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General risks or specific measures? The High Court decision in Kirk
No full textThe decision in Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales; Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Childs) (Kirk) is an important decision of the Full Bench of the High Court which provides guidance on the proper interpretation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW) (OHS Act 2000), and has implications for the continuing work of the Industrial Court of New South Wales in this important area of law. The decision is also important for administrative lawyers. This note, however, focuses primarily on the implications of the decision for the area of occupational health and safety law. Administrative law issues are likely to be explored in greater depth in other comments
A cytosolic sperm protein factor mobilizes Ca²⁺ from intracellular stores by activating multiple Ca²⁺ release mechanisms independently of low molecular weight messengers
No full textCa²⁺ oscillations can be induced in mammalian eggs and somatic cells by microinjection of a cytosolic sperm protein factor. The nature of the sperm factor-induced Ca²⁺ signaling was investigated by adding sperm protein extracts to homogenates of sea urchin eggs, which contain multiple classes of Ca²⁺ release mechanisms. We show that the sperm factor mobilizes Ca²⁺ from non-mitochondrial Ca²⁺ stores in egg homogenates after a distinct latency. This latency is abolished by preincubation of sperm extracts with egg cytosol. The preincubation step is highly temperature-dependent and generates a high molecular weight, protein-based Ca²⁺-releasing agent that can also mobilize Ca2+ from purified egg microsomes. This Ca²⁺ release appears to be mediated via both inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors, since homologous desensitization of these two release mechanisms by their respective agonists inhibits further release by the sperm factor. However, sperm factor-induced Ca²⁺ release by these channels is independent of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate or cADPR since antagonists of either of these two messengers did not block the Ca²⁺ release effected by the sperm factor. The sperm protein factor may cause Ca²⁺ release via an enzymatic step that generates a protein-based Ca²⁺-releasing agent
The last thoughts of Prokofiev
No full textA musical work for solo piano. The research embodied in this work encompasses the interaction of the multiple concepts of narrative, quotation, representation, recontextualisation, hybridisation, parody, and irony, which firmly places it within the postmodern tradition. This heterogeneous mix creates a rich multilayered structure operating within the specific classical formal structure of the fantasy and fugue, and the broad genre of the piano solo – itself a rich resource of associations and expectations for the informed listener – that are used ultimately to blur the connection between abstract musical and programmatic meaning, and subvert temporal perception. Thus, while the musical surface follows a seemingly straightforward dialectical course, the above-mentioned qualities act anarchically to create multiple fragmented perspectives
Crude: the incredible journey of oil
No full textThe 'Crude: The Incredible Journey of Oil' broadband site was developed for ABC Science Online to meet the need to extend audiences and broaden access to research in the public interest. At that time, Web 2.0 was in its infancy. Previously to Web 2.0, access to broadcast media was through film, television and radio. 'Crude' investigates the journey of oil and the dependence of nearly seven billion people on this finite resource. It enables ongoing access to, collection and retrieval of significant climate change content, additional interviews, innovative Flash interactive media content to create an educational and accessible online interactive media resource for expert, educational and public users
Paper island: First International Symposium of Paper Artists, Krapanj
No full textMulti-piece installation
Imperfective aspect and the interplay of aspect, tense and modality in Torau
No full textTorau displays a highly complex system of aspect, tense, and modal marking. One of the most complex elements of this system is the marking of imperfective aspect. Imperfective in Torau is marked by a construction employing a choice of two overt imperfective markers and the possible presence of reduplication. The range of imperfective semantics encoded by this construction varies widely, encompassing progressive, habitual, persistive, and progressive inchoative or inceptive. Which reading is given depends not only on the choice of imperfective marker and the presence or absence of reduplication, but on a complex interplay of these factors with other aspectual, modal, or tense marking, and the aspectual semantics of the verb itself. This paper teases apart each of these highly interdependent factors to determine the independent functional characteristics of each imperfective marker and of reduplication
A study of two-way bending in unreinforced masonry
