The effect of competition and doctor heterogeneity on prices charged by doctors. Prices charged by doctors can have important effects on health care costs, access to health care and health status. This research will examine the determinants of prices charged by doctors. The results will be important in understanding the pricing practices of doctors and their impact on health care costs.
Sex, parthenogenesis and adaptation: a novel laboratory 'natural selection' experiment testing the adaptive significance of sexual and asexual reproduction. One of the greatest challenges for evolutionary biology is explaining the widespread occurrence of sexual reproduction. Many theoretical models show some inherent benefits of sex, however these models make assumptions that little or no empirical data exists for. Using a novel phenomenon found in the parasitoid wasp genus Trichogramma, I will ....Sex, parthenogenesis and adaptation: a novel laboratory 'natural selection' experiment testing the adaptive significance of sexual and asexual reproduction. One of the greatest challenges for evolutionary biology is explaining the widespread occurrence of sexual reproduction. Many theoretical models show some inherent benefits of sex, however these models make assumptions that little or no empirical data exists for. Using a novel phenomenon found in the parasitoid wasp genus Trichogramma, I will investigate the adaptive significance of sexual and asexual reproduction in a laboratory natural selection experiment and therefore directly test the theory for the evolution and maintenance of sex. This will be the first such test in a higher organism.Read moreRead less
A New Approach to Information-Based Securities Trading. This project develops and tests a new approach to information-based securities trading, which can effectively describe trading dynamics and accurately measure the effects of information impounded in price and trading activities. It aims to provide a novel and practical framework for studying information asymmetry, belief heterogeneity and asset pricing, and apply the new approach to address a series of financial issues. The project will mak ....A New Approach to Information-Based Securities Trading. This project develops and tests a new approach to information-based securities trading, which can effectively describe trading dynamics and accurately measure the effects of information impounded in price and trading activities. It aims to provide a novel and practical framework for studying information asymmetry, belief heterogeneity and asset pricing, and apply the new approach to address a series of financial issues. The project will make significant contributions to finance research by shedding new insights on market dynamics and creating a new stream of models and modelling techniques. Academics, practitioners and regulators can use the new approach to better analyse the Australian financial market and improve its efficiency.Read moreRead less
Diet influences the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA mutations. This project aims to examine critical mechanisms that affect mitochondrial DNA variation within species. It aims to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA haplotypes have the potential to be under nutritionally induced balancing selection as a consequence of cellular signalling and/or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. Diet can vary both seasonally and geographically and is a key environmental param ....Diet influences the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA mutations. This project aims to examine critical mechanisms that affect mitochondrial DNA variation within species. It aims to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA haplotypes have the potential to be under nutritionally induced balancing selection as a consequence of cellular signalling and/or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. Diet can vary both seasonally and geographically and is a key environmental parameter that influences the ability of a species to colonise new habitats. The project plans to characterise the functional links between specific mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, mitochondrial functions and organismal traits. The expected outcome is a more precise grasp of the processes influencing genetic variation within and among species, which would inform current issues in ecology and genetics.Read moreRead less
The evolution of parental care in leeches: costs and benefits in a clade of hermaphroditic, invertebrate ectotherms. Parental care is a basic element of reproduction in many species. Nearly everything we know about parental care comes from study of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals. Leech is synonymous with exploitation, but many of these annelid worms are devoted parents. Because they differ dramatically from most vertebrates, leeches present an excellent, but as yet unused, opportunity ....The evolution of parental care in leeches: costs and benefits in a clade of hermaphroditic, invertebrate ectotherms. Parental care is a basic element of reproduction in many species. Nearly everything we know about parental care comes from study of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals. Leech is synonymous with exploitation, but many of these annelid worms are devoted parents. Because they differ dramatically from most vertebrates, leeches present an excellent, but as yet unused, opportunity to test our theories and understanding of the evoluton of parental care. We will examine the evolution of degrees of care and sibling competition in leech families, and use molecular markers to better understand the genetic structure of populations of these invertebrates.Read moreRead less
