Bombs away: Visual thinking and students’ engagement in design studios contexts

In design studio, sketching or visual thinking is part of processes that assist students to achieve final design solutions. At QUT’s First and Third Year industrial design studio classes we engage in a variety of teaching pedagogies from which we identify ‘Concept Bombs’ as instrumental in the development of students’ visual thinking and reflective design process, and also as a vehicle to foster positive student engagement. In First year studios our Concept Bombs’ consist of 20 minute individual design tasks focusing on rapid development of initial concept designs and free-hand sketching. In Third Year studios we adopt a variety of formats and different timing, combining individual and team based tasks. Our experience and surveys tell us that students value intensive studio activities especially when combined with timely assessment and feedback. While conventional longer-duration design projects are essential for allowing students to engage with the full depth and complexity of the design process, short and intensive design activities introduce variety to the learning experience and enhance student engagement. This paper presents a comparative analysis of First and Third Year students’ Concept Bomb sketches to describe the types of design knowledge embedded in them, a discussion of limitations and opportunities of this pedagogical technique, as well as considerations for future development of studio based tasks of this kind as design pedagogies in the midst of current university education trends.

Thermal Characteristics of SrO-2B(2)O(3) Glasses

Transparent SrO-2B(2)O(3) (SBO) glasses were fabricated via the conventional melt-quenching technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) studies carried out on the as-quenched glasses confirmed their amorphous and glassy nature, respectively. The thermal parameters were evaluated for the as-quenched glass-plates using non-isothermal DTA experiments. The average values of the activation energies for the glass transition and crystallization of these glasses were 800 +/- 10 kJ/mol and 298 +/- 10 kJ/mol respectively. The values of the kinetic parameters that were obtained by different non-isothermal techniques were in close agreement.

Witten index of supersymmetric chiral theories

The Witten index can be defined in many supersymmetric theories by formulating them in the space-time R��S3. If the index is nonzero for any value of the radius of S3, it can be shown that the theory does not break supersymmetry in Minkowski space. This approach rules out supersymmetry breaking in a large class of models, chiral and otherwise. The index arguments are consistent with previous instanton calculations which indicate supersymmetry breaking in certain theories.

Pulsed laser deposited ZnO/ZnO:Li multilayer for blue light emitting diodes

Thin films of ZnO, Li doped ZnO (ZLO) and multilayer of ZnO and ZLO (ZnO/ZLO) were grown on silicon and corning glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. Single phase formation and the crystalline qualities of the films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and Li composition in the film was investigated to be 15 wt% by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Raman spectrum reveals the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO, ZLO and ZnO/ZLO multilayer and confirms the single phase formation. Films grown on corning glass shows more than 80% transmittance in the visible region and the optical band gaps were calculated to be 3.245, 3.26 and 3.22 eV for ZnO, ZLO and ZnO/ZLO, respectively. An efficient blue emission was observed in all films which were grown on silicon (1 0 0) substrate by photoluminescence (PL). PL measurements at different temperatures reveal that the PL emission intensity of ZnO/ZLO multilayer was weakly dependent on temperature as compared to the single layers of ZnO and ZLO and the wavelength of emission was independent of temperature. Our results indicate that ZnO/ZLO multilayer can be used for the fabrication of blue light emitting diodes. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Percolation and connectivity in AB random geometric graphs

Given two independent Poisson point processes Phi((1)), Phi((2)) in R-d, the AB Poisson Boolean model is the graph with the points of Phi((1)) as vertices and with edges between any pair of points for which the intersection of balls of radius 2r centered at these points contains at least one point of Phi((2)). This is a generalization of the AB percolation model on discrete lattices. We show the existence of percolation for all d >= 2 and derive bounds fora critical intensity. We also provide a characterization for this critical intensity when d = 2. To study the connectivity problem, we consider independent Poisson point processes of intensities n and tau n in the unit cube. The AB random geometric graph is defined as above but with balls of radius r. We derive a weak law result for the largest nearest-neighbor distance and almost-sure asymptotic bounds for the connectivity threshold.

