http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9736 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and international regulators seek security measures to help reduce the likelihood of a direct replication of 9/11, in which commercial passenger airliners were commandeered by small bands of terrorists, kept under control for some time, and then crashed into specific targets. This paper compares, for the U.S. case, the costs and benefits of three specific security measures designed for that purpose, assessing risk reduction, losses, and security costs in the context of the full set of security layers. These three measures are Installed Physical Secondary Barriers (IPSB) to restrict access to the hardened cockpit door during door transitions, the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), and the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program. Since the FAMS costs $1.2 billion per year, and its effectiveness is in serious doubt, a alternate policy measure considered is to double the budget of the FFDO program to $44 million per year, install IPSBs in all U.S. aircraft at a cost of $13.5 million per year, and reduce funding for FAMS by 75% to $300 million per year. A break-even cost-benefit analysis then finds the minimum probability of an otherwise successful attack required for the benefit of security measures to equal their cost. It was found that the IPSB is cost-effective if the annual attack probability exceeds 0.5% or 1 attack every 200 years. The FFDO program is cost-effective if the annual attack probability exceeds 2.8%. On the other hand, more than four attacks per year need to be deterred, foiled, prevented or disrupted for FAMS to be cost-effective. Thus, even when assumptions are in place that considerably bias the analysis toward the opposite conclusion, the expensive FAMS very substantially fails a cost-benefit assessment. Moreover, insofar as FAMS does reduce risk, almost all of that benefit can be obtained with a mix of inexpensive measures: IPSB and FFDOs. A policy that includes IPSBs, an increased budget for FFDOs, and a reduced budget for FAMS may well be optimal. 2013-03-27T03:49:23.590Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12613 Aims of the document: To provide a summary of research, monitoring and other findings from native forest rehabilitation research undertaken at Xstrata Coal mines in the Hunter to assist mine personnel with sustainable rehabilitation of spoil placement areas and restoration lands ; To recommend rehabilitation and restoration actions ; To propose how the above actions could be further developed through on-going monitoring and research. 2013-03-07T02:10:23.912Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12516 Within our growing knowledge economy, students increasingly encounter disciplines such as history, politics, philosophy, and education through the intersection of new media technologies and popular culture, rather than through the once typical encounter with ‘the book’. Visual culture dominates everyday experience and is becoming increasingly important in teaching and learning (Goldfarb, 2002). Recognising that we live at a time when students prefer to engage with visual media rather than written text, Rosenstone (2001) has dubbed the present age ‘post-literate’, an age where everyone can read but no one will. Prensky (2007) describes the current generation transitioning from schools into the workforce and tertiary education as ‘digital natives’, for whom graphics precede written text as one of the defining features of their engagement in learning. This project recognises the significant work using visual media texts in teaching and learning occurring across the humanities and social science disciplines of the contemporary academy in areas such as history (Bennett & Beirne, 2011; Sealey, 2008), social work (Downey, Jackson, Puig, & Furman, 2003; Ello, 2007), and philosophy (Falzon, 2007; Mulhall, 2002); and its take up as both pedagogy and curriculum in the field of Education (Anderson & Jefferson, 2009). Through developing a dialogue across the Humanities and Social Science disciplines at the University of Newcastle, this project explores how, for what purpose, and to what effect, visual media (including film, television, still images, vodcasts, animation, social media and imaging technologies) are used by academics in the Humanities and Social Sciences to produce 21st century professionals and enhance the student experience. Through surveys, collection of learning artifacts and focus group interviews, it begins to develop an understanding of the variety of texts, assessment strategies and pedagogical approaches used by academics at the case site. Overall the project found that there is a broad continuum of use of visual media texts in the classrooms of academics that participated in the study. It makes a number of recommendations for facilitating and enhancing the use of visual media in tertiary classrooms. 2013-02-04T04:50:07.750Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11851 This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the contemporary research landscape and the consequent production of knowledge within the human services and social work in Australia. The study explored whether social work constituted a ‘gold standard’ example of Mode 2 knowledge production as outlined by Gibbons, Limoges, Nowotny, Schwartzman, Scott, and Trow (1994). Their so-called ‘new theory of knowledge production’ hypothesises that collaborative research increases the likelihood that the findings of research will be translated to practice. Methods of analysis included a review of the literature on knowledge and its production in tandem with a targeted review of knowledge production in social work. The study showed that collaboration in and of itself does not lead to the uptake of research or the implementation of research findings. Equally important is the translation of knowledge – as research findings – into a form that can be used. More than the application of research or implementation of research findings, the uptake of knowledge requires organisational change to create an environment receptive to new knowledge and the practices it entails. In summary, despite advances in the theory of knowledge production, at a very practical level, partnerships and collaborations between researchers and industry partners do not necessarily result in knowledge translation without an interceding process of take-up and end-user engagement. The study found social work does not constitute the ‘gold standard’ of Mode 2 research, but confirmed the profession’s essential transdisciplinary nature and preference for styles of operation consistent with Mode 2. Recommendations from this research include the need for a holistic model for knowledge production that incorporates Mode 1 and Mode 2 activities and takes account of the impact of the research context and use of rankings to determine the nature of research within this field. 