Novel car carrier design : prevention of falls from heights

This article reports the details of a research on novel design in the field of semitrailer sector and discuss design by hazard prevention techniques. The novel design made addresses occupational health and safety (OHS)concerns of fall from heights. The research includes a detailed survey of national data sources to examine the fatalities caused due to fall from heights in car carriers. The study investigates OHS recommendations in Australia for semitrailer sector. Often injuries are caused due to drivers working above the 1.5 meter height for loading, unloading of the cars, moving the decks up, down, strapping the cars, and slipperly. The new design is developed using latest computer aided design and engineeing (CAD, CAE), product data management (PDM), virtual design process (VDP). The new car carrier design excels in reducing the risks of injuries to drivers and new bench mark for OHS standards. The new design has all the decks operated with hydraulics and uses unique ratchet lock mechanism (fool proof design) and loading happens at a safe working height (below 1.5 meter). All the cars are strapped on the safe working height, and then car desks operated hydraulically to transfer them to the required position. This also includes the car on the prime mover, which shuttles across from one deck to other using hydraulic and rack-pinion mechanisms. The novel design car carrier solves the problem of falls from height: next step would be to transfer this technology across other similar effected sectors.

An identification of factors influencing police workplace motivation

Police work tasks are diverse and require the ability to take command, demonstrate leadership, make serious decisions and be self directed (Beck, 1999; Brunetto & Farr-Wharton, 2002; Howard, Donofrio & Boles, 2002). This work is usually performed in pairs or sometimes by an officer working alone. Operational police work is seldom performed under the watchful eyes of a supervisor and a great amount of reliance is placed on the high levels of motivation and professionalism of individual officers. Research has shown that highly motivated workers produce better outcomes (Whisenand & Rush, 1998; Herzberg, 2003). It is therefore important that Queensland police officers are highly motivated to provide a quality service to the Queensland community. This research aims to identify factors which motivate Queensland police to perform quality work. Researchers acknowledge that there is a lack of research and knowledge in regard to the factors which motivate police (Beck, 1999; Bragg, 1998; Howard, Donofrio & Boles, 2002; McHugh & Verner, 1998). The motivational factors were identified in regard to the demographic variables of; age, sex, rank, tenure and education. The model for this research is Herzberg’s two-factor theory of workplace motivation (1959). Herzberg found that there are two broad types of workplace motivational factors; those driven by a need to prevent loss or harm and those driven by a need to gain personal satisfaction or achievement. His study identified 16 basic sub-factors that operate in the workplace. The research utilised a questionnaire instrument based on the sub-factors identified by Herzberg (1959). The questionnaire format consists of an initial section which sought demographic information about the participant and is followed by 51 Likert scale questions. The instrument is an expanded version of an instrument previously used in doctoral studies to identify sources of police motivation (Holden, 1980; Chiou, 2004). The questionnaire was forwarded to approximately 960 police in the Brisbane, Metropolitan North Region. The data were analysed using Factor Analysis, MANOVAs, ANOVAs and multiple regression analysis to identify the key sources of police motivation and to determine the relationships between demographic variables such as: age, rank, educational level, tenure, generation cohort and motivational factors. A total of 484 officers responded to the questionnaire from the sample population of 960. Factor analysis revealed five broad Prime Motivational Factors that motivate police in their work. The Prime Motivational Factors are: Feeling Valued, Achievement, Workplace Relationships, the Work Itself and Pay and Conditions. The factor Feeling Valued highlighted the importance of positive supportive leaders in motivating officers. Many officers commented that supervisors who only provided negative feedback diminished their sense of feeling valued and were a key source of de-motivation. Officers also frequently commented that they were motivated by operational police work itself whilst demonstrating a strong sense of identity with their team and colleagues. The study showed a general need for acceptance by peers and an idealistic motivation to assist members of the community in need and protect victims of crime. Generational cohorts were not found to exert a significant influence on police motivation. The demographic variable with the single greatest influence on police motivation was tenure. Motivation levels were found to drop dramatically during the first two years of an officer’s service and generally not improve significantly until near retirement age. The findings of this research provide the foundation of a number of recommendations in regard to police retirement, training and work allocation that are aimed to improve police motivation levels. The five Prime Motivational Factor model developed in this study is recommended for use as a planning tool by police leaders to improve motivational and job-satisfaction components of police Service policies. The findings of this study also provide a better understanding of the current sources of police motivation. They are expected to have valuable application for Queensland police human resource management when considering policies and procedures in the areas of motivation, stress reduction and attracting suitable staff to specific areas of responsibility.

