Integrating LED lighting design strategies with side daylighting systems to improve interior lighting design of office buildings

A high contrast ratio between windows and surrounding walls may lead to office workers visual discomfort that could negatively affect their satisfaction and productivity. Consequently, occupants may try to adapt their working environment by closing blinds and/ or turning on the lights to enhance indoor visual comfort, which can reduce predicted energy savings. The hypothesis of this study is that reducing luminance contrast ratio on the window wall will improve window appearance which potentially will reduce visual discomfort and decrease workers interventions. Thus, this PhD research proposes a simple strategy to diminish the luminance contrast on the window wall by increasing the luminance of the areas surrounding the windows using supplementary light emitting diode (LED) systems. To test the hypothesis, this investigation will involve three experiments in different office layouts with various window types and orientations in Brisbane, Australia. It will assess user preferences for different luminance patterns in windowed offices featuring flexible, lowpower LED lighting installations that allows multiple lighting design options on the window wall. Detailed luminance and illuminance measures will be used to match quantitative lighting design assessment to user preferences.

A road safety strategy for Norfolk Island, an Australian external territory

Norfolk Island is an Australian external territory in Oceania. The significant road safety reforms in Australia from the 1970s onward bypassed the island, and most road safety ‘silver bullets’ adopted in other Australian jurisdictions were not introduced. While legislative amendments in 2010 introduced mandatory seat belt wearing for vehicle occupants on Norfolk Island, other critical issues face the community including drink driving by residents and visitors, occupant protection for vehicle passengers, and the provision of a more protective road environment. The release of the first Norfolk Island road safety strategy 2014-2016 proposed, inter alia: • a lower BAC of 0.05 and the introduction of compulsory driver alcohol and drug testing by police; • targeted enforcement of occupant protection for vehicle passengers, particularly for passengers riding on vehicle tray backs; • education interventions to challenge values held by some members of the community that support unsafe road use; • ensuring that driver information, training and testing is adequate for all drivers; • identification and rectification of hazardous roadside infrastructure, particularly barrier protection at “high drop locations” within the road network; and • developing a specification for vehicle standards for vehicles imported into Norfolk Island. Norfolk Island is engaging in a process of integration with the Australian community, and wider issues relating to funding and resources have impacted on the implementation of the road safety strategy. The response to the strategy will be discussed, particularly in terms of current attempts to address drink driving and the provision of a safer road environment.

Observations on the influence of repeated sampling procedures on temperament changes of weaner cattle

Experimental cattle are often restrained for repeated blood collection and faecal sampling and may baulk at entering the crush, possibly from learning that crush entry is followed by an unpleasant experience. We asked whether repeated sampling affects temperament. One measure of temperament is flight speed, which is the time, measured electronically, for an animal to cover a set distance on release from a weighing crate (Burrow et al. 1988). 22nd Biennial Conference.

Reflecting on Reggio: An evaluation of design intent in an early childhood learning environment

Reggio Emilia is an educational philosophy that encourages teachers, students and their parents to collaborate and actively engage with the environment. This study investigates how the Reggio Emilia design approach was translated architecturally for a kindergarten in an Australian context, and provides insights into the operation of this Reggio kindergarten and the impact that it is now having on the occupants. It evaluates the original architectural design intent of the Reggio Emilia early childhood learning environment against its spatial provision. The relationship that the Reggio Emilia approach facilitates between students and the environment, and the contribution that this approach has on their learning, are also explored. Several key themes emerging from the Reggio values were identified in the literature. These were then used to inform an exploration of the kindergarten spaces and places.. Architects, teachers and a sustainability manager of the kindergarten were interviewed with their experiences constituting the primary data of this study. Using a Grounded Theory methodology, systematic data coding and analysis were then conducted. Themes and concepts that emerged from this process include: differing interpretations of the Reggio Emilia philosophy; motivations for neglect of traditional external structures and play equipment; the impact of education for sustainability; and the positive effects that Reggio Emilia is having on the rest of the institution’s development.

Factors related to seat belt use : A Turkish case

Seat belts are effective safety devices used to protect car occupants from severe injuries and fatalities during road vehicle accidents. Despite the proven effectiveness of seat belts, seat belt use rates are quite low, especially in developing countries, such as Turkey. The general aim of the present study was to investigate a large variety of factors related to seat belt use among Turkish car occupants using different perspectives and methods and therefore, to contribute to the design of effective seat belt use interventions for increasing seat belt use rates in Turkey. Five sub-studies were conducted within the present study. In the first sub-study, environmental (e.g., road type) and psycho-social factors (e.g., belt use by other car occupants) related to the seat belt use of front-seat occupants were investigated using observation techniques. Being male, of a young age, and traveling on city roads were the main factors negatively related to seat belt use. Furthermore, seat belt use by the drivers and front-seat passengers was highly correlated and a significant predictors of each other. In the second sub-study, the motivations of the car occupants for seat belt use and non-use were investigated using interview techniques. Situational conditions, such as traveling on city roads and for short distances, and not believing in the effectiveness and relevance of seat belt use for safety, were the most frequently reported reasons for not using a seat belt. Safety, habit and avoiding punishment were among the most frequently reported reasons for using a seat belt. In the third sub-study, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM) were applied to seat belt use using Structural Equation Modeling techniques. The TPB model showed a good fit to the data, whereas the HBM showed a poor fit to the data. Within the TPB model, attitude and subjective norm were significant predictors of intentions to use a seat belt on both urban and rural roads. In the fourth sub-study, seat belt use frequency and motivations for seat belt use among taxi drivers were investigated and compared between free-time and work-time driving using a survey. The results showed that taxi drivers used seat belts more when driving a private car in their free-times compared to when driving a taxi during their work-times. The lack of a legal obligation to use a seat belt in city traffic and fear of being attacked or robbed by the passengers were found as two specific reasons for not using a seat belt when driving a taxi. Lastly, in the fifth sub-study, the relationship of seat belt use to driver and health behaviors was investigated using a survey. Although seat belt use was related both to health and driver behaviors, factor analysis results showed that it grouped with driver behaviors. Based on the results of the sub-studies, a tentative empirical model showing different predictors of seat belt use was proposed. According to the model, safety and normative motivations and perceived physical barriers related to seat belt use are the three important predictors of seat belt use. Keywords: Seat belt use; environmental factors; psycho-social factors; safety and normative motivations; the Theory of Planned Behavior; the Health Belief Model; health behaviors; driver behaviors; front-seat occupants; taxi drivers; Turkey.

Lawyers linked to litigation funding face court censure: Bolitho v Banksia Securities Limited (No.4) [2014] VSC 582

In Bolitho v Banksia Securities Limited (No 4) [2014] VSC 582 the Supreme Court of Victoria concluded that the proper administration of justice, including the appearance of justice, required that the lawyers representing the plaintiff in the group proceeding should be restrained from continuing to act for the plaintiff. This Victorian case illustrates how courts are likely to respond when lawyers attempt to circumvent the prohibition on contingency fees through litigation funding in which they have a financial interest.

Post capture necrosis of the feet caused by soft-catch traps – incidents, cause and prevention.

