Käsityksistä ajatuksen poluille : Ammattikorkeakoulun tutkimus- ja kehitystoiminnan kehittäminen

This study deals with the formation of the idea of research and development (r&d) activity at one particular university of applied sciences in Finland. In this study I proceed from examining the conceptions of management regarding r&d-activities to exploring the development of the complex concept that guides these r&d-activities. The aim of this study is, first, to describe conceptions of r&d-activities, and then, second, to describe the formation of a new concept for r&d-activities in one field of study at the university of applied sciences. I used phenomenographic analysis to elucidate the conceptions and collected the data in interviews of personnel (22) who belong to the management of the university of applied sciences. The data for analysing the obstacles faced and the ways of overcoming them during the formation process of the new concept consist of the video-recorded material from ten change laboratory sessions held for the specific field of study at the university of applied sciences. In researching the formation of the concept of the activity, such research and analysis methods are used in which the concept is understood as a material construction, and with the help of which one can work out the formation of the concept during the development process. When the systematic development of the r&d-work was underway, the management of the university of applied sciences held differing views regarding the content, target, factors and organisation of the r&d-activities, as well as regarding the position of dissertations as a part of r&d-activity. Obstacles for developing rd concerned the unclear object and outcomes of the new activity, not having the tools (such as adequate know-how) for the new activity and not having found the necessary solutions for the distribution of work. In addition the rules that quide the activities of the university of applied sciences did not support working according to the new way. To improve r&d-activity, the school’s management defined three development strategies to encourage adequate rd-activity to support working life, regional development and learning. The strategies were based on the expansion of existing methods, such as service activities, dissertation work and the research activities of the teachers. Of the three possible routes, the concept of dissertation in this study was expanded to integrate the services of organisation development and the occupational growth of the students. A group of teachers in the field of social and health studies participated in the development work. The change laboratory method was used as a tool for this work. Analysis of the cognitive trails indicated that, in addition to the cycle of expansive learning activities, microcycles with different purposes can exist. According to Cussins (1992), something already in existence in each microcycle is destabilised, and something else is stabilised to replace it. In this study three microcycles were identified, during which the teachers first destabilised the existing concepts of dissertation work that guided their thinking, and then began to use new concepts to structure their thinking. Secondly, they undermined the existing concepts with material structure that defined their practical work, and developed new practical models to replace them. Thirdly, the problems accumulating in researching and testing the new activities caused the developers to destabilise the r&d-strategies of the university of applied sciences and to define a new conceptual model for r&d-work in the field. During this third cycle, the teachers developed a research arena model, which was a significant expansive innovation. In the cognitive trails developing the new concept for the r&d-activity, the teachers indeed faced the obstacles the management had described as their conceptions. These obstacles manifested themselves as contradictions. During the development process, the nature of the obstacles (i.e. contradictions) changed as the development proceeded. Solving the first and second degree contradictions highlighted the third and fourth degree contradictions. To overcome the obstacles, the teachers had to to articulate the value and motive of the development work throughout the development process. Developing the new concept for r&d-activity required many reconfigurations of practical solutions to overcome the obstacles. Developing the new concept for r&d-activity, both at the level of representations and of new practices, requires universities of applied sciences to adopt new methods in which the actors are partake in construction of new concepts of activity through adequate discussion, analysis and debate. R&d -activity can progress, if instead of implementing partial solutions, the totality of the activities (i.e. the group of partial solutions acting together) will be constructed. The development of the activity system requires many simultaneous changes as well as wide-ranging know-how and discussion related to these changes. What is perhaps most important, however, is that the group of developers mature into a determined collective actor which can engage in many agentive actions. The development of the agency is fundamental to progress.

Effect of micro-propagation on the health status of strawberry planting material for commercial production of strawberry runners for Queensland

Plant tissue culture has been used for a number of years to produce micropropagated strawberry plants for planting into runner growing beds in the Stanthorpe (Queensland) and Bothwell (Tasmania) regions. This process has allowed the rapid release of new cultivars from the LAWS (Late Autumn, Winter, Spring) breeding program into the current runner production system. Micro-propagation in vitro allows plants to be produced during the autumn and winter months, when mother plants would normally be in a fruit production phase in the field in Queensland. The plants produced are of a high health status when they are planted. The subsequent arrival and build up of various diseases in the runner fields are closely monitored. Using tissue culture for the first generation reduces the time the plants spend in the field by twelve months, reducing disease incidence. To date, any disease outbreak has been successfully managed using early detection and rapid response methods.

