House Prices, Non-Fundamental Components and Interstate Spillovers: The Australian Experience

Using Australian capital city data from 1984Q3-2008Q2, this paper utilizes a dynamic present value model within a VAR framework to construct time series of house prices depicting what aggregate house prices should be given expectations of future real disposable income – the ‘fundamental price’ – and continues by comparing capital city fundamental prices with actual prices. The extent to which revealed capital city ‘non-fundamental’ components spillover from state to state, as well as their long-term impact is also investigated. Results provide evidence of periods of sustained deviations of house prices from values warranted by income for all state capitals with the greatest deviations arising in the NSW market and starting around 2000. In general NSW is relatively more susceptible to spillovers transmitted from other states while ACT and WA are most isolated from the rest of the country.house prices, present value model, house price fundamentals, house price-income ratio, VAR/VEC modelling

A Theory-driven Approach to Subject Design in Teacher Education

The intent of this study was to examine how a theoretically-designed subject in an undergraduate teacher education course impacted on the learning and confidence of pre-service teachers in catering for the needs of students with diverse needs. The subject design utilised theoretical principles of self-organisation that were incorporated with the teaching and application of three evidence-based pedagogies of inclusion: explicit teaching, cooperative learning and collaborative practice. The study examined how the principles were enacted throughout the delivery of the subject and sought pre-service teacher reflections after completion. Initial findings suggest that embedding these principles and incorporating practical application throughout the subject assisted pre-service teachers with their learning, the completion of assessment and enhanced their confidence in being able to meet the needs of students with diverse needs

The Quantitative Genetics of Phenotypic Robustness

Phenotypic robustness, or canalization, has been extensively investigated both experimentally and theoretically. However, it remains unknown to what extent robustness varies between individuals, and whether factors buffering environmental variation also buffer genetic variation. Here we introduce a quantitative genetic approach to these issues, and apply this approach to data from three species. In mice, we find suggestive evidence that for hundreds of gene expression traits, robustness is polymorphic and can be genetically mapped to discrete genomic loci. Moreover, we find that the polymorphisms buffering genetic variation are distinct from those buffering environmental variation. In fact, these two classes have quite distinct mechanistic bases: environmental buffers of gene expression are predominantly sex-specific and trans-acting, whereas genetic buffers are not sex-specific and often cis-acting. Data from studies of morphological and life-history traits in plants and yeast support the distinction between polymorphisms buffering genetic and environmental variation, and further suggest that loci buffering different types of environmental variation do overlap with one another. These preliminary results suggest that naturally occurring polymorphisms affecting phenotypic robustness could be abundant, and that these polymorphisms may generally buffer either genetic or environmental variation, but not both

Assessing the value of trees in sustainable grazing systems

The retention of trees in strips provides an option for managing non-remnant woody vegetation in native and sown pastures in northern Australia. However, the impact of tree strips on pasture production has not been previously researched in detail in southern Queensland. The influence of existing tree strips on pasture production in southern Queensland was measured at three grazing properties during 2004 and 2005. Soil and pasture attributes were sampled along transects 80 to 300 metres in length positioned perpendicular to tree strips. The tree strips ranged from 15 to 75 metres wide and were 120 to 500 metres apart. The effects of tree strips along the pasture transect were quantified in terms of pasture microclimate (e.g. temperature, humidity and, at one location, wind), pasture growth in grazed and exclosed situations, soil water, soil nutrients and condition, and nutrient availability. An experimental approach using exclosed pasture transects provided a useful ‘bioassay’ potentially integrating beneficial and competitive effects of tree strips on pasture growth as well as other factors (e.g. soil variability). Averaged across two locations and two years, the competitive effects of the tree strip were compensated to some extent by enhanced pasture growth at distances of 1-6 x tree height from the tree strip edge. However, the observed effects on pasture growth along the transect were likely to be due to different causes: pasture microclimate at one site, soil texture and microtopography at a second site and pasture establishment history at a third site. Thus, the trial highlighted the difficulty of attributing effects in real-world situations, given the number of possible causes including the tree strip effects on pasture microclimate and nutrient availability, soil surface disturbance, and systematic variation on soil and water redistribution due to soil micro-topography and felled timber. Despite these many sources of variation, general effects were derived from the field data consistent with other studies on tree strips and wind breaks across Australia. To extrapolate the project results to other locations, tree strip configurations and climates, a new version of the soil waterpasture growth simulation model GRASP was developed allowing simulation of tree and pasture effects and processes for various distances along a pasture transect perpendicular from the tree strip

