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Rethinking Boomerang Employment in Singapore Biopharmaceutical Sector: An Exploratory Study
No full textThis study investigates the lived experiences of boomerang employees in Singapore’s biopharmaceutical sector. While existing research emphasizes the strategic value of returnees, less is known about how they interpret exit, reflection, and reintegration. Drawing on qualitative interviews with returnees and HR professionals, early findings reveal that boomerang employment is marked by emotional complexity, evolving identity, and symbolic negotiation. The study frames return as a dynamic process shaped by legacy ties, sensemaking, and organizational discourse. It extends literature on organizational commitment and turnover intention and offers practical guidance for alumni engagement and rehire strategies in knowledge‑intensive contexts
Integrating AI into Agile Benefit Realisation: The 2PT - AI - ABRF Framework
No full textAgile Project Management (APM) is widely used in Australia; however, surveys and academic literature indicate that benefit realisation within APM remains under-examined, contributing to persistently low project success rate. Although relatively nascent, Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers promising capabilities to address this gap when embedded in Agile practices. Accordingly, this study proposes an integrated framework- 2PT-AI-ABRF-that positions AI at the forefront while synthesising the People-Process-Technology paradigm, Sociotechnical Systems theory, Dynamic Capabilities, Agile principles, and PMI’s Benefit Realization Management Framework to enable systematic, measurable benefit realization in Agile contexts. The framework will be empirically evaluated using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design comprising a quantitative survey of Australian Agile practitioners with AI experience and a follow-on qualitative case study to explore underlying mechanisms. The research contribution includes a validated, theory-integrated model of AI-enabled value delivery. The findings will offer rigorous, actionable guidance for scaling AI adoption in Agile environments
Disability: issues for primary care nurses
No full textApproximately one in every six people have some form of disability and about one-third of these people have a severe or profound limitation to their daily activities and function. As a subgroup, they are some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged, often experiencing disparate chronic and complex health problems when compared to the general population. In addition, they sometimes encounter disabling challenges accessing the health system and have experienced poor quality care from health professionals whose capacity to understand their needs, and how to best respond to them, is limited. This chapter seeks to inform health care professionals about the intersection of health and disability so that they can better work with people with a disability no matter the health context
Experimental investigation of fibre reinforced engineered cementitious composite short deep beam under static and impact loading
No full textEngineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), characterised by their remarkable strain-hardening behaviour and superior crack control, are increasingly utilised in infrastructure applications requiring enhanced durability and resilience. However, in deep ECC beam elements, the stress distribution across the depth is non-uniform due to the greater height, leading to a concentration of stresses in certain sections, which may limit the material's ability to exhibit its strain-hardening potential. This study aims to investigate the static and dynamic response of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibre-reinforced ECC short deep beams subjected to three-point bending and impact loading. The experimental program involved casting short deep beam specimens using a PVA-ECC mix, with a 2% volume fraction of PVA fibres. Static three-point bending tests were conducted to assess flexural strength, crack formation, and load-deflection characteristics. For dynamic testing, a drop-weight impact machine was employed to simulate high strain-rate loading in a three-point dynamic bending setup. The primary response parameters, such as peak load, energy absorption, and crack propagation, were recorded under both static and dynamic conditions. The results demonstrated that the ECC beams exhibited a more elastic-brittle failure mode as the deeper sections experienced localised overstressing before significant strain-hardening could occur. In both static and dynamic tests, the primary failure mechanism was a significant flexural crack formed at the centre of the deep ECC beam. These findings highlight the limitations of ECC when used in certain structural elements, particularly deep beam configurations
Spatial scale influences relationships between indices of organisms’ thermal tolerance
No full textMany thermal vulnerability indices potentially describe organismal responses to climate. However, the inter-relationships among indices and the effects of body size and spatial scale are mostly unknown. Existing literature on relationships between indices remains unclear, e.g. different hypotheses predict no, positive or negative relationship between critical thermal minimum and maximum (CTmin and CTmax). We used phylogenetic corrected analysis to determine relationships between CTmin, CTmax, thermal breadth (=CTmax-CTmin), warming tolerance (=CTmax-annual mean habitat temperature), warming capacity (=CTmax-annual maximum habitat temperature) and organism size in 121 species of freshwater insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) from temperate and tropical streams distributed along elevation gradients in eastern Australia. When data were collated across all sites (i.e. both elevation gradients), CTmin and CTmax were positively related, indicating a trade-off between tolerating high and low temperatures at this multi-region spatial scale. However, within each gradient, these indices were uncorrelated, indicating that tolerance to high temperatures had no effect on tolerance to low temperatures and vice versa at this within-region scale. All pairs of variables, except CTmax and body size, were related (either positively or negatively) in one or more of the three datasets. Inconsistent relationships across sites in both the temperate and the tropical gradients occurred in 43 % of variable pairs. Hypotheses about the direction of relationships between pairs of variables were supported consistently in 50 % of the contrasts. While the variables examined are mostly related to each other, spatial scale is important in determining the nature of that relationship.</p
