Economic Evaluation of Phase Farming with Lucerne on the Esperance Sandplain

This study examines the profitability of phase farming with lucerne for a farming system on the South Coast of Western Australia. Consistent with previous studies, lucerne appears promising within niches in the farming system. However, further improvements in the production and / or utilisation of lucerne are likely to be required before widespread adoption is financially attractive. Several important conclusions emerge from this study: The profitability of lucerne is primarily due to savings on supplementary feed costs over summer and autumn. While lucerne does provide benefits to following crops, the net impact of lucerne on the profitability of a farmer's cropping programme is likely to be negligible. The profitability and optimal area of lucerne is likely to be significantly higher on farms where prime lamb production occurs. This will especially be the case where lambs are sold as carryover stock in mid-late summer. The economic value of lucerne diminishes as a larger area is established. The implication of this is that just because some lucerne is good, more may not necessarily be better. Lucerne appears able to provide some reduction in recharge without a loss in profit. However, for the farming district examined in this study, the dominance of high recharge soil groups creates particular challenges. Significant improvements in lucerne production and / or utilisation will be required before it will compete with current land uses on some of the major soil groups.Farm Management,

The Experience of Unemployment in Ireland: A Thematic Analysis

This paper reports on the results of 13 semi-structured focus groups carried out with unemployed respondents across Ireland in 2010. The purpose of the research is to examine the subjective experience of unemployment across a wide range of dimensions. 15 overarching themes emerged from a detailed thematic analysis of the texts of the interviews. The themes highlight a wide range of aversive psychological states associated with unemployment. The themes examine: perceptions of the economic boom; reactions to the recession; attitudes toward media coverage; gender differences in experiences of unemployment; financial worries relating to unemployment; perceptions of the position of young people; uncertainty about the future; lack of structure and routine associated with unemployment; health issues associated with unemployment; identity challenges; the social context of unemployment; issues surrounding reentering employment; attitudes toward social protection payments; social comparison effect and perceptions of training services. This paper concludes with a brief discussion of the psychological impact of unemployment.

Evaluation of supply control options for beef

End of project reportThe incomes of Irish cattle farmers benefited greatly from the reform of the CAP for beef and cereals in 1992 and more recently under Agenda 2000. In both of these reforms the institutional support prices were reduced and direct payments (DPs) were used to compensate farmers for the price reduction

The use of unsecured debt in REITs

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1995.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-56).by Michael J. O'Connell.M.S

Electrical impedance measurements of the uterine cervix in pregnancy

This is the first time that electrical impedance studies have been performed on the pregnant cervix.In this thesis the following has been demonstrated:1. An inter-observer variability in resistivity readings, initially of the order of 20%, but decreasing to 1% once proficiency with the technique was established.2. An intra-observer variability in resistivity readings of less than 15% in 94% of cases using the 5.5mm probe and 90% when using the 8mm probe.3. A degree of heterogeneity in the pregnant cervix as attested to by the differences in resistivity measurements on different sites on the cervix. Some of these changes were partly due to technical difficulties. Nevertheless there appeared to be an increase in extracellular resistivity measurements between the anterior and posterior lips of the external cervical os. 4. A positive correlation between the resistivity measurements and gestational age using the 5.5mm probe. No significant correlations were identified between resistivity readings and both parity and maternal age. 5. A statistically significant difference in resistivity readings when comparing the non-pregnant and pregnant cervix. The change in readings was in a direction which reflected the increase in tissue hydration described by others. 6. A statistically significant difference between readings for ripe and unripe cervices at the time of induction of labour, with a fall in extracellular resistivity with increasing favourability as assessed by the Bishop score. This was accompanied by an increase in intracellular resistivity with increasing cervical favourability. The effect of prostaglandin administration on the pregnant cervix demonstrated a decrease in extracellular resistivity and an increase in intracellular resistivity associated with the cervical ripening process. Whilst the results were neither of statistical nor of clinical significance, they were nevertheless in the direction predicted. 7. A statistically significant correlation between extracellular resistivity and interval to delivery using the 8mm probe. 8. A new investigative modality that had high patient acceptability. To date the findings demonstrated in this thesis conceptually agree with the literature on the pregnant cervix. Thus it is imperative to continue with further studies of this new investigative modality