Human preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation

Obesity represents a major health, social and economic burden to many developing and Westernized communities, with the prevalence increasing at a rate exceeding almost all other medical conditions. Despite major recent advances in our understanding of adipose tissue metabolism and dynamics, we still have limited insight into the regulation of adipose tissue mass in humans. Any significant increase in adipose tissue mass requires proliferation and differentiation of precursor cells (preadipocytes) present in the stromo-vascular compartment of adipose tissue. These processes are very complex and an increasing number of growth factors and hormones have been shown to modulate the expression of genes involved in preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. A number of transcription factors, including the C/EBP family and PP ARy, have been identified as integral to adipose tissue development and preadipocyte differentiation. Together PP ARy and C/EBPa regulate important events in the activation and maintenance of the terminally differentiated phenotype. The ability of PP ARy to increase transcription through its DNA recognition site is dependent on the binding of ligands. This suggests that an endogenous PP ARy ligand may be an important regulator of adipogenesis. Adipose tissue functions as both the major site of energy storage in the body and as an endocrine organ synthesizing and secreting a number of important molecules involved in regulation of energy balance. For optimum functioning therefore, adipose tissue requires extensive vascularization and previous studies have shown that growth of adipose tissue is preceded by development of a microvascular network. This suggests that paracrine interactions between constituent cells in adipose tissue may be involved in both new capillary formation and fat cell growth. To address this hypothesis the work in this project was aimed at (a) further development of a method for inducing preadipocyte differentiation in subcultured human cells; (b) establishing a method for simultaneous isolation and separate culture of both preadipocytes and microvascular endothelial cells from the same adipose tissue biopsies; (c) to determine, using conditioned medium and co-culture techniques, if endothelial cell-derived factors influence the proliferation and/or differentiation of human preadipocytes; and (d) commence characterization of factors that may be responsible for any observed paracrine effects on aspects of human adipogenesis. Major findings of these studies were as follows: (A) Inclusion of either linoleic acid (a long-chain fatty acid reported to be a naturally occurring ligand for PP ARy) or Rosiglitazone (a member of the thiazolidinedione class of insulin-sensitizing drugs and a synthetic PPARy ligand) in differentiation medium had markedly different effects on preadipocyte differentiation. These studies showed that human preadipocytes have the potential to accumulate triacylglycerol irrespective of their stage of biochemical differentiation, and that thiazolidinediones and fatty acids may exert their adipogenic and lipogenic effects via different biochemical pathways. It was concluded that Rosiglitazone is a more potent inducer of human preadipocyte differentiation than linoleic acid. (B) A method for isolation and culture of both endothelial cells and preadipocytes from the same adipose tissue biopsy was developed. Adipose-derived microvascular endothelial cells were found to produce factor/s, which enhance both proliferation and differentiation of human preadipocytes. (C) The adipogenic effects of microvascular endothelial cells can be mimicked by exposure of preadipocytes to members of the Fibroblast Growth Factor family, specifically ~-ECGF and FGF-1. (D) Co-culture of human preadipocytes with endothelial cells or exposure of preadipocytes to either ~-ECGF or FGF-1 were found to 'prime' human preadipocytes, during their proliferative phase of growth, for thiazolidinedione-induced differentiation. (E) FGF -1 was not found to be acting as a ligand for PP ARy in this system. Findings from this project represent a significant step forward in our understanding of factors involved in growth of human adipose tissue and may lead to the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at modifying the process. Such strategies would have potential clinical utility in the treatment of obesity and obesity related disorders such as Type II Diabetes.

The constitutional power to make war: domestic legal issues raised by Australia's action in Iraq

The legal power to declare war has traditionally been a part of a prerogative to be exercised solely on advice that passed from the King to the Governor-General no later than 1942. In 2003, the Governor- General was not involved in the decision by the Prime Minister and Cabinet to commit Australian troops to the invasion of Iraq. The authors explore the alternative legal means by which Australia can go to war - means the government in fact used in 2003 - and the constitutional basis of those means. While the prerogative power can be regulated and/or devolved by legislation, and just possibly by practice, there does not seem to be a sound legal basis to assert that the power has been devolved to any other person. It appears that in 2003 the Defence Minister used his legal powers under the Defence Act 1903 (Cth) (as amended in 1975) to give instructions to the service head(s). A powerful argument could be made that the relevant sections of the Defence Act were not intended to be used for the decision to go to war, and that such instructions are for peacetime or in bello decisions. If so, the power to make war remains within the prerogative to be exercised on advice. Interviews with the then Governor-General indicate that Prime Minister Howard had planned to take the matter to the Federal Executive Council 'for noting', but did not do so after the Governor-General sought the views of the then Attorney-General about relevant issues of international law. The exchange raises many issues, but those of interest concern the kinds of questions the Governor-General could and should ask about proposed international action and whether they in any way mirror the assurances that are uncontroversially required for domestic action. In 2003, the Governor-General's scrutiny was the only independent scrutiny available because the legality of the decision to go to war was not a matter that could be determined in the High Court, and the federal government had taken action in March 2002 that effectively prevented the matter coming before the International Court of Justice