2012-10-30T04:32:45.878Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11462 This paper applies recently developed mixed-integer programming (MIP) tools to the problem of optimal siting and sizing of distributed generators in a distribution network. We investigate the merits of three MIP approaches for finding good installation plans: a full AC power flow approach, a linear DC power flow approximation, and a nonlinear DC power flow approximation with quadratic loss terms, each augmented with integer generator placement variables. A genetic algorithm based approach serves as a baseline for the comparison. A simple knapsack problem method involving generator selection is presented for determining lower bounds on the optimal design objective. Solution methods are outlined, and computational results show that the MIP methods, while lacking the speed of the genetic algorithm, can find improved solutions within conservative time requirements and provide useful information on optimality. 2012-10-22T21:50:21.372Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11537 We recount problems, questions and conjectures that arose during a problem session of the Third International Conference on Permutation Patterns, University of Florida, March 7-11, 2005. 2012-09-17T06:21:30.449Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2939 The input-state linear horizon (ISLH) for a nonlinear discrete-time system is defined as the smallest number of time steps it takes the system input to appear nonlinearly in the state variable. In this paper, we employ the latter concept and show that the class of constraint admissible N-step affine state-feedback policies is equivalent to the associated class of constraint admissible disturbance-feedback policies, provided that N is less than the system’s ISLH. The result generalizes a recent result in Goulart, Kerrigan, and Maciejowski (2006) and is significant because it enables one: (i) to determine a constraint admissible state- feedback policy by employing well-known convex optimization techniques; and (ii) to guarantee robust recursive feasibility of a class of model predictive control (MPC) policies by imposing a suitable terminal constraint. In particular, we propose an input-to-state stabilizing MPC policy for a class of nonlinear systems with bounded disturbance inputs and mixed polytopic constraints on the state and the control input. At each time step, the proposed MPC policy requires the solution of a single convex quadratic programme parameterized by the current system state. 2012-05-28T23:26:08.241Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9329 The nursing workforce has a high risk of injury in the workplace due to a very active and heavy manual handling workload and associated hazards. Previous studies have focused on the problem of manual handling injuries in a range of professions. This study focused specifically on the nursing workforce and the experience of occupational rehabilitation from two perspectives: Return to work coordinators and injured nurses. Occupational rehabilitation is a complex process involving several stakeholders. The employer, insurer, return-to-work coordinator, various medical and allied health service providers, the injured person and their colleagues all contribute to this process. The study has included participants representing a range of health care facilities and working environments. Nurse participants were recruited from a range of specialty areas of practice and across a range of nursing roles or classifications. 2012-05-28T23:11:52.246Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9328 Resistance to care behaviour can range from an expression of minor irritation at one extreme, to non-compliance and ultimately to aggression and violence at the other extreme. “This resistance…is caused by the patient’s belief (often delusional) that the care does not have to be provided or just not understanding the motivation and actions of the caregiver. Therefore, the patient defends himself or herself against the caregiver and, if the caregiver persists in efforts to provide unwanted care, the patient may become combative or strike out”. Non-compliance or resistiveness has been reported to precede “aggressive behaviour in 32% of instances, suggesting a continuum of behaviours that needs investigation”. Consequently, there is a risk of injury to health care workers who are dealing with patients who are resistant to care. Most studies about resistance to care have been conducted on patient populations with dementia (including Alzheimers). Segatore and Adams report that there are a range of possible aetiologies of agitation in dementia (including new resistance to care): acute or exacerbated medical or surgical illness (eg dehydration, infection, head injury) and overlying delirium, pain, abstinence syndrome/acute withdrawal (BZD, caffeine, ethanol, nicotine), drug interactions (adverse, idiosyncratic or side effect), environmental precipitants, psychosocial precipitants, neuropsychiatric syndrome and idiopathic. This suggests that resistance to care behaviours may not be confined to patients suffering dementia in aged care facilities and that nurses may be exposed to resistance to care episodes and the associated risks in a variety of clinical settings. This study extended the context and focus to other clinical environments and diagnoses where resistance to care (RTC) episodes may also occur, and is the first study that focuses specifically on the effect of RTC episodes on nurses. This cross sectional study of NSW nurses utilising a postal questionnaire has included participants from five specialty areas of practice: emergency department, mental health (including drug and alcohol), aged care and medical and surgical nursing. Approximately 1,000 nurses from each specialty area of practice were invited to participate in the study and this resulted in a response rate of 23.3%. The response rate to the survey was relatively low and consequently the results may not be representative of the nursing population sampled or generalisable to other populations of nurses. The low response rate had the potential to affect the achievement of the study objectives; however, there was sufficient power to detect significant differences in nurse reported incidence of RTC between clinical areas of interest. 