Hidden trails: Visualizing arthropod silk

Arthropods are known to use silk for a number of different purposes including web construction, shelter building, leaf tying, construction of pupal cocoons, and as a safety line when dislodged from a substrate (Alexander, 1961; Fitzgerald, 1983; Common, 1990). Across the arthropods, silk displays a diversity of material properties and chemical constituents and is produced from glands with different evolutionary origins (Craig, 1997). Among insects, larval Lepidoptera are prolific producers of silk. Because many lepidopteran larvae are pests, an ability to interfere with silk production or, at the very least, an understanding of how silk is used, could provide new options for pest control. After testing many known fluorescent dyes, we found that Fluorescent Brightener 28 (also known as Calcofluor White M2R) (Sigma-Aldrich Pty Ltd, Sydney, NSW, Australia), an optical brightener used in the textile industry, binds to arthropod silk in a simple staining reaction, causing it to fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light. Such brighteners have also been used in insect gut content analysis (Schlein & Muller, 1995; Hugo et al., 2003). Here we describe the method of visualizing arthropod silk on plant surfaces, using as a model the thin, barely visible, single strands of silk produced by Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) neonates.

Testing insecticides against Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using a tomato plant bioassay

A bioassay technique was developed to test the efficacy of insecticides against potato moth (Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller)) on tomatoes. The technique tested efficacy against both larvae in mines and neonate larvae that had not yet penetrated the leaf, and explained the failure of some insecticides to control P. operculella infestations in commercial tomato crops. Neonate larvae placed on leaves of potted plants several days before treatment provided larvae for testing of insecticides against larvae in mines; other neonates were placed on leaves after treatment to test efficacy against larvae yet to penetrate the leaf. The plants were sprayed with the candidate insecticides, held for 5-7 days, and larval mortality assessed. Chlorfenapyr (100, 200 g a.i. ha-1) and abamectin (8.1 g a.i. ha-1) were effective against neonate larvae and larvae in mines. Sulprofos (720 g a.i. ha -1), methomyl (450 g a.i. ha-1) and spinosad (96 g a.i. ha-1) were effective against neonate larvae but not against larvae in mines. Methamidophos (1102 g a.i. ha-1), endosulfan (700 g a.i. ha-1) and Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (1000 g ha-1) had some effect against exposed larvae but little against larvae in mines. Thiodicarb (525 g a.i. ha-1), azinphos-ethyl (440 g a.i. ha -1), imidacloprid (59.5 g a.i. ha-1), hexaflumuron (50 g a.i. ha-1), methoxyfenozide (300 g a.i. ha-1) and tebufenozide (200 g a.i. ha-1) were ineffective. A field trial using chlorfenapyr (25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g a.i. ha-1) and methamidophos (1102 g a.i. ha-1) validated the bioassay technique, with chlorfenapyr effective in reducing the numbers of larvae in mines in leaves.

Testing the simulation capability of APSIM-ORYZA under different levels of nitrogen fertiliser and transplanting time regimes in Korea

APSIM-ORYZA is a new functionality developed in the APSIM framework to simulate rice production while addressing management issues such as fertilisation and transplanting, which are particularly important in Korean agriculture. To validate the model for Korean rice varieties and field conditions, the measured yields and flowering times from three field experiments conducted by the Gyeonggi Agricultural Research and Extension Services (GARES) in Korea were compared against the simulated outputs for different management practices and rice varieties. Simulated yields of early-, mid- and mid-to-late-maturing varieties of rice grown in a continuous rice cropping system from 1997 to 2004 showed close agreement with the measured data. Similar results were also found for yields simulated under seven levels of nitrogen application. When different transplanting times were modelled, simulated flowering times ranged from within 3 days of the measured values for the early-maturing varieties, to up to 9 days after the measured dates for the mid- and especially mid-to-late-maturing varieties. This was associated with highly variable simulated yields which correlated poorly with the measured data. This suggests the need to accurately calibrate the photoperiod sensitivity parameters of the model for the photoperiod-sensitive rice varieties in Korea.

