Alkaline hydrothermal treatment of titanate nanostructures

Since its initial proposal in 1998, alkaline hydrothermal processing has rapidly become an established technology for the production of titanate nanostructures. This simple, highly reproducible process has gained a strong research following since its conception. However, complete understanding and elucidation of nanostructure phase and formation have not yet been achieved. Without fully understanding phase, formation, and other important competing effects of the synthesis parameters on the final structure, the maximum potential of these nanostructures cannot be obtained. Therefore this study examined the influence of synthesis parameters on the formation of titanate nanostructures produced by alkaline hydrothermal treatment. The parameters included alkaline concentration, hydrothermal temperature, the precursor material‘s crystallite size and also the phase of the titanium dioxide precursor (TiO2, or titania). The nanostructure‘s phase and morphology was analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), dynamic light scattering (non-invasive backscattering), nitrogen sorption, and Rietveld analysis were used to determine phase, for particle sizing, surface area determinations, and establishing phase concentrations, respectively. This project rigorously examined the effect of alkaline concentration and hydrothermal temperature on three commercially sourced and two self-prepared TiO2 powders. These precursors consisted of both pure- or mixed-phase anatase and rutile polymorphs, and were selected to cover a range of phase concentrations and crystallite sizes. Typically, these precursors were treated with 5–10 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions at temperatures between 100–220 °C. Both nanotube and nanoribbon morphologies could be produced depending on the combination of these hydrothermal conditions. Both titania and titanate phases are comprised of TiO6 units which are assembled in different combinations. The arrangement of these atoms affects the binding energy between the Ti–O bonds. Raman spectroscopy and XPS were therefore employed in a preliminary study of phase determination for these materials. The change in binding energy from a titania to a titanate binding energy was investigated in this study, and the transformation of titania precursor into nanotubes and titanate nanoribbons was directly observed by these methods. Evaluation of the Raman and XPS results indicated a strengthening in the binding energies of both the Ti (2p3/2) and O (1s) bands which correlated to an increase in strength and decrease in resolution of the characteristic nanotube doublet observed between 320 and 220 cm.1 in the Raman spectra of these products. The effect of phase and crystallite size on nanotube formation was examined over a series of temperatures (100.200 �‹C in 20 �‹C increments) at a set alkaline concentration (7.5 M NaOH). These parameters were investigated by employing both pure- and mixed- phase precursors of anatase and rutile. This study indicated that both the crystallite size and phase affect nanotube formation, with rutile requiring a greater driving force (essentially �\harsher. hydrothermal conditions) than anatase to form nanotubes, where larger crystallites forms of the precursor also appeared to impede nanotube formation slightly. These parameters were further examined in later studies. The influence of alkaline concentration and hydrothermal temperature were systematically examined for the transformation of Degussa P25 into nanotubes and nanoribbons, and exact conditions for nanostructure synthesis were determined. Correlation of these data sets resulted in the construction of a morphological phase diagram, which is an effective reference for nanostructure formation. This morphological phase diagram effectively provides a .recipe book�e for the formation of titanate nanostructures. Morphological phase diagrams were also constructed for larger, near phase-pure anatase and rutile precursors, to further investigate the influence of hydrothermal reaction parameters on the formation of titanate nanotubes and nanoribbons. The effects of alkaline concentration, hydrothermal temperature, crystallite phase and size are observed when the three morphological phase diagrams are compared. Through the analysis of these results it was determined that alkaline concentration and hydrothermal temperature affect nanotube and nanoribbon formation independently through a complex relationship, where nanotubes are primarily affected by temperature, whilst nanoribbons are strongly influenced by alkaline concentration. Crystallite size and phase also affected the nanostructure formation. Smaller precursor crystallites formed nanostructures at reduced hydrothermal temperature, and rutile displayed a slower rate of precursor consumption compared to anatase, with incomplete conversion observed for most hydrothermal conditions. The incomplete conversion of rutile into nanotubes was examined in detail in the final study. This study selectively examined the kinetics of precursor dissolution in order to understand why rutile incompletely converted. This was achieved by selecting a single hydrothermal condition (9 M NaOH, 160 °C) where nanotubes are known to form from both anatase and rutile, where the synthesis was quenched after 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 hours. The influence of precursor phase on nanostructure formation was explicitly determined to be due to different dissolution kinetics; where anatase exhibited zero-order dissolution and rutile second-order. This difference in kinetic order cannot be simply explained by the variation in crystallite size, as the inherent surface areas of the two precursors were determined to have first-order relationships with time. Therefore, the crystallite size (and inherent surface area) does not affect the overall kinetic order of dissolution; rather, it determines the rate of reaction. Finally, nanostructure formation was found to be controlled by the availability of dissolved titanium (Ti4+) species in solution, which is mediated by the dissolution kinetics of the precursor.

