YBa2Cu3O7/NdGaO3/YBa 2Cu3O7 trilayers by modified off-axis sputtering

High-quality epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) thin films were achieved by a modified off-axis sputtering technique with high deposition rates (3.3 nm/min). The film quality and the deposition rate depended crucially on the target-to-substrate separation. Epitaxial YBCO/NdGaO3(NGO)/YBCO trilayers were successfully grown onto SrTiO3, Y-ZrO2, and LaAlO3 substrates by dc and rf sputtering. The epitaxial relations were found to be [001] YBCO//[001]NGO, [100]YBCO, or [010] YBCO//[110]NGO and [001]YBCO//[110] NGO, [100]YBCO, or [010]YBCO//[001] NGO, where the latter orientation relationship was dominating. Subsequent top YBCO layers grew c axis oriented independently of the two epitaxial orientations of the NGO. The orientation relationships between YBCO and NGO were the same. Auger electron depth profiles and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the interdiffusion at the interface between the YBCO and NGO layers was not strong even at 740°C. The superconducting transition temperatures of the top and bottom YBCO layers were about the same as that of YBCO single layers, i.e., 87-90 K. Scanning electron microscopy of the surface morphologies of the YBCO and the NGO showed that a smaller substrate-target distance resulted in smoother films.

Galvanic Replacement of Semiconductor Phase I CuTCNQ Microrods with KAuBr4 to Fabricate CuTCNQ/Au Nanocomposites with Photocatalytic Properties

In this study, the reaction of semiconductor microrods of phase I copper 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (CuTCNQ) with KAuBr4 in acetonitrile is reported. It was found that the reaction is redox in nature and proceeds via a galvanic replacement mechanism in which the surface of CuTCNQ is replaced with metallic gold nanoparticles. Given the slight solubility of CuTCNQ in acetonitrile, two competing reactions, namely CuTCNQ dissolution and the redox reaction with KAuBr4, were found to operate in parallel. An increase in the surface coverage of CuTCNQ microrods with gold nanoparticles occurred with an increased KAuBr4 concentration in acetonitrile, which also inhibited CuTCNQ dissolution. The reaction progress with time was monitored using UV−visible, FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy as well as XRD and EDX analysis, and SEM imaging. The CuTCNQ/Au nanocomposites were investigated for their photocatalytic properties, wherein the destruction of Congo red, an organic dye, by simulated solar light was found dependent on the surface coverage of gold nanoparticles on the CuTCNQ microrods. This method of decorating CuTCNQ may open the possibility of modifying this and other metal-TCNQ charge transfer complexes with a host of other metals which may have significant applications.

GO423 - the second Game On / brIGDA Independant Game Symposium

GO423 was initiated in 2012 as part of a community effort to ensure the vitality of the Queensland Games Sector. In common with other industrialised nations, the game industry in Australia is a reasonably significant contributor to Gross National Product (GNP). Games are played in 92% of Australian homes and the average adult player has been playing them for at least twelve years with 26% playing for more than thirty years (Brand, 2011). Like the games and interactive entertainment industries in other countries, the Australian industry has its roots in the small team model of the 1980s. So, for example, Beam Software, which was established in Melbourne in 1980, was started by two people and Krome Studios was started in 1999 by three. Both these companies grew to employing over 100 people in their heydays (considered large by Antipodean standards), not by producing their own intellectual property (IP) but by content generation for off shore parent companies. Thus our bigger companies grew on a model of service provision and tended not to generate their own IP (Darchen, 2012). There are some no-table exceptions where IP has originated locally and been ac-quired by international companies but in the case of some of the works of which we are most proud, the Australian company took on the role of “Night Elf” – a convenience due to affordances of the time zone which allowed our companies to work while the parent companies slept in a different time zone. In the post GFC climate, the strong Australian dollar and the vulnerability of such service provision means that job security is virtually non-existent with employees invariably being on short-term contracts. These issues are exacerbated by the decline of middle-ground games (those which fall between the triple-A titles and the smaller games often produced for a casual audience). The response to this state of affairs has been the change in the Australian games industry to new recognition of its identity as a wider cultural sector and the rise (or return) of an increasing number of small independent game development companies. ’In-dies’ consist of small teams, often making games for mobile and casual platforms, that depend on producing at least one if not two games a year and who often explore more radical definitions of games as designed cultural objects. The need for innovation and creativity in the Australian context is seen as a vital aspect of the current changing scene where we see the emphasis on the large studio production model give way to an emerging cultural sector model where small independent teams are engaged in shorter design and production schedules driven by digital distribution. In terms of Quality of Life (QoL) this new digital distribution brings with it the danger of 'digital isolation' - a studio can work from home and deliver from home. Community events thus become increasingly important. The GO423 Symposium is a response to these perceived needs and the event is based on the understanding that our new small creative teams depend on the local community of practice in no small way. GO423 thus offers local industry participants the opportunity to talk to each other about their work, to talk to potential new members about their work and to show off their work in a small intimate situation, encouraging both feedback and support.

