Investigating bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Kuchinke, Diana
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Globally, forest birds are under pressure, from agriculture and urban development fragmenting the landscape. Adding to these pressures, changes in the patterns of global climate drivers give rise to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Victoria, Australia, changing weather conditions are resulting in increases in the frequency and extent of bushfires. Furthermore, prescribed burning is applied to the landscape in attempts to not only ameliorate the impacts from bushfire, but as part of a ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ protocol. These pressures all impact birds by reducing resources for: food, nesting and protection from predators. This thesis investigated bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, against variables of time-since-fire and fire frequency. Bird responses were modelled in terms of: community, foraging guilds and individual species. As a community, birds showed a resilience to both time since fire and fire frequency. Responses by foraging guilds and individual species highlighted some different responses. The common species from each foraging guild showed responses that broadly represent their guild. This thesis highlighted that an effective tool in adaptive management is to predict the trends of our common forest birds, as surrogates for entire bird communities, not just for fire responses, but for a broader reflection on the health of the landscape. The modelling of one species, the Laughing Kookaburra, showed a response to both time since fire and fire frequency, with a reduced abundance in post-fire new-growth vegetation. As this species is noted as being in decline down the east coast of Australia, it is flagged in this thesis as a species of concern. Further, this thesis investigated alpha and beta responses by the forest birds to prescribed burns of different severities. Results suggest that forest birds show little response to small prescribed burns in the landscape, regardless of severity. This may be a result of Heathy Dry Forests’ rapid regeneration post-fire. However, one species that exhibits site fidelity, the White-throated Treecreeper, left areas impacted by high severity prescribed burns. The White-throated Treecreeper’s response flagged the importance of tree hollows being maintained in the landscape, essential for the species that require hollows for roosting and nesting.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Description: Globally, forest birds are under pressure, from agriculture and urban development fragmenting the landscape. Adding to these pressures, changes in the patterns of global climate drivers give rise to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Victoria, Australia, changing weather conditions are resulting in increases in the frequency and extent of bushfires. Furthermore, prescribed burning is applied to the landscape in attempts to not only ameliorate the impacts from bushfire, but as part of a ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ protocol. These pressures all impact birds by reducing resources for: food, nesting and protection from predators. This thesis investigated bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, against variables of time-since-fire and fire frequency. Bird responses were modelled in terms of: community, foraging guilds and individual species. As a community, birds showed a resilience to both time since fire and fire frequency. Responses by foraging guilds and individual species highlighted some different responses. The common species from each foraging guild showed responses that broadly represent their guild. This thesis highlighted that an effective tool in adaptive management is to predict the trends of our common forest birds, as surrogates for entire bird communities, not just for fire responses, but for a broader reflection on the health of the landscape. The modelling of one species, the Laughing Kookaburra, showed a response to both time since fire and fire frequency, with a reduced abundance in post-fire new-growth vegetation. As this species is noted as being in decline down the east coast of Australia, it is flagged in this thesis as a species of concern. Further, this thesis investigated alpha and beta responses by the forest birds to prescribed burns of different severities. Results suggest that forest birds show little response to small rescribed burns in the landscape, regardless of severity. This may be a result of Heathy Dry Forests’ rapid regeneration post-fire. However, one species that exhibits site fidelity, the White-throated Treecreeper, left areas impacted by high severity prescribed burns. The White-throated Treecreeper’s response flagged the importance of tree hollows being maintained in the landscape, essential for the species that require hollows for roosting and nesting.
- Authors: Kuchinke, Diana
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Globally, forest birds are under pressure, from agriculture and urban development fragmenting the landscape. Adding to these pressures, changes in the patterns of global climate drivers give rise to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Victoria, Australia, changing weather conditions are resulting in increases in the frequency and extent of bushfires. Furthermore, prescribed burning is applied to the landscape in attempts to not only ameliorate the impacts from bushfire, but as part of a ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ protocol. These pressures all impact birds by reducing resources for: food, nesting and protection from predators. This thesis investigated bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, against variables of time-since-fire and fire frequency. Bird responses were modelled in terms of: community, foraging guilds and individual species. As a community, birds showed a resilience to both time since fire and fire frequency. Responses by foraging guilds and individual species highlighted some different responses. The common species from each foraging guild showed responses that broadly represent their guild. This thesis highlighted that an effective tool in adaptive management is to predict the trends of our common forest birds, as surrogates for entire bird communities, not just for fire responses, but for a broader reflection on the health of the landscape. The modelling of one species, the Laughing Kookaburra, showed a response to both time since fire and fire frequency, with a reduced abundance in post-fire new-growth vegetation. As this species is noted as being in decline down the east coast of Australia, it is flagged in this thesis as a species of concern. Further, this thesis investigated alpha and beta responses by the forest birds to prescribed burns of different severities. Results suggest that forest birds show little response to small prescribed burns in the landscape, regardless of severity. This may be a result of Heathy Dry Forests’ rapid regeneration post-fire. However, one species that exhibits site fidelity, the White-throated Treecreeper, left areas impacted by high severity prescribed burns. The White-throated Treecreeper’s response flagged the importance of tree hollows being maintained in the landscape, essential for the species that require hollows for roosting and nesting.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Description: Globally, forest birds are under pressure, from agriculture and urban development fragmenting the landscape. Adding to these pressures, changes in the patterns of global climate drivers give rise to an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Victoria, Australia, changing weather conditions are resulting in increases in the frequency and extent of bushfires. Furthermore, prescribed burning is applied to the landscape in attempts to not only ameliorate the impacts from bushfire, but as part of a ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ protocol. These pressures all impact birds by reducing resources for: food, nesting and protection from predators. This thesis investigated bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, against variables of time-since-fire and fire frequency. Bird responses were modelled in terms of: community, foraging guilds and individual species. As a community, birds showed a resilience to both time since fire and fire frequency. Responses by foraging guilds and individual species highlighted some different responses. The common species from each foraging guild showed responses that broadly represent their guild. This thesis highlighted that an effective tool in adaptive management is to predict the trends of our common forest birds, as surrogates for entire bird communities, not just for fire responses, but for a broader reflection on the health of the landscape. The modelling of one species, the Laughing Kookaburra, showed a response to both time since fire and fire frequency, with a reduced abundance in post-fire new-growth vegetation. As this species is noted as being in decline down the east coast of Australia, it is flagged in this thesis as a species of concern. Further, this thesis investigated alpha and beta responses by the forest birds to prescribed burns of different severities. Results suggest that forest birds show little response to small rescribed burns in the landscape, regardless of severity. This may be a result of Heathy Dry Forests’ rapid regeneration post-fire. However, one species that exhibits site fidelity, the White-throated Treecreeper, left areas impacted by high severity prescribed burns. The White-throated Treecreeper’s response flagged the importance of tree hollows being maintained in the landscape, essential for the species that require hollows for roosting and nesting.
