Distances in the field : mapping similarity and familiarity in the production, curation and consumption of Australian art music

This thesis provides a timely intervention in the investigation of cultural fields by employing traditional and new data analytics to expand our understanding of fields as multi-dimensional sites of production, curation and consumption. Through a case study of contemporary Australian art music, the research explores the multiple ways in which the concept of ‘distance’ contributes to how we conceive of and engage with fields of artistic practice. While the concept of distance has often been an implicit or axiomatic concern for cultural sociology, this thesis foregrounds how it can be used to analyse fields from multiple perspectives, at multiple scales of enquiry and using diverse methodologies. In doing so, it distinguishes between notions of distance in the related concepts of similarity and familiarity. In the former, the relative proximities of cultural producers can be mapped to discern and contrast the organising principles which underlie different perspectives of a field. In the latter, the degree of an individual’s familiarity with an item or genre can be included in theorisations of cultural preferences and their social dimensions. This is disrupted in a field such as Australian art music, however, as its emphasis on experimentation and innovation presents barriers to developing familiarity. Distance can be considered a defining characteristic of this field, and motivates its selection as a critical case study from which to investigate how audiences form attachments to distant musical sounds. The investigation of distance from multiple perspectives, using different scales of analysis and across a series of focal points in the lifecycle of artist practice, provides an analysis of Australian art music in terms of the tensions which emerge from these intersecting representations of the field. The singular spatial representation of ‘objective relations’ in a field, and a concern with power and domination – as found in the approach of Bourdieu – is replaced by a multiplicity of sets of relations and a concern with their organising principles and juxtapositions. The thesis argues that the actor constellations which distances produce are intimately linked to our capacity to engage with fields as discrete and knowable domains of cultural practice. Beyond our capacity to know a cultural field, it also argues for the importance of reconsidering how we form attachments to distant musical tastes. As an avant-garde genre which embraces foreign and confounding sounds, audiences require the capacity to draw on a range of consumption strategies and techniques to successfully engage with and value the unfamiliar

Oxide-Ion Conductors for Energy Applications: Structure and Properties

Oxide-Ion Conductors for Energy Applications: Structure and Properties PhD Thesis Matthew S. Chambers 2019 This thesis describes experiments aimed at understanding the average and local structure of a range of different oxide-ion conductors, with the aim of applying this insight to designing better materials. The main experimental technique used was neutron total scattering, and Chapter 1 reviews the previous literature concerning the application of this technique to oxide-ion conductors. Chapter 2 describes the synthetic and characterisation techniques employed to investigate the materials in this study. Chapter 3 discusses the attempted synthesis of Ge5–xAlx(PO4)6O1–x/2 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2) materials, which we hoped would be new examples of mixed-coordination-number oxide-ion conductors. Powder X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis suggested that Al3+ was successfully doped into the parent. The electrical properties of x = 0, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 samples were measured for the first time, and showed an increase in conductivity with increasing x. However, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments showed that Al3+ was not incorporated in the main phase, but instead formed a likely amorphous aluminium-phosphate phase. These materials have therefore not been pursued further. Chapter 4 discusses investigations into the long range and local structures of La8R2(GeO4)6O3–y (R = Sr, La, Bi; y = 0, 1) apatite-type oxide-ion conductors using high-resolution powder synchrotron diffraction, high-resolution powder neutron diffraction and neutron total scattering. La8Sr2(GeO4)6O2 was found to adopt P63/m symmetry at all temperatures, whilst La8R2(GeO4)6O3 (R = La, Bi) adopt P-1 symmetry at room temperature and P63/m at 780–800 °C. The excess interstitial oxygen in La8R2(GeO4)6O3 (R = La, Bi) was found to be distributed over three similar sites at room temperature. Local structural studies gave the first detailed picture of the local coordination geometry of the interstitial oxygen atoms, which are important for ionic conductivity. Whilst a range of Ge coordination numbers are present, the dominant feature is the formation of GeO5 units. These are predominantly square pyramidal at room temperature, but become more like trigonal bipyramids at high temperature. This shows that the local structure appears to increase in symmetry as the long-range structure increases in symmetry. Chapter 5 reports the synthesis of nominal La8R2(SiO4)6O3 (R = La, Bi) apatite-type oxide-ion conductors, the electrical properties and the composition limits. These are commonly referred to as A-10, O-27 compositions in the literature due to their formula of A10Si6O27. The results from Rietveld refinement, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy call into question the existence of “oxygen-excess” or O-27 lanthanum silicate apatites. Chapter 6 investigates the long-range and local structure of the perovskite-derivative, Ba3NbMoO-8.5, which has been shown to have high oxide-ion conductivity. High resolution powder synchrotron diffraction revealed for the first time that there is a low-temperature phase and a high-temperature phase and that the sample shows structural hysteresis. Total scattering analysis indicates that the most common coordination number for Nb5+/Mo6+ is CN = 5 at both room temperature and 600 °C. The local structure of the O2/O3 sublattice is also highly disordered, forming hexagonal sheets of atomic density even at room temperature. The O2 and O3 sites are more localised at room temperature, but spread across the hexagonal sheets at 600 °C. The results give good insight into the potential conduction pathways in the material. Chapter 7 reports work done on rhombohedral Bi0.775Ln0.225O1.5 (Ln = La, Dy) phases. High-resolution powder synchrotron diffraction and powder neutron diffraction show that the (0 0 l) reflections are poorly fitted. An investigation into stacking faults was made, but none of the models produced a good fit to the data. Small box PDF analysis shows that the average crystallographic structure is insufficient to describe the local structure. The structural complexities of the system are yet to be fully understood

