cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Five Multi Attribute Utility Instruments
Creators: name: Hawthorne, Graeme
name: Richardson, Jeff
name: Day, Neil Atherton
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper presents the results of the validation study carried out to evaluate the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) Instrument for the measurement of health related quality of life and utility. It involves, inter alia, the largest comparison of utility instruments that has been carried out to date. The five instruments included in the study are the AQoL, the Canadian HUI III, the Finnish 15D, the EuroQoL (EQ5D) and the SF36 with UK utility weights as quantified by Brazier (1998). The paper compares: (i) the absolute utility score obtained by different sub-populations; (ii) instrument sensitivity; (iii) the incremental differences in utility between different health states; (iv) the structural properties of descriptive systems; and (v) a limited comparison with a Time Trade-Off (TTO) assessment of own health by individuals. Using these criteria the AQoL performs very well. Its predicted utilities are very similar to those obtained from the HUI. There is evidence that the AQoL has greater sensitivity to health states than other instruments and its psychometric properties, as usually judged, are excellent. Despite this, it is concluded that, at present, no single MAU system can claim to be the gold standard and that researchers should select an instrument that is sensitive to the health states which they are investigating and that caution should be exercised in treating any of the instrument results as representing a utility score which truly represents a trade-off between life and health related quality of life.
Lipase-mediated epoxidation of alkenes in supercritical carbon dioxide
Creators: name: Zhang, Jiaxin
name: Qian, Wenwei
name: Wang, Chunyu
name: Cao, Ziyi
name: Chen, Shanshan
name: Zhang, Liu
name: Zhang, Yang
name: Wang, Lei
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Genetics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Plant Biology

description: In this work, supercritical carbon dioxide was used as reaction media in the lipase-mediated epoxidation of alkenes for the first time. Under the optimal conditions (alkene (1 mmol), novozym 435 (15 mg), H2O2 (50% aqueous solution, 1.4 mmol), n-caprylic acid (0.05 mmol), 40°C, scCO2 (10 MPa, 25 mL)), high yields (83–98%) of epoxidation of alkenes could be obtained in a short reaction time. Furthermore, novozym 435 exhibited a satisfactory reusability in the epoxidations. Thus, this work not only presents a green and mild method of lipase-mediated epoxidation with higher yield and reaction rate than other lipase-mediated routes ever reported but also expands the application of supercritical carbon dioxide in enzyme catalytic promiscuity.
Further evidence on game theory, simulated interaction, and unaided judgement for forecasting decisions in conflicts
Creators: name: Green, Kesten C.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: If people in conflicts can more accurately forecast how others will respond, that should help them make better decisions. Contrary to expectations, earlier research found game theorists’ forecasts less accurate than forecasts from student role players. To assess whether game theorists had been disadvantaged by the selection of conflicts, I obtained forecasts for three new conflicts of types preferred by game theory experts. As before, role-players in simulated interactions were students and other students provided forecasts using their judgement. For eight conflicts, including five from earlier research, 102 forecasts by 23 game theorists were no more accurate (31%) than 357 forecasts by students who used unaided judgement (32%). Of 105 simulated-interaction forecasts, 62% were accurate: an average error reduction of 47% over game-theorist forecasts. Forecasts can sometimes have value without being strictly accurate. Assessing the usefulness of forecasts led to the same conclusions about the relative merits of the methods.
title: SIDI-EL-HANI
title: SIDI-EL-HANI
title: Atlas archéologique de la Tunisie
Creators: name: Babelon, Ernest Charles François
name: Babelon, Ernest Charles François > Auteur
name: Cagnat, René Louis Victor > Auteur
name: Reinach, Salomon > Auteur
Publisher: name: NAKALA - https://nakala.fr (Huma-Num - CNRS)
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/04ces3204
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Archéologie
subject: Antiquité
subject: Recherche archéologique
subject: Savoirs (Les)
subject: Cartographie
subject: Atlas
subject: Atlas archéologique

description: [Atlas archéologique de la Tunisie ; Edition spéciale des cartes topographiques publiées par la ministère de la Guerre, accompagnée d’un texte explicatif rédigé par E. Babelon, R. Cagnat et S. Reinach, membres de la Commission de l’Afrique du Nord (1ère série, 60 feuilles au 1/50 000 et notices)]
description: Atlas
description: Atlas-Archeo-Tunisie_051
description: 1/50 000
description: La Méditerranée à la carte
description: Paris
description: Source: Institut de recherche sur le Maghreb contemporain (IRMC); Cité numérique de la Méditerranée (MMSH)
description: Source: La Méditerranée à la carte
description: Source: La Méditerranée à la carte > Atlas archéologique de la Tunisie
description: Relation: https://cinumed.mmsh.univ-aix.fr/idurl/1/96224
description: Coverage: Tunisie
description: Coverage: Sidi El-Hani
description: Coverage: Antiquité
description: Temporal: Antiquité
description: Provenance: Institut de recherche sur le Maghreb contemporain (IRMC); Cité numérique de la Méditerranée (MMSH)
Fringe Benefits Tax Reforms How Effective Have They Been?