Manifolds, patterns and transitions in a creative life

Using sculpture and drawing as my primary methods of investigation, this research explores ways of shifting the emphasis of my creative visual arts practice from object to process whilst still maintaining a primacy of material outcomes. My motivation was to locate ways of developing a sustained practice shaped as much by new works, as by a creative flow between works. I imagined a practice where a logic of structure within discrete forms and a logic of the broader practice might be developed as mutually informed processes. Using basic structural components of multiple wooden curves and linear modes of deployment – in both sculptures and drawings – I have identified both emergence theory and the image of rhizomic growth (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987) as theoretically integral to this imagining of a creative practice, both in terms of critiquing and developing works. Whilst I adopt a formalist approach for this exegesis, the emergence and rhizome models allow it to work as a critique of movement, of becoming and changing, rather than merely a formalism of static structure. In these models, therefore, I have identified a formal approach that can be applied not only to objects, but to practice over time. The thorough reading and application of these ontological models (emergence and rhizome) to visual arts practice, in terms of processes, objects and changes, is the primary contribution of this thesis. The works that form the major component of the research develop, reflect and embody these notions of movement and change.

Life on the edge : housing experiences in three remote Australian indigenous settlements

This analysis of housing experiences and aspirations in three remote Indigenous settlements in Australia (Mimili, Maningrida and Palm Island) reveals extreme liveability problems directly related to the scale and form of housing provision. Based upon field visits to each of the settlements and extensive interviews with residents and local housing and community officers, the paper analyses two aspects of living in such housing conditions at two spatial scales, the layout of the settlement and the design of individual houses. The failings at both scales are shown to be the fault of a dysfunctional housing system that is only recently been addressed.

Incorporating authentic assessment into different university learning scenarios

There is a current requirement for universities to prepare graduates who are skilled in practical as well as theoretical knowledge of the workplace. It is argued in this paper that assessment, as integral to the teaching/learning process, should also relate to the real world context of the workplace, in that students are able to transform, use and apply the knowledge that they learn into these contexts. While assessment authentic for students in a university setting is often a difficult task for lecturers. This paper discusses three different learning contexts that involved different assessment experiences linked in some way to real world learning and application of the theory. The results of the trial indicated that as contexts became close to a real world experience, the sustainability of the assessment became more problematic. While acknowledging the difficulty of these practices, it is suggested that there is a need for a continuous cycle of evaluation amid some creative and innovative approaches to assessment practice.

Exploring the Pro‐Am interface between production and produsage

This conference celebrates the passing of 40 years since the establishment of the Internet (dating this, presumably, to the first connection between two nodes on ARPANET in October 1969). For a gathering of media scholars such as this, however, it may be just as important not only to mark the first testing of the core technologies upon which much of our present‐day Net continues to build, but also to reflect on another recent milestone: the 20th anniversary of what is today arguably the chief interface through which billions around the world access and experience the Internet – the World Wide Web, launched by Tim Berners‐Lee in 1989.

