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Disability Justice: The Challenges of Inclusion in Everyday Life
No full textThis paper presents the challenges faced by Taylor (pseudonym),a young child, wit challenges reflect issues that many people with disabilities face where Diversity, Inclusion and Equity are key to disability justice. Highlighting places and spaces of inclusion and exclusion in both formal and non-formal settings, we describe sites where Taylor is both constrained and enabled and consider what that might mean. Informed by the first author’s carer position, eight vignettes provide both context and consideration, making these challenges visible and hence provocations for change. These accounts are considered in relation to key concepts of the social model of disability within a critical disability framework. This exploration highlights how society’s perceptions are largely bound by a bio-medical view of disability that promotes deficit views. By way of contrast, and beyond an impoverished framing, a social model of disability sees Taylor as a vibrant, intelligent young person seeking to live a life rich with meaning and value. What the research reveals is that learning and change are possible in both formal and non-formal settings where an enhanced understanding of places and spaces for engagement and participation means society becomes more equitable and just.</p
A Blockchain-Based Last-Mile Delivery Deployment Model
No full textLast-mile delivery (LMD) is the final leg of the supply chain network, is considered the most expensive, most pollutant, and least efficient part of supply chains. Over the past years, blockchain, as an evolutionary technology, has emerged as a solution to improve the logistics industry's performance in general and LMD performance in particular. Considering the evolving challenges of LMD in retail sector and taking the technological-organisational-external environmental and inter-organisational (TOEI) perspective, this study aims to develop a blockchain-based last-mile delivery (LMD) deployment framework to identify the key challenges affecting blockchain implementation in LMD and to evaluate how blockchain adoption impacts overall LMD performance. Each component of the framework, technology, organisation, external environment, and inter-organisational challenges, offers a lens to understand the challenges and opportunities in blockchain deployment, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of its impact on LMD performance.
Since the blockchain-based LMD is a new research area, a case study approach in this research was adopted. Critical case sampling is applied to identify cases that are particularly information-rich concerning this study. Then, LMD structure of the retail sector in Melbourne’s urban area as a single case study was investigated. The retail industry was chosen due to its significant reliance on LMD services, which directly impact customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and sustainability, a critical area where blockchain's potential can be maximised. Retail often faces high-frequency, small-volume deliveries, making it an ideal context to evaluate LMD challenges and blockchain's effectiveness. Additionally, the urban retail sector in Melbourne was selected as it offers a manageable and representative case to investigate blockchain's practical applications within a well-defined setting. The data of this study is acquired through interviews conducted with stakeholders from four different groups including ‘blockchain technologists’, ‘policymakers, logistics managers’, and ‘retail managers’. A total of 21 interviews (five blockchain technologists, five policymakers, six logistics managers and five retail managers) were conducted. The interviews possess both experience in the logistics and last-mile delivery (LMD) industry and familiarity with blockchain technology. The selected participants represent a diverse and knowledgeable group, ensuring the study's findings are informed by credible and relevant perspectives. Data analysis involved a systematic approach, employing thematic coding and analysis using NVivo software to identify patterns and themes across the interview transcripts. The process included data transcription, iterative coding, and thematic mapping to align findings with the proposed conceptual framework. Five research propositions were developed, refining the framework and enhancing understanding of the topic. The study also highlights that blockchain-based LMD improves performance, in terms of cost, delivery time, and sustainability.
The proposed conceptual model for blockchain-based LMD deployment incorporates several key sub-challenges under TOEI framework. Within the technological theme, challenges related to security, such as negative perception toward the technology and data privacy, were highlighted. For the immaturity of technology, sub-challenges like access to technology, immutability, and complexity of the technology were identified. Traceability concerns were addressed through delivery verification and route optimisation and efficiency. Organisational challenges included financial constraints and firm size under top management support, while lack of organisational strategies and adaptability and innovation culture were tied to organisational culture. Resistance to change was linked to knowledge and expertise issues and labour rules for changing workforces.
In the external environmental theme, governmental policies faced challenges such as market competition and uncertainties and limitation of space and access in urban areas. Sustainability issues were expanded to include modern slavery issues, pressure from NGOs regarding resource consumption, and lack of ethical and safety practices. Inter-organisational challenges featured different strategies of security and information sharing and standardised information sharing under differences in information sharing strategies and regulatory compliance issues across the supply chain along with conflicting objectives and culture of supply chain partners in differences in regulation and culture amongst supply chain partners, in terms of goals and objectives, technological capabilities, cultural differences and regulatory compliance and legal frameworks, and clear and efficient information sharing among SC partners as well as information asymmetry among SC partners for communication issues in the supply chains.