Greenhouse gas emissions associated with anaesthetic gases in Australia, 2002–2022: a retrospective descriptive analysis
No full textObjectivesTo assess changes in greenhouse gas emission rates associated with the use of anaesthetic gases (desflurane, sevoflurane, and isoflurane) in Australian health care during 2002–2022, overall and by state or territory and hospital type.Study designRetrospective descriptive analysis of IQVIA anaesthetic gases purchasing data.SettingAll Australian public and private hospitals, 1 January 2002 – 31 December 2022.Main outcome measuresAbsolute carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions and CO2e emissions rate per 100 000 population by gas and year, overall and by state/territory and hospital type (public or private).ResultsThe overall emissions rate increased from 74 t CO2e per 100 000 population in 2002 to 328 t CO2e per 100 000 population in 2012, most rapidly during 2002–2004 (annual percentage change [APC], 51%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38–62%). The rate then declined to 83 t CO2e per 100 000 population in 2022, most rapidly during 2017–2022 (APC, –21%; 95% CI, –23% to –20%). Patterns of emissions rate change were similar for all states and territories. More units of sevoflurane than of desflurane or isoflurane were purchased each year throughout 2002–2022, but desflurane provided the largest proportion of total emissions from anaesthetic gases during 2002–2022: 33% in 2002, 88% in 2013, and 68% in 2022. Mean emission rates per 100 000 population during 2002–2022 were highest for South Australia/Northern Territory (276 t CO2e per year) and lowest for Victoria/Tasmania (196 t CO2e per year). The desflurane emissions rate was consistently higher for private than public hospitals; it declined for public hospitals during 2009–2018 (APC, –8%; 95% CI, –10% to –5%) and 2018–2022 (APC, –43%; 95% CI, –48% to –37%), but for private hospitals only during 2017–2022 (APC, –20%; 95% CI, –24% to –17%).ConclusionsIn Australia, the CO2e emissions rate for anaesthetic gases increased during 2002–2008 but declined during 2017–2022, at first primarily in public hospitals. Continuing to reduce the use of anaesthetic gases, particularly desflurane, will advance the decarbonisation of clinical practice in Australian health care
Traditional place-based diets and their effects on healthy and sustainable food transitions:a systematic literature review
No full textObjective: Traditional diets are culturally accepted and adapted to local environments, but globalisation has shifted towards unhealthy, unsustainable eating habits. This study aims to assess the literature on the effects of traditional, place-based diets on health and sustainability and examines the suitability of common tools used to evaluate them. Design: A systematic search was conducted using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines across seven databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar), and the protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023445750). The inclusion criteria were traditional place-based diets, studies examining the nutritional, health benefits and sustainability impacts of traditional food consumption, published in English, with no date restriction. Results: Eleven studies from Spain, Romania, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Japan, Uganda and India met the criteria. Assessment tools included carbon footprints (via LCA), nitrogen footprints, NRF9.3, Nutri-Score and EAT-Lancet; some incorporated qualitative methods. Mediterranean, Atlantic and Japanese diets aligned well with health and sustainability, whereas meat-heavy or nutrient-deficient patterns raised concerns. Most studies relied on standardised tools and secondary datasets, with limited use of region-specific environmental data or qualitative insights. Only one intervention study was identified. Conclusions: Traditional diets show promise as culturally appropriate models for sustainable and healthy eating. Current tools designed around standardised, reductionist frameworks often fail to capture the complexity of traditional food systems, including local practices, preparation methods and cultural meaning. To better assess traditional diets, future research should develop regionally adapted indicators and integrate quantitative measures with qualitative insights from local communities.</p
Unpacking the social fabric of creative souvenirs: Understanding value perception among Chinese youth
No full textCreative souvenirs, blending cultural significance with tangible products, are popular among Chinese youth, presenting a novel research avenue. This study uses a multi-method qualitative approach to explore the perceived value and influence of these souvenirs. Findings reveal five key value dimensions (functional, emotional, social, epistemic, and conditional), with social value emerging as the central dimension. This study proposes a theoretical model where social value, conceptualised as the maintenance and building of social ties, functions as the core mechanism linking the remaining four dimensions through distinct internal (micro-level interpersonal relationships) and external (macro-level connections to culture and community) relational ties. Theoretically, the study advances consumption value theory by demonstrating social value's pivotal, connective role within this specific cultural and product context. These findings illuminate creative souvenirs' multifaceted appeal and impact on consumer perceptions and behaviour, offering practical insights for marketing and managing cultural attractions