Investigating the impact of participation in alternative education from a positive youth development perspective : A case study of the School for Student Leadership
- Authors: Joyce, Susan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The School for Student Leadership (SSL) has existed since 2001 as an alternative residential educational setting for Year 9 students in Victoria, Australia. It was designed in response to growing calls for more effective ways of engaging middle school students. A review of the literature illustrated a dearth of research regarding alternative programs and schools, particularly from a positive youth development (PYD) perspective, and relating to long term effects of participation. This study investigated student participants’ perceived development in relation to the Five Cs - Confidence, Competence, Character, Connection and Care, concepts derived from the framework of PYD. It also examined differences in perceptions of students attending a shorter five-week program, compared to the standard nine-week program, as well as differences between male and female participants. This case study was undertaken utilising a mixed methods approach, using pre and post program surveys and interviews. Between 2013 and 2014, 385 students were surveyed and 58 interviews conducted over nine program offerings. The participants were then followed up one year post program, with 172 surveys returned and 14 interviews conducted. With the assistance of computer software programs, both the quantitative and qualitative data was analysed and then triangulated to form the findings. Participants’ ratings for each of the Five Cs were higher at the end of the program, and effect sizes, though generally small, when combined with the qualitative data indicated the program as having a significant positive impact, although this diminished slightly one year post program. Little discernible difference was found between the five- and the nine-week programs, and only slight differences between the two genders. The set of recommendations that emanated from this research should be of assistance for both the SSL and other schools, particularly in relation to enhancing attributes such as the Five Cs.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Joyce, Susan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The School for Student Leadership (SSL) has existed since 2001 as an alternative residential educational setting for Year 9 students in Victoria, Australia. It was designed in response to growing calls for more effective ways of engaging middle school students. A review of the literature illustrated a dearth of research regarding alternative programs and schools, particularly from a positive youth development (PYD) perspective, and relating to long term effects of participation. This study investigated student participants’ perceived development in relation to the Five Cs - Confidence, Competence, Character, Connection and Care, concepts derived from the framework of PYD. It also examined differences in perceptions of students attending a shorter five-week program, compared to the standard nine-week program, as well as differences between male and female participants. This case study was undertaken utilising a mixed methods approach, using pre and post program surveys and interviews. Between 2013 and 2014, 385 students were surveyed and 58 interviews conducted over nine program offerings. The participants were then followed up one year post program, with 172 surveys returned and 14 interviews conducted. With the assistance of computer software programs, both the quantitative and qualitative data was analysed and then triangulated to form the findings. Participants’ ratings for each of the Five Cs were higher at the end of the program, and effect sizes, though generally small, when combined with the qualitative data indicated the program as having a significant positive impact, although this diminished slightly one year post program. Little discernible difference was found between the five- and the nine-week programs, and only slight differences between the two genders. The set of recommendations that emanated from this research should be of assistance for both the SSL and other schools, particularly in relation to enhancing attributes such as the Five Cs.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Ranjbar Pouya, Kaveh
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text: false
- Description: Coode Island Silt (CIS) is one of the predominant geological units in Melbourne, Australia. Having high compressibility and low shear strength, CIS is considered a problematic soft soil that challenges the construction of infrastructure in the region. To tackle such challenges, one practical approach is the application of ground improvement techniques such as in situ soil mixing. This PhD study focuses on the application of Cutter Soil Mixing (CSM) for the construction of excavation retaining walls in CIS. Although cement is widely used in most CSM projects, this study investigates the suitability of different lime types available in the Australian market as a potential alternative to cement for the stabilisation of CIS. To investigate the effect of lime stabilisation, a comprehensive geotechnical characterisation of untreated and lime treated CIS is performed. Four different lime types are used: agricultural lime, quicklime, hydrated lime and slag lime. Based on the results obtained from strength tests, slag lime was found to be the most effective among the four types that were tested. The optimum slag lime to CIS ratio is then found for the construction of retaining walls in CIS. Having the geotechnical characterisation of untreated and treated CIS from the laboratory experiments, a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) analyses were conducted to investigate the applicability and reliability of the selected mixing ratio for the construction of CSM excavation retaining walls in CIS. A nonlinear constitutive soil model was employed, calibrated and verified to be used in FEM analyses to investigate both the stability factor of safety and excavation-induced deformations. The results obtained for both undrained and fully coupled flow deformation analyses prove that CSM panels can be constructed by mixing slag lime and CIS to act as retaining walls to allow for deep excavation in CIS.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Measuring depression in deaf adults : Adaptation and validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) for Auslan users
- Authors: Lake, Shane
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: There is limited research into the prevalence of depression in the deaf population. Results are inconsistent and research has been hampered by the use of measures not specifically designed for individuals who are deaf. Deaf adults, who use Australian sign language (Auslan) to communicate, may not have the spoken and written language skills in English that are required to understand standard psychological measures. The aim of this research was to adapt and validate a measure of depression, the 9 item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), for deaf Auslan users. Following established guidelines, an Auslan version of the PHQ-9, that was conceptually equivalent to the original measure, was produced. A community sample of 34 deaf adults, who use Auslan to communicate, and 278 hearing adults, were recruited from the Australian population. Deaf participants completed an Auslan online survey that included the Auslan version of the PHQ-9 and a previously adapted measure, an Auslan version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21-Auslan). Hearing participants completed a written English version of the online survey. The Auslan version of the PHQ-9 demonstrated good internal reliability. Concurrent validity was established using the DASS-21-Auslan, with significant correlations found between the two measures. Principal components analysis identified a single factor structure for the Auslan PHQ-9. Differential item functioning was examined using a parametric technique (ordinal logistic regression) and a non-parametric kernel smoothing technique (TestGraf). No evidence of item bias was found. This research has provided promising results for an Auslan version of the PHQ-9 as a culturally appropriate measure for Auslan users. The Auslan PHQ-9 has the potential to provide mental health practitioners and researchers with a more accurate method of assessing and monitoring depression and depressive symptoms in deaf adults who are Auslan users.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Lake, Shane
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: There is limited research into the prevalence of depression in the deaf population. Results are inconsistent and research has been hampered by the use of measures not specifically designed for individuals who are deaf. Deaf adults, who use Australian sign language (Auslan) to communicate, may not have the spoken and written language skills in English that are required to understand standard psychological measures. The aim of this research was to adapt and validate a measure of depression, the 9 item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), for deaf Auslan users. Following established guidelines, an Auslan version of the PHQ-9, that was conceptually equivalent to the original measure, was produced. A community sample of 34 deaf adults, who use Auslan to communicate, and 278 hearing adults, were recruited from the Australian population. Deaf participants completed an Auslan online survey that included the Auslan version of the PHQ-9 and a previously adapted measure, an Auslan version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21-Auslan). Hearing participants completed a written English version of the online survey. The Auslan version of the PHQ-9 demonstrated good internal reliability. Concurrent validity was established using the DASS-21-Auslan, with significant correlations found between the two measures. Principal components analysis identified a single factor structure for the Auslan PHQ-9. Differential item functioning was examined using a parametric technique (ordinal logistic regression) and a non-parametric kernel smoothing technique (TestGraf). No evidence of item bias was found. This research has provided promising results for an Auslan version of the PHQ-9 as a culturally appropriate measure for Auslan users. The Auslan PHQ-9 has the potential to provide mental health practitioners and researchers with a more accurate method of assessing and monitoring depression and depressive symptoms in deaf adults who are Auslan users.
- Description: Masters by Research
Negotiating policy - renegotiating practice : Understanding language, literacy and numeracy teachers' professional identities within discursive weather systems
- Authors: Krusche, Julianne
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis examines the professional identities of teachers in light of Australian vocational educational policy reform since the late 1980s. Although the reform has been national, this study is located within Victoria. It is specifically interested in the professional identities of Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) teachers who work within the Vocational Education and Training sector. This study brings the voices of LLN specialists to the forefront. Poststructural theory, with particular emphasis on the work of Michel Foucault and narrative inquiry, is used to make sense of these voices, collectively known as the ‘voice of practice’. This study treats professional identity as a multiple term encompassing a range of assigned roles and chosen identities; as such, it argues that professional identity should be seen as fluid and dynamic and as something that continues to evolve. The teachers involved in this study actively negotiated various discourses related to the shaping of professional identity. The effects of this were threefold: LLN teachers ascribed to certain identity positions in line with government policy and institute directives; they preserved other identities; and they forged new identities based on opportunism and a resistance to policy discourse. While there has been a decline in the Adult and Community Education voice in policy development, within practice, this study found that teachers have retained a voice through the maintenance and creation of teaching practices that sit outside policy. Further, this study found that although numerous stakeholders invest in the provision of LLN, it is learners who hold a lot of the power; indeed, the needs of learners, feedback from learners and their transformative learning experiences are the primary drivers in teacher motivation and identity. Finally, this study found a misalignment between policy discourse and the voice of practice that requires attention if LLN policies are to be successfully implemented.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Krusche, Julianne
