The adverse impacts on vegetation and soils due to livestock grazing have been extensively studied for many years. The extent to which native wildlife may also be causing change to their environment, as a result of local increases in population density, has been the subject of debate in a number of countries. In Australia there has been a growing awareness in recent years that native herbivores, particularly kangaroos and wallabies, may also be causing changes to ecosystem dynamics. Environmmental changes, produced firstly by the aboriginal people and then by Europeans, have favoured the larger macropods, resulting in increased population levels. These impacts can also be seen in areas around cities, where pressure from urbanisation has restricted populations to smaller and smaller patches of remnant vegetation and reserves, increasing the pressure on diminishing food resources within these patches. This study focuses on one of the areas that supplies drinking water to Melbourne, the Yan Yean Reservoir catchment, which is situated 37 km north east of Melbourne. This study adds to our understanding of the impacts of native wildlife populations by investigating the extent of some of these possible changes to ecosystem dynamics.

Strawberries are an extremely perishable fruit mainly due to their soft texture and sensitivity to fungal infection. The fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea is responsible for grey mould on strawberries and is the main causal agent of postharvest decay and subsequent economic loss. As an alternative to fungicides, manipulation of plant nutrition, such as calcium and boron, has been suggested as a means of disease management. This project investigated the effects of calcium and boron application on fruit quality and grey mould development in strawberry. The effect of calcium on fruit quality, grey mould development and leaf blight in strawberry cultivars ‘Aromas’ and ‘Selva’ was investigated through preharvest and postharvest applications. To determine the effect of preharvest application, calcium sulphate in 0.25X strength Hoagland’s solution was applied at 0, 100, 300 and 500 ppm Ca through fertigation. Fully-ripened fruit were harvested and evaluated for postharvest quality at harvest and then after storage at 10⁰C, 90±5% RH for 2 to 10 days. Although fruit firmness of both cultivars declined slightly during storage, this was not affected by preharvest calcium application. Similarly, preharvest calcium treatment had no effect on the external appearance, pH, soluble solids content (SSC) or titratable acidity (TA). No grey mould development was observed on fruit at harvest when flowers were inoculated with a conidia suspension of B. cinerea (10⁴ conidia per mL). However, fruit harvested from plants that received calcium at any concentration had less incidence of grey mould during storage at 10⁰C, 90±5% RH for 14 days than fruit harvested from plants that received no calcium for both cultivars. For ‘Aromas’, 79% and 51% of fruit, and for ‘Selva’, 69% and 43% of fruit, showed rot when treated with 0 and 500 ppm Ca, respectively. The shelf life of ‘Aromas’ and ‘Selva’ increased by about 8% when plants received 500 ppm Ca in comparison with plants that received 0 ppm Ca. After 7 days of incubation at 22 to 24⁰C, there was no difference between blight lesions on wound-inoculated detached leaves from different calcium treatments for either cultivar. However, the lesions on ‘Selva’ were smaller than on ‘Aromas’. The calcium levels in leaves from plants that received calcium at any concentration were adequate for strawberry growing and significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in leaves from plants that received 0 ppm Ca. However, calcium treatment did not ensure transfer of calcium to fruit tissues. Calcium lactate and calcium chloride were used as postharvest calcium treatments at 1500, 3000 and 4500 ppm Ca. Fruit of ‘Selva’ were dipped in calcium solution for 5 min and wound-inoculated with B. cinerea (10⁶ conidia per mL). Calcium lactate and calcium chloride at 3000 and 4500 ppm Ca, respectively, were most effective in delaying Botrytis rot development on ‘Selva’ after 7 days of storage at 10⁰C, 90±5% RH. Storage for least 24 h after calcium dips prior to inoculation was required to delay the development of fruit rot. Fruit harvested early in the season seemed to be less susceptible to grey mould than those harvested later. However, calcium treatment tended to be more effective when applied to late-season fruit. Preharvest boron treatment, applied as for calcium but at 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 ppm B, had no effect on fruit firmness of either cultivar. However, firmness of ‘Aromas’ fruit was slightly greater than ‘Selva’ fruit for all treatments. The amount of boron applied had no effect on the external appearance, pH, SSC or TA for either cultivar after storage of fruit for up to 10 days. Application of boron had no effect on fruit grey mould development in either cultivar. Furthermore, boron had minimal effect on the incidence of blight on woundinoculated detached leaves of ‘Aromas’ 7 days after inoculation. However, blight lesion diameters on ‘Selva’ leaves in the 1.0 ppm B treatment (8.0 mm) were significantly smaller (P < 0.001) than in the 0 ppm B treatment (13.0 mm). Phytotoxicity was observed in boron treatments even at the level considered optimum for strawberry growing. Severity increased with increasing boron concentration but no consistent effect on flower death or flower abortion was observed. In conclusion, strawberry is sensitive to boron toxicity. Calcium may enhance fruit firmness and, consequently, delay grey mould development if calcium penetrates the fruit. Postharvest calcium treatment tended to be more effective in delaying development of grey mould when applied to late-season fruit. Calcium lactate is a potential alternative to calcium chloride for reducing decay caused by B. cinerea in strawberry without providing undesirable bitterness. This finding may provide a basis for application in industry. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1331382 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine 2008

<p>During the 1960´s and 1970´s the number of grey seals in the Baltic Sea was decreasing rapidly, mostly due to hunting and toxic substances like DDT and PCB. When hunting became less intense and toxic substances decreased in the environment the grey seal population started to increase. Today grey seals are found common in the Baltic Sea and have started to become a big treat and a problem to the fishing industry. The grey seal destroys and enters fishing traps and consumes large quantities of the fish that have been caught.</p><p>The knowledge of the grey seal, like abundance and food preferences, is today limited. It is also important to define the position of the grey seal in the ecosystem in the Baltic Sea and to be able to predict changes that could occur if the population would rapidly decrease or increase. This project was therefore started in an attempt to increase the knowledge about the grey seals food preferences. The study was made in tree separate parts. Part one contained analyses of prey remains from stomachs and digestive tract from fourteen individuals put down in two geographically separate areas. The collected material from the seal digestive tract was cleaned and otoliths (hearing stones from fish), scales and back vertebra from fish eaten by the grey seal were sorted out. With the help of hard parts collected from the intestines the food preferences of the seals could be estimated. Eight different species of prey was found. The species were herring (Clupea harengus membras), sprat (Sprattus sprattus), common whitefish (Coregonus spp), perch (Perca fluviatilis), salmon (Salmo salar), trout (Salmo trutta) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). In two of the digestive tracts several individuals of the isopod Saduria entomon were found. No earlier studies describe the isopod as a food source for the grey seals in the Baltic Sea. The findings are therefore unique information. The results showed that during summer the main part of the grey seal diet in the gulf of Sundsvall and in the surrounding coastal area of Hårte was herring and sprat. No significant difference in food preferences was shown between the investigated seals from the gulf of Sundsvall and seals from the surrounding coastal area of Hårte.</p><p>The second part was made to investigate if it was possible to build a floating platform that would work as a resting place for the grey seal. The surface of the platform was covered by a layer that keeps the seal scats on the platform so that it could be collected. Otoliths from herring and common whitefish were found on the floating platform. Because the platform could not be under surveillance during the whole study some uncertainties about whether the otoliths found came from grey seal or from resting cormorants or other fish eating birds. However, the otolit size is linearly related to the fish size and this relationship can be used to track the predator. Otoliths from herring taken by grey seals and otoliths found on the platform were significantly bigger than the otoliths originating from the prey of cormorants. The results indicated that the common whitefish size was too big for a full grown cormorant bird to consume. The common whitefish size showed that it probably not had been cormorants that had deposited the otoliths on the platform. The platform method was concluded promising but it needs to be modified in order to work more effective in the future.</p><p>In the third part scats were collected from the area of Österåsen to increase the amount of information about the grey seals food preferences.</p><p>The knowledge of the grey seals diet in the Baltic Sea is today limited and few similar study’s have earlier been made. The collected scats and otoliths in this project are therefore unique.</p><p>2008:Bi 2</p>

In this thesis a quadrotor is studied and a linear model is derived using grey-box estimation, a discipline in system identification where a model structure based on physical relations is used and the parameters are estimated using input-output measurements. From IMU measurements and measured PWM signals to the four motors, a direct approach using the prediction-error method is applied. To investigate the impact of the unknown controller the two-stage method, a closed-loop approach in system identification,  is applied as well. The direct approach was enough for estimating the model parameters. The resulting model manages to simulate the major dynamics for the vertical acceleration and the angular rates well enough  for future control design.

Through an examination of the processes and influences on the character of grey literature and its producers, this thesis explores the nature of archaeological investigation, how it is reported and the creation of archaeological data in England from 1990 to 2010 and the implications for future understanding of the English archaeological record. I intend to address broad research questions regarding grey literature and archaeology: What is grey literature? Who creates it and why? What is it meant for? Is it fit-for-purpose? My research objectives in studying grey literature reporting and archaeological fieldwork investigation in England are: &bull;To explore the nature of archaeological grey literature reporting and its producers, the framework of its production and communication, and its impact on archaeological research and knowledge production; &bull;To capture the developments and changes in English archaeological practice between 1990 and 2010 and their implications for the creation and understanding of the archaeological record; and &bull;To consider potential future directions for archaeological fieldwork and reporting. I propose to achieve this using a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches including spatial analysis techniques, comparative analysis at a range of scales from England-wide to individual case study areas, and detailed analysis of the nature and actual content of grey literature reports alongside a characterisation of the many creators of grey literature reporting. This study will illustrate and explore the process of producing grey literature reporting as well as examining the end product itself - grey literature reports. This European Research Council funded DPhil research was undertaken within the context of the English Landscapes and Identities Project, which analyses change and continuity in the English Landscape from the middle Bronze Age (c.1500 BC) to the Domesday survey (c. AD 1086).

abstract: The study of artist transcriptions is an effective vehicle for assimilating the language and style of jazz. Pairing transcriptions with historical context provides further insight into the back story of the artists' life and method. Innovators are often the subject of published studies of this kind, but transcriptions of plunger-mute master Al Grey have been overlooked. This document fills that void, combining historical context with thirteen transcriptions of Grey's trombone features and improvisations. Selection of transcribed materials was based on an examination of historically significant solos in Al Grey's fifty-five-year career. The results are a series of open-horn and plunger solos that showcase Grey's sound, technical brilliance, and wide range of dynamics and articulation. This collection includes performances from a mix of widely available and obscure recordings, the majority coming from engagements with the Count Basie Orchestra. Methods learned from the study of Al Grey's book Plunger Techniques were vital in the realization of his work. The digital transcription software Amazing Slow Downer by Roni Music aided in deciphering some of Grey's more complicated passages and, with octave displacement, helped bring previously inaudible moments to the foreground. / Dissertation/Thesis / Video File of Al Grey's Accompaniment to Joe Williams on "It's a Low Down Dirty Shame" from Astaire Time (1960) / Video File of Al Grey's Solo on Okay with Jay from Sitting In with Buddy Rich (1986) / D.M.A. Music 2011

The nature of uncertainty cannot be generically defined as it is domain and context specific. With that being the case, there have been several proposed models, all of which have their own associated benefits and shortcomings. From these models, it was decided that an R-fuzzy approach would provide for the most ideal foundation from which to enhance and expand upon. An R-fuzzy set can be seen as a relatively new model, one which itself is an extension to fuzzy set theory. It makes use of a lower and upper approximation bounding from rough set theory, which allows for the membership function of an R-fuzzy set to be that of a rough set. An R-fuzzy approach provides the means for one to encapsulate uncertain fuzzy membership values, based on a given abstract concept. If using the voting method, any fuzzy membership value contained within the lower approximation can be treated as an absolute truth. The fuzzy membership values which are contained within the upper approximation, may be the result of a singleton, or the vast majority, but absolutely not all. This thesis has brought about the creation of a significance measure, based on a variation of Bayes' theorem. One which enables the quantification of any contained fuzzy membership value within an R-fuzzy set. Such is the pairing of the significance measure and an R-fuzzy set, an intermediary bridge linking to that of a generalised type-2 fuzzy set can be achieved. Simply by inferencing from the returned degrees of significance, one is able to ascertain the true significance of any uncertain fuzzy membership value, relative to other encapsulated uncertain values. As an extension to this enhancement, the thesis has also brought about the novel introduction of grey analysis. By utilising the absolute degree of grey incidence, it provides one with the means to measure and quantify the metric spaces between sequences, generated based on the returned degrees of significance for any given R-fuzzy set. As it will be shown, this framework is ideally suited to domains where perceptions are being modelled, which may also contain several varying clusters of cohorts based on any number of correlations. These clusters can then be compared and contrasted to allow for a more detailed understanding of the abstractions being modelled.

An accurate estimate of the gasturbine inlet air temperature is essential to the stability of the engine since its control depends on it. Most supersonic military aircrafts have a design with the engine integrated in the fuselage which requires a rather long inlet duct from the inlet opening to the engine face. Such duct can affect the temperature measurement because of the heat flow between the inlet air and the duct skin. This is especially true when the temperature sensor is mounted close to the duct skin, which is the case for most engines. This master thesis project therefore revolved around developing a method to better estimate the engine inlet temperature and to compensate for the disturbances which a temperature sensor near the duct skin can be exposed to. A grey box model of the system was developed based on heat transfer equations between different components in the inlet, as well as predictions of temperature changes based on a temperature model of the atmosphere and thermodynamic laws. The unknown parameters of the grey box model were estimated using flight data and tuned to minimize the mean square of the prediction error. The numerical optimization of the parameters was performed using the Matlab implementations of the BFGS and SQP algorithms. An extended Kalman filter based on the model was also implemented. The two models were then evaluated in terms of how much the mean squared error was reduced compared to just using the sensor measurement to estimate the inlet air temperature. It was also analyzed how much the models reduced the prediction errors. A cross-correlation analysis was also done to see how well the model utilized the input signals. The results show that the engine inlet temperature can be estimated with good accuracy. The two models were shown to reduce the mean square of the prediction error by between 84 % and 89 % if you compare with just using the temperature sensor to estimate the temperature. The model which utilized the Kalman filtering was shown to perform slightly better than the other model. The relevance of different subcomponents of the model were investigated in order to see if the model could be simplified and maintain similar accuracy. Some investigations were also done with the relationship between different temperatures of the inlet to further understand the flow patterns of the inlet and to perhaps improve the model even more in the future. / En korrekt uppskattning av lufttemperaturen vid inloppet till turbofläktmotorer är väsentlig för stabil motorfunktion eftersom den direkt påverkar motorregleringen. För militära flygplan där motorn är integrerad i flygplansskrovet krävs ofta en relativt lång luftkanal för att leda luften till motorn. En sådan kanal kan påverka temperaturmätningen på grund av det värmeutbyte som sker mellan luften i kanalen och kanalväggen, speciellt då temperaturgivaren placeras nära kanalväggen eftersom den då kan påverkas av temperaturgränsskiktet nära kanalväggen. Det här examensarbetet handlade därför om att utveckla en metod för att bättre skatta temperaturen i motorinloppet och kompensera för de störningar som en temperaturgivare nära kanalväggen kan utsättas för. En fysikalisk model av systemet togs fram baserat på värmeöverföringen mellan olika komponenter i luftintagskanalen, samt ett sätt att förutse temperaturändringar baserat på en generell temperaturmodell för atmosfären och termodynamiska lagar. Många parametrar i den fysikaliska modellen av systemet var dock okända så dessa skattades baserat på flygdata. Parametrarna anpassades till modellen på ett sådant sätt att den genomsnittliga kvadraten av modellens skattningsfel minimerades. Den numeriska optimeringen av parametrarna utfördes med hjälp av Matlabs implementation av BFGS- och SQP-algoritmerna. Ett utökat kalmanfilter baserat på modellen implementerades också. De två modellerna utvärderades i termer av hur mycket de reducerade kvadraten av skattningsfelet och jämfördes med att endast använda temperaturmätningarna för att skatta temperaturen. Det undersöktes även hur mycket skattningsfelen reducerades. Korskorrelationen mellan skattningsfelet och insignalerna undersöktes även för att se om modellen hade utnyttjat insignalerna på ett bra sätt. Resultaten visar att det går att skatta temperaturen i motorinloppet med god noggrannhet. De två modellerna visade sig reducera den genomsnittliga kvadraten av skattningsfelet med mellan 84 % och 89 % om man jämför med att bara använda temperaturgivaren för att skatta temperaturen. Den modell som utnyttjade kalmanfiltrering visade sig ge något bättre resultat än den andra modellen. Olika delmodellers relevans undersöktes för att se om modellen kunde förenklas utan att modellens noggrannhet äventyrades. Några tester utfördes även för att undersöka förhållandet mellan olika temperaturer i intaget. Detta för att få en bättre förståelse för strömningen i intaget och resultatet skulle eventuellt kunna användas för att förbättra modellen ytterligare i framtiden.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The efficacy of immersion anaesthesia with tricaine methanesulfonate or propofol on silver catfish Rhamdia quelen was assessed through induction and recovery times and observation of mortality. Two types of comparisons were conducted: one contrasting grey silver catfish of three size ranges and another comparing two strains of the species, albino and grey. For tricaine methanesulfonate, there was no uniform relationship between the induction and recovery times and the size of the grey silver catfish. The grey animals were more sensitive to the anaesthetic than the albinos were, and recovery was also faster in the grey fish group. Induction of propofol anaesthesia had a direct relationship with size, with the small animals reaching anaesthesia stage earlier. No uniform pattern was observed for recovery among the three different sizes. Propofol promoted faster anaesthesia in the grey animals than in the albinos, but no direct relationship was observed for recovery between the strains. No mortality was detected throughout the experiment. This study reports a novel, efficient and practical use of propofol as an immersion anaesthetic for fish and notes the first time that silver catfish have been anesthetised with such an agent. The best outcomes with propofol were registered in the size range comparison, indicating that 12 mg.L-1 is the most efficient concentration to anesthetise the small fish and that 10 mg.L-1 is a more appropriate concentration for anaesthesia of the medium and large animals. With regard to tricaine methanesulfonate, 300 mg.L-1 promoted satisfactory results for anaesthesia of the large fish in the size range comparison and the albino in the strain comparison. The grey fish responded better to 100 mg.L-1 of the anaesthetic in the latter evaluation. These findings show that it is essential to consider size and strain when anesthetising silver catfish with tricaine methanesulfonate or propofol bath solution. / A eficácia da anestesia em banho de imersão com metanosulfonato de tricaína ou propofol em jundiá Rhamdia quelen foi avaliada através de tempos de indução e recuperação anestésica e observação de mortalidade. Foram realizados dois tipos de comparações: um contrastando jundiás cinzas de três tamanhos e outro comparando duas variedades da espécie, albina e cinza. Para metanosulfonato de tricaína, não houve relação uniforme entre tempos de indução e recuperação e tamanho dos jundiás. Os peixes cinzas foram mais sensíveis ao anestésico do que os albinos e a recuperação também ocorreu mais rapidamente nos animais cinzas. Indução anestésica com propofol apresentou relação direta com o tamanho dos peixes, sendo os pequenos os primeiros a atingirem o estágio de anestesia. Não foi observado padrão uniforme entre os diferentes tamanhos de peixe na recuperação. Propofol induziu anestesia mais rapidamente nos peixes cinzas do que nos albinos, mas não foi observada relação direta entre as duas variedades na recuperação. Não houve mortalidade ao longo do experimento. Este estudo descreve um uso novo, eficiente e prático de propofol como anestésico para banho de imersão em peixes, bem como o primeiro relato de anestesia de jundiá com este agente. Os melhores resultados com propofol foram registrados na comparação entre jundiás cinzas de diferentes tamanhos, indicando 12 mg.L-1 como a concentração mais eficaz para anestesia dos peixes pequenos e 10 mg.L-1 como a mais eficiente para os peixes médios e grandes. Com relação ao metanosulfonato de tricaína, 300 mg.L-1 promoveu resultados satisfatórios para anestesia dos peixes grandes na comparação entre tamanhos e para anestesia dos albinos na comparação entre variedades. Nesta última, os jundiás cinzas responderam melhor a concentração de 100 mg.L-1. Estes resultados demonstram ser essencial considerar tamanho e variação genética quando opta-se por anestesiar jundiás em banho de imersão com metanosulfonato de tricaína ou propofol.

The objective of this work was to study a technical, social and economical viability of the optimization for grey and rain waters for non drinkable consumption in the city of Santa Maria, RS. The volume of the rain water tank was dimensioned in 15 m³, and so, guaranteeing the water supply in 33,55%. The rain water tank mixed with grey waters was dimensioned in 2.12m³, providing 100% of demand. Rain water optimization system provides an economy of R$ 937,19/a year, and the value of its investment was estimated in R$ 8.078,34, with maintenance and operation cost of R$ 150,00/a year. Its present net value ranged from R$ 5.629,61 to R$ 7.665,49; the payback was from ten years and three months to eleven years and four months; the internal rate of return was between 7,41% and 5,97%, and the relation cost/benefit was from 1,49 to 1,66. The mixture system of rain and grey waters saves R$ 2.793,42/a year, and the investment value was estimated in R$ 25.384,33, with operation and maintenance cost of R$ 301,74/a year. Its present net value ranged from R$ 18.679,38 to R$ 24.449,23. Payback was from ten years and two months to ten years and eleven months; the internal rate of return (IRR) was between 7,51 and 6,22; and the relation cost/benefit was between 1,58 and 1,78. In relation to social viability, a survey with people from 200 homes was accomplished to verify knowledge and acceptance of those systems population. Both, rain and grey waters optimization studies have demonstrated to be technically, economically, and socially viable. / Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a viabilidade técnica, econômica e social do aproveitamento das águas de chuva e cinzas para consumo não potável na cidade de Santa Maria/RS. O volume do reservatório de água da chuva ficou dimensionado em 15 m³, garantindo o abastecimento de 33,55%. O reservatório de água da chuva misturado às águas cinzas foi dimensionado em 2,12 m³, atendendo a 100% da demanda. O sistema de aproveitamento de água da chuva proporciona uma economia de R$ 937,19/ano e seu valor de investimento foi estimado em R$ 8.078,34, com custo de operação e manutenção em R$ 150,00/ano. Seu valor presente líquido variou entre R$ 7.665,49 e R$ 5.629,61, o payback ou tempo de retorno de capital entre 10 anos e 3 meses e 11 anos e 4 meses, a taxa interna de retorno entre 7,41% e 5,97% e a relação benefício/custo entre 1,69 e 1,49. O sistema de mistura da água da chuva com as águas cinzas economiza R$ 2.793,42/ano e seu valor de investimento foi estimado em R$ 25.384,33, com custo de operação e manutenção em R$ 301,74/ano. Seu valor presente líquido variou entre R$ 24.449,23 e R$ 18.679,38, o payback ou tempo de retorno de capital entre 10 anos e 2 meses e 10 anos e 11 meses, a taxa interna de retorno entre 7,51% e 6,22% e a relação benefício/custo entre 1,78 e 1,58. Quanto à viabilidade social, foi realizada uma pesquisa com pessoas de 200 domicílios para verificar o conhecimento e aceitabilidade por parte da população dos sistemas. Tanto o estudo do aproveitamento das águas de chuva e cinzas demonstraram ser viáveis técnica, econômica e socialmente.