2012-03-12T07:44:22.996Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6848 It is important to consider the performance of load bearing biomedical implants as a stochastic problem. This provides scope to optimise their whole life performance in terms of design and lifetime performance management measures with the aim of minimisation of the need for replacement, or the number of replacement, during the expected life of the patient. An important parallel is developed with the field of structural reliability analysis (i.e. probabilistic assessment) which has developed in recent years with great success in optimisation of whole life performance of load bearing infrastructure systems. The methodology considers the stochastic nature of loading on and resistance of an individual structure/structural network, within a probabilistic framework, to optimise performance over the whole life and at the same time to minimise the number of interventions required during the structures life. This paper demonstrates how this same methodology can be employed in the field of biomedical engineering to optimise the design and whole life performance of implants considering factors such as (i) deterioration with age, (ii) stochastic variation in load – e.g. as a function of the age of the patient, level of physical activity, weight etc. The paper also demonstrates the importance of Bayesian updating and correlation modelling in considering the design and whole life performance optimisation of biomedical implants. 2012-03-12T06:45:13.055Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9265 With Australia facing a looming shortage of heavy vehicle drivers the question is raised as to whether it is desirable or prudent to encourage older professional heavy vehicle drivers to remain in the transport sector for longer, particularly those of heavy vehicles or recruit drivers of a younger age. The objectives of this study are to: compare accident rates of younger and older heavy vehicle drivers relative to middle age drivers using data from the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority and the Australian Bureau of Statistics and to test for an interaction between vehicle type and controller age group for various other factors which may contribute to accident causation. Following a thorough analysis of all motor vehicle accidents where a vehicle was towed away, an injury or fatality occurred we conclude that the Australian Government initiative to diversify the working population to include older workers (> 65 years) is appropriate to the Australian transport industry, particularly heavy vehicle drivers following appropriate health surveillance. However this analysis has demonstrated that encouraging younger drivers (< 26 years), particularly to drive rigid trucks is also appropriate without this endangering workplace and road safety. We have demonstrated that for a number of important accident factors the age of the driver does not affect accident causation. This practice, with appropriate mentoring and training would lead to the creation of a more professional and skilled workforce. This research was funded under the WorkCover Assist Applied Research Program. The grantee, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) engaged the University of Newcastle to undertake the study. The conclusions in the final report are those of the authors and any views expressed are not necessarily those of WorkCover NSW. 2012-01-30T05:11:03.814Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9264 Sharps-related incidents and injuries have been reported in the Australian context in individual hospital settings. Other studies on this topic were conducted in NSW in 2006 on a sample of health care workers in the public sector and by a survey of Australian Nursing Federation members in 2008 about occupational exposures. This cross sectional study has included participants from the private and aged care sectors, and disability and community nursing services and from rural and remote areas. These groups have not been well represented in other studies of Sharps including Needlestick (SIN) injury in Australia. The response rate in this study was low (18.5%) however, the participants constitute the largest sample of nurses (n=1301) reporting on SIN injury in a one year period in Australia in the last decade. This study has been focused specifically on the nursing workforce in NSW; including nurses in public hospitals, private hospitals, aged care, disability services and community nursing services; and city, regional, rural and remote areas. 2012-01-30T05:11:03.743Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4278 A Chinese Remainder method is developed for determining likely positive integers n starting maximal runs of size s and constant principal rank r, that is, {n + i ∈ ℤ⁺, 0 ≤ i < s : ω(n + i) = r} with ω(n − 1) ≠ r and ω(n + s) ≠ r. Instances are found for s = 2 with 9 ≤ r ≤ 59, for s = 3 with 8 ≤ r ≤ 28, for s = 4 with 7 ≤ r ≤ 18, for s = 5 with 7 ≤ r ≤ 13, and for s = 6 with 7 ≤ r ≤ 11. Several sporadic fortuitous instances are also reported. 2012-01-30T04:24:58.150Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7667 Tables of edge cycles proving the theorem: Other than the three graphs, $C_{3} cup C_{4}$, $2C_{3} cup C_{5}$ and $3C_{3} cup C_{4}$, every 2-regular graph of odd order less than 30 has a strong vertex magic total labelling. 