Maternal exposure to heatwave and preterm birth in Brisbane, Australia

Objective To quantify the short-term effects of maternal exposure to heatwave on preterm birth. Design An ecological study. Setting: A population-based study in Brisbane, Australia. Population All pregnant women who had a spontaneous singleton live birth in Brisbane between November and March in 2000–2010 were studied. Methods Daily data on pregnancy outcomes, meteorological factors, and ambient air pollutants were obtained. The Cox proportional hazards regression model with time-dependent variables was used to examine the short-term impact of heatwave on preterm birth. A series of cut-off temperatures and durations were used to define heatwave. Multivariable analyses were also performed to adjust for socio-economic factors, demographic factors, meteorological factors, and ambient air pollutants. Main outcome measure Spontaneous preterm births. Results The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) ranged from 1.13 (95% CI 1.03–1.24) to 2.00 (95% CI 1.37–2.91) by using different heatwave definitions, after controlling for demographic, socio-economic, and meteorological factors, and air pollutants. Conclusions Heatwave was significantly associated with preterm birth: the associations were robust to the definitions of heatwave. The threshold temperatures, instead of duration, could be more likely to influence the evaluation of birth-related heatwaves. The findings of this study may have significant public health implications as climate change progresses.

Innovation & workplace culture in the Australian interactive entertainment industry : the Halfbrick story

A recent success story of the Australian videogames industry is Brisbane based Halfbrick Studios, developer of the hit game for mobile devices, Fruit Ninja. Halfbrick not only survived the global financial crisis and an associated downturn in the Australian industry, but grew strongly, moving rapidly from developing licensed properties for platforms such as Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Playstation Portable (PSP) to becoming an independent developer and publisher of in-house titles, generating revenue both through App downloads and merchandise sales. Amongst the reasons for Halfbrick’s success is their ability to adaptively transform by addressing different technical platforms, user dynamics, business models and market conditions. Our ongoing case-study research from 2010 into Halfbrick’s innovation processes, culminating with some 10 semi-structured interviews with senior managers and developers, has identified a strong focus on workplace organisational culture, with staff reflecting that the company is a flat, team-based organisation devolving as much control as possible to the development teams directly, and encouraging a work-life balance in which creativity can thrive. The success of this strategy is evidenced through Halfbrick’s low staff turnover; amongst our interviewees most of the developers had been with the company for a number of years, with all speaking positively of the workplace culture and sense of creative autonomy they enjoyed. Interviews with the CEO, Shainiel Deo, and team leaders highlighted the autonomy afforded to each team and the organisation and management of the projects on which they work. Deo and team leaders emphasised the collaboration and communication skills they require in the developers that they employ, and that these characteristics were considered just as significant in hiring decisions as technical skills. Halfbrick’s developers celebrate their workplace culture and insist it has contributed to their capacity for innovation and to their commercial success with titles such as Fruit Ninja. This model of organisational management is reflected in both Stark’s (2009) idea of heterarchy, and Neff’s (2012) concept of venture labour, and provides a different perspective on the industry than the traditional political economy critique of precarious labour exploited by gaming conglomerates. Nevertheless, throughout many of the interviews and in our informal discussions with Halfbrick developers there is also a sense that this rewarding culture is quite tenuous and precarious in the context of a rapidly changing and uncertain global videogames industry. Whether such a workplace culture represents the future of the games industry, or is merely a ‘Prague Spring’ before companies such as Halfbrick are swallowed by traditional players’ remains to be seen. However, as the process of rapid and uncertain transformation plays out across the videogames industry, it is important to pay attention to emerging modes of organisation and workplace culture, even whilst they remain at the margins of the industry. In this paper we investigate Halfbrick’s workplace culture and ask how sustainable is this kind of rewarding and creative workplace?

