ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network. Complexity is the common frontier in the physical, biological and social sciences. This Network will link specialists in all three sciences through five generic conceptual and mathematical theme activities. It will promote research into how subsystems self-organise into new emergent structures when assembled into an open, non-equilibrium system. Outcomes will include new technologies and software tools and deeper understanding of fundamental questions i ....ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network. Complexity is the common frontier in the physical, biological and social sciences. This Network will link specialists in all three sciences through five generic conceptual and mathematical theme activities. It will promote research into how subsystems self-organise into new emergent structures when assembled into an open, non-equilibrium system. Outcomes will include new technologies and software tools and deeper understanding of fundamental questions in science. An essential function of the network will be introducing researchers end users to new tools and broadening the horizons of graduate students.Read moreRead less
The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the ....The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the project will answer a question critical to workplace safety - how much time off between shifts is needed to be alert and safe at work? The project will also produce tools to help industry design fatigue-friendly rosters, improving the safety, productivity and general well-being of shiftworkers in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Designing microarray experiments. Microarrays are powerful tools for surveying the expression levels of many thousands of genes simultaneously. They belong to the new genomics technologies which have important applications in the biological, pharmaceutical and agricultural sciences. There are many sources of uncertainty in microarray experimentation and good statistical designs are essential for ensuring that the effects of interest to scientists are accurately and precisely measured. This Pr ....Designing microarray experiments. Microarrays are powerful tools for surveying the expression levels of many thousands of genes simultaneously. They belong to the new genomics technologies which have important applications in the biological, pharmaceutical and agricultural sciences. There are many sources of uncertainty in microarray experimentation and good statistical designs are essential for ensuring that the effects of interest to scientists are accurately and precisely measured. This Project will develop novel designs for microarray experiments and focus on the advancement of topics crucial to Australia's success in technological research.
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Mathematical and mechanical models in nano-engineering and nanomedicine. The major environmental problems generated from global warming and the major human health problems, like cancer and diabetes, if they are to be solved at all, will most likely be resolved making use of advances in nanobiotechnology. This proposal will position Australia as a leader in the modelling of nanodevices such as gigahertz oscillators, nano-electromagnets, nanosensors, nanosyringes and nanoporous media suitable for ....Mathematical and mechanical models in nano-engineering and nanomedicine. The major environmental problems generated from global warming and the major human health problems, like cancer and diabetes, if they are to be solved at all, will most likely be resolved making use of advances in nanobiotechnology. This proposal will position Australia as a leader in the modelling of nanodevices such as gigahertz oscillators, nano-electromagnets, nanosensors, nanosyringes and nanoporous media suitable for hydrogen storage and gas separation, which will lead to new technologies and commercial spin-offs that will be of major benefit to this country. The applicants will develop a range of topics in nano-engineering and nanomedicine, training a team that will provide the next generation of researchers in these vital areas.Read moreRead less
Modelling of multiscale systems in engineering and science supports large-scale equation-free simulations and analysis. A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are known, but the closures to translate microscale ....Modelling of multiscale systems in engineering and science supports large-scale equation-free simulations and analysis. A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are known, but the closures to translate microscale knowledge to a system level macroscopic description are rarely available in closed form. Our novel, equation free, computational methodologies will circumvent this stumbling block, and promises to radically change the modeling, exploration and understanding of complex system behavior. We continue to develop this powerful computational methodology. Read moreRead less
Robust fluid mixing through topological chaos. The Australian chemicals and plastics industry has an annual turnover of over $20 billion and employs over 77,000 people; fluid mixing is fundamental to this industry, yet the industry is recognised as underinvesting in research and development in this essential area. Furthermore, frontier technologies such as biotechnology and the next generation of smart materials also crucially rely on fluid mixing. This project aims to evaluate a new paradigm ( ....Robust fluid mixing through topological chaos. The Australian chemicals and plastics industry has an annual turnover of over $20 billion and employs over 77,000 people; fluid mixing is fundamental to this industry, yet the industry is recognised as underinvesting in research and development in this essential area. Furthermore, frontier technologies such as biotechnology and the next generation of smart materials also crucially rely on fluid mixing. This project aims to evaluate a new paradigm (topological chaos) for the design of mixers, to provide better and more robust mixers that work from microscopic to industrial scales.Read moreRead less
Numerical simulation of seismic waves in the regional and global earth with 3D Gaussian quadrature grids. The ability to realistically model the propagation of seismic waves through the global 3D earth, taking account of all internal and surface complexity, is extremely important for predicting the response to earthquakes and imaging the interior structure. This will lead to fundamental new knowledge on Earth constitution and heterogeneity, and will have spin-off benefits in others areas such as ....Numerical simulation of seismic waves in the regional and global earth with 3D Gaussian quadrature grids. The ability to realistically model the propagation of seismic waves through the global 3D earth, taking account of all internal and surface complexity, is extremely important for predicting the response to earthquakes and imaging the interior structure. This will lead to fundamental new knowledge on Earth constitution and heterogeneity, and will have spin-off benefits in others areas such as exploring for oil and minerals, and better understanding of seismic hazard. The numerical modelling and seismic data analysis will be done on a supercomputer, thus providing important training for research students. Read moreRead less
Systematically model the large-scale complexity of turbulent floods and thin film flows. This project continues development of new models, and computer
simulation, of turbulent flood, river and estuarine flow. The models
will be based systematically upon established turbulence models to
resolve accurately the complex physical processes. The development of
new and robust computer models for thin layers of coating fluid will
aid many industrial processes. We also aim to provide correct ini ....Systematically model the large-scale complexity of turbulent floods and thin film flows. This project continues development of new models, and computer
simulation, of turbulent flood, river and estuarine flow. The models
will be based systematically upon established turbulence models to
resolve accurately the complex physical processes. The development of
new and robust computer models for thin layers of coating fluid will
aid many industrial processes. We also aim to provide correct initial
conditions and boundary conditions for simpler cases of the above
flows. The approach leads to a greater understanding of the range of
applicability of the models through better estimating the errors in the
modelling process. The project develops a fundamental enabling
methodology for engineering and the sciences.
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Global aspects of dualities in String Theory in the presence of background fluxes. String Theory, known to the general public as the "Theory of Everything', is currently an extremely active area of research internationally. It has not only stimulated considerable interaction between mathematical physicists and mathematicians, but also increased public interest in science through television programs and books. Unfortunately, the majority of the Australian scientific community has not yet caught ....Global aspects of dualities in String Theory in the presence of background fluxes. String Theory, known to the general public as the "Theory of Everything', is currently an extremely active area of research internationally. It has not only stimulated considerable interaction between mathematical physicists and mathematicians, but also increased public interest in science through television programs and books. Unfortunately, the majority of the Australian scientific community has not yet caught up with these developments. Our recent papers, all published in premier journals in this field, have not only received widespread international attention but have also increased the profile of String Theory amongst Australia's mathematicians and mathematical physicists. The proposed project is expected to continue this trend.Read moreRead less
Effective and accurate model dynamics, deterministic and stochastic, across multiple space and time scales. A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells, grains) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are often known, but the closures to translate microscal ....Effective and accurate model dynamics, deterministic and stochastic, across multiple space and time scales. A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells, grains) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are often known, but the closures to translate microscale knowledge to a system level macroscopic description are rarely available in closed form. Our novel methodology will explore this stumbling block, and promises to radically change the modeling, exploration and understanding of multiscale complex system behaviour.Read moreRead less