Overcoming the challenges of building heritage projects: Improvements to time, scope and cost performance

This research was undertaken to encompass and identify challenges and impact factors that affect the successful outcomes of heritage building projects, especially those related to finding major causes of delays and cost overruns across projects in all Australian states. This project determined and analysed the causes of such delays and programme issues emanating from the planning and execution phases, whilst also analysing the requirements for management of multiple stakeholder relationships and the influence of unforeseen technical factors. The research proposes "call for action" guidance and was validated by experienced experts in heritage building projects in Australia. The proposed guidance is designed to ensure that realistic cost targets and delivery timeframes are set in future heritage projects, and necessary interventions made at appropriate project stages to ensure decisions are made that will help to prevent overtime and cost overuns.

Nitrogen use for high productivity and sustainability in cashew.

Interest in cashew production in Australia has been stimulated by domestic and export market opportunities and suitability of large areas of tropical Australia. Economic models indicate that cashew production is profitable at 2.8 t ha-1 nut-in-shell (NIS). Balanced plant nutrition is essential to achieve economic yields in Australia, with nitrogen (N) of particular importance because of its capacity to modify growth, affect nut yield and cause environmental degradation through soil acidification and off-site contamination. The study on a commercial cashew plantation at Dimbulah, Australia, investigated the effect of N rate and timing on cashew growth, nut production, N leaching and soil chemical properties over five growth cycles (1995-1999). Nitrogen was applied during the main periods of vegetative (December-April) and reproductive (June-October) growth. Commercial NIS yields (up to 4.4 t ha-1 from individual trees) that exceeded the economic threshold of 2.8 t ha-1 were achieved. The yield response was mainly determined by canopy size as mean nut weight, panicle density and nuts per panicle were largely unaffected by N treatments. Nitrogen application confined to the main period of vegetative growth (December-April) produced a seasonal growth pattern that corresponded most consistently with highest NIS yield. This N timing also reduced late season flowering and undesirable post-November nut drop. Higher yields were not produced at N rates greater than 17 g m-2 of canopy surface area (equating to 210 kg N ha-1 for mature size trees). High yields were attained when N concentrations in Mveg leaves in May-June were about 2%, but this assessment occurs at a time when it is not feasible to correct N deficiency. The Mflor leaf of the preceding November, used in conjunction with the Mveg leaf, was proposed as a diagnostic tool to guide N rate decisions. Leaching of nitrate-N and acidification of the soil profile was recorded to 0.9 m. This is an environmental and sustainability hazard, and demonstrates that improved methods of N management are required.

Real-time wide-area loading margin sensitivity (WALMS) in power systems

Loading margin sensitivity (LMS) has been widely used in applications in the realm of voltage stability assessment and control. Typically, LMS is derived based on system equilibrium equations near bifurcation and therefore requires full detailed system model and significant computation effort. Availability of phasor measurement units (PMUs) due to the recent development of wide-area monitoring system (WAMS) provides an alternative computation-friendly approach for calculating LMS. With such motivation, this work proposes measurement-based wide-area loading margin sensitivity (WALMS) in bulk power systems. The proposed sensitivity, with its simplicity, has great potential to be embedded in real-time applications. Moreover, the calculation of the WALMS is not limited to low voltage near bifurcation point. A case study on IEEE 39-bus system verifies the proposed sensitivity. Finally, a voltage control scenario demonstrates the potential application of the WALMS.

The use of heat-sums to predict harvest dates following potassium chlorate (KClO3) application in longan.

The ability to initiate and manipulate flowering with KClO3 allows flowering of longan, to be triggered outside of the normal flowering season (July-September) in Australia. Fruit maturity following normal flowering will occur approximately six-eight months (180-220 days) from flowering, depending on variety. Out of season flowering will result in differing times to maturity due to different temperature regimes during the maturity period. Knowing how long fruit will take to mature from different KClO3 application dates is potentially a valuable tool for growers to use as it would allow them to time their applications with market opportunities, e.g. Chinese New Year, periods of low volumes or periods of high prices. A simple heat-sum calculation was shown to reliably quantify fruit maturity periods, 2902 and 3432 growing degree days for Kohala and Biew Kiew respectively. Growers can use heat-sum as a predictive tool to allow for efficient planning of harvesting, packaging and freight requirements.

Specific detection of the Old World screwworm fly, Chrysomya bezziana, in bulk fly trap catches using real-time PCR.

