An evaluation of the neocognitron

We describe a sequence of experiments investigating the strengths and limitations of Fukushima's neocognitron as a handwritten digit classifier. Using the results of these experiments as a foundation, we propose and evaluate improvements to Fukushima's original network in an effort to obtain higher recognition performance. The neocognitron's performance is shown to be strongly dependent on the choice of selectivity parameters and we present two methods to adjust these variables. Performance of the network under the more effective of the two new selectivity adjustment techniques suggests that the network fails to exploit the features that distinguish different classes of input data. To avoid this shortcoming, the network's final layer cells were replaced by a nonlinear classifier (a multilayer perceptron) to create a hybrid architecture. Tests of Fukushima's original system and the novel systems proposed in this paper suggest that it may be difficult for the neocognitron to achieve the performance of existing digit classifiers due to its reliance upon the supervisor's choice of selectivity parameters and training data. These findings pertain to Fukushima's implementation of the system and should not be seen as diminishing the practical significance of the concept of hierarchical feature extraction embodied in the neocognitron. © 1997 IEEE.

Reason of state and a new notion of fortune : Historicising the risk society

Since the 1980s the concept of risk has produced a large and diverse volume of sociological research. Ulrich Beck’s groundbreaking risk society thesis provides a particularly engaging contribution, since it seems that nearly every sociological account of risk engages with this work. For Beck, we are living in second modernity – a new epoch that breaks with pre-modernity and industrial society due to the centrality, incalculability and reflexivity of globalised risk. While Beck’s theory is compelling, a reading of other theorists such as Foucault (2007[1978]) and Hacking (1975,1990) suggests that a difficulty with Beck’s work is that in attempting to explain what is novel about risk in contemporary times, he too quickly passes over the complexities and ruptures of historical change that impact on the history and contingency of risk. This paper begins by presenting a brief analysis of the present state of risk by introducing Beck’s historical narrative of risk from pre-modernity to the risk society; it then outlines the challenges with the “risk as epoch” argument by considering a range of literature, which suggests risk has a more complex history than proposed by Beck; and finally it highlights the value in examining strategies of statecraft in early modern Europe, specifically Machiavelli’s The Prince (2008[1513]) and Giovanni Botero’s political treatise, Della Ragion di Stato (1956[1589]) – as a means of more thoroughly understanding how our current concept of risk emerges. In doing so, this paper seeks to open up new trajectories in the historicisation of risk for other interested scholars.

A theory of process modeling impact

Process modeling – the design and use of graphical documentations of an organization’s business processes – is a key method to document and use information about the operations of businesses. Still, despite current interest in process modeling, this research area faces essential challenges. Key unanswered questions concern the impact of process modeling in organizational practice, and the mechanisms through which impacts are developed. To answer these questions and to provide a better understanding of process modeling impact, I turn to the concept of affordances. Affordances describe the possibilities for goal-oriented action that a technical object offers to a user. This notion has received growing attention from IS researchers. The purpose of my research is to further develop the IS discipline’s understanding of affordances and impacts from information objects, such as process models used by analysts for information systems analysis and design. Specifically, I seek to extend existing theory on the emergence, perception and actualization of affordances. I develop a research model that describes the process by which affordances emerge between an individual and an object, how affordances are perceived, and how they are actualized by the individual. The proposed model also explains the role of available information for the individual, and the influence of perceived actualization effort. I operationalize and test this research model empirically, using a full-cycle, mixed methods study consisting of case study and experiment.

Creating a legal framework for copyright management of open access within the Australian academic and research sector

This chapter analyses the copyright law framework needed to ensure open access to outputs of the Australian academic and research sector such as journal articles and theses. It overviews the new knowledge landscape, the principles of copyright law, the concept of open access to knowledge, the recently developed open content models of copyright licensing and the challenges faced in providing greater access to knowledge and research outputs.