Findings of this study revealed that blockchain significantly enhances LMD performance, particularly in cost reduction, improved delivery time, and sustainability. Blockchain serves as a platform technology rather than a disruptive force, enabling enhanced data transparency, real-time tracking, and more efficient resource utilisation. Experts proposed tailored strategies to address the TOEI challenges. For technological barriers, solutions included advanced encryption, scalable protocols, and seamless IoT integration for real-time tracking. Organisational resistance could be mitigated through top management support, fostering innovation, and employee training. Policy advocacy and collaboration with regulatory bodies were recommended to tackle external challenges, while inter-organisational issues required standardised communication protocols and consistent information-sharing mechanisms.
This study contributes to digital transformation literature by advancing the critical analysis of blockchain deployment in LMD, particularly within the retail sector. By employing the TOEI framework, it integrates expert insights with existing literature, identifying both novel challenges and opportunities. The study underscores blockchain’s role as a platform technology, highlighting the need for organisational adaptation, policy alignment, and stakeholder collaboration. Practically, the findings provide actionable insights for managers, policymakers, and technologists. Managers can better understand the complexities of blockchain implementation in LMD and develop strategies to address key barriers. Policymakers can leverage the framework to design effective urban logistics policies, while technologists can tailor blockchain solutions to address specific logistics industry challenges. The study’s scope is limited to Australia’s retail sector, suggesting future research should explore other industries and geographic contexts. The focus on urban logistics omits end-customer perspectives, a crucial aspect of LMD performance. Additionally, the small sample size reflects the scarcity of experts with dual expertise in blockchain and logistics, underscoring the need for broader participation in future studies. The interplay and interrelations among TOEI variables remain underexplored, providing an avenue for further research. Understanding these interdependencies could enhance blockchain adoption strategies and contribute to more integrated and effective supply chain operations.</p
Being Weird: Collaboration, Contamination, and Worlding with Nonhumans
No full textBy employing “weird” from weird fiction as a mode for imagining encounters with nonhuman beings, my work aims to challenge entrenched beliefs in human exceptionalism and the nature/culture divide. In a creative practice that spans film, sound, and text, I imagine these encounters as mutually “contaminating influences” that can act to subvert our epistemological assumptions and ontological categorisations. In recasting nonhuman entities as agential actors, my work aims to facilitate a process of collaborative worlding, a practice that builds shared fictional realities. My research aims to develop the weird as a conceptual framework that has the potential for transformative and regenerative capacities contained within a more expansive conception of agency and coexistence within a more-than-human world.</p
Respectful Methods: Understanding Multicultural Migrant Communities in Australia
No full textThis concept paper discusses and promotes the use of effective and respectful methodologies to understand the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrant experience. It aims to help readers formulate solutions for migrant acculturation, belonging and wellbeing in a dynamic Australian multicultural landscape. This paper includes a) a tool for understanding multicultural complexities called ‘The Intersectional Wheel of Multicultural Complexities’; and b) a framework on the DOs and DON’Ts when working with multicultural communities. This paper includes a Chinese translation of the text.</p
Exploring Parental Engagement in Sustainable Practices for School Uniforms: A Circular Economy Perspective
No full textThe transition to a circular economy (CE) offers transformative solutions for mitigating the environmental, economic, and social challenges posed by the traditional linear 'take-make-dispose' model. This study investigates the integration of CE principles within the school uniform sector, focusing on parental behaviour, drivers, and barriers in purchasing school uniforms. The research aims to provide actionable recommendations for schools to enhance sustainability and reduce textile waste.</p
Worldwide Soundscapes: A Synthesis of Passive Acoustic Monitoring Across Realms
No full textThe urgency for remote, reliable and scalable biodiversity monitoring amidst mounting human pressures on ecosystems has sparked worldwide interest in Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM), which can track life underwater and on land. However, we lack a unified methodology to report this sampling effort and a comprehensive overview of PAM coverage to gauge its potential as a global research and monitoring tool. To address this gap, we created the Worldwide Soundscapes project, a collaborative network and growing database comprising metadata from 416 datasets across all realms (terrestrial, marine, freshwater and subterranean). Location: Worldwide, 12,343 sites, all ecosystem types. Time Period: 1991 to present. Major Taxa Studied: All soniferous taxa. Methods: We synthesise sampling coverage across spatial, temporal and ecological scales using metadata describing sampling locations, deployment schedules, focal taxa and audio recording parameters. We explore global trends in biological, anthropogenic and geophysical sounds based on 168 selected recordings from 12 ecosystems across all realms. Results: Terrestrial sampling is spatially denser (46 sites per million square kilometre—Mkm2) than aquatic sampling (0.3 and 1.8 sites/Mkm2 in oceans and fresh water) with only two subterranean datasets. Although diel and lunar cycles are well sampled across realms, only marine datasets (55%) comprehensively sample all seasons. Across the 12 ecosystems selected for exploring global acoustic trends, biological sounds showed contrasting diel patterns across ecosystems, declined with distance from the Equator, and were negatively correlated with anthropogenic sounds. Main Conclusions: PAM can inform macroecological studies as well as global conservation and phenology syntheses, but representation can be improved by expanding terrestrial taxonomic scope, sampling coverage in the high seas and subterranean ecosystems, and spatio‐temporal replication in freshwater habitats. Overall, this worldwide PAM network holds promise to support cross‐realm biodiversity research and monitoring efforts.</p
