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Protecting retirement wealth : a survey of Australian products
No full textIn view of the changes to the age pension assets test thresholds set to take effect in January 2017, we examine possible features of an ideal Comprehensive Income Product for Retirement. This paper provides a survey of the long-term derivative instruments (warrants) being offered by Australian institutions to elderly Australian investors. We focus on products other than plain vanilla life annuities, and there are currently four active products, with varying guarantee terms. Early exercise is typically permissible yet subject to penalties. Benefits are mostly lump sum but can be income streams.9 page(s
On the link between functional traits and growth rate : meta-analysis shows effects change with plant size, as predicted
No full textA plant's growth rate is seen as a central element of its ecological strategy, and as determined by its traits. Yet the literature is inconsistent about the empirical correlation between functional traits and growth, casting doubt on the capacity of some prominent traits to influence growth rate. We propose that traits should influence growth in a way that depends on the size of individual plants. We outline mechanisms and hypotheses based on new theoretical work and test these predictions in tree species using a meta-analysis of 103 studies (> 500 correlations) for five traits (specific leaf area, wood density, maximum height, seed mass and maximum assimilation rate). We also recorded data for 14 other traits commonly used in the trait literature. To capture the effects of plant size, we tested for a shift in the direction of correlation between growth rates and each trait across three ontogenetic stages: seedling, sapling and adult. Results were consistent with predictions, although there were some limitations arising from unequal numbers of observation across ontogenetic stages. Specific leaf area was correlated with relative growth rate in seedlings but not in adult plants. Correlations of growth with wood density were not affected by ontogenetic stage. Seed mass, assimilation rate and maximum height were correlated with relative growth rate only in one ontogenetic stage category: seedlings, seedlings and adults, respectively. Although we were able to confirm several of our theoretical predictions, major knowledge gaps still exist in the trait literature. For example, for one-third of the traits considered, the majority (> 75%) of reported correlations with growth came from the same ontogenetic stage. Synthesis. We show for some traits, how trait–growth correlations change in a predictable way with plant size. Our understanding of plant strategies should shift away from describing species as having a fixed growth strategy throughout their life (on a continuous axis from slow to fast growth), in favour of a size-dependent growth trajectories.16 page(s
Generation, application and analysis of a novel family of m-segment quadratic fractal curves to antennas
No full textA novel family of fractal curves is proposed which provides the designer a systematic way of miniaturizing the microwave components with the freedom of choosing among form factor, design complexity and achieved miniaturization. The proposed fractal curve is characterized by two integer values m and n. The m value determines the form factor of the fractal while n value governs the iteration number. The equations governing the geometry of fractals are also presented. The proposed fractal is characterized for miniaturization by designing a printed monopole antenna for various values of m and n. The results from the full wave simulations and experiments are analysed and explained. The effect of fractal on reducing the resonant frequency is quantified by an equation based on its physical interpretation. Based on this analysis, saturation point for miniaturization is established. The curves being symmetric around a straight line, distortionless radiation patterns are seen.10 page(s
Yolande of Aragon (1381-1442) family and power : the reverse of the tapestry
No full textYolande of Aragon is one of the most intriguing of late medieval queens who contrived to be everywhere and nowhere simultaneously; operating seamlessly from backstage and front-of-house. She was shrewd, focused and intelligent – an éminence grise whose political and diplomatic agency secured the throne of France for her son-in-law, Charles VII, and the survival of her marital house. Rohr's work is a long-anticipated and much-needed scholarly assessment of an incredibly powerful and influential figure of fifteenth century history who just happened to be a queen.284 page(s
The Relationship between spoken language and speech and nonspeech processing in children with autism : a magnetic event-related field study
No full textIt has been proposed that language impairments in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) stem from atypical neural processing of speech and/or nonspeech sounds. However, the strength of this proposal is compromised by the unreliable outcomes of previous studies of speech and nonspeech processing in ASD. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an association between poor spoken language and atypical event-related field (ERF) responses to speech and nonspeech sounds in children with ASD (n = 14) and controls (n = 18). Data from this developmental population (ages 6-14) were analysed using a novel combination of methods to maximize the reliability of our findings while taking into consideration the heterogeneity of the ASD population. The results showed that poor spoken language scores were associated with atypical left hemisphere brain responses (200 to 400 ms) to both speech and nonspeech in the ASD group. These data support the idea that some children with ASD may have an immature auditory cortex that affects their ability to process both speech and nonspeech sounds. Their poor speech processing may impair their ability to process the speech of other people, and hence reduce their ability to learn the phonology, syntax, and semantics of their native language.19 page(s
