The engagement of small to medium enterprises for managing waste in building retrofit projects

The market of building retrofits is increasingly more intensified as existing buildings are aging. The building retrofit projects involve existing buildings which impose constraints on stakeholders throughout the project process. They are also risky, complex, less predictable and difficult to be well planned with on-site waste becoming one of the critical issues. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) carry out most of the work in retrofit projects as subcontractors, but they often do not have adequate resources to deal with the specific technical challenges and project risks related to waste. This paper first discusses the requirements of waste management in building retrofit projects considering specific project characteristics and work natures, and highlights the importance of involving SMEs in waste planning and management through an appropriate way. By utilizing semi-structured interviews, this research develops a process model for SMEs to be applied in waste management. A collaboration scenario is also developed for collaborative waste planning and management by SMEs as subcontractors and large companies as main contractors. Findings from the paper will promote coordination of project delivery and waste management in building retrofit projects, and improve the involvement and performance of SMEs in dealing with waste problems.

Synthesis of CuTCNQ/Au microrods by galvanic replacement of semiconducting phase I CuTCNQ with KAuBr4 in aqueous medium

The spontaneous reaction between microrods of an organic semiconductor molecule, copper 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (CuTCNQ) with [AuBr4]− ions in an aqueous environment is reported. The reaction is found to be redox in nature which proceeds via a complex galvanic replacement mechanism, wherein the surface of the CuTCNQ microrods is replaced with metallic gold nanoparticles. Unlike previous reactions reported in acetonitrile, the galvanic replacement reaction in aqueous solution proceeds via an entirely different reaction mechanism, wherein a cyclical reaction mechanism involving continuous regeneration of CuTCNQ consumed during the galvanic replacement reaction occurs in parallel with the galvanic replacement reaction. This results in the driving force of the galvanic replacement reaction in aqueous medium being largely dependent on the availability of [AuBr4]− ions during the reaction. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of the choice of an appropriate solvent during galvanic replacement reactions, which can significantly impact upon the reaction mechanism. The reaction progress with respect to different gold salt concentration was monitored using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as XRD and EDX analysis, and SEM imaging. The CuTCNQ/Au nanocomposites were also investigated for their potential photocatalytic properties, wherein the destruction of the organic dye, Congo red, in a simulated solar light environment was found to be largely dependent on the degree of gold nanoparticle surface coverage. The approach reported here opens up new possibilities of decorating metal–organic charge transfer complexes with a host of metals, leading to potentially novel applications in catalysis and sensing.

Comparing outcomes of a school based injury prevention intervention for low-medium risk adolescents with high-risk adoelscents

High-risk adolescents are shown to jeopardise their future social and health functioning as well as placing themselves and others at immediate risk of harm. The challenge of “reaching” high-risk adolescents, who are often marginalised, is considerable. There is a positive relationship between age and risk taking behaviors during adolescence. This study examines outcomes (alcohol use, transport risk behaviors, violence) of a school based intervention (SPIY) by comparing low-medium risk adolescents with high-risk adolescents over a six month period.

Software as a service (SaaS) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) : the role of intermediaries

Software as a Service (SaaS) is anticipated to provide significant benefits to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) due to ease of access to high-end applications, 7*24 availability, utility pricing, etc. However, underlying SaaS is the assumption that SMEs will directly interact with the SaaS vendor and use a self-service model. In practice, we see the rise of SaaS intermediaries who support SMEs with using SaaS. This paper reports on an empirical study of the role of intermediaries in terms of how they support SMEs in sourcing and leveraging SaaS for their business. The knowledge contributions of this paper are: (1) the identification and description of the role of SaaS intermediaries and (2) the specification of different roles of SaaS intermediaries, in particular a more basic role with technology orientation and operational alignment perspective and (3) a more added value role with customer orientation and strategic alignment perspective.

The innovation potential of living-labs to strengthen small and medium enterprises in regional Australia

The small and medium enterprise (SME) sector has been the major source of well-being and employment opportunities in regional Australia. Consequently, fostering the innovative capacity of SMEs in regions that are struggling to grow their economies and distribute the growth fairly while not degrading the environment has never been more important. While SMEs generally face more uncertainties in relation to resources (e.g. financial, human and social capital) when compared to larger businesses, collaborative, cuttingedge mechanisms to enhance innovation capabilities of regional SMEs are lacking. This paper responds to this gap and proposes a Living Laboratory – an open, multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder action research platform where innovations can be co-created, tested and evaluated in the every-day environment of SMEs – as a way to strengthen the SME sector in regional Australia.

Cyanoacrylate glue as an alternative mounting medium for resin-embedded semithin sections

Commercially available generic Superglue (cyanoacrylate glue) can be used as an alternative mounting medium for stained resin-embedded semithin sections. It is colourless and contains a volatile, quick-setting solvent that produces permanent mounts of semithin sections for immediate inspection under the light microscope. Here, we compare the use of cyanoacrylate glue for mounting semithin sections with classical dibutyl phthalate xylene (DPX) in terms of practical usefulness, effectiveness and the quality of the final microscopic image.

Exploring the international market selection of small to medium sized enterprises

Research into the international market selection (IMS) of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) commonly identifies psychic distance and networks as being the most important determinants of a firm’s IMS. Whether regional factors, such as bilateral and multilateral regional integration, are important as determinants of IMS is not well understood. This paper utilises a multiple case study method through in-depth interviews to investigate, in the context of the current business environment, how important regionalisation, psychic distance and networks are as determinants of IMS among SMEs in the food and beverage industries within Australia and Malaysia. The study found regional considerations to be important to the IMS of Malaysian but not Australian firms, while psychic distance was considered an important determinant on IMS by only half of the sampled firms. The role of networks, however, was considered the most important determinant of IMS among all the sampled firms.

Challenges of knowledge integration in small and medium enterprises

This study attempts to develop a better understanding of the challenges of knowledge integration (KI) within the innovation process in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Using several case studies, this study investigates how knowledge integration may be managed within the context of innovation in SMEs. The research places particular focus on identifying the challenges of knowledge integration in SMEs in relation to three aspects of knowledge integration activities, namely knowledge identification, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge sharing. Four distinct tasks emerged in the knowledge integration process, namely team building capability, capturing tacit knowledge, role of knowledge management (KM) systems, and technological systemic integration. The paper suggests that managing knowledge integration in SMEs can be best managed by focusing on these four tasks, which in turn will lead to innovation.

Evaluation and social impact measurement amongst small to medium social enterprises : process, purpose and value

In recent years, the imperative to communicate organisational impacts to a variety of stakeholders has gained increasing importance within all sectors. Despite growing external demands for evaluation and social impact measurement, there has been limited critically informed analysis about the presumed importance of these activities to organisational success and the practical challenges faced by organisations in undertaking such assessment. In this paper, we present the findings from an action research study of five Australian small to medium social enterprises’ practices and use of evaluation and social impact analysis. Our findings have implications for social enterprise operators, policy makers and social investors regarding when, why and at what level these activities contribute to organisational performance and the fulfilment of mission.

Health monitoring of short-and medium-spen bridges using an improved modal strain energy method

Increasing the importance and use of infrastructures such as bridges, demands more effective structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. SHM has well addressed the damage detection issues through several methods such as modal strain energy (MSE). Many of the available MSE methods either have been validated for limited type of structures such as beams or their performance is not satisfactory. Therefore, it requires a further improvement and validation of them for different types of structures. In this study, an MSE method was mathematically improved to precisely quantify the structural damage at an early stage of formation. Initially, the MSE equation was accurately formulated considering the damaged stiffness and then it was used for derivation of a more accurate sensitivity matrix. Verification of the improved method was done through two plane structures: a steel truss bridge and a concrete frame bridge models that demonstrate the framework of a short- and medium-span of bridge samples. Two damage scenarios including single- and multiple-damage were considered to occur in each structure. Then, for each structure, both intact and damaged, modal analysis was performed using STRAND7. Effects of up to 5 per cent noise were also comprised. The simulated mode shapes and natural frequencies derived were then imported to a MATLAB code. The results indicate that the improved method converges fast and performs well in agreement with numerical assumptions with few computational cycles. In presence of some noise level, it performs quite well too. The findings of this study can be numerically extended to 2D infrastructures particularly short- and medium-span bridges to detect the damage and quantify it more accurately. The method is capable of providing a proper SHM that facilitates timely maintenance of bridges to minimise the possible loss of lives and properties.

On cloud computing service considerations for the small and medium enterprises

The concept of cloud computing services is appealing to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with the opportunity to acquire modern information technology resources as a utility and avoid costly capital investments in technology resources. However, the adoption of the cloud computing services presents significant challenges to the SMEs. The SMEs need to determine a path to adopting the cloud computing services that would ensure their sustainable presence in the cloud computing environment. Information about approaches to adopting the cloud computing services by the SMEs is fragmented. Through an interpretive design, we suggest that the SMEs need to have a strategic and incremental intent, understand their organizational structure, understand the external factors, consider the human resource capacity, and understand the value expectations from the cloud computing services to forge a successful path to adopting the cloud computing services. These factors would contribute to a model of cloud services for SMEs.

Medium and mode : relationships between visual experience and perception in an installation arts practice

Working primarily within the natural landscape, this practice-led research project explored connections between the artist's visual and perceptual experience of a journey or place while simultaneously emphasizing the capacity for digital media to create a perceptual dissonance. By exploring concepts of time, viewpoint, duration of sequences and the manipulation of traditional constructs of stop-frame animation, the practical work created a cognitive awareness of the elements of the journey through optical sensations. The work allowed an opportunity to reflect on the nature of visual experience and its mediation through images. The project recontextualized the selected mediums of still photography, animation and projection within contemporary display modes of multiple screen installations by analysing relationships between the experienced and the perceived. The resulting works added to current discourse on the interstices between still and moving imagery in a digital world.

Characterization and novel activation of 72-kDa metalloproteinase in retinal interphotoreceptor matrix and Y-79 cell culture medium

Analysis of bovine interphotoreceptor matrix and conditioned medium from human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells by gelatin SDS-PAGE zymography reveals abundant activity of a 72-kDa M(r) gelatinase. The 72-kDa gelatinase from either source is inhibited by EDTA but not aprotinin or NEM, indicating that it is a metalloproteinase (MMP). The 72-kDa MMP is converted to a 62-kDa species with APMA treatment after gelatin sepharose affinity purification typical of previously described gelatinase MMP-2. The latent 72-kDa gelatinase from either bovine IPM or Y-79 media autoactivates without APMA in the presence of calcium and zinc after 72 hr at 37°C, producing a fully active mixture of proteinase species, 50 (48 in Y-79 medium), 38 and 35 kDa in size. The presence of inhibitory activity was examined in both whole bovine IPM and IPM fractions separated by SDS-PAGE. Whole IPM inhibited gelatinolytic activity of autoactivated Y-79-derived MMP in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibitory activities are observed in two protein fractions of 27-42 and 20-25 kDa. Western blots using antibodies to human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 and 2 (TIMP-1 and -2) reveal the presence of two TIMP-1-like proteins at 21 and 29 kDa in inhibitory fractions of the bovine IPM. TIMP-2 was not detected in the inhibitory IPM fractions, consistent with the observed autoactivation of bovine IPM 72-kDa gelatinase. Potential roles for this IPM MMP-TIMP system include physiologic remodelling of the neural retina-RPE cell interface and digestion of shed rod outer segment as well as pathological processes such as retinal detachment, PE cell migration, neovascularization and tumor progression. Cultured Y-79 cells appear to be a good model for studying the production and regulation of this proteinase system.