Section 64 of the Property Law Act 1974 (Qld) and the reluctant buyer

The decision of the Court of Appeal in Dunworth v Mirvac Qld Pty Ltd [2011] QCA 200 arose from unusual circumstances associated with the flood in Brisbane earlier this year. Maris Dunworth (‘the buyer’) agreed to purchase a ground floor residential apartment located beside the Brisbane River at Tennyson from Mirvac Queensland Pty Ltd (‘Mirvac’). The original date for completion was 12 May 2009. In earlier proceedings, the buyer had alleged that she had been induced to purchase the apartment by false, misleading and deceptive representations. This claim was dismissed and an order for specific performance was made with a new completion date of 8 February 2011...

Loop closure detection on a suburban road network using a continuous appearance-based trajectory

This paper presents a novel technique for performing SLAM along a continuous trajectory of appearance. Derived from components of FastSLAM and FAB-MAP, the new system dubbed Continuous Appearance-based Trajectory SLAM (CAT-SLAM) augments appearancebased place recognition with particle-filter based ‘pose filtering’ within a probabilistic framework, without calculating global feature geometry or performing 3D map construction. For loop closure detection CAT-SLAM updates in constant time regardless of map size. We evaluate the effectiveness of CAT-SLAM on a 16km outdoor road network and determine its loop closure performance relative to FAB-MAP. CAT-SLAM recognizes 3 times the number of loop closures for the case where no false positives occur, demonstrating its potential use for robust loop closure detection in large environments.

Acoustic hazard detection for pedestrians with obscured hearing

Pedestrians’ use of mp3 players or mobile phones can pose the risk of being hit by motor vehicles. We present an approach for detecting a crash risk level using the computing power and the microphone of mobile devices that can be used to alert the user in advance of an approaching vehicle so as to avoid a crash. A single feature extractor classifier is not usually able to deal with the diversity of risky acoustic scenarios. In this paper, we address the problem of detection of vehicles approaching a pedestrian by a novel, simple, non resource intensive acoustic method. The method uses a set of existing statistical tools to mine signal features. Audio features are adaptively thresholded for relevance and classified with a three component heuristic. The resulting Acoustic Hazard Detection (AHD) system has a very low false positive detection rate. The results of this study could help mobile device manufacturers to embed the presented features into future potable devices and contribute to road safety.

Clichés, communication and the meaning of existence

This catalogue essay discusses the work of contemporary Brisbane artist Grant Stevens. It provides a survey of his video work and discusses the artist's use of cliche and other mediated formulas to explore the nature of media and its impact on consciousness in the early 21st century.

Dark numbers: challenges in measuring human trafficking

Over the last decade nations around the world have renewed their efforts to address the problem of human trafficking, following the introduction of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. In Australia and the United States, legislators sought to quantify and characterise the human trafficking phenomenon, seeking to answer the question — how large is the problem of trafficking? This article explores the attempts of legislators in Australia and the United States to determine how many victims are trafficked into their countries, highlighting the significant uncertainty that still surrounds data on human trafficking. The challenges researchers face in measuring human trafficking are also explored. These challenges include disputes over the definition of a trafficking victim, the limitations of research using sampling to measure the trafficked population, and the mischaracterisation of the trafficking problem as a result of politicisation of the trafficking debate and a focus on trafficking for sexual exploitation versus other forms of labour. This article argues that in the absence of reliable data on trafficking, policy is often informed by misleading or false information.

The wandering

In this video, text sourced from dream description websites is combined into a narrative. The words floating against an animated cloud background are set to a stock music track. This work examines the nature of consciousness and identity in a contemporary context. It mixes the languages of dream description and cinematic narrative. By extending on some of Nicolas Bourriaud’s ideas around “postproduction” and the creative and critical strategies of ‘editing’, this work draws attention to the ways popular culture and private anxieties continually mix together in our experiences of lived and imagined realities.