The learning capability of construction organisations engaged in collaborative contracting - Literature Review [industry report]

Background Value for money (VfM) on collaborative construction projects is dependent on the learning capabilities of the organisations and people involved. Within the context of infrastructure delivery, there is little research about the impact of organisational learning capability on project value. The literature contains a multiplicity of often un-testable definitions about organisational learning abilities. This paper defines learning capability as a dynamic capability that participant organisations purposely develop to add value to collaborative projects. The paper reports on a literature review that proposes a framework that conceptualises learning capability to explore the topic. This work is the first phase of a large-scale national survey funded by the Alliancing Association of Australasia and the Australian Research Council. Methodology Desk-top review of leading journals in the areas of strategic management, strategic alliances and construction management, as well as recent government documents and industry guidelines, was undertaken to synthesise, conceptualise and operationalise the concept of learning capability. The study primarily draws on the theoretical perspectives of the resource-based view of the firm (e.g. Barney 1991; Wernerfelt 1984), absorptive capacity (e.g. Cohen and Levinthal 1990; Zahra and George 2002); and dynamic capabilities (e.g. Helfat et al. 2007; Teece et al. 1997; Winter 2003). Content analysis of the literature was undertaken to identify key learning routines. Content analysis is a commonly used methodology in the social sciences area. It provides rich data through the systematic and objective review of literature (Krippendorff 2004). NVivo 9, a qualitative data analysis software package, was used to assist in this process. Findings and Future Research The review process resulted in a framework for the conceptualisation of learning capability that shows three phases of learning: (1) exploratory learning, (2) transformative learning and (3) exploitative learning. These phases combine both internal and external learning routines to influence project performance outcomes and thus VfM delivered under collaborative contracts. Sitting within these phases are eight categories of learning capability comprising knowledge articulation, identification, acquisition, dissemination, codification, internationalisation, transformation and application. The learning routines sitting within each category will be disaggregated in future research as the basis for measureable items in a large-scale survey study. The survey will examine the extent to which various learning routines influence project outcomes, as well as the relationships between them. This will involve identifying the routines that exist within organisations in the construction industry, their resourcing and rate of renewal, together with the extent of use and perceived value within the organisation. The target population is currently estimated to be around 1,000 professionals with experience in relational contracting in Australia. This future research will build on the learning capability framework to provide data that will assist construction organisations seeking to maximise VfM on construction projects.

A study of safety leadership and safety governance for board members and senior executives

This thesis is an investigation of the fields of leadership and corporate governance in the context of workplace safety. The research has made a contribution by defining four criteria of safety leadership and applying these criteria to board members, senior executives and written communications. The thesis outlines the findings of two studies; the first is an analysis of public disclosures in ASX200 annual reports and CSR reports, and the second comprises two case studies of large Australian companies including interviews with board members and senior executives. The concept of safety governance is defined and a safety governance framework is developed.

Situating learning : (re)examining the notion of apprenticeship in coach education

The last two decades has seen a proliferation in the provision of, and importance attached to, coach education in many Western countries [1]. Pivotal to many coach education programmes is the notion of apprenticeship [2,3,4]. Increasingly, mentoring is being positioned as a possible tool for enhancing coach education and consequently professional expertise [5]. However, there is a paucity of empirical data on interventions in, and evaluations of, coach education programmes. In their recent evaluation of a coach education programme Cassidy, Potrac & McKenzie [6] conclude that the situated learning literature could provide coach educators with a generative platform for the (re)examinationof apprenticeships and mentoring in a coach education context. This paper consequently discusses the merits of using situated learning theory [7] and the associated concept of Communities of Practice (CoP) [8] to stimulate discussion on developing new understandings of the practices of apprenticeship and mentoring in coach education.

Fusion of worlds : consumers’ self-narrative in a hybrid physical/digital world

As the Internet becomes deeply embedded into consumers’ daily life, the digital virtual world brings significant influence to consumers’ self and narrative. Prior studies look at consumer self from either from a certain online space or comparing consumers’ physical and digital virtual selves but not the integration of the physical/digital world. This paper aims to explore the meanings of the digital virtual space on consumers’ narrative as a whole (their interests, dreams, or subjectivity). We utilise a postmodern concept of the cyborg to understand the cultural complexity, subjective meanings of, and the extent to which the digital virtual space plays a role in consumers’ self-narrative. We conducted in-depth interviews and gathered three consumer narratives. Our findings indicate that consumers’ narrative contains important fragments from both physical and digital virtual worlds and their physical and digital virtual selves form a feedback loop that strengthen their overall narrative.

