A patient agent controlled customized blockchain based framework for internet of things
- Authors: Uddin, Md Ashraf
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Although Blockchain implementations have emerged as revolutionary technologies for various industrial applications including cryptocurrencies, they have not been widely deployed to store data streaming from sensors to remote servers in architectures known as Internet of Things. New Blockchain for the Internet of Things models promise secure solutions for eHealth, smart cities, and other applications. These models pave the way for continuous monitoring of patient’s physiological signs with wearable sensors to augment traditional medical practice without recourse to storing data with a trusted authority. However, existing Blockchain algorithms cannot accommodate the huge volumes, security, and privacy requirements of health data. In this thesis, our first contribution is an End-to-End secure eHealth architecture that introduces an intelligent Patient Centric Agent. The Patient Centric Agent executing on dedicated hardware manages the storage and access of streams of sensors generated health data, into a customized Blockchain and other less secure repositories. As IoT devices cannot host Blockchain technology due to their limited memory, power, and computational resources, the Patient Centric Agent coordinates and communicates with a private customized Blockchain on behalf of the wearable devices. While the adoption of a Patient Centric Agent offers solutions for addressing continuous monitoring of patients’ health, dealing with storage, data privacy and network security issues, the architecture is vulnerable to Denial of Services(DoS) and single point of failure attacks. To address this issue, we advance a second contribution; a decentralised eHealth system in which the Patient Centric Agent is replicated at three levels: Sensing Layer, NEAR Processing Layer and FAR Processing Layer. The functionalities of the Patient Centric Agent are customized to manage the tasks of the three levels. Simulations confirm protection of the architecture against DoS attacks. Few patients require all their health data to be stored in Blockchain repositories but instead need to select an appropriate storage medium for each chunk of data by matching their personal needs and preferences with features of candidate storage mediums. Motivated by this context, we advance third contribution; a recommendation model for health data storage that can accommodate patient preferences and make storage decisions rapidly, in real-time, even with streamed data. The mapping between health data features and characteristics of each repository is learned using machine learning. The Blockchain’s capacity to make transactions and store records without central oversight enables its application for IoT networks outside health such as underwater IoT networks where the unattended nature of the nodes threatens their security and privacy. However, underwater IoT differs from ground IoT as acoustics signals are the communication media leading to high propagation delays, high error rates exacerbated by turbulent water currents. Our fourth contribution is a customized Blockchain leveraged framework with the model of Patient-Centric Agent renamed as Smart Agent for securely monitoring underwater IoT. Finally, the smart Agent has been investigated in developing an IoT smart home or cities monitoring framework. The key algorithms underpinning to each contribution have been implemented and analysed using simulators.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Uddin, Md Ashraf
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Although Blockchain implementations have emerged as revolutionary technologies for various industrial applications including cryptocurrencies, they have not been widely deployed to store data streaming from sensors to remote servers in architectures known as Internet of Things. New Blockchain for the Internet of Things models promise secure solutions for eHealth, smart cities, and other applications. These models pave the way for continuous monitoring of patient’s physiological signs with wearable sensors to augment traditional medical practice without recourse to storing data with a trusted authority. However, existing Blockchain algorithms cannot accommodate the huge volumes, security, and privacy requirements of health data. In this thesis, our first contribution is an End-to-End secure eHealth architecture that introduces an intelligent Patient Centric Agent. The Patient Centric Agent executing on dedicated hardware manages the storage and access of streams of sensors generated health data, into a customized Blockchain and other less secure repositories. As IoT devices cannot host Blockchain technology due to their limited memory, power, and computational resources, the Patient Centric Agent coordinates and communicates with a private customized Blockchain on behalf of the wearable devices. While the adoption of a Patient Centric Agent offers solutions for addressing continuous monitoring of patients’ health, dealing with storage, data privacy and network security issues, the architecture is vulnerable to Denial of Services(DoS) and single point of failure attacks. To address this issue, we advance a second contribution; a decentralised eHealth system in which the Patient Centric Agent is replicated at three levels: Sensing Layer, NEAR Processing Layer and FAR Processing Layer. The functionalities of the Patient Centric Agent are customized to manage the tasks of the three levels. Simulations confirm protection of the architecture against DoS attacks. Few patients require all their health data to be stored in Blockchain repositories but instead need to select an appropriate storage medium for each chunk of data by matching their personal needs and preferences with features of candidate storage mediums. Motivated by this context, we advance third contribution; a recommendation model for health data storage that can accommodate patient preferences and make storage decisions rapidly, in real-time, even with streamed data. The mapping between health data features and characteristics of each repository is learned using machine learning. The Blockchain’s capacity to make transactions and store records without central oversight enables its application for IoT networks outside health such as underwater IoT networks where the unattended nature of the nodes threatens their security and privacy. However, underwater IoT differs from ground IoT as acoustics signals are the communication media leading to high propagation delays, high error rates exacerbated by turbulent water currents. Our fourth contribution is a customized Blockchain leveraged framework with the model of Patient-Centric Agent renamed as Smart Agent for securely monitoring underwater IoT. Finally, the smart Agent has been investigated in developing an IoT smart home or cities monitoring framework. The key algorithms underpinning to each contribution have been implemented and analysed using simulators.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
An investigative study of burnout among university nurse academics in Australia
- Authors: Singh, Charanjit
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The overall aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence, extent and explore the experiences of Nurse Academics in Australia in relation to job satisfaction and burnout. Over the last three decades, university teaching has become increasingly challenging and stressful; this has affected the quality of life of academics. This is evidenced by the rapidly changing working conditions and stress experienced globally among university academics Consequently, the relationship between academics and their workplace are very demanding, more stressed, followed by lack of resources and eventually leading to burnout. Burnout is defined as a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. Since, the move of nurse education into the university sector in Australia in the mid 1980’s, the stress and demands placed upon Nursing Academics has risen and intensified dramatically. Although the literature is replete about the work experiences among university academics very little research has been carried out to investigate the prevalence and explore the experiences among nurse academics, particularly within Australia (Bittner, & Bechtel, 2017) in relation to occupational stress and burnout. This research study utilized a mixed methods design, specifically, the sequential explanatory model A two phased approach was utilized. In phase one 234 nurse academics completed the survey comprised of the MBI, MSQ and demographics. In phase two, 19 participants were interviewed. The conceptual framework that underpins this study is influenced by the Job- Demands Resource Model (J-DR Model). In phase one, participants were drawn from a cross section from novice to experienced academics. 50% of participants reported low levels of burnout, whilst the other 50% reported either moderate or high levels of burnout. Out of these 50% who experienced burnout about 20% of respondents experienced a high-level of burnout. Similarly, 50% of the participants experienced low levels of job satisfaction and this correlated significantly with high levels of the total burnout scores (r = -0.56). Within the qualitative component, the main themes included a lack of work life balance, incivility towards staff, increasing workloads, challenging students, lack of recognition, negative workplace culture, lack of awareness of the importance of political astuteness, and lack of leadership skills and difficulty with retention of newly appointed staff. Many participants also expressed being threatened, felling intimidated, and unfairly treated coupled with facing personalities who were driven by power struggles. Overall, there appeared to be a sense of powerlessness, that participants were relatively powerless and unable to change their lot. Although personal resilience provided a buffering effect for some of the participants and acted as a protective factor against stress and burnout it is not well understood. This research study contributes to the ongoing body of work on the experiences of nurse academics globally and gives a further insight and understanding of the personal experiences of occupational stress and burnout among Australian nurse academics. However, a few potential limitations to this study should be noted. The study sample was only selected from within Australian universities which may limit the global generalisation of the findings and it was undertaken at an only one time point. Occupational stress leading to burnout is still considered an important factor and predictor of job satisfaction and intention to leave among Australian nurse academics. Effective mentoring and leadership styles that promote a nurturing work environment, a sense of belonging, being valued, heard, and recognised, are areas of priority. Strategies and policies should be revised for greater inclusiveness, academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and a better work-life balance. Further work is needed that examines the specific types of support systems that nurse leaders could initiate to reduce job stress leading to burnout. Ongoing evaluation is crucial to ensure the appropriateness, efficacy, and effectiveness of the support systems. The findings have important global implications in terms of recruitment and retention of nurse academic.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Singh, Charanjit
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The overall aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence, extent and explore the experiences of Nurse Academics in Australia in relation to job satisfaction and burnout. Over the last three decades, university teaching has become increasingly challenging and stressful; this has affected the quality of life of academics. This is evidenced by the rapidly changing working conditions and stress experienced globally among university academics Consequently, the relationship between academics and their workplace are very demanding, more stressed, followed by lack of resources and eventually leading to burnout. Burnout is defined as a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. Since, the move of nurse education into the university sector in Australia in the mid 1980’s, the stress and demands placed upon Nursing Academics has risen and intensified dramatically. Although the literature is replete about the work experiences among university academics very little research has been carried out to investigate the prevalence and explore the experiences among nurse academics, particularly within Australia (Bittner, & Bechtel, 2017) in relation to occupational stress and burnout. This research study utilized a mixed methods design, specifically, the sequential explanatory model A two phased approach was utilized. In phase one 234 nurse academics completed the survey comprised of the MBI, MSQ and demographics. In phase two, 19 participants were interviewed. The conceptual framework that underpins this study is influenced by the Job- Demands Resource Model (J-DR Model). In phase one, participants were drawn from a cross section from novice to experienced academics. 50% of participants reported low levels of burnout, whilst the other 50% reported either moderate or high levels of burnout. Out of these 50% who experienced burnout about 20% of respondents experienced a high-level of burnout. Similarly, 50% of the participants experienced low levels of job satisfaction and this correlated significantly with high levels of the total burnout scores (r = -0.56). Within the qualitative component, the main themes included a lack of work life balance, incivility towards staff, increasing workloads, challenging students, lack of recognition, negative workplace culture, lack of awareness of the importance of political astuteness, and lack of leadership skills and difficulty with retention of newly appointed staff. Many participants also expressed being threatened, felling intimidated, and unfairly treated coupled with facing personalities who were driven by power struggles. Overall, there appeared to be a sense of powerlessness, that participants were relatively powerless and unable to change their lot. Although personal resilience provided a buffering effect for some of the participants and acted as a protective factor against stress and burnout it is not well understood. This research study contributes to the ongoing body of work on the experiences of nurse academics globally and gives a further insight and understanding of the personal experiences of occupational stress and burnout among Australian nurse academics. However, a few potential limitations to this study should be noted. The study sample was only selected from within Australian universities which may limit the global generalisation of the findings and it was undertaken at an only one time point. Occupational stress leading to burnout is still considered an important factor and predictor of job satisfaction and intention to leave among Australian nurse academics. Effective mentoring and leadership styles that promote a nurturing work environment, a sense of belonging, being valued, heard, and recognised, are areas of priority. Strategies and policies should be revised for greater inclusiveness, academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and a better work-life balance. Further work is needed that examines the specific types of support systems that nurse leaders could initiate to reduce job stress leading to burnout. Ongoing evaluation is crucial to ensure the appropriateness, efficacy, and effectiveness of the support systems. The findings have important global implications in terms of recruitment and retention of nurse academic.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Ghadrdan, Mohsen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text: false
