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The Role of Latissimus Dorsi in Trunk Movement and Stability
No full textThe latissimus dorsi is the most expansive muscle in the human body, spanning from the pelvis, lumbar spine, ribs, and scapula before inserting on the humerus. Its broad attachments suggest a role in trunk movement and stability, and it is often targeted in rehabilitation with the gluteus maximus due to their link through the thoracolumbar fascia. However, EMG evidence for its role in trunk tasks is inconsistent, partly due to methodological limitations. This thesis addresses these issues to clarify how the latissimus dorsi contributes to trunk function. Chapter 1 outlines the anatomical and theoretical basis for latissimus dorsi’s role in trunk movement and stability and highlights methodological issues in existing EMG research. Chapter 2 presents a systematic review and metaanalysis showing limited evidence of high activity during ipsilateral rotation and stronger evidence of low activity during contralateral rotation, extension, and trunk stability tasks, along with widespread use of surface electrodes and varied normalisation tasks. Chapter 3 and 4 evaluate key EMG methods. Chapter 3 shows that shoulder extension elicits maximal latissimus dorsi activation and is the most appropriate MVC normalisation task. Chapter 4 shows that surface electrodes are valid for submaximal trunk tasks, while indwelling electrodes are required for maximal loading and stability tasks. Chapters 5 and 6 apply these validated methods to examine latissimus dorsi activity during trunk movement and stability tasks. Chapter 5 shows activity remains below 20% MVC during submaximal trunk tasks and reaches only 31-43% MVC during maximal loading. Chapter 6 demonstrates low activation levels during trunk stability tasks, with no effect of contralateral arm support. Chapter 7 summarises the findings and discusses clinical implications. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that latissimus dorsi has only a limited role in trunk movement and stability, refining its relevance in clinical practice
THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK NEVER WRITTEN A Media History of Saul Kripke’s Scholarly Samizdat
No full textThis article considers the significance of informal publication and circulation in the work of the philosopher Saul Kripke (1940-2022). It argues that everyday copying technologies (e.g. tape recording, photocopying) enabled academics in the 1970s and 1980s to create living documents whose private preservation and circulation maintained a community of interest and makes a case for understanding these technologies and techniques of reproduction as essential to the composition of Kripke’s ground-breaking published work. Kripke lectured a great deal, usually without notes, and was known to be reluctant to commit his ideas to print; this so-called samizdat preserved a space for the oral as the preferred mode of communication for philosophical discourse, connecting the modern tradition with the ancients, while the recordings, transcripts and photocopies archived Kripke’s ideas and secured access outside of institutional publishing channel
Behavioral Strategy in the Wild: Contradictions, Divergences and Empirical Evidences
No full textSince Powell, Lovallo, and Fox (2011) first introduced cognitive and social psychology to the study of strategic decision-making, the concept of "behavioural strategy" has evolved significantly. In the years that followed, a substantial body of research has examined a wide range of cognitive biases and investigated strategies to mitigate their effects. This thesis evaluate whether behavioural strategy has moved beyond controlled experimental settings into real-world applications, to assess the effectiveness of debiasing mechanisms, and to explore its interaction with broader organisational theories.
Chapter 2, “Behavioural Strategy in the Wild,” reviews the evolution of behavioural strategy and its application in addressing real-world challenges. It categorises debiasing techniques into three families (i.e., analytical, organisational and debate techniques) and examines their effectiveness across four domains: mergers and acquisitions (M&As), military intelligence, resource allocation, and capital projects.
Chapter 3, “How organisational structure influences underperforming business units: Recovery, exit, and corporate profitability”, empirically investigates how corporate partitioning influences firms’ commitment to underperforming business units and the outcomes of such commitments. Specifically, I show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of segments in which firms are organised and the likelihood of recovery for loss-making segments.
