http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13041 The standard of living conditions for indigenous Australians in remote areas of the Northern Territory (NT) is widely acknowledged as being below standards the remainder of the population is accustomed to. Project delivery programs have failed to address issues of overcrowding, poor living conditions and insufficient infrastructure that have proved to be a primary contributor to indigenous disadvantage leading to poor health, reduced life expectancy, and social, economic and cultural. Delivery methods for indigenous social housing and infrastructure is in need of reform to overcome the mounting problems and to address continuing disadvantage of indigenous communities. A current Government initiative is the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastucture Program (SIHIP) which is using an Alliance approach to deliver the planning, design and construction stages for social housing. Project Alliancing is a form of relational contracting that provides value for money, fosters trust, manages team goals, attracts multi-disciplinary expertise and encourages innovation in order to develop the best possible solutions for project delivery. Alliancing is characterised by project arrangements which ensure that risk is shared across all participants under a pain/gain-share system to overcome previous problems with traditional contractual approaches which have have been adversarial and inefficient. Through a case study approach, this paper analyses the SIHIP Project Alliance framework and focuses on specific outcomes of the Alliance partners. The SIHIP was particularly successful in terms of redefining program management principles, integrating community consultation and cultural considerations and devlivering sustainable housing projects for indigenous Australians. 2013-06-18T06:50:30.766Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13040 Mammalian spermatozoa attain the ability to fertilize an oocyte as they negotiate the female reproductive tract. This acquisition of functional competence is preceded by an intricate cascade of biochemical and functional changes collectively known as ‘‘capacitation.’’ Among the universal correlates of the capacitation process is a remarkable remodeling of the lipid and protein architecture of the sperm plasma membrane. While the mechanisms that underpin this dynamic reorganization remain enigmatic, emerging evidence has raised the prospect that it may be coordinated, in part, by specialized membrane microdomains, or rafts. In the present study we have demonstrated that human spermatozoa express recognized markers of membrane rafts. Further, upon depletion of membrane cholesterol through either physiological (capacitation) or pharmacological (methyl-b-cyclodextrin) intervention, these membrane rafts appear to undergo a polarized redistribution to the peri-acrosomal region of the sperm head. This finding encourages speculation that membrane rafts represent platforms for the organization of proteins involved in sperm–oocyte interactions. Support for this notion rests with the demonstration that membrane rafts isolated on the basis of their biochemical composition in the form of detergent resistant membranes (DRMs), possess the ability to adhere to homologous zona pellucidae. Furthermore a comprehensive proteomic analysis of the DRMs identified a number of proteins known for their affinity for the zona pellucida in addition to other candidates putatively involved in the mediation of downstream binding and/or fusion with the oolemma. Collectively these data afford novel insights into the subcellular localization and potential functions of membrane rafts in human spermatozoa. 2013-06-18T00:12:36.102Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13039 Recent thinking amongst conservationists, urban planners, and those in the cultural field, has focused on differences in the views and beliefs about cultural heritage and urban regeneration. Examples include the approaches to and understanding of conservation in the Asian region that tend to rely on total reconstruction or restoration to preserve monuments in the urban environment. This is underpinned by the belief in the importance of intangible values as opposed to tangible, the spiritual aspects of a site or place and the relationship between landscape and monument within the cultural landscape. There have been attempts to address these differences. Conservation guidelines such as the Nara Document on Authenticity and charters such as the Burra Charter provide flexibility in interpretations of cultural significance. However, the debate remains fractured and the solutions provided remain firmly within the Western/Euro-centric mechanistic reductionist worldview. This paper proposes and alternative theoretical framework to understanding and interpreting the process of urban regeneration in the Asian region by adopting the principles of resilience thinking. Resilience thinking engages in a transdisciplinary way the dynamic interconnections and interdependencies amongst the key systems of the urban environment. In summary, the work in the field of resilience thinking has made great gains in providing an understanding of the complex nature of social-ecological systems and how these could be better prepared to deal with disturbances and in the long term be sustainable. From the studies on urban resilience there is potential for an exciting opportunity to rethink our understanding of cultural built heritage and urban regeneration as a social-ecological system developing a more universal approach to its regeneration and ultimately its sustainability. 2013-06-17T06:54:28.441Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6480 The Ramanujan AGM continued fraction is a construct enjoying attractive algebraic properties, such as a striking arithmetic-geometric mean (AGM) relation and elegant connections with elliptic-function theory. But the fraction also presents an intriguing computational challenge. Herein we show how to rapidly evaluate R for any triple of positive reals a, b, η. Even in the problematic scenario when a ≈ b certain transformations allow rapid evaluation. In this process we find, for example, that when aη = bη = a rational number, Rη is essentially an Lseries that can be cast as a finite sum of fundamental numbers. We ultimately exhibit an algorithm that yields D good digits of R in O(D) iterations where the implied big-O constant is independent of the positive-real triple a, b, η. Finally, we address the evidently profound theoretical and computational dilemmas attendant on complex parameters, indicating how one might extend the AGM relation for complex parameter domains. 2013-06-12T01:23:33.887Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13038 The authors consider the best entropy estimate to a nonnegative density x̅ on IR^m given some of its algebraic or trigonometric moments. Using the special structure of this kind of problem, a useful linear relationship among the moments is derived. A simple algorithm then provides a fairly good estimate of x̅ by just solving a couple of linear systems. Numerical computations make the algorithm seem reasonable although the theoretical convergence is still an open problem. Some notes about the error bounds are given at the end of the paper. 2013-06-11T23:57:23.420Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13037 We show how various modular identities due to Ramanujan may be used to produce simple high order approximations to π. Various specializations are considered and the Gaussian arithmetic geometric mean formula for π is rederived as a consequence. 2013-06-11T23:55:54.907Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13036 We prove (something more general than) the result that a convex subset of a Banach space is closed if and only if every contraction of the space leaving the convex set invariant has a fixed point in that subset. This implies that a normed space is complete if and only if every contraction on the space has a fixed point. We also show that these results fail if "convex" is replaced by "Lipschitz-connected" or "starshaped". 2013-06-11T23:55:32.830Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13035 A self-contained and brief proof is given of the equivalence of the Hahn-Banach extension property (HB) and the conditional order completeness of the range space (LUB). Various other equivalences are discussed. 2013-06-11T23:55:00.097Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13034 We show that recent integral versions of the classic Jordan-Von Neumann characterization of Euclidean space may he viewed as special cases of a general averaging principle over sets of isometries. 2013-06-11T23:54:39.243Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13033 Solutions by J. M. Borwein, G. P. H. Styan and H. Wolkowicz to problem 81-1O, by L. V. Foster (University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown). 2013-06-11T23:53:53.212Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13032 We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a minimal upper semicontinuous multifunction defined on a separable Banach space to be the subdifferential mapping of a Lipschitz function. 