No evidence for subliminal affective priming with emotional facial expression primes

The present study investigated whether facial expressions of emotion presented outside consciousness awareness will elicit evaluative responses as assessed in affective priming. Participants were asked to evaluate pleasant and unpleasant target words that were preceded by masked or unmasked schematic (Experiment 1) or photographic faces (Experiments 1 and 2) with happy or angry expressions. They were either required to perform the target evaluation only or to perform the target evaluation and to name the emotion expressed by the face prime. Prime-target interval was 300 ms in Experiment 1 and 80 ms in Experiment 2. Naming performance confirmed the effectiveness of the masking procedure. Affective priming was evident after unmasked primes in tasks that required naming of the facial expressions for schematic and photographic faces and after unmasked primes in tasks that did not require naming for photographic faces. No affective priming was found after masked primes. The present study failed to provide evidence for affective priming with masked face primes, however, it indicates that voluntary attention to the primes enhances affective priming.

The expression, regulation and function of kallikrein 4 in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a significant health problem faced by aging men. Currently, diagnostic strategies for the detection of prostate cancer are either unreliable, yielding high numbers of false positive results, or too invasive to be used widely as screening tests. Furthermore, the current therapeutic strategies for the treatment of the disease carry considerable side effects. Although organ confined prostate cancer can be curable, most detectable clinical symptoms occur in advanced disease when primary tumour cells have metastasised to distant sites - usually lymph nodes and bone. Many growth factors and steroids assist the continued growth and maintenance of prostatic tumour cells. Of these mitogens, androgens are important in the development of the normal prostate but are also required to sustain the growth of prostate cancer cells in the early stage of the disease. Not only are androgens required in the early stage of disease, but also many other growth factors and hormones interact to cause uncontrolled proliferation of malignant cells. The early, androgen sensitive phase of disease is followed by an androgen insensitive phase, whereby androgens are no longer required to stimulate the growth of the tumour cells. Growth factors such as transforming growth factor  and  (TGF/), epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), Vitamin D and thyroid hormone have been suggested to be important at this stage of disease. Interestingly, some of the kallikrein family of genes, including prostate specific antigen (PSA), the current serum diagnostic marker for prostate cancer, are regulated by androgens and many of the aforementioned growth factors. The kallikrein gene family is a group of serine proteases that are involved in a diverse range of physiological processes: regulation of local blood flow, angiogenesis, tissue invasion and mitogenesis. The earliest members of the kallikrein gene family (KLK1-KLK3) have been strongly associated with general disease states, such as hypertension, inflammation, pancreatitis and renal disease, but are also linked to various cancers. Recently, this family was extended to include 15 genes (KLK1-15). Several newer members of the kallikrein family have been implicated in the carcinogenesis and tumour metastasis of hormone-dependent cancers such as prostate, breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer. The aims of this project were to investigate the expression of the newly identified kallikrein, KLK4, in benign and malignant prostate tissues, and prostate cancer cell lines. This thesis has demonstrated the elevated expression of KLK4 mRNA transcripts in malignant prostate tissue compared to benign prostates. Additionally, expression of the full length KLK4 transcript was detected in the androgen dependent prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. Based on the above finding, the LNCaP cell line was chosen to assess the potential regulation of full length KLK4 by androgen, thyroid hormone and epidermal growth factor. KLK4 mRNA and protein was found to be up-regulated by androgen and a combination of androgen and thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone alone produced no significant change in KLK4 mRNA or protein over the control. Epidermal growth factor treatment also resulted in elevated expression levels of KLK4 mRNA and protein. To assess the potential functional role(s) of KLK4/hK4 in processes associated with tumour progression, full length KLK4 was transfected into PC-3 cells - a prostate cancer cell line originally derived from a secondary bone lesion. The KLK4/hK4 over-expressing cells were assessed for their proliferation, migration, invasion and attachment properties. The KLK4 over-expressing clones exhibited a marked change in morphology, indicative of a more aggressive phenotype. The KLK4 clones were irregularly shaped with compromised adhesion to the growth surface. In contrast, the control cell lines (parent PC-3 and empty vector clones) retained a rounded morphology with obvious cell to cell adhesion, as well as significant adhesion to their growth surface. The KLK4 clones exhibited significantly greater attachment to Collagen I and IV than native PC-3s and empty vector controls. Over a 12 hour period, in comparison to the control cells, the KLK4 clones displayed an increase in migration towards PC-3 native conditioned media, a 3 fold increase towards conditioned media from an osteoblastic cell line (Saos-2) and no change in migration towards conditioned media from neonatal foreskin fibroblast cells or 20% foetal bovine serum. Furthermore, the increase in migration exhibited by the KLK4 clones was partially blocked by the serine protease inhibitor, aprotinin. The data presented in this thesis suggests that KLK4/hK4 is important in prostate carcinogenesis due to its over-expression in malignant prostate tissues, its regulation by hormones and growth factors associated with prostate disease and the functional consequences of over-expression of KLK4/hK4 in the PC-3 cell line. These results indicate that KLK4/hK4 may play an important role in tumour invasion and bone metastasis via increased attachment to the bone matrix protein, Collagen I, and enhanced migration due to soluble factors produced by osteoblast cells. This suggestion is further supported by the morphological changes displayed by the KLK4 over-expressing cells. Overall, this data suggests that KLK4/hK4 should be further studied to more fully investigate the potential value of KLK4/hK4 as a diagnostic/prognostic biomarker or in therapeutic applications.

