http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25623 28 page(s) 2013-05-17T06:36:56.519Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25604 This article examines the Timoric (Timorese Austronesian) language called Welaun by its own speakers and Bekais by its neighbours. It is spoken in five hamlets of the suco of Leohitu south of Balibó, on both sides of the East Timorese-Indonesian border. Some Bekais speakers also live in Cová and Balibó. In the past misclassified as a dialect of Tetum (the vernacular of Balibo), Bekais is actually a distinct Timoric language, structurally intermediate between Belunese Tetum and Dawan and is all that remains today of a language that appears to have spoken in a much wider tract of north-central Timor. Bakais was not only displace by Tetum, advancing from the high kingdom of Wehali in the south, but has been strongly influenced by it.Bekais is of particular interest because of the numerous archaisms in its vocabulary: Celebic lexemes of demonstrable Butonic origin which, given their fundamental nature, contribute to ruling out any possibility that the remarkable similarities between the Timoric languages and those of South-Eastern Celebes are due to contact phenomena. As a descendant of the original Celebic language introduced to Timor at least a millennium ago (‘Old Timorese’), Bekais shows in its vocabulary few of the later Ambonese and Malay elements that transformed Tetum, Dawan and Kemak. Like Tetum and unlike Kemar, it appears to have been little influenced by its pre-Austronesian substratum. 2013-05-16T08:10:31.924Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25381 Using accessible case studies and provocative interviews with some of Australia's foremost media practitioners - including Margo Kingston's reflections on online media, John Safran on media pranksterism, Mike Carlton on the ongoing issue of 'Cash for Comment' and Maxine McKew on the future of journalism - Remote Control is essential reading for anyone interested in the state of debate about media ethics in Australia. 2013-05-09T09:36:42.880Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25429 Jonas Mekas wrote that 8mm home movies would be the folk art of the 20th century. SHORT BEFORE THE MOVIE takes us on a quick trip to the crossroads of cinema, where film as commodity, artform, home movie and cultural document meet. Director, camera, edit, sound - Janet Merewether. 5.5mins Colour, 35mm Dolby Stereo 1:1.85 (1 reel / 550 ft),Video Digital Betacam Stereo 16:9. 2013-05-09T09:35:12.889Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25447 20 page(s) 2013-05-09T09:34:37.439Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25451 26 page(s) 2013-05-09T09:34:19.463Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:25491 A new model atmosphere analysis for the peculiar DQ white dwarf discovered by Carollo et al. (2002) is presented. The effective temperature and carbon abundance have been estimated by fitting both the photometric data (UBJVRFINJHK) and a low resolution spectrum (3500 < λ < 7500 Å) with a new model grid for helium-rich white dwarfs with traces of carbon (DQ stars). We estimate Teff ≃ 5120 ± 200 K and log[C/He] ≃ -5.8 ± 0.5, which make GSC2U J131147.2+292348 the coolest DQ star ever observed. This result indicates that the hypothetical transition from C2 to C2H molecules around Teff = 6000 K, which was inferred to explain the absence of DQ stars at lower temperatures, needs to be reconsidered. 2013-05-09T09:30:31.591Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24906 The condition known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is metaphysically strange. Can there really be several distinct persons operating in a single body? Our view is that DID sufferers are single persons with a severe mental disorder. In this paper we compare the phenomenology of dissociation between personality states in DID with certain delusional disorders.We argue both that the burden of proof must lie with those who defend the metaphysically extravagant Multiple Persons view and that there is little theoretical motivation to yield to that view in light of the fact that the core symptoms of DID bear remarkable similarity to the symptoms of these other disorders where no such extravagance is ever seriously entertained. 2013-03-28T02:25:07.322Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24893 Effective agency, according to contemporary Kantians, requires a unity of purpose both at a time, in order that we may eliminate conflict among our motives, and over time, because many of the things we do form part of longer-term projects and make sense only in the light of these projects and life plans. Call this the unity of agency thesis. This thesis can be regarded as a normative constraint on accounts of personal identity and indeed on accounts of what it is to have the life of a person in the broad, rather than narrowly biological sense. It is also a fundamental condition of social life that persons within society fulfill a range of longitudinal roles: parenthood is one such obvious example, as are teachers, health professionals, engineers, artists, and many others. The fulfillment of these and other valuable social roles requires that agents have the capacity to rationally conceive of themselves as engaged in these roles and subject to the demands of them. To be unable to fulfill any such longitudinal social roles is to have a life deficient in value. The unity of agency is thus, we argue, something we rationally strive for, and something to be morally promoted. Psychiatric states that undermine the unity of agency are morally and rationally disvaluable. Using the example of dissociation, we explain how one such state may have this undermining or disruptive effect on the unity of agency. The therapeutic ends for psychiatry in conditions involving such states are thus seen more globally as the restoration of effective agency, that is, unified agency. 2013-03-20T11:10:17.157Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24898 In some recent criminal cases in the United States a defense has been mounted based on an affliction known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder). The crux of the defense rests on the proposition that a dominant personality was incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of wrongfulness of conduct caused by an alter personality. This defense has been successful in some cases, but not others, and so philosophers, lawyers, and psychiatrists are now in debate in an attempt to clarify the issues. One of the salient issues involves the question of personal identity between the individual who allegedly committed the offense and the individual who stands accused. Stephen Behnke and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong have recently put forward a test for establishing personal identity in these cases. In this discussion, I present reasons for rejecting their proposal. 2013-03-20T11:10:05.948Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24896 6 page(s) 2013-03-20T11:10:05.623Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24534 Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a treadmill and overground walking program in reducing the disability and handicap associated with poor walking performance after stroke. Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with a 3-month follow-up. Setting: General community. Participants: A volunteer sample of 29 ambulatory individuals (less 2 dropouts) who were living in the community after having suffered a stroke more than 6 months previously. Interventions: The experimental group participated in a 30-minute treadmill and overground walking program, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. The control group received a placebo consisting of a low-intensity, home exercise program and regular telephone contact. Main Outcome Measures: Walking speed (over 10m), walking capacity (distance over 6min), and handicap (stroke-adapted 30-item version of the Sickness Impact Profile) measured by a blinded assessor. Results: The 4-week treadmill and overground walking program significantly increased walking speed (P=.02) and walking capacity (P<.001), but did not decrease handicap (P=.85) compared with the placebo program. These gains were largely maintained 3 months after the cessation of training (P≤.05). Conclusions: The treadmill and overground walking program was effective in improving walking in persons residing in the community after stroke. This suggests that the routine provision of accessible, long-term, community-based walking programs would be beneficial in reducing disability after stroke. 2013-03-06T08:02:57.474Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24539 Objective: The purposes were threefold: to develop an obstacle ambulation training programme, to recruit and retain individuals post chronic stroke and to assess the effectiveness of the obstacle ambulation training programme. Design: Intervention study; case series; baseline to post-intervention measures and one month follow-up after intervention. Setting: An outpatient department. Subjects: Five individuals with chronic stroke with mild to moderate functional limitations; convenience sample. Interventions: Therapy consisted of twice weekly sessions for four weeks during which subjects walked along a walkway and over obstacles. Main outcome measures: Motor Assessment Scale - walking section (MAS - time), Six-minute Walk Test distance, walking velocity, and Medical Outcomes Study-36 Health Status Measurement (SF-36). Results: Significant improvements were seen baseline to post intervention for walking velocity, Six-minute Walk Test, MAS and SF-36 physical function score (p ≤ 0.025 for all measures). Most improvements noted at the end of training were retained one month later. The effect sizes ranged from 0.33 to 1.20. Conclusions: Substantial improvement in ambulation function and disability level were seen as a result of the obstacle training programme for individuals with chronic stroke. Further investigation is warranted. 