Very sensitive fiber Bragg grating accelerometer using transverse forces with an easy over-range protection and low cross axial sensitivity

The first fiber Bragg grating (FBG) accelerometer using direct transverse forces is demonstrated by fixing the FBG by its two ends and placing a transversely moving inertial object at its middle. It is very sensitive because a lightly stretched FBG is more sensitive to transverse forces than axial forces. Its resonant frequency and static sensitivity are analyzed by the classic spring-mass theory, assuming the axial force changes little. The experiments show that the theory can be modified for cases where the assumption does not hold. The resonant frequency can be modified by a linear relationship experimentally achieved, and the static sensitivity by an alternative method proposed. The principles of the over-range protection and low cross axial sensitivity are achieved by limiting the movement of the FBG and were validated experimentally. The sensitivities 1.333 and 0.634 nm/g were experimentally achieved by 5.29 and 2.83 gram inertial objects at 10 Hz from 0.1 to 0.4 g (g = 9.8 m/s 2), respectively, and their resonant frequencies were around 25 Hz. Their theoretical static sensitivities and resonant frequencies found by the modifications are 1.188 nm/g and 26.81 Hz for the 5.29 gram one and 0.784 nm/g and 29.04 Hz for the 2.83 gram one, respectively.

Harnessing SD and CSR within corporate self-regulation of weak economies : a meta-regulation approach

The semantic of the terms “sustainable development” and “corporate social responsibility” have changed over time to a point where these concepts have become two interrelated processes for ensuring the far-reaching development of society. Their convergence has given dimension to the environmental and corporate regulation mechanisms in strong economies. This article deals with the question of how the ethos of this convergence could be incorporated into the self-regulation of businesses in weak economies where nonlegal drivers are either inadequate or inefficient. It proposes that the policies for this incorporation should be based on the precepts of meta-regulation that have the potential to hold force majeure, economic incentives, and assistance-related strategies to reach an objective from the perspective of weak economies.

Justifications and limits in the politically motivated lawbreaking of environmental activist groups

In recent events, notions of political protest, civil disobedience, extremism, and criminal action have become increasingly blurred. The London Riots, the Occupy movement, and the actions of hacking group Anonymous have all sparked heated debate about the limits of legitimate protest, and the distinction between an acceptable action and a criminal offence. Long before these events, environmental activists were challenging convention in protest actions, with several groups engaging in politically motivated law-breaking. The emergence of the term ‘eco-tage’ (the sabotage of equipment in order to protect the environment) signifies the important place environmental activists hold in challenging the traditional boundaries between illegal action and legitimate protest. Many of these groups establish their own boundaries of legitimacy, with some justifying their actions on the basis of civil disobedience or extensional self-defence. This paper examines the statements of environmental activist organisations that have engaged in politically motivated law breaking. It identifies the parameters that these groups set on their illegal actions, as well as the justifications that they provide, with a view to determining where these actions fit in the vast grey area between legal protest and violent extremism.

Humorous health messages : "a fresh approach" for road safety advertising campaigns?

