A low-cost 3-D laser imaging system

This paper presents the design and development of a low cost three-dimensional laser imaging system for scanning suitable surfaces. A generic, low cost, off-the-shelf laser range finder is used to obtain the primary one dimensional distance measurement. The range finder’s laser beam is reflected by a twin-axis mirror assembly driven by stepper motors providing the system with two angular degrees of freedom, allowing 3-D measurements to be determined. A camera and image processing techniques are used to determine the measured 1-D range value from the generic range-finding device. A computer program then uses the obtained data to create a 3-D point cloud. An algorithm is then used to construct a 3-D wire frame mesh representing the scanned surface. The system has an angular resolution of 1.8° and the results obtained demonstrate the system to have an accuracy of approximately ± 2cm at a scanning distance of 1.0m.

Analysis of forest policy using multi-attribute value theory

Contents:
1. Role of multi-criteria decision making in natural resource management /​ Gamini Herath and Tony Prato
2. Analysis of forest policy using multi-attribute value theory /​ Jayanath Ananda and Gamini Herath
3. Comparing Riparian revegetation policy options using the analytic hierarchy process /​ M. E. Qureshi and S. R. Harrison
4. Managing environmental and health risks from a lead and zinc smelter : an application of deliberative multi-criteria evaluation /​ Wendy Proctor, Chris McQuade and Anne Dekker
5. Multiple attribute evaluation of management alternatives for the Missouri River System /​ Tony Prato
6. Multi-criteria decision analysis for integrated watershed management /​ Zeyuan Qiu
7. Fuzzy multiple attribute evaluation of agricultural systems /​ Leonie A. Marks and Elizabeth G. Dunn
8. Multi-criteria decision support for energy supply assessment /​ Bram Noble
9. Seaport development in Vietnam : evaluation using the analytic hierarchy process /​ Tran Phuong Dong and David M. Chapman
10. Valuing wetland aquatic resources using the analytic hierarchy process /​ Premachandra Wattage and Simon Mardle
11. Multiple attribute evaluation for national park management /​ Tony Prato
12. The future of MCDA in natural resource management : some generalizations /​ Gamini Herath and Tony Prato.

Effect of diets containing n-3 fatty acids on muscle long-chain n-3 fatty acid content in lambs fed low- and medium-quality roughage diets

In two experiments, each with 32 crossbred ([Merino x Border Leicester] x Poll Dorset) wether lambs (26 to 33 kg weight range), animals were randomly assigned to one of four treatments. A mixture of lucerne chaff:oaten chaff was used as a basal diet, offered in different ratios. Animals were allowed to consume on a free-access basis in Exp. 1 or 90% of ad libitum intake in Exp. 2 in order to provide a low- (6.5 MJ ME/d) and medium- (9.5 MJ ME/d) quality basal diet, respectively. Isoenergetic amounts of lipid supplements, fish meal (80 g DM), canola meal (84 g DM), and soy meal (75 g DM) were tested in Exp. 1. In Exp. 2, fish meal (9% DM), unprotected rapeseed (7% DM), and protected canola seed (6% DM) were fed as supplements. At the end of 53-d (Exp. 1) or 46-d (Exp. 2) experimental periods, lambs were slaughtered at a commercial abattoir and at 24 h postmortem longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle was collected for the analysis of fatty acid (FA) composition of structural phospholipid and storage triglyceride fractions. Fish meal diet increased LT muscle long-chain n-3 FA content by 27% (P < 0.02) in Exp. I and 30% (P < 0.001) in Exp. 2 compared with lambs fed the basal diet, but fish meal decreased (P < 0.01) the n-6 FA content only in Exp. 1. Soy meal and protected canola seed diets increased (P < 0.01) LT muscle n-6 FA content but did not affect long-chain n-3 FA content. Longissimus thoracis muscle long-chain n-3 FA were mainly deposited in structural phospholipid, rather than in storage triglyceride. In both Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, the ratio of n-6:n-3 FA in LT muscle was lowest (P < 0.01) in lambs fed fish meal supplement compared with all other treatments. Protected canola seed diet increased the ratio of n-6:n-3 FA (P < 0.01) and PUFA:saturated fatty acid (P < 0.03) content from those animals fed the basal, fish meal, and unprotected rapeseed diets in Exp. 2. This was due to an increase in muscle n-6 FA content, mainly linoleic acid, of both phospholipid (P < 0.001) and triglyceride (P < 0.01) fractions and not to an increase in muscle n3 FA content. The results indicate that by feeding fish meal supplement, the essential n-3 FA can be increased while lowering the ratio of n-6:n-3 content in lamb meat to an extent that could affect nutritional value, attractiveness, and the economic value of meat.

