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Power purchase agreements and solar securitization: modelling risk factors and returns
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 77-82.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2.Background -- Chapter 3. The econometric framework -- Chapter 4. Data -- Chapter 5. Results by scenarios -- Chapter 6. Discussion and future directions -- Chaptr 7. References -- Appendix.The number of small-scale photovoltatic system installations has risen dramatically in the last ten years due, in part, to the introduction of government subsidies. However, the capital expenditure and complex investment decisions imposed on households limit the growth potential. This thesis examines an alternative way of funding the growth of solar installations on rooftops: Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) financed by Asset Backed Securities (ABS).The thesis enhances and expands the foundational PPA ABS model developed in Alafita and Pearce (2014), to respond to the literature and technological developments. The model is enhanced by: introducing three investment tranches to the ABS, applying a sequential collateralised debt obligation (CDO) structure; discounting the PPA electricity price to below the retail grid price; using real customer production and consumption data; incorporating a Feed-in-Tariff (FiT); and adding a lithium-ion battery to the model, which allows for consumption under the PPA during the evening. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first time in the literature that these attributes have been considered in a solar PPA ABS model, in the literature.The thesis demonstrates the viability of a PPA ABS, by finding that there are conditions under which PPA electricity customers, investors in the ABS, and PPA providers can all achieve financial benefits. The paper discusses the benefits of introducing PPA ABS into the Australian renewables and financial markets, and proposes avenues for future development.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (viii, 85 pages) diagrams, table
The impact of presentation rate on the effectiveness of subtitles in learning
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 49-56.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Literature review -- Chapter 3. Methodology -- Chapter 4. Results and discussion -- Chapter 5. Conclusion -- Appendices.Subtitling has received increasing scholarly attention in audiovisual translation studies. Most of the existing literature has been centred on the benefits of subtitling for learners, but not on how subtitles are presented (e.g. subtitle presentation speed, layout, etc.). The impact of the presentation rate or appearance of subtitles on learners has therefore not been explored sufficiently. Some well-explored topics in subtitling research include language learning, film comprehension and cognitive load (cf., Danan, 2004; d'Ydewalle et al., 1991; Garza, 1991; Kruger, Hefer, & Matthew, 2013; Paas et al., 2004). However, little research has been conducted to investigate the impact of presentation rate on learning, comprehension or cognitive load. Given the increasing use of subtitles in education, an investigation into this aspect has significant theoretical and applied implications, particularly at a time when technological advances have made it possible to create verbatim subtitles relatively cheap to produce. The experiment in this study has two levels (English as a foreign language, and English as first or second language) and four conditions, namely a control condition without subtitles, and three experimental conditions in which the subtitle speed has been manipulated: 1) verbatim (an average of about 17 CPS); 2) standard (an average of 15 CPS; 3) and edited (an average of 12.5 CPS). A total of 172 students form King Khalid University (Saudi Arabia) and Macquarie University (Australia) participated in this experiment. Participants were assigned to four groups: (1) a group of 42 participants watching the verbatim video; (2) a group of 40 participants watching the edited video; a group of 53 participants watching the standard video; and (4) a control group of 37 participants watching the video without subtitles. Participants were assigned randomly to the four groups. After inviting students, those who accepted to participate were asked to watch a 6-minute history video and then fill out three questionnaires: a biographical questionnaire; a cognitive load questionnaire, adopted from Brünken et al. (2003); and a comprehension test which was used as an indicator of performance. This experiment study has found that all subtitle conditions were beneficial when compared to the unsubtitled video in the case of the Arabic group. Particularly, edited subtitles had a significant impact on the results obtained for the Arabic group. In terms of English speakers, however, edited subtitles increased CL and also resulted in lower comprehension, indicating that those subtitles were not useful for this particular group. All English speakers outperformed Arabic speakers under all conditions, particularly in the unsubtitled condition where the difference was significant -- abstract.1 online resource (61 pages
Development of a smart sensing system for early detection of osteoporosis
