Worldly feelings made material : cosmopolitan aesthetics, affect and recent relational art

The openness and compassion implicit in the social transaction of recent philosophies of cosmopolitanism is reflected in the aims of the body of interpersonal, process-driven artworks commonly referred to as relational art. In attempting to bring art into life, specifically as a point of intervention in the lives of its spectators, the affective power required to realize the communal and participatory aims of many of these artworks is central. Relational art practices invite the individualising distinctiveness of the spectator yet ultimately seek the collective affect of the artwork’s formulated community. Like cosmopolitanism, this is a felt community where the obligatory affective investment is imagined as open and empathic built on mutual exchange and generosity. They suggest that it doesn’t matter so much what we feel about art but what and how we feel through art. The artworld’s public spheres have become increasingly affective worlds, where the artwork’s coerced and managed human relations are conceived as interstices for a more open exchange with art and each other. With reference to Sydney Biennale’s recent All My Relations exhibition, this paper will interrogate how worldly feelings are made material by the requisite emotional and aesthetic labour of feeling for and with others in relational art.

Development of a bi-material representative volume element using damaged homogenisation approach

Most civil engineering structures are formed using a number of materials that are bonded to each other with their surface-to-surface interaction playing key role on the overall response of the structure. Unfortunately these interactions are extremely variable; simplified and extremely detailed models trialed to date prove quite complex. Models that assume perfect interaction, on the other hand, predict unsafe behavior. In this paper a damage mechanics based interaction between two materials of different softening properties is developed using homogenisation approach. This paper describes the process of developing a bi-material representative volume element (RVE) using damaged homogenisation approach. The novelty in this paper is the development of non-local transient damage identification algorithm. Numerical examples prove the stability of the approach for a simplified RVE and encourage application to other shapes of RVEs.

An evaluation of different features and learning models for anomalous event detection

The huge amount of CCTV footage available makes it very burdensome to process these videos manually through human operators. This has made automated processing of video footage through computer vision technologies necessary. During the past several years, there has been a large effort to detect abnormal activities through computer vision techniques. Typically, the problem is formulated as a novelty detection task where the system is trained on normal data and is required to detect events which do not fit the learned ‘normal’ model. There is no precise and exact definition for an abnormal activity; it is dependent on the context of the scene. Hence there is a requirement for different feature sets to detect different kinds of abnormal activities. In this work we evaluate the performance of different state of the art features to detect the presence of the abnormal objects in the scene. These include optical flow vectors to detect motion related anomalies, textures of optical flow and image textures to detect the presence of abnormal objects. These extracted features in different combinations are modeled using different state of the art models such as Gaussian mixture model(GMM) and Semi- 2D Hidden Markov model(HMM) to analyse the performances. Further we apply perspective normalization to the extracted features to compensate for perspective distortion due to the distance between the camera and objects of consideration. The proposed approach is evaluated using the publicly available UCSD datasets and we demonstrate improved performance compared to other state of the art methods.

Material yielding by both axial and bending spring stiffness at elevated temperature

Material yielding is typically modeled either by plastic zone or plastic hinge methods under the context of geometric and material nonlinear finite element methods. In fire analysis of steel structures, the plastic zone method is widely used, but it requires extensively more computational efforts. The objective of this paper is to develop the nonlinear material model allowing for interaction of both axial force and bending moment, which relies on the plastic hinge method to achieve numerical efficiency and reduce computational effort. The biggest advantage of the plastic-hinge approach is its computational efficiency and easy verification by the design code formulae of the axial force–moment interaction yield criterion for beam–column members. Further, the method is reliable and robust when used in analysis of practical and large structures. In order to allow for the effect of catenary action, axial thermal expansion is considered in the axial restraint equations. The yield function for material yielding incorporated in the stiffness formulation, which allows for both axial force and bending moment effects, is more accurate and rational to predict the behaviour of the frames under fire. In the present fire analysis, the mechanical properties at elevated temperatures follow mainly the Eurocode 3 [Design of steel structures, Part 1.2: Structural fire design. European Committee for Standisation; 2003]. Example of a tension member at a steady state heating condition is modeled to verify the proposed spring formulation and to compare with results by others. The behaviour of a heated member in a highly redundant structure is also studied by the present approach.

