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Unveiling binary transition metal selenides with carbon aerogel veil for superior and safe lithium ion/sodium ion battery
No full textThe enhancement of electrochemical performance in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs) is often associated with an increased risk of thermal runaway (TR). Addressing the trade-off between thermal safety and electrochemical performance has become urgent. We designed binary transition metal selenides coated with a carbon aerogel veil (NiCoSe@GC) as an anode material. The porous structure significantly increases the surface area of the anode and improves the electrochemical performance, while enhancing the thermal conductivity of the battery to further improve safety. When substituting graphite with NiCoSe@GC, the maximum temperature rise rate of the LIBs half-cell decreases from 129.4 to 25.1 °C/min, while the TR activation energy (Ea) of the LIBs full cell increases from 0.63 to 1.07 eV. Similarly, the Ea of the SIBs half-cell is improved by 450.0 %. The incorporation of NiCoSe@GC significantly reduces the thermal runaway hazard in LIBs/SIBs. Furthermore, the use of NiCoSe@GC allows both LIBs and SIBs to achieve superior electrochemical performance. Specifically, the SIBs cell with NiCoSe@GC demonstrates a high initial capacity of 760.1 mAh g−1, which decreases to only 477.1 mAh g−1 upon adjusting the current density to 1 A g−1. In summary, this work presents an anode with porous structure that simultaneously enhances the safety and electrochemical performance of batteries, providing valuable insights for achieving safe and efficient energy storage through anode design
Evidencing child-led learning: Innovative digital design
No full textChild-led learning offers powerful opportunities for fostering agency, creativity, and authentic engagement in classrooms, yet it continues to sit uneasily within education systems that prioritise standardised, curriculum-aligned evidence of learning. This tension is particularly pronounced in the Australian context, where teachers are required to demonstrate clear alignment with national curriculum expectations while supporting open-ended, emergent learning experiences. This article reports on a practitioner action research study conducted in a Year 3 classroom, exploring how digital documentation practices can support teachers to evidence child-led learning without diminishing its integrity. Centred on a six-week interdisciplinary project, the study examines the development and use of a teacher-designed digital dashboard that enabled real-time documentation, cross-curricular tagging, and retrospective mapping of student learning to Australian Curriculum content descriptors. Drawing on field notes, student artefacts, dashboard records, and reflective analysis, the findings show that the tool supported professional judgement rather than automation, making visible the complex, non-linear nature of student learning while strengthening teacher confidence in curriculum interpretation and reporting. The study also highlights shifts in the teacher’s role, positioning educators as curriculum translators, professional interpreters of learning, and designers of pedagogical systems that honour both accountability and agency. The article concludes that thoughtfully designed digital documentation tools can bridge the accountability–authenticity divide, offering a practical and values-aligned approach to evidencing child-led learning in contemporary schooling contexts
Multi-locus phylogenetic network analysis of Ampelomyces mycoparasites isolated from diverse powdery mildews in Australia and the generation of two de novo genome assemblies
No full textThe interactions between powdery mildews (Ascomycota, Erysiphaceae), obligate biotrophic pathogens of many plants, and pycnidial fungi belonging to the genus Ampelomyces, are classic examples of specific mycoparasitic relationships. These interactions are common and finely tuned tritrophic relationships amongst host plants, powdery mildews, and Ampelomyces mycoparasites wherever these organisms co-occur in the field. Selected Ampelomyces strains have already been developed as biocontrol agents of powdery mildew infections of some crops. In Australia, their study has received little attention so far. Only a single Ampelomyces strain, included in a whole-genome sequencing (WGS) project, was known from this continent. Here, we report the isolation of 20 more Ampelomyces strains from eight powdery mildew species in Australia. Multi-locus phylogenetic network analyses of all the 21 Australian Ampelomyces strains carried out in combination with 32 reference strains from overseas revealed that the Australian strains belonged to four molecular taxonomic units (MOTUs). All those MOTUs were delimited earlier based on Ampelomyces strains isolated in Europe, North America, and elsewhere. Based on the phylogenetic analyses, two Australian strains belonging to different MOTUs were selected for WGS. Long-read (MinION) and short-read (Illumina) technologies were used to provide genome assemblies with high completeness. Both assemblies have a bipartite structure, i.e., consisted of AT-rich, gene-sparse regions interspersed with GC-balanced, gene-rich regions. These new high-quality assemblies and evidence-based annotations are important resources for future analyses of mycoparasitic interactions to disentangle molecular mechanisms underlying mycoparasitism, possible new biocontrol applications, and naturally occurring tritrophic relationships
G143A Mutation Conferring Resistance to Quinone Outside Inhibitor Fungicides Detected in Both Podosphaera xanthii and Erysiphe vignae Causing Powdery Mildew on Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) in Australia
No full textPowdery mildew of mung bean (Vigna radiata) is caused by
two species in Australia: Podosphaera xanthii and Erysiphe vignae. Currently, two fungicides are permitted formanaging this disease in Australia: azoxystrobin and tebuconazole. The commercial fungicide products used for mung bean powdery mildew management contain either tebuconazole alone or a mixture of azoxystrobin and tebuconazole. This study detected the G143A mutation in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of both P. xanthii and E. vignae. The mutation was detected in two P. xanthii and one E. vignae populations out of a total of 15 populations sampled in southeast Queensland from 2017 to 2024. The G143A mutation is the major DNA marker of resistance to quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, including azoxystrobin. This study confirmed that some populations of both powdery mildew species have developed QoI resistance in Australian mung bean fields
"Marry a normal woman": Vietnamese women with physical disabilities’ experiences of marriage opposition
No full textMarriage is a fundamental right and personal choice for all people. However, societal attitudes present significant challenges for women with disabilities when contemplating marriage. This paper explores the experiences of Northern Vietnamese women with physical disabilities who faced opposition from their partners’ families regarding marriage. It draws on a qualitative study that explored the lived experiences of women with physical disabilities regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal healthcare conducted in 2018. A two-staged in-depth interview was utilised. Initially, 29 women were interviewed, with 27 follow-up interviews conducted. Data was thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s approach (2013, 2019). Two key themes, with five subthemes, emerged: “marriage denied: gendered and ableist exclusion” and “marriage opposition: stigma and discrimination”. Findings underscore the pervasive influence of Vietnamese socio-cultural norms on the marital prospects of women with physical disabilities. Gender roles ascribed to wives, daughters-in-law, and mothers, coupled with ableist assumption and social stigma surrounding disability pose significant barriers to their marriages. These findings enhance understanding of the intersection of gender and disability, with implications for developing policies and programs that go beyond focusing solely on these factors, prioritise dismantling ableist and gender norms, and challenge negative perceptions of women with disabilities as “unworthy” of marriage
FIG working week 2025
No full textEstimating diameter at breast height (DBH) from stump measurements can be used for calculating tree diameter distributions and predicting tree height (H) and other tree metrics.
Stump data in terms of stump diameter (SD) and stump height (SH) often provides a foundation for reconstructing pre-harvest stand conditions, particularly in cases of unplanned or unauthorised tree removals.
To enable these estimations, two regression equations were developed, the first to predict DBH from outside-bark stump measurements. These DBH estimates were subsequently used in a second equation tailored to determine tree H. This approach could support applications in carbon stock assessments, habitat quality evaluations, and biodiversity monitoring where rapid yet accurate tree dimension data is needed.
The equations were derived from data collected from 35 mature Eucalyptus tereticornis (Forest Red Gum) urban trees, with heights ranging between 23 to 42 meters. This eucalyptus species, widespread in Southeast Queensland, Australia, offers sustainable, resilient timber that is both cost-effective and ecologically advantageous due to its fast growth and carbon-sequestering properties.
Trees H was measured using a surveying total station. Stump diameters were recorded at heights above ground level ranging from 0.20 m to 1.30 m, capturing likely SH below the DBH, which was conventionally measured at 1.30 m. Data collection included capturing scaled images of the tree trunks at close range, delineating sections, and processing them with open-source image software. The resulting equations, based on SH and SD, provided DBH estimates with an RMSE of ±0.027 m, corresponding to an average discrepancy of 2.14% relative to measured DBH values. Furthermore, the equation estimating tree H, derived from these DBH values, exhibited an RMSE of ±1.85 m, equating to a 3.62% discrepancy from the average tree heights observed in this study
Quantification of the Global Maharishi Effect: A Quasi-Experimental Study of the Three Most Violent Countries in the World
No full textIn the last 30 years, the most prevalent and deadly form of armed conflict in the world has been violent conflict within states. However, the continued prevalence of so-called ‘intrastate’ collective violence indicates standard approaches to the prevention of collective violence—such as mediation, negotiated settlements and peacekeeping operations—have often provided little more than temporary mitigation of conflict.
Indeed, we suggest these approaches to reducing collective violence have failed to effectively address its fundamental cause: accumulated stress and tension in the individual and collective consciousness of society. We therefore outline a comprehensive ‘consciousness-based approach’ for reducing intrastate collective violence—the Global Maharishi Effect—and present preliminary empirical results from a prospective demonstration project in India to evaluate its effect.
Specifically, the ‘treatment’ modality for this quasi-experiment was a large group of a theoretically predicted size engaged in group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM–Sidhi program during the Assembly of 10,000 for World Peace held in India from December 2023 to January 2024. Time series impact-assessment analysis based on state space-time series modelling was used to evaluate data on political violence from the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data project (ACLED) for countries experiencing the most extreme levels of violence.
Empirical support was found for the hypothesis that the Assembly was associated with a significantly reduced trend (p < 0.001) of political violence as measured by the total combined number of violent events in the world’s then three most violent and unstable countries at the time of the Assembly—Palestine, Myanmar and Syria
The Development of a Valid and Reliable Questionnaire to Measure Menstrual Cycle and Hormonal Contraceptive Knowledge Among Athletes and Sports Performance Support Staff
No full textThis study aimed to develop the first valid questionnaire to assess menstrual cycle (MC) and hormonal contraceptive (HC) knowledge in athletes and sports performance support staff. Questions were developed following a literature review and four knowledge domains were identified: (1) Normal MC Function, (2) MC Dysfunction, (3) Oral Contraceptive Pills, and (4) Other HCs. Experts (n = 6) reviewed the initial questionnaire, followed by pre-testing with athletes and support staff (n = 19). Validity (item analysis, construct validity) and reliability (test–retest, internal consistency) were assessed following questionnaire administration to athletes and staff without MC education (“Low Knowledge” [LK] group; n = 156) and “High Knowledge” [HK] participants (n = 30) with MC education. Most (n = 122) LK participants completed the questionnaire twice to assess test–retest reliability. Expert review showed good agreement (> 80%) on item clarity and relevancy and pre-testing indicated good content and face validity. The HK group scored significantly higher than LK participants across the questionnaire (43 ± 5 vs. 28 ± 10; p < 0.001; d = 1.48 [1.05, 1.90]) and all knowledge domains (p < 0.05). High item discrimination parameters were found for all domains, indicating effective discrimination between respondents with different knowledge levels. Test–retest reliability was excellent (intra-class correlation coefficient estimates from 0.93 [0.90, 0.95] to 0.98 [0.96, 0.99]), with all domains showing good-to-excellent reliability. Internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was considered acceptable (0.93 [0.92, 0.95]; α ≥ 0.7). This questionnaire delivers a valid and reliable tool to assess MC and HC knowledge amongst athletes and support staff and is recommended to guide and evaluate educational interventions to improve menstrual health literacy within sport
Preparing and utlising the primary care nursing workforce for extreme weather events: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textClimate change is a major health emergency, and preventing and managing climate-related health emergencies requires a healthcare workforce prepared to meet extreme challenges. Primary care nurses are central to managing both routine and emergent needs during climate-related disruptions. Lessons from their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic – in which they demonstrated adaptability, expertise, innovation and a commitment to continuity of patient care, despite facing significant challenges – can offer critical insights into preparing this workforce for the escalating health crisis of climate change. This preparation demands system-wide emergency preparedness, rapid adaptation and workforce flexibility. This article explores the experiences of primary care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and applies these insights to strategies for building a climate-responsive, resilient nursing workforce capable of delivering equitable care during future health crises such as extreme weather events