Creators: name: Gumley, Wayne
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The Australian Fringe Benefits Tax system has undergone several waves of reform in recent years. This paper seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of those reforms by reference to the policy objectives underlying the system. In particular equity objectives are examined by reference to the extent to which the system continues to permit tax-effective salary & benefit packaging to some sectors of the community. The conclusion reached is that the policy objectives behind the FBT reforms have not been achieved. Whilst the current rules provide a general disincentive for employers to provide fringe benefits, there are still many specific situations in which fringe benefits provide a highly tax effective alternative to salary or wages. Options for reform are suggested in the areas of on-costs, car benefits, and treatment of rebateable and exempt employers.
A Review of Methodological Issues in the Conduct of WTP Studies in Health Care II: Administration of a CV Survey
Creators: name: Smith, Richard
name: Olsen, Jan Abel
name: Harris, Anthony H.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility, analyses have historically been the most widely used techniques of economic evaluation applied to the evaluation of health care programs. However, in recent years there has been renewed interest in the use of cost-benefit analysis, which requires the assessment of programme benefits in monetary terms. The emerging consensus is that such monetary valuation is most appropriately obtained using a survey of individual `willingness-to-pay' (WTP) for the program of interest. There are obviously a considerable number of methodological issues and potential biases to be considered in performing such a survey, which may be grouped into three main areas: (i) the construction and specification of the contingent market; (ii) the administration of the survey; and (iii) the analysis and interpretation of the WTP data. In addition, there are a few issues which also warrant consideration, such as assessing validity and reliability, and the impact of ability to pay and income distribution issues. This paper is concerned with assessing the administration of the CV survey. The other issues are considered in companion Working Papers. Administration of the survey concerns the presentation of the contingent market to the respondent. The two main issues within this are the format of the questionnaire presented to the respondents, and the mode of administration of the questionnaire (critically, face-to-face interview or not). Other issues relevant within this broad area of presentation include, for example, the order of questions as posed to respondents, whether an explicit budget constraint is invoked, the sample from whom values should be elicited and possible bias caused by specifying values or by the interviewer. Each of these is discussed in this paper. The paper considers the literature relating to the issues mentioned, and uses this to derive a set of `recommendations' for current `state of the art' conduct of WTP surveys with respect to survey administration. WTP studies conducted to date in health and health care are then reviewed with such recommendations in mind, to assess the degree to which they reflect this `state of the art'. It is concluded that such studies perform poorly when judged in this manner.
Fractional Cointergration: Bayesian Inferences using a Jeffreys Prior
Creators: name: Martin, Gael M.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The concept of fractional cointegration, whereby deviations from an equilibrium relationship follow a fractionally integrated process, has attracted some attention of late. The extended concept allows cointegration to be associated with mean reversion in the error, rather than requiring the more stringent condition of stationarity. This paper presents a Bayesian method for conducting inference about fractional cointegration. The method is based on an approximation of the exact likelihood, with a Jeffreys prior being used to offset an identification problem. Inferences are based on marginal posterior densities, estimated via a combination of Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. The procedure is applied to several purchasing power parity relations, with substantial evidence found in favor of parity reversion.
Dead Man Walking: An Empirical Reassessment of the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment Using the Bounds Testing Approach to Cointegration
Creators: name: Narayan, Paresh Kumar
name: Smyth, Russell
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper empirically estimates a murder supply equation for the United States from 1965 to 2001 within a cointegration and error correction framework. Our findings suggest that any support for the deterrence hypothesis is sensitive to the inclusion of variables for the effect of guns and other crimes. In the long-run we find that real income and the conditional probability of receiving the death sentence are the main factors explaining variations in the homicide rate. In the short-run the aggravated assault rate and robbery rate are the most important determinants of the homicide rate.