Reframe QUT's evaluation framework : a case study of planning, policy and positioning leading to educational best practice

Every university in Australia has a set of policies that guide the institution in its educational practices, however, the policies are often developed in isolation to each other. Now imagine a space where policies are evidence-based, refined annually, cohesively interrelated, and meet stakeholders’ needs. Is this happenstance or the result of good planning? Culturally, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a risk-averse institution that takes pride in its financial solvency and is always keen to know “how are we going?” With a twenty-year history of annual reporting that assures the quality of course performance through multiple lines of evidence, QUT’s Learning and Teaching Unit went one step further and strategically aligned a suite of policies that take into consideration the needs of their stakeholders, collaborate with other areas across the institution and use multiple lines of evidence to inform curriculum decision-making. In QUT’s experience, strategic planning can lead to policy that is designed to meet stakeholders’ needs, not manage them; where decision-making is supported by evidence, not rhetoric; where all feedback is incorporated, not ignored; and where policies are cohesively interrelated, not isolated. While many may call this ‘policy nirvana’, QUT has positioned itself to demonstrate good educational practice through Reframe, its evaluation framework. In this case, best practice was achieved through the application of a theory of change and a design-led logic model that allows for transition to other institutions with different cultural specificity. The evaluation approach follows Seldin’s (2003) notion to offer depth and breadth to the evaluation framework along with Berk’s (2005) concept of multiple lines of evidence. In summary, this paper offers university executives, academics, planning and quality staff an opportunity to understand the critical steps that lead to strategic planning and design of evidence-based educational policy that positions a university for best practice in learning and teaching.

The Threshold Learning Outcome on self-management for the Bachelor of Laws degree : a proposed focus for teaching strategies in the first year law curriculum

The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Discipline Scholars for Law, Professors Sally Kift and Mark Israel, articulated six Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for the Bachelor of Laws degree as part of the ALTC’s 2010 project on Learning and Teaching Academic Standards. One of these TLOs promotes the learning, teaching and assessment of self-management skills in Australian law schools. This paper explores the concept of self-management and how it can be relevantly applied in the first year of legal education. Recent literature from the United States (US) and Australia provides insights into the types of issues facing law students, as well as potential antidotes to these problems. Based on these findings, I argue that designing a pedagogical framework for the first year law curriculum that promotes students’ connection with their intrinsic interests, values, motivations and purposes will facilitate student success in terms of their personal well-being, ethical dispositions and academic engagement.

Understanding victim behaviour through offender behaviour typologies

Criminology has long sought to define and understand criminal motivations. There has, however, been less attention paid to the motivations involved in “everyday” thought and behaviour that may place someone in harm’s way. This doesn’t mean that victims are somehow motivated to become victims, but they may behave in such a way that victimisation happens as a matter of course. In the parlance of victimity, victim behaviour has often been referred to as either “victim facilitated” or “victim precipitated”. However, while some use these terms to explain the role of victim behaviour in relation to harm or loss, they actually do little to further our knowledge about the cognitive and behavioural milieu in which victimisation occurs. For example, a victim of homicide may precipitate the attack by violently confronting a partner (in retaliation for real or imagined wrongs). Another victim may facilitate domestic violence by not leaving their partner for financial reasons (“cannot afford to go out on my own”). Far from blaming the victim, understanding the motivational nature of victim behaviour can be accomplished by juxtaposing motivations for offender behaviour. This presentation applies offender motivations to victim behaviours, and presents anecdotal and research support for this approach.

Cross-scale biophysics modelling of F-actin cytoskeleton in cell

This thesis is a comparative study of the modelling of mechanical behaviours of F-actin cytoskeleton which is an important structural component in living cells. A new granular model was developed for F-actin cytoskeleton based on the concept of multiscale modelling. This framework overcomes difficulties encountered in physical modelling of cytoskeleton in conventional continuum mechanics modelling, and the computational challenges in all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. The thermostat algorithm was further modified to better predict the thermodynamic properties of F-actin cytoskeleton in modelling. This multiscale modelling framework was applied in explaining the physical mechanisms of cytoskeleton responses to external mechanical loads.