2013-03-06T08:02:43.984Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24557 Objective: To determine the effects of intensive task-specific strength training on lower limb strength and functional performance in children with cerebral palsy. Design: A nonrandomized ABA trial. Setting: Sydney school. Subjects: Eight children with cerebral palsy, aged 4-8 years, seven with diagnosis of spastic diplegia, one of spastic/ataxic quadriplegia. Intervention: Four weeks of after-school exercise class, conducted for one hour twice weekly as group circuit training. Each work station was set up for intensive repetitive practice of an exercise. Children moved between stations, practising functionally based exercises including treadmill walking, step-ups, sit-to-stands and leg presses. Main outcome measures: Baseline test obtained two weeks before training, a pre-test immediately before and a post-test following training, with follow-up eight weeks later. Lower limb muscle strength was tested by dynamometry and Lateral Step-up Test; functional performance by Motor Assessment Scale (Sit-to-Stand), minimum chair height test, timed 10-m test, and 2-minute walk test. Results: Isometric strength improved pre- to post-training by a mean of 47% (SD 16) and functional strength, on Lateral Step-up Test, by 150% (SD 15). Children walked faster over 10 m, with longer strides, improvements of 22% and 38% respectively. Sit-to-stand performance had improved, with a reduction of seat height from 27 (SD 15) to 17 (SD 11) cm. Eight weeks following cessation of training all improvements had been maintained. Conclusions: A short programme of task-specific strengthening exercise and training for children with cerebral palsy, run as a group circuit class, resulted in improved strength and functional performance that was maintained over time. 2013-03-06T08:02:06.503Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24430 It has long been known that ocular pursuit of a moving target has a major influence on its perceived speed (Aubert, 1886; Fleischl, 1882). However, little is known about the effect of smooth pursuit on the perception of target direction. Here we compare the precision of human visual-direction judgments under two oculomotor conditions (pursuit vs. fixation). We also examine the impact of stimulus duration (200 ms vs. ∼800 ms) and absolute direction (cardinal vs. oblique). Our main finding is that direction discrimination thresholds in the fixation and pursuit conditions are indistinguishable. Furthermore, the two oculomotor conditions showed oblique effects of similar magnitudes. These data suggest that the neural direction signals supporting perception are the same with or without pursuit, despite remarkably different retinal stimulation. During fixation, the stimulus information is restricted to large, purely peripheral retinal motion, while during steady-state pursuit, the stimulus information consists of small, unreliable foveal retinal motion and a large efference-copy signal. A parsimonious explanation of our findings is that the signal limiting the precision of direction judgments is a neural estimate of target motion in head-centered (or world-centered) coordinates (i.e., a combined retinal and eye motion signal) as found in the medial superior temporal area (MST), and not simply an estimate of retinal motion as found in the middle temporal area (MT). 2013-02-27T05:20:53.234Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24271 1 page(s) 2013-02-18T09:20:08.127Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:24220 11 page(s) 2013-02-18T06:32:27.670Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:321 The extent to which actual (rather than perceived) performance influences customer satisfaction has received limited attention by researchers, yet it is important for managers to understand the extent to which customer perceptions and behavioral intentions are associated with actual service performance. This study investigates the links between actual and perceived performance, customer standards, attributions, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. The results suggest that actual performance is a significant predictor of customer satisfaction, separate from its indirect association via perceived performance. Customers' comparison standards are also suggested to affect satisfaction both directly and indirectly. Customer attributions, in contrast, do not appear to influence performance judgments but are significantly associated with satisfaction levels. Customer experience is shown to be associated with satisfaction via an interaction effect and also to be significantly associated with behavioral intentions. The implications for research and management are discussed. 2013-01-14T20:54:06.551Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22950 Wireless local area networks (WLANS) allow the transmission of bursty data traffic over fading, wireless links. We formulate and analyze a simple model of controlled ALOHA in a Rayleigh fading environment. We consider the application of a one bit per slot feedback control algorithm, from, and propose a new algorithm involving higher rates of feedback per slot. Our algorithm is based on an optimzation framework, which enables one to determine the desired rate of feedback, and we demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm in improving delay performance as compared to the 1-Bit feedback Algorithm. 2012-11-28T02:27:17.092Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22980 The high demand for wireless Internet connectivity has driven the development of highly efficient radio link technologies. However, their performance can be compromised by inadvertent interactions with the higher-layer TCP flow control protocol. Maximizing the performance of wireless links requires that mechanisms operating at every layer of the protocol stack interact efficiently. This article provides a brief tutorial of some of these radio link enhancements. It then outlines how higher-layer flow control protocols should behave, and provides techniques for taming the behavior of TCP, to ensure that the performance of lower-layer enhancements is not compromised. 2012-11-28T02:26:17.776Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22981 This paper presents an improved version of CLAMP, a system that controls the behavior of TCP to enhance the performance of wireless access points. It only requires modifications to be made to the access network, and is totally compatible with TCP senders. We demonstrate its performance by simulation, and provide insight into the stability of the algorithm via analysis. 2012-11-28T02:26:13.179Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22982 As the number of wavelengths in OBS systems increases, the utilization achievable for a given blocking probability can be made to approach 100%. This paper shows that this property applies to a wavelength allocation algorithm of greedy type. Another property of this rule, one shared by most other wavelength assignment algorithms, is that, since lost traffic tends to occur near destinations, where the resource usage wasted by such traffic is large, very low blocking probabilities are important for efficient operation. To help identify regions of low blocking probability, we derive an asymptotically exact condition for zero blocking probabilities; it has a form reminiscent of the stability condition of the M/G/1 queue. 2012-11-28T02:26:09.504Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22983 This paper presents a solution for providing differentiated capacity allocation in an access network. The system is based on CLAMP, an algorithm that can differentiate between flows sharing the same FIFO queue. The system is suitable for access networks, such as those based on DSL and HFC modems and wireless LAN access points. The deployment of CLAMP is completely contained within the access network; no changes to the remainder of the network are required. CLAMP provides the opportunity to enforce local policies on TCP flows that originate from sources distributed globally. The performance of CLAMP is verified by both simulation and analysis. 2012-11-28T02:26:05.082Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:23029 The historical claims of the New Testament--that Jesus performed miracles, fulfilled prophecy, died and rose again, and ascended into heaven--come to us as received tradition, and we receive them in faith, trusting that the New Testament is indeed an inspired collection of writings, that it indeed tells us the truth. Increasingly, the reliability of not just the New Testament but really any document of history is called into question. If everyone writes from a point of view and with an agenda, can we reasonably expect any historical account to be objective--to tell us the truth? 2012-11-28T02:24:38.053Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22695 A novel imaging system for investigation of absorbed dose distributions in radiotherapy polymer gel dosimeters using ultrasound is introduced. A prototype transmission ultrasound computed tomography (UCT) imaging system is developed and evaluated. The imaging capabilities of the system are assessed through investigation of an irradiated polyacrylamide gel test phantom. Images based on transmitted signal amplitude and time of flight (TOF) of the ultrasonic signal through the phantom are reconstructed using a filtered backprojection technique. In general, the reconstruction of the square field in the TOF image was superior to the transmission image, however, transmission images displayed superior contrast to TOF images. The image quality achieved with this prototype system is promising and could be significantly enhanced through improvements, in particular through the development of more sophisticated experimental equipment. It is concluded that UCT is a viable technique for imaging absorbed dose distributions in polymer gel dosimeters and investigations are continuing to further improve the system. 