Best Selling Books by Andrew Norris

"This paper is a summary of the report prepared for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water by the Invasive Animals CRC (formerly the Pest Animal Control CRC). Norris A., Low T., Gordon I., Saunders G., Lapidge S., Lapidge K., Peacock T., and Pech R. Review of the management of feral animals and their impact on biodiversity in the rangelands. Pest Animal Control CRC report, June 2005"--T.p. verso.

Background and Goal of Study:Post Intubation Laryngotracheal Stenosis (PILTS) is a serious debilitating complication of invasive ventilation. Estimated incidence varies widely from 0.6% to 21% following endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy. Information on the impact this condition has on its sufferers is scarce in the literature. Our aim was to identify the themes emerging around the impact on quality of life reported by PILTS patients. Materials and Methods:Members of an international social media group set up by a foundation established to promote awareness and provide support for the patients affected by tracheal stenosis were invited to take part in a short online survey. It included free text option on the impact the condition has on quality of life, the responses to which were evaluated using thematic analysis assisted by the software package NVivo-11 (QSR International Pty Ltd.; Melbourne, Australia). Results and Discussion:Ninety one participants completed the survey, the majority of which were from the USA. Sixty seven of the respondents have had or currently have laryngotracheal stenosis, while the rest comprised carers and one healthcare professional with interest in LTS. Forty eight percent were diagnosed with PILTS several years after developing symptoms with 90% respondents indicating there was confusion over the diagnosis. Seventy percent needed multiple endoscopic dilatation procedures and 60% had had more than 10 outpatient appointments. Ninety one percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that PILTS has a major impact on their quality of life. The thematic analysis found PILTS affected the individualu2019s quality of life in the following multiple areas; physical activity, psychological and emotional wellbeing, financial costs, social context with impact on work, family and community. Conclusion(s):This qualitative study suggests that PILTS is usually misdiagnosed for several years. The majority of those diagnosed undergo multiple procedures and surgeries and numerous outpatient appointments, with ninety percent reporting a significant impact on their quality of life. Impact on quality of life varies from personal health through to work and family and the wider community, extending over time. This survey has highlighted the need for further in-depth research into the lived experience of patients with post-intubation laryngotracheal stenosis.

In turntable inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) measurements, the term zero doppler clutter refers to the collection of stationary undesirable objects that lie in the field of view of the radar. The presence of this clutter can negatively impact ISAR images, adding extraneous data to the Image. In this project, a python software tool was developed to aid in the process of zero doppler estimation and suppression in Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurements. The tool was created to give users multiple methods of estimating and coherently subtracting the zero doppler clutter vector from a measured data file. It was designed to run efficiently with large binary data files, be used as an alternative to a two-measurement background subtraction process, and to provide more consistency between multiple users processing data files. This was accomplished through four methods to compare zero doppler estimation and suppression. Each subsequent method requires less user input and the software calculates the zero doppler vector utilizing attributes of stationary clutter. These attributes include, angle independence and the constant magnitude and phase of in-phase and quadrature signals. Each method was tested with simulated data as well as measured RCS data of a metal test body. The results showed the effectiveness of the tool and the benefits of computer aided zero doppler estimation.

Much current discourse around policing in the UK stresses the need for a partnership between the police and public and, in particular, the need for the police to be responsive to the concerns of local communities. It is argued that appearing responsive to local needs, and showing a willingness to consult the public in the process of decision making, is likely to increase support for the police. Despite this, detailed analysis of the public''s preferences for policing remains relatively sparse. This thesis uses data from the 2003-04 Metropolitan Police''s Public Attitude Survey (PAS) to consider whether survey data can provide a useful indication of a respondent''s preferences, and how these preferences may vary depending on the characteristics of respondents and the boroughs in which they live. This thesis argues that rather than simply considering some overall measure of the level of policing individuals would like to see, or investigating attitudes towards different functions of the police individually, a more interesting and complete view of preferences for policing can be developed by looking at the mix of policing that individuals best believe will meet their needs. Additionally, it will be shown that differences in respondents'' preferences can be related to both the characteristics of individuals and the nature of the boroughs in which they live. It will be suggested that some of these relationships provide evidence that respondents favour a mix of policing they believe will protect them from perceived threats and reflect their perception of the police''s role within society. In addition, this thesis provides an example of how the techniques of Factor Analysis and Latent Class Analysis can provide greater insight into the data collected in large scale surveys. It is suggested that responses provided to different questions are often related and may represent a more general underlying attitude held by the respondent. It is also argued that using techniques which can handle multilevel data will provide greater explanatory depth by suggesting how a respondent''s attitude may be influenced by the context in which they live. The analysis presented offers new insights into the public''s priorities for policing and demonstrates the worth of the statistical methods employed. However it is, to some extent, limited by the form of the questions within the PAS dataset and by the lack of information about the thought process underlying a respondent''s answers. These concerns will be discussed, along with suggestions for future research.