18397 research outputs found
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Sound Analysis of the Foaming Process During Gas Injection in Oxygen Steelmaking
No full textAccurate control of slag foaming in oxygen steelmaking is essential for process efficiency and safety. This thesis investigates the use of acoustics for contactless slag foam measurement through laboratory cold model experiments and plant trials. Cold model studies examine how geometry, frequency, and foam configuration influence acoustic signals when correlated with aqueous foam heights. Findings inform plant trials using identical recording hardware to monitor real-time steelmaking heats. This research enhances the understanding of acoustic signal behaviour in slag foam and its sensitivity to process parameters, offering insights into its application for steelmaking process monitoring and control.</p
X-Ray Vision: The Iconic Figure of the Superhero
No full textX-Ray Vision is an artefact and exegesis focusing on the cultural figure of the comic book superhero, epitomised by the characters of Marvel and DC Comics. Its artefact is a novel, centred around Martin, an expert in superheroes, also studying them for a Ph.D. Martin believes his expertise is proven to have value when an actual superhero crashes through his window and onto the floor of his suburban apartment in Melbourne, Australia. Must a literary investigation into a superhero inevitably break him down, or can X-Ray Vision's protagonist find a way to keep his hero intact?</p
Developing artificial intelligence based long-term streamflow forecasting models: a case study of Murray Darling Basin, Australia
No full textThis research developed advanced computer-based models to improve the prediction of river streamflow across Australia. Reliable streamflow forecasts are essential for effective water resource management, agricultural planning, and reducing the impacts of floods and droughts. The study explored how large-scale ocean and climate patterns influence river flows and created innovative models capable of forecasting changes up to twelve months in advance. By improving long-term prediction accuracy, this research supports better decision-making for governments and communities, helping Australia adapt to climate variability and build more sustainable and resilient water management systems.</p
Australian Children’s Television Cultures Summary Report 2021-2024. ACTC Report 8: 2025
No full textThis report provides a summary of key findings from across all streams of the Australian Children’s Television Cultures’ 2021–2024 research project, which comprehensively investigated the diverse roles, cultural significance, and production contexts of Australian children’s television and screen content during a time of huge disruption in the sector.</p
Lunar Steel Production through Fe-Si alloy
No full textThis PhD thesis explores how metals can be made on the Moon using lunar soil (called regolith) instead of sending materials from the Earth which is extremely expensive. Oxygen extraction from the lunar regolith inevitably produces iron silicon (Fe-Si) alloys as byproducts. This research focuses on first making the Fe-Si alloys from lunar regolith stimulant and then refining these alloys into "Lunar steel". Through thermodynamic modelling and laboratory experiments, the study demonstrated how "Lunar Steel" could be produced by refining of Fe-Si alloys. The resulting strong, ductile steel could support lunar bases, pipelines, and machinery, paving the way for sustainable lunar habitat.</p
The Impact of Cannabis Decriminalisation on Road Safety in the ACT
No full textOn 31 January 2020, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) formally decriminalised the possession and use of cannabis with the enactment of the Cannabis Act. Residents can now possess up to 50 grams of dried cannabis, cultivate up to two plants per person, and consume cannabis in their own home1. Data collected so far suggests that cannabis use rates have remained stable following decriminalisation, while charges for cannabis offences have continued to trend downwards. One key question that has not yet been addressed is whether the enactment of the Cannabis Act has had a detrimental impact on road safety. This project sought to answer this question through a retrospective analysis of crashes occurring in the ACT between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2023. Crash data were provided by ACT Police and Roads ACT.</p
Contours for the Encounter
No full textContours for the Encounter reimagines a forgotten pocket of Beijing’s urban fabric as a flowing topography of encounter and exchange. Set within a dense and shifting cityscape, the project transforms a residual site once defined by barriers and neglect into an open, continuous terrain that invites movement, touch, and reflection.The landscape unfolds as a sequence of sculpted contours that weave gently among existing trees and vegetation. These fluid forms rise, dip, and extend to form seats, paths, play zones, and quiet resting places, dissolving the distinction between structure and ground. The resulting field of movement encourages an intuitive occupation of space, where users can climb, sit, lean, or pause, engaging the body as much as the eye.Material transitions heighten the sensory dialogue between the natural and the constructed. Warm timber surfaces meet smooth concrete edges, while soft planting merges with gravel and permeable stone. Rainwater traces slow paths across the contours, leaves gather in subtle folds, and shifting light animates the curved edges through the day and across the seasons. These ephemeral events are embraced as part of the design, revealing the passage of time through the gentle choreography of natural processes.The landscape’s open configuration resists enclosure and draws the surrounding community inward, erasing the separations typical of walled gardens and fenced courtyards. Carefully positioned lighting and sightlines preserve both safety and intimacy, allowing the space to remain alive through day and night.Contours for the Encounter transforms an overlooked void into a living topography, an urban terrain that blurs nature, structure, and human movement. It becomes not a garden to be observed but a landscape to be inhabited, where form, material, and season converge to evoke a quiet yet profound sense of belonging within the city.</p
Embedding Mental Health Skills and Workforce Training into an Undergraduate Psychology Program: A Case for VET-HE Integration
No full textThe aim of this thesis was to assess the impact of embedding a Certificate IV in Mental Health within a psychology undergraduate program in terms of student experiences and outcomes, and alignment with the needs of the mental health sector. This was explored across 2 studies, utilising a mixed-methods approach. Findings from both studies generally supported the initiative. However, this research did identify many aspects that required further consideration, such as the timing or condensed nature of the course and the subsequent impacts on placement experiences. This thesis has critical implications for psychology students, educators, and the mental health workforce.</p
Expression, Purification, and Functional Analysis of Micrurotoxin Peptide Toxins: Mechanisms of Interaction with GABAA Receptors
No full textMmTx, a snake venom three-finger toxin, is a small disulfide-rich peptide with potential biomedical applications. γ-Aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAA receptors) are critical inhibitory ion channels that regulate brain activity. This study explored the interaction between MmTx and GABAA receptors, revealing that MmTx alone has no effect but enhances receptor currents when co-applied with GABA. Importantly, receptors containing β2 or β3 subunits showed strong potentiation (150–200%), while those with β1 subunits displayed only modest effects (20–50%). These findings uncover a novel β-subunit–dependent mechanism of modulation, advancing understanding of receptor regulation and highlighting translational value for drug discovery.</p
Social Media Affordances for Destination Image Formation
No full textThis research examines how destination images are formed on social media. Focusing on Melbourne’s local governments, companies, organisations, and the social media users who engage with their content, the thesis demonstrates that destination images are co-created—sometimes intentionally, but more often unintentionally—as actors actualise social media affordances. The findings provide valuable insights for managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders with the resources and strategic intent to design more effective approaches to destination image formation.</p