85000 research outputs found
Sort by
Fashion In Fields: The Professionalisation of the Fashion Curriculum at RMIT University from 1889-1999
No full textAbstract
Fashion and dress education in Australia has a history woven into both the vocational and higher education sectors, where assumptions around gender and social class impact the curriculum. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT), formerly the Working Men’s College (WMC), was established in 1887 to support general and technical education for workers, and although male workers were the central consideration in the formation of the College, women enrolled from the outset, and the dress cutting classes for women conducted from 1889 form an important part of the WMC/RMIT history.
This research investigated the narrative connecting these first classes with contemporary fashion programs at RMIT up until the end of the twentieth century as government commissioned reviews into the provision of state-funded education continued to impact the way technical education was constructed for this creative discipline. Interwoven into this narrative is the relationship between RMIT and the Emily McPherson College, where fashion and dress curricula was conceived around a variety of possibilities; as entry into the workplace, as access into a teaching career, and as a useful skill and art form for women to exploit for themselves. The narrative begins prior to the amalgamation of the Emily McPherson College with RMIT and concludes in 1999, when the Melbourne Institute of Textiles, formerly the Melbourne Textile Trades School, merged with RMIT University.
Drawing on archival documents, institutional texts, historical publications and semi-structured interviews with fashion program alumni, the data was analysed by applying Bourdieu’s field theory which uses the conceptual tools of field, capital and habitus to make visible the tension, competition, and power relations between players in the field and different types of knowledge. Through an analysis of the curriculum constructed within fashion and dress education fields; the art school field, the domestic economy field and the trade school field, changes in socio-cultural expectations of women’s work within a practice dominated by women was examined.
The research showed that knowledge privileged in the art school field supported the professionalisation of fashion design practice, through programs positioned within the higher education sector but underpinned by tacit knowledge and skills drawn from the domestic economy and trade school fields. The research also fills a gap in the institutional history, revealing key players and their contribution to the development of the fashion design discipline; the details of which often have been hidden in plain view.
Based on the findings I argue that it is the structure of the education sector, that determines which parts of fashion design practice is reconstructed into curriculum. While the education sector continues to highlight the differences between vocational and higher education courses and programs, the historical record suggests the continued advancement of fashion design as a discipline is best supported through the collaboration of players in both sectors.</p
Silicon‐Based Optical Switch with <b>Ge</b><sub>2</sub><b>Sb</b><sub>2</sub><b>Te</b><sub>5</sub>‐Enabled Phase‐Shifting Region
No full textWith the rapid development of communication networks and computing, optical switches as an important elementary unit are highly needed. In this article, a silicon‐based optical switch with (GST)‐enabled phase‐shifting region is proposed. This optical switch is based on contra‐directional couplers composed of two phase‐shifted Bragg gratings. To minimize the impact of GST absorption loss, GST is only used in the phase‐shifting area, and the switching function is achieved by changing the state of GST. In the results, it is shown that the proposed device has a 3 dB operation bandwidth of about 163.2 GHz (1.394 nm) and an extinction ratio of about 19.06 dB for the drop port and about 20.25 dB for the through port. The loss at the central operational wavelength is about 1.3 and 1.04 dB for the through port and the drop port, respectively, and the largest loss over the entire operation bandwidth for these two ports is 1.66 and 2.35 dB. Furthermore, the optical switch is shown to be bidirectional, achieving similar performance when light propagates in the opposite direction. Compared with previous works, the proposed optical switch realizes wider operation bandwidth, higher extinction ratio, and lower loss.</p
Disability-related inequalities in the prevalence of loneliness across the lifespan: trends from Australia, 2003 to 2020
No full textBackground: Experiencing loneliness can be distressing and increasing evidence indicates that being lonely is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that people with disability have increased risk of experiencing loneliness compared to people without disability. However, we do not know if these inequalities have changed over time. This study investigated the prevalence of loneliness for people with disability in Australia annually from 2003 to 2020 to examine whether disability-related inequalities in loneliness have changed over time, and disaggregated results for subgroups of people with disability by age group, sex, and disability group. Methods: We used annual data (2003–2020) from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Loneliness was measured by a single question assessing the subjective experience of loneliness. For each wave, we calculated population-weighted age-standardised estimates