Inelastic finite element analysis of composite beams on the basis of the plastic hinge approach

This paper emphasizes material nonlinear effects on composite beams with recourse to the plastic hinge method. Numerous combinations of steel and concrete sections form arbitrary composite sections. Secondly, the material properties of composite beams vary remarkably across its section from ductile steel to brittle concrete. Thirdly, concrete is weak in tension, so composite section changes are dependent on load distribution. To this end, the plastic zone approach is convenient for inelastic analysis of composite sections that can evaluate member resistance, including material nonlinearities, by routine numerical integration with respect to every fiber across the composite section. As a result, many researchers usually adopt the plastic zone approach for numerical inelastic analyses of composite structures. On the other hand, the plastic hinge method describes nonlinear material behaviour of an overall composite section integrally. Consequently, proper section properties for use in plastic hinge spring stiffness are required to represent the material behaviour across the arbitrary whole composite section. In view of numerical efficiency and convergence, the plastic hinge method is superior to the plastic zone method. Therefore, based on the plastic hinge approach, how to incorporate the material nonlinearities of the arbitrary composite section into the plastic hinge stiffness formulation becomes a prime objective of the present paper. The partial shear connection in this paper is by virtue of the effective flexural rigidity as AISC 1993 [American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). Load and resistance factor design specifications. 2nd ed., Chicago; 1993]. Nonlinear behaviour of different kinds of composite beam is investigated in this paper, including two simply supported composite beams, a cantilever and a two span continuous composite beam.

Controlling whole blood activation and resultant clot properties by carboxyl and alkyl functional groups on material surfaces : a possible therapeutic approach for enhancing bone healing

Most research virtually ignores the important role of a blood clot in supporting bone healing. In this study, we investigated the effects of surface functional groups carboxyl and alkyl on whole blood coagulation, complement activation and blood clot formation. We synthesised and tested a series of materials with different ratios of carboxyl (–COOH) and alkyl (–CH3, –CH2CH3 and –(CH2)3CH3) groups. We found that surfaces with –COOH/–(CH2)3CH3 induced a faster coagulation activation than those with –COOH/– CH3 and –CH2CH3, regardless of the –COOH ratios. An increase in –COOH ratios on –COOH/–CH3 and –CH2CH3 surfaces decreased the rate of coagulation activation. The pattern of complement activation was entirely similar to that of surface-induced coagulation. All material coated surfaces resulted in clots with thicker fibrin in a denser network at the clot/material interface and a significantly slower initial fibrinolysis when compared to uncoated glass surfaces. The amounts of platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB) and transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b1) released from an intact clot were higher than a lysed clot. The release of PDGF-AB was found to be correlated with the fibrin density. This study demonstrated that surface chemistry can significantly influence the activation of blood coagulation and complement system, resultant clot structure, susceptibility to fibrinolysis as well as release of growth factors, which are important factors determining the bone healing process.

Beyond actuality : locating an authentic hybridity between heterogeneous media in an installation art practice

Addressing possibilities for authentic combinations of diverse media within an installation setting, this research tested hybrid blends of the physical, digital and temporal to explore liminal space and image. The practice led research reflected on creation of artworks from three perspectives – material, immaterial and hybrid – and in doing so, developed a new methodological structure that extends conventional forms of triangulation. This study explored how physical and digital elements each sought hierarchical presence, yet simultaneously coexisted, thereby extending the visual and conceptual potential of the work. Outcomes demonstrated how utilising and recording transitional processes of hybrid imagery achieved a convergence of diverse, experiential forms. "Hybrid authority" – an authentic convergence of disparate elements – was articulated in the creation and public sharing of processual works and the creation of an innovative framework for hybrid art practice.