Olfactory glia enhance neonatal axon regeneration

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) migrate with olfactory axons that extend from the nasal epithelium into the olfactory bulb. Unlike other glia, OECs are thought to migrate ahead of growing axons instead of following defined axonal paths. However it remains unknown how the presence of axons and OECs influences the growth and migration of each other during regeneration. We have developed a regeneration model in neonatal mice to examine whether (i) the presence of OECs ahead of olfactory axons affects axonal growth and (ii) the presence of olfactory axons alters the distribution of OECs. We performed unilateral bulbectomy to ablate olfactory axons followed by methimazole administration to further delay neuronal growth. In this model OECs filled the cavity left by the bulbectomy before new axons extended into the cavity. We found that delaying axon growth increased the rate at which OECs filled the cavity. The axons subsequently grew over a significantly larger region and formed more distinct fascicles and glomeruli in comparison with growth in animals that had undergone only bulbectomy. In vitro, we confirmed (i) that olfactory axon growth was more rapid when OECs were more widely distributed than the axons and (ii) that OECs migrated faster in the absence of axons. These results demonstrate that the distribution of OECs can be increased by repressing by growth of olfactory axons and that olfactory axon growth is significantly enhanced if a permissive OEC environment is present prior to axon growth.

Sounds From The Empty City (soundtrack)

These wordless songs were composed as music first, and soundtrack second. There is a difference. A soundtrack will always be connected with whatever it is accompanying. Music doesn’t neccessarily need to reference anything else. The Empty City transformed a picture book into a non-verbal performance combining the live and animated. Without spoken words the show would dance on the dangerous intersection of music, image and action. In both theatre and film (and this production drew on both traditions) soundtrack and music are often added on at the end when everything’s been pre-determined, a passive, responsive mode for such a powerful artform. It’s literally added in ‘post’. In The Empty City, music was present from its inception and grew with the show. It was active in process and product. It frequently led rehearsals and shaped other key decisions in virtual and live performance. Rather than tailor-make music towards pre-determined moments, independent compositions created without specific reference to narrative experimented with the creation of a flock of small musical pieces. I was interested in seeing how they flew and where they roosted, rather than having them born and raised in (narrative) captivity. The sonic palette is largely acoustic, incorporating ukulele, prepared piano and supported by a range of other elements tending towards electronica. Eventually more than seventy pieces of music were made for this show, twice the number used. These pieces were then placed in relation to the emerging scenes, then adapted in duration, texture and progression to develop a relationship with the scene. In this way, music (even when it’s synced) has a conversation with a performance, an exchange that may result in surprise rather than fulfillment of expectation. Leitmotif emerged from loops and layers, as the pieces of music ‘conversed’ with each other, rather than being premeditated and imposed. Nineteen of these tracks are compiled for this release, which finds the compositions (which progressed through many versions) poised at the moment between their fullest iteration as ‘music’ and their editing and full incorporation into a sychronised soundtrack. They are released as the began: as 'music-alone' (Kivy) In picture-book writing, the mutual interplay of text and image is sometimes referred to as interanimation , and this is the kind of symbiosis this project sought in the creation of the soundtrack. Reviewers of the noted the important role of the soundtrack in two separate productions of The Empty City: “The original score…takes centre stage” (Borhani, 2013) “…swept up in its repetition of sounds and images, like a Bach fugue” (Zampatti, 2013)

Transfer pricing and multinational financial institutions : the case for replacing arm’s length price with a unitary approach

