The future of Victoria's greatest asset : the coast. An independent review of the Coastal Management Act 1995 after ten years of operation

This report is in essence a critique of the Victorian Coastal Management Act 1995 (VCMA), followed by recommendations for improving the Act and its implementation. The author recognises that of course the Coastal Management Act 1995 is far from the sole piece of legislation or element of governance for Victorian coastal planning and management (see Wescott, 1988.1990,1993,1995, Birrell,1994). But the Act is the leading element of Victorian coastal governance and hence an analysis and critique of its operation after ten years, and recommendations for improvements to the Act, should enhance future coastal planning and management.

Optimal trajectory characterization for a pursuer navigation scheme

In this paper we examine the geometry of a number of bearing-only navigation schemes for guiding a pursuer from a fixed initial position to a final target position. We explicitly characterize the optimal trajectories for the given problems in terms of analyzing those trajectories which attempt to minimize the error in an estimate of the target position using successive bearing measurements made along the trajectory.

Hyphenated Australia : putting intercultural identity on the conceptual map

Interculturality and intercultural identity is a local effect of the global movement and mixing of people, and those of intercultural identities constitute the fastest growing sector of the Australian population. In an age of globalisation and diversification, what does identity mean for those situated in-between governing notions of racial/ethnic formations, and how is intercultural identity experienced? For those informed by (at least) two cultures, what does multiculturalism, ethnicity and 'Australianness' mean, and where are these individuals positioned in relation to these structures? These questions have critical implications for the Australian nation. Within Australian discourses, interculturality and intercultural identity, in particular, has historically been excluded, rendered invisible. This dissertation is, therefore, one of facilitating visibility. Using the hyphens as a conceptual tool, I argue that in this age of accelerating globalisation the hyphens both makes visible and is made visible by interculturality. The hyphens is that grey and fluid site of intersection between structures of identity and is characterised by liminality - contestation, uncertainty, fundamentally ambivalence. Experiences of liminality, however, dissolve in any given time, opening up new terrain for creativity. Some of these emerging and creative forms of identity, as instigated by interculturality, are explored. Based on interviews with 20 daughters (and their mothers) from intercultural unions, this dissertation places intercultural identity on the Australian conceptual map and analyses the unique position occupied by those with an intercultural identity in their relationship with governing discursive formations of race/ethnicity, embodiment, nation and culture. In essence, the dissertation is concerned with examining the ways in which discursive identity structures intersect with subjective experience, and with the ways in which those with an intercultural identity negotiate those structures and their social relations. This examination raises the fundamental question: is the modernist notion of the material realities of individual lives reconcilable with the poststructural notion of identity as always located in discourse. This modernist/postmodernist tension permeates the dissertation.

Macroeconomic impact of foreign aid to developing countries

The thesis looks at the macroeconomic impact of foreign aid. It is specially concerned with aid's impact on the public sector of less developed countries < LDCs> . Since the overwhelming majority of aid is directed to the public sector of LDCs, one can only understand the broader macroeconomic impact of aid if one first understands its impact on this sector. To this end, the thesis econometrically estimates " fiscal response" models of aid. These models, in essence, attempt to shed light on public sector fiscal behaviour in the presence of aid inflows, being specially concerned with the way aid is used to finance various categories of expenditures. The underlaying concern is to extent to which aid is " fungible" -that is, whether it finances consumption expenditure and reductions in taxation revenue in LDCs. A number of alternative models are derived from a utility maximisation framework. These alternatives reflect different assumptions regarding the behaviour of LDC public sectors and relate to the endogeniety of aid, whether or not recurrent expenditure is financed from domestic borrowing and the determination of domestic borrowing. The original frameworks of earlier studies are extended in a number of ways, including the use of a public sector utility function which is fully consistent with expected maximising behaviour. Estimates of these models' parameters are obtained using both time-series and cross-section data, dating from the 1960s, for Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Both structural and reduced-form equations are estimated. Results suggest that foreign aid ined as all foreign inflows to the official sector> is indeed fungible, albeit at different levels. Moreover, the overall impact of aid on public sector investment, consumption, domestic borrowing and taxation varies between countries. Generally speaking, aid leads to increases in investment and consumption expenditure, but reduces taxation and domestic borrowing. Comparative analysis does, however, show that these results are highly sensitive to alternative behavioural assumptions and, therefore, model specification.