2011-05-06T01:40:05.203Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6893 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been deploying Advanced Imaging Technologies (AIT) that are full-body scanners to inspect a passenger’s body for concealed weapons, explosives, and other prohibited items. The terrorist threat that AITs are primarily dedicated to is preventing the downing of a commercial airliner by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) smuggled on board by a passenger. The cost of this technology will reach $1.2 billion per year by 2014. The paper develops a cost-benefit analysis of AITs for passenger screening at U.S. airports. The analysis considered threat probability, risk reduction, losses, and costs of security measures in the estimation of costs and benefits. Since there is uncertainty and variability of these parameters, three alternate probability (uncertainty) models were used to characterise risk reduction and losses. Economic losses were assumed to vary from $2-50 billion, and risk reduction from 5-10%. Monte-Carlo simulation methods were used to propagate these uncertainties in the calculation of benefits, and the minimum attack probability necessary for AITs to be cost-effective was calculated. It was found that, based on mean results, more than one attack every two years would need to originate from U.S. airports for AITs to pass a cost-benefit analysis. In other words, to be cost-effective, AITs every two years would have to disrupt more than one attack effort with body-borne explosives that otherwise would have been successful despite other security measures, terrorist incompetence and amateurishness, and the technical difficulties in setting off a bomb sufficiently destructive to down an airliner. The attack probability needs to exceed 160-330% per year to be 90% certain that AITs are cost-effective. For additional and wider-ranging assessments of the issues raised and the approaches applied in this Report, see John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart, Terror, Security and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits and Costs of Homeland Security, New York and Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, forthcoming September 2011. 2011-02-24T02:30:02.342Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6080 The progression of corrosion loss and maximum pit depth, once initiated, is of much interest for predicting the future or remaining long-term life for steel infrastructure systems such as nuclear waste disposal storages and offshore pipelines. These often operate under adverse environmental exposures, including seawater or aggressive ground waters. Failure can have substantial economic and environmental consequences. The model widely used for the prediction of long-term corrosion is the strictly concave power law function. However, it is inconsistent with many longer-term empirical field observations for corrosion loss and for maximum pit depth. These often exhibit a monotonic bi-modal trend. Earlier it was proposed that this may be due in part to microbiological influences. Herein an experiment is described in which mild steel coupons were exposed for 2.5 years to natural seawater and also, separately, to sterilised seawater. It was found that coupons in both streams exhibited the bi-modal behaviour. It is proposed that the bi-modal phenomenon largely is the result of a change in the nature of the corrosion reactions as the rust layers deposited on the exterior surface of the steel become increasingly less permeable, particularly to oxygen and that eventually hydrogen evolution and diffusion becomes the rate controlling mechanism. 2010-07-08T02:44:48.651Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6079 It is common practice in atmospheric corrosion to fit the power-law function as a 'model' to help predict longer term corrosion loss or maximum pit depth. This function is also known as the 'log-log model' since it plots as a straight line on log-log paper. It used extensively including for aluminium alloys. A review of the relatively few data sets for long-term corrosion of aluminium shows systematic variation from the log-log power law model. Instead, in many cases the data can be interpreted as consistent with the multi-phase model previously proposed for steel corrosion in marine exposure conditions. Consideration is given to why the multi-phase model appears to be applicable also to long-term corrosion of aluminium alloys. This includes the important effect of corrosion products on oxygen diffusion, even though corrosion products of aluminium tend to occur in localized areas, that almost always involves pitting rather than general or uniform corrosion. It is proposed that the build-up of corrosion products forces a change to the chemical reactions responsible for aluminium corrosion, specifically forcing a change from cathodic oxidation and polarization in the shorter term to cathodic hydrogen reduction and polarization in the longer-term. The greater possible rate of outward diffusion of hydrogen compared to inward diffusion of oxygen is primarily responsible for the bi-modal character of corrosion loss or maximum pit depth as a function of exposure time. 2010-05-06T00:00:25.437Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2594 Computer technology has allowed the business and research communities to amass huge amounts of data in electronic form. The data per se is of little use. What owners of the data require is analysis of its content, resulting in information that can then be used, for example, to influence future decisions or solve problems. This paper presents a new algorithm for automated processing of data sets to produce information from the data, or to indicate that no such information exists. The techniques are proven to be mathematically correct, and examples are used to demonstrate application of the technique. 