Institutional change in the natural sciences : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand /

This thesis investigates the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, a Centre of Research Excellence financed by the New Zealand Government's CoRE fund, which was established in 2001. The CoRE fund represented a change from traditional science funding in New Zealand. Its aim was to make use of existing networks of scientists, from several institutions and disciplines, to form new 'Centres of Research Excellence', independent from any existing institution, but made up of members who remained in their existing positions. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether the formation of the Allan Wilson Centre has made a difference to the way its members carry out their science and, if so, how. To do this, an actor-network approach is used to analyse the various 'modes of ordering' the Centre, to make sense of the networks represented by it. The results show an interesting shift in the way that science is carried out in the Allan Wilson Centre in contrast to the pre-Centre form. Although the focus of the Centre remains firmly on the science they do, they now also interact regularly with the discourse of management in order to better 'do' and 'encourage' their science, creating new successes but also new tensions. The importance of this thesis is two-fold. First, it provides a mechanism through which to 'hear' the voice of the Allan Wilson Centre and its members; and second, it provides a means through which science policy makers can see how this particular policy mechanism may have changed the process of science

Experimental Music Catalogue: Keyboard Anthology

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Asymmetrical variation in the trabecular bone within the human lumbar vertebrae of the Libben hunting population

Trabecular bone, a porous network of struts found within mammalian bone, has been understood to show regional variations in response to weight bearing activities. In this study, the L4 vertebrae were examined from a population of prehistoric hunters and gatherers, with the hypothesis that the trabecular bone would show left-right asymmetry that may be an indicator of asymmetry in trunk and upper limb use such as during spear throwing. The L4 vertebra of 10 male individuals aged 18-35 were digitally imaged using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Trabecular bone properties were quantified in the left and right sides of each vertebral body, then asymmetry determined as the difference. Trabecular bone volume, thickness, and number showed about 10% or less asymmetry. However, anisotropy and elongation, properties that are indicative of the shape and orientation of trabecular struts, showed 35% or greater asymmetry. These results are consistent with other studies that suggest trabecular shape and orientation may be indicators of habitual postural or activity loads. Future studies will explore whether there is a relationship between this asymmetry in the L4 vertebrae and asymmetry in other skeletal indicators of upper limb use (handedness), which may be useful in understanding the evolution of human tool use.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2014/1008/thumbnail.jp

Data-driven Linear Quadratic Tracking based Temperature Control of a Big Area Additive Manufacturing System

Designing efficient closed-loop control algorithms is a key issue in Additive Manufacturing (AM), as various aspects of the AM process require continuous monitoring and regulation, with temperature being a particularly significant factor. Here we study closed-loop control of a state space temperature model with a focus on both model-based and data-driven methods. We demonstrate these approaches using a simulator of the temperature evolution in the extruder of a Big Area Additive Manufacturing system (BAAM). We perform an in-depth comparison of the performance of these methods using the simulator. We find that we can learn an effective controller using solely simulated process data. Our approach achieves parity in performance compared to model-based controllers and so lessens the need for estimating a large number of parameters of the intricate and complicated process model. We believe this result is an important step towards autonomous intelligent manufacturing

Biologically Inspired Feedback Design for Drosophila Flight

We use a biologically motivated model of the Drosophila's flight mechanics and sensor processing to design a feedback control scheme to regulate forward flight. The model used for insect flight is the grand unified fly (GUF) [3] simulation consisting of rigid body kinematics, aerodynamic forces and moments, sensory systems, and a 3D environment model. We seek to design a control algorithm that will convert the sensory signals into proper wing beat commands to regulate forward flight. Modulating the wing beat frequency and mean stroke angle produces changes in the flight envelope. The sensory signals consist of estimates of rotational velocity from the haltere organs and translational velocity estimates from visual elementary motion detectors (EMD's) and matched retinal velocity filters. The controller is designed based on a longitudinal model of the flight dynamics. Feedforward commands are generated based on a desired forward velocity. The dynamics are linearized around this operating point and a feedback controller designed to correct deviations from the operating point. The control algorithm is implemented in the GUF simulator and achieves the desired tracking of the forward reference velocities and exhibits biologically realistic responses