Are natural clones specialists or generalists? Using a model system to test alternative hypotheses for the advantages of parthenogenesis. Parthenogenetic organisms are all-female and reproduce clonally. Through discovering why these unusual organisms are sometimes successful we can better understand the significance of genetic diversity and sex. The Australian arid zone is a ?hot-spot? for parthenogenesis, with at least five independent examples including a native grasshopper and one of its host ....Are natural clones specialists or generalists? Using a model system to test alternative hypotheses for the advantages of parthenogenesis. Parthenogenetic organisms are all-female and reproduce clonally. Through discovering why these unusual organisms are sometimes successful we can better understand the significance of genetic diversity and sex. The Australian arid zone is a ?hot-spot? for parthenogenesis, with at least five independent examples including a native grasshopper and one of its host plants. I will apply modern molecular tools and ecophysiological techniques to test the hypothesis that parthenogenesis is favoured in this grasshopper because it allows the fixation of locally adapted clones. This research will provide a unique insight into the selective forces operating in the arid zone, Australia's largest ecosystem.Read moreRead less
Hybridization, polyploidy and the evolution of parthenogenesis in the Australian desert. This project considers the ecology and evolution of Australian animals that reproduce by parthenogenesis, i.e. without sex. These animals have long fascinated evolutionary biologists for the clues they provide about the role of sex in evolution. The Australian desert is a hot-spot for parthenogenesis, providing a unique opportunity to study the ecological and evolutionary forces favouring the loss of sex. Ou ....Hybridization, polyploidy and the evolution of parthenogenesis in the Australian desert. This project considers the ecology and evolution of Australian animals that reproduce by parthenogenesis, i.e. without sex. These animals have long fascinated evolutionary biologists for the clues they provide about the role of sex in evolution. The Australian desert is a hot-spot for parthenogenesis, providing a unique opportunity to study the ecological and evolutionary forces favouring the loss of sex. Our research will exploit Australian cases of parthenogenesis to understand how genetic changes associated with the transition to parthenogenesis affect ecological success. This will significantly extend our understanding of both the role of sex in evolution, and of the evolutionary history of the Australian arid zone.Read moreRead less
Curating Photography in the Age of Photo Sharing. This project aims to develop new curatorial models to enable Australian art galleries to respond effectively to changes in the medium of photography wrought by digital technologies. By conducting the first comprehensive analysis of nearly five decades of Australian photography curating and comparing it to curatorial approaches in related institutions locally and internationally, the project seeks to: identify the crucial role of photography exhib ....Curating Photography in the Age of Photo Sharing. This project aims to develop new curatorial models to enable Australian art galleries to respond effectively to changes in the medium of photography wrought by digital technologies. By conducting the first comprehensive analysis of nearly five decades of Australian photography curating and comparing it to curatorial approaches in related institutions locally and internationally, the project seeks to: identify the crucial role of photography exhibitions in the shaping of Australian visual culture; and develop opportunities for curators to better engage with the current proliferation of images, including new forms and practices of photography enabled by the Internet.Read moreRead less
Identifying genes causing thermal evolution of ectotherm body size. Cold-blooded animals increase in body size as they are found in populations at greater distances from the equator. These patterns are due to populations adapting to temperature. The aim of this project is to identify the genes involved in this adaptation process. We will do this by taking advantage of a well-studied body size cline in the vinegar fly on the east coast of Australia, and by building on an international collaborati ....Identifying genes causing thermal evolution of ectotherm body size. Cold-blooded animals increase in body size as they are found in populations at greater distances from the equator. These patterns are due to populations adapting to temperature. The aim of this project is to identify the genes involved in this adaptation process. We will do this by taking advantage of a well-studied body size cline in the vinegar fly on the east coast of Australia, and by building on an international collaboration between a leading UK and two Australian research groups. In doing so we will provide an explanation at the molecular level for one of the great unresolved phenomena in biology: why do cold-blooded animals get bigger in the cold? The research also leads to the potential to manipulate body size in animals.Read moreRead less
The effects of habitat fragmentation on dispersal and social organisation in the Brown Antechinus. Fragmentation of native habitat continues to threaten Australian species, yet we have little understanding of processes leading to resulting extinctions. This study will characterise the effects of human-induced habitat fragmentation on social organisation and dispersal in Brown Antechinus. We will use a combination of genetic and demographic analyses to quantify and describe perturbation of social ....The effects of habitat fragmentation on dispersal and social organisation in the Brown Antechinus. Fragmentation of native habitat continues to threaten Australian species, yet we have little understanding of processes leading to resulting extinctions. This study will characterise the effects of human-induced habitat fragmentation on social organisation and dispersal in Brown Antechinus. We will use a combination of genetic and demographic analyses to quantify and describe perturbation of social structure and mating system within habitat fragments, and of dispersal among them. The patchwork of native vegetation within the Tumut pine plantation provides an ideal natural experimental study system and will produce data essential for rational management of landscapes in the face of human disturbance.Read moreRead less