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis examines the professional identities of teachers in light of Australian vocational educational policy reform since the late 1980s. Although the reform has been national, this study is located within Victoria. It is specifically interested in the professional identities of Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) teachers who work within the Vocational Education and Training sector. This study brings the voices of LLN specialists to the forefront. Poststructural theory, with particular emphasis on the work of Michel Foucault and narrative inquiry, is used to make sense of these voices, collectively known as the ‘voice of practice’. This study treats professional identity as a multiple term encompassing a range of assigned roles and chosen identities; as such, it argues that professional identity should be seen as fluid and dynamic and as something that continues to evolve. The teachers involved in this study actively negotiated various discourses related to the shaping of professional identity. The effects of this were threefold: LLN teachers ascribed to certain identity positions in line with government policy and institute directives; they preserved other identities; and they forged new identities based on opportunism and a resistance to policy discourse. While there has been a decline in the Adult and Community Education voice in policy development, within practice, this study found that teachers have retained a voice through the maintenance and creation of teaching practices that sit outside policy. Further, this study found that although numerous stakeholders invest in the provision of LLN, it is learners who hold a lot of the power; indeed, the needs of learners, feedback from learners and their transformative learning experiences are the primary drivers in teacher motivation and identity. Finally, this study found a misalignment between policy discourse and the voice of practice that requires attention if LLN policies are to be successfully implemented.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Of railways, wine and flowers : A biography of George William Knight
- Authors: Hunter, Robyn
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis examines misunderstandings surrounding class and reveals Knight to have been a member of the petty bourgeoisie - aspirational, yet understanding and empathetic towards working people. Knight was an erudite, respectable gentleman, an intellectual, a man of culture, committed to liberal values and the code of the gentleman, and a defender of the oppressed. Highlighted in this study are the high tides, low ebbs and pivotal turning points that beset Knight's life. A noted writer and raconteur, he was an influential figure in Bendigo and the colony. Covering more than ninety years, Knight's story encompasses London 1832-56, early colonial Victoria to 1923, and shines a light on one of the many oft-forgotten people who helped to build the colony.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Description: The title page photograph
- Authors: Hunter, Robyn
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis examines misunderstandings surrounding class and reveals Knight to have been a member of the petty bourgeoisie - aspirational, yet understanding and empathetic towards working people. Knight was an erudite, respectable gentleman, an intellectual, a man of culture, committed to liberal values and the code of the gentleman, and a defender of the oppressed. Highlighted in this study are the high tides, low ebbs and pivotal turning points that beset Knight's life. A noted writer and raconteur, he was an influential figure in Bendigo and the colony. Covering more than ninety years, Knight's story encompasses London 1832-56, early colonial Victoria to 1923, and shines a light on one of the many oft-forgotten people who helped to build the colony.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Description: The title page photograph
Pandemic Influenza at Oodnadatta, 1919 : Aspects of treatment and care in a multiracial community
- Authors: Bullen, Heatheranne
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: On 24 January 1919, a thirty-two-year-old nurse from Sydney, Jean Williamson, disembarked at the railway station at Oodnadatta in the far north of South Australia to commence her new role as sister in charge of the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) hostel. On 18 April that year, Williamson greeted thirty-four-year-old minister from Melbourne, Coledge Harland, who had arrived by train to take up a three-year post as padre for the AIM’s central Australian parish. Just over a month later, an influenza pandemic that had already killed untold numbers of people worldwide reached the isolated township. Drawing on primary documents, including an extensive collection of previously unseen photographs, letter and diaries from Harland and Williamson, this thesis examines the management and care of pandemic influenza at Oodnadatta from May to late July 1919. Intercultural aspects of the management and care of European, Afghan, Chinese and Aboriginal patients are examined in the context of the health and lifestyle of local residents, nursing practices, medicines, foods, accommodation and the contribution of individuals, groups and their roles. This intimate microhistory sheds light on a relatively unknown, yet important group of people in Australia’s frontier history: the missioners and others who cared for seriously ill Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients at Oodnadatta, provided culturally sensitive care that afforded respect, dignity and compassion to all. At the time, the gravity of the world wide situation and the sheer need to provide care saw individual efforts go unnoticed; however, in hindsight, it is possible to see and appreciate the significance of what they achieved under the most difficult of circumstances.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Bullen, Heatheranne
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: On 24 January 1919, a thirty-two-year-old nurse from Sydney, Jean Williamson, disembarked at the railway station at Oodnadatta in the far north of South Australia to commence her new role as sister in charge of the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) hostel. On 18 April that year, Williamson greeted thirty-four-year-old minister from Melbourne, Coledge Harland, who had arrived by train to take up a three-year post as padre for the AIM’s central Australian parish. Just over a month later, an influenza pandemic that had already killed untold numbers of people worldwide reached the isolated township. Drawing on primary documents, including an extensive collection of previously unseen photographs, letter and diaries from Harland and Williamson, this thesis examines the management and care of pandemic influenza at Oodnadatta from May to late July 1919. Intercultural aspects of the management and care of European, Afghan, Chinese and Aboriginal patients are examined in the context of the health and lifestyle of local residents, nursing practices, medicines, foods, accommodation and the contribution of individuals, groups and their roles. This intimate microhistory sheds light on a relatively unknown, yet important group of people in Australia’s frontier history: the missioners and others who cared for seriously ill Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients at Oodnadatta, provided culturally sensitive care that afforded respect, dignity and compassion to all. At the time, the gravity of the world wide situation and the sheer need to provide care saw individual efforts go unnoticed; however, in hindsight, it is possible to see and appreciate the significance of what they achieved under the most difficult of circumstances.
- Description: Masters by Research
Physical activity promotion in physiotherapy practice
- Authors: Kunstler, Breanne
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Australian physiotherapists promote non-treatment physical activity, which is physical activity used to improve or maintain general health, to patients with musculoskeletal conditions. However, it is unclear how physiotherapists promote non-treatment physical activity and the behaviour change techniques they use to do this. This thesis used four studies to: (i) review the efficacy of physiotherapist-led physical activity interventions; (ii) investigate the factors that influence physiotherapists’ choice to promote non-treatment physical activity; and (iii) identify the behaviour change techniques that private practice and outpatient physiotherapists use to promote non-treatment physical activity. Two systematic reviews identified that physiotherapist-led physical activity interventions are efficacious. However, effects were small and not maintained. Additionally, physiotherapists only used a small number of behaviour change techniques when promoting physical activity. National survey and interview studies were used to identify the factors that influence physiotherapists’ choice to promote non-treatment physical activity. The survey found that having poor knowledge of how to promote non-treatment physical activity, prioritising other patient problems before non-treatment physical activity and using promotion methods that were not compatible with daily practice significantly and independently reduced the odds of physiotherapists promoting non-treatment physical activity. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to design interviews that showed that having a perceived inability to motivate an unmotivated patient and believing that patients expect hands-on therapy instead of non-treatment physical activity promotion complicated treatment choices. The behaviour change techniques Australian physiotherapists used to promote non-treatment physical activity were compared to those used to encourage adherence to rehabilitation exercises in the survey too. The survey found that physiotherapists used similar behaviour change techniques to promote non-treatment physical activity and encourage adherence to rehabilitation exercises. This thesis provides clinicians and researchers with an understanding of the factors that influence Australian physiotherapists’ decision to promote non-treatment physical activity and the behaviour change techniques they use.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Kunstler, Breanne
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Australian physiotherapists promote non-treatment physical activity, which is physical activity used to improve or maintain general health, to patients with musculoskeletal conditions. However, it is unclear how physiotherapists promote non-treatment physical activity and the behaviour change techniques they use to do this. This thesis used four studies to: (i) review the efficacy of physiotherapist-led physical activity interventions; (ii) investigate the factors that influence physiotherapists’ choice to promote non-treatment physical activity; and (iii) identify the behaviour change techniques that private practice and outpatient physiotherapists use to promote non-treatment physical activity. Two systematic reviews identified that physiotherapist-led physical activity interventions are efficacious. However, effects were small and not maintained. Additionally, physiotherapists only used a small number of behaviour change techniques when promoting physical activity. National survey and interview studies were used to identify the factors that influence physiotherapists’ choice to promote non-treatment physical activity. The survey found that having poor knowledge of how to promote non-treatment physical activity, prioritising other patient problems before non-treatment physical activity and using promotion methods that were not compatible with daily practice significantly and independently reduced the odds of physiotherapists promoting non-treatment physical activity. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to design interviews that showed that having a perceived inability to motivate an unmotivated patient and believing that patients expect hands-on therapy instead of non-treatment physical activity promotion complicated treatment choices. The behaviour change techniques Australian physiotherapists used to promote non-treatment physical activity were compared to those used to encourage adherence to rehabilitation exercises in the survey too. The survey found that physiotherapists used similar behaviour change techniques to promote non-treatment physical activity and encourage adherence to rehabilitation exercises. This thesis provides clinicians and researchers with an understanding of the factors that influence Australian physiotherapists’ decision to promote non-treatment physical activity and the behaviour change techniques they use.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Semantic manipulation and business context in big data analytics