Validation of a Novel Patient Specific CT-Morphometric Technique for Quantifying Bone Graft Resorption Following the Latarjet Procedure

Bone graft resorption following the Latarjet procedure has received considerable concern. Current methods quantifying bone graft resorption rely on two-dimensional (2D) CT-scans or three-dimensional (3D) techniques, which do not represent the whole graft volume/resorption (i.e., 2D assessment) or expose patients to additional radiation (i.e., 3D assessment) as this technique relies on early postoperative CT-scans. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a patient-specific, CT-morphometric technique combining image registration with 3D CT-reconstruction to quantify bone graft resorption following the Latarjet procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Pre-operative and final follow-up CT-scans were segmented to digitally reconstruct 3D scapula geometries. A virtual Latarjet procedure was then conducted to model the timepoint-0 graft volume, which was compared with the final follow-up graft volume. Graft resorption at final follow-up was highly correlated to the 2D gold standard-technique by Zhu (Kendall tau coefficient = 0.73; p < 0.001). The new technique was also found to have excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability (ICC values, 0.931 and 0.991; both p < 0.001). The main finding of this study is that the technique presented is a valid and reliable method that provides the advantage of 3D-assessment of graft resorption at long-term follow-up without the need of an early postoperative CT-scan

The Grizzly, September 13, 1985

Freshmen Enter on High Note • U.C. Athletes are Scholars Too • New Look Campus • Letter: Enthusiastic USGA Says Be Prepared • Appointed Staff Members • Lentz Discusses Following the Leader • Grants Awarded • R.E.M. Returns With More Confidence • Squeeze Back In • Women\u27s Field Hockey Looking Strong • The Westhead is Dead • Soccer Adds Much Depth • McCloskey: Geared to do a Rambo • Welcome Back Coach • Shorts: Book Sale; Write You Are; Blanche Allen in Communications; Ursinus M.B.A. Gears up for Fall; Special Sirens; Ursinus Professor Attends Marketing Seminar; Chair of Physics Endowed; Ursinus College Receives Wellness Grant • Tannenbaum Wins Writing Honors For Second Yearhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1143/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 21, 1986

It\u27s Bid Day!: Three Weeks of Frat Pledging get Underway • Suite Living in Reimert • Unique Paper Sculptures get Positive Reactions • Intra-Mural Season Opens • Demerits, Profanity, Attack on Deans Mark Alcohol Policing in the Past • Disease, Dissent, Dissemblance: Mills of Bureaucracy Grind Exceeding Slow, But Grind Old Folks Exceeding Fine • U.C. Hosts MAC Wrestling Tourney • Men\u27s Track: Strong MAC Lineup • Gym Women get Trimmed • Missing Refs, Fan Riot: The Best Game Ever ? • SAC Funds Available • Women\u27s Studies Surveyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1158/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, February 7, 1986

Refrigerators are Still a Hot Issue • Bridge Reopens • Nursing Homes: Investigation II • Letters: Controversial Issue has no Basis; Space Shuttle: Tragedy Turned Spectacle; Times are Changing • USGA Election Candidates • Mer Chicks Take Two • Mermen Drown W. Maryland • Bears No. 2 in MAC • Lady Bears Thrash Haverford • Gymnasts Take Bryn Mawr • A Tough Job Gets Recognition • Track Team Impressive at Widener • Lab Manual to be Rewritten • Open Dialog: Women Ministers • Coulter Chosen MVPhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1156/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, March 25, 1986

The Day U.C. Shut Down • R.A. Selections Underway • Suggestions Being Taken for Forum Topics • Letter: Proud Parents Commend U.C.\u27s Talent • Learn to Swim • New Course for Lifeguards • BreMiller\u27s Diversified Interests • What are You Doing After Graduation? • Matthews an NEH Grant Recipient • Briefs: USGA Represented at Leadership Conference; Ray Bunt Honored at Luncheon; Science Fair in Helfferich; Senior Symposium Topics; Women\u27s Track • Men\u27s Lacrosse Club Starts New Season • Bears Even Record • Lady Bears Look to Win it all • Women\u27s Lacrosse to Begin • Gymnasts Deserted by Coach Morrison • A Reminiscent Backflip • Woody\u27s Hannah a Hit • Equipment Donatedhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1161/thumbnail.jp