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The research protocol described aims to examine and establish the health outcomes of children and young people living in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) in Perth, Western Australia (WA) from the perspective of the care recipients and service providers. A Study Advisory Panel (SAP) will be established comprised of Aboriginal Elders (because of the over-representation of Aboriginal children in OOHC), health professionals and other relevant stakeholders to help co-design all phases of the study. Mixed methods will be used in data collection and analysis. In the quantitative phase, it is proposed to collect retrospective data from three WA Department of Communities (DOC) districts. The data proposed to be collected includes: the number of children who received initial and annual health assessments, the health needs identified, and interventions put in place to address these needs. The qualitative phase will consist of interviews with service recipients (young people who have exited OOHC and Carers), health service providers (Community Health Nurses, School Nurses, General Practitioners and Paediatricians) and OOHC Case Workers. The research will provide an overview of the current health needs of children and young people in OOHC in WA and the perspectives of these young people, their Carers and service providers on current processes for accessing healthcare. It is anticipated that the study will provide valuable evidence for quality improvement in health service delivery to better meet the health needs of children and young people in OOHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic presented the unique challenge of having to deliver novel vaccines during a public health crisis. For pediatric patients, it was further complicated by the delayed timeline for authorizing the vaccine and the differences in dosing/products depending on the patient's age. This paper investigates the relationship between the spatial accessibility and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in King County, WA, USA. Public data for COVID-19 vaccine sites were used to calculate spatial accessibility using an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) technique. Spatial regression analyses were performed to look at the relationship between spatial accessibility and ZIP-code-level vaccination rates. The relationships of these data with other socioeconomic and demographic variables were calculated as well. Higher rates of vaccine accessibility and vaccine coverage were found in adolescent (12- to 17-year-old) individuals relative to school-age (5- to 11-year-old) individuals. Vaccine accessibility was positively associated with coverage in both age groups in the univariable analysis. This relationship was affected by neighborhood educational attainment. This paper demonstrates how measures such as E2SFCA can be used to calculate the accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine in a region and provides insight into some of the ecological factors that affect COVID-19 vaccination rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of regolith-hosted REE occurrences have recently been discovered in the Esperance region in southern Western Australia. This paper summarizes major characteristics of REE mineralization and discusses contributing factors and potential controls. The main aim is to explain why there is a lack of highly sought-after ion-adsorption-clay-type REE deposits across the region despite the presence of the regolith-hosted REE mineralization on a regional scale. Local mineralization mostly occurs as continuous flat-lying enrichment "blankets" within the residual regolith developed over Archaean–Proterozoic granite gneisses and granitoids with elevated REE content. The enriched horizon is commonly located in the lower saprolite and saprock and is accompanied by an overlying REE-depleted zone. This distribution pattern, together with the data on HREE fractionation and the presence of the supergene REE minerals, indicates chemogenic type enrichment formed by supergene REE mobilization into groundwater, downward transport, and accumulation in the lower part of the weathering profile. Residual REE accumulation processes due to bulk rock volume and mass reduction during weathering also contribute to mineralization. It is proposed that climate and groundwater chemistry are the critical regional controls on the distribution of REEs in the weathering profile and on their speciation in the enrichment zone. Cenozoic aridification of climate in southwest Australia heavily overprinted pre-existing REE distributions in the weathering profile. Acidic (pH < 4), highly saline groundwaters intensely leached away any relatively weakly bound, adsorbed or colloidal REE forms, moving them downward. Dissolved REEs precipitated as secondary phosphates in neutral to alkaline environment at lower Eh near the base of the weathering profile forming the supergene enrichment zone. Low denudation rates, characteristic of areas of low relief under the arid climate, are favourable for the preservation of the existing weathering profiles with REE mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a set of educational initiatives in Religious Education (RE). The paper addresses RE as an academic learning area and reserved for Kindergarten to Year 10 classrooms in Catholic schools. The initiatives described in the paper are evidence-based; they are guided by research and student achievement data addressing contemporary assessment reforms within the Australian educational context and considering the implications that the reforms have on the quality of student learning in RE. The reforms include quality assurance measures such as large-scale, standardised assessments (LSAs) and social moderation tools. The purpose of the measures is to establish standards that support the alignment of teaching and assessment practices. Such an alignment in the RE learning area has the potential to strengthen and improve student, as well as teacher, knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Faith Tradition. The paper draws from the Catholic RE school curriculum in Western Australia (WA), assessment principles outlined for schools in WA, an Australian Research Council Linkage project and local research about teacher perceptions of an LSA in RE. The paper supports local and national policy expectations recommending a review of the quality of RE as a learning area. Furthermore, given the prominence of the Catholic Church's mission of evangelisation and the nature and role of RE in Catholic schools as part of that mission, the paper endorses the Church's current stance on thoughtful dialogue and renewed efforts to bring a better understanding about Catholic culture and education to the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Western Australia (WA), Religious Education (RE) is a mandated learning area within the compulsory years of the Catholic school sector. RE is advocated as a curriculum subject, timetabled for and assessed alongside other subjects and focussed on developing religious knowledge and understanding. In addition to the RE lesson, faith development, or catechesis occurs through the intersection of RE and other faith-based activities in the Catholic school. In the early learning centre that caters for children prior to compulsory schooling, there is no formalised RE curriculum and educators are tasked with raising the religious awareness of children as opportunities arise. This paper presents findings from research that explored educators' understandings of, and practices in, promoting children's spirituality specifically in connection to RE. As a result, the paper advocates for spirituality as the starting point for developing young children's religious beliefs. In addition, it become evident through this investigation that understandings of spirituality, religiosity and RE continue to be complex and educators require assistance to disentangle these if they are to intentionally promote children's spirituality, and subsequently, their religious beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of preterm birth, neonatal morbidities and environmental influences on infant sleep development is an important yet under-researched topic, with little known about normative sleep for infants born sick or preterm. The aim of this prospective, observational longitudinal study was to evaluate maternal perceptions and degree of bother with infant sleep behaviours and feeding outcomes across the first 9 months after discharge for sick/preterm infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and for healthy term-born infants. This paper reports outcomes for the sick/preterm cohort (I = 94) that were recruited from two NICUs in Perth, Western Australia. Total bother scores were on average 20.2% higher at 9 months than at two weeks post-discharge (p < 0.001). Increased night waking frequency, evening settling duration and crying duration were all positively associated with total bother scores. Maternal confidence scores were negatively associated with maternal bother scores; with each unit increase in confidence, maternal bother decreased by 8.5% (p < 0.001). Covariates such as birth gestation, breastfeeding status and multiple births were not associated with maternal bother. Families may benefit from additional support when experiencing increased night waking frequency and crying and settling durations in the first 9 months after discharge from NICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypersaline Hamelin Pool, with mean salinity >65, is located in Shark Bay, Western Australia. The high salinity has reduced its biodiversity, but it is home to a diverse assemblage of modern marine stromatolites. The limited exchange of water between Hamelin Pool and the rest of Shark Bay, due to the presence of the shallow Faure Sill together with high evaporation and low rainfall-runoff have resulted in a hypersaline environment. With climate-change-induced mean sea level rise (MSLR), hydrodynamic processes that maintain the hypersaline environment may be affected and are the focus of this paper. Oceanographic observations, together with hydrodynamic model