Developing an integrated decision model for the enhancement of sustainability deliverables for Australian road infrastructure projects

Road and highway infrastructure provides the backbone for a nation's economic growth. The versatile dispersion of population in Australia, from sparsely settled communities in remote areas to regenerated inner city suburbs with high density living in metropolitans, calls for continuing development and improvement on roads infrastructure under the current federal government policies and state governments' strategic plans. As road infrastructure projects involve large resources and mechanism, achieving sustainability not only in economic scales but also through environmental and social responsibility becomes a crucial issue. Current efforts are often impeded by different interpretation on sustainability agenda by stakeholders involved in these types of projects. As a result, sustainability deliverables at the project level is not often as transparent and measurable, compared to promises in project briefs and designs. This paper reviews the past studies on sustainable infrastructure construction, focusing on roads and highway projects. Through literature study and consultation with the industry, key sustainability indicators specific to road infrastructure projects have been identified. Based on these findings, this paper introduces an on-going research project aimed at identifying and integrating the different perceptions and priority needs of the stakeholders, and issues that impact on the gap between sustainability foci and its actual realization at project end level. The exploration helps generate an integrated decision-making model for sustainable road infrastructure projects. The research will promote to the industry more systematic and integrated approaches to decision-making on the implementation of sustainability strategies to achieve deliverable goals throughout the development and delivery process of road infrastructure projects in Australia.

Understanding legitimacy in a changing global economy

In a knowledge economy where technologically mediated information plays an important role, greater understanding is required of its impact on organisational sustainability. This paper examines the link between mediated information within a global economy and its relationship to a key to long-term organisational success– legitimacy. Aligning organisational legitimacy and the demands of a range of internal and external stakeholders is a central concern for managers when challenges to legitimacy continue to arise. Particularly during times of internally or environmentally driven change, challenges are created for managers seeking to ensure their organisation avoids questioning about its legitimacy. This paper presents the proposition that the perceptions of collective opinion derived from mass media provide a lens to a global world upon which managers base decisions to protect and repair organisational legitimacy. Legitimacy is determined from a broad social arena that can cross national and international boundaries (Lomi, 2000). Experience of legitimacy concerns, therefore, are often outside the traditional realms of managerial knowledge, and experience and of local business association networks (Aldrich, 1999). While the organisational landscape has been changing, at the same time, mass media have increased the focus on bringing news about events, and interpretations of events, from a broad and even global social area (Mutz, 1998). In addition, electronically facilitated media have exposed both organisational stakeholders and managers to views and interpretations of the world more quickly and more explicitly than in previous times. This paper proposes a relationship between perceptions of collective opinion derived from mass media and organisational legitimacy in such an environment.

Delamination of kaolinite - potassium acetate intercalates by ball-milling

Structural changes in intercalated kaolinite after wet ball-milling were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area (SSA) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The X-ray diffraction pattern at room temperature indicated that the intercalation of potassium acetate into kaolinite causes an increase of the basal spacing from 0.718 to 1.42 nm, and with the particle size reduction, the surface area increased sharply with the intercalation and delamination by ball-milling. The wet ball-milling kaolinite after intercalation did not change the structural order, and the particulates have high aspect ratio according SEM images.

Grassland management and conversion into grassland: effects on soil carbon

Grasslands are heavily relied upon for food and forage production. A key component for sustaining production in grassland ecosystems is the maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM), which can be strongly influenced by management. Many management techniques intended to increase forage production may potentially increase SOM, thus sequestering atmospheric carbon (C). Further, conversion from either cultivation or native vegetation into grassland could also sequester atmospheric carbon. We reviewed studies examining the influence of improved grassland management practices and conversion into grasslands on soil C worldwide to assess the potential for C sequestration. Results from 115 studies containing over 300 data points were analyzed. Management improvements included fertilization (39%), improved grazing management (24%), conversion from cultivation (15%) and native vegetation (15%), sowing of legumes (4%) and grasses (2%), earthworm introduction (1%), and irrigation (1%). Soil C content and concentration increased with improved management in 74% of the studies, and mean soil C increased with all types of improvement. Carbon sequestration rates were highest during the first 40 yr after treatments began and tended to be greatest in the top 10 cm of soil. Impacts were greater in woodland and grassland biomes than in forest, desert, rain forest, or shrubland biomes. Conversion from cultivation, the introduction of earthworms, and irrigation resulted in the largest increases. Rates of C sequestration by type of improvement ranged from 0.11 3.04 Mg C.ha(-1) yr(-1), with a mean of 0.54 Mg C.ha(-1).yr(-1) and were highly influenced by biome type and climate. We conclude that grasslands can act as a significant carbon sink with the implementation of improved management.

