Submarine pyroclastic deposits formed during the 20th May 2006 dome collapse of the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat

The 20th May 2006 lava dome collapse of the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, had a total non-dense rock equivalent (non-DRE) collapse volume of approximately 115 × 10 6 m 3. The majority of this volume was deposited into the ocean. The collapse was rapid, 85% of the mobilized volume being removed in just 35 min, giving peak pyroclastic flow flux of 66 × 10 3 m 3 s -1. Channel and levee facies on the submarine flanks of the volcano and formation of a thick, steep-sided ridge, suggest that the largest and most dense blocks were transported proximally as a high concentration granular flow. Of the submerged volume, 30% was deposited from the base of this granular flow, forming a linear, high-relief ridge that extends 7 km from shore. The remaining 70% of the submerged volume comprises the finer grain sizes, which were transported at least 40 km by turbidity currents on gradients of <2°. At several localities, the May 2006 distal turbidity currents ran up 200 m of topography and eroded up to 20 cm of underlying substrate. Multiple turbidites are preserved, representing current reflection from the graben margins and deflection around topography. The high energy of the May 2006 collapse resulted in longer submarine run out than the larger (210 × 10 6 m 3) Soufrière Hills dome collapse in July 2003.

Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) : building the ICT in education capacity of the next generation of teachers in Australia

The Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) project is a unique nationally significant project funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR, Au$8.8 million) and the Information and Communication Technology Innovation Fund (ICTIF). This 2011-2012 project has ambitiously attempted to build the ICT education (ICTE) capacity of the next generation of Australian teachers through its focus on pre-service teachers, teacher educators and the new Australian Curriculum. This paper will provide an overview of the project including a description of its genesis in a changing educational and political landscape, its structure and operations, its grounding in contemporary theory, the research opportunities it has engendered and its tangible outcomes.

Collaboration and competition on a Wiki : the praxis of online social learning to improve academic writing and research in under-graduate students

The number of internet users in Australia has been steadily increasing, with over 10.9 million people currently subscribed to an internet provider (ABS, 2011). Over the past year, the most avid users of the Internet were 15 – 24 year olds, with approximately 95% accessing the internet on a regular basis (ABS, Social Trends, 2011). While the internet, in particularly Web 2.0, has been described as fundamental to higher education students, social and leisure internet tools are also increasingly being used by these students to generate and maintain their social and professional networks and interactions (Duffy & Bruns, 2006). Rapid technological advancements have enabled greater and faster access to information for learning and education (Hemmi et al, 2009; Glassman & Kang, 2011). As such, we sought to integrate interactive, online social media into the assessment profile of a Public Health undergraduate cohort at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The aim of this exercise was to engage undergraduate students to both develop and showcase their research on a range of complex, contemporary health issues within the online forum of Wikispaces for review and critique by their peers. We applied Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) to analyse the interactive processes from which students developed deeper and more sustained learning, and via which their overall academic writing standards were enriched. This paper outlines the assessment task, and the students’ feedback on their learning outcomes in relation to the Attentional, Retentional, Motor Reproduction, and Motivational Processes outlined by Bandura in SLT. We conceptualise the findings in a theoretical model, and discuss the implications for this approach within the broader tertiary environment.

Molecular dynamics investigation on edge stress and shape transition in graphene nanoribbons

Graphene nanoribbon (GNR) with free edges demonstrates unique pre-existing edge energy and edge stress, leading to non-flat morphologies. Using molecular dynamics (MD) methods, we evaluated edge energies as well as edge stresses for four different edge types, including regular edges (armchair and zigzag), armchair edge terminated with hydrogen and reconstructed armchair. The results showed that compressive stress exists in the regular and hydrogen-terminated edges along the edge direction. In contrast, the reconstructed armchair edge is generally subject to tension. Furthermore, we also investigated shape transition between flat and rippled configurations of GNRs with different free edges. It was found that the pre-existing stress at free edges can greatly influence the initial energy state and the shape transition.

The decline in activities of daily living at discharge (DADLD) index : stratifying patients at lower and higher risk