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: Recently, throughout Australasia, humorous appeals have become implemented increasingly in health advertising despite limited evidence regarding the persuasiveness of different types of humour. Of those studies available which have examined the persuasiveness of humorous messages, the type of humour is often not defined so it is unclear what type of humour is being examined. Speck’s (1991) typology includes five types of humour; comic wit, sentimental humour, satire, sentimental comedy, and full comedy. Each type of humour is based on one or more humour generation processes; namely, incongruity-resolution, disparagement humour, and arousal-safety. It has been acknowledged that more research is needed to determine the relative persuasiveness of these different types of humour and to identify those types which may be most effective for health advertising. The current research explored individuals’ thoughts about, and their responses to some different types of, humorous messages addressing the serious health topic of road safety. Methods: A preliminary qualitative, study was conducted involving discussions with licensed drivers (N = 18) regarding their thoughts and feelings about humorous road safety messages in general as well as in response to some (5 in total) pre-existing advertisements. Men (n = 10) and women of younger and older age groups (17-24 or 25+ years) participated in one of six discussions. Participants were recruited from an existing community-based database held by the authors’ Research Centre or were approached directly on the university campus. Ethical approval was gained for the study. Each participant was offered $AUD40. A semi-structured interview schedule guided the discussion (e.g., was it humorous?, would this ad influence you?). Audio-recordings of the discussions were professionally transcribed and the transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The findings revealed that, irrespective of age and gender, humour that was clever, incorporated something unexpected and contrasting with the everyday, was a preferred and relevant approach, thus aligning with incongruity-based theories of humour generation and humour types, such as comic wit and satire. As a persuasive function, humorous messages were considered likely to be talked about (and relatively more so than traditional fear-based approaches). Participants also felt that humorous messages would need to be used cautiously as humour that was considered inappropriate and/or associated with serious occurrences, such as a crash, would be unlikely to persuade. Conclusions: The findings highlight some of the potential benefits of using humour, such as increasing the extent to which an advertisement is talked about as well as the types of humour which may be effective in this context. Implications for research and/or practice: While this research has provided important insight, future research which quantitatively assesses the persuasive effects of different types of humorous road safety messages within a larger, representative sample is needed. This current study has highlighted some humorous approaches which may hold persuasive promise in encouraging individuals to adopt safer attitudes and behaviours not only on the road, but in relation to serious health issues more broadly.

Capturing gazelles : features of high potential firms and new venture growth

This paper investigates the characteristics of ventures which have the potential to reach high growth and compares this with ‘everyday’ new ventures. Findings of interest in this paper include: • HP firms are characterised by higher human capital, are more likely to have a team of founders, are more likely to be product based. • HP firms are more likely to achieve more extreme levels of growth (both positive and negative). • HP ventures that make a loss are more likely to do so early in the venture process. Those that do hold on show that there can higher levels of loss made later on in firm development. HP firms have higher resource needs, in terms of seeking external finance, but are no more likely to receive external finance than regular firms.

Storytelling beyond the anthropocene : a quest through the crises of ecocide toward new ecological paradigms

This project is a passionate and sometimes enraged thrust toward a biodiverse future. Weaving stories with deep thinking beyond the limits of the anthropocene, I am trying to recall myself in a more-than-human world. Our planet is suffering human induced ecocide which is a global crisis threatening the existence of multiple life forms. The alchemical mix of storytelling and ecological thinking could be part remedy for humanity's adaptation: a transformational mix to re-pattern the crisis into an opportunity and shift anthropocentric structures toward networks of dynamic relationships. The purpose of this project is to explore this cultural remedy. This is a quest, a search for tools that can germinate the hypothesis: storytelling in relation to ecological thinking manifests human potential in a more-than-human world. The practice-led research is guided by the philosophy and practice of Mythology, Deep ecology and Transdisciplinarity. Further navigation is sourced from Systems Thinking, Indigenous Methodologies, Biomimicry, and Quantum Physics. The journey unfolds by reawakening the Artist's function as caretaker of Mythology and pattern inciter for the collective. The resounding discovery of this adventure is Quantum Narratives: a storytelling tool for today's world, a method to connect multiple ways of knowing and diverse languages with the purpose of engaging, relating and working with living knowledge. Quantum Narratives are used to test the field study research into the Future of Water in context of Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Murray-Darling Basin and to materialise the collaborative results as the Water Stories. This thesis is a Living Script, full of imagination and complexity. Within its folds are strategies for systemic change ready to be adapted by policy and planning brokers and those who hold power for widespread remedial action.

The UltraCommuter : a viable and desirable solar-powered commuter vehicle

The University of Queensland UltraCommuter project is the demonstration of an ultra-light weight, low drag, energy efficient and low polluting, electric commuter vehicle equipped with a 2.5m2 on-board solar array. A key goal of the project is to make the vehicle predominantly self-sufficient from solar power for normal driving purposes , so that it does not require charging or refuelling from off-board sources. This paper examines the technical feasibility of the solar-powered commuter vehicle concept, as it applies the UltraCommuter project. A parametric description of a solar-powered commuter vehicle is presented. Real solar insolation data is then used to predict the solar driving range for the UltraCommuter and this is compared to typical urban usage patterns for commuter vehicles in Queensland. A comparative analysis of annual greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicle is also presented. The results show that the UltraCommuter’s on-board solar array can provide substantial supplementation of the energy required for normal driving, powering 90% of annual travel needs for an average QLD passenger vehicle. The vehicle also has excellent potential to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from the private transport sector, achieving a 98% reduction in CO2 emissions when compared to the average QLD passenger vehicle. Lastly, the vehicle battery pack provides for tolerance to consecutive days of poor weather without resorting to grid charging, giving uninterrupted functionality to the user. These results hold great promise for the technical feasibility of the solar-powered commuter vehicle concept.