No full textMasonry walls will almost invariably be required to resist lateral out-of-plane loads due to the action of wind or earthquakes; less commonly walls may be subjected to water or earth pressure or blast loading. Of particular interest is the common case which arises when the walls are supported on two or more adjacent edges. Under these conditions the masonry is subjected to a complex state of biaxial (two-way) out-of-plane bending combined with vertical in-plane compression due to the self weight of the wall and any superimposed loads. Different approaches currently exist for the design of masonry wall panels subjected to out-of-plane loads. However, these approaches are all empirical and often yield widely varying design recommendations and there has been significant criticism by proponents of the different methods regarding the use of alternative approaches. In this study an extensive program of laboratory testing in parallel with numerical analysis was conducted to examine the bending, biaxial bending in particular, behaviour of masonry walls. The aim was to provide a better understanding of the behaviour at the fundamental level towards ultimately developing a fully rational biaxial-bending failure model that can predict behaviour under any simultaneous combination of bending moments in the two principal directions, along with a superimposed compression force on the bed joints. Experimentally, 'single joint' four brick unit specimens were studied comprehensively, using a newly commissioned test rig, by subjecting them to various vertical and horizontal bending moments both separately and in combinations, along with a superimposed compression force on the bed joints. These tests provided important information about the flexural behaviour of mortar joints and the torsional behaviour of bed joints. In addition, a complete set of characterization tests was also performed to study the fundamental material properties of masonry, which were important input parameters in the numerical modelling. Numerically, a 3D non-linear finite element micro-model with cohesive contact was proposed and implemented in the ABAQUS/Standard software package. Numerical viii analyses were performed to provide rational explanations to the bending behaviours observed in the four brick unit specimen tests and evaluate a newly proposed torsion shear test method. A simplified 3D non-linear finite element micro-model was also proposed to simulate the bending behaviour of small walls. Its effectiveness was clearly demonstrated in its application to masonry walls, with or without openings, subjected to both in-plane and out-of-plane loads
The Pleistocene glaciations of the Cradle Mountain Region, Tasmania
No full textThe northern Central Highlands region of Tasmania extending north from Cradle Mountain to the Middlesex Plains shows evidence of three glacial stages, with the final stage consisting of several ice advance phases. From oldest to youngest these have been named the Middlesex Glaciation, the Sunshine Glaciation and the Cradle Glaciation. Cosmogenic exposure-age dating of boulders and ice-abraded bedrock, radiocarbon dating of post-glacial organic deposits, and relative dating techniques have resulted in assignment of the following ages for the events: Middlesex Glaciation, MIS 10; Sunshine Glaciation, MIS 6 and the Cradle Glaciation having MIS 3 and MIS 2 phases. The Cradle Glaciation correlates with the global Last Glaciation. Exposure-age dating of three of the Cradle Glaciation ice advance phases indicates that the Pencil Pine Phase predates 38.9±4.0 ka, the Dove Phase occurred ca. 29.2±1.4 ka, and the Cradle Valley Phase occurred between >19.7±1.1 – 17.6±1.0 ka. At least two undated retreat/readvance phases followed the Cradle Valley Phase. Deglaciation of the area was probably complete considerably before 11.2 ka. The recognised glacial events decreased in areal extent in each successive advance. Using the 0°C summer mean isotherm as the base for the altitude of the equilibrium line altitude, the regional snowline, regional snowline depression and temperature depression for each of the events were: Middlesex Glaciation, 942 m/1616 m/10.5°C; Sunshine Glaciation, 984 m/1574 m/10.23°C; Pencil Pine Phase, 1010 m/1548 m/10.06°C; Dove Phase, 1050 m/1508 m/9.8°C; and the Cradle Valley Phase, 1060 m/1498 m/9.74°C. The geomorphic evidence and dating of several phases of the Cradle Glaciation indicates a complex history of ice advances for Tasmania during the Last Glaciation
Predictive current control of an active harmonic filter
No full textVoltage and current harmonics can have various deleterious effects on the entire power system, from residential households to power utilities. The onus to correct these harmonic problems lies dually with the end user and the power utilities. Active Harmonic Filters are one solution that can ensure the supply of clean power, to end users in a distributed system. Research into active harmonic filters has become an area of growing interest in the recent years. This is due to the increased use of non-linear loads, coupled with greater demand for electricity in general. This paper outlines the development of simulations and low voltage modeling of a pure active harmonic filter. The filter is composed of a three phase inverter direct-connected in shunt with the load and a microcontroller used to implement the control strategy. The control algorithm and filtering are performed in the dq rotating reference frame. This implementation attempts to improve the control scheme proposed by Akagi et. al for “Pure Active Harmonic Filters.” The output stages of the control scheme are replaced with a predictive current controller with space vector modulation. Simulation and experimental results are provided to support the findings of this paper
Design, analysis and control of a fast nanopositioning stage
No full textWe present a fast flexure-based, piezoelectric stack-actuated XY nanopositioning stage which is suitable for high-speed, accurate nanoscale positioning applications. The performance of the design are analyzed using finite-element-analysis software. Experiments demonstrate that the design has a high first resonant mode at 2.7 kHz, a low cross-coupling of -35 dB and a relatively large traveling range of 25x25 mum. These results are in close agreement with the predicted FEA results. Non-linearities due to hysteresis of the piezoelectric stack actuators are present in the stage. The hysteresis effect is minimized using charge actuation. The Integral Resonant Control (IRC) method is applied to damp the first resonant mode. By implementing feedforward inversion technique, high-speed and accurate scanning performances, up to 400 Hz, are achieved