Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Synthesis Of Mn3o4-Encapsulated Graphene Sheet Nanocomposites Via A Facile, Fast Microwave Hydrothermal Method And Their Supercapacitive Behaviour, Li Li, Kuok Hau Seng, Zhixin Chen, Hua-Kun Liu, Ivan P. Nevirkovets, Zaiping Guo

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Well-crystallized Mn3O4-anchored reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized via a facile, effective, energy-saving, and scalable microwave hydrothermal technique for potential application as supercapacitor material. Integrating these nanostructures resulted in a strong synergistic effect between the two materials, consequently leading to a hybrid composite with higher specific capacitance compared to the bare Mn3O4 nanoparticles. The results from different sorts of characterization indicate that the Mn3O4 particles were deposited and anchored on graphene sheets. The capacitance value of the rGO(31.6%)–Mn3O4 nanocomposite reached 153 F/g, much higher than that of the bare Mn3O4 (87 F/g) at a scan rate of …

Privacy Issues And Solutions In Social Network Sites, Xi Chen, Katina Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

The boom of the internet and the explosion of new technologies have brought with them new challenges and thus new connotations of privacy. Clearly, when people deal with e-government and e-business, they do not only need the right to be let alone, but also to be let in secret. Not only do they need freedom of movement, but also to be assured of the secrecy of their information. Solove [6] has critiqued traditional definitions of privacy and argued that they do not address privacy issues created by new online technologies. Austin [7] also asserts: “[w]e do need to sharpen and …

Indian Millennials: Are Microchip Implants A More Secure Technology For Identification And Access Control?, Christine Perakslis, Katina Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

This mixed methods study with a sequential explanatory strategy explored qualitatively the statistically significant quantitative findings relative to Indian respondents’ perceptions about RFID (radio frequency identification) transponders implanted into the human body. In the first analysis phase of the study, there was a significant chi-square analysis reported (χ2 = 56.64, df = 3, p = .000) relative to the perception of small business owners (N = 453) that implanted chips are a more secure form of identification and/or access control in organizations and the respondents’ country of residence. Countries under study included Australia, India, the UK and US. The country …

The Value Of Government Mandated Location-Based Services In Emergencies In Australia, Anas Aloudat, Katina Michael, Roba Abbas, Mutaz Al-Debei

Associate Professor Katina Michael

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian Bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications, which are becoming increasingly accurate with the evolution of positioning techniques, have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility …

Commentary On: Mann, Steve (2012): Wearable Computing, Katina Michael, M.G. Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

In Professor Steve Mann- inventor, physicist, engineer, mathematician, scientist, designer, developer, project director, filmmaker, artist, instrumentalist, author, photographer, actor, activist- we see so much of the paradigmatic classical Greek philosopher. I recall asking Steve if technology shaped society or society shaped technology. He replied along the lines that the question was superfluous. Steve instead pointed to praxis, from which all theory, lessons or skills stem, are practiced, embodied and realized. Steve has always been preoccupied by the application of his ideas into form. In this way too, he can be considered a modern day Leonardo Da Vinci.

Book Review: Securing The Cloud: Cloud Computer Security Techniques And Tactics, Katina Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

With so much buzz around Cloud Computing, books like this one written by Winkler are much in demand. Winkler’s experience in the computing business shines through and as readers we are spoiled with a great deal of useful strategic information- a jam packed almost 300 page volume on securing the cloud.