Work motivation as a determinant of organisational and professional commitment in temporary organisations : theoretical lenses and propositions

The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework to investigate the relationship between work motivation, organisational commitment and professional commitment in temporary organisations. Through a review of theory, we contend that work motivation has two major patterns — internal motivation (which includes intrinsic, need-based and self-deterministic theories), and external motivation (which includes cognitive or process-based theories of motivation) through which it has been investigated. We also hold the nature of employee commitment to be of three types — affective, continuance and normative. This commitment may be towards either the organisation or the profession. A literature review revealed that the characteristics of the temporary organisation — specifically tenure and task — regulate the relationship between work motivation, organisational commitment and professional commitment. Testable propositions are presented.

Measurement as legitimacy versus legitimacy of measures : Performance evaluation of social enterprise

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the growing emphasis on quantifiable performance measures such as social return on investment (SROI) in third sector organisations – specifically, social enterprise – through a legitimacy theory lens. It then examines what social enterprises value (i.e. consider important) in terms of performance evaluation, using a case study approach. Design/methodology/approach Case studies involving interviews, documentary analysis, and observation, of three social enterprises at different life-cycle stages with different funding structures, were constructed to consider “what measures matter” from a practitioner's perspective. Findings Findings highlight a priority on quality outcomes and impacts in primarily qualitative terms to evaluate performance. Further, there is a noticeable lack of emphasis on financial measures other than basic access to financial resources to continue pursuing social goals. Social implications The practical challenges faced by social enterprises – many of which are small to medium sized – in evaluating performance and by implication organisational legitimacy are contrasted with measures such as SROI which are resource intensive and have inherent methodological limitations. Hence, findings suggest the limited and valuable resources of social enterprises would be better allocated towards documenting the actual outcomes and impacts as a first step, in order to evaluate social and financial performance in terms appropriate to each objective, in order to demonstrate organisational legitimacy. Originality/value Findings distinguish between processes which may hold symbolic legitimacy for select stakeholder groups, and processes which hold substantive, cognitive legitimacy for stakeholders more broadly, in the under-researched context of social enterprise.

Alcohol-related driving offences, crashes, and traffic policing strategies in Zhejiang Province, China

Context Alcohol-related traffic offences and associated trauma have attracted attention in China in recent years, culminating in changes to national legislation in May 2011. Harsher penalties were introduced, particularly for offences where blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels above 80mg/100mL are recorded. Deemed to be drunk under the law, this is now a criminal offence attracting penalties including large monetary fines, licence suspension for 5 years and imprisonment. Objective This paper outlines key statistics about alcohol-related road trauma in Zhejiang Province and strategies used to combat drink- and drunk-driving. Key Outcomes Zhejiang Province, in China’s south east, has a population of approximately 54, 426,000; 22.36% hold a driving licence. Rapid motorisation is occurring there. In 2011, 1,383,318 new licences were issued, representing a 16.78% increase from the previous year. In 2012, there were a total of 65,000 police officers throughout the Province, 12,307 of whom (18.9%) were traffic police. Responsibility for conducting alcohol testing is the responsibility of all traffic police. The number of alcohol breath tests conducted per year was not available. However, traffic police are actively enforcing alcohol-related laws. In 2011, 89,228 drivers were charged with drink-driving (DUI;20-80mg/100 mL) and 10,014 with the more serious drunk-driving offence (DWI;>80mg/100mL) (Zhejiang Traffic Management Department, 2012). These numbers decreased from the previous year (221,262 and 26,390 respectively). For all crashes recorded in 2011 (n=20,176), 2% involved alcohol-impaired road users. Information on the role of alcohol in crashes from previous years was not available. Discussion Various strategies are employed to detect alcohol-impaired drivers including: targeting vehicles from hotels/restaurants; using sense of smell to screen drivers for further testing; passive alcohol sensors to test drivers; and blood tests for crash-involved drivers where a fatality occurred. Although resources to promote road safety are limited, various government initiatives promote awareness of the dangers of alcohol-related driving and more are needed in future.

