A GeoSocial Intelligence Framework for Studying & Promoting Resilience to Seasonal Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia

PetaJakarta.org is a web-based platform developed to harness the power of social media to gather, sort, and display information about flooding for Jakarta residents in real time. The platform runs on the open source software CogniCity—an OSS platform developed by the SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong—which allows data to be collected and disseminated by community members through their location-enabled mobile devices. The project uses a GeoSocial Intelligence Framework to approach the complexity of Jakarta’s entangled hydraulic, hydrological and meteorological systems and thereby converts the noise of social media into knowledge about urban infrastructure and situational conditions related to flooding and inundation. In this paper, PetaJakarta.org co-directors Dr Tomas Holderness, Geomatics Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, Dr Etienne Turpin, Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, and Dr Rohan Wickramasuriyam, GIS Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, will discuss their GeoSocial Intelligence Framework as it applies to their current research in Jakarta. They will also present their preliminary findings from their 2014 Twitter #DataGrant, which has allowed them to develop a correlative analysis between historic social media information, the Jakarta government’s flood maps, and the infrastructure used to manage critical flood emergencies. Finally, they will speculate on several future applications of the CogniCity OSS and suggest how it might be developed to further promote an integrated civic co-management platform with the support of business, industry, government and community organizations

New Wine in Old Bottles: A Case Study of Innovation Territories in "New World" Wine Production

This article applies the concept of "innovation territories" to explain the recent export success of the Australian Wine Industry. Recent data collected from four "New World" wine producing countries are contrasted in order to investigate "innovation territories" that in the Australian context transcend geographic and policy boundaries. The international comparison shows that these territories can be mapped and their interaction compared. A major finding from teh study is that one of the major contributors to Australia's success in gaining comparative advantage in this industry is the way local and national investments in R&D have transcended geographic and policy boundaries. Coordination driven by strong national policies is required to make this happen. This suggests that "knowledge intensive clusters" driven by national policies can be turned to advantage for regional development. The present study serves to sketch out how the idea of innovation territories might be operationalised for the purpose of future industry policy research

Wave-vector and polarization dependence of conical refraction

We experimentally address the wave-vector and polarization dependence of the internal conical refraction phenomenon by demonstrating that an input light beam of elliptical transverse profile refracts into two beams after passing along one of the optic axes of a biaxial crystal, i.e. it exhibits double refraction instead of refracting conically. Such double refraction is investigated by the independent rotation of a linear polarizer and a cylindrical lens. Expressions to describe the position and the intensity pattern of the refracted beams are presented and applied to predict the intensity pattern for an axicon beam propagating along the optic axis of a biaxial crystal

New wine in old bottles: a case study of innovation territories in \u27New World\u27 wine production

This article applies the concept of ‘innovation territories’ to explain the recent export success of the Australian Wine Industry. Recent data collected from four ‘New World’ wine producing countries are contrasted in order to investigate ‘innovation territories’ that in the Australian context transcend geographic and policy boundaries. The international comparison shows that these territories can be mapped and their interaction compared. A major finding from the study is that one of the major contributors to Australia’s success in gaining comparative advantage in this industry is the way local and national investments in R&D have transcended geographic and policy boundaries. Coordination driven by strong national policies is required to make this happen. This suggests that ‘knowledge intensive clusters’ driven by national policies can be turned to advantage for regional development. The present study serves to sketch out how the idea of innovation territories might be operationalised for the purpose of future industry policy research

Polarization tailored novel vector beams based on conical refraction

Coherent vector beams with involved states of polarization (SOP) are widespread in the literature, having applications in laser processing, super-resolution imaging and particle trapping. We report novel vector beams obtained by transforming a Gaussian beam passing through a biaxial crystal, by means of the conical refraction phenomenon. We analyze both experimentally and theoretically the SOP of the different vector beams generated and demonstrate that the SOP of the input beam can be used to control both the shape and the SOP of the transformed beam. We also identify polarization singularities of such beams for the first time and demonstrate their control by the SOP of an input beam

Are R&D collaborators bound to compete? Experience from Cooperative Research Centres in Australia

Increasingly, research of potential socio-economic value is being conducted within cross-sector (government, university, business) inter-organizational networks. Such networks encourage innovation and learning by breaking down rigidities in existing institutions and by providing for ‘knowledge creation in the context of application’. In the process, new organizational forms for research and development (R&D) are emerging. The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is the dominant organizational model for cross-sector collaborative R&D in Australia. Joining a cross-sector collaborative R&D centre poses a significant challenge for public sector research managers. Success depends on cooperation with businesses and other organizations whose interests, objectives, expectations and strategies at various times converge or conflict. The game is a risky one, with the possibility of unforeseen and unwelcome consequences such as partner opportunism and competition for resources. Yet little empirical evidence exists on how researchers perceive and manage the risks and rewards of participation in cross-sector R&D centres. Our study gives voice to the researchers within these inter-organizational networks. We draw evidence from a written survey of 370 respondents from public sector organizations involved in the management and conduct of CRC-based research. The survey questions permit an assessment of the main benefits and problems in CRC participation; the management strategies adopted; and the effect of CRC participation on careers. Responses to open-ended questions in the survey convey the ‘CRC experience’ in the participants own words. We find the concepts of risk common in the management and organizational studies literature inadequate to explain the dynamics of interaction in cross-sector R&D. We therefore extend these through notions of the domains of ‘academic’, ‘scientific’ and ‘organizational’ risk. There are two broad implications of our findings: (1) participants in the CRC need to look beyond the traditionally acknowledged risks of contractual arrangements and consider risks that relate to the nature of scientific knowledge structures and the actual concerns and careers of research scientists; and (2) once these ‘academic’ and ‘scientific’ considerations are properly assessed, government research agencies and universities may need to adopt different management responses to their participation in inter-organizational R&D. We speculate that the way these potentially competing domains are dealt with has implications for (1) the survival of individual CRCs and (2) whether cross-sector collaborative R&D organizations remain ephemeral ‘staging posts’ or become entrenched in the national research system. We argue that cross-sector collaborative R&D organizations are an important component of a dynamic ‘science system’, but that they are inherently unstable organizations. They require organizational management that recognises their differences from business IORs that involve firms alone

Intermittent suckling in combination with an older weaning age improves growth, feed intake and aspects of gastrointestinal tract carbohydrate absorption in pigs after weaning

This study tested the hypothesis that intermittent suckling (IS) with or without an older weaning age would improve post-weaning gastrointestinal tract (GIT) carbohydrate absorptive capacity in pigs while reducing post-weaning stress and aspects of the inflammatory response. Three weaning regimes using primiparous sows were compared: (1) conventional weaning (CW28) (n = 22), where piglets were weaned conventionally at day 28; (2) IS28 (n = 21), where IS started at day 21 until weaning at day 28; and (3) IS35 (n = 21), where IS started at day 28 until weaning at day 35. Sugar absorption tests (10% mannitol or 10% galactose) were used to measure GIT absorptive capacity. All measured parameters were compared in relation to weaning across treatments (i.e., different physiological ages were compared). The IS35 pigs grew fastest in the 12 days after weaning (p < 0.01) and had the highest solid feed intake before and after weaning (p < 0.05). Irrespective of treatment, pre-weaning mannitol levels were higher than post-weaning levels (p < 0.01), whereas post-weaning galactose levels were highest in IS35 pigs (p < 0.01). Cytokine data did not show any treatment effects. In conclusion, these data suggest that IS in combination with an older weaning age (day 35) improved post-weaning adaptation as evidenced by improvements in performance measures and galactose absorption. However, IS28 did not improve post-weaning performance

On the dual-cone nature of the conical refraction phenomenon

In conical refraction (CR), a focused Gaussian input beam passing through a biaxial crystal and parallel to one of the optic axes is transformed into a pair of concentric bright rings split by a dark (Poggendorff) ring at the focal plane. Here, we show the generation of a CR transverse pattern that does not present the Poggendorff fine splitting at the focal plane, i.e., it forms a single light ring. This light ring is generated from a nonhomogeneously polarized input light beam obtained by using a spatially inhomogeneous polarizer that mimics the characteristic CR polarization distribution. This polarizer allows modulating the relative intensity between the two CR light cones in accordance with the recently proposed dual-cone model of the CR phenomenon. We show that the absence of interfering rings at the focal plane is caused by the selection of one of the two CR cones. (C) 2015 Optical Society of Americ

Efeito da Spodoptera frugiperda em diferentes estádios de crescimento da cultura de milho

Research was conducted in Lafayette, Indiana, USA, in 1978 and 1979 to study the effect of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda on corn productivity. Artificial infestation was made on five growth stages of corn: 4-6 leaves, 8-10 leaves, 12-14 leaves, tassel and silk. Infestation was achieved by placing one fall armyworm egg mass per plant. One egg mass contained approximately 50 eggs. A physical barrier was used to avoid movement of larvae between experimental plots. Parameters evaluated were leaf damage. 20 days after infestation, ear damage, ear length, grain weight and grain number. Based on the results it was concluded that the most susceptible stage of growth was the 8-10 leaf stage, that is, approximately 40 days from the planting time. Infestation at this stage caused an average yield reduction of 18.7 percent. An average yield reduction of 6.6, 7.6 and 8.6 percent was obtained from plots infested at the 4-6 leaf, tassel and 12-14 leaf stages, respectively. No yield reduction occured at the silking stage. An average reduction of 18.4 percent on the number of grain obtained from plots infested at the 8-10 leaf stage was the main factor contributing to the greater yield reduction in that plot.Pesquisas foram realizadas em Lafayette, Indiana, USA, durante os períodos de 1978 e 1979, para estudar os efeitos da lagarta-do-cartucho, Spodoptera frugiperda, na produtividade do milho. Infestação artificial foi feita em cinco diferentes estádios de crescimento da cultura: 4 - 6 folhas, 8 - 10 folhas, 12 - 14 folhas, pendoamento e embonecamento. A infestação foi realizada colocando-se em cada planta uma massa de ovos contendo aproximadamente 50 ovos. Para evitar o movimento das larvas entre as parcelas, construiu-se uma barreira física. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: danos nas folhas, 20 dias após a infestação; danos causados às espigas; tamanho das espigas; produção por planta; e o peso e número de grãos. Com base nos resultados, concluiu-se que o estádio de crescimento mais susceptível à lagarta do cartucho foi o de 8- 10 folhas, ou seja, aproximadamente 40 dias após o plantio. A redução na produtividade, para infestações neste estádio, foi de 18,7%. Nas parcelas infestadas nos estádios de 4 - 6 folhas, pendoamento e 12 - 14 folhas, a redução foi de 6,6, 7,6 e 8,6%, respectivamente. Nenhuma redução foi verificada no estádio de embonecamento. Uma redução média de 18,4% no número de grãos nas parcelas infestadas no estádio de 8 - 10 folhas foi o principal fator que contribuiu para a menor produção naquele tratamento