- Description: Excavating the ground for different purposes, such as extracting valuable materials or undertaking urban construction, may cause concerns regarding the stability of the formed slopes, which can affect the environment, the economy, and human lives. Slope stability analysis in large-scale and deep excavations such as open-pit mines is challenging due to uncertainties regarding varying material parameters, complex field conditions and lack of or insufficient data such as pore water pressure distribution, in-situ stress conditions, and discontinuities. Despite different advanced analytical and numerical slope stability techniques having been developed, slope stability analysis may produce unreliable conclusions due to these uncertainties and challenges. This study’s objective is to investigate the effect of different factors associated with slope stability through a case study of the Yallourn brown coal open pit mine in Australia. In this study, the two most common slope stability methods—the Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) and the Finite Element Method (FEM)—were employed. A comprehensive study was conducted to determine how the generation and dissipation of Negative Excess Pore-Water Pressure (NEPWP) affect slope stability assessments. Additionally, due to the complex geological stratigraphy of the site, different scenarios for geological layering were defined and investigated for the slope stability analyses. Moreover, the sensitivity of the slope stability assessment to not only different material characteristics but also different formulations and assumptions of LEM and FEM are presented.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Applied aspirations : design and applied art at the Ballarat Technical Art School during the early twentieth century
- Authors: Whetter, Elise
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Applied art and design schools operate at the nexus of art, industry, and education. During the early decades of the twentieth century, the regionally located Ballarat Technical Art School (BTAS) was the leading institution of its kind in Victoria, Australia, amid shifting economic, cultural, and pedagogical conditions. Emerging from a 1907 amalgamation of institutions, and subsequently administrated by the School of Mines Ballarat (SMB), BTAS was equipped with the assets, experience, and historic reputation necessary to surpass its provincial and metropolitan rivals. This micro-historical case-study employs qualitative analysis of primary sources to investigate the aims, outputs, and importance of BTAS, contextualised by the expectations and influences it operated under during the inaugural principalship of artist and educator, Herbert Henry Smith. Smith oversaw the training of designers, craftspeople, artists, and teachers from 1907 until his retirement in early 1940—a period of tumultuous events, fiscal obstacles, and social and cultural debate. The institution was accountable to diverse stakeholders and arbiters of taste, and successive cohorts learned in a contested space between tradition, origination, and modernisation. Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural theory serves to navigate this web of hierarchies, assumptions, and tensions, while secondary sources help contextualise findings. This thesis also discusses the suite of drawing, design and material-based disciplines delivered at BTAS as single subjects, full courses, and supplementary art-trade training. Throughout, featured students provide examples of regionally trained, Australian designer-maker and artist-teacher experiences. BTAS students learned from ambitious and skilled men and women, benefited from strong professional networks, and fostered a notable esprit-de-corps. The school was significant for its contribution to female technical training. The school’s pre-eminent position was modified during the late 1920s, when much art and art-teacher training was re-centred in Melbourne. Yet, the valuable, compelling, and widespread influence of Ballarat Technical Art School graduates resonated for decades.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Whetter, Elise
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Applied art and design schools operate at the nexus of art, industry, and education. During the early decades of the twentieth century, the regionally located Ballarat Technical Art School (BTAS) was the leading institution of its kind in Victoria, Australia, amid shifting economic, cultural, and pedagogical conditions. Emerging from a 1907 amalgamation of institutions, and subsequently administrated by the School of Mines Ballarat (SMB), BTAS was equipped with the assets, experience, and historic reputation necessary to surpass its provincial and metropolitan rivals. This micro-historical case-study employs qualitative analysis of primary sources to investigate the aims, outputs, and importance of BTAS, contextualised by the expectations and influences it operated under during the inaugural principalship of artist and educator, Herbert Henry Smith. Smith oversaw the training of designers, craftspeople, artists, and teachers from 1907 until his retirement in early 1940—a period of tumultuous events, fiscal obstacles, and social and cultural debate. The institution was accountable to diverse stakeholders and arbiters of taste, and successive cohorts learned in a contested space between tradition, origination, and modernisation. Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural theory serves to navigate this web of hierarchies, assumptions, and tensions, while secondary sources help contextualise findings. This thesis also discusses the suite of drawing, design and material-based disciplines delivered at BTAS as single subjects, full courses, and supplementary art-trade training. Throughout, featured students provide examples of regionally trained, Australian designer-maker and artist-teacher experiences. BTAS students learned from ambitious and skilled men and women, benefited from strong professional networks, and fostered a notable esprit-de-corps. The school was significant for its contribution to female technical training. The school’s pre-eminent position was modified during the late 1920s, when much art and art-teacher training was re-centred in Melbourne. Yet, the valuable, compelling, and widespread influence of Ballarat Technical Art School graduates resonated for decades.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Biopsychosocial Data Analytics and Modeling
- Authors: Santhanagopalan, Meena
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Sustained customisation of digital health intervention (DHI) programs, in the context of community health engagement, requires strong integration of multi-sourced interdisciplinary biopsychosocial health data. The biopsychosocial model is built upon the idea that biological, psychological and social processes are integrally and interactively involved in physical health and illness. One of the longstanding challenges of dealing with healthcare data is the wide variety of data generated from different sources and the increasing need to learn actionable insights that drive performance improvement. The growth of information and communication technology has led to the increased use of DHI programs. These programs use an observational methodology that helps researchers to study the everyday behaviour of participants during the course of the program by analysing data generated from digital tools such as wearables, online surveys and ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Combined with data reported from biological and psychological tests, this provides rich and unique biopsychosocial data. There is a strong need to review and apply novel approaches to combining biopsychosocial data from a methodological perspective. Although some studies have used data analytics in research on clinical trial data generated from digital interventions, data analytics on biopsychosocial data generated from DHI programs is limited. The study in this thesis develops and implements innovative approaches for analysing the existing unique and rich biopsychosocial data generated from the wellness study, a DHI program conducted by the School of Science, Psychology and Sport at Federation University. The characteristics of variety, value and veracity that usually describe big data are also relevant to the biopsychosocial data handled in this thesis. These historical, retrospective real-life biopsychosocial data provide fertile ground for research through the use of data analytics to discover patterns hidden in the data and to obtain new knowledge. This thesis presents the studies carried out on three aspects of biopsychosocial research. First, we present the salient traits of the three components - biological, psychological and social - of biopsychosocial research. Next, we investigate the challenges of pre-processing biopsychosocial data, placing special emphasis on the time-series data generated from wearable sensor devices. Finally, we present the application of statistical and machine learning (ML) tools to integrate variables from the biopsychosocial disciplines to build a predictive model. The first chapter presents the salient features of the biopsychosocial data for each discipline. The second chapter presents the challenges of pre-processing biopsychosocial data, focusing on the time-series data generated from wearable sensor devices. The third chapter uses statistical and ML tools to integrate variables from the biopsychosocial disciplines to build a predictive model. Among its other important analyses and results, the key contributions of the research described in this thesis include the following: 1. using gamma distribution to model neurocognitive reaction time data that presents interesting properties (skewness and kurtosis for the data distribution) 2. using novel ‘peak heart-rate’ count metric to quantify ‘biological’ stress 3. using the ML approach to evaluate DHIs 4. using a recurrent neural network (RNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) data prediction model to predict Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and primary emotion (PE) using wearable sensor data.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Santhanagopalan, Meena
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Sustained customisation of digital health intervention (DHI) programs, in the context of community health engagement, requires strong integration of multi-sourced interdisciplinary biopsychosocial health data. The biopsychosocial model is built upon the idea that biological, psychological and social processes are integrally and interactively involved in physical health and illness. One of the longstanding challenges of dealing with healthcare data is the wide variety of data generated from different sources and the increasing need to learn actionable insights that drive performance improvement. The growth of information and communication technology has led to the increased use of DHI programs. These programs use an observational methodology that helps researchers to study the everyday behaviour of participants during the course of the program by analysing data generated from digital tools such as wearables, online surveys and ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Combined with data reported from biological and psychological tests, this provides rich and unique biopsychosocial data. There is a strong need to review and apply novel approaches to combining biopsychosocial data from a methodological perspective. Although some studies have used data analytics in research on clinical trial data generated from digital interventions, data analytics on biopsychosocial data generated from DHI programs is limited. The study in this thesis develops and implements innovative approaches for analysing the existing unique and rich biopsychosocial data generated from the wellness study, a DHI program conducted by the School of Science, Psychology and Sport at Federation University. The characteristics of variety, value and veracity that usually describe big data are also relevant to the biopsychosocial data handled in this thesis. These historical, retrospective real-life biopsychosocial data provide fertile ground for research through the use of data analytics to discover patterns hidden in the data and to obtain new knowledge. This thesis presents the studies carried out on three aspects of biopsychosocial research. First, we present the salient traits of the three components - biological, psychological and social - of biopsychosocial research. Next, we investigate the challenges of pre-processing biopsychosocial data, placing special emphasis on the time-series data generated from wearable sensor devices. Finally, we present the application of statistical and machine learning (ML) tools to integrate variables from the biopsychosocial disciplines to build a predictive model. The first chapter presents the salient features of the biopsychosocial data for each discipline. The second chapter presents the challenges of pre-processing biopsychosocial data, focusing on the time-series data generated from wearable sensor devices. The third chapter uses statistical and ML tools to integrate variables from the biopsychosocial disciplines to build a predictive model. Among its other important analyses and results, the key contributions of the research described in this thesis include the following: 1. using gamma distribution to model neurocognitive reaction time data that presents interesting properties (skewness and kurtosis for the data distribution) 2. using novel ‘peak heart-rate’ count metric to quantify ‘biological’ stress 3. using the ML approach to evaluate DHIs 4. using a recurrent neural network (RNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) data prediction model to predict Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and primary emotion (PE) using wearable sensor data.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Care leavers recovering voice and agency through counter-narratives
