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Pre-work-integrated learning as the catalyst for authentic pedagogy: A Vietnam-based case study
No full textThis article contributes to the growing literature on pre-work-integrated learning through an evaluation of its
application in two concurrently taught courses at RMIT University (Vietnam) in collaboration with Investing in
Women, an initiative of the Australian government to promote women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia. An impact evaluation survey featuring qualitative and quantitative questions was completed by 99 of the courses’ students to evaluate whether they obtained an authentic learning experience. The findings demonstrate how client assessment briefs can facilitate student motivation throughout course activities, assessment tasks, and learning outcomes and provide the students with social and cultural context. The findings also offer critical insights into key themes associated with work integrated learning, such as employability, the relationship between authentic assessment and student identity, and stakeholder responsibility, particularly in a Southeast Asian context.</p
Safe-shoring and resource orchestration for B2B firms in emerging economies
No full textThe global economic landscape has witnessed significant disruptions, prompting businesses to reevaluate their internationalization strategies. Safe-shoring, involving strategic realignment to mitigate risks while maintaining competitiveness, is crucial in volatile international markets. Drawing upon the Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT), the research employs a multiple-case research design involving four B2B organizations from an Asian developing country. Findings reveal that market demand, regulatory environments, and strategic objectives significantly influence firms' decisions to adopt safe-shoring practices. Moreover, the study identifies and analyzes trade-offs encountered in resource orchestration, such as those between cost-effectiveness and quality, specialization and control, and short-term gains versus long-term sustainability. The study enriches ROT by identifying and analyzing specific resource-orchestrated capabilities developed by these firms and uncovers trade-offs encountered in their deployment. The empirical evidence contributes to theoretical advancements in understanding resource allocation, strategic decision-making, and risk management in international business, providing valuable insights for practitioners and scholars alike.</p
Dividend policies and managerial ability beyond financial constraints: insights from China
No full textManagerial ability plays a key role in the development and performance of a business and, implicitly, in corporate financing decisions and dividend opportunities. This study builds on the contradictory literature arguments related to dividend policies and analyses the influence of managerial ability and financial constraints on cash dividends, considering a comprehensive perspective of dividends expressed as both accounting and market measures of payout, yield, and growth in the context of the Chinese financial market. Alternative empirical estimations on a sample of 18,011 firm-year data of Chinese A-share listed companies between 2010 and 2019 indicate that managerial ability has a positive influence over cash dividend distribution, enhancing shareholders’ returns and the attractiveness of the companies on the financial market. The effect of managerial ability is challenged by the financial constraints’ conditions and state ownership. These results contribute to corporate and regulatory dividend policies, illustrating the importance of understanding the role of managerial influence on dividend decisions.</p
Estimation of the Soil–Water Retention Curve from the Grain Size Distribution and Relative Density of Coarse-Grained Soils
No full textThe soil–water retention curve (SWRC) is a fundamental property that governs the hydraulic and mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. Laboratory SWRC determination remains time-consuming and costly, promoting indirect estimation methods. However, existing methods often oversimplify the pore structure and particle arrangement of soils and neglect the effect of capillary menisci, resulting in discrepancies from natural soil behavior. This study proposes a novel method to estimate the SWRC of coarse-grained soils based on grain size distribution (GSD) and relative density. In the proposed method, soil particles are idealized as spheres in a two-dimensional (2D) plane, and the packing structure is modeled using representative quadrilaterals composed of four poly-disperse particles. The GSD is employed to calculate the probability of different particle sizes occupying the corners of the quadrilateral elements, while the relative density defines their geometric configuration. The water retention behavior is then evaluated using the geometric relationships between the air–water interface and particle radii. The predicted SWRCs are in good agreement with experimental data, indicating that the method can effectively capture the water retention characteristics of coarse-grained soils governed by capillary effects. The method’s applicability is limited to coarse-grained soils and excludes clayey soils where adsorbed water dominates retention mechanisms.</p
Studies on Nannochloropsis oceanica: Global Transcriptome Profiling and Evaluation of Functional Implications of its EPA Rich Biomass to Ameliorate Liver Fibrosis
No full textThe current Ph.D. thesis explores the potential of EPA rich, N. oceanica as a sustainable and scalable source of EPA, a vital omega-3 fatty acid, to meet the escalating global demand for nutrient-rich, eco-friendly food sources. Whole-genome sequencing of N. oceanica using a hybrid Illumina–Nanopore approach yielded a high-quality ~30 Mb draft genome with complete chloroplast and mitochondrial sequences and 75.7% completeness. A total of 10,425 protein coding genes were predicted, with 88% functionally annotated. Comparative genomics with strains LAMB2011 and IMET1 showed 98.9% sequence identity. Cultivation optimization of N. oceanica in closed photobioreactors identified 1% CO₂, 160 μmol/m²/s light intensity, and white LEDs as optimal for EPA productivity (7.2 mg/L/day). Cold (10 °C) and dark stress, with transcriptome analysis indicating upregulation of fatty acid biosynthesis genes and repression of lipid degradation pathways. To improve EPA bioaccessibility in N. oceanica hindered by the algaenan-rich cell wall, high pressure homogenization (HPH) combined with polyethylene glycol alginate (PEA) was evaluated. Four-pass HPH with PEA significantly enhanced EPA bioaccessibility to 53.06%, compared to 44.7% with HPH alone. For therapeutic validation, EPA-rich N. oceanica biomass was orally administered to rats with CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis. High-dose treatment improved liver enzyme profiles, reduced fibrosis, and shifted gut microbiota toward SCFA-producing, anti-inflammatory bacteria (e.g., Blautia, Romboutsia, L. reuteri), highlighting gut-liver axis modulation. These results demonstrate the efficacy of N. oceanica biomass as a vegan, sustainable EPA source with potent hepatoprotective and microbiome-modulating effects, comparable to fish oil, underscoring its potential as a nutraceutical.</p
Evacuation Behaviour in Bushfires: Evidence from Wanneroo, WA
No full textThis report presents the findings of a research project titled ‘Investigating Bushfire Evacuation Travel Behaviour in High-risk Communities’, led by RMIT University and funded by the Australian Research Council (FT220100618). The report focuses on understanding residents’ evacuation decision-making during the Wanneroo Fire that occurred in the City of Wanneroo, Western Australia in 2023. The research highlights important aspects about household response during the 2023 fire, including residents’ risk perceptions and previous fire experiences prior to the 2023-2024 fire season, the information that they received or sought out during the fire, their decisions to evacuate (or not) and why, and their travel behaviour and when they returned home (specific to evacuees).
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Limits of retranslation: the first Chinese translation of <i>The Tale of Genji </i>and its successors
No full textMuch of the theorizing on retranslation has been significantly influenced by the Retranslation Hypothesis, which valorizes subsequent translations as improvements on prior ones. In this regard, Chinese translations of The Tale of Genji prompt a re-evaluation of scholarly views on the original text, its first translation, and the later retranslations. In the wake of Feng Zikai’s first complete Chinese translation of Genji in Mainland China in 1980, numerous retranslations have emerged. However, a combination of textual and statistical analysis reveals that four of the full retranslations are closely related to Feng’s version, either directly borrowing from it, or subtly rewording it. The intertwined motivations of fame for the translators and profit for the publishers have driven this phenomenon, indirectly fostering a static reading of Japanese literature and culture in China. Instead of offering new interpretations of Genji, the Chinese retranslations reinforce the authority of Feng Zikai’s translation.</p
Entrepreneurial leadership affecting knowledge hiding behaviour: the roles of employee envy and peer justice
No full textKnowledge hiding behaviour poses a significant threat to individual and organisational achievements, necessitating understanding its root causes and strategies to mitigate it. Drawing on social cognitive theory, we develop a research model that explores the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and knowledge hiding, with employee envy as a mediating factor and peer justice as a moderating factor. Our research includes two studies: Study 1 utilised a scenario-based experimental design with a data sample of 114 U.S. workers, revealing that entrepreneurial leadership was positively linked to knowledge hiding. Study 2 extended our findings by testing the entire research model using empirical data collected from 322 employees in Vietnamese hospitality firms, confirming that employee envy mediates, and peer justice moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and knowledge hiding. These findings provide significant theoretical contributions to the knowledge management literature and crucial practical insights for developing organisational strategies.</p
High resolution melt electro-written scaffolds promote alignment of human skeletal muscle cells
No full textAdvanced tissue engineering (TE) strategies are vital to address challenging musculoskeletal conditions, such as volumetric muscle loss. These disorders impose a considerable economic burden and affect individuals’ quality of life, highlighting the need for innovative treatments, such as TE, to address these challenges. Here, we examine how scaffold fibre orientation influences mechanical properties and cellular behaviour by utilising melt electrowriting (MEW) as a high-resolution 3D printing technique that combines aspects of electrospinning and melt based polymer deposition. In this work, we investigated the effects of fibre orientation in MEW scaffolds, and its effect on the scaffold mechanical properties as well as cell orientation and alignment. MEW scaffolds were mechanically characterised through uniaxial strain testing to determine critical parameters, including strain at failure, ultimate tensile strength, Young’s modulus (E), fatigue rate, recovery time, and yield strain. These mechanical properties were analysed to define an optimal strain regime for transitioning from static to dynamic culture conditions under muscle-like cyclic loading, relevant to muscle’s viscoelastic behaviour. In parallel, static cultures of primary human skeletal muscle myoblasts and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) were grown on MEW scaffolds, with varying architectures, to study the effects of fibre aspect ratio on cell alignment. Cell alignment was visualised using DAPI/phalloidin staining and quantified with the ImageJ directionality plugin, enabling a systematic comparison of scaffold designs. This approach evaluates the potential of supportive scaffold architectures to promote aligned cell growth, offering insights into designing effective scaffolds for tissue regeneration.</p
Planning, conducting, and presenting visual journalism research: Considerations for visual data collection, analysis, and publication
No full textVisual phenomena are, for many scholars, a secondary concern in contrast to analyzing verbal data and discourse; however, the digital news media environment is highly visual and an understanding of the considerations, tools, methods, and techniques for planning visually led journalism research is necessary to appreciate a more holistic understanding of the news ecosystem and of journalism practice. As such, this chapter details some of the unique considerations for visual journalism research as they relate to data collection, data analysis, and data reporting and presentation. Further, this chapter outlines considerations for presenting visual data enhanced through the author’s nine years’ experience as a visual communication journal editor. Taken together, this chapter offers a concise and compelling summary of the key ways that the visual dimensions of journalism are researched, the specific methodological challenges entailed in the analysis of visual news, and best practices for reporting and presenting visual data.</p