- Authors: Dinh, Loan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Business organisations receive a huge amount of data from many sources every day. These data are known as big data. Since they are mostly unstructured, big data creates a complex problem of how to capture, manage, analyse and then derive meaningful information from them. To deal with the challenges that big data has brought, this research proposes a new technique in big data analytics in the business area to integrate semantically meaningful information relevant to textual queries and business context. To achieve this aim, this study makes three major related contributions. Firstly, the relationship between business processes and strategies is established using the concept of a rule-based inference model via facts and annotations. This relationship is required to determine the importance of a big data query for a business organisation. Secondly, we introduce approaches to determine the significance level of a query, by incorporating the processstrategy relationship, process contributions and priority of business strategies. Thirdly, the proposed data analytic technique embeds business context into the bedrock of data collection and analysis process. The first two contributions were implemented using Python programming language including the Pyke package (Pyke is built in the Python environment and has an artificial intelligence tool for the development of expert systems) and their performances were analysed based on a business use case. The last contribution was implemented mainly in the Hadoop and Java programs. Results show that the first contribution successfully establishes the processstrategy relationship, the second calculates the significance level of a query in relation to a business organisation, while the third reveals the huge impact of query significance level and business context on big data collection and captures deep business insights.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Dinh, Loan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Business organisations receive a huge amount of data from many sources every day. These data are known as big data. Since they are mostly unstructured, big data creates a complex problem of how to capture, manage, analyse and then derive meaningful information from them. To deal with the challenges that big data has brought, this research proposes a new technique in big data analytics in the business area to integrate semantically meaningful information relevant to textual queries and business context. To achieve this aim, this study makes three major related contributions. Firstly, the relationship between business processes and strategies is established using the concept of a rule-based inference model via facts and annotations. This relationship is required to determine the importance of a big data query for a business organisation. Secondly, we introduce approaches to determine the significance level of a query, by incorporating the processstrategy relationship, process contributions and priority of business strategies. Thirdly, the proposed data analytic technique embeds business context into the bedrock of data collection and analysis process. The first two contributions were implemented using Python programming language including the Pyke package (Pyke is built in the Python environment and has an artificial intelligence tool for the development of expert systems) and their performances were analysed based on a business use case. The last contribution was implemented mainly in the Hadoop and Java programs. Results show that the first contribution successfully establishes the processstrategy relationship, the second calculates the significance level of a query in relation to a business organisation, while the third reveals the huge impact of query significance level and business context on big data collection and captures deep business insights.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Spatial epidemiological investigation of sport and leisure injuries in Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Singh, Himalaya
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Sport and leisure injuries are recognised as a public health issue in Australia. Despite the many health benefits associated with sport and leisure participation, there is a risk of sustaining injury during participation. To keep Australia active, there is a critical need to prevent injury occurrence. Epidemiological investigations in sport and leisure injuries have been largely examined by grouping of sports, age groups, sex and level of play. In addition, intrinsic (person-level) factors have been considered, such as strength, flexibility or previous injury history. These factors may not be sufficient to identify injury burden or prevent an increase in injury incidences. In the broader injury literature (e.g., road traffic crashes or drowning), it is known that injuries often cluster within specific places (i.e., road intersections or bodies of water). These specific geographic locations may also relate to sport and leisure injuries (e.g., sports grounds or facilities). Similarly, population-level factors such as socio-economic status or cultural groups within an area could influence the types of sports and leisure activities people participate in and consequently, the injuries that occur. A review presented in this PhD thesis revealed that there is very limited sport and leisure injury epidemiological information from a geographical perspective. To address this gap, and determine whether there is a spatial pattern in sport/leisure injuries, the aim of this PhD was to examine the geospatial distribution of sport/leisure injury hospitalisations and their association with a broad range of social and economic characteristics. This thesis uses spatial epidemiological methods to answer questions such as ‘Where do sports and leisure injuries occur?’ and ‘In whom do sports/leisure injuries occur?’ The main chapters present the results of the application of spatial epidemiological methods to describe the problem, to test hypotheses and to explore associations with possible explanatory variables. The findings showed a significant variation across metropolitan, regional and rural areas in the pattern and clustering of injuries when examining different sports, age groups and other variables such as education level. A secondary aim of this thesis was to consider the dissemination of sport and injury epidemiological data. As emphasised in the literature, there is limited spatial epidemiological information available to decision-makers and key stakeholders. At best, descriptive maps might be included in a report or research paper. However, these are static and limited to the results that the author chooses to present. Therefore, an important output from this PhD is a web-GIS application that has been specifically built to enable the exploratory analysis of sport/leisure injuries in Victoria. Sport and leisure injury prevention strategies and policy development relies on information about where, when, to whom and how sport/leisure injuries occur. This thesis demonstrates that a spatial epidemiological approach is an important and novel way to address epidemiological questions from a geographical perspective.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Singh, Himalaya
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Sport and leisure injuries are recognised as a public health issue in Australia. Despite the many health benefits associated with sport and leisure participation, there is a risk of sustaining injury during participation. To keep Australia active, there is a critical need to prevent injury occurrence. Epidemiological investigations in sport and leisure injuries have been largely examined by grouping of sports, age groups, sex and level of play. In addition, intrinsic (person-level) factors have been considered, such as strength, flexibility or previous injury history. These factors may not be sufficient to identify injury burden or prevent an increase in injury incidences. In the broader injury literature (e.g., road traffic crashes or drowning), it is known that injuries often cluster within specific places (i.e., road intersections or bodies of water). These specific geographic locations may also relate to sport and leisure injuries (e.g., sports grounds or facilities). Similarly, population-level factors such as socio-economic status or cultural groups within an area could influence the types of sports and leisure activities people participate in and consequently, the injuries that occur. A review presented in this PhD thesis revealed that there is very limited sport and leisure injury epidemiological information from a geographical perspective. To address this gap, and determine whether there is a spatial pattern in sport/leisure injuries, the aim of this PhD was to examine the geospatial distribution of sport/leisure injury hospitalisations and their association with a broad range of social and economic characteristics. This thesis uses spatial epidemiological methods to answer questions such as ‘Where do sports and leisure injuries occur?’ and ‘In whom do sports/leisure injuries occur?’ The main chapters present the results of the application of spatial epidemiological methods to describe the problem, to test hypotheses and to explore associations with possible explanatory variables. The findings showed a significant variation across metropolitan, regional and rural areas in the pattern and clustering of injuries when examining different sports, age groups and other variables such as education level. A secondary aim of this thesis was to consider the dissemination of sport and injury epidemiological data. As emphasised in the literature, there is limited spatial epidemiological information available to decision-makers and key stakeholders. At best, descriptive maps might be included in a report or research paper. However, these are static and limited to the results that the author chooses to present. Therefore, an important output from this PhD is a web-GIS application that has been specifically built to enable the exploratory analysis of sport/leisure injuries in Victoria. Sport and leisure injury prevention strategies and policy development relies on information about where, when, to whom and how sport/leisure injuries occur. This thesis demonstrates that a spatial epidemiological approach is an important and novel way to address epidemiological questions from a geographical perspective.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Stay or go? Young people’s agency and mobility in and out of small towns
- Authors: Parkin, Ember
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This doctoral thesis examines young people’s place attachments in two small Victorian towns. This qualitative ethnographic study uses auto-driven photo-elicitation to understand young people’s sense of place and futures in their home towns of Castlemaine and Maryborough. These case study towns are of a similar size, geography and heritage fabric. However, they are home to starkly different social indicators and economic policy contexts. The study seeks to understand how the cultural features of small towns affect young people’s place attachment and also how place relationships might subsequently affect young people’s sense of futures through their desired and intended locations and aspirations. To achieve this, the thesis explores young people’s social constructions of place. The photoelicitation method enables close attention to be paid to young people’s engagement with their home towns. This thesis argues that agency or lack of agency is a significant factor in strengthening or diminishing young people’s place attachments. Previous research suggests that one result of place attachment is that people will seek to remain being in a place. For young people in this study there appears to be an inverse relationship. Young people who had a broad and holistic sense of place engagement and attachment also had a broad sense of future possibilities and thus, intended to leave their home towns in pursuit of personal growth and education. Whereas young people who had a more limited sense of attachment or engagement had a narrower sense of future possibilities and were less likely to desire to leave their home town. The study contributes to knowledge about the ways in which place engagement can affect young people’s social and physical mobility.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Parkin, Ember