- Authors: Golding, Frank
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The publications in this thesis discuss recurring issues in the historical context of out-of-home Care (OOHC). They were written for various audiences but are arranged not by date of publication but thematically so as to present a coherent argument about the recovery of voice and agency by those who experienced OOHC. The thesis begins with an Overview which discusses autoethnographic and multi-layered approaches to history and shows how subject matter helps determine the choice of methodology and sources and, in turn, how methodologies influence the selection of sources and shape content. Authorities in Australia have a long history of removing children from their families when they are deemed to be neglected or ‘in moral danger’. Out of the public gaze, these children were often rendered silent, their voices simply unheard or deliberately supressed by the exercise of total institutional power. This thesis analyses how children were marginalised, cast as ‘the other’, and framed as deserving no better than they got. In the aftermath of a series of inquiries into institutional child maltreatment—some of which came about as a result of survivor advocacy and relied heavily on direct testimony—we now better understand children’s institutional experiences. In this changing environment, advocacy groups are effectively challenging the received accounts of historical Care. Their challenge has gained impetus from the opening up of records through rights legislation, especially access to personal case files. Large numbers of Care leavers have found their files inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, and this discovery has stimulated many to produce compelling counter-narratives of the lived experiences of their childhood, and the living experiences that endure. The thesis concludes with an extended analytical commentary reflecting new interpretations of emerging histories, assessing changes in the status of Care leavers, and identifying directions warranting further development in OOHC.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Golding, Frank
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The publications in this thesis discuss recurring issues in the historical context of out-of-home Care (OOHC). They were written for various audiences but are arranged not by date of publication but thematically so as to present a coherent argument about the recovery of voice and agency by those who experienced OOHC. The thesis begins with an Overview which discusses autoethnographic and multi-layered approaches to history and shows how subject matter helps determine the choice of methodology and sources and, in turn, how methodologies influence the selection of sources and shape content. Authorities in Australia have a long history of removing children from their families when they are deemed to be neglected or ‘in moral danger’. Out of the public gaze, these children were often rendered silent, their voices simply unheard or deliberately supressed by the exercise of total institutional power. This thesis analyses how children were marginalised, cast as ‘the other’, and framed as deserving no better than they got. In the aftermath of a series of inquiries into institutional child maltreatment—some of which came about as a result of survivor advocacy and relied heavily on direct testimony—we now better understand children’s institutional experiences. In this changing environment, advocacy groups are effectively challenging the received accounts of historical Care. Their challenge has gained impetus from the opening up of records through rights legislation, especially access to personal case files. Large numbers of Care leavers have found their files inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, and this discovery has stimulated many to produce compelling counter-narratives of the lived experiences of their childhood, and the living experiences that endure. The thesis concludes with an extended analytical commentary reflecting new interpretations of emerging histories, assessing changes in the status of Care leavers, and identifying directions warranting further development in OOHC.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Challenges faced by early-career researchers in the sciences in Australia and the consequent effect of those challenges on their careers : a mixed methods project
- Authors: Christian, Katherine
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The purpose of the study was to explore the challenges faced by early-career researchers (ECRs) in the sciences in Australia and the consequent effect of those challenges on their careers. Using a realist/postpositivist paradigm, an evaluative approach, and a framework of job satisfaction, this project has explored and compared the views of ECRs to evaluate the factors which shape the ECR experience and contribute to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction and intention to leave, and to define the features which are necessary to keep an ECR in research. Data collection for this mixed methods study entailed a national survey of researchers working in universities and research institutes (n=658), a focus group discussion and semistructured in-depth interviews with eight women from a variety of scientific disciplines who had recently left academic research workplaces. I focussed particularly on the difficulties consequent to job insecurity: the constant need to attracting funding and a permanent position, lack of work-life balance and associated stress; and evidence of workplace difficulties such as bullying, harassment or inequity and support – or lack of it – offered by the research institutions. I examined the factors which contribute to and barriers which prevent job satisfaction of this population, and the consequent intention (if any) for ECRs to leave research or change their career path. I found an interesting situation whereby the satisfaction derived from a “love of science” was counterbalanced by stress and poor working conditions which are a consequence of lack of job security, typified by poor supervision, bullying or harassment, inequitable hiring practices, a concerning rate of impact from “questionable research practices” (impacting 34%-41% of respondents) and evidence of very high (80%) intention of ECRs to leave their position. The most significant predictor of intention to leave is time as a postdoctoral scientist: eventually the job insecurity and its associated stresses become too much and the ECRs leave their chosen career for work elsewhere. This decision, too, provides interesting findings as many of the ECRs have difficulty planning what to do next. They feel ill-prepared for an alternate career and suffer from a sense of failure as a result of having to leave academia. While addressing the shortage of funding is outside the scope of this study, in addition to offering my findings I put forward a range of recommendations which could lead to ar change of culture and benefit the wellbeing of ECRs in STEMM without incurring significant cost. The Australian Government, higher education institutions and the research community need to improve job security and workplace conditions and take better care of our people in STEMM disciplines or we will not have the scientists we need to deliver the “innovative Australia” planned for 2030 (Department of Industry Innovation and Science, 2018)
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Christian, Katherine
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The purpose of the study was to explore the challenges faced by early-career researchers (ECRs) in the sciences in Australia and the consequent effect of those challenges on their careers. Using a realist/postpositivist paradigm, an evaluative approach, and a framework of job satisfaction, this project has explored and compared the views of ECRs to evaluate the factors which shape the ECR experience and contribute to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction and intention to leave, and to define the features which are necessary to keep an ECR in research. Data collection for this mixed methods study entailed a national survey of researchers working in universities and research institutes (n=658), a focus group discussion and semistructured in-depth interviews with eight women from a variety of scientific disciplines who had recently left academic research workplaces. I focussed particularly on the difficulties consequent to job insecurity: the constant need to attracting funding and a permanent position, lack of work-life balance and associated stress; and evidence of workplace difficulties such as bullying, harassment or inequity and support – or lack of it – offered by the research institutions. I examined the factors which contribute to and barriers which prevent job satisfaction of this population, and the consequent intention (if any) for ECRs to leave research or change their career path. I found an interesting situation whereby the satisfaction derived from a “love of science” was counterbalanced by stress and poor working conditions which are a consequence of lack of job security, typified by poor supervision, bullying or harassment, inequitable hiring practices, a concerning rate of impact from “questionable research practices” (impacting 34%-41% of respondents) and evidence of very high (80%) intention of ECRs to leave their position. The most significant predictor of intention to leave is time as a postdoctoral scientist: eventually the job insecurity and its associated stresses become too much and the ECRs leave their chosen career for work elsewhere. This decision, too, provides interesting findings as many of the ECRs have difficulty planning what to do next. They feel ill-prepared for an alternate career and suffer from a sense of failure as a result of having to leave academia. While addressing the shortage of funding is outside the scope of this study, in addition to offering my findings I put forward a range of recommendations which could lead to ar change of culture and benefit the wellbeing of ECRs in STEMM without incurring significant cost. The Australian Government, higher education institutions and the research community need to improve job security and workplace conditions and take better care of our people in STEMM disciplines or we will not have the scientists we need to deliver the “innovative Australia” planned for 2030 (Department of Industry Innovation and Science, 2018)
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Developing chiropractic students clinical practice skills - elements of best practice : a qualitative exploratory descriptive study
- Authors: Haworth, Navine
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Background Although chiropractic has 125 years as an established profession, scrutiny of the literature proves that few studies have examined the clinical education of chiropractic students with a call for research from academics. This thesis is significant as it develops knowledge that can inform chiropractic bodies and help them improve an essential component of chiropractic education: clinical skill development. Research Purpose and Aims The purpose of this study was to identify elements of best practices in clinical education by critically examining, exploring and describing the aspects of an exemplar chiropractic clinical program that develops students’ clinical practice skills for transition into practice. This study explored the innovative clinical program of a reputable American chiropractic institution providing a scaffolded clinical program across varied clinical settings, patient populations and amongst other health disciplines. Research Design A six-phase exploratory descriptive qualitative design (EDQD) study was conducted to explore and describe the phenomenon being examined (Flick, 2014). This design enabled the collection of information about perceptions and lived experiences of three stakeholder cohorts: clinical faculty members, students and new graduates. Methods Purposive sampling (of students and clinical faculty members) and snowball sampling techniques (of new graduates) were used to derive the sample. Data were collected in three cycles across a two-year period using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with 15 clinical faculty members and eight new graduates, and semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 20 students. All data were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using an inductive approach. Findings Chiropractic clinical education programs ought to be developed within a framework that incorporates adult learner principles; situated, social and experiential learning theories. Valued was a student-centred learning experience that includes authentic and diverse clinical placements, supervision and mentoring from multiple clinical educators which enhances students’ access to varied perspectives of clinical practices that contributes to developing clinical skills and professional identity. Business knowledge and entrepreneurial skills was an area of deficiency, which is problematic when the objective is to build graduates’ independence in clinical practice and professional prospects are predominantly private practice (NBCE, 2020). Embedding evidence-based practice within curricula and clinical training for educators and students are necessary to ensure this becomes a part of clinical practice. Conclusion This thesis posits best practice in chiropractic clinical education consists of the following: (a) using a scaffolded longitudinal clinical program, (b) varying clinical placements and case mix, (c) supervision and mentoring from multiple clinical educators, (d) educating the clinical educator, (e) curricula designed around industry standards and desired graduate attributes and capabilities, (f) an evidence-based practice approach in the curricula and clinical context, (g) aligning business skills, knowledge and practices with the professional context and (h) interprofessional learning and practice opportunities. Although this study has made a contribution to scholarly discourse, there remain many gaps in our knowledge where further studies are needed.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Haworth, Navine