results, were used to examine the hydrodynamic processes under present and future MSLR scenarios. A large attenuation in the tidal range, changes in the tidal characteristics, and current speeds together with a strong salinity gradient were observed across the Faure Sill under present-day conditions. Under an MSLR scenario of 1 m, the tidal amplitude decreased by up to 10% to the north, whilst to the south, the tidal range increased by up to 15%. Regions of strong vertical stratification were present on both sides of the Faure Sill. The simulations indicated that, under MSLR scenarios, these regions expanded in area and exhibited higher levels of vertical stratification. The salt flux across the Faure Sill was maintained as a diffusive process under MSLR scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) is the main measure used in Australia for estimating fire risk. Recent work by the authors showed that the FFDI forms stable state regimes, nominated as fire climate regimes. These regimes shifted to greater intensity in southern and eastern Australia around the year 2000 and, a decade later, further north. Reductions in atmospheric moisture were the primary contributor. These changes have not been fully incorporated into future projections. This paper compares the recent regime shifts with the most recent national projections of FFDI, published in 2015. They show that for most states and regions, the 2030 upper limit is approached or exceeded by the recent shift, except for two states with large arid zones, South Australia and Western Australia. Methods for attributing past changes, constructing projections, and the inability of climate models to reproduce the recent decreases in atmospheric moisture, all contribute to these underestimates. To address these shortcomings, we make some suggestions to modify efforts aiming to develop seamless predictions and projections of future fire risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive modulation received significant attention for underwater acoustic (UA) communication systems with the aim of increasing the system efficiency. It is challenging to attain a high data rate in UA communication, as UA channels vary fast, along with the environmental factors. For a time-varying UA channel, a self-adaptive system is an attractive option, which can choose the best method according to the channel condition to guarantee the continuous connectivity and high performance constantly. A real-time orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based adaptive UA communication system is presented in this paper, employing the National Instruments (NI) LabVIEW software and NI CompactDAQ device. In this paper, the received SNR is considered as a performance metric to select the transmission parameters, which are sent back to the transmitter for data transmission. In this research, a UA OFDM communication system is developed, employing adaptive modulation schemes for a nonstationary UA environment which allows to select subcarriers, modulation size, and allocate power adaptively to enhance the reliability of communication, guarantee continuous connectivity, and boost data rate. The recent UA communication experiments carried out in the Canning River, Western Australia, verify the performance of the proposed adaptive UA OFDM system, and the experimental results confirm the superiority of the proposed adaptive scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) appears to be essential for lowering emissions during the necessary energy transition. However, in Australia, it has not delivered this result, at any useful scale, and this needs explanation. To investigate the reasons for this failure, the paper undertakes a historical and social case study of the Gorgon gas project in Western Australia, which is often declared to be one of the biggest CCS projects in the world. The Gorgon project could be expected to succeed, as it has the backing of government, a practical and economic reason for removing CO2, a history of previous exploration, nearby storage sites, experienced operators and managers, and long-term taxpayer liability for problems. However, it has run late, failed to meet its targets, and not lowered net emissions. The paper explores the social factors which seem to be disrupting the process. These factors include the commercial imperatives of the operation, the lack of incentives, the complexity of the process, the presence of ignored routine problems, geological issues (even in a well-explored area), technical failures, regulatory threats even if minor, tax issues, and the project increasing emissions and consuming carbon budgets despite claims otherwise. The results of this case study suggest that CCS may work in theory, but not well enough under some contemporary forms of social organisation, and the possibilities of CCS cannot be separated from its social background. Social dynamics should be included in CCS projections to enhance the accuracy of expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the progressive clinical trajectory of motor neurone disease (MND) is widely understood, multiple challenges remain preventing optimal end-of-life care for this population with unique needs from the patient, carer and service provider perspectives. This paper reports on the experiences, gaps in service and unmet needs of MND patients and family carers and explores public health palliative care approaches that would facilitate coordinated and integrated care to respond to their changing needs. This is a qualitative study of responses to questions in an online consumer survey (353 respondents) in Western Australia (2020), focusing on a subset of 29 current and bereaved carers of people with MND who have used health services in the last five years. The analysis identified themes, highlighting the insufficient integration of services across health and social care; poor and unequal access to coordinated palliative care; significant gaps in the knowledge base of the workforce and a failure to meet the consumer expectations of person-centred care. For palliative care to be accessible to those living with MND and other under-served conditions, there needs to be a shift to more comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable options, such as the public health approach to palliative/end-of-life care that engages the assets of local communities in partnership with health services, one example being the "Compassionate Communities Connectors" model of care. Further considerations include advocacy for policy changes, fostering partnerships and developing indicators for evaluating the impact of the proposed models of care. The end result is not only better care but substantial savings for the health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual power plants (VPPs) are an effective platform for attracting private investment and customer engagement to speed up the integration of green renewable resources. In this paper, a robust bidding strategy to participate in both energy and ancillary service markets in the wholesale electricity market is proposed for a realistic VPP in Western Australia. The strategy is accurate and fast, so the VPP can bid in a very short time period. To engage customers in the demand management schemes of the VPP, the gamified approach is utilized to make the exercise enjoyable while not compromising their comfort levels. The modelling of revenue, expenses, and profit for the load-following ancillary service (LFAS) is provided, and the effective bidding strategy is developed. The simulation results show a significant improvement in the financial indicators of the VPP when participating in both the LFAS and energy markets. The payback period can be improved by 3 years to the payback period of 6 years and the internal rate of return (IRR) by 7.5% to the IRR of 18% by participating in both markets. The accuracy and speed of the proposed bidding strategy method is evident when compared with a mathematical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools can have a significant role in affecting the mental health and wellbeing of both students and staff, with considerable implications for society as a whole. Hence, there is a need for school-based interventions to both assist those experiencing mental health problems and to implement activities and policies that facilitate the enhancement and maintenance of good mental health. Unlike most school mental health interventions that are focussed on, and specific to, the school setting, the Act–Belong–Commit Mentally Healthy Schools Framework is based on the principles of the Act–Belong–Commit community-wide general population mental health promotion campaign, which has been adapted to the school setting via the World Health Organisation's Health Promoting Schools Framework. The Mentally Healthy Schools Framework is a whole-school approach to enhancing both student and staff mental health. This paper reports the findings of a preliminary impact survey administered to students after the adoption of the Framework in a number of primary and secondary schools in Western Australia. Students from two schools that had only recently adopted the Framework completed a "Baseline" questionnaire, and students from three schools that had been implementing the Framework for at least 17 months completed a "Follow-up" questionnaire. The results suggest that the Mentally Healthy Schools Framework, adapted from a community-wide campaign, can have a positive impact on students in terms of increasing openness about mental health, increasing awareness of behaviours conducive to good mental health, and increasing engagement in behaviours to improve their mental health. Such positive impacts have clear implications not only for prevention of mental disorders, but for academic achievement, employment, and overall contribution to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myopia is a significant cause of visual impairment which may lead to many complications. However, the understanding of the mechanisms of myopia is still limited. In this paper, in order to investigate the development and the treatment of myopia, we analyzed the biological structure parameters of mice eyes, obtained from optical coherence tomography (OCT), and the optical performance of mice eyes calculated using ZEMAX software (ZEMAX Development Corporation, Kirkland, WA, USA) in which the optical model was built on the segment-by-segment optically corrected OCT 3D-images. Time-serial evaluation of three groups of mice eyes (form-deprivation myopia mice eyes, normal mice eyes, and atropine-treated myopia mice eyes) was performed. In addition to the biological structure parameters, imaging performance with the development of root-mean-square wavefront aberration at six filed angles was compared and analyzed. Results show that the biological structure parameters of the eye are closely related to the development of myopia. The peripheral defocus of the retina has a significant impact on inducing myopia, which verifies the new theory of myopia development. The delaying effect of atropine solution on myopia development is shown to verify the therapeutic effect of the medicine. This study provides technical support for the investigation of the myopia mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) process that uses an auxiliary magnetic machining tool for the internal surface finishing of a thick-walled tube. The auxiliary magnetic machining tool and external poles form a closed magnetic field circuit. Thus, a stronger magnetic force can be generated during the process. In the current study, we focus on analyzing the distribution of the magnetic field and magnetic flux density and investigating the finishing characteristics of a mixed magnetic abrasive finishing process and speed of relative revolutions. Based on the finishing characteristics, we also conduct a stage-by-stage finishing process by changing the combinations of the mixed magnetic abrasive finishing process. The finishing quality of the internal surface was mainly evaluated by the measured roundness and surface roughness. The experimental results show that the roundness and surface roughness Ra are affected when the total amount of WA abrasive and iron powder is too much; a better surface roughness could be obtained when the difference in the speed of relative revolutions is considerable, but the roundness is the worst. Furthermore, the original roundness measurement of 270 µm can reach 10 µm, and the surface roughness Ra can increase from an original surface roughness of 4.1 µm to reach 10 nm after 105 min of the stage-by-stage finishing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large database of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging data from clastic rocks of offshore oil and gas fields of Western Australia was used to assess the performance of multi regression analysis (MRA) to calculate NMR log outputs from conventional well logs. This short paper introduces a set of MRA equations for the calculation of the NMR log outputs using conventional well logs as inputs. This study shows that unlike machine learning methods the MRA approach fails to predict most of the NMR log outputs with acceptable accuracy but can provide Coates and SDR permeabilities with R2 of more than 0.75. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Younger granite bodies form two arches, the western and the eastern (WA, EA), which extend from the south northwards from the Meatique, ophiolitic group-island arc rocks, to the large older granite outcrop to the north. This paper concerns the feasibility of exploration in the El-Erediya-Ria El-Garah-El-Gidami-El-Missikat Y Gr regions. Fieldwork and remote sensing, together with geochemical, petrochemical, and mineralogical studies, are used to show the controlling factors, routes, and the origins of the deposits. Remote sensing is used to delineate the different rock units. Normal and strike–slip NW, NNE faults, veins, fractured ENE shear zones, and alteration zones of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids are discussed. Granites are considered using petrochemical diagrams as resources. These rocks are categorized as syeno- and alkali feldspar granites. Geochemical binary relationships recognized the granites are highly fractionated calc-alkaline-altered Monzo-, syeno-, and alkali feldspar granites formed in the active continental margin. The observed positive Ga vs. Cu, Zn, and Ni correlations are used for epithermal-magmatic-hydrothermal polymetallic veins and mineralized greisen zones. Negative Cu vs. Mo correlation patterns show probable Mo-porphyry deposits in the deeper zones at the contact point between porphyritic perthite and perthite granitic El-Erediya mass. The Zr/Sr between 1.65 to 2.93 plus fluorites in El-Missikat and up to 5.48 plus fluorites in El-Erediya show both U-poor at El-Missikat and U-rich deposits at El-Erediya. The recorded U, Th, Cu, and Pb vertical zoning sequence of deposition differentiates U aureole and deposit zones. The estimated lateral zoning sequences of deposition of these elements define the centers of U deposits. Pathfinders for the deposit of the examined area include the positive Fe2O3 vs. Mg O and Fe2O3 vs. Ca O correlations, and also negative Rb/Sr vs. K/Na and Rb vs. Sr ones, can be applied to future prospecting for similar U-F-Au-W-Mo deposits in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation practitioners require cost-effective and repeatable remotely sensed data for assistive monitoring. This paper tests the ability of standard remotely piloted aircraft (DJI Phantom 4 Pro) imagery to discriminate between plant species in a rangeland environment. Flights were performed over two 0.3–0.4 ha exclusion plot sites, established as controls to protect vegetation from translocated animal disturbance on Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia. Comparisons of discriminatory variables, classification potential, and optimal flight height were made between plot sites with different plant species diversity. We found reflectance bands and height variables to have high differentiation potential, whilst measures of texture were less useful for multisegmented plant canopies. Discrimination between species varied with omission errors ranging from 13 to 93%. Purposely resampling c. 5 mm imagery as captured at 20–25 m above terrain identified that a flight height of 120 m would improve capture efficiency in future surveys without hindering accuracy. Overall accuracy at a site with low species diversity (n = 4) was 70%, which is an encouraging result given the imagery is limited to visible spectral bands. With higher species diversity (n = 10), the accuracy reduced to 53%, although it is expected to improve with additional bands or grouping like species. Findings suggest that in rangeland environments with low species diversity, monitoring using a standard RPA is viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper evaluated the accuracy of two different methods for transferring working length (WL) between manual endodontic instruments and nickel–titanium (NiTi) shaping files. Thirty root canals of extracted permanent teeth were used. Root canals were divided according to canal length (CL) and canal curvature (CC). The reference cusp and the root end were flattened to provide reproducible and accurate measurements. During shaping, the WL measurements were obtained with manual k-files (KF) and transferred to WaveOne (W1) NiTi reciprocating files using the traditional method with the endodontic ruler (method I) and an alternative clinical procedure based on the comparison of the instruments side by side from tip to shank (method II). For each file and each tested method, two measures were taken by two examiners using Rhino (ver. 4.0, McNeel, Seattle, WA, USA) software for a total of 360 (30 × 3 × 2 × 2) measures. Analysis of variance was performed by taking the difference in length (Delta WL, DWL) between files used for the same canal. The difference between methods I and II for WL transfer was found to be statistically significant (df = 1; F = 71.52; p < 0.001). The DWL absolute values obtained with method II were found to be closer to 0 mm (i.e., same length as corresponding KF) than those obtained with method I. Both CL (df = 2; F = 1.27; p = 0.300) and CC (df = 1; F = 2.22; p = 0.149) did not significantly influence WL measurements. With respect to WL transfer, method II seemed to better preserve the correct WL transfer between instruments during the clinical endodontic procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding risk factors for frailty, functional decline and incidence of adverse healthcare outcomes amongst community-dwelling older adults is important to plan population-level health and social care services. We examined variables associated with one-year risk of institutionalisation, hospitalisation and death among patients assessed in their own home by a community-based Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) in Western Australia. Frailty and risk were measured using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC), respectively. Predictive accuracy was measured from the area under the curve (AUC). Data from 417 patients, median 82 ± 10 years, were included. At 12-month follow-up, 22.5% (n = 94) were institutionalised, 44.6% (n = 186) were hospitalised at least once and 9.8% (n = 41) had died. Frailty was common, median CFS score 6/9 ± 1, and significantly associated with institutionalisation (p = 0.001), hospitalisation (p = 0.007) and death (p < 0.001). Impaired activities of daily living (ADL) measured on the RISC had moderate correlation with admission to long-term care (r = 0.51) and significantly predicted institutionalisation (p < 0.001) and death (p = 0.01). The RISC had the highest accuracy for institutionalisation (AUC 0.76). The CFS and RISC had fair to good accuracy for mortality (AUC of 0.69 and 0.74, respectively), but neither accurately predicted hospitalisation. Home assessment of community-dwelling older patients by an ACAT in Western Australia revealed high levels of frailty, ADL impairment and incident adverse outcomes, suggesting that anticipatory care planning is imperative for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of observations, reanalysis, and model simulations, including those using machine learning methods specifically designed for regime identification, has revealed changes in aspects