Groups, graphs and mutually unbiased bases

A new characteristic free approach to constructing large sets of mutually unbiased bases in Hilbert space is developed. We associate with a seed set of bases a finite subgroup of which defines a strongly regular graph. Large sets of mutually unbiased bases are obtained as the cliques of the graph.

Clock synchronization state graphs based on clock precision difference

Consistent and stable global states of clock synchronization are very important in distributed and parallel systems. This paper presents an innovative strategy and method to obtain stable global clock synchronization state graphs in asynchronous Internet environments. Our model will introduce the concept of clock precision difference as a means to evaluate running states of all clocks in this system and make this system  self-adaptive well. Finally, we introduce the concept of clock precision difference into global states analysis of clock synchronization and construct clock synchronization state graphs in order to evaluate distributed clock synchronization states. We also present detailed simulations of the strategy and mathematical analysis used on real Internet environments.

Towards universal and statistical-driven heuristics for automatic classification of sports video events

Researchers worldwide have been actively seeking for the most robust and powerful solutions to detect and classify key events (or highlights) in various sports domains. Most approaches have employed manual heuristics that model the typical pattern of audio-visual features within particular sport events To avoid manual observation and knowledge, machine-learning can be used as an alternative approach. To bridge the gaps between these two alternatives, an attempt is made to integrate statistics into heuristic models during highlight detection in our investigation. The models can be designed with a modest amount of domain-knowledge, making them less subjective and more robust for different sports. We have also successfully used a universal scope of detection and a standard set of features that can be applied for different sports that include soccer, basketball and Australian football. An experiment on a large dataset of sport videos, with a total of around 15 hours, has demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of our
aIlgorithms.

In search of coherent jurisprudence for international criminal law : correlating universal human responsibilities with universal human rights

I. The Evolution of International Criminal Law International criminal justice concerns breaches of international rules entailing the personal criminal liability of individuals (as opposed to the State for which the individuals may act as agents or organs), and presently includes acts such as genocide, torture, crimes against humanity, aggression and terrorism. ... A rule stating: any act of armed conflict which directly causes the death of a civilian is a war crime unless it can be shown that the military advantage gained by the attack outweighs the harm. ... Thus, so far as international criminal law is concerned any act during armed conflict which results in the death or injury to a person who does not pose a direct threat to the life of the accused should be a war crime. ... Pursuant to the Rome Statute and as a matter of customary international law torture is a war crime when performed in the context of an armed conflict, and a crime against humanity when it is part of systematic criminal conduct. ... Torture can also constitute an individual international crime, even where it does not satisfy the criteria of a war crime or crime against humanity. ...

Towards a universal and integrated digital representation of physical phenomena: a model to investigate comfort and energy efficiency in future environments

This thesis describes the exploration and the development of computational means to investigate the behaviour of design objects before they are available for investigation in the physical world. The motivation is to inform the design process about the design object's performance in order to achieve better--more performance-oriented--design outcomes in the sense of energy efficiency and comfort performance than can be achieved by conventional design techniques.

Focused ion beam milling as a universal template technique for patterned growth of carbon nanotubes

Focused ion beam (FIB) milling system has been used to create nanosized patterns as the template for patterned growth of carbon nanotubes on Si substrate surface without predeposition of metal catalysts. Carbon nanotubes only nucleate and grow on the template under controlled pyrolysis of iron phthalocyanine at 1000 °C. The size, growth direction, and density of the patterned nanotubes can be controlled under different growth conditions and template sizes. Atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy analyses reveal that the selective growth on the FIB template is due to its special surface morphology and crystalline structure.

One-step coating of fluoro-containing silica nanoparticles for universal generation of surface superhydrophobicity

Stable superhydrophobic surfaces with water contact angles over 170 degrees and sliding angles below 7 degrees were produced by simply coating a particulate silica sol solution of co-hydrolysed TEOS/fluorinated alkyl silane with NH₃^.H₂O on various substrates, including textile fabrics (e.g. polyester, wool and cotton), electrospun nanofibre mats, filter papers, glass slides, and silicon wafers.

Kant, or the crack in the universal : Slavoj Zizek's politicising the transcendental turn

This paper examines Slavoj Zizek’s reading of Immanuel Kant. Its undergirding argument is that Zizek’s work as a whole- up to and including his politically radical statements, which have become more and more prominent since 1997- is conceivable as a project in the rereading of the Kantian ‘Copernican Revolution’ via Lacanian psychoanalysis. Critics now agree that Zizek’s orienting aim is to write a philosophy of politics, as more recent texts, like The Ticklish Subject make clear. (Kay, 2003; Sharpe, 2004; Dean 2006) If Zizek’s philosophy is ultimately a philosophy of politics, however, Zizek’s political philosophy is grounded in a wider post or ‘neo’-Kantian philosophy of subjectivity.
The essay has three major parts. Part I gives Zizek’s reading of Kant on the subject of apperception. Part II recounts Zizek’s pivotal reading of Kant on the sublime, which he ties closely to the problematics of the ‘Transcendental Dialectic’ of the first Critique. Part III then examines Zizek’s conception of subjectivity in terms of the faculties (and especially the faculty of imagination) that Kant argues are involved in the transcendental constitution of objects in the first half of The Critique of Pure Reason.
In the Conclusion, the force of the paper’s subtitle—‘Politicising the Transcendental Turn’—will become manifest. I lay out three principles of Zizek’s ‘neoKantian/Hegelian’ ontology. These also make clear how his philosophy of political agency is grounded in this apparently suprapolitical or solely philosophical reading of Kant.

Development of a universal approach to estuarine planning and management, with special reference to Australia

The study develops a universal management framework for estuaries. Based on the identified problems, policy makers' inputs and characteristics of effective management models, the study proposes a universal planning and management framework, which consists of four elements. On the basis of the elements the study outlines a detailed planning and management framework for estuaries.

Design, fabrication and evaluation of universal polymerase chain reaction devices

Novel and low cost PCR devices were developed to perform rapid polymerase chain reaction based diagnostics for infectious diseases. The main advantages of using these devices are that it can perform multi sample and also multiplexing of DNA samples woth low sample volume compared to the conventional PCR devices.

Intersection and partition graphs

This thesis reviews previous work done on both general partition graphs and existential partition graphs, which are a generalised form of general partition graphs, and extends some of the results.

Differences in networking activities among Australasian entrepreneurs : challenging the universal nature of entrepreneurial networking

By investigating differences in structural diversity in social networks among entrepreneurs in the Australasian area, this paper contributes to the debate on whether there is universality in the process of entrepreneurial networking. Four hypotheses were developed based on previous research. Representative samples of entrepreneurs were identified in the same manner in eight countries, from 2000 to 2004, given a total of63,350 respondents. The sampling methodologies and the questions asked were similar across all eight countries. Logistic regression was used to test for significant regional interaction effects involving business stage and structural diversity. The empirical results confirm previous indications of cultural differences in the networking practice adopted by entrepreneurs. Results are contrary to the existence of any mono-dimensional form of networking practice but do support the existence of both variform universality (culture moderates the importance of networking) and functional universality (cultural similarities in networking practice exist).