Hooke's figurations: a figural drawing attributed to Robert Hooke

The experimental philosopher Robert Hooke (1635–1703) is known to have apprenticed to the leading painter Peter Lely on his first arrival in London in the late 1640s. Yet the relevance of Hooke's artistic training to his mature draughtsmanship and identity has remained unclear. Shedding light on that larger interpretive problem, this article argues for the attribution to Hooke of a figural drawing now in Tate Britain (T10678). This attributed drawing is especially interesting because it depicts human subjects and bears Hooke's name functioning as an artistic signature, both highly unusual features for his draughtsmanship. From evidence of how this drawing was collected and physically placed alongside images by leading artists in the early eighteenth century, I suggest how it can offer new insight into the reception of Hooke and his graphic work in the early Enlightenment

Indigenous Job Search Success

One important and under-researched aspect of labour market policy is the extent to which policy interventions are effective in modifying job search behaviour. Furthermore, there is little extant research on whether certain job search behaviours lead to labour market success. Our analysis uses the only existing largescale longitudinal survey of Indigenous Australians to examine the effects of job search behaviour over an 18-month period from March 1996. One major fi nding is that the introduction of the Job Search Diary during the survey period was effective in increasing search intensity—but this increase in intensity did not result in increased employment rates. Another finding is that the job search methods used were not generally related to the probability of fi nding and retaining employment when a range of other personal and regional factors are taken into account. Those with a greater level of search intensity (as measured by the number of jobs applied for) at the fi rst wave of the survey did have a signifi cantly higher probability of finding employment than those searching less intensely. However, search intensity is unrelated to the probability of job retention. Other factors, such as educational attainment, health status, region of residence and having been arrested, account for the majority of labour market success (or lack of it) among unemployed Indigenous job seekers.Job search; Indigenous; Labour market policy

Unpacking the income of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: wages, government payments and other income

Abstract: This paper compares the level and source of income for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians using data from the 2011 wave of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Three sources of income are considered: wages and salaries; government benefits; and income from businesses, investments and other private transfers. Consistent with many previous studies, Indigenous Australians have, on average, lower total income than non-Indigenous Australians, with this difference being largest for those who are full-time employed. The difference is also larger for males than females. In terms of non-wage income, Indigenous men and women receive a much smaller proportion of income from other sources than their non-Indigenous counterparts (primarily business and investment income). This is particularly the case for those who are not in the labour force (NILF). Correspondingly, government benefits constitute a higher proportion of income for the Indigenous population than for the non-Indigenous population. This is true for both males and females, and for all labour force statuses, although the difference is largest for part-time employed and those who are NILF. Given that Indigenous people are also more likely to be unemployed than non-Indigenous people, they are more likely to be dependent solely on government payments as a source of income at any one time. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as directions for future research

The economic impact of the mining boom on Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

This paper examines changes in Indigenous employment, income and housing costs to identify any localised ‘resource curse’ for Indigenous communities and the Australian population at large. Abstract Until the global financial crisis reduced Australian economic growth in late 2008, Indigenous employment had been increasing in both absolute and relative terms for over a decade. The effect of the international economic contraction has been mitigated by Australia’s booming mining sector, largely due to China’s growing demand for resources. Given that a substantial number of mining operations are on or near Indigenous land, the increase in mining investment may have disproportionately affected Indigenous communities. There are concerns that, in remote mining areas, the increases in housing costs generated by the mining boom mean that anyone who does not work in the mining industry, particularly those who rely on government benefits, will find it harder to afford housing. Localised inflationary tendencies can also affect people employed outside the mining sector, but one would expect that scarcity in the labour market would drive up wages in both mining and non‑mining jobs. This paper examines changes in Indigenous employment, income and housing costs to identify any localised ‘resource curse’ for Indigenous communities and the Australian population at large. The paper draws on data from recent censuses, the geographic location of mines and mining investment to identify some potentially important effects of the mining boom on Indigenous communities. The main finding is that the mining boom has improved employment and income outcomes, but increased average housing costs. While the average increase in income has generally offset the increase in costs, there is some evidence that housing stress for low-income households has increased as a result of the mining boom

Footprints in time: the longitudinal study of Indigenous children: guide for the uninitiated

The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children is arguably a landmark for the development of an effective policy to address Indigenous disadvantage early in the life cycle. This paper highlights how the study might inform policy-makers by providing some historical context about the survey design and collection. The brief history of LSIC provides an extended rationale for the need for the data and directly reflects on the survey design and methodology. The paper includes an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of LSIC, with reference to a few selected variables that may be useful in potential research. Some useful research questions are identified that LSIC data may be used to address, and the authors reflect on growing research that is using LSIC data. The community engagement strategy has been integral key to maximising participation and retention rates, especially the use of Indigenous interviewers to elicit potentially sensitive information. The main constraint for analysing the study is the relatively small sample size, which limits the statistical power of the resulting analysis

The economic and social benefits of increasing Indigenous employment

Using the latest available data and research, this paper provides estimates of the likely economic and social benefits of increasing Indigenous employment to the same level as in the non-Indigenous population. Introduction Relatively low rates of employment are one of the reasons for many of the poor economic and social outcomes experienced by Indigenous Australians. Increases in the rate of Indigenous employment would result in significant economic gains to the individuals who move into employment, and their families and communities, to the government who would receive higher tax revenues and have lower social security outlays, and the economy as a whole via the increases in the effective labour supply. The existing research also finds that there are health and social benefits that flow from paid employment. This paper, using the latest available data and research, provides estimates of the likely economic and social benefits of increasing Indigenous employment to the same level as in the non-Indigenous population (i.e. closing the employment gap). It was commissioned by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to help inform the work of the Indigenous Jobs and Training Review chaired by Andrew Forrest