The value of community-based monitoring in marine protected areas

There is an increasing realisation of the importance of community or volunteer collected data for management programs that are otherwise limited by the availability of funds or resources. However, there are concerns regarding the reliability of scientific data collected by inexperienced people. We investigated the potential for community-based monitoring in Victoria’s newly established system of Marine Protected Areas. The main objectives for the study were to 1) develop a template for the scientific monitoring of marine habitats suitable for community groups, 2) assess data quality and data integrity collected by community volunteers and 3) determine a sustainable model for ongoing community participation in monitoring marine habitats. Three different habitats (subtidal, intertidal, and seagrass) were investigated and data collected by volunteers across these habitats was compared to that collected by scientists. Reliability of data collected by volunteers was dependent on habitat type and the type of measurement the volunteers were required to make. Qualitative estimates made by volunteers were highly variable across all three habitat sites, compared to quantitative data collection. Subtidal monitoring had the greatest inaccuracy for data collection, whereas intertidal reef monitoring was most reliable. Sustainability of community-based monitoring programs is dependent on adequate training for volunteers and the development of partnerships to foster greater community engagement.

Integration of 3-PG into SWAT to simulate the growth of evergreen forests

SWAT cannot accurately simulate the seasonal fluctuations or the long-term trend of the Leaf Area Index (LAI) of evergreen forests. This deficiency has detrimental impacts for the prediction of interception and transpiration, two processes that have a significant influence on catchment water yield. This paper details the integration of the forest growth model 3-PG with SWAT to improve the simulation of LAI for evergreen forests. The integrated model, called SWAT/3-PG, was applied to the Woady Yaloak River Catchment in southern Australia where eucalyptus forests and pine plantations account for 30% of the total land use. SWAT/3-PG simulated the LAI of eucalypts and pines more accurately and realistically than the original version of SWAT. Forest LAI simulated by SWAT/3-PG agreed reasonably well with estimates of forest LAI derived independently from a Landsat satellite image. SWAT/3- PG has considerable value as a tool that managers can utilise to predict the impacts of land use change in catchments where evergreen forests are prevalent.

Are youth mentoring programs good value-for-money? An evaluation of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Melbourne program

Background : The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program matches vulnerable young people with a trained, supervised adult volunteer as mentor. The young people are typically seriously disadvantaged, with multiple psychosocial problems.

Methods : Threshold analysis was undertaken to determine whether investment in the program was a worthwhile use of limited public funds. The potential cost savings were based on US estimates of life-time costs associated with high-risk youth who drop out-of-school and become adult criminals. The intervention was modelled for children aged 10–14 years residing in Melbourne in 2004.

Results : If the program serviced 2,208 of the most vulnerable young people, it would cost AUD 39.5 M. Assuming 50% were high-risk, the associated costs of their adult criminality would be AUD 3.3 billion. To break even, the program would need to avert high-risk behaviours in only 1.3% (14/1,104) of participants.

Conclusion : This indicative evaluation suggests that the BBBS program represents excellent 'value for money'.

Application of real and functional analysis to solve boundary value problems

This thesis is about using appropriate tools in functional analysis arid classical analysis to tackle the problem of existence and uniqueness of nonlinear partial differential equations. There being no unified strategy to deal with these equations, one approaches each equation with an appropriate method, depending on the characteristics of the equation. The correct setting of the problem in appropriate function spaces is the first important part on the road to the solution. Here, we choose the setting of Sobolev spaces. The second essential part is to choose the correct tool for each equation. In the first part of this thesis (Chapters 3 and 4) we consider a variety of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations with mixed boundary and initial conditions. The methods of compactness and monotonicity are used to prove existence and uniqueness of the solution (Chapter 3). Finding a priori estimates is the main task in this analysis. For some types of nonlinearity, these estimates cannot be easily obtained, arid so these two methods cannot be applied directly. In this case, we first linearise the equation, using linear recurrence (Chapter 4). In the second part of the thesis (Chapter 5), by using an appropriate tool in functional analysis (the Sobolev Imbedding Theorem), we are able to improve previous results on a posteriori error estimates for the finite element method of lines applied to nonlinear parabolic equations. These estimates are crucial in the design of adaptive algorithms for the method, and previous analysis relies on, what we show to be, unnecessary assumptions which limit the application of the algorithms. Our analysis does not require these assumptions. In the last part of the thesis (Chapter 6), staying with the theme of choosing the most suitable tools, we show that using classical analysis in a proper way is in some cases sufficient to obtain considerable results. We study in this chapter nonexistence of positive solutions to Laplace's equation with nonlinear Neumann boundary condition. This problem arises when one wants to study the blow-up at finite time of the solution of the corresponding parabolic problem, which models the heating of a substance by radiation. We generalise known results which were obtained by using more abstract methods.

