Thermodynamics approach to the hydrogen diffusion and phase transformation in titanium particles

The hydrogen diffusion and phase transformation in a titanium particle were studied based on thermodynamic calculation. The mechanisms of hydrogen diffusion in different phases (alpha-Ti, beta-Ti and TiHx) were analyzed. A mobility database was developed for titanium– hydrogen system based on the experimental works on hydrogen diffusion coefficient reported in literature and the fundamental of diffusion. To implement the calculation, a commercial software package for the simulation of diffusion-controlled phase transformation was used. The hydrogen diffusion process, hydrogen distribution, phase transformation and phase growth rate during hydrogenization of a titanium particle at temperatures of 560 K, 800K and 1000K were discussed. The thermodynamics and kinetics analysis provided quantitative insight into the diffusion process and improved the understanding of diffusion mechanism and phase transformation.

Working outside of the system

The Deakin Studies Online (DSO) Learning Management System (LMS) forms the fundamental basis for tertiary education at Deakin University. This LMS is founded on Web 1.0 principles, however significant potential exists for engagement in Web 2.0 technologies to support learning and teaching in the design studio. A digitally enhanced design curriculum is discussed starting with html-based reflective folios in 2001, the use of blogs for reflection and resource creation and culminating in a Web 2.0 design studio based on social networking.

Logic and The Open Society : revising the place of Tarski’s theory of truth within Popper’s political philosophy

This chapter retraces the way in which the Austrian philosopher Sir Karl Popper came to accept a Correspondence Theory of Truth from the work of the Polish logician and mathematician Alfred Tarski. It is argued that Popper’s use of Tarski’s semantic theory of truth reveals crucial insights into the fundamental characteristics of Popper’s social philosophy.  Quite deceptively, arguments based upon Tarski’s theory of truth appear implicitly throughout the text of The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945). It is then demonstrated how Popper integrated a correspondence theory of truth into a theory of the functions of communicative language that he received from Karl Bühler.

Conceptualizing user satisfaction in the ubiquitous computing era

In this research-in-progress paper we argue that technology in the ubiquitous computing era offers experiences to users that extend well beyond the functional, practical applications offered in the world of work. In this era a realm of engagement is opening up to the individual that transcends the utilitarian, to encompass hedonic and social existence. Our central argument, therefore, is that user satisfaction is a notion which must extend to encompass rich, holistic human experience involving complex and fleeting interactions, driven by highly personal circumstances. We argue that the expectations, requirements and value perceptions of individuals in this dynamic context may only be anticipated and understood if situational factors (such as location, time, context, history-of-use) and quality of life factors (such as life stage, mobility, health, income, background, education) are taken into account. We identify the fundamental differences in key characteristics of user satisfaction between the traditional and ubiquitous computing environments and provide details about our own research approach, in which we are exploring ubiquitous content provision from the perspective of content providers.

Cybernetics and the agility question

The ability to sense and respond effectively to fluctuations in an environment is the fundamental problem addressed by cybernetics. When applied to the context of the organizational IT function, agility denotes the capacity of the IT function to perceive "signals" from its internal and external environments, to interpret these, and respond appropriately. The processing of such signals requires the selection and filtering of information to drive decision-making for response in a timely way. The challenge for the IT function is processing an overwhelming collection of signals, in un-standardized formats, and from overlapping sources, that tends to overload decision-makers. Informed by a cybernetic model, we studied how the IT function enables agility. We found evidence (1) that the more mature the policy processes of the IT function, the more the IT function will create agility in information systems; (2) The more mature the intelligence processes of the IT function to look outside the organization, the more the IT function will create agility in information systems and; (3) The more mature the control processes of the IT function that focus on the current use of information systems, the more the IT function will create agility in information systems.

Case Study from Australia Post : towards the online economy with netPOS

Examines how the "old economy" of the traditional postal service has changed over time and how Australia Post is adapting to the many pressures that threaten its existence. With increasing adoption of e-mail as a means of communication, increased competition as a result of deregulation, and the strain of servicing a country with huge distances between inhabited locations and low population density, Australia Post needed to find a solution that would ensure the long-term viability of its business. The retail sector, with its 4,000-plus post office outlets, processed many different types of across-the-counter financial transactions, including banking transactions and utility payments. A project team was established to address the fundamental issue of how to structure the IT infrastructure to enable retail outlets to generate future revenue flows for Post. However, having established the Internet-based infrastructure to connect the extensive chain of retail outlets, the question was whether this new infrastructure would successfully entice third parties to buy into the model.