Defect Detection in Fused Filament Fabrication With Artificial Intelligence
No full textFused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a widely used additive manufacturing technology, but ensuring consistent print quality remains a challenge due to the frequent occurrence of defects. These defects arise from a combination of factors, including imperfections in printer control systems, inconsistencies in filament material properties, and variations in ambient environmental conditions like temperature and humidity. Existing defect detection methods often struggle with subtle geometric and dimensional deviations, which are particularly challenging to detect and classify. Conventional, end-to-end AI approaches often require vast, manually labelled datasets of various defect types for effective training – a resource-intensive and often impractical undertaking. This thesis addresses these limitations by developing a cost-effective and scalable automated defect detection and classification system in FFF. The research leverages the a prior knowledge of the intended design, enabling a direct comparison between the digital model and the physical printed part. This approach significantly simplifies defect identification. The research objectives were: 1) to develop an augmented reality (AR) based system for layer-by-layer detection of subtle geometric and dimensional deviations; 2) to create a machine learning framework for classifying the type of defect detected; and 3) to investigate the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) for defect classification without requiring extensive labelled data. The developed system employed a novel AR-based approach for automated spatial alignment between the printed part (captured via images) and its digital design, eliminating the need for manual calibration. Image processing techniques were used to extract deviation data, from which engineered features are derived for machine learning-based defect classification (e.g., layer shift, stringing). The machine learning-based classifier exploits the non-linear mapping between observable deviations and underlying defect types. Finally, the research explores the use of LLMs, with a focus on prompt engineering, to further enhance classification accuracy, particularly in cases where the proposed classifier might struggle. This layered approach aims to leverage the strengths of each technique.The AR-based deviation detection system achieved an accuracy of 86.66\% and a processing time of 1.35 seconds per layer. The machine learning-based defect classification framework achieved an accuracy of 93.41\%. The optimised LLM-based classification achieved an accuracy of 91.42\%. These results demonstrate that the integrated system can accurately detect and classify subtle defects in FFF-produced parts. The research contributes to the field by providing a novel, data-efficient, and automated FFF quality assurance solution. This can potentially reduce material waste, improve part quality, and increase production efficiency, ultimately facilitating the wider adoption of FFF technology.</p
Molecular Interactions of Agaricus Bisporus Lectin with Dietary Carbohydrates and Phenolic Compounds: Binding Specificity and Structural Insights
No full textAgaricus bisporus lectin (ABL) has garnered increasing interest as a potential therapeutic agent for treating cancer and immune system disorders due to its ability to recognize carbohydrates in epithelial cells. A deep understanding of ABL-carbohydrate interactions is also essential to uncovering further applications, such as the potential role in managing diabetes through diet. Previous studies using enzyme-linked lectin sorbent assay (ELLSA) have suggested that intermediate to high concentrations of glucose and galactose can alter the physiological activity of ABL. However, other studies on ABL interactions with dietary carbohydrates have failed to detect binding in crystalline form using techniques like X-ray crystallography and frontal affinity chromatography (FAC). In addition to ABL-carbohydrate interactions, phenolic compounds are a diverse group of plant-derived secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins and lignans, with significant implications for food technology, nutrition and health, but their interactions with ABL are underresearched. Phenolic compound interactions with proteins can influence key sensory attributes such as flavor and texture, as well as impact the shelf life of food products. Despite Agaricus bisporus being a rich source of both proteins and phenolic compounds, no prior research has investigated potential interactions between ABL and phenolic compounds. Therefore, exploring these interactions could provide new insights into the functional properties of ABL and its role in food systems. Given the above, the primary objective of this PhD research was to comprehensively investigate the molecular interactions and binding affinities between ABL and dietary carbohydrates, as well as phenolic compounds, in solutions. Using intrinsic fluorescence quenching, a highly sensitive analytical technique, this study delved into the thermodynamic aspects of these interactions.The first experimental chapter examined the binding between ABL and dietary carbohydrates, including glucose, galactose and their N-acetylated derivatives (Nacetyl-D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine) at pH 7.2 and ambient temperature. Intrinsic fluorescence quenching confirmed binding interactions between ABL and all investigated ligands, with