Electrochemistry in supercritical fluids

A wide range of supercritical fluids (SCFs) have been studied as solvents for electrochemistry with carbon dioxide and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) being the most extensively studied. Recent advances have shown that it is possible to get well-resolved voltammetry in SCFs by suitable choice of the conditions and the electrolyte. In this review, we discuss the voltammetry obtained in these systems, studies of the double-layer capacitance, work on the electrodeposition of metals into high aspect ratio nanopores and the use of metallocenes as redox probes and standards in both supercritical carbon dioxide–acetonitrile and supercritical HFCs

Fifth Generation Cellular Networks

Abstract: In this article the emerging requirements that are driving the fifth generation of mobile cellular networks are discussed and the technologies that will most likely be used to satisfy those requirements are identified. Proposals for 5G are at an early stage, but there is an expectation that the early 2020s will see the first deployments. The requirements for 5G are increased download speeds, the need to deal with increased cell density, increased bandwidth efficiency and availability of new bandwidth. It is likely that 5G will play a role in the emerging Internet of Things, potentially resulting in enormous increase in the number of attached devices. To meet the expected requirements 5G is likely to make use of spectrum in the millimetre range, beam-forming antenna arrays, massive Multi-Input Multi-Output, and fundamental changes to base station design. In this paper the key drivers for 5G are discussed including the very large numbers of devices in cells, the need to make available new spectrum, energy efficient ways of implementing base station capabilities, standards developments so far and 5G related issues for Australia

Must Do @ VCU

Must Do @ VCU is a set of annual collegial activities that can be performed throughout the year, by faculty, staff and students. These VCU-centered activities are considered to be the things that give VCU its identity. The goal of Must Do @ VCU is to generate a sense of community and of belonging to the University. VCU is a relatively new University and its traditions are therefore not well-established. Must Do @ VCU aims to build on shared experiences as a method to establish VCU culture

HalleyAssist: A Personalised Internet of Things Technology to Assist the Elderly in Daily Living

Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) research has received extensive attention in recent years. AAL applications combine aspects of Internet of Things (IoT), smart platform design and machine learning to produce an intelligent system. In this paper we describe a personalised IoT-based AAL system that enables an independent and safe life for elderly people within their own home via real-time monitoring and intervention. The system, HalleyAssist underpinned by smart home automation functions includes a novel approach for monitoring the wellbeing and detecting abnormal changes in behavioral patterns of an elderly person. The significance of the approach is in the use of machine learning models to automatically learn normal behavioral pattern for the person from IoT sensor data and using the models derived to detect significant changes in behavioral pattern should they occur. The architecture and developed proof of concept of the proposed system is presented along with discussion of how privacy and security concerns are addressed. We also report on outcomes of real-world in-home trials of an early version of the system where it was installed in four older people\u27s home for a period of six weeks. The response from the older people to the deployed system was very positive. Finally, the paper presents a discussion and an analysis of the results using the data collected during the in-home trials

A Pilot Trial of Social Media in a Technical Area

This paper reports on a project undertaken to trial social networking with Telecommunications students and staff from Swinburne University of Technology. Web 2:0 technologies including social networking sites can encourage informal conversation, dialogue, collaborative content generation, and knowledge sharing, giving students access to a wide range of ideas. A Ning was used with the intention of engaging students and staff in informal discussions relating to the Telecommunications industry in general, rather than course material directly. Although staff contributed enthusiastically and a large number of students enrolled, student participation was low. Follow-up surveys and informal discussions revealed reasons for the low student participation included the risk of appearing foolish in front of peers and teachers, and an intention to use the Ning in a passive manner by seeing what others are doing without necessarily contributing themselves. We conclude that social media in education may be useful but needs some incentive for it to be adopted by students

A new algorithm for the placement of WLAN access point based on nonsmooth optimization technique

In wireless local area network (WLAN), signal coverage is obtained by proper placement of access points (APs). The impact of incorrect placement of APs is significant. If they are placed too far apart, they generate a coverage gap but if they are too close to each other, this leads to excessive co-channel interferences. In this paper, we describe a mathematical model we have developed to find the optimal number and location of APs. To solve the problem, we use an optimization algorithm developed at the University of Ballarat called discrete gradient algorithm. Results indicate that our model is able to solve optimal coverage problems for different numbers of users.E

Competing Conservation Objectives for Predators and Prey: Estimating Killer Whale Prey Requirements for Chinook Salmon

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) of marine resources attempts to conserve interacting species. In contrast to single-species fisheries management, EBM aims to identify and resolve conflicting objectives for different species. Such a conflict may be emerging in the northeastern Pacific for southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) and their primary prey, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Both species have at-risk conservation status and transboundary (Canada–US) ranges. We modeled individual killer whale prey requirements from feeding and growth records of captive killer whales and morphometric data from historic live-capture fishery and whaling records worldwide. The models, combined with caloric value of salmon, and demographic and diet data for wild killer whales, allow us to predict salmon quantities needed to maintain and recover this killer whale population, which numbered 87 individuals in 2009. Our analyses provide new information on cost of lactation and new parameter estimates for other killer whale populations globally. Prey requirements of southern resident killer whales are difficult to reconcile with fisheries and conservation objectives for Chinook salmon, because the number of fish required is large relative to annual returns and fishery catches. For instance, a U.S. recovery goal (2.3% annual population growth of killer whales over 28 years) implies a 75% increase in energetic requirements. Reducing salmon fisheries may serve as a temporary mitigation measure to allow time for management actions to improve salmon productivity to take effect. As ecosystem-based fishery management becomes more prevalent, trade-offs between conservation objectives for predators and prey will become increasingly necessary. Our approach offers scenarios to compare relative influence of various sources of uncertainty on the resulting consumption estimates to prioritise future research efforts, and a general approach for assessing the extent of conflict between conservation objectives for threatened or protected wildlife where the interaction between affected species can be quantified