What you need to know to work in television

During a three-month stint at a production company, Alan McKee discovered that some of the knowledge required to work in television can only be acquired through practical experience. Here he offers some tips to help students successfully transition into the industry

A forensic investigation of single human hair fibres using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Human hair fibres are ubiquitous in nature and are found frequently at crime scenes often as a result of exchange between the perpetrator, victim and/or the surroundings according to Locard's Principle. Therefore, hair fibre evidence can provide important information for crime investigation. For human hair evidence, the current forensic methods of analysis rely on comparisons of either hair morphology by microscopic examination or nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses. Unfortunately in some instances the utilisation of microscopy and DNA analyses are difficult and often not feasible. This dissertation is arguably the first comprehensive investigation aimed to compare, classify and identify the single human scalp hair fibres with the aid of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy in a forensic context. Spectra were collected from the hair of 66 subjects of Asian, Caucasian and African (i.e. African-type). The fibres ranged from untreated to variously mildly and heavily cosmetically treated hairs. The collected spectra reflected the physical and chemical nature of a hair from the near-surface particularly, the cuticle layer. In total, 550 spectra were acquired and processed to construct a relatively large database. To assist with the interpretation of the complex spectra from various types of human hair, Derivative Spectroscopy and Chemometric methods such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Fuzzy Clustering (FC) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) program; Preference Ranking Organisation Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) and Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA); were utilised. FTIR-ATR spectroscopy had two important advantages over to previous methods: (i) sample throughput and spectral collection were significantly improved (no physical flattening or microscope manipulations), and (ii) given the recent advances in FTIR-ATR instrument portability, there is real potential to transfer this work.s findings seamlessly to on-field applications. The "raw" spectra, spectral subtractions and second derivative spectra were compared to demonstrate the subtle differences in human hair. SEM images were used as corroborative evidence to demonstrate the surface topography of hair. It indicated that the condition of the cuticle surface could be of three types: untreated, mildly treated and treated hair. Extensive studies of potential spectral band regions responsible for matching and discrimination of various types of hair samples suggested the 1690-1500 cm^-1 IR spectral region was to be preferred in comparison with the commonly used 1750-800 cm^-1. The principal reason was the presence of the highly variable spectral profiles of cystine oxidation products (1200-1000 cm^-1), which contributed significantly to spectral scatter and hence, poor hair sample matching. In the preferred 1690-1500 cm^-1 region, conformational changes in the keratin protein attributed to the α-helical to β-sheet transitions in the Amide I and Amide II vibrations and played a significant role in matching and discrimination of the spectra and hence, the hair fibre samples. For gender comparison, the Amide II band is significant for differentiation. The results illustrated that the male hair spectra exhibit a more intense β-sheet vibration in the Amide II band at approximately 1511 cm^-1 whilst the female hair spectra displayed more intense α-helical vibration at 1520-1515cm^-1. In terms of chemical composition, female hair spectra exhibit greater intensity of the amino acid tryptophan (1554 cm^-1), aspartic and glutamic acid (1577 cm^-1). It was also observed that for the separation of samples based on racial differences, untreated Caucasian hair was discriminated from Asian hair as a result of having higher levels of the amino acid cystine and cysteic acid. However, when mildly or chemically treated, Asian and Caucasian hair fibres are similar, whereas African-type hair fibres are different. In terms of the investigation's novel contribution to the field of forensic science, it has allowed for the development of a novel, multifaceted, methodical protocol where previously none had existed. The protocol is a systematic method to rapidly investigate unknown or questioned single human hair FTIR-ATR spectra from different genders and racial origin, including fibres of different cosmetic treatments. Unknown or questioned spectra are first separated on the basis of chemical treatment i.e. untreated, mildly treated or chemically treated, genders, and racial origin i.e. Asian, Caucasian and African-type. The methodology has the potential to complement the current forensic analysis methods of fibre evidence (i.e. Microscopy and DNA), providing information on the morphological, genetic and structural levels.

