A new approach to understanding readings for design students

In this paper I describe an innovative technique for helping design students to approach and understand reading tasks. There is ample literature on design students’ use of visual thinking for design tasks, but less on how they can use their visual skills to apply to their learning in other areas, particularly those that challenge them such as academic reading and writing. I set a cartooning task as a way to get students motivated and involved in doing set readings for a design history course. This has been successful in enhancing students’ involvement and understanding, and they have been able to apply their improved understanding to writing tasks based on the cartoons.

Handheld 3D thermography using range sensing and computer vision

This thesis developed a method for real-time and handheld 3D temperature mapping using a combination of off-the-shelf devices and efficient computer algorithms. It contributes a new sensing and data processing framework to the science of 3D thermography, unlocking its potential for application areas such as building energy auditing and industrial monitoring. New techniques for the precise calibration of multi-sensor configurations were developed, along with several algorithms that ensure both accurate and comprehensive surface temperature estimates can be made for rich 3D models as they are generated by a non-expert user.

Supermarkets and agro-industrial foods : the strategic manufacturing of consumer trust

There is increasing evidence of a weakened platform of consumer trust in mass produced food products. The resistance shown by consumers to the agro-industrial paradigm is evident in an emergent phase of reflexive consumerism, public reactions to an overly-concentrated retail sector and the rise of alternative food networks such as farmers' markets and organic box schemes. Supermarkets are responding strategically by aiming to manufacture new trust relations with consumers. This paper identifies three key strategies of trust manufacturing: (i) reputational enhancement though the institution of “behind the scenes,” business-to-business private standards; (ii) direct quality claims via private standard certification badges on food products, and ; (iii) discursive claimsmaking through symbolic representations of “authenticity” and “tradition.” Drawing upon the food governance literature and a “visual sociology” of supermarkets and supermarket produce, we highlight how trust is both commoditized and increasingly embedded into the marketing of mass-produced foods.

methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) modified poly(L-lactide) enhanced cell affinity of human bone marrow stromal cells by the upregulation of 1-cadherin and delta-2-catenin

Poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), a versatile biodegradable polymer, is one of the most commonly-used materials for tissue engineering applications. To improve cell affinity for PLLA, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was used to develop diblock copolymers. Human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) were cultured on MPEG-b-PLLA copolymer films to determine the effects of modification on the attachment and proliferation of hBMSC. The mRNA expression of 84 human extracellular matrix (ECM) and adhesion molecules was analyzed using RT-qPCR to understand the underlying mechanisms. It was found that MPEG-b-PLLA copolymer films significantly improved cell adhesion, extension, and proliferation.This was found to be related to the significant upregulation of two adhesion genes, CDH1 and CTNND2, which encode 1-cadherin and delta-2-catenin, respectively, two key components for the cadherin-catenin complex. In summary, MPEG-b-PLLA copolymer surfaces improved initial cell adhesion by stimulation of adhesion molecule gene expression.

Assessing exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) for workers in the vicinity of a large recycling facility

Increased levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) can occur particularly in dust and soil surrounding facilities that recycle products containing PBDEs. This may be the source of increased exposure for nearby workers and residents. To investigate, we measured PBDE levels in soil, office dust and blood of workers at the closest workplace (i.e. within 100m) to a large automotive shredding and metal recycling facility in Brisbane, Australia. The workplace investigated in this study was independent of the automotive shredding facility and was one of approximately 50 businesses of varying types within a relatively large commercial/industrial area surrounding the recycling facility. Concentrations of PBDEs in soils were at least an order of magnitude greater than background levels in the area. Congener profiles were dominated by larger molecular weight congeners; in particular BDE-209. This reflected the profile in outdoor air samples previously collected at this site. Biomonitoring data from blood serum indicated no differential exposure for workers near the recycling facility compared to a reference group of office workers, also in Brisbane. Unlike air, indoor dust and soil sample profiles, serum samples from both worker groups were dominated by congeners BDE-47, BDE-153, BDE-99, BDE-100 and BDE-183 and was similar to the profile previously reported in the general Australian population. Estimated exposures for workers near the industrial point source suggested indoor workers had significantly higher exposure than outdoor workers due to their exposure to indoor dust rather than soil. However, no relationship was observed between blood PBDE levels and different roles and activity patterns of workers on-site. These comparisons of PBDE levels in serum provide additional insight into the inter-individual variability within Australia. Results also indicate congener patterns in the workplace environment did not match blood profiles of workers. This was attributed to the relatively high background exposures for the general Australian population via dietary intake and the home environment.