An integrated approach for precise road reconstruction from aerial imagery and LiDAR data

Accurate and detailed road models play an important role in a number of geospatial applications, such as infrastructure planning, traffic monitoring, and driver assistance systems. In this thesis, an integrated approach for the automatic extraction of precise road features from high resolution aerial images and LiDAR point clouds is presented. A framework of road information modeling has been proposed, for rural and urban scenarios respectively, and an integrated system has been developed to deal with road feature extraction using image and LiDAR analysis. For road extraction in rural regions, a hierarchical image analysis is first performed to maximize the exploitation of road characteristics in different resolutions. The rough locations and directions of roads are provided by the road centerlines detected in low resolution images, both of which can be further employed to facilitate the road information generation in high resolution images. The histogram thresholding method is then chosen to classify road details in high resolution images, where color space transformation is used for data preparation. After the road surface detection, anisotropic Gaussian and Gabor filters are employed to enhance road pavement markings while constraining other ground objects, such as vegetation and houses. Afterwards, pavement markings are obtained from the filtered image using the Otsu's clustering method. The final road model is generated by superimposing the lane markings on the road surfaces, where the digital terrain model (DTM) produced by LiDAR data can also be combined to obtain the 3D road model. As the extraction of roads in urban areas is greatly affected by buildings, shadows, vehicles, and parking lots, we combine high resolution aerial images and dense LiDAR data to fully exploit the precise spectral and horizontal spatial resolution of aerial images and the accurate vertical information provided by airborne LiDAR. Objectoriented image analysis methods are employed to process the feature classiffcation and road detection in aerial images. In this process, we first utilize an adaptive mean shift (MS) segmentation algorithm to segment the original images into meaningful object-oriented clusters. Then the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is further applied on the MS segmented image to extract road objects. Road surface detected in LiDAR intensity images is taken as a mask to remove the effects of shadows and trees. In addition, normalized DSM (nDSM) obtained from LiDAR is employed to filter out other above-ground objects, such as buildings and vehicles. The proposed road extraction approaches are tested using rural and urban datasets respectively. The rural road extraction method is performed using pan-sharpened aerial images of the Bruce Highway, Gympie, Queensland. The road extraction algorithm for urban regions is tested using the datasets of Bundaberg, which combine aerial imagery and LiDAR data. Quantitative evaluation of the extracted road information for both datasets has been carried out. The experiments and the evaluation results using Gympie datasets show that more than 96% of the road surfaces and over 90% of the lane markings are accurately reconstructed, and the false alarm rates for road surfaces and lane markings are below 3% and 2% respectively. For the urban test sites of Bundaberg, more than 93% of the road surface is correctly reconstructed, and the mis-detection rate is below 10%.