2013-06-11T23:08:55.505Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9276 Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine radiation therapists’ knowledge on the nutritional management of side effects for patients receiving treatment to the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system and to determine the willingness of radiation therapists’ to participate in nutritional training. Method: A cross-sectional survey at a Radiation Oncology Treatment Centre was performed coupled with a semi-structured interview to explore radiation therapists’ knowledge and experiences related to patient nutritional care. Results: Eighty-one percent of participants agreed that they were often asked by patients for advice on eating. The majority of participants recognised that providing adequate nutrition support would be beneficial in terms of patient outcomes (91%) and ongoing patient compliance with nutrition advice (81%). However, participants demonstrated low confidence in providing nutrition support. Eighty-six percent of radiation therapists had not received any training on nutritional interventions and 100% of radiation therapists were interested in receiving more training. Conclusion: This research indicates that radiations therapists are often asked for nutritional advice by patients and recognise the associated benefits but are not confident in providing advice. Our findings reveal an opportunity for radiation therapists to provide scripted nutrition advice to patients to reinforce recommendations made by dietitian. 2013-06-11T05:50:49.782Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9277 This research analyses the interest that medical radiation science (MRS) students have about their academic and professional world when they are given the independence to freely choose a topic to research. The research setting includes students of three different MRS degrees who have had, up until the point that this research was carried out, more common learning than degree specific learning. To analyse student interest, a thematic analysis of the self selected topics to be researched for a group work project was undertaken. The results indicate that there are statistically significant differences in interest between students of the three MRS degrees, with students within a degree sharing a strong single unifying common interest in their academic or professional world. 2013-06-11T05:48:48.235Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13031 This paper considers the minimization of a convex integral functional over the positive cone of an L_p space, subject to a finite number of linear equality constraints. Such problems arise in spectralestimation, where the objective function is often entropy-like, and in constrained approximation. The Lagrangian dual problem is finite-dimensional and unconstrained. Under a quasi-interior constraint qualification, the primal and dual values are equal, with dual attainment. Examples show the primal value may not be attained. Conditions are given that ensure that the primal optimal solution can be calculated directly from a dual optimum. These conditions are satisfied in many examples. 2013-06-11T03:02:03.410Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13030 We produce exact cubic analogues of Jacobi's celebrated theta function identity and of the arithmetic-geometric mean iteration of Gauss and Legendre. The iteration in question is a_n+1 := a_n + 2b_n / 3 and b_n+1 := [formula cannot be replicated]. The limit of this iteration is identified in terms of the hypergeometric function ₂F₁ (1/3, 2/3; 1 ; ·), which supports a particularly simple cubic transformation. 2013-06-11T03:01:50.880Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13029 We study the problem of estimating a nonnegative density, given a finite number of moments. Such problems arise in numerous practical applications. As the number of moments increases, the estimates will always converge weak * as measures, but need not converge weakly in L₁. This is related to the existence of functions on a compact metric space which are not essentially Riemann integrable (in some suitable sense). We characterize the type of weak convergence we can expect in terms of Riemann integrability, and in some cases give error bounds. When the estimates are chosen to minimize an objective function with weakly compact level sets (such as the Bolzmann-Shannon entropy) they will converge weakly in L₁. When an L_p norm (1 < p < ∞) is used as the objective, the estimates actually converge in norm. These results provide theoretical support to the growing popularity of such methods in practice. 2013-06-11T03:01:42.226Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13028 In this note we aim to show conclusively that Mosco convergence of convex sets and functions and the associated Mosco topology τ_M are useful notions only in the reflexive setting. Specifically, we prove that each of the following conditions is necessary and sufficient for a Banach space X to be reflexive: (1) whenever A , A₁, A₂, A₃, ... are nonempty closed convex subsets of X with A = τ_M — lim A_n , then A° = τ_M — lim A°/_n ; (2) τ_M is a Hausdorff topology on the nonempty closed convex subsets of X ; (3) the arg min multifunction ∫ ⇉ {x ∈ X : ∫(x) = inf_x ∫} on the proper lower semicontinuous convex functions on X , equipped with τ_M , has closed graph. 2013-06-11T03:01:27.675Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13027 We study the relationship between Wijsman convergence and Mosco convergence for sequences of convex sets. Our central result is that Mosco convergence and Wijsman convergence coincide for sequences of convex sets if and only if the underlying space is reflexive with the dual norm having the Kadec property. 2013-06-11T03:01:10.589Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13026 We give a short proof the local boundedness of a monotone operator as an easy consequence of the continuity of an associated convex function. 2013-06-11T02:59:43.977Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12960 A mathematical solution to analyze a broad class of Dirichlet series is presented. 2013-06-11T00:55:55.608Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13025 Proper efficient points (Pareto maxima) are defined in tangent cone terms and are characterized by the existence of equivalent real-valued maximization problems. 2013-06-10T23:40:34.858Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13024 A general notion of a r-tangent cone is introduced and developed for optimization purposes. This includes as special cases both the weak and strong tangent cones that appear in the literature. First order conditions with and without constraint qualification are examined and particular examples are provided to demonstrate that these conditions properly subsume those previously in the literature. Emphasis is placed on weak Kuhn–Tucker sufficiency conditions. 2013-06-10T23:34:25.099Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13023 In this paper we introduce a new class of real-valued locally Lipschitz functions (that are similar in nature and definition to Valadier's saine functions), which we call arcwise essentially smooth, and we show that if g : R^m → R is arcwise essentially smooth on R^m and each function f_j : R^n → R, 1 ≤ j ≤ m, is strictly differentiable almost everywhere in Rⁿ, then g ○ f is strictly differentiable almost everywhere in Rⁿ, where f ≡ (f₁,f₂,...,f_m). We also show that all the semismooth and all the pseudoregular functions are arcwise essentially smooth. Thus, we provide a large and robust lattice algebra of Lipschitz functions whose generalized derivatives are well behaved. 2013-06-07T05:02:44.340Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13022 In this paper we extend the notion of a Lebesgue-null set to a notion which is valid in any completely metrizable Abelian topological group. We then use this definition to introduce and study the class of essentially smooth functions. These are, roughly speaking, those Lipschitz functions which are smooth (in each direction) almost everywhere. 2013-06-07T05:02:01.247Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13021 We construct, using Zahorski's Theorem, two everywhere differentiable real-valued Lipschitz functions differing by more than a constant but sharing the same Clarke subdifferential and the same approximate subdifferential. 2013-06-07T05:01:45.054Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13020 Euler sums (also called Zagier sums) occur within the context of knot theory and quantum field theory. There are various conjectures related to these sums whose incompletion is a sign that both the mathematics and physics communities do not yet completely understand the field. Here, we assemble results for Euler/Zagier sums (also known as multidimensional zeta/harmonic sums) of arbitrary depth, including sign alternations. Many of our results were obtained empirically and are apparently new. By carefully compiling and examining a huge data base of high precision numerical evaluations, we can claim with some confidence that certain classes of results are exhaustive. While many proofs are lacking, we have sketched derivations of all results that have so far been proved. 