Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

About: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is a government organization based out in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Soil water. The organization has 33765 authors who have published 79910 publications receiving 3356114 citations.

Good practice in Bayesian network modelling

Abstract: Bayesian networks (BNs) are increasingly being used to model environmental systems, in order to: integrate multiple issues and system components; utilise information from different sources; and handle missing data and uncertainty. BNs also have a modular architecture that facilitates iterative model development. For a model to be of value in generating and sharing knowledge or providing decision support, it must be built using good modelling practice. This paper provides guidelines to developing and evaluating Bayesian network models of environmental systems, and presents a case study habitat suitability model for juvenile Astacopsis gouldi, the giant freshwater crayfish of Tasmania. The guidelines entail clearly defining the model objectives and scope, and using a conceptual model of the system to form the structure of the BN, which should be parsimonious yet capture all key components and processes. After the states and conditional probabilities of all variables are defined, the BN should be assessed by a suite of quantitative and qualitative forms of model evaluation. All the assumptions, uncertainties, descriptions and reasoning for each node and linkage, data and information sources, and evaluation results must be clearly documented. Following these standards will enable the modelling process and the model itself to be transparent, credible and robust, within its given limitations.

Chemical vapour deposition of zeolitic imidazolate framework thin films

Abstract: Integrating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in microelectronics has disruptive potential because of the unique properties of these microporous crystalline materials. Suitable film deposition methods are crucial to leverage MOFs in this field. Conventional solvent-based procedures, typically adapted from powder preparation routes, are incompatible with nanofabrication because of corrosion and contamination risks. We demonstrate a chemical vapour deposition process (MOF-CVD) that enables high-quality films of ZIF-8, a prototypical MOF material, with a uniform and controlled thickness, even on high-aspect-ratio features. Furthermore, we demonstrate how MOF-CVD enables previously inaccessible routes such as lift-off patterning and depositing MOF films on fragile features. The compatibility of MOF-CVD with existing infrastructure, both in research and production facilities, will greatly facilitate MOF integration in microelectronics. MOF-CVD is the first vapour-phase deposition method for any type of microporous crystalline network solid and marks a milestone in processing such materials.

GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey - I. A low-frequency extragalactic catalogue

Abstract: Using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), the low-frequency Square Kilometre Array precursor located in Western Australia, we have completed the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA (GLEAM) survey, and present the resulting extragalactic catalogue, utilizing the first year of observations. The catalogue covers 24 831 square degrees, over declinations south of +30° and Galactic latitudes outside 10° of the Galactic plane, excluding some areas such as theMagellanic Clouds. It contains 307 455 radio sources with 20 separate flux density measurements across 72-231 MHz, selected from a time- and frequency-integrated image centred at 200 MHz, with a resolution of ≈2 arcmin. Over the catalogued region, we estimate that the catalogue is 90 per cent complete at 170 mJy, and 50 per cent complete at 55 mJy, and large areas are complete at even lower flux density levels. Its reliability is 99.97 per cent above the detection threshold of 5σ, which itself is typically 50 mJy. These observations constitute the widest fractional bandwidth and largest sky area survey at radio frequencies to date, and calibrate the low-frequency flux density scale of the southern sky to better than 10 per cent. This paper presents details of the flagging, imaging, mosaicking and source extraction/characterization, as well as estimates of the completeness and reliability. All source measurements and images are available online. 1 This is the first in a series of publications describing the GLEAM survey results.

The WULCA consensus characterization model for water scarcity footprints: assessing impacts of water consumption based on available water remaining (AWARE)

Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to assess freshwater-related impacts according to a new water footprint framework formalized in the ISO 14046 standard. To date, no consensus-based approach exists for applying this standard and results are not always comparable when different scarcity or stress indicators are used for characterization of impacts. This paper presents the outcome of a 2-year consensus building process by the Water Use in Life Cycle Assessment (WULCA), a working group of the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, on a water scarcity midpoint method for use in LCA and for water scarcity footprint assessments. In the previous work, the question to be answered was identified and different expert workshops around the world led to three different proposals. After eliminating one proposal showing low relevance for the question to be answered, the remaining two were evaluated against four criteria: stakeholder acceptance, robustness with closed basins, main normative choice, and physical meaning. The recommended method, AWARE, is based on the quantification of the relative available water remaining per area once the demand of humans and aquatic ecosystems has been met, answering the question “What is the potential to deprive another user (human or ecosystem) when consuming water in this area?” The resulting characterization factor (CF) ranges between 0.1 and 100 and can be used to calculate water scarcity footprints as defined in the ISO standard. After 8 years of development on water use impact assessment methods, and 2 years of consensus building, this method represents the state of the art of the current knowledge on how to assess potential impacts from water use in LCA, assessing both human and ecosystem users’ potential deprivation, at the midpoint level, and provides a consensus-based methodology for the calculation of a water scarcity footprint as per ISO 14046.