High activity and Levy searches : jellyfish can search the water column like fish

Over-fishing may lead to a decrease in fish abundance and a proliferation of jellyfish. Active movements and prey search might be thought to provide a competitive advantage for fish, but here we use data-loggers to show that the frequently occurring coastal jellyfish (Rhizostoma octopus) does not simply passively drift to encounter prey. Jellyfish (327 days of data from 25 jellyfish with depth collected every 1 min) showed very dynamic vertical movements, with their integrated vertical movement averaging 619.2 m d−1, more than 60 times the water depth where they were tagged. The majority of movement patterns were best approximated by exponential models describing normal random walks. However, jellyfish also showed switching behaviour from exponential patterns to patterns best fitted by a truncated Lévy distribution with exponents (mean μ = 1.96, range 1.2–2.9) close to the theoretical optimum for searching for sparse prey (μopt ≈ 2.0). Complex movements in these ‘simple’ animals may help jellyfish to compete effectively with fish for plankton prey, which may enhance their ability to increase in dominance in perturbed ocean systems.

Growing Self Organizing Map with an Imposed Binary Search Tree for Discovering Temporal Input Patterns

In this paper the Binary Search Tree Imposed Growing Self Organizing Map (BSTGSOM) is presented as an extended version of the Growing Self Organizing Map (GSOM), which has proven advantages in knowledge discovery applications. A Binary Search Tree imposed on the GSOM is mainly used to investigate the dynamic perspectives of the GSOM based on the inputs and these generated temporal patterns are stored to further analyze the behavior of the GSOM based on the input sequence. Also, the performance advantages are discussed and compared with that of the original GSOM.

An efficient and distributed file search in unstructured peer-to-peer networks

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are gaining increased attention from both the scientific community and the larger Internet user community. Data retrieval algorithms lie at the center of P2P networks, and this paper addresses the problem of efficiently searching for files in unstructured P2P systems. We propose an Improved Adaptive Probabilistic Search (IAPS) algorithm that is fully distributed and bandwidth efficient. IAPS uses ant-colony optimization and takes file types into consideration in order to search for file container nodes with a high probability of success. We have performed extensive simulations to study the performance of IAPS, and we compare it with the Random Walk and Adaptive Probabilistic Search algorithms. Our experimental results show that IAPS achieves high success rates, high response rates, and significant message reduction.

In search of best practices in responsible gambling ( RG ) : a report on a comparative study of RG among Macau, Las Vegas, and Melbourne, presented to the MSAR Bureau of Gaming Inspection and Coordination (DICJ).

This is a project sponsored by the Asia Pacific Association for Gambling Studies (APAGS) and supported by funds from the MSAR’s Bureau of Gambling Inspection and Coordination (DICJ). The research team comprises as Chief Investigators: Prof. Zhidong Hao of the University of Macau; Prof. Linda Hancock of Deakin University, Australia, and Prof. William Thompson, University of Las Vegas (UNLV). The project research was conducted between the end of December 2012 and July 2013.
The starting point for the research was to select four out of the six casino companies licensed to operate in Macau that also operate transnationally, that is, either in Las Vegas or Melbourne. Hence, the Venetian, Wynn, MGM, and the Melco-Crown Entertainment are the focus of research. The main objectives of the project are to explore how responsible gambling is framed in each of the three jurisdictions (Macau, Las Vegas and Melbourne); how it is approached cross-jurisdictionally by each of the companies; and to assess current approaches within a broader comparative context against international best practice. The research explores Responsible Gambling measures taken by a range of stakeholders including the government/regulators in each of the three jurisdictions, casino managements, problem gambling counselling services, unions and community organizations. The research emphasizes what problems prevail, and the implications of this research for enhancing Responsible Gambling in Macau.

Knowing Indonesia Inside and Out: Herb Feith and the Intellectual Search for Understanding

Herb Feith was one of Australia's first and most prominent scholars of Indonesia. His books and articles dating from the late 1950s are still read by students of Indonesian politics today, and his opinion on Indonesia's future was sought until the day he died by people both in Australia and in Indonesia. He was also among the first to teach peace studies in Australian universities and is remembered for his activism on human rights, peace, and environmental issues as well as his scholarship. Jemma Purdey is researching and writing a biography of Herb Feith with particular focus on his engagement with Indonesia, both as scholar and humanist. This article endeavours to open up one of the areas explored in the biography, the relationship between the ‘foreign’ scholar and his subject, Indonesia. How does the initial point of engagement with Indonesia impact on the scholars’ way of ‘knowing’ it? The article is also a preliminary reflection on the process of writing, as the author negotiates her approach as biographer.

Louise Lightfoot : in search of India

 Louise Lightfoot, a trained architect by profession and an ardent balletomane, is best known for moving away from pure Western classical Ballet to a fusion of classical technique and romantic emotion in Australia through her First Australian Ballet group and school. During late 1920s, she was impressed by the performances of Anna Pavlova and Uday Shankar and to bring more appropriateness and authenticity to her own Indian classical dance style that she was trying to experiment with, virtually unknown and unseen in Australia till then in its original form, Lightfoot took a few weeks stopover in India. This short holiday eventually stretched to months and then eight years as she travelled to Tamil Nadu and Kerala’s Kalamandalam, where she began her study of the complex traditions of Kathakali and Bharata Natyam dance. Here she also became a Stage Manager cum Artistic and Publicity director for local troupes and artistes in residence. She was so thrilled by the whole experience of learning Kathakali – involving poetry, song, acting and dance – that soon she started appealing to the British in India to not only appreciate the Indian dance but also to Indian parents to allow their sons and daughters to dance. Lightfoot, as Dance Director of Shivaram, Janaki Devi, Priyagopal Singh and Lakshman Singh, supported by an ensemble of Australian dancers including Ruth Bergner, Moya Beaver, Leona Welch, Pat Martin and Betty Russell, successfully toured and promoted a range of Indian classical dance forms, like Kathakali, Manipuri, Bharatanatyam, throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. As an early image-maker, she also paved the way for many other noted Indian dancers and troupes. In spite of decades of hard work and dedication to Indian dancing and creating awareness about India in Australia her work and life is little known! Her journey is fascinating because of the workings of race relations not just in Australia but also India – existing prejudices against “Whites.” In this paper I try to chart out through Australian and Indian newspaper reports her search for India.