Dividend Reinvestment Plans in Australia
Creators: name: Chan, Keith K. W.
name: McColough, Damien W.
name: Skully, Michael T.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Dividend reinvestment plans (DRPs) were introduced in Australia in 1982 primarily to help shareholders purchase new shares without transaction costs. Variants of the basic DRP were soon developed for taxation reasons to allow for income streaming. This paper examines the basic characteristics and the development of Australian DRPs. The impact of DRPs on firm value through information asymmetry and taxation is also discussed. With significant participation rates, DRPs will continue to be a major source of new equity capital for Australian companies.
On the Identification and Estimation of Partially Nonstationary ARMAX Systems
Creators: name: Poskitt, D. S.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper extends current theory on the identification and estimation of vector time series models to nonstationary processes. It examines the structure of dynamic simultaneous equations systems or ARMAX processes that start from a given set of initial conditions and evolve over a given, possibly infinite, future time horizon. The analysis proceeds by deriving the echelon canonical form for such processes. The results are obtained by amalgamating ideas from the theory of stochastic difference equations with adaptations of the Kronecker index theory of dynamic systems. An extension of these results to the analysis of unit-root, partially nonstationary (cointegrated) time series models is also presented, leading to straightforward identification conditions for the error correction, echelon canonical form. An innovations algorithm for the evaluation of the exact Gaussian likelihood is given and the asymptotic properties of the approximate Gaussian estimator and the exact maximum likelihood estimator based upon the algorithm are derived. Examples illustrating the theory are discussed and some experimental evidence is also presented.
Single Source of Error State Space Approach to the Beveridge Nelson Decomposition
Creators: name: Anderson, Heather M.
name: Low, Chin Nam
name: Snyder, Ralph D.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: A well known property of the Beveridge Nelson decomposition is that the innovations in the permanent and transitory components are perfectly correlated. We use a single source of error state space model to exploit this property and perform a Beveridge Nelson decomposition. The single source of error state space approach to the decomposition is computationally simple, and in contrast to other methods of performing the Beveridge-Nelson decomposition, it incorporates the direct estimation of the long-run multiplier.
Increasing brand loyalty of generation Y for future marketers
Creators: name: Lazarevic, Violet
name: Petrovic-Lazarevic, Sonja
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The paper extends the fields of generation Y and brand loyalty by examining the influencing loyalty in the generation Y segment. Generation Y, one of the most important cohorts in today's market, is difficult to market to because of its dislike of traditional marketing and disloyalty to brands. The current literature does not distinguish generation Y as an important cohort, nor does it address how its disloyal behavior could be changed. The proposed conceptual model points to the contextualization of brand loyalty drivers for the generation Y segment and investigation into how marketing tools can be used to influence loyalty.
Challenges of Leadership in Yugoslav Building Construction Industry
Creators: name: Petrovic-Lazarevic, Sonja
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The aim of the paper is to highlight the prevailing top leadership styles in the Yugoslav Building and Construction Industry (BCI), known as an industry that significantly influences economic development of the country. Since Yugoslavia (YU) is the latest former East European country to fully enter the transition from a self-managed to a market economy, this industry faces a demand to quickly develop global competitiveness. One way to gain competitive advantage is to have top management styles supported by social protection programs (SPP). Since this is not the case in YU at present, leadership in the BCI struggles with many challenges that slow down the transition process.
An Integrated Test Of The Unitary Household Model: Evidence From Pakistan
Creators: name: Maitra, Pushkar
name: Ray, Ranjan
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The conventional unitary model of household behaviour has been tested in several recent studies using, mostly, data from developed countries. These are generally based on a test of the underlying hypothesis that household members pool their income between themselves so that the household acts as a single individual. There is another hypothesis, underlying the unitary model, that each individual pools her/his income from different sources. This paper proposes a test of both these pooling assumptions in an integrated framework and applies it to Pakistani data. We use a simultaneous equation estimation framework which, besides treating the resource variables and household expenditure as jointly endogenous, also allows for correlation between the errors in the different equations. The results show that the outcome of the test of pooling varies between the poor and non poor households. Moreover, contrary to much of the existing evidence on other countries, there is not much support for the "crowding out" of private remittance by other income (earned or unearned). The paper has both methodological and policy interest that extends beyond the immediate context of Pakistan.
Properties of the sieve bootstrap for fractionally integrated and non-invertible processes
Creators: name: Poskitt, D. S.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: In this paper we will investigate the consequences of applying the sieve bootstrap under regularity conditions that are sufficiently general to encompass both fractionally integrated and non-invertible processes. The sieve bootstrap is obtained by approximating the data generating process by an autoregression whose order h increases with the sample size T. The sieve bootstrap may be particularly useful in the analysis of fractionally integrated processes since the statistics of interest can often be non-pivotal with distributions that depend on the fractional index d. The validity of the sieve bootstrap is established and it is shown that when the sieve bootstrap is used to approximate the distribution of a general class of statistics admitting an Edgeworth expansion then the error rate achieved is of order O(Tβ+d−1), for any β > 0. Practical implementation of the sieve bootstrap is considered and the results are illustrated using a canonical example.
Some nonlinear exponential smoothing models are unstable
Creators: name: Hyndman, Rob J.
name: Akram, Muhammad
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper discusses the instability of eleven nonlinear state space models that underly exponential smoothing. Hyndman et al. (2002) proposed a framework of 24 state space models for exponential smoothing, including the well-known simple exponential smoothing, Holt's linear and Holt-Winters' additive and multiplicative methods. This was extended to 30 models with Taylor's (2003) damped multiplicative methods. We show that eleven of these 30 models are unstable, having infinite forecast variances. The eleven models are those with additive errors and either multiplicative trend or multiplicative seasonality, as well as the models with multiplicative errors, multiplicative trend and additive seasonality. The multiplicative Holt-Winters' model with additive errors is among the eleven unstable models. We conclude that: (1) a model with a multiplicative trend or a multiplicative seasonal component should also have a multiplicative error; and (2) a multiplicative trend should not be mixed with additive seasonality.
A comparison of methods for forecasting demand for slow moving car parts
Creators: name: Snyder, Ralph D.
name: Beaumont, Adrian
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper has a focus on non-stationary time series formed from small non-negative integer values which may contain many zeros and may be over-dispersed. It describes a study undertaken to compare various suitable adaptations of the simple exponential smoothing method of forecasting on a database of demand series for slow moving car parts. The methods considered include simple exponential smoothing with Poisson measurements, a finite sample version of simple exponential smoothing with negative binomial measurements, and the Croston method of forecasting. In the case of the Croston method, a maximum likelihood approach to estimating key quantities, such as the smoothing parameter, is proposed for the first time. The results from the study indicate that the Croston method does not forecast, on average, as well as the other two methods. It is also confirmed that a common fixed smoothing constant across all the car parts works better than maximum likelihood approaches.
Performance related pay in the Australian public service
Creators: name: Turberville, Sarah
name: Barrett, Rowena
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Governments must strive to do things better, with fewer resources, and above all, differently' (OECD, 1995:6). Public sector reform seeks to develop a performance-oriented culture in an effort to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the provision and delivery of public services. The implementation of a performance management system and in particular performance related pay, is integral to the achievement of such public sector reform. There are however two research paradigms which inform the assessment and analysis of performance related pay. In this paper these paradigms are explored through a study of the implementation of PRP in the Australian Public Service.
An Inframarginal Analysis of the Heckscher-Olin Model
Creators: name: Yang, Xiaokai
name: Cheng, Wenli
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: In the paper we check if the four core theorems of trade, the Heckscher-Olin (HO) theorem, the Stopler-Samuelson theorem, the Rybczynski theorem, and factor equalization theorem, hold in a general equilibrium analysis with endogenous prices of goods and factors and if they hold when all trade patterns outside the diversification cone and discontinuous jumps of general equilibrium between different trade patterns are considered. Also, comparative advantage in technology between countries is added to comparative advantage in endowments to accommodate empirical evidences that are incompatible with the core theorems. The HO theorem can stand the test though it needs to be refined when technical comparative advantage is introduced. The other core theorems cannot stand the test.
Additional file 1 of Reproducibility of serum cytokines in an elderly population
Creators: name: Guo, Jing
name: Schupf, Nicole
name: Mayeux, Richard P.
name: Gu, Yian
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified

description: Additional file 1: Table S1. Assessments on the temporal reproducibility of circulating cytokines in previous studies. Fig. S1. Paired repeated measures correlation among different cytokines. Fig. S2. ICC (95% CI) of cytokines by excluding the subjects with undetectable values. Fig. S3. ICC (95% CI) of cytokines when additionally adjusting for baseline comorbidities. Fig. S4. ICC (95% CI) of cytokines when additionally adjusting for BMI categories. Fig. S5. ICC (95% CI) of cytokines when additionally adjusting for time of day of blood sample collection. Fig. S6. ICC (95% CI) of cytokines stratified by sex.
