The synergy of visual projections and contemporary dance

Projections are becoming an increasingly common part of contemporary dance performance, however, I believe that choreographers do not always integrate the media to form a dependent synergy. My research addresses the principal question: What are the factors that indicate that there is a critical relationship (synergy) between projection, including art work, moving images or light and the dancer in a contemporary dance performance? A brief history explains the background and development of lighting technology, through to film and more recently motion capture technology. Through sources of pre-existing literature and my interpretation of video excerpts of contemporary dance, I explore various techniques and effects generated by projections. The examples are categorised by three relationships; firstly the dancer initiating a response from the visual imagery; secondly, the visual imagery stimulating a response from the dancer and; thirdly, where there is a connection between the dancer and the projected imagery that is only visible to the audience. Techniques such as layering of images directly onto the body, using motion capture technology to project digitalised light patterns onto a dancer and the space, as well as using projections as a backdrop are all explored for evidence of an interdependent synergy

A meta-study of SAP financials in the Queensland Government

This thesis consists of three related studies: an ERP Major Issues Study; an Historical Study of the Queensland Government Financial Management System; and a Meta-Study that integrates these and other related studies conducted under the umbrella of the Cooperative ERP Lifecycle Knowledge Management research program. This research provides a comprehensive view of ERP lifecycle issues encountered in SAP R/3 projects across the Queensland Government. This study follows a preliminary ERP issues study (Chang, 2002) conducted in five Queensland Government agencies. The Major Issues Study aims to achieve the following: (1) identify / explicate major issues in relation to the ES life-cycle in the public sector; (2) rank the importance of these issues; and, (3) highlight areas of consensus and dissent among stakeholder groups. To provide a rich context for this study, this thesis includes an historical recount of the Queensland Government Financial Management System (QGFMS). This recount tells of its inception as a centralised system; the selection of SAP and subsequent decentralisation; and, its eventual recentralisation under the Shared Services Initiative and CorpTech. This historical recount gives an insight into the conditions that affected the selection and ongoing management and support of QGFMS. This research forms part of a program entitled Cooperative ERP Lifecycle Knowledge Management. This thesis provides a concluding report for this research program by summarising related studies conducted in the Queensland Government SAP context: Chan (2003); Vayo et al (2002); Ng (2003); Timbrell et al (2001); Timbrell et al (2002); Chang (2002); Putra (1998); and, Niehus et al (1998). A study of Oracle in the United Arab Emirates by Dhaheri (2002) is also included. The thesis then integrates the findings from these studies in an overarching Meta-Study. The Meta-Study discusses key themes across all of these studies, creating an holistic report for the research program. Themes discussed in the meta-study include common issues found across the related studies; knowledge dynamics of the ERP lifecycle; ERP maintenance and support; and, the relationship between the key players in the ERP lifecycle

Magnetic anisotropy of asbestos fibres

Original article can be found at : http://jap.aip.org/jap/ Copyright American Institute of PhysicsThe anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility of single asbestos fibers is measured. The alignment of both chrysotile and crocidolite fibers in magnetic fields is found to be due to the anisotropy. The average measured anisotropy of volume susceptibility is 0.40×10−6 for chrysotile and 83×10−6 for crocidolite. Fiber shape effects are estimated to contribute, on average, about 10% and 6%, respectively, to the total anisotropy of the two types of fiber. There is no evidence of significant permanent magnetic moments. The magnitude of the observed alignment makes the effect potentially useful in real-time detection of airborne asbestos fibers. The experimental technique developed in the study can be used for measuring the anisotropy of small particles of well-defined shape. High sensitivity of the technique permits the measurement of torques lower than 10−21 Nm on particles down to picogram mass.Peer reviewe

Strategy in a Digital World

Organizations are increasingly adopting digital strategies and investing heavily in digital technologies and initiatives. However, to date, there does not appear to be a clear understanding of digital strategies and their purpose, which forms the motivation for this research. This research-in-progress study aims to address this research gap by exploring 1) the various conceptions of digital strategy, and 2) the way in which digital strategies differ from conventional strategies. We interviewed three senior executives and employed thematic analysis to analyse the interview data, which resulted in the construction of ten themes that were grouped under three theoretical constructs. We then explored the applicability of the six dimensions of strategy proposed by Hax (1990) in the digital context and proposed two additional dimensions. The contribution of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of digital strategy to support further academic research and provide guidance to practitioners

Key Organizational Elements for Effective Information and Knowledge Management

Effective information and knowledge management (IKM) is critical to corporate success; yet, its actual establishment and management is not yet fully understood. We identify ten organizational elements that need to be addressed to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of information and knowledge management within organizations. We define these elements and provide key characterizations. We then discuss a case study that describes the implementation of an information system (designed to support IKM) in a medical supplies organization. We apply the framework of organizational elements in our analysis to uncover the enablers and barriers in this systems implementation project. Our analysis suggests that taking the ten organizational elements into consideration when implementing information systems will assist practitioners in managing information and knowledge processes more effectively and efficiently. We discuss implications for future research

Digital Government Strategy Derivation: A Matter of Design

The fast pace of technological development coupled with intensified competition and changing customers’ expectations are heavily affecting traditional industries such as banks. Once a stable industry, banks find themselves in need of developing agile operations that quickly detect and respond to volatile markets and changing customer needs and expectations. In this paper, we present an explorative case study on how a large European bank (EuroBank) creates this customer agility. The findings show that customer agility requires the formation of dynamic capabilities that combine ICT capabilities and organizational routines in harmonious and active ways. Based on the dynamic capabilities approach and the case data analysis, we develop a Customer Agility Capabilities (CAC) framework. It depicts the dynamic capabilities, with their alignment, that are necessary for achieving customer agility and the associated operational agility

Technological and geometric morphometric analysis of ‘post- Howiesons Poort points’ from Border Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Lithic assemblages immediately following the Howiesons Poort, often loosely referred to as the ‘post- Howiesons Poort’ or MSA III, have attracted relatively little attention when compared to other wellknown phases of the South African Middle Stone Age (MSA) sequence. Current evidence from sites occurring in widely-differing environments suggests that these assemblages are marked by temporal and technological variability, with few features in common other than the presence of unifacial points. Here we present a technological and geometric morphometric analysis of ‘points’ from the new excavations of Members 2 BS, 2WA and the top of 3 BS members at Border Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, one of the key sites for studying modern human cultural evolution. Our complementary methodologies demonstrate that, at this site, hominins adopted a knapping strategy that primarily produced non-standardised unretouched points. Triangular morphologies were manufactured using a variety of reduction strategies, of which the discoidal and Levallois recurrent centripetal methods produced distinctive morphologies. We find technological and morphological variability increases throughout the post-Howiesons Poort sequence, with clear differences between and within chrono-stratigraphic groups. Finally, we assess the suitability of the ‘Sibudan’ cultural-technological typology proposed for post-Howiesons Poort assemblages at Sibhudu, another KwaZulu-Natal site, and find similarities in the morphological axes characterising the samples, despite differences in the shaping strategies adopted. Overall, our work contributes to the growing body of research that is helping to address historical research biases that have slanted our understanding of cultural evolution during the MSA of southern Africa towards the Still Bay and Howiesons Poort technocomplexes.UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) NGS-54810R-19Wenner Gren Foundation CEOOP2020-1Poroulis grant through Cambridge UniversitySpanish FEDER/Ministry of Science and Innovation 262618National Geographic Explorer grant ANR-10-LABX-52DSI- NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences grant 191022_001Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence funding schemeLaScArBx research programmeGrand Programme de Recherche 'Human Past' of the Initiative d'Excellence (IdEx) of the Bordeaux UniversityLeakey Foundation (Movement, interaction, and structure: modelling population networks and cultural diversity in the African Middle Stone Age)Lithic Studies Society (Jacobi Bursary Awardee, 2020)SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE)Talents Programme AH/R012792/1 Gr. 10157 PID2019-1049449 GB-I0

Crack modelling in power plant components

Much of the process plant designed in the early 1970s, in response to increased demandfor power, is now 'ageing' and necessitates an on-going fitness for service' assessment. This is necessary to satisfy licensing authorities requirements for continuous operations. Fitness for service assessment involves many issues including evaluation of structural flaws, material degradation, damage due to creep, fatigue and plasticity and the overall effect on the residual life of components. Codes of practice such as API 579, BS 7910 and R6 give detailed assessment procedures and may involve very detailed and time consuming finite element analyses. The authors have developed an FEA tool, Zencrack, to accurately evaluate single or multiple cracks in any structure (e.g. pressure vessels, piping, etc.). Further, 3D non planar crack growth under general fatigue or time dependent loading is possible. The software can help to increase efficiencyin performing sensitivity studies, thus allowing more accurateassessment of the residual life of the plant than would otherwise be possible in a given timeframe

Computational Analysis and Fabrication of Metasurfaces for Applications in Linear and Nonlinear Optics

We present theoretical and computational findings regarding second harmonic generation within plasmonic and all-dielectric metamaterials. An in-depth analysis of the surface and bulk contributions to the second harmonic signal in centrosymmetric metaatoms is undertaken, whereby it is found that a common assumption of neglecting the bulk portion of dielectric structures is unjustified. An all-dielectric metamaterial unit cell is also presented. The power radiated by the electromagnetic dipoles are calculated alongside the electric quadrupole for both the linear and nonlinear regime for a LiTaO3 meta-atom. A nonlinear resonance that is engendered by the linear toroidal dipole is also shown to be toroidal in nature. A structure consisting of gold split ring resonators embedded in a dielectric is designed to have a strong nonlinear toroidal dipole. The optical spectra of the metamaterial array are simulated, with the powers radiated by the electric, magnetic and toroidal dipoles being compared at the second harmonic, whereby the toroidal dipole dominates. In a separate investigation, we analyse computationally and experimentally optical meta-atoms that generate two distinct resonances in frequency-space for applications in laser protection. Different polarisation-dependent designs are incorporated to produce a polarisation-independent meta-atom. The optical response of this cross-shaped structure is calculated and compared with a fabricated structure. The simulation and fabrication process is analysed in detail. Additional to this investigation, a notch filter is designed through using DiffractMOD’s MOST optimizer and subsequently manufactured in the London Centre for Nanotechnology. The transmission coefficients are again measured. Furthermore, a Bragg/metamaterial composite is briefly introduced and analysed. This new composite is intended to improve performance on the previous transmission notch filter by having the metamaterial effectively act as a substitute for a number of layers of the Bragg filter