2013-06-07T05:00:30.902Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13019 Due to their extraordinary utility and broad applicability in many areas of classical mathematics and modern physical sciences (most notably, computerized tomography), algorithms for solving convex feasibility problems continue to receive great attention. To unify, generalize, and review some of these algorithms, a very broad and flexible framework is investigated. Several crucial new concepts which allow a systematic discussion of questions on behaviour in general Hilbert spaces and on the quality of convergence are brought out. Numerous examples are given. 2013-06-07T04:59:52.196Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13018 In Gateaux or bornologically differentiable spaces there are two natural generalizations of the concept of a Fréchet subderivative. In this paper we study the viscosity subderivative (which is the more robust of the two) and establish refined fuzzy sum rules for it in a smooth Banach space. These rules are applied to obtain comparison results for viscosity solutions of Hamilton–Jacobi equations in smooth spaces. A unified treatment of metric regularity in smooth spaces completes the paper. This illustrates the flexibility of viscosity subderivatives as a tool for analysis. 2013-06-07T04:58:19.104Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13006 Given a finite number of moments of an unknown density ̅ x on a finite measure space, the best entropy estimate-that nonnegative density x with the given moments which minimizes the Boltzmann-Shannon entropy I(x):=∫ x log x-is considered. A direct proof is given that I has the Kadec property in L₁-if Y_n converges weakly to ̅y and I(y_n) converges to I( ̅y ), then y_nn converges to ̅y in norm. As a corollary, it is obtained that, as the number of given moments increases, the best entropy estimates converge in L₁ norm to the best entropy estimate of the limiting problem, which is simply ̅ x in the determined case. Furthermore, for classical moment problems on intervals with ̅ x strictly positive and sufficiently smooth, error bounds and uniform convergence are actually obtained. 2013-06-07T02:39:21.210Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13017 In this paper we present two variants of the EM algorithm for dynamic SPECT imaging. A version based on compartmental modeling which fits a sum of exponentials and a more general approach allowing for arbitrary decaying activities. The underlying probabilistic models are discussed and the incomplete and complete data spaces are shown to be physically meaningful. We indicate that the second method, leading to a convex program in the M step, is easier to treat numerically and we present a possible numerical approach. Some preliminary numerical tests indicating the feasibility of the method are included. 2013-06-07T02:30:52.352Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13016 Multiple zeta values (MZVs, also called Euler sums or multiple harmonic series) are nested generalizations of the classical Riemann zeta function evaluated at integer values. The fact that an integral representation of MZVs obeys a shuffle product rule allows the possibility of a combinatorial approach to them. Using this approach we prove a longstanding conjecture of Don Zagier about MZVs with certain repeated arguments. We also prove a similar cyclic sum identity. Finally, we present extensive computational evidence supporting an infinite family of conjectured MZV identities that simultaneously generalize the Zagier identity. 2013-06-07T02:30:01.193Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13015 We make a general study of the convergence properties of lattice sums, involving potentials, of the form occurring in mathematical chemistry and physics. Many specific examples are studied in detail. The prototype is Madelung's constant for NaCl: [formula could not be replicated]= -1.74756459···, presuming that one appropriately interprets the summation proccess. 2013-06-07T02:29:42.569Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13014 We consider nonsmooth constrained optimization problems with semicontinuous and continuous data in Banach space and derive necessary conditions without constraint qualification in terms of smooth subderivatives and normal cones. These results, in different versions, are set in reflexive and smooth Banach spaces. 2013-06-07T02:29:12.299Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13013 We have developed a dynamic SPECT method which allows the prevalent rotating camera systems to be used. In this method, the parameters of the time-activity curve in each pixel are recovered directly from the projection data, without first reconstructing a series of static images. Preliminary test results show that we can accurately recover time-activity curves for a simple model based on activity values expected for myocardial viability studies with fatty acid tracers 2013-06-07T02:28:57.386Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13012 We present a second order differentiability theory for convex functions on Banach spaces. 2013-06-07T02:28:37.122Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13011 An intriguing log-cosine integral is fully analyzed and shown to have value a rational multiple of πζ (4), ζ being the Riemann zeta function. From this we deduce by means of generating functions and Parseval's identity the sums of certain series previously established by a completely different method. 2013-06-07T02:27:50.977Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13010 Standard techniques from the study of well-posedness show that if a fixed convex objective function is minimized in turn over a sequence of convex feasible regions converging Mosco to a limiting feasible region, then the optimal solutions converge in norm to the optimal solution of the limiting problem. Certain conditions on the objective function are needed as is a constraint qualification. If, as may easily occur in practice, the constraint qualification fails, stronger set convergence is required, together with stronger analytic/geometric properties of the objective function: strict convexity (to ensure uniqueness), weakly compact level sets (to ensure existence and weak convergence), and the Kadec property (to deduce norm convergence). By analogy with the L_p norms, such properties are termed "strong rotundity." A very simple characterization of strongly rotund integral functionals on L₁ is presented that shows, for example, that the Boltzmann-Shannon entropy ∫ x log x is strongly rotund. Examples are discussed, and the existence of everywhere- and densely-defined strongly rotund functions is investigated. 2013-06-07T02:27:34.621Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13009 There is a beautiful cubic analogue of Jacobi's fundamental theta function identity: θ⁴₃ = θ⁴₄ + θ⁴₂. It is ([formula cannot be replicated] q^n2+nm+m2)³ = ([formula cannot be replicated] ω^n-mq^n²+nm+m²)³ + ([formula cannot be replicated] q^{(n+1/3)²+(n+1/3)(m+1/3)+(m+1/3)²})³. Here ω = exp(2π i/3). In this note we provide an elementary proof of this identity and of a related identity due to Ramanujan. We also indicate how to discover and prove such identities symbolically. 2013-06-07T02:27:13.968Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13008 Best entropy estimation is a technique that has been widely applied in many areas of science. It consists of estimating an unknown density from some of its moments by maximizing some measure of the entropy of the estimate. This problem can be modelled as a partially-finite convex program, with an integrable function as the variable. A complete duality and existence theory is developed for this problem and for an associated extended problem which allows singular, measure-theoretic solutions. This theory explains the appearance of singular components observed in the literature when the Burg entropy is used. It also provides a unified treatment of existence conditions when the Burg, Boltzmann-Shannon, or some other entropy is used as the objective. Some examples are discussed. 2013-06-07T02:26:56.669Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13007 We introduce a new concept of efficiency in vector optimization. This concept, super efficiency, is shown to have many desirable properties. In particular, we show that in reasonable settings the super efficient points of a set are norm-dense in the efficient frontier. We also provide a Chebyshev characterization of super efficient points for nonconvex sets and a scalarization theory when the underlying set is convex. 2013-06-07T02:26:33.918Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13005 We give some general constructions of supportless convex subsets of normed spaces and pose a number of open questions. 2013-06-07T02:25:09.194Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13004 Objective: The goal of this exploratory study was to identify and describe notable cases of consumer involvement in Australian health research to generate insights and concepts, and assist others to develop and build capacity in this area. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with nine organisations known to be active in this area. The interviews were supplemented with content analysis of relevant documentation to further examine involvement strategies. Results: Key attributes that aid consumer involvement competence and contribute to success in this area are identified, including the availability of time, resources and supporting policies, principles and attitudes that securely back opportunities for consumers to be involved in meaningful ways. Conclusion: This study provides an important contribution to our knowledge and understanding of consumer involvement practice in Australian health research. The examples do not offer definitive approaches but rather highlights and lessons drawn from experiences in consumer involvement across a diverse range of organisations 2013-06-07T02:24:34.495Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12982 A broad class of optimization algorithms based on Bregman distances in Banach spaces is unified around the notion of Bregman monotonicity. A systematic investigation of this notion leads to a simplified analysis of numerous algorithms and to the development of a new class of parallel block-iterative surrogate Bregman projection schemes. Another key contribution is the introduction of a class of operators that is shown to be intrinsically tied to the notion of Bregman monotonicity and to include the operators commonly found in Bregman optimization methods. Special emphasis is placed on the viability of the algorithms and the importance of Legendre functions in this regard. Various applications are discussed. 2013-06-07T01:24:27.105Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13003 It is shown that the existence of a closed convex set all of whose points are properly supported in a Banach space is equivalent to the existence of a certain type of uncountable ordered one-sided biorthogonal system. Under the continuum hypothesis, we deduce that this notion is weaker than the existence of an uncountable biorthogonal system. 2013-06-07T01:08:16.418Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13002 We examine when a sequence of lsc convex functions on a Banach space converges uniformly on bounded sets (resp. compact sets) provided it converges Attouch-Wets (resp. Painlevé-Kuratowski). We also obtain related results for pointwise convergence and uniform convergence on weakly compact sets. Some known results concerning the convergence of sequences of linear functionals are shown to also hold for lsc convex functions. For example, a sequence of lsc convex functions converges uniformly on bounded sets to a continuous affine function provided that the convergence is uniform on weakly compact sets and the space does not contain an isomorphic copy of ℓ₁ 2013-06-07T01:06:17.898Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13000 In this paper we outline a path to full employment and inflation control based on the Job Guarantee (JG) proposal by Mitchell (1998) and develop some new analysis of this option. We also contrast it with the wage-cutting approach proposed by the so-called Five Economists (for example, Dawkins, 1999). The context of the paper is clear. If the misery index (sum of the unemployment rate and inflation) is computed for most OECD countries, then it is higher than it was in 1960, when full employment was systematically achieved, and unemployment now makes a higher contribution (Mitchell, 1996). The data reflects the shifting emphasis of economic policy over the last 40 years. The "NAIRU era" since the 1970s has since been associated with deficient demand and persistent unemployment. The orie indisputable fact is that the Australian economy (like most) has failed to generate enough employment to match the number of available workers. 2013-06-07T01:03:42.967Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12999 We use Baire categorical arguments to construct pathological locally Lipschitz functions. The origins of this approach can be traced back to Banach and Mazurkiewicz (1931) who independently used similar categorical arguments to show that "almost every continuous real-valued function defined on [0,1] is nowhere differentiable". As with the results of Banach and Mazurkiewicz, it appears that it is easier to show that almost every function possesses a certain property than to construct a single concrete example. Among the most striking results contained in this paper are: Almost every 1-Lipschitz function defined on a Banach space has a Clarke subdifferential mapping that is identically equal to the dual ball; if {T1, T2,...,T_n} is a family of maximal cyclically monotone operators defined on a Banach space X then there exists a real-valued locally Lipschitz function g such that ∂0g(x) = co{T₁(x), T₂(x),..., Tn(x)} for each x ∈ X; in a separable Banach space each non-empty weak compact convex subset in the dual space is identically equal to the approximate subdifferential mapping of some Lipschitz function and for locally Lipschitz functions defined on separable spaces the notions of strong and weak integrability coincide. 2013-06-07T01:02:18.056Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12998 Historically, the polylogarithm has attracted specialists and nonspecialists alike with its lovely evaluations. Much the same can be said for Euler sums (or multiple harmonic sums), which, within the past decade, have arisen in combinatorics, knot theory and high-energy physics. More recently, we have been forced to consider multidimensional extensions encompassing the classical polylogarithm, Euler sums, and the Riemann zeta function. Here, we provide a general framework within which previously isolated results can now be properly understood. Applying the theory developed herein, we prove several previously conjectured evaluations, including an intriguing conjecture of Don Zagier. 2013-06-07T00:59:13.973Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12997 We show that on a separable Banach space most Lipschitz functions have maximal Clarke subdifferential mappings. In particular, the generic nonexpansive function has the dual unit ball as its Clarke subdifferential at every point. Diverse corollaries are given. 2013-06-07T00:57:16.200Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12996 In this paper we show that the study of integrability and D- representability of Lipschitz functions defined on arbitrary Banach spaces reduces to the study of these properties on separable Banach spaces. 2013-06-07T00:49:30.582Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:13001 Let a; b; c be positive integers and define the so-called triple, double and single Euler sums by ζ(a,b,c) ≔ [formula cannot be replicated], ζ(a,b) ≔ [formula cannot be replicated], ζ(a) ≔ [formula cannot be replicated] Extending earlier work about double sums, we prove that whenever a + b + c is even or less than 10, then ζ(a,b,c) can be expressed as a rational linear combination of products of double and single Euler sums. The proof involves finding and solving linear equations which relate the different types of sums to each other. We also sketch some applications of these results in Theoretical Physics. 2013-06-06T06:39:31.030Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12995 This paper deals with the assessment of the performance of reconstruction methods for computed tomography, including Filtered Back Projection and ‘entropy-like’ methods. For each of these methods, the influence of errors in the measured data on the reconstructed image is analyzed. A small perturbation of the data vector induces a perturbation of the reconstructed object which can be computed by means of the sensitivity matrix. Using appropriate matrix computation techniques, an upper bound on the size of the reconstruction error is determined, as well as the pattern of noise in the sinogram that will result in the largest reconstruction error. Simulations will illustrate our analysis and demonstrate its utility in the interpretation of computed images and in the selection of reconstruction parameters. 2013-06-06T06:20:01.594Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12994 It has long been argued that gender considerations are an important factor in educational outcomes for students. The impact of social and of cultural beliefs concerning the value of education has often been implicated in gender differences in outcomes of schooling. While social constructions of masculinity warrant scrutiny both in society in general and in education, a focus on the social determinants of behaviour and attitudes does not always allow for full consideration of individual factors, such as affective or social-emotional determinants of responses to situations. This paper discusses the findings of a qualitative study of student perceptions of quality of school life and of student self-concept that was conducted in six different Australian schools. The findings of this study show that as well as gender differences, there were differences related to the school location, the socio-economic group the students belonged to, and the age of the student. These findings point towards the need to investigate gender in schools using an ecological model of gendered perceptions of school life that can take account of both individual and environmental factors. 