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 119-143.1. Introduction -- 2. Literature review -- 3. Planar interdigital sensors and electrochemical impedence spectroscopy -- 4. Antigen-antibody-based sensor for CTx-I detection -- 5. MIP-based sensor for CTx-1 detection -- 6. IoT-enabled microcontroller-based system -- 7. Conclusion and future work.Early detection of any disease is essential for an efficient treatment. Bone loss can be detected and monitored by regular measurement of serum or urine C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx-I). Therefore, rapid, sensitive, accurate, portable and low-cost point-of-care devices are highly desirable. In this research, we have proposed a selective, sensitive, quick and inexpensive Internet of Things (IoT)-based device for the quantification of CTx-I levels in serum. A capacitive interdigital sensor with multi-sensing electrode configuration was employed to perform the experiments. Initially, natural antibodies were used to introduce selectivity for the target molecule. In spite of the high selectivity and sensitivity of the proposed system, there were some limitations in using natural antibodies. Natural antibodies are very expensive, sensitive to harsh environmental conditions and have limited stability. In order to overcome these limitations, the interdigital sensor was coated with artificial antibodies, prepared by molecular imprinting technology. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to evaluate the resistive and capacitive properties of the sample solutions. A microcontroller-based system was developed for the measurement of the level of CTx-I in serum and for data transmission to an IoT-based cloud server. The data can be provided to the medical practitioner and a detailed investigation can start for early detection and treatment. The developed sensing system responded linearly in a range of 0.1 ppb to 2.5 ppb, which covers the normal reference range of CTx-I in serum, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.09 ppb. The results demonstrated that the proposed portable biosensing system could provide a rapid, simple and selective approach for CTxI measurement in serum. Sheep serum samples were tested using the proposed system and the validation of the results was done using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.1 online resource (xx, 143 pages : illustrations
Long wavelength extension of diamond Raman lasers
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 195-222.1. Introduction -- 2. Properties of CVD grown diamond -- 3. Polarisation properties of diamond Raman lasers -- 4. Near-IR diamond Raman lasers -- 5. Mid-IR Raman gain coefficient of diamond -- 6. Mid-IR diamond Raman laser -- 7. Strategies for improving mid-IR performance -- 8. Conclusion -- Appendices.Ideal wavelengths for laser applications often do not align with commonly available laser sources, particularly in the mid-infrared, where there are reduced laser options. Raman lasers are a means of simultaneously extending the spectral coverage and enhancing the brightness of existing laser technology. Historically, average powers in crystalline Raman lasers have been restricted by poor thermal handling of the deposited heat,which is intrinsic to the frequency shifting process. In addition, solid-state Raman lasers traditionally are only reported in the visible and near-infrared, with operation atlonger wavelengths limited by material absorption and reduced Raman gain coefficients.Synthetic diamond is a nonlinear frequency conversion material that has the potential to challenge these limitations, with a high Raman gain coefficient, excellent thermal properties and broad transmission. This thesis investigates the performance of pulsed diamond Raman lasers across the near and mid-infrared regions.Conversion of a 1.064 m Nd:YAG laser to first (1.240 m) and second (1.485 m)Stokes wavelengths was studied, with the quantum conversion efficiencies achieved equivalent to, or exceeding, other Raman or optical-parametric-oscillator materials.Mueller matrix modelling was used to determine the optimal crystal orientation and pump polarisation. In particular, aligning the pump polarisation with a h111i crystal axis produced a 33% enhancement in the Raman gain coefficient, compared topreviously utilised crystal orientations.Knowledge of the Raman gain coefficient of diamond in the mid-infrared is vitalfor designing long wavelength Raman lasers, due to the reduced gap between laser and damage thresholds. Detailed investigations consider two measurement methods. Thefirst is a refinement of the pump-probe technique that examines the effect of correlating intensity structure and laser line width. The second is a novel approach based on fourwave-mixing, which removes the need to accurately characterise the spatial, temporal and spectral properties of the lasers involved.Extending the wavelength of diamond Raman lasers to the mid-infrared necessitates overcoming the challenges of a diminished Raman gain coefficient, increased crystal absorption and weaker optical coatings. Demonstrations of tuneable first Stokes outputfrom 3.4-3.8 m and second Stokes output at 7.3 m represent the longest wavelengths reported from a solid state Raman laser. Cavity losses restrict the obtainable conversion efficiencies, and several methods, including four-wave-mixing and microstructured facets, are considered as means to improve performance.1 online resource (xxii, 222 pages : illustrations
Behaviour, temporal activity, and control of the red fox in the city
No full textThesis by publication.Bibliography: pages 50-58.Chapter 1. Behavioural and temporal activity adaptations of the urban foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Sydney, Australia -- Chapter 2. The canid pest ejector challenge : controlling urban foxes while keeping domestic dogs safe -- References -- Supplementary material.Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are an invasive predator implicated in the decline and extinction of many Australian native species, and are thought to thrive better in urban than in natural areas. We investigated the behaviour of foxes towards a novel object (a control device – canid pest ejector), temporal activity, and interactions with potential prey and domestic predators, by comparing behaviour among site types and to several environmental variables. We assessed the risk of using this device via visitation by domestic dogs, and in relation to distance from human habitations. We used camera-traps in 16 sites around Sydney to record temporal activity, visitation, and behaviour of our study species. Our major finding was that foxes behaved more confidently in urban areas and under high vegetation cover than in sites within peri-urban areas and low vegetation cover. Foxes appeared slightly more nocturnal in urban areas, where they have a higher temporal activity overlap with introduced mammals, than in peri-urban areas. Only two non-canid species were recorded pulling-up the ejector, confirming its high target-specificity. The ejectors could be effective in urban areas as a method of control. They could be safely deployed in sites with effective dog restrictions, regardless of the distance from human habitation.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (69 pages) illustrations (some colour), 1 ma
