Theses - Higher Degree by Research

This project consists of a creative component, the narrative non-fiction manuscript, Patting The Shark (Penguin, 2022), and an accompanying exegesis, Towards A New Language of Cancer. Patting The Shark documents my experience living with stage four, metastatic prostate cancer since July 2015, a project that began as personal writing therapy and evolved into a published book and PhD. It highlights the lack of allied health support for men diagnosed with prostate cancer, and particularly the impacts of its frontline treatment, what's euphemistically known as hormone therapy but amounts to chemical castration. The principal aim of this project then is to help others living with cancer, particularly men with advanced prostate cancer, to alleviate the misery of their grim prognosis and the side effects of treatment by documenting my own experiences in striving to maintain good health and quality of life. At the core of this intent is the challenge of truly accepting our mortality, staring into the abyss, and discovering a greater richness to life through a deep awareness of its impermanence. The methodological process requires me to segue quite seamlessly between personal memoir, long form journalism, academic analysis, particularly literary health science perspectives in presenting the most relevant research to support or challenge my personal experiences. Creative non-fiction allows me to combine the tools of personal memoir with a more journalistic and academic analysis of the relevant health science research, to explore both the emotion and the clinical data of my chosen topic. It allows for nuanced, in-depth and personal explorations of true to life topics. My aim is to utilise the vagaries and possibilities of the form to highlight the multi-faceted, psycho-social challenges of a cancer diagnosis and the quest for successful strategies to maintain quality of life. By combining and balancing rigorous academic research with highly personal and candid memoir writing, in effect melding art and analysis, my aim is to reveal deeper truths around how men with prostate cancer can live full and meaningful lives, whatever the duration. Creative non-fiction goes beyond data to delve into the day-to-day minutiae of living with cancer. By providing an intimate window into this experience, I hope to demystify the reality of living with advanced cancer and a contemplation of mortality. As a working journalist my entire adult life, my writing practice has historically been based upon an ability to process large quantities of information and research material and distil and synthesise this into accessible journalism for a general audience. I have also traditionally told other people's stories with the journalist's supposed goal of objectivity and a certain professional distance or detachment. This project requires a new approach in voice and style - to tell my own story and confront the feelings of vulnerability and nakedness this can inspire, in a sense unlearning some of the formality often embedded in the traditional journalistic process to write into and open out the discomfort of my circumstances. The exegesis Towards a New Language of Cancer, was shaped and informed by this writing and publishing process. Specifically, the catharsis I experienced in writing Patting The Shark, and a form of peer support many readers reported experiencing led to an exploration of writing therapy and bibliotherapy (therapeutic reading) more broadly, particularly in the context of the psycho-social challenges of a cancer diagnosis. I also conducted a literature review of cancer memoirs and trauma memoirs to understand how other writers had used creative and narrative non-fiction to process difficult emotions like grief and trauma. These explorations in turn helped me develop deeper understanding of how language has the potential to help or harm those living with cancer. This understanding also has implications for cancer discourse more generally, physician/patient interactions and the various forms of patient information provided to those living with cancer. In short, this project seeks to examine how a more nuanced understanding of language and storytelling can offer new, low cost, easily deliverable and evidence-based tools in addressing the unmet psycho-social challenges of living with cancer.

It is well documented that the personal qualities of the counsellor are important to counselling efficacy. This behoves counsellor education programs to identify suitable applicants for their programs and to develop cogent methods of assessing students' personal qualities; however, despite the increasing interest demonstrated by researchers in personal qualities, little consensus is found on the key personal qualities of counselling practitioners. This lack of consensus is compounded by a lack of robust assessment tools for assessing the development of those qualities. In Australia, counsellors continue to advocate for government recognition as credible mental health providers, with concerns expressed regarding a lack of consistent minimum education standards across the peak associations. Discussion regarding minimum education standards is ongoing, and within this context, the researcher is interested in what differentiates counsellor education from that of other mental health professions. One clear difference seems to be a greater emphasis on the person of the counsellor, including the development of their personal qualities (referred to as personal development) in counsellor education. As an educator, the researcher is also interested in how personal qualities are being developed and assessed in counselling programs, and what determines these approaches to assessment. Existing research on counsellor education in Australia is minimal, which motivated this investigation into the key qualities required of counselling students, approaches to assessing these qualities, and factors determining these approaches to assessment. This investigation was conducted within a critical realist framework because the research questions did not sit well in either a positivist or constructivist paradigm. Critical realism acknowledges that reality is layered and complex, and as such, is well suited to research questions that seek to explain outcomes such as the factors that determine approaches to assessing students' personal development. The research design was a collective case study, using 10 PACFA-accredited counsellor education programs as the collective case. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three personnel from each program and then analysed using grounded theory coding. Seven key personal qualities were identified: self-awareness, openness, interpersonal skills, emotional stability, cognitive complexity, professionalism, and personal maturity. Further analysis of these interviews and a supporting document analysis of counselling program documents revealed that these key qualities were assessed across the course of students' education using a range of explicit and implicit approaches to assessment. Abductive reasoning was used to hypothesise explanations for surprising outcomes in the data analysis, and, in particular, the balance of explicit and implicit approaches to assessing students' personal development. In addition to the prevalence of ambiguous language and overlapping conceptualisations, structural mechanisms identified as influencing the assessment of students' personal development include a) the program's counselling philosophy and the clarity with which that philosophy is articulated, b) the intentionality of counselling educators, c) institutional philosophy and/or priorities, and d) Australian higher education (HE) regulations. The way and extent to which programs were influenced by institutional philosophy/priorities and the Australian HE regulations was found to be context dependent. The results of this research have implications for counsellor education programs and program accreditation standards. Further clarity regarding the personal development component of counsellor education is required from professional bodies responsible for program accreditation, along with more guidance as to the types of evidence required to demonstrate that standards are being met. Such guidance could be drawn from the outcomes of this investigation, including the importance of counselling philosophy to personal development, and the significance of clarity and coherence to all facets of program development and delivery. A more intentional focus on personal qualities would be in line with the United States (Council for Accreditation of Counselling and Related Education Programs, 2015) and British standards (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, 2020), and could be a clear point of differentiation for Australian counsellor education from other mental health disciplines. Recommendations regarding key qualities for entering the counselling profession include operationalising terminology, acknowledging the importance of cognitive complexity, and using personal maturity as a global construct, with other qualities considered subdimensions. Recommendations regarding the assessment of students' personal development include education programs clearly articulating their counselling philosophy, mapping personal development goals, and increasing support for counselling educators. Further research is also recommended to gain more insight into the interaction between educators' agency and intentionality.

