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Recharging SME Manufacturing in NSW: Opportunities for Government to Boost adoption of Industry 4.0 Technologies
No full textThis report identifies opportunities for NSW Government action that could increase the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and generate state-wide productivity gains. It is based on emerging research and a review of existing research studies. The actions proposed aim to: improve perceptions of the benefits of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing SMEs; provide greater, customised, end-to-end support for manufacturing SMEs to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies; facilitate the sharing of Industry 4.0 technological expertise across the manufacturing business community in NSW; and increase the accessibility of Industry 4.0 technologies to manufacturing SMEs
Enhanced catalytic performance through a single-atom preparation approach : a review on ruthenium-based catalysts
No full textThe outstanding catalytic properties of single-atom catalysts (SACs) stem from the maximum atom utilization and unique quantum size effects, leading to ever-increasing research interest in SACs in recent years. Ru-based SACs, which have shown excellent catalytic activity and selectivity, have been brought to the frontier of the research field due to their lower cost compared with other noble catalysts. The synthetic approaches for preparing Ru SACs are rather diverse in the open literature, covering a wide range of applications. In this review paper, we attempt to disclose the synthetic approaches for Ru-based SACs developed in the most recent years, such as defect engineering, coordination design, ion exchange, the dipping method, and electrochemical deposition etc., and discuss their representative applications in both electrochemical and organic reaction fields, with typical application examples given of: Li-CO2 batteries, N2 reduction, water splitting and oxidation of benzyl alcohols. The mechanisms behind their enhanced catalytic performance are discussed and their structure-property relationships are revealed in this review. Finally, future prospects and remaining unsolved issues with Ru SACs are also discussed so that a roadmap for the further development of Ru SACs is established
A study of bilingual acquisition of wh-questions of a Mandarin-English bilingual preschool child from China to Australia
No full textThis article traces the developmental trajectory of a Mandarin-English bilingual child’s acquisition of wh-questions from China to Australia between the ages of 3;04 and 5;05. There is an assumption that age 3 is the dividing line between Bilingual First Language Acquisition (BFLA) and Early Second Language Acquisition (ESLA). Determining the similarities and differences between them is of great theoretical and methodological significance. While BFLA studies show consistent results under conditions of adequate input and meaningful interaction, ESLA studies indicate that these children develop their early English skills differently from BFLA children. Previous studies mainly focused on young children’s English development in English-speaking countries without prior English input. However, an increasing number of children migrate to English-speaking countries after age 1 with limited English input. This study examines whether there is a qualitative difference between BFLA and ESLA children’s bilingual wh-questions. Drawing upon the naturalistic data before and after the child’s migration from China to Australia and CLAN analysis, our 25-month longitudinal case study indicates that the ESLA child’s bilingual wh-question developmental trajectories are qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively different from the child’s Mandarin-English BFLA peers. This study could be the first to investigate a bilingual child who acquires two languages and experiences a change of environmental language (Lε), contributing theoretically and practically to early childhood bilingualism
Synthetic biology
No full textThis article examines the practice of synthetic biology, and its relevance in terms of technoscientific responses to the Anthropocene. The article offers a brief history of the practice, and contextualises synthetic biology within the wider field of controversial ‘technofixes’ that are proposed for ameliorating the existential challenge that is the Anthropocene. In particular, it explores the emerging relationship between conservation biology and synthetic biology, whereby the latter is put forward as an integral means for intervening in ecosystems and evolution itself
Automated ultrasonic-based diagnosis of concrete compressive damage amidst temperature variations utilizing deep learning
No full textUltrasonic-based non-destructive testing technologies have been extensively applied for detection of internal damage in concrete. However, it is vulnerable to environmental temperature variations. An automated ultrasonic-based diagnosis approach integrating the continuous wavelet transform, and the transfer learning enhanced deep convolutional neural networks is proposed to evaluate compressive damage amidst temperature variations. The ultrasonic tests were conducted on pre-damaged concrete specimens, considering both temperature variations and damage levels as variables. The results indicate that the temperature fluctuations significantly influence the ultrasonic parameters of concrete compression damage. The proposed method effectively identifies the concrete damage state amidst temperature variations. Furthermore, it is recommended that the temperature range within the training set should uniformly cover the expected temperature range throughout the lifespan of concrete structures. This study offers novel perspectives for ultrasonic testing of concrete subjected to environmental variations
Therapist's clinical decision-making : working in the music and music therapy methods an international roundtable discussion
No full textKey Concepts and Definitions for Building Racial Literacy
No full textThis briefing paper has been created to give the user tools to understand the history and sociology of race, racism, and antiracism. These concepts contribute to enhancing racial literacy in society
Dry needling perceptions and experiences : a survey of Australian physiotherapists
No full textBackground: There is a lack of information on the use of dry needling in Australian physiotherapy practice.
Objectives: Our primary aim was to enhance the understanding of why Australian physiotherapists use dry needling in clinical practice. The secondary aim was to explore Australian physiotherapists experiences with adverse events caused by dry needling.
Design: Cross-sectional online survey.
Method: We developed a survey and disseminated it through email to physiotherapists from all states and territories in Australia. Participant demographics and responses were reported as frequencies and percentages.
Results/findings: We invited 1006 Australian physiotherapists, of which 232 (23%) viewed the online survey and 203 (20%) consented to participate, of which nearly all completed the survey (n = 198, 98%). Most respondents worked in private practice (n = 164, 83%), with 127 (64%) reporting using dry needling as an intervention within the previous 12 months. Physiotherapists typically used dry needling to decrease pain intensity (n = 105, 85%) and reduce muscle tension (n = 100, 81%). Reports of minor adverse events were common and included discomfort during the treatment (n = 77, 62%) and bruising (n = 69, 56%). Some respondents reported experiencing major adverse events including prolonged aggravation of symptoms (n = 10, 8%) and syncope (n = 16, 13%).
Conclusions: We found that many Australian physiotherapists in private practice use dry needling, usually to decrease pain intensity and muscle tension. Minor adverse events were experienced by more than half the respondents and between 8 and 13% of the Australian physiotherapists surveyed reported experiencing a major adverse event due to dry needling
Learning curve applications in Industry 4.0 : a scoping review
No full textThis study aimed at identifying applications of learning curve (LC) modelling at individual, group, and organisational levels in Industry 4.0 (I4.0) environments. For that, a scoping review on four databases was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Our results indicated that LCs are more prominently adopted in I4.0 to model learning at the individual level using technologies oriented to sensing and communication (e.g. big data, IoT, wireless sensors, cloud computing, remote control, or monitoring). However, the effect of a few processing and actuation technologies, such as augmented/virtual reality, collaborative robots, and machine learning/AI, on learning seems promising. Further, despite the number of studies investigated, few explicitly described the LC model used to represent the impact of I4.0 technologies on learning. Our findings allowed the proposition of five research directions. Literature on both LC and I4.0 is still fragmented, poorly addressing their relationship. As I4.0 is an innovative approach that allows more extensive information exchange and processing, new ways of using I4.0 technologies to expedite data collection, which has always constrained LC practical applications, should be devised to close the gap between I4.0 and learning
The condition-dependence of male genital size and shape
No full textThe male genitals of internal fertilisers evolve rapidly and divergently, and sexual selection is generally responsible for this. Many sexually selected traits are condition-dependent—with their expression dependent upon the resources available to be allocated to them—as revealed by genetic or environmental manipulations of condition. However, it is not clear whether male genitals are also condition-dependent. Here we manipulate condition in two ways (via inbreeding and diet) to test the condition-dependence of the genital arch of Drosophila simulans. We found that genital size but not genital shape suffered from inbreeding depression, whereas genital size and shape were affected by dietary manipulation of condition. The differential effects of these treatments likely reflect underlying genetic architecture that has been shaped by past selection: inbreeding depression is only expected when traits have a history of directional selection, while diet impacts traits regardless of historical selection. Nonetheless, our results suggest genitals can be condition-dependent like other sexually selected traits