Exploring novel radiotherapy techniques with Monte Carlo simulation and measurement

This work is the first comprehensive investigation of potential changes in the radiobiological effectiveness of clinical photon beams caused by a redistribution of electrons in a magnetic field. It is also a fundamental study of both the influence of magnetic fields on the peak-to-valley dose ratio of microbeams and the accuracy of theoretical modelling for dose planning in Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT). The application of a strong transverse magnetic field to a volume undergoing irradiation by a photon beam can produce localised regions of dose enhancement and dose reduction. Results from Monte Carlo PENELOPE simulation show regions of enhancement and reduction of as much as 111% and 77% respectively for magnetic fields of 1 to 100 T applied to Co60, 6, 10, 15, and 24 MV photon beams. The dose redistribution is shown to occur predominantly through an alteration in the lower energy electron population, which may correspond to a change in the relative biological effectiveness. In MRT, an experimental and theoretical investigation of the influence of transverse and longitudinal magnetic fields on the lateral dose profile and peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR) of microbeams is presented. Results show that longitudinal magnetic fields greater than 10 T are needed to produce an effect. Strong transverse magnetic fields, on the other hand, have no influence on microbeam profiles. The radiation response of the edge-on MOSFET and its ability to measure dose profiles of monoenergetic and polyenergetic microbeams are also investigated. Simulations investigating the dependence of microbeam dose profiles on the accuracy of beamline modelling (i.e. synchrotron source, multislit collimator, and beam divergence) are also presented. Results show the asymmetric collimator construction is responsible for a 10% variation in the full-width at half-maximum of microbeams which affects the PVDR. Modelling the distributed source and beam divergence increases the penumbral dose by almost 30%. The influence of the collimator alignment, interaction medium, and the height of scoring regions on the PVDR are also investigated

Self-Constructing Women: Beyond the Shock of Baise-moi and A ma soeur!

Following the release of the French films Baise-moi (2000) by Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi, and A ma soeur! (2001) by Catherine Breillat, the debate surrounding film pornography and censorship in France has escalated to vertiginous heights. This paper aims to situate the work of these radical female film-makers within the context of a changing cultural and social climate in contemporary France. It draws on the theories espoused by sociologist Henri Mendras, who posits the idea that French society has emerged from its “second revolution” as one that is free of fundamental conflict – a society in which women are better positioned than men to resist stereotype and create dynamism both collectively and personally. The argument revolves around the way in which the controversial films of Despentes and Breillat not only inform and challenge the theories espoused by Mendras, but also subvert conventional cinematic representations of heterosexual sex and female sexuality. These ground-breaking films are therefore invaluable for the questions they raise about the role of sex in the cinema in France and the existing boundaries between eroticism and pornography. More importantly however, they represent a rebellion against a male-dominated cultural reality – or in the words of the film-makers themselves, they are effectively a “declaration of war.

Cleverness, contentiousness, creativity and curiosity. A meta-analytic investigation of predictors of academic performance

This item is only available electronically.Intelligence and conscientiousness have long been recognised as key predictors of academic performance, but only account for about half of the variance in academic performance (von Stumm et al., 2011). Another factor that has shown promise as a potential predictor of academic performance is intellectual curiosity: the desire to acquire new knowledge (Berlyne, 1954). However, this relationship has arguably not been well established. One measure of intellectual curiosity that remains relatively unexplored is Need for Cognition (NFC), which measures the desire to engage in effortful cognitive activity (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982). NFC has been measured together with academic performance with varied findings. The present meta-analysis explores relationships between NFC, academic performance and other predictors of academic performance: namely, intelligence, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. A correlation matrix is derived from 63 studies measuring NFC and one or more of the relevant predictor variables. Structural equation modelling has explored the magnitude and significance of associations between the variables of interest. While moderately correlated with academic performance, NFC is not a significant predictor. This finding suggests that intellectual curiosity may not be such a significant predictor of academic performance as previous research has suggested.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 201

First year student expectations: Results from a university-wide student survey

Although much has been written on the first-year experience of students at higher education institutions, less attention has been directed to the expectations of students when they enter an institution for the first time. This paper provides additional insights into the expectations of students at an Australian university and highlights areas in which students’ expectations may not necessarily align with the realities of common university practices. By providing opportunities for students to articulate their expectations, staff are able to use the responses for a constructive dialogue and work towards a more positive alignment between perceived expectations and levels of student satisfaction with their experience.Geoffrey Crisp, Edward Palmer, Deborah Turnbull, Ted Nettelbeck, Lynn Ward, Amanda LeCouteur, Aspa Sarris, Peter Strelan, and Luke Schneide