Fluid mechanics and physiology of blockages in vascular systems. Vascular disease is a major health problem both in Australia and worldwide. In particular, cardiovascular disease is a major killer of adult Australians. Engineers and mathematicians working with biologists will gain a greater understanding of vascular diseases, a major health problem, including cardiovascular disease, which is one of the biggest killers worldwide, as well as tackling renal circulation problems, which are a signifi ....Fluid mechanics and physiology of blockages in vascular systems. Vascular disease is a major health problem both in Australia and worldwide. In particular, cardiovascular disease is a major killer of adult Australians. Engineers and mathematicians working with biologists will gain a greater understanding of vascular diseases, a major health problem, including cardiovascular disease, which is one of the biggest killers worldwide, as well as tackling renal circulation problems, which are a significant problem and may contribute to hypertension. Detailed measurement and prediction will be undertaken of the mechanical loading and response of cells to their microenvironment, an important first step to controlling pathological responses which lead to a variety of autoimmune problems.Read moreRead less
Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems. Coastal development, invasive pests, and climate change are impacting abundances of estuarine aquatic plants. This in turn is affecting the composition and magnitude of detrital enrichment, threatening biodiversity, fisheries production and endangered birds. Our pioneering research will forecast the impacts of changing detrital-source biodiversity on soft-sediment communities and the food webs they support in Australia and ....Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems. Coastal development, invasive pests, and climate change are impacting abundances of estuarine aquatic plants. This in turn is affecting the composition and magnitude of detrital enrichment, threatening biodiversity, fisheries production and endangered birds. Our pioneering research will forecast the impacts of changing detrital-source biodiversity on soft-sediment communities and the food webs they support in Australia and the USA. Ecological generalities obtained can be used to support policy development that ensures sustainable management of estuaries. This work will also facilitate training of early career researchers and focus research efforts of leading US researchers towards issues crucial for Australian estuarine management.Read moreRead less
Control of Transitions in Wakes and Swirling Flows. We will attack industrially-important problems in fluid mechanics by building new, and substantially enhancing existing, international collaborations between key complementary teams of internationally-recognised French and Australian researchers. Funding will support the exchange of 6 senior staff and 3 graduate students, which, in turn, will measurably benefit the research output of a further 20 graduate students and 7 post-doctoral fellows as ....Control of Transitions in Wakes and Swirling Flows. We will attack industrially-important problems in fluid mechanics by building new, and substantially enhancing existing, international collaborations between key complementary teams of internationally-recognised French and Australian researchers. Funding will support the exchange of 6 senior staff and 3 graduate students, which, in turn, will measurably benefit the research output of a further 20 graduate students and 7 post-doctoral fellows associated with closely-related projects. From the Australian perspective, the planned exchanges will bring new research expertise, knowledge and skills, which will be focussed on a diverse range of applications. Target industries (with existing collaborations) include Airbus and Dassault Aviation in Europe, and Aerosonde and Warman pumps in Australia. Read moreRead less
User-Driven Composition of Web Services. Web service composition technology promises to revolutionise the way in which organisations interact over the Web. However existing environments for the composition of Web services are too complex to use and are usually intended for experienced application developers as they rely either on scripting languages, or on a process-modelling notations intended to be used by IT experts. However, the need for customised composition of Web services is likely to em ....User-Driven Composition of Web Services. Web service composition technology promises to revolutionise the way in which organisations interact over the Web. However existing environments for the composition of Web services are too complex to use and are usually intended for experienced application developers as they rely either on scripting languages, or on a process-modelling notations intended to be used by IT experts. However, the need for customised composition of Web services is likely to emanate from non IT-experts.