Background: Decreased ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) during hospitalisation has negative consequences for patients and health service delivery. Objective: To develop an Index to stratify patients at lower and higher risk of a significant decline in ability to perform ADLs at discharge. Design: Prospective two cohort study comprising a derivation (n=389; mean age 82.3 years; SD� 7.1) and a validation cohort (n=153; mean age 81.5 years; SD� 6.1). Patients and setting: General medical patients aged = 70 years admitted to three university-affiliated acute care hospitals in Brisbane, Australia. Measurement and main results: The short ADL Scale was used to identify a significant decline in ability to perform ADLs from premorbid to discharge. In the derivation cohort, 77 patients (19.8%) experienced a significant decline. Four significant factors were identified for patients independent at baseline: 'requiring moderate assistance to being totally dependent on others with bathing'; 'difficulty understanding others (frequently or all the time)'; 'requiring moderate assistance to being totally dependent on others with performing housework'; a 'history of experiencing at least one fall in the previous 90 days prior to hospital admission' in addition to 'independent at baseline', which was protective against decline at discharge. 'Difficulty understanding others (frequently or all the time)' and 'requiring moderate assistance to being totally dependent on others with performing housework' were also predictors for patients dependent in ADLs at baseline. Sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of the DADLD dichotomised risk scores were: 83.1% (95% CI 72.8; 90.7); 60.5% (95% CI 54.8; 65.9); 34.2% (95% CI 27.5; 41.5); 93.5% (95% CI 89.2; 96.5). In the validation cohort, 47 patients (30.7%) experienced a significant decline. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the DADLD were: 78.7% (95% CI 64.3; 89.3); 69.8% (95% CI 60.1, 78.3); 53.6% (95% CI 41.2; 65.7); 88.1% (95% CI 79.2; 94.1). Conclusions: The DADLD Index is a useful tool for identifying patients at higher risk of decline in ability to perform ADLs at discharge.

Background to the development of a curriculum for the history of “cyber” and “communications” security

For any discipline to be regarded as a professional undertaking by which its members may be treated as true “professionals” in a specific area, practitioners must clearly understand that discipline’s history as well as the place and significance of that history in current practice as well as its relevance to available technologies and artefacts at the time. This is common for many professional disciplines such as medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law and so on but not yet, this paper submits, in information technology. Based on twenty five elapsed years of experience in developing and delivering Cybersecurity courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this paper proposes a rationale and set of differing perspectives for the planning and development of curricula relevant to the delivery of appropriate courses in the history of cybersecurity or information assurance to information and communications technology (ICT) students and thus to potential information technology professionals.

Count-min sketches for estimating password frequency within Hamming distance two

The count-min sketch is a useful data structure for recording and estimating the frequency of string occurrences, such as passwords, in sub-linear space with high accuracy. However, it cannot be used to draw conclusions on groups of strings that are similar, for example close in Hamming distance. This paper introduces a variant of the count-min sketch which allows for estimating counts within a specified Hamming distance of the queried string. This variant can be used to prevent users from choosing popular passwords, like the original sketch, but it also allows for a more efficient method of analysing password statistics.

Investigation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene and cholesterol as a risk factor for migraine

The Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor (LDLR) gene is a cell surface receptor that plays an important role in cholesterol homeostasis. We investigated the (TA)n polymorphism in exon 18 of the LDLR gene on chromosome 19p13.2 performing an association analysis in 244 typical migraine-affected patients, 151 suffering from migraine with aura (MA), 96 with migraine without aura (MO) and 244 unaffected controls. The populations consisted of Caucasians only, and controls were age- and sex-matched. The results showed no significant difference between groups for allele frequency distributions of the (TA)n polymorphism even after separation of the migraine-affected individuals into subgroups of MA and MO affected patients. This is in contradiction to Mochi et al. who found a positive association of this variant with MO. Our study discusses possible differences between the two studies and extends this research by investigating circulating cholesterol levels in a migraine-affected population.

An analysis of clinical characteristics in genetically linked migraine-affected pedigrees

Migraine is a common complex disorder characterized by severe recurrent headache and usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Previous studies in our laboratory have utilized three large multigenerational Australian pedigrees affected with migraine to indicate that the disease is genetically heterogeneous, with linkage results implicating genomic susceptibility regions on both chromosomes 19p and Xq. The present study explores the possibility of a correlation between genetic and clinical heterogeneity in these affected pedigrees. Specifically, the clinical characteristics of migraine including subtype, age of onset, frequency, duration, and disease symptoms were compared between the migraine pedigrees, and gender differences were also assessed. Our exploratory analyses revealed no significant differences in any of the clinical characteristics tested between the chromosome 19-linked family and the two X-linked families. Also, we did not detect any differences in male vs. female clinical features for these pedigrees. In conclusion, migraine is considered to be a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder; however, our study provided no conclusive evidence that variation in genomic susceptibility region is related to heterogeneity at the clinical level in these migraine-affected pedigrees.