On the feasibility of network alignment for three-source three-destination Multiple Unicast networks with delays

A transform approach to network coding was in-troduced by Bavirisetti et al. (arXiv:1103.3882v3 [cs.IT]) as a tool to view wireline networks with delays as k-instantaneous networks (for some large k). When the local encoding kernels (LEKs) of the network are varied with every time block of length k >1, the network is said to use block time varying LEKs. In this work, we propose a Precoding Based Network Alignment (PBNA) scheme based on transform approach and block time varying LEKs for three-source three-destination multiple unicast network with delays (3-S3-D MUN-D). In a recent work, Menget al. (arXiv:1202.3405v1 [cs.IT]) reduced the infinite set of sufficient conditions for feasibility of PBNA in a three-source three-destination instantaneous multiple unicast network as given by Das et al. (arXiv:1008.0235v1 [cs.IT]) to a finite set and also showed that the conditions are necessary. We show that the conditions of Meng et al. are also necessary and sufficient conditions for feasibility of PBNA based on transform approach and block time varying LEKs for 3-S3-D MUN-D.

Serum proteomics of hepatitis C virus infection reveals retinol-binding protein 4 as a novel regulator

Persistent infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which are currently diagnosed by invasive liver biopsy. Approximately 15-20% of cases of chronic liver diseases in India are caused by HCV infection. In North India, genotype 3 is predominant, whereas genotype 1 is predominant in southern parts of India. The aim of this study was to identify differentially regulated serum proteins in HCV-infected Indian patients (genotypes 1 and 3) using a two-dimensional electrophoresis approach. We identified eight differentially expressed proteins by MS. Expression levels of one of the highly upregulated proteins, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), was validated by ELISA and Western blotting in two independent cohorts. We also confirmed our observation in the JFH1 infectious cell culture system. Interestingly, the HCV core protein enhanced RBP4 levels and partial knockdown of RBP4 had a positive impact on HCV replication, suggesting a possible role for this cellular protein in regulating HCV infection. Analysis of RBP4-interacting partners using a bioinformatic approach revealed novel insights into the possible involvement of RBP4 in HCV-induced pathogenesis. Taken together, this study provided information on the proteome profile of the HCV-infected Indian population, and revealed a link between HCV infection, RBP4 and insulin resistance.

超声速氧碘化学激光的性能分析

通过对超声速氧碘化学激光（COIL）的功率和效率计算，导出了适合于均匀和非均匀加宽效应同时起作用和非均匀加宽效应占优的情况，以及考虑频移效应的速度方程（RE）模型，得到了温度、压力、碘浓度以及频移对COIL的功率和效率的影响。

Efecto de la densidad poblacional y fertilización sobre dos enfermedades foliares en cuatro variedades de Ajonjoli (Sesamum indicum L.)

Se evaluaron cuatro variedad de Ajonjolí, los objetivos fueron evaluar las reacciones de estas a las enfermedades foliares (Xanthomonas campestris pv sesami y Cercospora sesami) en dos densidades poblacionales y diferente fertilización. El ensayo se sembró en época de postrera, 1992, en Malpaisillo, región II. Las evaluaciones realizadas fueron: Intensidad de las enfermedades foliares, respuesta de las cuatro variedades a las prácticas del raleo y fertilización, además se evaluó el rendimiento de grano. La evaluación de la intensidad de las enfermedades foliares se realizó desde los 22 d.d.e. hasta los 80 d.d.e. La evaluación de las densidades poblacionales se realizo a los 29 y 80 d.d.e; y la aplicación de fertilizantes se evaluó en base al rendimiento de grano. Las variedades más resistentes fueron la Maporal y la Mexicana, y las menos resistentes la Cuyumaki y Venezuela 44. El análisis estadístico del rendimiento de grano mostro que las variedades que produjeron más grano en orden descendente fueron: Maporal y Mexicana, que fueron diferentes estadísticamente en relación a la Cuymaki y Venezuela 44. Los tratamientos con raleo y fertilización demostraron mayor rendimiento y resistencia a las enfermedades, en cada una de las variedades y lo contrario sucedió con las parcelas testigo. Se encontró que los aumentos de rendimiento se asocian a la intensidad de las enfermedades foliares y a la respuesta de las variedades a las practicas del raleo y fertilización, las cuales influyeron de manera significativa en la resistencia y rendimiento de las variedades.