Development and testing of an evaluation procedure for commercial manure additive products.

Manure additive products can be used to reduce odour emissions (OE) from livestock farms. The standardised evaluation of these manure additive products under specific farm conditions is important. In this study, the efficacy of a manure additive (WonderTreat(TM), CKLS, Inc., Hong-Kong) was assessed under Australian conditions utilising a combination of laboratory and field-scale evaluation techniques. As a first step, the efficacy of the manure additive was assessed in a laboratory-scale trial using a series of uniformly managed digesters and standard odour, liquor ammonia and hydrogen sulphide concentration measurement procedures. This showed that the addition of WonderTreat(TM) at the 'low dose rate' (LDR) (102.6 g m-2) used during the trial significantly, but only marginally (30%; P = 0.02) reduced the OE rate (mean 13.9 OU m-2 s-1) of anaerobic pig liquor relative to an untreated control (UC) (19.9 OU m-2 s-1). However, the 'high dose rate' (HDR) (205.3 g m-2) also assessed during the trial preformed similarly (19.7 OU m-2 s-1) to the UC. No statistically significant difference in the concentrations of a range of measured water quality variables at the 5% level was observed between the treatments or controls digesters. As a second step, a field-scale assessment of the manure additive was undertaken at a commercial piggery. Two piggery manure lagoons (each with approximately 2500 m2 surface area) were included in the study; one was treated with WonderTreat(TM) while the other was used as control. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed using olfactometric evaluation of odour samples collected from the surface of the pond using a dynamic wind tunnel and ancillary equipment. No statistically significant reduction in OE rate could be demonstrated (P = 0.35), partially due to the limited number of samples taken during the assessment. However, there was a numerical reduction in the average OE rate of the treatment pond (29 OU m-2 s-1 at 1 m s-1) compared to the control lagoon (38 OU m-2 s-1 at 1 m s-1).

Micropropagation of vegetatively propagated crops: accelerating release of new cultivars and providing an important source of clean planting material

Micropropagation is unequalled for the rapid clonal propagation of improved cultivars from several Australian breeding programmes. This has been particularly true of the pineapple breeding programme, but it has also found an important role in the strawberry breeding programme where high-health mother stock is of paramount concern. In the banana and ginger industries, while access to new cultivars has been of importance, micropropagation has been adopted by the industry to ensure that planting materials are free from serious pests and diseases. Bananas can be used as planting material as early as the first generation ex vitro and is responsible for the establishment of laboratories and nurseries specializing in the production of pathogen-tested plants. The ginger industry, on the other hand, has used micropropagated plants as a source of disease and pest-free stock to establish a clean 'seed' scheme based on the production of conventional planting material.

New approach to improved detection and tracking performance in track-while-scan radars. Part 3: Performance prediction, optimisation and testing

The paper presents, in three parts, a new approach to improve the detection and tracking performance of a track-while-scan radar. Part 1 presents a review of the current status of the subject. Part 2 details the new approach. It shows how a priori information provided by the tracker can be used to improve detection. It also presents a new multitarget tracking algorithm. In the present Part, analytical derivations are presented for assessing, a priori, the performance of the TWS radar system. True track initiation, false track initiation, true track continuation and false track deletion characteristics have been studied. It indicates how the various thresholds can be chosen by the designer to optimise performance. Simulation results are also presented.

Controlled exposure as a management tool for Glasser's disease.