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Background Although chiropractic has 125 years as an established profession, scrutiny of the literature proves that few studies have examined the clinical education of chiropractic students with a call for research from academics. This thesis is significant as it develops knowledge that can inform chiropractic bodies and help them improve an essential component of chiropractic education: clinical skill development. Research Purpose and Aims The purpose of this study was to identify elements of best practices in clinical education by critically examining, exploring and describing the aspects of an exemplar chiropractic clinical program that develops students’ clinical practice skills for transition into practice. This study explored the innovative clinical program of a reputable American chiropractic institution providing a scaffolded clinical program across varied clinical settings, patient populations and amongst other health disciplines. Research Design A six-phase exploratory descriptive qualitative design (EDQD) study was conducted to explore and describe the phenomenon being examined (Flick, 2014). This design enabled the collection of information about perceptions and lived experiences of three stakeholder cohorts: clinical faculty members, students and new graduates. Methods Purposive sampling (of students and clinical faculty members) and snowball sampling techniques (of new graduates) were used to derive the sample. Data were collected in three cycles across a two-year period using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with 15 clinical faculty members and eight new graduates, and semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 20 students. All data were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using an inductive approach. Findings Chiropractic clinical education programs ought to be developed within a framework that incorporates adult learner principles; situated, social and experiential learning theories. Valued was a student-centred learning experience that includes authentic and diverse clinical placements, supervision and mentoring from multiple clinical educators which enhances students’ access to varied perspectives of clinical practices that contributes to developing clinical skills and professional identity. Business knowledge and entrepreneurial skills was an area of deficiency, which is problematic when the objective is to build graduates’ independence in clinical practice and professional prospects are predominantly private practice (NBCE, 2020). Embedding evidence-based practice within curricula and clinical training for educators and students are necessary to ensure this becomes a part of clinical practice. Conclusion This thesis posits best practice in chiropractic clinical education consists of the following: (a) using a scaffolded longitudinal clinical program, (b) varying clinical placements and case mix, (c) supervision and mentoring from multiple clinical educators, (d) educating the clinical educator, (e) curricula designed around industry standards and desired graduate attributes and capabilities, (f) an evidence-based practice approach in the curricula and clinical context, (g) aligning business skills, knowledge and practices with the professional context and (h) interprofessional learning and practice opportunities. Although this study has made a contribution to scholarly discourse, there remain many gaps in our knowledge where further studies are needed.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Examining factors that influence the relationship between personality and stress
- Authors: Duggan, Leanne
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Individual differences in the stress response have been linked with numerous factors, including personality traits and mindfulness. Selye (1950) was among the first to detail the physiological stress response that takes place during a stressful event, or after exposure to a stressor. These responses include heart rate changes and the secretion of cortisol into the blood stream, which are key physiological indicators that a stress response is taking place. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) examined appraisal of stressful events, determining that this is crucial to the stress experience. An extension of Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive appraisal theory was offered by Vollrath (2001), suggesting an individual’s personality accentuates our stress response, therefore, offering an explanation for the individual differences evident in stress responses. The relationship between personality and stress is not straight forward, and other factors, such as affect and mindfulness, may influence this relationship. Thus, this dissertation is divided into three studies. Study 1 examined the moderating and mediating factors of affect on the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress. A total of 290 adults (71% female; Mage = 35.0 years, SD = 12.92) completed an online questionnaire package, comprising of the Perceived Stress Scale, Big Five Inventory, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and a number of demographic questions. A hierarchical regression showed that 56% of the variance in perceived stress was explained by personality and affect, and when all personality traits were viewed concurrently and with affect, neuroticism was the only one to significantly explain variance in perceived stress. No moderation effects were found in Study 1 however, positive affect partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism and perceived stress. Study 2 aimed to further the findings of Study 1 by investigating whether trait mindfulness impacted the relationship between personality and stress. A total of 266 adults (70% female; Mage = 34.0 years, SD = 12.68) completed an online questionnaire package, consisting of the Perceived Stress Scale, Big Five Inventory, and Carolina Empirically Derived Mindfulness Scale. A hierarchical regression showed that 58% of the variance in perceived stress was explained by personality and trait mindfulness. When all personality traits and trait mindfulness were viewed together, neuroticism and agreeableness were the only personality traits to significantly explain variance in perceived stress. The sub-scale trait mindfulness attention significantly moderated the relationship between agreeableness and perceived stress, while a partial mediation was found between neuroticism and the sub-scale trait mindfulness acceptance. Study 3 investigated the effectiveness of a brief state-based mindfulness intervention on physiological (cortisol and heart rate) and psychological stress responses, in a participant matched design. A total of 20 participants (60% female; Mage = 34.60 years, SD = 14.68) were recruited from Studies 1 and/or 2 and matched based on gender, dominant personality trait (found in Study 1 and 2), and perceived stress. One participant in each matched pair was then randomly allocated to the mindfulness experimental, or control, group. The mindfulness experimental group completed a 10-minute breathing exercise, prior to completing the Trier Social Stress Test, a verbal presentation and arithmetic task, designed to induce stress. The control group did not complete any activity prior to the stress test. Comparison of the groups indicated that no significant differences in perceived stress were evident pre-post- intervention. Changes in heart rate were noted for all participants during the intervention, though no difference was evident between groups. The results of Study 3 indicate a mindfulness breathing exercise makes little difference to physiological stress responses during a stress task. The combined findings of this dissertation indicate that personality traits can influence the likelihood of an individual experiencing stress. Mindfulness and affect also impact on the relationship between personality and stress and offer some insight into the individual experience of stress responses.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Duggan, Leanne
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Individual differences in the stress response have been linked with numerous factors, including personality traits and mindfulness. Selye (1950) was among the first to detail the physiological stress response that takes place during a stressful event, or after exposure to a stressor. These responses include heart rate changes and the secretion of cortisol into the blood stream, which are key physiological indicators that a stress response is taking place. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) examined appraisal of stressful events, determining that this is crucial to the stress experience. An extension of Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive appraisal theory was offered by Vollrath (2001), suggesting an individual’s personality accentuates our stress response, therefore, offering an explanation for the individual differences evident in stress responses. The relationship between personality and stress is not straight forward, and other factors, such as affect and mindfulness, may influence this relationship. Thus, this dissertation is divided into three studies. Study 1 examined the moderating and mediating factors of affect on the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress. A total of 290 adults (71% female; Mage = 35.0 years, SD = 12.92) completed an online questionnaire package, comprising of the Perceived Stress Scale, Big Five Inventory, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and a number of demographic questions. A hierarchical regression showed that 56% of the variance in perceived stress was explained by personality and affect, and when all personality traits were viewed concurrently and with affect, neuroticism was the only one to significantly explain variance in perceived stress. No moderation effects were found in Study 1 however, positive affect partially mediated the relationship between neuroticism and perceived stress. Study 2 aimed to further the findings of Study 1 by investigating whether trait mindfulness impacted the relationship between personality and stress. A total of 266 adults (70% female; Mage = 34.0 years, SD = 12.68) completed an online questionnaire package, consisting of the Perceived Stress Scale, Big Five Inventory, and Carolina Empirically Derived Mindfulness Scale. A hierarchical regression showed that 58% of the variance in perceived stress was explained by personality and trait mindfulness. When all personality traits and trait mindfulness were viewed together, neuroticism and agreeableness were the only personality traits to significantly explain variance in perceived stress. The sub-scale trait mindfulness attention significantly moderated the relationship between agreeableness and perceived stress, while a partial mediation was found between neuroticism and the sub-scale trait mindfulness acceptance. Study 3 investigated the effectiveness of a brief state-based mindfulness intervention on physiological (cortisol and heart rate) and psychological stress responses, in a participant matched design. A total of 20 participants (60% female; Mage = 34.60 years, SD = 14.68) were recruited from Studies 1 and/or 2 and matched based on gender, dominant personality trait (found in Study 1 and 2), and perceived stress. One participant in each matched pair was then randomly allocated to the mindfulness experimental, or control, group. The mindfulness experimental group completed a 10-minute breathing exercise, prior to completing the Trier Social Stress Test, a verbal presentation and arithmetic task, designed to induce stress. The control group did not complete any activity prior to the stress test. Comparison of the groups indicated that no significant differences in perceived stress were evident pre-post- intervention. Changes in heart rate were noted for all participants during the intervention, though no difference was evident between groups. The results of Study 3 indicate a mindfulness breathing exercise makes little difference to physiological stress responses during a stress task. The combined findings of this dissertation indicate that personality traits can influence the likelihood of an individual experiencing stress. Mindfulness and affect also impact on the relationship between personality and stress and offer some insight into the individual experience of stress responses.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Influences on Islamists : an analysis of radicalisation and terrorism in an Australian context
- Authors: Dimaksyan, Margarita
