Thermal performance of non-load bearing LSF walls using numerical studies

Fire safety of light gauge cold-formed steel frame (LSF) wall systems is significant to the build-ing design. Gypsum plasterboard is widely used as a fire safety material in the building industry. It contains gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O), Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) and most importantly free and chemically bound water in its crystal structure. The dehydration of the gypsum and the decomposition of Calcium Carbonate absorb heat, which gives the gypsum plasterboard fire resistant qualities. Recently a new composite panel system was developed, where a thin insulation layer was used externally between two plasterboards to improve the fire performance of LSF walls. In this research, finite element thermal models of both the traditional LSF wall panels with cavity insulation and the new LSF composite wall panels were developed to simulate their thermal behaviour under standard and realistic design fire conditions. Suitable thermal properties of gypsum plaster-board, insulation materials and steel were used. The developed models were then validated by comparing their results with fire test results. This paper presents the details of the developed finite element models of non-load bearing LSF wall panels and the thermal analysis results. It has shown that finite element models can be used to simulate the thermal behaviour of LSF walls with varying configurations of insulations and plasterboards. The results show that the use of cavity insulation was detrimental to the fire rating of LSF walls while the use of external insulation offered superior thermal protection. Effects of real fire conditions are also presented.

Near infrared spectroscopy for non-destructive evaluation of articular cartilage

There is a need for an accurate real-time quantitative system that would enhance decision-making in the treatment of osteoarthritis. To achieve this objective, significant research is required that will enable articular cartilage properties to be measured and categorized for health and functionality without the need for laboratory tests involving biopsies for pathological evaluation. Such a system would provide the capability of access to the internal condition of the cartilage matrix and thus extend the vision-based arthroscopy that is currently used beyond the subjective evaluation of surgeons. The system required must be able to non-destructively probe the entire thickness of the cartilage and its immediate subchondral bone layer. In this thesis, near infrared spectroscopy is investigated for the purpose mentioned above. The aim is to relate it to the structure and load bearing properties of the cartilage matrix to the near infrared absorption spectrum and establish functional relationships that will provide objective, quantitative and repeatable categorization of cartilage condition outside the area of visible degradation in a joint. Based on results from traditional mechanical testing, their innovative interpretation and relationship with spectroscopic data, new parameters were developed. These were then evaluated for their consistency in discriminating between healthy viable and degraded cartilage. The mechanical and physico-chemical properties were related to specific regions of the near infrared absorption spectrum that were identified as part of the research conducted for this thesis. The relationships between the tissue's near infrared spectral response and the new parameters were modeled using multivariate statistical techniques based on partial least squares regression (PLSR). With significantly high levels of statistical correlation, the modeled relationships were demonstrated to possess considerable potential in predicting the properties of unknown tissue samples in a quick and non-destructive manner. In order to adapt near infrared spectroscopy for clinical applications, a balance between probe diameter and the number of active transmit-receive optic fibres must be optimized. This was achieved in the course of this research, resulting in an optimal probe configuration that could be adapted for joint tissue evaluation. Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept, a protocol for obtaining the new parameters from the near infrared absorption spectra of cartilage was developed and implemented in a graphical user interface (GUI)-based software, and used to assess cartilage-on-bone samples in vitro. This conceptual implementation has been demonstrated, in part by the individual parametric relationship with the near infrared absorption spectrum, the capacity of the proposed system to facilitate real-time, non-destructive evaluation of cartilage matrix integrity. In summary, the potential of the optical near infrared spectroscopy for evaluating articular cartilage and bone laminate has been demonstrated in this thesis. The approach could have a spin-off for other soft tissues and organs of the body. It builds on the earlier work of the group at QUT, enhancing the near infrared component of the ongoing research on developing a tool for cartilage evaluation that goes beyond visual and subjective methods.

Experimental studies of non-load bearing steel wall systems under fire conditions

Fire safety of buildings has been recognised as very important by the building industry and the community at large. Traditionally, increased fire rating is provided by simply adding more plasterboards to light gauge steel frame (LSF) walls, which is inefficient. Many research studies have been undertaken to investigate the thermal behaviour of traditional LSF stud wall systems under standard fire conditions. However, no research has been undertaken on the thermal behaviour of LSF stud walls using the recently proposed composite panel. Extensive fire testing of both non-load bearing and load bearing wall panels was conducted in this research based on the standard time-temperature curve in AS1530.4. Three groups of LSF wall specimens were tested with no insulation, cavity insulation and the new composite panel based on an external insulation layer between plasterboards. This paper presents the details of this experimental study into the thermal performance of non-load bearing walls lined with various configurations of plasterboard and insulation. Extensive descriptive and numerical results of the tested non-load bearing wall panels given in this paper provide a thorough understanding of their thermal behaviour, and valuable time-temperature data that can be used to validate numerical models. Test results showed that the innovative composite stud wall systems outperformed the traditional stud wall systems in terms of their thermal performance, giving a much higher fire rating.

A 3D collision avoidance strategy for UAVs in a non-cooperative environment

This paper presents a feasible 3D collision avoidance approach for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The proposed strategy aims to achieve the desired relative bearing in the horizontal plane and relative elevation in the vertical plane so that the host aircraft is able to avoid collision with the intruder aircraft in 3D. The host aircraft will follow a desired trajectory in the collision avoidance course and resume the pre-arranged trajectory after collision is avoided. The approaching stopping condition is determined for the host aircraft to trigger an evasion maneuver to avoid collision in terms of measured heading. A switching controller is designed to achieve the spatial collision avoidance strategy. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively avoid spatial collision, making it suitable for integration into flight control systems of UAVs.

Management characteristics and the decision to internationalize : exploration of exporters vs. non-exporters within the Chilean wine industry

The objective of this study was to identify key factors differentiating between exporters and non-exporters in the Chilean wine industry. Based on survey data collected from 61 wineries, the findings show that the main barriers for non-exporters are the lack of financial resources, limited quantities of stock for market expansion, management’s lack of knowledge and experience, and the high cost of travelling and participating in trade shows. The results also show that managers have educational levels and international experience exceeding those of other comparable New World wineries. Finally, in developing their main international markets, Chilean wineries did not target psychically close markets as identified in previous wine industry studies

When non-significance may be significant : lessons learned from a study of the development, implementation and evaluation of a fleet risk assessment tool

This paper reports on the development and implementation of a self-report risk assessment tool that was developed in an attempt to increase the efficacy of crash prediction within Australian fleet settings. This study forms a part of a broader program of research into work related road safety and identification of driving risk. The first phase of the study involved a series of focus groups being conducted with 217 professional drivers which revealed that the following factors were proposed to influence driving performance: Fatigue, Knowledge of risk, Mood, Impatience and frustration, Speed limits, Experience, Other road users, Passengers, Health, and Culture. The second phase of the study involved piloting the newly developed 38 item Driving Risk Assessment Scale - Work Version (DRAS-WV) with 546 professional drivers. Factor analytic techniques identified a 9 factor solution that was comprised of speeding, aggression, time pressure, distraction, casualness, awareness, maintenance, fatigue and minor damage. Speeding and aggressive driving manoeuvres were identified to be the most frequent aberrant driving behaviours engaged in by the sample. However, a series of logistic regression analyses undertaken to determine the DRAS-WV scale’s ability to predict self-reported crashes revealed limited predictive efficacy e.g., 10% of crashes. This paper outlines proposed reasons for this limited predictive ability of the DRAS-WV as well as provides suggestions regarding the future of research that aims to develop methods to identify “at risk” drivers.

Quantum models of cognition and decision

Much of our understanding of human thinking is based on probabilistic models. This innovative book by Jerome R. Busemeyer and Peter D. Bruza argues that, actually, the underlying mathematical structures from quantum theory provide a much better account of human thinking than traditional models. They introduce the foundations for modelling probabilistic-dynamic systems using two aspects of quantum theory. The first, "contextuality", is a way to understand interference effects found with inferences and decisions under conditions of uncertainty. The second, "entanglement", allows cognitive phenomena to be modelled in non-reductionist ways. Employing these principles drawn from quantum theory allows us to view human cognition and decision in a totally new light...

Probability analysis of machine angle stability with non-gaussian wind power input

The security of power transfer across a given transmission link is typically a steady state assessment. This paper develops tools to assess machine angle stability as affected by a combination of faults and uncertainty of wind power using probability analysis. The paper elaborates on the development of the theoretical assessment tool and demonstrates its efficacy using single machine infinite bus system.

Pleading for privilege : Denials and non-admissions under the UCPR

The decision in ASIC v Managed Investments Ltd No 3 [2012] QSC 74 provides practitioners with useful guidance on the relationship between the privileges against self-incrimination and exposure to a penalty, and the UCPR requirements for denials and non-admissions.