Genesis and role of standards : theoretical foundations and socio-economical model for the construction and use of standards

A key issue in the economic development and performance of organizations is the existence of standards. Their definition and control are sources of power and it is important to understand their concept, as it gives standards their direction and their legitimacy, and to explore how they are represented and applied. The difficulties posed by classical micro-economics in establishing a theory of standardization that is compatible with its fundamental axiomatic are acknowledged. We propose to reconsider the problem by taking the opposite perspective in questioning its theoretical base and by reformulating assumptions about the independent and autonomous decisions taken by actors. The Theory of Conventions will offer us a theoretical framework and tools enabling us to understand the systemic dimension and dynamic structure of standards. These will be seen as a special case of conventions. This work aims to provide a sound basis and promote a better consciousness in the development of global project management standards. It aims also to emphasize that social construction is not a matter of copyright but a matter of open minds, collective cognitive process and freedom for the common wealth.

Genesis and role of standards : theoretical foundations and socio-economical model for the construction and use of standards

A key issue for the economic development and for performance of organizations is the existence of standards. As their definitions and control are source of power, it seems to be important to understand the concept and to wonder about the representations authorized by the concept which give their direction and their legitimacy. The difficulties of classical microeconomics of establishing a theory of standardisation compatible with its fundamental axiomatic are underlined. We propose to reconsider the problem by carrying out the opposite way: to question the theoretical base, by reformulating assumptions on the autonomy of the choice of the actors. The theory of conventions will offer us both a theoretical framework and tools, enabling us to understand the systemic dimension and dynamic structure of standards seen as special case of conventions. This work aims thus to provide a sound basis and promote a better consciousness in the development of global project management standards, aiming also to underline that social construction is not a matter of copyright but a matter of open minds, collective cognitive process and freedom for the common wealth.

Windows

In this video, words emerge out of an abstract, ‘digital’, animated horizon line. The words are accompanied by a female voice-over who narrates a seductive relaxation and visualization activity. This work examines the nature of consciousness and identity in a contemporary context. It mixes the languages of meditation, new age philosophy and pop-psychology. Drawing on Zygmunt Bauman’s theoretical work on “liquid modernity”, this work questions how and where we find space for contemplation and reflection in a contemporary context increasingly defined by temporary social bonds and consumer choices.

The drift

In this video, text floats on screen amidst a field of swirling coloured orbs and a stock music soundtrack. The text is sourced from Internet dating websites and combine into a single animated portrait charting an array of likes, dislikes, influences, beliefs and hobbies. This work examines the nature of consciousness and identity in a contemporary context. It reworks the languages of Internet dating websites to question how we construct and communicate our sense of self. Drawing on Zygmunt Bauman’s theoretical work on “liquid modernity”, this work presents an exaggerated take on contemporary identity that emphasizes its construction through consumer tastes, lifestyle choices and relationships with popular culture.

Swell

In this video, an abstract kaleidoscopic pattern slowly morphs and changes colour. It is accompanied by a male voice performing a word association or stream-of-consciousness activity. This work examines the nature of consciousness and identity in a contemporary context. It mixes the languages of meditation, new age philosophy and pop-psychology. Drawing on Zygmunt Bauman’s theoretical work on “liquid modernity”, this work questions how and where we find space for contemplation in a contemporary context increasingly defined by temporary social bonds, consumer choices and private anxieties.

Geologically ancient DNA: fact or artefact?

Studies continue to report ancient DNA sequences and viable microbial cells that are many millions of years old. In this paper we evaluate some of the most extravagant claims of geologically ancient DNA. We conclude that although exciting, the reports suffer from inadequate experimental setup and insufficient authentication of results. Consequently, it remains doubtful whether amplifiable DNA sequences and viable bacteria can survive over geological timescales. To enhance the credibility of future studies and assist in discarding false-positive results, we propose a rigorous set of authentication criteria for work with geologically ancient DNA.