Flow patterns on sieve trays

Studies into gas-liquid flow patterns were carried out on commercial scale sieve trays where the ratio of froth depth to flow path length is typical of that found in practice. Experiments were conducted on a 2.44 m diameter air-water distillation simulator, in which flow patterns were investigated by direct observation, using directional flow pointers; by water cooling, to simulate mass transfer; and by height of clear liquid measurements across the tray. The flow rates used are typical of those found in practice. The approach adopted was to investigate the effect of the gas flow on the liquid flow by comparing water only flow patterns across an unperforated tray with air-water flow patterns on perforated trays. Initial gas-liquid contacting experiments on the 6.35 mm hole tray showed that, under certain conditions, the gas flow pattern beneath the test tray can have a significant effect on the tray liquid flow pattern such that gas-driven liquid circulation was produced. This was found to be a function of this particular air-water simulator design, and as far as is known this is the first time that this phenomenon has been observed. Consequently non-uniform gas flow effects were removed by modification of the gas distribution system. By eliminating gas circulation effects, the effect of the gas flow on the separation of liquid flow was similar to that obtained on the 1.0 mm hole tray (Hine, 1990). That is, flow separation occurred at the ends of the inlet downcomer which produced large circulating zones along the tray segments both on the non-perforated and perforated trays. The air when forced through the liquid, inhibited circulating flow such that it only occurred at high water inlet velocities. With the 6.35 mm hole tray, the growth and velocity of circulating flow was reduced at high superficial air velocities, and in the experiments to simulate distillation, liquid was in forward flow over most of the tray

InQueensland Media Academy Course Evaluation

The 12-week InQueensland Media Academy Course offered by the IMPACT Centre provides a unique and engaging approach to secondary school media education. The course focuses on developing students’ journalism skills by supporting students to develop and publish their own news articles. This evaluation report is based on analysis of the experiences of students from four schools who participated in the course in the first half of 2022. The analysis is derived from two sources: a pre and post course survey (n=17) and a focus group discussion with students at each school (n=34). Students reported a range of positive reflections on the course: from developing improved writing skills, to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the challenging role of journalism. At the conclusion of the course a number of students also demonstrated a capacity to engage in critical reflections on the role and impact of media in Australian society. The results of the surveys administered to students before and after they completed the course, however, only showed limited statistically significant shifts in news media attitudes, critical news analysis abilities or news engagement behaviours. These results point to opportunities to build on the course’s strength in developing news media production skills to further align this focus with the development of news critical analysis skills