The effect of organ motion of radiotherapy plans

Organ motion as a result of respiration is an important field of research for medical physics. Knowledge of magnitude and direction of this motion is necessary to allow for more accurate radiotherapy treatment planning. This will result in higher doses to the tumour whilst sparing healthy tissue. This project involved human trials, where the radiation therapy patient's kidneys were CT scanned under three different conditions; whilst free breathing (FB), breath-hold at normal tidal inspiration (BHIN), and breath-hold at normal tidal expiration (BHEX). The magnitude of motion was measured by recording the outline of the kidney from a Beam's Eye View (BEV). The centre of mass of this 2D shape was calculated for each set using "ImageJ" software and the magnitude of movement determined from the change in the centroid's coordinates between the BHIN and BHEX scans. The movement ranged from, for the left and right kidneys, 4-46mm and 2-44mm in the superior/inferior (axial) plane, 1-21mm and 2- 16mm in the anterior/posterior (coronal) plane, and 0-6mm and 0-8mm in the lateral/medial (sagittal) plane. From exhale to inhale, the kidneys tended to move inferiorly, anteriorly and laterally. A standard radiotherapy plan, designed to treat the para-aortics with opposed lateral fields was performed on the free breathing (planning) CT set. The field size and arrangement was set up using the same parameters for each subject. The prescription was to deliver 45 Gray in 25 fractions. This field arrangement and prescription was then copied over to the breath hold CT sets, and the dosimetric differences were compared using Dose Volume Histograms (DVH). The point of comparison for the three sets was recorded as the percentage volume of kidney receiving less than or equal to 10 Gray. The QUASAR respiratory motion phantom was used with the range of motion determined from the human study. The phantom was imaged, planned and treated with a linear accelerator with dose determined by film. The effect of the motion was measured by the change in the penumbra of the film and compared to the penumbra from the treatment planning system.

Othering the Malay in Malaysia : a planned consequence of politics?

This paper examines the rise in the politicisation of Islam in Malaysia and links it to the othering of the Malaysian Malay. It is my argument that both were “conquering” tools of Malaysia’s “Father of Modernisation”, Mahathir Mohamad, devised to win the support of the Malay Muslim majority in Malaysia. The many awards bestowed on Mahathir obscure the fact that he was instrumental in the systematic erosion of the power and roles of state institutions, especially at the Federal government level. This includes the significant loss of the independence of the Malaysian judiciary. Whilst per capita income in Malaysia may well have increased eight times under his 22-year leadership, this paper asks why is it that the majority of the Malays remain the largest number among the poor and the more disenfranchised of ethnicities in the country? Why have Malay and Muslim women suffered such a rapid decreasing ability to access justice? This paper examines existing research on the social and political changes Malaysia has experienced with Islamisation and under Mahathir’s rule, as well as studies on Malayness, Malay nationalism and Muslim Malay identity formation. The paper elaborates the othering of a majority people, the Malays in Malaysia, and how this othering has brought forth a fast-growing political power in the name of a supremacist Islam, a puritanical Sunni and Malay Islam. Specific events in the rise and rule of Mahathir as Malaysia’s then Prime Minister are reviewed, such as the banning of The Malay Dilemma, and the split in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1987. Also examined is the varying emphasis between Muslim and race, and how during Mahathir’s rule, that strong misogynist and patriarchal attitudes took hold in Malay Muslim consciousness, a colonising consciousness that is othering the perceived cultural and genetic “impurities” within the Malay.