Connecting entrepreneurship with innovation value in university knowledge transfer

This paper conceptually links entrepreneurship and innovation through a structured and comprehensive examination of the levels of activities that may be (or should be) found within the modern university. By doing so, we believe a fertile ground for testing insightful new hypothesis will be opened for exploration. The authors explore several literatures and introduce three novel theoretical models to help examine innovation and entrepreneurship within the domain of university knowledge transfer. Predicated upon our generalized conceptual assertion that innovation is a function of new knowledge and entrepreneurial capacity, we pose four research questions: 1) what is innovation and entrepreneurship in the university context, 2) how might it be studied, fostered and evaluated, 3) how do the domains of individually driven entrepreneurship and organizational entrepreneurship interact and converge within the university innovation value creation process and 4) how does entrepreneurship ultimately impact upon innovation with respect to creating value from all areas of research and activities provided by the modern university? It is expected that the models offered will allow for both theoretical and empirical testing of these questions.

Arterial compliance in obese subjects is improved with dietary plant n-3 fatty acid from flaxseed oil despite increased LDL oxidizability

The compliance or elasticity of the arterial system, an important index of circulatory function, diminishes with increasing cardiovascular risk. Conversely, systemic arterial compliance improves through eating of fish and fish oil. We therefore tested the value of high intake of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant precursor of fish fatty acids. Fifteen obese people with markers for insulin resistance ate in turn four diets of 4 weeks each: saturated/high fat (SHF), alpha-linolenic acid/low fat (ALF), oleic/low fat (OLF), and SHF. Daily intake of alpha-linolenic acid was 20 g from margarine products based on flax oil. Systemic arterial compliance was calculated from aortic flow velocity and aortic root driving pressure. Plasma lipids, glucose tolerance, and in vitro LDL oxidizability were also measured. Systemic arterial compliance during the first and last SHF periods was 0.42 +/- 0.12 (mean +/- SD) and 0.56 +/- 0.21 units based on milliliters per millimeter of mercury. It rose significantly to 0.78 +/- 0.28 (P < .0001) with ALF; systemic arterial compliance with OLF was 0.62 +/- 0.19, lower than with ALF (P < .05). Mean arterial pressures and results of oral glucose tolerance tests were similar during ALF, OLF, and second SHF; total cholesterol levels were also not significantly different. However, insulin sensitivity and HDL cholesterol diminished and LDL oxidizability increased with ALF. The marked rise in arterial compliance at least with alpha-linolenic acid reflected rapid functional improvement in the systemic arterial circulation despite a rise in LDL oxidizability. Dietary n-3 fatty acids in flax oil thus confer a novel approach to improving arterial function.

A preliminary analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program – demonstrating the potential value of comprehensive real world data

Background The complexity and cost of treating cancer patients is escalating rapidly and increasingly difficult decisions are being made regarding which interventions provide value for money. BioGrid Australia supports collection and analysis of comprehensive treatment and outcome data across multiple sites. Here we use preliminary data regarding the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) and stage-specific treatment costs for colorectal cancer (CRC) to demonstrate the potential value of real world data for cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA).

Methods Data regarding the impact of NBCSP on stage at diagnosis was combined with stage-specific CRC treatment costs and existing literature. An incremental CEA was undertaken from a government healthcare perspective, comparing NBCSP to no-screening. The 2008 invited population (n=681,915) was modelled in both scenarios. Effectiveness was expressed as CRC-related life years saved (LYS). Costs and benefits were discounted at 3% per annum.

Results Over the lifetime and relative to no-screening, NBCSP was predicted to save 1,265 life-years, prevent 225 CRC cases and cost an additional $48.3 million, equivalent to a cost-effectiveness ratio of $38,217 per LYS. A scenario analysis assuming full participation improved this to $23,395.

