Asian and OECD international R&D spillovers

Previous studies have demonstrated an empirical relationship between accumulated R&D expenditures and total factor productivity (TFP), and have shown that the benefits of R&D can spill across countries through trade. This paper extends these analyses to a sample of 15 OECD countries and six Asian countries, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore and Thailand. An empirical model is estimated which relates TFP to domestic and foreign R&D activity, TFP catch-up and business cycle variables. Model estimates show that TFP and domestic R&D capital are positively related, and that domestic R&D has a relatively large impact on TFP growth in the NICs and LICs. Country-specific international R&D spillover elasticities are of mixed sign, and no apparent pattern by country group is evident. While this result does not change the earlier qualitative conclusions, it suggests that estimates of sample average R&D spillover elasticities should be cautiously interpreted.R&D activity; Asian and OECD spillovers

Advanced communications policy and adoption in rural Western Australia

Recent moves toward contestable universal service markets for rural areas raises issues of measuring the net cost of service provision. Measurement of net cost requires estimates of latent demand for advanced communications. This paper seeks for the first time to provide quantitative estimates of the magnitude of latent income pools available to carriers in rural WA. Estimates of latent expenditure on broadband services in rural WA are obtained using a combination of stated-preference and survey data. These expenditures increase with computer ownership, community isolation and information need. Further, the statistical model supports the commonly held belief that more distant populations have stronger information demands and are willing to pay for services. This finding suggests that carrier aversion to providing services to rural regions may not be justified on commercial grounds.Advanced communications; broadband service; internet rural access; universal service obligations

Development of 11- to 16-year-olds' short-term power output determined using both treadmill running and cycle ergometry

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordPURPOSE: To investigate the development of peak power output (PP) and mean power output (MP) during two different modes of exercise in relation to sex and concurrent changes in age, body mass, fat-free mass (FFM), maturity status and, in the case of MP, peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]). METHODS: PP and MP were determined cycling against a fixed braking force (Wingate anaerobic test) and running on a non-motorized treadmill. Peak [Formula: see text] was determined using cycle ergometry and treadmill running. 135 (63 girls) students initially aged 11-14 years were tested over 2 days on three annual occasions. The data were analysed using multiplicative allometric modelling which enables the effects of variables to be partitioned concurrently within an allometric framework. Multiplicative models were founded on 301 (138 from girls) determinations of PP and MP on each ergometer. RESULTS: With body mass controlled for, both PP and MP increased with age but maturity status did not independently contribute to any of the multiplicative allometric models. Boys' PP and MP were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than girls' values on both ergometers. On both ergometers in both sexes, the most powerful morphological influence on PP and MP was FFM. Ergometer-specific peak [Formula: see text] had a significant (p < 0.05), additional effect in explaining the development of MP. CONCLUSIONS: The development of short-term power output is sex specific but within sex multiplicative allometric models of running- and cycling-determined PP and MP were similar, suggesting that either mode of exercise can be used in future studies of short-term power output in youth.Community FundDarlington Trus

Time-variation of Jupiter's internal magnetic field consistent with zonal wind advection

Determination of the time dependency (secular variation) of a planet’s magnetic field provides a window into understanding the dynamo responsible for generating its field. However, of the six Solar System planets with active dynamos, secular variation has been firmly established only for Earth. Here, we compare magnetic field observations of Jupiter from the Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and Ulysses spacecraft (acquired 1973–1992) with a new Juno reference model (JRM09). We find a consistent, systematic change in Jupiter’s field over this 45-year time span, which cannot be explained by changes in the magnetospheric field or by changing the assumed rotation rate of Jupiter. Through a simplified forward model, we find that the inferred change in the field is consistent with advection of the field by Jupiter’s zonal winds, projected down to 93–95% of Jupiter’s radius (where the electrical conductivity of the hydrogen envelope becomes sufficient to advect the field). This result demonstrates that zonal wind interactions with Jupiter’s magnetic field are important and lends independent support to atmospheric and gravitational-field determinations of the profile of Jupiter’s deep winds

The Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS)

This paper describes the Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS) under construction at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) of the Australian National University (ANU) for the ANU 2.3m telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory. WiFeS is a powerful integral field, double-beam, concentric, image-slicing spectrograph designed to deliver excellent thoughput, wavelength stability, spectrophotometric performance and superb image quality along with wide spectral coverage throughout the 320-950 nm wavelength region. It provides a 25x38 arcsec. field with 0.5 arcsec. sampling along each of twenty five 38X1 arcsec slitlets. The output format is optimized to match the 4096x4096 pixel CCD detectors in each of two cameras individually optimized for the blue and the red ends of the spectrum, respectively. A process of "interleaved nod-and-shuffle" will be applied to permit quantum noise-limited sky subtraction. Using VPH gratings, spectral resolutions of 3000 and 7000 are provided. The full spectral range is covered in a single exposure at R=3000, and in two exposures in the R=7000 mode. The use of transmissive coated optics, VPH gratings and optimized mirror coatings ensures a throughput (including telescope atmosphere and detector) > 30% over a wide spectral range. The concentric image-slicer design ensures an excellent and uniform image quality across the full field. To maximize scientific return, the whole instrument is configured for remote observing, pipeline data reduction, and the accumulation of calibration image libraries.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science, 16 pages, 14 figure