Practical implementation of species' recovery plans - Lessons from the White-backed Woodpecker Action Plan in Sweden

Successful biodiversity conservation requires safeguarding viable populations of species. To work with this challenge Sweden has introduced a concept of Action Plans, which focus on the recovery of one or more species; while keeping in mind the philosophy of addressing ecosystems in a more comprehensive way, following the umbrella concept. In this paper we investigate the implementationprocess of the ActionPlanfor one umbrella species, the White-backed Woodpecker (WBW) Dendrocopos leucotos. We describe the plan's organisation and goals, and investigate its implementation and accomplishment of particular targets, based on interviewing and surveying the key actors. The achievement of the targets in 2005-2008 was on average much lower than planned, explained partially by the lack of knowledge/data, experienced workers, and administrative flexibility. Surprisingly, the perceived importance of particular conservation measures, the investment priority accorded to them, the money available and various practical obstacles all failed to kg? explain the target levels achieved. However qualitative data from both the interviews and the survey highlight possible implementation obstacles: competing interests with other conservation actions and the level of engagement of particular implementing actors. Therefore we suggest that for successful implementation of recovery plans, there is aneed for initial and inclusive scoping prior to embarking on the plan, where not only issues like ecological knowledge and practical resources are considered, but also possible conflicts and synergies with other conservation actions. An adaptive approach with regular review of the conservation process is essential, particularly in the case of such complex action plans as the one for the WBW.

Description of body posture during Static load bearing exercises for individuals with transfemoral amputation fitted with bone-anchored prosthesis

The rehabilitation programs of bone-anchorage prostheses relying either on the OPRA (Integrum, Sweden) or the ILP (Orthodynamics, Germany) fixation involve some forms of static load bearing exercises (LBE). So far, most of biomechanical studies of these static LBEs focused on the direct measurements of the actual forces and moments applied on the OPRA fixation of individuals with transfemoral amputation (TFA). To date, the proof-of-concept of an apparatus to conduct these kinetic measurements has been presented, along with some preliminary data. The understanding of the kinetic data is essential to improve rehabilitation programs as well as the design of upcoming loading frames. However, kinetic information alone is difficult to interpret without concomitant kinematic data. The purpose of this preliminary study was to introduce a qualitative analysis describing the different body postures during LBE for a group of TFAs.

Stimulation of osteogenesis and angiogenesis of hBMSCs by delivering Si ions and functional drug from mesoporous silica nanospheres

Multifunctional bioactive materials with the ability to stimulate osteogenesis and angiogenesis of stem cells play an important role in the regeneration of bone defects. However, how to develop such biomaterials remains a significant challenge. In this study, we prepared mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) with uniform sphere size (∼90 nm) and mesopores (∼2.7 nm), which could release silicon ions (Si) to stimulate the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) via activating their ALP activity, bone-related gene and protein (OCN, RUNX2 and OPN) expression. Hypoxia-inducing therapeutic drug, dimethyloxaloylglycine (DMOG), was effectively loaded in the mesopores of MSNs (D-MSNs). The sustained release of DMOG from D-MSNs could stabilize HIF-1α and further stimulated the angiogenic differentiation of hBMSCs as indicated by the enhanced VEGF secretion and protein expression. Our study revealed that D-MSNs could combine the stimulatory effect on both osteogenic and angiogenic activity of hBMSCs. The potential mechanism of D-MSN-stimulated osteogenesis and angiogenesis was further elucidated by the supplementation of cell culture medium with pure Si ions and DMOG. Considering the easy handling characteristics of nanospheres, the prepared D-MSNs may be applied in the forms of injectable spheres for minimally invasive surgery, or MSNs/polymer composite scaffolds for bone defect repair. The concept of delivering both stimulatory ions and functional drugs may offer a new strategy to construct a multifunctional biomaterial system for bone tissue regeneration.