2013-06-06T06:19:17.124Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12186 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2013-06-06T05:17:05.339Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12993 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2013-06-06T05:13:53.978Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12992 In this paper a theoretical study of the behavior of structured soils, including both clays and sands, is presented. A new model, which is referred to as the “Sydney soil model,” is formulated within the framework of critical state soil mechanics. In the proposed model, the mechanical behavior of soil is divided into two parts, that at a reference state and that attributed to the influence of soil structure. The reference state behavior is formulated according to the soil properties at the critical state of deformation, based on the concept of plastic volumetric hardening. The effects of structure are captured in the model by incorporation of the additional voids ratio that arises owing to the presence of soil structure. The formulation is generalized to include both isotropic compression and general shearing. In part I of this paper, a new theoretical framework for modeling structured soil behavior and the formulation of the proposed Sydney soil model are introduced. In part II of this paper, the Sydney soil model is employed to simulate the behavior of clays and sands, including calcareous clays and sands subjected to both drained and undrained shearing, and the performance of the model is evaluated. 2013-06-06T04:39:21.690Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12991 This paper presents simulations of the mechanical behavior of reconstituted and natural soils using a new model presented in a companion paper and referred to as the “Sydney soil model.” It is demonstrated that the performance of the proposed model is essentially the same as that of modified Cam clay model when describing the behavior of clays in laboratory reconstituted states. The model has also been employed to simulate the drained and undrained behavior of structured clays and sands, including calcareous clay and sand. Five sets of conventional triaxial tests and one set of true triaxial tests have been considered. It is demonstrated that the new model provides satisfactory qualitative and quantitative modeling of many important features of the behavior of structured soils, particularly in capturing various patterns of the stress and strain behavior associated with soil type and structure. A general discussion of the model parameters is also included. It is concluded that the Sydney soil model is suitable for representing the behavior of many soils if their ultimate state during shearing can be defined by an intrinsic and constant stress ratio M∗ and a unique relationship between mean effective stress and voids ratio, i.e., a unique p′−e curve. 2013-06-06T04:39:03.417Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12990 Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) 2013-06-06T00:54:01.819Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12989 Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Clinical and Health Psychology 2013-06-06T00:51:31.340Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:4011 Examines the educational objectives that underpin the process of assessment. Reviews earlier initiatives for the integration of self-assessment and reflective practice across a construction management curriculum delivered using integrated problem-based learning. Reports the most recent student perceptions of reflective self-assessment. Describes the subsequent development of a structured assessment instrument for implementation in 2004 across the entire programme, evolved to satisfy the requirements of university quality assurance procedures and to encourage the development of students reflective practice and innovation. 2013-06-05T23:41:03.775Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12985 We show that a Banach space is a Grothendieck space if and only if every continuous convex function on X has a continuous biconjugate function on X^**, thus also answering a question raised by S. Simons. Related characterizations and examples are given. 2013-06-04T23:48:13.951Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12984 The aim of this paper is to characterize in terms of scalar quasiconvexity the vector-valued functions which are Κ-quasiconvex with respect to a closed convex cone Κ in a Banach space. Our main result extends a wellknown characterization of Κ-quasiconvexity by means of extreme directions of the polar cone of Κ, obtained by Dinh The Luc in the particular case when Κ is a polyhedral cone generated by exactly n linearly independent vectors in the Euclidean space ℝⁿ. 2013-06-04T23:45:17.234Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12983 The Bartle-Graves theorem extends the Banach open mapping principle to a family of linear and bounded mappings, thus showing that surjectivity of each member of the family is equivalent to the openness of the whole family. In this paper we place this theorem in the perspective of recent concepts and results, and present a general Bartle-Graves theorem for set-valued mappings. As applications, we obtain versions of this theorem for mappings defined by systems of inequalities, and for monotone variational inequalities. 2013-06-04T23:41:20.385Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12988 We provide evaluations of several recently studied higher and multiple Mahler measures using log-sine integrals. This is complemented with an analysis of generating functions and identities for log-sine integrals which allows the evaluations to be expressed in terms of zeta values or more general polylogarithmic terms. The machinery developed is then applied to evaluation of further families of multiple Mahler measures. 2013-06-04T23:37:03.644Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12987 The notion of a maximal monotone operator is crucial in optimization as it captures both the subdifferential operator of a convex, lower semicontinuous, and proper function and any (not necessarily symmetric) continuous linear positive operator. It was recently discovered that most fundamental results on maximal monotone operators allow simpler proofs utilizing Fitzpatrick functions. In this paper, we study Fitzpatrick functions of continuous linear monotone operators defined on a Hilbert space. A novel characterization of skew operators is presented. A result by Brézis and Haraux is reproved using the Fitzpatrick function. We investigate the Fitzpatrick function of the sum of two operators, and we show that a known upper bound is actually exact in finite-dimensional and more general settings. Cyclic monotonicity properties are also analyzed, and closed forms of the Fitzpatrick functions of all orders are provided for all rotators in the Euclidean plane. 2013-06-04T23:35:59.556Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12986 It is known that the generalized Laguerre polynomials can enjoy subexponential growth for large primary index. In particular, for certain fixed parameter pairs (a, z) one has the large-n asymptotic behavior L_n^(−a)(−z)~C(a,z)n^−a/2−1/4e2^√nz. We introduce a computationally motivated contour integral that allows efficient numerical Laguerre evaluations yet also leads to the complete asymptotic series over the full parameter domain of subexponential behavior. We present a fast algorithm for symbolic generation of the rather formidable expansion coefficients. Along the way we address the difficult problem of establishing effective (i.e., rigorous and explicit) error bounds on the general expansion. A primary tool for these developments is an “exp-arc” method giving a natural bridge between converging series and effective asymptotics. 2013-06-04T23:34:49.211Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12980 In a recent paper we have shown that most non-expansive Lipschitz functions (in the sense of Baire's category) have a maximal Clarke subdifferential. In the present paper, we show that in a separable Banach space the set of non-expansive Lipschitz functions with a maximal Clarke subdifferential is not only generic, but also staunch in the space of non-expansive functions. 2013-06-04T23:25:20.550Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12976 Since Ramanujan’s 1987 centennial, much new mathematics has been stimulated by uncanny formulas in Ramanujan’s Notebooks (lost and found). In illustration, I mention the exposition by Moll and his colleagues which illustrates various neat applications of Ramanujan’s Master Theorem, which extrapolates the Taylor coefficients of a function, and relates them to methods of integration used in particle physics. I also note lovely work on the modular functions behind Apéry and Domb numbers by Chan and others, and finally I mention my own work with Crandall on Ramanujan’s arithmetic-geometric continued fraction. 