Theoretical critique of the work of art : co-producers in research

The ways in which the "traditional" tension between words and artwork can be perceived has huge implications for understanding the relationship between critical or theoretical interpretation, art and practice, and research. Within the practice-led PhD this can generate a strange sense of disjuncture for the artist-researcher particularly when engaged in writing the exegesis. This paper aims to explore this tension through an introductory investigation of the work of the philosopher Andrew Benjamin. For Benjamin criticism completes the work of art. Criticism is, with the artwork, at the centre of our experience and theoretical understanding of art – in this way the work of art and criticism are co-productive. The reality of this co-productivity can be seen in three related articles on the work of American painter Marcia Hafif. In each of these articles there are critical negotiations of just how the work of art operates as art and theoretically, within the field of art. This focus has important ramifications for the writing and reading of the exegesis within the practice-led research higher degree. By including art as a significant part of the research reporting process the artist-researcher is also staking a claim as to the critical value of their work. Rather than resisting the tension between word and artwork the practice-led artist-researcher need to embrace the co-productive nature of critical word and creative work to more completely articulate their practice and its significance as research. The ideal venue and opportunity for this is the exegesis.

The silk road project : dance and embodiment in the age of motion capture

The Silk Road Project was a practice-based research project investigating the potential of motion capture technology to inform perceptions of embodiment in dance performance. The project created a multi-disciplinary collaborative performance event using dance performance and real-time motion capture at Deakin University’s Deakin Motion Lab. Several new technological advances in producing real-time motion capture performance were produced, along with a performance event that examined the aesthetic interplay between a dancer’s movement and the precise mappings of its trajectories created by motion capture and real-time motion graphic visualisations.

Low temperature synthesis of zeolite N from kaolinites and montmorillonites

Zeolite N was produced from a variety of kaolinites and montmorillonites at low temperature (b100 °C) in a constantly stirred reactor using potassic and potassic+sodic mother liquors with chloride or hydroxyl anions. Reactions were complete (N95% product) in less than 20 h depending on initial batch composition and type of clay minerals. Zeolite N with 1.0bSi/Alb2.2 was produced under these conditions using KOH in the presence of KCl, NaCl, KCl+NaCl and KCl+NaOH. Zeolite N was also formed under high potassium molarities in the absence of KCl. Zeolite synthesis was more sensitive to water content and temperature when sodium was used in initial batch compositions. Syntheses of zeolite N by these methods were undertaken at bench, pilot and industrial scales.

The social role of design on collaborative destination branding : creating a new journey, a new story for the Waterfall Way, New South Wales, Australia.

This paper suggests that collaborative design can be an effective tool to promote social change. A co-design methodology and the results of its application in branding the Waterfall Way (New South Wales, Australia) as an eco- and nature-based tourism destination are presented as an example. The co-design exercise actively involved stakeholders in all stages of the design process, harnessing local tacit knowledge in relation to communication design, stimulating reflection upon what is special about the places, and consequently reinforcing a sense of belonging and the environmental and cultural conservation of place. The achieved results reflect the involvement and ownership of the community towards the design process. However, the application of a collaborative brand design methodology produced more than just a destination brand that is attractive to visitors, in line with local values, ways of living and the environment. It helped to catalyse a social network around tourism, triggering self-organising activity amongst stakeholders, who started to liaise with each other around the emergent regional identity - represented by the new brand they created together. The Waterfall Way branding process is a good example of social construction of shared understanding in and through design, showing that design exercises can have a significant social impact not only on the final product, but also on the realities of people involved in the process.

Selection and optimization of piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride polymers for adaptive optics in space environments

Various piezoelectric polymers based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are of interest for large aperture space-based telescopes. Dimensional adjustments of adaptive polymer films depend on charge deposition and require a detailed understanding of the piezoelectric material responses which are expected to deteriorate owing to strong vacuum UV, � -, X-ray, energetic particles and atomic oxygen exposure. We have investigated the degradation of PVDF and its copolymers under various stress environments detrimental to reliable operation in space. Initial radiation aging studies have shown complex material changes with lowered Curie temperatures, complex material changes with lowered melting points, morphological transformations and significant crosslinking, but little influence on piezoelectric d33 constants. Complex aging processes have also been observed in accelerated temperature environments inducing annealing phenomena and cyclic stresses. The results suggest that poling and chain orientation are negatively affected by radiation and temperature exposure. A framework for dealing with these complex material qualification issues and overall system survivability predictions in low earth orbit conditions has been established. It allows for improved material selection, feedback for manufacturing and processing, material optimization/stabilization strategies and provides guidance on any alternative materials.