The Old World screwworm fly (OWS), Chrysomya bezziana Villeneuve (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is a myiasis-causing blowfly of major concern for both animals and humans. Surveillance traps are used in several countries for early detection of incursions and to monitor control strategies. Examination of surveillance trap catches is time-consuming and is complicated by the presence of morphologically similar flies that are difficult to differentiate from Ch. bezziana, especially when the condition of specimens is poor. A molecular-based method to confirm or refute the presence of Ch. bezziana in trap catches would greatly simplify monitoring programmes. A species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was designed to target the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (rDNA ITS1) of Ch. bezziana. The assay uses both species-specific primers and an OWS-specific Taqman MGB probe. Specificity was confirmed against morphologically similar and related Chrysomya and Cochliomyia species. An optimal extraction protocol was developed to process trap catches of up to 1000 flies and the assay is sensitive enough to detect one Ch. bezziana in a sample of 1000 non-target species. Blind testing of 29 trap catches from Australia and Malaysia detected Ch. bezziana with 100% accuracy. The probability of detecting OWS in a trap catch of 50 000 flies when the OWS population prevalence is low (one in 1000 flies) is 63.6% for one extraction. For three extractions (3000 flies), the probability of detection increases to 95.5%. The real-time PCR assay, used in conjunction with morphology, will greatly increase screening capabilities in surveillance areas where OWS prevalence is low.

Physiological Basis for Genotypic Variation in Tolerance to and Recovery from Pre-flowering Drought in Peanut.

Drought during the pre-flowering stage can increase yield of peanut. There is limited information on genotypic variation for tolerance to and recovery from pre-flowering drought (PFD) and more importantly the physiological traits underlying genotypic variation. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of moisture stress during the pre-flowering phase on pod yield and to understand some of the physiological responses underlying genotypic variation in response to and recovery from PFD. A glasshouse and field experiments were conducted at Khon Kaen University, Thailand. The glasshouse experiment was a randomized complete block design consisting of two watering regimes, i.e. fully-irrigated control and 1/3 available soil water from emergence to 40 days after emergence followed by adequate water supply, and 12 peanut genotypes. The field experiment was a split-plot design with two watering regimes as main-plots, and 12 peanut genotypes as sub-plots. Measurements of N-2 fixation, leaf area (LA) were made in both experiments. In addition, root growth was measured in the glasshouse experiment. Imposition of PFD followed by recovery resulted in an average increase in yield of 24 % (range from 10 % to 57 %) and 12 % (range from 2 % to 51 %) in the field and glasshouse experiments, respectively. Significant genotypic variation for N-2 fixation, LA and root growth was also observed after recovery. The study revealed that recovery growth following release of PFD had a stronger influence on final yield than tolerance to water deficits during the PFD. A combination of N-2 fixation, LA and root growth accounted for a major portion of the genotypic variation in yield (r = 0.68-0.93) suggesting that these traits could be used as selection criteria for identifying genotypes with rapid recovery from PFD. A combined analysis of glasshouse and field experiments showed that LA and N-2 fixation during the recovery had low genotype x environment interaction indicating potential for using these traits for selecting genotypes in peanut improvement programs.

Martin Buber seated on wall outdoors at breakfast time; Berne Portraits Men

Digital Image

Art changing the world: one person at a time

Dr Michael Whelan from Autism Queensland talks about a mentoring program supporting young people to develop creative industries skills… Following the extreme social stresses of high school, a lot of young people on the autism spectrum retreat to their bedrooms and computers to hibernate for extended periods of time. Online gaming communities and digital media hubs often provide a more accessible forum for young adults on the autism spectrum to establish and maintain social connections. A recent study suggests that school leavers on the autism spectrum in Queensland spend an average of 9.5 hours per day (68 hours per week) engaged in solitary technology-based activities. While this astonishing figure has its foundations in the sobering fact that most of these young people have limited social networks and experience significant anxiety and depression, it also serves to illustrate the extraordinary skill sets that these extended hours of technological engagement can facilitate.

Rise Time of a Surface-Acoustic-Wave Resonator

This paper presents the results of the rise time calculation of a SAW resonator. The total rise time is given by rise time = [(rise time of cavity)2 + (rise time of reflectors)2 + (rise time of IDT) 2 ]. 1/2 These rise times are calculated in terms of the effective length of the cavity , the characteristics of the reflector, and the number of finger pairs in the IDT. The rise time of a 38 MHz one-port resonator on Y-Z LiNb03 calculated using this approach is found to be in good agreement with experimental results .

Effect of waiting time on health outcomes and service utilization : A prospective randomized study on patients admitted to hospital for hip or knee replacement