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.

A test of the job demands : resources model with HIV/AIDS volunteers

Burnout has been identified as a significant factor in HIV/AIDS volunteering. It has been associated with depression, anxiety and the loss of volunteers from the health care delivery system. The aim of this study was to test the independence of the health and motivational processes hypothesized within the Job Demands – Resources model of burnout in HIV/AIDS volunteers. Participants were 307 HIV/AIDS volunteers from state AIDS Councils throughout Australia who completed self-report measures pertaining to role ambiguity and role conflict, social support, burnout, intrinsic and organizational satisfaction, and depression. Findings suggested that the independence of the dual processes hypothesized by the model was only partially supported. These findings provide a model for burnout which gives a framework for interventions at both the individual and organizational level which would contribute to the prevention of burnout, depression, and job dissatisfaction in HIV/AIDS volunteers.

Standing on the shoulders of ants : stigmergy in the Web

Stigmergy is a biological term used when discussing insect or swarm behaviour, and describes a model supporting environmental communication separately from artefacts or agents. This phenomenon is demonstrated in the behavior of ants and their food gathering process when following pheromone trails, or similarly termites and their termite mound building process. What is interesting with this mechanism is that highly organized societies are achieved with a lack of any apparent management structure. Stigmergic behavior is implicit in the Web where the volume of users provides a self-organizing and self-contextualization of content in sites which facilitate collaboration. However, the majority of content is generated by a minority of the Web participants. A significant contribution from this research would be to create a model of Web stigmergy, identifying virtual pheromones and their importance in the collaborative process. This paper explores how exploiting stigmergy has the potential of providing a valuable mechanism for identifying and analyzing online user behavior recording actionable knowledge otherwise lost in the existing web interaction dynamics. Ultimately this might assist our building better collaborative Web sites.

Raman microscopy study of tyrolite : a multi-anion arsenate mineral

The Raman spectrum of tyrolite, CaCu5(AsO4)2(CO3)(OH) 4.6H2O, from Brixlegg, Tyrol, Austria, is reported. Comparison with copper hydroxy-arsenate and basic carbonates was used to achieve assignments of the observed bands. The AsO43- group is characterized by two υ4 modes around 433 and 480 cm-1 plus a broad band around 840 cm-1 as the υ overlapping with the υ. The υ3 mode is observed as a single band around 355 cm -1. The CO32- υ1 mode is observed around 1035 and 1088 cm-1, although this assignment is difficult because of the in-plane OH bending vibrations at similar frequencies. Two υ4 modes are assigned to the 717 and 755 cm-1 bands. The υ3 mode is present as three bands at 1431, 1463, and 1498 cm-1. A large split caused by bridging carbonates may explain the band at 1370 cm -1. The H2O bending region shows two bands at 1635 and 1667 cm-1 together with stretching modes around 3204 and 3303 cm-1, the first associated with adsorbed H2O, while the second indicates more strongly bonded H2O. Three bands around 3534, 3438, and 3379 cm -1 are assigned to OH stretching modes of the OH groups in the crystal structure. The 202, 262, 301, 524, and 534 cm-1 bands are assigned to Cu-OH bending and stretching modes, whereas the bands around 179, 202, and 217 cm-1 are ascribed to O-(Ca, Cu)-O(H) with the O(H) at much greater distance from the cation. The bands around 503, 570, and 598 cm-1 are ascribed to the Cu-O stretching modes.

Comparison of intranasal and transcutaneous immunization for induction of protective immunity against chlamydia muridarum respiratory tract infection

Chlamydia pneumoniae causes a range of respiratory infections including bronchitis, pharyngitis and pneumonia. Infection has also been implicated in exacerbation/initiation of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may play a role in atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. We have used a mouse model of Chlamydia respiratory infection to determine the effectiveness of intranasal (IN) and transcutaneous immunization (TCI) to prevent Chlamydia lung infection. Female BALB/c mice were immunized with chlamydial major outer membrane protein (MOMP) mixed with cholera toxin and CpG oligodeoxynucleotide adjuvants by either the IN or TCI routes. Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were collected for antibody analysis. Mononuclear cells from lung-draining lymph nodes were stimulated in vitro with MOMP and cytokine mRNA production determined by real time PCR. Animals were challenged with live Chlamydia and weighed daily following challenge. At day 10 (the peak of infection) animals were sacrificed and the numbers of recoverable Chlamydia in lungs determined by real time PCR. MOMP-specific antibody-secreting cells in lung tissues were also determined at day 10 post-infection. Both IN and TCI protected animals against weight loss compared to non-immunized controls with both immunized groups gaining weight by day 10-post challenge while controls had lost 6% of body weight. Both immunization protocols induced MOMP-specific IgG in serum and BAL while only IN immunization induced MOMP-specific IgA in BAL. Both immunization routes resulted in high numbers of MOMP-specific antibody-secreting cells in lung tissues (IN > TCI). Following in vitro re-stimulation of lung-draining lymph node cells with MOMP; IFNγ mRNA increased 20-fold in cells from IN immunized animals (compared to non-immunized controls) while IFNγ levels increased 6- to 7-fold in TCI animals. Ten days post challenge non-immunized animals had >7000 IFU in their lungs, IN immunized animals <50 IFU and TCI immunized animals <1500 IFU. Thus, both intranasal and transcutaneous immunization protected mice against respiratory challenge with Chlamydia. The best protection was obtained following IN immunization and correlated with IFNγ production by mononuclear cells in lung-draining LN and MOMP-specific IgA in BAL.

The risks and returns of new public management : political business

Purpose – This article aims to consider success in terms of the financial returns and risks of new public management (NPM) in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Design/methodology/approach – Financial returns of New Zealand SOEs were examined through a review of their annual reports over a five-year period. Dimensions of risk were examined through interviews conducted in two phases over a two-year period with senior executives from 12 of the (then) 17 SOEs operating in New Zealand. Findings – Findings indicate the potential for SOEs to operate as profitable government investments, with clear support for positive financial returns under NPM. However, variations noted within individual SOEs also indicate that profitable and commercial operations may not be possible in all cases. An examination of the risks associated with SOEs’ operations reveals a number of dimensions of risk, encompassing financial, political (including regulatory), reputational, and public accountability aspects. Practical implications – There is a need for an enhanced awareness on the part of internal and external stakeholders (such as the government and general public) of the risks SOEs face in pursuing higher levels of profitability. Also required, is a more acute understanding on the part of internal and external stakeholders (e.g. government and the public) of the need for SOEs to manage the range of risks identified, given the potentially delicate balance between risk and return. Originality/value – While previous studies have considered the financial returns of SOEs, or the risks faced by the public sector in terms of accountability, few have addressed the two issues collectively in a single context.

The molecular structure of the mineral sarmientite Fe2(AsO4,SO4)2(OH)6•5H2O : implications for arsenic accumulation and removal

Sarmientite is an environmental mineral; its formation in soils enables the entrapment and immobilisation of arsenic. The mineral sarmientite is often amorphous making the application of X-ray diffraction difficult. Vibrational spectroscopy has been applied to the study of sarmientite. Bands are attributed to the vibrational units of arsenate, sulphate, hydroxyl and water. Raman bands at 794, 814 and 831 cm−1 are assigned to the ν3 (AsO4)3− antisymmetric stretching modes and the ν1 symmetric stretching mode is observed at 891 cm−1. Raman bands at 1003 and 1106 cm−1 are attributed to vibrations. The Raman band at 484 cm−1 is assigned to the triply degenerate (AsO4)3− bending vibration. The high intensity Raman band observed at 355 cm−1 (both lower and upper) is considered to be due to the (AsO4)3−ν2 bending vibration. Bands attributed to water and OH stretching vibrations are observed.

3D ellipsoid fitting for multi-view gait recognition

Gait recognition approaches continue to struggle with challenges including view-invariance, low-resolution data, robustness to unconstrained environments, and fluctuating gait patterns due to subjects carrying goods or wearing different clothes. Although computationally expensive, model based techniques offer promise over appearance based techniques for these challenges as they gather gait features and interpret gait dynamics in skeleton form. In this paper, we propose a fast 3D ellipsoidal-based gait recognition algorithm using a 3D voxel model derived from multi-view silhouette images. This approach directly solves the limitations of view dependency and self-occlusion in existing ellipse fitting model-based approaches. Voxel models are segmented into four components (left and right legs, above and below the knee), and ellipsoids are fitted to each region using eigenvalue decomposition. Features derived from the ellipsoid parameters are modeled using a Fourier representation to retain the temporal dynamic pattern for classification. We demonstrate the proposed approach using the CMU MoBo database and show that an improvement of 15-20% can be achieved over a 2D ellipse fitting baseline.