Integrated Acquisition Engineering Model for acquiring heavy engineering assets

In asset intensive industries such as mining, oil & gas, utilities etc. most of the capital expenditure happens on acquiring engineering assets. Process of acquiring assets is called as “Procurement” or “Acquisition”. An asset procurement decision should be taken in consideration with the installation, commissioning, operational, maintenance and disposal needs of an asset or spare. However, such cross-functional collaboration and communication does not appear to happen between engineering, maintenance, warehousing and procurement functions in many asset intensive industries. Acquisition planning and execution are two distinct parts of asset acquisition process. Acquisition planning or procurement planning is responsible for determining exactly what is required to be purchased. It is important that an asset acquisition decision is the result of cross-functional decision making process. An acquisition decision leads to a formal purchase order. Most costly asset decisions occur even before they are acquired. Therefore, acquisition decision should be an outcome of an integrated planning & decision making process. Asset intensive organizations both, Government and non Government in Australia spent AUD 102.5 Billion on asset acquisition in year 2008-09. There is widespread evidence of many assets and spare not being used or utilized and in the end are written off. This clearly shows that many organizations end up buying assets or spares which were not required or non-conforming to the needs of user functions. It is due the fact that strategic and software driven procurement process do not consider all the requirements from various functions within the organization which contribute to the operation and maintenance of the asset over its life cycle. There is a lot of research done on how to implement an effective procurement process. There are numerous software solutions available for executing a procurement process. However, not much research is done on how to arrive at a cross functional procurement planning process. It is also important to link procurement planning process to procurement execution process. This research will discuss ““Acquisition Engineering Model” (AEM) framework, which aims at assisting acquisition decision making based on various criteria to satisfy cross-functional organizational requirements. Acquisition Engineering Model (AEM) will consider inputs from corporate asset management strategy, production management, maintenance management, warehousing, finance and HSE. Therefore, it is essential that the multi-criteria driven acquisition planning process is carried out and its output is fed to the asset acquisition (procurement execution) process. An effective procurement decision making framework to perform acquisition planning which considers various functional criteria will be discussed in this paper.

The Figures

This short film, created by David Megarrity and Luke Monsour, experimented within a short timeframe with the challenge of superimposition of hand-drawn backgrounds, non-verbal action, and a short, sharp shoot. The aim was also to find a single piece of standalone music that would act as an unedited soundtrack It won Best Queensland Film at the Woodford Film Festival in 2005, and was screened at Base-Court, Lausanne Switzerland in 2006, and the Westgarth Film Festival 2005. It was acquired by comedy website minimovie in 2007.

A hybrid radiation detector for simultaneous spatial and temporal dosimetry

In this feasibility study an organic plastic scintillator is calibrated against ionisation chamber measurements and then embedded in a polymer gel dosimeter to obtain a quasi-4D experimental measurement of a radiation field. This hybrid dosimeter was irradiated with a linear accelerator, with temporal measurements of the dose rate being acquired by the scintillator and spatial measurements acquired with the gel dosimeter. The detectors employed in this work are radiologically equivalent; and we show that neither detector perturbs the intensity of the radiation field of the other. By employing these detectors in concert, spatial and temporal variations in the radiation intensity can now be detected and gel dosimeters can be calibrated for absolute dose from a single irradiation.

School-aged workers : industrial citizens in the making?

While the literature points to significant shifts in young peoples‟ labour market participation and the social, economic and political context in which the shift has occurred, it tells us little about how young people are socialised in the workplace, how literate they are in terms of their rights and responsibilities at work or how and via what mechanisms this literacy is acquired. Using the concept citizenship as an analytical tool, we explored these questions using data derived from 48 focus groups conducted with 216 adolescents (13-16 years of age) at 19 high schools in Australia. The findings reveal the way in which several key dimensions of industrial citizenship come to be shaped and have implications for addressing the vulnerability of youth in employment and informing policy and action.

Revisioning the self : self-portraiture as educator professional development

This paper focuses on a series of self-portraits I created between 2003 and 2009. Each portrait holds a series of layered images that the final layer conceals. As I created the self-portraits I also created written thinking in the form of a research journal. This a/r/tographic (Irwin & Springgay, 2008) research activity investigates the acquiring and accruing of visual art teaching knowledges and practices. I use as a premise, an opinion that the information acquired on an Education Degree slowly fades over time so, what is ‘information’ becomes ‘memory’. Memory is eventually what informs teaching, if further professional development is not undertaken.

