220861 research outputs found
Sort by
Lean 4.0 as a Socio-Technical System: Mapping the Interaction of Soft Practices and Industry 4.0 in Digital Transformation
No full textThis study examines Lean 4.0, defined as the integration of Lean soft practices (LSPs) and Industry 4.0 technologies (I4Ts), from a socio-technical systems perspective. While prior research has mainly linked Lean and I4Ts to operational and cost-based performance indicators, far less is known about how their human and technological elements interact as one socio-technical system during digital transformation. We investigate how LSPs and I4Ts combine to form social and technical subsystems, how their interaction reshapes work systems, and how these configurations relate to organisational performance. An inductive qualitative design was used. Fifteen managers and professionals with direct experience in continuous improvement and digital transformation completed an open-ended online questionnaire. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke thematic analysis, guided by socio-technical systems theory and complemented by a cross-case synthesis. The findings identify four interrelated subsystems, social, technical, work, and outcomes, that co-evolve in Lean 4.0 initiatives. LSPs such as training, empowerment, and stakeholder involvement constitute a social system that enables the adoption and effective use of I4Ts in the technical system. When both subsystems are strong, their combined operation drives more extensive digital transformation of operational processes and customer facing activities, and in some cases business models, and is associated with broader improvements in efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and financial performance than medium or unbalanced configurations. The analysis also highlights recurrent integration challenges, including skill gaps, legacy system constraints, resistance to change, and data security concerns. Overall, the study conceptualises Lean 4.0 as an integrated socio-technical configuration and extends socio-technical systems theory by showing how LSPs mediate and amplify the value created by I4Ts, providing an empirically grounded framework and configuration-based insights for future testing.Mohamad Ali Mezher, Indra Gunawan, Sajad Fayez
Underexplored role of cell wall modifications in the hard-to-cook (HTC) phenomenon
No full textProlonged storage of legumes under high temperature (>40 °C) and relative humidity (RH) (>60 %) conditions triggers the hard-to-cook (HTC) defect, negatively impacting cooking performance and nutritional value. Although previous studies have focused on starch, protein, and polyphenol changes, the role of cell wall modifications remains underexplored. Cotyledon cell walls act as a key barrier to water uptake and thermal softening by enclosing starch and protein matrices. We hypothesised that storage under HTC-inducing conditions would cause structural and compositional changes in cotyledon cell walls, reducing pectin solubility and increasing cross-linking, thereby limiting water absorption and contributing to the HTC defect. This study examined structural and compositional changes in the cell walls of faba and adzuki beans stored under HTC-inducing conditions (40 °C and > 60 % RH) compared to controlled storage (4 °C, 25 % RH). The changes in pectin solubility, monosaccharide profile and microscopy images provided visual evidence of a more compact cotyledon cell arrangement, with fewer intercellular spaces and distinct tri-cellular junctions. Over nine months, phytic acid declined, and free phenolic acids became bound and migrated to the seed coat, contributing to seed darkening. These changes increased seed hydrophobicity and limited water absorption. Overall, cell wall alterations, along with phytate and polyphenol transformations, are key contributors to the HTC phenomenon. This new knowledge provides mechanistic insights that can support storage and processing strategies aimed at improving legume cooking quality, energy efficiency, and nutritional value.Dilini Perera, Lavaraj Devkota, Gaurav Kumar, James Cowley, Sushil Dhita
Dynamic Cone Penetration Test in Lunar Highlands Regolith Simulant
No full textIt is essential to understand the geotechnical properties of the ground before anything can be built on Earth, the Moon, or elsewhere. The cone penetrometer is a simple but very important instrument that yields quantitative and qualitative information about the geotechnical properties of the material. Quantitative information is the penetration resistance from which density and layering can be inferred, and ground improvement can be evaluated. Qualitative information includes identifying layering and inhomogeneities, as well as the existence of boulders. Cone penetrometers are often proposed for space missions (e.g., Beagle 2, InSight, Philae) and were even used by Apollo astronauts. All cone penetrometers that have been used extra-terrestrially so far have either experienced difficulties with penetration or were designed to penetrate less than 100 mm deep and stop before encountering any meaningful resistance. An optimally developed dynamic cone penetrometer might work better because it requires less reaction force. This research consists of the development of a bespoke dynamic cone penetrometer with variable cone size and hammering energy. Further, this instrument is tested in a large-scale regolith compaction chamber with lunar highlands regolith simulant LHS-1E at a wide range of densities to find the optimal setup where penetration captures enough data by moving slowly but also does not stagnate. Results from dynamic cone penetration tests at many different densities are compared and successfully correlated to cone penetration and nuclear density gauge test results. Calculated coefficients allow for the conversion directly between dynamic and regular cone penetration tests at any density, which shows promise for greater use of dynamic cone penetrometers in lunar applications.Karlis Slumba, Brendan T. Scott, Mark B. Jaks
Upscaled catalyst wood-N-CoPc for PMS activation in antibiotics degradation
No full textA wood-N-CoPc catalyst, created by immobilizing cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) onto wood, features CoN5 active sites for enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation. Applied in a fixed-bed reactor, this monolithic 3D catalyst demonstrated 85–90% pollutant removal over 128 hours, showcasing its scalability and excellent potential for continuous-flow water treatment.Lingli Zhu, Zhong-Shuai Zhu, Zhihao Tian, Wei Ren, Shaobin Wang and Xiaoguang Dua
Transcranial alternating current stimulation improves ballistic motor performance in trained and untrained limbs of healthy older adults
No full textOnlinePublTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) using a combined theta-gamma waveform can improve unilateral ballistic motor performance in the trained limb of older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of individual (theta) and combined (theta-gamma) tACS waveforms on ballistic motor performance in the trained and untrained contralateral limb (i.e. cross-limb transfer) of older adults. Sixty right-handed healthy older adults (68.9 ± 5.2 years) received either high-definition theta-gamma (6 Hz theta, 75 Hz gamma), theta (6 Hz), or sham tACS over right primary motor cortex (M1) during ballistic left-thumb abduction training for 20 min. Behavioural changes were quantified as changes in trained (left) and untrained (right) thumb acceleration. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to assess changes in left and right M1 excitability, via motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and paired-pulse short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI). While training drove greater motor performance in both hands (all P < 0.001), theta tACS was associated with the largest improvements (P < 0.02, compared with theta-gamma and sham tACS) and was the only condition that demonstrated a post-training potentiation of MEP amplitude (P < 0.02). However, a positive relationship between performance improvement of trained and untrained hands was limited to the theta-gamma tACS condition (R2 = 0.501, P < 0.001). These results suggest that specific tACS waveforms may have unique effects on different facets of motor learning; while theta tACS can augment performance gain, theta-gamma tACS may influence cross-limb transfer of performance.Nishadi N. Gamage, Wei‑Yeh Liao, Philip J. Atherton, Mathew Piasecki, George M. Opie, John G. Semmle
A low-intensity nutrition intervention targeting triglycerides in gestational diabetes: a feasibility RCT
No full textAdvance access publication 16 May 2025Context The conventional approach to diet therapy for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is carbohydrate modification to mitigate glucose-mediated fetal macrosomia. Maternal triglyceride concentrations more strongly relate to infant adiposity than maternal glucose. Objective This work aimed to assess the feasibility of a low-intensity dietary intervention designed to attenuate the rise in triglycerides compared to standard GDM management. Methods Women with GDM were randomly assigned at approximately 30 weeks’ gestation to a standard care group (ie, usual GDM management) or to an intervention group, at an allocation ratio of 1:1. The intervention group received standard care plus individual counseling on reducing intake of ultraprocessed foods, increasing fruits, vegetables, fish and nuts, and changes to healthier fats. The primary outcome is study feasibility; secondary and exploratory outcomes include maternal dietary intakes, plasma triglyceride and glucose levels, and birth weight. Results Over 10 months of active recruitment, 444 women were invited to participate. Of these, 59 were eligible (13.2%), 38 (8.6%) consented and were randomly assigned (n = 19 intervention, n = 19 standard care), and 34 women completed the study. The recruitment rate was 1 per week, the retention rate was 89.5%, and the feasibility of eligibility criteria was 70.4%. Nearly all women in the intervention group who responded to the questionnaire (n = 15/16) reduced their ultraprocessed food intake, and 11 women increased their intake of nuts. There was no end of study differences in nonfasting plasma triglycerides (mean [95% CI] in intervention, 2.84 [2.22-3.46] mmol/L vs standard care, 3.40 [2.78-4.02] mmol/L). Mean birthweight was higher in the standard care group vs intervention group (mean difference [95% CI], 479.5 [110.7-848.3] g). Conclusion There was a modest recruitment rate and a high retention rate, indicating a diet aimed at attenuating triglycerides is feasible and highly acceptable in women with GDM. The positive improvements observed in maternal diet and desirable birth weight warrant further investigation in a larger, definitive, randomized controlled trial.Kai Liu, Georgia S. Clarke, Jessica A. Griege
Real-time thematic role assignment in Pitjantjatjara: an eye-tracking study
No full textLanguages differ in how core argument roles are marked and in the cues guiding their real-time comprehension. This study investigated thematic role assignment in Pitjantjatjara – an Australian Pama-Nyungan ergative language with free word-order. Using visual world eye-tracking, we analysed whether a noun phrase’s humanness, case marking and position in the sentence guide its interpretation as agent or patient of an event. Confirmatory analyses indicated that these properties do not affect thematic role processing at the noun phrase itself. Exploratory analyses suggested that transitivity expectations play an important role. When the visual scene depicted more typical human agents, the influence of linguistic factors was observed later in the trial: speakers committed to the thematic role faster when all cues pointed toward the same interpretation. However, visual events that violated expectations (animals/inanimate objects acting on humans) strongly attracted participants' visual attention, attenuating the influence of linguistic input.Anton Malko, Sasha Wilmoth, Thivina Thanabalan, Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Rachel Nordlinger, Matthias Schlesewsky and Evan Kid
Cultural Diversity and Kidney Replacement Therapy Outcomes in Australia
No full textIntroduction: Australia’s population is culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), with 31% of Australians born overseas and 22% speaking a language other than English at home. However, there is limited evidence on how CALD backgrounds influence access to kidney replacement therapy (KRT) and outcomes. We examined patient characteristics, treatment modality, waitlisting, and outcomes across CALD groups. Methods: We analyzed the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) registry data for non-Indigenous adults who initiated KRT in Australia (2002–2023). Patients were grouped by place of birth: Australia or New Zealand (Aus/NZ), other English-speaking countries (CALD-English), and non- English-speaking countries (CALD-non-English). Competing risk and multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations between CALD status and KRT modality, waitlisting, mortality, and dialysis withdrawal. Results: Among 72,621 KRT initiations, 52,045 non-Indigenous adults who commenced KRT in Australia met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 285 (0.5%) had missing country-of-birth data, leaving 51,760 patients for grouping (63.8% Aus/NZ-born, 6.5% CALD-English, and 29.7% CALD-non-English). CALD-non-English were less likely to commence home hemodialysis (HD) (relative risk ratio [RRR]: 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58–0.88) or receive preemptive transplantation (RRR: 0.38, 0.33–0.44) but more likely to start peritoneal dialysis (PD) (RRR: 1.35, 1.29–1.42) than Aus/NZ. After adjustment, CALD-non-English had higher waitlisting (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR]: 1.34, 1.28–1.40), lower mortality (SHR: 0.76, 0.74–0.78), and lower dialysis withdrawal (RRR: 0.54, 0.51–0.57) than Aus/NZ. Conclusion: CALD status was independently associated with KRT modality, transplant waitlisting, survival, and dialysis withdrawal. Understanding how cultural values, health literacy, and family involvement shape KRT decisions and outcomes is essential for designing equitable, culturally sensitive kidney care.Pedro Franca Gois, Ginger Chu, Namrata Khanal, Kamal Sud, Bobby Chacko, Kate Brotherton, Scott Jones, Tim Spicer, Chandana Guha, Shyam Muthuramalingam, Jasmin Mazis and Stephen McDonal
Economic assessment post-demolition autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) recycling and subsequent belite cement clinker production
No full textAutoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a building material with high thermal insulation properties used as masonry units in the construction of residential buildings. Although volumesof post-demolition AAC (pd-AAC) volumes are increasing, it is mainly landfilled today while landfill fees rise, legal framework conditions in Europe are tightening, and climate protection needs extensive efforts in the area of recycling. This study presents an economic assessment of pd-AAC recycling, consisting of mechanical processing (crushing, grading, purifying) and subsequent belite cement clinker production from the fine pd-AAC fraction. The processes are modelled in detail to determine needed equipment, material flows, and energy demands for five different plant capacity scenarios. Calculated total costs of pd-AAC recycling, consisting of variable costs, fixed costs, overhead costs, and general expenses, vary significantly between the different scenarios. Today, mechanical processing of pd-AAC has total costs between 30 €/t input (plant capacity: 250,000 t/a) and around 209 €/t input (plant capacity: 10,000 t/a). The mechanical processing is economically viable compared to regionally varying pd-AAC landfilling costs of 65–180 €/t for recycling plants with capacities of at least 25,000 t/a. Additional costs for subsequent belite cement clinker production from pd-AAC sum up to 800 €/t input (plant capacity: 250,000 t/a), respectively 1250 €/t input (plant capacity: 10,000 t/a). Thus, the minimum sales price for the resulting belite cement clinker would need to be around 430 €/t to compete with current landfilling costs.Justus J. Steins, Rebekka Volk, Günter Beuchle, Pallavi Reddy Yarka Reddy, Gourisankar Sandaka, Frank Schultman
Quantification of kitchen food waste and patient plate waste in an acute care hospital foodservice: An Australian case study
No full textFood waste (FW) is a global issue across the food supply and consumption chain, with environmental, economic, social, and health implications. This study conducted a two-month manual FW audit in an Australian acute care tertiary hospital using direct weighing and visual estimation methods. The primary objective was to quantify the amount and types of FW generated in the kitchen, including spoilage, preparation, and unserved food, and plate waste from two general medicine wards and one coronary care unit. The secondary objective was to examine how plate waste varied by mealtime, food component, diet type, and main dish, and how unserved waste varied by mealtime and food component. A total of 2214 plates were audited over seven breakfasts, 21 lunches, and 21 dinners reflecting the full menu cycle. Kitchen FW totalled 134.1 kg/day (170.4 g/meal), comprising 0.4 g/meal from spoilage waste, 20.7 g/meal from preparation waste, and 149.3 g/meal from unserved food. Plate waste averaged 0.7 kg/patient/day, representing 41 % of food served. Most waste occurred at dinner, with the least waste at breakfast. Special diets (49 %) generated more plate waste than regular diets (36 %), with the pureed diet highest (72 %). By mass, wet cereal, dairy, and hot dishes were most wasted at breakfast; salads, soups, vegetables, and supplements were most wasted at lunch and dinner. The findings strengthen the evidence base for hospital FW quantification and inform more sustainable foodservice and menu design. Recommendations for operational improvements to reduce FW, enhance patient outcomes, and meet national reduction targets are put forward.Huize Ni, Taylor Willmott, Dianne McGrath, Sarah Mikelsons, Emily Teo, Rhiannon Crane, Helen Morris, Tina Bianco-Miott