2010-04-27T06:59:40.715Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2595 In the cluster editing problem, a graph is to be changed to a disjoint union of cliques by at most k operations of edge insertion or edge deletion. Improving on the best previously known quadratic-size polynomial-time kernelization, we describe how a crown-type structural reduction rule can be used to obtain a 24k kernelization bound (and possibly a 6k kernelization bound). 2010-04-27T06:59:40.433Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2978 This project aims to assess the extent of economic sustainability of working in international markets by Australian construction design-related firms. This investigation also identified barriers and success factors firms experience, which ultimately increases or reduces their exposure to financial risk. This study explored new research territory by developing a detailed understanding of the way three successful firms have maintained their longevity in various international markets. The firms are not considered to be large firms by international standards. The manner in which the firms achieve long term sustainability, deal with problems and barriers in international markets and develop successful strategies rely upon being adaptable to different markets and changes within markets. 2010-04-27T06:45:25.221Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2119 2010-04-27T06:43:55.503Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2120 This study examines the learning preferences of TAFE students who are characterised by having low socio-economic status backgrounds. These students enter TAFE classrooms with widely different knowledge, varying amounts of work experience, different motivation, language and numeracy levels and, consequently different learning needs. In addition, some students are in transition from school to work. The study suggests that student learning outcomes for this group are a 'co-production', that is, the students and the teacher together create the learning outcomes. The study highlights the central role of vocational teachers and the sophisticated work they do in accommodating curriculum to the learning needs of a student group of considerable diversity and educational disadvantage. Qualitative models are presented which relate students' learning preferences to teaching approaches adopted by vocational teachers. 2010-04-27T06:43:47.583Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2118 2010-04-27T06:43:40.034Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2102 2010-04-27T06:43:33.823Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2100 2010-04-27T06:43:33.696Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2101 2010-04-27T06:43:31.863Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2113 2010-04-27T06:43:20.874Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3090 The report proposes a risk-based framework for assessment of economic damage risks and costs caused by tropical cyclones due to the increases in wind speeds resulting from climate change. In addition to the direct losses, cyclones cause tremendous social disruption for extended periods of time. The framework contains the following key ingredients – probabilistic modeling of the occurrence and intensity of cyclones, time-dependent increase in annual maximum wind speed from enhanced greenhouse conditions (global warming), and residential construction vulnerability function to represent the economic risks and losses conditioned in wind speed. Regional dynamics including increasing house numbers built with different building codes is integrated into the framework. Residential construction in North Queensland in Australia is chosen to demonstrate the potential impact of climate change on wind damage estimation from a regional perspective. The implications of climate change on building codes and construction practice are discussed. This framework can form the basis for improvements in construction practices and building codes to adapt to potential impacts of climate change, appropriate underwriting by the insurance industry, and sociopolitical response of the community to wind hazards. 2010-04-27T06:40:16.109Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2663 This paper presents novel results on the optimal design of Noise-Shaping Differential Pulse-Coded Modulation coders. The main contribution resides in the derivation of explicit analytic formulas for the optimal filters and the minimum achievable frequency weighted reconstruction error. A novel aspect in the analysis is the fact that we account for fed-back quantization noise and that we make no restrictions on the order of the filters deployed. 2010-04-27T06:37:08.573Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2401 This Report presents the findings of our Evaluation and concludes with a set of Recommendations. It will be obvious from a reading of our findings that much excellent work is occurring in our schools and teachers and their principals are to be commended on the efforts they have made to manage the complex issues arising from new practices in relation to outcomes assessment and reporting. There are, however, problems needing to be addressed, not the least of which is the clear specification of just what is mandatory for teachers in relation to curriculum assessment and reporting outcomes, and where they have more freedom. A major conclusion from the Evaluation is that whatever approaches we adopt to improve the curriculum and reporting practices, ample time must still be there for teachers to show creativity and innovation in their teaching, and for students to explore in detail what it is they are being asked to learn so that they find excitement in the challenges presented to them. Hence the title of our Report is Time to Teach – Time to Learn. We must avoid the danger of over-prescription while ensuring that the curriculum remains rigorous. These considerations have been kept in mind when the Recommendations were being framed. 2010-04-27T06:36:37.399Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2142 An Australian Research Council strategic partnership with industry in research and training project between Faculty of Education, University of Sydney, NSW Department of Education and Training, NSW Board of Studies. 2010-04-27T06:34:03.266Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2459 Third annual review of Australian corporate governance. 