Whole-body substrate metabolism is associated with disease severity in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Objectives In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatic steatosis is intricately linked with a number of metabolic alterations. We studied substrate utilisation in NAFLD during basal, insulin-stimulated and exercise conditions, and correlated these outcomes with disease severity. Methods 20 patients with NAFLD (mean±SD body mass index (BMI) 34.1±6.7 kg/m2) and 15 healthy controls (BMI 23.4±2.7 kg/m2) were assessed. Respiratory quotient (RQ), whole-body fat (Fatox) and carbohydrate (CHOox) oxidation rates were determined by indirect calorimetry in three conditions: basal (resting and fasted), insulin-stimulated (hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic clamp) and exercise (cycling at an intensity to elicit maximal Fatox). Severity of disease and steatosis were determined by liver histology, hepatic Fatox from plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, aerobic fitness expressed as , and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) measured by computed tomography. Results Within the overweight/obese NAFLD cohort, basal RQ correlated positively with steatosis (r=0.57, p=0.01) and was higher (indicating smaller contribution of Fatox to energy expenditure) in patients with NAFLD activity score (NAS) ≥5 vs <5 (p=0.008). Both results were independent of VAT, % body fat and BMI. Compared with the lean control group, patients with NAFLD had lower basal whole-body Fatox (1.2±0.3 vs 1.5±0.4 mg/kgFFM/min, p=0.024) and lower basal hepatic Fatox (ie, β-hydroxybutyrate, p=0.004). During exercise, they achieved lower maximal Fatox (2.5±1.4 vs. 5.8±3.7 mg/kgFFM/min, p=0.002) and lower (p<0.001) than controls. Fatox during exercise was not associated with disease severity (p=0.79). Conclusions Overweight/obese patients with NAFLD had reduced hepatic Fatox and reduced whole-body Fatox under basal and exercise conditions. There was an inverse relationship between ability to oxidise fat in basal conditions and histological features of NAFLD including severity of steatosis and NAS

Fusion or non fusion of coral fragments in Acropora

Corals inhabit high energy environments where frequent disturbances result in physical damage to coralla, including fragmentation, as well as generating and mobilizing large sediment clasts. The branching growth form common in the Acropora genus makes it particularly susceptible to such disturbances and therefore useful for study of the fate of large sediment clasts. Living Acropora samples with natural, extraneous, broken coral branches incorporated on their living surface and dead Acropora skeletons containing embedded clasts of isolated branch sections of Acropora were observed and/or collected from the reef flat of Heron Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef and Bargara, Australia respectively. Here we report three different outcomes when pebble-sized coral branches became lodged on living coral colonies during sedimentation events in natural settings in Acropora: 1) Where live coral branches produced during a disturbance event come to rest on probable genetic clone-mate colonies they become rapidly stabilised leading to complete soft tissue and skeletal fusion; 2) Where the branch and underlying colony are not clone-mates, but may still be the same or similar species, the branches still may be stabilised rapidly by soft tissue, but then one species will overgrow the other; and 3) Where branches represent dead skeletal debris, they are treated like any foreign clast and are surrounded by clypeotheca and incorporated into the corallum by overgrowth. The retention of branch fragments on colonies in high energy reef flat settings may suggest an active role of coral polyps to recognise and fuse with each other. Also, in all cases the healing of disturbed tissue and subsequent skeletal growth is an adaptation important for protecting colonies from invasion by parasites and other benthos following disturbance events and may also serve to increase corallum strength. Knowledge of such adaptations is important in studies of coral behaviour during periods of environmental stress.

A proposal to change existing virus species names to non-Latinized binomials

A proposal has been posted on the ICTV website (2011. 001aG. N. v1. binomial_sp_names) to replace virus species names by non-Latinized binomial names consisting of the current italicized species name with the terminal word "virus" replaced by the italicized and non-capitalized genus name to which the species belongs. If implemented, the current italicized species name Measles virus, for instance, would become Measles morbillivirus while the current virus name measles virus and its abbreviation MeV would remain unchanged. The rationale for the proposed change is presented. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Understanding injury-related disability in non-Western societies can contribute to more effective road safety policies and programs

• Road crashes as a cause of disability • Disability in the study of road safety • Thai spinal injury study – Contextual information – beliefs and community – Transport system and hidden safety costs – Cambodia experience – Pakistan fatalism study • Feedback to policies and programs