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Terrorism has long existed throughout history. However the Islamist terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 (known as 9/11) in the United States represented a fundamental turning point and a significant change in the terrorism landscape. Since 9/11, terrorism discourse has dominated not only the media, but also a sense of security and safety globally. Over a decade after 9/11, there was another significant shift with the declaration of a caliphate in June 2014 by terrorist organisation, Daesh. The atrocities committed by and in the name of this terrorist group sparked global outrage and horror and have had long lasting impacts around the world. Despite the fact that the conflict originated in the Middle East, the impact was felt domestically with a number of terrorist attacks perpetrated and planned in Australia in the name of an extremist neojihadist ideology. To understand Islamist terrorism in an Australian context, this thesis explores the factors which have influenced the radicalisation of domestic Islamist terrorists who have engaged in terrorist acts. This is achieved having regard to the characteristics of 194 Islamist terrorists from Australia who engaged in a multitude of terrorist acts between 2001 and 2018 (either domestically or overseas), their motives and the role of social and familial networks on their radicalisation and involvement in terrorism. In responding to the central research question – In an Australian context, what has influenced the radicalisation of Islamist terrorists who have engaged in terrorist acts? – this thesis:
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Dimaksyan, Margarita
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Terrorism has long existed throughout history. However the Islamist terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 (known as 9/11) in the United States represented a fundamental turning point and a significant change in the terrorism landscape. Since 9/11, terrorism discourse has dominated not only the media, but also a sense of security and safety globally. Over a decade after 9/11, there was another significant shift with the declaration of a caliphate in June 2014 by terrorist organisation, Daesh. The atrocities committed by and in the name of this terrorist group sparked global outrage and horror and have had long lasting impacts around the world. Despite the fact that the conflict originated in the Middle East, the impact was felt domestically with a number of terrorist attacks perpetrated and planned in Australia in the name of an extremist neojihadist ideology. To understand Islamist terrorism in an Australian context, this thesis explores the factors which have influenced the radicalisation of domestic Islamist terrorists who have engaged in terrorist acts. This is achieved having regard to the characteristics of 194 Islamist terrorists from Australia who engaged in a multitude of terrorist acts between 2001 and 2018 (either domestically or overseas), their motives and the role of social and familial networks on their radicalisation and involvement in terrorism. In responding to the central research question – In an Australian context, what has influenced the radicalisation of Islamist terrorists who have engaged in terrorist acts? – this thesis:
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Measuring trustworthiness of image data in the internet of things environment
- Authors: Islam, Mohammad
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Internet of Things (IoT) image sensors generate huge volumes of digital images every day. However, easy availability and usability of photo editing tools, the vulnerability in communication channels and malicious software have made forgery attacks on image sensor data effortless and thus expose IoT systems to cyberattacks. In IoT applications such as smart cities and surveillance systems, the smooth operation depends on sensors’ sharing data with other sensors of identical or different types. Therefore, a sensor must be able to rely on the data it receives from other sensors; in other words, data must be trustworthy. Sensors deployed in IoT applications are usually limited to low processing and battery power, which prohibits the use of complex cryptography and security mechanism and the adoption of universal security standards by IoT device manufacturers. Hence, estimating the trust of the image sensor data is a defensive solution as these data are used for critical decision-making processes. To our knowledge, only one published work has estimated the trustworthiness of digital images applied to forensic applications. However, that study’s method depends on machine learning prediction scores returned by existing forensic models, which limits its usage where underlying forensics models require different approaches (e.g., machine learning predictions, statistical methods, digital signature, perceptual image hash). Multi-type sensor data correlation and context awareness can improve the trust measurement, which is absent in that study’s model. To address these issues, novel techniques are introduced to accurately estimate the trustworthiness of IoT image sensor data with the aid of complementary non-imagery (numeric) data-generating sensors monitoring the same environment. The trust estimation models run in edge devices, relieving sensors from computationally intensive tasks. First, to detect local image forgery (splicing and copy-move attacks), an innovative image forgery detection method is proposed based on Discrete Cosine Transformation (DCT), Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and a new feature extraction method using the mean operator. Using Support Vector Machine (SVM), the proposed method is extensively tested on four well-known publicly available greyscale and colour image forgery datasets and on an IoT-based image forgery dataset that we built. Experimental results reveal the superiority of our proposed method over recent state-of-the-art methods in terms of widely used performance metrics and computational time and demonstrate robustness against low availability of forged training samples. Second, a robust trust estimation framework for IoT image data is proposed, leveraging numeric data-generating sensors deployed in the same area of interest (AoI) in an indoor environment. As low-cost sensors allow many IoT applications to use multiple types of sensors to observe the same AoI, the complementary numeric data of one sensor can be exploited to measure the trust value of another image sensor’s data. A theoretical model is developed using Shannon’s entropy to derive the uncertainty associated with an observed event and Dempster-Shafer theory (DST) for decision fusion. The proposed model’s efficacy in estimating the trust score of image sensor data is analysed by observing a fire event using IoT image and temperature sensor data in an indoor residential setup under different scenarios. The proposed model produces highly accurate trust scores in all scenarios with authentic and forged image data. Finally, as the outdoor environment varies dynamically due to different natural factors (e.g., lighting condition variations in day and night, presence of different objects, smoke, fog, rain, shadow in the scene), a novel trust framework is proposed that is suitable for the outdoor environments with these contextual variations. A transfer learning approach is adopted to derive the decision about an observation from image sensor data, while also a statistical approach is used to derive the decision about the same observation from numeric data generated from other sensors deployed in the same AoI. These decisions are then fused using CertainLogic and compared with DST-based fusion. A testbed was set up using Raspberry Pi microprocessor, image sensor, temperature sensor, edge device, LoRa nodes, LoRaWAN gateway and servers to evaluate the proposed techniques. The results show that CertainLogic is more suitable for measuring the trustworthiness of image sensor data in an outdoor environment.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Islam, Mohammad
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Internet of Things (IoT) image sensors generate huge volumes of digital images every day. However, easy availability and usability of photo editing tools, the vulnerability in communication channels and malicious software have made forgery attacks on image sensor data effortless and thus expose IoT systems to cyberattacks. In IoT applications such as smart cities and surveillance systems, the smooth operation depends on sensors’ sharing data with other sensors of identical or different types. Therefore, a sensor must be able to rely on the data it receives from other sensors; in other words, data must be trustworthy. Sensors deployed in IoT applications are usually limited to low processing and battery power, which prohibits the use of complex cryptography and security mechanism and the adoption of universal security standards by IoT device manufacturers. Hence, estimating the trust of the image sensor data is a defensive solution as these data are used for critical decision-making processes. To our knowledge, only one published work has estimated the trustworthiness of digital images applied to forensic applications. However, that study’s method depends on machine learning prediction scores returned by existing forensic models, which limits its usage where underlying forensics models require different approaches (e.g., machine learning predictions, statistical methods, digital signature, perceptual image hash). Multi-type sensor data correlation and context awareness can improve the trust measurement, which is absent in that study’s model. To address these issues, novel techniques are introduced to accurately estimate the trustworthiness of IoT image sensor data with the aid of complementary non-imagery (numeric) data-generating sensors monitoring the same environment. The trust estimation models run in edge devices, relieving sensors from computationally intensive tasks. First, to detect local image forgery (splicing and copy-move attacks), an innovative image forgery detection method is proposed based on Discrete Cosine Transformation (DCT), Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and a new feature extraction method using the mean operator. Using Support Vector Machine (SVM), the proposed method is extensively tested on four well-known publicly available greyscale and colour image forgery datasets and on an IoT-based image forgery dataset that we built. Experimental results reveal the superiority of our proposed method over recent state-of-the-art methods in terms of widely used performance metrics and computational time and demonstrate robustness against low availability of forged training samples. Second, a robust trust estimation framework for IoT image data is proposed, leveraging numeric data-generating sensors deployed in the same area of interest (AoI) in an indoor environment. As low-cost sensors allow many IoT applications to use multiple types of sensors to observe the same AoI, the complementary numeric data of one sensor can be exploited to measure the trust value of another image sensor’s data. A theoretical model is developed using Shannon’s entropy to derive the uncertainty associated with an observed event and Dempster-Shafer theory (DST) for decision fusion. The proposed model’s efficacy in estimating the trust score of image sensor data is analysed by observing a fire event using IoT image and temperature sensor data in an indoor residential setup under different scenarios. The proposed model produces highly accurate trust scores in all scenarios with authentic and forged image data. Finally, as the outdoor environment varies dynamically due to different natural factors (e.g., lighting condition variations in day and night, presence of different objects, smoke, fog, rain, shadow in the scene), a novel trust framework is proposed that is suitable for the outdoor environments with these contextual variations. A transfer learning approach is adopted to derive the decision about an observation from image sensor data, while also a statistical approach is used to derive the decision about the same observation from numeric data generated from other sensors deployed in the same AoI. These decisions are then fused using CertainLogic and compared with DST-based fusion. A testbed was set up using Raspberry Pi microprocessor, image sensor, temperature sensor, edge device, LoRa nodes, LoRaWAN gateway and servers to evaluate the proposed techniques. The results show that CertainLogic is more suitable for measuring the trustworthiness of image sensor data in an outdoor environment.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Open data and interoperability standards : opportunities for animal welfare in extensive livestock systems
- Authors: Bahlo, Christiane
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Extensive livestock farming constitutes a sizeable portion of agriculture, not only in relation to land use, but in contribution to feeding a growing human population. In addition to meat, it contributes other economically valuable commodities such as wool, hides and other products. The livestock industries are adopting technologies under the banner of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) to help meet higher production and efficiency targets as well as help to manage the multiple challenges impacting the industries, such as climate change, environmental concerns, globalisation of markets, increasing rules of governance and societal scrutiny especially in relation to animal welfare. PLF is particularly dependent on the acquisition and management of data and metadata and on the interoperability standards that allow data discovery and federation. A review of interoperability standards and PLF adoption in extensive livestock farming systems identified a lack of domain specific standards and raised questions related to the amount and quality of public data which has potential to inform livestock farming. A systematic review of public datasets, which included an assessment based on the principles that data must be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) was developed. Custom software scripts were used to conduct a dataset search to determine the quantity and quality of domain specific datasets yielded 419 unique Australian datasets directly related to extensive livestock farming. A FAIR assessment of these datasets using a set of non-domain specific, general metrics showed a moderate level of compliance. The results suggest that domain specific FAIR metrics may need to be developed to provide a more accurate data quality assessment, but also that the level of interoperability and reusability is not particularly high which has implications if public data is to be included in decision support tools. To test the usefulness of available public datasets in informing decision support in relation to livestock welfare, a case study was designed and farm animal welfare elements were extracted from Australian welfare standards to guide a dataset search. It was found that with few exceptions, these elements could be supported with public data, although there were gaps in temporal and spatial coverage. The development of a geospatial animal welfare portal including these datasets further explored and confirmed the potential for using public data to enhance livestock welfare.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Bahlo, Christiane