2010-04-27T06:24:12.839Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3036 The research report will assess how predicted increases in atmospheric CO₂ levels will affect carbonation-induced corrosion damage and safety loss to RC structures, and carbonationinduced safety loss to PSC structures. Probabilistic methods are used as there is significant uncertainty and variability of atmospheric CO₂ levels, deterioration mechanisms, material properties, dimensions and loading. The time-dependent structural reliability analysis will predict the probability of corrosion initiation, the mean proportion of corrosion (cover) damage, the probabilities of flexural and shear failure of typical RC beams, and the probability of failure (collapse) of a typical prestressed concrete AASHTO bridge girder over the next 100 years considering IPCC future atmospheric CO₂ emission scenario predictions. For RC and PSC structures, for the worst case emissions scenario the mean proportion of corrosion damage is up to 540% higher than that predicted for the best CO₂ emission mitigation scenario. There is thus a significant likelihood of corrosion damage that will need costly and disruptive repairs during the service life of many concrete structures. For the worst case scenario the probabilities of flexural and shear failure are about 6% and 18% higher than the best mitigation scenario, respectively. If the worst emissions scenario is viewed as the most likely scenario, and existing design cover is less than 50-60 mm, then increasing design cover by approximately 3-18 mm may be needed to ameliorate corrosion damage over the next 100 years. 2010-04-27T06:13:07.244Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2742 The safety and reliability of reinforced grouted concrete block masonry is not accurately known for Chinese practice, as well as internationally. The present paper develops a probabilistic model to calculate the structural reliability of typical reinforced grouted concrete block masonry walls, loaded concentrically and eccentrically in compression. The effect of probability distribution of model error, material strengths, live load type, structural safety class, live-to-dead ratio, reinforcement ratio, discretization of wall thickness, eccentricity and load effect combination were considered when calculating the structural reliability of reinforced grouted concrete block masonry walls in compression. When using the recommended distribution of model error for typical second safety class structures the existing (design) safety levels were found to be close to the target reliability for concentric compression. 2010-04-27T06:12:51.959Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2068 The United States Office of Management and Budget has recommended the use of costbenefit assessment for all proposed federal regulations. Since 9/11 government agencies in Australia, United States, Canada, Europe and elsewhere have devoted much effort and expenditure to attempt to ensure that a 9/11 type attack involving hijacked aircraft is not repeated. This effort has come at considerable cost, running in excess of US$6 billion per year for the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) alone. In particular, significant expenditure has been dedicated to two aviation security measures aimed at preventing terrorists from hijacking and crashing an aircraft into buildings and other infrastructure: (i) Hardened cockpit doors and (ii) Federal Air Marshal Service. These two security measures cost the United States government and the airlines nearly $1 billion per year. This paper seeks to discover whether aviation security measures are cost-effective by considering their effectiveness, their cost and expected lives saved as a result of such expenditure. An assessment of the Federal Air Marshal Service suggests that the annual cost is $180 million per life saved. This is greatly in excess of the regulatory safety goal of $1-$10 million per life saved. As such, the air marshal program would seem to fail a cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the opportunity cost of these expenditures is considerable, and it is highly likely that far more lives would have been saved if the money had been invested instead in a wide range of more cost-effective risk mitigation programs. On the other hand, hardening of cockpit doors has an annual cost of only $800,00 per life saved, showing that this is a cost-effective security measure. 2010-04-27T06:08:48.921Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2080 The Australian government Office of Best Practice Regulation has recommended the use of cost-benefit assessment for all proposed federal regulations. Since 9/11 government agencies in Australia, United States, Canada, Europe and elsewhere have devoted much effort and expenditure to attempt to ensure that a 9/11 type attack involving hijacked aircraft is not repeated. This effort has come at considerable cost, running in excess of US$6 billion per year for the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) alone. In particular, significant expenditure has been dedicated to two aviation security measures aimed at preventing terrorists from hijacking and crashing an aircraft into buildings and other infrastructure; (i) Hardened cockpit doors and (ii) Air Security Officer (ASO) program (air marshals).These two security measures cost the Australian taxpayers and the airlines nearly $60 million per year. This paper seeks to discover whether these new aviation security measures are cost-effective. The preliminary cost-benefit analyses considers the effectiveness of security measures, their cost and expected lives saved as a result of such expenditure. An assessment of increased expenditure on the Air Security Officer (air marshals) program since 2001 suggests that the annual cost is $157.2 million per life saved. This is greatly in excess of the regulatory safety goal of $1-$10 million per life saved. As such, the ASO program seems to fail a cost-benefit analysis. In contrast, hardening of cockpit doors has an estimated annual cost of only $700,00 per life saved, suggesting that this strategy is a much more cost-effective security measure. 2010-04-27T06:08:44.252Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2074 An assessment of increased United States federal homeland security expenditure since 2001 and expected lives saved as a result of such expenditure suggests that the annual cost ranges from $64 million to $600 million (or even more) per life saved, greatly in excess of the regulatory safety goal of $1-$10 million per life saved. As such, it clearly and dramatically fails a cost-benefit analysis. In addition, the opportunity cost of these expenditures, amounting to $32 billion per year, is considerable, and it is highly likely that far more lives would have been saved if the money (or even a portion of it) had been invested instead in a wide range of more cost-effective risk mitigation programs. 2010-04-27T06:08:41.041Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2519 The capacity reduction factors (ϕ) in AS3700-2001 have been derived by 'soft' conversion from previous working stress codes, which were themselves derived from overseas. Compressive wall strengths in AS3700-2001 are discounted by a capacity reduction factor ϕ=0.45. This factor seems low, even for masonry. The paper compares design strengths with actual wall test data to estimate the model error in probabilistic terms. This information, in conjunction with probabilistic models for material properties and loads, is used to calculate the structural reliability (complement of probability of failure) of masonry walls in compression. The existing safety levels were found to be much higher than those accepted for other materials. Based on this rational analysis, it is recommended that ϕ for walls loaded concentrically in compression be increased from 0.45 to 0.75, resulting in a 66% increase in the compressive design capacity of structural masonry. 2010-04-27T06:03:38.327Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4295 We completely determine the localized automorphisms of the Cuntz algebras O_n corresponding to permutation matrices in M_n ⊗ M_n for n=3 and n=4. This result is obtained through a combination of general combinatorial techniques and large scale computer calculations. Our analysis proceeds according to the general scheme proposed in a previous paper, where we analyzed in detail the case of O₂ using labeled rooted trees. We also discuss those proper endomorphisms of these Cuntz algebras which restrict to automorphisms of their respective diagonals. In the case of O₃ we compute the number of automorphisms of the diagonal induced by permutation matrices in M₃ ⊗ M₃ ⊗ M₃. 2010-04-27T05:34:04.736Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3848 The paper presents an improved model that will be used to predict the timing of excessive corrosion-induced cover cracking for Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures in chloride or carbonated environments. An accelerated corrosion experimental programme measured concrete cover cracking for crack widths of up to 1.0 mm (0.039 in) for RC slabs based on various concrete covers, concrete tensile strengths and reinforcing bar diameters. A new empirical crack propagation model based on the test data is then developed. A correction factor for reinforcement confinement is proposed to account for bars located at edges and corners of RC structures. The effect of the high corrosion rate on the times to cracking is discussed and a correction factor applied to allow the cracking times to be adjusted for the lower corrosion rates generally found in RC structures. A statistical analysis of model accuracy is used to account for variabilities between model prediction and experimental data. The new predictive model is compared with existing models. The crack propagation model presented herein is an essential tool for assessing the time-dependent performance of RC structures subject to chloride or carbonation induced corrosion. 2010-04-27T05:32:47.510Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3115 The corrosion of steel reinforcement bars in reinforced concrete structures exposed to severe marine environments usually is attributed to the aggressive nature of chloride ions. In some cases in practice corrosion has been observed to commence already within a few years of exposure even with considerable concrete cover to the reinforcement and apparently high quality concretes. However, there are a number of other cases in practice for which corrosion initiation took much longer, even in cases with quite modest concrete cover and modest concrete quality. Many of these structures show satisfactory long-term structural performance, despite having high levels of localized chloride concentrations at the reinforcement. This disparity was noted already more than 50 years ago, but appears still not fully explained. This paper presents a systematic overview of cases reported in the engineering and corrosion literature and considers possible reasons for these differences. Consistent with observations by others, the data show that concretes made from blast furnace cements have better corrosion durability properties. The data also strongly suggest that concretes made with limestone or non-reactive dolomite aggregates or sufficiently high levels of other forms of calcium carbonates have favourable reinforcement corrosion properties. Both corrosion initiation and the onset of significant damage are delayed. Some possible reasons for this are explored briefly. 2010-04-27T05:31:23.520Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3125 The paper describes risk-informed decision support for assessing the costs and benefits of Counter-Terrorism (CT) protective measures for infrastructure. As such, a cost-benefit assessment needs to consider risk reduction, threat probability, and fatality and damage cost estimates. Cost-benefit assessments are conducted for three items of infrastructure using representative cost and vulnerability data. The illustrative examples showed under what combination of risk reduction, threat probability, and fatality and damage costs the CT protective measures would be cost-effective for building, bridge and aviation infrastructure. It was found that unless terrorist threat probabilities are high, then typical CT protective measures are not cost-effective. Opportunity costs associated can be considerable which makes CT protective measures even less cost-effective. The threat likelihood for bridges is considerably less than for buildings. With the possible exception of ‘key assets’, most individual items of infrastructure are likely to be not ‘critical’ to the nation or the economy and so in many cases not cost-effective to protect against terrorism. 