of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) circulation and Australian climate and extremes over the last half-century that indicate transitions to new states. In particular, our analysis shows a dramatic shift in the metastability of the SH climate that occurred in the late 1970s, associated with a large-scale regime transition in the SH atmospheric circulation, with systematic changes in the subtropical jet, blocking, zonal winds, and storm tracks. Analysis via nonstationary clustering reveals a regime shift coincident with a sharp transition to warmer oceanic sea surface temperatures and increased baroclinicity in the large scales of the Antarctic Circumpolar Circulation (ACC), extending across the whole hemisphere. At the same time, the background state of the tropical Pacific thermocline shoaled, leading to an increased likelihood of El Niño events. The SH climate shift in the late 1970s is the first hemispheric regime shift that can be directly attributed to anthropogenic climate change. These changes in dynamics are associated with additional regional tipping points, including reductions in mean and extreme rainfall in south-west Western Australia (SWWA) and streamflow into Perth dams, and also with increases in mean and extreme rainfall over northern Australia since the late 1970s. The drying of south-eastern Australia (SEA) occurred against a background of accelerating increases in average and extreme temperatures across the whole continent since the 1990s, implying further inflection points may have occurred. Analysis of climate model simulations capturing the essence of these observed shifts indicates that these systematic changes will continue into the late 21st century under high greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Here, we review two decades of work, revealing for the first time that tipping points characteristic of regime transitions are inferred to have already occurred in the SH climate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing numbers of parents choosing to home-school their child, currently there is very limited information about how this is implemented. Utilizing the recently developed Parents' Perceptions of Home-Schooling scale (PPHS), a survey of 93 home-schooling parents in Western Australia was undertaken. Data were collected using five Likert scales to obtain information concerned with a range of implementation aspects. Key findings were related to the process for registering and providing an appropriate learning program, the role of the home-educator moderator, the type of study and support utilized, and whether the student had a disability or ALNs. The discussion considers links to inclusion and how the heightened uptake of home-schooling can be monitored effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite countless advances in recent years, exploration for volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits remains challenging. This is particularly the case in the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia, where outcrop is limited, weathering is deep and extensive, and metamorphism is variable. At Erayinia in the southern Kurnalpi terrane, intercepts of VMS-style mineralization occur along ~35 km strike length of stratigraphy, and a small Zn (-Cu) deposit has been defined at King (2.15 Mt at 3.47% Zn). An extensive aircore and reverse circulation drilling campaign on the regional stratigraphy identified additional VMS targets, including the King North prospect. Through a combination of detailed rock chip logging, petrography (inc. SEM imaging), and lithogeochemistry, we have reconstructed the volcanic stratigraphy and alteration halos associated with the King North prospect. Hydrothermal alteration assemblages and geochemical characteristics at King North (Mg-Si-K enrichment, Na depletion, and high Sb, Tl, Eu/Eu*, alteration index, CCPI, and normative corundum abundance values) are consistent with an overturned VMS system. The overturned footwall stratigraphy at King North is dominated by metamorphosed volcanic rocks, namely the following: garnet amphibolite (tholeiitic, basaltic), biotite amphibolite (andesitic, calc-alkaline), chlorite–quartz schist (dacitic), and narrow horizons of muscovite–quartz schist (dacitic to rhyolitic, HFSE-enriched). The hanging-wall to the Zn-bearing sequence is characterized by quartz–albite schists (metasedimentary rocks) and thick sequences of amphibolite (calc-alkaline, basaltic andesite). An iron-rich unit (>25% Fe2O3) of chlorite–actinolite–quartz schist, interpreted as a meta-exhalite, is associated with significant Cu-Au mineralization, adjacent to a likely syn-volcanic fault. Extensive Mg metasomatism of the immediate felsic footwall is represented by muscovite–chlorite schist. Diamond drilling into the deep hanging-wall stratigraphy at both King North and King has also revealed the potential for additional, stacked VMS prospective horizons in the greenstone belt stratigraphy. The discovery of HFSE-enriched rhyolites, zones of muscovite–chlorite schist, presence of abundant sulfide-rich argillaceous metasedimentary rocks, and a second upper meta-exhalite horizon further expand the exploration potential of the King–King North region. Our combined petrographic and lithogeochemical approach demonstrates that complex volcanic lithologies and VMS alteration signatures can be established across variably metamorphosed greenstone belts. This has wider implications for more cost-effective exploration across the Yilgarn Craton, utilizing RC drilling to reconstruct the local geology and identify proximal halos, and limiting more costly diamond drilling to key areas of complex geology and deeper EM targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech signals contain abundant information on personal emotions, which plays an important part in the representation of human potential characteristics and expressions. However, the deficiency of emotion speech data affects the development of speech emotion recognition (SER), which also limits the promotion of recognition accuracy. Currently, the most effective approach is to make use of unsupervised feature learning techniques to extract speech features from available speech data and generate emotion classifiers with these features. In this paper, we proposed to implement autoencoders such as a denoising autoencoder (DAE) and an adversarial autoencoder (AAE) to extract the features from LibriSpeech for model pre-training, and then conducted experiments on the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture (IEMOCAP) datasets for classification. Considering the imbalance of data distribution in IEMOCAP, we developed a novel data augmentation approach to optimize the overlap shift between consecutive segments and redesigned the data division. The best classification accuracy reached 78.67% (weighted accuracy, WA) and 76.89% (unweighted accuracy, UA) with AAE. Compared with state-of-the-art results to our knowledge (76.18% of WA and 76.36% of UA with the supervised learning method), we achieved a slight advantage. This suggests that using unsupervised learning benefits the development of SER and provides a new approach to eliminate the problem of data scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rock slope stability analysis can be performed using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. The deterministic analysis based on the safety concept factor uses fixed representative values for each input parameter involved without considering the variability and uncertainty of the rock mass properties. Probabilistic analysis with the calculation of probability of failure instead of the factor of safety against failure is emerging in practice. Such analyses offer a more rational approach to quantify risk by incorporating uncertainty in the input variables and evaluating the probability of the failure of a system. In rock slope engineering, uncertainty and variability involve a large scatter of geo-structural data and varied geomechanical test results. There has been extensive reliability analysis of rock slope stability in the literature, and different methods of reliability are being employed for assessment of the probability of failure and the reliability of a slope. Probabilistic approaches include Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), the point estimate method (PEM), the response surface method (RSM), first- and second-order reliability methods (FORMs and SORMs), and the first-order second-moment method (FOSM). Although these methods may be complicated, they provide a more complete definition of risk. Probabilistic slope stability analysis is an option in most commercial software; however, the use of this method is not common in practice. This paper provides an overview of the literature on some of the main probabilistic reliability-based methods available for the design of the rock slope in open pit mining. To demonstrate its applicability, the paper investigates the stability of a rock slope in an open pit mine in the Goldfields region, Western Australia. Two different approaches were adopted: deterministic stability analysis using two-dimensional limit equilibrium and finite element shear strength reduction methods using SLIDE and RS2 software, respectively, and probabilistic analysis by applying the MCS and RSM methods in the limit equilibrium method. In this example, the slope stability analysis was performed using the Spencer method with Cuckoo search optimization to locate the critical slip surface. The results obtained were compared and commented on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech emotion recognition poses challenges due to the varied expression of emotions through intonation and speech rate. In order to reduce the loss of emotional information during the recognition process and to enhance the extraction and classification of speech emotions and thus improve the ability of speech emotion recognition, we propose a novel approach in two folds. Firstly, a feed-forward network with skip connections (SCFFN) is introduced to fine-tune wav2vec 2.0 and extract emotion embeddings. Subsequently, ConLearnNet is employed for emotion classification. ConLearnNet comprises three steps: feature learning, contrastive