The pH level greatly influences the effectiveness of the electrocatalyst in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Recent studies have raised concerns about the conventional theoretical approach to predicting the HER, which relies on hydrogen adsorption energy as the primary reaction descriptor. Specifically, a more complex phenomenological approach tailored to alkaline environments has challenged this traditional method. However, water adsorption energy, the activation energy required for water spilling, and hydroxyl adsorption energy are as important as hydrogen adsorption energy. In addition, layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have arisen as a novel category of catalytic materials that offer several benefits compared to noble metal catalysts. These advantages include their natural occurrence, lower cost, and accessibility. Chapter 2 provides a concise overview of several descriptors, such as water adsorption energy, water dissociation barrier, and Gibbs free energy changes, related to the adsorption of hydrogen and hydroxyl groups. Examples of applications of these descriptors to determine the active site of materials and enhance the design of high-performance alkaline HER electrocatalysts are presented, emphasizing the hitherto overlooked significance of hydroxyl adsorption-free energy shifts. To advance Alkaline Water electrolysis (AWE) technology for sustainable hydrogen production, it will be crucial to integrate these characteristics with experimental data as research advances. In Chapter 3, we employ hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl (OH) adsorption Gibbs free energy changes as indicators to examine the catalytic HER efficiency of 1T' TMDs in an alkaline solution. Our findings indicate that the pure sulphides exhibited superior alkaline HER performance compared to their selenide equivalents. Nevertheless, the activities of all pure 1T' TMDs are insufficient to decompose to water. To enhance the performance of these materials, defect engineering methods were employed to develop TMD-based electrocatalysts for efficient HER activity. The DFT results indicate that the improvement of reactivities in TMD materials can be achieved by the introduction of individual S/Se vacancy defects. However, the rate-determining step is the desorption of OH species. The reactivity of active sites for optimal OH desorption can be regulated by doping defective MoS2 with late 3d transition metal (TM) atoms, particularly Cu, Ni, and Co. Consequently, the defective 1T' MoS2 doped with TM can greatly improve the performance of the alkaline HER. The results emphasize the prospects of defect engineering techniques in designing alkaline HER electrocatalysts based on TMD. In conclusion, three descriptors - water adsorption energy, Gibbs free energy for hydrogen adsorption, and Gibbs free energy for hydroxyl adsorption - have been identified as effective tools for the design of alkaline electrocatalysts. Defective engineering and modification technology can significantly enhance a catalyst's HER performance.

Recent advancements in aerosol technology have ushered in a plethora of methodologies for the production of metal nanoparticles, encompassing techniques such as thermal evaporation, chemical vapour deposition, electrode deposition, direct metal combustion, and Glowing Wire Technology (GWT) (Boskovic & Agranovski, 2013). Among these methods, GWT emerges as a particularly promising avenue for the generation of highly pure metal nanoparticles. Despite its considerable potential, achieving accurate control over the size and purity of the resulting nanoparticles (Mourdikoudis et al., 2021) continues to be a critical area that requires further research and development within this field. The unique attributes of glowing wire technology offer distinct advantages, including scalability, simplicity, and the capability to synthesise nanoparticles with controlled purity. Nevertheless, optimising this technique to afford precise control over key parameters such as particle size, shape, and composition remains a critical challenge. Addressing these challenges necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, integrating insights from materials science, aerosol physics, and process engineering to refine the underlying mechanisms governing nanoparticle formation in GWT. Furthermore, continued exploration and refinement of glowing wire technology hold the potential to unlock new avenues for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles with tailored properties and functionalities. By leveraging advances in materials synthesis, nanotechnology, and characterisation techniques, researchers can elucidate the fundamental mechanisms dictating nanoparticle formation in GWT and devise strategies to enhance process efficiency and product quality. Ultimately, advancing the capabilities and applications of glowing wire technology in nanoparticle synthesis requires concerted efforts to bridge fundamental research with technological innovation. By fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government agencies, we can accelerate progress in this field and unlock new opportunities for the design and fabrication of advanced nanomaterials with diverse applications. Typically, a Glowing Wire Generator (GWG) operates by utilising a designated metal wire as the precursor material to generate nanoparticles through aerosol vapour formation (Peineke et al., 2009). Through the application of GWT, nanoparticles are synthesised, typically exhibiting an average diameter of less than 30 nm (Bose et al., 2006). Moreover, it is pertinent to highlight that the nanoparticles produced via GWT often manifest a polydisperse distribution, indicating variations in size and morphology within the nanoparticle population. The utilisation of a metal wire as the precursor material in GWG offers several advantages, including simplicity of operation, scalability, and the ability to generate nanoparticles with high purity. However, the polydisperse nature of the resulting nanoparticle population presents a challenge in achieving uniformity in size and morphology, which is often desired for specific applications. Addressing this challenge requires a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing nanoparticle formation and growth in GWT. Efforts to enhance the uniformity and monodispersity of nanoparticles synthesised via GWT involve optimising process parameters such as wire composition, temperature, and gas flowrate. Additionally, advancements in nanoparticle characterisation techniques, such as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), enable precise assessment of nanoparticle size distribution and morphology, facilitating the refinement of synthesis protocols. Furthermore, ongoing research endeavours aimed at interpreting the kinetics and thermodynamics of nanoparticle nucleation and growth in GWT hold promise for achieving greater control over nanoparticle properties. By leveraging insights from theoretical modelling and computational simulations, researchers can tailor synthesis protocols to yield nanoparticles with desired size, shape, and surface characteristics, thus expanding the applicability of GWT in various field. In this study, several of these areas were examined and can be classified into two distinct categories:

1. Production of molybdenum oxide nanoparticles using single and double wired glowing wire generator. The primary objective is to investigate methods for controlling nanoparticle production, aiming to achieve nanoparticles with different size ranges and reduced polydispersity. Small-sized nanoparticles have demonstrated significant potential across various applications, including coatings, separation processes, electronics, and energy-related applications. However, in certain applications, larger-sized nanoparticles could offer advantages by facilitating the deposition of a more homogeneous and thicker coating over a reduced time frame. Therefore, by systematically investigating the influence of process parameters, such as wire configuration, temperature, and gas flowrate, we aim to optimise nanoparticle synthesis to produce nanoparticles with controlled size distributions and enhanced uniformity. The findings of this study are expected to contribute significantly to the development of efficient and reliable nanoparticle synthesis techniques. By explaining the mechanisms governing nanoparticle deposition and uniformity, researchers can pave the way for the design and fabrication of tailored nanoparticles for specific purposes. Furthermore, the insights gained from this study may have broader implications for advancing nanoparticle-based technologies across various sectors, including materials science, electronics, and biomedical engineering.
2. Magnesium Oxide (MgO) nanoparticles represent a crucial focus of this study, owing to their immense potential across diverse fields, stemming from their unique physical and chemical properties. Their synthesis involves interdisciplinary methodologies and classification methodologies from physics, chemistry, and biology, underscoring their significance as a promising class of nanomaterials with broadranging application prospects. Central to the study is the recognition of nanoparticle charging within the synthesis flame as a pivotal indicator of their evolutionary trajectory during the formation processes. Researchers examine the shape and morphology of MgO nanoparticles within an undisturbed flame to gain insights into how continuous unipolar ion emission during external charging impacts nanoparticle synthesis. This investigation aims to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms governing nanoparticle formation in the presence of charged flames. Understanding the interplay between external charging and nanoparticle formation processes is crucial for elucidating the sophisticated dynamics at play within the synthesis flame. By interpreting how external charging influences MgO nanoparticle morphology and characteristics, researchers can uncover valuable insights into the mechanisms driving nanoparticle evolution and growth. This, in turn, can inform the development of more efficient and tailored synthesis strategies for producing MgO nanoparticles with desired properties for specific applications. Moreover, the findings of this study may have broader implications for advancing our understanding of nanoparticle synthesis processes and their applications across various disciplines. By bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical applications, researchers can unlock new avenues for harnessing the potential of MgO nanoparticles in fields such as catalysis, sensing, energy storage, and biomedicine.

Coastal marine ecosystems are vital for their ecological, economic, and cultural value but have faced severe threats and significant habitat losses. Restoration efforts have gained momentum due to their benefits, including coastal protection, food provisioning, and carbon storage, leading to global initiatives like the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). Despite some successes, restoration has faced failures due to poor site selection and anthropogenic impacts, underscoring the need to understand biophysical and socio-economic factors for effective actions. Tools like the IUCN's Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), the Society for Ecological Restoration of Australasia's Standards, and The Nature Conservancy's Shellfish Reef Guidelines provide frameworks for successful restoration planning. However, a comprehensive understanding of feasibility, crucial for cost-effectiveness analyses, is lacking in coastal marine restoration. Quantifying individual feasibility factors will improve site selection and provide robust cost-effectiveness estimates, making coastal marine restoration an important case study for this approach. This thesis aims to understand how feasibility can be comprehensively incorporated into spatial planning for coastal marine restoration. We first review how feasibility has been analysed and quantified in past conservation and restoration research and define feasibility in the context of restoration. Then using mangrove restoration as a case study, we conceptualise feasibility from a spatial planning perspective. We propose a systematic approach to incorporate multiple feasibility factors (biophysical, governance, social, logistical, and resources) into spatial planning to demonstrate how each factor can contribute to the outcome. Next, we use existing data to analyse feasibility at a broad spatial scale, determining feasibility rankings for restoration planning units and comparing the change in ranking between individual feasibility factors and joint feasibility factors. Then, we select a high-ranking planning unit to perform a fine scale feasibility analysis with the inclusion of multiple feasibility factors and apply a sensitivity assessment on three different approaches to quantifying and calculating feasibility. The thesis highlights the importance of considering feasibility factors at different stages of restoration planning and provides insight into what factors could be considered at both broad and fine spatial scale. The thesis underscores the difficulty in obtaining comprehensive data for feasibility assessments, particularly for social and resource feasibility factors. In conclusion, we demonstrate a systematic and comprehensive approach for practitioners and managers to incorporate feasibility into spatial planning for restoration.

