An introduction to the theory of quantum groups

This thesis is meant to be an introduction to the theory of quantum groups, a new and exciting field having deep relevance to both pure and applied mathematics. Throughout the thesis, basic theory of requisite background material is developed within an overar-ching categorical framework. This background material includes vector spaces, algebras and coalgebras, bialgebras, Hopf algebras, and Lie algebras. The understanding gained from these subjects is then used to explore some of the more basic, albeit important, quantum groups. The thesis ends with an indication of how to proceed into the deeper areas of the theory --Document

Development of a community e-portal constellation: Queensland Smart Region Initiative

A community e-portal facilitates dynamic (developing), value (financial and non-financial), constellation (collaborative networks), which supports community integration and economic growth. The OECD has identified that social cohesion rather than narrow economic gain is the most significant outcome for societies where all citizens, through learning and the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes, leads to becoming more effective and proactive participants in civil and economic processes. In this work, action research facilitated design, development, and implementation of a community-portal dynamic-value constellation to support networked value chains, community, and local government connectivity. The research gives insights through working closely with stakeholders. The research domain represents a novel value creation model, incorporating technologies and solutions in the context of virtual enterprises, partnerships and joint ventures and other market-driven value constellations, where partners dynamically come together in response to or in anticipation of new market opportunities. Such constellations, however, bring with them significant operational and logistical challenges, about which there has been very little prior knowledge

Blockchain technology: the missing link in services management? Part I

In October 2008, an unknown person or persons going by the nom de plume Satoshi Nakamoto, published a paper titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. On 3 January 2009, bitcoin came into existence. At the same time, blockchain, the technology underpinning the crypto currency, made its public debut. It has been an impressive decade of development for blockchain; moving from concept to reality and from single-use platform to a potential springboard for market disruption – especially in the services sector. Despite a decade of history, a very long time in the digital firmament, many, indeed most, do not really understand what blockchain is or how it may affect their business. In this article, we aim to explain in simple, accessible terms what blockchain is, how it works, where it is already making its presence felt in service industries and how it may develop in the future

Blockchain technology: the missing link in services management? Part II

With some recent scandals in the charity sector, blockchain offers some options too. For those making charitable donations, blockchain provides the ability to precisely track where your donations are going, when they arrived, and whose hands they ended up in. From there, blockchain can deliver the accountability and transparency to address the perennial complaints around charitable donations; including the organisational inefficiency, or even financial misconduct, that can prevent money from reaching those it was meant for. Bitcoin-based charities like the BitGive Foundation use blockchain’s secure and transparent distributed ledger to give donors greater visibility into fund receipt and use. The company has launched a beta version of GiveTrack, a blockchain-based multidimensional donation platform that provides the ability to transfer, track, and provide a permanent record of charitable financial transactions across the globe

Live Long and Prosper? Boldly going into the fourth - age

Around two-thirds of the projected increase in spending is expected to be on clinical aged-healthcare (particularly funding of new technologies and support services). [...]with healthier lifestyles, higher incomes and better education all contributing to boosting life expectancy, growth in costs of age-related pensions, adds further economic pressure. [...]present society and policymakers need to look with fresh eyes at what living in the 4th-age will become; and identify what benefits this increasing demographic can contribute and bring to the wider society. [...]social isolation is decreased through friendships forged in digital communities. Unless the economic model changes, the tax base will shrink while government spending on aged-healthcare will expand substantially; and a dwindling number of younger workers will have to carry the financial burden of supporting the much older generations. * Extending longevity may seem to be a positive product of an advanced society

Hold the Gold Watch for now: delayed retirements

The services industries are always challenging. Any situation where point of delivery is coincidental with point of consumption, requires not only a first class product but also delivery mechanisms which allow for adaptability and improvisation in the face of the unexpected. An integral part of that mechanism is the workforce, and from this perspective the UK, Australia, and many other countries face some likely turbulent periods over the next five years. For example, data from the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) show for the first time there are more than 10 million people aged over 50 in employment. This means that over 50s now make up nearly one third of the entire UK workforce, up from around one in five (21%) in the early 1990s. Looking ahead, by 2034, the estimate is that more than 25% of the population will be over 65 years old. Notwithstanding the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and predictions from some quarters that ‘we’ll all be replaced by robots’, these statistics, coupled with the World Bank’s 2017 estimate of a likely annual population growth rate in the UK of 0.6% clearly suggest that the makeup of the workforce will have to change

The Renewal of Journalistic Practice in Disaster: Reporting from the 2010 Haitian Earthquake

This is a study of the practices and experiences of eight Canadian journalists in the week immediately following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The central assertion of this study is that a reenergized journalistic community is born in disaster in the absence of the comfort, familiarity and technical capabilities of the traditional newsroom and its decision-making structures. The exceptional conditions of the Haitian earthquake produced, with no formal planning, a mutually supportive and cooperative journalistic community. This research concentrates on how journalism operates differently in a disaster zone by rediscovering “the authentic” and how, amidst the ruptured meanings of daily life for Haitians, the earthquake represents a unique opportunity for professional renewal

MRI-based Surgical Planning for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

The most common reason for spinal surgery in elderly patients is lumbar spinal stenosis(LSS). For LSS, treatment decisions based on clinical and radiological information as well as personal experience of the surgeon shows large variance. Thus a standardized support system is of high value for a more objective and reproducible decision. In this work, we develop an automated algorithm to localize the stenosis causing the symptoms of the patient in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). With 22 MRI features of each of five spinal levels of 321 patients, we show it is possible to predict the location of lesion triggering the symptoms. To support this hypothesis, we conduct an automated analysis of labeled and unlabeled MRI scans extracted from 788 patients. We confirm quantitatively the importance of radiological information and provide an algorithmic pipeline for working with raw MRI scans

Pursuit of Excellence in Service Quality, Part I

The COVID pandemic has highlighted, and arguably increased, the range of service supply channels and business models, for example: business-to-business and business-to-customer; with additional complexity resulting from using digital platforms, face-to-face, and telematics. We are witnessing the demise of manufacturing capabilities in the western world, corresponding with a dramatic increase in service-based economies. This change begs questions such as: What must be done to ensure excellent quality across these dynamic channels and operational models? Do we really know what our customers regard as good service? Does this perception change across segments and demographics? How can we continue to be ahead of our customers’ desires and aspirations? Is excellent service quality solely measured by ‘fit for purpose’? Can we adapt or adopt manufacturing quality models for services

CHI 2020: Right Here, Right Now?

Over the last twenty years the CHI conference has grown substantially. However, with the reframing of climate change as a climate crisis, environmental concerns have become increasingly pervasive in the community. In 2019 CHI introduced a sustainability role and set a goal to make CHI more sustainable. In 2020 CHI is in Hawaii. This work looks back over the last two decades and estimates what are substantial and growing CO2 emissions from conference travel. First, it posits how, in the short term, potential environmental damage can be minimised. Second, and longer-term, it invites the community to reflect on research dissemination and how the conference experience may need to change.This work was supported by EPSRC grant EP/R004471/