Strategic entrepreneurship in New Zealand's state-owned enterprises : underlying elements and financial implications

The concept of strategic entrepreneurship has received increased attention over the past ten yeras. Viewed as the intersection of entrepreneurship and strategy this field of research is populated by conceptual studies which focus mainly on the nature and perceived benefits of strategic entrepreneurship. Similarly the study of entrepreneurship in a public sector context has gained increasing support in recent years but also remains underexplored. To address these gaps this thesis considers : what are the underlying elements and financial implications of strategic entrepreneurship in New Zealand's state-owned enterprises, New Zealand's SOE sector comprising 17 government-owned,commercially focused organisations, is considered to be a prime subject for this research. Well known for their implementation of new public management, many New Zealand SOEs have also been publicly recognised as both innovative and entrepreneurial. The research question is addressed by first developing a preliminary framework of strategic entrepreneurship from literature on entrepreneurhsip and strategy. The framework is then examined in the context of case studies on activity.

Fixed-wing attitude estimation using temporal tracking of the horizon and optical flow

In this paper, a method has been developed for estimating pitch angle, roll angle and aircraft body rates based on horizon detection and temporal tracking using a forward-looking camera, without assistance from other sensors. Using an image processing front-end, we select several lines in an image that may or may not correspond to the true horizon. The optical flow at each candidate line is calculated, which may be used to measure the body rates of the aircraft. Using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), the aircraft state is propagated using a motion model and a candidate horizon line is associated using a statistical test based on the optical flow measurements and the location of the horizon. Once associated, the selected horizon line, along with the associated optical flow, is used as a measurement to the EKF. To test the accuracy of the algorithm, two flights were conducted, one using a highly dynamic Uninhabited Airborne Vehicle (UAV) in clear flight conditions and the other in a human-piloted Cessna 172 in conditions where the horizon was partially obscured by terrain, haze and smoke. The UAV flight resulted in pitch and roll error standard deviations of 0.42◦ and 0.71◦ respectively when compared with a truth attitude source. The Cessna flight resulted in pitch and roll error standard deviations of 1.79◦ and 1.75◦ respectively. The benefits of selecting and tracking the horizon using a motion model and optical flow rather than naively relying on the image processing front-end is also demonstrated.

Elements of an environmental offsets policy : a working paper towards a policy for an environmental banking scheme appropriate for Queensland

In the past eight years, Australia has adopted the use of environmental offsets as a means to compensate for environmental degradation from development. Queensland has more environmental offsetting policies than any other Australian State or Territory. The methodology has profound effects on development companies, landowners (both private and public), regional land planning, organizations, government agencies, monetary banking institutions and environmental conservation bodies.

Vibration characteristics of plate elements subjected in-plane loads (axial loads)

Axial deformations resulting from in-plane loads (axial forces) of plate elements impact significantly on their vibration characteristics. Although, numerous methods have been developed to quantify axial forces and hence deformations of individual plate elements with different boundary conditions based on their natural frequencies, these methods are unable to apply to the plate elements in a structural system. This is because the natural frequency is a global parameter for the entire structure. Thus, this paper proposes a comprehensive vibration based procedure to quantify axial deformations of plate elements in a structural framing system. Unique capabilities of the proposed method present through illustrative examples. Keywords- Plate Elements, Dynamic Stiffness Matrix, Finite Element Method, Vibration Characteristics, Axial Deformation

Azoporphyrin : the porphyrin analogue of azobenzene

Azobenzenes (1,2-diaryldiazenes) are very important organic pigments, and they have a unique place in the field of photoresponsive conjugated molecules due to their (usually) reversible E/Z photoisomerisation. The current intense interest in molecular analogues of mechanical components and information storage and processing elements has stimulated research into conjugated molecules whose shape and/or optical properties can be switched electro- or photochemically. Among the classes of conjugated pigments being explored in these contexts are the porphyrinoids, which offer advantages of intense light absorption, a variety of accessible oxidation states, and synthetic control of properties through peripheral or central substitution. Extension of porphyrinoid conjugation can be achieved by linking the peripheral carbons either by three direct bonds (as in the “porphyrin tapes” of Osuka et al.) or through potentially conjugating bridges such as alkenes or, even better, alkynes.

Tangible programming elements for young children

Tangible programming elements offer the dynamic and programmable properties of a computer without the complexity introduced by the keyboard, mouse and screen. This paper explores the extent to which programming skills are used by children during interactions with a set of tangible programming elements: the Electronic Blocks. An evaluation of the Electronic Blocks indicates that children become heavily engaged with the blocks, and learn simple programming with a minimum of adult support.

Textures of optical flow for real-time anomaly detection in crowds

Automated visual surveillance of crowds is a rapidly growing area of research. In this paper we focus on motion representation for the purpose of abnormality detection in crowded scenes. We propose a novel visual representation called textures of optical flow. The proposed representation measures the uniformity of a flow field in order to detect anomalous objects such as bicycles, vehicles and skateboarders; and can be combined with spatial information to detect other forms of abnormality. We demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms state-of-the-art anomaly detection algorithms on a large, publicly-available dataset.