Chapter 4, “From mutual forbearance to multifrontal rivalry: Conditional limits to strategic restraint”, explores the dynamics of multimarket contact and the conditions under which firms competitive arousal overrides mutual forbearance. Specifically, we show that mutual forbearance (i.e., tendency to refrain from aggressive competitive moves across shared markets) often breaks down when there are more overlaps, when the nonoverlapping segments are highly profitable and when the industry is growing
What do editors of medical journals think about opportunities and barriers to advancement in the publication of plain language summaries? A qualitative analysis
No full textDeidentified transcripts from semi-structured qualitative interviews by Karen Gainey as part of her PhD.Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed using the video conferencing tool Zoom. These transcripts have been uploaded in their raw form, with any identifying information removed
Proof and Context
No full textThis thesis concerns some overlooked aspects of conversational contexts. It seeks to give an
account of how assertions find their place against a background network of presuppositions. The
core idea of this thesis is that these assertions are both harder and easier to perform than prevailing
theories of context and presupposition make it seem. On the one hand, this network of
presuppositions is extremely flexible. Some philosophers have posited rules to the effect that
contexts will make the changes necessary to accommodate what a speaker says by default.
However, little has been done to explain how these changes will be facilitated when an assertion is
vague, probabilistic or incompatible with other presuppositions in play. A full explication of these rules
of accommodation must also be able to explain what occurs in these not uncommon cases. On the
other hand, we should be skeptical of the tendency to treat these rules of accommodation as
universal laws. It is simply not the case that speakers must take for granted all claims put forward
during a conversation. When you suspect that I am lying, you might reasonably ask for me to dispel
your doubts before you take my word for granted. We expect that speakers are in a position to verify
– at least to our satisfaction – the things which they say. The resulting picture, developed in this
thesis, is that contexts are quite flexible, but not unlimitedly so
The Myth of Environmental Sustainability: Problems for Contemporary Artists
No full textIn response to the climate crisis, it can be compelling for artists to place environmental concerns at the centre of their practice. This premise leads to the core question of this project: Can environmental art be an effective form of activism? Like all political art, environmental art is beset by problems that are both logical and ethical. Such issues arise because, despite the Duchampian idea that anything can be art, activism and art engage with political problems in different ways. Art relies on ambiguity and affect while activism demands clarity and action. The conflation of the two can turn art into propaganda or reduce activism to aesthetic gesture. Moreover, art embodies the material conditions of its time, so it inevitably reflects the structural limitations that constrain activism. The commodification of nature and sustainability itself is but one of the issues that both art and activism must contend with. In short, art cannot transcend the structures in which it exists and that it seeks to address. It can only expose them through its processes. This project explores such processes and their outcomes, not to critique environmental art but to examine the nuances that challenge its practice.
The studio component consists of three bodies of work made from salvaged materials, based on the premise that waste lies at the heart of the climate crisis. The series It’s a Circus Out There, consists of sculptures constructed from packaging cardboard, cut, painted and assembled into architectural forms. The recovery of resources challenges the structural economic principle of private property. The series, Click Here to Reset Your Password, consists of cardboard packaging arranged in layers within a frame to epitomise how framing shapes public perception. The series, Il Pretesto, consists of assemblages of salvaged waste entombed in paper pulp, leaving some parts exposed. The works highlight how dominant ideologies govern what is concealed and what is visible
Early Outcomes of a New Active Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant in Children with Microtia-Atresia
No full textMicrotia-atresia comprises congenital malformations of the auricle and external auditory canal, causing conductive hearing loss and impacting speech, language, academic performance and quality of life, even in unilateral cases. Active transcutaneous bone conduction implants (atBCIs) offer reduced skin complications and enhanced high-frequency transmission compared with passive devices. The Osia® system, recently approved for implantation in children aged 5–12 years in Australia, is understudied in younger populations, with no prior systematic reviews or Australian data. This thesis evaluates the role of atBCIs in children with microtia-atresia, focusing on the Osia. It includes: (1) a systematic review of paediatric Osia outcomes, assessing safety, audiological benefit and patient-reported measures; and (2) the first Australian case series of children aged ≤12 years undergoing Osia implantation, including those receiving concurrent alloplastic auricular reconstruction.
The systematic review demonstrates that paediatric Osia implantation provides consistent
audiological benefit and a favourable safety profile, though current evidence is limited by small, heterogeneous cohorts, variable follow-up and scarce functional outcome data. The Australian case series shows that Osia implantation is feasible and safe in carefully selected children. Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) scores indicated better listening in quiet and noise. Parents also reported improved communication, reduced listening fatigue and greater device compliance. This thesis supports Osia as an effective hearing rehabilitation option in children with microtia-atresia and offers the first synthesis of global paediatric outcomes alongside the inaugural Australian cohort. Findings highlight early functional benefits and the potential value of timely implantation, while underscoring the need for larger prospective studies with standardised outcomes and long-term follow-up
Multi-Scale Deep Learning Models for Pathology Image Analysis
No full textTumors exhibit significant morphological heterogeneity at the macroscopic, histological, and cellular levels, which complicates their analysis. Pathological examination remains the gold standard for cancer diagnosis, but manual microscopic evaluation of whole slide images (WSIs) is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to error. Recent advancements in digital imaging have led to the emergence of computational histopathology, which aims to enhance clinical workflows by leveraging advanced image processing and analysis techniques.
