85000 research outputs found
Sort by
Moral Foundations, Inequality and Redistribution: Three Empirical Studies
No full textInequality can lead to economic inefficiency as well as social tensions and conflict. Redistribution is a major channel through which inequalities can be reduced. Therefore, it is crucial to have a good understanding of public demand for redistribution. People’s concerns for equality and fairness are explained using social preferences, which are fundamental intrinsic human motivations that drive other-regarding behaviours. While research has found that people’s social and fairness preferences are heterogeneous and stable across time and situations, it is unclear where these preferences come from. This thesis addresses this research problem by examining whether moral foundations can explain inequality and redistribution using three empirical studies. Moral foundations are innate psychological structures with diverse moral content that infants are born with, which subsequently get edited by the virtues of the culture in which a person grows up and by the worldviews they identify. There are six moral foundations: care, equality, proportionality, loyalty, authority, purity. More progressive cultures and worldviews base their moralities on care and equality foundations related to individual rights and welfare (called individualising foundations). In contrast, the moralities of less progressive cultures and worldviews rest heavily on the other four moral foundations that have evolved to tie individuals within groups (called binding foundations). This PhD project uses a composite measure of moral foundations as its main predictor, representing a person’s broader morality based on their concern for individualising foundations over binding foundations. This is referred to as progressivism. Study 1 examined whether moral foundations could predict differences in income inequality across nations and the US. states and found that individualising foundations and progressivism have curvilinear (U-shaped and inverted U-shaped) associations with Gini index values at the macroeconomic level. The second and third studies investigated whether moral foundations could predict people’s preferences for redistribution under different conditions using online experiments with participants from the US. Study 2 found that progressivism leads to more egalitarianism and less inequality acceptance in redistribution, primarily when inequalities are determined by merit. Study 3 found that progressivism leads to less in-group bias in redistribution when in-group bias is based on racial majority or minority identity. The unique contribution of this PhD project is that it shows that moral foundations predict income inequality at the aggregate level and redistribution at the individual level.</p
Final Industry Report Project 1.95 - Using Recycled and Recyclable Products: Influencing Stakeholders through Circular Economy Practices
No full textThe construction industry has been hesitant to use
products with recycled content (PwRC) in building
and construction projects more extensively. It is
important to gain stakeholders’ confidence and
adequately inform them to consider using products
with recycled and recyclable content by developing
a range of adequate strategies, guidelines and
policies. This research project identified strategies
to enhance the economic and environmental
performance of projects using PwRC. It also
explored how Australian organisations operating in
the building and construction sector can integrate
circular economy principles into their business. The
Material Circularity Indicator analysis reveals that
BGC Australia’s (BGC) brick products, Maxibrick
(0.5) and face brick (0.44), are performing on par
with European circularity performances, positioning
BGC as a potential leader in Australia's transition
towards sustainable brick production and providing
a critical benchmark for the country's brick industry.
The project also developed a training package
targeting the design and architecture community
to foster uptake of these resources in construction
projects. The training package was delivered to
both an industry partner and a government partner.
Lastly, the study investigated how national and
state policy interventions may optimise the use
of PwRC in the building and construction sector.
This investigation included a survey assessing 60
key stakeholders' perceptions of the impact of 17
different circular economy policies on the use of
PwRC in construction projects.
This report presents the key findings related to
the four objectives outlined in the research. These
findings provide insights that lay the foundation
for further advancements in the industry, ensuring
that stakeholders not only recognise the value of
PwRC, but also harness its potential to create lasting
organisational benefits. Some of the findings can
be the source of inspiration within the Australian
context, offering valuable perspectives for the
Research and Development (R&D) sector to align its
research activities with the pressing needs of industry,
government and academia. The report also offers a
comprehensive list of actionable strategies for four
key sectors in Australia: building and construction,
government, waste recovery and R&D.</p
Massive Transfusion Protocols cause significant blood unit wastage: a systematic review and meta analysis
No full textMassive transfusion protocols (MTP) are activated when a patient is actively bleeding to allow the blood bank to prioritise blood components ordered for this patient. However, as many units are issued out in quick succession for the MTP patient, wastage can occur. This could be due to over activation of the MTP, failing to promptly notify the blood bank to deactivate the MTP, or miscommunication between clinical and blood banking staff. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the relationship between different unit types that are wasted during an MTP, with a hypothesis that units requiring thawing - fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and cryoprecipitate - would be more likely to be wasted.
The highest wastage rates in an MTP were found to be in Platelets (10.0%), cryoprecipitate (10.0%), and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) (9.9%), whereas red cell waste was the lowest at (1.3%). Platelets, FFP and cryoprecipitate were found to be wasted at a higher rate than red cells, with statistically significant results. The hypothesis that thawed units lead to higher rates of waste was partially supported.
FFP that is converted to extended life plasma if it is not transfused immediately leads to lower wastage rates. Proper storage and prompt return of unused units to the blood bank allows the unit to be reissued to another patient.</p
Voice notes in the car: capturing immediate emotions from fieldwork with Sri Lankan refugees
No full textAs researchers, we are trained to publish the most polished versions of our core findings. Yet, what is hidden away when we do so are the raw and sometimes messy accounts of what we see, feel, hear, and experience during fieldwork. Integrating fieldwork challenges into research outputs is still uncommon in human geography. In this paper, I present an excerpt of field notes from research that examined the (re)creations of home by Sri Lankan refugees resettling in Sydney, Australia that were made using the ‘Voice Memos’ application on a smartphone. I reflect on the process of capturing voice field notes using a smartphone, the emotional aspects of fieldwork, and the benefits of documenting fieldwork experiences and challenges at different times and places. This paper champions digital technologies as useful tools to capture immediate emotions felt during fieldwork.</p
‘Beyond force: an intersectional understanding of coercion and agency in Australian transnational Muslim marriages’
No full textLegislation criminalising forced marriage in Australia has seen transnational Muslim marriages become a site for welfare intervention to prevent forced marriages. Knowledge produced by the forced marriage prevention sector conceptualises coercion to marry around intra-familial struggle enacted at the point of entry to marriage in which coercion and consent are understood as a fixed binary. Drawing on the subjugated knowledge of community workers, whose views and experiences have been overlooked in the public discourse on forced marriage, this article seeks to disrupt this dominant explanatory trope. Taking an intersectional approach, it explores the structural factors that workers identify as bringing pressure to bear on young people and their families in transnational Muslim communities in relation to marriage. By putting forward an emic understanding of pressure surrounding marriage, this article provides an important foundation for community-led forced marriage prevention strategies.</p
Fate and Control of Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants
No full textSince the 1950s, global plastic production has increased dramatically, contributing significantly to plastic pollution. Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, have become a major environmental concern due to their potential ecotoxicological impacts on ecosystems and marine organisms. They are mainly generated from the breakdown of larger plastic debris as a result of prolonged exposure to environmental conditions such as sunlight, wind, rainfall, and temperature fluctuations. Over time, these MPs may further fragment into nanoscale particles (Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a crucial role in controlling pollution but also act as significant pathways for MP/NP release into the environment. MPs and NPs enter WWTPs via domestic and industrial wastewater from a variety of primary and secondary sources. Examples include microbeads and pellets used in cosmetics and cleaning products, as well as synthetic fibers released during laundry washing. Although conventional WWTPs remove over 90% of MPs, a notable fraction of smaller MPs (20-300 µm) and NPs (Conventional treatment methods such as sedimentation, coagulation and dissolved air flotation (DAF) are designed primarily to remove organics, nutrients, suspended solids, and fats, oils, and grease (FOG) rather than MPs/NPs. Nevertheless, research has shown that some of these processes can also achieve partial removal of MPs from the liquid phase. Among them, DAF commonly used in primary treatment shows promise for MP removal due to the particles’ small size, hydrophobicity, and low density. However, DAF performance is highly dependent on parameters such as air pressure, bubble size, water flow rate, and pH. The addition of coagulants can enhance MP removal, with optimal dosage playing a key role. To address these challenges, this study aimed to better understand the fate and control of MPs in WWTPs. Therefore, the specific objectives of this study include, (i) detailed mapping (identifying, classifying, and quantifying) of MP in the WWTP, (ii) understanding the fragmentation mechanisms of MP into NP in the WWTP, (iii) removal of MP from the primary wastewater treatment stage using DAF process and (iv) optimization of DAF process for MP removal from wastewater.To assess MP occurrence and removal in existing treatment systems, a year-long monitoring study was conducted at three water reclamation plants in Victoria, Australia. Wastewater samples were collected from different treatment stages. Various types of MPs, including polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene, were detected. Fibrous MPs were the most prevalent, accounting for 52-57% of all MPs. The treatment processes achieved high removal efficiencies (92-100%), with primary treatment alone removing over 60% of total MPs. However, a considerable number of MPs (3.63 × 10⁶ to 