glucose exhibiting the strongest interaction. Molecular docking identified the likely binding sites, revealing stable interactions between ABL and these sugars. Notably, the epimeric hydroxyl group at carbon four of the sugar ring influenced binding location, with galactose-containing molecules favoring the T-antigen binding site, while glucose-containing molecules favored the opposite site. Spectroscopic techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD), indicated structural changes in ABL upon ligand binding, suggesting alterations in its secondary structure. Building on this, the second experimental phase explored the effect of carbohydrate chain length on ABL binding affinity. This study investigated a series of glucose-based oligosaccharides—glucose, maltose, maltotetraose, maltohexaose, maltoheptaose and maltodecaose. Fluorescence quenching analysis revealed that binding strength increased with carbohydrate chain length, peaking at six glucose units (maltohexaose) before declining for longer carbohydrates. This trend was consistent with the secondary structure modifications observed via FTIR and CD, which showed the most significant changes for maltohexaose. Molecular docking further confirmed stable interactions between ABL and all six ligands, with multiple hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces stabilizing the complexes. Following these carbohydrate studies, the research shifted to investigating ABL’s interactions with phenolic compounds. The third experimental phase focused on 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA) and p-coumaric acid (p-CA) at pH 7.2 and ambient temperature. UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed that the interactions were non-covalent in nature. Secondary structure analysis revealed a reduction in ABL’s α-helical content by approximately 3% and 4% upon complexation with 4HBA and p-CA, respectively. Fluorescence quenching analysis indicated stronger binding between ABL and 4HBA compared to p-CA, a trend further supported by molecular docking, which showed a more favorable binding energy (ΔG) for 4HBA. Interestingly, docking results suggested that these phenolic acids bind in the glucose-binding region of ABL, with Arg103 emerging as a key residue in stabilizing the interactions—mirroring its suspected role in glucose binding. The final experimental phase investigated ABL’s interactions with genistein, an isoflavone, and its glycosylated form, genistin, at pH 7.2 and ambient temperature. FTIR and CD analyses indicated significant increases in the β-sheet content of ABL (approximately 8.0% and 6.5%, respectively), accompanied by a corresponding reduction in α-helical structures. Molecular docking suggested that these structural modifications were induced by ligand interactions within the glucose-binding domain of ABL. Fluorescence quenching analysis revealed that genistein exhibited stronger binding affinity than genistin, demonstrating that glycosylation did not enhance binding strength. Instead, genistein’s ability to form π-alkyl hydrophobic forces with ABL contributed to its stronger interaction. Overall, the findings from these four experimental chapters provide valuable insights into the molecular interactions between ABL and both dietary carbohydrates and naturally occurring phenolic compounds by elucidating their binding mechanisms, affinities and structural implications. This research enhances our understanding of ABL’s potential bioactive properties in functional foods and nutraceuticals while advancing knowledge of its molecular binding mechanisms. These discoveries may further support the application of ABL as a functional ingredient in highly selective therapeutic formulations.</p
As Ice
No full textResearch Background As Ice is the second in a trilogy of exhibitions curated by Castel Belasi – Contemporary Art Center for Eco Thought, exploring elemental forces and their cultural, ecological, and symbolic meanings. Set within a sixteenth-century alpine castle and presented during UNESCO's International Year for the Conservation of Glaciers, the exhibition addresses climate change, fragility, and ecological loss through contemporary art. Conceived in response to accelerating glacial retreat, the project positions ice as both subject and medium through which to investigate broader environmental and existential concerns. It brings together fourteen international artists whose works reveal the entanglement of natural systems and human narratives. Research Significance The exhibition intervenes in dominant environmental discourses by fostering exchanges between artistic practice and scientific research. Artworks act as speculative responses to climate collapse, glacial time, and cultural mythologies, using sound, video, sculpture, and installation to express themes of impermanence and transformation. Philip Samartzis’s Antarctic field recordings offer a key contribution, capturing the complex geophysical and acoustic behaviour of ice. These recordings reveal dynamic processes—fracturing, melting, compression—that are typically inaccessible, making audible the shifting thresholds of climate systems. Research Contribution As Ice contributes new interdisciplinary knowledge to the eco-humanities by reframing glaciers as cultural, political, and spiritual agents. The exhibition models a curatorial methodology that is site-responsive and ethically attuned to environmental futures. Realised in collaboration with MUSE Science Museum Trento—part of a multi-year partnership with Castel Belasi—it demonstrates how long-term institutional collaboration can generate sustained, public-facing dialogue between contemporary art and scientific inquiry into sustainability.</p
Response to the Consultation on the Draft National Energy Equity Framework Submission to Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
No full textEnergy deprivation is primarily a risk to physiological, menial and social health. Hence, our review of the Response to the Consultation on the Draft National Energy Equity Framework was primarily guided by the criteria of health equity frameworks and energy justice. We present detailed recommendations in response to the Consultation questions.</p