Sophoclean soccer

This piece emerged during the development of my PhD research. I started looking at the differences between young adult and adult fiction. I found strangebOUnce.com to be kindred spirits looking at football, the beautiful game, through creators eyes. I hope to publish more work with them

Fluid Infrastructure : A response to a natural flood disaster in Brisbane

Fluid Infrastructure: Landscape Architecture Exhibition: This exhibition showcases the work of 4th Year undergraduate landscape architecture students in response to the 2011 Queensland floods through five installations: Systima Fluid Flux Flex Fluid Connectivity The Floods Verge Fluid Evolution The focus of these installations is the post-flood conditions of Brisbane’s riverside public infrastructure, within a scenario of flood as a normalised event. It recognises that within this scenario, parts of this city cannot be described as definitively ‘land’ or ‘water,’ but are best described as ‘fluid terrains’(Mathur, A. and Da Cunha, D. 2006). The landscape design propositions within the five installations include public transport diversification (RiverRats) schemes, greenspace elevations, ephemeral gardens and evolving landscapes, creative interpretation and warning devices and systems. These propositions do not resist fluid conditions, but work with them to propose a more resilient urban river landscape than Brisbane currently has. This QUT exhibition was developed as part of the 2011 Flood of Ideas Project (http://www.floodofideas.org.au) in partnership with Healthy Waterways (Water by Design), State Library of Queensland (The Edge), Brisbane City Council, Australian Institute of Architects, University of Queensland, Green Cross Australia, Stormwater Industry Association.

Numerical Characterization of Nanowires

In this chapter, we will present a contemporary review of the hitherto numerical characterization of nanowires (NWs). The bulk of the research reported in the literatures concern metallic NWs including Al, Cu, Au, Ag, Ni, and their alloys NWs. Research has also been reported for the investigation of some nonmetallic NWs, such as ZnO, GaN, SiC, SiO2. A plenty of researches have been conducted regarding the numerical investigation of NWs. Issues analyzed include structural changes under different loading situations, the formation and propagation of dislocations, and the effect of the magnitude of applied loading on deformation mechanics. Efforts have also been made to correlate simulation results with experimental measurements. However, direct comparisons are difficult since most simulations are carried out under conditions of extremely high strain/loading rates and small simulation samples due to computational limitations. Despite of the immense numerical studies of NWs, a significant work still lies ahead in terms of problem formulation, interpretation of results, identification and delineation of deformation mechanisms, and constitutive characterization of behavior. In this chapter, we present an introduction of the commonly adopted experimental and numerical approaches in studies of the deformation of NWs in Section 1. An overview of findings concerning perfect NWs under different loading situations, such as tension, compression, torsion, and bending are presented in Section 2. In Section 3, we will detail some recent results from the authors’ own work with an emphasis on the study of influences from different pre-existing defect on NWs. Some thoughts on future directions of the computational mechanics of NWs together with Conclusions will be given in the last section.

Robust image hash functions using higher order spectra

Robust hashing is an emerging field that can be used to hash certain data types in applications unsuitable for traditional cryptographic hashing methods. Traditional hashing functions have been used extensively for data/message integrity, data/message authentication, efficient file identification and password verification. These applications are possible because the hashing process is compressive, allowing for efficient comparisons in the hash domain but non-invertible meaning hashes can be used without revealing the original data. These techniques were developed with deterministic (non-changing) inputs such as files and passwords. For such data types a 1-bit or one character change can be significant, as a result the hashing process is sensitive to any change in the input. Unfortunately, there are certain applications where input data are not perfectly deterministic and minor changes cannot be avoided. Digital images and biometric features are two types of data where such changes exist but do not alter the meaning or appearance of the input. For such data types cryptographic hash functions cannot be usefully applied. In light of this, robust hashing has been developed as an alternative to cryptographic hashing and is designed to be robust to minor changes in the input. Although similar in name, robust hashing is fundamentally different from cryptographic hashing. Current robust hashing techniques are not based on cryptographic methods, but instead on pattern recognition techniques. Modern robust hashing algorithms consist of feature extraction followed by a randomization stage that introduces non-invertibility and compression, followed by quantization and binary encoding to produce a binary hash output. In order to preserve robustness of the extracted features, most randomization methods are linear and this is detrimental to the security aspects required of hash functions. Furthermore, the quantization and encoding stages used to binarize real-valued features requires the learning of appropriate quantization thresholds. How these thresholds are learnt has an important effect on hashing accuracy and the mere presence of such thresholds are a source of information leakage that can reduce hashing security. This dissertation outlines a systematic investigation of the quantization and encoding stages of robust hash functions. While existing literature has focused on the importance of quantization scheme, this research is the first to emphasise the importance of the quantizer training on both hashing accuracy and hashing security. The quantizer training process is presented in a statistical framework which allows a theoretical analysis of the effects of quantizer training on hashing performance. This is experimentally verified using a number of baseline robust image hashing algorithms over a large database of real world images. This dissertation also proposes a new randomization method for robust image hashing based on Higher Order Spectra (HOS) and Radon projections. The method is non-linear and this is an essential requirement for non-invertibility. The method is also designed to produce features more suited for quantization and encoding. The system can operate without the need for quantizer training, is more easily encoded and displays improved hashing performance when compared to existing robust image hashing algorithms. The dissertation also shows how the HOS method can be adapted to work with biometric features obtained from 2D and 3D face images.