1.7 × 10⁸ MPs/day) were still released into the environment via effluent discharge. A reduction in MP size from influent (>500 μm) to effluent (100-300 μm) was observed, suggesting possible fragmentation into NPs during treatment. This finding highlights the importance of understanding and quantifying NP formation from MP breakdown within WWTPs.In the next phase, the mechanisms of MP fragmentation into NPs during wastewater treatment were investigated. To simulate real WWTP conditions, mechanical mixing, sonication, and homogenization were applied to generate shear forces to break down weathered PE and PS particles sized 106–250 μm. Experiments showed that these processes produced energy densities ranging from 32 to 100 kJ/L, and the smallest NP (54.2 nm) was generated from the fragmentation of 100 μm PS particles during homogenization. Crack propagation on the MP surface under continuous stress from water shear forces was identified as the dominant fragmentation mechanism. The experimentally obtained NP size distributions were compared with modelled sizes estimated from crack propagation and failure models, showing strong agreement. This correlation supports the reliability of these models in predicting NP sizes likely to occur in WWTPs and informs strategies to minimize their environmental impact through effective removal. Overall, the theoretical models used in this study demonstrated strong reliability in predicting experimental results for MP fragmentation into NPs under controlled conditions using various devices and applied forces. The fracture energy model, in particular, proved effective in estimating fragmentation driven by water-induced shear forces. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing early-stage treatment processes to prevent MPs from progressing to later treatment stages, where they may fragment further into NPs. Given the significance of enhancing early-stage removal, this study further explored the optimization of the DAF process for MP removal. DAF, widely used for solid-liquid separation in water treatment, offers a promising approach to capture MPs before they fragment or enter secondary treatment stages. A coagulation-assisted DAF system was evaluated, with operational parameters, including air pressure (3-5 bar), alum dosage (50-200 mg/L), polyacrylamide dosage (5-20 mg/L), water flow rate (400-700 mL/min), and pH (3-8), systematically optimized. Coagulation-assisted DAF achieved MP removal efficiencies exceeding 90%, likely due to enhanced hydrophobic interactions and charge neutralization. Removal efficiency increased to 95% in the presence of FOG, which enhanced MP hydrophobicity and supported the formation of larger, more buoyant flocs. Air pressure was found to be a critical factor in generating microbubbles (61-135 μm) at a fixed air saturation time of 3 minutes, significantly influencing bubble formation. NBs, however, showed potential advantages over MBs due to their higher surface area, greater stability, and ability to generate reactive oxygen species, which enhance pollutant aggregation and removal. Under 5 bar pressure, varying the saturation time produced a range of bubble sizes: MBs (5-203 µm) at 1-15 min and NBs (2 µm-395 nm) at 15-30 min. These were integrated into a micro-nanobubble (MNB) assisted DAF system. The optimized MNB-DAF process achieved up to 97% MP removal, even in the presence of dissolved organic matter and FOG, which further promoted MP aggregation and flotation. MBs provided the buoyant lift required for flotation, while NBs enhanced aggregation and stabilized bubble-MP interactions.In summary, this research provides novel insights into the occurrence, fragmentation and removal of MPs in the WWTPs, highlighting the urgent need for improved primary treatment technologies. The proposed MNB-DAF approach offers a robust, scalable, and sustainable strategy to mitigate MP pollution at its source, with potential application in full-scale wastewater treatment systems.</p
A Decade of Impact: A Multi-Level Analysis of WiSPP’s Impact on Individuals, Institutions, & The Scientific Community
No full textImpact report for the Women in Science Parkville Precinct's (WiSPP) 10 years of gender equality initiatives within and beyond the Parkville Precinct medical research institutes.Over the past decade, the Women in Science Parkville Precinct (WiSPP) has driven transformative efforts to advance equity in medical research in Australia. Despite substantive progress, there is still much to do, and a major reason for producing this report is to motivate others towards a bigger, broader coordinated effort. We learnt a huge amount during the process, and as new equity efforts sprout over the next phase, we hope our lessons will help. This report reflects the strength of collective effort: institutes joining forces, staff sharing knowledge across organisational boundaries, and individuals stepping up as allies and advocates for change. At the heart of WiSPP’s approach is the recognition that genuine progress comes not from top-down mandates alone, but from sustained collaboration across all levels of the research community.</p
Tribovoltaic Energy Harvesting with ZnO Semiconductor–Metal Interfaces: The Role of an Al2O3 Tunnel Barrier Layer