In this study, nasal swabs taken from multiparous sows at weaning time or from sick pigs displaying symptoms of Glasser's disease from farms in Australia [date not given] were cultured and analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Within each genotype detected on a farm, representative isolates were serotyped by gel diffusion (GD) testing or indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test. Isolates which did not react in any of the tests were regarded as non-typable and were termed serovar NT. Serovars 1, 5, 12, 13 and 14 were classified as highly pathogenic; serovars 2, 4 and 15 being moderately pathogenic; serovar 8 being slightly pathogenic and serovars 3, 6, 7, 9 and 11 being non-pathogenic. Sows were inoculated with the strain of Haemophilus parasuis (serovars 4, 6 and 9 from Farms 1, 2 and 4, respectively) used for controlled challenge 3 and 5 weeks before farrowing. Before farrowing the sows were divided into control and treatment groups. Five to seven days after birth, the piglets of the treatment group were challenged with a strain from the farm which had were used to vaccinate the sows. The effectiveness of the controlled exposure was evaluated by number of piglets displaying clinical signs possibly related to infection, number of antibiotic treatments and pig mortality. Nasal swabs of sick pigs were taken twice a week to find a correlation to infection. A subsample of pigs was weighed after leaving the weaning sheds. The specificity of a realtime PCR amplifying the infB gene was evaluated with 68 H. parasuis isolates and 36 strains of closely related species. 239 samples of DNA from tissues and fluids of 16 experimentally challenged animals were also tested with the realtime PCR, and the results compared with culture and a conventional PCR. The farm experiments showed that none of the controlled challenge pigs showed any signs of illness due to Glasser's disease, although the treatment groups required more antibiotics than the controls. A total of 556 H. parasuis isolates were genotyped, while 150 isolates were serotyped. H. parasuis was detected on 19 of 20 farms, including 2 farms with an extensive history of freedom from Glasser's disease. Isolates belonging to serovars regarded as potentially pathogenic were obtained from healthy pigs at weaning on 8 of the 10 farms with a history of Glasser's disease outbreaks. Sampling 213 sick pigs yielded 115 isolates, 99 of which belonged to serovars that were either potentially pathogenic or of unknown pathogenicity. Only 16 isolates from these sick pigs were of a serovar known to be non-pathogenic. Healthy pigs also had H. parasuis, even on farms free of Glasser's disease. The realtime PCR gave positive results for all 68 H. parasuis isolates and negative results for all 36 non-target bacteria. When used on the clinical material from experimental infections, the realtime PCR produced significantly more positive results than the conventional PCR (165 compared to 86).

Best use modelling for sustainable Australia sports field surfaces

The Best Use Modelling for Sustainable Australian Sports Field Surfaces project has achieved significant success. The project has attracted participation from councils throughout Australia, with in excess of 300 sports fields evaluated from 18 councils to date. An important project component is the derivation of a recommended standard procedure for specifying the performance of playing surfaces. An associated step has been to establish recommended playing surface performance standards for community level sports fields. The derived modelling also provides information on the expected usage and associated costs of different sports surface development options. This is expected to assist the Australian turf production industry through demonstrating to councils that cost effective natural turf options exist that can meet higher usage expectation (as a viable alternative to synthetic turf). A web-accessed data base system will be made available to councils from January 2010 on (reference to www.passturf.com). This system will enable participating councils to record and analyse field performance over time. The system is considered world-leading, and will help keep the Australian parks industry to the international forefront. Tools developed as part of the project offer councils the opportunity to internally assess the performance of their current sports field provision, to identify any deficiencies and to determine the best corrective measure if any deficiency is identified. This is expected to offer community benefits to both sports facility providers and facility user groups. In turn this will aid the provision of affordable community access to safe and good quality playing surfaces. Tools and associated information material will be made available to councils throughout Australia by the end of this year, via the Parks and Leisure Aust. web site. The Best Use Modelling Project is work in progress. On-going input will be needed to ensure the web-accessed database software is as user friendly as possible, new performance testing data will need to be inputted, and tools provided to participating councils updated. Through the support of HAL there is now a well-structured, nationally-supported system in place for benchmarking playing surfaces and for assisting councils to optimise their resource allocation to sports field upgrade or maintenance work.

Chemical phytotoxicity testing facility for warm-season turfgrasses

The registration of new agricultural chemicals (particularly herbicides) for turf use requires supporting data on their possible phytotoxic effects across a representative range of turfgrass species and cultivars. This process has been streamlined by the establishment of dedicated phytotoxicity testing site. This facility has enabled phytotoxicity screening of new chemicals to be conducted more quickly, thoroughly and economically than the previous piecemeal ad hoc approach. During the three years of this project, 39 products were screened on the site.