Improvements to Drinking Water: Monitoring, Reporting and Record-keeping Needed to Protect Health

Taumata Arowai, the new independent water services regulator, recently consulted publicly on the drinking water rules for water suppliers. We use a case study on nitrate and official information requests to demonstrate the current weaknesses in the drinking water monitoring and reporting systems and why the reforms proposed by Taumata Arowai seem unlikely to substantively address many of these deficiencies. To ensure sufficient public health surveillance and robust epidemiological research into the potential health impacts of drinking water contaminants, Taumata Arowai should: 1) establish a national database for water supply and quality; 2) mandate the standardisation of reporting requirements across water suppliers; 3) increase the frequency and range of water quality testing; and 4) maintain a national map of water supplies. These upgrades are particularly important in an era of rapid land use changes and climate change

Values and Media Literacy: Exploring the Relationship Between the Values People Prioritize in Their Life and Their Attitudes Toward Media Literacy

Media literacy is often described as an approach that can be used to address pressing public concerns ranging from combating misinformation to supporting citizens’ full participation in society. What is little understood, however, is the importance people give to the role of media literacy in their own lives. Drawing on data from a representative survey of Australian adults, this article examines the importance given to 14 media literacy abilities that are often the focus of media literacy programs. Incorporating Schwartz’s framework of motivational values into our analysis, we find that the specific media literacy abilities people identify as important are generally closely aligned with the underlying values they prioritize in their lives. Furthermore, people’s values offer more predictive power than sociodemographic characteristics when it comes to understanding the importance people place on specific media literacy outcomes. The article argues that by understanding how and why people respond differently to the goals of media literacy, educators can design more appealing and effective media literacy interventions

Distribution and characteristics of Infrared Dark Clouds using genetic forward modelling

Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) are dark clouds seen in silhouette in mid-infrared surveys. They are thought to be the birthplace of massive stars, yet remarkably little information exists on the properties of the population as a whole (e.g. mass spectrum, spatial distribution). Genetic forward modelling is used along with the Two Micron All Sky Survey and the Besancon Galactic model to deduce the three dimensional distribution of interstellar extinction towards previously identified IRDC candidates. This derived dust distribution can then be used to determine the distance and mass of IRDCs, independently of kinematic models of the Milky Way. Along a line of sight that crosses an IRDC, the extinction is seen to rise sharply at the distance of the cloud. Assuming a dust to gas ratio, the total mass of the cloud can be estimated. The method has been successfully applied to 1259 IRDCs, including over 1000 for which no distance or mass estimate currently exists. The IRDCs are seen to lie preferentially along the spiral arms and in the molecular ring of the Milky Way, reinforcing the idea that they are the birthplace of massive stars. Also, their mass spectrum is seen to follow a power law with an index of -1.75 +/- 0.06, steeper than giant molecular clouds in the inner Galaxy, but comparable to clumps in GMCs. This slope suggests that the IRDCs detected using the present method are not gravitationally bound, but are rather the result of density fluctuations induced by turbulence.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Values and media literacy : exploring the relationship between the values people prioritize in their life and their attitudes toward media literacy

Media literacy is often described as an approach that can be used to address pressing public concerns ranging from combating misinformation to supporting citizens’ full participation in society. What is little understood, however, is the importance people give to the role of media literacy in their own lives. Drawing on data from a representative survey of Australian adults, this article examines the importance given to 14 media literacy abilities that are often the focus of media literacy programs. Incorporating Schwartz’s framework of motivational values into our analysis, we find that the specific media literacy abilities people identify as important are generally closely aligned with the underlying values they prioritize in their lives. Furthermore, people’s values offer more predictive power than sociodemographic characteristics when it comes to understanding the importance people place on specific media literacy outcomes. The article argues that by understanding how and why people respond differently to the goals of media literacy, educators can design more appealing and effective media literacy interventions

