Research UNE (University of New England)
Not a member yet
39143 research outputs found
Sort by
Disaster (Dark) Tourism
No full textRural and regional communities and industry are disproportionately impacted by natural and human-made disasters. Following disasters there can also be a new tourism market in the form of 'dark tourism', which can either assist or hinder communities; possibly create further potential illegal activity (such as trespassing); or provide further opportunities to life-threating situations or ongoing health risks (through accessing unstable or dangerous areas). A number of different case studies are explored throughout this paper to highlight these issues, including Australia's deadliest town, Wittenoom in Western Australia; 'storm-chasers', such as those driving the streets to film tornado damage in Armidale, NSW while the storm was still present; tourism around bushfires in rural and regional Australia; as well as exploring similar disaster tourism cases internationally. As a part of this, the paper explores the role of the media in advertising, and possibly, creating disaster tourism opportunities. The publicization of sites of disaster inevitably creates interest in an area; however, this does not mean that tourists travelling to such sites should be labelled as 'dark' or 'deviant', many people travel to see if they can help, or to reflect on the fragility of life
Surveillance of Vector-Borne Infections (Chikungunya, Dengue, and Malaria) in Bo, Sierra Leone, 2012–2013
No full textMalaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in West Africa, but the contribution of other vector-borne infections (VBIs) to the burden of disease has been understudied. We used rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for three VBIs to test blood samples from 1,795 febrile residents of Bo City, Sierra Leone, over a 1-year period in 2012–2013. In total, 24% of the tests were positive for malaria, fewer than 5% were positive for markers of dengue virus infection, and 39% were positive for IgM directed against chikungunya virus (CHIKV) or a related alphavirus. In total, more than half (55%) of these febrile individuals tested positive for at least one of the three VBIs, which highlights the very high burden of vector-borne diseases in this population. The prevalence of positives on the Chikungunya IgM and dengue tests did not vary significantly with age (P > 0.36), but higher rates of malaria were observed in children 0.36), but higher rates of malaria were observed in children P r2 = 0.599). Based on the high prevalence of positive results on the Chikungunya IgM RDTs from individuals Bo and its environs, there is a need to examine whether an ecological shift toward a greater burden from CHIKV or related alphaviruses is occurring in other parts of Sierra Leone or the West African region
A scientometric analysis of three decades of research on workplace psychosocial hazards: Implications for policy and practice
No full textIntroduction: The Workplace Psychosocial Hazards (WPH) agenda has gained policy currency in the context of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For instance, SDG#8 explicitly aims to protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers under the umbrella term of decent work. More importantly, WPH has become a significant priority of workplace health and safety management (WHSM) practices because of the high cost associated with workers' well-being and reduced productivity and performance. Nevertheless, a comprehensive analysis of WPH-related literature remains scant. Method: This article responds to this gap and analyses scholarly research outputs between 1993 and 2022 available in the Scopus database (n = 521) with two specific objectives: (a) to identify key research trends, key focus areas, collaboration networks, and prominent research institutions/countries and (b) generate insights into informing workplace safety and health management (WSHM) practices and future research. Results: The analysis revealed that the research topics with the most emphasis were occupational health, mental health and stress. In contrast, topics such as policy assessment, sustainable development, and shift work received the least attention. Practical Applications: Given that the scientometrics analysis has the potential to inform the WPH agenda, this article contributes to the discussions on three thematic implications of the analysis in the context of future research directions: (a) policy initiatives, (b) WHSM practices, and (c) research partnerships
Human rights as epistemic practice: anglophone hegemony, decolonising imperatives, and the criminal legal system
No full textThis paper reconceptualises human rights as an epistemic practice embedded within the criminal legal system, and argues that the apparent universality of rights conceals historically specific lineages, linguistic hegemony, and colonial structures. We situate contemporary rights discourse within dual intellectual traditions, trace their political constitution through key historical moments, and examine how postcolonial actors have contested and instrumentalised rights language. Drawing on critical theory and decolonial critiques, we demonstrate how procedural formality in adversarial systems produces substantive gaps for marginalised populations. Comparative analyses from various jurisdictions reveal both the contingent realisation of rights and the risks of epistemic capture. The argument culminates in practical recommendations: reformed legal education, pluralist institutional design, decentralised norm-making, and empirically grounded dialogue between stakeholders. By insisting on a plural, context-sensitive epistemology, this paper advances a framework for recontextualising human rights so that criminal legal systems can better realise dignity, equality, and justice in postcolonial societies
Biting mechanics determines craniofacial morphology among extant diprotodont herbivores: dietary predictions for the giant extinct short-faced kangaroo, Simosthenurus occidentalis
