Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

On The Evolution Of Probability-Weighting Function And Its Impact On Gambling, Steven Li, Yun Hsing Cheung

Research outputs pre 2011

It is well known that individuals treat losses and gains differently and there exists non-linearity in probability. The asymmetry between gains and losses is highlighted by the reflection effect. The non-linearity in probability is described by the curvature of the probability-weighting function. This paper studies the evolution of the probability-weighting function. It is assumed that the probability weighting for an individual follows a mean-reverting stochastic process. The Monte Carlo simulation technique is employed to study the evolution of the weighting function. The evolution of the probability- weighting function implies that an individual does not treat gains or losses consistently over …

Wetland Vegetation Monitoring, 2000/2001 (Salinity Action Plan), B. Franke, R. Gurner, R. Froend

Research outputs pre 2011

This report represents the vegetation component of a project designed to provide ongoing monitoring of wetland salinity and biological resources in wetlands of the agricultural zone of south-west Western Australia. Maintenance of wetland biological diversity in the agricultural zone is one of the major objectives of the Salinity Action Plan. Due to their low position in the landscape, wetlands are the habitat most affected by salinisation.

B-Nodes: A New Scalable High Level Abstraction Model, Stanislaw P. Maj, Craig William Caulfield

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper proposes a new modeling technique called B-Nodes. B-Nodes represent a new, high-level abstraction that allows technical detail to be controlled using top-down recursive decomposition. This abstraction. is independent of architectural detail and can therefore accommodate rapid changes in technology. The use of recursive decomposition allows B-Nodes to be used not only for entire e-commerce system but also sub-modules within this system. The use of fundamental units allows the performance of heterogeneous technologies to be compared and other units to be derived. Results to date indicate no comparable model exists. Should further work validate this technique the authors recommend …

Clustering Of Web Users Using Session-Based Similarity Measures, Jitian Xiao, Yanchun Zhang

Research outputs pre 2011

One important research topic in web usage mining is the clustering of web users based on their common properties. Informative knowledge obtained from web user clusters were used for many applications, such as the prefetching of pages between web clients and proxies. This paper presents an approach for measuring similarity of interests among web users from their past access behaviors. The similarity measures are based on the user sessions extracted from the user's access logs. A multi-level scheme for clustering a large number of web users is proposed, as an extension to the method proposed in our previous work (2001). …

A Case For Systems Thinking And System Dynamics, Craig William Caulfield, Stanislaw P. Maj

Research outputs pre 2011

Systems thinking is a way of thinking that focuses on the relationships between the parts forming a purposeful whole. System dynamics is concerned with building computer models of complex problem situations and then experimenting with and studying the behaviour of these models over time. This paper is a review of systems thinking that considers its unique history and influences, paradigms and methodologies, and presents a case for the system dynamics methodology as the best tool for the most diverse range of problem situations

Inference Of Regular Languages Using Model Simplicity, Philip Hingston

Research outputs pre 2011

We describe an approach that is related to a number of existing algorithms for the inference of a regular language from a set of positive (and optionally also negative) examples. Variations on this approach provide a family of algorithms that attempt to minimise the complexity of a description of the example data in terms of a finite state automaton model. Experiments using a standard set of small problems show that this approach produces satisfactory results when positive examples only are given, and can be helpful when only a limited number of negative examples is available. The results also suggest that …

Heckman's Methodology For Correcting Selectivity Bias : An Application To Road Crash Costs, Margaret Giles

Research outputs pre 2011

Aggregate road crash costs are traditionally determined using average costs applied to incidence figures found in Police-notified crash data. Such data only comprise a non-random sample of the true population of road crashes, the bias being due to the existence of crashes that are not notified to the Police. The traditional approach is to label the Police-notified sample as 'non-random' thereby casting a cloud over data analyses using this sample. Heckman however viewed similar problems as 'omitted variables' problems in that the exclusion of some observations in a systematic manner (so-called selectivity bias) has inadvertently introduced the need for an …

Are Bank Deposits And Bank-Affiliated Managed Funds Close Substitutes?, David E. Allen, Jerry T. Parwada

Research outputs pre 2011

This study tests the hypothesis that bank liabilities and managed funds are close substitutes. Some literature associates the alleged decline in banking business with the disintermediation of banks’ traditional deposit-taking business in favour of investment management. A comparative assessment of managed fund and bank deposit qualitative attributes fails to support substitutability. Using data on Australian bank-affiliated funds and a nine-year record of bank liability balances, this study finds that, empirically, managed funds do not displace bank liabilities. Prudential capital adequacy requirements dissuade banks from using in-house managed investments as indirect conduits for raising funds in the same manner as deposit …

Some Statistical Models For Durations And Their Applications In Finance, Harry Zheng, David E. Allen, Lyn C. Thomas

Research outputs pre 2011

We first consider a new class of time series models (introduced by Engle and Russell (1998)) use in statistical applications in finance. These models treat the time between events (durations) as a stochastic process and the corresponding durations are modelled using a theory similar to that of autoregressive processes. This new class of time series models is called Autoregressive Conditional Duration (ACD) models. Various extensions and the statistical properties of this class of ACD models are given. We also suggest some alternative models for durations arising from the market microstructure literature. An estimation procedure is discussed. The theory is illustrated …

The Duration Derby : A Comparison Of Duration Based Strategies In Asset Liability Management, Harry Zheng, David E. Allen, Lyn C. Thomas

Research outputs pre 2011

Macaulay duration matched strategy is a key tool in bond portfolio immunization. It is well known that if term structures are not at or changes are not parallel, then Macaulay duration matched portfolio can not guarantee adequate immunization. In this paper the approximate duration is proposed to measure the bond price sensitivity to changes of interest rates of non- at term structures. Its performance in immunization is compared with those of Macaulay, partial and key rate durations using the US Treasury STRIPS and Bond data. Approximate duration turns out to be a possible contender in asset liability management: it does …

Working For Excellence In The E-Conomy: 2nd International We-B Conference, Sue Stoney (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

Welcome to Perth, Western Australia, and to the 2nd International We-B Conference 2001 "working for excellence in the e-conomy" hosted by the We-B Centre, School of Management Information Systems at Edith Cowan University.

This is an international conference for academics and industry specialists in e-business, e-government and related fields. The conference has drawn participants from national and international organisations.

All submitted papers were subjected to an anonymous peer review process managed by the Conference Committee.

Educating Professional Software Engineers: Pathways And Progress In The Australian Experience, Rick Duley, David Veal, Stanislaw P. Maj

Research outputs pre 2011

Australia has seized the international initiative in the recognition of software engineers as professionals. Of the 37 universities in Australia offering undergraduate courses in computing, eleven offer courses in software engineering which are accredited by the Institute of Engineers, Australia (IEAust) and which may lead the graduate to membership of the Institute. In this way, the Institute has plausible claim to being the first national professional engineering body in the world to have accredited four-year undergraduate software engineering degrees as professional qualifications. The paper traces the development of the relationship between the Institute of Engineers and the computing industry and …

Storage Free Terrain Simulation, Warren Creemers

Theses : Honours

Landscape visualisation is the process of recreating a natural environment and displaying it in an interactive graphical simulation. To do this a terrain is displayed together with accompanying plant life and other objects. Present landscape visualisation software is capable in theory of displaying very detailed and large landscapes. The software is also in theory capable of simulating environments with thousands if not millions of individually structured plants. In practice though, the simulation of such landscapes requires such a large amount of storage space that it is not achievable on personal computers. Even storing small landscapes with a moderate amount plant …

Adequacy Of Terrestrial Fauna Surveys For The Preparation Of Environmental Impact Assessments In The Mining Industry Of Western Australia [Thesis], Jason L. Fraser

Theses : Honours

The Environmental protection Authority has indicated that terrestrial fauna surveys as undertaken for the purpose of preparing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are not providing adequate information to enable decision-makers to assess development impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. In the absence of a protocol to assess current standards of terrestrial fauna surveys, 'best practice' was defined through discussions held with an 'expert panel', and quantified through a questionnaire. This study examined current standards of terrestrial vertebrate fauna surveys, prepared for the purpose of EIA, with 'best practice' as defined by relevant expert opinion. Strengths and weaknesses of terrestrial fauna surveys were …

An Evaluation Of Environmental Disclosures Produced In Australian Local Government Annual Reports, Royston J. Tan

Theses : Honours

This thesis is an evaluation of the environmental disclosures published in Australian local governments' annual reports. The study is aimed in identifying disclosures of environmental information by Australian local governments and providing explanations for the variations in the quantity and quality of information disclosed. Various social responsibility theories were used in this study. The theories employed in this study were institutional factors, stakeholder theory, social and political theories. Institutional factors included issues such as local government characteristics and pressures exerted from various government and non·government organizations to implement and disclose environmental measures. A content analysis methodology was used in this …

Application Of Orthogonal Polynomials To Geostatistics, Ainslie Chapman

Theses : Honours

Geostatistics is a field of study that deals with spatially dependent attributes. As information regarding these attributes is usually only available at sample locations, estimates must be made at unsampled locations. Sample data are usually measured on point support within the study region, however in reality decisions are based on small blocks and not on points. A change-of-support model is required to obtain the theoretical distribution of block values given the sample point values. Estimates arc then made for a collection of blocks, referred to as a panel. Kriging is a generic term adopted by geostatisticians for a family of …

Abundance, Distribution And Population Characteristics Of Western Grey Kangaroos (Macropus Fuliginosus, Desmarest 1817) In Yellagonga Regional Park, Amy Chang

Theses : Honours

Yellagonga Regional Park is located in the northwest corridor of Perth and constitutes 1400 hectares of wetlands, parkland, open forest and open woodland. Few studies have been conducted on the native fauna in the Park's upland habitats. For this reason, a study of the abundance and distribution of western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) was conducted. A walked survey using direct counts and individual recognition of kangaroos during winter, recorded a total of 123 kangaroos, 51 pouch young and 23 unidentified individuals in Yellagonga Regional Park, and a further 24 kangaroos and 18 pouch young at Edith Cowan University's Joondalup campus. …

Meeting The Challenge Of Dynamic User Requirements Using Data-Driven Techniques On A 4gl-Database Environment, Christopher Bolan

Theses : Honours

Accompanying the ever-growing reliance on computers within contemporary organisations, the task of software maintenance is, increasingly, becoming a resource burden. The author has identified that there is a need for proven techniques to allow the modelling of flexible/changing user requirement, to enable systems to cope with requirements creep without suffering major code change and associated down-time from rebuilds of the database. This study ascertains the applicability of extension to current data modelling techniques that allows innate flexibility within the data model. The extension of the data model is analysed for potential benefits in the provision of such a dynamic/flexible base …

Bluetooth Software On Linux, Wireless Hand-Held Devices, Teck Khoon Low

Theses : Honours

In order to enable existing computers (non-Bluetooth ready) to connect to a Bluetooth piconet, a Bluetooth hardware device comprising of the Radio antenna, the baseband and control circuit is used. The digital portion of this device is also known as a Host Controller, HC. In the traditional communication lingo, the Bluetooth Hardware functions, as the Data Communication Equipment (DCE) while the Host is the Data terminal Equipment (DTE). This report discusses the theory and implementation of the communication protocol between the Host and the Host Controller, enabling communication between the computer and the Bluetooth hardware

The Design Of 3d Cyberspace As User Interface: Advantages And Limitations, Maria Borisovna Quick

Theses : Honours

Virtual reality propagandists, technologists and the Internet community have long debated the issue of the usability of online three-dimensional (3D) environments. A lot of work was published about the benefits of 3D spaces for human-computer interaction and information visualisation due to their realism (Anders, Kalawsky, Crossley, Davies, McGrath, Rejman-Greene, 1998, Hamit, 1993, Heim, 1992, Aukstakalnis, Blatner, Roth, 1992). This topic also receives continuous industry support including standardisation of Virtual Reality Modeling Language ( VRML, VRML Consortium, 1997) and the more recent Macromedia & Intel alliance "to bring web 3D to the mainstream" (200 1, Intel Corporation). The actual implementation …

Video Compression Using Wavelets And Hierarchical Motion Estimation, Andrew Peter Byrne