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This doctoral thesis examines young people’s place attachments in two small Victorian towns. This qualitative ethnographic study uses auto-driven photo-elicitation to understand young people’s sense of place and futures in their home towns of Castlemaine and Maryborough. These case study towns are of a similar size, geography and heritage fabric. However, they are home to starkly different social indicators and economic policy contexts. The study seeks to understand how the cultural features of small towns affect young people’s place attachment and also how place relationships might subsequently affect young people’s sense of futures through their desired and intended locations and aspirations. To achieve this, the thesis explores young people’s social constructions of place. The photoelicitation method enables close attention to be paid to young people’s engagement with their home towns. This thesis argues that agency or lack of agency is a significant factor in strengthening or diminishing young people’s place attachments. Previous research suggests that one result of place attachment is that people will seek to remain being in a place. For young people in this study there appears to be an inverse relationship. Young people who had a broad and holistic sense of place engagement and attachment also had a broad sense of future possibilities and thus, intended to leave their home towns in pursuit of personal growth and education. Whereas young people who had a more limited sense of attachment or engagement had a narrower sense of future possibilities and were less likely to desire to leave their home town. The study contributes to knowledge about the ways in which place engagement can affect young people’s social and physical mobility.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Susceptibility of rehabilitated mine batter surface to mass movement
- Authors: Allen, Tristan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: The goal of the research is to quantify coal properties that may affect the processes and controls governing rehabilitated brown coal mine surface mass movements. The research investigates weathering of coal and assesses the difference in strength characteristics between fresh and weathered coal. In addition to quantifying the mechanical properties of coal surfaces in a rehabilitated slope, permeability changes due to weathering of coal are also investigated. Changes in coal strength influence sliding resistance. Changes in coal permeability impact pore pressures above the coal surface, which may also affect sliding resistance on the coal – cover interface. To assess these issues, direct and residual shear tests were used to investigate the changes in shear strength due to weathering at low normal stresses applicable to shallow cover materials. Testing was undertaken with abrasive surfaces to simulate sliding on the contact coal surface beneath cover materials assuming that the cover material is stronger than the coal. The roughness of the abrasive surface proved to be unimportant for large strain shear strength. The shear strength for coal with different weathering and normal effective stresses was examined. Coal cohesion was found to be low, but some rebinding of coal would occur with time. A coal residual friction angle of 39.1 and 37.0 degrees was found for the unsaturated and saturated tested coal respectively. Permeability tests using oxygenated water were undertaken to investigate changes to brown coal permeability as a result of weathering. Even with low levels of oxidation achievable with the permeability test apparatus, coal permeability dropped over time. While the magnitude of the reduction was not large for low oxidation magnitudes, the impact on permeability was demonstrated. A weathering index was developed as part of the study to provide a quantitative basis for assessing the weathered state of coal samples. The index employed changes to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra to define the state of weathering. To assess the rate and magnitude of weathering of coal through oxidation an autoclave was used to artificially weather brown coal. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography used to analyse the results. As for the permeability testing the autoclave experiments could not be run for sufficient time to progress to complete weathering by oxidation. Nevertheless the principles of the test and the equipment specifications were developed so that they could be used in future to complete the determination of weathering rates. The research has demonstrated the importance of understanding coal weathering at the upper boundary of a rehabilitated coal surface to the potential for cover mass movements due to sliding at the coal cover interface.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Allen, Tristan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: The goal of the research is to quantify coal properties that may affect the processes and controls governing rehabilitated brown coal mine surface mass movements. The research investigates weathering of coal and assesses the difference in strength characteristics between fresh and weathered coal. In addition to quantifying the mechanical properties of coal surfaces in a rehabilitated slope, permeability changes due to weathering of coal are also investigated. Changes in coal strength influence sliding resistance. Changes in coal permeability impact pore pressures above the coal surface, which may also affect sliding resistance on the coal – cover interface. To assess these issues, direct and residual shear tests were used to investigate the changes in shear strength due to weathering at low normal stresses applicable to shallow cover materials. Testing was undertaken with abrasive surfaces to simulate sliding on the contact coal surface beneath cover materials assuming that the cover material is stronger than the coal. The roughness of the abrasive surface proved to be unimportant for large strain shear strength. The shear strength for coal with different weathering and normal effective stresses was examined. Coal cohesion was found to be low, but some rebinding of coal would occur with time. A coal residual friction angle of 39.1 and 37.0 degrees was found for the unsaturated and saturated tested coal respectively. Permeability tests using oxygenated water were undertaken to investigate changes to brown coal permeability as a result of weathering. Even with low levels of oxidation achievable with the permeability test apparatus, coal permeability dropped over time. While the magnitude of the reduction was not large for low oxidation magnitudes, the impact on permeability was demonstrated. A weathering index was developed as part of the study to provide a quantitative basis for assessing the weathered state of coal samples. The index employed changes to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra to define the state of weathering. To assess the rate and magnitude of weathering of coal through oxidation an autoclave was used to artificially weather brown coal. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography used to analyse the results. As for the permeability testing the autoclave experiments could not be run for sufficient time to progress to complete weathering by oxidation. Nevertheless the principles of the test and the equipment specifications were developed so that they could be used in future to complete the determination of weathering rates. The research has demonstrated the importance of understanding coal weathering at the upper boundary of a rehabilitated coal surface to the potential for cover mass movements due to sliding at the coal cover interface.
- Description: Masters by Research
Teachers' emotional intelligence as a predisposition for discrimiation against students with severe emotional and behavioural disorders
- Authors: Metaxas, Melinda
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Students with Emotional Behavioural Disorders (EBD) are among the most challenging students to teach. Personality Trait Theory predicts teachers’ level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) would affect their cognitive-affective-behavioural reactions towards students with EBDs, and influence level of academic achievement and difficult behaviour of these students. This research explores which teachers are more predisposed to discriminate against EBD students, and identifies the most ‘effective’, supportive EI teacher traits. Underlying psychological processes, such as genetic EI make-up of teachers, may prove to be most valuable in determining whether more practical strategies for dealing with students’ behaviour/emotions are effectively applied and successful. An Attribution Model framework helped assess teacher reactions towards students. Two hundred and sixty one teachers from 51 Victorian schools participated in the study by completing self-report questionnaires, including the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. A quantitative survey methodology used vignettes, with each school contact person randomly giving 50/50 surveys to their teachers (depicting a student with either mild or severe EBD symptoms). Pathway analysis revealed that teachers with higher EI reported less stigmatising and punitive intentions and likely greater helping behaviours. A new EI Process Model of Stigmatisation was proposed to measure teacher reactions through an affective-cognitive-behavioural sequence, rather than a cognitive-affective-behavioural sequence. Teachers’ EI levels also related to their own levels of psychological distress and/or compassion stress, which influenced likely helping or punitive outcomes. Despite behavioural severity of EBD students, teachers higher in EI still indicate more supportive helping behaviours. Specifically-identified ‘ideal’ teacher EI traits should lead to greater helping and be psychologically beneficial to both students and teachers. These results assisted development of an assessment tool (ASET – Assessment Screen for Emotionally Intelligent Teachers), which lays a sound foundation for schools and others to profile or recruit teachers with best ‘qualities’ to effectively teach students EBD students.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Metaxas, Melinda
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Students with Emotional Behavioural Disorders (EBD) are among the most challenging students to teach. Personality Trait Theory predicts teachers’ level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) would affect their cognitive-affective-behavioural reactions towards students with EBDs, and influence level of academic achievement and difficult behaviour of these students. This research explores which teachers are more predisposed to discriminate against EBD students, and identifies the most ‘effective’, supportive EI teacher traits. Underlying psychological processes, such as genetic EI make-up of teachers, may prove to be most valuable in determining whether more practical strategies for dealing with students’ behaviour/emotions are effectively applied and successful. An Attribution Model framework helped assess teacher reactions towards students. Two hundred and sixty one teachers from 51 Victorian schools participated in the study by completing self-report questionnaires, including the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. A quantitative survey methodology used vignettes, with each school contact person randomly giving 50/50 surveys to their teachers (depicting a student with either mild or severe EBD symptoms). Pathway analysis revealed that teachers with higher EI reported less stigmatising and punitive intentions and likely greater helping behaviours. A new EI Process Model of Stigmatisation was proposed to measure teacher reactions through an affective-cognitive-behavioural sequence, rather than a cognitive-affective-behavioural sequence. Teachers’ EI levels also related to their own levels of psychological distress and/or compassion stress, which influenced likely helping or punitive outcomes. Despite behavioural severity of EBD students, teachers higher in EI still indicate more supportive helping behaviours. Specifically-identified ‘ideal’ teacher EI traits should lead to greater helping and be psychologically beneficial to both students and teachers. These results assisted development of an assessment tool (ASET – Assessment Screen for Emotionally Intelligent Teachers), which lays a sound foundation for schools and others to profile or recruit teachers with best ‘qualities’ to effectively teach students EBD students.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Tertiary student connectedness : Intervention influence on student connectedness as measured in health and academic behaviours of regional tertiary students
