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Ice Draw
No full textBackground: This research is situated in the field of metalsmithing and enamelling and this artwork has been developed to question how decorative art objects can focus on highlight the preciousness of environment and the future of climate change. The draw has been used in contemporary art to highlight and represent the concept of the archive and history. Philosophers such as Gaston Bachelard and Maurice Mearleau-Ponty allow us to consider that a drawer is both symbolic and embodied and that the draw represents more than its physical function but that it is a space for embodied discovery and narrative. Contribution: Following on from her doctoral study that had explored micromosaic jewellery forms Haydon looked at the Micromosaic objects in the Gilbert Collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum during the Australia Council for the arts studio residency in London in 2015. The objects in the collection where not only small jewellery pieces but there where examples of micromosaic tables and furniture. “Ice Draw” responds to these objects created for the Grand Tour by depict a pristine ice landscapes and glacier and the concept of archive and preservation. The work is constructed from microwelded and layered perforated heat blackened steel containers. Each container has been methodically etched with small hand drawn crosses, marking time and measurement. The drawer fronts are enamelled with an image of the Barne Glacier under a layer of glass microspheres referencing the micromosaic objects of the Grand Tour. Heike Zech, the former curator of the Rosalinde and Authur Gilbert Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum included the following description of Haydon’s research, “Her Micromosaics reference the size and shape of the Italian Grand Tour plaques devised by Raffaelli’s generation but take us to an entirely different world - using photographs taken during a fellowship she prints enamels onto which she fuses dots of colourless glass. The effect is a delicate surface that evokes both the grid off the early micromosaic backgrounds and the miraculous form of snow crystals. Her work allows the viewer to cradle and mirage-like vision of Antarctica, a tangible reminder of the fragility of its ecosystem. Micromosaics are by no means an artform locked in the past. Both their materiality and the themes they address continue to evolve as expressions of the world”. Heike Zech, Highlights from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, V&A Publishing London, 2019 Significance: Established in 2022 as the inaugural Robert Foster F!NK national metal prize. This new prize and exhibition is the only exhibition in Australia to exhibit predominately silversmithing. Craft ACT brings together silversmiths and metal artists currently working around Australia. The award presents outstanding work in the field of contemporary metal working by designers and craftspeople - both established and emerging. In recognition of the value of high-quality craft making skills, good design and innovation. Ice Draw is one of 10 works selected and the exhibition took place as part of the DESIGN Canberra festival. The works were selected by a jury including Brian Parkes, Chief Executive Officer, Jam Factory Adelaide, Ewan McEoin, Senior Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture at National Gallery of Victoria, Rohan Nicol, Associate Head of School, Creative Arts and Media, Associate Professor of Fine Art, University of Tasmania and Gretel Harrison, Director F!NK + Co.</p
Seeds of sustainability in organizations: Green HRM and employee engagement as a cultivators of green branding and consumer trust
No full textBusinesses are being compelled to implement sustainable strategies to increase their consumers' trust as environmental concerns continue to escalate. The primary objective of this study was to understand the effectiveness as a seed for organizations by investigating the influence of green practices and employee engagement on consumer trust. While green branding has been incorporated as a mediator, corporate sustainability re sponsibility (CSR) moderated this process. Signaling theory was utilized to explain the relationships, and data was collected using a survey from employees of different companies operating in the consumer goods industry, using a purposive sampling technique. The structural paths were analyzed using Smart PLS 4.0. The findings indicated that green HRM affects consumer trust directly and also through the mediation of green branding. At the same time, the effect of employee engagement was found to be significant through mediation and direct impact on green branding was not supported. Additionally, consumer trust has been strengthened by including CSR as a moderating variable in the relationship between green branding and consumer trust. This research contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating how the efforts of internal stakeholders can send a positive signal to external stakeholders, particularly consumers, and how CSR can enhance the effectiveness of green branding. The research findings are highly beneficial to businesses, human resources professionals, marketing professionals, policymakers, and researchers to incorporate sustainability strategies into branding and increase consumer trust</p
The Concentric Influences of Sol LeWitt: Core Artists Part1: Ten Countries: Seoul Sth Korea