In Memoriam: Associate Professor Dr Elaine Lawrence, Katina Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

Despite being a graduate of the rigorous Bachelor of Information Technology at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) in 1996, I was unfortunate in that I missed being taught by Associate Professor Elaine Lawrence who began working at UTS in 1990 as a Lecturer in Computing Science. Dr Lawrence became a senior lecturer in 2000, and subsequently an associate professor in 2006. Our paths crossed in 2002 when I was tasked to deliver a new course entitled “eBusiness Principles” in my first year of lecturing at the University of Wollongong, and after an initial scurry to find an adequate textbook, …

Sousveillance And The Social Implications Of Point Of View Technologies In The Law Enforcement Sector, Katina Michael, M.G. Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

Policing today has become a high-tech affair; especially in the provision of incident event tracking and reporting systems increasingly being used to provide evidence in a court of law. These in-car video (ICV) and body worn recording systems are said to increase convictions and eliminate false claims made by defendants, providing documentary support to police officers and their associated actions in an incident. But today, new technologies such as smart phones equipped with cameras and global positioning system chipsets can also be found in the hands of the everyday citizen, used to capture everyday happenings and distributed to social networks …

Book Review: Security Risk Management: Building An Information Security Risk Management Program From The Ground Up, Katina Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

In an age of outsourcing tasks that are not considered to be a core competency of the business, organisations have often relied on external consultants for matters pertaining to security. In actual fact, most companies could have utilized existing skill-sets in-house to produce a security risk management program, if only they knew what steps to take, and how to go about it all. Evan Wheeler in his book on information security risk management does just that- he equips professionals tasked with security, with the thinking required to create a program that is more preoccupied with the complex strategic-level questions than …

Location Privacy Under Dire Threat As Uberveillance Stalks The Streets, Katina Michael, Roger Clarke

Associate Professor Katina Michael

Location tracking and monitoring applications have proliferated with the arrival of smart phones that are equipped with onboard global positioning system (GPS) chipsets. It is now possible to locate a smart phone user down to 10 metres of accuracy on average. Innovators have been quick to capitalise on this emerging market by introducing novel pedestrian tracking technologies which can denote the geographic path of a mobile user. At the same time there is contention by law enforcement personnel over the need for a warrant process to track an individual in a public space. This paper considers the future of location …

Anisotropy In The Permeability And Consolidation Characteristics Of Dredged Mud, Dhanya Ganesalingam, Jayantha Ameratunga, Guy Schweitzer, Peter Boyle, Nagaratnam Sivakugan

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Dredging and land reclamation is a billion dollar industry that is spread around the coastal regions of Australia. Maintenance dredging is carried out regularly in many major Australian ports and in several cases the dredged mud is pumped ashore into containment paddocks at high water contents. When the dredged mud settles, there can be segregation with possible anisotropy. The sedimentation of the dredged mud is followed by self-weight consolidation which can take a long time. To accelerate the consolidation process, prefabricated vertical drains and surcharge are often used. To analyse the consolidation process of the dredged mud with vertical drains …

Analytical Solution For Interaction Forces In Rc Beams Strengthened With Nsm Rectangular Bars, S S. Zhang, J G. Teng

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The flexural performance of an RC beam can be improved using the near-surface mounted (NSM) FRP strengthening technique. In such FRP-strengthened RC beams, debonding failure at the two bar ends may occur due to high interaction forces in the bar-end regions between the RC beam and the FRP bars. This paper presents a theoretical investigation into these interaction forces in RC beams strengthened with NSM FRP rectangular bars. By introducing and defining two interfacial stiffness parameters, an analytical solution for the tangential and the normal interaction forces is first obtained as an extension of the analytical solution developed by Smith …

Analytical Model For Bar-End Cover Separation Failure In Rc Beams Strengthened With Near-Surface Mounted Frp, S S. Zhang, J G. Teng, J F. Chen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The flexural performance of RC beams can be improved using the near-surface mounted (NSM) FRP strengthening technique. A likely failure mode of such FRP-strengthened RC beams is bar-end cover separation which involves the detachment of the NSM FRP reinforcement together with the concrete cover along the level of the steel tension reinforcement. This paper presents a new analytical strength model for this failure mode. The proposed strength model and two existing strength models for this failure mode are compared with test results to demonstrate the superior performance of the new analytical model.

