So what do Design students really think? Exploring perceptions of Learning Landscapes

This paper investigates learning environments from the view of the key users - students. Recent literature on designing Learning Landscapes indicates a near absence of the student voice, assuming that the majority of students are either uninterested or unable to express what they want or need, in a learning environment. The focus of this research is to reveal Architecture and Fashion Design students’ perceptions of their learning environments. Furthermore, this study questions the appropriateness of usual design of learning spaces for Design students, or if the environment needs to be specifically catered for the learning of different disciplines of Design, such as Architecture and Fashion Design. Senior Architecture and Fashion Design students were invited to participate in a qualitative mixed method study, including investigation into existing literature, questionnaires, focus groups and spontaneous participatory research. Through the analysis of data it was found that students’ perceptions validate discipline specific learning environments and contribute towards the development of a framework for the design of future Learning Landscapes, for Design education.

Microstructural studies of quenched partially-melted Y-123 materials and Y-123 with Y-211, PtO2 and CeO2 additions

The microstructure of YBa2Cu3O7-delta (Y-123) materials partially-melted in air and quenched from the temperature range 900-1100 degrees C, has been characterized using a combination of X-ray diffractometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analyses, transmission electron microscopy and energy and wave dispersive X-ray spectrometries. The microstructural studies reveal significant changes in the character of the quenched partial-melt as a function of temperature and time before quenching. BaCu2O2 and BaCuO2 are found to co-exist in stoichiometric samples quenched from the temperature range 920-960 degrees C. Under suitable cooling conditions, large pockets of melt cristallize as BaCuO2 with an exsolution of BaCu2O2 in the form of thin plates (approximate to 50-100 nm thick) along facets. Y2BaCuO5 (Y-211) additions are associated with the formation of BaCu2O2 at 1100 degrees C. Preliminary results on the effects of PtO2 and CeO2 additions to Y-123 (and Y-123 with Y-211 additions) show that these enhace the formation of BaCu2O2 at the melting temperature of 1100 degrees C. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Titanium-oxide magneli phases in four chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles

Detailed analytical electron microscope analyses of four fine-grained chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs)reveal the presence of titanium oxide Magneli phases, TinO2n-1 (n=4,5,6), and rare Ti-metal. The titanium minerals are indigenous to these chondritic IDPs. The association of Magneli phases, Ti-metal, and carbonaceous material in chondritic IDPs, along with the grain size distributions support in situ solid carbon gasification in these extraterrestrial particles. The active catalyst in this process is titanium metal that we infer may be of interstellar origin. This favorable catalysis uniquely leads to the formation of Magneli phases. As chondritic IDPs may be solid debris of short-period comets, our data indicate that nuclei of short-period comets may show distinctive chemical reactions that lead to Ti-mineral assemblages that typically include Magneli phases. The proposed model provides a plausible mechnism to explain the higher solid carbon content of chondritic IDPs relative to bulk carbon abundances typical for carbonaceous chondrite matrices that represent another type of more evolved, that is, metamorphosed, undifferentiated solar system bodies.

A Material Reverie

excerpt: from soil and stone is a work consisting of fifty drawings on paper organised in a grid. Each drawing is small, only 19 by 14 centimetres, and set out in portrait format. They each reference, either explicitly or abstractly, natural phenomena. These include plant forms, pollens, seeds, pods, and leaf shapes and each is painted with a dizzying and liquid array of techniques and technical finesse. Colour is used sparingly but tellingly, and all are generously and wetly composed, with each seeming to flow into the necessary rightness of composition. Within the overall work the feel is sometimes of the archive, a personal kind where pressed flowers are stumbled upon within a book. At other times they seem to image the stellar as one confronts the immensity of some planet suspended in the void. Again, as a recurring theme in Reynolds’ oeuvre, the notion of the taxonomy is sounded. The drawings are laid out to display difference and reveal through contrast essence. It is a mapping that illuminates a generous plentitude.