The project aims at designing, implementing, and evaluating an environment for the specification and execution of composite Web services by non-expert.Read moreRead less
Synthetic and theoretical studies of metal complexes containing carbon-rich ligands. Previous studies in my group, in conjunction with synthetic and theoretical chemistry groups at the Université de Rennes 1, France, have delineated the properties of a series of complexes containing carbon chains linking two metal centres. Having achieved a partial understanding of the features which result in good electronic communication between the metal centres via the carbon chain, the present proposal see ....Synthetic and theoretical studies of metal complexes containing carbon-rich ligands. Previous studies in my group, in conjunction with synthetic and theoretical chemistry groups at the Université de Rennes 1, France, have delineated the properties of a series of complexes containing carbon chains linking two metal centres. Having achieved a partial understanding of the features which result in good electronic communication between the metal centres via the carbon chain, the present proposal seeks to extend this collaboration to further studies which will generate related compounds in which actual eletron exchange can occur, i.e. leading to oxidation/reduction, by using compounds in which two or more different metal centres are present. This may lead to development of nano devices, e.g. molecular-scale switches. If one of the centres is activated by light, a photo-active sensor may result.Read moreRead less
Hecke Algebras in Algebra and Analysis. The aim of this program is to adapt techniques from harmonic analysis and operator-algebraic representation theory to study Hecke algebras arising in algebraic and geometric settings. The relevant analytic structures are C*-algebras and the fundamental question is then "Which Hecke algebras have a faithful enveloping C*-algebra?" We investigate this question, first by developing an appropriate theory of crossed products by semigroups and, second, by using ....Hecke Algebras in Algebra and Analysis. The aim of this program is to adapt techniques from harmonic analysis and operator-algebraic representation theory to study Hecke algebras arising in algebraic and geometric settings. The relevant analytic structures are C*-algebras and the fundamental question is then "Which Hecke algebras have a faithful enveloping C*-algebra?" We investigate this question, first by developing an appropriate theory of crossed products by semigroups and, second, by using the notion of topologization which enables the Hecke algebra to be studied in the context of topological groups.Read moreRead less
Establishing the relationship between water characteristics and fouling of membranes used in water reuse. The project will result in the following significant benefits to the Australian and international partners: a state-of-the-art laboratory and semi-pilot system from which a full-scale system could be developed and tested, funded by the water industry; an outstanding research project for postgraduate students at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Gwangji Institute of Science and Tech ....Establishing the relationship between water characteristics and fouling of membranes used in water reuse. The project will result in the following significant benefits to the Australian and international partners: a state-of-the-art laboratory and semi-pilot system from which a full-scale system could be developed and tested, funded by the water industry; an outstanding research project for postgraduate students at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Gwangji Institute of Science and Technology, Korea (GIST) and Yale University; and fostering a culture of innovation in the wastewater industry in Australia, Korea and USA and contributing to the commercialization of research by UTS, GIST and YU.Read moreRead less
Regional Economic Development and Performance: Roles of Leadership and Institutional Factors in Endogenous Growth. Contemporary regional economic development theory emphasises endogenous factors as key determinants of difference in regional economic performance. Leadership and institutional issues require special attention for analysis and in strategy formulation and implementation of regional development plans. This project develops model frameworks for analysing the impact of those endogenous ....Regional Economic Development and Performance: Roles of Leadership and Institutional Factors in Endogenous Growth. Contemporary regional economic development theory emphasises endogenous factors as key determinants of difference in regional economic performance. Leadership and institutional issues require special attention for analysis and in strategy formulation and implementation of regional development plans. This project develops model frameworks for analysing the impact of those endogenous factors on regional economic performance and develops methodologies for their incorporation into regional development strategy, using illustrative case studies. A major book on this topic will result. The collaboration is between researchers at the University of Queensland and George Mason University.Read moreRead less
Collaboration with The NANTEN2 International Star Formation Consortium. Through this collaboration Australia, for a very modest sum, will gain its first direct access to the astronomical facilities of the Atacama plateau, one of the best sites for investigating star formation on the Earth. The project fosters international collaboration, and raises the profile of Australian science and facilities by bringing together astronomers from Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, Chile and Switzerland.The co ....Collaboration with The NANTEN2 International Star Formation Consortium. Through this collaboration Australia, for a very modest sum, will gain its first direct access to the astronomical facilities of the Atacama plateau, one of the best sites for investigating star formation on the Earth. The project fosters international collaboration, and raises the profile of Australian science and facilities by bringing together astronomers from Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, Chile and Switzerland.The collaborations formed during this project will enable Australian scientists future access to new front-line telescopes such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), due to commence operations in 2010. Read moreRead less
Progressive liquefaction within marine sediments: comparison between geo-centrifuge modelling, full-scale wave tank tests and numerical modelling. The evaluation of wave-induced liquefaction within the marine sediment is particularly important for coastal and geotechnical engineers involved in the design of foundation around coastal structures. The proposed study will integrate the existing knowledge from the aspects of coastal and geotechnical engineering with that of overseas experts to provid ....Progressive liquefaction within marine sediments: comparison between geo-centrifuge modelling, full-scale wave tank tests and numerical modelling. The evaluation of wave-induced liquefaction within the marine sediment is particularly important for coastal and geotechnical engineers involved in the design of foundation around coastal structures. The proposed study will integrate the existing knowledge from the aspects of coastal and geotechnical engineering with that of overseas experts to provide coastal engineers with an effective tool for the design of foundations around marine structures. It will also assist in reducing the risk of potential environmental damage caused by failure of marine structures.Read moreRead less