2013-06-04T23:22:42.395Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12973 We continue the analysis of higher and multiple Mahler measures using log-sine integrals as started in “Log-sine evaluations of Mahler measures” and “Special values of generalized log-sine integrals” by two of the authors. This motivates a detailed study of various multiple polylogarithms and worked examples are given. Our techniques enable the reduction of several multiple Mahler measures, and supply an easy proof of two conjectures by Boyd. 2013-06-04T23:21:14.527Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12981 This article revisits the maximum entropy algorithm in the context of recovering the probability distribution of an asset from the prices of finitely many associated European call options via partially finite convex programming. We are able to provide an effective characterization of the constraint qualification under which the problem reduces to optimizing an explicit function in finitely many variables. We also prove that the value (or objective) function is lower semicontinuous on its domain. Reference is given to a website which exploits these ideas for the efficient computation of the maximum entropy solution (MES). 2013-06-04T23:02:56.979Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12979 We study a generalization of a continued fraction of Ramanujan with random, complexvalued coefficients. A study of the continued fraction is equivalent to an analysis of the convergence of certain stochastic difference equations and the stability of randomdynamical systems. We determine the convergence properties of stochastic difference equations and so the divergence of their corresponding continued fractions. 2013-06-04T23:01:54.181Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:6464 Motivated by applications to (directionally) Lipschitz functions, we provide a general result on the almost everywhere Gâteaux differentiability of real-valued functions on separable Banach spaces, when the function is monotone with respect to an ordering induced by a convex cone with nonempty interior. This seemingly arduous restriction is useful, since it covers the case of directionally Lipschitz functions, and necessary. We show by way of example that most results fail more generally. 2013-06-04T05:39:56.735Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7551 Review of: The Princeton Companion to Mathematics. Edited by Timothy owers, with June Barrow-Green and Imre Leader. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2008. $99.00. xxii+ 1034 pp., hardcover. ISBN 978-0-691-11880-2. 2013-06-04T05:30:39.296Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11946 We provide an explicit recipe for constructing a function on an arbitrary real Banach space whose Clarke and approximate subdifferentials are identically equal to the dual unit ball. 2013-06-04T05:20:36.199Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10649 A previous study by one of the present authors, together with D. Borwein and I. E. Leonard [8], studied the asymptotic behavior of the p-norm of the sine function: sinc(x) = (sinx)/x and along the way looked at closed forms for integer values of p. In this study we address these integrals with the tools of experimental mathematics, namely by computing their numerical values to high precision, both as a challenge in itself, and also in an attempt to recognize the numerical values as closed-form constants. With this approach, we are able to reproduce several of the results of [8] and to find new results, both numeric and analytic, that go beyond the previous study. 2013-06-04T05:14:55.907Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10014 We establish representations of a monotone mapping as the sum of a maximal subdifferential mapping and a "remainder" monotone mapping, where the remainder is "acyclic" in the sense that it contains no nontrivial subdifferential component. This is the nonlinear analogue of a skew linear operator. Examples of indecomposable and acyclic operators are given. In particular, we present an explicit nonlinear acyclic operator. 2013-06-04T05:07:49.253Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11904 We study the densities of uniform random walks in the plane. A special focus is on the case of short walks with three or four steps and, less completely, those with five steps. As one of the main results, we obtain a hypergeometric representation of the density for four steps, which complements the classical elliptic representation in the case of three steps. It appears unrealistic to expect similar results for more than five steps. New results are also presented concerning the moments of uniform random walks and, in particular, their derivatives. Relations with Mahler measures are discussed. 2013-06-04T00:28:19.256Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12925 The article offers information on a study which explores the random walks of real numbers. It focuses on the number pi, a mathematical constant which can be generated by simple algorithms and behaves randomly. It describes and exhibits uniform walks of numbers and quantifies the two features of random walks. It also describes the classes of normality and nonnormality results and provides various examples. 2013-06-04T00:27:12.093Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12926 We investigate the moments of 3-step and 4-step uniform random walk in the plane. In particular, we further analyse a formula conjectured in BNSW expressing 4-step moments in terms of 3-step moments. Diverse related results including hypergeometric and elliptic closed forms for W₄(± 1) are given and two new conjectures are recorded. 2013-06-04T00:25:47.406Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12922 Stimulated by earlier work by Moll and his coworkers (Amdeberhan et al., Proc. Am. Math. Soc., 139(2):535-545, 2010), we evaluate various basic log Gamma integrals in terms of partial derivatives of Tornheim-Witten zeta functions and their extensions arising from evaluations of Fourier series. In particular, we fully evaluate LG_n = ∫₀¹logⁿΓ(x)dx for 1≤n≤4 and make some comments regarding the general case. The subsidiary computational challenges are substantial, interesting and significant in their own right 2013-06-04T00:18:56.707Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12927 The Mahler measure of a polynomial in several variables has been a subject of much study over the past thirty years — very few closed forms are proven but more are conjectured. In the case of multiple Mahler measures more tractable but interesting families exist. Using values of log-sine integrals we provide systematic evaluations of various higher and multiple Mahler measures. The evaluations in terms of log-sine integrals become particularly useful in light of the fact that log-sine integrals may be automatically reexpressed as polylogarithmic values. We present this correspondence along with related generating functions for log-sine integrals. Our initial interest in considering Mahler measures stems from a study of uniform random walks in the plane as first introduced by Pearson. The main results on the moments of the distance traveled by an nn-step walk, as well as the corresponding probability density functions, are reviewed. It is the derivative values of the moments that are Mahler measures. This work would be impossible without very extensive symbolic and numeric computations. It also makes frequent use of the new NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions and similar tools. Our intention is to show off the interplay between numeric and symbolic computing while exploring the three mathematical topics in the title 2013-06-04T00:17:32.095Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7553 Given a Banach space (Χ,∥ · ∥), we study the connection between uniformly convex functions f : Χ → R bounded above by ∥ · ∥ᵖ and the existence of norms on X with moduli of convexity of power type. In particular, we show that there exists a uniformly convex function f : Χ → ℝ bounded above by ∥ · ∥² if and only if Χ admits an equivalent norm with modulus of convexity of power type 2. 2013-06-04T00:16:09.391Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12940 Of key importance in convex analysis and optimization is the notion of duality, and in particular that of Fenchel duality. This work explores improvements to existing algorithms for the symbolic calculation of subdifferentials and Fenchel conjugates of convex functions defined on the real line. More importantly, these algorithms are extended to enable the symbolic calculation of Fenchel conjugates on a class of real-valued functions defined on Rⁿ. These algorithms are realized in the form of the Maple package SCAT. 2013-06-04T00:14:37.527Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10338 Recent years have seen the flowering of "experimental" mathematics, namely the utilization of modern computer technology as an active tool in mathematical research. This development is not limited to a handful of researchers, nor to a handful of universities, nor is it limited to one particular field of mathematics. Instead, it involves hundreds of individuals, at many different institutions, who have turned to the remarkable new computational tools now available to assist in their research, whether it be in number theory, algebra, analysis, geometry or even topology. These tools are being used to work out specific examples, generate plots, perform various algebraic and calculus manipulations, test conjectures, and explore routes to formal proof. Using computer tools to test conjectures is by itself a major time saver for mathematicians, as it permits them to quickly rule out false notions. 