. By tracing the travelling history of each ray, the energy attenuation along the travelling path can be achieved. With the information of energy input and energy attenuation, the equivalent coupling loss factors can be computed. By rebuilding a hybrid raytracing-SEA model, the energy level differences between different subsystems can be determined. Numerical validation of the ray tracing algorithm is conducted by comparing the calculated coupling loss factor with normal SEA method. Numerical study of a one-room system is given. The room is assumed to consist of six homogeneous concrete plates and the analysis assumes no coupling between in-plan and outplane waves. Comparisons between classic and hybrid method show that when a small number of the structural components are heavily damped, classic SEA gives similar results with the hybrid method because the prediction errors tend to cancel with each other and the transmission is dominated by paths that are not damped. With the increasing number of damped elements, SEA tends to underestimate the energy level difference

Smart windows—-dynamic control of building energy performance

This paper explores the potential of thermotropic (TT) windows as a means of improving overall building energy performance. Capitalising on their ability to dynamically alter solar and visible light transmittance and reflectance based on window temperature, they have the ability to reduce solar heat gains and subsequently reduce cooling loads when the external conditions exceed those required for occupant comfort. Conversely when the external conditions fall short of those required for comfort, they maintain a degree of optical transparency thus promoting opportunities afforded by passive solar gains. To test their overall effectiveness, thermotropic layers made of varying hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) concentrations (2 wt.%, 4 wt.% and 6 wt.%) were firstly synthesised and their optical properties measured. Building performance predictions were subsequently conducted in EnergyPlus for four window inclinations (90°, 60°, 30° and 0° to the horizontal) based on a small office test cell situated in the hot summer Mediterranean climate of Palermo, Italy. Results from annual predictions show that both incident solar radiation and outdoor ambient temperature play a significant role in the transmissivity and reflectivity of the glazing unit. If used as a roof light, a 6 wt.% HPC-based thermotropic window has a dynamic average Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) between 0.44 and 0.56, this lower than that of 0.74 for double glazing. Predictions also show that in the specific case tested, the 6 wt.% HPC-based thermotropic window provides an overall annual energy saving of 22% over an equivalent double glazed unit. By maintaining the thermotropic window spectral properties but lowering the associated transition temperature ranges, it was found that the lowest temperature range provided the smallest solar heat gains. Although, this is beneficial during periods where cooling may be needed, in those periods where heating may be required, opportunities gained through passive solar heating are limited. In addition, with lower solar heat gain, there is a possibility that artificial lighting energy demand increases resulting in additional energy consumption

Detectable HIV Viral Load in Kenya: Data from a Population-Based Survey.

IntroductionAt the individual level, there is clear evidence that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission can be substantially reduced by lowering viral load. However there are few data describing population-level HIV viremia especially in high-burden settings with substantial under-diagnosis of HIV infection. The 2nd Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey (KAIS 2012) provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage on viremia and to examine the risks for failure to suppress viral replication. We report population-level HIV viral load suppression using data from KAIS 2012.MethodsBetween October 2012 to February 2013, KAIS 2012 surveyed household members, administered questionnaires and drew serum samples to test for HIV and, for those found to be infected with HIV, plasma viral load (PVL) was measured. Our principal outcome was unsuppressed HIV viremia, defined as a PVL ≥ 550 copies/mL. The exposure variables included current treatment with ART, prior history of an HIV diagnosis, and engagement in HIV care. All point estimates were adjusted to account for the KAIS 2012 cluster sampling design and survey non-response.ResultsOverall, 61·2% (95% CI: 56·4-66·1) of HIV-infected Kenyans aged 15-64 years had not achieved virological suppression. The base10 median (interquartile range [IQR]) and mean (95% CI) VL was 4,633 copies/mL (0-51,596) and 81,750 copies/mL (59,366-104,134), respectively. Among 266 persons taking ART, 26.1% (95% CI: 20.0-32.1) had detectable viremia. Non-ART use, younger age, and lack of awareness of HIV status were independently associated with significantly higher odds of detectable viral load. In multivariate analysis for the sub-sample of patients on ART, detectable viremia was independently associated with younger age and sub-optimal adherence to ART.DiscussionThis report adds to the limited data of nationally-representative surveys to report population- level virological suppression. We established heterogeneity across the ten administrative and HIV programmatic regions on levels of detectable viral load. Timely initiation of ART and retention in care are crucial for the elimination of transmission of HIV through sex, needle and syringe use or from mother to child. Further refinement of geospatial mapping of populations with highest risk of transmission is necessary

How arsenic residues get in wool

Wool can become contaminated with arsenic in various ways, and several different sources may each contribute to any individual arsenic residue problem. • dipping sheep in an arsenical dip ( now illegal), • dipping sheep in a non-arsenical dip in a contaminated dipping facility • penning sheep on soil with high levels of arsenic before shearing. Other possible sources include running sheep on land contaminated by gold mine tailings or exploration sites, and allowing sheep access to sites on the farm where arsenical compounds have been dumped, for example, rubbish dumps or sites where dip/sump sludge has been dumped. Farmers can prevent wool arsenic levels above the Industry Standard by soil testing and sensible management of their dip and yards