A population genomics overview of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene and its relationship to migraine susceptibility

The ubiquitous chemical messenger molecule nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in a diverse range of biological activities including neurotransmission, smooth muscle motility and mediation of nociception. Endogenous synthesis of NO by the neuronal isoform of the nitric oxide synthase gene family has an essential role within the central and peripheral nervous systems in addition to the autonomic innervation of cerebral blood vessels. To investigate the potential role of NO and more specifically the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene in migraine susceptibility, we investigated two microsatellite repeat variants residing within the 5′ and 3′ regions of the nNOS gene. Population genomic evaluation of the two nNOS repeat variants indicated significant linkage disequilibrium between the two loci. Z-DNA conformational sequence structures within the 5′ region of the nNOS gene have the potential to enhance or repress gene promoter activity. We suggest that genetic analysis of this 5′ repeat variant is the more functional variant expressing gene wide information that could affect endogenous NO synthesis and potentially result in diseased states. However, no association with migraine (with or without aura) was seen in our extensive case-control cohort (n = 579 affected with matched controls), when both the 5′ and 3′ genetic variants were investigated.

Prevalence of chronic ocular diseases in a genetic isolate : the Norfolk Island Eye Study (NIES)

Purpose: Over 40% of the permanent population of Norfolk Island possesses a unique genetic admixture dating to Pitcairn Island in the late 18 th century, with descendents having varying degrees of combined Polynesian and European ancestry. We conducted a population-based study to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and low vision on Norfolk Island. Methods: All permanent residents of Norfolk Island aged ≥ 15 years were invited to participate. Participants completed a structured questionnaire/interview and underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination including slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Results: We recruited 781 people aged ≥ 15, equal to 62% of the permanent population, 44% of whom could trace their ancestry to Pitcairn Island. No one was bilaterally blind. Prevalence of unilateral blindness (visual acuity [VA] < 6/60) in those aged ≥ 40 was 1.5%. Blindness was more common in females (P=0.049) and less common in people with Pitcairn Island ancestry (P<0.001). The most common causes of unilateral blindness were age-related macular degeneration (AMD), amblyopia, and glaucoma. Five people had low vision (Best-Corrected VA < 6/18 in better eye), with 4 (80%) due to AMD. People with Pitcairn Island ancestry had a lower prevalence of AMD (P<0.001) but a similar prevalence of glaucoma to those without Pitcairn Island ancestry. Conclusions: The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in this isolated Australian territory is low, especially amongst those with Pitcairn Island ancestry. AMD was the most common cause of unilateral blindness and low vision. The distribution of chronic ocular diseases on Norfolk Island is similar to mainland Australian estimates.

Beyond compliance : project on an integrated systems approach for pest risk management in South East Asia

The Beyond Compliance project, which began in July 2011 with funding from the Standards and Trade Development Facility for 2 years, aims to enhance competency and confidence in the South East Asian sub-region by applying a Systems Approach for pest risk management. The Systems Approach involves the use of integrated measures, at least two of which are independent, that cumulatively reduce the risk of introducing exotic pests through trade. Although useful in circumstances where single measures are inappropriate or unavailable, the Systems Approach is inherently more complicated than single-measure approaches, which may inhibit its uptake. The project methodology is to take prototype decision-support tools, such as Control Point-Bayesian Networks (CP-BN), developed in recent plant health initiatives in other regions, including the European PRATIQUE project, and to refine them within this sub-regional context. Case studies of high-priority potential agricultural trade will be conducted by National Plant Protection Organizations of participating South East Asian countries in trials of the tools, before further modifications. Longer term outcomes may include: more robust pest risk management in the region (for exports and imports); greater inclusion of stakeholders in development of pest risk management plans; increased confidence in trade negotiations; and new opportunities for trade.

The power of hands-on exercises in SCADA cyber security education

For decades Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) have used computers to monitor and control physical processes in many critical industries, including electricity generation, gas pipelines, water distribution, waste treatment, communications and transportation. Increasingly these systems are interconnected with corporate networks via the Internet, making them vulnerable and exposed to the same risks as those experiencing cyber-attacks on a conventional network. Very often SCADA networks services are viewed as a specialty subject, more relevant to engineers than standard IT personnel. Educators from two Australian universities have recognised these cultural issues and highlighted the gap between specialists with SCADA systems engineering skills and the specialists in network security with IT background. This paper describes a learning approach designed to help students to bridge this gap, gain theoretical knowledge of SCADA systems' vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks via experiential learning and acquire practical skills through actively participating in hands-on exercises.

Analysis of ancient pottery and ceramic objects using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Archaeology has been called 'the science of the artefact' and nothing demonstrates this point better than the current interest displayed in provenance studies of archaeological objects. In theory, every vessel carries a chemical compositional pattern or 'fingerprint' identical with the clay from which it was made and this relationship is basic to provenance studies. The reasoning behind provenance or sourcing studies is to probe into this past and attempt to re-create prehistory by obtaining information on exchange and social interaction. This paper discusses the use of XRF spectrometry for the analysis of ancient pottery and ceramics to examine whether it is possible to predict prehictoric cultural exchanges.