No full textLarge herbivores can act as keystone species that strongly influence their communities. During the Pliocene and Pleistocene, Australia was dominated by a number of large to gigantic marsupial herbivore taxa. Many of these have been understudied quantitatively with regard to their ecology; and identifying the diet of these species will improve our understanding of not only their ecologies, but also of past environments. Recent research has found that cranial morphology among kangaroos and wallabies corresponds with foraging behaviors and mechanical properties of preferred plant tissues. Here we apply shape analysis and computational biomechanics to test the hypothesis: that feeding ecology is associated with craniofacial morphology across a taxonomically broad sample of diprotodont herbivores. Based on our results we predict the diet of an extinct short-faced kangaroo, Simosthenurus occidentalis. We find that biting behaviors are reflected in craniofacial morphology, but that these are more a reflection of the hardest bites required for their lifestyle, rather than diet composition alone. A combination of a very short face, robust musculoskeletal features, and dental arrangements predict that S. occidentalis was a browser, capable of consuming particularly resistant, bulky plant matter. These features were largely conserved among other short-faced kangaroos and may have offset the unpredictable availability of quality forage during the climatically variable Pleistocene epoch, contributing to their prolific diversification during this time
The role of myelin in neurodegeneration: implications for drug targets and neuroprotection strategies
No full textMyelination of axons in the central nervous system offers numerous advantages, including decreased energy expenditure for signal transmission and enhanced signal speed. The myelin sheaths surrounding an axon consist of a multi-layered membrane that is formed by oligodendrocytes, while specific glycoproteins and lipids play various roles in this formation process. As beneficial as myelin can be, its dysregulation and degeneration can prove detrimental. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and changes in cellular metabolism and the extracellular matrix can lead to demyelination of these axons. These factors are hallmark characteristics of certain demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis. The effects of demyelination are also implicated in primary degeneration in diseases such as glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as in processes of secondary degeneration. This reveals a relationship between myelin and secondary processes of neurodegeneration, including resultant degeneration following traumatic injury and transsynaptic degeneration. The role of myelin in primary and secondary degeneration is also of interest in the exploration of strategies and targets for remyelination, including the use of anti-inflammatory molecules or nanoparticles to deliver drugs. Although the use of these methods in animal models of diseases have shown to be effective in promoting remyelination, very few clinical trials in patients have met primary end points. This may be due to shortcomings or considerations that are not met while designing a clinical trial that targets remyelination. Potential solutions include diversifying disease targets and requiring concomitant interventions to promote rehabilitation
Estimates of accuracy for genomic-only breeding values and flock profiles in Australian Merino sheep
No full textAs uptake of genomic-only estimated breeding values (GEBVs) and Flock Profiles – defined as the average GEBV from a random sample of approximately 20 animals from a commercial flock – expands within the Australian sheep industry, the need for accurate and reliable results becomes increasingly critical. Currently, GEBVs are presented without accuracy estimates, making it difficult to judge the genomic connectedness of the genotype to the reference population. This study aims to develop and implement a robust methodology for estimating the accuracy of GEBVs and Flock Profiles. Building on existing genetic evaluation accuracy frameworks, we propose a new method that can be integrated into routine evaluations, providing users with confidence in the reliability of their results
Symmetric Cryptography: from the analysis of Australian payments security to the analysis of a novel white-box algorithm
No full textWith ever-present cyber threats, the role of symmetric ciphers in ensuring the security of our digital lives cannot be overstated. This dissertation undertakes a crucial investigation into innovative approaches and techniques for developing symmetric ciphers, with a primary focus on enhancing their security and rigorously assessing their effectiveness. The first section examines the historical evolution of cryptography, highlighting the significance of ciphers in modern security practices and exploring cryptanalysis methods. It provides a comprehensive overview of popular block cipher designs, including DES and AES, alongside an analysis of statistical attacks. This study critically evaluates cipher designs and statistical methods to differentiate between random outputs and non-random behaviours. Moreover, this dissertation delves into the cryptographic standards that govern the Australian payment system, referred to as AS2805. Our research reveals that the widely used methods within the AS2805 standards are insecure and susceptible to textbook attacks. During my candidature, I actively collaborated with the committee responsible for these standards to devise secure alternatives, with the aim of phasing out insecure methodologies. In the second part of the dissertation, we explore white-box ciphers and propose a novel methodology for embedding encryption keys within the non-linear layer of a symmetric cipher. While more straightforward methods exist, our approach promotes collaboration between two distinct parties, each independently computing the same non-linear layer. A key contribution of this research is introducing an innovative block cipher structure that integrates a substitution-permutation network (SPN) with the Lai-Massey network. This hybrid design is structured to balance security and efficiency, addressing the limitations inherent in traditional white-box cipher designs by combining incompatible mathematical operations. This work ultimately contributes to the ongoing advancement of symmetric cipher design and its application in enhancing cyber security, providing reassurance of its effectiveness
Accessibility and competency development: student experiences of a simulated practicum in postgraduate psychology training
No full textObjective: Practica are an integral component of postgraduate psychology training. Traditional face-to-face practica, however, have experienced challenges such as struggles to ensure students are exposed to a broad range of common mental health conditions, limited practicum availability, and student barriers to completing psychology practica, such as geographical location. Fully simulated practica represent a novel training approach that may address the challenges identified in face-to-face practica. The present study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of postgraduate professional psychology students completing a fully simulated practicum. Method: Seven semi-structured focus groups were conducted, in which students (N = 30) shared their perspectives of competency development within a simulated practicum, benefits, and challenges, of a simulated practicum. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the data and two thematic maps were developed to represent the findings. Results: The first thematic map “Evaluating My Competence in a Simulated Environment” explored students’ perspectives on increased competence as a result of the practicum. Students reported that their competence increased across a range of domains but that they may not have developed skills for responding to challenging client scenarios and expressed concerns that completing a simulated practicum might influence others' perceptions of their competence. The second thematic map “There are Unique Benefits and Challenges to a Simulated Environment” outlined safety, accessibility, the capacity to target and scaffold competency development, and peer interaction as unique strengths of a simulated learning environment. Students also identified challenges of skills practice within a simulated environment, such as inaccurate depictions of clinical presentations due to student actors’ lack of familiarity with different diagnoses, and a struggle to understand the expectations of their role in a new learning environment. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that a fully simulated practicum may increase accessibility of psychology training programs and address a range of challenges present in face-to-face practica
Quality of Life, Spiritual Wellbeing, and Meaning-Making in Individuals with Cancer and Their Carers
No full textA cancer diagnosis causes substantial upheaval for those diagnosed as well as for the people who care for them, many who provide support to the patient in a range of domains. Maximising quality of life and preventing lasting impacts for both patients and carers, is an important priority for research and clinical practice. As such, the research presented in this PhD thesis was guided by two key aims. The first of these was to explore the provision of psychosocial support in oncology and how this might be improved in Australia, with consideration given to the experiences and needs of people living in rural areas. The second overarching aim was to explore quality of life for people experiencing cancer and their carers, from a biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective. This included understanding the role of spiritual wellbeing and meaning-making during the cancer experience. The thesis presents five studies that were designed to meet these aims. In Study 1, a mixed-methods approach was used to explore levels of clinical distress in oncology patients and to qualitatively investigate the reasons why many people with cancer prefer not to access formal support services. Responses from rural participants were considered separately from those in metropolitan areas so that geographic differences could be understood. Study 2 was a systematic review which investigated how psychosocial support services in oncology settings were able to adapt to the crisis that unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a view to considering what outcomes were achieved and how this might be useful for improving services after the pandemic. In relation to the second aim for the PhD thesis, Study 3 was a longitudinal study that compared patient quality of life and spiritual wellbeing to comparison data, as well as exploring patient quality of life and spiritual wellbeing over time. Findings from two timepoints, approximately 14 months apart were reported. Patients reported low levels of quality of life and spiritual wellbeing which were sustained over an extended timeframe, suggesting that more needs to be done to support them. The unique role of spiritual wellbeing in supporting longer-term functional wellbeing was also highlighted. Studies 4 and 5 were qualitative studies based on qualitative interviews conducted with patients and carers. Study 4 used a deductive approach based on meaning-making theory to explore the meaning-making experiences of patients and carers individually. Study 5 used an inductive approach to explore dyadic meaning-making processes for couples where one member of the couple was a cancer patient and the other was their carer. The thesis contributes a new model of dyadic meaning-making for couples during the cancer experience. The findings of the PhD thesis provide valuable information for clinicians and services regarding potential service improvements that have relevance in rural and metropolitan areas. They also highlight an urgent need for additional and ongoing psychosocial-spiritual support within Australian oncology services for patients and carers. In addition, they highlight the importance of spiritual wellbeing and its association with longer-term functional wellbeing for cancer patients, which is an area for potential further development of intervention and support