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Since European settlement the Aspen Parkland has been subject to agricultural intensification. This research assessed the agronomic, ecologic and economic impact of native Parkland conversion into tame pasture, by building on a study initiated in 1980 investigating the short-term agronomic responses within three landscape-level treatments: an intensive Clear & Break (C&B), a Spray & Burn (S&B) and a burnt Native Check (NC). Historical information was supplemented with recently collected data (2005-2006). Production remained high within the NC relative to the others after 25 years, in part due to contributions from browse in areas with increasing woody species. Plant species composition also demonstrated considerable convergence (i.e. overlap) between native and tame grasslands, and although not different in soil organic matter, microfaunal activity differed marginally. Net present value (NPV) economic analysis indicated the NC and S&B provided greater aggregate returns over the study period, and has implications for aspen management in the future. / Rangeland and Wildlife Resources

Invasive species are problematic but their control can be difficult. When the history and dynamics of invasive populations are unknown, analytical techniques utilising genetic data can provide information to management. The application of these techniques has typically been limited to species with restricted dispersal or to localised geographic scales. Here these techniques are used in conjunction with traditional approaches to study the invasion of a highly vagile species over a continental scale. Originally introduced to eastern Australia, the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is expanding westward and has reached the southeast agricultural region of Western Australia (WA). Spatial, temporal and museum samples representing historical incursions into WA were used in genetic analyses to answer questions important to WA management agencies. Where possible, multiple marker classes were used to evaluate their relative ability to address these questions, including microsatellites, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and a nuclear gene. Between two and four genetic groups were identified in Australia, and the localities on the edge of the range expansion (ERE) were consistently genetically differentiated from all others. Levels of genetic exchange between groups appeared to be low, suggesting that localised control may be effective. Analyses of historical samples indicated patterns of genetic exchange are temporally stable. This suggests that starlings will continue to arrive from the east, requiring vigilance from management. Consistently, a negative relationship was found between genetic diversity and date of first record, which may help in the future to distinguish ineffective surveillance from recent colonisations. Genetic evidence of female-biased dispersal indicated that control strategies preferentially targeting females may more efficiently limit dispersal than those targeting both sexes equally. Variants private to particular genetic groups were identified; tracking the spread of these variants may assist future monitoring programs in understanding ongoing exchange between groups. One mtDNA variant private to ERE localities showed dramatic temporal change, which could not be adequately explained by genetic drift or admixture, but may be explained by selection. Microsatellites were most useful in determining origins and identifying dispersers, mtDNA sequences provided a unique tool for ongoing monitoring of dispersal, and nuclear sequences had high levels of gene diversity and resolution of population structure.

The objectives for the first part of this thesis were to describe changes in oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) in newly born infants in the delivery room (DR) and to illustrate the changes using centile reference charts. The objective of the second part of the thesis was to investigate whether infants < 29 weeks gestation who receive positive pressure ventilation (PPV), immediately after birth with a T-piece have higher SpO2 measurements at five minutes than infants ventilated with a self inflating bag (SIB). / Study Design. A prospective observational study was used to achieve the first objectives. For the second part of the thesis I coordinated a randomised, controlled trial of two devices used for resuscitation of extremely preterm infants in the DR where the primary outcome measure was SpO2. / Patients and methods. In all studies a Masimo Radical pulse oximeter (PO) was placed on the infant’s right hand/wrist immediately after birth. PO data (oxygen saturation, HR and signal quality) were downloaded every 2 sec and analysed only when the signal had no alarm messages (low IQ signal, low perfusion, sensor off, ambient light). / Results. Observational studies: The dataset to develop the reference range charts included 61,650 data points from 468 infants. Infants had a mean (range) gestational age of 38 (25-42) weeks and birthweight 2970 (625-5135) g. For all 468 infants at one minute the 3rd, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97th centiles were 29%, 39%, 66%, 87% and 92%; at two minutes 34%, 46%, 73%, 91% and 95% and at five minutes 59%, 73%, 89%, 97% and 98%. It took a median of 7.9 (IQR 5.0 to 10) minutes to reach a SpO2 > 90%. SpO2 of preterm infants rose more slowly than that of term infants. At one min the median (IQR) HR was 82 (66 to 138) bpm rising at two min and five min to 151 (112 to 169) bpm and 166 (148 to 176) bpm respectively. In preterm infants, the SpO2 and HR rose more slowly than term infants. / Randomised trial: Forty nine infants were randomly allocated to the T-piece and 50 to the SIB. Ten infants did not receive PPV, 4 (8%) in the T-piece group and 6 (12%) in the SIB group and were not included in the analysis. Forty-one infants received PPV with a T-piece and 39 with a SIB. At 5 minutes after birth there was no significant difference between the mean (SD) SpO2 in the T-piece and SIB groups [50 (31)% vs. 53 (25)%, (p=0.73)]. More T-piece infants received oxygen during DR resuscitation (100% vs. 90%, p=0.04). There was no significant difference between the groups in the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP); endotracheal intubation or administration of surfactant in the DR. Fewer of the T-piece group who left the DR on CPAP were intubated in the first 24 hrs after birth. (7% vs. 23%, p=0.05). / Conclusion. The centile charts developed in this thesis provide a reference range for SpO2 and HR in the first 10 minutes after birth for preterm and term infants. In the randomised trial there was no significant difference in SpO2 at five minutes after birth in extremely preterm infants given PPV with a T-piece or a SIB.