Random Breath Testing Operation and Effectiveness in 1987

• In December 1986 funds were approved to double the intensity of random breath testing (RBT) and provide publicity support for police efforts. These changes were considered necessary to make RBT effective. • RBT methods were changed in the metropolitan area to enable block testing (pulling over a block of traffic rather than one or two cars), deployment of police to cut off escape routes, and testing by traffic patrols in all police subdivisions. Additional operators were trained for country RBT. • A publicity campaign was developed, aimed mainly at male drivers aged 18-50. The campaign consisted of the “cardsharp” television commercials, radio commercials, newspaper articles, posters and pamphlets. • Increased testing and the publicity campaigns were launched on 10 April 1987. • Police tests increased by 92.5% in May – December 1987, compared with the same period in the previous four years. • The detection rate for drinking drivers picked up by police who were cutting off escape routes was comparatively high, indicating that drivers were attempting to avoid RBT, and that this police method was effective at detecting these drivers. • A telephone survey indicated that drivers were aware of the messages of the publicity campaign. • The telephone survey also indicated that the target group had been exposed to high levels of RBT, as planned, and that fear of apprehension was the major factor deterring them from drink driving. • A roadside survey of driver blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) by the University of Adelaide’s Road Accident Research Unit (RARU) showed that, between 10p.m. and 3a.m., the proportion of drivers in Adelaide with a BAC greater than or equal to 0/08 decreased by 42%. • Drivers under 21 were identified as a possible problem area. • Fatalities in the twelve month period commencing May 1987 decreased by 18% in comparison with the previous twelve month period, and by 13% in comparison with the average of the previous two twelve month periods (commencing May 1985 and May 1986). There are indications that this trend is continuing. • It is concluded that the increase in RBT, plus publicity, was successful in achieving its aims of reductions in drink driving and accidents.

Random Breath Testing Operation and Effectiveness in 1985

Random breath testing (RBT) was introduced in South Australia in 1981 with the intention of reducing the incidence of accidents involving alcohol. In April 1985, a Select Committee of the Upper House which had been established to “review the operation of random breath testing in this State and any other associated matters and report accordingly” presented its report. After consideration of this report, the Government introduced extensive amendments to those sections of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) and Road Traffic Act (RTA) which deal with RBT and drink driving penalties. The amended section 47da of the RTA requires that: “(5) The Minister shall cause a report to be prepared within three months after the end of each calendar year on the operation and effectiveness of this section and related sections during that calendar year. (6) The Minister shall, within 12 sitting days after receipt of a report under subsection (5), cause copies of the report to be laid before each House of Parliament.” This is the first such report. Whilst it deals with RBT over a full year, the changed procedures and improved flexibility allowed by the revision to the RTA were only introduced late in 1985 and then only to the extent that the existing resources would allow.

Cynodon transvaalensis x Cynodon dactylon, Hybrid Green Couch Grass, Hybrid Bermuda Grass 'TL2'

Spontaneous mutation: In 1996, vegetative material (later designated ‘TL2’) taken from a disease resistant mutant plant on the fifteenth green at Novotel Palm Cove resort course near Cairns was included an on-going program of selection and testing of promising ‘Tifgreen’ mutants by Tropical Lawns Pty Ltd. Selection criteria: healthy vigorous growth during the tropical wet season, dense fine-textured appearance under close mowing, and dark green leaves. In subsequent trials, ‘TL2’ was identified as the outstanding plant among selections of mutant ‘Tifgreen’ genotypes from other north Queensland sites in terms of colour, texture and density for greens use. Propagation: vegetative. Breeder: Terry Anderlini, Gordonvale, QLD. PBR Certificate Number 2639, Application Number 2002/268, granted 24 February 2005.

Penetration Rate Effect on Miniature Cone Tip Resistance for Different Cohesionless Materials

Cone penetrometer tests were carried out in a 140 mm diameter triaxial chamber by using a miniature cone of diameter 19.5 mm. The rate of cone penetration was varied from 0.01 mm/s to 0.1 mm/s. Tests were performed in (i) clean sand, (ii) silty sand, and (iii) sand added with fly ash. Two different effective vertical pressures (sigma(nu)), 100 kPa and 300 kPa, were employed. It was noted that for clean and silty sand, the effect of penetration rate on the ultimate tip resistance (q(cu)) of the cone was found to remain only marginal. On the other hand, for sand added with 30% fly ash, the variation in q(cu) values with penetration rate was found to become quite significant. The effect of penetratio rate on q(cu) in all the cases was found to increase with a decrease in the rate of cone penetration. It was noted that with an increase in sigma(nu), the effect of penetration rate on q(cu) was found to become smaller. The effect of the cone penetration rate on q(cu) generally reduces with an increase in the relative density of the material.