2012-11-06T20:01:10.379Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22696 Glucose, sucrose, starch, and locust bean gum have been used as additives to the ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange (FAX) gel dosimeter. The saccharide enhanced dosimeters were found to have a higher dose sensitivity over a standard FAX gel as measured by both optical density change and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). With optical density measurement, OD-dose sensitivity increases were up to 55% for glucose, 122% for sucrose and 43% for starch, while locust bean gum did not give a consistent response. With MRI, R 1-dose sensitivity increases were up to 178% with sucrose addition. The FAX gel with sucrose was studied in greatest detail. The OD-dose sensitivity dependence on cooling rate was reduced for the sucrose FAX gel over the standard FAX gel, which has significant implications for uniform dose sensitivity in large gel phantoms. The thermal oxidation rate in the sucrose FAX gel was up to 2.3 times higher than in the standard gel. The OD-dose sensitivity of oxygenated sucrose FAX gels was 4.3 times greater than standard FAX gels, while continued enhancement in OD-dose sensitivity with increased sucrose concentrations beyond 2.0 g/l was found only for the oxygenated sucrose FAX gels. Both the molar absorption coefficient of the ferric ion-xylenol orange complex at 543 nm and gel pH were not affected by the presence of sucrose, with the implication that the higher OD-dose sensitivity of gels with saccharides is due to increased chain reaction production of ferric ions. 2012-11-06T20:01:06.397Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22599 Book review of 'The European Union and Asian Countries' by Georg Wiessala (London: Sheffield Academic Press, 2002), ISBN 0826460917. 2012-11-01T19:40:39.082Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22529 A technique is described for investigation of the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient for evaluation of absorbed dose in polymer gel dosimeters. Using this technique the attenuation coefficient as a function of absorbed dose in PAG and MAGIC polymer gel dosimeters was measured. The ultrasonic attenuation coefficient dose sensitivity for PAG was found to be 2.9±0.3 dB m-1 Gy-1 and for MAGIC gel 4.2 ± 0.3 dB m-1 Gy-1. Unlike previous studies of ultrasonic attenuation in polymer gel dosimeters this technique enables a direct measure of the attenuation coefficient. 2012-11-01T00:12:03.042Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22530 In polymer gel dosimetry, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to determine the spin-spin relaxation rate (R2) which in turn can be correlated with absorbed dose to provide a map of the spatial distribution of the absorbed dose in the irradiated dosimeter. High accuracy, precision and reproducibility of these dose maps are essential. Moreover, for dose verification around brachytherapy sources used for intravascular brachytherapy, a high spatial resolution is required (typically 0.01-0.1 mm). To achieve these microscopic resolutions, strong imaging gradients are applied. The Brownian motion of water molecules in the presence of these strong magnetic field gradients causes an attenuation of the MR signal. When using a multiple spin-echo sequence, this may result in a significant deviation in the measured R2. The diffusion-related change in R2 at high resolutions was investigated experimentally and correlated with predictions that were obtained numerically and algebraically. Diffusion weighting is determined by the self-diffusion coefficient D, and imaging parameters, quantified by the b-factor. The b-factor was calculated for a multiple spin -echo sequence for different gradient strengths and gradient pulse durations. The variations in R2 that were observed when changing the matrix size and slice thickness are explained. It is shown that a linear correlation between the matrix size and the variation in R2 is based on the diffusion weighting caused by the read-out gradients and slice selective gradients. In conclusion, the essence of taking into account molecular self-diffusion to quantify variations in the measured dose-R2 response when using high-resolution MRI in polymer gel dosimetry is emphasized. 2012-11-01T00:11:59.674Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22532 Ultrasonic absorption in polymer gel dosimeters was investigated. An ultrasonic interferometer was used to study the frequency (f) dependence of the absorption coefficient (α) in a polyacrylamide gel dosimeter (PAG) in the frequency range 5-20 MHz. The frequency dependence of ultrasonic absorption deviated from that of an ideal viscous fluid. The presence of relaxation mechanisms was evidenced by the frequency dependence of α/f2 and the dispersion in ultrasonic velocity. It was concluded that absorption in polymer gel dosimeters is due to a number of relaxation processes which may include polymer-solvent interactions as well as relaxation due to motion of polymer side groups. The dependence of ultrasonic absorption on absorbed dose and formulation was also investigated in polymer gel dosimeters as a function of pH and chemical composition. Changes in dosimeter pH and chemical composition resulted in a variation in ultrasonic dose response curves. The observed dependence on pH was considered to be due to pH induced modifications in the radiation yield while changes in chemical composition resulted in differences in polymerisation kinetics. 2012-11-01T00:11:54.976Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22553 4 page(s) 2012-11-01T00:10:59.489Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22554 The Raman spectroscopy of polymer gel dosimeters has been investigated with a view to developing a novel dosimetry technique that is capable of determining radiation dose within a micrometer of spatial resolution. The polymer gel dosimeter, known as the PAG dosimeter, is typically made up of acrylamide, N,N′-methylene-bisacrylamide, gelatin, and water. A polyacrylamide network within the gelatin matrix forms in response to an absorbed dose. The loss of monomers may be monitored by corresponding changes to the Raman spectrum. Principal component analysis offers a simple method of quantifying the absorbed radiation dose from the Raman spectrum of the polymer gel. The background luminescence in the spectrum increased significantly with dose and is shown to originate in the glass of the sample vial. The competing effects of elastic scatter, which increases with dose due to the formation of polymer, and sample absorption were quantified and found to introduce errors of up to 5% under certain conditions. Raman spectra as a function of distance from the air-surface interface have been measured for samples that were subjected to doses delivered by a clinical linear accelerator. The depth dose profile thus obtained compared favorably with "gold standard" ion-chamber measurements. 2012-11-01T00:10:55.920Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22203 227 page(s) 2012-10-23T00:32:32.043Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:22204 160 page(s) 2012-10-23T00:32:28.951Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:21748 In this article, we challenge the hegemony of western science fiction, arguing that western science fiction is particular even as it claims universality. Its view remains based on ideas of the future as forward time. In contrast, in non-western science fiction the future is seen outside linear terms: as cyclical or spiral, or in terms of ancestors. In addition, western science fiction has focused on the good society as created by technological progress, while non-western science fiction and futures thinking has focused on the fantastic, on the spiritual, on the realization of eupsychia-the perfect self. However, most theorists assert that the non-west has no science fiction, ignoring Asian and Chinese science fiction history, and western science fiction continues to 'other' the non-west as well as those on the margins of the west (African-American woman, for example). Nonetheless, while most western science fiction remains trapped in binary opposites-alien/non-alien; masculine/feminine; insider/ outsider-writers from the west's margins are creating texts that contradict tradition and modernity, seeking new ways to transcend difference. Given that the imagination of the future creates the reality of tomorrow, creating new science fictions is not just an issue of textual critique but of opening up possibilities for all our futures. Science fiction has always been nearly all white, just as until recently, it's been nearly all male (Butler as quoted in Ref. [1]). Science fiction has long treated people who might or might not exist-extra- terrestrials. Unfortunately, however, many of the same science fiction writers who started us thinking about the possibility of extra- terrestrial life did nothing to make us think about here-at home variation-women, blacks, Indians, Asians, Hispanics, etc [1]. Is all science fiction western? Is there non-western science fiction? If so, what is its nature? Does it follow the form and content of western science fiction, or is it rendered different by its own local civilizational historical processes and considerations? Has western science fiction moulded the development of the science fiction of the 'other', including feminist science fiction, in such a way that anything coming from outside the west is a mere imitation of the real thing? Perhaps non-western science fiction is a contradiction in terms. Or is there authentic non-western fiction which offers alternative visions of the future, of the 'other'? 