Conclusions This preliminary CEA based largely on contemporary real world data suggests population-based FOBT screening for CRC is attractive. Planned ongoing data collection will enable repeated analyses over time, using the same methodology in the same patient populations, permitting an accurate analysis of the impact of new therapies and changing practice. Similar CEA using real world data related to other disease types and interventions appears desirable.

The relationship between emergence of the shortest path and information value using ant-like agents

Ant-like agents forage between two points. These agents' probabilistic movements are based on the use of two pheromones; one marking trails towards the goal and another marking trails back to the starting point. Path selection decisions are influenced by the relative levels of attractive and repulsive pheromone in each agent's local environment. Our work in [5] evaluates three pheromone perception strategies, investigating path formation speed, quality, directionality, robustness and adaptability under different parameter settings(degree of randomness, pheromone evaporation rate and pheromone diffusion rate). We re-evaluate two of these strategies in terms of the amount of information they provide using Shannon's formulation [3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17]. We determine information as the difference between uncertainty before and after path selection decisions. Our focus in this paper is on investigating relationships between the emergence of the shortest path and the amount of stigmergic information that exists in the form of pheromone. Agents are deployed centrally and emergence measures are determined using the worst, reference and best cases observed in [5]. Additionally, the amount of local and global information that is available to agents in each movement step is evaluated. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation coefficients between measures of emergence and the amount of information are calculated. The significance of these correlation coefficients is tested using a 2 tailed test at 1% level of significance. Consequently the relationship between the amount of information and emergent behaviour is established. Significant relationships between information and the emergence of the shortest path exist when strong emergent behaviour is present.

Assessment of fracture risk : value of random population-based samples - the Geelong Osteoporosis Study

Fracture risk is determined by bone mineral density (BMD). The T-score, a measure of fracture risk, is the position of an individual's BMD in relation to a reference range. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of change in the T-score when different sampling techniques were used to produce the reference range. Reference ranges were derived from three samples, drawn from the same region: (1) an age-stratified population-based random sample, (2) unselected volunteers, and (3) a selected healthy subset of the population-based sample with no diseases or drugs known to affect bone. T-scores were calculated using the three reference ranges for a cohort of women who had sustained a fracture and as a group had a low mean BMD (ages 35-72 yr; n = 484). For most comparisons, the T-scores for the fracture cohort were more negative using the population reference range. The difference in T-scores reached 1.0 SD. The proportion of the fracture cohort classified as having osteoporosis at the spine was 26, 14, and 23% when the population, volunteer, and healthy reference ranges were applied, respectively. The use of inappropriate reference ranges results in substantial changes to T-scores and may lead to inappropriate management.

Year 3/4 children's forms of justification

Engaging children in justifying, forming conjectures and generalising is critical to develop their mathematical reasoning. Previous studies have revealed limited opportunities for primary school children to justify their thinking, form conjectures and generalise in mathematics lessons. Forms of justification of Year3/4 children from three schools in Victoria, Australia will be examined. Evidence from children's written explanations and their verbal explanations captured in video recordings revealed that some children employed sophisticated mathamatical ideas in their justifications. The value of making children's reasoning explicit through written explanations and verbal communications is highlighted.

Therapeutic approaches to disease modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis in adults: an Australian and New Zealand perspective: part 3 treatment practicalities and recommendations

In this third and final part of our review of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment we look at the practical day-to-day management issues that are likely to influence individual treatment decisions. Whilst efficacy is clearly of considerable importance, tolerability and the potential for adverse effects often play a significant role in informing individual patient decisions. Here we review the issues surrounding switching between therapies, and the evidence to assist guiding the choice of therapy to change to and when to change. We review the current level of evidence with regards to the management of women in their child-bearing years with regards to recommendations about treatment during pregnancy and whilst breast feeding. We provide a summary of recommended pre- and post-treatment monitoring for the available therapies and review the evidence with regards to the value of testing for antibodies which are known to be neutralising for some therapies. We review the occurrence of adverse events, both the more common and troublesome effects and those that are less common but have potentially much more serious outcomes. Ways of mitigating these risks and managing the more troublesome adverse effects are also reviewed. Finally, we make specific recommendations with regards to the treatment of MS. It is an exciting time in the world of MS neurology and the prospects for further advances in coming years are high.