18397 research outputs found
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Growing intellectual disability employment in NSW government: Final report
No full textThere is increasing focus on the role governments can play in lifting employment rates for people with disability. In particular, people with intellectual disability are underrepresented in all levels of government, including the New South Wales state government, and without explicit strategies to employ them, employment rates will not improve.This report details the barriers people with intellectual disability face in accessing employment opportunities within the public sector. In addition to stigma and discrimination experienced by many people with disability in the workforce, people with intellectual disability face additional barriers to employment due to education gaps, a lack of appropriate support services, and inflexible recruitment practices. A culture of low expectations around what people with intellectual disability can achieve often sees them miss out on meaningful career guidance and work experience while at school, resulting in an absence of employment opportunities, or in pathways to low-paying jobs that don’t lead to better options. The report details the lack of experience of people with disability amongst public sector employees, and a lack of awareness of existing good practice in the employment of people with intellectual disability.</p
A Dying Day: A novel and exegesis [exegesis only]
No full textThis practice-led research asks `how can the Althusserian concepts of the Repressive State Apparatus and the Ideological State Apparatus be used to inform depictions of vigilantism in a crime fiction narrative'. It comprises two elements - a crime novel titled A Dying Day and an accompanying exegesis that critically situates the author's creative practice in the field and explores issues related to the production of the narrative. Its contributions include extending scholarship on the representation of the vigilante in fiction and demonstrating how Althusser's ideas can be tested through a crime novel.</p
"My Partner Just Wants to Sleep": A Qualitative Study of the Experience of Living with a Partner with Narcolepsy or Idiopathic Hypersomnia.
No full textNarcolepsy and Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH) are chronic sleep disorders that negatively impact the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of those who are diagnosed with the disorders. As such, Narcolepsy and IH may also impact the HRQoL of those close to the patient (e.g. partners, parents). AIM: This project explored the experiences of partners of people with Narcolepsy or IH, and examined how living with someone with the diagnosis had impacted their own HRQoL. METHODS: In this in-depth qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from eight people (4 males and 4 females, aged between 21 and 53 years old) whose partners had Narcolepsy T1, T2, or IH. The data was analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) to find common themes emerging from the participants' narratives. Self-reports for psychological distress (K10) and sleep quality (PSQI) were used. RESULTS: Five themes (and two sub-themes) were identified: 1) changes in dyadic identity; 2) negative impact on intimacy; 3) loneliness; 4) sacrifices to maintain the relationship, and 5) dissatisfaction at the lack of knowledge and information. CONCLUSIONS: Partners of patients with Narcolepsy or IH reported being affected by some of the symptoms of their partners' sleep disorder. Partners' social and emotional HRQoL were the features most strongly impacted by the disorders. Future research should focus on developing collaborative care models that involve patients' partners in treatment.</p
Responsible AI in Space: Regulating AI in the Final Frontier
No full textThis research investigates the regulatory gap arising from the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in space activities and how international space law struggles to address harms and risks from AI systems. It combines analysis of space law, emerging regulatory frameworks, standards, and Responsible AI frameworks with a survey of professionals and expert interviews. While many support voluntary standards, most acknowledged governance would be prioritised only if mandated. This research recommends binding, risk-based regulation, reinforced by standards and education, to guide Responsible AI in the space sector. This would manage risk, support innovation, and provide guidance to policymakers and industry.</p
An Investigation of Identity in Anorexia Nervosa Through Body Image Disturbance
No full textAnorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder which holds one of the highest premature mortality rates of any mental illness and has relapse rates of up to 40% in first year after treatment. Treatment outcomes may be ameliorated by improving our understanding of the underlying factors of the disorder. Identity, defined as the conscious awareness of oneself as a person involving feelings of coherence and uniqueness from others, is a central psychological construct which may represent one of these underlying factors in AN. Theoretical frameworks of AN often cite identity as a fundamental element of the disorder, suggesting identity disturbance to be connected to the development and maintenance of the illness through mechanisms such as body image disturbance (BID). Yet, despite these assertions, research on the potential link between identity, BID, and AN remains relatively scarce. As such, the current thesis investigated the role of identity disturbance and BID in AN. Collectively, the findings of this research suggest that both identity disturbance and BID may play crucial roles in the disorder, and may be linked to the maintenance of and recovery from the illness. The findings of this thesis have key implications for our understanding of AN.</p