Excessive acute alcohol consumption (i.e., "binge drinking", >40g ethanol) among young Australian adults (aged 18 to 24 years) remains a significant public health concern. Binge drinking exposes young Australian adults to a range of significant harms. The increased availability and diversity of low alcohol beverage (LAB) products (≤1.15% alcohol by volume) in Australia may provide a novel opportunity to moderate acute alcohol consumption behaviours in young drinkers. This thesis aimed to explore LAB consumption as a strategy to moderate harmful drinking behaviours in young Australian adults. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model and Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework were employed to guide this research program, generating four original research studies. Study One was a systematic review of the literature exploring factors influencing the drinking behaviours of young Australian adults. This study found these behaviours are shaped by a complex interplay of individual, social, and environmental factors, with increased consumption driven by physical and social opportunities, and reflective motivation. In contrast, decreased consumption was linked to psychological and physical capabilities, as well as supportive social environments. Study Two surveyed young drinkers' awareness, perceptions, and behaviours towards LAB products. Findings indicate young drinkers had minimal exposure to LABs, with social influences, curiosity, and intent to reduce alcohol intake serving as facilitators, while barriers included a preference for higher alcohol content, a desire to get drunk, and limited awareness of LABs. Although LABs were seen as having the potential to moderate drinking. Study Three audited the availability, advertising, and promotion of LAB products in licensed drinking environments on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia). Product diversity of LAB products was minimal, and no advertising and/or promotion for these products was identified. The lack of opportunity to purchase LABs in these environments is contributing to the inability of these products to moderate young drinkers' alcohol consumption in settings where harmful alcohol consumption can occur. Study Four was a laboratory trial investigating young drinkers' overall liking and purchase intent for five different commercially available LAB products from their preferred beverage category. The study employed a semi-randomised (i.e., participants were able to select from a drink category) design where they were exposed to off-the-shelf LAB products under blinded and unblinded conditions. Participants showed a positive liking for LABs regardless of blinding, though purchase intent significantly decreased when unblinded to packaging. Despite this, participants indicated a willingness to try LABs again in the future. Overall, LAB products have potential to assist young Australian drinkers in moderating their alcohol consumption. However, the limited awareness of these products, reluctance to purchase them, and the desire to consume alcohol for the intoxicating effects remain barriers to consumption. Furthermore, the lack of diversity of LABs in licensed venues denies young drinkers the opportunity to consume these products in settings where harmful alcohol consumption occurs. Increased access to LABs in drinking environments will enhance physical opportunity, while promoting social acceptance and reshaping social norms around alcohol consumption will strengthen social opportunity and reflective motivation. A coordinated effort between public health stakeholders, the alcohol industry, and licensed venues is imperative to promote the normalisation of LAB consumption within drinking environments.

In this thesis, an overview of the fibre and matrix options are provided, and the structural performance models for FRPs are considered. Prediction of the structural behaviour of laminates using Classical lamination theory (CLT) is considered in detail. In doing so, the relationship between the applied load and the internal ply stresses and strains is addressed. Moreover, a focus is provided on the prediction of structural microcrack damage and its influence on cross-ply laminate behaviour. Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM) models offer an accurate prediction of microcracking, but tend to focus on crack initiation and crack density predictions, rather than the effect of damage accumulation on the macro-scale (stress-strain) behaviour. Herein, this shortcoming is addressed - a model of cross-ply microcracking and its impact on the stress-strain behaviour of cross-ply laminates is introduced using a combination of structural CLT and microcracking FFM models. The FFM model calculates the stiffness reductions that inform the CLT model. The requisite mechanical and thermal properties used in the coupled CLT-FFM model are determined experimental, and the structural behaviour of [0m/90n]s and [90n/0m]s cross-ply laminates is described using the new micromechanical model. The combination of CLT and FFM successfully offers a simultaneous micro- and macro-scale prediction of cross-ply laminate behaviour up to catastrophic failure. The model is compared favourably to empirical measurements.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are the most educationally disadvantaged group within the Australian education system. This has been well documented through a plethora of government reports, reviews, and inquiries into 'Indigenous education,' which continue to affirm an 'ongoing crisis' of Indigenous students' educational outcomes and has led to Indigenous education becoming a prominent and ongoing issue on the national policy agenda. However, despite decades of policy attention, Indigenous education policies have continuously failed to adequately address the inequality of Indigenous students' educational outcomes. Within the thesis, educational outcomes are defined as achieving equality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students' educational achievement. In addition, self-determination is viewed as a fundamental policy outcome in its own right and as a facilitator of educational equality. The inability of Indigenous education policies to meet their desired objectives, and improve educational outcomes, provokes the question of why Indigenous education policies are continuously failing to provide equitable outcomes for Indigenous students. This raises deeper and more complex questions around the policy approaches to Indigenous education and the reasons for the failure of Indigenous education policies to achieve equitable outcomes. While there has been substantial research on the content of Indigenous education policies, there has been little focus on the nature of the processes used to develop these policies or on whether these processes might help account for policy failure. This research examines Indigenous educational inequality through a policy lens to examine whether and how policy-making processes in Indigenous education may have contributed to sustaining educational inequality for Indigenous students. The research analyses the 'black box' of the policy process and the relationships and mechanisms used to develop Indigenous education policies over the past 30 years, and how this affected the content of policy and so educational outcomes. By focusing on the policymaking process, the research seeks to establish whether there are unexamined systematic and structural factors that have contributed and are contributing to policy failure and educational inequality. The research employs a qualitative methodology and applies a level of analysis approach, that focuses on structural/systemic factors as well as the nature of the policy process, using Critical Race Theory (CRT), concepts from the policy network literature, and process tracing. Through this approach I addressed my central research question: How does the education policy-making process in Australia affect education policies and the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students? Through the lens of CRT, I show how structural factors such as racism and Whiteness play a leading role in shaping and developing Australia's education system and the dominant paradigm surrounding Indigenous education. Furthermore, the research illustrates how education in Australia has continuously been used as a tool to indoctrinate and assimilate Indigenous children whilst consistently measuring that child's educational success to their proximity to Whiteness. In addition, the research identifies the broader neoliberal policy agenda of the Hawke/Keating Labor Government (1983-1996) as a key driver in repurposing education as an economic instrument in their micro-economic reform agenda. The research reveals that the Commonwealth government, and its broader economic agendas, significantly influence the policy direction and nature of the Indigenous education policy subsystem and processes. At the meso-level, the research illustrates how education policy processes and the education policy network became more centralised over time. Consequently, Indigenous input into the policy process decreased. Failure to have significant Indigenous input into the policy process helps to explain why there is lack of innovation and policy change in Indigenous education policy and so in educational outcomes. A key finding from the research is that the nature of the policy process does have an effect on the content of Indigenous education policies and so on Indigenous students' educational outcomes. It reveals that the nature of the policy process, in combination with structural factors, has maintained and enabled Indigenous disadvantage to persist over decades.

