Curtin University

About: Curtin University is a education organization based out in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Zircon. The organization has 14257 authors who have published 48997 publications receiving 1336531 citations. The organization is also known as: WAIT & Western Australian Institute of Technology.

A change in the optical polarization associated with a γ-ray flare in the blazar 3C 279

Abstract: It is widely accepted that strong and variable radiation detected over all accessible energy bands in a number of active galaxies arises from a relativistic, Doppler-boosted jet pointing close to our line of sight1. The size of the emitting zone and the location of this region relative to the central supermassive black hole are, however, poorly known, with estimates ranging from light-hours to a light-year or more. Here we report the coincidence of a gamma (γ)-ray flare with a dramatic change of optical polarization angle. This provides evidence for co-spatiality of optical and γ-ray emission regions and indicates a highly ordered jet magnetic field. The results also require a non-axisymmetric structure of the emission zone, implying a curved trajectory for the emitting material within the jet, with the dissipation region located at a considerable distance from the black hole, at about 105 gravitational radii.

Devil wears (counterfeit) Prada: a study of antecedents and outcomes of attitudes towards counterfeits of luxury brands

Abstract: Purpose – This paper sets out to examine how social and personality factors influence Chinese consumers' attitudes towards counterfeits of luxury brands and how these two sets of variables influence purchase intention. It provides a profile of buyers and non‐buyers of counterfeits of luxury brands.Design/methodology/approach – A self‐administered questionnaire was designed using established scales. A survey was conducted in downtown Shanghai through the “mall intercept” method. A variety of statistical techniques were used to analyze the data.Findings – Status consumption and integrity are strong influencers of purchase intention, whereas normative susceptibility, information susceptibility, personal gratification, value consciousness, and novelty seeking had weaker influencing relationships. The attitude towards counterfeits of luxury brands is found to influence purchase intention. Collectivism does not influence attitudes nor purchase intentions towards counterfeits of luxury brands.Research limitation...

Chemical approaches toward graphene-based nanomaterials and their applications in energy-related areas.

Abstract: A 'gold rush' has been triggered all over the world for exploiting the possible applications of graphene-based nanomaterials. For this purpose, two important problems have to be solved; one is the preparation of graphene-based nanomaterials with well-defined structures, and the other is the controllable fabrication of these materials into functional devices. This review gives a brief overview of the recent research concerning chemical and thermal approaches toward the production of well-defined graphene-based nanomaterials and their applications in energy-related areas, including solar cells, lithium ion secondary batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysis. With a focus on chemical and thermal approaches toward the production of well-defined graphene-based nanomaterials, this paper gives a brief overview of the recent exciting research results and the potential applications of graphene nanomaterials in energy-related areas including solar cells, lithium ion secondary batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysis which have attracted great attention all over the world.

Application of zeolite MCM-22 for basic dye removal from wastewater

Abstract: MCM-22 was employed as an effective adsorbent for removal of basic dyes including methylene blue, crystal violet, and rhodamine B from aqueous solution. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms were investigated. The adsorption capacity of MCM-22 for three dyes follows an order of MB > CV approximately RB. Kinetic studies indicate that the adsorption follows the pseudo second-order kinetics and the adsorption is a two-step diffusion process with film diffusion dominating the process. The adsorption isotherm can be well fitted by both the Langmuir and the Freundlich models. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that the adsorption of basic dyes on MCM-22 is an endothermic reaction.

Ants show the way Down Under: invertebrates as bioindicators in land management

Abstract: The sight of land managers poring over ant checklists is a regular occurrence in Australia, where ant monitoring has been successfully applied to a wide range of land-use situations. The robustness of ants as ecological indicators has been consistently demonstrated, and is supported by an extensive understanding of their community dynamics in relation to disturbance. Despite the widespread recognition of the value of terrestrial invertebrates as bioindicators, the use of ants represents one of the few examples where invertebrates are widely adopted in land management as indicator organisms, as opposed to being consigned to the “too hard” basket. The use of invertebrates as bioindicators in land management will always require specialist expertise and a substantial investment in resources. However, research in Australia shows that invertebrate monitoring does not require comprehensive surveys, and that it is possible to simplify sampling and processing without compromising indicator performance. This should...