of the proportion of people experiencing loneliness for people with and without disability. We then calculated the absolute and relative inequalities in loneliness between people with and without disability for each wave. Analyses were stratified by 10-year age groups, sex, and disability group (sensory or speech, physical, intellectual or learning, psychological, brain injury or stroke, other). Results: From 2003 to 2020, the prevalence of loneliness was greater for people with disability, such that people with disability were 1.5 to 1.9 times more likely to experience loneliness than people without disability. While the prevalence of loneliness decreased for people without disability between 2003 and 2020, the prevalence of loneliness did not decrease for people with disability during this period. Inequalities in loneliness were more substantial for people with intellectual or learning disabilities, psychological disability, and brain injury or stroke. Conclusion: This study confirms that people with disability have increased risk of loneliness compared to people without disability. We add to the existing evidence by demonstrating that disability-related inequalities in loneliness have persisted for two decades in Australia without improvement. Our findings indicate that addressing inequalities in loneliness for people with disability is a critical public health concern given that loneliness is associated with a wide range of poor health outcomes.</p
Deep Eutectic Solvent Eutectogels for Delivery of Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobials
No full textGel-based wound dressings have gained popularity within the healthcare industry for the prevention and treatment of bacterial and fungal infections. Gels based on deep eutectic solvents (DESs), known as eutectogels, provide a promising alternative to hydrogels as they are non-volatile and highly tunable and can solubilize therapeutic agents, including those insoluble in hydrogels. A choline chloride:glycerol-cellulose eutectogel was loaded with numerous antimicrobial agents including silver nanoparticles, black phosphorus nanoflakes, and commercially available pharmaceuticals (octenidine dihydrochloride, tetracycline hydrochloride, and fluconazole). The eutectogels caused >97% growth reduction in Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and the fungal species Candida albicans.</p
Molecular Characterisation and Thermal Examination Of β-Lactoglobulin and 11S Glycinin with Hexanal – An Off-Flavour Compound
No full textDespite the increasing interest to incorporate plant-based foods in western diets, recent sensory studies have revealed that taste and texture of plant-based protein source contain limitations when compared to current animal-based motifs. Methods such as UHT treatment have been implemented to reduce malodorous compound development but has proven to also impose bio-functional changes to the molecular structure of the overall protein molecule, an area which still requires extensive investigation.
In this PhD research, β-lactoglobulin (variant B) and 11S glycinin (extracted from raw soybean) were the chosen protein fractions to represent both animal-based and plant-based protein sources. The choice of ligand was analytical grade hexanal, a widely studied volatile aldehyde which is present in both protein systems. The surrounding pH for both systems was maintained at pH 7.2 due to their added molecular stability within these environments. Spectroscopical methods were chosen based on recent publications which have previously identified the binding characteristics of similar host protein fractions as well as the secondary structural examination upon protein and ligand interactions. A major theme throughout this PhD thesis is to compare the findings between animal-based and plant-based protein sources by performing uniform experimental procedures where appropriate which will be compared relative to one another throughout the following chapters.
The first two experimental chapters of this PhD thesis were performed in ambient conditions to set the foundation for the ensuing thermal treatment in the latter part of the work. A series of spectroscopical techniques were performed along with ensuing molecular docking techniques to probe the molecular transitions, secondary structural changes and binding characteristics between hexanal with β-lactoglobulin and 11S glycinin. A host of spectroscopical similarities were identified between the two host protein fractions which contained physical interactions stabilised by van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, pi-alkyl and alkyl interactions. However, incorporation of the complexed volatile compound resulted in slight observational differences between β-lactoglobulin and 11S glycinin. The initial signs were apparent with significant reductions and increases to differing secondary structural components between the two host protein fractions. Existing as a dimer, jobs plot analysis revealed a 2:3 binding ratio for the β-lactoglobulin fraction assuming three hexanal compounds, one at the interface located between the monomers of the β-lactoglobulin dimer and one in the calyx of each monomer. Existing as a trimer in this study, jobs plot revealed a 1:1 binding ratio between 11S glycinin and hexanal (2 per hexamer) with its top ranked biding pose located within the middle of chains A and B of the chain trimer in a ‘donut’ model. These findings suggest that despite uniform molecular transitions, and interaction type, binding characteristics may yet differ between the two host protein matrices which will be further investigated in the following chapters.