learning, and classification. Feature learning transforms the input, while contrastive learning encourages similar representations for samples from the same category and discriminative representations for different categories. Experimental results on the IEMOCAP and the EMO-DB datasets demonstrate the superiority of our proposed method compared to state-of-the-art systems. We achieve a WA and UAR of 72.86% and 72.85% on IEMOCAP, and 97.20% and 96.41% on the EMO-DB, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an individual genotype to express phenotype variably in different environments. This study investigated the plasticity of yield-related traits of bread wheat by utilising 225 doubled haploid (DH) lines developed from cv. Westonia and cv. Kauz, through two field trials in Western Australia. Plasticity was quantified via two previously published methods: responsiveness to varying ecological conditions and slopes of reaction norms. The spikelets/spike was the most plastic trait, with an overall plasticity of 1.62. The least plastic trait was grain protein content, with an overall plasticity of 0.79. The trait hierarchy based on phenotypic plasticity was spikelets/spike > thousand kernel weight > seed number > seed length > grain yield > grain protein content. An increase in yield plasticity of 0.1 was associated with an increase in maximum yield of 4.45 kg ha−1. The plasticity of seed number and grain protein content were significantly associated with yield plasticity. The maximal yield was positively associated with spikelets/spike and grain yield, whereas it negatively associated with grain protein content. In contrast, the minimal yield was found to be negatively related to the plasticity of spikelets/spike and the plasticity of grain yield, whereas it was not related to grain protein content plasticity. Seed number and seed length exhibited plastic responses at the higher fertilisation state while remaining relatively stable at the lower fertilisation state for the wheat DH population. The finding of the current study will play a key role in wheat improvement under the changing climate. Seed length and seed number should be the breeding target for achieving stable yield in adverse environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penetration of the power grid by renewable energy sources, distributed storage, and distributed generators is becoming increasingly common. Increased utilization of these distributed energy resources (DERs) has given rise to additional protection coordination concerns, particularly where they are utilized in an unbalanced manner or where loading among phases is unbalanced. Digital relays such as the SEL-751 (produced by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Pullman, WA, USA) series have the capability of being set on a per-phase basis. This capability is underutilized in common practice. Additionally, in optimization algorithms for determining relay settings, the time-overcurrent characteristics (TOCs) of relays are generally not treated as variables and are assigned before running the optimization algorithm. In this paper, TOC options themselves are treated as discrete variables to be considered in the optimization algorithm. A mixed integer nonlinear programming problem (MINLP) is set up where the goal is to minimize relay operating times. A genetic algorithm (GA) approach is implemented in MATLAB where two cases are considered. In the first case, the TOC and Time dial setting (TDS) of each relay is set on a three-phase basis. In the second case, per-phase settings are considered. Relay TDSs and TOCs are both considered as simultaneous discrete control variables. Despite the stochastic nature of using per-phase settings for unbalanced systems is found to generally allow for shorter operating times. However, for relatively balanced systems, it is best to use three-phase settings if computation time is of importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To integrate large-scale renewable energy into energy systems, an effective participation from private investors and active customer engagement are essential. Virtual power plants (VPPs) are a very promising approach. To realize this engagement, an efficient monitoring and control system needs to be implemented for the VPP to be flexible, scalable, secure, and cost-effective. In this paper, a realistic VPP in Western Australia is studied, comprising 67 dwellings, including a 810 kW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system, a 700 kWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), a heat pump hot water system (HWS), an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, and demand management mechanisms. The practical and detailed concept design of the monitoring and control system for EEBUS-enabled appliances, and also for the PV and VRFB system, with smart inverters, is proposed. In addition, a practical fog-based storage and computing system is developed to enable the VPP owner to manage the PV, VRFB, and EV charging station for maximizing the benefit to the customers and the VPP owner. Further, the proposed cloud-based applications enable customers to participate in gamified demand response programs for increasing the level of their engagement while satisfying their comfort level. All proposed systems and architecture in this paper have the capability of being implemented fully and relevant references for practical devices are given where necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global construction sector contributes a significant share of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Australia, infrastructure activity alone generates 18% of the GHG emissions. The use of low-embodied carbon building materials is crucial to decarbonise the construction sector and fulfil national and international climate goals. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a promising feedstock for low-carbon construction materials because of its carbon sequestration capacity, fast-growing cycles, and technical functionality comparable to traditional materials. This study utilised the life cycle assessment (LCA) guideline ISO 14040:2006 to estimate the carbon footprint (CF) of hemp-based building materials in Western Australia capturing region-specific variations in terms of inputs, soil, productivity, and energy mix. The functional unit was 1 m2 of a hemp-based board, and the system boundary was cradle-to-gate, i.e., pre-farm, on-farm, and post-farm activities. The CF of 1 m2 of hemp-based board was estimated to be −2.302 kg CO2 eq. Electricity from the public grid for bio-based binder production during the post-farm stage was the main contributor to total CO2 eq emissions (26%), followed by urea production (14%) during the pre-farm stage. Overall, the use of electricity from the public grid during the post-farm stage accounted for 45% of total emissions. Sensitivity analysis showed that the CF of hemp-based boards was highly sensitive to the source of energy; i.e., total replacement of the public grid by solar power decreased the CF by 164% (−2.30 to −6.07 kg CO2 eq). The results suggested that hemp-based boards exhibit lower embodied GHG emissions compared to traditional materials, such as gypsum plasterboards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian tomato Solanum orbiculatum ssp. orbiculatum is an edible bush tomato endemic to the more arid areas of Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. Breeding system data indicate that the plants are potentially self-compatible but are unable to carry out spontaneous autogamy or agamospermy. The flower is protogynous, as the stigma become receptive to pollen germination while still in bud condition and the anthers do not release pollen immediately after anthesis. This arrangement is a simple and common way to avoid too much self-pollination, favours cross pollination, and would allow forced bud pollination for hybrid development. The floral structure and morphology of this species can also encourage cross pollination, as the stigma is mostly exserted above the anther's tips. In an attempt to examine the hypothesis of a positive correlation between pollen grain size and style length, we found a statistically significant difference between the pollen size of the long-styled and short-styled flowers. Pollen in vitro germination and viability tests have been optimised to facilitate effective breeding work on this species. A modified Brewbake and Kwack (BK) medium supplemented with 20% sucrose and 2.5% PEG 4000 has been found to be the most efficient media components for the in vitro germination of viable pollen grains. Alternatively, Alexander's and acetocarmine (1%) stains have shown the highest positive correlation with the in vitro pollen germination test and, therefore, can be used as quick tests for checking pollen viability. Moreover, pollen grains stored for three months under 4 °C and dry conditions can be used efficiently to effect fertilisation in breeding programs, as it can maintain more than 50% of the original viability. This study will contribute to understanding the evolution and systematic relationships of species and for founding effective conservation programs. Furthermore, understanding the reproductive biology of this species is also of interest because of its potential for tomato breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed changes in magnitude and timing of the largest annual observed daily flow (Amax), in each water year, for 596 stations in high-value water resource catchments and flood risk locations across Australia. These stations are either included in the Bureau of Meteorology's Hydrologic Reference Stations or used in its operational flood forecasting services. Monotonic trend (which is either consistently increasing or decreasing) analyses of the magnitude and timing of flood peaks (estimated using Amax) were performed using the Theil–Sen and Mann–Kendall approaches and circular statistics to identify the strength of seasonality and timing. We analysed regional significance across different drainage divisions using the Walker test. Monotonic decreasing trends in Amax flood magnitude were found in the Murray–Darling River Basin and in other drainage divisions in Victoria, southwest and midwest of Western Australia and South Australia. No significant obvious pattern in Amax magnitude was detected in northern Queensland, coastal NSW, central Australia and Tasmania. Monotonic increasing trends were only found in the Tanami–Timor Sea Coast drainage division in northern Australia. Monotonic trends in Amax magnitude were regionally significant at the drainage division scale. We found two distinct patterns in flood seasonality and timing. In the northern and southern parts of Australia, flood peaks generally occur from February to March and August to October, respectively. The strength of this seasonality varies across the country. Weaker seasonality was detected for locations in the Murray–Darling River Basin, and stronger seasonality was evident in northern Australia, the southwest of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. The trends of seasonality and timing reveal that in general, flood peaks have occurred later in the water year in recent years. In northern Australia, flood peaks have generally occurred earlier, at a rate of 12 days/decade. In Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, the trends in timing are generally mixed. However, in the southwest of Western Australia, the largest change in timing was evident, with Amax peaks commencing later at a rate of 15 days/decade. Decadal variability in flood timing was found at the drainage division scale as well. Most stations show a decreasing trend in Amax magnitude, but how that trend is associated with the change in timing is not clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to climate change, wood pellets have been increasingly utilized as a sustainable energy source. However, their growing utilization increases the production of wood pellet fly ash (WA) by-products, necessitating alternative recycling technologies due to a shortage of discharging landfills. Thus, this research seeks to utilize WA by developing a new sustainable construction material, called wood pellet fly ash blended binder (WABB), and to validate its stabilizing performance in natural soils, namely weathered granite soil (WS). WABB is made from 50% WA, 30% ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), and 20% cement by dry mass. WS was mixed with 5%, 15%, and 25% WABB and was tested for a series of unconfined compressive strength (qu), pH, and suction tests at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. For the microstructural analyses, XRD, SEM, and EDS were employed. As the WABB dosage rate increased, the average qu increased by 1.88 to 11.77, which was higher than that of compacted WS without any binder. Newly cementitious minerals were also confirmed. These results suggest that the effects of the combined hydration mechanism of WABB are due to cement's role in facilitating early strength development, GGBS's latent hydraulic properties, and WA's capacity to stimulate the alkaline components of WABB and soil grains. Thus, this research validates a new sustainable binder, WABB, as a potential alternative to conventional soil stabilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: This study deals with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital pathology (DP). The study starts from the highlights of a companion paper. Objective: The aim was to investigate the consensus and acceptance of the insiders on this issue. Procedure: An electronic survey based on the standardized package Microsoft Forms (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) was proposed to a sample of biomedical laboratory technicians (149 admitted in the study, 76 males, 73 females, mean age 44.2 years). Results: The survey showed no criticality. It highlighted (a) the good perception of the basic training on both groups, and (b) a uniformly low perceived knowledge of AI (as arisen from the graded questions). Expectations, perceived general impact, perceived changes in the work-flow, and worries clearly emerged in the study. Conclusions: The of AI in DP is an unstoppable process, as well as the increase of the digitalization in the health domain. Stakeholders must not look with suspicion towards AI, which can represent an important resource, but should invest in monitoring and consensus training initiatives based also on electronic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical image segmentation can effectively identify lesions in medicine, but some small and rare lesions cannot be well identified. Existing studies do not take into account the uncertainty of the occurrence of diseased tissue, and the problem of long-tailed distribution of medical data. Meanwhile, the grayscale image obtained from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) detection has problems, such as the features being difficult to extract and invalid features being difficult to distinguish. In order to solve these problems, we propose a new weighted attention ResUNet (WA-ResUNet) and a class weight formula based on the number of images contained in the class, which improves the performance of the model in the low-frequency class and the overall effect of the model by improving the degree of attention paid to the valid features and invalid ones and rebalancing the learning efficiency among the classes. We evaluated our method on an uterine MRI dataset and compared it with the ResUNet. WA-ResUNet increased Intersection over Union (IoU) in the low-frequency class (Nabothian cysts) by 21.87%, and the overall mIoU increased by more than 6.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Damage on clothing worn by homicide victims can provide valuable information about the weapon or the actions of the assault. For instance, knives deposit distinct marks on fabric depending on the blade's characteristics, and tears produce a unique morphology on clothing. However, in cases where a victim is found after a period of time, the natural processes of decomposition and insect colonization can potentially modify the damage on clothing, hindering the reconstruction of the crime. To evaluate these modifications, we conducted this study on stillborn piglets wrapped in different fabrics that were stabbed or had their fabric torn before being placed in the field to decompose. Our results show that decomposition and insect activity can modify existing cuts and tears and introduce new artifacts on fabrics as the time since death increases. The modifications of the inflicted cuts and tears were influenced by factors such as the type of fabric, type of initial damage, decomposition processes, insect activity, bacterial and fungal colonization, and length of exposure to the environment. Fatal stabbings are the leading cause of homicide in countries with restricted access to firearms, such as Australia. The analysis of damage on clothing imparted by a sharp object can assist in the characterization of the weapon. However, decomposition and carrion insects can modify the features of the damage, impeding textile damage analysis and crime reconstruction. This study aimed to identify and characterize the modifications of textile damage over 47 days of decomposition during the summer season in Western Australia. Fabric modifications were analyzed on cotton, synthetic, and blended fabrics with standardized cuts and tears, wrapped on 99 stillborn piglets. Six unclothed piglets acted as controls, with three being stabbed. All piglets were placed simultaneously in the field alongside swatches of fabric. Analyses considered taphonomy, insect interactions, and any textile damage using optical microscopy and SEM. The results showed that carrion insects can modify existing cuts and tears and introduce new artifacts on textiles. The 100% cotton fabric was the most affected by mechanical and chemical degradation, especially cuts and areas stained with blood or decomposition fluids. The study highlights the combined effect of multiple factors on textile damage, including the type of fabric, initial damage, bloating, insect activity, and biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting animals to estimate abundance can be difficult, particularly when the habitat is dense or the target animals are fossorial. The recent surge in the use of thermal imagers in ecology and their use in animal detections can increase the accuracy of population estimates and improve the subsequent implementation of management programs. However, the use of thermal imagers results in many hours of captured flight videos which require manual review for confirmation of species detection and identification. Therefore, the perceived cost and efficiency trade-off often restricts the use of these systems. Additionally, for many off-the-shelf systems, the exported imagery can be quite low resolution (<9 Hz), increasing the difficulty of using automated detections algorithms to streamline the review process. This paper presents an animal species detection system that utilises the cost-effectiveness of these lower resolution thermal imagers while harnessing the power of transfer learning and an enhanced small object detection algorithm. We have proposed a distant object detection algorithm named Distant-YOLO (D-YOLO) that utilises YOLO (You Only Look Once) and improves its training and structure for the automated detection of target objects in thermal imagery. We trained our system on thermal imaging data of rabbits, their active warrens, feral pigs, and kangaroos collected by thermal imaging researchers in New South Wales and Western Australia. This work will enhance the visual analysis of animal species while performing well on low, medium and high-resolution thermal imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper slag, a by-product of the pyrometallurgical process used for obtaining copper from copper ore in Bor, Serbia, contains mainly silicon, iron, calcium, and aluminium oxides. Due to such properties, it is disposed of in landfills. Despite the favourable technical properties copper slag aggregates possess, such as low-water absorption (WA24 0.6%), low resistance to fragmentation (LA 10%), and low resistance to wear (MDE 4%), its use in the construction industry is still limited. The results of testing the technical properties of copper slag aggregates (CSAs) as a potential