5,790 research outputs found
A direct A.C. to A.C. regenerative frequency and voltage converter
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.The reliable variable speed operation of an a. c. machine over a wide speed range is a problem that has received attention for some time. In this thesis a system to permit such operation from a fixed frequency fixed voltage supply is proposed, under the name of the asynchronous modulation converter. This converter is of the cycloconverter family, but is force-commutated and is not synchronised with the supply frequency. The power switching element comprises a power transistor in a diode bridge, coupled to the control circuitry by opto-isolators. The output of the a-mod converter is produced by a "chopper" modulation process and this results in the harmonics present being at frequencies well removed from the fundamental. A feedback system to ensure smooth commutation of the output current from the power switches is described. This feedback system operates by sensing the rate of rise of the inductive voltage surge on the load when a switch is opened to operate a freewheel path switch
Major depression and depressive symptoms in Australian Gulf War veterans 20 years after the Gulf War
No full textAbstract not availableJ.F. Ikin, D.P. McKenzie, S.M. Gwini, H.L. Kelsall, M. Creamer, A.C. McFarlane, D.M. Clarke, B. Wright, M. Si
MANOVA modelling of a chiropractic longitudinal study using multiple imputation
No full textThe purpose of this report is to present the detailed statistical analysis of a randomised, placebo-controlled trial comparing two different treatment modalities to an intervention of no known benefit for people with acute or subacute thoracic spine pain.
The therapy arms consist of Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) and Graston Technique (GT) and the placebo is a non-functional ultrasound. A placebo group was utilised because at present there are no proven treatments for non-specific thoracic pain. This trial is registered with the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Ethics approval has been granted by Murdoch University Human Research and Ethics Committee, number 2007/274.
The aim of this three arm trial was to test the efficacy of SMT and GT as independent modalities compared to detuned ultrasound for the outcomes of pain and disability. The latter were measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a modified Oswestry Back Pain Disability Index. The study was conducted at the Murdoch University Chiropractic student clinic in Perth, Australia, and the protocol published in Crothers et al (2008).
In this report, Section 2 provides an initial exploratory analysis of the data, Section 3 outlines the statistical models used in the final analysis, Section 4 defines these models in mathematical terms, Section 5 discusses the management of missing values via multiple imputation and Section 6 presents the results of the statistical modelling and hypothesis tests. The clinical study will be published in full elsewhere
Prvky technologie a individualismu v románu The City and the Stars od A.C. Clarke
No full textThis bachelor thesis examines the novels The City and the Stars by A.C. Clarke and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. At the centre of the attention are the main protagonists of the books and the dystopian societies in which they live. The thesis deals with the impacts of technologically advanced cultures on humanity of communities as well as on the humanity of an individual in the two books. The theoretical part of the thesis explores the creation of utopian / dystopian thought and the development and characteristics of dystopian Sci-fi genre during the 19th and 20th century.Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá romány Arthur C. Clarka a Aldouse Huxleyho, The City and the Stars a Brave New World. V centru zájmu se ocitají hlavní protagonisté a antiutopická společnost, ve které žijí. Práce se především zaměřuje, na vztah a dopad technologicky vyspělé kultury na společnost jako celek a na dopad na jedince a jeho lidskost ve vybraných dílech. Teoretická část se soustředí na vznik a vývoj utopické / antiutopické myšlenky a vznik a charakteristiku antiutopické Sci-fi literatury 19 a 20. století.Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistikyDokončená práce s úspěšnou obhajobo
Preferential feeding by the crab Necora puber on differing sizes of the intertidal limpet Patella vulgata
No full textThe crab Necora puber L. is a common predator of limpets, the major grazer on rocky shores in Northern Europe. Information on interactions between crabs and their limpet prey is limited, extending mainly to limpet defensive and predator offensive tactics, while the importance of prey size on the outcome of such interactions remains largely unknown. Here, a laboratory approach was used to test for preference in feeding habits. Predation by N. puber with cheliped height 3 to 27 mm (carapace width [CW]: 16 to 77 mm) was examined on Patella vulgata with shell length 5 to 60 mm. Predator size (10, 11–15, 16–20 and 21–25 mm cheliped height) and prey size (5–10, 15–20, 25–30 and 35–40 mm shell length) were examined, with 2 replicate tests for each predator-prey size combination. Crabs >10 mm in cheliped height (35 mm CW) predominantly crushed the shell of limpets <10 mm, while in the remaining combinations of predator and prey sizes, crabs prised limpets from the substratum. Size of limpet shell (vulnerability to crushing force) and resistance to leverage force were both important factors influencing the outcomes of crab-limpet interactions. For the largest crab tested (27 mm cheliped height; 77 mm CW), there was a size refuge for limpets >41 mm in shell length. Field observations showed that the majority (94%) of limpets present in the intertidal zone are of a size that is vulnerable to predation by N. puber. For all sizes of crab examined, there were clear preferences for limpets smaller than the maximum size that the crabs were actually able to consume. Intriguingly, however, the preference experiment showed that, when given a choice, crabs consistently consumed proportionately more limpets of a larger size-class than when presented only with a single size-class at a time. Although further in situ studies are necessary, the present study indicates that size-selective predation by N. puber and other crabs may have an important influence on limpet population structure
Age, gender, social contacts, and psychological distress: findings from the 45 and up study
No full textOBJECTIVE: The study examined the relationships between social contact types and psychological distress among mid-older adults.METHOD: Self-completed data from 236,490 Australian adults aged 45+ years.RESULTS: There was a consistent relationship between increased frequency in phone contacts, social visits, and social group contacts and reduced risk of psychological distress adjusted for demographic and health factors. However, stratified analyses by age showed, with one exception, that no significant associations were found between social group contact frequency and risk of psychological distress for those aged 85 years and older. Furthermore, significant interaction terms revealed that women experience a steeper reduction in risk than men at age 65 to 74 years and 75 to 84 years compared with those aged 45 to 64 years.DISCUSSION: Social contacts have age and gender differential effects on psychological distress of mid-older Australian adults. Interventions addressing social interaction need to be sensitive to gender and age differences
Zane Grey with Orange A.C. baseball team
No full textThis photograph shows Ohio native Zane Grey with the Orange A.C. Baseball Team, ca. 1896-1904. Prior to becoming a well-known author of western novels, Zane Grey was also a dentist and a semi-professional baseball player, with teams including the Orange Athletic Club and the Newark (New Jersey) Colts
Experimental research on spatial distribution of overtopping
No full textThe overtopping empirical formulas calculate the discharge only at the top of the crest of a coastal protection structure. On the other hand, the tolerable overtopping discharges are defined at certain points behind the crest where the total overtopping is reduced. The scope of this thesis is to find an empirical formula to describe the distribution of overtopping at the space behind the crest. This thesis comes as a further investigation on the work conducted by v.Kester [2009] for regular waves. In this research, a physical model was developed on which irregular waves are tested. Because of the duration of the tests and the amount of collected water (significant lose of water during the test), a completely new measuring system was designed. Five influencing parameters (variables) are considered on this research: wave height, wave period/steepness, slope angle, crest freeboard and crest permeability. The entire overtopping process is analysed separately for the total overtopping discharge, the overtopping discharge directly behind the crest and the distribution of overtopping behind the structure. In the analysis of the data collected from the measurements, the impact of the varying parameters is investigated leading to useful conclusions and better understanding of the entire process. Additionally, the experimental findings are analysed and compared to the relative existing methods. Based on the TAW [2002] method which is proposed by the EurOtop Manual [2007], a prediction formula is developed. This formula is a generic version of TAW [2002] formula in which a new reduction factor ?c is introduced in order to describe the decay of the overtopping and thus predict the discharge at any certain distance behind the crest. Other relevant methods are also analysed (Juul Jensen [1984], Steenaard [2002], Besley [1999] and v.Kester [2009]) and conclusions for their applicability are drawn leading to suggested improvements or corrections. Apart from the distribution of overtopping, on this thesis the determination of crest freeboard (which is an ambiguous issue) is also investigated. Finally, suggestions of further research on this topic are discussed. The entire work has been perfomed in close cooperation with van Oord.Hydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience
Distinct migratory and non-migratory ecotypes of an endemic New Zealand eleotrid (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) – implications for incipient speciation in island freshwater fish species
No full textBackground: Many postglacial lakes contain fish species with distinct ecomorphs. Similar evolutionary scenarios might be acting on evolutionarily young fish communities in lakes of remote islands. One process that drives diversification in island freshwater fish species is the colonization of depauperate freshwater environments by diadromous (migratory) taxa, which secondarily lose their migratory behaviour. The loss of migration limits dispersal and gene flow between distant populations, and, therefore, is expected to facilitate local morphological and genetic differentiation. To date, most studies have focused on interspecific relationships among migratory species and their non-migratory sister taxa. We hypothesize that the loss of migration facilitates intraspecific morphological, behavioural, and genetic differentiation between migratory and non-migratory populations of facultatively diadromous taxa, and, hence, incipient speciation of island freshwater fish species.
Results: Microchemical analyses of otolith isotopes (Sr-88, Ba-137 and Ca-43) differentiated migratory and non-migratory stocks of the New Zealand endemic Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall (Eleotridae). Samples were taken from two rivers, one lake and two geographically-separated outgroup locations. Meristic analyses of oculoscapular lateral line canals documented a gradual reduction of these structures in the non-migratory populations. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints revealed considerable genetic isolation between migratory and non-migratory populations. Temporal differences in reproductive timing (migratory = winter spawners, non-migratory = summer spawners; as inferred from gonadosomatic indices) provide a prezygotic reproductive isolation mechanism between the two ecotypes.
Conclusion: This study provides a holistic look at the role of diadromy in incipient speciation of island freshwater fish species. All four analytical approaches (otolith microchemistry, morphology, spawning timing, population genetics) yield congruent results, and provide clear and independent evidence for the existence of distinct migratory and non-migratory ecotypes within a river in a geographically confined range. The morphological changes within the non-migratory populations parallel interspecific patterns observed in all non-migratory New Zealand endemic Gobiomorphus species and other derived gobiid taxa, a pattern suggesting parallel evolution. This study indicates, for the first time, that distinct ecotypes of island freshwater fish species may be formed as a consequence of loss of migration and subsequent diversification. Therefore, if reproductive isolation persists, these processes may provide a mechanism to facilitate speciation
Flow over partially liquid filled cavity
No full textExperiments have been carried out to investigate the effect of liquid cavity filling on the behavior of the gas flow over a flat plate cavity. PIV measurements in the gas phase reveal that cavity filling can affect vortex shedding in the cavity mouth. Shear layer vortices can break-up into smaller vortices, thereby losing their periodic interaction with the aft wall and, hence, their sound producing potential. Expected is that this is one of the mechanisms causing sound mitigation in corrugated pipes with liquid addition, observed in literature
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