Lectin based glycoprotein analysis

Many of the biopharmaceutical therapeutics entering the market and currently in clinical trails are recombinant glycoprotein molecules, the glycan moieties of which have a significant impact on efficacy and immunogenicity. The cell culture techniques required to produce these glycoproteins often result in products that are heterogeneous with respect to glycan content. This inconsistency ultimately leads to increased production costs and restricts patient accessibility to these therapeutics. To overcome these difficulties novel analytical platforms facilitating rapid in-process monitoring and product quality control are essential. Work undertaken within the Centre for Bioanalytical Sciences (CBAS) seeks to exploit the microbial world as a source of novel biorecognition elements to produce such platforms

Production of lectin-affinity matrices for process-scale glycoprotein purification

A selection of prokaryotic lectins with a variety of glycan specificities and affinities have been identified, cloned, expressed in Eschericia coli and characterised. The aims of this project are to: - express the lectins at 1L scale to produce sufficient quantities for immobilisation studies (~100 mg) - immobilisethelectinsonSepharose - evaluate lectin performance on column by monitoring their ability toreproducibly capture and elute glycoprotein glycoforms

Exploiting prokaryotic chitin-binding proteins for glycan recognition

• The cloning, expression and characterisation of prokaryotic chitin-binding proteins from Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Photorhabdus luminescens Microfluidics and Photorhabdus asymbiotica • Development of an assay to assess the activity of chitin-binding proteins • Mutagenesis of chitin-binding proteins to alter glycan recognition pattern

Negotiating the right path: Working together to effect change in healthcare service provision to Aboriginal peoples

This paper outlines the centrality of a Nyoongar worldview to an engagement framework designed with the Nyoongar community to enable the community to work meaningfully with service providers in the mental health and drug and alcohol sectors to bring about systems change. This paper follows on from a previous paper by the author (Wright 2011) in which the principles and methods of both Indigenous research and participatory action research are explored in relation to each other as a way of mitigating the delegitimising effects of colonisation. Privileging a Nyoongar worldview disrupts the dominant western paradigm so that service providers and the Nyoongar community can meaningfully work together to change the way services are provided to Nyoongar people experiencing mental health and drug and alcohol concerns, and indeed offer a way forward in working with other Aboriginal communities

New methods for the study of physicochemical processes relevant to the agrochemicals industry

This thesis concerns the application of modern analytical techniques for the study of a range of systems relevant to the agrochemicals industry, with a focus on adapting and further developing these technologies to the systems of study. The major systems involved include the study of bioadhesion relevant to plant root cells and their local environment, and the further study of the root cell surface. Evanescent wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (EW-CRDS) is the first major technique employed. For these studies a range of mimetic surfaces are designed to represent the plant cell surface and soil environment. These studies are then used to study various chemical functionalities, in the form of functional groups on polymer molecules, for adsorption properties on such surfaces. Kinetic information on the adsorption rates is measured in the form of initial rate constants. These studies are the extended to examine the cell membrane via the use of supported lipid bilayer (SLB) membranes by the combination with an impinging jet flow cell. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is then used to measure microparticle adsorption rates to functionalised surfaces. These studies then employ two different delivery systems, resulting in the development of a microscale vertical flow cell on the scale of individual plant cells. Understanding of the characteristics of this flow system are enhanced by the use of finite element modelling to examine the movement of the particles and flow rates. Finally, a range of electrochemical scanned probe microscopy (ECSPM) techniques are used to study the root cell surface and local environment, with a focus on assessment of each for such applications. Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is found to be the most applicable and initial work on flux imaging is performed