replacement for natural river aggregate (RA) are presented in this paper. The experiments included tests on three concrete mixtures with partial replacement of coarse natural aggregate with copper slag. The replacement of RA particle sizes of 8/16 mm and 16/31.5 mm with CSA in the amount of 20% + 50% and 50% + 50% resulted in an increase in the compressive strength of 12.4% and 10.5%, respectively. The increase of CSA content led to a decrease in water penetration resistance and salt-frost resistance of concrete, whereas the resistance to chloride ion penetration did not change significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first application of mammal tooth enamel carbonate stable isotope analysis for the purpose of investigating late Pleistocene–early Holocene environmental change in an Australian archaeological context. Stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios were analyzed from archaeological and modern spectacled hare wallaby (Lagorchestes conspicillatus) and hill kangaroo (Osphranter robustus) tooth enamel carbonates from Boodie Cave on Barrow Island in Western Australia. δ18O results track the dynamic paleoecological history at Boodie Cave including a clear shift towards increasing aridity preceding the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum and a period of increased humidity in the early to mid-Holocene. Enamel δ13C reflects divergent species feeding ecology and may imply a long-term shift toward increasing diversity in vegetation structure. This study contributes new data to the carbonate-isotope record for Australian fauna and demonstrates the significant potential of stable isotope based ecological investigations for tracking paleoenvironment change to inter-strata resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum (Al) toxicity imposes a significant limitation to crop production in South Western Australia. This paper examines the impact of surface-applied lime and gypsum on soil solution chemistry in the short term (1 year) and the long-term (10 years) in water limited environments. In the experiments, we measured soil solution chemistry using a paste extract on soil profile samples collected to a depth of 50 cm. We then used the chemical equilibrium model MINTEQ to predict the presence and relative concentrations of Al species that are toxic to root growth (Al associated with Al3+ and AlOH2 or Toxic-Al) and less non-toxic forms of Al bound with sulfate, other hydroxide species and organic matter. A feature of the soils used in the experiment is that they have a low capacity to adsorb sulfate. In the short term, despite the low amount of rainfall (279 mm), sulfate derived from the surface gypsum application is rapidly leached into the soil profile. There was no self-liming effect, as evidenced by there being no change in soil solution pH. The application of gypsum, in the short term, increased soil solution ionic strength by 524–681% in the 0–10 cm soil layer declining to 75–109% in the 30–40 cm soil layer due to an increase in soil solution sulfate and calcium concentrations. Calcium from the gypsum application displaces Al from the exchange sites to increase soil solution Al activity in the gypsum treatments by 155–233% in the short term and by 70–196% in the long term to a depth of 40 cm. However, there was no effect on Toxic-Al due to Al sulfate precipitation. In the long term, sulfate leaching from the soil profile results in a decline in soil solution ionic strength. Application of lime results in leaching of alkalinity into the soil profile leading to a decreased Toxic-Al to a depth of 30 cm in the long term, but it did not affect Toxic-Al in the short term. Combining an application of lime with gypsum had the same impact on soil solution properties as gypsum alone in the short term and as lime alone in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an unexplored method to produce formaldehyde-free MDF. Steam exploded Arundo donax L. (STEX-AD) and untreated wood fibers (WF) were mixed at different mixing rates (0/100, 50/50, and 100/0, respectively) and two series of boards were manufactured, with 4 wt% of pMDI, based on dry fibers, and self-bonded. The mechanical and physical performance of the boards was analyzed as a function of the adhesive content and the density. The mechanical performance and dimensional stability were determined by following European standards. The material formulation and the density of the boards had a significant effect on both mechanical and physical properties. The boards made solely of STEX-AD were comparable to those made with pMDI, while the panels made of WF without adhesive were those that performed the worst. The STEX-AD showed the ability to reduce the TS for both pMDI-bonded and self-bonded boards, although leading to a high WA and a higher short-term absorption for the latter. The results presented show the feasibility of using STEX-AD in the manufacturing of self-bonded MDF and the improvement of dimensional stability. Nonetheless, further studies are needed especially to address the enhancement of the internal bond (IB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larval mosquito development is directly impacted by environmental water temperature. Shallow water less than 1 m deep is a common larval mosquito habitat. Existing mathematical models estimate water temperature using meteorological variables, and they range in complexity. We developed a modification of an existing one-layer heat balance model for estimating hourly water temperature and compared its performance with that of a model that uses only air temperature and water volume as inputs and that uses air temperature itself as an indicator of water temperature. These models were assessed against field measurements from a shallow tidal wetland—a known larval habitat—in southwest Western Australia. We also analysed publicly available measurements of air temperature and river height to determine whether they could be used in lieu of field measurements to allow cost-effective long-term monitoring. The average error of the modified version of the heat balance equation was −0.5 °C per hour. Air temperature was the second-best performing method ( x ¯ error = −2.82 °C). The public data sources accurately represented the onsite water temperature measurements. The original heat balance model, which incorporates a parameterisation of evaporative heat flux, performed poorly in hot, dry, windy conditions. The modified model can be used as an input to larval mosquito development models, assisting Local Government Environmental Health officers to determine optimal mosquito development periods and the timing of mosquito monitoring activities to enhance mosquito control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for detecting emotions that employ many modalities at the same time have been found to be more accurate and resilient than those that rely on a single sense. This is due to the fact that sentiments may be conveyed in a wide range of modalities, each of which offers a different and complementary window into the thoughts and emotions of the speaker. In this way, a more complete picture of a person's emotional state may emerge through the fusion and analysis of data from several modalities. The research suggests a new attention-based approach to multimodal emotion recognition. This technique integrates facial and speech features that have been extracted by independent encoders in order to pick the aspects that are the most informative. It increases the system's accuracy by processing speech and facial features of various sizes and focuses on the most useful bits of input. A more comprehensive representation of facial expressions is extracted by the use of both low- and high-level facial features. These modalities are combined using a fusion network to create a multimodal feature vector which is then fed to a classification layer for emotion recognition. The developed system is evaluated on two datasets, IEMOCAP and CMU-MOSEI, and shows superior performance compared to existing models, achieving a weighted accuracy WA of 74.6% and an F1 score of 66.1% on the IEMOCAP dataset and a WA of 80.7% and F1 score of 73.7% on the CMU-MOSEI dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The jarrah forest is a natural ecosystem with significant endemism in the flora and fauna. The forest stands on the western edge of the ancient Great Plateau of Western Australia on the granitic shield of the Yilgarn craton (2.5 Gya). The long-term migration of soluble iron and aluminium led to the formation of bauxite ore. The regolith ore is bound by surficial topsoil and deep pallid zone kaolinite clays, primarily used in land rehabilitation. We investigated the chemical fertility of the substrates, along with key physical properties. We found the capacity of these soils to provide a stable growth medium differed considerably in their ability to retain and supply nutrients. These substrates are deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients. In the topsoil, 15% of total P is plant-available, while in the pallid zone layer, only 1% of total P is available. 