No full textResearch Background: The Concentric Influences of Sol LeWitt: Core Artists Exhibitions interrogates how the influence of one of the twentieth century’s most significant artists persists and transforms across global contexts. With support from the LeWitt family and international universities, the project frames curating as research—knowledge generated through staging, design, and activation rather than replication or biography. Lippard (1973/1997) identified conceptual art as privileging idea over material; Areford (2020, 2021) examined LeWitt’s systemic and serial methods and a “plural LeWitt.” This project tests those propositions through curatorial practice. Research Question: How does LeWitt’s influence reconfigure when artists with direct or indirect ties are staged internationally, revealing influence as responsive, generative, and transnational? Research Significance: Global in scope and depth, The Concentric Influences of Sol LeWitt (Part 1: Core Artists; Part 2: Foundations, Pivots and Place) repositions LeWitt’s conceptual legacy within a living, intercultural framework. Through exhibitions, catalogues, and symposia it delivers verifiable institutional outcomes and sustains the rigour of advanced practice-led research. Each iteration functions as both archive and experiment, expanding curating as a mode of critical inquiry and translation. It situates RMIT as an international nexus for conceptual art discourse and affirms curatorial practice as an evolving site of knowledge production. South Korea.</p
Sampled‐Data Based Second‐Order Discrete‐Time Sliding Mode Control via Output Feedback
No full textThis article proposes a second‐order discrete‐time sliding mode controller (DSMC) by only using sampled‐data information of the system output. On one hand, different from the continuous‐time sliding mode control, the finite‐time stability of the closed‐loop system under DSMC is usually not kept due to the limited sampling frequency. On the other hand, in the output feedback framework, the second‐order sliding mode observer cannot independently estimate the internal state of the system if there exist unknown mismatched term and unknown time‐varying coefficient of the control input. To solve the above problems, a joint design strategy of second‐order discrete‐time sliding mode observer and sliding mode controller based on the “non‐separation principle” is proposed. The stability and robustness of the closed‐loop system is analyzed based on the Lyapunov design method. Finally, simulation example verifies the correctness of the theory.</p
Beyond technology: A socio-technical lens on Industry 4.0 value-adding across industries
No full textIn the ever-evolving landscape of Industry 4.0, this research disentangles the intricate dynamics of value addition within an emerging economy. With a backdrop immersed in the socio-technical systems theory, the study draws on the experiences of 112 Vietnamese company leaders collected through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative content analysis and data structure helped delineate 10 conceptual dimensions, portraying Industry 4.0 beyond a technological wave. Indeed, Industry 4.0 emerges as a driver of enhanced performance, a nexus connecting companies and customers, and a sign of reliability. To attain these scenarios, and despite acknowledged barriers, organisations require a combination of human capital, proactive initiatives in asset development, and the utilisation of established customary assets. Thus, the research has profound practical implications for organisations. In addition, the assemblage of the dimensions facilitated the development of a conceptual framework, which contributes conceptually to the Industry 4.0 literature and extends the socio-technical systems theory.</p
Socioeconomic inequalities in waist circumference and its 12-year change: Moderation by neighbourhood population density
No full textObjective Reducing socioeconomic inequalities in obesity is a public health priority. We examined whether population density, a key environmental characteristic associated with obesity, moderates the associations of area-level socioeconomic status (SES) with waist circumference and its rate of change. Methods Data from adults in an Australian national study, collected across three waves (1999–2000, 2005–06, 2011–12), were used. Outcomes were objectively measured baseline waist circumference (N = 4835) and its rate of change (N = 1158). Exposure was baseline area-level SES. Baseline population density was calculated within a 1 km buffer around residences. Multilevel regression models were used. Results Higher area-level SES was associated with smaller baseline waist circumference (−1.45, 95 % CI [−2.28, −0.12]) but not with change over time (0.04, 95 % CI [−0.02, 0.09]). In stratified cross-sectional analyses, this association was significant in lower- (−5.00, 95 % CI -7.73, −2.28]) and medium-density (−2.61, 95 % CI [−4.55, −0.67]), but not in higher-density areas (−0.54, 95 % CI [−1.73,0.65]). In longitudinal analyses, lower SES was linked to smaller increases in waist circumference in lower- (0.16, 95 % CI [0.03, 0.29]) and medium-density (0.17, 95 % CI [0.05, 0.30]) areas, suggesting a narrowing of socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. However, annual changes were modest and unlikely to offset baseline inequalities. Conclusions Population density moderated associations of area-level SES with waist circumference and its change. Inequalities in baseline obesity were pronounced in lower density areas but not higher density areas. While the longitudinal findings of the moderation patterns were different from baseline results, they suggest persistent socioeconomic inequalities in obesity in lower density areas.</p
Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding syphilis screening among Muslim undergraduate students in Oman: a cross-sectional study
No full textBackgroundSyphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that remains a significant global public health concern, particularly among young people. If left untreated, syphilis can lead to severe complications and broader public health challenges. In the Middle East, cultural and religious factors may influence young people’s access to syphilis screening and treatment.MethodsThis cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding syphilis screening among Muslim undergraduate university students from all regions of Oman. Students were conveniently invited to complete a validated, self-administered online questionnaire through the deanship of admissions and registration at selected universities.ResultsAmong 515 students surveyed, 49.3% were female and 50.7% were male (Mean = 21.5, SD = 3.03). Over half of the students (53.6%, 276) reported no prior knowledge of syphilis, while 46.4% had heard about syphilis primarily from the Internet, friends, and social media. The students’ syphilis knowledge was inadequate, with a mean total score of 7.35 out of 16 (SD = 3.68). Factors such as a higher academic year and enrolment in a health science speciality were significantly associated with increased awareness of syphilis (p ConclusionsThe study findings highlight inadequate knowledge and poor practices about syphilis screening among Muslim undergraduate students in Oman. Therefore, this study provides implications for healthcare stakeholders and school decision-makers to implement syphilis education and screening policies and promote health education campaigns to improve KAP toward syphilis screening among young people in the Middle East.</p