Competition Effects of Import Discipline in Korea
Creators: name: Min, Byung S.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Whether an increase in foreign competition, in an imperfectly competitive market structure, really provides an additional avenue of enforcement of more competitive market behaviour and increases the efficiency of resource allocation provides an important policy implication for competition policy. This paper, using the two-stage least-square method based on 77 KSIC 4-digit level of Korean manufacturing data, provides evidence that the import discipline hypothesis is applicable in a small open developing economy. In particular, the constraint by foreign competition on domestic firms' monopoly power will be greater, the greater the liberalisation of trade in the Korean manufecturing. Meanwhile, the paper also investigates economic factors that affected industry concentration. These results imply that an increase of foreign competition is essential to implement competition policy, particularly in a highly concentrated industry. The other iniplication for public policy is that financial subsidies for selected industries and firms as a development policy accelerate concentration of market structure and, coupled with protection, distort efficiency in resource allocation.
Dynamic Analysis of a 'Solow-Romer' Model of Endogenous Economic Growth
Creators: name: Schmidt, Gordon
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The model of endogenous economic growth developed by Paul Romer (1990a) is briefly reviewed and modified by substituting a Solow type consumption function in place of the utility maximising behaviour of consumers. The dynamic system and steady-state growth path of this Solow-Romer model are then derived. Such modification allows the dynamics of the model, in response to certain economic shocks, to be examined in terms of phase diagrams; and illustrates the instructional power of this approach. The impacts of the same economic shocks are also analysed more directly by numerical integration of the differential equations and boundary conditions describing the dynamic system of the model. Adjustment processes are found to be relatively lengthy; and to be characterised by significant initial jumps or discontinuities in certain variables. Furthermore, in some cases these initial jumps can be in the opposite direction to that of the subsequent adjustment. Such results emphasise the importance of explicit analysis of the dynamics of the adjustment paths of growth models and their relevance for economic policy.
Causality in international capital movements: the income mobility of Australian investment abroad
Creators: name: Brooks, Robert D.
name: Fausten, Dietrich K.
name: Silvapulle, Param
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper explores the hypothesis that international capital flows are driven in part by the level of economic activity. It investigates the existence of the income mobility of capital, as distinct from the interest mobility of capital, by using Hsiao's approach to testing for Granger causality to model the relationship between Australian investment abroad and the Australian real GDP. We find some evidence that income causes capital flows but no evidence to support reverse causation from capital flows to income. This result suggests that the analytical construct of the income mobility of capital has empirical content.
Union effectiveness: it ain't watcha do - it's the way that you do it - that's what gets results
Creators: name: Hanley, Glennis
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The main theme of this paper is an overview of the main approaches to organisational effectiveness and to examine the extant studies into union effectiveness. Research attention to the subject of organisational effectiveness has been considerable over recent years. Yet despite the large volume of research effort, it appears that there is little agreement as to what organisational effectiveness is, or indeed, how to measure it. Various approaches have been proposed ranging from the rational-goal approach to the competing-values approach. Generally speaking, two generic theoretical approaches - the rational-goal and the systems approach appear to capture the essence of organisational effectiveness. Rather surprisingly, there appears to have been little systematic effort to apply theories of organisational effectiveness to a union context, both internationally, and in Australia. What has emerged however, from these studies is that internal democracy is an important variable associated with perceptions of union effectiveness.
Population Dynamics and Animal Welfare
Creators: name: Ng, Yew-Kwang
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Natural selection favours the maximization of the number of surviving offspring. This need not result in the maximization of the welfare of individuals in the species. In some cases, it is not far from the maximization misery. The contrast between growth maximization and welfare maximization is first illustrated for a single population. In the Lotka-Volterra model of competing species and its generalizations, the choice of different birthrates does not affect the population sizes at equilibrium. Welfare could be increased without even sacrificing numbers (at equilibrium).
Flexible exchange rates and traded goods prices: a theory of the short-run
Creators: name: Menon, Jayant
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The volatility displayed by floating exchange rates has revived interest in the relationship between exchange rates and traded goods prices. This paper aims to provide a theory of exchange rates and traded goods prices in the short-run. In particular, it examines how various factors can cause exchange rate pass-through to be incomplete in the short-run but not in the long-run. These include: (i) menu costs, (ii) the costs of changing supply, (iii) the dynamics of demand response to price changes, (iv) order-delivery lags, (v) forward exchange cover, and (vi) the currency denomination of trade contracts. From a policy perspective, the presence of these factors could account for the often prolonged adjustment of trade balances to exchange rate changes, and the failure of exchange rate volatility to perceptibly affect the volume of international trade flows.
Real Stock Returns: Non-Normality, Seasonality, and Volatility Persistence, But No Predictability
Creators: name: Bidarkota, Prasad V.
name: McCulloch, J. Huston
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: We investigate persistence in CRSP monthly real stock returns, using a statespace model with symmetric stable disturbances. The non-Gaussian state-space model is estimated by maximum likelihood, using the optimal filtering algorithm given by Sorenson and Alspach (1971). Volatility seasonals and volatility persistence are quite strong. The conditional distribution has a stable a of 1.89, and normality is strongly rejected. However, stock returns do not contain a significant mean-reverting component. The optimal predictor is the unconditional expectation of the series, which we estimate to be 9.2 percent per annum.
Quantum-Assisted Waste Disposal: Advanced Technologies for a Sustainable Future
Creators: name: Ramon Moses
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Quantum physics
subject: Quantum chemistry
subject: Quantum field theory
subject: Ramon Moses
subject: Quantum Waste Disposal
subject: Global waste management
subject: Quantum-Assisted Waste Disposal

description: This paper explores the application of quantum technologies in waste management, focusing on how quantum computing, sensors, and simulation can optimize recycling, pollutant detection, and waste-to-energy processes. By integrating quantum-assisted approaches, waste disposal can become more efficient, eco-friendly, and resource-optimized. This framework examines the technologies, practical applications, and scenarios illustrating how quantum mechanics can address waste challenges and drive global sustainability.
Gender, social support, and strain: what is helpful to whom?
Creators: name: Lindorff, Margaret
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This study had two major goals: (a) to test in a sample of managers for the relationship between strain and perceived and received social support; and (b) to assess the influence of manager sex on the effectiveness of perceived and received social support. Data was gathered from 108 female and 342 male managers. Perceived support was associated with reduced strain for both women and men. However, the effectiveness of received support was related to the gender congruence of the type of support received. Receiving emotional support was associated with increased strain for men, and those who received the support for an important stressor reported most strain. However, receiving emotional support was not associated with strain for women, and receiving information and tangible assistance was not associated with strain for managers of either sex. Additionally, an unexpected finding was that, for men, received emotional support and received tangible assistance buffered the effects of perceived support.
Heritage Tourism At Eureka Stockade: A Comparative View
Creators: name: Frost, Warwick
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Victoria, California and New Zealand share a common heritage based on the great Gold Rushes of the mid-nineteenth century. This paper aims to increase understanding of the patterns and potential of heritage tourism by a comparative examination of Gold Rush heritage attractions in these three regions.
Outsourcing: an historical perspective
Creators: name: Hanson, Darren N.
name: Sarros, James C.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper examines the evolution of the relationship of human capital available, to the firm, by examining the background to outsourcing and the contingent workforce. The economic and sociological perspectives of the transition to and from outsourced work are discussed. Lastly, arguments relating to flexibility of work practices are presented.
Studies in Bright Electron Beams for Free Electron Lasers
Creators: name: TESSA KATHLEEN CHARLES
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Applied Physics

description: This thesis investigates some key factors that threaten to degrade the beam quality in a type of particle accelerator known as a Free Electron Laser (FEL). In particular, focus was drawn to the electron beam emittance as it is of critical importance to the final x-ray spectral brightness produced by the Free Electron Laser. A technique was developed to suppress electron beam instabilities, which results in greatly improved Free Electron Laser performance, ultimately enabling more high-impact research at FEL facilities.
Case Complexity and Citation to Judicial authority - Some Empirical Evidence from the New Zealand Court of Appeal
Creators: name: Smyth, Russell
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper uses a data set on reported decisions of the New Zealand Court of Appeal to empirically test the influence of case complexity on the extent to which courts attempt to establish legitimacy through the citation of precedent. This is an application of Feldman and March's argument about the symbolic and signaling functions of information in organizations. Feldman and March argue that decision-makers gather and display information relevant to a decision in order to show that they are good decision-makers and that the symbolic value of information will be greater in more complex decisions. The results only provide weak support for Feldman and March's thesis with few statistically significant variables. These findings contrast with those of a similar previous empirical study by Harris for the United States State Supreme Courts. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possible reasons for the different findings.