31P-NMR showed no organic P in the pallid zone, whereas the topsoil had significant organic P and, consequently, a supply of phosphate ions. This shows the importance of organic P in the topsoil for ecosystem nutrition when inorganic fertilisers are not applied in state-of-the-art restoration schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green and blue space (GBS) significantly impacts the diffusion range of atmospheric particulate matter. By determining the diffusion distance of atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in Shanghai, combined with the GBS landscape pattern index, this study completed a stepwise multiple regression equation and correlation analysis to explore the relationship between the morphological structure and spatial configuration of GBS on the diffusion distance of atmospheric particles. The results show that the landscape shape index (LSI) and the number of patches (NP) of GBS have a significant positive correlation with the diffusion distance of atmospheric particles, while the coefficient of the percent of landscape (PLAND), as a key influencing factor, has a negative correlation. The mean Euclidean nearest neighbor distance (ENN_MN) and splitting index (SPLIT) in the spatial configuration metrics positively affect the diffusion distance. Studies have proved that complex and dispersed GBS will lead to the weakening of its purification ability, thereby increasing the pollution range of atmospheric particulate matter. The order of the influence of different GBS types on the diffusion distance of atmospheric particles is as follows: DT > BS > LP > ST > WA. Therefore, high-density GBS with simple shapes and concentrated distribution should be considered in the future construction of new cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mount Weld rare earth element (REE) deposit, Western Australia, is one of the largest of its type on Earth. Current mining exploits the high-grade weathered goethite-bearing resource that lies above, and which represents the weathering product of a subjacent carbonatite. The mineralogy, petrography, deportment of lanthanides among the different components, and variation in mineral speciation, textures, and chemistry are examined. Microanalysis, involving scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), was conducted on sized fractions of three crushed and ground laterite ore samples from current and planned production, and a representative sample from the underlying carbonatite. High-magnification imaging of particles in laterite samples show that individual REE-bearing phases are fine-grained and extend in size well below the micron-scale. Nanoscale inclusions of REE-phosphates are observed in apatite, Fe-(Mn)-(hydr)oxides, and quartz, among others. These have the appearance, particularly in fluorapatite, of pervasive, ultrafine dusty domains. Apart from the discrete REE minerals and abundant nano- to micron-scale inclusions in gangue, all ore components analysed by LA-ICP-MS contain trace to minor levels of REEs within their structures. This includes apatite, where low levels of REE are confirmed in preserved igneous apatite, but also Fe- and Mn-(hydr)oxides in which concentrations of hundreds, even thousands of ppm are measured. This is significant given that Fe-(Mn)-(hydr)oxides are the most abundant component of the laterite and points to extensive mobility and redistribution of REEs, and especially HREE, during progressive lateritisation. Late-formed minerals, notably tiny grains of cerianite, reflect a shift to oxidising conditions. REE-fluorocarbonates are the main host for REEs in carbonatite and are systematically replaced by hydrated, Ca-bearing REE-phosphates (largely rhabdophane). The latter displays varied compositions but is characteristically enriched in HREE relative to monazite in the same sample. Fine-grained, compositionally heterogeneous rhabdophane is accompanied by minor amounts of other paragenetically late, hydrated phosphates with enhanced MREE/HREE relative to LREE (although still LREE-dominant). Minor, relict xenotime and zircon are significant HREE carriers. Ilmenite and pyrochlore group members contain REE but contribute only negligibly to the overall REE budget. Although the proportions of individual mineral species differ, the chemistry of key ore components are similar in different laterite samples from the current resource. Mineral signatures are, however, subtly different in the lower grade southeastern part of the deposit, including higher concentrations of HREE relative to LREE in monazite, rhabdophane, florencite and Fe-(Mn)-(hydr)oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise prediction of ore grade is essential in feasibility studies, mine planning, open-pit and underground optimization, and ore grade control. Conventional methods, such as geometric and geostatistical methods, are the most popular techniques for mineral resource estimation but fail to capture the complexity of orebodies. Due to this limitation, grades are incorrectly estimated, leading to inaccurate mine plans and costly financial decisions. Here, we propose an ore grade prediction method using an artificial neural network (ANN). We collected 14,294 datasets from the Jaguar mine in Western Australia. The proposed model was developed by incorporating lithology, alteration, eastings, northwards, altitude, dip, and azimuth to predict the grade, and the performance evaluation metrics were measured based on the mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient, R, and coefficient of determination (R2). The proposed ANN model outperformed classic machine learning methods with R2, R, MAE, MSE, and RMSE of 0.584, 0.765, 0.0018, 0.0016, and 0.041, respectively. The Shapley technique was used to evaluate the feature importance of the input variables for the grade prediction. Lithology demonstrated the highest influence on ore prediction, whereas eastings had the least impact on output. The proposed approach is promising for ore model prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the diet of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) is essential for the development of appropriate conservation strategies for the species. This study evaluated the use of the parasitic copepod (Pandarus rhincodonicus) as a proxy to infer short-term foraging habitats and trophic positions of whale shark hosts. To accomplish this, bulk stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope compositions were analysed from 72 paired samples of whale shark skin (dermal) tissues and copepods collected across six years at the Ningaloo Reef aggregation site, Western Australia. This study found that δ15N from parasites and whale shark hosts were strongly correlated. As turn-over times of the parasite and whale shark differ (months vs. years, respectively), the ability of copepods to predict δ15N values indicates that the trophic positions of whale sharks remain consistent across these timeframes. Contrastingly, δ13C in the parasite and host were weakly correlated, likely reflecting differences in the physiology and lifecycle of the copepod parasite compared to the host. Our results suggest δ15N from parasitic copepods provides a reliable proxy of the trophic position of their whale shark hosts, but interpretation of δ13C values as a proxy for the host will require future studies on the lifecycle of P. rhincodonicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oceanic eddy is a common natural phenomenon that has large influence on human activities, and the measurement and detection of offshore eddies are significant for oceanographic research. The previous classical detecting methods, such as the Okubo–Weiss algorithm (OW), vector geometry algorithm (VG), and winding angles algorithm (WA), not only depend on expert's experiences to set an accurate threshold, but also need heavy calculations for large detection regions. Differently from the previous works, this paper proposes a deep eddy detection neural network with pixel segmentation skeleton on high frequency radar (HFR) data, namely, the deep eddy detection network (DEDNet). An offshore eddy detection dataset is firstly constructed, which has origins from the sea surface current data measured by two HFR systems on the South China Sea. Then, a spatial globally optimum and strong detail-distinguishing pixel segmentation network is presented to automatically detect and localize offshore eddies in a flow chart. An eddy detection network based on fully convolutional networks (FCN) is also presented for comparison with DEDNet. Experimental results show that DEDNet performs better than the FCN-based eddy detection network and is competitive with the classical statistics-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of recognising, valuing and respecting a child's family, culture, language and values is central to socially just education and is increasingly articulated in educational policy worldwide. Inclusive children's literature can support children's human rights and contribute to equitable and socially just outcomes for all children. However, evidence suggests many educational settings provide monocultural book collections which are counterproductive to principles of diversity and social justice. Further, that educators' understandings and beliefs about diversity can contribute to inequitable provision and use of diverse books and to inequitable outcomes of book sharing for many children. This paper reports on a larger study investigating factors and relationships influencing the use of children's literature to support principles of cultural diversity in the kindergarten rooms of long day care centres. The study was conducted within an ontological perspective of constructivism and an epistemological perspective of interpretivism informed by sociocultural theory. A mixed methods approach was adopted, and convergent design was employed interpret significant relationships and their meanings. Twenty-four educators and 110 children from four long day care centres in Western Australia participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, video-based observations, field notes, document analysis and a book audit. This study firstly identified that current book collections in kindergarten rooms of long day care centres promote mono-cultural viewpoints and 'othering' of minority groups through limited access to books portraying inclusive and authentic cultural diversity. Secondly, that educators had limited understandings of the role of literature in acknowledging and valuing diversity and rarely used it to promote principles of diversity, resulting in a practice of "othering" those from minority group backgrounds. The key challenges which emerged from the study concerned beliefs, understanding and confidence of educators about diversity and inclusion, and the impact of these on their approaches to promoting principles of diversity through the use of children's books. This research contributes to discussion on the value of children's literature in achieving international principles of diversity. These findings have important social justice implications. The outcomes of this study have implications for educators, policy makers, early childhood organisations and those providing higher education and training for early childhood educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]