- Authors: Young, Patricia
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: At a time when university student diversity is heightened and when national government regulations have shifted their quality focus from support improvements to student achievement, little is known about the mechanism of the latter. University efforts to support quality, caring interactions between students and staff, known as connectedness, are currently favoured, and this thesis examines connectedness, mood, emotional well-being and academic behaviours of commencing students at a regional Australian university. This is done through the lens of a first semester intervention, known as Tertiary Learning Communities (TLC). Drawing on existing connectedness research, across both school and university settings and guided by a whole-school framework, details of the establishment of a suitable working party, the development of survey, pilot and intervention activities, and monitoring the ability of a cross-campus intervention to influence student connectedness and behaviour markers, are highlighted to advance further understanding of the mechanics of connectedness in a university setting. The developed survey, which collected data from undergraduate students early in their first semester, effectively captured perceptions of connectedness across a broad range of sources in addition to their mood, emotional well-being and academic student behaviours. Paired sample-tests assessed connectedness changes, and chi square analysis assessed behaviour changes when comparing the experimental and control groups on two occasions. A single intervention aligned to a first year core unit to support academic and social interactions, was shown to be ineffective in enhancing student connectedness during the semester of the intervention or the semester following the intervention. However, the level of connectedness decreases measured across ‘personal’, ‘other students’ and ‘lecturers’ were indeed significant, as was the finding that connectedness decreases for intervention participants exceeded the decreases of the control group. Furthermore, mood and emotional well-being challenges and the slow emergence of academic behaviours were also revealed. These findings provided support for future inclusive student support initiatives, maintained the involvement of working party members and extended support beyond the first semester to across first year.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Young, Patricia
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: At a time when university student diversity is heightened and when national government regulations have shifted their quality focus from support improvements to student achievement, little is known about the mechanism of the latter. University efforts to support quality, caring interactions between students and staff, known as connectedness, are currently favoured, and this thesis examines connectedness, mood, emotional well-being and academic behaviours of commencing students at a regional Australian university. This is done through the lens of a first semester intervention, known as Tertiary Learning Communities (TLC). Drawing on existing connectedness research, across both school and university settings and guided by a whole-school framework, details of the establishment of a suitable working party, the development of survey, pilot and intervention activities, and monitoring the ability of a cross-campus intervention to influence student connectedness and behaviour markers, are highlighted to advance further understanding of the mechanics of connectedness in a university setting. The developed survey, which collected data from undergraduate students early in their first semester, effectively captured perceptions of connectedness across a broad range of sources in addition to their mood, emotional well-being and academic student behaviours. Paired sample-tests assessed connectedness changes, and chi square analysis assessed behaviour changes when comparing the experimental and control groups on two occasions. A single intervention aligned to a first year core unit to support academic and social interactions, was shown to be ineffective in enhancing student connectedness during the semester of the intervention or the semester following the intervention. However, the level of connectedness decreases measured across ‘personal’, ‘other students’ and ‘lecturers’ were indeed significant, as was the finding that connectedness decreases for intervention participants exceeded the decreases of the control group. Furthermore, mood and emotional well-being challenges and the slow emergence of academic behaviours were also revealed. These findings provided support for future inclusive student support initiatives, maintained the involvement of working party members and extended support beyond the first semester to across first year.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The acute effects of aerobic exercise on Leukocyte Telomere biology
- Authors: Chilton, Warrick
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Description: Habitual exercise is unequivocally associated with decreased all-cause mortality and morbidity. Despite the strength of the association, a large part of the decreased risk is physiologically unaccounted for. Accumulating evidence indicates that leukocyte telomere length (LTL) may be one such explanatory mechanism. Telomeres are specialized deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences located at chromosomal ends where they protect the genomic DNA from enzymatic degradation. Excessive and/or premature telomere shortening in leukocytes is associated with a host of chronic diseases and impaired immune function. Observational associations exist between LTL and habitual physical activity/exercise in multiple cohorts. However, correlation does not imply causal story and the underpinning mechanisms behind the association are unclear. The current consensus is that long-term exercise-induced reductions in oxidative stress and inflammation mediate the association. The acute dynamics of telomere biology are poorly understood; however, a growing body of evidence suggests that telomeres may be amenable to acute modulation via expression of telomereassociated genes and microRNAs. Accordingly, the overarching aim of this thesis was to characterize the acute effects of aerobic exercise on leukocyte telomere biology.
- Authors: Chilton, Warrick
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Description: Habitual exercise is unequivocally associated with decreased all-cause mortality and morbidity. Despite the strength of the association, a large part of the decreased risk is physiologically unaccounted for. Accumulating evidence indicates that leukocyte telomere length (LTL) may be one such explanatory mechanism. Telomeres are specialized deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences located at chromosomal ends where they protect the genomic DNA from enzymatic degradation. Excessive and/or premature telomere shortening in leukocytes is associated with a host of chronic diseases and impaired immune function. Observational associations exist between LTL and habitual physical activity/exercise in multiple cohorts. However, correlation does not imply causal story and the underpinning mechanisms behind the association are unclear. The current consensus is that long-term exercise-induced reductions in oxidative stress and inflammation mediate the association. The acute dynamics of telomere biology are poorly understood; however, a growing body of evidence suggests that telomeres may be amenable to acute modulation via expression of telomereassociated genes and microRNAs. Accordingly, the overarching aim of this thesis was to characterize the acute effects of aerobic exercise on leukocyte telomere biology.
The collaborative designer : An investigation into the lived experience of co-design practice
- Authors: Smith, Chrissie
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This enquiry is motivated by a growing recognition of citizen participation by design disciplines and other disciplines outside of design (such as social science, science and business) in solving complex problems across society. Co-design is the approach that this research focuses on in particular. Codesign is a new field of collaborative practice that has emerged from the Scandinavian tradition of Participatory Design. Integral to the philosophy of both these practices is the decentralisation of the individual expert designer and the empowering of the end user as an active participant. Despite many studies that have provided useful frameworks and insights into the practice of co-design, conceptualisations and discussions around implications for participation and design deployment rarely include the voice of the co-design practitioner. This study uses a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the experience of practitioners, some trained in design and some not, facilitating co-design practice. Aligned with this approach, detailed interviews were conducted with six practitioners from Australia and New Zealand to understand what is unique or contingent to them personally, situated within their practices. Through a process of detailed and analytic exploration of these six individual descriptions of the phenomenon under investigation, the core constituents of the experience of co-design practice were distinguished for each participant. From these constituents, general structures representing the essences, or invariants common to all experiences under investigation were identified. Based on the careful analysis of the narrative descriptions from the interviewed practitioners, the core aspects of their practice in collaboration with end-user groups and other stakeholders are described. A visual framework is proposed that capture the complexity of their lived experiences of co-design practice.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Smith, Chrissie
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This enquiry is motivated by a growing recognition of citizen participation by design disciplines and other disciplines outside of design (such as social science, science and business) in solving complex problems across society. Co-design is the approach that this research focuses on in particular. Codesign is a new field of collaborative practice that has emerged from the Scandinavian tradition of Participatory Design. Integral to the philosophy of both these practices is the decentralisation of the individual expert designer and the empowering of the end user as an active participant. Despite many studies that have provided useful frameworks and insights into the practice of co-design, conceptualisations and discussions around implications for participation and design deployment rarely include the voice of the co-design practitioner. This study uses a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the experience of practitioners, some trained in design and some not, facilitating co-design practice. Aligned with this approach, detailed interviews were conducted with six practitioners from Australia and New Zealand to understand what is unique or contingent to them personally, situated within their practices. Through a process of detailed and analytic exploration of these six individual descriptions of the phenomenon under investigation, the core constituents of the experience of co-design practice were distinguished for each participant. From these constituents, general structures representing the essences, or invariants common to all experiences under investigation were identified. Based on the careful analysis of the narrative descriptions from the interviewed practitioners, the core aspects of their practice in collaboration with end-user groups and other stakeholders are described. A visual framework is proposed that capture the complexity of their lived experiences of co-design practice.
- Description: Masters by Research
The contribution of poker machines to reduced community wellbeing : A pre and post study
- Authors: Bell, Diana
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis reports on a study of the impacts of poker machines on community wellbeing, using a pre and post survey method. The study used a variety of indicators to test community wellbeing and gambling attitudes and behaviours before and after a hotel venue with 40 poker machines opened in a new suburb in the designated growth area of Melbourne’s northern fringe. There was a higher proportion of respondents who met the criteria for ‘problem gambling’ after the poker machines were installed, compared to before, particularly when considered as a proportion of people who gambled on poker machines (5.3% compared to 3.6%). A proportion of respondents reported reduced levels of personal happiness, contentment and wellbeing as a result of the introduction of poker machines (16.5%, 12.3% and 16.1% respectively) and 41.5% reported there had been a detrimental impact on the community, in terms of social character. Mean scores on sense of community indexes and social cohesion showed a small decline in the post sample on every measure. Overall, the community reported reduced wellbeing on all measures after the introduction of poker machines. The significance of this study is that measures of community wellbeing and attitudes towards poker machines were measured before their introduction so that this baseline data could be compared with reported wellbeing 18 months after their installation within the suburban area. The substantial proportion of respondents who reported detrimental impact on social character, along with many negatively expressed opinions of poker machines, and a higher rate of problem gambling provide support for the notion that the introduction of poker machines at least contributed to the reduction in community wellbeing. This research provides some suggestions for the use of indicators for measuring the impact of poker machines on community wellbeing.
- Description: Masters by Research
- Authors: Bell, Diana
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis reports on a study of the impacts of poker machines on community wellbeing, using a pre and post survey method. The study used a variety of indicators to test community wellbeing and gambling attitudes and behaviours before and after a hotel venue with 40 poker machines opened in a new suburb in the designated growth area of Melbourne’s northern fringe. There was a higher proportion of respondents who met the criteria for ‘problem gambling’ after the poker machines were installed, compared to before, particularly when considered as a proportion of people who gambled on poker machines (5.3% compared to 3.6%). A proportion of respondents reported reduced levels of personal happiness, contentment and wellbeing as a result of the introduction of poker machines (16.5%, 12.3% and 16.1% respectively) and 41.5% reported there had been a detrimental impact on the community, in terms of social character. Mean scores on sense of community indexes and social cohesion showed a small decline in the post sample on every measure. Overall, the community reported reduced wellbeing on all measures after the introduction of poker machines. The significance of this study is that measures of community wellbeing and attitudes towards poker machines were measured before their introduction so that this baseline data could be compared with reported wellbeing 18 months after their installation within the suburban area. The substantial proportion of respondents who reported detrimental impact on social character, along with many negatively expressed opinions of poker machines, and a higher rate of problem gambling provide support for the notion that the introduction of poker machines at least contributed to the reduction in community wellbeing. This research provides some suggestions for the use of indicators for measuring the impact of poker machines on community wellbeing.
- Description: Masters by Research
The contribution of silverfish (insecta: zygentoma) to Australian invertebrate biodiversity and endemism
- Authors: Smith, Graeme
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Silverfish (Order Zygentoma) are quite abundant in Australia but have been largely overlooked. This thesis examines the biodiversity of the Australian fauna at the level of genus, describing at least one representative species from each named genus and some new genera. The endemism of the fauna is evaluated and likely zoogeographic origins proposed. Over 4000 specimens were examined, either collected by the author, borrowed from or examined within museum collections or supplied by organisations and individuals conducting fauna surveys. Twenty- seven new native species are described and two redescribed, bringing the number of named species recorded in Australia to 74. Five new genera are described and four additional genera recorded in Australia for the first time including autochthonous representatives of three subfamilies previously unrecognised as native to Australia (Acrotelsatinae, Lepismatinae and Coletiniinae). No representatives of the families Maindroniidae, Tricholepidiidae and Protrinemuridae were found. The subfamily Acrotelsatinae was redefined following a revision of the enigmatic genus Anisolepisma Paclt, 1967 with the unique structure of the thoracic sterna identified as diagnostic for the subfamily. Contrary to existing opinion, it is suggested that this is a fundamentally different and plesiomorphic character, rather than an apomorphic reduction of the free thoracic sterna. A monograph of the Australian Zygentoma is presented, including a summary of the biology of the order, a key to and diagnoses of the genera, as well as information on the known habitat and distribution of each genus and a discussion of their zoogeography. At the suprageneric level the fauna is less diverse than seen in other zoogeographic regions but appears to be rich in the number of species. The fauna displays a high degree of endemism with 91% of described species and 52% of the genera known only from Australia. Some genera appear to be ancient and probably represent a Pangean element in the Australian fauna. Others appear to have emerged in the late Jurassic when Africa was still joined to Gondwana, while some may have appeared in the Cretaceous or Palaeocene when Australia and South America were connected to Gondwana. More recent links with the Asian fauna are limited and there appears to be no widespread highly mobile global species other than the six introduced anthropophilic species. Maps of the worldwide distribution records extracted from the taxonomic literature are used to discuss the zoogeography of the subfamilies and tribes present in Australia. Molecular data using two mitochondrial genes (16S and COI) as well as a nuclear gene (28S) were compared with detailed morphological and morphometric analysis to examine populations initially determined as Heterolepisma sclerophylla or close to it. Distances of 0.9– 1.8% or greater in 28S, and 7.2–14% in COI were associated with morphologically distinct species. A southern Queensland population was found to be genetically, morphometrically and morphologically very distinct from those collected in NSW and was described as new (Heterolepisma sp. B). Six well-defined barcode clusters (“lineages”) were identified within the NSW populations, each with >4% divergence in COI sequences and each geographically restricted. Intracluster divergences are also large, and despite the well-supported phylogeny no clear “barcode gap” (distinction between intracluster and intercluster distances) was found for three of the six NSW populations. The 28S data distinguished only four of the six COI clusters from NSW with essentially no variation within each cluster. The 28S data generally aligned well with morphological evidence, clearly identifying Heterolepisma sp. B as a distinct species, and supporting also the description of Heterolepisma sp. A even though it only appears to differ from H. sclerophylla in the number of styli. Similar genetic distances are observed in 28S data for H. sclerophylla populations from North Nowra, Glenbrook/Burralow/Nattai and Megalong, however the Broulee and Wellington populations have identical 28S sequences. The low levels of variation in 28S sequences between NSW populations accord with the lack of unambiguous morphological differences.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Smith, Graeme
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Silverfish (Order Zygentoma) are quite abundant in Australia but have been largely overlooked. This thesis examines the biodiversity of the Australian fauna at the level of genus, describing at least one representative species from each named genus and some new genera. The endemism of the fauna is evaluated and likely zoogeographic origins proposed. Over 4000 specimens were examined, either collected by the author, borrowed from or examined within museum collections or supplied by organisations and individuals conducting fauna surveys. Twenty- seven new native species are described and two redescribed, bringing the number of named species recorded in Australia to 74. Five new genera are described and four additional genera recorded in Australia for the first time including autochthonous representatives of three subfamilies previously unrecognised as native to Australia (Acrotelsatinae, Lepismatinae and Coletiniinae). No representatives of the families Maindroniidae, Tricholepidiidae and Protrinemuridae were found. The subfamily Acrotelsatinae was redefined following a revision of the enigmatic genus Anisolepisma Paclt, 1967 with the unique structure of the thoracic sterna identified as diagnostic for the subfamily. Contrary to existing opinion, it is suggested that this is a fundamentally different and plesiomorphic character, rather than an apomorphic reduction of the free thoracic sterna. A monograph of the Australian Zygentoma is presented, including a summary of the biology of the order, a key to and diagnoses of the genera, as well as information on the known habitat and distribution of each genus and a discussion of their zoogeography. At the suprageneric level the fauna is less diverse than seen in other zoogeographic regions but appears to be rich in the number of species. The fauna displays a high degree of endemism with 91% of described species and 52% of the genera known only from Australia. Some genera appear to be ancient and probably represent a Pangean element in the Australian fauna. Others appear to have emerged in the late Jurassic when Africa was still joined to Gondwana, while some may have appeared in the Cretaceous or Palaeocene when Australia and South America were connected to Gondwana. More recent links with the Asian fauna are limited and there appears to be no widespread highly mobile global species other than the six introduced anthropophilic species. Maps of the worldwide distribution records extracted from the taxonomic literature are used to discuss the zoogeography of the subfamilies and tribes present in Australia. Molecular data using two mitochondrial genes (16S and COI) as well as a nuclear gene (28S) were compared with detailed morphological and morphometric analysis to examine populations initially determined as Heterolepisma sclerophylla or close to it. Distances of 0.9– 1.8% or greater in 28S, and 7.2–14% in COI were associated with morphologically distinct species. A southern Queensland population was found to be genetically, morphometrically and morphologically very distinct from those collected in NSW and was described as new (Heterolepisma sp. B). Six well-defined barcode clusters (“lineages”) were identified within the NSW populations, each with >4% divergence in COI sequences and each geographically restricted. Intracluster divergences are also large, and despite the well-supported phylogeny no clear “barcode gap” (distinction between intracluster and intercluster distances) was found for three of the six NSW populations. The 28S data distinguished only four of the six COI clusters from NSW with essentially no variation within each cluster. The 28S data generally aligned well with morphological evidence, clearly identifying Heterolepisma sp. B as a distinct species, and supporting also the description of Heterolepisma sp. A even though it only appears to differ from H. sclerophylla in the number of styli. Similar genetic distances are observed in 28S data for H. sclerophylla populations from North Nowra, Glenbrook/Burralow/Nattai and Megalong, however the Broulee and Wellington populations have identical 28S sequences. The low levels of variation in 28S sequences between NSW populations accord with the lack of unambiguous morphological differences.