Space debris caused by satellite failure is a growing issue. Validating functional and non-functional requirements improved the likelihood of satellite mission success. Tools such as MATLAB, GitLab, and Atlassian Jira have been developed to validate functional requirements. While some tools can aid the validation of quality attributes or 'ilities' (including scalability, adaptability, affordability, and reliability), such as Microsoft Excel, Docker, and Jenkins - these tools mainly assist in tracking validation rather than performing validation themselves. The aim of this thesis is to close this gap to reduce space debris caused by satellite failure. To date, no open-source software tool to validate ilities for the space sector has been released. Contractors have developed their own standards to define quality attributes, but these standards are inconsistent, or even in conflict, across the industry. Furthermore, tracking tools have only been designed for very large and expensive satellites or very small and cheap satellites; there are no publicly available quality tracking tools for the current most popular launch class, the minisatellite. Likewise, no software tool to calculate quality attributes has been developed. Research question one of this thesis asks: what ilities are desirable to improve or to assure mission success? Grounded theory was used to identify the most desired ilities for minisatellite missions, drawing on a survey, a two-year minisatellite case study, a literature review and taxonomy. The findings indicate that reliability, survivability, and scalability are the most desired attributes for any minisatellite mission. Research question two addresses the issue of how to define specific ilities. This is a critical issue given the range of terminologies in current use across the industry. Accordingly, a Quality Attribute Taxonomy tool was developed with the aim of reducing the subjectivity and ambiguity when selecting and defining quality attributes to inform design. The tool comprises a database that aggregates definitions from active standards used across the space segment; it does not impose a 'universal standard definition' but, rather, informs the user of the existence of a variety of definitions so they can make an informed decision regarding which ilities are desirable for their purpose. The third and final research question asks: how can desired ilities be calculated? Again, the research identified that the current environment lacks quantification methods when it comes to ilities. Therefore, a Minisatellite Quality Attribute Calculator was developed using decision theory. The calculator uses Bayesian estimation to determine the expected utility of reliability, survivability, and scalability when it comes to mission success. The tool allows a program manager to select a course of action that will normatively yield the most value for the current mission based on prior mission data. The Bayesian network was constructed and tested using a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Centre (ARC) publicly available dataset and a synthetic dataset, each containing satellite mission successes and failure results. In summary, this research has produced two quality attribute tools, the Minisatellite Quality Attribute Taxonomy Tool and the Minisatellite Quality Attribute Calculator Tool, designed for use by any satellite program manager. The tools require a program manager to select a desired quality attribute and enter mission-specific data. The Minisatellite Quality Attribute Taxonomy Tool aggregates various definitions of the selected quality attribute from existing standards, while the Minisatellite Quality Attribute Calculator Tool uses mission-specific data and Bayesian estimation to calculate a quantitative measure of how well the selected quality attribute, such as reliability, survivability, or scalability, is achieved for the mission. These tools will be especially valuable for university or small to medium industry missions that likely do not have the expertise or time availability to consider multiple standards or develop proprietary tools. Importantly, these tools can also assist satellite program managers in establishing priorities for non-functional requirements in the design and implementation of satellite systems, and can serve as a platform to accomplish educational, scientific, and military objectives.

There is ample evidence that human actions are continuously and progressively straining planetary processes and systems vital for the wellbeing of the planet, as well as people themselves (WWF, 2012, 2014). Education has a key role to play in addressing these challenges. The role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in addressing these challenges has also been recognized. However, little is understood about the preparedness of TVET educators, specialists in their vocational areas, to address environmental and sustainability issues. This action research study examines the relationship between educator ecoliteracy and educator ability to develop and deliver vocationally specific sustainability education, in a single TVET college in Canada. The research study was undertaken over a 3-year period and involved 43 participants in total. Findings indicate that educators’ ecological knowledge, their collegial relationships and institutional processes are all significant in supporting attempts to revise vocational curriculum. Professional learning to improve vocational educators’ ecoliteracy requires more than deepening ecological knowledge, however. Also required is an understanding of the science of contemporary ecological issues and the relationship of those issues to broader socio-cultural and economic activities. In order to consider curriculum revision, educators thus need to personally value and prioritize such education as essential to the development of vocational competency amongst their students. Improving the ecoliteracy of the educator community, therefore, requires more than simply developing knowledge and skill in the scientific language of ecology; it also requires opportunities for educators to participate in institutional sustainability policies and practices

The ancient Roman god Janus was a god of war, of the sky, and of time. The persistence of his double-faced (sometimes described as double-headed) image, and the accompanying religion and myth, validate a human need for the expression of dualism. This expression of dualism as Janus bifrons is evidenced in functional sculptures and other art works from antiquity until now, and this exegesis explores its ancient religious beginnings through to its secular manifestations. Further, the research undertaken within the studio practice and theory presented here aims to identify attributes of the ancient Janus within contemporary art where forms of humour and violence co-exist. The research posits the possibility of acknowledging dualisms as Janus or Janusian, the representation of humour as a balance to violence in contemporary art. The exegesis explores and illustrates the studio processes in relation to personal and socio-political experiences, among the resultant works of art the representational and abstract collages, which clearly show the co-existence of humour and violence in an elucidation of creative processes relating to the Janusian. The Janus attributes of time past and future, and of war, are here more obvious than those attributes of the cosmos, the templum, boundaries, and other earthly attributes, such as agriculture. In representation of death we acknowledge life, in representation of life we acknowledge death; this is Janus as god of inception and closure represented in both humour and in violence in contemporary art.

This exegesis explores the challenges I have faced as an emerging Australian storyteller attempting to write myths for domestic and international television audiences. The exegesis focuses specifically on four creative modalities that I have either developed or adopted in order to gain a better understanding of myth’s foundations, the archetypes. These modalities are: meditation, hypnagogic immersion, archetypal dream work and active imagination. The exegesis considers the hypothesis that an emerging screenwriter can gain a more instinctual and intimate understanding of myth from a ‘direct’ dialogue with the archetypes within one’s own body, than can be garnered solely through an intellectual understanding of the mythic storytelling frameworks that have been popularised within the screen industries. The creative works with which I’ve developed and tested this hypothesis include two short films Interview (2006) and The Weight of Sunken Treasure (2007), and the pilot script for Borderland, a proposed 10 episode serial drama for television.

Current measures to control malaria are becoming unreliable due to the emergence of parasite and vector resistance. Therefore, development of a safe and effective vaccine is essential for the eventual eradication of malaria. Challenges that have hindered malaria vaccine research include antigenic polymorphism, reproducing correlates of protection from preclinical to clinical studies and the paucity of challenge models to test vaccine efficacy. Altering the virulence of the whole parasite using genetic manipulation, irradiation or chemical treatment has been used as an alternative vaccine strategy to address these challenges. A whole parasite vaccine should elicit a potent, protective immune response and overcome the limited efficacy observed in leading subunit vaccine candidates, such as RTS,S. Previous publications from our laboratory have demonstrated that chemically attenuated blood-stage parasites persist in the blood at sub-patent levels. In the P. chabaudi rodent model, CD4+ T cells mediated protection upon homologous and heterologous challenge in an antibody-independent manner. However, in the P. yoelii model, protection was mediated in a cell- and antibody-dependent manner. Prior to testing this approach in humans, a pilot study was done in non-splenectomised Aotus nancymaae monkeys to investigate the persistence and immunogenicity of a single dose of chemically attenuated ring-stage P. falciparum FVO parasites (CAPs). These CAPs induced proliferation of parasite-specific T cells; however, no parasite-specific IgG was detected. These experiments lay the groundwork for assessment of CAPs in humans as a potential vaccine against malaria.

My research investigated the use of fitness tracking devices by Australian University students with disabilities. As modern lives are becoming increasingly digitised, I sought to explore and understand the experience of Australian university students with a disability. The overarching research question was how and why students with a disability use fitness tracking devices as part of their identity and to improve their health and wellbeing. I employed a cross disciplinary approach to understand the how and why students with a disability use fitness tracking devices. These devices are becoming more and more popular and modern lives are becoming increasingly digitised. The purpose of this research is to understand how these devices can contribute toward the identity of students with a disability and how the devices can improve upon health and wellbeing. The research was conducted by an insider researcher: a university student with a disability who uses fitness tracking devices and is passionate about understanding the experience of other students with a disability. Australian university students with a disability are increasing in number but there is limited research that seeks to understand their experience and the barriers to maintaining good health and wellbeing. The research builds on the sociology theory of socio-materialism and the psychology theories of social identity and disability identity informed by the research of Lupton, Malhotra and Rowe, Nario-Redmond and colleagues, Tajfel and Turner, Martin, Wearing and Haslam and colleagues. Socio-materialism theory emphasises that non-human assemblages like fitness tracking devices can have agency and impact on the lives of the users. This paper explores the powerful and complex relationship that students can have with fitness tracking devices. The research also explores how students identify with their disability and how they identify socially. The analysis examines how and why students use these devices and the impact these devices have on their identities as individuals with disability and as social members of a plethora of groups. The findings are discussed through rich narrative description that explores the story of these students' lives told to the researcher in a brief interview that captures one moment in time. The interviews sought to capture how the students conceptualised their devices as assemblages in their lives and how these devices are embodied as part of their disability and social identities. The findings raise questions about the use of the term fitness tracker in materialism and disability research. None of the students with a disability identified as a fitness tracker so the question is raised about the potentially ableist connotations of the term. Then the research asserts that the devices and social connections can contribute toward improved health and wellbeing. The conclusions also emphasise that there is a need for a lot more research in the sphere of university students with a disability who use fitness tracking devices.

Worldwide, nurses are recognised as educators, qualified to teach people in a range of healthcare and education settings. Within nursing, teaching includes the provision of health-related education to patients, families and groups (termed health teaching) and the training and mentoring of other nurses, health professionals and nursing students (termed clinical teaching). Such teaching activities are essential to the provision of safe quality healthcare. Despite this, graduating nursing students report their teaching capabilities to be poor compared to other nursing competencies. In recent years, an initiative termed near-peer teaching (NPT) has gained traction as a way of strengthening undergraduate nursing students' capabilities. Near-peer teaching involves senior students teaching junior students from the same disciplinary program. While research suggests NPT develops students' knowledge and skills, little is known about its influence on their self-efficacy beliefs, which are important predictors of future engagement with activities like teaching. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the influence of NPT participation during clinical placement on senior (final year) nursing students' self-efficacy in clinical teaching and self-efficacy in clinical performance, and junior (first year) nursing students' self-efficacy in clinical performance. To address the aim, a mixed methods methodology was used, underpinned by Constructivist Education Theory, Sociocultural Theory and Social Cognitive Theory. The main study, a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, involved quasi-experiments and interviews. It was preceded by an integrative review and psychometric testing of two modified self-efficacy instruments with undergraduate nursing students - the Modified Self-Efficacy in Clinical Teaching (M-SECT) Scale and the Modified Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance (M-SECP) Scale. For the quasi-experiments, senior and junior nursing students participated in either an NPT (intervention) or traditional clinical facilitator-led (control) supervision model for two weeks of a clinical placement experience. With the intervention, senior NPT participants educated and supported junior NPT participants. At the start and end of the experimental period, all senior participants completed the M-SECT and M-SECP Scales; all junior participants completed the M-SECP Scale. Following the quasi-experiments, survey responses were statistically analysed to determine the effect, if any, of NPT participation on senior students' self-efficacy in clinical teaching and self-efficacy in clinical performance, and junior students' self-efficacy in clinical performance. These results informed semi-structured interviews, conducted with senior and junior NPT participants. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed to help explain the quasi-experimental results. In the quasi-experiments, senior NPT participants (n = 33) had a significant increase in their self-efficacy in clinical teaching (p < .001) and self-efficacy in clinical performance (p < .001). Senior control participants (n = 38) had no change in their self-efficacy in clinical teaching (p = .726), however their self-efficacy in clinical performance significantly increased (p = .021). When a Bonferroni correction was applied, the change in the senior control participants' self-efficacy in clinical performance was not statistically significant. Despite their own concerns that NPT might detract from their learning during clinical placement, senior NPT interview participants (n = 12) reported that their beliefs in their clinical teaching capabilities and clinical activities were enhanced with NPT participation. Having previous peer teaching experience, being able to repeatedly observe and engage in teaching during NPT, and receiving positive feedback from their clinical facilitators and junior peers about their teaching enhanced their self-efficacy beliefs and reinforced their practice-readiness. Both junior NPT participants' (n = 32) and control participants' (n = 30) self-efficacy in clinical performance significantly increased (p < .001) during their clinical placement. All junior NPT interview participants (n = 12) reported enhanced belief in their ability to perform clinical activities with NPT participation. Initially, participants were reassured to be paired with a senior peer, who had been in their same position a few years earlier. During the experiment, they benefitted from observing senior peers perform clinical activities that were both within and beyond their first-year scope of practice. They also valued the opportunity to practice skills and clarify uncertainties with their senior peer in a non-threatening learning environment. For junior participants, NPT participation provided insight into what was to come in their nursing program, enhancing their belief in their ability to perform clinical activities in the future. In summary, this doctoral work found that NPT participation during clinical placement supported the development of senior nursing students' self-efficacy in clinical teaching and was as successful as the traditional clinical facilitator-led supervision model at enhancing both senior and junior nursing students' self-efficacy in clinical performance. Although grounded in nursing, these understandings may be of interest to university faculty in various health disciplines who, like nursing academics and clinical facilitators, must prepare students for essential teaching roles in healthcare contexts, while ensuring students feel capable of performing clinical activities within those settings.