The international tax system, designed a century ago, has not kept pace with the modern multinational entity rendering it ineffective in taxing many modern businesses according to economic activity. One of those modern multinational entities is the multinational financial institution (MNFI). The recent global financial crisis provides a particularly relevant and significant example of the failure of the current system on a global scale. The modern MNFI is increasingly undertaking more globalised and complex trading operations. A primary reason for the globalisation of financial institutions is that they typically ‘follow-the-customer’ into jurisdictions where international capital and international investors are required. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently reported that from 1995-2009, foreign bank presence in developing countries grew by 122 per cent. The same study indicates that foreign banks have a 20 per cent market share in OECD countries and 50 per cent in emerging markets and developing countries. Hence, most significant is that fact that MNFIs are increasingly undertaking an intermediary role in developing economies where they are financing core business activities such as mining and tourism. IMF analysis also suggests that in the future, foreign bank expansion will be greatest in emerging economies. The difficulties for developing countries in applying current international tax rules, especially the current traditional transfer pricing regime, are particularly acute in relation to MNFIs, which are the biggest users of tax havens and offshore finance. This paper investigates whether a unitary taxation approach which reflects economic reality would more easily and effectively ensure that the profits of MNFIs are taxed in the jurisdictions which give rise to those profits. It has previously been argued that the uniqueness of MNFIs results in a failure of the current system to accurately allocate profits and that unitary tax as an alternative could provide a sounder allocation model for international tax purposes. This paper goes a step further, and examines the practicalities of the implementation of unitary taxation for MNFIs in terms of the key components of such a regime, along with their their implications. This paper adopts a two-step approach in considering the implications of unitary taxation as a means of improved corporate tax coordination which requires international acceptance and agreement. First, the definitional issues of the unitary MNFI are examined and second, an appropriate allocation formula for this sector is investigated. To achieve this, the paper asks first, how the financial sector should be defined for the purposes of unitary taxation and what should constitute a unitary business for that sector and second, what is the ‘best practice’ model of an allocation formula for the purposes of the apportionment of the profits of the unitary business of a financial institution.

Development of a Remote Sensing Core Curriculum submitted for the sessions on educational initiatives in Geoscience and Remote Sensing

A Remote Sensing Core Curriculum (RSCC) development project is currently underway. This project is being conducted under the auspices of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). RSCC is an outgrowth of the NCGIA GIS Core Curriculum project. It grew out of discussions begun at NCGIA, Initiative 12 (I-12): 'Integration of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems'. This curriculum development project focuses on providing professors, teachers and instructors in undergraduate and graduate institutions with course materials from experts in specific subject matter for areas use in the class room.

Pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2 transfection increases orthotopic primary growth and experimental metastasis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells in nude mice

The ability to activate pro-matrix metalloproteinase (pro-MMP)-2 via membrane type-MMP is a hallmark of human breast cancer cell lines that show increased invasiveness, suggesting that MMP-2 contributes to human breast cancer progression. To investigate this, we have stably transfected pro-MMP-2 into the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, which lacks MMP-2 expression but does express its cell surface activator, membrane type 1-MMP. Multiple clones were derived and shown to produce pro-MMP-2 and to activate it in response to concanavalin A. In vitro analysis showed that the pro-MMP-2-transfected clones exhibited an increased invasive potential in Boyden chamber and Matrigel outgrowth assays, compared with the parental cells or those transfected with vector only. When inoculated into the mammary fat pad of nude mice, each of the MMP-2-tranfected clones grew faster than each of the vector controls tested. After intracardiac inoculation into nude mice, pro-MMP-2-transfected clones showed a significant increase in the incidence of metastasis to brain, liver, bone, and kidney compared with the vector control clones but not lung. Increased tumor burden was seen in the primary site and in lung metastases, and a trend toward increased burden was seen in bone, however, no change was seen in brain, liver, or kidney. This data supports a role for MMP-2 in breast cancer progression, both in the growth of primary tumors and in their spread to distant organs. MMP-2 may be a useful target for breast cancer therapy when refinement of MMP inhibitors provides for MMP-specific agents.

Associations between physical activity and other health behaviors in a representative sample of US adolescents

OBJECTIVES This study examined the associations between physical activity and other health behaviors in a representative sample of US adolescents. METHODS In the 1990 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 11631 high school students provided information on physical activity; diet; substance use; and other negative health behaviors. Logistic regression analyses examined associations between physical activity and other health behaviors in a subset of 2652 high-active and 1641 low-active students. RESULTS Low activity was associated with cigarette smoking, marijuana use, lower fruit and vegetable consumption, greater television watching, failure to wear a seat belt, and low perception of academic performance. For consumption of fruit, television watching, and alcohol consumption, significant interactions were found with race/ethnicity or sex, suggesting that sociocultural factors may affect the relationships between physical activity and some health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Low physical activity was associated with several other negative health behaviors in teenagers. Future studies should examine whether interventions for increasing physical activity in youth can be effective in reducing negative health behaviors.

