Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: a review of interventions for prevention and management in Indigenous communities

This resource sheet provides estimates on the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the general and Indigenous populations of Australia, and reviews the local and international evidence on the effectiveness of programs that aim to prevent or alleviate this group of disorders. Introduction This resource sheet defines fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and provides currently available estimates of their prevalence in the overall Australian population and in the Indigenous population. The current recommendation of the National Health and Medical Research Council on the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is also provided. Where appropriate, comparisons are made with other countries. The resource sheet reviews the Australian and international literature published since 1990 on the effectiveness of programs that aim to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders or to alleviate its effects. Evidence on the effectiveness of Australian and Indigenous specific programs is also assessed, including those programs that have been developed and implemented in partnership with Indigenous Australians

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Microcoining of Stainless Steel 304

Increasing demands for miniature metallic parts have driven the application of microforming in various industries. Only a limited amount of research is, however, available on the forming of miniature features in high strength materials. This study investigated the forming of microfeatures in Type 304 stainless steel by using the coining process. Experimental work was performed to study the effects of workpiece thickness, preform shape, grain size, and feature size on the formation of features ranging from 320μmto800μm. It was found that certain preform shapes enhance feature formation by allowing a favorable flow of the bulk material. In addition, a flow stress model for Type 304 stainless steel that took into consideration the effects of the grain and feature sizes was developed to accurately model and better understand the coining process. Weakening of the material, as the grain size increased at the miniature scale, was explained by the Hall–Petch relationship and the feature size effect

Bulk motion for ultrasonic-assisted microforming using Terfenol-D

Microforming requires high-precision motion due to scaling issues. A Terfenol-D transducer was considered to provide bulk motion for micro-extrusion. Because Terfenol-D cannot practically produce the necessary 2.5 mm displacement for this micro-extrusion experiment, a lever system was designed to amplify the output displacement. Compliant joints (flexures) were used to replace conventional bearings, resulting in a flexible, solid-state lever mechanism. By eliminating the backlash and static friction associated with conventional bearings, it should be possible to improve displacement precision as required to meet the geometric tolerance demands of microforming. A chief concern when designing flexure joints that see large amounts of axial loading is compliance, which leads to not only loss of motion but also loss of accuracy as the lever system responds differently under different loads. However, because Terfenol-D already has load-dependent response, this loss of accuracy is moot when coupled with a Terfenol-D prime mover, as it already requires load-dependent control. Preliminary FEM analysis has shown this design to have lever ratio losses of approximately 4% from half load to full load, with lower than predicted stress

Reverse knowledge transfer from subsidiaries to MNCs in Korea: size matters

This paper attempts to identify the effects of knowledge transfer capacity and relational capital on the reverse transfer of local market information from subsidiaries within MNC networks. In particular, we try to examine the different influences of those determinants in organisations of different sizes. By using Spearman rank order correlation coefficients, we find that the key drivers for large subsidiaries are knowledge development capability, subsidiary autonomy and trust between subsidiaries and MNCs. The key drivers for medium-size firms are subsidiary willingness, trust and organisational distance. In the case of small firms, reverse knowledge transfer is driven by knowledge development capability, subsidiary autonomy and socialisation mechanisms. We believe that these findings offer valuable implications for both MNC managers and also for theor

Interacting for the environment:Engaging Goffman in pro-environmental action

Whilst there are profound disagreements about how more sustainable forms of living might be achieved, most research on pro-environmental action recognises it as a fundamentally social challenge – demanding shifts not merely in individuals’ attitudes and behaviours, but also in social norms, contexts and practices. Despite the social nature of the challenge, perhaps the most fundamental social medium – social interaction - remains under-theorised in this area. To address this gap, this paper applies Erving Goffman’s understandings of social interaction to an ethnographic case study of a pro- environmental change initiative called Environment Champions. The analysis shows that social interaction plays a crucially important role in shaping responses to pro-environmental change processes that has the potential to both help and hinder the spread of pro-environmental action. The paper concludes by exploring how Goffman’s ideas develop and extend current debates about pro- environmental behaviour change

Exploiting symmetries in SDP-relaxations for polynomial optimization

In this paper we study various approaches for exploiting symmetries in polynomial optimization problems within the framework of semi definite programming relaxations. Our special focus is on constrained problems especially when the symmetric group is acting on the variables. In particular, we investigate the concept of block decomposition within the framework of constrained polynomial optimization problems, show how the degree principle for the symmetric group can be computationally exploited and also propose some methods to efficiently compute in the geometric quotient.Comment: (v3) Minor revision. To appear in Math. of Operations Researc

Koszul incidence algebras, affine semigroups, and Stanley-Reisner ideals

We prove a theorem unifying three results from combinatorial homological and commutative algebra, characterizing the Koszul property for incidence algebras of posets and affine semigroup rings, and characterizing linear resolutions of squarefree monomial ideals. The characterization in the graded setting is via the Cohen-Macaulay property of certain posets or simplicial complexes, and in the more general nongraded setting, via the sequential Cohen-Macaulay property.Comment: 31 pages, 1 figure. Minor changes from previous version. To appear in Advances in Mathematic

Including Women? (Dis)junctures Between Voice,

Abstract Integrated development plans (IDPs) are municipal strategic plans designed to bring about developmental local government. They have been criticised for providing insufficient space for democratic participation. This paper explores the extent to which a marginalised group—women—has been incorporated into the IDP process, in response to three questions. First, how have IDP participatory processes incorporated women’s voice, and are the new participatory spaces realising their transformative potential? Secondly, how have women’s interests and a gender perspective been mainstreamed in the IDP, and has it promoted transformation? And finally, at the interface between officials and women themselves, how are IDP projects implemented and does agency promote or impede the goals of gender equality? A study of three KwaZulu-Natal municipalities reveals some achievements, but unequal gender relations have not been transformed. These case studies demonstrate some of the complexities and difficulties in the practice of democratic governance