2012-09-28T05:22:30.719Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:21749 Based on the experience of transport policy and scenario planning in South-East Queensland, this essay explores the alternative futures of transport. It does so by first exploring the weight of lock-ins that make creating new futures nearly impossible. Next, the ways that the future can be used to transform policy are explored. Three futures methods are used to articulate the alternative futures of transport. These are the futures triangle (the push, pull and weight of the future); scenarios (triple bottom line to Gaia, industrial realism to likely collapse, global technologization leading to artificial societies, and localization leading to a return of the past) and causal layered analysis. The essay concludes with a feminist unpacking of transportation futures. 2012-09-28T05:22:29.275Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:21752 Ageing is a fundamental issue for the future of the planet An ageing society challenges basic assumptions of modern culture and political economy. This paper explores alternative futures of ageing in Queensland, understanding that certain assumptions about Queensland's future are given. It is also focused on probable futures, and not on every possible future. Based on this map of the future-developed through causal layered analysis and scenario planning - policy recommendations are developed for the Queensland Government. 2012-09-28T05:22:27.564Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:21753 1 page(s) 2012-09-28T05:22:25.955Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:21373 7 page(s) 2012-09-12T18:30:41.163Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14600 China attracted a record $52.7 billion US dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the year 2002, surpassing the US to become the world's largest FDI recipient. China's success in attracting FDI has received significant attention from academics. Several theoretical approaches have been developed to explain the determinants of FDI in China. However, it seems to be ignored that China has also become a growing provider of significant FDI to the rest the world. Both China and Vietnam were and are experiencing transitions from centrally planned economies to free market economies. This paper, therefore, attempts to explore the development of Chinese investment in Vietnam, analysing the main motives for, and characteristics of, Chinese MNEs investment in Vietnam. 2012-08-29T18:04:19.211Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:20774 3 page(s) 2012-08-08T14:49:36.883Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:20513 24 page(s) 2012-07-23T18:13:21.729Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:19984 Company-sponsored recreation was an important part of industrial welfarism in Australia. This paper explores the incidence, extent and nature of recreational programs, and the managerial goals and strategies involved with the schemes. It demonstrates that recreational programs were a relatively widespread and enduring feature of labour management between 1890 and 1965, although the frequency, range and nature of activities varied between companies. While the characteristics of schemes were largely influenced by business size and workforce composition, the paper challenges the argument that recreational programs, like the broader welfare schemes of companies, were primarily targeted at female labour. Indeed, employers in a wide range of industries and workplaces introduced recreation schemes for two main reasons - to improve labour supply and to enhance managerial prerogative - although the significance placed on each goal varied between companies and overtime as a result of external pressures and influences. 2012-06-21T21:15:16.330Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:19991 An important dimension to understanding the development and character of employment relations in Australia is the role of the state in promoting and diffusing new labour management ideas and practices throughout the twentieth century. Not only did the state play an indirect role in shaping the labour process through the arbitral system, it was also directly involved in fostering and encouraging the use of modern labour management practices in Australia through the activities of various government departments. The relative lack of large-scale private organisations in Australia and the dominance of the public sector provided a further channel for the state, as an innovative employer, to promote the need for efficiency and productivity, and to implement new strategies for this end. 2012-06-21T21:14:32.426Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:19855 20 pages(s) 2012-06-18T09:46:21.132Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:19863 17 page(s) 2012-06-18T09:45:50.190Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:19581 The systematic study of Bantu language acquisition began with Lwandle Kunene’s (1979) dissertation on the acquisition of Swati. Subsequent studies of other languages (Nguni languages Zulu and Xhosa, Sotho languages Sesotho (henceforth Sotho) and Tswana, Malawian Chewa and the Gabonese language Sangu), have examined various aspects of children’s language acquisition. While there are typological characteristics common to these and other Bantu languages, there are also different linguistic details that influence the course of acquisition in important ways. Thus, a comparison of the acquisition of Bantu languages offers an extremely rich area for research, providing insights not only into how language is learned, but also into the possible impact that language learning may exert on processes of historical change. A brief summary of the Bantu acquisition literature by language is provided below. Children’s ages are represented as follows: 2;11 = 2 years 11 months. 2012-06-04T20:41:27.429Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:19482 "Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Economics with Honours in Economics, Macquarie University, 7th November, 2003" 2012-05-30T09:52:40.249Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:5291 In this article I give a brief synopsis of Croatian prose literature of the second half of the twentieth century, and the diachronic development of the novel, short story and fable in particular. Attention is given to contemporary Croatian short prose. Though recognising their importance as constant and dynamic influences, I refrain from making specific, detailed references to Croatian history and issues of a linguistic nature. For an overview of nineteenth and twentieth century Croatian history, see Mislav Ježic's article which appeared in the 1997 edition of the Croatian Studies Review. Relevant details about Croatian linguistic policy can be found in articles written by Josip Matešic and Luka Budak, both of which appeared in the same edition of the Croatian Studies Review. Other authors that offer an insight into Croatia's linguistic and historical reality, and the way they condition contemporary literature, include Banac (1990), Moguš (1995), Kačić (1997) and Perić (1998). More complete studies can be found in the literary journal Most (The Bridge), Vaupotić (1968) and Donat (1970 and 1996). Bogert (1991) offers a good survey of the literature of Krleža's time, while Eekman (1978) writes on South Slavonic literatures in general. Though a systematic history of Croatian literature has yet to be written in English or translated into English, sources from non-Croatian authors can be found in Škvorc (1997 and 1998). 2012-04-18T01:45:19.543Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:18591 Chapter translated into English by Suzanne Binder. 2012-04-10T15:31:01.036Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:7966 This article presents findings from a study undertaken by a pre-service early childhood teacher, that investigated the experiences of four beginning early childhood qualified teachers in primary school settings. The study explored the metaphors that these teachers used when describing their lived experience stories and analysed what these metaphors indicated about the discourses the teachers perceived were available to them, and where they had chosen to situate themselves within these discourses. Throughout the article, the metaphor of ‘border crossings’ is used to highlight the focus within much of the literature on the difference and separation between early childhood and primary education. Data were generated through in-depth, open-ended interviews, a group discussion, visual representations and written material. The thematic recurrences and discursive positionings within the metaphors and narratives of the participants were deconstructed and critically analysed using a framework of feminist post-structuralism. In particular, this article explores the discursive positionings related to the teachers’ movement within the borderland of early childhood education and primary education. It argues that early childhood teachers in primary schools are operating within an exciting space – an intersection between early childhood education and primary education. Rather than focusing on the difference and separation between these points, the focus shifts to working toward creating points of overlap, of connection – a shared borderland between early childhood education and primary education. 