Design Optimization And Comparative Analysis Of Silicon-Nanowire-Based Couplers, Hongqiang Li, Xiaye Dong, Enbang Li, Zhihui Liu, Yaoting Bai

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Three kinds of highly compact 2 x 2 couplers based on silicon nanowire are designed and optimized for the array waveguide grating (AWG) demodulation integration microsystem in this paper. These couplers are directional (X) coupler, cross gap coupler (CGC), and multimode interface (MMI) coupler. The couplers are simulated using the beam propagation method. The distance between the input/output waveguides is set to 10 μm considering the test of a single device in the following work. The total footprint of X coupler is 10 μmx 300 μm. The length of parallel film waveguide is 1 μm. After optimization, the minimum excess …

A Zero-Sum Competitive Multi-Player Game, Ivan W. Guo, Marek Rutkowski

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A single period, zero-sum, multi-player game is constructed. Each player can either exit the game for a fixed payoff or stay and split the remaining payoff with the other non-exiting players. The emphasis is put on the rivalrous nature of the payoffs, meaning that the sum of all payoffs is fixed, but the exact allocation is based on the players' decisions. The value at which Nash and optimal equilibria are attained is shown to be unique and it is constructed explicitly.

Delivering Zero Carbon Homes In The Uk, Emma Elizabeth Heffernan, Wei Pan, Xi Liang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In the UK and internationally, a plethora of voluntary and mandatory energy efficiency standards for new buildings exist, with the common aim of mitigating the impact of new buildings on climate change. However, the take-up of voluntary schemes has been limited and, as a result, many governments have seen the need to introduce mandatory schemes through legislation; from 2016 all new build homes in England and Wales will be required to achieve zero carbon in regulated energy consumption. The international context of voluntary and mandatory building energy efficiency standards is examined through a review of the literature. The review is …

Cold Model Study Of Blast Gas Discharge From The Taphole During The Blast Furnace Hearth Drainage, Qinglin He, Geoffrey M. Evans, Paul Zulli, Francis Tanzil

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Blast gas discharge from the taphole in the course of the blast furnace hearth drainage was experimentally studied using a packed bed cold model. It was found that gas break-through time was strongly influenced by the furnace operating conditions and coke bed structure. Gas break-through time decreases with (a) increasing draining rate; (b) decreasing slag and iron levels in the hearth; and (c) increasing slag viscosity. It increases with an increase in the coke-free layer depth and coke-free space width. Under certain conditions, the gas-liquid interface in the region directly above the taphole becomes unstable, leading to viscous finger formation …

Long-Distance Walking Effect On Below-Knee Amputee Compensatory Gait Patterns And Implications On Prosthetic Designs And Training, L F. Yeung, Aaron Leung, Ming Zhang, Winson Lee

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Trans-tibial amputees are advised to walk as much as able people to achieve healthy and independent life. However, they usually have difficulties in doing so. Previous researches only included data from a few steps when studying the gait of amputees. Walking over a long distance was rarely examined. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in spatial-temporal, kinetic and kinematic gait parameters of trans-tibial amputees after long-distance walking. Six male unilateral trans-tibial amputees performed two sessions of 30-min walking on a level treadmill at their self-selected comfortable speed. Gait analysis was undertaken over-ground: (1) before walking, (2) …

Is It Important To Position Foot In Subtalar Joint Neutral Position During Non-Weight-Bearing Molding For Foot Orthoses?, Winson Lee, Christina Lee, Aaron Leung, Stephen W. Hutchins

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

When taking molds for foot orthoses, it is accepted practice to position the subtalar joint in its neutral position. However, foot orthoses have no contact with the talus, and this leads to a hypothesis that as long as there is correction available to appropriately align the forefoot relative to the hindfoot when taking a mold, changes in subtalar joint angles do not lead to significant alterations in the plantar surface shapes of the molds taken. This study tested this presumption with 20 subjects between 22 and 46 years old. During non-weight-bearing casting, the subtalar joints were aligned at positions of …

Comparison Of Custom-Moulded Ankle Orthosis With Hinged Joints And Off-The-Shelf Ankle Braces In Preventing Ankle Sprain In Lateral Cutting Movements, Winson Lee, Toshiki Kobayashi, Barton Choy, Aaron Leung