Effect of poly(acrylic acid) molecular mass and end-group functionality on calcium oxalate crystal morphology and growth

A number of series of poly(acrylic acids) (PAA) of differing end-groups and molecular mass were used to study the inhibition of calcium oxalate crystallization. The effects of the end-group on crystal speciation and morphology were significant and dramatic, with hexyl-isobutyrate end groups giving preferential formation of calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) rather than the more stable calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), while both more hydrophobic end-groups and less-hydrophobic end groups led predominantly to formation of the least thermodynamically stable form of calcium oxalate, calcium oxalate trihydrate. Conversely, molecular mass had little impact on calcium oxalate speciation or crystal morphology. It is probable that the observed effects are related to the rate of desorption of the PAA moiety from the crystal (lite) surfaces and that the results point to a major role for end-group as well as molecular mass in controlling desorption rate.

Fabrication using a rapid prototyping system and in vitro characterization of PEG-PCL-PLA scaffolds for tissue engineering

n the field of tissue engineering new polymers are needed to fabricate scaffolds with specific properties depending on the targeted tissue. This work aimed at designing and developing a 3D scaffold with variable mechanical strength, fully interconnected porous network, controllable hydrophilicity and degradability. For this, a desktop-robot-based melt-extrusion rapid prototyping technique was applied to a novel tri-block co-polymer, namely poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(epsi-caprolactone)-block-poly(DL-lactide), PEG-PCL-P(DL)LA. This co-polymer was melted by electrical heating and directly extruded out using computer-controlled rapid prototyping by means of compressed purified air to build porous scaffolds. Various lay-down patterns (0/30/60/90/120/150°, 0/45/90/135°, 0/60/120° and 0/90°) were produced by using appropriate positioning of the robotic control system. Scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography were used to show that 3D scaffold architectures were honeycomb-like with completely interconnected and controlled channel characteristics. Compression tests were performed and the data obtained agreed well with the typical behavior of a porous material undergoing deformation. Preliminary cell response to the as-fabricated scaffolds has been studied with primary human fibroblasts. The results demonstrated the suitability of the process and the cell biocompatibility of the polymer, two important properties among the many required for effective clinical use and efficient tissue-engineering scaffolding.

Response of cells on surface-induced nanopatterns: Fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells

Ultrathin films of a poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyrindine) diblock copolymer (PS-b-P2VP) and poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyrindine) diblock copolymer (PS-b-P4VP) were used to form surface-induced nanopattern (SINPAT) on mica. Surface interaction controlled microphase separation led to the formation of chemically heterogeneous surface nanopatterns on dry ultrathin films. Two distinct nanopatterned surfaces, namely, wormlike and dotlike patterns, were used to investigate the influence of topography in the nanometer range on cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration. Atomic force microscopy was used to confirm that SINPAT was stable under cell culture conditions. Fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells were cultured on the nanopatterned surfaces. Phase contrast and confocal laser microscopy showed that fibroblasts and mesenchymal progenitor cells preferred the densely spaced wormlike patterns. Atomic force microscopy showed that the cells remodelled the extracellular matrix differently as they migrate over the two distinctly different nanopatterns

Cell interactions of osteoarthritic subchondral bone osteoblasts and articular chondrocytes aggravate MMP-2 and MMP-9 production through the mediation of ERK1/2 and JNK phosphorylation

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP) play a key role in osteoarthritis (OA) development. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether, the cross-talk between subchondral bone osteoblasts (SBOs) and articular cartilage chondrocytes (ACCs) in OA alters the expression and regulation of MMPs, and also to test the potential involvement of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway during this process.