Design and development of automatic visual inspection system for PCB manufacturing

Inspection of solder joints has been a critical process in the electronic manufacturing industry to reduce manufacturing cost, improve yield, and ensure product quality and reliability. This paper proposes two inspection modules for an automatic solder joint classification system. The “front-end” inspection system includes illumination normalisation, localisation and segmentation. The “back-end” inspection involves the classification of solder joints using the Log Gabor filter and classifier fusion. Five different levels of solder quality with respect to the amount of solder paste have been defined. The Log Gabor filter has been demonstrated to achieve high recognition rates and is resistant to misalignment. This proposed system does not need any special illumination system, and the images are acquired by an ordinary digital camera. This system could contribute to the development of automated non-contact, non-destructive and low cost solder joint quality inspection systems.

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein genotypes associated with venous thrombosis and dyslipoproteinemia in males

Although numerous genetic and acquired factors are appreciated as risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) [1,2], only recently have male gender [3,4], dyslipoproteinemia [5], and silent atherosclerotic vascular disease [6] been linked to VTE. We recently found that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) deficiency is a key feature of a pattern of dyslipoproteinemia that is associated with VTE in males, and we found that the common TaqI B1 variation in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene is significantly linked to VTE [5]. However, the TaqI B1/B2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) itself is unlikely to affect directly CETP activity, but it is linked to nonsynonymous CETP SNPs Ala373Pro and Arg451Gln [7–9]. Here, we demonstrate that these two CETP variations are associated with VTE and low plasma HDL levels in males.

Building the foundations : skill acquisition in children

Introduction: Why we need to base childrens’ sport and physical education on the principles of dynamical systems theory and ecological psychology As the childhood years are crucial for developing many physical skills as well as establishing the groundwork leading to lifelong participation in sport and physical activities, (Orlick & Botterill, 1977, p. 11) it is essential to examine current practice to make sure it is meeting the needs of children. In recent papers (e.g. Renshaw, Davids, Chow & Shuttleworth, in press; Renshaw, Davids, Chow & Hammond, in review; Chow et al., 2009) we have highlighted that a guiding theoretical framework is needed to provide a principled approach to teaching and coaching and that the approach must be evidence- based and focused on mechanism and not just on operational issues such as practice, competition and programme management (Lyle, 2002). There is a need to demonstrate how nonlinear pedagogy underpins teaching and coaching practice for children given that some of the current approaches underpinning children’s sport and P.E. may not be leading to optimal results. For example, little time is spent undertaking physical activities (Tinning, 2006) and much of this practice is not representative of the competition demands of the performance environment (Kirk & McPhail, 2002; Renshaw et al., 2008). Proponents of a non- linear pedagogy advocate the design of practice by applying key concepts such as the mutuality of the performer and environment, the tight coupling of perception and action, and the emergence of movement solutions due to self organisation under constraints (see Renshaw, et al., in press). As skills are shaped by the unique interacting individual, task and environmental constraints in these learning environments, small changes to individual structural (e.g. factors such as height or limb length) or functional constraints (e.g. factors such as motivation, perceptual skills, strength that can be acquired), task rules, equipment, or environmental constraints can lead to dramatic changes in movement patterns adopted by learners to solve performance problems. The aim of this chapter is to provide real life examples for teachers and coaches who wish to adopt the ideas of non- linear pedagogy in their practice. Specifically, I will provide examples related to specific issues related to individual constraints in children and in particular the unique challenges facing coaches when individual constraints are changing due to growth and development. Part two focuses on understanding how cultural environmental constraints impact on children’s sport. This is an area that has received very little attention but plays a very important part in the long- term development of sporting expertise. Finally, I will look at how coaches can manipulate task constraints to create effective learning environments for young children.