<b>Using Speech Analyses for the Detection of Suicide Risk and Symptom Relapse in Eating Disorders: Protocol for a Longitudinal Cohort Study</b>
No full textBackground:Rates of suicidality and symptom relapse are unacceptably high amongst young people with eating disorders (EDs), yet current approaches inadequately predict when individuals are most at risk. Despite national priorities emphasising early intervention and dynamic monitoring, few studies have captured real-time indicators of increased risk during critical periods following discharge from acute medical care. Speech has shown promise for identifying suicidality in other psychiatric cohorts but remains underexplored in ED populations.Objectives:The primary study objectives are to examine whether acoustic features of speech can predict momentary suicide risk and eating disorder (ED) symptom severity among 12–25-year-olds with EDs, to identify which acoustic voice markers are most strongly associated with these outcomes over time, and to assess the accuracy of these markers in classifying suicide risk and ED severity in real time. We also aim to explore whether these relationships are influenced by demographic and clinical factors such as age, sex, ED diagnosis, age of illness onset, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Additional exploratory objectives include investigating potential mechanisms that may underlie associations between acoustic markers, ED symptoms, and suicidality.Methods:A four-month prospective cohort study will be conducted over three in-person visits (baseline, two months, four months), with additional smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) embedded over the first month. Speech recordings, suicide risk assessments, and ED symptom severity ratings will be performed at all in-person visits and across all EMA prompts. We aim to recruit 192 adolescents and young adults (aged 12–25) with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or another specified eating disorder.Results and Conclusions:This study is a two-year project, with work commencing in March 2025. Study recruitment is planned to commence in October 2025, with data collection scheduled to begin in November 2025 and continue through to November 2026. Given the limited research on speech acoustics in EDs, findings from this study may lay the groundwork for future studies and interventions that use speech as a passive, scalable, real-time indicator of psychological distress in young people with diverse ED presentations.</p
Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Rainfall and Streamflow in Melbourne using Machine Learning Techniques and Projected IFD Curves
No full textThis research tackles the growing risk of urban flooding under climate change. A new modeling approach, based upon machine learning techniques, was developed to predict streamflow in southeastern Melbourne's Gardiners Creek catchment, providing more accurate and reliable flood forecasts. Alongside this, observed rainfall records and climate projections were used to create new rainfall design curves that better reflect future extreme rainfall. Together, these tools provide practical and cost-effective ways for engineers, planners and policymakers to improve stormwater infrastructure, strengthen community resilience, and prepare Australian cities for more intense and frequent flooding.</p
A Hybrid Machine Learning Ensemble for Multi-Region Road Traffic Accident Severity Prediction
No full textRoad traffic accidents (RTAs) are currently a global concern, particularly among the low- and middle-income countries, which have limited resources and infrastructure to support road safety research. To address this challenge, this research aimed to design, develop and evaluate the performance of a hybrid machine learning ensemble for multi-region RTA severity prediction. Performance evaluation confirmed the real-world potential of the proposed model for smart cities and connected vehicles, such as efficient traffic management, prompt emergency response and smart navigation at RTA scenes. Overall, this research empowers the communities with AI-driven solutions for road safety enhancement.</p
Career Trajectories of Second-Generation Asian Australians in Australian Workplaces
No full textThis study explores the lived experiences of 1.5- and second-generation Asian Australians in Australian workplaces. Drawing on thematic analysis of interviews with 27 Asian leaders, the findings indicate that they are not immune from less favourable treatment resulting from unconscious biases and stereotyping despite spending their formative years in Australia. The findings also suggest that they proactively combat challenges such as their multiple identities to advance to leadership positions. This study extends prior knowledge of the underrepresentation of Asian Australians in senior management teams and offers suggestions to support them and their organisations in their advancement to leadership roles.</p
Central pathways associated with cardiovascular and metabolic health: A neuroimaging investigation
No full textCardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction are known to drive severe disease states such as obesity, leading to sympathetic nervous system activation, vascular dysfunction and inflammation that increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease, cognitive decline and, thus, mortality. Consequently, changes in brain structure and function have been observed in obesity and its comorbidities; however, whether changes in the brain are observed prior to the manifestation of cardiometabolic dysfunction in healthy individuals, is not understood well. The current thesis aimed to characterise brain dynamics associated with body fat and investigate their relationship with cardiovascular and metabolic profiles in a group of healthy adults.</p