Theses : Honours

This thesis investigates the benefits and the significant compression that can be obtained from data that has been decomposed using a wavelet transform. A video compression algorithm was developed that employs the wavelet transform and a hierarchical motion estimation algorithm which itself utilises benefits of the wavelet transform. Using MATLAB, a popular software tool for matrix based computation and analysis, several functions were developed which together formed the video compression algorithm. A variety of tests were conducted on a sample video sequence to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the techniques employed. The results, although not the same as the …

The Assessment Of Satellite Remote Sensing As A Tool For Determining Sea Surface Temperatures In Nearshore Environments, Fabienne Faskel

Theses : Honours

The use of satellite remote sensing for environmental management applications has seen a marked increase over the past decade. Remotely sensed data are obtainable for a variety of parameters, such as mineral exploration, species migration, and for determining sea surface temperatures (SSTs). This study examined whether satellite remote sensing is a viable option for determining SSTs in coastal waters, as traditionally this application has only been applied to open-ocean, offshore waters. SSTs in the nearshore waters of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, were determined using in situ temperature loggers and remotely sensed satellite data. Initially the accuracy of the satellite sea …

Mine Dewatering In Arid, Saline Environments In Western Australia: The Response Of Biota Emerging From Rehydrated Sediments, Charelle Harkins

Theses : Honours

Mine dewatering is a critical part of the mining process to prevent flooding of underground or open pits, to allow for the excavation of the available resources. Groundwater is abstracted from underground pits to the surface through extraction bores. The issue of where to discharge the excess water is a major concern. The use of natural wetlands is one option for mine water discharge. Saline lakes in arid areas are ideal receiving environments for discharge options, acting as evaporation facilities for the storage and disposal of excess mine water. Mine water discharge into ephemeral lake systems modifies the volume of …

Depth-First Search Embedded Wavelet Algorithm For Hardware Implementation, Li-Minn Ang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The emerging technology of image communication over wireless transmission channels requires several new challenges to be simultaneously met at the algorithm and architecture levels. At the algorithm level, desirable features include high coding performance, bit stream scalability, robustness to transmission errors and suitability for content-based coding schemes. At the architecture level, we require efficient architectures for construction of portable devices with small size and low power consumption. An important question is to ask if a single coding algorithm can be designed to meet the diverse requirements. Recently, researchers working on improving different features have converged on a set of coding …

Change Of Support Correction In Mineral Resource Estimation, Marek J. Janas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The success of any mining operation greatly, if not entirely, depends on the accuracy of prediction of recoverable mining reserves. However, prior to mining, knowledge about the distribution of the Selective Mining Unit (SMU) is limited. The SMU represents the volume on which extraction of ore takes place and on which recoverable mining reserves are based. Realistic recoverable reserve estimates can be obtained from the grade-tonnage curve that corresponds to the unknown distribution of the SMU rather than to the distribution of exploration sample data. In general, if the reserve calculation, at the given cut-off grade, is based upon exploration …

A Framework For River Restoration Planning : Considering Conceptual And Structural Perspectives From Case Studies Of The Liao River In China And The Kalgan River In Australia, Ye Sun

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Over the last decade, restoration ecology has been considered a new paradigm for dealing with many of the environmental problems of river systems. It is also recognized that management decisions have a greater chance of being successful if they are based on a thorough understanding of a concept or a plan. A review of current studies on river restoration and river restoration planning revealed that managers and scientists have put a substantial emphasis on ecological science and technology in restoration, while many sociopolitical and economic elements have been de-emphasized Besides this, understanding and experiences of river restoration, especially those of …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Software Code Metrics In The Industrial Software Development Environment, Tim Littlefair

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This work describes a project that investigates the use of software metrics based on measurement of source code in industrial software development. Literature is examined relating to considerations of quality in industry; to software engineering; to emergent technologies in the software industry including the object-oriented paradigm and software patterns; to software product and process metrics; and to cultural factors affecting workplaces in the software industry. It then expounds theoretical and practical work aimed at specifying, designing and implementing a source code analyzer for use in a typical industrial project setting. There is an explanation of the design and outcomes of …