This thesis examines the challenges that accusations of heresy pose for peacebuilding processes. While heresy is often perceived as a general factor in intractable conflict, contributing to impasses between minority and majority religious groups, little is known about its impact on peacebuilding efforts. This study advances the understanding of the complex realities of conflicts involving claims of heresy by examining (1) how some groups are socially constructed as heretical and specifically how that contributes to conflict intractability, and (2) the special challenges posed by claims of heresy to peacebuilding efforts. To investigate these issues, this thesis examines the experiences of the internally displaced Ahmadiyya in Lombok and Shia from Sampang. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Indonesia, the thesis explains the ongoing challenges heresy claims pose in these cases and suggests some potential paths forward for peacebuilding in Indonesia. In 2002, the Ahmadiyya community settlement in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara was set on fire by a mob, leaving buildings burned to the ground, people dead and injured, and forcing the rest of the community to flee from their homes. Driving the violence was the belief that the Ahmadis - people who followed Ahmadiyya teachings - were heretics because their teaching deviated from Sunnism, practised by most Indonesian Muslims. Leaving East Lombok, the Ahmadis faced more violence and rejection. After they were expelled from several other villages and had no place to live, the local government in 2006 decided to house the Ahmadiyya in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp; almost twenty years later, they remain there. Theirs is not a unique story. In a similar turn of events in 2012, the Shia community from Sampang, Madura, East Java, had to flee their hometown after their settlement was attacked and burned. As with the attacks on the Ahmadi communities, this violence was also driven by differences in religious beliefs held by the Shia minority and Sunni majority in Sampang. Like the Ahmadis, the Shia of Sampang were also eventually relocated to an IDP shelter, where they continue to live. As this thesis demonstrates, accusations of heresy levelled against the Ahmadiyya and Shia populations of Lombok and Sampang drive this conflict and hamper efforts to resolve it. Heresy is a conflict between religious groups or within a group and, as this thesis demonstrates, is socially constructed and fundamentally political. As the cases of Ahmadiyya and Shia highlight, the idea that enemies within are more threatening than external enemies - which is central to the designation by religious and sometimes government authorities of certain people as heretics - leaves no room for compromise or acceptance of differences and this, in turn, contributes to conflict intractability. For this reason, existing efforts to resolve these conflicts by reconverting those accused of heresy to the Sunni Islam practised by the majority of Indonesian Muslims have failed. Drawing on a multidimensional framework for understanding how different aspects of religion contribute to conflict and to peace, this thesis identifies the ideas, institutions, and actors that have contributed to the ongoing Ahmadiyya and Shia conflicts. It argues, however, that just as religious institutions play a significant role in constructing teachings that are considered threatening - by defining which beliefs are orthodox, heterodox, and heretical - so, too, their construction of heresy has implications for peacebuilding. It also argues that, while religious figures at the grassroots can maintain divisions between orthodoxy, heterodoxy, and heresy, they also can serve as bridges to peace. In doing so, the thesis concludes that religious figures who are recognised by all parties to conflict as legitimate and authoritative actors have a vital role in peacebuilding, in their capacity to unite the Islamic community across and beyond the different sects.