Design Of Polynomial-based Filters For Continuously Variable Sample Rate Conversion With Applications In Synthetic Instrumentati

In this work, the design and application of Polynomial-Based Filters (PBF) for continuously variable Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) is studied. The major contributions of this work are summarized as follows. First, an explicit formula for the Fourier Transform of both a symmetrical and nonsymmetrical PBF impulse response with variable basis function coefficients is derived. In the literature only one explicit formula is given, and that for a symmetrical even length filter with fixed basis function coefficients. The frequency domain optimization of PBFs via linear programming has been proposed in the literature, however, the algorithm was not detailed nor were explicit formulas derived. In this contribution, a minimax optimization procedure is derived for the frequency domain optimization of a PBF with time-domain constraints. Explicit formulas are given for direct input to a linear programming routine. Additionally, accompanying Matlab code implementing this optimization in terms of the derived formulas is given in the appendix. In the literature, it has been pointed out that the frequency response of the Continuous-Time (CT) filter decays as frequency goes to infinity. It has also been observed that when implemented in SRC, the CT filter is sampled resulting in CT frequency response aliasing. Thus, for example, the stopband sidelobes of the Discrete-Time (DT) implementation rise above the CT designed level. Building on these observations, it is shown how the rolloff rate of the frequency response of a PBF can be adjusted by adding continuous derivatives to the impulse response. This is of great advantage, especially when the PBF is used for decimation as the aliasing band attenuation can be made to increase with frequency. It is shown how this technique can be used to dramatically reduce the effect of alias build up in the passband. In addition, it is shown that as the number of continuous derivatives of the PBF increases the resulting DT implementation more closely matches the Continuous-Time (CT) design. When implemented for SRC, samples from a PBF impulse response are computed by evaluating the polynomials using a so-called fractional interval, µ. In the literature, the effect of quantizing µ on the frequency response of the PBF has been studied. Formulas have been derived to determine the number of bits required to keep frequency response distortion below prescribed bounds. Elsewhere, a formula has been given to compute the number of bits required to represent µ to obtain a given SRC accuracy for rational factor SRC. In this contribution, it is shown how these two apparently competing requirements are quite independent. In fact, it is shown that the wordlength required for SRC accuracy need only be kept in the µ generator which is a single accumulator. The output of the µ generator may then be truncated prior to polynomial evaluation. This results in significant computational savings, as polynomial evaluation can require several multiplications and additions. Under the heading of applications, a new Wideband Digital Downconverter (WDDC) for Synthetic Instruments (SI) is introduced. DDCs first tune to a signal\u27s center frequency using a numerically controlled oscillator and mixer, and then zoom-in to the bandwidth of interest using SRC. The SRC is required to produce continuously variable output sample rates from a fixed input sample rate over a large range. Current implementations accomplish this using a pre-filter, an arbitrary factor resampler, and integer decimation filters. In this contribution, the SRC of the WDDC is simplified reducing the computational requirements to a factor of three or more. In addition to this, it is shown how this system can be used to develop a novel computationally efficient FFT-based spectrum analyzer with continuously variable frequency spans. Finally, after giving the theoretical foundation, a real Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation of a novel Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) is presented. The new approach uses a fixed Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) sample clock in combination with an arbitrary factor interpolator. Waveforms created at any sample rate are interpolated to the fixed DAC sample rate in real-time. As a result, the additional lower performance analog hardware required in current approaches, namely, multiple reconstruction filters and/or additional sample clocks, is avoided. Measured results are given confirming the performance of the system predicted by the theoretical design and simulation

Response: Real World Energy Policy

Secure and reasonably priced energy supplies have always been vital to the welfare of Maine\u27s economy and its people. Maine responded to the energy shocks of the 1970s with important state policies, designed in large part to reduce dependence on foreign oil. John Flumerfelt and Richard Silkman of the State Planning Office [this issue] provide an overview of Maine\u27s recent history of energy use and an analysis of both past and future energy policies in Maine. Matthew Hunter of Central Maine Power provides here an alternative perspective on energy policy

Rates of Performance Loss and Neuromuscular Activity in Men and Women During Cycling: Evidence for A Common Metabolic Basis of Muscle Fatigue

The durations that muscular force and power outputs can be sustained until failure fall predictably on an exponential decline between an individual’s 3-s burst maximum to the maximum performance they can sustain aerobically. The exponential time constants describing these rates of performance loss are similar across individuals, suggesting that a common metabolically based mechanism governs muscle fatigue; however, these conclusions come from studies mainly on men. To test whether the same physiological understanding can be applied to women, we compared the performance-duration relationships and neuromuscular activity between seven men [23.3 ± 1.9 (SD) yr] and seven women (21.7 ± 1.8 yr) from multiple exhaustive bouts of cycle ergometry. Each subject performed trials to obtain the peak 3-s power output (Pmax), the mechanical power at the aerobic maximum (Paer), and 11–14 constant-load bouts eliciting failure between 3 and 300 s. Collectively, men and women performed 180 exhaustive bouts spanning an ~6-fold range of power outputs (118–1116 W) and an ~35-fold range of trial durations (8–283 s). Men generated 66% greater Pmax (956 ± 109 W vs. 632 ± 74 W) and 68% greater Paer (310 ± 47 W vs. 212 ± 15 W) than women. However, the metabolically based time constants describing the time course of performance loss were similar between men (0.020 ± 0.003/s) and women (0.021 ± 0.003/s). Additionally, the fatigue-induced increases in neuromuscular activity did not differ between the sexes when compared relative to the pedal forces at Paer. These data suggest that muscle fatigue during short-duration dynamic exercise has a common metabolically based mechanism determined by the extent that ATP is resynthesized by anaerobic metabolism