Stability and bifurcation behaviour of electrostatic torsional NEMS varactor influenced by dispersion forces

The influences of Casimir and van der Waals forces on the nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) electrostatic torsional varactor are studied. A one degree of freedom, the torsional angle, is adopted, and the bifurcation behaviour of the NEMS torsional varactor is investigated. There are two bifurcation points, one of which is a Hopf bifurcation point and the other is an unstable saddle point. The phase portraits are also drawn, in which periodic orbits are around the Hopf bifurcation point, but the periodic orbit will break into a homoclinic orbit when meeting the unstable saddle point.

A.L.O.A. (Asociación Limnológica y Oceanográfica Argentina ) Resumen de las Comunicaciones Presentadas en la Reunión del 11 de setiembre de 1953

Prosiguiendo con la política de rescatar documentos que, por diferentes motivos, se han extraviado con el paso del tiempo, el Programa para el estudio y uso sustentable de la biota austral (ProBiota) reedita el primer y único boletín de la Asociación Limnológica y Oceanográfica Argentina (ALOA). Esta asociación pretendía convocar a los hidrobiólogos argentinos, pero interrumpió su camino a poco de iniciado en el año 1953. Los motivos de ese hecho los desconozco; aunque personalmente creo que, entre otras cosas, debe haber influido el quiebre institucional de 1955 cuando se profundizaron nuevamente las heridas en nuestra sociedad. No deja de ser paradójico que hoy, a casi cincuenta años de este suceso, la Asociación Argentina de Limnología (AAL) se encuentre en una situación similar luego de veinte años de trayectoria que se cumplirían en el mes de marzo del próximo año. Hasta 1998, fecha de su último congreso, tuvo un gran impulso generando importantes eventos nacionales e internacionales. Sin embargo, a partir de allí fue decayendo con rapidez y hoy se enfrenta a su inminente disolución. A mi entender, la reversión de este hecho sólo podría lograrse sobre la base del sacrificio personal y del conjunto, solidaridad y, sobre todo, respeto a la memoria de todos aquellos que construyeron las bases de la limnología nacional.

Epanaphoras de varia historia portugueza a El Rey Nosso Senhor D. Afonso VI : em cinco relaçoens de sucessos pertencentes a este reyno que contem negocios publicos, politicos, tragicos, amorosos, belicos, triunfantes

Francisco Manuel de Melo nasceu em Lisboa, e m 23 de novembro de 1608. e morreu na sua quinta em Alcântara, em 13 de outubro de 1666. Estudou em colégio Jesuíta, especializando-se em Filosofia e Teologia. Aos dezessete anos, decidiu seguir carreira militar. Condenado por instigar homicídio, esteve preso por onze anos e, em 1655, foi degredado para o Brasil, para onde partiu na armada de Francisco de Brito Freire. Retornou a Portugal em 1658. De lá foi pua a Itália, onde permaneceu p r alguns anos e começou, em 1664, a fazer uma edição completa de suas obras as quais por motivo ignorado não deu continuidade. Transferiu-se para Lisboa onde veio a falecer. Historiador, poeta, orador e crítico moralista, Francisco Manuel foi um dos escritores mais eruditos e polidos. ‘Epanaphoras de varia historia portugueza...’ na sua primeira edição publicada em 1660 trazia dedicatória do autor ao Rei D. Afonso Vl, substituída, pelo editor Craesbeeck, na segunda edição, por dedicatória a D. João da Silva, Marquês de Gouvêa. A obra é composta de cinco epanaforas. Em três delas, Francisco Manuel relata acontecimentos que testemunhou: na Epanáfora Política conta o levante ocorrido em Evora em 1637; na Epanáfora Bélica narra a batalha naval da armada de D. Antonio ocorrida contra os holandeses no Canal da Mancha, em 1637; na Epanáfora Trágica descreve o naufrágio da frota de D. Manuel de Meneses na costa francesa. Outras duas Epanáforas - a Amorosa e a Triunfante - não fazem parte do gênero das memórias; referem-se, respectivamente, a uma lenda sobre o descobrimento da Ilha da Madeira e a restauração de Pernambuco, em 1654. Inocêncio afirma que a primeira edição é ‘infinitamente superior a esta em correção’, onde se podem verificar vários erros, muito embora ambas sejam igualmente raras e tenham o mesmo valor .