This research explores the issue of music sustainability and intergenerational transmission within the context of dāphā, a traditional music genre from the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Once a popular singing tradition among the Newar people, dāphā's popularity has waned in modern circumstances. Among various challenges dāphā faces, multiple sources have reported diminished youth participation as one of the factors causing the decline. Music sustainability is a key study area within ethnomusicology today which encompasses discussions on issues such as music decline, safeguarding, revitalisation, framework and policy developments, and advocacy. Sustainability in ethnomusicology refers to a music culture's capacity to maintain and develop. This concept goes beyond mere preservation, treating musical traditions as dynamic, renewable entities within their unique ecosystems. Ethnomusicologists emphasise sustaining music by supporting the communities that create and maintain these musical traditions, ensuring they adapt and evolve while retaining their cultural significance. Intergenerational transmission is one prominent element among the various factors that contribute towards the sustainability of a genre. The decline of many musical traditions is often attributed to reduced participation from younger generations, resulting from several factors such as contextual issues, modern influences, economic and environmental impacts, and pedagogical challenges. While much emphasis has been given to intergenerational transmission within music sustainability, there is a notable gap in studies examining the experiences and perceptions of younger people. This gap includes questions related to traditional music pedagogy, including the challenges faced in learning and understanding, teacher-student dynamics, and various factors intersecting with the learning process. Pedagogical experience is a key contributor to shaping attitudes and perceptions towards a music genre. These aspects have not received adequate scholarly attention, underscoring the need for a detailed exploration of the younger generation's experience with traditional music pedagogy, and the attitudes and perceptions that materialise. With this in mind, this research focuses on understanding the experiences, attitudes, and perspectives of recent dāphā trainees within the Byanjankar community of Chyasal, Patan. In 2021, the community trained a cohort of around 65 students, primarily teenagers. Despite the impressive number of participants, engagement with dāphā post-training was minimal. This contradictory situation provided a valuable opportunity to explore and gain insights into the factors influencing their participation and engagement with dāphā. Employing an ethnographic approach, this research is an outcome of data collected through participation, observations, and interviews with various people involved in dāphā chiefly from the Byanjankar community of Chyasal. The data analysis led to four key themes: Learning dāphā, Engaging dāphā, Acknowledging dāphā, and Reflecting dāphā. These themes encapsulate the trainees' journey from their initial learning experiences to their engagement with the music, their attitudes, and perceptions. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the broader contextual factors like cultural practices, religious beliefs, and rituals intersecting and influencing the learning process and participation. The dissertation comprises six chapters. Chapter One introduces the research. Chapter Two delves into Newar culture, music, and dāphā. Chapter Three discusses ethnomusicological views on music sustainability, challenges in intergenerational transmission, and the concept of musical ecosystems. Chapter Four outlines the research methodology. Chapter Five presents the findings, and Chapter Six offers conclusions and recommendations.

Events generate both positive and negative impacts on host communities. Significant research attention has been dedicated to these impacts due to their effect on event support. The provision of support by hosting communities is a crucial element in the success of events, given that such support ensures access to local infrastructure, knowledge, volunteers and event promotion. In contrast, community opposition can have irreparable repercussions for event hosting. While positive impacts are welcomed, negative impacts are dreaded. However, although it may be improbable to eliminate undesirable negative impacts entirely, they can be mitigated. Additionally, it is of paramount importance to ensure the sustained longevity of the positive impacts to sustain host community support. In pursuit of an effective means to manage event impacts, researchers have proposed community engagement as a feasible tool.

The concept of community engagement, which was originally confined to public planning studies, has now extended to tourism and leisure planning. Community engagement in its true form is a form of citizen power, where the communities' voices are represented in decision-making. It has been praised for its ability to promote community well-being, community development, social capital, diversity and inclusion, social licence to operate, community support and community empowerment. Engagement can occur at various intensities, which yield a variety of results. The highest level of community engagement occurs when communities are empowered to engage. Throughout history, scholars have presented several engagement models that graph community engagement at these intensities. These models have transformed throughout the years, respecting social changes.

The capacity of community engagement to provide support for leisure developments and promote social acceptance has captured the attention of event researchers. Consequently, community engagement has been suggested as a tool for managing event impacts. By providing a platform for effective communication and collaboration between event organisers and the community, community engagement can help to mitigate the negative impacts of events and promote positive outcomes for all parties involved.

Yet, despite tremendous efforts by researchers, community engagement has not achieved its desired optimal level. Currently, engagement in event contexts is initiated primarily by decision-makers such as event planning bodies, which only request host communities to join in. One fallback of this passive community engagement is its inability to empower the community - in other words, it does not clearly represent authentic community engagement, where community voices take prominence. This PhD thesis aims to contribute to this developing body of literature on community engagement in event planning and operations with the objective of empowering host communities. More specifically, the thesis explores the community engagement antecedents to advance understanding of the engagement process. [...]

Cancer is a large and increasing burden on global healthcare systems. Current treatment options for most cancers are considered effective if the cancer is detected early. The life expectancy severely decreases with late-stage diagnosis and with cancer progression, unfortunately, most cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages (Pulumati et al., 2023). Hence the need to develop potential biomarkers of metastasis that could be used as diagnostic tools. The primary aim of this research is to identify global glycan changes associated with the effects of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (GCNT3) knockdown in human adenocarcinoma cells. GCNT3 has been characterised as a pro-metastatic gene (Lange et al., 2022), thus, identifying the changes that occur within the glycan profile associated with GCNT3 expression as potential biomarkers. A comprehensive glycan analysis, using Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (LC ESI-MS/MS), of three adenocarcinoma cell lines HT29, PACA5061, GC5023 each having three genotype variants, 'wild type', 'GCNT3 knockdown' and 'negative control', examined the changing glycan profiles based on GCNT3 expression. Altered GCNT3 expression significantly changed the O-glycan profiles of all adenocarcinomas. GCNT3 knockdown resulted in a decrease of core 2 glycan structures with a corresponding increase in core 1 structures with all adenocarcinomas having a sialylated Lewis structure significantly more abundant in GCNT3 variant compared to the GCNT3 knockdown variant. GCNT3 expression had a varied effect on glycan abundance within the N-glycan profile having significant changes but no commonality between cell lines. The effect of GCNT3 expression highlights many significantly different sialylated Lewis glycans which could be candidates for potential biomarkers of metastasis and areas of future research.

The work presented in this thesis is divided into two projects, the isolation and characterisation of analgesic activity in the bark of Barringtonia acutangula and the initiation of an assay for protein phosphatase activity which could be used as a high throughput screen. Analgesic activity had been reported in the bark of Barringtonia acutangula, a tree which grows across northern Australia, by aboriginal people living in the Kimberley district of NorthWwestern Australia. B. acutangula is one of four species of Barringtonia which grow in Australia and one of many which grow in tropical regions worldwide. In addition to its analgesic properties B. acutangula has been put to many uses by local peoples. These include use as medicines, construction materials and as foods. Commonly B. acutangula is used as a fish poison in the collecting of fish for human consumption.