Data retention, journalist freedoms and whistleblowers

As members of the ‘fourth estate’, journalists have enjoyed certain limited protections for themselves and their sources under the laws of various countries. These protections are now uniquely challenged in the context of metadata retention and enhanced surveillance and national security protections. This article examines the recent changes to laws in Australia and the position of journalists as investigative watchdogs. It considers the nature of the new laws, the responses of journalists, the broader context of commercial journalism and the rise of the infotainment business model, and the role of the ‘networked fourth estate’ and non-institutional actors in creating accountable government in Australia.Sal Humphreys, Melissa de Zwar

The Evolution of Globular Clusters in the Galaxy

We investigate the evolution of globular clusters using N-body calculations and anisotropic Fokker-Planck (FP) calculations. The models include a mass spectrum, mass loss due to stellar evolution, and the tidal field of the parent galaxy. Recent N-body calculations have revealed a serious discrepancy between the results of N-body calculations and isotropic FP calculations. The main reason for the discrepancy is an oversimplified treatment of the tidal field employed in the isotropic FP models. In this paper we perform a series of calculations with anisotropic FP models with a better treatment of the tidal boundary and compare these with N-body calculations. The new tidal boundary condition in our FP model includes one free parameter. We find that a single value of this parameter gives satisfactory agreement between the N-body and FP models over a wide range of initial conditions. Using the improved FP model, we carry out an extensive survey of the evolution of globular clusters over a wide range of initial conditions varying the slope of the mass function, the central concentration, and the relaxation time. The evolution of clusters is followed up to the moment of core collapse or the disruption of the clusters in the tidal field of the parent galaxy. In general, our model clusters, calculated with the anisotropic FP model with the improved treatment for the tidal boundary, live longer than isotropic models. The difference in the lifetime between the isotropic and anisotropic models is particularly large when the effect of mass loss via stellar evolution is rather significant. On the other hand the difference is small for relaxation- dominated clusters which initially have steep mass functions and high central concentrations.Comment: 36 pages, 11 figures, LaTeX; added figures and tables; accepted by Ap

Mutation supply and the repeatability of selection for antibiotic resistance

Whether evolution can be predicted is a key question in evolutionary biology. Here we set out to better understand the repeatability of evolution. We explored experimentally the effect of mutation supply and the strength of selective pressure on the repeatability of selection from standing genetic variation. Different sizes of mutant libraries of an antibiotic resistance gene, TEM-1 $\beta$-lactamase in Escherichia coli, were subjected to different antibiotic concentrations. We determined whether populations went extinct or survived, and sequenced the TEM gene of the surviving populations. The distribution of mutations per allele in our mutant libraries- generated by error-prone PCR- followed a Poisson distribution. Extinction patterns could be explained by a simple stochastic model that assumed the sampling of beneficial mutations was key for survival. In most surviving populations, alleles containing at least one known large-effect beneficial mutation were present. These genotype data also support a model which only invokes sampling effects to describe the occurrence of alleles containing large-effect driver mutations. Hence, evolution is largely predictable given cursory knowledge of mutational fitness effects, the mutation rate and population size. There were no clear trends in the repeatability of selected mutants when we considered all mutations present. However, when only known large-effect mutations were considered, the outcome of selection is less repeatable for large libraries, in contrast to expectations. Furthermore, we show experimentally that alleles carrying multiple mutations selected from large libraries confer higher resistance levels relative to alleles with only a known large-effect mutation, suggesting that the scarcity of high-resistance alleles carrying multiple mutations may contribute to the decrease in repeatability at large library sizes.Comment: 31pages, 9 figure

Piracy vs. control: models of virtual world governance and their impact on player and user experience

Current models of governance of virtual worlds evolved from the Terms of Service developed by the virtual world content creators based upon intellectual property license models. Increasingly, however virtual world providers now seek to accommodate both the needs and interests of owners and users in order to respond to the evolving needs of the virtual world. However, domestic governments are also now taking greater interest in the activities within virtual communities. This article explores a range of governance models, and the competing interests at play within the virtual communities managed by such models, in order to consider whether there is a universally adaptable governance model. In particular it analyses the role and effectiveness of the Council of Stellar Management, the player representative committee in EVE. The article concludes that national governments should not impose significant regulation upon virtual communities, but rather should encourage the development and growth of such communities by prescribing minimum standards, such as standardisation and transparency of Terms of Service. Matters occurring within the virtual world environment should be dealt with in accordance with the established community norms and rules. Therefore, role play environments such as EVE should be allowed to encourage piratical and outlaw behaviour without offending domestic laws.Melissa de Zwar

ACCE submission to public consultation to "enhancing online safety for children"

This paper investigates the place of trust in a school context and its importance in achieving the aims of schooling, “namely high academic performance and positive affects among members of the school community” (Forsyth, 2008). The role of trust in the use of technology and technological change is examined. Literature is surveyed in the fields of trust in the school community and trends that are impacting technology use in schools. The concept of collaborative and participatory culture in particular is examined. Digital citizenship is presented as a necessary component of an educational technology program. Some general suggestions for developing a culture of trust are presented.Michael Henderson, Melissa de Zwar

WI-FI in the ivory tower: reducing isolation of the law PhD student through social media networks

This paper was presented at the 2013 National Wellness for Law Forum, 21 – 22 February 2013.Research students no longer need to spend long hours on campus under the gaze of their supervisors. Ubiquitous access to online databases and communication tools means that many PhD students operate in splendid isolation, away from the bustle and distractions of campus life. But this freedom may also bring with it strong feelings of isolation from academic community and peer support. The authors of this study have commenced an inquiry into whether the connectivity and interactivity of social media can provide a vital social lifeline for research students (particularly law students who work largely independently and are not frequently part of large research teams) in order to address these feelings of isolation. The role of social media in shaping academic identity and voice is also addressed. It considers a number of significant UK studies of higher degree by research students and their relevance for Australia and outlines the results of a small pilot survey conducted in an Australian law school.Melissa de Zwart, Bernadette Richard

Monitoring Energiebesparing door Het Nieuwe Telen en Energie-innovaties

In recent years, new technologies and cultivation methods have been developed to contribute to an energyefficientgreenhouse horticulture sector. In the monitoring project, the performance of these systems has beenassessed objectively by comparing similar greenhouses or greenhouse compartments with and without thesetechniques. Due to the long-term character of the project, a learning process of growers in the application ofthese systems can now be studied. For those cases, some growers have been followed for successive years.The output of the monitoring project consists of reports and a large number of blogs, vlogs, articles in growermagazinesand presentations horticultural events.This document provides a general review of the results from the entire project and draws general conclusions.For detailed information on the different systems, reference is made to specific outputs of the project.The energy savings potential of Next Generation Greenhouse Cultivation and Energy Innovations proves to begreat. The application of different options, however, depends strongly on the economic conditions and the resultsdepend also on the skills, experience and focus of the growers in managing their greenhouse climate