Early computational approaches relied on manually extracted, handcrafted features from histopathological images, which were limited in their generalizability and robustness. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning (DL), has transformed this process by automating feature extraction, improving model accuracy, and enhancing the efficiency of cellular and tissue-level analysis. These techniques have demonstrated significant potential in supporting cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
However, significant challenges remain in capturing and interpreting the morphological heterogeneity across different scales, from individual cells to larger tissue structures
Behavioural responses of Australian lizards towards visual cues of feral cats
No full textInvasive mammalian predators have caused population declines and extinctions of wildlife worldwide. Many of these species exhibit some form of prey naïveté, which heightens their vulnerability to novel predators. In Australia, introduced feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have had a particularly negative effect on native fauna, with the impacts of cats on mammals and birds well documented. Although feral cats are known to regularly prey on Australian reptiles, little is known about the behavioural responses of reptiles to cats, including whether native reptiles can recognise cats as a predation risk, and if so, which cues they use. Aims. We investigated behavioural responses of two Australian lizard species, the shrubland morethia skink (Morethia obscura) and eastern striped skink (Ctenotus robustus), to the visual cues of feral cats in semiarid, south-eastern Australia. Methods. We used arena trials to test lizards for predator recognition by using visual cues of an alien mammal predator (taxidermied cat, Felis catus), a native mammal predator (taxidermied western quoll, Dasyurus geoffroyi) and a mammal non-predator (taxidermied European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus), as well as a procedural control (bucket) and a negative control (nothing). Key results. We found little evidence of behavioural change when lizards were exposed to the taxidermied cat. Morethia obscura basked less when exposed to all treatments and C. robustus increased vigilance when in the presence of the taxidermied cat, but overall responses were similar among treatments. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that stationary visual cues of cats do not trigger behavioural responses in these two lizard species. Implications. Future research should assess behavioural responses to combinations of cat cues (e.g. movement, scent). Developing a deeper understanding of predator recognition systems and prey naïveté in reptile communities will be crucial for conservation of Australian reptiles that are negatively affected by feral cats
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISATION OF TENDONS: Uncovering Characteristics of Human Tendons and Ligaments Commonly Injured or Used as Grafts in Orthopaedic Surgery
No full textTendons play a major role in musculoskeletal functioning. Tendon and ligament disease (including degeneration, rupture, traumatic injury, etc.) affects multiple different tendons throughout the body and is increasing in prevalence. Many patients require surgical reconstruction or tendon/ligament replacement with graft tissue, but long-term outcomes of such treatment is poor. The key to improving treatment outcomes is knowledge of underlying differences in physiology and structure-function aspects of different tendons/ligaments. As knowledge of “normal” tendon structure is lacking, the aim of this project was to compare the structures of normal (healthy) human cadaveric tendons and ligaments of the upper and lower limbs using consistent methodologies and donor tissue source.
However, as current histopathological scoring systems for tendon research focus on classification of pathology rather than utility as a generalised histo-morphologic characterisation tool, this project also aimed to develop a novel scoring system suitable for charactering differences between normal tendons/ligaments.
This study incorporated histological investigations conducted on 48 different tendons/ligaments harvested from left or right (randomised) upper and lower limbs of 8 human (male and female) cadaveric tissue donors.
The newly developed scoring system – which successfully addressed gaps underexplored by currently available methodologies, providing a valuable tool for future work and exploration – revealed numerous and vast differences/similarities in tendon/ligament structural characteristics. Cell characteristics, architectural features, proteoglycan content, interfascicular regions and crimp properties all exhibited variations between different tissues.
Overall, these findings provide critical information for understanding the normal structure and physiology of tendons and ligaments, aiding research into appropriate prevention and repair strategies for various injuries or pathologies