2013-06-03T06:45:36.750Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12978 Building information modelling (BIM) promises some potentially radical benefits if adopted and correctly deployed on construction projects. However, significant literature evidence suggests that certain benefits of innovations such as BIM only become feasible and realizable when their legal frameworks are clear and implementable. Interestingly, existing legal frameworks for professional service delivery in architectural, engineering, construction and operations (AECO) industries are apparently biased to fragmented conventions than contemporary contractual risks in e-business. This, potentially, is a major concern against speedy adoption of BIM. Arguably, AECO industries have not remained static in the past years regarding the adoption of integrated technologies that enable creation and sharing of information across discipline boundaries. Moreover, integrated systems have a long history in construction which is not limited to BIM - there are other software applications that are being deployed to service integrated innovations and multidisciplinary business systems. Whilst the industry still struggles to improve on the speed of adopting and deploying these innovative technologies, the herculean task is how to create workable legal frameworks that will service the potential benefits being proposed in BIM. Some variables of contractual risks in changing technologies have been conceptualized in some recent studies; with recommendations on some useful modifications to conventional legal frameworks in e-contracting, which are not yet very definitive at present. This article reviews scholarly perspectives regarding legal implication of BIM adoption: ownership and control of BIM models, potential revolution in standard of care as a reaction to changes in processes and practices that are driven by past technologies. Professional liabilities in electronic and integrated project delivery systems are also discussed. In the end, conclusions are drawn on potential benefits of resolving these challenges. 2013-06-03T05:40:11.346Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7552 Herein we develop connections between zeta functions and some recent "mysterious" constants of nonlinear physics. In an important analysis of coupled Winfree oscillators, Quinn, Rand, and Strogatz [Quinn et al. 07] developed a certain N-oscillator scenario whose bifurcation phase offset small ⍉ is implicitly defined, with a conjectured asymptotic behavior sin ⍉ ~ 1−ᴄ₁/N, with experimental estimate ᴄ₁ = 0.605443657 . . .. We are able to derive the exact theoretical value of this "QRS constant" ᴄ₁ as a real zero of a particular Hurwitz zeta function. This discovery enables, for example, the rapid resolution of c1 to extreme precision. Results and conjectures are provided in regard to higher-order terms of the sin ⍉ asymptotic, and to yet more physics constants emerging from the original QRS work. 2013-06-03T05:29:01.842Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12977 Our community (appropriately defined) is facing a great challenge to re-evaluate the role of proof in light of the growing power of current computer systems, of modern mathematical computing packages and of the growing capacity to datamine on the internet. Add to that the enormous complexity of many modern mathematical results such as the Poincar´e conjecture, Fermat’s last theorem, and the classification of finite simple groups. As the need and prospects for inductive mathematics blossom, the need to ensure that the role of proof is properly founded remains undiminished. 2013-06-03T05:08:03.927Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11249 Box integrals - expectations 〈|r→|s or 〈|r→ - q→|s〉 over the unit n-cube - have over three decades been occasionally given closed forms for isolated n, s. By employing experimental mathematics together with a new, global analytic strategy, we prove that for each of n = 1, 2, 3, 4 dimensions the box integrals are for any integer s hypergeometrically closed ("hyperclosed") in an explicit sense we clarify herein. For n = 5 dimensions, such a complete hyperclosure proof is blocked by a single, unresolved integral we call K₅; although we do prove that all but a finite set of (n = 5) cases enjoy hyperclosure. We supply a compendium of exemplary closed forms that arise naturally from the theory. 2013-06-03T04:54:18.778Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12975 Research mathematicians now use the computer in a variety of ways to draw pictures, inspect numerical data, manipulate expressions symbolically, and run simulations. However, it seems to us that there has not yet been substantial and intellectually rigorous progress in the way mathematics is presented in research papers, textbooks, and classroom instruction or in how the mathematical discovery process is organized. 2013-06-03T04:42:10.252Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12887 Assessing dietary intake is important in evaluating childhood obesity intervention effectiveness. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the dietary intake methods and reporting in intervention studies that included a dietary component to treat overweight or obese children. A systematic review of studies published in the English language, between 1985 and August 2010 in health databases. The search identified 2,295 papers, of which 335 were retrieved and 31 met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-three studies reported energy intake as an outcome measure, 20 reported macronutrient intakes and 10 studies reported food intake outcomes. The most common dietary method employed was the food diary (n = 13), followed by 24-h recall (n = 5), food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) (n = 4) and dietary questionnaire (n = 4). The quality of the dietary intake methods reporting was rated as ‘poor’ in 15 studies (52%) and only 3 were rated as ‘excellent’. The reporting quality of FFQs tended to be higher than food diaries/recalls. Deficiencies in the quality of dietary intake methods reporting in child obesity studies were identified. Use of a dietary intake methods reporting checklist is recommended. This will enable the quality of dietary intake results to be evaluated, and an increased ability to replicate study methodology by other researchers. 2013-06-03T02:44:40.779Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10850 Uncertainty around long-term droughts and water scarcity has been increasing as the impacts of El Nino cycles are felt globally. Understanding how the effects of these events are manifested on the ground in communities is particularly important if governments and associated agencies are to respond appropriately. Using a qualitative approach, this paper examines the impacts of drought on two rural towns in Victoria, Australia, and explores what lessons can be drawn from local experiences. The research suggests that previous responses to drought by governments have been largely ineffectual and as such, we question whether there is a need to reshape institutional understandings of what adapting to drought might mean. This research, therefore, seeks to further the discussion surrounding drought impacts and the myriad of challenges associated with it by drawing on locally situated knowledge to inform future decision-making in this evolving field of study. 2013-06-03T02:40:33.429Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12974 Rationale: Proteomics may identify a useful panel of biomarkers for identification of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objectives: To conduct an unsupervised analysis of peripheral blood proteins in well-characterized subjects with asthma and COPD, and identify and validate a biomarker panel for disease discrimination. Methods: Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis was used to separate plasma proteins from healthy control subjects, stable patients with asthma, and individuals with COPD. Candidate protein markers were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry and subsequently validated in two populations via immunoassay. A panel of four biomarkers was selected and their ability to distinguish between groups was assessed in isolation and in combination in two separate validation populations. Measurements and Main Results: Seventy-two protein spots displayed significantly different expression levels between the three subject groupings (P<0.05). Fifty-eight were positively identified, representing 20 unique proteins. A panel of four biomarkers (α2-macroglobulin, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, and hemopexin) was able to discriminate with statistical significance between the clinical groups of patients with asthma, patients with COPD, and control subjects, and these results were confirmed in a second clinical population of older adults with airflow obstruction. Conclusions: Proteomics has identified novel biomarkers for asthma and COPD,and shown that the iron metabolism pathways and acute phase response may be involved in the pathogenesis of airway disease. The panel of peripheral blood biomarkers has the potential to become an extremely useful addition to the clinical diagnosis and management of respiratory disease. 