Evidence of Australian Bank Exposures to Operational Disaster
Creators: name: Viney, Christopher W.
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The loss of a bank's critical business operations due to a physical, technical or natural disaster may have a catastrophic effect on the ultimate survival of the institution and may even threaten the overall stability of the financial system. This paper reports and analyses the results of an extensive survey of the disaster recovery planning practices of Australian banks. Banks are grouped as major, regional and foreign banks. Data analysis considers specific organisational disaster recovery planning issues within broad categories of organisational commitment; development and maintenance of formal planning and response processes; and Reserve Bank regulatory requirements. Results clearly demonstrate that Australian banks, as a group, have not fully implemented disaster recovery planning within their organisations, and are generally only in the formative stages of the process. The paper concludes that banks are not adequately prepared to respond to, or recover from, a significant event that may impact upon the provision of critical business functions. Given the importance of the banking sector, particularly the major banks, to the stability of the Australian financial system, it is further concluded that there is a substantial level of associated systemic risk.
BND*-DDQN: Learn to Steer Autonomously through Deep Reinforcement Learning
Creators: name: Wu, Keyu
name: Wang, Han
name: Esfahani, Mahdi Abolfazli
name: Yuan, Shenghai
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2019
Subjects: classificationCode: 460205
subject: Intelligent robotics
classificationCode: 400799
subject: Control engineering, mechatronics and robotics not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 460206
subject: Knowledge representation and reasoning

description: It is vital for mobile robots to achieve safe autonomous steering in various changing environments. In this paper, a novel end-to-end network architecture is proposed for mobile robots to learn steering autonomously through deep reinforcement learning. Specifically, two sets of feature representations are firstly extracted from the depth inputs through two different input streams. The acquired features are then merged together to derive both linear and angular actions simultaneously. Moreover, a new action selection strategy is also introduced to achieve motion filtering by taking the consistency in angular velocity into account. Besides, in addition to the extrinsic rewards, the intrinsic bonuses are also adopted during training to improve the exploration capability. Furthermore, it is worth noting the proposed model is readily transferable from the simple virtual training environment to much more complicated real-world scenarios so that no further fine-tuning is required for real deployment. Compared to the existing methods, the proposed method demonstrates significant superiority in terms of average reward, convergence speed, success rate, and generalization capability. In addition, it exhibits outstanding performance in various cluttered real-world environments containing both static and dynamic obstacles. A video of our experiments can be found at https://youtu.be/19jrQGG1oCU
A new theoretical framework for modelling and analysing complex tobacco control systems
Creators: name: Zhang, Jian Ying
name: Young, David
name: Coghill, Ken
name: Petrovic-Lazarevic, Sonja
name: Borland, Ron
name: Yeh, Chung-Hsing
name: Bedingfield, Susan
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper presents a new theoretical framework for modelling and analysing complex tobacco control systems. First, we propose an interaction model that identifies the key components of a tobacco control system, and how these components interact with each other to affect the outcomes of tobacco control policy planning and development. Second, we provide a conceptual model that articulates a cycle of tobacco control policy planning/making, enactment, monitoring and refinement. Finally, we outline the major challenges of applying this approach to real life. This framework provides a useful way of studying the relationship between science, policy and the outcomes of policy for tobacco control. It has potential to become a good framework for other complex social issues, such as nutrition and its links to various issues including cancer, cardio-vascular disease and ageing.
Does International Trade Synchronize Business Cycles?
Creators: name: Anderson, Heather M.
name: Kwark, Noh-Sun
name: Vahid, Farshid
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper studies the relationship between international trade and output fluctuations. We find evidence that the business cycles of countries that are more open to international trade are more likely to be synchronized with the business cycles of their major trading partners. A detailed study of the South Korean case shows that while business cycles are related to openness, the diversification of export destinations seems to weaken these links. We find no relationship between openness and output volatility.
Motives and performance of academics
Creators: name: Inglis, Loretta
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper examines the motives academics have for engaging in research activity and how motives affect research performance. A conceptual model is presented in order to clarify the processes that lead to the formation and maintenance of different types of motive. It is then argued that motivation derives from variations in orientations to work and these develop because of the influences of opportunity structures and reference groups. It is orientations to work which determine work behaviour. Analysis of interview data, from sixteen academics working in a large university, reveals that differences in orientations to work are strongly related to experiences of different opportunity structures and reference groups. It also reveals that, for more than half of those interviewed, orientations remained stable once formed. Their orientations then led to different interpretations of their role and the performance expected of them, and thus to difference work behaviours.
Comparison of Non-stationary Time Series in the Frequency Domain
Creators: name: Maharaj, Elizabeth Ann
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: In this paper we compare two non-stationary time series using non-parametric procedures. Evolutionary spectra are estimated for the two series. Randomization tests are performed on groups of spectral estimates for both related and independent time series. Simulation studies show that in certain cases the tests perform reasonably well. The tests are applied to observed geological and financial time series.
Modelling Manufactured Imports: Methodological Issues with Evidence from Australia
Creators: name: Athukorala, Premachandra
name: Menon, Jayant
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper investigates the relationship between manufactured import flows to Australia, and relative prices and domestic economic activity net of cyclical demand effects over the period 1981Q3 to 1991Q2. This is done through the estimation of import demand functions for total manufactured imports and nine major import categories using the general to specific modeling approach. We find that the homotheticity assumption on activity elasticity is met in most cases. The price elasticity estimates for individual categories range from 0.32 to 2.1, with a weighted-average of 0.52. We also find some evidence of upward bias in price elasticity estimates when an aggregate import function is employed in a context where a significant portion of imports are subject to quantitative restrictions (QRs).
New evidence on the causal linkages between foreign direct Investment, exports and imports in Malaysia
Creators: name: Wong, Koi Nyen
name: Tang, Tuck Cheong
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: By extending Wong and Tang’s (2007) study, this study aims to further explore the causal relations between FDI (foreign direct investment), exports and imports. There is a unique long-run causal relationship running from exports as well as imports to FDI. A bidirectional causal relationship exists between exports and imports. These findings provide useful policy implications for sustaining FDI inflows on one hand and promoting links between multinational corporations (MNCs) and local firms on the other.
Councillor Expectations And Experience In Senior Officer Human Resource Matters: Local Government In Victoria
Creators: name: Pullin, Len
name: Haidar, Ali
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The Bains' Report (1979) provided the impetus for considerable change in local government across all Australian states. In the state of Victoria, this embraced the replacement of the Victorian Local Government Act 1958 with a new Act in 1989 (VLGA 1989). One of the key features of the new Act is a significant reduction in external influence on the nature of local government employment. Under VLGA 1989 local government units (LGU) gained virtual autonomy over staff matters, including senior positions. The Act also prescribed a clear division between political activities and administration functions (Self, 1997). In particular, the ability of councillors to influence senior officer human matters was restricted to only the CEO's position. While considerable research has occurred in local government since the implementation of the VLGA 1989 (Kloot, 1999; Van Gramberg and Teicher, 2000; Tucker, 1997; Self, 1997), little attention has been given to the perceptions of councillors on local government change. More specifically, little consideration is given to whether or not this aspect of the Act is being translated into practice and if their role in senior officer human resource matters achieves or exceeds their expectations. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring this issue across all local government units in Victoria.
Management Theory Meets the 'Other'
Creators: name: Wong, Loong
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: The 1980s and 1990s have witnessed rapid transformations in our social practices and institutions. Structural adjustment, the role of the state, privatisation and new modes of organising and management have brought forth 'new' perspectives and the engendering of new techniques and analyses of management theory and practice. Feminism and the import of postmodernist analyses have focussed on the silences and absences within management theory. This paper is part of the attempt to examine absence, in particular, that of 'race' and 'differences' within management theory and practices. It argues that the base of management theory, its positivism, is flawed and neglects history, dimensions of power, domination and identities. The paper locates management theory within the discourse of modernity and suggests that an altemative epistemology can be created. The paper moves on to attempt to synthesise approaches derived from alternative theoretical perspectives and practices, arguing that a more informed management theory can be created from such a fusion.
The Use of Systems Thinking and Archetypes in Teaching Organisational Behaviour
Creators: name: Bardoel, E. Anne
name: Haslett, Tim
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: This paper addresses the application of two systems thinking tools, "causal loop diagramming" and "archetypes" to the teaching of organisational behaviour (OB) concepts and case studies. These systems thinking tools can provide a teaching tool to assist students understand interdependencies, difficulties of implementation, impacts of assumptions and be critical of some of the traditional management theories. This paper takes organisational ethics as an example and applies causal loop diagrams and archetypes to explore the topic.