Research Reports: (1980)
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I UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Research Report 1980 University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Research Report 1980 University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052 A summary oi' research acliviiies and investigations, including published contributions to science and literature, during the research year, January 1 to December 31, 1980. CONTENTS Reports from departments connected with faculties are placed in alphabetical order under faculty headings. Each faculty area commences with a general in troduction on research activities in that faculty, prepared by the relevant Dean. Reports from units not connected with faculties then follow. AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY-Dean's Introduction 1 Agriculture and Forestry 2 ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND TOWN & REGIONAL PLANNING-Dean's Introduction 11 Architecture and Building 12 Town and Regional Planning 14 ARTS —Dean's Introduction 17 Classical Studies 18 Criminology 19 East Asian Studies 20 English 21 Fine Arts 24 French 26 Geography 28 Germanic Studies 31 History 33 History and Philosophy of Science 37 Indian Studies 39 Indonesian and Malayan Studies 40 Italian 41 Middle Eastern Studies 42 Philosophy 44 Political Science 47 Psychology 50 Russian 57 The Horwood Language Centre 59 DENTAL SCIENCE- Dean's Introduction 60 Conservative Dentistry 61 Dental Medicine and Surgery 63 Dental Prosthetics 65 ECONOMICS AND COMMERCE- Dean's Introduction 66 Accounting 67 Economic History 69 Economic Research 71 Economics 72 Graduate School of Business Administration 76 Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research 79 Legal Studies 83 Regional and Urban Economic Studies 84 EDUCATION-Dean's Introduction 85 Education 86 Centre for the Study of Higher Education 97 ENGINEERING-Dean's Introduction 99 Chemical Engineering 100 Civil Engineering 103 Electrical Engineering 111 Industrial Science 114 Mechanical Engineering 115 Mining and Metallurgy 121 Surveying 124 LAW —Dean's Introduction 125 MEDICINE-Dean's Introduction 130 Anatomy 131 Biochemistry 133 Community Health 137 Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine 138 Medical Biology (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) 140 Medical History 148 Medicine (Austin Hospilal and Repatriation General Hospilal) 149 Medicine (Dept. of the James Slcwart Professor, Royal Melbourne Hospital) 159 Medicine (St Vincent's Hospital) 166 Microbiology 171 Obstetrics and Gynaecology 175 Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Mercy and Austin Hospitals) 178 Ophthalmology 180 Otolaryngology 182 Paediatrics 184 Pathology 188 Pathology (Austin Hospital) 190 Pharmacology 191 Physiology 195 Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine 198 Psychiatry 202 Radiology 208 Surgery (Austin Hospital and Repatriation General Hospital) 209 Surgery (Dept. of Thc James Stewart Professor, Royal Melbourne Hospital) 213 Surgery (Dept. of The Hugh Devine Professor, St Vincent's Hospital) 216 MUSIC—Dean's Introduction 219 SCIENCE-Dean's Introduction 221 Botany 222 Chemistry 230 Computer Science 239 Genetics 241 Geology 244 Human Movement Studies 250 Mathematics 252 Meteorology 259 Optometry 262 Physics 265 R.A.A.F Academy —Chemistry 273 — Mathematics 273 - Physics 273 Statistics 276 Zoology 278 VETERINARY SCIENCE-Dean's Introduction 283 Veterinary Clinical Sciences 284 Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences 286 Veterinary Preclinical Sciences 289 Centre for Environmental Studies 290 Social Studies 294 Archives 296 The Library 298 Student Health Service 299 University Assembly 300 ABBREVIATIONS The abbreviations of the titles of journals used in the lists of Published Work are based on those given in World List of Scientific Periodicals published in the years 1900-1960 (4th ed., 1963). Research Report 1980 INTRODUCTION The University maintained a high level of research and research training in 1980 in cir cumstances which brought new opportunities and new difficulties. As the Universities Council has recognized. Universities cannot make ell'eclive use of external grams in support of particular research fields and projects unless they have the resources to maintain thc necessary level of sup porting activities. The steady decline in general recurrent grants in recent years has diminished our capacity to provide such support. The total funds spent by the University on 'research only' activities (as distinct from 'leaching and research') rose from SI i .4 million in 1979 to S13.4 million in 1980. In a total of $9.6 million received in 'outside' support —grants, contracts, bequests and donations—the largest items were $2,066,000 received from the National Health and Medical Research Council, $1,103,000 from thc A.R.G.C. and $404,000 from National Energy