Sun, sea, sex, sand and soap

A recent issue of Young People Now (November 1995) mentioned the new (UK) Channel 4 television soap opera Hollyoaks by Phil Redmond, which raises the issue of the role of ‘soaps’ in the daily lives of young people. Australian soaps are especially popular in Britain and of interest to those who work with young people, because they have a high proportion of youthful looking actors and actresses and frequently depict scenes involving young people and apparent ‘real’ teenage dilemmas.

Supporting context-aware process design : learnings from a design science study

Recent studies have started to explore context-awareness as a driver in the design of adaptable business processes. The emerging challenge of identifying and considering contextual drivers in the environment of a business process are well understood, however, typical methods and models for business process design do not yet consider this context. In this paper, we describe our work on the design of a method framework and appropriate models to enable a context-aware process design approach. We report on our ongoing work with an Australian insurance provider and describe the design science we employed to develop innovative and useful artifacts as part of a context-aware method framework. We discuss the utility of these artifacts in an application in the claims handling process at the case organization.

Postgraduate response to an information retrieval credit course

Information skills instruction for research candidates bas recently been formalised as coursework at the Queensland University of Technology. Feedback solicited from participants suggests that students benefit from such coursework in a number of ways. Their perception of the value of specific content areas to their literature review and thesis presentation is favourable. A small group of students who participated in Interviews identified five ways in which the coursework assisted the research process. As Instructors continue to work with the post·graduate community it would be useful to deepen our understanding of how such instruction is perceived and the benefits which can be derived from it.

Let the children (and young people) play-where, how, why?

This paper reports on current research work with children and young people on the importance of public and private space for good health, wellbeing, social, educational and developmental outcomes. In many urban locations in Australia and elsewhere, public space is under attack from developers and attempts by authorities to control public space (Watson 2006). Private space in the home and garden-backyard is also under attack from development densification and trends towards bigger houses on smaller plots of land where gardens disappear altogether or a postage stamp remains (Gleeson and Sipe 2006). At the same time public policy advocates the benefits of outdoor exercise, set alongside fears about using public space exacerbated by notions of ‘stranger danger’ and control measures such as child and youth ‘curfews’. In this increasingly complex context, it is important to discover what children and young people value and need most in using private (home) and public space. In conjunction with the University of Otago, New Zealand, children and young people are consulted to discover how they use public space in parks and shopping centres and home space and the issues encountered and their proposals for improvement, to better inform policy debate, planning and formulation (ARACY 2009).

Sun, sea, sex, sand and conservatism in the Australian television soap opera

A recent issue of Young People Now (November 1995) mentioned the new (UK) television soap opera Hollyoaks by Phil Redmond, which raises the issue of the role of ‘soap operas’ (hereafter referred to as soaps) in the daily lives of young people. The term ‘soap’ originates with the sponsorship of radio and television programmes by companies such as Proctor and Gamble who in America in 1932 used a daytime radio domestic comedy, The Puddle Family to advertise Oxydol, a washing powder. The first British television soap was The Grove Family (BBC 1954-7) was followed by Emergency Ward Ten (ATV 1957-67), Coronation Street (Granada Television 1960-present) and Eastenders (BBC 1985-present). Australian soaps are especially popular in Britain and of potential interest to those who work with young people, because they have a high proportion of youthful looking actors and actresses and frequently depict scenes involving young people and apparent ‘real’ teenage dilemmas. On one level it may be commendable that actors who are young(ish) somewhere between the ages of 14 and 25 play roles that are ostensibly about young people and their alleged problems. However, the casting of young, largely unknown, actors reflects more the political economy of soaps in their relative cheapness and dispensability, rather than any genuine attempt to create an oppositional text for, about and by young people (Paterson 1986).

The future of power in the network era

This article asks questions about the futures of power in the network era. Two critical emerging issues are at work with uncertain outcomes. The first is the emergence of the collaborative economy, while the second is the emergence of surveillance capabilities from both civic, state and commercial sources. While both of these emerging issues are expected by many to play an important role in the future development of our societies, it is still unclear whose values and whose purposes will be furthered. This article argues that the futures of these emerging issues depend on contests for power. As such, four scenarios are developed for the futures of power in the network era using the double variable scenario approach.