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Extensive livestock farming constitutes a sizeable portion of agriculture, not only in relation to land use, but in contribution to feeding a growing human population. In addition to meat, it contributes other economically valuable commodities such as wool, hides and other products. The livestock industries are adopting technologies under the banner of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) to help meet higher production and efficiency targets as well as help to manage the multiple challenges impacting the industries, such as climate change, environmental concerns, globalisation of markets, increasing rules of governance and societal scrutiny especially in relation to animal welfare. PLF is particularly dependent on the acquisition and management of data and metadata and on the interoperability standards that allow data discovery and federation. A review of interoperability standards and PLF adoption in extensive livestock farming systems identified a lack of domain specific standards and raised questions related to the amount and quality of public data which has potential to inform livestock farming. A systematic review of public datasets, which included an assessment based on the principles that data must be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) was developed. Custom software scripts were used to conduct a dataset search to determine the quantity and quality of domain specific datasets yielded 419 unique Australian datasets directly related to extensive livestock farming. A FAIR assessment of these datasets using a set of non-domain specific, general metrics showed a moderate level of compliance. The results suggest that domain specific FAIR metrics may need to be developed to provide a more accurate data quality assessment, but also that the level of interoperability and reusability is not particularly high which has implications if public data is to be included in decision support tools. To test the usefulness of available public datasets in informing decision support in relation to livestock welfare, a case study was designed and farm animal welfare elements were extracted from Australian welfare standards to guide a dataset search. It was found that with few exceptions, these elements could be supported with public data, although there were gaps in temporal and spatial coverage. The development of a geospatial animal welfare portal including these datasets further explored and confirmed the potential for using public data to enhance livestock welfare.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Shelter From the Storm. Webs of connectedness and entanglement in contemporary painting of the everyday
- Authors: Griffin, Tony
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Considering the often-overlooked objects in a single Australian suburban home through the practice of still life painting, this project examines the everyday as a means to understand our anxious times. By employing phenomenological approaches this project explores the theoretical understandings of the everyday and many recent iterations of “thing theory”. Through the practice of still life, its traditions, language and its contemporary currency, painting is employed as a means to understand this age of anxiety. My research closely observes, documents and presents the everyday objects in a single suburban Australian home in the early part of the twenty-first century. Ian Hodder’s theory of entanglement and the mutual dependency between humans and things that it proposes, is considered as a suitable tool for a contemporary visual art practitioner in creating new understandings of our domestic and broader world. Additionally, my research employs the innovative and challenging approaches to the familiar championed by the French writer Georges Perec. His work in revealing an understanding of our world through the exhaustively comprehensive and meticulous description of everyday things provides a structural basis for this project. Our homes are where we experience the everyday nature of our existence most keenly and my home is not unlike the homes of others. It is a place that shares those broader ideals considered to constitute a home, my shelter and my refuge. It is a worthy place in which to seek an understanding of our complex world. This project reveals in paint my observations of the minor things which, when combined, constitute the major things in my small home. The result of these observations is a series of representations of a familiar environment that enables an audience to recognise their own surroundings and re-evaluate the many hidden entanglements in their world in more complex and evocative ways.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Griffin, Tony
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Considering the often-overlooked objects in a single Australian suburban home through the practice of still life painting, this project examines the everyday as a means to understand our anxious times. By employing phenomenological approaches this project explores the theoretical understandings of the everyday and many recent iterations of “thing theory”. Through the practice of still life, its traditions, language and its contemporary currency, painting is employed as a means to understand this age of anxiety. My research closely observes, documents and presents the everyday objects in a single suburban Australian home in the early part of the twenty-first century. Ian Hodder’s theory of entanglement and the mutual dependency between humans and things that it proposes, is considered as a suitable tool for a contemporary visual art practitioner in creating new understandings of our domestic and broader world. Additionally, my research employs the innovative and challenging approaches to the familiar championed by the French writer Georges Perec. His work in revealing an understanding of our world through the exhaustively comprehensive and meticulous description of everyday things provides a structural basis for this project. Our homes are where we experience the everyday nature of our existence most keenly and my home is not unlike the homes of others. It is a place that shares those broader ideals considered to constitute a home, my shelter and my refuge. It is a worthy place in which to seek an understanding of our complex world. This project reveals in paint my observations of the minor things which, when combined, constitute the major things in my small home. The result of these observations is a series of representations of a familiar environment that enables an audience to recognise their own surroundings and re-evaluate the many hidden entanglements in their world in more complex and evocative ways.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
The care factor of leadership : identifying and understanding workplace appreciative behaviours in the supervisory relationship
- Authors: Timmerman, Geoffrey
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Most would agree, people like to be appreciated for who they are and for the work they do. Yet, the process resulting in employees feeling appreciated is not well understood. Further, appreciation in the workplace is complex, when considering the concept’s multifaceted nature. Workplace-relevant research supports hypotheses that being appreciated at work is associated with desirable employee outcomes such as enhanced subjective well-being (SWB), higher levels of job satisfaction and performance, creativity while also benefiting organisations through higher employee productivity. Some authors even suggest that being appreciated links to physical well-being. Regardless, empirical evidence supporting a putative relationship between appreciation and key workplace outcomes (SWB, job satisfaction and happiness) is lacking; This represents a knowledge gap in the management literature. An important related question concerns optimal ways that managers can express appreciation to their employees at work, and conversely, employee preferences for the form of appreciation that they receive from their manager. Past studies investigating the influence of appreciation in the workplace, though informative, have failed to apply a rigorous process to identify forms of appreciative behaviour. To advance knowledge on forms of workplace appreciation endowed by supervisors, and how this may influence employees, the first study aim was to identify and appraise the underlying components of appreciation-type behaviours. Hence, the supervisor-employee relationship forms the central component for this study. The second study aim was to identify whether and how supervisor-enacted appreciative behaviours influence selected employee work outcomes. A review of literature pertinent to the research aims provided theoretical foundations for understanding appreciative behaviours in the workplace. These included social relationships, human motivation, workplace sources of support, dispositional versus behavioural approaches to appreciation, selected aspects of leadership and the theorised function of workplace appreciation. From this, a conceptual model of an iterative workplace appreciation cycle was proposed to support the study aims. To meet the research aims, a two-phase study approach was adopted. Firstly, a qualitative study investigated the construct of expressed appreciation (phase 1). Here, expressed supervisor appreciative behaviours were identified through 19 one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with employees from a variety of professions and employment sectors. Through a rigorous thematic analysis, five supervisor appreciative behavioural themes (Interest, Rewards, Acknowledgment, Trust and Endorsement) were established to determine what (forms of appreciative behaviours enacted by supervisors). This first thematic framework was complemented by three outcome-related themes (Cognisance, Confirmation and Commendation) capturing the why (with regard to why employees feel appreciated) as a second thematic framework. Phase 2 of the study employed an online quantitative survey directly informed by phase 1 results. The hypothetical what and why constructs forming workplace appreciative behaviours were each developed as itemised scales (20-item and 12-item, respectively). An online survey instrument gathered employee (N=206) responses for itemised scales plus workplace outcome scales measuring SWB, job satisfaction and job commitment. Factor analysis of the 20-item what scale identified workplace appreciation behaviours endowed by supervisors to comprise a three-factor structure (factors labelled acknowledgement, trust and reward). A 12-item scale representing why employees feel appreciated provided a one-factor solution. Subsequent multiple regressions revealed the factors of acknowledgement and trust to be associated (p<.05) with job satisfaction, job commitment and overall well-being. Reward was not associated with any measured employee workplace outcome. Relationships of workplace appreciation factors with other measured variables including employee age, gender and workplace role were identified. The study findings provide both theoretical and practical contributions concerning the roles of and importance of supervisor appreciative behaviours manifest in the workplace. Supervisor acknowledgment is theorised to provide a foundation for developing a positive supervisor-employee relationship with trust conveyed over time to realise positive employee and organisational outcomes. Building on this, further studies are recommended to confirm this study’s results across a range of workplaces and for other national cultures.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Timmerman, Geoffrey