The viscosity and density of bis(8-methylnonyl) benzene-1,2- dicarboxylate {diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)}, with a nominal viscosity at T = 298 K and p = 0.1 MPa of 87 mPa•s, have been measured at temperatures from (298.15 to 423.15) K and pressures from (0.1 to 70) MPa. A vibrating wire viscometer, with a wire diameter of about 0.15 mm, was utilised for the viscosity measurements and the results have an expanded uncertainty, (k = 2), including the error arising from the pressure measurement, of between ±(2 and 2.5) % The density was determined with two vibrating tube densimeters one for operation at p≈0.1 MPa with an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of about ±0.1 %, the other that used at pressures up to 70 MPa, with an estimated expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of about ±0.3 %. Measurements of density and viscosity were performed on three samples of DIDP each with different purity stated by the supplier and as a function of water mass fraction. The measured viscosity and density are represented by interpolating expressions with differences between the experimental and calculated values that are comparable with the expanded (k = 2) uncertainties. The obtained viscosities at p = 0.1 MPa agree with values reported in the literature within the combined expanded (k = 2) uncertainties of the measurements while our densities differ by no more than 1.5 %. Viscosity data at p > 0.1 MPa deviate systematically from the literature values in the range of -10 % to 10 %. An apparatus capable of simultaneously measuring the solubility of a gas dissolved in a liquid and the viscosity and the density of the resulting mixture over a wide temperature and pressure range was constructed and tested. Preliminary results have been reported.

The spatial numerical range of an operator on a normed linear space and the algebra numerical range of an element of a unital Banach algebra, as developed by G. Lumer and F. F. Bonsall, are considered and the theory of such numerical ranges applied to Banach algebra. The first part of the thesis is largely expository as in it we introduce the basic results on numerical ranges. For an element of a unital Banach algebra, the question of approximating its spectrum by numerical ranges has been considered by F. F. Bonsall and J. Duncan. We give an alternative proof that the convex hull of the spectrum of an element may be approximated by its numerical range defined with respect to equivalent renormings of the algebra. In the particular case of operators on a Hilbert space, this leads to a sharper version of a result by J. P. Williams. An element is hermitian if it has real numerical range. Such an element is characterized in terms of the linear subspace spanned by the unit, the element and its square. This is used to characterize Banach*–algebras in which every self–adjoint element is hermitian. From this an elementary proof that such algebras are B*-algebras in an equivalent norm is given. As indicated by T. W. Palmer, a formula of L. Harris is then used to show that the equivalent renorming is unnecessary, thus giving a simple proof of Palmer's characterization of B*-algebras among Banach algebras. The closure properties of the spatial numerical range are studied. A construction of B. Berberian is extended to normed linear spaces, however because the numerical range need not be convex, the result obtained is weaker than that of Berberian for Hilbert spaces. A Hilbert space or an Lp-space, for p between one and infinity, is seen to be finite dimensional if and only if all the compact operators have closed spatial numerical range. The spatial numerical range of a compact operator, on a Hilbert space or an Lp-space, for p between one and infinity, is shown to contain all the non–zero extreme points of its closure. So, for a compact operator on a Hilbert space the spatial numerical range is closed if and only if it contains the origin, thus answering a question of P. R. Halmos. Operators that attain their numerical radius are also considered. A result of D. Hilbert is extended to a class of Banach spaces. In a Hilbert space the hermitian operators, which attain their numerical radius, are shown to be dense among all the hermitian operators. This leads to a stronger form of a result by J. Lindenstrauss in the spatial case of operators on a Hilbert space. / PhD Doctorate

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Botany, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-120).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Environmental Biology, 2002. / Accompanying CD-ROM inside back cover, includes Appendices. Bibliography: leaves 242-266.

Habilitationsschrift--Universität Münster with title: Die Wanderviehwirtschaft in den Hochgebirgs- und Beckenlandschaften der westlichen USA und ihre Auswirkungen im Naturraum. / Includes English summary. Includes bibliographical references (p. 419-469).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-53). Also available on the Internet.