When recapturing satellite collared wild dogs that had been trapped one month previous in padded foothold traps, we noticed varying degrees of pitting on the pads of their trapped paw. Veterinary advice, based on images taken of the injuries, suggests that the necrosis was caused by vascular compromise. Five of six dingoes we recaptured had varying degrees of necrosis restricted only to the trapped foot and ranging from single 5 mm holes to 25% sections of the toe pads missing or deformed, including loss of nails. The traps used were rubber-padded, two–coiled, Victor Soft Catch #3 traps. The springs are not standard Victor springs but were Beefer springs; these modifications slightly increase trap speed and the jaw pressure on the trapped foot. Despite this modification the spring pressure is still relatively mild in comparison to conventional long spring or four-coiled wild dog traps. The five wild dogs developing necrosis were trapped in November 2006 at 5-6 months of age. Traps were checked each morning so the dogs were unlikely to have been restrained in the trap for more than 12 hours. All dogs exhibited a small degree of paw damage at capture which presented itself as a swollen paw and compression at the capture point. In contrast, eight wild dogs, 7-8 month-old, were captured two months later in February. Upon their release, on advice from a veterinarian, we massaged the trapped foot to get blood flow back in to the foot and applied a bruise treatment (Heparinoid 8.33 mg/ml) to assist restoring blood flow. These animals were subsequently recaptured several months later and showed no signs of necrosis. While post-capture foot injuries are unlikely to be an issue in conventional control programs where the animal is immediately destroyed, caution needs to be used when releasing accidentally captured domestic dogs or research animals captured in rubber-padded traps. We have demonstrated that 7-8 month old dogs can be trapped and released without any evidence of subsequent necrosis following minimal veterinary treatment. We suspect that the rubber padding on traps may increase the tourniquet effect by wrapping around the paw and recommend the evaluation of offset laminated steel jaw traps as an alternative. Offset laminated steel jaw traps have been shown to be relatively humane producing as few foot injuries as rubber-jawed traps.

Luonnoksia käsityön ruumiillisuudesta. : Käsityö Maurice Merleau-Pontyn ruumiinfenomenologian valossa.

Purpose This study focused on craft from a standpoint of phenomenological philosophy and craft was interpreted through Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the body. The main focus was the physical phase of the craft process, wherein a product is made from material. The aim was to interpret corporality in craft. There is no former research focusing on lived body in craft science. Physical, bodily making is inalienable in craft, but it is not articulated. Recent discussion has focused on craft as ”whole”, which emphasizes designing part in the process, and craft becomes conceptualized with the theories of art and design. The axiomatic yet silenced basis of craft, corporality, deserves to become examined as well. That is why this study answers the questions: how craft manifests in the light of phenomenology of the body and what is corporality in craft? Methods In this study I cultivated a phenomenological attitude and turned my exploring eye on craft ”in itself”. In addition I restrained myself from mere making and placed myself looking at the occurrence of craft to describe it verbally. I read up Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the body on his principal work (2002) and former interpretations of it. Interpreting and understanding textual data were based on Gadamer’s hermeneutics, and the four-pronged composition of the study followed Koski’s (1995) version of the Gadamerian process of textual interpretation. Conclusions In the construction of bodily phenomenology craft was to be contemplated as a mutual relationship between the maker and the world materializing in bodily making. At the moment of making a human being becomes one with his craft, and the connection between the maker, material and the equipment appears as communication. Operational dimension was distinctive in the intentionality of craft, which operates in many ways, also in craft products. The synesthesia and synergy of craft were emphasized and craft as bodily practice came to life through them. The moment of making appeared as situation generating time and space, where throwing oneself into making may give the maker an experience of upraise beyond the dualism of mind and body. The conception of the implicit nature of craft knowledge was strengthened. In the light of interpretation it was possible to conceptualize craft as a performance and making ”in itself” as a work of art. In that case craft appeared as bodily expression, which as an experience approaches art without being it after all. The concept of aesthetic was settled into making as well. Bodily and phenomenological viewpoint on craft gave material to critically contemplate the concept of “whole craft” (kokonainen käsityö) and provided different kind of understanding of craft as making.

A novel approach to assessing road-curve crash severity

Curves are a common feature of road infrastructure; however crashes on road curves are associated with increased risk of injury and fatality to vehicle occupants. Countermeasures require the identification of contributing factors. However, current approaches to identifying contributors use traditional statistical methods and have not used self-reported narrative claim to identify factors related to the driver, vehicle and environment in a systemic way. Text mining of 3434 road-curve crash claim records filed between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2005 at a major insurer in Queensland, Australia, was undertaken to identify risk levels and contributing factors. Rough set analysis was used on insurance claim narratives to identify significant contributing factors to crashes and their associated severity. New contributing factors unique to curve crashes were identified (e.g., tree, phone, over-steer) in addition to those previously identified via traditional statistical analysis of Police and licensing authority records. Text mining is a novel methodology to improve knowledge related to risk and contributing factors to road-curve crash severity. Future road-curve crash countermeasures should more fully consider the interrelationships between environment, the road, the driver and the vehicle, and education campaigns in particular could highlight the increased risk of crash on road-curves.

Learning from insurance data: Injuries to other road users in motorcyclist at-fault crashes

In multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes, the motorcycle rider is less likely to be at-fault but more commonly severely injured than the other road user. Therefore, not surprisingly, crashes in which motorcycle riders are at-fault and particularly the injuries to the other road users in these crashes have received little research attention. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature by investigating the factors influencing the severity of injury to other road users in motorcyclist-at-fault crashes. Five years of data from Queensland, Australia, were obtained from a database of claims against the compulsory third party (CTP) injury insurance of the at-fault motorcyclists. Analysis of the data using an ordered probit model shows higher injury severity for crashes involving young (under 25) and older (60+) at-fault motorcyclists. Among the not at-fault road users, the young, old, and males were found to be more severely injured than others. Injuries to vehicle occupants were less severe than those to pillions. Crashes that occurred between vehicles traveling in opposite directions resulted in more severe injuries than those involving vehicles traveling in the same direction. While most existing studies have analyzed police reported crash data, this study used CTP insurance data. Comparison of results indicates the potential of using CTP insurance data as an alternative to police reported crash data for gaining a better understanding of risk factors for motorcycle crashes and injury severity.

What does built environment research have to do with risk mitigation, resilience and disaster recovery?

One could argue that the nature of our housing stock is a key determining factor in the ability of our citizens to manage risk, be resilient to various natural and human events, and to recover from these events. Recent research has been examining current challenges posed by our housing stock and exploring potential solutions from a range of perspectives. The aim of this paper is to discuss key findings from recent built environment research in Australia to initiate cross-sectorial discussion and debate about the implications and opportunities for other sectors such as emergency management and insurance. Three recent building research projects are discussed: - Heat waves The impact of heat waves on houses and occupants, and proposed changes to building regulations, air conditioning standards and building design, to reduce risks associated with heat waves. - Net zero energy homes Exploration of the potential benefits of a strategic optimization of building quality, energy and water efficiency, and household or community level distributed energy and water services for disaster management and recovery. - Building information Mapping of the flow of information about residential buildings, and the potential for national or regional building files (in a similar manner to personal medical records) to assist all parties to make more informed decisions that impact on housing sustainability and community resilience. The paper discusses how sustainability, environmental performance and resilience are inter-related, and can be supported by building files. It concludes with a call for increased cross-sectorial collaboration to explore opportunities for a whole-of-systems approach to our built environment that addresses a range of economic and environmental challenges as well as disaster and emergency management.

Electronic Building Passport - Final Report: Project 2 National Energy Efficient Building Project Phase 2

The National Energy Efficient Building Project (NEEBP) Phase One report, published in December 2014, investigated “process issues and systemic failures” in the administration of the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code. It found that most stakeholders believed that under-compliance with these requirements is widespread across Australia, with similar issues being reported in all states and territories. The report found that many different factors were contributing to this outcome and, as a result, many recommendations were offered that together would be expected to remedy the systemic issues reported. To follow up on this Phase 1 report, three additional projects were commissioned as part of Phase 2 of the overall NEEBP project. This Report deals with the development and piloting of an Electronic Building Passport (EBP) tool – a project undertaken jointly by pitt&sherry and a team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led by Dr Wendy Miller. The other Phase 2 projects cover audits of Class 1 buildings and issues relating to building alterations and additions. The passport concept aims to provide all stakeholders with (controlled) access to the key documentation and information that they need to verify the energy performance of buildings. This trial project deals with residential buildings but in principle could apply to any building type. Nine councils were recruited to help develop and test a pilot electronic building passport tool. The participation of these councils – across all states – enabled an assessment of the extent to which these councils are currently utilising documentation; to track the compliance of residential buildings with the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC). Overall we found that none of the participating councils are currently compiling all of the energy performance-related documentation that would demonstrate code compliance. The key reasons for this include: a major lack of clarity on precisely what documentation should be collected; cost and budget pressures; low public/stakeholder demand for the documentation; and a pragmatic judgement that non-compliance with any regulated documentation requirements represents a relatively low risk for them. Some councils reported producing documentation, such as certificates of final completion, only on demand, for example. Only three of the nine council participants reported regularly conducting compliance assessments or audits utilising this documentation and/or inspections. Overall we formed the view that documentation and information tracking processes operating within the building standards and compliance system are not working to assure compliance with the Code’s energy performance requirements. In other words the Code, and its implementation under state and territory regulatory processes, is falling short as a ‘quality assurance’ system for consumers. As a result it is likely that the new housing stock is under-performing relative to policy expectations, consuming unnecessary amounts of energy, imposing unnecessarily high energy bills on occupants, and generating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, Councils noted that the demand for documentation relating to building energy performance was low. All the participant councils in the EBP pilot agreed that documentation and information processes need to work more effectively if the potential regulatory and market drivers towards energy efficient homes are to be harnessed. These findings are fully consistent with the Phase 1 NEEBP report. It was also agreed that an EBP system could potentially play an important role in improving documentation and information processes. However, only one of the participant councils indicated that they might adopt such a system on a voluntary basis. The majority felt that such a system would only be taken up if it were: - A nationally agreed system, imposed as a mandatory requirement under state or national regulation; - Capable of being used by multiple parties including councils, private certifiers, building regulators, builders and energy assessors in particular; and - Fully integrated into their existing document management systems, or at least seamlessly compatible rather than a separate, unlinked tool. Further, we note that the value of an EBP in capturing statistical information relating to the energy performance of buildings would be much greater if an EBP were adopted on a nationally consistent basis. Councils were clear that a key impediment to the take up of an EBP system is that they are facing very considerable budget and staffing challenges. They report that they are often unable to meet all community demands from the resources available to them. Therefore they are unlikely to provide resources to support the roll out of an EBP system on a voluntary basis. Overall, we conclude from this pilot that the public good would be well served if the Australian, state and territory governments continued to develop and implement an Electronic Building Passport system in a cost-efficient and effective manner. This development should occur with detailed input from building regulators, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), councils and private certifiers in the first instance. This report provides a suite of recommendations (Section 7.2) designed to advance the development and guide the implementation of a national EBP system.

Functional genes and gene array analysis as tools for monitoring hydrocarbon biodegradation

Bioremediation, which is the exploitation of the intrinsic ability of environmental microbes to degrade and remove harmful compounds from nature, is considered to be an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective means for environmental clean-up. However, a comprehensive understanding of the biodegradation potential of microbial communities and their response to decontamination measures is required for the effective management of bioremediation processes. In this thesis, the potential to use hydrocarbon-degradative genes as indicators of aerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation was investigated. Small-scale functional gene macro- and microarrays targeting aliphatic, monoaromatic and low molecular weight polyaromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation were developed in order to simultaneously monitor the biodegradation of mixtures of hydrocarbons. The validity of the array analysis in monitoring hydrocarbon biodegradation was evaluated in microcosm studies and field-scale bioremediation processes by comparing the hybridization signal intensities to hydrocarbon mineralization, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), dot blot hybridization and both chemical and microbiological monitoring data. The results obtained by real-time PCR, dot blot hybridization and gene array analysis were in good agreement with hydrocarbon biodegradation in laboratory-scale microcosms. Mineralization of several hydrocarbons could be monitored simultaneously using gene array analysis. In the field-scale bioremediation processes, the detection and enumeration of hydrocarbon-degradative genes provided important additional information for process optimization and design. In creosote-contaminated groundwater, gene array analysis demonstrated that the aerobic biodegradation potential that was present at the site, but restrained under the oxygen-limited conditions, could be successfully stimulated with aeration and nutrient infiltration. During ex situ bioremediation of diesel oil- and lubrication oil-contaminated soil, the functional gene array analysis revealed inefficient hydrocarbon biodegradation, caused by poor aeration during composting. The functional gene array specifically detected upper and lower biodegradation pathways required for complete mineralization of hydrocarbons. Bacteria representing 1 % of the microbial community could be detected without prior PCR amplification. Molecular biological monitoring methods based on functional genes provide powerful tools for the development of more efficient remediation processes. The parallel detection of several functional genes using functional gene array analysis is an especially promising tool for monitoring the biodegradation of mixtures of hydrocarbons.

Reducing luminance contrast on the window wall and users’ interventions in an office room

High luminance contrast between windows and surrounding surfaces could cause discomfort glare, which could reduce office workers’ productivity. It might also increase energy usage of buildings due to occupants��� interventions in lighting conditions to improve indoor visual quality. It is presumed that increasing the luminance of the areas surrounding the windows using a supplementary system, such Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), could reduce discomfort glare. This paper reports on the results of a pilot study in a conventional office in Brisbane, Australia. The outcomes of this study indicated that a supplementary LED system could reduce the luminance contrast on the window wall from values in the order of 24:1 to 12:1. The results suggest that this reduction could significantly reduce discomfort glare from windows, as well as diminishing the likelihood of users’ intention to turn on the ceiling lights and/ or to move the blind down.

Myoblast transplantation and adenoviral VEGF-C transfer in porcine model of coronary artery disease

Heart failure is a common and highly challenging medical disorder. The progressive increase of elderly population is expected to further reflect in heart failure incidence. Recent progress in cell transplantation therapy has provided a conceptual alternative for treatment of heart failure. Despite improved medical treatment and operative possibilities, end-stage coronary artery disease present a great medical challenge. It has been estimated that therapeutic angiogenesis would be the next major advance in the treatment of ischaemic heart disease. Gene transfer to augment neovascularization could be beneficial for such patients. We employed a porcine model to evaluate the angiogenic effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C gene transfer. Ameroid-generated myocardial ischemia was produced and adenovirus encoding (ad)VEGF-C or β-galactosidase (LacZ) gene therapy was given intramyocardially during progressive coronary stenosis. Angiography, positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and histology evidenced beneficial affects of the adVEGF-C gene transfer compared to adLacZ. The myocardial deterioration during progressive coronary stenosis seen in the control group was restrained in the treatment group. We observed an uneven occlusion rate of the coronary vessels with Ameroid constrictor. We developed a simple methodological improvement of Ameroid model by ligating of the Ameroid–stenosed coronary vessel. Improvement of the model was seen by a more reliable occlusion rate of the vessel concerned and a formation of a rather constant myocardial infarction. We assessed the spontaneous healing of the left ventricle (LV) in this new model by SPECT, PET, MRI, and angiography. Significant spontaneous improvement of myocardial perfusion and function was seen as well as diminishment of scar volume. Histologically more microvessels were seen in the border area of the lesion. Double staining of the myocytes in mitosis indicated more cardiomyocyte regeneration at the remote area of the lesion. The potential of autologous myoblast transplantation after ischaemia and infarction of porcine heart was evaluated. After ligation of stenosed coronary artery, autologous myoblast transplantation or control medium was directly injected into the myocardium at the lesion area. Assessed by MRI, improvement of diastolic function was seen in the myoblast-transplanted animals, but not in the control animals. Systolic function remained unchanged in both groups.