Antarctic seabirds including Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), south polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki), southern giant petrels (Macronectes gigantus) are high trophic level predators that accumulate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in the food webs in which they forage. Little is known about the levels of POPs in some Antarctic organisms (e.g. southern giant petrels), as well as the long-term trends of POPs in the Antarctic ecosystem. Samples from all three seabird species were collected post mortem, including eggs, from the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and in the Ross Sea throughout the austral summer breeding seasons of 2004--2006. The samples were analyzed for C and N stable isotopes and POPs including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs). The objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the long-term trends of POP residues in Adelie penguins, (2) compare POP levels within livers of the three seabird species based on migratory patterns and trophic level using stable isotope analysis of delta15N and delta13C, and (3) demonstrate POPs can be used as tracers of Antarctic seabird ecology. POPs in Antarctic biota were first evaluated using Adelie penguin tissues and a long-term analysis including data from the current study showed SigmaDDT has not declined in WAP penguins for more than 30 years. Indeed, the presence of p,p'-DDT in these birds indicates that there is a current source of DDT to the WAP marine food web, and both measurements and calculations suggest that this source of DDT is related to climate driven environmental change in the region. A more broad analysis including all three seabird species showed SigmaPCBs, SigmaDDTs, Sigmachlordanes and mirex are 3--100 times higher in migratory seabird livers than the endemic penguins, while hexachlorobenzene (HCB) exhibits no difference in concentration between the three seabird species. Model predictions compared to measured output of delta13C and delta13N indicate a stronger correlation between delta13C and less volatile POP concentrations demonstrating the heavy influence of winter migration on the contaminant loads of seabirds that breed in Antarctica. Finally, discrepancies in POP ratios between migratory and endemic seabird eggs and fat in combination with stable isotope signatures gave insight into seabird evolutionary breeding strategies. For example, the relative abundance of SigmaPCBs was highest in south polar skua eggs and endogenous lipid input into skua eggs was estimated at >79% by examining discrepancies in contaminant ratios. The combined stable isotope and contaminant data indicate that south polar skuas and southern giant petrels employee different combinations of income and capital breeding strategies.

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This thesis is based on a research study examining the extent to which cultural background and cultural factors are taken into account by Child Protection Workers investigating allegations of child maltreatment due to inappropriate or excessive punishment. Profiles of child discipline practices within a cultural and historical context were developed and qualitative and quantitative data was gathered through a survey questionnaire sent to all the metropolitan offices of Family and Children's Services. Data was also collected from ethnic leaders, some of their community members and from refugees. The data collected was examined in relation to Child Maltreatment Guidelines of Family & Children's Services and current Child Protection Laws in Western Australia, with a particular focus on practice implications for child protection workers.

This thesis presents a qualitative study investigating the understandings of social workers from non-statutory settings (health, hospital and mental health) of their assessment practices with children and families where child protection concerns have been identified. The study aims were to describe the considerations social workers identified as significant when undertaking such an assessment, as well as gain insight about how these considerations interact and relate. The study was developed under a constructivist paradigm influenced by post-modern and post-structuralist thinking. Data collection involved a semi-structured in-depth interview based on concepts drawn from reflective practice and the critical incident technique. The participants were asked about their agency, their role and a recent case in which they had undertaken an assessment. Data collection and analysis were consistent with constructivist grounded theory methods. Review of the literature suggests that social workers in statutory child protection practice and other settings consider factors relating to the case, themselves and their context in their assessment practice. Similar conclusions have been reached through this study. This study is unique in being the only qualitative study of social work assessment practices with child protection cases in non-statutory settings in NSW, to date. The study found that social workers identified a range of considerations as important in their assessment practice. These considerations have been grouped thematically as context, relationship, intervention, content and self, in the presentation of findings in this thesis. These themes interact and relate in ways that are unique to the individual assessment circumstances rather than in a regular or consistent manner. The findings of the study are relevant to social work practitioners, educators and researchers. The study furthers the understanding of social work assessment practice, and develops a clearer understanding and articulation of what is recognised and termed as ‘tacit knowledge’ or ‘practice wisdom’ in this particular area of social work practice. / Masters Thesis

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / Animal welfare legislation does not consistently protect all nonhuman animals against all harms under all circumstances. Through an analysis of current legislative arrangements and the origins of animal protection law, and an examination of popular attitudes towards animal cruelty, this study seeks to comment on the role of visibility in informing the level and type of state-sponsored interest protection an animal receives. It is argued that different types of animals enjoy different levels of visibility and that an animal’s level of visibility influences the extent to which the state is willing to intervene to protect the animal from harm. These findings are significant because the highly politicised nature of the lives of many nonhuman animals raises questions about the appropriateness of an animal welfare legislative regime which is at once biased and which also tends to favour those animals who are most readily visible. It is argued that the practice of regulating animal welfare by use of legislative instruments which are inconsistent is problematic from the perspective of liberal principles because liberalism places a heavy emphasis on the concept of equality. Similarly, the practice of preferential treatment for the most visible is not consistent with democratic values because it removes citizens from the process of establishing agreed-upon standards for animal protection. In conclusion, it is argued that because some animals have been effectively drawn into the liberal democratic political landscape, the principle of equitable treatment should be applied to the manner in which the state regulates animal use. Such an approach would mean that animal use would be regulated according to the same values that are applied to other areas of political society. It would also have the effect of establishing what the community views as the appropriate level of nonhuman animal interest protection, by challenging the existence of a double standard predicated on the principle of low visibility.

Quizalofop-p-ethyl is a herbicide introduced in the mid 1980's with apparent low toxicity and is readily degradable.Quizalofop-p-ethyl is a member of the aryloxyphenoxypropionate group of herbicides and is a postemergence herbicide used for pulses (including soybean) and vegetables. The aim of the project discussed in this study is to develop an analytical method for the sensitive and reliable determination of quizalofop-p-ethyl and quizalofop acid in soybean using HPLC. Soybean is chosen as a typical agricultural crop. It has 15 to 20 percent oil content and is a crop which has been successfully used with theis herbicide.Two different methods of extraction, i.e. the solvent-solvent extraction method and solid phase extraction method, and clean up are discussed in some detail. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This study examines three basic questions. Why did so many familiar floral species with which agricultural people have more or less successfully contested places for some 10,000 years apparently become highly problematic in New Zealand? How did those in whom the developing contest aroused considerable anxiety try to solve the problems they saw emerging? And what were the outcomes of their chosen courses of action? This study is organised around three main themes, science, the law and agricultural practices. Within each theme I take into consideration the ways New Zealanders used particular aspects of these broad disciplines to try to identify, understand and solve the problems they perceived to have been caused by their weedy biota. I also consider the extent to which recourse to these means has helped or hindered the ends they sought. The methodology adopted for this study is a variation of an 'organisational approach', advocated by the German environmental historian Frank Uekoetter. It focuses on the ways responses to perceived environmental problems are organised within a society. From my use of Uekoetter�s model I conclude that, despite a number of setbacks during the mid to late 19th century, by 1939 New Zealanders had developed highly dynamic processes within their weed science, extending into the wider farming community, by which they could feel their way with some confidence into a future where they might better manage the contest with their weeds, if not actually eradicate them.