2010-04-27T05:26:02.517Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3126 The increase in Federal United States homeland security expenditure since 2001 is approximately $31.4 billion per year. An assessment of expected lives saved as a result of such enhanced expenditure suggests that some 4000 lives per year would have to be saved in order to justify the increases expenditures, and that the cost per life saved ranges from $63 million to $630 million per life saved, greatly in excess of the regulatory safety goal of $7.5 million per life saved. As such, it clearly fails a cost-benefit analysis. If property damage and indirect economic costs are added to the cost of fatalities, then several large scale terrorist attacks would need to be foiled each year for increased homeland security to be cost effective. In addition, the opportunity cost of these increased expenditures is considerable, and it is highly likely that far more lives would have been saved if the money (or even a portion of it) had been invested instead in a wide range of more cost-effective risk mitigation programs. The wider costs of the reaction to terrorism are also discussed. 2010-04-27T05:26:00.526Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4647 “Farm-Link: improving the mental health and well-being of people who live and work on NSW Farms ” is funded by the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Health and Ageing under the National Suicide Prevention Strategy to develop and test a model of suicide prevention focussed on pathways to care and appropriate for rural areas. It is coordinated by the NSW Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health in collaboration with NSW Health’s rural Area Mental Health Services and the NSW Farmers’ Association. It was operational from March 2007 to January 2009. This unique partnership between a peak industry group, NSW Farmers Association, four rural Area Mental Health Services, and the University of Newcastle through its Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health has enabled Farm-Link to engage the traditional agricultural workforce in high quality, focussed and relevant suicide prevention strategies for people who live and work on NSW farms. Farm-Link’s objectives were to identify target communities in collaboration with key stakeholder organisations through NSW Farmers Mental Health Network and Area Health Services, to develop Farmers Mental Health Networks in rural areas, improve access to effective mental health services for farmers and farm families and evaluation. Farmers’ Mental Health Networks, focussed on engaging both agricultural and mental health agencies in describing, defining and using pathways to care for farming people were established and expanded in Mudgee, Parkes/Forbes, Bourke, West Wyalong, Yass, Griffith, Inverell, Moree, the Upper Hunter and Casino/Kyogle. Improving the mental health literacy of front line agricultural workers was achieved through Farm-Link staff providing internationally recognised and widely respected Mental Health First Aid training to 220 front-line agricultural workers in rural NSW. Farm-Link established the conditions for successful cross agency networks to flourish in rural NSW. It developed a credible reputation in target communities and its staff emerged as service brokers, performing roles that included providing information about services, assisting with referrals, hearing of patient journeys in mental health services and building community confidence in making referrals. An external evaluation, including comparative service network analysis, has been completed and is submitted separately. 2010-04-27T04:57:36.875Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4185 The principal divisors of a positive integer n are its maximal prime-power divisors. The principal divisor rank ω(n) is the number of such divisors, also equal to the number of distinct prime divisors of n. Building upon recent results on maximal runs of consecutive integers with equal rank, the present report describes eight types of pattern (including plateaux, peaks, valleys, and voids) which may occur in the sequence of ranks of consecutive integers, and determines the earliest instances of these patterns occurring within the positive integers up to 10^12. In particular, among the plateaux, starting at 585 927 201 062 there is a run of 23 consecutive integers of rank 4; there is no other constant rank run of size greater than 19 below 10^12. 2010-04-27T04:55:14.744Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4155 Increases in wind damage are expected if the intensity and/or frequency of tropical cyclones increase due to enhanced greenhouse conditions (climate change). The paper estimates cyclone damage risks due to enhanced greenhouse conditions for residential construction in North Queensland, and then assesses the economic viability of several climate adaptation (hazard mitigation) strategies. The analysis includes probabilistic modelling of cyclone intensity and frequency, time-dependent increase in wind speed from enhanced greenhouse conditions (global warming), and vulnerability functions of building damage. Increases in mean annual maximum wind speed from 0% to 25% over 50 years are considered to represent the uncertainty in changing wind hazard patterns as a result of climate change. The effect of regional changes to building inventory over time and space, rate of retrofitting, cost of retrofit, reduction in vulnerability and discount rate will be considered. The risk-cost-benefit analysis considering temporal changes in wind hazard and building vulnerability can be used to help optimize the timing and extent of climate adaptation strategies. 2010-04-27T04:53:15.970Z ]]>