Structural characterization of glycerophospholipids by combinations of ozone- and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry: The next step towards "top-down" lipidomics

The complete structural elucidation of complex lipids, including glycerophospholipids, using only mass spectrometry represents a major challenge to contemporary analytical technologies. Here, we demonstrate that product ions arising from the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the [M + Na] + adduct ions of phospholipids can be isolated and subjected to subsequent gas-phase ozonolysis-known as ozone-induced dissociation (OzID)-in a linear ion-trap mass spectrometer. The resulting CID/OzID experiment yields abundant product ions that are characteristic of the acyl substitution on the glycerol backbone (i.e., sn-position). This approach is shown to differentiate sn-positional isomers, such as the regioisomeric phosphatidylcholine pair of PC 16:0/18:1 and PC 18:1/16:0. Importantly, CID/OzID provides a sensitive diagnostic for the existence of an isomeric mixture in a given sample. This is of very high value for the analysis of tissue extracts since CID/OzID analyses can reveal changes in the relative abundance of isomeric constituents even within different tissues from the same animal. Finally, we demonstrate the ability to assign carbon-carbon double bond positions to individual acyl chains at specific backbone positions by adding subsequent CID and/or OzID steps to the workflow and that this can be achieved in a single step using a hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer. This unique approach represents the most complete and specific structural analysis of lipids by mass spectrometry demonstrated to date and is a significant step towards comprehensive top-down lipidomics. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2014. Grant Number ARC/DP0986628, ARC/FT110100249, ARC/LP110200648

Shared material on dying

Shared Material on Dying is a trio/solo work commissioned by Jenny Roche and the Dublin Dance Festival in 2008 from choreographer Liz Roche. Touring widely since its creation, it continues to be a rich research environment for the interrogation by Jenny Roche of the dancer’s first-person perspective in choreographic production and performance. The research perspective drawn from the live performance of this iteration was how the exploration of the same dancing moment might be expressed from multiple perspectives by three different dancers and what this might reveal about the dancer’s inner configuring of the performance environment. Erin Manning (2009) describes the unstable and emergent moment before movement materialises as the preacceleration of the movement, when the potentialities of the gesture collapse and stabilize into form. It is this threshold of potentiality that is interesting, the moment before the dance happens when the configuring process of the dancer brings it into being. Cynthia Roses Thema (2007), after neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, writes that embodied experience is mapped as it unfolds and alters from moment to moment in line with a constantly changing internal milieu. As a performer in this piece, I explored the inner terrain of the three performers (myself included) by externalizing these inner states. This research contributed to a paper presentation at the Digital Resources for the Arts and Humanities Conference, UK 2013.

Structural and material characterisation of insulated rail joints

Insulated rail joints are designed in a similar way to butt jointed steel structural systems, the difference being a purpose made gap between the main rail members to maintain electrical insulation for the proper functioning of the track circuitry at all times of train operation. When loaded wheels pass the gap, they induce an impact loading with the corresponding strains in the railhead edges exceeding the plastic limit significantly, which lead to metal flow across the gap thereby increasing the risk of short circuiting and impeding the proper functioning of the signalling and broken rail identification circuitries, of which the joints are a critical part. The performance of insulated rail joints under the passage of the wheel loading is complex due to the presence of a number of interacting components and hence is not well understood. This paper presents a dynamic wheel-rail contact-impact modelling method for the determination of the impact loading; a brief description of a field experiment to capture strain signatures for validating the predicted impact loading is also presented. The process and the results of the characterisation of the materials from virgin, in-service and damaged insulated rail joints using neutron diffraction method are also discussed.

Supplementary material : large scale read classification for next generation sequencing

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has revolutionised molecular biology, resulting in an explosion of data sets and an increasing role in clinical practice. Such applications necessarily require rapid identification of the organism as a prelude to annotation and further analysis. NGS data consist of a substantial number of short sequence reads, given context through downstream assembly and annotation, a process requiring reads consistent with the assumed species or species group. Highly accurate results have been obtained for restricted sets using SVM classifiers, but such methods are difficult to parallelise and success depends on careful attention to feature selection. This work examines the problem at very large scale, using a mix of synthetic and real data with a view to determining the overall structure of the problem and the effectiveness of parallel ensembles of simpler classifiers (principally random forests) in addressing the challenges of large scale genomics.