The impact of diet & temperature on yellowtail kingfish health & microbiome
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages i-vii.1. Introduction -- 2. Materials & methods -- 3. Results -- 4. Discussion -- 5. References -- 6. Supplementary information.Negative health outcomes related to plant-based proteins remain a barrier to effective fishmeal replacement in farmed carnivorous fish such as Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi). Here, farmed Yellowtail Kingfish housed at optimal and non-optimal temperatures (22 and 26°C) were fed a fishmeal diet (FM) or a FM diet partially replaced with soy-protein concentrate (SPC) to investigate impacts on host health and microbial community composition within skin mucosa, gut mucosa and digesta. The combination of SPC and elevated temperature significantly reduced weight gain and measured digesta myeloperoxidase and increased plasma lysozyme levels. Skin microbial communities were distinct from and more diverse than the gut and digesta microbiomes, which both had low diversity. The overall microbial composition and relative abundance of specific OTUs were significantly impacted by SPC and elevated temperature. The SPC diet and elevated temperature were both associated with significantly increased levels of an OTU identified as Photobacterium in the digesta and skin. Increased relative abundance of Photobacterium was also significantly correlated with reduced levels of digesta peroxidase, an innate immunity defence mechanism. The shifts in the microbial communities and the increase in Photobacterium reveal the importance of considering the microbiome in future efforts to replace fishmeal in Yellowtail Kingfish diets.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (ix, 48, xiii pages) diagrams, graphs, table
Identifying varietal differences in Spanish translations of The Great Gatsby
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 62-66.1. Abstract -- 2. Statement of originality -- 3. Acknowledgements -- 4. Introduction -- 5. Literature review -- 6. Methodology : lexical items classification and data analysis -- 7. Results and discussion -- 8. Conclusion -- 9. Bibliography -- 10. Appendices.This thesis presents a study of the analysis and contrast of literary translations of the same original novel. The study focuses on the Spanish translations of the American novel The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald, 1925). The aim of the study is to analyse the different strategies applied by various translators when conveying the meaning from English into Spanish and to contrast and analyse the main differences among them.The study starts with an overview of the specific challenges of translating literary texts from English into Spanish, and how there are as many alternatives as Spanish dialects around the Spanish speaking geographic areas (Moreno Fernández, 2009). Furthermore, the Spanish varieties and their role in translation, the different approaches taken by translators (such as domestication and foreignization, Venuti 1995) and other areas that influence the topic of the study are described. The analysis of the dissimilarities and approaches among the translations leads into the analysis and validation of the Retranslation Hypothesis (Chesterman, 2004), to which a conclusion is formulated on the characteristics presented by the translations published between the years 1947 and 2015.A methodology is proposed in the study, which allows the research to identify the existence of specific geographic lexical items, i.e. regionalisms, among the translations as well as the approach followed throughout the translations. These regionalisms are representative of the different Spanish speaking geographical areas included in the study and help identify the translators’ approaches and the imprint that the Spanish varieties have on the target texts. Moreover, corpus-based analysis helps the study to analyse the representative lexical items, and to offer data that helps finding patterns or reasons behind translators’ choices.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (70 pages) table
Don’t eat me!: variation in warning signals in an Australian moth
No full textThesis by publication.Bibliography: pages 55-61.Chapter One -- Chapter Two -- Final conclusions -- Supplementary material -- References.Aposematism is an anti-predator strategy, using a conspicuous warning signal. Predators learn to avoid defended prey, and this incurs selective benefits to aposematic individuals. Variation is seen in most aposematic species, which does not fit with the current model of stabilising selection.This study explores contributions to variation in warning signals in an Australian moth genus, Amata. The Amata genus is a highly cryptic one, so DNA barcoding is used to identify freshly collected specimens using the CO1 gene and compared with species descriptions. Using collected specimens, variation in the warning signal was quantified, and then correlated with likely explanatory variables. Genetic barcoding confirmed two separate genera were collected from 11 locations in New South Wales; Amata and Eressa. From the genus Amata, two species were positively identified, as well as several individuals from the A. nigriceps spp. complex. Analyses on selected signal variables gave support to sexual selection as a possible explanation for warning signal variation. Contrary to predictions, variation was not explained by climate or the diversity of local bird predators. Future studies on this interesting Amata system could include specific predator responses to the warning signals, as well as more in-depth genetic work on the A. nigriceps complex.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (61 pages) colour illustration
Glycomic profiles of Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) treated melanoma cells may indicate patient response to immunotherapy