Dwell-time and run-time control for DC mass rapid transit railways

Dwell times at stations and inter-station run times are the two major operational parameters to maintain train schedule in railway service. Current practices on dwell-time and run-time control are that they are only optimal with respect to certain nominal traffic conditions, but not necessarily the current service demand. The advantages of dwell-time and run-time control on trains are therefore not fully considered. The application of a dynamic programming approach, with the aid of an event-based model, to devise an optimal set of dwell times and run times for trains under given operational constraints over a regional level is presented. Since train operation is interactive and of multi-attributes, dwell-time and run-time coordination among trains is a multi-dimensional problem. The computational demand on devising trains' instructions, a prime concern in real-time applications, is excessively high. To properly reduce the computational demand in the provision of appropriate dwell times and run times for trains, a DC railway line is divided into a number of regions and each region is controlled by a dwell- time and run-time controller. The performance and feasibility of the controller in formulating the dwell-time and run-time solutions for real-time applications are demonstrated through simulations.

Response to the apology : Queenslanders reflect : a State Library of Queensland project

On the 13th February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples on behalf of the Australian Parliament. The State Library of Queensland (SLQ) with assistance from Queensland University of Technology and Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, has captured responses to this historic event. ‘Responses to the 2008 Apology’ is a collection of digital stories created as part of this research initiative. Until recently, digital storytelling has not generally been treated as a necessary addition to the research collections of Australian libraries. However, libraries increasingly aim to promote new literacies and active audiences as they seek innovative ways to encourage life-long learning by their users, and digital storytelling is one methodology that can contribute to these goals. The State Library of Queensland is the only Australian State Library to have undertaken a major role in the collection of digital stories. They currently lead the way with their Queensland Stories digital storytelling program. This presentation will report findings and outcomes from this research project.

A story worth telling : putting oral history and digital collections online in cultural institutions

Digital platforms in cultural institutions offer exciting opportunities for oral history and digital storytelling that can augment and enrich traditional collections. The way in which cultural institutions allow access to the public is changing dramatically, prompting substantial expansions of their oral history and digital story holdings. In Queensland, Australia, public libraries and museums are becoming innovative hubs of a wide assortment of collections that represent a cross-section of community groups and organisations through the integration of oral history and digital storytelling. The State Library of Queensland (SLQ) features digital stories online to encourage users to explore what the institution has in the catalogue through their website. Now SLQ also offers oral history interviews online, to introduce users to oral history and other components of their collections,- such as photographs and documents to current, as well as new users. This includes the various departments, Indigenous centres and regional libraries affiliated with SLQ statewide, who are often unable to access the materials held within, or even full information about, the collections available within the institution. There has been a growing demand for resources and services that help to satisfy community enthusiasm and promote engagement. Demand increases as public access to affordable digital media technologies increases, and as community or marginalised groups become interested in do it yourself (DIY) history; and SLQ encourages this. This paper draws on the oral history and digital story-based research undertaken by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for the State Library of Queensland including: the Apology Collection: The Prime Minister’s apology to Australia’s Indigenous Stolen Generation; Five Senses: regional Queensland artists; Gay history of Brisbane; and The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.

A general-purpose simulator for train operations

Computer simulation has been widely accepted as an essential tool for the analysis of many engineering systems. It is nowadays perceived to be the most readily available and feasible means of evaluating operations in real railway systems. Based on practical experience and theoretical models developed in various applications, this paper describes the design of a general-purpose simulation system for train operations. Its prime objective is to provide a single comprehensive computer-aided engineering tool for most studies on railway operations so that various aspects of the railway systems with different operation characteristics can be investigated and analysed in depth. This system consists of three levels of simulation. The first is a single-train simulator calculating the running time of a train between specific points under different track geometry and traction conditions. The second is a dual-train simulator which is to find the minimum headway between two trains under different movement constraints, such as signalling systems. The third is a whole-system multi-train simulator which carries out process simulation of the real operation of a railway system according to a practical or planned train schedule or headway; and produces an overall evaluation of system performance.

Who's afraid of the dark? Transpower New Zealand Ltd

On 12 June 2006, the lights went out in New Zealand’s largest city and major commercial centre, Auckland. Business was disrupted and many thousands of people inconvenienced. The unscheduled power cut was the latest in a series of electric power problems in New Zealand over the past decade. Attention turned to state-owned enterprise [SOE] Transpower, which was in charge of maintaining and developing New Zealand’s national electricity grid. The problem of 12 June was traced to two shackles in poor condition, small but essential parts of the electricity grid infrastructure. Closer examination of New Zealand’s electricity sector indicated these shackles were merely the tip of a power supply iceberg. Transpower’s Chief Executive, Ralph Craven, was now answerable to the Prime Minister for the issues creating the problems, and a workable solution to fix them. Transpower Chief Executive Ralph Craven needed to produce answers that went well beyond the problem of the two faulty shackles. The power crisis had brought to the fore wider issues of roles, responsibilities, and expectations in relation to the supply of electric power in New Zealand. Transpower was contending with these issues on a daily basis; however, the incident on 12 June publicly highlighted the urgent need for solutions that served the stakeholders in this critical industry.