The risky business of doctoral management

Universities are under no less pressure to adopt risk management strategies than other public and private organisations. The risk management of doctoral education is a particularly important issue given that a doctorate is the highest academic qualification a university offers and stakes are high in terms of assuring its quality. However, intense risk management can interfere with the intellectual and pedagogical work which are essentially part of doctoral education. This paper seeks to understand how the culture of risk meets the culture of doctoral education and with what effect. The authors draw on sociological understandings of risk in the work of Anthony Giddens (2002) and Ulrich Beck (1992), the anthropological focus on liminality in the work of Mary Douglas (1990), and the psychological theorising of human error in the work of James Reason (1990). The paper concludes that risk consciousness brings its own risks—in particular, the potential transformation of a culture based on intellect into a culture based on compliance.

A principal components analysis of New Zealand Board compostion : factors that influence an export strategy

Principal Topic Internationalisation strategies are important for company expansion because New Zealand, with its four million people, has such a small market. There may or may not exist ”agency costs” in the use of Outside Directors. Ownership patterns may also influence Internationalisation.

Methodology/Key Propositions This study uses Principal Component Analysis both in a grounded theory approach and in a confirmatory approach.

Results and Implications We find evidence that in New Zealand, contrary to some previous research elsewhere, outside Directors actually have less influence on Internationalisation than Inside Directors. Private ownership also seems to have a greater association with Internationalisation than other ownership types. A highly reliable sample of 1989 New Zealand company directors showed that such factors as gender, age and location and even industry sector were irrelevant. Two factors were important in explaining whether a company goes off-shore. These are the size and magnitude of the company as well as the ownership type and role of the CEO. In essence, this study validates New Zealand’s present strategy of ”picking winners”, that is, selecting firms based upon factor components. This study adds strength to that strategy because it identifies the concrete components that should be taken into account when picking companies for special treatment, e.g. export promotion.

Against settlement? Owen Fiss, ADR and Australian discrimination law

In his celebrated article, Against Settlement, Owen Fiss objected to settlement for, among other things, securing the peace while not necessarily delivering justice and denying the court the opportunity to interpret the law. Fiss sees settlement as a technique for streamlining court dockets, the civil equivalent of plea bargaining. This paper explores Fiss’s criticisms through the lens of resolving discrimination complaints in Australia. It argues that although it is valuable to offer complainants a system for resolving complaints quickly and informally, especially in a jurisdiction in which complainants are often from marginalised groups, it is also necessary to recognise that this system is limited in how effectively it can develop the law and, by extension, eradicate discrimination. In essence, the system’s operation epitomises Fiss’ opposition to settlement. Modifying the complaint resolution system would improve this situation. The paper concludes by proposing three reforms based on mechanisms used in comparable countries: introducing direct access to the court or tribunal; strengthening ADR by making it voluntary and incorporating a ‘rights-based’ approach; and encouraging the regular publication of specific information about settlements and significant cases.

Comparing methods for prescribing exercise for individuals with chronic heart failure

This study examined the accuracy of current recommended guidelines for prescribing exercise intensity using the methods of percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR), percentage of VO₂ peak (%VO₂peak) and percentage of VO₂ reserve (%VO₂R) in a clinical population of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. The precision of prescription of exercise intensity for 45 patients with stable CHF (39:6 M:F, 65±9 yrs (mean±SD)) was investigated. VO₂peak testing is relatively common among patients with cardiac disease, but the assessment of VO₂rest is not common practice and the accepted standard value of 3.5 mL/kg/min is assumed in the application of %VO2R (%VO₂R_3.5). In this study, VO₂rest was recorded for 3 min prior to the start of a symptom-limited exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Target exercise intensities were calculated using the VO₂ corresponding to 50 or 80 %HRR, VO₂peak and VO₂R. The VO₂ values were then converted into prescribed speeds on a treadmill in km/hr at 1 %grade using ACSM’s metabolic equation for walking. Target intensities and prescribed treadmill speeds were also calculated with the %VO₂R method using the mean VO₂rest value of participants (3.9 mL/kg/min) (%VO₂R_3.9). This was then compared to the exercise intensities and prescribed treadmill speeds using patient’s measured VO₂rest. Error in prescription correlates the difference between %VO₂R_3.5 and %VO₂R_3.9 compared to %VO₂R with measured VO₂rest. Prescription of exercise intensity through the %HRR method is imprecise for patients on medications that blunt the HR response to exercise. %VO₂R method offers a significant improvement in exercise prescription compared to %VO₂peak. However, a disparity of 10 % still exists in the %VO₂R method using the standard 3.5 mL/kg/min for VO₂rest in the %VO₂R equation. The mean measured VO₂rest in the 45 CHF patients was 11 % higher (3.9±0.8 mL/kg/min) than the standard value provided by ACSM. Applying the mean measured VO₂rest value of 3.9 mL/kg/min rather than the standard assumed value of 3.5 mL/kg/min proved to be closer to the prescribed intensity determined by the actual measured resting VO₂. These results suggest that the %HRR method should not be used to prescribe exercise intensity for CHF patients. Instead, VO₂ should be used to prescribe exercise intensity and be expressed as %VO₂R with measured variables (VO₂rest and VO₂peak).

Measuring colour and photostability of small fleece wool samples

A convenient method for measuring the clean colour (Y and Y-Z) and photostability Δ(Y-Z) of small samples of fleece wool (0.5 g) is described. Scoured wool samples are compressed to a constant density in disposable polymethyl methacrylate spectrophotometer cells and the wool colour is measured using a standard textile laboratory reflectance spectrophotometer. Packing scoured wool into cells ensures that the irradiated fibre surface is robust and individual fibres are unable to move relative to one another during irradiation and measurement. A UVB (280–320 nm) source was used to ensure all samples regardless of initial yellowness were yellowed following exposure and photobleaching was avoided. An apparatus capable of irradiating up to 48 scoured wool samples in one batch is described. The precision of photostability measurements was assessed and the relative error in Δ(Y-Z) was 5.7%. An initial study on 75 fleece wool samples with a high range of initial yellowness showed a moderate linear correlation (R² = 0.68) between initial yellowness and Δ(Y-Z).

Echo hiding based stereo audio watermarking against pitch-scaling attacks

In audio watermarking, the robustness against pitch-scaling attack, is one of the most challenging problems. In this paper, we propose an algorithm, based on traditional time-spread(TS) echo hiding based audio watermarking to solve this problem. In TS echo hiding based watermarking, pitch-scaling attack shifts the location of pseudonoise (PN) sequence which appears in the cepstrum domain. Thus, position of the peak, which occurs after correlating with PN-sequence changes by an un-known amount and that causes the error. In the proposed scheme, we replace PN-sequence with unit-sample sequence and modify the decoding algorithm in such a way it will not depend on a particular point in cepstrum domain for extraction of watermark. Moreover proposed algorithm is applied to stereo audio signals to further improve the robustness. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm against pitch-scaling attacks compared to existing methods. In addition to that proposed algorithm also gives better robustness against other conventional signal processing attacks.

Improved image recovery from compressed data contaminated with impulsive noise

Compressed sensing (CS) is a new information sampling theory for acquiring sparse or compressible data with much fewer measurements than those otherwise required by the Nyquist/Shannon counterpart. This is particularly important for some imaging applications such as magnetic resonance imaging or in astronomy. However, in the existing CS formulation, the use of the â„“ 2 norm on the residuals is not particularly efficient when the noise is impulsive. This could lead to an increase in the upper bound of the recovery error. To address this problem, we consider a robust formulation for CS to suppress outliers in the residuals. We propose an iterative algorithm for solving the robust CS problem that exploits the power of existing CS solvers. We also show that the upper bound on the recovery error in the case of non-Gaussian noise is reduced and then demonstrate the efficacy of the method through numerical studies.

Paintings 2002

This exhibition followed an artist in residency at Marsden College, Wellington. During this residency, she engaged in a project of creating paintings from memories and imagination rather than plein-air or other reference material. The paintings and drawings became layered images from different sources culminating in essence images about her identity and experience with the Place that is Wellington.

