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Enhancing GaAs solar cell efficiency through nanostructured features: A comprehensive review of recent advances, challenges and future outlook
Get PDFThis article aims to provide a synopsis of recent advances in the use of nanostructured features to augment the conversion efficiency of gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells. GaAs are a very well-known and highly advantageous material for solar cells because they possess an extraordinary bandgap (i.e., approximately 1.4 eV), wide spectral absorption coefficient, and favorable carrier mobility. Numerous studies have explored the use of nanostructures, such as antireflection (AR) nanofilms/nanocoatings, nanoparticles (NPs), and nanogratings (NG), to improve the conversion efficiency of GaAs-based solar cells. These structures are generally designed to enhance light transmission capacity and absorption while reducing light reflection losses, thus resulting in improved conversion efficiency. Hence, the latest research efforts and advancements in the field of GaAs solar cells have been conducted worldwide, highlighting the possible future of advanced microstructure development to enhance the conversion efficiency of GaAs-based solar cells. This review highlights the role of nanostructured features such as antireflection coatings, nanoparticles, and nanogratings to be utilized for enhancing GaAs solar cell efficiency. Efficiency improvements of 20–30 % have been reported, attributed to enhanced light absorption and reduced reflection losses. While these nanostructures are highly promising, widespread application depends on low-cost fabrication and stability. The review critically examines recent progress, current challenges, and future directions for maximizing GaAs solar cell performance
Mapping outdoor alcohol advertising around waterways in an exploration of where and what the advertisements feature
Get PDFBackground: In Western Australia (WA) social activities occur in aquatic environments where alcohol promotion and consumption may be prevalent creating an aquatic alcogenic environment. This poses a challenge for drowning prevention efforts. Restrictions on alcohol advertising placement near aquatic environments require an evidence-base of how prevalent alcohol outlet availability and promotion is in aquatic environments. We aimed to quantify the presence and content of outdoor alcohol advertising in metropolitan WA and map liquor outlet density and licensed venue proximity. Methods: An exploratory, cross-sectional, observational study investigated the geospatial characteristics of five WA coastal precincts. Digitised navigation maps were produced in ArcGIS. A modified online data collection application for outdoor advertising was used. Results: Across five precincts 520 advertisements were identified. Two-thirds (66.2 %, n = 344) included alcohol in the advertisements; of those, 13.4 % (n = 46) featured an aquatic location, most commonly the beach (89.1 %, n = 41). In three precincts, advertisements were on windows or building walls of on and off-licensed premises. One precinct featured no alcohol-based advertisements and on-licensed premises only (i.e., restaurants). Discussion: This is the first study to quantify the volume and content of alcohol advertisements specific to aquatic locations. It provides insights to inform future advocacy and policy efforts to tackle alcohol advertising and availability in and around aquatic environments. Conclusion: Comprehensive and robust alcohol advertising regulation that effectively minimises community exposure to alcohol marketing in aquatic locations is vital, specifically: (i) restricting advertising of alcohol near waterways; and (ii) restricting advertisements that feature alcohol and aquatic locations/activities
Christianity as coping mechanisms for migrants with mental health challenges in Australia: Social work implications
Get PDFChristian religion may be a powerful resource that can serve as a coping mechanism to resolve challenges and provide comfort to African migrants confronted with mental health challenges. We aimed to explore the coping strategies among African migrants in Australia. We undertook semi-structured interviews online with 11 participants with African backgrounds, comprising six mental health clinicians and five migrant service users living in Australia for at least the past 12 months. Literature exploring religious coping mechanisms, social support and acculturation was drawn on. The interviews were undertaken online via Teams, WhatsApp call, and zoom with participants whom we recruited through community groups utilising purposive sampling across towns and cities in Australia. We recorded and transcribed the interviews using a thematic analysis as the principal data analysis approach. Social workers have a critical role to play to support African migrants to establish religious social capital and family bonds, which are crucial in supporting integration
A hopeful or hopeless future? Perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in Catholic education
Get PDFThe research presented in this paper offers a significant contribution to existing discourse that explores the challenges and opportunities within Catholic education. In an increasingly secularised world, Catholic education continues its mission to form and inform young people in the faith. The Church acknowledges that the Catholic school enacts the mission of the Church in society and does so despite a detraditionalised cultural context. The Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education, known as G.R.A.C.E, was formed to act as a global network of Catholic educators to respond to the ‘signs of the times’ in an innovative and integrated way. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that sought perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in Catholic education. This research is unique in that it investigates both the similarities and differences of this lived experience in Catholic education within a gathering that comprised participants from five countries. The participants of the research included clergy, academics and school leaders, resulting in a broad representation of Catholic education and providing an avenue for multiple perspectives to be gained. The findings and recommendations point to a hopeful future, despite experiences of hopelessness
Alzheimer’s disease biological PET staging using plasma p217+tau
Get PDFBackground: Plasma phospho-tau biomarkers, such as p217+tau, excel at identifying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology. However, their ability to substitute for tau PET to identify AD biological stage is unclear. Methods: Participants included 248 cognitively unimpaired (CU) and 227 cognitively impaired (CI) individuals, with Janssen plasma p217+tau Simoa® assay, 18F-NAV4694 Aβ-PET (A) and 18F-MK6240 tau-PET (T) data. Biological PET stages were defined according to the Revised Criteria for Diagnosis and Staging of Alzheimer’s Disease (2024): Initial (A + T-), Early (A + TMTL +), Intermediate (A + TMOD +), and Advanced (A + THIGH +). The threshold for A+ was 25 Centiloid and for THIGH +, the 75th percentile SUVRtemporo-parietal in A + CI. Sixty percent were A +, 36% Intermediate/Advanced, and 9% Advanced. The performance of p217+tau in discriminating AD stages was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression. Results: Plasma p217+tau concentrations increase across the AD biological PET stages, except between Initial and Early stages. Screening for all AD stages (vs. A-T-), combined Intermediate/Advanced stages, or Advanced stage yields AUC of 0.92, 0.92, and 0.91, respectively (CI only: AUC 0.93, 0.89, 0.83). Plasma p217+tau Youden threshold provides sensitivity of 0.77 [0.73–0.90], specificity 0.91 [0.80–0.95], PPV 0.84 [0.71–0.89], and NPV 0.88 [0.85–0.93] for combined Intermediate/Advanced stages. For the Advanced stage alone, sensitivity is 0.89 [0.79–0.97], specificity 0.82 [0.75–0.9], NPV 0.99 [0.98–1.0], but PPV is only 0.33 [0.25–0.47]. Conclusions: In addition to accurately screening for A+ individuals, plasma p217+tau is useful for identifying a combined Intermediate/Advanced stage AD cohort or pre-screening to reduce the tau-PET required to identify Advanced stage AD individuals
An efficient yield prediction model using synthetic inference from L-systems
Get PDFThe ability to predict and estimate the harvest production is of vital significance to the food security and financial value of global agriculture. The use of synthetic inference in determining crop yield estimations cannot be underestimated. L-systems uses high-level estimation dependent upon inference techniques through sources ranging from real to synthetic data. This paper combines intelligent and highly visual features to infer crop characteristics. It provides a method of assembling superior synthetic datasets that reduce the reliance upon time-consuming fully trained neural networks. It demonstrates a mature approach to using synthetic inference that provides cost-effective reliable crop yield estimations. This model allows for scalable and affordable application of synthetic inference as part of an optimised yield-positive farming enterprise in crops such as wheat. By leveraging synthetic inference, digital twins, and visualization, scientists, agronomists, and farmers can gain deeper insights into improved crop management
Assessing the effect of awareness of international oxygen therapy guidelines on oxygen administration practices among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of nurses working in the pediatric and medical departments of a National Teaching and Referral Hospital in low-resource settings
Get PDFAwareness of International Oxygen Therapy Guidelines (IOTG) may have impacted oxygen therapy experience during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This study explored if nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) were aware of IOTG and if this awareness influenced their practice of oxygen administration during Covid-19 era. A survey of 80 nurses, from both pediatric and medical departments was carried out. Data collection was done through a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the association between variables with Chi-square and t-test at p \u3c 0.05. The mean age of the respondents was 39.82 ± 9.32, and 66.3 % were females. Respondents had an average of 2.47 years (±2.35) since the last oxygen therapy refresher training. Over 60 % of participants had been administered oxygen less than a month preceding the survey. Lack of awareness of IOTG (X2 = 7.113 (df = 1, n = 80), p = 0.008) and experience administering oxygen to a covid-19 patient (X2 = 6.851 (df = 1, n = 80), p = 0.018), were associated with low awareness of Covid-19 ventilation and oxygenation guidelines. Experience of having administered Oxygen to a Covid-19 patient (X2 = 6.851 (df = 1, n = 80), p = 0.018) and having reviewed or used any guidelines on oxygen therapy (X2 = 7.113 (df = 1, n = 80), p = 0.008) were significantly associated with awareness of covid 19 ventilation and oxygenation guidelines. Further regular training in oxygen therapy is needed to ensure good clinical practice
Biophysical response of a coastal woodland to extreme water deficit during a year of record-breaking heat
Get PDFGlobal terrestrial and ocean surface temperatures continue to reach record levels, resulting in heat waves, drought, and prolonged heat stress experienced by vegetation in many regions. In 2023-2024, coastal terrestrial ecosystems in Western Australia were particularly affected, experiencing their driest and hottest summer since observations began in the early 1900s. Banksia woodlands are a threatened ecological community in this region that are endangered by the cumulative impacts of climate change, clearing and changing groundwater regimes, the last of which is strongly influenced by the dual use of groundwater resources by the ecosystem and by the ∼2 million people in the city of Perth. Within the banksia woodlands is a Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) long-term ecological observatory that has been measuring ecosystem phenology, groundwater levels and carbon, water and energy fluxes since 2011. The 11-year site records confirm 2023 rainfall was the lowest in the record. Groundwater monitoring showed an ∼1 m drop in 2023-2024 alone, in addition to a long-term reduction of ∼4 m in water table depth since observations began in 1977. The resulting extreme water deficits manifested in reduced ecosystem evapotranspiration and altered carbon flux dynamics. Phenocam imagery revealed the consequences of this water deficit at the site level through visible canopy dieback and shifts in vegetation greenness indices. Vegetation indices from remote sensing products showed widespread vegetation stress across the ecosystem range. Continued monitoring at local and regional scales with these combined methodologies will determine (a) how well the Banksia ecosystems are able to recover from this extreme climate event and (b) the ramifications for the carbon and water cycle of the region. This ecosystem is a sentinel of climate change, providing early insight into how ecosystem-climate interactions are altering globally
Health professional perceptions of delivering hospital falls prevention education—A qualitative study
Get PDFBackground: Providing patient falls prevention education can help reduce falls in hospitals, yet research exploring staff perceptions about providing falls education in hospitals is limited. Objective: We sought to determine enablers and barriers to implementing a hospital falls prevention education program (the Safe Recovery Program) from the clinical staff perspective. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit health professionals (N = 40) from 12 acute medical and surgical wards at a 450-bed hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Participants were given the option to take part in a focus group or semi-structured interview. Data were analyzed via directed content analysis. Results: Findings were distinguished into 2 themes, being the barriers and enablers to implementing the Safe Recovery Program. Enabler subthemes were the mode and medium of delivering the program, the use of repetition to instill the learnings, identifying who is best to deliver the program, and utilizing the role of informal carers to reinforce the education. Barrier subthemes were patient cognitive impairments and patient illness, patient risk-taking behavior, timing of program delivery according to patient readiness, time and resource shortage, and communication barriers with non-English speaking patients. Conclusion: A comprehensive approach to program delivery can enable health professionals to implement evidence-based falls prevention education in hospitals. Extant factors must be considered during the implementation phase to ensure the Safe Recovery Program is sustainable and to optimize patient uptake of falls prevention education
How are we preparing Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand teachers to be health promotors? Examining physical activity, sleep and sun safety in initial teacher education
Get PDFIssue Addressed: While physical activity, sleep and sun safety (PASS) have been identified as important modifiable health behaviours and schools and teachers have been identified as vital for health promotion and primary prevention; little is known about how initial teacher education programs across Australia and New Zealand (NZ) are preparing future teachers to deliver PASS-related curriculum. This study investigated teacher educators\u27 insights on their programs and their graduate\u27s preparedness to plan and teach PASS education. Methods: Teacher educators (n = 98) from Australia and NZ completed a 30-item electronic survey. Quantitative tests were used to explore differences in the data. Results: Consistently, time spent on physical activity far outweighed sun safety and sleep with many programs having little or no sleep or sun safety content. Of concern, many indicated they did not agree, or know if their graduates were confident to plan and teach physical activity (28%), sun safety (42%) or sleep (75%) lessons, nor were they aware of the related guidelines, health benefits and risks. Conclusions: Findings reveal significant variance in what is being offered in Australian and NZ initial teacher education programs. Findings highlight potential gaps in graduate\u27s knowledge of various health behaviours and confidence to plan and teach related content and their preparedness for health promotion. So What?: Findings highlight a need to include more targeted health promotion education in initial teacher education in Australia and NZ to enable teachers to deliver consistent health promotion messages when they enter school settings to properly support young people\u27s health needs