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 63-71.1. Introduction -- 2. Materials and methods -- 3. Effects of IFN-γ on melanoma cell growth and expression of immune effector molecules -- 4. Post-translational modifications of immune effector molecules -- 5. Mass spectrometry of released N-glycans from melanoma cells -- 6. General discussion and future directions -- 7. References -- 8. Appendix.Immunotherapy has shown favourable results in prolonging survival of melanoma patients. Response to immunotherapy is partly dependent on interferon gamma (IFN-γ) a cytokine that mediates immune activity by inducing antigen presentation (i.e. HLA-ABC) and immune checkpoint molecules (i.e. programmed death ligand-1 and -2, PD-L1 and PD-L2). A recent study has shown that PD-L1 glycosylation promotes its stabilisation and immunosuppressive activity. Protein glycosylation regulates its structure, function and interaction. In this research project, we investigated the effects of IFN-γ treatment on the expression of immune activity molecules HLA-ABC, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and the level of cell surface glycosylation on 16 melanoma cell lines, using flow cytometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We hypothesize that glycosylation profiles may influence response to immunotherapy. Our results indicated that IFN-γ induced expression of immune molecules PD-L2 and HLA-ABC on the majority of melanoma cells. This study also showed that glycosylation levels were not affected by IFN-γ treatment, however the levels of glycosylation differed between melanoma cell lines. Differences in the extent and type of glycosylation in each melanoma cell line may be associated with tumour progression and immunotherapy response.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (vi, 78 pages) diagrams, graphs, table
Protecting minority shareholders from oppressive conduct: assessing the legal transfer of the Australian oppression sections to the Vietnamese litigation provisions
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 378-467.Chapter 1. Introduction to thesis background -- Chapter 2. Justifications, theoretical framework and research methodology for legal transfer -- Chapter 3. Historical evolution of Australian oppression sections and Vietnamese litigation provisions -- Chapter 4. Legislative processes of reforming Australian oppression sections and Vietnamese litigation provisions -- Chapter 5. Legislative design and judicial implementation of Australian oppression sections and Vietnamese litigation provisions -- Chapter 6. Level of effectiveness in the legal transfer of oppression sections from Australia to Vietnam — a legal irritation test -- Chapter 7. Conclusions and recommendations -- Bibliography -- Appendices.Promoting fairness in the market, through adequate protection for minority shareholders, has been identified as an essential prerequisite to attracting investments and developing Vietnam‘s economy. Incorporating such minority shareholder protection is articulated as a goal in Vietnam‘s Master Plan on Economic Restructuring 2013–2020 and the Enterprise Law 2014. This law has incorporated minority shareholder protections operating in Australia into its litigation provisions. However, these provisions will not have the necessary wide application nor provide the necessary remedies to satisfactorily protect minority shareholders from oppressive conduct in default of oppression sections in Vietnam.This thesis critically assesses the effectiveness of the legal transfer of oppression sections from Australia to Vietnam. It specifically examines how the oppression sections from the Australian corporate law are likely to be transplanted into the litigation provisions of the Vietnamese enterprise law. It develops a legal transfer framework founded on Teubner‘s legal irritation theory and an empirical study of Berkowitz, Pistor and Richard on the effects of corporate legal transfers, to identify the factors that facilitate and irritate the legal transfer from Australia to Vietnam. The thesis proceeds to recommend reforms for improving the effectiveness of this legal transfer.Australia and Vietnam share many similarities — namely, the overall goal of nurturing an effective market economy, the government‘s commitment to legal reform, and an active civil society which sees the need for oppression remedies — which support the transfer of legal rules from one country to the other. However, there are substantial differences between the two countries — namely, the multiple objectives of the legislators, the substance of legislative processes, the functionality of lawmaking institutions, the independence of legal implementation institutions, and the political leadership — which will act as hurdles to the legal transfer process.The main hurdle is posed by Vietnamese party-state institutions, whose conduct can be explained as regulatory capture. The Ministry of Planning and Investment has captured the legislative process, while vested political interests and state-owned enterprises‘ interests have captured the judiciary which is unlikely to act independently. In contrast with the Australian experience, these institutions are likely to undermine the effectiveness of the legal transfer of oppression sections.A key challenge for Vietnam is to find a way to transfer not only the wording of oppression sections from Australia, but also the foundational values, specifically fairness that underpins these provisions. The thesis illustrates that effective legal transfer requires commitment, capacity and effective actions from a range of party-state institutions, including the legislature and the judiciary, especially when state-owned enterprises‘ interests are involved. It is contended that these institutions should use the concept of fairness as the guiding principle in legal transfer and institutional reform.This thesis contributes nuanced insights into legal transfer regarding minority shareholder protection in Vietnam by focussing on the integration of fairness, not only into the wording of the provisions and the processes therein, but also into the manner in which the party-state institutions interact with these processes.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (475 pages) table