Evaluating the feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of an active play intervention for disadvantaged preschool children : a pilot study

Australian children from disadvantaged families are at increased risk of delays in acquiring fundamental movement skills, with physical inactivity and increased risk of the potential consequences of obesity. The aims of this pilot study were to: 1) assess the fundamental movement skills of disadvantaged children; 2) evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of adapting an existing parenting and child development program to incorporate additional weekly play activities (the intervention); and 3) examine the acceptability of the intervention. Children aged 1.5-5 years were assessed pre-intervention (n = 26) and postintervention (n = 16) over a period of 22 weeks using the gross motor component of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales - 2nd Edition (PDMS-2) (Folio & Fewell, 2000). Parents completed a demographic and environmental survey and those implementing the intervention were interviewed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Pre-intervention the children from disadvantaged families had locomotion, object manipulation and Gross Motor Quotient (GMQ) scores significantly below the norm-referenced standards of the PDMS-2 (p < 0.05). The intervention was associated with improvements in the locomotion (8.35 to 9.5; p = 0.009), and object manipulation (8.6 to 9.6; p = 0.04) subtest scores and the GMQ scores (92.6 to 99.3; p < 0.01). The intervention was deemed feasible and acceptable by those implementing the program. Low levels of physical activity in disadvantaged communities may be related to delayed acquisition of fundamental movement skills in childhood. This pilot study raises the possibility of correcting this deficit in early childhood, and improving the potential for all children to lead an active life.

The effects of major change : a case study of an Australian university

Organisational RestructuringLeading higher education organisational restructuring is not an easy task. It involves various degree of engagement, decision making and strategic alliances to make the change a success. Research has shown that organisational restructuring has impact on individuals of the organization and vice versa. Studies have shown that imposed change may create negative emotions such as fear of losing something important, anger and anxiety. On the contrary, planned change is accompanied by excitement and hope. Thus, the call for best practices in leading successful organizational change is greater than ever. Factors such as the fundamental characters and practices of higher education, as well as the presence of various human factors (academics and administrative) need to be taken into account. This paper presents the preliminary findings of a case study on organisational restructuring at a higher education institution in Australia. The restructuring in focus involves the amalgamation of two university faculties into one. This paper seeks to present the experiences and life accounts of faculty members with regards to leadership during the amalgamation process. Interviews were carried out with both the academic and administrative staff. Analysis of the interviews found a variation of views on leadership at different levels of the organisation, the emergence of leadership in times of crisis, the gap between the academics and administrative as well as the importance of organisational members to make the restructuring a success. The paper ends with useful suggestions for leaders and their role towards leading successful change in today’s complex higher education scenario.

Effects of corrosion inhibiting pigment lanthanum 4-hydroxy cinnamate on the filiform corrosion of coated steel

Corrosion protection by lanthanum hydroxy cinnamate (La(4OH-cin)3) in a polyurethane based varnish coating for mild steelhas been investigated. Filiform scribe tests, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and potentiodynamic polarisation (PP)techniques have been powerful tools to better understand the corrosion process at defects and under the coating. Filiform scribetests showed that La(4OH-cin)3, as a pigment in a coating, inhibited the initiation and propagation of both delamination and filiformcorrosion (FFC) on coated steel. The PP experiments provided an insight into the fundamental mechanism of FFC. The resultssuggest that La(4OH-cin)3 behaves as a mixed inhibitor and stifles the initiation and propagation of FFC. In this paper, the theory ofdelamination leading to FFC and the likely mechanism of inhibition by the La(4OH-cin)3 will be discussed.

Extending the analytical utility of acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence

The purpose of this work was to improve the analytical usefulness of acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence for the determination of various analytical compounds. This thesis also examined the fundamental chemistry involved with these types of reactions.