A material model for flexural crack simulation in reinforced concrete elements using ABAQUS

This paper presents a material model to simulate load induced cracking in Reinforced Concrete (RC) elements in ABAQUS finite element package. Two numerical material models are used and combined to simulate complete stress-strain behaviour of concrete under compression and tension including damage properties. Both numerical techniques used in the present material model are capable of developing the stress-strain curves including strain softening regimes only using ultimate compressive strength of concrete, which is easily and practically obtainable for many of the existing RC structures or those to be built. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper is valuable in assessing existing RC structures in the absence of more detailed test results. The numerical models are slightly modified from the original versions to be comparable with the damaged plasticity model used in ABAQUS. The model is validated using different experiment results for RC beam elements presented in the literature. The results indicate a good agreement with load vs. displacement curve and observed crack patterns.

Automated object identification using optical video cameras on construction sites

Visual recording devices such as video cameras, CCTVs, or webcams have been broadly used to facilitate work progress or safety monitoring on construction sites. Without human intervention, however, both real-time reasoning about captured scenes and interpretation of recorded images are challenging tasks. This article presents an exploratory method for automated object identification using standard video cameras on construction sites. The proposed method supports real-time detection and classification of mobile heavy equipment and workers. The background subtraction algorithm extracts motion pixels from an image sequence, the pixels are then grouped into regions to represent moving objects, and finally the regions are identified as a certain object using classifiers. For evaluating the method, the formulated computer-aided process was implemented on actual construction sites, and promising results were obtained. This article is expected to contribute to future applications of automated monitoring systems of work zone safety or productivity.

Optical non-destructive evaluation of articular cartilage integrity : a review

This paper reviews the current status of the application of optical non-destructive methods, particularly infrared (IR) and near infrared (NIR), in the evaluation of the physiological integrity of articular cartilage. It is concluded that a significant amount of work is still required in order to achieve specificity and clinical applicability of these methods in the assessment and treatment of dysfunctional articular joints.

Assessment of corneal dynamics with high-speed swept source optical coherence tomography combined with an air puff system

We present a novel method and instrument for in vivo imaging and measurement of the human corneal dynamics during an air puff. The instrument is based on high-speed swept source optical coherence tomography (ssOCT) combined with a custom adapted air puff chamber from a non-contact tonometer, which uses an air stream to deform the cornea in a non-invasive manner. During the short period of time that the deformation takes place, the ssOCT acquires multiple A-scans in time (M-scan) at the center of the air puff, allowing observation of the dynamics of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces as well as the anterior lens surface. The dynamics of the measurement are driven by the biomechanical properties of the human eye as well as its intraocular pressure. Thus, the analysis of the M-scan may provide useful information about the biomechanical behavior of the anterior segment during the applanation caused by the air puff. An initial set of controlled clinical experiments are shown to comprehend the performance of the instrument and its potential applicability to further understand the eye biomechanics and intraocular pressure measurements. Limitations and possibilities of the new apparatus are discussed.

Near infrared optical materials from polymeric amorphous carbon synthesized by collisional plasma process

The synthesis of polymerlike amorphous carbon(a-C:H) thin-films by microwave excited collisional hydrocarbon plasma process is reported. Stable and highly aromatic a-C:H were obtained containing significant inclusions of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV). PPV confers universal optoelectronic properties to the synthesized material. That is a-C:H with tailor-made refractive index are capable of becoming absorption-free in visible (red)-near infrared wavelength range. Production of large aromatic hydrocarbon including phenyl clusters and/or particles is attributed to enhanced coagulation of elemental plasma species under collisional plasma conditions. Detailed structural and morphological changes that occur in a-C:H during the plasma synthesis are also described.

Minimising capacitive couplings and distributing copper losses in planar magnetic elements

Planar magnetic elements are becoming a replacement for their conventional rivals. Among the reasons supporting their application, is their smaller size. Taking less bulk in the electronic package is a critical advantage from the manufacturing point of view. The planar structure consists of the PCB copper tracks to generate the desired windings .The windings on each PCB layer could be connected in various ways to other winding layers to produce a series or parallel connection. These windings could be applied coreless or with a core depending on the application in Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPS). Planar shapes of the tracks increase the effective conduction area in the windings, brings about more inductance compared to the conventional windings with the similar copper loss case. The problem arising from the planar structure of magnetic inductors is the leakage current between the layers generated by a pulse width modulated voltage across the inductor. This current value relies on the capacitive coupling between the layers, which in its turn depends on the physical parameters of the planar scheme. In order to reduce this electrical power dissipation due to the leakage current and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), reconsideration in the planar structure might be effective. The aim of this research is to address problem of these capacitive coupling in planar layers and to find out a better structure for the planar inductance which offers less total capacitive coupling and thus less thermal dissipation from the leakage currents. Through Finite Element methods (FEM) several simulations have been carried out for various planar structures. The labs prototypes of these structures are built with the similar specification of the simulation cases. The capacitive couplings of the samples are determined with Spectrum Analyser whereby the test analysis verified the simulation results.