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The concept of indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) is not new in anthropology, but in recent years has gained increasing prominence within conservation. While anthropologists have extensively researched cross-cultural engagements, the same level of scrutiny has not been applied in conservation. This is potentially problematic as the global conservation community places increasing reliance on ILK and its holders. This interdisciplinary research explores how conservation might be better aligned with ILK through a case study of the Cyclops Mountains with resident indigenous groups. I use a mixture of qualitative, quantitative and participatory data collection and analysis methods spanning the natural and social sciences. I begin by positioning this research within the history of conservation, property rights and regimes, 'conservation' in small scale societies, and debates about ILK and its practical use in conservation. I then review and synthesise ILK related to conservation in South-East Asia and Melanesia finding that ILK research is distributed unevenly and based on diverse motivations. Further, when ILK research is motivated by conservation, three clear themes emerge: natural resource management institutions, wildlife and habitat monitoring, and sustainable use of individual resources. Subsequently, I draw together a discursive social, historical and political analysis of conservation and the transformation of ILK in the Cyclops Mountains finding that conservation policies based on ILK are inevitably intertwined with global and national issues. I then provide two case studies of ways in which conservation might pragmatically engage with ILK. I investigate the ethnozoology of the Cyclops Mountains by describing how locally salient species differ from species prioritised by conservation, how folk taxonomies are similar throughout the indigenous groups of the area, and how the heterogeneity of cultural domain expertise is influenced by local experience and indigenous language intactness. Finally, I explore how ILK can inform baseline monitoring of threatened species in the Cyclops Mountains. I close by discussing the practical difficulties of cross-cultural engagements between conservation biology and ILK, raising several concerns related to the scale and content of these engagements and the risks of placing a greater reliance on ILK for conservation and people.

This thesis describes an investigation into GaAs/GaAlAs multiple quantum well (MQW) modulators grown on silicon substrates. The basic device consists of a pin diode containing quantum wells within the intrinsic region. Application of a reverse bias voltage to the device causes a change in the absorption of the MQWs. This change may be used to modulate a beam of light incident upon the modulator. By enclosing the device within a Fabry- Perot cavity, resonance effects can be used to enhance the degree of modulation. Such a device is known as an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator (AFPM). The motivations for the integration of GaAs and Si are derived from an appreciation of the merits of the two different materials. For purely electronic systems there may be advantages, but most exciting are the possibilities for new systems using optics to enhance the capabilities of electronics. Chapter 1 introduces these issues and presents a discussion on possible future optoelectronic systems. Given that a high enough level of integration can be achieved, the AFPM is shown to be a promising device for use in such systems. The properties of MQW devices epitaxially grown on silicon have therefore been investigated. A problem of GaAs on Si growth is the material mismatch, which results in a degree of strain in the epitaxial layer. The effect of this on MQW devices is discussed in Chapter 2. The material mismatch also creates a number of difficulties in the growth process and has an impact on material quality. These issues are discussed in Chapter 3, together with an outline of methods by which material quality could be improved. A study of the material quality of devices grown by both MOCVD and MBE is presented. Substrates used included plain, patterned, and GaAs pre-coated silicon. Material analysis was performed by electron microscopy, optical microscopy, photoluminescence, and optical beam induced current (OBIC) scanning optical microscopy. Photocurrent and absorption measurements were made on a number of GaAs on Si MQW pin diode test structures and the results described in Chapter 4. Quarter-wave reflector stacks were also grown on silicon and their performance compared to similar devices grown on GaAs. The results of both these studies were used to model the performance of a complete AFPM structure. Experimental results for these modulators are presented in Chapter 5. These include both photocurrent and reflection spectra.

A novel set of N-halamine siloxane precursors were synthesized for the purpose of coating various substrates to determine the factors, which are the most dominant influences of the overall stability of the newly modified surfaces. Examination of both the coating, as well as the chlorine stability under varying conditions, has been performed. The number and types of bonds to the surface have been examined using several techniques to simulate the most stringent circumstances envisioned for the practical use of the newly modified materials. The siloxane moiety used in the design of these new halamine precursors proved to be extremely versatile demonstrating the capability of attaching to a variety of surfaces under a wide range of conditions. Factors such as solvent and curing temperatures were also evaluated to emphasize the versatility of these coatings and to demonstrate the potential usefulness of these materials as future commercial products. This dissertation will discuss the following specific projects. The first project was the design of a novel N-halamine siloxane precursor, 5,5’-ethylenebis[5-methyl-3-(3-tri-ethoxysilylpropyl)hydantoin], which possessed the capability of forming numerous chemical bonds to a large variety of surfaces such as cellulose. This enabled the coating to be considerably more durable than the previously developed siloxane monomer, 3-triethoxysilylpropyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. The second project was to develop a series of more industrially friendly water soluble siloxane copolymers incorporating both N-halamine and quaternary ammonium salt moieties. The copolymers with greater portions of N-halmine moieties proved to provide more efficient log reductions for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in much shorter time intervals than in the instances in which the ratios were reversed, respectively. These copolymers showed great potential for commercial applications for which an aqueous media is preferred. Projects three and four both focused on the design of a new series of more stable N-halamine siloxane monomer precursors, 4-[3-triethoxysilylpropoxy]-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperdine, and 4-[3-diethoxymethylsilylpropoxy]-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperdine, which will be referred to as HAM-Sil and HAM-Sil1’, respectively. In project three these new amine siloxane monomers were employed in the treatment of cellulose. The HAM-Sil and HAM-Sil1’-treated fabrics, once chlorinated, demonstrated sufficient bactericidal activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as increased stability during simulated laundering tests. Project four is the chemical modification of silica gel with both HAM-Sil and HAM-Sil1’ to create an inexpensive antimicrobial filter media which could have various industrial applications

A fire service is an Emergency Response Organisation (ERO) an 'essential' service. Firefighters form part of the institutional safety net provided by government to protect people from harm and restore public safety following an emergency. In this role they are a key segment of both a regional and national emergency management infrastructure. Firefighting is a dangerous occupation. Occupational health and safety statistics for firefighters paint an alarming picture. Recent data on accidents within the Australian firefighting industry show injury rates at a level over twice that of the combined injury rate for all Australian industries. There is evidence of similar trends in injury data among a number of international fire services. The occupation offers the potential for a range of experiences that are in complete contrast to 'normality' of everyday life in that it is associated with emergent danger, uncertainty and unpredictability. Any of these factors may be seen as anathema to a stereotypically 'risk-averse' public. While the range and nature of hazards faced by firefighters is well established, little is known about their perception of the dangers in their work or the influence that these perceptions have on their occupational behaviour. This area of knowledge has been neglected in the occupational health & safety literature. This study aims to redress this absence by examining hazard and risk perception among a group of professional, urban firefighters in the Queensland Fire service (QFS). This study examines the 'social context' of work as a firefighter and generates understanding of the beliefs that they hold about the dangers of their occupation. By investigating and analysing material derived from the day-to-day experience of their work, the study goes beyond cognitive approaches to risk perception that generally incorporated little appreciation of the 'social settings' in which people experience danger in the real world. In doing this, the study applies methods derived from interpretive sociology and anthropology and combines both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Use of such methods allows a description the 'lifeworld' of three operational ranks of professional, urban firefighters. Firefighters participating in this study believed that bureaucrats with little or no operational experience had too much influence on day-to-day management decisions that had an indirect yet often direct effect on operational safety. A further issue of concern was a belief that there is an absence of reliable information systems within the QFS. The result of these factors is that operational firefighters felt that they had little or no input into matters that directly affected their operational capacities and their safety. This lead to lower ranking firefighters feeling alienated not only from government officials, but their own senior officers. Working under such conditions contributed to low job satisfaction and morale. Operational firefighters believed that the stress of working in a dysfunctional organisation was more of a concern than the regular contact with the everyday hazards and traumas of their occupation. The firefighters believed that the stresses resulting from this dysfunction were unavoidable and were the only totally predictable factor in their working life. This study identifies the source of this stress as having its greatest influence during the periods of between emergency responses, where strict regimentation and rigid command structures operate. Associated with these organisational concerns were major problems with information flow within the QFS. The regular occupational hazards however, were seen as dangerous and totally unpredictable, but at least familiar. In addition to these findings, the study has also uncovered a number of indications suggesting that emergency response and critical incident stress have a strong combined influence on the incidence of and prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among firefighters. The use of light in the alarm signal conditions a hyper-vigilant reaction among firefighters that, when combined with sleep interruptions during nightshifts and exposure to accident trauma, sets a number of physio-chemical changes in motion. With ongoing exposure to trauma and repeated responses to emergency alarms, these changes may become 'conditioned' and be triggered by a range of work-related and non-work-related stimuli. The study demonstrates the importance and usefulness of examining workplace cultures, the social contexts of behaviour and organisational functioning for the study of operational safety in ERO's and fire services in particular. It also establishes the viability of studying risk perception using methodologies derived from sociology and anthropology and provides new insight about human reactions to danger and emergencies

In-scene techniques for atmospheric correction of remotely sensed multispectral imagery have been collected and applied to a series of image sets. The methods used rely on image derived statistics and a minimal use of ancillary data. Five different schemes for estimating upwelled radiance are presented. Upwelled radiance predictions are compared to estimates derived from reflectance panel calibrations and the radiative transfer model LOWTRAN. Inversion to reflectance space is performed with an in-scene technique that draws upon knowledge of surface material reflectance spectra and the upwelled radiance estimates generated by accompanying techniques. This research attempts to answer the following questions: What features must be present for robust implementation of each routine? In which spectral bands does each routine provide good estimates of upwelled radiance? What are the limits in spectral and spatial resolution for each routine? Drawing on the conclusions of this research a modus operandi is suggested for in-scene atmospheric correction.