No full textHarvesting low-grade motion to convert to electricity has emerged as a critical technology for powering autonomous electronic devices. In particular, the tribovoltaic effect arising from lateral friction across a semiconductor–metal interface has demonstrated great promise for low power devices, with the phenomenon producing large currents but quite low voltages. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the most commonly studied electromechanical materials; however, to date, this semiconductor has been relatively unstudied for tribovoltaic devices. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication and performance of thin films from ZnO prepared by atomic layer deposition correlated to film thickness and surface coating. The ZnO thin films demonstrate a tribovoltaic current of 0.8 nA in contact with an Au probe, corresponding to a current density of 21 A cm–2. The mechanism of the tribovoltaic effect in ZnO was probed by the addition of a 2 nm aluminum oxide layer, which blocks hole transport and acts as a tunnel barrier layer, reducing the theoretical amount of charge recombination and limiting induced (hot) electron transfer from metal to ZnO. This work provides a key report in the use of ZnO for the tribovoltaic effect, offering a pathway to engineering multilayered heterostructures for either preventing or enhancing tribovoltaic charging.</p
From Disruption to Adoption: Investigating the Impact and Acceptance of Data Analytics Through the Lens of Todt and UTAUT2
No full textThis study explores the transformative impact of big data analytics on university libraries, examining its potential to disrupt traditional systems and services through Christensen’s Theory of Disruptive Innovation and the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2). Although analytics has been widely applied in other sectors, its adoption in university libraries remains underexplored. A review of the literature indicates that while analytics is recognised as critical for enhancing decision-making and institutional effectiveness, studies focusing specifically on libraries are limited and tend to emphasise technical opportunities rather than organisational or behavioural dynamics. This gap highlights the need for research into how analytics functions as a disruptive innovation in libraries and what factors shape its acceptance among library professionals. The research addresses three primary questions: (1) In what ways can big data analytics tools, such as business intelligence tools, be understood as disruptive technologies capable of transforming decision-making practices in university libraries in Australia? (2) What factors, according to UTAUT2, influence librarians’ acceptance and use of analytics? (3) What are the barriers to the adoption of analytics, and what constitutes a successful implementation roadmap? A qualitative single case, multiple site study was conducted across sixteen Australian university libraries. Data were collected through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with twenty-five participants, including library leaders and analytics specialists. NVivo 12 Plus was employed to analyse the data thematically, enabling the identification of patterns and insights across behavioural, organisational, and contextual dimensions. The findings demonstrate that big data analytics can be understood as a disruptive innovation, reshaping decision-making processes, service delivery models, and professional roles in university libraries. Key UTAUT2 constructs performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit—were all found to influence adoption. In addition, external factors such as limited analytics training in LIS curricula, the need for algorithm-specific expertise, and ongoing concerns about data privacy and security emerged as further determinants. Benefits of adoption included enhanced collection development, improved understanding of user behaviour, better financial planning, and stronger capacity to demonstrate value, though challenges such as skills shortages, complex IT infrastructures, and privacy legislation remain barriers to effective implementation. By integrating TODT with UTAUT2, this study advances theoretical understanding of analytics adoption in libraries, offering a framework that accounts for both disruptive innovation and behavioural acceptance. Practically, the research provides actionable insights for library leaders, educators, and policymakers to support analytics adoption, strengthen organisational readiness, and leverage big data to enhance the strategic role of university libraries. Limitations include the focus on library professionals, excluding perspectives of analytics vendors, and the absence of cross-sectoral comparisons. Future research could incorporate vendor perspectives and examine how adoption in libraries compares with other professional contexts.</p
Solution Processed Single Flake 2D BiOI for Optoelectronics
No full textThis thesis develops alternative synthetic strategies that are both solution-processable and cost-effective. It also establishes efficient transfer methods tailored for 2D BiOI and integrates solution-grown material onto various device platforms. To demonstrate the practical viability of the synthesised and transferred BiOI, this work fabricates and systematically characterises photodetector devices. The successful operation of these devices confirms the functional quality of the solution-grown BiOI and underscores its potential for low-cost, scalable optoelectronic applications.
By combining material processing, comprehensive characterisation, and device fabrication, this work bridges the gap between laboratory-scale material development and practical device integration. The synthetic and transfer protocols developed here provide a versatile and scalable framework for advancing 2D BiOI-based technologies without reliance on high-vacuum infrastructure. The findings provide valuable insights into the morphology, structural characteristics, and optoelectronic properties of BiOI, while demonstrating viable pathways toward the realisation of flexible 2D BiOI optoelectronic technologies.</p