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Most would agree, people like to be appreciated for who they are and for the work they do. Yet, the process resulting in employees feeling appreciated is not well understood. Further, appreciation in the workplace is complex, when considering the concept’s multifaceted nature. Workplace-relevant research supports hypotheses that being appreciated at work is associated with desirable employee outcomes such as enhanced subjective well-being (SWB), higher levels of job satisfaction and performance, creativity while also benefiting organisations through higher employee productivity. Some authors even suggest that being appreciated links to physical well-being. Regardless, empirical evidence supporting a putative relationship between appreciation and key workplace outcomes (SWB, job satisfaction and happiness) is lacking; This represents a knowledge gap in the management literature. An important related question concerns optimal ways that managers can express appreciation to their employees at work, and conversely, employee preferences for the form of appreciation that they receive from their manager. Past studies investigating the influence of appreciation in the workplace, though informative, have failed to apply a rigorous process to identify forms of appreciative behaviour. To advance knowledge on forms of workplace appreciation endowed by supervisors, and how this may influence employees, the first study aim was to identify and appraise the underlying components of appreciation-type behaviours. Hence, the supervisor-employee relationship forms the central component for this study. The second study aim was to identify whether and how supervisor-enacted appreciative behaviours influence selected employee work outcomes. A review of literature pertinent to the research aims provided theoretical foundations for understanding appreciative behaviours in the workplace. These included social relationships, human motivation, workplace sources of support, dispositional versus behavioural approaches to appreciation, selected aspects of leadership and the theorised function of workplace appreciation. From this, a conceptual model of an iterative workplace appreciation cycle was proposed to support the study aims. To meet the research aims, a two-phase study approach was adopted. Firstly, a qualitative study investigated the construct of expressed appreciation (phase 1). Here, expressed supervisor appreciative behaviours were identified through 19 one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with employees from a variety of professions and employment sectors. Through a rigorous thematic analysis, five supervisor appreciative behavioural themes (Interest, Rewards, Acknowledgment, Trust and Endorsement) were established to determine what (forms of appreciative behaviours enacted by supervisors). This first thematic framework was complemented by three outcome-related themes (Cognisance, Confirmation and Commendation) capturing the why (with regard to why employees feel appreciated) as a second thematic framework. Phase 2 of the study employed an online quantitative survey directly informed by phase 1 results. The hypothetical what and why constructs forming workplace appreciative behaviours were each developed as itemised scales (20-item and 12-item, respectively). An online survey instrument gathered employee (N=206) responses for itemised scales plus workplace outcome scales measuring SWB, job satisfaction and job commitment. Factor analysis of the 20-item what scale identified workplace appreciation behaviours endowed by supervisors to comprise a three-factor structure (factors labelled acknowledgement, trust and reward). A 12-item scale representing why employees feel appreciated provided a one-factor solution. Subsequent multiple regressions revealed the factors of acknowledgement and trust to be associated (p<.05) with job satisfaction, job commitment and overall well-being. Reward was not associated with any measured employee workplace outcome. Relationships of workplace appreciation factors with other measured variables including employee age, gender and workplace role were identified. The study findings provide both theoretical and practical contributions concerning the roles of and importance of supervisor appreciative behaviours manifest in the workplace. Supervisor acknowledgment is theorised to provide a foundation for developing a positive supervisor-employee relationship with trust conveyed over time to realise positive employee and organisational outcomes. Building on this, further studies are recommended to confirm this study’s results across a range of workplaces and for other national cultures.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Transversality, regularity and error bounds in variational analysis and optimisation
- Authors: Nguyen, Duy
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Transversality properties of collections of sets, regularity properties of set-valued mappings, and error bounds of extended-real-valued functions lie at the core of variational analysis because of their importance for stability analysis, constraint qualifications, qualification conditions in coderivative and subdifferential calculus, and convergence analysis of numerical algorithms. The thesis is devoted to investigation of several research questions related to the aforementioned properties. We develop a general framework for quantitative analysis of nonlinear transversality properties by establishing primal and dual characterizations of the properties in both convex and nonconvex settings. The H¨older case is given special attention. Quantitative relations between transversality properties and the corresponding regularity properties of set-valued mappings as well as nonlinear extensions of the new transversality properties of a set-valued mapping to a set in the range space are also discussed. We study a new property so called semitransversality of collections of set-valued mappings on metric (in particular, normed) spaces. The property is a generalization of the semitransversality of collections of sets and the negation of the corresponding stationarity, a weaker property than the extremality of collections of set-valued mappings. Primal and dual characterizations of the property as well as quantitative relations between the property and semiregularity of set-valued mappings are formulated. As a consequence, we establish dual necessary and sufficient conditions for stationarity of collections of set-valued mappings as well as optimality conditions for efficient solutions with respect to variable ordering structures in multiobjective optimization. We examine a comprehensive (i.e. not assuming the mapping to have any particular structure) view on the regularity theory of set-valued mappings and clarify the relationships between the existing primal and dual quantitative sufficient and necessary conditions including their hierarchy. The typical sequence of regularity assertions, often hidden in the proofs, and the roles of the assumptions involved in the assertions, in particular, on the underlying space: general metric, normed, Banach or Asplund are exposed. As a consequence, we formulate primal and dual conditions for the stability properties of solution mappings to inclusions. We propose a unifying general framework of quantitative primal and dual sufficient and necessary error bound conditions covering linear and nonlinear, local and global settings. The function is not assumed to possess any particular structure apart from the standard assumptions of lower semicontinuity in the case of sufficient conditions and (in some cases) convexity in the case of necessary conditions. We expose the roles of the assumptions involved in the error bound assertions, in particular, on the underlying space: general metric, normed, Banach or Asplund. As a consequence, the error bound theory is applied to characterize subregularity of set-valued mappings, and calmness of the solution mapping in convex semi-infinite optimization problems.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Nguyen, Duy
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Transversality properties of collections of sets, regularity properties of set-valued mappings, and error bounds of extended-real-valued functions lie at the core of variational analysis because of their importance for stability analysis, constraint qualifications, qualification conditions in coderivative and subdifferential calculus, and convergence analysis of numerical algorithms. The thesis is devoted to investigation of several research questions related to the aforementioned properties. We develop a general framework for quantitative analysis of nonlinear transversality properties by establishing primal and dual characterizations of the properties in both convex and nonconvex settings. The H¨older case is given special attention. Quantitative relations between transversality properties and the corresponding regularity properties of set-valued mappings as well as nonlinear extensions of the new transversality properties of a set-valued mapping to a set in the range space are also discussed. We study a new property so called semitransversality of collections of set-valued mappings on metric (in particular, normed) spaces. The property is a generalization of the semitransversality of collections of sets and the negation of the corresponding stationarity, a weaker property than the extremality of collections of set-valued mappings. Primal and dual characterizations of the property as well as quantitative relations between the property and semiregularity of set-valued mappings are formulated. As a consequence, we establish dual necessary and sufficient conditions for stationarity of collections of set-valued mappings as well as optimality conditions for efficient solutions with respect to variable ordering structures in multiobjective optimization. We examine a comprehensive (i.e. not assuming the mapping to have any particular structure) view on the regularity theory of set-valued mappings and clarify the relationships between the existing primal and dual quantitative sufficient and necessary conditions including their hierarchy. The typical sequence of regularity assertions, often hidden in the proofs, and the roles of the assumptions involved in the assertions, in particular, on the underlying space: general metric, normed, Banach or Asplund are exposed. As a consequence, we formulate primal and dual conditions for the stability properties of solution mappings to inclusions. We propose a unifying general framework of quantitative primal and dual sufficient and necessary error bound conditions covering linear and nonlinear, local and global settings. The function is not assumed to possess any particular structure apart from the standard assumptions of lower semicontinuity in the case of sufficient conditions and (in some cases) convexity in the case of necessary conditions. We expose the roles of the assumptions involved in the error bound assertions, in particular, on the underlying space: general metric, normed, Banach or Asplund. As a consequence, the error bound theory is applied to characterize subregularity of set-valued mappings, and calmness of the solution mapping in convex semi-infinite optimization problems.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A Ballarat chinese family biography – an intergenerational study
- Authors: Horsfield, Yvonne
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text: false
- Description: This thesis addresses the gap that has existed in Ballarat’s historiography regarding the historical neglect and ignorance of Chinese family narratives and their life experiences. In doing so this thesis presents a longitudinal, three generational study of an immigrant Ballarat Chinese family from the early 1860s until the 1950s. It examines how members of each Tong Way generation strove to gain acceptance and establish an enduring sense of cultural belonging in a former regional, Victorian gold mining city. An ancestor, Liu Chou Hock, was a sojourner who arrived on the Haddon goldfield in 1862 and successfully worked a claim. Within three years, he returned to his village, Wang Tung, in Taishan, China. His experience was in sharp contrast to that of his son John Tong Way (Liu’ Zongwei) who permanently settled in Ballarat. The family strived to integrate against a background of migrant adjustment, ethnic discrimination and later a policy of assimilation. These factors represented a challenge for all Chinese who remained until the White Australia Policy was abandoned by the Whitlam Labor government in 1973. Unlike Caucasian immigrants, who could assimilate, whilst retaining certain features of their ethnic identification, the Chinese were culturally alienated and often excluded from everyday cultural life and practice. They represented a demographically significant ethnic minority. The thesis also compares the experiences of the Ballarat and Bendigo Chinese communities in order to examine the similarities and differences. In doing so, it analyses how they were able to establish a sense of belonging in their respective communities. The analysis of the Ballarat family’s experiences, combined with that of other Chinese descent families forms the basis of an extended case study. One that argues that adaptation was necessitated by their individual aspirations for acceptance, respectability and success.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A continuous flow elevator to lift ore vertically for deep mine haulage using a cable disc elevator
- Authors: Webb, Colin
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Vertical continuous ore haulage with elevators in mining for deep haulage is virtually non-existent. In this, research investigations concentrated on a cable disc elevator. The problem of using a cable disc elevator is the friction between the elevator fixed tube and the moving ore on the disc. This research establishes the friction forces existing as the elevator cable and discs are elevated up a stationary tube. Then the focus is to find a way to eliminate that friction. The method involved developing three test rigs: Test Rig 1 measures static friction with the ore placed on a disc in a tube mounted on load cells to measure the resistance with the ore on the disc lifted by a counterweight. This is relevant for an elevator that has stopped under load. Test Rig 2 measures the dynamic friction in an operational 5-inch elevator with the tube on the lifting side held stationary by load cells when the cable discs are lifting the ore. Test Rig 3 eliminates friction in the lifting tube by using a pipe conveyor that travels vertically at the same speed as the cable disc elevator to contain the ore on the cable disc elevator. The cable disc elevator does all the ore lifting. The research generated results for static and dynamic friction for gravel, granite and coal. Cable tension required for ore lift of 1000 metres and the maximum hoisting distance for some existing cables are calculated. Implications of this research are that the cable disc elevator has the potential to haul from depths greater than existing elevators, has a small footprint in a mine, and with some further development could eliminate the need for truck haulage in open cut and underground mining from the mine.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Webb, Colin