Building from the first two chapters, chapters 3 and 4 contained a thermal procedure, to instigate potential covalent interactions between the host and ligand as seen in previous literature. The thermal stability of hexanal actuated the adopted thermal treatment parameters due to its volatility under elevated thermal conditions. Physical apparatus such as vacuum pressure tubes, glycerol bath and constant temperature logging were utilised to ensure the most optimal conditions for protein-ligand complexation. As such, elevated thermal conditions of 80˚C for an exposure time of 60 minutes was deemed the optimal conditions for both protein sources, to allow for complete protein-ligand complexation without precipitation.
Performed experimental procedures followed the themes outlined in the first two chapters allowing a complete 4-way investigation of all experimental work provided in this thesis. MALDI-TOF/MS, UV-vis, CD and FTIR spectroscopic analysis were the chosen traditional benchtop analysis followed by GROMACS simulations to visualise such conditions using the crystal structures of β-lactoglobulin and 11S glycinin. Simulations depicted the thermally processed β-lactoglobulin crystal structure undergoes a conformational change, between 68 to 80˚C, a temperature that is within the Tanford transition range. For 11S, a similar area of interest was located upon concluding the simulated thermal procedure, where complete expansion of the β-sheet structures was evident within the individual chains of the 11S molecule. Molecular docking on the thermally simulated crystal structures revealed the top ranked binding positions have completely changed when examining the same crystal structures under ambient conditions as outlined in the first two experimental chapters. It is believed that within these new binding locales, an adjacent lysine amino acid residue has facilitated covalent interactions between the host and ligand. These findings are in large agreement with UV-vis and MALDI-TOF/MS spectra revealing a covalent reaction through a condensation reaction that has occurred between hexanal and the acidic subunit of 11S glycinin as well as all three protein variants of β-lactoglobulin.
In summary, this PhD thesis deals with the binding interactions between the aliphatic aldehyde hexanal with the whey-based fraction β-lactoglobulin and soybean storage protein 11S glycinin. In ambient conditions, the binding mechanics reveal a moderate binding strength where only physical interactions occur between hexanal with β-lactoglobulin and 11S glycinin. However, alterations to the protein conformational state due to the imposed thermal treatment has resulted in new binding locations which were able to facilitate covalent interactions through a condensation reaction between hexanal and the new surrounding residues. Understanding these mechanisms between protein/aldehyde matrices is a significant step in developing a viable plant based commercial formulation to match the taste and odour of whey-based protein. Achieving this goal will improve consumer acceptance and enhance nutritional benefits which will lead to considerable marketing and business advantages.</p
RMIT’s Curriculum Mapping GenAI Handout
No full textThe Curriculum Mapping GenAI Handout has been developed for use in educator development workshops to support educators in designing learning for generative artificial intelligence. The resource provides a visual guide to support educators in developing curriculum. The handout has been designed to be used with RMIT’s Artificial Intelligence Assurance of Learning Typology, RMIT's Artificial Intelligence Assurance of Learning Typology Extended Guide and AI Venn Outcome Context Method Handout.</p
Widening the frequency bandgap and reducing thermal conductivity in phononic crystals by tuning structural parameters using a novel computational simulation method
No full textThis paper introduces and models a phononic structure based on single-crystal silicon, aiming to investigate the width of its frequency bandgap and the impact of key parameters on thermal conductivity. The modeled phononic crystal structure features a periodic arrangement of cylindrical holes in a silicon matrix. This research holds the potential to enhance thermal management performance of thermal metamaterials. Utilizing a 3D finite element method (FEM) model in COMSOL, we have computed phonon dispersion to estimate thermal conductivity. The study systematically has explored the influence of phononic crystal parameters—specifically, porosity, lattice constant, and thickness—along with their interactions on both thermal conductivity and frequency bandgap width. A comprehensive investigation of these parameters has been conducted for their optimization to achieve the maximum frequency bandgap width and minimum thermal conductivity using the response surface method model. Eigenfrequencies and wave vector parameters are extracted from the finite element model using a MATLAB script. Subsequently, thermal conductivity is calculated through the Callaway–Holland model, a simplification of the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE). Our results indicate that the frequency bandgap begins to form at approximately 43% porosity for a lattice constant and thickness of 100 nm each. Furthermore, adjusting the parameters led to a significant reduction in thermal conductivity, decreasing from 43.89 W m−1 K−1 to 0.39 W m−1 K−1. The novelty of our research lies in thermal conductivity control of phononic crystal metamaterials through their parameter variations, or a predictive method of thermal conductivity and its parameter sensitivity. This study advances the state of the art in phononic crystal metamaterial research, contributing to improved thermal management performance by enlarging frequency bandgaps. Overall, our findings deepen the understanding of how porosity, lattice constant, and thickness influence thermal conductivity and frequency bandgap width. They offer valuable insights into optimizing phononic crystal parameters, enhancing thermal management performance, and designing more efficient and effective phononic crystal structures.</p
Sensitivity analysis of design parameters and their interactions and performance prediction of a novel twin turbine wave energy converter
No full textIn addressing the challenges associated with accurately predicting the efficiency of wave energy converters, particularly due to the intricate nature of certain parameters resistant to straightforward analytical derivation, this paper proposes a novel semi-parameter analytical dynamic model. This model not only effectively overcomes the inherent challenges but also undergoes rigorous validation through experimental testing. Building upon this foundation, we employ response surface methodology to develop a predictive framework for evaluating the energy harvesting efficiency of our innovative twin-turbine wave energy converter. The objectives of this predictive model are twofold: firstly, to eliminate the need for intricate numerical integration of dynamic differential equations governing the converter's behaviour; secondly, to distil the energy harvesting performance prediction model from intricate design parameters. This streamlined model facilitates an incisive analysis of design parameter sensitivities and interactive influences. Validation involves analysis of variance (ANOVA) and comparison against the semi-parameter analytical dynamic model. The innovative aspect of our wave energy converter lies in the creative use of twin turbines connected through a pulley-driven transmission system. This unique configuration significantly enhances generator rotational speed, enabling efficient power take-off mechanism placement within the buoy. The pulley-driven transmission system not only allows easy adjustment of the transmission ratio but also heightens generator efficiency by aligning its operational speed within the desired rated speed range. Additionally, the transmission system adeptly absorbs load fluctuations, impacts and vibrations from oceanic waves, enhancing device robustness and longevity. The streamlined design also facilitates maintenance access, affirming practicality.</p
Unlocking the full potential of solar cell materials: parameter sensitivity analysis and optimization using response surface modelling
No full textThis study introduces a novel approach for predicting solar cell efficiency and conducting sensitivity analysis of key parameters and their interactions, leveraging response surface modeling to optimize interacting solar cell structure parameters for the best performance. Integrating response surface modeling with solar cell simulation software enhances the efficiency prediction process that enables the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS)-1D software to unlock the true potential of a material. Through the utilization of central composite design (CCD) and response surface modeling (RSM), this research minimizes material waste during synthesis, saves time, and conserves energy. The methodology involves selecting five input parameters within specific ranges, modeling them using the least square method to create a polynomial regression model, and validating the model through efficiency predictions compared to SCAPS-1D simulations. The parameter sensitivity analysis is validated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) test results, demonstrating the precision of the RSM in predicting solar cell efficiency with a maximum error of 1.93%.</p
Digital mental health interventions for the mental health care of refugees and asylum seekers: Integrative literature review
No full textThis study aimed to provide a critical analysis of the current literature on the use of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) for the management and treatment of mental health disorders among refugees and asylum seekers. These groups are among the most disadvantaged compared to the general population in terms of health and socio-economic status, due to conflicts and wars. The number of refugees fleeing their home countries is growing exponentially, and refugees experience trauma, torture, persecution and human right abuses, which have a profound effect on their mental health and overall well-being. The researchers conducted an integrative literature review from electronic databases Medline, CINAHL and Google Scholar, selecting articles published in English from 2010 to 2023. The thematic analysis of the 10 articles identified in the review revealed four main themes and two sub-themes: (1) types of digital health intervention/apps used; (2) barriers encountered in digital health intervention; (3) user experience of the digital health intervention and (4) mapping gaps. Two sub-themes were identified located in Theme 2: (2.1) Language and demographic barriers and (2.2) Structural barriers. The study showed that the use of DMHIs was associated with positive experiences among refugees and asylum seekers. Limited mental health care is offered to refugees and asylum seekers due to a range of logistical, political, economic, geographical, language, cultural and social barriers. DMHIs have the potential to overcome and/or moderate these barriers. The study concludes that the scaled implementation of effective DMHIs holds the possibility to improve the wider distribution of mental health care among refugees and asylum seekers. However, further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of DMHIs and to scale up studies for their utilisation among this group. In summary, this study highlights the potential of DMHIs in improving the mental health care of refugees and asylum seekers. The results of this study have important implications for mental health service providers, policymakers and researchers to address the mental health needs of this vulnerable/priority group.</p