The effect of consumer education on unit price usage : an early exploratory study

Consumer awareness and usage of Unit Price (UP) information continues to hold academic interest. Originally designed as a device to enable shoppers to make comparisons between grocery products, it is argued consumers still lack a sufficient understanding of the device. Previous research has tended to focus on product choice, effect of time, and structural changes to price presentation. No studies have tested the effect of UP consumer education on grocery shopping expenditure. Supported by distributed learning theories, this is the first study to condition participants over a twenty week period, to comprehend and employ UP information while shopping. A 3x5 mixed factorial design was employed to collect data from 357 shoppers. A 3 (Control, Massed, Spaced) x 5 (Time Point: Week 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20) mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to analyse the data. Preliminary results revealed that the three groups differed in their average expenditure over the twenty weeks. The Control group remained stable across the five time points. Results indicated that both intensive (Massed) and less intensive (Spaced) exposure to UP information achieved similar results, with both group reducing average expenditure similarly by Week 5. These patterns held for twenty weeks, with conditioned groups reducing their grocery expenditure by over 10%. This research has academic value as a test of applied learning theories. We argue, retailers can attain considerable market advantages as efforts to enhance customers’ knowledge, through consumer education campaigns, can have a positive and strong impact on customer trust and goodwill toward the organisation. Hence, major practical implications for both regulators and retailers exist.

Comparison of moped, scooter and motorcycle crashes : implications for rider training and education

Scooter and moped sales have increased at a faster rate than motorcycle sales over the last decade in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. This may be particularly evident in jurisdictions where moped riding is permitted for car license holders and a motorcycle license is not required, such as in Queensland, Australia. Having historically comprised only a small proportion of powered two-wheelers (PTWs) outside of Europe and Asia, the safety of scooters and mopeds has received relatively little focused research attention. However, the recent trends in sales and crash involvement have stimulated greater interest in these PTW types. The current paper examines differences and similarities between scooters (over 50cc), mopeds (up to 50cc) and motorcycles in crash involvement and crash characteristics through analyses of crash and registration data from Queensland, Australia. The main findings include that moped and scooter riders are similar in terms of usage patterns, but the evidence suggests superior skills, greater experience and safer behaviour among scooter riders than moped riders. The requirement in Queensland for scooter riders but not moped riders to hold a motorcycle license, usually obtained through competency-based training and assessment, may help to explain some of this difference. Findings also suggest that scooter riders are safer than motorcycle riders in some respects, despite both being subject to the same licensing requirements which encourage participation in rider training. Safer attitudes and motivations rather than superior skills and knowledge may therefore underlie the differences between scooter and motorcycle riders. In summary, riders of larger scooters exhibit a combination of skills and behavior suggestive of safer riding than both their moped and motorcycle riding counterparts. It is reasonable to expect that mopeds and scooters will remain popular and that their usage may increase further, along with that of motorcycles. This research therefore has important practical implications regarding pathways to improved PTW safety. Future policy and planning should consider options for encouraging moped riders to acquire better riding skills and greater safety awareness, as apparent among scooter riders, including rider training, education and licensing. As is noted in recent literature and reflected in some contemporary rider training programs, motorcycle safety may be improved by addressing rider attitudes more comprehensively in addition to developing skills and knowledge.

Thorough assessment of DNA preservation from fossil bone and sediments excavated from a late Pleistocene–Holocene cave deposit on Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Fossils and sediments preserved in caves are an excellent source of information for investigating impacts of past environmental changes on biodiversity. Until recently studies have relied on morphology-based palaeontological approaches, but recent advances in molecular analytical methods offer excellent potential for extracting a greater array of biological information from these sites. This study presents a thorough assessment of DNA preservation from late Pleistocene–Holocene vertebrate fossils and sediments from Kelly Hill Cave Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Using a combination of extraction techniques and sequencing technologies, ancient DNA was characterised from over 70 bones and 20 sediment samples from 15 stratigraphic layers ranging in age from >20 ka to ∼6.8 ka. A combination of primers targeting marsupial and placental mammals, reptiles and two universal plant primers were used to reveal genetic biodiversity for comparison with the mainland and with the morphological fossil record for Kelly Hill Cave. We demonstrate that Kelly Hill Cave has excellent long-term DNA preservation, back to at least 20 ka. This contrasts with the majority of Australian cave sites thus far explored for ancient DNA preservation, and highlights the great promise Kangaroo Island caves hold for yielding the hitherto-elusive DNA of extinct Australian Pleistocene species.