The role of emotional labour and role stress on burnout and psychological strain in high contact service employees

This study examines the relationships between job demands (in the form of role stressors and emotional management) and employee burnout amongst high contact service employees. Employees in customer facing roles are frequently required to manage overwhelming, conflicting or ambiguous demands, which they may feel ill-equipped to handle. Simultaneously, they must manage the emotions they display towards customers, suppressing some, and expressing others, be they genuine or contrived. If the in-role effort required of employees exceeds their inherent capacity to cope, burnout may result. Burnout, in turn, can have serious detrimental consequences for the psychological well being of employees. We find that both emotional management and role stressors impact burnout. We also confirm that burnout predicts psychological strain. In line with the Job Demands and Resources Model, we examine the mitigating impact of perceived support on these relationships but do not find a significant mitigating impact.

Robust multidisciplinary design optimisation using CFD and advanced evolutionary algorithms

Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become an important tool in optimization and has seen successful in many real world applications. Most important among these is in the optimisation of aerodynamic surfaces which has become Multi-Objective (MO) and Multidisciplinary (MDO) in nature. Most of these have been carried out for a given set of input parameters such as free stream Mach number and angle of attack. One cannot ignore the fact that in aerospace engineering one frequently deals with situations where the design input parameters and flight/flow conditions have some amount of uncertainty attached to them. When the optimisation is carried out for fixed values of design variables and parameters however, one arrives at an optimised solution that results in good performance at design condition but poor drag or lift to drag ratio at slightly off-design conditions. The challenge is still to develop a robust design that accounts for uncertainty in the design in aerospace applications. In this paper this issue is taken up and an attempt is made to prevent the fluctuation of objective performance by using robust design technique or Uncertainty.

Shock control bump design optimization on Natural Laminar Aerofoil

The chapter investigates Shock Control Bumps (SCB) on a Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) aerofoil; RAE 5243 for Active Flow Control (AFC). A SCB approach is used to decelerate supersonic flow on the suction/pressure sides of transonic aerofoil that leads delaying shock occurrence or weakening of shock strength. Such an AFC technique reduces significantly the total drag at transonic speeds. This chapter considers the SCB shape design optimisation at two boundary layer transition positions (0 and 45%) using an Euler software coupled with viscous boundary layer effects and robust Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs). The optimisation method is based on a canonical Evolution Strategy (ES) algorithm and incorporates the concepts of hierarchical topology and parallel asynchronous evaluation of candidate solution. Two test cases are considered with numerical experiments; the first test deals with a transition point occurring at the leading edge and the transition point is fixed at 45% of wing chord in the second test. Numerical results are presented and it is demonstrated that an optimal SCB design can be found to significantly reduce transonic wave drag and improves lift on drag (L/D) value when compared to the baseline aerofoil design.

Reduction of environmental effects of civil aircraft through multi-objective flight plan optimisation

With rising environmental alarm, the reduction of critical aircraft emissions including carbon dioxides (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) is one of most important aeronautical problems. There can be many possible attempts to solve such problem by designing new wing/aircraft shape, new efficient engine, etc. The paper rather provides a set of acceptable flight plans as a first step besides replacing current aircrafts. The paper investigates a green aircraft design optimisation in terms of aircraft range, mission fuel weight (CO2) and NOx using advanced Evolutionary Algorithms coupled to flight optimisation system software. Two multi-objective design optimisations are conducted to find the best set of flight plans for current aircrafts considering discretised altitude and Mach numbers without designing aircraft shape and engine types. The objectives of first optimisation are to maximise range of aircraft while minimising NOx with constant mission fuel weight. The second optimisation considers minimisation of mission fuel weight and NOx with fixed aircraft range. Numerical results show that the method is able to capture a set of useful trade-offs that reduce NOx and CO2 (minimum mission fuel weight).

Becoming “Librarian 2.0” : the skills, knowledge, and attributes required by library and information science professionals in a Web 2.0 world (and beyond)

In 2005, Stephen Abram, vice president of Innovation at SirsiDynix, challenged library and information science (LIS) professionals to start becoming “librarian 2.0.” In the last few years, discussion and debate about the “core competencies” needed by librarian 2.0 have appeared in the “biblioblogosphere” (blogs written by LIS professionals). However, beyond these informal blog discussions few systematic and empirically based studies have taken place. This article will discuss a research project that fills this gap. Funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, the project identifies the key skills, knowledge, and attributes required by “librarian 2.0.” Eighty-one members of the Australian LIS profession participated in a series of focus groups. Eight themes emerged as being critical to “librarian 2.0”: technology, communication, teamwork, user focus, business savvy, evidence based practice, learning and education, and personal traits. This article will provide a detailed discussion on each of these themes. The study’s findings also suggest that “librarian 2.0” is a state of mind, and that the Australian LIS profession is undergoing a significant shift in “attitude.”