Analytical Solution of a Walters’ Liquid B Flow Over a Linear Stretching Sheet in a Porous Medium

This chapter represents the analytical solution of two-dimensional linear stretching sheet problem involving a non-Newtonian liquid and suction by (a) invoking the boundary layer approximation and (b) using this result to solve the stretching sheet problem without using boundary layer approximation. The basic boundary layer equations for momentum, which are non-linear partial differential equations, are converted into non-linear ordinary differential equations by means of similarity transformation. The results reveal a new analytical procedure for solving the boundary layer equations arising in a linear stretching sheet problem involving a non-Newtonian liquid (Walters’ liquid B). The present study throws light on the analytical solution of a class of boundary layer equations arising in the stretching sheet problem.

Hazard based models for freeway traffic incident duration

Assessing and prioritising cost-effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of traffic incidents and accidents on non-recurrent congestion on major roads represents a significant challenge for road network managers. This research examines the influence of numerous factors associated with incidents of various types on their duration. It presents a comprehensive traffic incident data mining and analysis by developing an incident duration model based on twelve months of incident data obtained from the Australian freeway network. Parametric accelerated failure time (AFT) survival models of incident duration were developed, including log-logistic, lognormal, and Weibul-considering both fixed and random parameters, as well as a Weibull model with gamma heterogeneity. The Weibull AFT models with random parameters were appropriate for modelling incident duration arising from crashes and hazards. A Weibull model with gamma heterogeneity was most suitable for modelling incident duration of stationary vehicles. Significant variables affecting incident duration include characteristics of the incidents (severity, type, towing requirements, etc.), and location, time of day, and traffic characteristics of the incident. Moreover, the findings reveal no significant effects of infrastructure and weather on incident duration. A significant and unique contribution of this paper is that the durations of each type of incident are uniquely different and respond to different factors. The results of this study are useful for traffic incident management agencies to implement strategies to reduce incident duration, leading to reduced congestion, secondary incidents, and the associated human and economic losses.

Sustainable, safe, smart—three key elements of Singapore’s evolving transport policies

Sustainability, safety and smartness are three key elements of a modern transportation system. This study illustrates various policy directions and initiatives of Singapore to address how its transportation system is progressing in light of these three components. Sustainability targets economical efficiency, environmental justice and social equity by including policies for integrating land use and transport planning, ensuring adequate transport supply measures, managing travel demand efficiently, and incorporating environment-friendly strategies. Safety initiatives of its transportation system aim to minimize injuries and incidents of all users including motorists, public transport commuters, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Smartness incorporates qualities like real time sensing, fast processing and decision making, and automated action-taking into its control, monitoring, information management and revenue collection systems. Various policy implications and technology applications along these three directions reveal that smart technologies facilitate implementation of policies promoting sustainability and safety. The Singapore experience could serve as a good reference for other cities in promoting a transportation system that is sustainable, safe and smart.

Knowledge sharing for strengthening manufacturing operation and business performance

Manufacturing companies have strived to enhance managerial and technical capabilities to improve business performance. Building these capabilities requires effective share of knowledge - the strategic resource. Specifically, knowledge sharing (KS) between different manufacturing departments can improve manufacturing processes since leveraging organisational knowledge plays an enssential role in achieving competitive advantage. This paper presents an empirical investigation into the impact of KS on the effectiveness of supply chain management (SCM) and the product development process (PDP) in achieving desired business performance (BP). A questionnaire survey was administered from electronic manufacturing companies operating in Taiwan. 168 valid responses were received and used to statistically examine the relationships between the concepts (SCM, PDP, KS, BP). The study findings reveal that within the Taiwanese electronic manufacturing companies KS is an essential enabler for facilitating the effectiveness of SCM and PDP in achieving desired BP.

Evaluation of plastic deformation ability of Cu/Ni/W metallic multilayers

Plastic deformation behavior of Cu/Ni/Wmetallicmultilayers with individual layer thickness ranging from 5 nm to 300 nm is investigated by nanoindentation testing. The experimental results reveal that the composite still exhibits indentation-induced plastic deformation instability and the loss of strain hardening ability at the nanometer scale even if the composite contains two kinds of layer interfaces (face centered cubic(FCC)/FCC and FCC/ body centered cubic) simultaneously. Plastic deformation behavior of the nanolayered material was evaluated and analyzed.

