title: Classification and discrimination of automotive glass using LA-ICP-MS

authors: Grainger, Megan N.C.

subjects: automotive glass

abstract: Glass is one of the most common types of trace evidence found at crime scenes and on suspects. The elemental analysis of float glass has become increasingly important as the range in values of refractive index has substantially narrowed due to increased quality control in glass manufacture. The purpose of this research was to investigate the variation of elements in automotive float glass relevant to New Zealand for the purpose of classifying and discriminating samples. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to analyse the elemental composition of 243 automotive glass samples. An intact side window (tempered pane) and an intact windscreen (laminated pane) were analysed to investigate the spatial trend of elements in automotive glass. Most elements displayed no spatial variation over the panes. Pb had the largest variation in the windscreen and was also found to have a large variation in the database. Most samples were able to be classified into the vehicles' country of origin using a multiclass classifier. However, this was not possible for all samples, due to the origin of glass differing from the origin of the vehicle in some cases. The elemental composition of Australian and Northern Hemisphere samples differed greatly making them easy to separate; however, there was little variation within the Australian samples, making it hard to discriminate between different samples. A three step method, which combined the use of elemental composition, △RI and RI, was used to discriminate database samples. The method distinguished 84% (172/204) of samples in the database. When Australian samples were removed from the analysis, the discrimination increased to 95% (148/156). The type II errors were reduced by using both elemental composition and RI measurement.

text: Classification and discrimination of automotive glass using LA-ICP-MS Glass is one of the most common types of trace evidence found at crime scenes and on suspects. The elemental analysis of float glass has become increasingly important as the range in values of refractive index has substantially narrowed due to increased quality control in glass manufacture. The purpose of this research was to investigate the variation of elements in automotive float glass relevant to New Zealand for the purpose of classifying and discriminating samples. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to analyse the elemental composition of 243 automotive glass samples. An intact side window (tempered pane) and an intact windscreen (laminated pane) were analysed to investigate the spatial trend of elements in automotive glass. Most elements displayed no spatial variation over the panes. Pb had the largest variation in the windscreen and was also found to have a large variation in the database. Most samples were able to be classified into the vehicles' country of origin using a multiclass classifier. However, this was not possible for all samples, due to the origin of glass differing from the origin of the vehicle in some cases. The elemental composition of Australian and Northern Hemisphere samples differed greatly making them easy to separate; however, there was little variation within the Australian samples, making it hard to discriminate between different samples. A three step method, which combined the use of elemental composition, △RI and RI, was used to discriminate database samples. The method distinguished 84% (172/204) of samples in the database. When Australian samples were removed from the analysis, the discrimination increased to 95% (148/156). The type II errors were reduced by using both elemental composition and RI measurement.

year: 2012

title: Turning ideas into research: Theory, design and practice, by Barbara Fawcett and Rosalie Pockett [Book Review]

authors: Hunt, Sonya

abstract: This article reviews the book "Turning ideas into research: Theory, design and practice", by Barbara Fawcett and Rosalie Pockett

text: Turning ideas into research: Theory, design and practice, by Barbara Fawcett and Rosalie Pockett [Book Review] This article reviews the book "Turning ideas into research: Theory, design and practice", by Barbara Fawcett and Rosalie Pockett

year: 2015

title: Anō, ko te Riu ō Tāne Mahuta Possibilities and Challenges in a Ngāti Rangiwewehi Curriculum

authors: Mahuika, Rangimarie

subjects: Curriculum

abstract: This thesis considers how a curriculum might form a useful tool in meeting the needs and aspirations of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, a small, but dynamic tribe, who occupy specific territory from the north western shores of Lake Rotorua into the eastern Bay of Plenty of the North Island of New Zealand. In contemplating the potential benefits of a curriculum, this study begins by examining the epistemological frames of reference crucial to understanding how the tribe views the world around them, and their positioning within it. The thesis goes on to explore the pedagogical approaches specific to the iwi, and concludes by assessing the extent to which a curriculum is a viable means of maintaining and empowering Rangiwewehi mātauranga, and their underlying ambitions, and goals. Whether ‘curriculum’ is an appropriate framework to describe the way Ngāti Rangiwewehi view our educational processes, is an issue addressed in this study. To this extent, Rangiwewehi perspectives are intentionally privileged allowing appropriate representation of our understandings and aspirations. Eighteen people were interviewed as part of this study, yet many other voices included here were recorded during a tribal wānanga held in late 2010. Their accounts provide the core ideas and positions at work in this thesis, and are invaluable for the depth and texture they offer. An emphasis on the qualitative data collected here is important in allowing their words to take centre stage. In conveying their views and stories, three major themes emerged: these were people, place, and survival. Woven through the body of the thesis, these themes work to illustrate the key designs and patterns that were seen as fundamental to a Rangiwewehi way of viewing the world. Place and people, for instance, were affirmed as crucial to both the pedagogical and epistemological beliefs and practices maintained across generations. Similarly, the theme of survival was deemed a significant thread in comprehending the struggle and self-determination inherent in the tribe’s sense of identity and knowing. These themes reflect convictions shared across the iwi, highlighting the importance of understanding Ngāti Rangiwewehi by first listening to what they have to say about themselves and their curriculum.

text: Anō, ko te Riu ō Tāne Mahuta Possibilities and Challenges in a Ngāti Rangiwewehi Curriculum This thesis considers how a curriculum might form a useful tool in meeting the needs and aspirations of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, a small, but dynamic tribe, who occupy specific territory from the north western shores of Lake Rotorua into the eastern Bay of Plenty of the North Island of New Zealand. In contemplating the potential benefits of a curriculum, this study begins by examining the epistemological frames of reference crucial to understanding how the tribe views the world around them, and their positioning within it. The thesis goes on to explore the pedagogical approaches specific to the iwi, and concludes by assessing the extent to which a curriculum is a viable means of maintaining and empowering Rangiwewehi mātauranga, and their underlying ambitions, and goals. Whether ‘curriculum’ is an appropriate framework to describe the way Ngāti Rangiwewehi view our educational processes, is an issue addressed in this study. To this extent, Rangiwewehi perspectives are intentionally privileged allowing appropriate representation of our understandings and aspirations. Eighteen people were interviewed as part of this study, yet many other voices included here were recorded during a tribal wānanga held in late 2010. Their accounts provide the core ideas and positions at work in this thesis, and are invaluable for the depth and texture they offer. An emphasis on the qualitative data collected here is important in allowing their words to take centre stage. In conveying their views and stories, three major themes emerged: these were people, place, and survival. Woven through the body of the thesis, these themes work to illustrate the key designs and patterns that were seen as fundamental to a Rangiwewehi way of viewing the world. Place and people, for instance, were affirmed as crucial to both the pedagogical and epistemological beliefs and practices maintained across generations. Similarly, the theme of survival was deemed a significant thread in comprehending the struggle and self-determination inherent in the tribe’s sense of identity and knowing. These themes reflect convictions shared across the iwi, highlighting the importance of understanding Ngāti Rangiwewehi by first listening to what they have to say about themselves and their curriculum.

year: 2011