Mapping, monitoring, and modelling of hazardous waste sites

Management of the industrial nations' hazardous waste is a current and exponentially increasing, global threatening situation. Improved environmental information must be obtained and managed concerning the current status, temporal dynamics and potential future status of these critical sites. To test the application of spatial environmental techniques to the problem of hazardous waste sites, as Superfund (CERCLA) test site was chosen in an industrial/urban valley experiencing severe TCE, PCE, and CTC ground water contamination. A paradigm is presented for investigating spatial/environmental tools available for the mapping, monitoring and modelling of the environment and its toxic contaminated plumes. This model incorporates a range of technical issues concerning the collection of data as augmented by remotely sensed tools, the format and storage of data utilizing geographic information systems, and the analysis and modelling of environment through the use of advance GIS analysis algorithms and geophysic models of hydrologic transport including statistical surface generation. This spatial based approach is evaluated against the current government/industry standards of operations. Advantages and lessons learned of the spatial approach are discussed.

Extension of constructability to include operation and maintenance for infrastructure projects

This project was a step forward in developing an extension of the concept of constructability to include the post-occupancy stages of operation and maintenance. This was through an in-depth study of Australian health projects and interviews with professionals in the field. The thesis investigated how the operation and maintenance stakeholders can enter the initial planning, design and construction phases resulting in more efficient and effective delivery of infrastructure projects.

Provotypes: Teasing out tensions between industrial context and use context

What industrial organisations think people do and what they actually do are often two very different things. But exactly this tension can be a source of innovation: how can we give form to insights about what people do, to deliberately challenge industries' conceptions, and inspire new product and service development

Numerical investigation of the influence of topography on simulated downburst wind fields

A, dry, non-hydrostatic sub-cloud model is used to simulate an isolated stationary downburst wind event to study the influence topographic features have on the near-ground wind structure of these storms. It was generally found that storm maximum wind speeds could be increased by up to 30% because of the presence of a topographic feature at the location of maximum wind speeds. Comparing predicted velocity profile amplification with that of a steady flow impinging jet, similar results were found despite the simplifications made in the impinging jet model. Comparison of these amplification profiles with those found in the simulated boundary layer winds reveal reductions of up to 30% in the downburst cases. Downburst and boundary layer amplification profiles were shown to become more similar as the topographic feature height was reduced with respect to the outflow depth.

Numerical simulation of downburst winds

The wind field of an intense idealised downburst wind storm has been studied using an axisymmetric, dry, non-hydrostatic numerical sub-cloud model. The downburst driving processes of evaporation and melting have been paramaterized by an imposed cooling source that triggers and sustains a downdraft. The simulated downburst exhibits many characteristics of observed full-scale downburst events, in particular the presence of a primary and counter rotating secondary ring vortex at the leading edge of the diverging front. The counter-rotating vortex is shown to significantly influence the development and structure of the outflow. Numerical forcing and environmental characteristics have been systematically varied to determine the influence on the outflow wind field. Normalised wind structure at the time of peak outflow intensity was generally shown to remain constant for all simulations. Enveloped velocity profiles considering the velocity structure throughout the entire storm event show much more scatter. Assessing the available kinetic energy within each simulated storm event, it is shown that the simulated downburst wind events had significantly less energy available for loading isolated structures when compared with atmospheric boundary layer winds. The discrepancy is shown to be particularly prevalent when wind speeds were integrated over heights representative of tall buildings. A similar analysis for available full scale measurements led to similar findings.