Achieving at university and beyond : does it help to be good looking?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between attitudes to academic achievement and post university success using perceptions of attractiveness, gender, ethnic identity, personality, and social acceptance as antecedents. Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire was completed by male (N=116) and female (N=126) university students from various cultural backgrounds. To evaluate the proposed relationships, multiple regression analysis was used. Findings – The findings suggest that attractiveness is related to attitudes to academic achievement and success through its association with social appeal and acceptance. Ethnic identity is also related to both academic achievement and post university success. Personality is not positively related to academic achievement. Finally, social acceptance is positively related to academic achievement for males and to success for females. Research limitations/implications – Whilst the survey targeted students from various cultural backgrounds studying in Australia, it did not look at university students from other countries. A cross-cultural perspective could reveal further differences in attitudes. Originality/value – This study links attractiveness and academic achievement theories. The findings have implications for tertiary institutions and suggest academics and policy-makers to vigorously promote core personality and values such as intelligence, communication skills, and sincerity, rather than allow superficial values such as attractiveness to be placed at the centre stage of students' endeavour.

New insights into magmatism and changing rift styles in the evolution of the Gulf of California

The Gulf of California (GoC) has been an important focus site for understanding the spatial and temporal evolution of rifts, with recent studies concluding: 1) rapid crustal rupturing within 10 Myrs; 2) surprisingly abrupt variations in rifting style and magmatism with apparently wide magma-poor and narrow, magmatic rift segments; and 3) that high sedimentation rates may promote switching from wide to narrow rift modes or thermally blanket the crust to enhance rift magmatism. Critical to these conclusions is the onset of rifting at~12 Ma following the cessation of subduction. New field-based volcanostratigraphic and geochronologic studies along the southeastern GoC margin reveal Early Miocene (~25-18 Ma) bimodal volcanism in wide rifting mode (~400 km width), followed by a mid-Miocene (~18-12 Ma) phase of dominantly intermediate composition magmatism in and around the nascent GoC with lavas/domes often emplaced into actively subsiding basins, but contemporaneous with bimodal volcanism regionally. Flat-lying intraplate basaltic lava fields emplaced ~12-10 Ma along the GoC east coast abut tilted blocks of ~20 Ma ignimbrites onshore, and also occur offshore. The reduction in crustal thickness from ~55 to 20 km along the eastern GoC edge must have been largely achieved by 12 Ma. Extension has demonstrably began earlier than previously thought, downplaying rapid rifting and any thermal effects from <6 Ma sedimentation. New age data from onshore indicate significant structurally controlled corridors of magmatism during 18-12 Ma extension in apparently magma-poor rift segments, and this magmatism temporally coincides with the switch from wide to narrow rifting.

Higher degree research at Australian Universities : Responding to diversity in engineering and information technology

BACKGROUND There is increasing enrolment of international students in the Engineering and Information Technology disciplines and anecdotal evidence of a need for additional understanding and support for these students and their supervisors due to differences both in academic and social cultures. While there is a growing literature on supervisory styles and guidelines on effective supervision, there is little on discipline-specific, cross-cultural supervision responding to the growing diversity. In this paper, we report findings from a study of Engineering and Information technology Higher Degree Research (HDR)students and supervision in three Australian universities. PURPOSE The aim was to assess perceptions of students and supervisors of factors influencing success that are particular to international or culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) HDR students in Engineering and Information technology. DESIGN/METHOD Online survey and qualitative data was collected from international and CaLD HDR students and supervisors at the three universities. Bayesian network analysis, inferential statistics, and qualitative analysis provided the main findings. RESULTS Survey results indicate that both students and supervisors are positive about their experiences, and do not see language or culture as particularly problematic. The survey results also reveal strong consistency between the perceptions of students and supervisors on most factors influencing success. Qualitative analysis of critical supervision incidents has provided rich data that could help improve support services. CONCLUSIONS In contrast with anecdotal evidence, HDR completion data from the three universities reveal that international students, on average, complete in shorter time periods than domestic students. The analysis suggests that success is linked to a complex set of factors involving the student, supervision, the institution and broader community.