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

BACKGROUND: A custom moulded ankle orthosis with hinged joints potentially offers a better control over the subtalar joint and the ankle joint during lateral cutting movements, due to total contact design and increase in material strength. OBJECTIVES: To test the above hypothesis by comparing it to three other available orthoses. STUDY DESIGN: Repeated measures. METHODS: Eight subjects with a history of ankle sprains (Grade 2), and 11 subjects without such history performed lateral cutting movements in four test conditions: 1) non-orthotic, 2) custom-moulded ankle orthosis with hinges, 3) Sport-Stirrup, and 4) elastic ankle sleeve with plastic support. A VICON motion …

Effectiveness Of Adjustable Dorsiflexion Night Splint In Combination With Accommodative Foot Orthosis On Plantar Fasciitis, Winson Lee, W Y. Wong, Eddy Kung, Aaron Leung

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Foot orthoses and night splints have been used separately to treat patients with plantar fasciitis, but were not always successful. Combined use of both orthoses might give better outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a soft and self-adjustable dorsiflexion night splint in combination with an accommodative foot orthosis for patients with plantar fasciitis. Twenty-eight patients were assigned to group A (foot orthosis only) and group B (combination of foot orthosis and dorsiflexion night splints). A foot function index (FFI) questionnaire was used to evaluate the pain and functions of feet just before, 2 weeks after, and 8 weeks after …

Dynamic Impression Insole In Rheumatoid Foot With Metatarsal Pain, Bao-Chi Chang, Jia-Yi Wang, Biing-Shiun Huang, Hsiao-Yi Lin, Winson Lee

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Background

Custom molded insoles with metatarsal supports are used to redistribute excessive loading under the metatarsal heads in patients with metatarsalgia. However, these pressure reductions are usually insufficient for the rheumatoid foot with painful deformed metatarsal heads. We developed an effective insole made by sequential foam padding under successive walking impression.

Methods

Seventeen consecutive rheumatoid arthritic outpatients with metatarsal pain participated in this repeated measures study of 7-mm flat Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, custom molded and dynamic impression insoles. Peak plantar pressure, pressure-time integral, contact area and mean force were measured by a Pedar-X mobile system. Pain levels were assessed using …

Modélisation De La Mobilité Résidentielle En Vue D'Une Micro-Simulation Des Évolutions De Population, Eric Cornelis, Johan Barthelemy, Xavier Pauly, Fabien Walle

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Quels sont les déterminants de la mobilité résidentielle en Belgique ? Quand on déménage, quels sont les facteurs de choix d'une nouvelle commune de résidence ? Telles étaient les questions au cœur du projet MOBLOC. Dans ce cadre, un modèle a été développé en deux parties: un modèle de propension à migrer et un modèle de choix de nouvelle localisation. L'objectif étant de travailler avec un niveau de désagrégation spatiale fin (les 589 communes belges), des outils de micro-simulation étaient également nécessaires. La méthode originale développée par le GRT pour créer des populations synthétiques est donc utile de même que …

Semi-Analytical Solutions For Cubic Autocatalytic Reaction-Diffusion Equations; The Effect Of A Precursor Chemical, Muteb Alharthi, Timothy Marchant, Mark Nelson

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Semi-analytical solutions for a cubic autocatalytic reaction, with linear decay and a precursor chemical, are considered. The model is coupled with diffusion and considered in a one-dimensional reactor. In this model the reactant is supplied by two mechanisms, diffusion via the cell boundaries and decay of an abundant precursor chemical present in the reactor. The Galerkin method is used to approximate the spatial structure of the reactant and autocatalyst concentrations in the reactor. Ordinary differential equations are then obtained as an approximation to the governing partial differential equations and analyzed to obtain semi-analytical results for the reaction-diffusion cell. Singularity theory …

Nonlinear Optical Beams In Bounded Nematic Liquid Crystal Cells, Antonmaria Minzoni, Luke W. Sciberras, Noel Prof Noel F Smyth, Annette L. Worthy

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Stable nonlinear beams, both solitary waves (nematicons) and optical vortices, can form in a nematic liquid crystal due to a balance between the nonlinear, nonlocal response of the nematic and the diffractive spreading of the light beam. The `huge' nonlinearity of a nematic liquid crystal makes it ideal for the experimental development of photonic devices as nonlinear effects occur over millimetre distances. In this work, a simple and fast method to analyse the trajectory of a nonlinear beam within a finite liquid crystal cell, based on a classical method not explored in this context, the method of images, is developed. …

Effect Of The Austenitising Heat Treatment On The Microstructure And Hardness Of Martensitic Stainless Steel Aisi 420, Lilian D. Barlow, Madeleine Du Toit

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The effect of austenitizing on the microstructure and hardness of two martensitic stainless steels was examined with the aim of supplying heat-treatment guidelines to the user that will ensure a martensitic structure with minimal retained austenite, evenly dispersed carbides and a hardness of between 610 and 740 HV (Vickers hardness) after quenching and tempering. The steels examined during the course of this examination conform in composition to medium-carbon AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel, except for the addition of 0.13% vanadium and 0.62% molybdenum to one of the alloys. Steel samples were austenitized at temperatures between 1000 and 1200 C, followed …

Comparing The Formability Of Aisi 304 And Aisi 202 Stainless Steel, Madeleine Du Toit, Herman G. Steyn

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The formability of AISI 202 austenitic stainless steel was compared with that of type AISI 304 stainless steel. Type 202 is a low-nickel austenitic stainless steel alloyed with manganese and nitrogen. In this study, the formability of the two grades was examined using Erichsen cupping tests and room temperature uniaxial tensile tests performed at various angles to the rolling direction. AISI 202 appears to work-harden at a slightly higher rate than AISI 304, even though the austenite in type 202 is more stable than that in 304 with respect to the formation of deformation-induced a¢ martensite. Although both grades are …

Self-Reported Practices, Attitudes And Levels Of Training Of Practitioners In The English Nhs Stop Smoking Services, Mairtin S. Mcdermott, Robert West, Leonie S. Brose, Andy Mcewen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The primary aim of the current study is to investigate the self-reported practices, attitudes and levels of training of stop smoking practitioners (SSPs) working at the English National Health Service's (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSSs). A secondary aim was to investigate differences between 'Specialist' and 'Community' SSPs. An online survey was conducted with 484 SSPs. Most (94%) SSPs offered one-to-one appointments to smokers, only 43% always used the abrupt quit model and 30% reported ever recommending particular medication to clients. SSPs reported an average of 3.7 days training when starting work and 26% reported never observing an experienced practitioner before …

Translating Evidence-Based Guidelines Into Practice: A Survey Of Practices Of Commissioners And Managers Of The English Stop Smoking Services, Mairtin S. Mcdermott, Heather Thomson, Robert West, Jennifer A. M Kenyon, Andy Mcewen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Background: The English National Health Service's (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSSs) constitute one of the most highly developed behavioural support programmes in the world. However, there is significant variation in success rates across the approximately 150 services, some of which may be due to variation in practice. This study aimed to assess these differences in practice.

Methods: Two online surveys were administered. All commissioners (people who purchase services for the NHS) and managers (those who run the services) of NHS SSSs in England were invited to participate. Items included details of current practices and services provided, what informed the …

Apocalypse Not: Doomsday Thinkers Of Oz Should Get Out More, Graham Harris

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

I sometimes wonder what planet this country of ours is on. The environmental debate we are having seems to be in a parallel universe to the rest of the world. Having spent the last four years running one of Europe's biggest environmental research laboratories, the Lancaster Environment Centre, I find Australia strangely out of kilter. All I hear here is apocalyptic gloom and doom: either the planet is done for if we don't act, or the economy is done for if we do! We have a highly polarised debate and even more polarised reporting; with too much hand-wringing and head-banging …