Although the principle of equal access to medically justified treatment has been promoted by official health policies in many Western health care systems, practices do not completely meet policy targets. Waiting times for elective surgery vary between patient groups and regions, and growing problems in the availability of services threaten equal access to treatment. Waiting times have come to the attention of decision-makers, and several policy initiatives have been introduced to ensure the availability of care within a reasonable time. In Finland, for example, the treatment guarantee came into force in 2005. However, no consensus exists on optimal waiting time for different patient groups. The purpose of this multi-centre randomized controlled trial was to analyse health-related quality of life, pain and physical function in total hip or knee replacement patients during the waiting time and to evaluate whether the waiting time is associated with patients health outcomes at admission. This study also assessed whether the length of waiting time is associated with social and health services utilization in patients awaiting total hip or knee replacement. In addition, patients health-related quality of life was compared with that of the general population. Consecutive patients with a need for a primary total hip or knee replacement due to osteoarthritis were placed on the waiting list between August 2002 and November 2003. Patients were randomly assigned to a short waiting time (maximum 3 months) or a non-fixed waiting time (waiting time not fixed in advance, instead the patient followed the hospitals routine practice). Patients health-related quality of life was measured upon being placed on the waiting list and again at hospital admission using the generic 15D instrument. Pain and physical function were evaluated using the self-report Harris Hip Score for hip patients and a scale modified from the Knee Society Clinical Rating System for knee patients. Utilization measures were the use of home health care, rehabilitation and social services, physician visits and inpatient care. Health and social services use was low in both waiting time groups. The most common services used while waiting were rehabilitation services and informal care, including unpaid care provided by relatives, neighbours and volunteers. Although patients suffered from clear restrictions in usual activities and physical functioning, they seemed primarily to lean on informal care and personal networks instead of professional care. While longer waiting time did not result in poorer health-related quality of life at admission and use of services during the waiting time was similar to that at the time of placement on the list, there is likely to be higher costs of waiting by people who wait longer simply because they are using services for a longer period. In economic terms, this would represent a negative impact of waiting. Only a few reports have been published of the health-related quality of life of patients awaiting total hip or knee replacement. These findings demonstrate that, in addition to physical dimensions of health, patients suffered from restrictions in psychological well-being such as depression, distress and reduced vitality. This raises the question of how to support patients who suffer from psychological distress during the waiting time and how to develop strategies to improve patients initiatives to reduce symptoms and the burden of waiting. Key words: waiting time, total hip replacement, total knee replacement, health-related quality of life, randomized controlled trial, outcome assessment, social service, utilization of health services

Multi-time scale analysis applied to long time simulation of power systems

The results are presented of applying multi-time scale analysis using the singular perturbation technique for long time simulation of power system problems. A linear system represented in state-space form can be decoupled into slow and fast subsystems. These subsystems can be simulated with different time steps and then recombined to obtain the system response. Simulation results with a two-time scale analysis of a power system show a large saving in computational costs.

Stochastic Modeling of an Aircraft Traversing a Runway Using Time Series Analysis

Time series, from a narrow point of view, is a sequence of observations on a stochastic process made at discrete and equally spaced time intervals. Its future behavior can be predicted by identifying, fitting, and confirming a mathematical model. In this paper, time series analysis is applied to problems concerning runwayinduced vibrations of an aircraft. A simple mathematical model based on this technique is fitted to obtain the impulse response coefficients of an aircraft system considered as a whole for a particular type of operation. Using this model, the output which is the aircraft response can be obtained with lesser computation time for any runway profile as the input.

Real-time locating systems applications in construction

Real-time locating systems (RTLSs) are considered an effective way to identify and track the location of an object in both indoor and outdoor environments. Various RTLSs have been developed and made commercially available in recent years. Research into RTLSs in the construction sector is ubiquitous and results have been published in many construction-related academic journals over the past decade. A succinct and systematic review of current applications would help academics, researchers and industry practitioners in identifying existing research deficiencies and therefore future research directions. However, such a review is lacking to date. This paper provides a framework for understanding RTLS research and development in the construction literature over the last decade. The research opportunities and directions of construction RTLS are highlighted. Background information relating to construction RTLS trends, accuracy, deployment, cost, purposes, advantages and limitations is provided. Four major research gaps are identified and research opportunities and directions are highlighted.

Deoxyribonucleic acid replication time in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37 Rv

The DNA increment method, designed for measuring the increment in the amount of DNA after inhibition of initiation of fresh rounds of replication initiation was employed to measure the rate of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) chain growth in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv growing in Youman and Karlson's medium at 37°C with a generation time of 24 h and also in relatively fast growing species like Mycobacterium smegmatis and Escherichia coli. From the results obtained, the time required for a DNA replication fork to traverse the chromosome from origin to terminus (C period) was calculated. The chain elongation rates of DNA of the three organisms was determined from the C period and the known genome sizes assuming that all these genomes have a single replication origin and bidirectional replication fork. The rate for M. tuberculosis was 3,200 nucleotides per min about 11 times slower than that of M. smegmatis and about 13–18 times slower than that of E. coli.

Positive results in a real-time PCR for type A influenza associated with the use of an inactivated vaccine.

A real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) test for the matrix gene of type A influenza viruses was used during the 2007 Australian equine influenza (EI) outbreak in order to confirm diagnosis and, later, eradication of the virus. During the EI outbreak, horses being exported required vaccination and individual proof of freedom from EI. At the end of the outbreak, positive results were obtained from four horses destined for export, because of contamination of the samples with the vaccine. This report highlights the need for EI testing and vaccination to occur on separate days and with the collection of swabs for testing to precede vaccination.