Feasibility of using telecommunications technology in a Cardiac-Diabetes Self-Management Program

Background: Evidence demonstrates self-management programs are an effective approach to assist patients with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes or cardiac conditions to modify their lifestyle for better managing their conditions. Using information technology (IT) has great potential to support self-management programs and assist patients to fulfill their goals in managing their conditions more efficiently and effectively. Examples of different types of technology used in self-management programs that have limited research support include: text messages, telephone followup, web-based programs, and other internet-assisted education. But little is known about the applicability and feasiability of different forms of technology for patients with chronic diseases such as those with type 2 diabetes and critical cardiac conditions. Furthermore, although there is some evidence of the benefits of using IT in supporting self-management programs, further research on the use of IT in such programs is recommended. Objective: To develop and pilot test an integrated Cardiac- Diabetes Self-Management Program (CDSMP) incorporating telephone and text-message follow-up. Methods: A pilot study using randomised controlled trial is conducted in the coronary care unit (CCU) in a Brisbane metropolitan hospital in Australia to collect data on patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to CCU. The main outcomes included self-efficacy levels, knowledge, and quality of life. Results: Initial results reveal that patients with diabetes admitted to the CCU in the experimental group did improve their self-efficacy, and knowledge levels. Acknowledgements: This Project is funded by QUT Early Career Researcher Research Grant

Bus and car travel time on urban networks : integrating Bluetooth and bus vehicle identification data

Travel time in an important transport performance indicator. Different modes of transport (buses and cars) have different mechanical and operational characteristics, resulting in significantly different travel behaviours and complexities in multimodal travel time estimation on urban networks. This paper explores the relationship between bus and car travel time on urban networks by utilising the empirical Bluetooth and Bus Vehicle Identification data from Brisbane. The technologies and issues behind the two datasets are studied. After cleaning the data to remove outliers, the relationship between not-in-service bus and car travel time and the relationship between in-service bus and car travel time are discussed. The travel time estimation models reveal that the not-in-service bus travel time are similar to the car travel time and the in-service bus travel time could be used to estimate car travel time during off-peak hours

Second Skin 2012 Workshop

The Second Skin 2012 Workshop Program consisted of a full-day intensive design immersion workshop run on Saturday 14 July 2012, at the QUT Faculty of Creative Industries Fashion Studios at Kelvin Grove Brisbane, Australia, for 30? self-selected high-achieving junior and middle school (year 5-9) students, as part of the Queensland Academies ‘Young Scholars’ Program. Inspired by a scientist researching the impact of sun on skin, and mentored by tertiary fashion design and interior design educators, and six tertiary fashion design and interior design students, the workshop explored science and design-inspired prototype solutions for sun-safety. This action research study aimed to facilitate an acute awareness in young people of the sun safety message (alternative to a scare campaign), the role of design in society and the value of design thinking skills in solving complex challenges, and to inspire the generation of strategies to address a systemic health issue. It also aimed to investigate the value of collaboration between junior and middle school students, tertiary design educators and students and industry professionals in targeting youth sun safety, and inspiring post-secondary pathways and idea generation for education. During the workshop, students developed sketching, making, communication, presentation and collaboration skills to improve their design process, while considering social, cultural and environmental opportunities. Through a series of hands-on collaborative design experiments, participants explored in teams of five, ways in which a ‘second skin’ can mirror elements of our skin – the ability to protect, divide, enclose, stretch, scar, pattern, peel and reveal – inspiring both functional and aesthetic design solutions. Underpinned by the State Library of Queensland Design Minds Website ‘inquire, ideate and implement’ model of design thinking, the experiments culminated in the development of a detailed client brief, the design and fabrication of a fashionable sun safe clothing range and then a team presentation and modelling of prototypes in a fashion parade, viewed also by parents. The final collections were judged by three prominent judges: Louise Baldwin - Executive Manager Public Health QLD Cancer Council, Shane Thompson - Architect and 2012 Queensland Smart Design Fellow, and Leigh Buchanan – Fashion designer and Project Runway Australia finalist. The workshop was filmed for Queensland television program ‘Totally Wild’ for dissemination of the value of design, the Design Minds model and the sun safety message to a wider target youth audience.