2013-06-03T01:30:21.858Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12972 In a recent study of representing Dirac's delta distribution using q-exponentials, Jauregui and Tsallis experimentally discovered formulae for π as hypergeometric series as well as certain integrals. Herein, we offer rigorous proofs of these identities using various methods and our primary intent is to lay down an illustration of the many technical underpinnings of such evaluations. This includes an explicit discussion of creative telescoping and Carlson's Theorem. We also generalize the Jauregui–Tsallis identities to integrals involving Chebyshev polynomials. In our pursuit, we provide an interesting tour through various topics from classical analysis to the theory of special functions. 2013-05-31T04:12:38.688Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12971 A one-dimensional numerical implementation of the Lemaitre damage model is presented. The implementation is close to classical finite element schemes but can be realised by simple codes or by the application of commercial computer algebra systems. Based on the presented theory and computational algorithm, the elasto-plastic deformation of a one-dimensional bar is simulated. The damage evolution is evaluated for different isotropic hardening behaviour and stated as a function of the plastic strain. The described algorithm allows a simple investigation of the influence of different parameters on the damage evolution. 2013-05-31T03:35:33.620Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12970 Mathematics abounds in terms that are in frequent use yet are rarely made precise. Two such are rigorous proof and closed form (absent the technical use within differential algebra). If a rigorous proof is “that which ‘convinces’ the appropriate audience,” then a closed form is “that which looks ‘fundamental’ to the requisite consumer.” In both cases, this is a community-varying and epoch-dependent notion. What was a compelling proof in 1810 may well not be now; what is a fine closed form in 2010 may have been anathema a century ago. In this article we are intentionally informal as befits a topic that intrinsically has no one “right” answer. Let us begin by sampling the Web for various approaches to informal definitions of “closed form”. 2013-05-31T03:27:47.483Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12969 Purpose: In recent years attention has been directed to the problem of solving the Poisson equation, either in engineering scenarios (computational) or in regard to crystal structure (theoretical). Methods: In (Bailey et al. in J. Phys. A, Math. Theor. 46:115201, 2013, doi:10.1088/1751-8113/46/11/115201) we studied a class of lattice sums that amount to solutions of Poisson’s equation, utilizing some striking connections between these sums and Jacobi ϑ-function values, together with high-precision numerical computations and the PSLQ algorithm to find certain polynomials associated with these sums. We take a similar approach in this study. Results: We were able to develop new closed forms for certain solutions and to extend such analysis to related lattice sums. We also alluded to results for the compressed sum ϕ2(x,y,d):=1π2∑m,n∈Ocos(πmx)cos(πnd√y)m2+dn2,(1) where d>0, x, y are real numbers and Odenotes the odd integers. In this paper we first survey the earlier work and then discuss the sum (1) more completely. Conclusions: As in the previous study, we find some surprisingly simple closed-form evaluations of these sums. In particular, we find that in some cases these sums are given by 1/π logA, where A is an algebraic number. These evaluations suggest that a deep theory interconnects all such summations. 2013-05-31T01:35:00.867Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12968 We prove upper and lower bounds for the complementary incomplete gamma function Г(a, z) with complex parameters a and z. Our bounds are refined within the circular hyperboloid of one sheet {(a, z) : |z| > c|a − 1|} with a real and z complex. Our results show that within the hyperboloid, |Г(a, z)| is of order |z|^a−1e^−Re(z), and extends an upper estimate of Natalini and Palumbo to complex values of z. 2013-05-31T00:39:18.968Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12967 This article examines the computation of square roots in ancient India in the context of the discovery of positional decimal arithmetic 2013-05-31T00:21:25.448Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12966 The analysis of partially balanced incomplete block (PBIB) ranked data is discussed. Two examples are given to illustrate two alternative approaches. Analysis of PBIB ranking data is not covered in any of the standard sensory evaluation texts and this expository note is meant to help fill this gap. For some data sets, the calculations for the first approach are simple enough to do by hand. The second approach that we consider assumes that computer software for general analysis of variance is available. Such analysis of variance software should cope with missing values via a regression method. A suggested multiple comparisons algorithm is also illustrated. R code is given to allow easy application of our first approach. 2013-05-30T23:43:05.957Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12965 Purpose: The popularity of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has improved tremendously in recent years. The business sense it makes to construction small to medium-sized (SME) organizations has also become vitally important, especially when the deliverables of BIM potentials are becoming more explicit than they were several years ago. Moreover, there is adequate evidence to suggest that an early adoption of BIM by construction SME organizations could mean marked sustainable business advantage to them. The purpose of this paper is to initiate a long-term study on how BIM triggers market improvements in the Australian construction industry, to establish the specific impact of these on construction industry’s contribution to Australian economy, also to develop a simple model on the cost of implementing BIM in a typical construction SME. Design/methodology/approach: This research relies on evidence from literature to identify different operational models of construction organizations, namely; matrix, divisional, functional andnetworked business models. A definite approach was taken to articulate some contributory concepts and rationales which drive organizational response to technological changes across the identified four categories of organization structure models. Focus group discussion was the primary research method for this study, while additional data were collected from public sources. Respondents and data were sourced from two firms selected from each type of organization model. In the end, 24 industry practitioners from a range of Australian construction SME businesses that provide software and technical support services, consultancy and contracting services took part in the study.Findings: Analysis of 32 sample cases revealed that BIM implementation costs were mostly defined by a range of cost variables, including software acquisition and technical support, hardware, training, services and implementation contingencies. On the average, software costs accounted for about 55 percent of total implementation costs. This particular cost descriptor was about five to seven times more than the cost of hardware (depending on the level of sophistication of operations, expected implementation outcomes and whether new hardware were used or existing installation were upgraded with BIM compliant drivers). The study also found that training cost was a third of software costs, while the average total cost of services, recruitment and contingencies, all added together, was about 5 percent of total implementation costs. In the end, a linear model was developed to predict the cost of BIM implementation in construction SMEs. Originality/value: A preliminary version of this study has been presented in the 2010 edition of the International Conference on Information Technology in Construction (CIB W078). As a study in a newdirection, it focuses on specific organization models and their unique responses to drivers of change. While other studies have looked into macro implementation of BIM, mostly without considering the peculiarity and dynamics of organization structure, this study has focused on construction SME businesses offering a wide range of services. 2013-05-30T06:06:45.693Z ]]>