title: 'Stealth' Technology: Proposed new method of interpretation of infrared ship signature requirements

authors: Nelle, Filip P.

subjects: engineering

abstract: A new method of deriving and defining requirements for the infrared signature of new ships is presented. The current approach is to specify the maximum allowed temperature or radiance contrast of the sheep with respect to its background.

text: 'Stealth' Technology: Proposed new method of interpretation of infrared ship signature requirements A new method of deriving and defining requirements for the infrared signature of new ships is presented. The current approach is to specify the maximum allowed temperature or radiance contrast of the sheep with respect to its background.

year: 2005

title: Assessment of the Potential of Waste Copper Chromium and Arsenic (CCA)-Treated Timber Fibre Reinforced Polypropylene Composites for Construction

authors: Nelson, Jacob

abstract: This paper investigates the potential of recycling waste copper chromium and arsenic (CCA)-treated timber for use as a reinforcement material in wood–plastic composites (WPCs) produced for use in construction, including an assessment of mechanical properties and the leaching of heavy metals. Wood flour was obtained through mechanical grinding, and fibres were obtained through alkaline digestion followed by bleaching. Composites produced with 40 wt.% bleached fibres showed increased tensile strength from 18.5 MPa for the polypropylene used as the matrix to 27.6 MPa. Likewise, the Young’s modulus was increased from 0.84 to 2.33 GPa. The treatment of fibres was found to reduce arsenic concentration by up to 99.9%. Furthermore, the arsenic in the leachate from composites was found to decrease from 41.29 to 0.07 ppb when comparing CCA-treated wood flour composites to bleached fibre composites. The composites’ material properties indicate that the use of end-of-life CCA-treated timber could be used to produce a composite material that could be used in New Zealand’s building sector to meet the requirements of semi-structural applications.

text: Assessment of the Potential of Waste Copper Chromium and Arsenic (CCA)-Treated Timber Fibre Reinforced Polypropylene Composites for Construction This paper investigates the potential of recycling waste copper chromium and arsenic (CCA)-treated timber for use as a reinforcement material in wood–plastic composites (WPCs) produced for use in construction, including an assessment of mechanical properties and the leaching of heavy metals. Wood flour was obtained through mechanical grinding, and fibres were obtained through alkaline digestion followed by bleaching. Composites produced with 40 wt.% bleached fibres showed increased tensile strength from 18.5 MPa for the polypropylene used as the matrix to 27.6 MPa. Likewise, the Young’s modulus was increased from 0.84 to 2.33 GPa. The treatment of fibres was found to reduce arsenic concentration by up to 99.9%. Furthermore, the arsenic in the leachate from composites was found to decrease from 41.29 to 0.07 ppb when comparing CCA-treated wood flour composites to bleached fibre composites. The composites’ material properties indicate that the use of end-of-life CCA-treated timber could be used to produce a composite material that could be used in New Zealand’s building sector to meet the requirements of semi-structural applications.

year: 2023

title: Treatment and survival disparities by ethnicity in New Zealand women with stage I-III breast cancer tumour subtypes

authors: Lawrenson, Ross

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Purpose
This study aims to look at the distribution of different subtypes of stage I–III breast cancer in Māori and Pacific versus non-Māori/Pacific women, and to examine cancer outcomes by ethnicity within these different subtypes.

Method
This study included 9,015 women diagnosed with stage I–III breast cancer between June 2000 and May 2013, recorded in the combined Waikato and Auckland Breast Cancer Registers, who had complete data on ER, PR and HER2 status. Five ER/PR/HER2 subtypes were defined. Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to examine ethnic disparities in breast cancer-specific survival.

Results
Of the 9,015 women, 891 were Māori, 548 were Pacific and 7,576 others. Both Māori and Pacific women were less likely to have triple negative breast cancer compared to others (8.6, 8.9 vs. 13.0%). Pacific women were more than twice as likely to have ER−, PR− and HER2+ cancer than Māori and others (14.2 vs. 6.0%, 6.7%). After adjustment for age, year of diagnosis, stage, grade and treatment, the hazard ratios of breast cancer-specific mortality for Māori and Pacific women with ER+, PR+ and HER2− were 1.52 (95% CI 1.06–2.18) and 1.55 (95% CI 1.04–2.31) compared to others, respectively. Māori women with HER2+ cancer were twice more likely to die of their cancer than others.

Conclusions
Outcomes for Māori and Pacific women could be improved by better treatment regimens especially for those with HER2+ breast cancer and for women with ER+, PR+ and HER2− breast cancer.

text: Treatment and survival disparities by ethnicity in New Zealand women with stage I-III breast cancer tumour subtypes Purpose
This study aims to look at the distribution of different subtypes of stage I–III breast cancer in Māori and Pacific versus non-Māori/Pacific women, and to examine cancer outcomes by ethnicity within these different subtypes.

Method
This study included 9,015 women diagnosed with stage I–III breast cancer between June 2000 and May 2013, recorded in the combined Waikato and Auckland Breast Cancer Registers, who had complete data on ER, PR and HER2 status. Five ER/PR/HER2 subtypes were defined. Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to examine ethnic disparities in breast cancer-specific survival.

Results
Of the 9,015 women, 891 were Māori, 548 were Pacific and 7,576 others. Both Māori and Pacific women were less likely to have triple negative breast cancer compared to others (8.6, 8.9 vs. 13.0%). Pacific women were more than twice as likely to have ER−, PR− and HER2+ cancer than Māori and others (14.2 vs. 6.0%, 6.7%). After adjustment for age, year of diagnosis, stage, grade and treatment, the hazard ratios of breast cancer-specific mortality for Māori and Pacific women with ER+, PR+ and HER2− were 1.52 (95% CI 1.06–2.18) and 1.55 (95% CI 1.04–2.31) compared to others, respectively. Māori women with HER2+ cancer were twice more likely to die of their cancer than others.

Conclusions
Outcomes for Māori and Pacific women could be improved by better treatment regimens especially for those with HER2+ breast cancer and for women with ER+, PR+ and HER2− breast cancer.

year: 2017