Research Development and Demonstration Coun cil, but there was also a substantial grant from thc Department of Productivity and useful support from thc Education Research and Development Committee and from Australian Marine Sciences and Technologies Council (A.M.S.T.A.C). Contract research continued to bc varied and substan tial, foundations and private individuals made very important contributions to projects which, for one reason or another, were unable to obtain sufficient support from either grams or contract1,. No researcher ever believes a grant to be truly sufficient. Unfortunately, the adoption in 1980 by thc Australian Research Grants Committee of'prospective cost adjustment' to meet salary and other cost increases, in place of thc customary post hoc supplementation, has introduced a new element of uncertainty. Thc procedure already applies to A.M.S.T.A.C. grants, and its subse quent adoption by thc Commonwealth Government as a prime principle in university funding will make il even more difficult for universities to undertake thc long term planning which major research projects deserve. In these circumstances, the deployment of University funds through the Committee on Research and Graduate Studies has been of increasing importance. In 1980 the Committee distributed S2.9 million, including thc Special Research Gram of S914.000 provided by the Ter tiary Education Commission. Grants to departments, or to specific projects, totalled $1.6 million, research fellowships and grants to visiting scholars cost S464.000, and the maintenance of the University's programme of postgraduate and travelling scholarships cost S716,000. The proportion of the University's total 'student load' enrolled for higher degrees increased slightly from 19.9% in 1979 to 20.1% in 1980. Seventy new Melbourne University Postgraduate Scholarships were awarded, and a lolal of 102 new Commonwealth Postgraduate Research and Course Awards were taken up in the University. During 1980 the decision was made to incorporate thc existing Office of Graduate Studies in a new Office of Research and Graduate Studies, partly in recognition of recent expansion in func tion, but also to provide new services in support of research. In 1980 ihc terms of reference of thc Biohazards Committee, the Human Experimentation Committee and the Animal Experimentation Committee —all new rcspnsibilitics of the Office —were developed and confirmed. Much work was also done in contributing information and opinion to thc continuing discussion of science and research policy in the Australian community. A major submission to the Inquiry into Marine Science undertaken by the Senate Standing Committee on Science and thc Environment was but one of several made in 1980. Such contributions to the development of research policies are no doubt almost as important as the conduct of research itself, if not often as fruitful. J. R. Poynicr, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY DEAN'S REPORT Research interests within thc School are widely diverse, making an introductory review almost impossible. A general research theme might be identified with the improvement of efficiency in Agricultural and Forest Systems. Research in Agricultural Economics has mainly centred on pricing and marketing policy, agricultural finance and income stabilization. The Section benefited greatly from the presence, for eight months, of C. B. Baker, Visiting Professor from the University of Illinois. Agricultural Extension is researching the effectiveness of on-farm education and training in rural communities. Animal Production, in addition to continuing its traditional programmes in nutrition, growth and carcase composition in domestic animals, has expanded iis interest in the behaviour of animals', especially in confined spaces. The presence of Di Wood-Gush from the University of Edinburgh has highlighted this interest. A significant development is ihc establishment of a research network in South East Asia concerned with thc utilization of fibrous agricultural residues. Of Ihe many projects undertaken in Plant Sciences, the several involving physiology, genetics and breeding of wheal have led to exciting developments which promise high protein, high yielding wheat in the future. In addition to their continuing interests, thc Forestry, Soils and Plant Sciences Sections share interests in research into aspects of salinity. Thesc are, respectively: the selection of eucalypts for growth in saline soils; nitrogen fixation under saline conditions, and selecting and breeding for salt tolerance in lucerne. Many other noteworthy and exciting projects have not been mentioned. 1 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY A. AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH TOPICS IN PROGRESS 1. Farm financial management and payment svstems for agricultural products —A. S. Watson, N. H. Sturgess, M. Read. 2. Stabilization of farm incomes