Primary to secondary LOTE articulation: A local case in Australia

In this study of articulation issues related to languages other than English (LOTE), "articulation" is defined and the challenges surrounding it are overviewed. Data taken from an independent school's admission documents over a 4-year period provide insights and reveal trends concerning students' preferences for language study, LOTE study continuity, and reasons for LOTE selection. The data also provides an accounting of some multiple LOTE learning experiences. The analysis indicates that many students who begin a LOTE in the early grades are thwarted in becoming proficient, because (1) continuation in the language is impossible due to unavailability of instruction; (2) expanded learning is hampered by teachers' inability to deal with a range of learners, (3) extended learning is hampered by administrative decisions or policies, or (4) students lose interest in the first LOTE and switch to another. Finally, a call is made for data gathering and research in local contexts to gain a better understanding of LOTE articulation challenges at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Local complexity of Delone sets and crystallinity

This paper characterizes when a Delone set X in R-n is an ideal crystal in terms of restrictions on the number of its local patches of a given size or on the heterogeneity of their distribution. For a Delone set X, let N-X (T) count the number of translation-inequivalent patches of radius T in X and let M-X (T) be the minimum radius such that every closed ball of radius M-X(T) contains the center of a patch of every one of these kinds. We show that for each of these functions there is a gap in the spectrum of possible growth rates between being bounded and having linear growth, and that having sufficiently slow linear growth is equivalent to X being an ideal crystal. Explicitly, for N-X (T), if R is the covering radius of X then either N-X (T) is bounded or N-X (T) greater than or equal to T/2R for all T > 0. The constant 1/2R in this bound is best possible in all dimensions. For M-X(T), either M-X(T) is bounded or M-X(T) greater than or equal to T/3 for all T > 0. Examples show that the constant 1/3 in this bound cannot be replaced by any number exceeding 1/2. We also show that every aperiodic Delone set X has M-X(T) greater than or equal to c(n)T for all T > 0, for a certain constant c(n) which depends on the dimension n of X and is > 1/3 when n > 1.

Estimating and evaluating the statistics of gapped local-alignment scores

We present a novel maximum-likelihood-based algorithm for estimating the distribution of alignment scores from the scores of unrelated sequences in a database search. Using a new method for measuring the accuracy of p-values, we show that our maximum-likelihood-based algorithm is more accurate than existing regression-based and lookup table methods. We explore a more sophisticated way of modeling and estimating the score distributions (using a two-component mixture model and expectation maximization), but conclude that this does not improve significantly over simply ignoring scores with small E-values during estimation. Finally, we measure the classification accuracy of p-values estimated in different ways and observe that inaccurate p-values can, somewhat paradoxically, lead to higher classification accuracy. We explain this paradox and argue that statistical accuracy, not classification accuracy, should be the primary criterion in comparisons of similarity search methods that return p-values that adjust for target sequence length.

Universal quantum computation and simulation using any entangling Hamiltonian and local unitaries

What interactions are sufficient to simulate arbitrary quantum dynamics in a composite quantum system? We provide an efficient algorithm to simulate any desired two-body Hamiltonian evolution using any fixed two-body entangling n-qubit Hamiltonian and local unitary operations. It follows that universal quantum computation can be performed using any entangling interaction and local unitary operations.

Observations of foehn onset in the Southern Alps, New Zealand

Local scale windfield and air mass characteristics during the onset of two foehn wind events in an alpine hydro-catchment are presented. Grounding of the topographically modified foehn was found to be dependent on daytime surface heating and topographic channelling of flow. The foehn front was observed to advance down-valley until the valley widened significantly. The foehn wind appeared to decouple from the surface downstream of the accelerated flow associated with the valley constriction. and to be lifted above local thermally generated circulations including a lake breeze. Towards evening. the foehn front retreated up valley in response to reduced surface heating and the intrusion into the study area of a deep and cool air mass associated with a regional scale mountain-plain circulation. Differences in the local windfield observed during both case study events reflect the importance of different thermal and dynamic forcings on airflow in complex terrain. These are the result of variation in surface energy exchanges, channelling and blocking of airflow. Observations presented here have both theoretical and applied implications with regard to forecasting foehn onset, wind hazard management, recreational activities and air quality management in alpine settings.

Assessing the self-heating behaviour of Callide coal using a 2-metre column

A 2-m, adiabatic column has been successfully refurbished and recommissioned for coal self-heating research at The University of Queensland. Subbituminous coal from the Callide Coalfields reached thermal runaway in just under 19 days from a starting temperature of 20-22 degreesC. The coal was loaded as two layers, with an R-70 index of 2.73 degreesC h(-1) and 5.90 degreesC h(-1) for the upper layer and lower layer respectively. Initially, a hotspot developed in the upper layer between 120 and 140 cm from the air inlet due to moisture adsorption. After 7 days, self-heating in the lower half of the column began to take over, consistent with the higher R-70 index of this coal. The location of the final hotspot was approximately 60 cm from the air inlet. Further tests on Australian coals, with the column, will enable a better understanding of coal self-heating under conditions closely resembling mining, transport and storage of coal. The results from the column will also provide industry with the information needed to manage the coal self-heating hazard. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) treatment of milk: comparison of direct and indirect modes of heating

UHT processing of milk and its subsequent storage causes several changes which affect the shelf-life of UHT milk although it remains 'commercially sterile'. These changes include whey protein denaturation, protein-protein interaction, lactose-protein interaction, isomerisation of lactose, Maillard browning, sulphydryl compound formation, formation of a range of carbonyl and other flavoursome compounds, and formation of insoluble substances. They ultimately reduce the quality and limit the shelf life of UHT milk through development of off-flavours, fat separation, age gelation and sedimentation. The extent of these changes depends on many factors, a major one being the type of UHT heating. This review compares the effect heating milk by direct and indirect modes on various aspects of processing and quality of UHT milk.

The devolution of indigenous local government authority in Queensland: Opportunities for statutory planning

Government policy change to self detennination over the past two decades has gradually given rise to various structures of Indigenous self government across Australia. Indigenous Local Government Authorities (LGAs) are the governing structure which receive the greatest devolution of State authority, especially those found in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Their statutory basis has developed over a relatively short period of time and is still very much evolving. This paper explores what opportunities exist for Indigenous LGAs to adopt statutory planning mechanisms.

The prediction of sharkskin instability observed during film blowing

The characteristics of sharkskin surface instability for linear low density polyethylene are studied as a function of film blowing processing conditions. By means of scanning electron microscopy and surface profilometry, is it found that for the standard industrial die geometry studied, sharkskin only occurs on the inside of the film bubble. Previous work suggests that this instability may be due to critical extensional stress levels at the exit of the die. Isothermal integral viscoelastic simulations of the annular extrusion process are reported, and confirm that the extensional stress at the die exit is large enough to cause local melt rupture. However the extensional stress level at the outer die wall predicts melt rupture of the outside bubble surface also, which contradicts the experimental findings. A significant temperature gradient is expected to exist across the die gap at the exit of the die, due to the external heating of the die and the low conductivity, of the polymer melt. It is shown that a gradient of 20 degreesC is required to cause sharkskin to only appear on the inner bubble surface.