Identifying constraints on children with movement difficulties : implications for pedagogues and clinicians

A constraints- based framework for understanding processes of movement coordination and control is predicated on a range of theoretical ideas including the work of Bernstein (1967), Gibson (1979), Newell (1986) and Kugler, Kelso & Turvey (1982). Contrary to a normative perspective that focuses on the production of idealized movement patterns to be acquired by children during development and learning (see Alain & Brisson, 1986), this approach formulates the emergence of movement co- ordination as a function of the constraints imposed upon each individual. In this framework, cognitive, perceptual and movement difficulties and disorders are considered to be constraints on the perceptual- motor system, and children’s movements are viewed as emergent functional adaptations to these constraints (Davids et al., 2008; Rosengren, Savelsbergh & van der Kamp, 2003). From this perspective, variability of movement behaviour is not viewed as noise or error to be eradicated during development, but rather, as essentially functional in facilitating the child to satisfy the unique constraints which impinge on his/her developing perceptual- motor and cognitive systems in everyday life (Davids et al., 2008). Recently, it has been reported that functional neurobiological variability is predicated on system degeneracy, an inherent feature of neurobiological systems which facilitates the achievement of task performance goals in a variety of different ways (Glazier & Davids, 2009). Degeneracy refers to the capacity of structurally different components of complex movement systems to achieve different performance outcomes in varying contexts (Tononi et al., 1999; Edelman & Gally, 2001). System degeneracy allows individuals with and without movement disorders to achieve their movement goals by harnessing movement variability during performance. Based on this idea, perceptual- motor disorders can be simply viewed as unique structural and functional system constraints which individuals have to satisfy in interactions with their environments. The aim of this chapter is to elucidate how the interaction of structural and functional organismic, and environmental constraints can be harnessed in a nonlinear pedagogy by individuals with movement disorders.

Performance of square and inclined insulated rail joints based on field strain measurements

Insulated rail joints (IRJs) possess lower bending stiffness across the gap containing insulating endpost and hence are subjected to wheel impact. IRJs are either square cut or inclined cut to the longitudinal axis of the rails in a vertical plane. It is generally claimed that the inclined cut IRJs outperformed the square cut IRJs; however, there is a paucity of literature with regard to the relative structural merits of these two designs. This article presents comparative studies of the structural response of these two IRJs to the passage of wheels based on continuously acquired field data from joints strain-gauged closer to the source of impact. Strain signatures are presented in time, frequency, and avelet domains and the peak vertical and shear strains are systematically employed to examine the relative structural merits of the two IRJs subjected to similar real-life loading. It is shown that the inclined IRJs resist the wheel load with higher peak shear strains and lower peak vertical strains than that of the square IRJs.

Building info-skills by degrees : embedding information literacy in university study

Late last year teaching staff at Griffith University participated in a symposium entitled 'Spotlight on Generic Skills & Flexible Learning'. This event brought together academic staff as well as library staff, learning advisers and other support staff interested in teaching and learning issues. The discussion was based on the premise that the University has a responsibility to ensure that its courses emphasise broad educational values and 'produce highly sought after graduates with globally applicable skills for the international market'(1). It was acknowledged that the University consistently scores very highly with graduates for its development of generic skills. However at the same time staff expressed concern at the challenge of developing more flexible, student-centred learning environments that have generic skills embedded across all programs (2). As a result there has been much debate in the University about which skills are important, how they will be acquired and how they could effectively be built into the curriculum. One outcome of these discussions is the project described in this paper. What follows is an overview of the project and a discussion about the integration and development of information literacy as a generic attribute in the curriculum and some suggestions on ways forward.

Asphalt concrete surfaces macrotexture determination from still images

Road surface macrotexture is identified as one of the factors contributing to the surface's skid resistance. Existing methods of quantifying the surface macrotexture, such as the sand patch test and the laser profilometer test, are either expensive or intrusive, requiring traffic control. High-resolution cameras have made it possible to acquire good quality images from roads for the automated analysis of texture depth. In this paper, a granulometric method based on image processing is proposed to estimate road surface texture coarseness distribution from their edge profiles. More than 1300 images were acquired from two different sites, extending to a total of 2.96 km. The images were acquired using camera orientations of 60 and 90 degrees. The road surface is modeled as a texture of particles, and the size distribution of these particles is obtained from chord lengths across edge boundaries. The mean size from each distribution is compared with the sensor measured texture depth obtained using a laser profilometer. By tuning the edge detector parameters, a coefficient of determination of up to R2 = 0.94 between the proposed method and the laser profilometer method was obtained. The high correlation is also confirmed by robust calibration parameters that enable the method to be used for unseen data after the method has been calibrated over road surface data with similar surface characteristics and under similar imaging conditions.