Pulsed wall jet simulation of a stationary thunderstorm downburst, Part A: Physical structure and flow field characterization

A pulsed wall jet has been used to simulate the gust front of a thunderstorm downburst. Flow visualization, wind speed and surface pressure measurements were obtained. The characteristics of the hypothesized ring vortex of a full-scale downburst were reproduced at a scale estimated to be 1:3000.

Ethnography of software maintenance activities in an industrial engineering setup

New technical and procedural interventions are less likely to be adopted in industry, unless they are smoothly integrated into the existing practices of professionals. In this paper, we provide a case study of the use of ethnographic methods for studying software bug-fixing activities at an industrial engineering conglomerate. We aimed at getting an in-depth understanding of software developers' everyday practices in bug-fixing related projects and in turn inform the design of novel productivity tools. The use of ethnography has allowed us to look at the social side of software maintenance practices. In this paper, we highlight: 1) organizational issues that influence bug-fixing activities; 2) social role of bug tracking systems, and; 3) social issues specific to different phases of bug-fixing activities.

Managing creativity on the margins : a comparative study of Beijing’s Songzhuang Art District and Hangzhou’s White Horse Lake Creative Eco-City

In the past decade the ‘creative cluster’ has become a driver of urban renewal in China. Many cluster developments attract human capital and investment to post-industrial spaces. This paper looks at two developments which are more post-agricultural than post-industrial: the first is Songzhuang, a large scale contemporary art community situated on the eastern fringe of Beijing, the second is Hangzhou’s White Horse Lake Creative Eco-City, a ‘mixed variety’ cluster model which integrates elements of art, fashion, design and animation. The common factor in both cases is how they came into existence. In both districts urban creative workers moved into a rural environment. Drawing on interviews with planners, officials, and residents we investigate the challenges of sustaining such fringe clusters.

Conflicting notions of risk : the chasm of conflict between institutions and the public

The trust and credibility gap between institutional regulators and the public is based on fundamental social and cultural differences related to power and authority. It is also associated with the 'distance' of a bureaucracies from those whom they serve. The nature of public concern about risk may be investigated by considering specific cognitive decision making 'rules' such as 'familiarity' of a hazard or 'voluntariness' of exposure. A more complete appreciation of the 'how' and 'why' of public response to danger from industrial hazards can be gained by appreciating these 'rules' within the broader context of mis-communication between 'elite' regulators and a highly diverse public. If the results of risk assessments are expressed in technical terms alone, it is unlikely that any real communication will occur. Further, if issues related to the 'remote' nature of much institutional decision making are not addressed, closure of the 'gap' may be difficult to bring about.

Integrated approach for diagnostics and prognostics of HP LNG pump based on health state probability estimation

Effective machine fault prognostic technologies can lead to elimination of unscheduled downtime and increase machine useful life and consequently lead to reduction of maintenance costs as well as prevention of human casualties in real engineering asset management. This paper presents a technique for accurate assessment of the remnant life of machines based on health state probability estimation technique and historical failure knowledge embedded in the closed loop diagnostic and prognostic system. To estimate a discrete machine degradation state which can represent the complex nature of machine degradation effectively, the proposed prognostic model employed a classification algorithm which can use a number of damage sensitive features compared to conventional time series analysis techniques for accurate long-term prediction. To validate the feasibility of the proposed model, the five different level data of typical four faults from High Pressure Liquefied Natural Gas (HP-LNG) pumps were used for the comparison of intelligent diagnostic test using five different classification algorithms. In addition, two sets of impeller-rub data were analysed and employed to predict the remnant life of pump based on estimation of health state probability using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The results obtained were very encouraging and showed that the proposed prognostics system has the potential to be used as an estimation tool for machine remnant life prediction in real life industrial applications.