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Trauma, Creativity and Repair: Reclaiming the Self Through Creative Practice
No full textMy practice-led project uses an autoethnographic approach to explore a lived experience of individual and familial trauma. Through the mediums of sculpture, installation, costume design, photographic self-portraiture, and drawing, I aim to express the complexity of trauma in new ways. My interdisciplinary doctoral research project explores the intersection of creative practice and psychoanalytic enquiry in contemporary art, focussing on an embodied approach, to act as a means of transforming the experience of trauma. My dissertation provides an in-depth analysis and contextualisation of my exploration of memory through my art practice, presenting this as a sensory, embodied experience that uncovers trauma and facilitates the restoration of a fragmented identity. It examines the creative processes involved in producing my artwork, demonstrating how engagement with material forms both reveal and transform trauma through embodiment and the associations inherent in the chosen materials. Throughout this study, I have created artworks that explore identity, self-image, and feelings of shame associated with the complexities of a lived experience of trauma. Thematically the artworks are centred around subjective visual imagery, exploring aspects of memory and emotional states related to traumatic childhood events. I have included anecdotal recollections and stories from my past in this dissertation. Connecting with these memories and embodied dissociative states is a vital part of this practice-led research. The dissertation outlines the creative methods developed throughout my candidature, in how loss, repressed emotion and self-reparation have been investigated through materiality, and an embodied stitching methodology. Identity and self-image have been explored through the creation of handmade costumes and staged photographic self-portraiture. Complex psychological states and repressed emotions have been researched through a drawing process that utilises imaginative and intuitive processes. The importance of the family album, story-telling, and kinship narratives are explored as to how these factors influence memory, truth, and identity. Growing up without a sense of family connection or any strong kinship ties had for many years left me disconnected and alienated from myself and the bonds of extended family and community. Naming and reclaiming the difficult aspects of my childhood after years of denial and silence led on to this creative, multi-disciplinary, trauma-informed PhD research project</p
Food Waste Ninjas and Sleeping Sheep: Understanding the Role of Vernacular Data Visualisation Design in Civic Engagement and Influencing Food-Wasting Habitual Behaviours
No full textStudies have shown that data visualisations designed into eco-feedback technology have
the persuasive capacity to change consumer habits that lead to significant financial and environmental
consequences. There is, however, growing concern over their ethical, equitable, and psychological
implications. This study looks at vernacular data visualisations — analogue representations of self-tracking data collectively designed by non-experts — and how they can be used as a bottom-up strategy for civic engagement and forming new habitual behaviours. Using consumer food waste as a case, this research was deployed as a nine-week, longitudinal, mixed-method study amongst working parents and their children in Australia (104 participants with a control group). Using theories in consumer behaviour psychology as a
framework together with the literature in data physicalisation, play, and vernacular design, the participants were provided with a design probe that contained: 1) visual nudges and information demonstrating how to build food-saving habits and 2) a paper-based self-tracker to encode and share how they used the items in Part 1 using their own material and visual fluency. By triangulating the results through thematic, content, and
paired samples frequency analysis, the results revealed that the group with access to the trackers was able
to sustain newly formed habits for longer. Using visual metaphors like ninjas and sheep facilitated a deeper understanding of their unique household dynamics and instilled a sense of autonomy and accountability. This paper presents vernacular visualisations as democratic behaviour change interventions that have a place amidst their digital counterparts.</p
US-China Arms Race in Space: Implications for Global Security
No full textThis thesis explores the US-China arms race in space and its implications for global security. The scholarship examines the motivation, practices, and repercussions of the ongoing competition between the US and China. Moreover, it will examine and shed light on the underlying components that have transformed space into a contested ground between global powers. By analyzing the national security concerns, technological innovations and geopolitical dimensions involved, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of the drivers behind the arms race and assesses its potential implications for global security. The pursuit of a technological edge has led to intense competition between China and the US, transforming space into contested ground for innovation and strategic advantage. The foremost concern of the US and China is reflected in their security considerations, where both powers perceive the security of their space-based equipment as important to their defense, military ability, and national security. Space-based systems such as satellite communications, early warning systems, and reconnaissance platforms extend critical benefits such as secure and reliable information, intelligence gathering, and command and control capabilities. The ongoing arms race in space is fuelled by these nations desire to maintain and expand their national security assets, which are central to modern warfare and security strategies. On the geopolitical front, the US and China vie for dominance, hegemony, prestige, and power in the global sphere, with space providing a symbolic and strategic domain for projecting their potential. The US and China both recognize that controlling space will have geopolitical advantages, shaping the balance of power and influencing regional dynamics. Such great power competition in the space domain between the US and China, therefor, translates into intense rivalry and aspirations for global leadership. In examining the implications of the arms race in space for global security, the thesis will produce a comprehensive understanding of the motivations and practices of both space actors. As the celestial domain is becoming a ground for power projection, international cooperation, arms control endeavours and exploring ways to ensure peaceful uses of space are imperative to eradicate risks, maintain peace and protect global security.</p
Online interactive resilience programme for final-year university students
No full textMany students are experiencing various mental health issues and challenges. Resilient traits are believed to help students overcome mental health challenges and adversities in academic settings. Hence, this research aims to evaluate an interactive resilience programme that was created based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. It assessed the impact on the final-year students' resilience levels and their perceptions of online interactive technologies in fostering learning resilience. Eighteen final-year students, comprising fourteen female and four male students from two universities, completed the programme and responded to the research instruments before and after the programme. The two instruments used were adapted from Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES–9S) for gathering distress levels and three dimensions of academic resilience quantitatively. Besides, the open feedback was analysed qualitatively. The results revealed an alarming level of distress among the final-year students and a moderate level of academic resilience. The programme managed to lower their distress levels (with p < .05) while significantly improved their academic resilience traits. These findings highlight the urgent need for resilience-building programmes tailored to Malaysian undergraduates, which could be scaled to address mental health challenges across universities nationwide.</p
Washed in the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life: the hotel in film
No full textAs this special issue demonstrates, the hotel in film is a significant place of human interaction, connection and disconnection. The film hotel is a cinematic site for elicit love making; prostitution and drug taking; crime and criminal acts; and for hideouts, getaways and betrayals. It exists in a moral vacuum even if the consequence for debauchery is often the characters’ death or their existential negation. At the end of Trainspotting (Boyle, 1996), Renton (Ewan McGregor), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle) sell heroin to a shady dealer in a seedy room at the run-down Royal Eagle Hotel in Bayswater, London. The squalor of the hotel matches the immoral forces that have been set in train. The next morning, Renton steals the bag of money while the others are asleep. Begbie, on discovering that Renton and the money are gone, destroys the hotel room in a fit of rage – the thread-bare space becoming the toxic location for his violence. The hotel is often a revolving doorway of spectacular violent action: its open and closed, expansive and claustrophobic spaces the perfect setting for a choreographic dance of fists, punches, kicks and gunplay.</p
Molecular Dynamics Study of Copper Nanocomposites Reinforced by Functionalized Graphene
No full textThe increasing demand for advanced materials with superior mechanical properties has driven extensive research into graphene-reinforced metal nanocomposites. Graphene (Gr), with its exceptional strength, thermal conductivity, and electrical properties, has been a promising reinforcement material for the widely used copper (Cu) composites. However, weak van der Waals (vdW) interactions between Cu and Gr hinder effective load transfer, limiting the mechanical performance of Gr/Cu composites. Additionally, the intrinsic brittleness of graphene restricts its application in flexible and high-strength nanocomposites. To address these challenges, this study explores functionally graded (FG) multilayer hydrogen-functionalized graphene (FG-MHGr) and graphene origami (GOri) structures as novel reinforcements for Cu matrices. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are employed to investigate the interfacial interactions, mechanical properties, and dynamic performance of FG-MHGr/Cu and GOri/Cu nanocomposites. By introducing an FG hydrogenation pattern in multilayer graphene, the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) is significantly enhanced while mitigating the adverse effects of hydrogenation. The results demonstrate that the FG-MHGr/Cu-O model exhibits superior interfacial interactions, achieving a 38% improvement in IFSS compared to conventional MHGr/Cu-U models. The gradient distribution of hydrogen functionalization optimizes load transfer efficiency, thereby improving the mechanical integrity of the composite. Besides, the FG-MHGr-O filler consistently shows the best reinforcement on the Cu matrix under the increasing weight fraction or surrounding temperature. Additionally, the study investigates FG multilayer graphene origami (FG-MGOri), designed via patterned hydrogenation, and its applications in Cu nanocomposites. Due to the unique three-dimensional (3D) folded structure and FG pattern, the FG-MGOri-O model enhances the flexibility of multilayer Gr fillers while simultaneously mitigating the adverse effects of hydrogenation on mechanical strength. Furthermore, the 3D structure of FG-MGOri increases interlocking effects at the Gr /Cu interface, improving interfacial strength and further enhancing the mechanical properties of FG-MGOri/Cu nanocomposites when compared to pure Cu. In addition to static mechanical evaluations, the dynamic performance of GOri/Cu nanocomposites is also assessed under high-velocity ballistic impacts. The results indicate that the folded GOri configurations promote dislocation, effectively absorbing impact energy. The wave propagation characteristics at the Gr/Cu interface facilitate rapid momentum transfer, further enhancing the composite’s impact resistance. At the same impact velocity, the maximum normal force and normal stress in the bottom layers of GOri/Cu nanocomposites are lower than those in Gr/Cu composites, highlighting the immense potential of GOri as a reinforcing material for impact protection applications. This research provides valuable insights into the design and development of novel FG graphene-metal nanocomposites. The incorporation of FG-MHGr and GOri into Cu matrices represents a significant advancement in interfacial strength, mechanical properties, and impact resistance, making these materials promising candidates for aerospace, defense, energy storage, and high-performance structural applications. This study lays down a strong foundation for the continued development of graphene-based FG materials, advancing nanocomposite engineering for next-generation material applications.</p
Initiating Sensory Science Research in Space Conditions—Current Practices and Future Perspectives
No full textSpace exploration continues to drive technological and scientific advancements, benefiting both space and Earth. This expanding sector, including commercial space stations, deep‐space missions, and space tourism, presents unique challenges and opportunities for food researchers. A critical issue is the limited understanding of how space conditions such as microgravity, isolation, and confinement affect sensory perception, impacting astronauts’ nutritional intake and psychological well‐being. This review based on a structured literature search strategy integrates existing data on flavor perception during spaceflight missions (n = 16), identifying sensory changes, altered flavor preferences, and cravings linked to space‐related stressors. It also evaluates space analogs and simulations related to sensory research (n = 29), assessing their applicability for studying food perception in space conditions. It identified consistent sensory changes, including diminished taste sensitivity, increased preference for spicy or umami‑rich foods, and intense flavors. However, research in this area remains limited, with small sample sizes, inconsistent methodologies, and lack of comprehensive guidelines on applying analogs and simulations in sensory studies. These gaps raise challenges for researchers, particularly those without access to space analogs or simulations, in designing space‐related studies. Critically analyzing the findings, the review identifies gaps in understanding the complex interactions between environmental, physiological, and sensory factors. It also outlines potential methodological pathways to strengthen future evidence generation, such as implementing ecologically valid research approaches and validated analog designs, including combined use of multiple analog environments to better replicate the multidimensional sensory context. Addressing these challenges will support astronaut well‐being and foster innovations that benefit both space and Earth‐based applications.</p
A student of cinema: Paul Cox at Prahran College
No full textThis chapter focuses on film production at Prahran College from 1968 to 1981. It highlights the importance of the Bauhaus model adopted by the College and its importance in both the teaching of film (alongside photography and other art forms) and the wider resurgence of filmmaking in Australia. It critically examines the specific practice and role of Paul Cox at the College and how this went on to inform his feature film career.</p
Design of micro/nano multilayer structure based on fabric for radiative cooling and infrared stealth
No full textTextiles with multiple functions such as cooling, infrared stealth and UV prevention are highly demanded for military applications and other scenarios. Using solution blowing technique, polyamide 66 (PA66) fibers were deposited onto a copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) coated plain cotton fabric in this work to demonstrate radiation cooling and infrared stealth. The net radiant cooling power reached 96 W/m2 in outdoor high temperature environment, as the heat accumulation on the fabric surface was reduced by the high reflectivity of the Cu-coated layer and the inherent absorption of PA66 film. The PA66/Cu NPs/cotton (PCC) fabric was 2.2 °C lower than the ambient temperature and 4 °C lower than the original cotton fabric. It was further verified that PCC fabric had excellent radiation refrigeration performance through ice melting experiment. The unique composite structure of PCC fabric presented strong scattering and absorption effects to lights, resulting in effectively reduced infrared radiation for infrared stealth. Apart from cooling human body, the PCC fabric reduced the ultraviolet radiation, playing a dual role of sunscreen and heat insulation for outdoor protective gear applications.</p
How do electricity disconnection bans work? Lessons learnt from exemplary case studies
No full textThis literature review examined bans on electricity disconnections in France, Spain, and Ireland to guide Australian consumer protection policies.</p