2012-03-26T17:05:54.029Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:18247 17 page(s) 2012-03-22T08:56:39.108Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:4996 6 page(s) 2012-03-13T03:30:22.879Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:17758 The authors apply recent advances in creativity theory to discover perceptual differences in the factors of strategy, originality, and artistry among creatives and noncreatives. It was found that current advertising position influences subjective perceptions of what constitutes creative advertising. Creatives tend to perceive advertisements as more appropriate if they are artistic, but account executives tend to perceive advertisements as more appropriate if they are strategic. The study also indicates that creatives have a distinctive preference for a strong originality component to strategy. To be original within the confines of a tight strategy is perceived as the most creative by advertising creatives. Account executives are so focused on strategy, they will often accept artistic advertisements as a substitute for truly original work. The authors consider future research implications of the study and its limitations. 2012-02-24T01:00:04.153Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:16916 In a highly competitive banking environment, achieving customer loyalty is a key factor to enable banks to survive and grow. A rich literature has been developed on the determinants and consequences of customer loyalty, but there has been limited research investigating the relationships between loyalty components such as attitude, intentions and actual behaviour in retail banking. Furthermore, bank loyalty studies have often omitted the external environment, which is likely to moderate consumer attitudes and behaviour. The current empirical study of 1954 retail banking customers suggests a large proportion of the variance in behavioural intentions can be predicted, in particular by attitude, attitudinal differentiation and situational factors such as customer perceptions of competitors. However, these variables, in combination with satisfaction, behavioural intentions, switching costs and social norm, were revealed to be poor predictors of a number of measures of actual behaviour. Hence there is a large discrepancy in the ability to predict stated behavioural intentions and actual behaviour – approximately 60% of the variation in behavioural intentions can be explained, but a similar model explains only about 7% of the variation in actual behaviour. Of what can be predicted in actual behaviour, this study found that satisfaction with a bank’s technology is the strongest predictor of actual behaviour in terms of share of wallet. 2012-01-16T06:13:01.837Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:781 Using data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 1998, this paper analyzed the duration of use of a contraceptive method and the reasons for its non-use given by former users of contraception. The results showed that the duration of use tended to be short, particularly so for the use of condom and withdrawal. Injectable contraceptives and periodic abstinence tended to be used for relatively long periods. After type of method, a woman's age and residence (urban or rural) were the most significant predictors of duration of use. The reasons for not currently using contraception given by significant numbers of former users of pill and injectable contraceptives should concern service providers and educators. 2011-11-08T02:10:55.236Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15685 29 page(s) 2011-10-28T10:45:21.585Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15686 1 page(s) 2011-10-28T10:45:14.998Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15666 Background: Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) most commonly presents with ipsilateral disturbances of acoustic, vestibular, trigeminal and facial nerves. Presentation of vestibular schwannoma with contralateral facial pain is quite uncommon. Case presentation: Among 156 cases of operated vestibular schwannoma, we found one case with unusual presentation of contralateral hemifacial pain. Conclusion: The presentation of contralateral facial pain in the vestibular schwannoma is rare. It seems that displacement and distortion of the brainstem and compression of the contralateral trigeminal nerve in Meckel's cave by the large mass lesion may lead to this atypical presentation. The best practice in these patients is removal of the tumour, although persistent contralateral pain after operation has been reported. 2011-10-25T05:53:45.911Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15669 Bilateral extradural hematomas have only rarely been reported in the literature. Even rarer are cases where the hematomas develop sequentially, one after removal of the other. Among 187 cases of operated epidural hematomas during past 4 years in our hospital, we found one case of sequentially developed bilateral epidural hematoma. Case Presentation: An 18-year-old conscious male worker was admitted to our hospital after a fall. After deterioration of his consciousness, an emergency brain CT scan showed a right temporoparietal epidural hematoma. The hematoma was evacuated, but the patient did not improve afterwards. Another CT scan showed contralateral epidural hematoma and the patient was reoperated. Postoperatively, the patient recovered completely. Conclusions: This case underlines the need for monitoring after an operation for an epidural hematoma and the need for repeat brain CT scans if the patient does not recover quickly after removal of the hematoma, especially if the first CT scan has been done less than 6 hours after the trauma. Intraoperative brain swelling can be considered as a clue for the development of contralateral hematoma. 2011-10-25T05:53:41.551Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15668 Intraspinal bleeding especially in the form of subdural hematoma is rare in hemophiliacs. In the present case, we report a neglected hemophilic A child with such a problem and discuss its management options. Case Presentation : A 9-year old hemophilic A boy presented with quadriparesis, confusion and meningismus after a fall 4 days previously. There was no sign of direct trauma to his back. His CT Scan and MRI showed spinal extramedullary hematoma extended from C5 to L2. We corrected the factor VIII level, but two days later, the patient's lower limbs weakened to 1/5 proximally as well as distally. We performed a laminectomy from T11 to L2, according to the level of the maximal neurological deficit and recent deterioration course. The subdural hematoma was evacuated. The hematoma in other spinal levels was managed conservatively. In the week following the operation, the patient's neurological status approached normal. Conclusion: This case calls attention to the clinical manifestation, radiological features and management options of the rarely reported intraspinal hematoma in hemophilic children. Although this case has been managed operatively for its hematoma in the thoracolumbar region, at the same time it can be considered a successful case of conservative management of intraspinal hematoma in the cervicothoracic region. Both conservative and surgical management could be an option in managing these patients considering their neurological course. 2011-10-25T05:53:39.661Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15630 We report on an unprecedented source of Planetary Nebulae (PN) discovered from AAO /UKST Ha survey images of the Southern Galactic Plane. A pristine region of PN discovery space is being sampled due to the excellent depth, coverage, resolution and uniformity of the Ha survey. Large numbers of new PN are being found ("' 1000 so far). They are typically more evolved, obscurred and of lower surface brightness than in most other surveys. The doubling of known PN should have a significant impact on many aspects of PN research. 2011-10-22T20:10:10.596Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15305 4 page(s) 2011-10-11T05:11:36.605Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15309 The Meaning-Text Theory is a formal, dependency-based linguistic theory in which the lexicon plays a central role. Within this theory, the vocabulary of a language is described by an Explanatory-Combinatorial Dictionary [ECD]. Unlike most existing dictionaries, an ECD is oriented towards language generation rather than analysis. This orientation makes it especially useful for language learners or computers that need to produce nativequality (i.e. highly idiomatic) texts. An ECD of a language aims at describing exhaustively all three components of its lexical units: their meaning, their form and their combinatorics. While it is common for current dictionaries to describe words’ meaning and form, their combinatorics is often left undescribed, so that the user has no information on how to actually use them in a sentence. An ECD, on the contrary, describes not only the syntactic and morphological behavior of words, but also their restricted lexical cooccurrence. The description of the restricted lexical cooccurrence of words constitutes the heart of an ECD. It is done using a formal language known as lexical functions. Lexical functions offer an elegant and powerful way of encoding common semantico-syntactic patterns of lexical cooccurrence. Until now, most of the work in explanatory-combinatorial lexicography has been done on French and Russian. The main goal of this paper is to show that it would be possible and useful to develop an ECD of Japanese, and to discuss potential problems inherent to this task and propose some leads towards a solution. 2011-10-08T08:50:16.205Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15241 This paper defines risk measure in a measure-theoretic framework and shows how some common risk measures can be interpreted using that definition. 2011-10-05T13:10:40.004Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15250 We describe the operation of an all solid-state pulsed dye laser of high repetition rate (10 kHz) pumped by a diode-pumped laser. Three different active media in the form of coin-sized disks were investigated: the dye rhodamine 6G doped in a copolymer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) [Rh6G/P(MMA:HEMA)], and the dye pyrromethene 567 (PM567) doped in copolymers of MMA with pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) and with pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETRA) [PM567/P(MMA:PETA) and PM567/P(MMA:PETRA)]. Pump radiation at 527nm was provided by a frequency-doubled diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser Q-switched at 10 kHz. Laser output was observed with an initial average power of 560 mW for Rh6G in P(MMA:HEMA), and with an initial average power of 430 mW for PM567 in P(MMA:PETRA) and 220 mW for PM567 in P(MMA:PETA). In the case of Rh6G/P(MMA:HEMA), the output decreased to about half the initial value after about 6.6 min (or about 4.0 million shots) due to dye degradation. The device constitutes a tunable, all solid-state, high repetition rate laser system possibly suitable for biomedical and dermatological applications. 2011-10-05T13:10:15.854Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:15080 Effects of elicitors (mannan, β-1,3-glucan, and ancymidol) on the activity of several key enzymes participating in lignan biosynthesis were studied in Linum austriacum L. cell cultures. The activities of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenoloxydase, tyrosine ammonia-lyase, soluble phenoloxidase, and membrane-bound and soluble oxidases were assayed. The elicitors under study affected various steps in the metabolic pathway of lignan biosynthesis. Elevated enzyme activity accompanied an elicitor-enhanced synthesis of podophyllotoxins and peltatins. 2011-09-27T06:10:18.537Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14960 5 page(s) 2011-09-16T07:30:26.366Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14701 19 pages(s) 2011-08-30T00:00:29.648Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14568 A bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) produced by Aeromonas media strain A199 inhibited the growth of Saprolegnia sp. in vitro, an opportunistic pathogen isolated from affected eels, Anguilla australis (Richardson). The presence of BLIS in solid media inhibited the growth of the vegetative state of the aquatic mould as well as the germination of cysts. Uninhibited growth was, however, observed in the presence of inactive BLIS, suggesting that the in vitro antagonism derived from the BLIS of A199. In four independent in vivo tank observations of fish affected with saprolegniosis, the daily addition of A199 to tank water contributed to the subsequent swift recovery of affected hosts from invasion by this opportunistic pathogen. 2011-08-17T23:00:07.892Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14417 The pathogenesis of fibrous capsular contracture after augmentation mammaplasty is still debated. One hypothesis implicates low-grade bacterial infections as a cause. The presence of a staphylococcal biofilm in a patient with recurrent capsular contracture was previously reported. A comparative, prospective, blinded, clinical study of implants and capsules removed from patients with or without significant capsular contracture was conducted to investigate the association of biofilm contamination, breast implants, and capsular contracture. Capsule and implant samples obtained during explantation were tested by routine microbiological culture, sensitive broth culture (after maceration and sonication), and scanning electron microscopy. Clinical parameters were correlated with microbiological findings. A total of 48 implant and/or capsule samples were obtained from 27 breasts during a 22-month period. Of the 27 breasts, 19 exhibited significant contracture (Baker grade III/IV). The mean duration of implantation was 9.2 years (range, 0.4 to 26.0 years). Routine swab cultures obtained at the time of explantation were negative for bacterial growth for all samples. The sensitive broth culture technique yielded 24 positive samples (50 percent, n = 48). An analysis of capsules demonstrated that 17 of 19 samples obtained from patients with significant contracture were positive, compared with only one of eight samples obtained from patients with minimal or no contracture (p = 0.0006). Fourteen of the 17 positive cultures from significantly contracted breasts yielded coagulase-negative staphylococci, mainly, species of the Staphylococcus epidermidis group. The presence of coagulase-negative staphylococci was also significantly associated with capsular contracture (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in the frequency of culture positivity for saline versus silicone implants (p = 0.885). Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of extensive biofilm on implants and within capsules. Biofilm, in particular, S. epidermidis biofilm, was detected for a significant proportion of patients with capsular contracture. This implicates biofilm disease in the pathogenesis of contracture, and strategies for its prevention should be explored. 2011-08-09T12:02:27.873Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14418 19 pages(s) 2011-08-09T12:02:23.099Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14242 2 page(s) 2011-08-02T20:21:08.434Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14192 Objective: To determine the outcome of treatments for vocally disruptive behaviour (VDB) in nursing homes provided by psychogeriatric and geriatric outreach services. Method: Nursing home residents referred to six psychogeriatric and geriatric outreach services for treatment of VDB were examined pre- treatment and followed-up for three months by a research nurse. All recommended treatments for VDB and the effects of implementation were recorded. Main outcome measures were the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, the Dementia Behaviour Disturbance Scale and measures of nurse satisfaction. Results: Three-month outcome data was available for 22 residents, of whom four had died. Of the remainder, six (33%) had objective improvement in VDB. The nursing home staff rated the outreach teams as at least ‘somewhat’ helpful in 61% of cases surviving three months and was particularly satisfied with medication advice. No specific treatment appeared to be more effective. Conclusions: Reduction in VDB obtained through interventions by psychogeriatric and geriatric outreach teams was modest, but nursing home staff found most of the teams to be helpful. Aged care outreach services should provide support to nursing home staff in the management of challenging behaviours. 2011-08-01T06:25:41.210Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:14223 1 page(s) 2011-08-01T06:24:42.411Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:5519 Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Humanities, Department of Modern History, 2003. 2011-07-29T06:34:43.527Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13906 The increase in maintenance of software and the increased amounts of reuse are having major positive impacts on the quality of software, but are also introducing some rather subtle negative impacts on the quality. Instead of talking about existing problems (faults), developers now discuss "potential problems", that is, aspects of the program that do not affect the quality initially, but could have deleterious consequences when the software goes through some maintenance or reuse. One type of potential problem is that of common coupling, which unlike other types of coupling can be clandestine. That is, the number of instances of common coupling between a module M and the other modules can be changed without any explicit change to M. This paper presents results from a study of clandestine common coupling in 391 versions of Linux. Specifically, the common coupling between each of 5332 kernel modules and the rest of the product as a whole was measured. In more than half of the new versions, a change in common coupling was observed, even though none of the modules themselves was changed. In most cases where this clandestine common coupling was observed, the number of instances of common coupling increased. These results provide yet another reason for discouraging the use of common coupling in software products. 2011-06-30T15:10:24.858Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13870 9 page(s) 2011-06-29T06:20:59.695Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13871 The electrochemical underpotential deposition (UPD) of lead on Au(110) was investigated by XPS using a custom-built ultrahigh vacuum apparatus containing a chamber for electrochemical studies. A two-step deposition process for lead UPD was confirmed. A large increase in the surface concentration of oxygen was found in solutions containing lead. The presence of lead was detected on the gold surface at all potentials within the range investigated (−500 mV to 1500 mV vs. Ag/AgCl). Degradation of chlorine by x-rays was observed. The change in surface components with potential was investigated and linked to models of UPD and oxidation. The initial random deposition of lead from solution led to surface disordering. 2011-06-29T06:20:54.598Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13874 A survey of the economic circumstances of 1063 practising professional Australian artists. The last decade has seen extraordinary changes in our political, economic, social and cultural environment. An understanding of the conditions of professional artistic practice is essential if effective measures for nurturing the growth of the arts in Australia are to be developed. Don't Give Up Your Day Job is the fourth in a series carried out over the past 20 years at Macquarie University, with funding from the Australia Council. The surveys provide information about the economic circumstances of professional artistic practice across all major artforms, apart from film. This survey, undertaken in 2002 and covering the 2000-01 financial year, updates and expands the information collected in the earlier studies. 2011-06-29T06:20:50.220Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13876 4 page(s) 2011-06-29T06:20:44.855Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13877 4 page(s) 2011-06-29T06:20:39.414Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13802 Very little research has been conducted on the interaction between alcohol and circadian rhythms, particularly using human subjects. This study focuses on humans' acute and delayed response to alcohol intoxication at different times of the day. The study, conducted over 8 weeks, was a within-subjects design with social drinkers consuming a dose of alcohol that would achieve a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 g/100 ml at either 1300 or 1800 h (or no beverage). Relative to the no-alcohol condition, the acute effect of drinking alcohol at 1300 h was a decrease in subjects' core body temperature, however, a similar effect was not evident after drinking alcohol at 1800 h. Moreover, irrespective of time of ingestion, alcohol consumption had an effect on core body temperature between 2330 and 0830 h. This delayed effect was ascribed to as a dampening of the core body temperature trough due to alcohol compared to the no-alcohol condition. 2011-06-28T06:22:44.596Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13801 Objective: Expectancies about the outcomes of alcohol consumption are widely accepted as important determinants of drinking. This construct is increasingly recognized as a significant element of psychological interventions for alcohol-related problems. Much effort has been invested in producing reliable and valid instruments to measure this construct for research and clinical purposes, but very few have had their factor structure subjected to adequate validation. Among them, the Drinking Expectancies Questionnaire (DEQ) was developed to address some theoretical and design issues with earlier expectancy scales. Exploratory factor analyses, in addition to validity and reliability analyses, were performed when the original questionnaire was developed. The object of this study was to undertake a confirmatory analysis of the factor structure of the DEQ. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis through LISREL 8 was performed using a randomly split sample of 679 drinkers. Results: Results suggested that a new 5-factor model, which differs slightly from the original 6-factor version, was a more robust measure of expectancies. A new method of scoring the DEQ consistent with this factor structure is presented. Conclusions: The present study shows more robust psychometric properties of the DEQ using the new factor structure. 2011-06-28T06:22:44.043Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13837 61 page(s) 2011-06-28T06:20:55.509Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13838 Traditional structural-functional approaches to organizational change, as well as critics of those approaches, often offer overly structured and rationalised views of how change occurs. This paper attempts to build upon processual studies of change and critiques of overly hegemonic views of managerial control by seeking to capture the complex, emotive and fluid character of organisational 'changing'. In pursuit of this aim, the paper documents these characteristics of change through a personalised ethnography of a micro-incident -- a critical change meeting -- in an Australian steel making plant undergoing cultural change. In conclusion, it is argued that even the more sophisticated studies of the emergent process-like character of organisational change fail to fully capture the ambiguous, ironic, emotional, and uncertain character of events in the 'blender' of change. 2011-06-28T06:20:53.014Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13767 An efficient and secure mental poker scheme is proposed in this paper. It is based on multiple encryption and decryption of individual cards. The protocol satisfies all major security requirements of a real mental poker. It gets rid of the Card Salesman and guarantees minimal effect due to collusion of players. The protocol is secure and more efficient compared with other known protocols. The strategies of players can be kept confidential with the introduction of a Dealer. The protocol is suitable to be implemented in an on-line card game. 2011-06-24T23:31:46.390Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13656 243 page(s) 2011-06-17T12:40:12.770Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13600 Water is routinely monitored for environmental pathogens such a Cryptosporidium and Giardia using immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM). Autofluorescence can greatly diminish an operators capacity to resolve labeled pathogens from non-specific background. Naturally fluorescing components (autofluorophores) encountered in biological samples typically have fluorescent lifetimes (τ) of less than 100 nanoseconds and their emissions may be excluded through use of time-resolved fluorescence microscopy (TRFM). TRFM relies on the large differences in τ between autofluorescent molecules and long-lived lanthanide chelates. In TRFM, targets labeled with a time-resolvable fluorescent immunoconjugate are excited by an intense (UV) light pulse. A short delay is imposed to permit the decay of autofluorescence before capture of luminescence from the excited chelate using an image intensified CCD camera. In our experience, autofluorescence can be reduced to insignificant levels with a consequent 30-fold increase in target visibility using TRFM techniques. We report conjugation of a novel europium chelate to a monoclonal antibody specific for Giardia lamblia and use of the immunoconjugate for TRFM studies. Initial attempts to conjugate the same chelate to a monoclonal antibody directed against Cryptosporidium parvum led to poorly fluorescent constructs that were prone to denature and precipitate. We successfully conjugated BHHCT to anti-mouse polyvalent immunoglobulin and used this construct to overcome the difficulties in direct labeling of the anti-Cryptosporidium antibody. Both Giardia and Cryptosporidium were labeled using the anti-mouse protocol with a subsequent 20-fold and 6.6-fold suppression of autofluorescence respectively. A rapid protocol for conjugating and purifying the immunoconjugate was found and methods of quantifying the fluorescence to protein ratio determined.Performance of our TRFM was dependent on the quality and brightness of the immunoconjugate and optimization of the conjugation process is necessary to reap the full benefit of time-resolved techniques. 2011-06-10T10:30:35.472Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13601 The abundance of naturally fluorescing components (autofluorophors) encountered in environmentally sourced samples can greatly hinder the detection and identification of fluorescently labeled target using fluorescence microscopy. Time-resolved fluorescence microscopy (TRFM) is a technique that reduces the effects of autofluorescence through precisely controlled time delays. Lanthanide chelates have fluorescence lifetimes many orders of magnitude greater than typical autofluorophors, and persist in their luminescence long after autofluorescence has ceased. An intense short pulse of (UV) light is used to excite fluorescence in the sample and after a short delay period the longer persisting fluorescence from the chelate is captured with an image-intensified CCD camera. The choice of pulsed excitation source for TRFM has a large impact on the price and performance of the instrument. A flashlamp with a short pulse duration was selected for our instrument because of the high spectral energy in the UV region and short pulse length. However, flash output decays with an approximate lifetime of 18μs and the TRFM requires a long-lived chelate to ensure probe fluorescence is still visible after decay of the flash plasma. We synthesized a recently reported fluorescent chelate (BHHCT) and conjugated it to a monoclonal antibody directed against the water-borne parasite Giardia lamblia. Fluorescence lifetime of the construct was determined to be 339μs ± 14μs and provided a 45-fold enhancement of labeled Giardia over background using a gate delay of 100μs. Despite the sub-optimal decay characteristics of the light pulse, flashlamps have many advantages compared to optical chopper wheels and modulated lasers. Their low cost, lack of vibration, ease of interface and small footprint are important factors to consider in TRFM design. 2011-06-10T10:30:35.333Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13474 Previous experiments have found that individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show increased activity in prefrontal regions compared with healthy age-matched controls during cognitive tasks. This has been interpreted as compensatory reallocation of cognitive resources, but direct evidence for a facilitating effect on performance has been lacking. To address this we measured neural activity during semantic and episodic memory tasks in mildly demented AD patients and healthy elderly controls. Controls recruited a left hemisphere network of regions, including prefrontal and temporal cortices in both the semantic and episodic tasks. Patients engaged a unique network involving bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior cortices. Critically, activity in this network of regions was correlated with better performance on both the semantic and episodic tasks in the patients. This provides the most direct evidence to date that AD patients can use additional neural resources in prefrontal cortex, presumably those mediating executive functions, to compensate for losses attributable to the degenerative process of the disease. 2011-06-03T05:00:43.299Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13450 1. The balance of predation between closely related invasive and native species can be an important determinant of the success or failure of biological invasions. In Irish freshwaters, the introduced amphipod Gammarus pulex has replaced the native G. duebeni celticus, possibly through differential mutual intraguild predation (IGP). Theoretically, parasitism could mediate such predation and hence the invasion outcome. However, this idea remains poorly studied. 2. In a field survey, we show that the acanthocephalan parasite Echinorynchus truttae is present in more G. pulex populations than G. d. celticus populations. In addition, within parasitised populations, E. truttae is more prevalent in the invader than in the native. 3. We show for the first time that an acanthocephalan parasite mediates predation between its intermediate macroinvertebrate hosts. In a field experiment, E. truttae parasitism of the invader lowered IGP upon the unparasitised native. In laboratory experiments, parasitism of G. pulex significantly reduced their predatory impact on recently moulted female G. d. celticus. Parasitism also appeared to cause reduction in predatory behaviour, such as attacks per contact on precopula guarded female natives. 4. We conclude that higher parasite prevalence in invaders as compared with natives, by mediation of interspecific interactions, could promote species coe xistence, or at least slow species replacements, in this particular biological invasion. 2011-06-02T01:00:13.609Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13451 In the common orb-web spider Metellina segmentata, males are more powerfully built with longer legs, although females are heavier because of their egg load. Males guard females before attempting to mate, and there is considerable male-male competition because of the male-biased operational sex ratio. We used a field removal experiment to examine (1) seasonal changes in the average morphology of guarding males and (2) whether there is a pool of small males that is excluded from the webs of females. Morphological measures were subjected to a principal components analysis and changes in PC scores were examined for seasonal effects and the effects of previous removal of males. The size of guarding males (PC1) increased over the season, suggesting that smaller males were increasingly excluded from webs, but the condition of guarding males (PC2) decreased, indicating that energy reserves are depleted because the males gain little access to food during the reproductive season. When guarding males were removed, smaller males were able to take up residence. Our results show that large males have a clear advantage in monopolizing females. We discuss the manner in which selection acts to maintain large male size in this spider. 2011-06-02T01:00:08.103Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13452 5 page(s) 2011-06-02T01:00:07.806Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13432 Lasers employing unstable resonators usually produce a doughnut-shaped intensity distribution in the near-field. In this paper, we present the application of a new model in characterizing the output beams of unstable laser resonators (ULR) of different magnification (M=80, 200, and 400). As an experimental example, the output beam of Copper Vapor Laser (CVL) is characterized using this model. 2011-05-31T05:10:20.610Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13317 We have previously reported the first demonstration of laser operation in Er,Yb:YCOB with studies of the Er→Yb energy transfer process to identify the optimum dopant concentrations. In this paper we will present efficient diode-pumped laser operation of this crystalline material at 1.55 μm. 110 mW has been obtained with a 1.6 W cw fibre-coupled diode laser pump and 250 mW cw with a 2.8 W fibre-coupled pump, both in TEM00 transverse mode. 2011-05-27T04:32:30.183Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13337 All-solid-state laser devices operating in the 1.5 - 1.6 μm wavelength range have many practical applications. The most notable of these is their use in optical telecommunications, but the current research drive is to increase the output power from high beam quality, solid-state devices for eye-safe applications such as laser range finding and target acquisition, remote sensing of trace elements in air, light detecting and ranging, medicine, metrology and atmospheric phenomena such as measurements of wind shear. Yb³⁺ ions are co-doped into the host material to improve the pumping efficiency by taking advantage of commercial InGaAs diode lasers emitting at 980 nm. The absorbed pump is then non-radiative transferred to the Er³⁺ ions, and rapidly decaying to the 4I₁₃/₂ upper-laser level. Laser operation in Er,Yb co-doped systems has been dominated by glass hosts (in particular, phosphate) with attempts in crystalline materials yielding disappointing results despite their superior mechanical and thermal properties. In this paper we will present efficient diode-pumped laser operation of the crystalline host material Er,Yb:YCOB at 1.55 μm. By studying the energy transfer mechanisms of this material, we have identified the optimum dopant concentrations and 250 mW of continuous wave (cw) output in TEM00 transverse mode has been obtained with a 2mm crystal in an hemispherical cavity. Also, >150 mW cw has been obtained in a flat-flat cavity arrangement. The output coupling in each case was 1%. The slope efficiency of the laser was 21.9%. 2011-05-27T04:32:13.360Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:13365 High-speed image analysis is used in conjunction with profilometry measurement to determine the behaviour of Aluminium samples exposed to nanosecond laser pulses in the region 1-40Jcm⁻². Results are discussed with a view to understanding dominant ablation mechanisms. 2011-05-27T04:30:56.664Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:5075 The effect of diminished auditory feedback on monophthong and diphthong production was examined in postlingually deafened Australian-English speaking adults. The participants were 4 female and 3 male speakers with severe to profound hearing loss, who were compared to 11 age- and accent-matched normally hearing speakers. The test materials were 5 repetitions of hVd words containing 18 vowels. Acoustic measures that were studied included F1, F2, discrete cosine transform coefficients (DCTs), and vowel duration information. The durational analyses revealed increased total vowel durations with a maintenance of the tense/lax vowel distinctions in the deafened speakers. The deafened speakers preserved a differentiated vowel space, although there were some gender-specific differences seen. For example, there was a retraction of F2 in the front vowels for the female speakers that did not occur in the males. However, all deafened speakers showed a close correspondence between the monophthong and diphthong formant movements that did occur. Gaussian classification highlighted vowel confusions resulting from changes in the deafened vowel space. The results support the view that postlingually deafened speakers maintain reasonably good speech intelligibility, in part by employing production strategies designed to bolster auditory feedback. 2011-05-26T00:16:34.729Z ]]> http://www.researchonline.mq.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/mq:12617 This study investigates a new experimental paradigm called the Modified Traveling Salesman Problem (Bullot & Droulez, submitted). This task requires subjects to visit once and only once n invisible targets in a 2D display, using a virtual vehicle controlled by the subject. Subjects can only see the directions of the targets from the current location of the vehicle, displayed by a set of oriented segments that can be viewed inside a circular window surrounding the vehicle. Two conditions were compared. In the “allocentric” condition, subjects see the vehicle move across the screen and change orientation under their command. The “egocentric” condition is similar except for how the information is provided: the position and orientation of the vehicle icon remains fixed at the center of the screen and only target directions, as indicated by the oriented segments, change as the subject “moves” the vehicle. The unexpected finding was that this task can be performed, in either condition, for up to 10 targets. We consider two possible strategies that might be used, a location-based strategy and a segment strategy. The location-based strategy relies on spatial memory and attempts to infer the locations of all the targets. The segment strategy is more local and focuses on the directional segments themselves, keeping track of the ones that represent already-visited targets. A number of observations suggest that the segment strategy was used, at least for larger numbers of targets. According to our hypothesis, keeping track of the segments requires one to use indexical reference for associating the segments with their status in the task — given by current status predicates Visited(x) or Not-visited(x) —, perhaps using visual indexes (Pylyshyn, 2001), deictic pointers (Ballard et al., 1997), or object files (Kahneman et al, 1992). 2011-05-25T22:08:58.221Z ]]>