An in situ method for the study of strain broadening using synchrotron X-ray diffraction

A tensonometer for stretching metal foils has been constructed for the study of strain broadening in X-ray diffraction line profiles. This device, which is designed for use on powder diffractometers and was tested on Station 2.3 at Daresbury Laboratory, allows in situ measurements to be performed on samples under stress. It can be used for data collection in either transmission or reflection modes using either symmetric or asymmetric diffraction geometries. As a test case, measurements were carried out on an 18 µm-thick copper foil experiencing strain levels of up to 5% using both symmetric reflection and symmetric transmission diffraction. All the diffraction profiles displayed peak broadening and asymmetry which increased with strain. The measured profiles were analysed by the fundamental-parameters approach using the TOPAS peak-fitting software. All the observed broadened profiles were modelled by convoluting a refineable diffraction profile, representing the dislocation and crystallite size broadening, with a fixed instrumental profile predetermined using high-quality LaB6 reference powder. The deconvolution process yielded `pure' sample integral breadths and asymmetry results which displayed a strong dependence on applied strain and increased almost linearly with applied strain. Assuming crystallite size broadening in combination with dislocation broadening arising from f.c.c. a/2〈110〉{111} dislocations, the variation of mechanical property with strain has been extracted. The observation of both peak asymmetry and broadening has been interpreted as a manifestation of a cellular structure with cell walls and cell interiors possessing high and low dislocation densities.

Using feedback from stakeholders to strengthen the student teacher experience during field experience

This paper reports a study into key stakeholders’ perceptions of a teacher education program in the context of field experience. Located in an urban Australian university, the study draws on data collected from students, university supervisors and teachers to provide insight into three inter-related issues. First, it projects an understanding of how different stakeholders perceive and enact their roles and responsibilities during field experience. Second, it contributes an understanding about factors that enhance and impede students’ capacity to integrate theory and practice and, third, it shows the fundamental role that effective university-school partnerships play in enabling student engagement in teacher education. The paper concludes by proposing ways in which the study’s findings can be used to improve teacher education.

A review on the application of photocatalytic materials on textiles

Incorporation of functional additives is one of the most important ways of functionalizing textiles. Among the additives, photocatalyst has been used extensively in recent years. This paper reviews the current research status on application of photocatalysts in fibrous materials. The review concentrates on novel methods for coating various photocatalysts on textiles and properties of the photocatalyst-modified textiles. The fundamental limitations and future prospects of this research are also discussed.

Why has the safety and quality movement been slow to improve care?

Buist and Middleton lament that the safety and quality 'agenda' has failed to fundamentally alter the safety of healthcare systems, in part because of the disengagement of doctors from their responsibilities for patient safety . While there have been discernable improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of care in some settings, patients still experience unacceptable harm and often struggle to have their voices heard; processes are not as efficient as they could be; and costs continue to rise at alarming rates while quality issues remain . Perhaps of most concern, recent public reports into health system failures continue to document a widespread lack of attentiveness to patient concerns, a culture of denial and widespread lack of professionalism . Alarmingly, clinician discontentment, cynicism and burn-out are reflected in antagonistic language by clinicians about the healthcare system and their patients. Taken together with the many dissatisfied and now more vocal patient groups, all point to an unprecedented crisis of faith in our healthcare systems which has been getting worse over past decade . This personal perspective aims to address the fundamental tensions that are keeping much of healthcare reform efforts from successfully transforming the culture and outcomes except at the margins.

A critique of the political theology of Slavoj Zizek

This chapter critiques the political theology of Slavoj Zizek as beset by social theoretical and strategic political problems. Political theology here is a privileged intellectual terrain on which to simultaneously resolve questions about liberating forms of social cohesion in a post-revolutionary political community and about cultural strategy in the radical program. In connection with the Marxist critique of religious ideology, Zizek’s work represents an important contribution to the research program that emerged from the Althusserian approaches to social theory. But although Zizek has the conceptual resources to generate a dialectical theory of the connection between religious ideology and political strategy, he instead opts for a theory of radical rupture with existing forms of life. Detoured through the encounter with Carl Schmitt, Zizek’s doctrine of radical rupture quickly becomes an inverted Schmittianism, freighted with the problems of the militarisation of politics and the arbitrary designation of enemies that he diagnoses in Schmitt, but does not transcend in his own response. Zizek’s figure of the “religious suspension of the ethical” brings the politics of rupture to its most problematic (and baroque) formulations, revealing the fundamental problem of the ideological representation of political structures.