In conversation with the Honourable Ian Callinan AC

When, in 1977, the Australian electorate provided a double majority to effect a change of section 72 of the Commonwealth Constitution requiring judges of the High Court of Australia to retire at the age of 70 years old, I doubt we understood the continuing capacity of these esteemed members of the judiciary. For the opportunity to sit and talk with Ian Callinan AC who, in compliance with that amendment, retired from the High Court in September 2007, I needed to wait until he returned from The Hague where he was sitting as a Judge ad hoc on the International Court of Justice. Although a native of Casino, New South Wales, Mr Callinan is regarded as a Queenslander. Indeed, he grew up in Brisbane, finished high school at Brisbane Grammar and graduated in law at The University of Queensland. Appointed in 1978 as a Queen’s Counsel, Mr Callinan enjoyed this period of his legal career and we discussed an aspect of the Christopher Skase case, which reinforced my belief that Mr Callinan is an incredibly skilful advocate. On 14 September 1998, ABC Four Corners broadcasted the views of some prominent Australians on the appointment of Mr Callinan to the High Court. In assessing the type of person Mr Callinan is, Tony Morris QC said: “Ian Callinan isn't a coward”, while former Commonwealth Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch, said: “He was regarded as an absolutely outstanding criminal lawyer within the Queensland legal profession, I mean really a top-notch advocate”. I was not interested in raising any of the controversial issues that Mr Callinan has encountered as an advocate in high profile matters. I wanted to know how he felt about his time on the High Court, what his thoughts are on the operation of the High Court, the IP cases he decided, the real life issues that he feels impact on counsel who are appearing before the High Court and the people he regarded as role models. During our conversation, Mr Callinan laughed often and when he did his eyes lit up, revealing his passion for life. He is an incredibly genuine Australian who loved his time as a barrister, enjoyed his role on the High Court, enjoys his current job as mediator, loves writing novels, has a great desire for continual improvement in the quality of legal education and legal advocacy and sees a need for change in IP law. When I asked: “So, what might the future hold for you?”, he laughed and said: “Well, at my age I don’t have a long horizon time”. I said: “Just enjoy the journey?”, to which Mr Callinan responded: “Exactly”.

AISC '11 Proceedings of the Ninth Australasian Information Security Conference

The Australasian Information Security Conference (AISC) 2011 was held on 18th-19th January 2011 in Perth, Australia, as a part of the Australasian Computer Science Week 2011. AISC grew out of the Australasian Information Security Workshop and officially changed the name to Australasian Information Security Conference in 2008. The main aim of the AISC is to provide a venue for Australasian and other researchers to present their work on all aspects of information security and promote collaboration between academic and industrial researchers working in this area.

AISC '12 Proceedings of the Tenth Australasian Information Security Conference

The Australasian Information Security Conference (AISC) 2012 was held at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, as a part of the Australasian Computer Science Week, January 30 - February 3, 2012. AISC grew out of the Australasian Information Security Workshop and officially changed the name to Australasian Information Security Conference in 2008. The main aim of the AISC is to provide a venue for researchers to present their work on all aspects of information security and promote collaboration between academic and industrial researchers working in this area.

Contribution of siderophore systems to growth and urinary tract colonization of asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli

The molecular mechanisms that define asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) Escherichia coli colonization of the human urinary tract remain to be properly elucidated. Here, we utilize ABU E. coli strain 83972 as a model to dissect the contribution of siderophores to iron acquisition, growth, fitness, and colonization of the urinary tract. We show that E. coli 83972 produces enterobactin, salmochelin, aerobactin, and yersiniabactin and examine the role of these systems using mutants defective in siderophore biosynthesis and uptake. Enterobactin and aerobactin contributed most to total siderophore activity and growth in defined iron-deficient medium. No siderophores were detected in an 83972 quadruple mutant deficient in all four siderophore biosynthesis pathways; this mutant did not grow in defined iron-deficient medium but grew in iron-limited pooled human urine due to iron uptake via the FecA ferric citrate receptor. In a mixed 1:1 growth assay with strain 83972, there was no fitness disadvantage of the 83972 quadruple biosynthetic mutant, demonstrating its capacity to act as a “cheater” and utilize siderophores produced by the wild-type strain for iron uptake. An 83972 enterobactin/salmochelin double receptor mutant was outcompeted by 83972 in human urine and the mouse urinary tract, indicating a role for catecholate receptors in urinary tract colonization.