Review : Surfers Paradise foreshore redevelopment masterplan - urban plaza zone

The Centre for Subtropical Design has prepared this submission to assist the Gold Coast City Council to finalise a plan and detailed design guidelines for the Urban Plaza Zone of Surfers Paradise Foreshore Redevelopment Masterplan which will create a public open space ‘alive’ with the quality appropriate to a place which is both a local centre and an international destination. This review has been informed by the two over-arching values identified as characteristics of a subtropical place and people’s connection to it:  A sense of openness and permeability, and  Engagement with the natural environment. The existing qualities of the foreshore area proposed as the Urban Plaza Zone, reflect these subtropical place values, and are integral to the Surfers Paradise identity:  Seamless visual and spatial access to the beach and sea,  Permeable interface between beach and built zones provided by beach planting and shade to sand by Pandanus,  A shade zone mediating beach and linear promenade, road and commercial zones, enabling a variety of social and visual experiences, on soft and hard finishes, and  A lively, constantly moving shared road and pedestrian way catering for events and day to day activities with visual access to beach and shaded areas. The Centre for Subtropical Design commends the Gold Coast City Council on preparing a plan for a public open space that is a contemporary departure from the adhoc basis of development that has occurred, in that it will make this area more accessible. However, the proposed plan seems to be working too hard in terms of ‘program’. While providing an identifiable interruption in the linear extent of the Foreshore, the lack of continuity of design in terms of both hardscaping (such as perpendicular paving elements) and softscaping (such as tree selections) may contribute to a lack of definition for the entire Foreshore as a place that mediates, along its length, between sea and land. Providing a hard edge to a beach character of soft and planted transitional elements needs to balance the proposed visual and physical barrier with the need for perceived and actual easy access. The Surfers Paradise identity needs strengthening through attention to planting for shade, materials, particularly selection of paving colours, and stronger delineation of the linear nature of the Foreshore. The Urban Plaza zone is an appropriate interruption to the continuous planting, however the link from the commercial zone overtakes the public and beach zone. A more seamless transition from shop to sea, better integration of the roadway and pedestrian zone and improved physical transition from concrete to sand is recommended. Built form solutions must be robust and designed with the subtropical design principles and the Surfers Paradise identity as underpinning parameters for a lasting and memorable public open space.

Low intensity CBT by mail

Introduction: There are many low intensity (LI) cognitive behavoural therapy (CBT) solutions to the problem of limited service access. In this chapter, we aim to discuss a relatively low-technology approach to access using standard postal services-CBT by mail, or M-CBT. Bibliotherapies including M-CBT teach key concepts and self-management techniques, together with screening tools and forms to structure home practice. M-CBT differs from other bibliotherapies by segmenting interventions and mailing them at regular intervals. Most involve participants returning copies of monitoring forms or completed handouts. Therapist feedback is provided, often in personal letters that accompany the printed materials. Participants may also be given access to telephone or email support. ----- ----- M-CBT clearly fulfills criteria for an LI CBT (see Bennett-Levy et al., Chapter 1, for a definition of LI interventions). Once written, they involve little therapist time and rely heavily on self-management. However, content and overall treatment duration need not be compromised. Long-term interventions with multiple components can be delivered via this method, provided their content can be communicated in letters and engagement is maintained.