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Vertical continuous ore haulage with elevators in mining for deep haulage is virtually non-existent. In this, research investigations concentrated on a cable disc elevator. The problem of using a cable disc elevator is the friction between the elevator fixed tube and the moving ore on the disc. This research establishes the friction forces existing as the elevator cable and discs are elevated up a stationary tube. Then the focus is to find a way to eliminate that friction. The method involved developing three test rigs: Test Rig 1 measures static friction with the ore placed on a disc in a tube mounted on load cells to measure the resistance with the ore on the disc lifted by a counterweight. This is relevant for an elevator that has stopped under load. Test Rig 2 measures the dynamic friction in an operational 5-inch elevator with the tube on the lifting side held stationary by load cells when the cable discs are lifting the ore. Test Rig 3 eliminates friction in the lifting tube by using a pipe conveyor that travels vertically at the same speed as the cable disc elevator to contain the ore on the cable disc elevator. The cable disc elevator does all the ore lifting. The research generated results for static and dynamic friction for gravel, granite and coal. Cable tension required for ore lift of 1000 metres and the maximum hoisting distance for some existing cables are calculated. Implications of this research are that the cable disc elevator has the potential to haul from depths greater than existing elevators, has a small footprint in a mine, and with some further development could eliminate the need for truck haulage in open cut and underground mining from the mine.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
A good sheep run. Letters from New South Wales in Scottish newspapers between 1820 and 1850 with potential to influence decisions on emigration
- Authors: Hannaford, Graham
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The primary aim of this thesis is to contribute to ongoing historical research into migration to and settlement in Australia by Scots. It achieves this by identifying and examining letters sent from the colonies in New South Wales which were printed in historic Scottish newspapers between 1820 and 1850. In examining the material, this thesis argues that the letters had potential to influence emigration decisions by Scots. The study shows some of the ways in which New South Wales was reported in the Scottish press and compares those reports with conditions in Scotland at the time. The comparisons and analyses of the letters, with consideration of their authors and likely readers as well as the newspapers in which they were printed demonstrate that the letters did have potential to influence emigration decisions. Its particular contribution to knowledge arises from demonstrating how mostly private letters which became publicly available through publication in newspapers had potential to influence emigrants’ decisions about moving to Australia. Rather than claiming direct evidence of the publication of particular letters as having influenced emigration, it shows how reporting of conditions in Australia when set into a context of contemporary events and conditions in Scotland had potential to influence decisions. It is grounded in the body of historical research about colonial Australia and sits within this Australian historiographical context. Given the motivations and attractions of Scots to colonial Australia this thesis also engages with techniques and theoretical approaches associated with Scottish diaspora studies, an area of research that often emphasises other Scottish migration patterns to Canada, New Zealand and the USA. When considered together both of these historiographical approaches lend themselves to primary source material analysis and a methodological approach that this doctoral study uses to examine the motivations of Scots who migrated to colonial Australia.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Hannaford, Graham
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: The primary aim of this thesis is to contribute to ongoing historical research into migration to and settlement in Australia by Scots. It achieves this by identifying and examining letters sent from the colonies in New South Wales which were printed in historic Scottish newspapers between 1820 and 1850. In examining the material, this thesis argues that the letters had potential to influence emigration decisions by Scots. The study shows some of the ways in which New South Wales was reported in the Scottish press and compares those reports with conditions in Scotland at the time. The comparisons and analyses of the letters, with consideration of their authors and likely readers as well as the newspapers in which they were printed demonstrate that the letters did have potential to influence emigration decisions. Its particular contribution to knowledge arises from demonstrating how mostly private letters which became publicly available through publication in newspapers had potential to influence emigrants’ decisions about moving to Australia. Rather than claiming direct evidence of the publication of particular letters as having influenced emigration, it shows how reporting of conditions in Australia when set into a context of contemporary events and conditions in Scotland had potential to influence decisions. It is grounded in the body of historical research about colonial Australia and sits within this Australian historiographical context. Given the motivations and attractions of Scots to colonial Australia this thesis also engages with techniques and theoretical approaches associated with Scottish diaspora studies, an area of research that often emphasises other Scottish migration patterns to Canada, New Zealand and the USA. When considered together both of these historiographical approaches lend themselves to primary source material analysis and a methodological approach that this doctoral study uses to examine the motivations of Scots who migrated to colonial Australia.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Adventures in software engineering : plugging HCI & acessibility gaps with open source solutions
- Authors: Lansley, Alastair
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: There has been a great deal of research undertaken in the field of Human-Computer Interfaces (HCI), input devices, and output modalities in recent years. From touch-based and voice control input mechanisms such as those found on modern smart-devices to the use of touch-free input through video-stream/image analysis (including depth streams and skeletal mapping) and the inclusion of gaze tracking, head tracking, virtual reality and beyond - the availability and variety of these I/O (Input/Output) mechanisms has increased tremendously and progressed both into our living rooms and into our lives in general. With regard to modern desktop computers and videogame consoles, at present many of these technologies are at a relatively immature stage of development - their use often limited to simple adjuncts to the staple input mechanisms of mouse, keyboard, or joystick / joypad inputs. In effect, we have these new input devices - but we're not quite sure how best to use them yet; that is, where their various strengths and weaknesses lie, and how or if they can be used to conveniently and reliably drive or augment applications in our everyday lives. In addition, much of this technology is provided by proprietary hardware and software, providing limited options for customisation or adaptation to better meet the needs of specific users. Therefore, this project investigated the development of open source software solutions to address various aspects of innovative user I/O in a flexible manner. Towards this end, a number of original software applications have been developed which incorporate functionality aimed at enhancing the current state of the art in these areas and making that software freely available for use by any who may find it beneficial.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Lansley, Alastair
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: There has been a great deal of research undertaken in the field of Human-Computer Interfaces (HCI), input devices, and output modalities in recent years. From touch-based and voice control input mechanisms such as those found on modern smart-devices to the use of touch-free input through video-stream/image analysis (including depth streams and skeletal mapping) and the inclusion of gaze tracking, head tracking, virtual reality and beyond - the availability and variety of these I/O (Input/Output) mechanisms has increased tremendously and progressed both into our living rooms and into our lives in general. With regard to modern desktop computers and videogame consoles, at present many of these technologies are at a relatively immature stage of development - their use often limited to simple adjuncts to the staple input mechanisms of mouse, keyboard, or joystick / joypad inputs. In effect, we have these new input devices - but we're not quite sure how best to use them yet; that is, where their various strengths and weaknesses lie, and how or if they can be used to conveniently and reliably drive or augment applications in our everyday lives. In addition, much of this technology is provided by proprietary hardware and software, providing limited options for customisation or adaptation to better meet the needs of specific users. Therefore, this project investigated the development of open source software solutions to address various aspects of innovative user I/O in a flexible manner. Towards this end, a number of original software applications have been developed which incorporate functionality aimed at enhancing the current state of the art in these areas and making that software freely available for use by any who may find it beneficial.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
An examination of physical exercise as an adjunct treatment for depressive symptoms in adults aged 65 years and older
- Authors: Miller, Kyle
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: In light of impending demographic shifts and projected strain on healthcare systems, this thesis set out to progress our putative understanding of the benefits of physical exercise on mental health in older adults aged 65 years and over. Herein, four studies of divergent research design interrogated the current knowledge base relating to the potential benefits of exercise in older adults with depressive symptomology. Study 1 set out to establish preliminary experimental evidence that four years of unsupervised aerobic exercise can improve cardiorespiratory function (determined by VO2max) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in lifelong sedentary ageing men compared with lifelong exercising athletes. Results demonstrated preliminary proof of concept for exercise-induced benefits on cardiorespiratory function and HRQL in ageing men. Study 2 surveyed community-dwelling older adults (n = 586) to establish a hierarchy of exercise-associated factors to predict depressive symptomology. Contrary to expectation, exercise behaviour did not confer additional antidepressant effect, but was substantially predicted by exercise-induced mood, exercise self-efficacy, and social support (f2 = 0.993). Study 3 pooled evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to quantitatively compare the treatment effectiveness from aerobic, resistance and mind-body exercise training in older adults with pre-existing clinical depression, whereas Study 4 followed the same methodology in apparently health older adults without pre-existing clinical depression. Using network meta-analytical techniques, both clinical depressed (g = -0.41 to -1.38) and apparently healthy (g = -0.27 to -0.51) older adults demonstrated equivalent effectiveness for aerobic, resistance, and mind-body exercise interventions, with encouraging levels of study compliance. Taken together, these findings encourage personal exercise preference when prescribing either aerobic, resistance, or mind-body exercise as a treatment adjunct for clinical depression and older adults with symptoms thereof. The sum of works herein provide new knowledge to guide exercise prescription for stakeholders in mental health and older adults over 65 years.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Miller, Kyle
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: In light of impending demographic shifts and projected strain on healthcare systems, this thesis set out to progress our putative understanding of the benefits of physical exercise on mental health in older adults aged 65 years and over. Herein, four studies of divergent research design interrogated the current knowledge base relating to the potential benefits of exercise in older adults with depressive symptomology. Study 1 set out to establish preliminary experimental evidence that four years of unsupervised aerobic exercise can improve cardiorespiratory function (determined by VO2max) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in lifelong sedentary ageing men compared with lifelong exercising athletes. Results demonstrated preliminary proof of concept for exercise-induced benefits on cardiorespiratory function and HRQL in ageing men. Study 2 surveyed community-dwelling older adults (n = 586) to establish a hierarchy of exercise-associated factors to predict depressive symptomology. Contrary to expectation, exercise behaviour did not confer additional antidepressant effect, but was substantially predicted by exercise-induced mood, exercise self-efficacy, and social support (f2 = 0.993). Study 3 pooled evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to quantitatively compare the treatment effectiveness from aerobic, resistance and mind-body exercise training in older adults with pre-existing clinical depression, whereas Study 4 followed the same methodology in apparently health older adults without pre-existing clinical depression. Using network meta-analytical techniques, both clinical depressed (g = -0.41 to -1.38) and apparently healthy (g = -0.27 to -0.51) older adults demonstrated equivalent effectiveness for aerobic, resistance, and mind-body exercise interventions, with encouraging levels of study compliance. Taken together, these findings encourage personal exercise preference when prescribing either aerobic, resistance, or mind-body exercise as a treatment adjunct for clinical depression and older adults with symptoms thereof. The sum of works herein provide new knowledge to guide exercise prescription for stakeholders in mental health and older adults over 65 years.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy