http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12941 We study several generalizations of the AGM continued fraction of Ramanujan inspired by a series of recent articles in which the validity of the AGM relation and the domain of convergence of the continued fraction were determined for certain complex parameters (Borwein et al., Exp. Math. 13, 275–286, 2004, Ramanujan J., in press, 2004; Borwein and Crandall, Exp. Math. 12, 287–296, 2004). A study of the AGM continued fraction is equivalent to an analysis of the convergence of certain difference equations and the stability of dynamical systems. Using the matrix analytical tools developed in 2004, we determine the convergence properties of deterministic difference equations and so divergence of their corresponding continued fractions. 2013-05-22T04:40:56.735Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12938 We provide a proof of a conjecture in [Bailey et al. 07a] on the existence and form of linear recurrences for moments of powers of the Bessel function K₀. 2013-05-22T04:39:03.878Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12937 It is shown that various first and second order derivatives of the Fitzpatrick and Penot representative functions for a maximal monotone operator T, in a reflexive Banach space, can be used to represent differential information associated with the tangent and normal cones to the Graph T. In particular we obtain formula for the proto-derivative, as well as its polar, the normal cone to the graph of T. First order derivatives are shown to be useful in recognising points of single-valuedness of T. We show that a strong form of proto-differentiability to the graph of T, is often associated with single valuedness of T. 2013-05-22T04:38:17.987Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12936 In this article we explore a variety of pleasing connections between analysis, number theory, and operator theory, while revisiting a number of beautiful inequalities originating with Hilbert, Hardy and others. We first establish the Hilbert inequality and then apply it to various multiple zeta values. In consequence we obtain the norm of the classical Hilbert matrix, in the process illustrating the interplay of numerical and symbolic computation with classical mathematics. 2013-05-22T04:37:30.904Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12939 We intend to show that a variety of trigonometric sums have unexpected closed forms by relating them to cognate integrals. We hope this offers a good advertisement for the possibilities of experimental mathematics, as well as providing both some entertaining examples for the classroom and a caution against over-extrapolating from seemingly compelling initial patterns. 2013-05-22T04:01:47.415Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6446 We record and substantially extend what is known about the closed forms for various Bessel function moments arising in quantum field theory, condensed matter theory and other parts of mathematical physics. In particular, we develop formulae for integrals of products of six or fewer Bessel functions. In consequence, we are able to discover and prove closed forms for cn,k := ∫∞₀ tkKⁿ₀(t) dt with integers n = 1, 2, 3, 4 and k ≽ 0, obtaining new results for the even moments c₃,₂k and c₄,₂k. We also derive new closed forms for the odd moments sn,₂k₊₁ := ∫∞₀ t²k⁺¹I₀(t)Kⁿ₀¹₀(t) dt with n = 3, 4 and for tn,₂k₊₁ := ∫∞ ₀ t²k⁺¹I²₀(t)Kⁿ⁻²₀(t)dt with n = 5, relating the latter to Green functions on hexagonal, diamond and cubic lattices. We conjecture the values of s₅,₂k₊₁, make substantial progress on the evaluation of c₅,₂k₊₁, s₆,₂k₊₁ and t₆,₂k₊₁ and report more limited progress regarding c₅,₂k, c₆,₂k₊₁ and c₆,₂k. In the process, we obtain eight conjectural evaluations, each of which has been checked to 1200 decimal places. One of these lies deep in four-dimensional quantum field theory and two are probably provable by delicate combinatorics. There remains a hard core of five conjectures whose proofs would be most instructive, to mathematicians and physicists alike. 2013-05-21T01:38:50.263Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4742 We consider testing for an unobservable normal distribution with unspecified mean and variance. It is only possible to observe the counts in groups with boundaries specified before sighting the data. On the basis of a small power study, we recommend the usual X² test be used as an omnibus test, augmented by informal examination of the first two non-zero components of X². We also recommend use of maximum likelihood and method of moments estimation. 2013-05-09T01:41:12.197Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5419 Tests for the Laplace distribution based on the sample skewness and kurtosis coefficients are shown to be related to components of smooth tests of goodness of fit and are compared with a number of tests including the Anderson-Darling test, a new data-driven smooth test, a new empirical characteristic function based test and a new maximum entropy test. This last would be our slight preference as the test of choice for testing for the Laplace distribution. 2013-05-09T00:47:49.876Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4369 Smooth tests for the logarithmic distribution are compared with three tests: the first is a test due to Epps and is based on a probability generating function, the second is the Anderson-Darling test, and the third is due to Klar and is based on the empirical integrated distribution function. These tests all have substantially better power than the traditional Pearson-Fisher X² test of fit for the logarithmic. These traditional chi-squared tests are the only logarithmic tests of fit commonly applied by ecologists and other scientists. 2013-05-08T23:21:51.106Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12791 The most complete form of academic timetabling problem is the population and course timetabling problem. In this problem, there may be multiple classes of each subject, and the decision on which students are to constitute each class is made in concert with the decision on the timetable for each class. In order to solve this problem, it is normally simplified or decomposed in some fashion. One simplification commonly used in practice is known as blocking: it is assumed that the classes can be partitioned into sets of classes (or blocks) that will be timetabled in parallel. This restricts clashing to occur only between classes in the same block, and essentially removes the timetabling aspect of the problem, which can be carried out once the blocks are constituted and the classes populated. The problem of constituting the blocks and populating the classes, known as the course blocking and population problem, is nevertheless a challenging problem, and provides the focus of this paper. We demonstrate, using data provided by a local high school, that integer linear programming approaches can solve the problem in a matter of seconds. Key features include remodelling to remove symmetry caused by students with identical subject selection, and the observation that in practice, only integrality of the block composition variables needs to be enforced; the class population aspects of the model have strong integrality properties. 2013-04-19T04:18:37.894Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6117 The statistical analysis of data stored in data warehouses is an important phase in the organisation’s strategic planning process. For the maximum benefit to be gained from such data warehouses, a relationship of trust needs to exist between all parties involved. In this paper we investigate its importance with respect to the statistical security problem. Understanding trust relationships in this context is particularly crucial since an individual’s privacy cannot be guaranteed using traditional security mechanisms. 2013-04-08T03:58:53.044Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5979 Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an information technology [IT] enabled approach to managing design data in the AEC/FM (Architecture, Engineering and Construction/ Facilities Management) industry. BIM enables improved interdisciplinary collaboration across distributed teams, intelligent documentation and information retrieval, greater consistency in building data, better conflict detection and enhanced facilities management. Despite the apparent benefits the adoption of BIM in practice has been slow. Workshops with industry focus groups were conducted to identify the industry needs, concerns and expectations from participants who had implemented BIM or were BIM “ready”. Factors inhibiting BIM adoption include lack of training, low business incentives, perception of lack of rewards, technological concerns, industry fragmentation related to uneven ICT adoption practices, contractual matters and resistance to changing current work practice. Successful BIM usage depends on collective adoption of BIM across the different disciplines and support by the client. The relationship of current work practices to future BIM scenarios was identified as an important strategy as the participants believed that BIM cannot be efficiently used with traditional practices and methods. The key to successful implementation is to explore the extent to which current work practices must change. Currently there is a perception that all work practices and processes must adopt and change for effective usage of BIM. It is acknowledged that new roles and responsibilities are emerging and that different parties will lead BIM on different projects. A contingency based approach to the problem of implementation was taken which relies upon integration of BIM project champion, procurement strategy, team capability analysis, commercial software availability/applicability and phase decision making and event analysis. Organizations need to understand: (a) their own work processes and requirements; (b) the range of BIM applications available in the market and their capabilities (c) the potential benefits of different BIM applications and their roles in different phases of the project lifecycle, and (d) collective supply chain adoption capabilities. A framework is proposed to support organizations selection of BIM usage strategies that meet their project requirements. Case studies are being conducted to develop the framework. The results of the preliminary design management case study is presented for contractor led BIM specific to the design and construct procurement strategy. 2013-04-08T03:48:18.391Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6051 Due to the wide viewer-ship and high commercial potentials, recently, sports video analysis attracts extensive research efforts. One of the main tasks in sports video analysis is to identify sports genres i.e. sports video categorization. Most of the existing work focus on mapping content-based features to sports genres by using supervised learning methods. Moreover, video data sets seeks efficient data reduction methods due to the large size and noisy data. It lacks comparison analysis on the implementation and performance of these methods. In this paper, the research is carried out by using four dominant machine learning algorithms, namely Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, K Nearest Neighbor and Naive Bayesian, and comparing their performance on a high dimensional feature set which selected by some feature selection tools such as Correlation-based Feature Selection (CFS), Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Relief. Experimental results shows that Support Vector Machine (SVM) and k-NN are not sensitive to reduction of training sets. Moreover, three different feature reduction methods perform very differently with respect to four different tools. 2013-04-08T03:24:44.919Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6212 This paper introduces an interactive and intelligent approach for accurate brain segmentation. A high resolution 3-Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) dataset was tested by state of the art automated algorithms as well as segmented by making use of the proposed interactive tools. The results show that the automated algorithms gave an incomplete or anatomically incorrect brain surface. About 4% false positive and 10% false negative error rates were reported by evaluating three automated methods. The proposed approach improved the quality and accuracy of the segmented results. 2013-04-08T03:23:20.211Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6153 We present the segmentation of the foreground objects and the identification of the individual objects in the cigarette tin package, so the information will be used for the classification of the acceptable cases or defective cases. Visual inspection and classification of cigarette tin package are very important in manufacturing cigarette products that require high quality package. For the accurate automated inspection and classification, computer vision has been deployed widely in manufacturing. This paper concerned with the problem of identifying the individual cigarette in the tin packing using the image processing and morphology operations. The identified objects can be used for developing a defect finding system in the cigarette packing industries. The approach has two steps: (i) colour-based segmentation of the region of interests, (ii) identifying of individual object. The segmentation performance was evaluated on 18 images including the good cases and the defective cases. 2013-04-08T03:22:09.403Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6107 Due to the development of computer technology and the wide use of the Internet, intelligent appliances with multimedia capability have been emerging into our daily life. Kitchen is one of the places where such intelligent appliances have been used. Since modern life style is driving people spending less time on cooking healthy food at home, an enjoyable and healthy life style can be assisted with an intelligent kitchenware such as a smart fridge. In this paper we introduce a novel application for a smart fridge with intelligent multimedia capability. It is designed for managing items stored in it and advising its users with cooking methods depending on what kind of food is stored. It can also perform other functions such as dietary control, nutrition monitoring, eating habit analysis, etc. We are confident that such a smart fridge will be an important component in future smart homes. 2013-04-08T02:02:58.571Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5970 This paper presents a review of current online payment systems in relation to security and trust solutions. These are examined to determine their underlying assumptions, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. A new electronic payment system model based on a personal mobile device and existing electronic payment models is proposed. The model focuses on trust to enhance the feeling of security in the use of credit cards for online payment systems. Mobile personal trust devices are used to control the payment process of customers in a transaction so as to give them the feeling of being in control of the payment process. One of the advantages of the proposed scheme is that the trust mechanism does not require a trust merchant to act as an intermediary between customers and the acquirer. Therefore, customers will send their information without concern of personal disclosure, or of the possibility of misuse of their secure information by the merchant. 2013-04-07T22:39:54.032Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5969 This paper presents a new scheme for online payment systems based on a mobile personal device and existing debit/credit card electronic payment protocols. The model focuses on trust to enhance the feeling of security in the use of debit/credit cards for online payment systems. A mobile personal device is used to control the payment process of customers in a transaction so as to give them the feeling of being in control of the payment process. The new model provides a way in which customer trust in controlling e-payment systems can be established, so that customers can trustfully participate in electronic commerce. We provide guidelines on how the trust of mobile devices can be applied to achieve mutual improvements between security and trust. Moreover, the model requirements are identified, and an analysis of these requirements against trust and security requirements in transactions is discussed. 2013-04-04T21:42:09.694Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4672 One approach to investigating neural death is through systematic studies of the changing morphology of cultured brain neurons in response to cellular challenges. Image segmentation and neuron skeleton reconstruction methods developed to date to analyze such changes have been limited by the low contrast of cells. In this paper we present new algorithms that successfully circumvent these problems. The binary method is based on logical analysis of grey and distance difference of images. The spurious regions are detected and removed through use of a hierarchical window filter. The skeletons of binary cell images are extracted. The extension direction and connection points of broken cell skeletons are automatically determined, and broken neural skeletons are reconstructed. The spurious strokes are deleted based on cell prior knowledge. The reconstructed skeletons are processed furthermore by filling holes, smoothing and extracting new skeletons. The final constructed neuron skeletons are analyzed and calculated to find the length and morphology of skeleton branches automatically. The efficacy of the developed algorithms is demonstrated here through a test of cultured brain neurons from newborn mice. 2013-04-03T03:34:50.809Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6128 In the paper, a formulation is proposed for optimal experiment design dedicated to the identification of nonlinear systems. In particular, a recently introduced redundancy property associated to dynamic systems related inverse problems is heavily exploited to guarantee global convergence. The paper considers general discrete-time nonlinear systems in which measurements are affected by bounded noise. An illustrative example is used to show the merits of the proposed approach. 2013-03-27T01:53:56.921Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11253 We study a networked control architecture where wireless sensors are used to measure and transmit plant outputs to a remote controller. Packet loss probabilities depend upon the time-varying communication channel gains and the transmission powers of the sensors. Within this context, we develop a centralized stochastic nonlinear model predictive controller. It determines the sensor power levels by trading energy expenditure for expected plant state variance. To further preserve sensor energies, the power controller sends coarsely quantized power increment commands only when necessary. Simulations on measured channel data illustrate the performance achieved by the proposed controller. 2013-03-24T05:24:12.138Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6113 In this paper, we present an active-set approach for peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) reduction via tone reservation in complex-baseband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. In the complex-baseband model, the optimization problem of tone reservation turns out to be a quadratically constrained quadratic program (QCQP), which is computationally prohibitive for a practical implementation. To address this problem, we consider the complex-valued samples of an OFDM symbol as vectors in the complex plane and develop an iterative clipping algorithm. In our approach, PAR reduction is achieved by minimizing the radius of the circle that encloses all samples, thus minimizing the maximum power peak. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve near-optimal performance with fast convergence and limited complexity. 2013-03-24T05:23:26.646Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6199 In this paper we propose an iterative receiver for uplink MIMO-OFDMA systems based on the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. Iterating between the E-step and the M-step, the EM-based receiver updates the channel estimates and, refines data detection by increasing the likelihood function. Practical implementation issues are also considered: space-time block-coding (STBC) is incorporated to improve system performance against fading; a reduced-complexity algorithm is proposed, which simplifies the computation whilst not compromising performance. 2013-03-24T05:22:54.070Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6135 The problem of characterizing lower bounds on data-rates needed for closed loop stability has been solved in a variety of settings. However, the available results lead to coding schemes which are very complex and, thus, of limited practical interest. In this paper, we show how simple coding systems comprising only LTI filters and memoryless entropy coded dithered scalar quantizers can be used to stabilize strongly stabilizable SISO LTI plant models over error-free bit-rate limited feedback channels. Despite the simplicity of the building blocks employed, we prove that the data-rates incurred do not exceed absolute lower bounds by more than 1.25 bits per sample. 2013-03-24T05:22:29.039Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6140 We investigate state estimation via wireless sensor networks over fading channels causing random packet loss. Packet loss probabilities depend upon the time-varying channel gains and transmission power levels used by the sensors. We develop a predictive controller which trades off sensor energy expenditure versus state estimation accuracy. The latter is measured by the expected value of the future covariance matrices provided by the associated time-varying Kalman Filter. To further conserve energy at the sensors, the controller is located at the gateway and sends coarsely quantized power increment commands, only whenever necessary. Simulations based on real channel measurements show that the proposed approach gives excellent results. 2013-03-24T05:22:01.598Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6252 Networked Control has emerged in recent years as a new and exciting area in systems science. The topic has many potential applications in diverse areas ranging from control of microrobots to biological and economic systems. The supporting theory is very rich and combines aspects of control, signal processing, telecommunications and information theory. In this paper, we will give a brief overview of recent developments in Networked Control with an emphasis on our contributions. We also point to several open problems in this emerging area. 2013-03-24T05:21:19.141Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5983 This paper presents novel results on scalar feedback quantization (SFQ) with uniform quantizers. We focus on general SFQ configurations where reconstruction is via a linear combination of frame vectors. Using a deterministic approach, we derive two necessary and sufficient conditions for SFQ to be optimal, i.e., to produce, for every input, a quantized sequence that is a global minimizer of the 2-norm of the reconstruction error. The first optimality condition is related to the design of the feedback quantizer, and can always be achieved. The second condition depends only on the reconstruction vectors, and is given explicitly in terms of the Gram matrix of the reconstruction frame. As a by-product, we also show that the the first condition alone characterizes scalar feedback quantizers that yield the smallest MSE, when one models quantization noise as uncorrelated, identically distributed random variables. 2013-03-24T05:20:49.251Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6066 Multilevel Converters (MCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional two level converters. MCs use an arrangement of several semiconductors to synthesize high quality output voltage levels. Unfortunately, as a consequence of using more switching elements, MCs are, in general, more likely to be affected by faults, than their two level counterparts. In this paper, we propose a finite set constrained predictive control method for MCs, which is aimed at achieving robustness to failures in the semiconductors. We focus on three-phase multicell flying capacitor converters and show that, by carefully designing switching sequences, faults can be isolated from measurements provided by a single voltage sensor per phase. When faults occur, the proposed controller reconfigures the converter to provide to the load voltages which are similar to those obtained under normal, i.e., fault free, operating conditions. 2013-03-24T05:20:07.342Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5490 This review article considers research into job quality that was undertaken in Australia and Europe before discussing the very different labour market of the UAE with a particular focus on Dubai. The paper will also explore the role that HRM that can play in improving job quality for employees in both countries, despite their different contexts. Improving job quality is firmly on the public policy agenda in Australia and the EU. Recent labour market reforms have been justified in part on the basis that they would improve job quality. In the UAE the labour market is heavily reliant on expatriate workers, largely from the Indian sub-continent and Arab nations (Tanmia, 2005). However, expatriate workers generally fall into two categories: white collar professionals and those who are working on construction sites and living in labour camps. As such, the analysis and discussion of job quality in the UAE takes place within a very different context from the OECD economies. It is concluded that there are a number of similarities between Australia and the UAE, such as labour shortages, a growing service sector, feminisation of the workforce and employee concerns about job security. However, as indicated in the article, the reasons why employees lack job security are different in each country. 2013-03-18T06:06:33.039Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9332 We study the half duplex multiple-relay channel (MRC) where every node can either transmit or listen but not both at the same time. We derive a capacity upper bound based on a max-flow min-cut argument and achievable transmission rates based on the decode-forward coding strategy (DF), for both the half duplex discrete memoryless MRC and the half duplex phase fading Gaussian MRC. The upper bound and achievable rates are functions of the transmit state vector (a description of which nodes transmit and which receive). More precisely, they are functions of the time fraction of different transmit state vectors, which we term a schedule. We formulate the optimal scheduling problem as a max-min optimization to find the schedule that maximizes the DF rate for the half duplex MRC. We use a technique based on minimax hypothesis testing to solve this problem and demonstrate it on a four-node MRC, getting closed form solutions in certain scenarios. For the phase fading Gaussian channel, surprisingly, we discover that optimal schedules can be solved using linear programming. 2013-03-18T05:35:03.713Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9333 We present part of our work on the capacity upper bound, achievable rates, and scheduling for the half duplex multiple-relay channel (HD MRC) where every node can either transmit or listen, but not both, at any time. We derive a capacity upper bound based on the cut-set argument, and achievable rates based on the decode-forward coding strategy (DF). We discover that the upper bound and achievable rates are functions of the transmit state vector (a description of which nodes transmit and which receive). More precisely, they are functions of the time fraction of different transmit state vectors, which we term a schedule. We formulate the optimal scheduling problem to find the best schedule, one that maximizes the DF rate. For the phase fading HD MRC, surprisingly, we show that the expressions for the capacity upper bound and for DF rate can be transformed into linear programming problems. 2013-03-18T05:33:54.450Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9336 This correspondence investigates the interplay between cooperation and achievable rates in multiterminal networks. Cooperation refers to the process of nodes working together to relay data toward the destination. There is an inherent tradeoff between achievable information transmission rates and the level of cooperation, which is determined by how many nodes are involved and how the nodes encode/decode the data. We illustrate this tradeoff by studying information-theoretic decode-forward-based coding strategies for data transmission in multiterminal networks. Decode-forward strategies are usually discussed in the context of omniscient coding, in which all nodes in the network fully cooperate with each other, both in encoding and decoding. In this correspondence, we investigate myopic coding, in which each node cooperates with only a few neighboring nodes. We show that achievable rates of myopic decode-forward can be as large as that of omniscient decode-forward in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. We also show that when each node has only a few cooperating neighbors, adding one node into the cooperation increases the transmission rate significantly. Furthermore, we show that myopic decode-forward can achieve nonzero rates as the network size grows without bound. 2013-03-18T05:31:27.559Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4399 This paper describes a novel control strategy aimed at achieving good performance over an unreliable communication network affected by packet loss and variable transmission delays. The key ingredient in the method described here is to use the large data packet frame size of typical modern communication protocols to transmit control sequences which cover multiple data-dropout and delay scenarios. Stability and performance of the resultant scheme are addressed under nominal networked conditions. Simulations verify that the strategy performs exceptionally well under realistic conditions with noise and unmeasured disturbances. 2013-03-17T23:33:13.921Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4919 In networked control systems (NCSs) achievable performance is limited by the communication links employed to transmit signals in the loop. In the present work, we characterise LTI coding systems which optimise performance for various NCS architectures. We study NCSs where the communication link is situated between plant output and controller, and NCSs where the communication link is located between controller and actuator. Furthermore, we present a novel NCS architecture, which is based upon the Youla parameterisation. We show that, which of these architectures gives best performance depends, inter alia, upon characteristics of a related non-networked design, plant disturbances and reference signal. A key aspect of our work, resides in the utilisation of fixed signal-to-noise ratio channel models which give rise to parsimonious designs, where channel utilisation is kept low. The results are verified with simulations utilising bit-rate limited channels. 2013-03-17T23:32:40.129Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4403 This paper presents novel results on perfect reconstruction feedback quantizers (PRFQs), i.e., noise-shaping, predictive and sigma-delta A/D converters whose signal transfer function is unity. Our analysis of this class of converters is based upon an additive white noise model of quantization errors. Our key result is a formula that relates the minimum achievable MSE of such converters to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the scalar quantizer embedded in the feedback loop. This result allows us to obtain analytical expressions that characterize the corresponding optimal filters. We also show that, for a fixed SNR of the scalar quantizer, the end-to-end MSE of an optimal PRFQ which uses the optimal filters (which for this case turn out to be IIR) decreases exponentially with increasing oversampling ratio. Key departures from earlier work include the fact that fed back quantization noise is explicitly taken into account and that the order of the converter filters is not a priori restricted. 2013-03-17T23:32:03.500Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4405 Predictive control is a very wide class of controllers that have found rather recent application in the control of power converters. Research on this topic has been increased in the last years due to the possibilities of today's microprocessors used for the control. This paper presents the application of different predictive control methods to power electronics and drives. A simple classification of the most important types of predictive control is introduced, and each one of them is explained including some application examples. Predictive control presents several advantages that make it suitable for the control of power converters and drives. The different control schemes and applications presented in this paper illustrate the effectiveness and flexibility of predictive control. 2013-03-17T23:31:30.095Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4773 This paper presents a modified predictive current control strategy which allows one to have control over the spectrum of the load current. The proposed method uses a model of the system to predict the behavior of the current for each possible voltage vector generated by the inverter. For that purpose, at each sampling interval, signal predictions are evaluated using a cost function that quantifies the desired system behavior. The cost function used in this work evaluates the filtered error of the load currents. The inclusion of a filter for the load error allows one to manipulate current spectra. Thus, by designing this filter appropriately, the load spectrum can be shaped. The performance of the proposed control strategy is verified by simulation and experimental results. 2013-03-17T23:30:43.561Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6036 There are some 1000 reinforced concrete pre-cast beam elements that have been exposed since 1943 to a harsh sea-spray environment immediately adjacent the North Sea at Arbroath, Scotland. Most (>90%) show no obvious signs of reinforcement corrosion. However, the few elements that were replaced, in about 1968 and in 1993, have nearly all resulted in severe longitudinal cracking and extensive reinforcement corrosion, despite the later concretes being superficially of better quality than the original 1943 concrete. This paper will report statistics for maximum crack width for each of the three concrete populations, based on measurements made in 2004 and in 2006, as well as in-situ and laboratory measurements that indicate the 1943 concrete shows contradictory properties, having both high permeability and high electrical resistivity. Also, the 1943 and 1993 concretes were found to have similar chloride profiles and similar chloride concentrations at the reinforcement bars, which, again, is inconsistent with the 1943 elements showing much less reinforcement corrosion than their later replacements. These observations, and some other un-reported cases in the literature, cast doubt on the conventional notion that durable reinforced concrete structures requires reduced concrete permeability, denser concretes or greater cover. 2013-03-14T05:05:32.884Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6035 This paper demonstrates recent evidence that bacteria are involved in the longerterm corrosion of mild steel in the tidal zone and in marine atmospheres. Bacteria are often associated with marine immersion corrosion but there appears to have been little attempt previously to associate bacterial activity with atmospheric corrosion in the coastal zone. The present paper describes observations of rust conditions on steel strips and coupons exposed in field tests conducted at several locations on the Eastern Australian seaboard. Careful examination revealed rust patterns and corrosion surface characteristics that could not have been caused by conventional oxidation with oxygen as the ultimate electron receptor. The patterns are consistent, however, with the activity of the sulphate-reducing bacteria in which sulphur acts as the electron receptor. Importantly, the most severe corrosion losses occurred away from coupon edges and revealed shiny, heavily pitted metal surfaces. There is evidence also that ferrous oxidizing bacteria are involved. These observations are consistent with the corrosion loss models previously proposed for longer-term immersion corrosion. An important aspect is that the evidence reported herein was obtained only as a result of the investigators expecting to find it, and then exercising unusual care in examining rusts and corroded surfaces. 2013-03-14T05:03:07.673Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6038 A large scale atmospheric corrosion trial extending over five years is currently being conducted at Belmont Beach near Newcastle, Australia. The intent is to obtain information about the effects of orientation, height and bold exposure versus shielding effects as well as detailed chronological observations and variability data for nominally identical exposures. Such comprehensive data has not previously been obtained for the one site and under the one local climatic regime for all coupons. This provides a much better and more controlled environment in which to compare the various effects. Failure to achieve this in previous studies renders the study of such influences problematic. Also, variability of nominally identically exposed coupons has not previously been given attention. The paper deals with the three-year results and compares these with information available in the literature. After three years most of the boldly exposed coupons have completely corroded but most of the single sided coupons remain in varying degrees. A comparison is given between individual coupons exposed at different heights and single strips of steel exposed over the same vertical distance. 2013-03-14T05:01:40.931Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6037 Corrosion loss of mild steel in tidal conditions varies with height, as most commonly seen in examining harbour infrastructure such as sheet piling. Conventional understanding of the variation of the corrosion losses for piling or steel vertical strips in the tidal zone is based largely on a very small set of field trials carried out in the 1950’s in US East coast waters. The corrosion profile shows a distinctly greater corrosion loss at about high water level. Since then very few systematic field observations have been made. However, there is increasing concern, particularly in Europe, about excessive corrosion at about the low water level, known as Accelerated Low Water Corrosion (ALWC). This phenomenon is currently not understood. The present paper reports early results from an extensive investigation of corrosion of steel strips in the tidal zone. It involves ten field trials at various locations on the Australian eastern seaboard, ranging from tropical to cooler temperate waters. The results show considerable differences in corrosion profiles both between sites and with exposure time. Typically, there are two distinct zones of increased corrosion, at the high water mark and at the low water mark. The relative magnitudes of the corrosion at these levels vary with location and also with exposure period. In the trials to date, the highest annual loss for high water corrosion was greater than 900 microns, for low water corrosion over 600 microns and the annual mid –tide loss varied from less than 50 microns to over 600 microns. Investigations show that there is no significant loss effect due to water velocity but that there is an apparent effect related to nutrient levels in the water. This is known to cause increased localized microbiologically-influenced corrosion. 2013-03-14T04:54:19.893Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5168 This article examines the transformation of social work in South Africa in response to the transition to a developmental welfare approach. Always moulding and shaping itself in response to its social context, social work in South Africa, as elsewhere, is a reflection of the broader political landscape. In South Africa the social work profession has struggled to assert its independence and become self-regulating. It is unique in the Western world in that since 1978 it has been regulated by a legislatively constituted statutory council. While the profession has tried to transform itself in the new democracy, outside pressures have found it wanting and deeply divided. Thus, despite progress in other areas social workers have not yet been successful in forming a strong, united professional association and this severely limits its ability to lobby politicians and advocate on behalf of clients. It seems, however, that the tide is turning and social workers are gaining recognition but, once again, the challenge remains deciding on the extent to which the profession cooperates with the government's agenda for change. Social work educators took the lead in setting education standards in response to higher education policy and are also playing a part in devising practice standards through their involvement in the social work board which falls under the umbrella of the Council for Social Service Professions. However, education and practice are somewhat out of step and professional unity remains a pressing issue on social work's transformation agenda. 2013-03-11T00:48:45.850Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5157 This paper locates the social work literature on spirituality within the broad theoretical and epistemological perspectives of late modernity. It focuses particularly on the rise of individualism and its culmination in the theory of reflexive modernization-life politics and subpolitics-and makes an appeal for an 'ecospiritual social work'- one which would take social work away from individualism back to its communitarian roots. The rise of spirituality in social work is linked to individualism. Both result from the depersonalizing and alienating effects of modernity: the detraditionalization and secularization of society; the rise of science, rationality, the professions, and industrial and technological progress; and the decline in religion. Social work mirrors this process in that it has worked vigorously to shake off its religious, moralistic beginnings, and to embrace the secular trappings of professionalism in the process increasingly embracing highly individualistic values and scientific explanations of reality. The literature on spirituality in social work, in which the influence of New Age spirituality is strongly evident, tries to re-instantiate our search for quality and meaning. However, social work has yet to examine broader sociological theory and the way in which it can deepen our understanding of the rise of spirituality in social work. 2013-03-11T00:47:55.107Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6506 Today's complex IT systems and multitude of possible permission configurations create a challenge for IT administrators, especially in determining optimal permission configuration for user groups. This is further exaggerated with the users' privilege requirements not being clearly specified or available. This typically leads to excessively permissive security configurations in IT systems which results in security vulnerabilities. This paper proposes a methodology and high-level architecture for a system that enables to elicit and deploy IT permissions in a convenient and secure manner avoiding many pitfalls that exist today. The proposed methodology's applicability is illustrated using two scenarios: a typical organisation with complex security requirements and a collaborative online environment. 2013-03-11T00:47:14.433Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6011 A considerable amount of research has been done on the use of logarithmic quantizers for networked feedback control systems. However, most results are developed for the case of a single quantizer (either measurement or control signal quantization). In this paper, we investigate the case of simultaneous input and output quantization for SISO linear output feedback systems. Firstly, we show that the problem of quadratic stabilization via quantized feedback can be addressed with no conservativeness by means of the sector bound approach. Secondly, we provide a bound on the maximal admissible sector bound via a scaled H∞ optimization problem. 2013-03-11T00:47:10.282Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6268 Abstract: - The uptake and utility of digital collaborations continues to grow as organizations are realizing the diverse range of benefits they provide to not only their organization as a whole but also to individual employees. However, like many information and communication technologies the implementation push often overshadows a proper evaluation of data security and information privacy risks that may be inherent with the technology. This paper details our ongoing research for addressing a number of authentication and personal entity identification issues encountered in digital collaborative architectures. We propose an authentication framework that uniquely combines both traditional and biometric methods of authentication with an additional novel audiovisual method of authentication. Further, the CASE (Combined Authentication Scheme Encapsulation) methodology provides an intuitive privacy protecting visual representation of a member entity's authentication methods, which is accessible by other member entities for help in assessing the risk of sharing 'sensitive' data with other collaboration entities. 2013-03-11T00:46:17.053Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5371 Between 1913 and 1914 the residents of the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Station waged a campaign to allow Caroline Bulmer, the widow of their late missionary, to remain on the station with them. Preparing two separate petitions, the first to the Victorian Board for the Protection of Aborigines, and the second to the Governor of Victoria, the residents sought to make themselves 'understood', as they put it, to the authorities at a time of great uncertainty about their future. This was a critical moment in the history of Aboriginal administration in Victoria, as the State garnered increasing and encompassing powers to control Aboriginal people and their land. Mrs Bulmer's continued residence was vehemently opposed by the Board's appointed manager of the reserve, and his hostility to the widow can tell us something about the lives of those who were forced to live under his administration. While the petitioners were unsuccessful, the story of their campaign, buried in the PROV archives, brings to light a forgotten, and perhaps unexpected, episode of cross-cultural collaboration on the issue of land and policy. Drawing on recent scholarship on the Indigenous use of writing as a tool of resistance, this article highlights the complexity of relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and reveals the persistence of Aboriginal efforts to determine their own future and to assert their right to do so. 2013-03-11T00:44:29.116Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6055 The University of Newcastle and its joint venture company, ResTech Pty Ltd, are developing a cascaded H-bridge based multilevel STATCOM. This tutorial paper outlines the salient design issues for this system. The issues covered in the paper include the choice of the converter topology, the structure of the control system hardware, the software structure and methodology, some details on the control algorithm, and the rationale behind the design decisions. 2013-03-11T00:44:08.402Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5469 We investigated the effects of gender and group size on perceptions of group variability, using groups of students taking different majors that varied in the proportion of men and women (female-majority, parity, and male-majority). We found that both group size and gender had consistent effects on perceived out-group variability, even when potentially confounded alternative explanations were assessed. Men showed a stronger out-group homogeneity effect than women, except when women were in the majority (Studies One and Two), and women showed no in-group homogeneity effect. There was an association between out-group homogeneity and the tendency to generate more subgroups for the in-group than out-group (Study Two), but perceived variability was not associated with familiarity, distinctiveness, perceived group size, or perceived group status. These consistent effects qualify the conclusions of prior research in important ways, and cannot be explained in terms of differences in stereotype accuracy (Study Three), or a confound between the gender majority of a major and its perceived status (Study Four). We discuss our findings in terms of theoretical explanations for gender and size effects on out-group homogeneity, and methodological considerations. 2013-03-11T00:43:19.843Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6324 The paper details the findings of a recent research project in the realms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Innovation Management. The major issues considered by the project included: investigation of the possible inherent entrepreneurial nature of ICT; how to foster ICT innovation; and examination of the inherent difficulties currently found within the ICT industry of Australia in regards to supporting the development of innovative and creative ideas. The study was completed over a twelve month period with a focus on Internet technologies and their related innovators. The results of the research, included herein, have provided a number of unique contributions to the field in addition to a set of successful industry perspectives on ICT innovation. In particular how to manage and increase the opportunities for an entrepreneur in Australia to continue economic growth in the ICT sector. 2013-03-11T00:42:54.684Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6041 First year experience is a concern to Universities in Australia for a long time. This has presented itself forcefully in Engineering Faculties which have a high student attrition rate during the first year of study. Universities and Faculties have employed many strategies to try and address this “leakage” of students. Some of the approaches adopted include student mentoring, and various programmes which provide learning support for students. All of these initiatives have had successes but the question needs to be asked about the reaction of students to such support systems and networks. The University of Newcastle currently has a range of student support projects in operation. One introduced by the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment will closely monitor a student’s progress and, at the first instance of problems arising, an intervention offering support and direction to students is initiated. This paper reports on the introduction of this system. 2013-03-11T00:41:59.925Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5824 The second volume of Ezechielem Explanationes by Juan Battista Villalpando, published in 1604, contains a re-creation of the Temple of Solomon illustrated by a portfolio of exceptionally detailed architectural drawings. His designs were built on the principles of Platonic musical harmonies and his interpretation of ancient measurements. Villalpando envisaged the temple as a building encapsulating the entire formal grammar of classical architecture. Villalpando's architecture, harmonic proportions and measurements appear to be a flawless system and his design exerted an extraordinary influence on the architects and historians of architecture in Europe for at least the next two centuries. His reconstruction inspired not only other commentaries and other reconstructions of Solomon's Temple, but it also stimulated discussion on the very origins of architecture. However, his reconstruction was not without its critics. In the seventeenth and eighteen centuries critics included Louis Cappel, Samuel Lee, Louis Compiègne de Veil, Nicolaus Goldmann and others who produced alternative reconstructions of Solomon's Temple. In the twentieth century criticism from what appears to be an unusual source was uncovered. In Sir Isaac Newton's unpublished manuscripts he claimed that although Villalpando had created the best of the reconstructions of the Temple of Solomon, the reconstruction had many problems. 2013-03-11T00:41:47.589Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6184 A growing literature has been investigating whether urban areas are becoming polycentric through the emergence of contiguous employment concentrations in suburban areas, or whether cities are becoming subject to generalised employment dispersion as Gordon and Richardson (1996) argue with respect to Los Angeles. Research methods to identify sub-centres include ESDA, non-parametric quantitative techniques and both parametric and non-parametric econometric techniques, including locally weighted regression. In this paper, we address a gap in the recent Australian literature (but see Pfister et al, 2000), by utilising the approach developed by Giuliano and Small (1991) to investigate whether employment concentrations are emerging in suburban areas of Sydney, using Census employment data for 2001 and 2006 defined across Travel Zones. The evolution of the urban structure is important because it conveys theoretical insights about the role of agglomeration forces, as well as affecting spatial patterns of commuting, and hence urban sustainability. 2013-03-11T00:41:19.442Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6166 The profile of construction management students is changing. Our Bachelor of Construction Management (Building) program at Newcastle University (Australia) was recently reviewed by the Australian Institute of Building, the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveying and our University. Changes that were recommended required us to respond to market requirements and student expectations. Over the past three years the degree has been redeveloped to embrace mixed-mode delivery to on-campus as well as to distance learning students. This paper provides some background to the degree program, describes the various e-delivery approaches used for mixed-mode delivery and finally reports on students’ evaluation of the efficacy of these methods. 2013-03-11T00:41:18.106Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6165 This paper is based upon a survey carried out for the UK Heads of Department group, CHOBE (Council of Heads of Built Environment Departments). Its membership represents approximately 45 departments in the UK that offer programmes in construction, property and surveying. The survey was aimed at finding out the perceptions of these heads of department on a range of topics that influence the resourcing of these departments. The survey asked questions about staffing, students, curricula, research, accreditation and assessment. Respondents were also asked to identify the three most important issues facing these disciplines at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It was not surprising that recruitment and retention of appropriately skilled and knowledgeable staff were identified as the most common and important issues facing these disciplines. This was followed closely by links with industry and industry engagement. Whilst there were some differences in opinion expressed between those departments that are research-led compared with those that concentrate more on the delivery of programmes, such differences were not in some cases distinctive. 2013-03-11T00:41:10.277Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6164 The education of construction and building professionals at Universities is unique as the curricula straddle diverse areas, including building technology, design, law, management and finance. Furthermore, the opportunities for would-be Construction Managers, Quantity and Building Surveyors (CMQSBS) are extensive. In Australia, a buoyant construction industry is currently fuelling high student expectations. A recent KPMG (an Accounting firm) survey (Sher, Brewer, Gajendran & Williams 2007) reported the most significant challenge the industry faces is an increase in demand for qualified practitioners whilst there are decreasing graduates to be found. Currently CMQSBS programmes contribute over 1000 graduates annually, despite this contribution of graduates these disciplines make to the industry there are barriers to be found. For example, these disciplines are often overshadowed by high profile professions such as Architects and Engineers. More significantly there are possible issues facing these disciplines at the instructional level. An Australian Learning and Teaching Council (formally Carrick) grant has provided the opportunity to promote innovation and ‘best practice’ within the CMQSBS disciplines. This research project established at the University of Newcastle is investigating potential issues confronting the CMQSBS disciplines. This paper describes the process that has been undertaken for the study and reports on the preliminary findings from the online survey and qualitative data. Initially, broad issues within the CMQSBS disciplines have been studied and mapped through an online survey administered to full-time academic staff who teach in these professions Australia wide. Following the theme for this years AUBEA conference it will look at current ‘lean time’ influencing university CMQSBS education, these being how student’s time and teaching time influence teaching and learning and how these disciplines are administered Australia wide. The paper concludes by offering some observations of how these disciplines might be improved considering these current issues. 2013-03-11T00:41:10.256Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6187 The perceptions of university students with respect to the value of electronic delivery of various aspects of education were explored. There were some variations between student groups in reported usefulness and usability of the available technologies, in the values ascribed to various benefits and costs associated with use of technology, and in the values of the commonly cited benefits of flexibility in study time, place and method. Overall, students indicated only neutral liking for learning online, but a relatively high value for online educational delivery; provision of resources was the most highly valued feature, students were most concemed about loss of value due to reduced interaction with instructors and fellow students. 2013-03-11T00:41:04.428Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6167 The university education of construction professionals is unique as curricula straddle diverse areas, including technology, design, law, management and finance. Furthermore, the opportunities for would-be Construction Managers, Quantity Surveyors and Building Surveyors (CMQSBS) are extensive. A buoyant construction industry is currently fuelling high student expectations. Currently CMQSBS programs contribute over 1000 graduates annually. This paper reports on data gathered in an Australian Learning and Teaching Council grant which, inter alia, showcases innovation and best practice within these disciplines. The findings of some components of an online survey as well as interviews and focus groups are documented here as well as some observations of how these disciplines might be improved. 2013-03-11T00:41:00.373Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5156 Summary: Mysticism holds that there is an unseen non-empirical reality which is just as important in people's lives as concrete, observable reality and experience. Practical mysticism implies that this unseen reality results in concrete experience and a particular kind of knowing which is just as influential on people's actions and behaviour as observable reality. The authors draw a connection between practical mysticism and the increasing interest in themes relating to religion and spirituality in social work. These themes relate mainly to issues of meaning, motivation and intention in social work. Like all service professions, social work is undergoing re-evaluation away from merely pragmatic and instrumentalist conceptions of its mission to ones concerned with broader issues of meaning and purpose. In this context, issues of religious and spiritual motivation and intention become relevant. Findings: We propose that 'practical mysticism', arguably revived in Habermasian critical theory, has particular relevance to debates relating to the role of religion and spirituality in social work education and practice. Importantly, practical mysticism has the effect of impelling a rethinking of the relationship between spirituality, religion and the applied values inherent in day-to-day social work practice. We see the consideration of practical mysticism to be a fruitful way of embracing religious and spiritual discourses relevant to social work, including their link with social work ethics and practice. Applications: When combined with Habermasian critical and communicative action theories, a practical mystical approach to social work impels a practice (or praxis ) with enhanced potential to motivate the actions of social workers themselves, including in their sensitivity to the religious and spiritual motivations and needs of their clients, and so their capacity to engage more effectively with these clients. 2013-03-05T01:32:25.333Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5535 A community-based research study conducted in 2004 identified a number of women from disadvantaged communities who sought mentoring in personal, educational, and vocational aspects of their lives. Informed by this earlier research, a program titled Map Your Future was developed, and a pilot mentoring program commenced in 2005. This article describes the group program that was developed to prepare the women for a mentoring relationship, and the research methodology underpinning its development. It concludes with an exploration of the women’s experiences of the program. 2013-03-05T01:20:04.857Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4248 Masters Research - Master of Philosophy 2013-02-27T03:30:25.529Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3123 Masters Research - Master of Fine Art 2013-02-27T03:30:17.863Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11844 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2013-02-27T03:28:04.416Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4342 The impact of a positive classroom environment on boys and girls is significant to their satisfaction with school life, as well as enhancing academic progress and academic self-concept. Measures of school and classroom environments generally focus on social-emotional components such as: relationships between students and teachers; the student’s sense of connectedness with peers; feelings that learning is interesting for its own sake; a sense of achievement and a sense that learning is connected to opportunities beyond school. While these may be seen as aspects of good teaching they are also aspects identified in the literature as essential for improving educational outcomes for boys. Pedagogical practices which promote academic achievement in concert with the promotion of personal and interpersonal growth is essential for both genders. Yet little is known about quantifiable gender differences in satisfaction with school life and the differential response of males and females to the social-emotional aspects of classroom environment is under researched. This paper presents the findings of the first wave of data collection in a longitudinal study of male and female secondary students in Australia. The study is investigating the impact of targeted boys’ educational interventions at nine secondary schools on gender differences in perceptions of classroom environment, general self-concept and academic self-concept. 2013-02-27T00:36:37.527Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6130 At AUPEC 2007 a paper was presented titled “Design and Development of an 11kv H-Bridge Multilevel STATCOM”. This paper is an update of this former paper, and will present some preliminary experimental results and practical insights gained into the control of a low voltage prototype system that has been completed and commissioned since the previous paper. Early results showing output waveforms from the low voltage prototype will be presented. Furthermore, lessons learned with respect to the hardware architecture and control algorithms will be highlighted. 2013-02-19T02:10:11.330Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5906 Colonic polyps appear as elliptical protrusions on the inner wall of the colon. Previous algorithms assumed the shape of a polyp to be a spherical cap, so these algorithms are not flexible when the polyps are various cap shapes. This paper proposes an explicit parametric model for the polyps. The model captures the overall shape of the polyp and is used to derive the probability distribution of features relevant to polyp detection. The probability distribution represents the glocal properties of the candidates (where glocal properties capture both the global information and local information of the object). A unit sphere, referred to as a brilliant sphere, is used to represent the glocal information of the polyp. The observation sequence is obtained for the polyp candidates from the brilliant sphere information, and the observation sequence is then assessed by explicit models for classification. 2013-02-07T02:10:06.380Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12392 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2013-01-10T05:40:12.572Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12341 Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) 2013-01-07T04:40:25.565Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2753 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2012-11-16T01:10:03.198Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5252 Metallic hollow sphere structures (MHSS) constitute a group of innovative materials which are characterised by more constant material properties compared to classical cellular metals. Their big potential lies within multifunctional applications where combinations of their properties yield symbiotic advantages. In this paper, the effective thermal conductivity of MHSS materials is investigated. Three different approaches, namely a Finite Element Method, a Lattice Monte Carlo Method and an analytical Maxwell model, are used. It is shown that all approaches complement each other and that the results are in excellent agreement. 2012-11-12T21:40:02.180Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6505 We present two new families of identities for the multiple zeta (star) values: The first one generalizes the formula ζ*({2}n, 1) = 2ζ(2n + 1), where {2}n denotes the n-tuple (2,2,...,2), while the second family is a weighted analogue of Euler's formula ∑n-1;l=2 ζ(l,n - l) = ζ(n) (n ≥ 3). 2012-11-06T00:00:04.990Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11878 We prove ℚ-linear independence results for the values of the q-series T_q^t(z)= ∞ / ∑ / ν=0 q^{-tν(ν+1)/2_zν} and Θ(q^-t,z)= ∞ / ∑ / ν=-∞ q^-tν²_zν at different rational points z ≠ 0 and with different positive integer parameters t, where q ∈ ℤ {0, ± 1}. 2012-11-01T05:33:34.089Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:2174 Constipation can be a symptom of many diseases and disorders. Functional constipation refers to constipation in the absence of other easily identified diseases or disorders that have a primary or secondary effect on the colon, rectum and anal sphincter. Biofeedback has been suggested as an effective treatment for functional constipation. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of biofeedback for functional constipation identified five trials. All but one of those trials were of low methodological quality and, although the trials in general supported biofeedback treatment for functional constipation, the level of evidence for this recommendation was Grade C. Further robust research is needed to justify investment in, and use of, biofeedback to treat functional constipation. 2012-10-30T03:39:10.339Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7883 The paper details the findings of a recent research project in the realms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Innovation Management. The major issues considered by the project included: investigation of the possible inherent entrepreneurial nature of ICT; how to foster ICT innovation; and examination of the inherent difficulties currently found within the ICT industry of Australia in regards to supporting the development of innovative and creative ideas. The study was completed over a twelve month period with a focus on Internet technologies and their related innovators. The results of the research, included herein, have provided a number of unique contributions to the field in addition to a set of successful industry perspectives on ICT innovation. In particular how to manage and increase the opportunities for an entrepreneur in Australia to continue economic growth in the ICT sector. 2012-10-30T01:50:06.789Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5069 The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of Ganoderma lucidum for treatment of pharmacologically modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease in adults. This will include determining size, direction, and uncertainty of effect for each risk factor (blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides), and the consistency of effects between studies. The strength and consistency of evidence for adverse events will also be evaluated. 2012-10-23T04:50:02.779Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11731 We study regularity properties of the subdifferential of proper lower semicontinuous convex functions in Hilbert spaces. More precisely, we investigate the metric regularity and subregularity, the strong regularity and subregularity of such a subdifferential. We characterize each of these properties in terms of a growth condition involving the function. 2012-10-15T22:44:21.662Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6373 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Medicine (MD) 2012-09-13T23:42:12.751Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9978 We study finitely generated groups whose word problems are accepted by counter automata. We show that a group has word problem accepted by a blind n-counter automaton in the sense of Greibach if and only if it is virtually free abelian of rank n; this result, which answers a question of Gilman, is in a very precise sense an abelian analogue of the Muller–Schupp theorem. More generally, if G is a virtually abelian group then every group with word problem recognized by a G-automaton is virtually abelian with growth class bounded above by the growth class of G. We consider also other types of counter automata. 2012-06-25T23:37:31.238Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5971 In 1963, David Cole wrote in The Practice of Journalism that "the present period is the most crucial in the ever-changing history of newspapers and magazines. The problems seem more complex than previously, the dangers graver, and the demands made on every section within the industry more exacting" (1963: 15). Cole's observation illustrates that the perception of the print journalism industry has changed very little on a fundamental level over the last forty years – these observations could very well describe the digital environment journalists now work in. Keeping this in mind, one can ask how has digital technology affected the way print journalists produce their work in comparison to writing for the ‘traditional’ press? Preliminary findings from an ethnographic study into the creative practices of the print journalist indicate that the use of digital technology has had both a positive and negative effect. This paper discusses how news practitioners believe that this technology – the computer and computer programs, the Internet, email, mobile phones, and digital cameras – has enhanced their production practices but also created new challenges. However, it is important to recognise that rather than simply focusing on technology there are many factors that dictate changes in work practices and the research has revealed that the elements of good journalism are still regarded as important when writing in an online environment. 2012-06-05T01:40:09.229Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4526 Despite over a decade of research, only recently have the mechanisms governing transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) channel function begun to emerge, with an essential role for accessory proteins in this process. We previously identified a tyrosine phosphorylation event as critical in the plasma membrane translocation and activation of hTRPC4 channels following epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor activation. To further characterize the signaling events underlying this process, a yeast-two hybrid screen was performed on the C terminus of hTRPC4. The intracellular C-terminal region from proline 686 to leucine 977 was used to screen a human brain cDNA library. Two members of the spectrin family, αII- and βV-spectrin, were identified as binding partners. The interaction of hTRPC4 with αII-spectrin and βV-spectrin was confirmed by glutathione S-transferase pulldown and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Deletion analysis identified amino acids 730-758 of hTRPC4 as critical for the interaction with this region located within a coiled-coil domain, juxtaposing the Ca²⁺/calmodulin- and IP₃R-binding region (CIRB domain). This region is deleted in the proposed δhTRPC4 splice variant form, which failed to undergo both EGF-induced membrane insertion and activation, providing a genetic mechanism for regulating channel activity. We also demonstrate that the exocytotic insertion and activation of hTRPC4 following EGF application is accompanied by dissociation from αII-spectrin. Furthermore, depletion of αII-spectrin by small interference RNA reduces the basal surface expression of αhTRPC4 and prevents the enhanced membrane insertion in response to EGF application. Importantly, depletion of αII-spectrin did not affect the expression of the δ variant. Taken together, these results demonstrate that a direct interaction between hTRPC4 and the spectrin cytoskeleton is involved in the regulation of hTRPC4 surface expression and activation. 2012-05-29T02:40:04.561Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3818 Purpose: Urinary incontinence carries major social burden and considerable costs for health care systems. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in continence status among a large cohort of older women, and to identify factors associated with incidence of incontinence, and with improvements in continence status in later life. Methods: Women are participants of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH), aged 70-75 years in 1996 and who have completed four health surveys over the past 10 years. Transitions in continence status were defined according to women’s reports of “leaking urine” at each survey. General Estimating Equation models were in longitudinal analyses of the factors associated with changing continence status over time. Results: This study presents longitudinal data on the prevalence and incidence of incontinence from a large cohort of older women, over six years of follow-up. Over this time, 20% of the women in the study developed incontinence, and only a minority of women (2.3%) reported incontinence that was not present at later surveys. Around one-third of women reported incontinence on at least one survey; and 27% of women participating in Survey 4 in 2005 reported leaking urine sometimes or often at that survey, with women being twice as likely to report incontinence at this survey as they were six years earlier. Incontinence was clearly associated with lower physical and social functioning, but these differences also preceded the reporting of leaking urine. Parity was not strongly associated with incontinence, but other factors in the gynaecological history including prolapse, prolapse repair, and hysterectomy were. Constipation and dysuria were also strongly associated with incontinence in the longitudinal models. Conclusion: The findings have important implications for prevention and management of incontinence at older ages. 2012-05-29T02:05:43.787Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3817 Question: Is there an association between Caesarean section and back pain over the longer term? Design: Secondary analysis of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Participants: The mid-aged cohort of women within the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health aged 54 to 59 years (n = 9146). Outcome measures: Data were included from women who answered the question regarding back pain. Data were extracted on whether they had given birth and, if so, whether it was by Caesarean section. Then, data on confounding variables (such as arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, hysterectomy, ovaries removed, and repair of prolapsed vagina, bladder or bowel, menopause, smoking) were also extracted. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, women who delivered by Caesarean section had the same odds (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.31) of having back pain as women who had not had a birth. Conclusion: Previous delivery by Caesarean section is not associated with increased back pain in mid-aged Australian women. 2012-05-29T02:04:17.705Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4739 Barmah Forest virus (BFV) is a commonly occurring arbovirus in Australia. Notifications of Barmah Forest infections diagnosed by a single positive IgM serology test have been increasing in coastal New South Wales north of Newcastle. We report on a 6 month prospective review of all routine notifications of BFV from the Lower Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Sera from 37 consecutive cases were sent for confirmatory testing by ELISA and neutralisation assays and 32 cases were interviewed. On confirmatory testing, 7 patients' sera (19%) was found to contain no BFV antibodies and 6 (16%) had BFV IgG only. Only 4 cases had antibody levels compatible with recent infection. A clinical presentation of fever with either rash or joint pain was associated with confirmation of recent BFV infection. On the basis of these findings, caution is advised in the interpretation of a single positive IgM for Barmah Forest disease and the clinical picture is an important factor in the diagnosis. Serological notifications of BFV alone should not prompt public health action such as public warning and targeted vector control in endemic areas. 2012-05-29T00:52:40.053Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4762 During an influenza pandemic, public health staff may not report to work due to illness, transport disruptions or care responsibilities, including care of children if school closures occur. A survey was conducted in a population health unit to estimate the impact of closure of schools and day care facilities on staff ability to work at their usual workplace or at home, and determine their access to the Internet for communication. Staff were also asked about concerns associated with working from home. Eighty-seven staff completed a paper based survey. Thirty-eight per cent (33/87) of staff may be absent from work due to the impact of childcare and school closure, however 24 (73%) of these staff would be able to work from home with most having access to dial-up (87%) and broadband Internet access (71%). Staff reported concerns about potential exposure to pandemic influenza, the need for personal protection and clearly defined roles and training, availability of adequate equipment and technology to work from home, and sick leave provisions during a pandemic. While school and childcare closures will have a significant impact on public health agency staff, they have the capacity and willingness to work from home. Their practical concerns should be addressed to optimise their participation. 2012-05-29T00:51:51.568Z ]]> 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:5169 Purpose: A fear of falls is widespread amongst older Australians. It increases the risk of falls and can lead to restriction of activity. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the precursors of a fear of falls and the experiences associated with this fear. Methods: Using a qualitative, phenomenological method, individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 community-based participants who reported moderate to high levels of fear of falling. Results: Most participants did not fear falling until they had experienced a fall themselves. The fear of falls was described as a negative experience, often linked with incapacitation, fear of dependence and having to leave their home. Participants chose to avoid falls by ‘taking care’. Five themes emerged from data analysis: activity levels; view of the future; perceptions of fall experiences; fall avoidance; and development of fear of falls. Conclusions: The results indicated that factors other than a fear of falling resulted in a restriction of activities for these participants; therefore, it cannot be assumed that a fear of falls alone results in reduction of activity. Fear of falls, in combination with other potential issues that could restrict activities, should be taken into account in the development of fall-prevention programs in order to ensure clients’ needs are being met. 2012-05-28T23:09:42.238Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6230 We present early results from a 4x4 2.4GHz ISM band multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) testbed developed at the University of Newcastle for over-the-air evaluation of MIMO algorithms. To provide maximum flexibility for development of 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) algorithms, the testbed is designed around a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The testbed features a simple GUI interface for testbed control as well as a MATLAB interface allowing real channel measurements to be used in algorithm development and evaluation. These features are illustrated here with experimental results from the implementation of Alamouti Space-Time Coding with 64-QAM. 2012-05-28T23:05:29.262Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4392 This paper addresses the design of gradient-based search algorithms for multivariable system estimation. In particular, the paper here considers so-called ldquofull parametrizationrdquo approaches, and establishes that the recently developed ldquodata-driven local coordinaterdquo methods can be seen as a special case within a broader class of techniques that are designed to deal with rank-deficient Jacobians. This informs the design of a new algorithm that, via a strategy of dynamic Jacobian rank determination, is illustrated to offer enhanced performance. 2012-05-28T23:03:52.316Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4401 This paper presents methods for independently modifying the time and pitch scale of acoustic signals, with an emphasis on speech signals. The algorithms developed here use parametric (sinusoidal) modeling techniques introduced by other authors, but new perspectives on the role of vocal tract decomposition and maintaining phase relationships between sinusoidal tracks are derived that achieve improved output quality with decreased computational load. Simulation results are provided to illustrate performance, and the algorithms developed here have been demonstrated capable of implementation on simple DSP hardware. 2012-05-28T23:02:52.978Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10779 Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to show that free flowing teamwork depends on at least three aspects of team life: functional diversity, social cohesion and superordinate identity. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes the approach of a discussion, arguing for a strong need to understand multidisciplinary and cross-functional barriers for achieving team goals in the context of health care. These barriers include a strong medically dominated business model, historically anchored delineations between professional identities and a complex organisational environment where individuals may have conflicting goals. Findings: The paper finds that the complexity is exacerbated by the differences between and within health care teams. It illustrates the differences by presenting the case of an operating theatre team. Research limitations/implications: Whilst the paper recommends some ideas for acquiring these skills, further research is needed to assess effectiveness and influence of team skills training on optimising multidisciplinary interdependence in the health care environment. Originality/value: The paper shows that becoming a team member requires team membership skills. 2012-05-25T04:56:03.539Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6189 A linear system can be approximated in the time-frequency domain by the composition of an analysis filterbank, a transfer matrix (subband model) and a synthesis filterbank, a method known as subband technique. In this paper we propose an iterative method to jointly optimize the subband model, analysis and synthesis filterbanks. To this end we propose a minimization criterion which we solve using the so-called alternating least-squares method. As a possible application we consider the implementation of the so-called head related transfer functions which are used in virtual acoustics. Simulation results suggest that the subband technique, optimized using the proposed method proposed method, is a promising approach. 2012-05-24T02:10:05.658Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6039 The time-interleaved architecture permits implementing high frequency analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) by multiplexing the output of several time-shifted low frequency ADCs. An issue in the design of a time-interleaved ADC is the compensation of timing mismatch, which is the difference between the ideal and the real sampling times. In this paper we propose a compensation method which, as opposite to other approaches, do not make a bandlimited assumption on the signal to be sampled. The proposed compensation is designed in a statistically optimal sense, to minimize the power of the reconstruction error in the samples, for a given input signal power spectrum. Due to the non-bandlimited assumption, perfect reconstruction is not possible in general. However, if the input signal is bandlimited, the proposed method achieves perfect reconstruction, if no constraints are made in the order of the compensation. Simulation results show that the proposed compensation outperforms the other methods, in terms of the reconstruction error power, for a given fixed compensation order, except for signal having large zero regions in their power spectrum. A generalization of the proposed method solves this drawback, and will be addressed in a journal version. 2012-05-24T02:10:03.634Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4350 Piezoelectric tube scanners are widely used in scanning probe microscopes to position the sample or the probe. Fast and accurate scanning requires the suppression of dominant low-frequency resonances as well as the compensation of dynamics-coupling effects. The present article gives a detailed description of the fully coupled tube scanner dynamics over a wide frequency range modeled by finite element (FE) analysis using the commercially available software package ANSYS. The effect of a sample mass attached to the top of the tube is investigated by considering its added mass and local stiffening. A model order reduction scheme is applied to obtain a low order model that describes the lateral and vertical deflections as well as the voltage induced on quadrant electrodes. Comparison to experimental data demonstrates a good agreement for both the full FE model and reduced order model. 2012-05-22T05:44:49.531Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6016 Sound-scapes are useful for understanding our surrounding environments in applications such as security, source tracking or understanding human computer interaction. Accurate position or localisation information from sound-scape samples consists of many channels of high dimensional acoustic data. In this paper we demonstrate how to obtain a visual representation of sound-scapes by applying dimensionality reduction techniques to a range of artificially generated sound-scape datasets. Linear and non-linear dimensionality techniques were compared including principle component analysis (PCA), multi-dimensional scaling (MDS), locally linear embedding (LLE) and isometric feature mapping (ISOMAP). Results obtained by applying the dimensionality reduction techniques led to visual representations of affine positions of the sound source on its sound-scape manifold. These displayed clearly the order relationships of angles and intensities of the generated sound-scape samples. In a simple classification task with the artificial sound data, the successful combination of dimensionality reduction and classifier methods are demonstrated. 2012-05-22T04:37:14.717Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6146 Sound-scapes similar to landscapes, are geometric representations of an objects’ relative positions in the real world. In this paper we demonstrate how to obtain and use a sound-scape to assist the Aldebaran NAO with localisation. We apply dimensionality reduction techniques such as statistical learning methods which include neural networks, support vector machines, the recent graph based approximation technique isometric feature mapping to extract the NAO’s field co-ordinate from its recorded acoustic data. Results obtained includes visualisations of sound-scapes (robot’s positions on field) and positional accuracies of up to 80%. 2012-05-22T04:36:37.874Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5530 There is a striking similarity in the representation of historical white women in India and in Australia; on the one hand we find the 'memsahib' and on the other the 'missus', and both designated by their roles not only of wife and mother to white men, but also as mistress to native workers. 2012-05-16T02:20:04.305Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10599 Why do some firms invest more than others in training even if in the same industry? Applying a case study methodology to India’s information technology (IT) sector, we examine a much-neglected area and an often-cited need to consider external factors, especially the needs of an organisation’s customers/clients in a firm’s decision to invest in training. Employee turnover, client specifications and quality management systems were found to be the most important factors in shaping the nature and extent of training in the firms that were studied. The temporal dimension of the task, that is, the status of the process in its life cycle, was another significant factor in influencing the volume of training. This study confirms earlier findings that the choice of product-market strategy drives the nature and extent of firm training. However, our findings indicate that there is no simple relationship between firm strategy and training. The language of metrics-based quality improvement permeated all the organisations studied. This language facilitated conversion of client specifications into specific training activities. This ability, together with the firm’s varying levels of market and learning orientations, produced varying levels of operational and training responses. In addition to the factors identified in the extant literature that explain investment in training, this study’s distinctive contribution is in identifying the influence of a firm’s market orientation, learning orientation and quality management systems on the nature and extent of training in the IT-enabled services sector in India. Implications for research, policy makers and practitioners are briefly discussed. 2012-04-12T00:48:13.210Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4270 Fractal Geometry evolved in mathematics during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s; building on Benoit Mandelbrot’s proposal that natural systems frequently possess characteristic geometric complexity over multiple scales of observation. In 1996 Carl Bovill demonstrated a method for determining an approximate fractal dimension, or characteristic visual complexity, of architectural elevations and plans. This “box-counting” method, as used by Bovill, is the only known way to calculate and compare the fractal geometries of buildings. Significantly, past architectural analysis using the boxcounting approach has only been applied to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and a limited selection of ancient buildings. This paper will expand the set of cases tested by the boxcounting method to incorporate five house designs by Kazuyo Sejima, a famous, late 20th century minimalist architect. The fractal dimensions are calculated using a combination of Archimage and Benoit software, the former of which uses an extrapolation of Bovill’s box-counting method for the fractal analysis of house designs. Being the first examples of minimalist architecture tested by this method, this paper will also explore the extremities of this method, and Bovill’s suggestion that modern architecture with minimal visual complexity should result in a more Euclidean, rather than highly fractal, results. 2012-04-05T05:10:08.004Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4272 Fractal geometry, emerging from Benoit Mandelbrot’s mathematical proposals in the late 1970’s, has evolved from its initial domain in the sciences of non-linearity and complexity to a much broader disciplinary field that has recently included architecture. Inspired by Mandelbrot’s work, Carl Bovill’s 1996 research describes the “box-counting” method for calculating the approximate fractal dimension of the elevations and plans of buildings. Apart from box-counting, there are currently no methods available to determine, and thus compare, the fractal dimensions of buildings. Only a small number of buildings have been previously analysed by this method; these include houses by Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. This paper is the first investigation of the fractal dimensions of five of the house designs of Eileen Gray; a prominent architect working mainly in France between 1922 and 1956. In this paper, a computational variation of the box-counting approach is applied to a multi-dimensional review of the houses of Gray. This research is important because it expands the limited pool of examples of early Twentieth Century architects who have been analysed using the method. The paper concludes with a comparison between Gray’s results and outcomes from previous research on the fractal dimensions of the domestic architecture of her contemporary, Le Corbusier. This last component is important because it is the first attempt in any research project to validate the presumed correspondence between architectural style and fractal dimension. 2012-04-05T04:50:09.597Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10590 Using a case study research strategy, this paper examines the factors that influence a firm’s decision to invest in training in India’s IT-enabled services/business process outsourcing sector. It considers the much-neglected influence of customers’/clients’ needs on training. The study’s distinctive contribution is the linking of a firm’s market and learning orientation with quality management systems and its impact on training provision. Employee turnover, client specifications, quality management systems, the temporal dimension, and the product-market strategy were found to be important factors in shaping the nature and extent of training in the two firms included in this paper. The study also found that training, instead of it being a part of the HRM function was inextricably intertwined with its operations management infrastructure. 2012-04-05T04:10:02.757Z ]]>