Smart material interfaces : a vision

In this paper, we introduce a vision called Smart Material Interfaces (SMIs), which takes advantage of the latest generation of engineered materials that has a special property defined “smart”. They are capable of changing their physical properties, such as shape, size and color, and can be controlled by using certain stimuli (light, potential difference, temperature and so on). We describe SMIs in relation to Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) to convey the usefulness and a better understanding of SMIs.

Laboratory study on the performance of recycled concrete aggregates blended with reclaimed asphalt pavement as pavement granular material

Production of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) from construction and demolition (C&D) waste has become popular all over the world since the availability of land spaces are limited to dispose. Therefore it is important to seek alternative applications for RCA. The use of RCA in base and sub-base layers in granular pavement is a viable solution. In mechanistic pavement design, rutting (permanent deformation) is considered as the major failure mechanisms of the pavement. The rutting is the accumulation of permanent deformation of pavement layers caused by the repetitive vehicle load. In Queensland, Australia, it is accepted to have the maximum of 20% of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in RCA and therefore, it is important to investigate the effect of RAP on the permanent deformation properties of RCA. In this study, a series of repeated load triaxial (RLT) tests were conducted on RCA blended with different percentage of RAP to investigate the permanent deformation and resilient modulus properties of RCA. The vertical deformation and resilient modulus values were used to determine the response of RCA for the cyclic loading under standard pressure and loading conditions.

Assessment of recycled concrete aggregates as a pavement material

Population increase and economic developments can lead to construction as well as demolition of infrastructures such as buildings, bridges, roads, etc resulting in used concrete as a primary waste product. Recycling of waste concrete to obtain the recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) for base and/or sub-base materials in road construction is a foremost application to be promoted to gain economical and sustainability benefits. As the mortar, bricks, glass and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) present as constituents in RCA, it exhibits inconsistent properties and performance. In this study, six different types of RCA samples were subjected classification tests such as particle size distribution, plasticity, compaction test, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests. Results were compared with those of the standard road materials used in Queensland, Australia. It was found that material type ‘RM1-100/RM3-0’ and ‘RM1-80/RM3-20’ samples are in the margin of the minimum required specifications of base materials used for high volume unbound granular roads while others are lower than that the minimum requirement.

Detection and quantification of tear phospholipids and cholesterol in contact lens deposits : the effect of contact lens material and lens care solution

PURPOSE. To examine the deposition of tear phospholipids and cholesterol onto worn contact lenses and the effect of lens material and lens care solution. METHODS. Lipids were extracted from tears and worn contact lenses using 2:1 chloroform: Methanol and the extract washed with aqueous ammonium acetate, before analysis by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). RESULTS. Twenty-three molecular lipids from the sphingomyelin (SM) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) classes were detected in tears, with total concentrations of each class determined to be 5 ± 1 pmol/μL (~3.8 μg/mL) and 6 ± 1 pmol/μL (~ 4.6μg/mL), respectively. The profile of individual phospholipids in both of these classes was shown to be similar in contact lens deposits. Deposition of representative polar and nonpolar lipids were shown to be significantly higher on senofilcon A contact lenses, with ~59 ng/lens SM, 195 ng/lens PC, and 9.9 μg/lens cholesterol detected, whereas balafilcon A lens extracts contained ~19 ng/lens SM, 19 ng/lens PC, and 3.9 μg/lens cholesterol. Extracts from lenses disinfected and cleaned with two lens care solutions showed no significant differences in total PC and SM concentrations; however, a greater proportion of PC than SM was observed, compared with that in tears. CONCLUSIONS. Phospholipid deposits extracted from worn contact lenses show a molecular profile similar to that in tears. The concentration of representative polar and nonpolar lipids deposited onto contact lenses is significantly affected by lens composition. There is a differential efficacy in the removal of PC and SM with lens care solutions.