News and Young Australians in 2020: How Young People Access, Perceive and Are Affected by News Media

In 2017 when we implemented the first Australian national survey to examine the news practices and experiences of young Australians, we wanted to address a lack of research into young people’s news media practices at a time when news media organisations and news media engagement were being challenged and transformed. Since we published the results of that survey, we have continued to study young Australians and news media. Through our research, we have learnt that young people are not well represented in the Australian news media and neither are the issues they care most about. We’ve learnt that Australian teachers believe it is critically important to teach students about news media, but many feel they are constrained by barriers that prevent them from doing this. We have also found that young people from around the country are passionate about news media and many are already taking action to ensure it serves our society well3. Our survey findings in 2020 indicate that young people’s expectations and experiences of news have changed in many ways. No doubt, these changes are in some ways related to the two recent national crises Australia has endured. The first, the Black Summer Australian bushfires, ravaged the east coast of the country throughout the 2019-2020 summer, resulting in 34 lost lives, the death of more than a billion animals, and the widespread destruction of homes and bushland. The COVID-19 global pandemic took hold soon after and is still unfolding as we publish this report. Already its impact on the economy and on society has been profound. Both of these crises were accompanied by significant examples of misinformation and disinformation, particularly on social media platforms⁴. These crises demonstrated the repercussions of misinformation and disinformation when presented as news, and highlighted how vital high quality and accurate news media are to our individual and collective health, wellbeing and safety. The COVID-19 crisis has also provided insights into how news media can better serve and include young Australians. For example, news-focused podcasts and television programs were made just for young people to explain COVID-19 in a language and style more appropriate and appealing to them⁵. Young Australians have also featured in the news more regularly, as a result of school closures, while family homes featured more frequently in news reports as social distancing and ‘stay at home’ messaging become a temporary norm in Australian society. At the same time, COVID-19 has shown how vulnerable news organisations are given how reliant they are on advertising revenue. This may be especially true for smaller local and more niche publications, including those that aim to appeal to younger audiences as indicated by the closure of the Australian office of the online news publication Buzzfeed⁶ alongside the closure of numerous regional news rooms7. As we reflect on all of these changes to news media in the months and years to come, it is worth noting that young people are often forgotten in public discussions about the future of news. Worse still, they are often subjected to unfounded generalisations about their assumed news attitudes and practices. We hope that this report, based on findings from our nationally representative survey of young Australians aged 8-16, provides new insights that can be part of an evidence-based discussion. This, we hope, will be useful to those who care about the future of news media and therefore want to understand what news means to young Australians and how it could be made more relevant to their lives

Analytical Investigation of a Reflux Boiler

A thermal model of a single Ultralight Fabric Reflux Tube (UFRT) was constructed and tested against data for an array of such tubes tested in the NASA-JSC facility. Modifications to the single fin model were necessary to accommodate the change in radiation shape factors due to adjacent tubes. There was good agreement between the test data and data generated for the same cases by the thermal model. The thermal model was also used to generate single and linear array data for the lunar environment (the primary difference between the test and lunar data was due to lunar gravity). The model was also used to optimize the linear spacing of the reflux tubes in an array. The optimal spacing of the tubes was recommended to be about 5 tube diameters based on maximizing the heat transfer per unit mass. The model also showed that the thermal conductivity of the Nextel fabric was the major limitation to the heat transfer. This led to a suggestion that the feasibility of jacketing the Nextel fiber bundles with copper strands be investigated. This jacketing arrangement was estimated to be able to double the thermal conductivity of the fabric at a volume concentration of about 12-14%. Doubling the thermal conductivity of the fabric would double the amount of heat transferred at the same steam saturation temperature