The promotion and disruption of community service delivery systems

In this paper, we report data drawn from a larger project on the functioning of the Queensland community service delivery system, particularly that providing services to people with disabilities. Our reasoning for focusing at this level is that, from the service user's perspective, support is derived from the service delivery system, not just individual service providers. Defining the service delivery system as formal services and informal support networks, we undertook interviews and focus groups with service providers in six areas in Queensland: inner urban, outer urban, rural and remote. The period on which we report is one in which considerable reform activity had been undertaken by funding bodies of the Commonwealth and State governments. We report on those factors we identified which promote the integrated functioning of the service delivery system, as well as those factors that disrupt it. We conclude with a brief evaluative analysis of the current status of the system.

Lipid, sugar and liposaccharide based delivery systems 2

The vast majority of biologically active compounds will never be considered as potential drugs due to inherently poor bioavailability. This review discusses the progress in the development of chemical systems to improve the metabolic stability, absorption and physicochemical properties of potential drugs. Delivery systems that involve the conjugation of lipid and/or sugar moieties are highlighted, as well as novel methods of conjugation of these groups to drugs. The use of sugar molecules to target drugs to particular organs or cells is also discussed, as is the use of lipids in the growing area of gene delivery. This is an update of a previous review [1].

The production of male of-only offspring in beef cattle - a proof of principle project

The Australian beef industry places the greatest value in bulls, in comparison to cows, for prime beef production. Male carcasses can be sold for a larger profit due to their increased muscle mass. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of producing male animals that can sire male only offspring, through a transgenic approach in mice that could later be translated into livestock production systems. The mouse Sry (Sex determining region on the Y) gene has been shown to provide the initiating molecular signal leading to male sex determination in mammals. Sry has also been shown to cause sex reversal in XX mice transgenic for the gene. In this project Sry will be targeted to a locus not subject to X-inactivation on the X chromosome of XY mice. These mice will be bred to determine how the transgene is passed on, to determine expression of the transgene, and to assess its activity in causing XX sex reversal. The male mice transgenic for the Sry gene on their X chromosome will be produced using tetraploid aggregation, which in a single step produces 100% ES cell derived embryos. The same target locus can later be used to introduce the bovine SRY gene onto the X chromosome of bovidae species and using germ cell transplantation produce sex reversed animals. This would bypass the need for expensive chimera crosses and provide farmers with a stud bull capable of producing only sons.

The value of dividend imputation tax credits in Australia

A dividend imputation tax system provides shareholders with a credit (for corporate tax paid) that can be used to offset personal tax on dividend income. This paper shows how to infer the value of imputation tax credits from the prices of derivative securities that are unique to Australian retail markets. We also test whether a tax law amendment that was designed to prevent the trading of imputation credits affected their economic value. Before the amendment, tax credits were worth up to 50% of face value in large, high-yielding companies, but Subsequently it is difficult to detect any value at all. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A theoretical exploration of catchment-scale sediment delivery

This paper proposes a theoretical explanation of the variations of the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) versus catchment area relationships and the complex patterns in the behavior of sediment transfer processes at catchment scale. Taking into account the effects of erosion source types, deposition, and hydrological controls, we propose a simple conceptual model that consists of two linear stores arranged in series: a hillslope store that addresses transport to the nearest streams and a channel store that addresses sediment routing in the channel network. The model identifies four dimensionless scaling factors, which enable us to analyze a variety of effects on SDR estimation, including (1) interacting processes of erosion sources and deposition, (2) different temporal averaging windows, and (3) catchment runoff response. We show that the interactions between storm duration and hillslope/channel travel times are the major controls of peak-value-based sediment delivery and its spatial variations. The interplay between depositional timescales and the travel/residence times determines the spatial variations of total-volume-based SDR. In practical terms this parsimonious, minimal complexity model could provide a sound physical basis for diagnosing catchment to catchment variability of sediment transport if the proposed scaling factors can be quantified using climatic and catchment properties.

Making the link between engineering management and undergraduate research

This paper describes and analyses an innovative engineering management course that applies a project management framework in the context of a feasibility study for a prospective research project. The aim is to have students learn aspects of management that will be relevant from the outset of their professional career while simultaneously having immediate value in helping them to manage a research project and capstone design project in their senior year. An integral part of this innovation was the development of a web-based project management tool. While the main objectives of the new course design were achieved, a number of important lessons were learned that would guide the further development and continuous improvement of this course. The most critical of these is the need to achieve the optimum balance in the mind of the students between doing the project and critically analyzing the processes used to accomplish the work.

The influence of national culture on the level and outcome of IS decision making in the IS maintenance/redevelopment decision

Would the outcome of a Global multinational organization’s decision be the same if the same decision were to be made in different countries throughout the world? Within the same organization, we propose that national cultural differences can influence decision making in different countries and cultural clusters. While much work has been done on organizational cultural influences, this study examines the influence that national culture has on organizational decision making in respect to the evolution/redevelopment decision that organizations face when a system is believed to be entering the obsolescence phase. Building on findings from the Globe research program, we show by empirical testing of a theoretical model that national cultural dimensions are significantly associated with a) the outcome of the decision to enhance or re-develop a system, and b) the organizational level at which such decisions are made. This research is significant as a means to improve management decision making, particularly with regard to the enhancement versus re-development decision. The research suggests that a relatively uniform sub-culture exists across the global IS project level but that national cultural dimensions play a more important role in determining the organizational management level at which decisions are made.