Reading First Thessalonians as a consolatory letter in light of Seneca and ancient handbooks on letter-writing
No full textIn his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul addressed the occasion of deaths among Christians with stock arguments of the consolatory genre, without using the typical epistolary structure associated with consolation in ancient handbooks of letter-writing. It is demonstrated that three of Seneca the Younger's letters also employed stock arguments of consolation, but did not follow the usual structure for a letter of consolation. Using Seneca's letters as a test case for what constituted pagan ideas of consolation, we highlight some compelling reasons for reading First Thessalonians as a letter of consolation, a reading that offers some new insights into the passage on the right Christian attitude towards death in 1 Thess 4.13–5.11.18 page(s
Managing family accommodation of OCD in the context of adolescent treatment refusal : a case example
No full textFamily accommodation is a common and widely studied phenomenon in families of youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Family accommodation has been associated with increased symptom severity, poorer functional outcomes, and reduced treatment response. While family accommodation is increasingly targeted in family-based treatment of OCD, there are cases where youth refuse treatment. In these circumstances, parent-focused treatments that target reduction of family accommodation can be used to improve outcomes for youth with OCD. This case study illustrates the conceptualization and treatment of family accommodation in childhood OCD in the context of treatment refusal. Treatment was implemented without explicit involvement of the child. Parents reported moderate improvement in OCD symptoms at the end of treatment and a decrease in overall parent-child conflict. The findings illustrate how exposure and response principles can be implemented without direct involvement of the child in cases where youth show low motivation or refusal of treatment.10 page(s
Organic geochemical characteristics of the Mesoproterozoic Hongshuizhuang Formation from northern China : implications for thermal maturity and biological sources
No full textThe Mesoproterozoic Hongshuizhuang Formation (∼1.4 Ga) from northern China consists of organic-rich sediments which record important environmental and biological information from that time. Organic and element geochemistry techniques were used to assess the syngeneity and indigeneity of hydrocarbons, and the thermal maturity and biological sources of the organic matter in the Hongshuizhuang Formation. Results from a slice-extraction experiment indicate that the exterior of the core was subjected to contamination from drilling, sampling and storage, whereas the organic matter in the interior shale core slices was indigenous. The organic matter in the interior argillaceous dolomite core slices might have been affected by the migration of oil. It is important to remove the outside of the core prior to solvent extraction, as this increases the possibility of analysis of indigenous hydrocarbons. The source rocks of the oil are the black shales of the Hongshuizhuang Formation. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon distributions indicate that the Hongshuizhuang Formation samples have a low thermal maturity in the early to middle oil window (0.6–0.8 %Ro equivalent), based on comparison with middle Velkerri Formation rocks of about the same age in the McArthur Basin, northern Australia. These data are consistent with results based on the values of Tmax and protobitumen reflectance, and suggest that the samples contain well preserved organic matter that has not been thermally destroyed. The redox conditions indicated by the pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) ratios are not consistent with other evidence. The correlations between n-C₂₀₋/n-C₂₁₊, major elements and Pr/Ph indicate that the Pr/Ph ratios are influenced by biological sources and mineralogy, rather than by redox conditions. Pr and Ph may have been derived not only from chlorophyll-a, but also from archaea. The short and long chain n-alkanes in the Hongshuizhuang Formation were derived from anoxic clay-rich environments and oxic carbonate-rich environments, respectively. The biomarkers observed in the Hongshuizhuang Formation indicate that the organic matter was primarily derived from prokaryotes.15 page(s
"Shari'a" in cyberspace : a case study from Australia
No full textNew forms of communication and greater accessibility of Islamic texts on-line allow Muslims to shape their own religiosity, to become less dependent on established sources of authority, and thereby to become more aware of their own cultural diversity as a community. New practices of transnational Islam, and the growth of new concepts of Muslim identities currently emerging in the on-line community, are relatively free from immediate constraints. This article provides the result of a sociological analysis of three Internet sites in Sydney which deliver on-line fatwas. Even if cyberspace has allowed the Muslim world to be de-territorialised and provides a way for people to distance themselves from traditional communities if they wish, this research points out a variety of approaches, including one case which is aiming at re-localising an Australian Muslim system of values. This case highlights ways in which first generation Muslims are re-territorialising Shari'a in a specific western country.22 page(s