Machine Learning in the Evaluation of Mutual Fund Performance
No full textIn contrast to the rich body of research on mature fund markets, studies on the performance of equity mutual funds in emerging markets are rare. As the world’s largest emerging market, China is poised to be one of the major contributors to the future growth of the global financial markets. Though fund performance evaluation is a long-existing topic, research using traditional approaches is far from conclusive, and the application of machine learning in fund-related studies is relatively new. Building on theoretical perspectives and approaches in the literature, this thesis provides some novel perspective and a comprehensive analysis of the performance of equity mutual funds in China’s fund market by constructing a comprehensive machine learning framework to evaluate fund performance, identify key performance drivers, and construct data-driven portfolio strategies. This thesis analyses mutual fund performance by constructing predictive models using both linear and nonlinear machine learning techniques, including simple linear regressions (OLS, OLS-3), dimension reduction models (PCR, PLS), penalized regressions (GLM, Enet), tree-based model (Random Forest), support vector machines (SVM), and neural networks (NNs). By using an extensive dataset of 859 equity mutual funds in China from 2003 to 2020, and by incorporating fund-level predictors, macroeconomic predictors and interaction covariates, our study finds that nonlinear models, especially NN2, NN3 and SVM, significantly outperform other models in out-of-sample performance prediction. Moreover, we investigate contrasting performance across fund subgroups: active funds, enhanced-passive funds, and pure passive funds. Enhanced passive funds, a hybrid category combining passive benchmarking with active investment strategies, are separately examined to assess whether they deliver on their promised enhancements. Furthermore, this thesis evaluates the relative importance of fund and macroeconomic predictors. Our findings indicate that style-related, benchmark-related, and fund manager-related factors are the most influential across models. Finally, this thesis applies predictive models to practical investment strategies. Portfolios (the fund of funds) constructed using machine learning models outperform benchmark index such as the CSI 300, with higher returns and more controllable drawdown. Overall, this thesis provides fresh empirical evidence on the role of machine learning techniques in mutual fund performance analysis and portfolio construction in emerging markets. It contributes to the mutual fund literature, asset pricing research, and the broader financial technology (Fintech) field, with important implications for finance researchers, institutional and individual investors, and regulators.</p
Techno-economic comparison of ammonia cracking and separation using metal membrane and pressure swing adsorption
No full textAmmonia is a promising hydrogen (H2) carrier, enabling efficient storage and transport. This study presents a comparative techno-economic assessment of two hydrogen separation approaches downstream of ammonia cracking: pressure swing adsorption (PSA), which is commercially established, and metal membrane separation, which remains at an early stage of development. Based on literature data, metal membranes achieve 99 % hydrogen purity, while PSA yields 85 % recovery. Techno economic analysis shows metal membranes consume 7.4 MWh per tonne H2, compared to 8.5 MWh per tonne H2 for PSA. Metal membranes also involve higher material costs and embrittlement risks, while PSA offers lower capital and operating costs. Economic analysis shows metal membranes yield a net present value (NPV) of USD 420 million and internal rate of return (IRR) of 28 %, while PSA achieves USD 410 million (NPV) and 25 % IRR. PSA remains more viable for large scale use, while membranes may suit high purity applications.</p
SDT4Solar: A Spatial Digital Twin Framework for Scalable Rooftop PV Planning in Urban Environments
No full textTo sustainably power future urban communities, cities require advanced solar energy planning tools that overcome the limitations of traditional approaches, such as data fragmentation and siloed decision-making. SDTs present a transformative opportunity by enabling precision urban modelling, integrated simulations, and iterative decision support. However, their application in solar energy planning remains underexplored. This study introduces SDT4Solar, a novel SDT-based framework designed to integrate city-scale rooftop solar planning through 3D building semantisation, solar modelling, and a unified geospatial database. By leveraging advanced spatial modelling and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, SDT4Solar facilitates high-resolution 3D solar potential simulations, improving the accuracy and equity of solar infrastructure deployment. We demonstrate the framework through a proof-of-concept implementation in Ballarat East, Victoria, Australia, structured in four key stages: (a) spatial representation of the urban built environment, (b) integration of multi-source datasets into a unified geospatial database, (c) rooftop solar potential modelling using 3D simulation tools, and (d) dynamic visualization and analysis in a testbed environment. Results highlight SDT4Solar’s effectiveness in enabling data-driven, spatially explicit decision-making for rooftop PV deployment. This work advances the role of SDTs in urban energy transitions, demonstrating their potential to optimise efficiency in solar infrastructure planning.</p