Implementing low intensity CBT in case management of clients with severe mental illness

In a previous chapter (Dean and Kavanagh, Chapter 37), the authors made a case for applying low intensity (LI) cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to people with serious mental illness (SMI). As in other populations, LI CBT interventions typically deal with circumscribed problems or behaviours. LI CBT retains an emphasis on self-management, has restricted content and segment length, and does not necessarily require extensive CBT training. In applying these interventions to SMI, adjustments may be needed to address cognitive and symptomatic difficulties often faced by these groups. What may take a single session in a less affected population may require several sessions or a thematic application of the strategy within case management. In some cases, the LI CBT may begin to appear more like a high-intensity (HI) intervention, albeit simple and with many LI CBT characteristics still retained. So, if goal setting were introduced in one or two sessions, it could clearly be seen as an LI intervention. When applied to several different situations and across many sessions, it may be indistinguishable from a simple HI treatment, even if it retains the same format and is effectively applied by a practitioner with limited CBT training. ----- ----- In some ways, LI CBT should be well suited to case management of patients with SMI. treating staff typically have heavy workloads, and find it difficult to apply time-consuming treatments (Singh et al. 2003). LI CBT may allow provision of support to greater numbers of service users, and allow staff to spend more time on those who need intensive and sustained support. However, the introduction of any change in practice has to address significant challenges, and LI CBT is no exception. ----- ----- Many of the issues that we face in applying LI CBT to routine case management in a mnetal health service and their potential solutions are essentially the same as in a range of other problem domains (Turner and Sanders 2006)- and, indeed, are similar to those in any adoption of innovation (Rogers 2003). Over the last 20 years, several commentators have described barriers to implementing evidence-based innovations in mental health services (Corrigan et al. 1992; Deane et al. 2006; Kavanagh et al. 1993). The aim of the current chapter is to present a cognitive behavioural conceptualisation of problems and potential solutions for dissemination of LI CBT.

Adapting low intensity CBT interventions for clients with severe mental illness

Many people with severe mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia, whose psychotic symptoms are effectively managed, continue to experience significant functional problems. This chapter argues that low intensity (LI) cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT; e.g. for depression, anxiety, or other issues) is applicable to these clients, and that LI CBT can be consistent with long-term case management. However, adjustments to LI CBT strategies are often necessary and boundaries between LI CBT and high intensity (HI) CBT (with more extensive practitioner contact and complexity) may become blurred. Our focus is on LI CBT's self-management emphasis, its restricted content and segment length, and potential use after limited training. In addition to exploring these issues, it draws on the authors' Collaborative Recovery (CR; Oades et al. 2005) and 'Start Over and Survive' programs (Kavanagh et al. 2004) as examples. ----- ----- Evidence for the effectiveness of LI CBT with severe mental illness is often embedded within multicomponent programs. For example, goal setting and therapeutic homework are common components of such programs, but they can also be used as discrete LI CBT interventions. A review of 40 randomised controlled trials involving recipients with schizophrenia or other sever mental illnesses has identified key components of illness management programs (Mueser et al. 2002). However, it is relatively rare for specific components of these complex interventions to be assessed in isolation. Given these constraints, the evidence for specific LI CBT interventions with severe mental ilnness is relatively limited.

Brief motivational interviewing for depression and anxiety

Motivational interviewing (MI)can be applied as a brief, low intensity (LI) intervention of 1-4 individualised sessions (typically 45-60 minutes in duration), including screening, assessment feedback, and psycho-education. MI is a client-centred, directive therapeutic style that enhances readiness for change by helping clients explore and resolve ambivalence (Miller and Rollnick 2002). A summary of the key components of brief MI interventions is provided in Table 16.1. There is a well-established evidence base for MI in the treatment of substance misuse (particularly alcohol misuse; Moyer et al. 2002), as well as a growing evidence for the use of MI in the treatment of other mental disorders (e.g. depression, PTSD, OCD), as well as suicidality and physical health problems (Hettema et al. 2005). Brief MI intervention can be delivered as a standalone treatment or as a motivational prelude to pharmacological and/or other psychological treatments (Hettema et al. 2005). MI has been used as an accompaniment to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the treatment of both depression and anxiety for resolving ambivalence about change and developing strategies for responding to resistance (e.g. treatment attendance, homework/medication compliance; Arkowitz et al. 2008a, 2008b). This chapter will describe how to apply brief MI interventions to the treatment of depression and anxiety as applied to the case of Megan (see Box 16.1) along with some of the challenges and potential solutions to applying MI in practice.