2011 Postgraduate Research Competition - UNSW Science - The ...

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Disentangling an entangled bank
Raymond Blick and Angela Moles
School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Abstract
The world we live in is inherently connected. But in a world with so many connections how do
we disentangle any discernible structure from what appears to be chaos This line of thought
has generated big ideas such as the 6 degrees of separation to Darwin’s curiosity with a
tangled mix of plants at Down House. However the question remains, how do we disentangle
the complexities that exist in the natural world One approach that has gained significant
momentum is the use of network theory. Generating networks that portray multiple
interactions has been applied to a range of disciplines including social networking,
psychology, and ecology. My research focuses on network interactions between forest
structure and arboreal plants. A variety of results have been revealed from this approach
including (i) the level of antagonism between arboreal plants determines community
structure, (ii) few host trees are responsible for maintaining significantly large populations of
mistletoe's and (iii) similarities in leaf shape do not match network interactions, refuting the
widely held view that mistletoe's mimic their hosts. The network approach provides a
foundation for testing the biological processes underpinning community structure and a
powerful approach to understanding a seemingly chaotic world.
Abstract
Contemplating the Curves!
Vinod Maseedupally and Helen Swarbrick
School of Optometry & Vision Science
Orthokeratology (OK) is a clinical contact lens-based technique in which specially designed
rigid lenses reshape the cornea during overnight wear to temporarily correct refractive error
after lens removal. During OK for myopia correction, the refractive outcome arises from lensinduced
central corneal flattening and mid-peripheral steepening, which collectively result
in reduced corneal power and a more spherical or oblate-shaped cornea. However the
overall changes in corneal shape during OK are more complex, because normal corneal
shape may vary from region to region. No previous studies have investigated differential
effects of OK on different regions of the cornea.
In preliminary studies, we have investigated the regional effects of spherical OK lenses on
spherical corneas. This study showed non-uniform changes in corneal curvature in different
corneal regions. The curvature in the temporal sector of the central zone flattened
significantly (p