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The influence of controlled fire on the mobilization of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) in a mined landscape : Implications for land management and environmental health
- Authors: Abraham, Joji
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Controlled fires conducted in fire prone areas are an efficient and economic option to reduce the frequency and intensity of wild fires that result in damage to human property, infrastructure and ecosystems. However, in a similar way to wild fires, controlled fires affect many of the physical and bio-geochemical properties of the forest soil, and may remobilize Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) from vegetation and soil organic matter. The objective of this study is to investigate the mobilization of PTEs in a mined landscape after a controlled fire and to describe their temporal variations in concentrations. Soil samples were collected two days before and two days after the controlled fire, at the end of each season, and after a major rainfall in September 2016, from a legacy mine site in Maldon, Central Victoria, Australia, and analysed for PTE concentrations. The results revealed PTE mobility after the controlled fire, and most of the PTEs (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn) evidenced an increase in concentration (1.2, 1.5, 1.1, 2.9, and 1.7 times respectively) and other PTEs (Hg, Cr and Pb) shown a decrease (1.4, 1.1 and 1.1 times respectively) immediately after the fire. The increase in PTE concentration immediately after the fire is postulated to be associated with the addition of PTE enriched ash to the soil and the reduction is due to the volatilization of elements during fire. The PTEs, which increased their concentrations immediately after the fire show a temporal decrease in concentration in the post-fire soil environment due to the removal of ash and surface soil by rainfall runoff, leaching and wind activity. However, Hg shows an increase in concentration after the major rainfall event. Although, median concentrations of As, Hg, Pb, Cu and Zn exceeded the Australian and Victorian top soil averages, only As and Hg are considered to be a risk to human and aquatic ecosystems health due to their elevated concentration and toxicity. Climate change and the resulting projection for increased forest fire frequency illustrates a growing concern given the expected concomitant increase in PTE mobilization. Preparing appropriate land and water management strategies, and addressing environmental health practice and policy, specifically at the legacy mining areas require a review. This study highlights the significant risk these sites pose.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Abraham, Joji
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Controlled fires conducted in fire prone areas are an efficient and economic option to reduce the frequency and intensity of wild fires that result in damage to human property, infrastructure and ecosystems. However, in a similar way to wild fires, controlled fires affect many of the physical and bio-geochemical properties of the forest soil, and may remobilize Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) from vegetation and soil organic matter. The objective of this study is to investigate the mobilization of PTEs in a mined landscape after a controlled fire and to describe their temporal variations in concentrations. Soil samples were collected two days before and two days after the controlled fire, at the end of each season, and after a major rainfall in September 2016, from a legacy mine site in Maldon, Central Victoria, Australia, and analysed for PTE concentrations. The results revealed PTE mobility after the controlled fire, and most of the PTEs (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn) evidenced an increase in concentration (1.2, 1.5, 1.1, 2.9, and 1.7 times respectively) and other PTEs (Hg, Cr and Pb) shown a decrease (1.4, 1.1 and 1.1 times respectively) immediately after the fire. The increase in PTE concentration immediately after the fire is postulated to be associated with the addition of PTE enriched ash to the soil and the reduction is due to the volatilization of elements during fire. The PTEs, which increased their concentrations immediately after the fire show a temporal decrease in concentration in the post-fire soil environment due to the removal of ash and surface soil by rainfall runoff, leaching and wind activity. However, Hg shows an increase in concentration after the major rainfall event. Although, median concentrations of As, Hg, Pb, Cu and Zn exceeded the Australian and Victorian top soil averages, only As and Hg are considered to be a risk to human and aquatic ecosystems health due to their elevated concentration and toxicity. Climate change and the resulting projection for increased forest fire frequency illustrates a growing concern given the expected concomitant increase in PTE mobilization. Preparing appropriate land and water management strategies, and addressing environmental health practice and policy, specifically at the legacy mining areas require a review. This study highlights the significant risk these sites pose.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Unnatural alliances : Immanent reading and the speculative sensations of life
- Authors: Williams, Dominic
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Doctor of Philosophy
- Full Text:
- Description: It is my claim that Gilles Deleuze’s expressionism allows for a new theory and praxis of reading called Immanent Reading, different from both his own Schizoanalytic praxis and the referential and ontological theories informing Literary Theory. Immanent reading, I propose, following Colebrook’s readings of Deleuze, offers an ethics of reading emphasising the pure immediacy of relations, including those expressed by life. It is upon this primary vector that this thesis progresses: the broad articulation and creation of a theory of Immanent Reading. To achieve this, I claim that the expressionist metaphysics exposed by Deleuze in Spinoza and Leibniz is altered by Deleuze in his own conceptual creations (as with becoming and immanence) and persists as a properly Deleuzian expressionism. The degrees of expression I propose belong to immanent reading are, without necessary order, the written-body, the reader-body, and a milieu of becoming that composes them together and transforms their affective and perceptive compositions. The written-body distinguishes itself as a creation of percepts and affects in writing, the reader-body through its involvement of pliable perceptions and affections, and becoming through its transformative capacity on these affective and perceptive complexes. The concept of immanence subtends this expressive composition, drawing reading into pure immediacy while articulating it as a process of unnatural encounters for “a Life”. To avoid representations of life in demonstrating the praxis, this thesis engages with speculative literature. Deleuze has made use of speculative writers, such as Lovecraft and Asimov, to create his (with and without Guattari and Parnet) concept of becoming. Here I engage with Le Guin, McCarthy, and Stanley Robinson amongst others. The consequence of composing an encounter with speculative literature for immanent reading is multi-fold, with this thesis theorising an expressionist logic in the creation of speculative sensations and the becomings they herald.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Williams, Dominic
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , Doctor of Philosophy
- Full Text:
- Description: It is my claim that Gilles Deleuze’s expressionism allows for a new theory and praxis of reading called Immanent Reading, different from both his own Schizoanalytic praxis and the referential and ontological theories informing Literary Theory. Immanent reading, I propose, following Colebrook’s readings of Deleuze, offers an ethics of reading emphasising the pure immediacy of relations, including those expressed by life. It is upon this primary vector that this thesis progresses: the broad articulation and creation of a theory of Immanent Reading. To achieve this, I claim that the expressionist metaphysics exposed by Deleuze in Spinoza and Leibniz is altered by Deleuze in his own conceptual creations (as with becoming and immanence) and persists as a properly Deleuzian expressionism. The degrees of expression I propose belong to immanent reading are, without necessary order, the written-body, the reader-body, and a milieu of becoming that composes them together and transforms their affective and perceptive compositions. The written-body distinguishes itself as a creation of percepts and affects in writing, the reader-body through its involvement of pliable perceptions and affections, and becoming through its transformative capacity on these affective and perceptive complexes. The concept of immanence subtends this expressive composition, drawing reading into pure immediacy while articulating it as a process of unnatural encounters for “a Life”. To avoid representations of life in demonstrating the praxis, this thesis engages with speculative literature. Deleuze has made use of speculative writers, such as Lovecraft and Asimov, to create his (with and without Guattari and Parnet) concept of becoming. Here I engage with Le Guin, McCarthy, and Stanley Robinson amongst others. The consequence of composing an encounter with speculative literature for immanent reading is multi-fold, with this thesis theorising an expressionist logic in the creation of speculative sensations and the becomings they herald.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy