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An organisational perspective on the factors influencing the adoption of blockchain technology
No full textIncreased levels of competition, customer expectations, and pressures from stakeholders to improve performance and transparency/full disclosure, have all forced organisations to implement new technologies. Blockchain technology is an example of a disruptive technology. It is in fact a distributed ledger system that enables the history of any product to be traced by all the stakeholders involved which can result in improving organisational efficiency. Despite its benefits for businesses such as improving trust and honesty or transparency and reducing costs and complexity, businesses do not all agree on the adoption of such a disruptive technology.
The review of the literature reveals a scarcity of in-depth empirical research on the factors that guide the acceptance of blockchain technology. Thus, this study examines empirically the impact of different factors on blockchain adoption in medium-sized and large organisations in Australia, where blockchain offers an effective and efficient way to potentially transform the country’s business environment. Australia is one of the countries that have publicly stated a commitment to adopt blockchain technology, and the Australian federal government predicts that the technology will generate an annual business value of approximately US 3 trillion by 2025 and 2030, respectively.
The current study addresses this gap in our knowledge using a quantitative research approach. Based on the recent literature on blockchain, absorptive capacity theory and the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework, a new theoretical framework is proposed to further investigate the influence of various factors on blockchain adoption. The data is collected through a survey of 224 IT managers from medium-sized and large organisations in Australia, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) serves to examine the hypothesised relationships. Based on the findings of this thesis, perceived security, perceived cost, senior or executive management support, competitive pressure and regulatory support significantly shape organisational adoption of blockchain in Australia. Senior managerial support is found to have a significant mediating role between external factors and the acceptance of blockchain. Further discussions are provided on how the findings of this research will help government and business managers determine the factors that need to be considered prior to implementing blockchain technology.
This study contributes to theory by proposing and validating a theoretical model-based framework. The TOE model, which explains the organisational perspective on technology adoption, forms the basis of the model that is then expanded by adding absorptive capacity and the mediating effect of top management support. This expanded model has been shown to provide a more thorough explanation than the original TOE framework. A measuring scale that future research can use in investigating blockchain adoption has also been devised and validated.
The research also makes practical contributions since the revised framework provides a reference for managers wishing to obtain deeper insights into the crucial factors that affect blockchain adoption in Australia. Furthermore, the findings are important for the federal government to develop relevant policies to remove any uncertainties hindering blockchain adoption; for example, regulation, skill-building, investment, international competitiveness and collaboration. As blockchain is still in the early stage of adoption in Australia, this research provides more information to firms, in order to plan for the acquisition of blockchain technology and make their business models more compatible with it
Evaluation of the impact of a communication focused curriculum intervention in an undergraduate osteopathy programme
No full textEffective communication between primary healthcare practitioners and patients is considered critical to the delivery, receipt, and accurate interpretation of health information. Despite the overhaul to medical education more than 20 years ago to include communication skills, there is little reported evidence suggesting professions such as osteopathy have evolved their education programmes to recognise and include these core clinical skills. Design, learning, teaching, and assessment principles frequently used in medical education were used to inform the development of an explicit communication curriculum intervention, with the view to enhancing skill development of osteopathy students to provide patient-centred care. Accompanying the lack of allied healthcare scholarship of learning and teaching communication skills, are the tailored instruments needed to assess development and performance of such skills. Having access to valid and reliable tools affords educators greater confidence in the gathering, analysis and interpretation of assessment and evaluation results. A curriculum spiralled in design is accepted to provide the systematic building of foundational knowledge, complexity, and skill development over time to forge deeper learning. Furthermore, an explicit spiralled curriculum gives students a transparent structured framework where the priority knowledge and skills considered critical for professional practice are highlighted and frequently reinforced. Moving beyond traditional curriculum evaluation methods is fundamental when measuring the impact of educational interventions necessitating behaviour change. Using evaluation theories provides the opportunity to explore in greater depth and understand, the factors contributing to the success or failure of the intervention, as well as for whom in what context.
Method: A systematic literature review of communication skill learning and teaching was used to scope the current practice in osteopathy and then inform a future communication skill curriculum intervention. A validated and reliable tool already being used in medical education for learning and teaching communication skills was identified, modified, and adapted for use in osteopathy. Quantitative analysis of data included descriptive statistics, Intra class correlation coefficient, and Pearson chi square analysis to validate the modified SEGUE tool and identify if differences existed between cohorts when given the opportunity to engage with variable amounts of the communication skill curriculum intervention. Qualitative data analysis alternatively used thematic analysis to explore student perceptions, attitudes, and experiences about priority skill sets as an osteopath in comparison with industry professionals, and for comparison with a purposeful program logic model developed during completion of the trialling of the intervention.
Outcomes and significance: The dearth of communication skill learning and teaching literature available in allied healthcare led to the medical education literature being used as guidance to inform the design of the communication skill curriculum intervention used in the undergraduate osteopathy programme. The SEGUE tool readily used in medical education can be modified, adapted, and validated for learning, teaching, and assessment purposes with undergraduate osteopathy students. Developing necessary skills such as communication, requires the curriculum to be explicit, begin with foundational knowledge, be developed gradually over time, revisited in a spiralled manner, and assessed frequently and consistently to optimise deeper learning, retention, and recall. Furthermore, the provision of an explicit and appropriately integrated complete curriculum appears to expedite student confidence and maturity in the clinical setting, and to prioritise and provide patient-centred care. Using data triangulation with a curriculum logic model provides comprehensive insights for whom, where and how did the interventions’ success and failures impact the students overall learning experience
'I just saw this on Facebook, I need it now': exploring small business use of Facebook
No full textThis paper reports on a study exploring social media adoption and use by twelve small businesses. Results indicate that Facebook is the dominant platform used and it can provide small businesses with a virtually cost free and easy way to reach customers. Businesses reported immediate results from using Facebook; customers arrived in store after seeing Facebook posts. Participants felt there were minimal risks involved and none had experienced negative feedback or inappropriate posts. Most felt that using Facebook increased their competitive advantage due to their enhanced online profile. Despite some effort to engage customers, business to consumer transfer of information is the primary function of the Facebook pages studied. Page owners report limited training for and analysis of their Facebook activities. This indicates a need for further research in the small business context, focused on approaches to boosting customer interaction, to realize the full potential of Facebook engagement.</p
Impact of Temperature Variation on Human Behaviour and Cognition
No full textThe thesis aims to examine the impact of temperature on human behaviour and cognition. This research is important as global warming increases, it causes a significant shift in temperature patterns, directly impacting human living conditions. These temperature changes are increasingly recognised as powerful influences on human functioning, affecting cognitive abilities, emotional states, and social behaviours. This thesis is comprised of three related chapters; the first empirical chapter examines the impact of temperature variations on human violent behaviour, specifically focusing on intimate partner violence against women in India. This is particularly relevant since domestic violence constitutes the largest share of all reported crimes against women in India (NCRB, 2016). The first empirical study utilises a two-part analytical approach to examine the effect of temperature on intimate partner violence. The first part of the analysis uses the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), a cross-sectional dataset to examine the correlations between temperature and intimate partner violence. Complementing this analysis, the second part of the chapter uses the longitudinal data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), to explore the causal association between temperature and intimate partner violence. Temperature data is taken from Terrestrial Air Temperature: 1900-2017 archives. The findings indicate that temperature deviations result in an increase in intimate partner violence, primarily driven by an increase in less severe forms of violence. Results also suggest alcohol consumption as a potential mediator in the relationship between temperature and intimate partner violence.
Temperature can significantly impact various aspects of human functioning and development, particularly during the formative years of childhood. Building on this principle, the second empirical study of the thesis investigates the impact of temperature on children's cognitive functioning in Australia. This study examines the cognitive performance of children, by utilising the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test scores in reading, language conventions, and numeracy. The study employs data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children (LSAC), the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test scores, and daily postcode level temperature data taken from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The findings indicate a nonlinear relationship between temperature and NAPLAN test scores, suggesting that at higher temperatures the children’s performance decreases. The third empirical study of the thesis focuses on the effect of extreme temperature deviations, hot and cold on adolescent’s prosocial behaviour. This chapter uses panel data for the B cohort, in the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children (LSAC). Prosocial behaviour is measured using the parent-reported prosocial subscale Goodman’s Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The Cronbach's alpha for the SDQ prosocial scale is 0.71, which indicates an acceptable level of internal consistency. Major findings indicate that hot temperature deviations are negatively associated with adolescents’ prosocial behaviour. In addition, results suggest that health is a potential mediator in the relationship between extreme temperature and adolescents’ prosocial behaviour.
The thesis employs different temperature measures to investigate the impact of temperature variations on human behaviour and cognition. The use of various temperature measures is driven by the nature of the outcomes being studied. The thesis contributes by providing a causal analysis of the impact of temperature on human functioning particularly social behaviour and cognitive functioning across varying socioeconomic contexts. This research holds significant value as it offers critical insights that can guide decision-making processes and strategy development across various disciplines, including policy-making, economic planning, educational practices, psychological studies, and public health initiatives.</p
The Potential for Transformation: A Conjunctural Analysis of Australian Climate Change Adaptation Policy
No full textThis thesis investigates the transformative potential of climate change adaptation policy and planning to foster systemic and proactive climate change responses in an Australia context. Over the past decade, there has been a discernible shift towards mainstreaming societal transformation in response to global challenges such as climate change. These shifts have been further accelerated, as the converging crises of COVID-19 and worsening observable climate change impacts highlight the need for new ways of being and doing. The growing narrative of transformative adaptation provides a pathway for considering the necessary changes in the systems needed to address and align action on climate change. With multiple sub-national governments in Australia adopting the concept in their climate change adaptation policy and practices, it is imperative to investigate how (and to what extent) climate change adaptation policies and plans can be transformative. Given the complex histories underpinning climate change adaptation policy and planning in Australia, there is also a need to understand how policies build on past and present contexts to make ‘climate change adaptation’ governable.
This research aims to examine how transformation can be fostered through climate change adaptation policy and planning, focusing on selected Australian cases that aim to embed transformative adaptation. To do so, the thesis proposed a novel framework that emphasises conjunctures as a tool to investigate the political, economic, cultural and ideological forces shaping policy and planning responses to climate change. This novel approach – conjunctural thinking – employs articulation, contradiction and crisis concepts to explore the conjunctural dynamics that accumulate within policy and planning contexts. This research approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on concepts and theories from cultural studies, environmental politics, human geography and policy analysis.
Through two cases of climate change adaptation policies in Victoria, Australia (Water Sector Adaptation Action Plan and Gippsland Regional Adaptation Strategy), this thesis research develops and employs ‘conjunctural thinking’ as an analytical lens to critically examine the extent to which climate change adaptation policy and planning allows for and enables transformative climate change adaptation. These cases are significant as their broader policy sets (Victoria’s Adaptation Action Plans and Victoria’s Regional Adaptation Strategies) have developed at a time when the express intention of the State of Victoria is to ‘lay the foundation for transformational adaptation’ (Department of Environment, Water, and Land Planning, 2021, p. 17). The research uses the examination of political, economic, cultural and ideological forces to provide a holistic understanding of the conjunctural foundation of Victoria’s climate change adaptation policy and planning strategies and their transformative potential in practice. Qualitative research methods include a critical literature review, policy analysis, semi-structured interviews, and case-study fieldwork.
The findings of this research are two-fold. First, each case study provides unique insights into the conjunctural dimensions of climate change adaptation policy and planning within Australia. The findings from the Water Sector Adaptation Action Plan case suggest that a disjuncture exists between escalating climate risks and diminishing institutional capacity. On the other hand, the findings from the Gippsland Regional Adaptation Strategy case highlight a layered and contextually rich policy environment with both conflicting states of high transition possibility and high climate risk and vulnerability. Second, these cases build into a layered discussion of critical moments present within the Australian climate change adaptation policy landscape. Specifically, the discussion identifies three critical moments – i] the convergence of crises, ii] the role of institutional conditions, and iii] the significance of cultural inertia, that hinder the uptake of transformative adaptation. These findings suggest that to promote transformative adaptation, more attention is needed on the impact of critical conjunctures, particularly as converging crises present a disruptive force for climate change adaptation policy and planning. In this thesis, the lens of conjunctural thinking is put forth as a way to engage with these critical conjunctures.
In conducting this research, this thesis contributes to the study of climate change adaptation policy and planning in three key ways. First, the development of conjunctural thinking lens provides a novel methodological framework for analysing the Australian climate change adaptation landscape. The conjunctural perspective enhances understanding of the conditions influencing how climate change adaptation policy and planning is susceptible to disruption and how it might be strengthened. The framework provides a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to policy research focused on the interconnectedness of culture, politics, economy, and ideologies in shaping policy outcomes. Second, the application of conjunctural thinking validates its effectiveness in generating insightful analyses of climate change adaptation policy landscapes. Such insights are valuable for leveraging the transformative potential of climate change adaptation as pressures and conditions inhibiting transformative policy options by highlighting contradictions and critical moments within the climate change adaptation policy and planning. Third, the research provides novel findings on the transformative potential within the Australian climate change adaptation policy landscape particularly related to incompatibilities between climate change adaptation policies and planning and the characteristics of transformative adaptation. While policy recommendations are not made, the insights provide the groundwork for future research directions concerning the complex social dynamics involved in climate change adaptation.</p
Understanding the Mechanisms of Fe Dissolution from the Steel Strip into the 55%Al-Zn Coating Alloy Bath
No full textIn the continuous hot-dip metal coating process, when the steel strip enters the bath, iron (Fe) dissolves from the strip into the molten coating alloy bath. A portion of the dissolved Fe takes part in the formation of an alloy layer on the steel strip while the remaining Fe forms undesirable intermetallic compounds (IMCs), also known as dross in the coating alloy bath. The dissolution of Fe and dross formation are a long-standing issue in the metal coating industry. Excessive dross formation significantly affects the coating process and the final product quality. This thesis presents a systematic experimental investigation of the influence of the major process parameters, substrate preheat temperature and strip residence time on Fe dissolution in the hot-dip coating process. The primary objective is to understand the mechanism(s) of Fe dissolution from the steel strip into the coating alloy bath during the continuous hot-dip metal coating process. To tackle the Fe dissolution issue, a novel experimental technique, based on the Fe-foil dipping approach, has been developed. The approach is based on dipping Fe-foil samples into a coating alloy bath at 600oC using a hot dip process simulator (HDPS). The dipping time was fixed at 1 second (s), which is the shortest possible dipping time allowed by the simulator. An innovative panel sandwich device is designed for dipping the Fe-foils into the coating alloy. Fe-foil samples of thickness of 5 µm, 10 µm and 20 µm were dipped at different preheat temperatures from 500oC to 605oC. This approach enabled a systematic quantitative study of the dissolution of Fe into the 53%Al-43.4%Zn-1.6%Si-2%Mg (AM) alloy coating bath. In contrast, it is difficult to quantify a small variation (<0.5µm) in the thickness of a commercial strip sample, where the thickness of the steel strip is in the range of 0.4 to 1.6 mm. This could be a major reason why all previous efforts were unable to provide direct evidence of the dissolution of Fe from the strip surface in the coating pot. Metallic coated samples, both industrially coated steel strips and those coated in laboratories, were extracted and characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and the focused ion beam (FIB) milling techniques. Thermodynamic simulation is performed to understand the metastable solubility of Fe at the steel/coating bath interface with respect to the industrial production condition using the Pandat database and software. The experimental results show a clear reduction in Fe-foil thickness with respect to preheat temperature, confirming direct dissolution of Fe from the Fe-foil into the AM alloy coating bath. In addition, there was a deflection temperature (540oC) above which the Fe dissolution amount shows a linear dependency on entry temperature, while below it is entry-temperature independent. This turning point corresponds to the approximate temperature for the crystallisation of α-Al from the AM alloy on the Fe-foil. Theoretical calculations revealed that the driving force for the dissolution of Fe is significant in terms of the difference between the chemical potential of Fe on the surface of the Fe-foil (100 wt.% Fe) and that of the Fe in the AM coating bath (0.41 wt.% Fe). This substantial driving force together with the high mobility of Fe on the oxide-free steel surface causes a rapid dissolution of Fe into the AM coating alloy bath. More specifically, the dissolution process can be understood as follows: although the bath is saturated with Fe (0.41�) in equilibrium with the τ5c IMC particles, it will immediately become under-saturated with the Fe-foil or steel strip surface (~100 wt.�) at the interface when the Fe-foil or steel strip enters the bath. Consequently, Fe will keep dissolving from the strip surface to the bath until an intermetallic alloy layer envelops the entire surface of the substrate. Detailed SEM and FIB-TEM characterisation was applied to the alloy layer formed at the Fe-foil/coating alloy interface. A wide range of new microstructural observations were obtained, which provide an important basis for understanding the evolution of the alloy layer structure, assisted by thermodynamic simulations. In particular, the experimental results identified that lateral growth of the nucleated Fe4Al13 compound envelops the strip surface in just ~33 ms (0.033 s). Since the dissolution of Fe from the steel strip into the bath will be terminated once such an intermetallic layer has formed, this IMC lateral growth time defines the Fe dissolution time. This is the first time in this field that the Fe dissolution time from the strip surface has been experimentally identified. Mass balance calculations at different foil preheat temperatures were further performed to determine (i) the amount of total Fe dissolved, (ii) the amount of Fe consumed by the alloy layer and (iii) how much Fe has entered the coating bath to form dross particles subsequently. The results from the current research show that the strip entry temperature or preheat temperature plays a vital role in the hot-dip coating process. For the commercial process, the experimental results suggest that the strip entry temperature below the 548oC in AM coating alloy is suitable for the overall commercial process. VIII Based on the systematic experimental studies and in-depth characterisation, a physical model has been proposed to describe the six key steps that have happened at the Fe-foil or strip surface in the coating bath in the first few hundred milliseconds. The experimental results and theoretical calculations presented in this thesis provide a unique new knowledge basis for the continuous hot-dip metal coating business.</p
Kenh Te
No full text"Kenh Te" is a contemplative short film crafted from a series of video sketches depicting the western end of the Te canal in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The film explores the life and transformations of Kenh Te, a waterway that, like many others in Vietnam, faces pollution and the erosion of its functional identity following the decline of the District 4 port and water-based trading.Through the lens of the canal itself, the film presents a unique perspective on the vibrant and rapidly modernising city. The camera captures the murky waters, subtly revealing the hidden life beneath the surface, where small fish thrive around clusters of water hyacinths. These floating plants become habitats for butterflies and small birds, symbolising the delicate ecosystem that persists amidst urbanisation.The film also showcases barges that evoke the canal's historical past while hinting at the remnants of a floating market. Alongside these serene images, the edges of the frame are alive with the bustling activity of the community. People are seen traversing over a bridge or moving along Tran Xuan Soan Street, illustrating the juxtaposition of the canal's quiet persistence against the backdrop of the city's relentless pace."Kenh Te" offers a reflective glimpse into the intertwined fates of natural and urban landscapes, inviting viewers to consider the enduring presence and evolving role of the canal in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.</p
Miniaturized 3-Lead Electrocardiogram System Based on Einthoven Triangle for Wireless Cardiac Care Monitoring
No full textMonitoring heart health typically requires a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) system with a sampling frequency of ≥400 Hz with high power requirements. This allows the detection of clinically relevant cardiovascular events using P, Q, R, S, and T signature peaks in ECG. These requirements limit the scope of ECG use, especially in proactive monitoring, cardiac event prevention, and wireless wearable devices. Herein, a skin-mountable 3-lead wireless sensor patch based on the Einthoven triangle is experimentally demonstrated. It allows us to gather vital cardiac information in place of a conventional 12-lead ECG system. The patch uses the industry's lowest-power Bluetooth low-energy system on chip which requires 50 Hz sampling frequency to detect all critical events. A firmware for the chip is developed to transmit data wirelessly at extremely low power (−19 dB), resulting in uninterrupted operation for ≈4 days using a simple CR1632 battery. An Android app records and plots ECG data on a smartphone for real-time visual monitoring and transmits the data to the cloud-connected interface for remote monitoring. The demonstration with low-power operation and integration to the cloud-connected interface is a significant step for nonassisted home-based caring to enable preventive health management without being widely constrained by battery and tethered operation
A Gated Recurrent Unit for Very Short-Term Photovoltaic Generation Forecasting
No full textThis work proposes a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) for very short-term one-step ahead Photovoltaic (PV) generation forecasting at a 15-minute resolution. A normalised Mean Absolute Error (nMAE) less than 0.06 is observed for all the seasons, which is less than 6 kWh. The GRU model is compared with Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Long Short-Term Memory Network (LSTM) across seasons and multiple datasets. The results, after significance test validation, indicate that there is a clear advantage in using GRU over RNN and LSTM in winter. The model utilises prior PV generation, weather variables and solar irradiance as predictors, and are tested on datasets belonging to two different urban environments. As an application, the model can be utilised in urban environments during all seasons while participating in energy market trading. The results of this study are valid in the context of increased renewable uptake and the potential for small-to-medium enterprise rooftop PVs to export power to the grid in the future
TLC-Bioautography-Guided Isolation and Assessment of Antibacterial Compounds from Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) Leaf and Branch Extracts
No full textA rapid procedure for the targeted isolation of antibacterial compounds from Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) leaf and branch extracts was described in this paper. Antibacterial compounds from three different Manuka samples collected from New Zealand and China were compared. The active compounds were targeted by TLC-bioautography against S. aureus and were identified by HR-ESI-MS, and -MS/MS analysis in conjunction with Compound Discoverer 3.3. The major antibacterial component, grandiflorone, was identified, along with 20 β-triketones, flavonoids, and phloroglucinol derivatives. To verify the software identification, grandiflorone underwent purification via column chromatography, and its structure was elucidated through NMR analysis, ultimately confirming its identity as grandiflorone. This study successfully demonstrated that the leaves and branches remaining after Manuka essential oil distillation serve as excellent source for extracting grandiflorone. Additionally, we proposed an improved TLC-bioautography protocol for evaluating the antibacterial efficacy on solid surfaces, which is suitable for both S. aureus and E. coli. The minimum effective dose (MED) of grandiflorone was observed to be 0.29–0.59 μg/cm2 against S. aureus and 2.34–4.68 μg/cm2 against E. coli, respectively. Furthermore, the synthetic plant growth retardant, paclobutrazol, was isolated from the samples obtained in China. It is hypothesized that this compound may disrupt the synthesis pathway of triketones, consequently diminishing the antibacterial efficacy of Chinese Manuka extract in comparison to that of New Zealand