Steering (towards a post apology Australia) without a rudder

After Kevin Rudd’s Apology to Indigenous Peoples after his election as Prime Minister in 2008 the climate was hopeful with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (and non-Indigenous women, too) breathing a sigh of relief that the disastrous effects of White Australia’s government policies had at last been symbolically, publicly and officially acknowledged. There was also, though, skepticism about the ‘real’ change this Apology might have for Indigenous Australians. Many of us wondered if the Apology would make any difference at all in the ‘real’ world, where the gaps between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians is still so glaringly apparent in areas such as health, education, housing and employment.

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.

Operation and control of hybrid microgrid with angle droop controller

This paper compares the performance of two droop control schemes in a hybrid microgrid. With presence of both converter interfaced and inertial sources, the droop controller share power in a decentralized fashion. Both the droop controllers facilitate reactive power sharing based on voltage droop. However in frequency droop control, the real power sharing depends on the frequency, while in angle droop control, it depends on output voltage angle. For converter interfaced sources this reference voltage is tracked while for inertial DG, reference power for the prime mover is calculated from the reference angle with the proposed angle control scheme. This coordinated control scheme shows significant improvement in system performance. The comparison with the conventional frequency droop shows that the angle control scheme shares power with much lower frequency deviation. This is a significant improvement particularly in a frequent load changing scenario.

Responses to 2008 Apology : Digital story collection

On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an apology to Australia’s Indigenous People on behalf of the Parliament of Australia. The State Library of Queensland, with assistance from Queensland University of Technology and Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, captured responses to this historic event in a collection of digital stories. Stories were created with: Tiga Bayles; Jeremy Robertson; Natalie Alberts; Sam Wagan Watson Jr; Nadine McDonald-Dowd; Anna Bligh; and Quentin Bryce.

New affordable strata title housing solutions : a case study in Surabaya, Indonesia

Accessibility to affordable housing for low income people are one of the housing problems in Indonesia, especially in major cities like Jakarta and Surabaya. Government has provided indirect subsidised on home ownership for low income people through planning instrument such as inclusionary zoning. However, low cost housing has been located in cheaper land which is very far from city and employment centre. This paper aims to discuss recent government initiatives to support low cost strata title housing in prime location which closer to the employment centre. This paper compares the characteristics of existing affordable housing solutions and focus on a new initiative as a case study. Learning from this initiative will allow a recommendation on application of similar scheme in other sites. The land availability, high construction cost, culture barriers and higher risk with lower return have been named as main barriers on repeating this model in other sites. Moreover, the high-rise solution is still very expensive compared to landed houses.

A Taxonomy of image matching techniques for stereo vision

Stereo vision is a method of depth perception, in which depth information is inferred from two (or more) images of a scene, taken from different perspectives. Applications of stereo vision include aerial photogrammetry, autonomous vehicle guidance, robotics, industrial automation and stereomicroscopy. A key issue in stereo vision is that of image matching, or identifying corresponding points in a stereo pair. The difference in the positions of corresponding points in image coordinates is termed the parallax or disparity. When the orientation of the two cameras is known, corresponding points may be projected back to find the location of the original object point in world coordinates. Matching techniques are typically categorised according to the nature of the matching primitives they use and the matching strategy they employ. This report provides a detailed taxonomy of image matching techniques, including area based, transform based, feature based, phase based, hybrid, relaxation based, dynamic programming and object space methods. A number of area based matching metrics as well as the rank and census transforms were implemented, in order to investigate their suitability for a real-time stereo sensor for mining automation applications. The requirements of this sensor were speed, robustness, and the ability to produce a dense depth map. The Sum of Absolute Differences matching metric was the least computationally expensive; however, this metric was the most sensitive to radiometric distortion. Metrics such as the Zero Mean Sum of Absolute Differences and Normalised Cross Correlation were the most robust to this type of distortion but introduced additional computational complexity. The rank and census transforms were found to be robust to radiometric distortion, in addition to having low computational complexity. They are therefore prime candidates for a matching algorithm for a stereo sensor for real-time mining applications. A number of issues came to light during this investigation which may merit further work. These include devising a means to evaluate and compare disparity results of different matching algorithms, and finding a method of assigning a level of confidence to a match. Another issue of interest is the possibility of statistically combining the results of different matching algorithms, in order to improve robustness.