The Alcohol Intervention Training Program (AITP): a response to alcohol misuse in the farming community

Background Farm men and women in Australia have higher levels of problematic alcohol use than their urban counterparts and experience elevated health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption. The Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) program has worked successfully with farm men and women to address health, well- being and safety and has identified that further research and training is required to understand and address alcohol misuse behaviours. This project will add an innovative component to the program by training health professionals working with farm men and women to discuss and respond to alcohol-related physical and mental health problems. Methods/Design A mixed method design with multi-level evaluation will be implemented following the development and delivery of a training program (The Alcohol Intervention Training Program {AITP}) for Sustainable Farm Families health professionals. Pre-, post- and follow-up surveys will be used to assess both the impact of the training on the knowledge, confidence and skills of the health professionals to work with alcohol misuse and associated problems, and the impact of the training on the attitudes, behaviour and mental health of farm men and women who participate in the SFF project. Evaluations will take a range of forms including self-rated outcome measures and interviews. Discussion The success of this project will enhance the health and well-being of a critical population, the farm men and women of Australia, by producing an evidence-based strategy to assist them to adopt more positive alcohol-related behaviours that will lead to better physical and mental health.

A survey of the Queensland healthcare workforce : attitudes towards dementia care and training

Background Positive attitudes of healthcare staff towards people with dementia promote higher quality care, although little is known about important factors that underlie positive attitudes. Key aims of this project were to explore the relationships between staff attitudes towards dementia, self-confidence in caring for people with dementia, experience and dementia education and training. Method A brief online survey was developed and widely distributed to registered nurses and allied health professionals working in Queensland in 2012. Regression analyses were performed to identify important predictors of self-confidence in caring for people with dementia and positive attitudes towards people with dementia. Results Five hundred and twenty-four surveys were completed by respondents working in a range of care settings across Queensland. Respondents were predominantly female (94.1%), and most were registered nurses (60%), aged between 41 and 60 years (65.6%). Around 40% regularly worked with people with dementia and high levels of self-confidence in caring for this population and positive attitudes towards people with dementia were reported. The majority of respondents (67%) had participated in a dementia education/training activity in the past 12 months. More experience working with people with dementia predicted greater self-confidence while recent participation in a dementia education/training and higher self-confidence in caring for a person with dementia significantly predicted more positive attitudes towards people with dementia. Conclusion These results confirm the importance of self-confidence and dementia education in fostering positive attitudes and care practices towards people with dementia. Our results also indicate that the demand for ongoing dementia education is high amongst health care workers and it is recommended that regular dementia education/ training be provided and promoted for all healthcare personnel who work with people with dementia.

Rebuilding in Ranongga : reflecting on practice based research

Two hundred million people are displaced annually due to natural disasters with a further one billion living in inadequate conditions in urban areas. Architects have a responsibility to respond to this statistic as the effects of natural and social disasters become more visibly catastrophic when paired with population rise. The research discussed in this paper initially questions and considers how digital tools can be employed to enhance rebuilding processes, but still achieve sensitive, culturally appropriate and accepted built solutions. Secondly the paper reflects on the impact ‘real-world’ projects have on architectural education. Research aspirations encouraged an atypical ‘research by design’ methodology involving a focused case study in the recently devastated village Keigold, Ranongga, Solomon Islands. Through this qualitative approach specific place data and the accounts of those affected were documented through naturalistic and archival methods of observation and participation. Findings reveal a number of unanticipated results which would have been otherwise undetected if field research within the design and rebuilding process was not undertaken, reflecting the importance of place specific research in the design process. Ultimately, the study proves that it is critical for issues of disaster to be addressed on a local rather than global scale; decisions cannot be speculative, or solved at a distance, but require intensive collaborative work with communities to achieve optimum solutions. Architectural education and design studios would continue to benefit from focused community engagement and field research within the design process.

Sub-cellular localization of membrane proteins

In eukaryotes, numerous complex sub-cellular structures exist. The majority of these are delineated by membranes. Many proteins are trafficked to these in order to be able to carry out their correct physiological function. Assigning the sub-cellular location of a protein is of paramount importance to biologists in the elucidation of its role and in the refinement of knowledge of cellular processes by tracing certain activities to specific organelles. Membrane proteins are a key set of proteins as these form part of the boundary of the organelles and represent many important functions such as transporters, receptors, and trafficking. They are, however, some of the most challenging proteins to work with due to poor solubility, a wide concentration range within the cell and inaccessibility to many of the tools employed in proteomics studies. This review focuses on membrane proteins with particular emphasis on sub-cellular localization in terms of methodologies that can be used to determine the accurate location of membrane proteins to organelles. We also discuss what is known about the membrane protein cohorts of major organelles.