Tim O'Reilly and web 2.0 : the economics of memetic liberty and control

This article presents an account of the role of Tim O'Reilly, both as an individual and as a corporate entity (O'Reilly Group), in the creation, spread and use of the concept of Web 2.0. It demonstrates that, whatever Web 2.0's current uses to describe variously the technologies, politics, commerce or social meaning of the Internet, it originates as a deliberately open signifier of novel and potential internet development in the mid-2000s. The article argues that O'Reilly has promoted the diversity of the term's meanings and uses - celebrating textual liberties - but has also emphasised the special role that O'Reilly plays in providing the authoritative definition of that term. In essence, O'Reilly profits from this 'control' of the idea of Web 2.0 but that, to enjoy that control O'Reilly must also allow differences in meaning. The article concludes by suggesting that Web 2.0 therefore signifies a new kind of economics that brings together freedom and control in a new way.

Recommendations for improved data processing from expired gas analysis indirect calorimetry

There is currently no universally recommended and accepted method of data processing within the science of indirect calorimetry for either mixing chamber or breath-by-breath systems of expired gas analysis. Exercise physiologists were first surveyed to determine methods used to process oxygen consumption ([OV0312]O 2) data, and current attitudes to data processing within the science of indirect calorimetry. Breath-by-breath datasets obtained from indirect calorimetry during incremental exercise were then used to demonstrate the consequences of commonly used time, breath and digital filter post-acquisition data processing strategies. Assessment of the variability in breath-by-breath data was determined using multiple regression based on the independent variables ventilation (VE), and the expired gas fractions for oxygen and carbon dioxide, FEO 2 and FECO2, respectively. Based on the results of explanation of variance of the breath-by-breath [OV0312]O2 data, methods of processing to remove variability were proposed for time-averaged, breath-averaged and digital filter applications. Among exercise physiologists, the strategy used to remove the variability in sequential [OV0312]O2 measurements varied widely, and consisted of time averages (30 sec [38%], 60 sec [18%], 20 sec [11%], 15 sec [8%]), a moving average of five to 11 breaths (10%), and the middle five of seven breaths (7%). Most respondents indicated that they used multiple criteria to establish maximum [OV0312]O 2 ([OV0312]O2max) including: the attainment of age-predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax) [53%], respiratory exchange ratio (RER) >1.10 (49%) or RER >1.15 (27%) and a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of >17, 18 or 19 (20%). The reasons stated for these strategies included their own beliefs (32%), what they were taught (26%), what they read in research articles (22%), tradition (13%) and the influence of their colleagues (7%). The combination of VE, FEO 2 and FECO2 removed 96-98% of [OV0312]O2 breath-by-breath variability in incremental and steady-state exercise [OV0312]O2 data sets, respectively. Correction of residual error in [OV0312]O2 datasets to 10% of the raw variability results from application of a 30-second time average, 15-breath running average, or a 0.04 Hz low cut-off digital filter. Thus, we recommend that once these data processing strategies are used, the peak or maximal value becomes the highest processed datapoint. Exercise physiologists need to agree on, and continually refine through empirical research, a consistent process for analysing data from indirect calorimetry.

Prediction interval-based modelling of polymerization reactor: a new modelling strategy for chemical reactors

Precise and reliable modelling of polymerization reactor is challenging due to its complex reaction mechanism and non-linear nature. Researchers often make several assumptions when deriving theories and developing models for polymerization reactor. Therefore, traditional available models suffer from high prediction error. In contrast, data-driven modelling techniques provide a powerful framework to describe the dynamic behaviour of polymerization reactor. However, the traditional NN prediction performance is significantly dropped in the presence of polymerization process disturbances. Besides, uncertainty effects caused by disturbances present in reactor operation can be properly quantified through construction of prediction intervals (PIs) for model outputs. In this study, we propose and apply a PI-based neural network (PI-NN) model for the free radical polymerization system. This strategy avoids assumptions made in traditional modelling techniques for polymerization reactor system. Lower upper bound estimation (LUBE) method is used to develop PI-NN model for uncertainty quantification. To further improve the quality of model, a new method is proposed for aggregation of upper and lower bounds of PIs obtained from individual PI-NN models. Simulation results reveal that combined PI-NN performance is superior to those individual PI-NN models in terms of PI quality. Besides, constructed PIs are able to properly quantify effects of uncertainties in reactor operation, where these can be later used as part of the control process. © 2014 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers.