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Building belonging for regional student retention in higher education: A case study
No full textBelonging has been identified as important to student retention, engagement, achievement and wellbeing in higher education. It has been challenging for universities to foster, particularly in non-traditional student cohorts and in regional areas. This article aims to identify how belonging has been experienced and supported on four regional campuses of one Australian university (University of Wollongong) enrolling a high proportion of non-traditional students. It focuses on belonging’s role in the students’ successful progress beyond the first year of their university studies. The study examines the experiences of students through focus groups discussing what aspects of their campuses had contributed to students’ success. This study extends previous work on belonging by describing how belonging is successfully cultivated in regional campuses through specific staff and student interactions that had built a culture of community and support, and how the belonging that resulted contributed to student retention. The study’s findings demonstrate how principles from theory and research about practices that support student belonging can be successfully enacted in a university setting with students from regional and equity backgrounds.</p
Are school canteens in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven set up for universal school meal programs?
No full textUniversal school meal programs aim to provide all students with access to nutritious, balanced meals at school. They are recognised internationally for improving students’ health, learning outcomes and reducing the stigma around food assistance. Following a successful pilot program in one Illawarra school, members of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Food Futures Taskforce, including the Health Promotion team at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Healthy Cities Australia and researchers from the University of Wollongong are working together to explore how these programs could be implemented across the whole Illawarra and Shoalhaven region. Their shared goal is towards creating healthier and more inclusive school food environments to improve the rising concern of food insecurity across the region. As a first step, mapping the available infrastructure already in schools to support the wider roll out of such a program is important. Many school canteens already contain essential kitchen infrastructure, such as ovens, fridges, freezers, and food preparation areas. Recognising this existing capacity helps to highlight the untapped potential within schools to support universal meal provision without requiring major new builds, but rather through strategic investment and coordination. Therefore, this report presents the results of an early mapping activity of current canteen infrastructure across Illawarra and Shoalhaven schools which helps to understand schools potential readiness to support a broader rollout of universal school meals. This work highlights existing strengths and opportunities that can guide future planning and investment, laying the groundwork for an equitable and sustainable approach to school meal provision across the region.</p
Covid cover-up: secrecy, censorship and suppression during the pandemic
No full textDuring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most health authorities, governments, and mass media organizations presented a single official view concerning lockdowns, masking, distancing, and vaccines. The methods used against contrary views can be classified into four types: flooding, ignoring, censoring, and attacking. The method of information flooding involves presenting dominant views in a unified front, overwhelming contrary views by volume and consistency. The method of ignoring includes the absence of research on alternative approaches, failure to report on research contrary to orthodoxy, and not mentioning challenging views. Censoring involves active measures to prevent the circulation of contrary information and views. Attacking includes steps taken to silence and penalize scientists, doctors and others with heterodox views and campaigns to discredit alternatives to recommended approaches. These four types of methods are interrelated, forming an ecology of information control.</p
Commemoration of a Nation: The Infatuation with Anzac in Australia’s WWI Centenary
No full textThis thesis is a political, social, and economic history of Australia’s WWI centenary commemorations (2014-2018). It addresses the power of the Anzac myth in modern Australia by investigating how it was used for political and commercial gain during the centenary period. The centenary presented a prime opportunity to further promote the national emotional investment in the ‘Anzac legend’ as the foundation of Australian national identity. An examination of commemorative events, speeches and exhibitions, many endorsed by the federal government, alongside media coverage, television series and various attempts to ‘commodify’ the centenary, reveals the extent of political and commercial exploitation of Anzac during this period. It equally demonstrates a substantial overestimation of the extent of public engagement with the Anzac narrative across the four years of the centenary.Twelve case studies of commemorative practices, events and products present a multifaceted analysis of Australian commemorations of the centenary of WWI. These assess: the success and failings of the official, government ‘Anzac Centenary Program’; how the centenary was represented in print media news outlets and television entertainment; and the corporate desire to financially capitalise on the romanticisation of Anzac. Several case studies document and assess the extravagant expenditure and political rhetoric that the Australian federal government engaged in to maintain the place of Anzac in the national identity.Through these case studies, the thesis reveals the extent to which the actual history of WWI was manipulated or suppressed to maintain a singular, idealised vision of the Anzac legend that was believed to be politically and commercially advantageous. Simplistic, ahistorical and nationalistic representations, aimed at encouraging community cohesion and support for the military, overwhelmingly predominated. Critical voices were subjected to censure and more nuanced representations of war were sidelined. Academic scholarship was almost entirely discarded to ensure this mythology was preserved.Consequently, Australian public knowledge of war history was not significantly diversified during the centenary period, and the oversaturation of commemorative, mythologised information created a national sense of exhaustion and disengagement. The thesis thus also analyses the appearance and trajectory of what came to be termed ‘commemoration fatigue’- a phenomenon that underscored the substantial overestimation of public investment in Anzac and the centenary. Ultimately, its findings call into question the power that the Anzac legend still holds in contemporary Australia and whether it will continue as the key foundation for the Australian national identity.</p
Evaluating the Robustness of Intracranial Single-Isocentre Multiple Target Stereotactic Radiosurgery under Varying Treatment Planning Optimisation Methods
No full textSingle Isocentre Multiple Targets (SIMT) Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) is a relatively new radiotherapy technique for treating multiple lesions in a single treatment session. However, the accuracy and robustness of SIMT SRS treatment plans can be affected by various treatment planning and delivery errors. Implementing effective and robust treatment planning optimisations is crucial to minimise these errors and ensure that dose delivery remains accurate across all targets, especially in complex clinical scenarios. This study aims to evaluate the robustness of SIMT SRS treatment plans against a range of clinically relevant uncertainties by implementing different planning optimisations. Specifically, this study investigates how various optimisation strategies impact plan performance, focusing on the treatment plan’s ability to maintain a high target coverage while also minimising radiation dose to healthy tissues under different error scenarios. The set of original (OG) plans was first generated using standard planning protocols, then a set of three additional planning optimisations, including a monitor unit prioritisation (MU), aperture shape control (ASC), and a combination of the two (MU+ASC), were applied. The complexity metrics of these original plans were evaluated, and it was determined that the MU and MU+ASC optimisation methods reduced the complexity of the plans in comparison to the OG plans. A set of ten simulated errors was then introduced to the plans for each patient and optimisation methods. The robustness of each plan was investigated by evaluating the clinically relevant doses to organs at risk (OARs), PTV100%, GTV D98%, and the brain V12Gy dose.</p
Improving Skeleton-based Action Recognition
No full textSkeleton-based human action recognition is a vibrant research area in computer vision; however, existing approaches often struggle to fully capture the complex spatiotemporal dynamics and discriminative features necessary for achieving robust recognition. This thesis introduces four novel methods that enhance action recognition performance in both supervised and self-supervised paradigms.First, a temporal pooling algorithm, termed Asynchronous Joint-Based Temporal Pooling (AJTP), is proposed, which selectively aggregates informative cross-joint and crosstime dynamics. Unlike conventional pooling methods that treat all joints and frames uniformly, often leading to the aggregation of less discriminative features, AJTP is a leamable pooling algorithm that adaptively focuses on the most discriminative features for action recognition. It integrates seamlessly with both Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) and Transformer-based models, significantly improving feature aggregation in supervised settings. Second, Spatial-Temporal Joint Density (STJD) is proposed as a novel metric to overcome the limitations of existing self-supervised approaches, which are often based on the assumption that only moving body joints and parts are informative. STJD dynamically quantifies the interactions between moving and static joints, enabling the effective identification of a subset of discriminative joints. STJD can be used in both contrastive and reconstruction-based unsupervised frameworks to guide the learning of discriminative representations. Third, a Unified Generative and Discriminative Learning (UGDL) framework is introduced. Traditional self-supervised methods tend to yield representations that either capture overly coarse sequence-level features or focus excessively on low-level details. In contrast, UGDL jointly optimizes explicit objective functions that balance representational capacity with discriminative ability, thereby producing more robust representations for downstream tasks. Lastly, DiffMotion is proposed to explicitly model uncertainty in skeletal motion dynamics, addressing a key limitation in current self-supervised learning approaches. By integrating denoising diffusion probabilistic techniques into the reconstruction framework, DiffMotion models the motion distribution of masked regions conditioned on visible joints, leading to robust action recognition.Together, these contributions advance the state of the art in skeleton-based human action recognition, both theoretically and practically. They provide significant improvements in both supervised and self-supervised learning frameworks, establishing a new benchmark for future research.</p
Improving the quality and safety of hospital care for older people, focusing on two geriatric syndromes: falls and pain
No full textBackground In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of hospital services by older people. One in nine Australians visiting hospitals experience complications; this increases to one in four for those staying overnight. The increased vulnerability experienced by older people poses considerable challenges in their care, making some of them more susceptible to complications known as geriatric syndromes; for example, falls, delirium, and pain, all of which discernibly impacts the quality and safety of care and increases the risk of adverse outcomes. Falls are a major concern, accounting for 40% of injuries in acute care settings, despite preventive strategies. Similarly, pain is often under-recognised and undertreated, especially in older people with cognitive impairment.The Overall Aim of this PhD This PhD aimed to improve the quality of care and safety of older people in acute care by addressing these two key issues: falls in older people and pain in older people with cognitive impairment. This PhD was conducted in the specific context of a hospital within a local health district in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.Specific Aims of the Two Studies Study 1: This study aimed to explore nurses’ and patients’ perceptions of falls using a reflective model chosen by the nurses and to identify strategies to reduce falls among older people on the participating wards. Study 2: The aim of this study was to improve the assessment and management of pain in older people with cognitive impairment on the participating wards.Methods The overarching methodology of this PhD was action research (AR). Study 1 employed a participatory action research (PAR) approach and involved quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. It comprised four phases, and two PAR cycles, with quantitative data on the number of falls and qualitative data gathered through focus groups and reflections from staff and patients. Information from the first phase informed the subsequent phase, fostering collaboration between nurses and patients to develop innovative preventive strategies. These solutions were then implemented and evaluated in conjunction with the participating ward staff.Study 2 used AR and was guided by the Integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework, which is characterised by four primary constructs: facilitation, innovation, recipients, and context. Evidence was collected through audits, a knowledge survey, and focus groups conducted in participating wards. The data were analysed and collated according to the specific context of each ward. Facilitation played an instrumental role, an evidence-based educational intervention based on feedback from the nurses, and co-designed solutions were developed to enhance pain assessment and management in older people. These were then implemented and evaluated to enhance pain assessment and management.Findings In Study 1, qualitative findings revealed key themes: "It was out of my control," "Falls could have been prevented," and "It was very sad" (Nurses); and "I thought I will be fine," "No one came for a long time," "I fell because...," "You can help me," and "I was hurt" (Patients). In cycle 1, initial interventions reduced falls rates in all wards, although the effects varied. Ward A showed notable decreases followed by a slight increase, Ward B consistently maintained the lowest rates, and Ward C showed fluctuating but reduced rates. In cycle 2, Ward A and Ward B demonstrated promising initial decreases, with slight increases in post-intervention, while Ward C had the highest and most variable rates. Fall-related injuries were minimal and stable across both cycles, with no deaths reported.In alignment with the i-PARIHS framework, Study 2 underscored the significance of innovation, recipients, context, and facilitation in driving positive change among nurses. Data from audits, knowledge surveys and focus groups spotlighted the pivotal role of facilitation in the success of an educational intervention. Qualitative themes highlighted nurses’ perceptions: “inconsistencies in pain assessment and management”, “pain assessment is too hard”, and “ways to improve the pain assessment and management”. Tailored interventions were implemented successfully, e.g., pain champions, and development of a resource manual. This resulted in a considerable increase in the use of behavioural pain assessment tools and administration of analgesics post-assessment. There were notable increases in the nurses' knowledge and confidence in assessing and managing pain in older people with cognitive impairment.Conclusion This study highlights the importance of collaborative, educational, and context-focused interventions for addressing falls prevention and pain management. The findings suggest leadership and facilitation are paramount for implementing solutions for these geriatric syndromes. These results can inform future research, clinical practice, and policy development to enhance care quality for older patients in hospital.</p
Social constructions of non-invasive prenatal testing: The new right tool for the job?
No full textSince 2011, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has experienced widespread uptake around the world. While significant academic attention has been given to the clinical, legal, and ethical dimensions of NIPT, there remains little investigation of its social aspects.This thesis presents findings from a qualitative examination of NIPT in Australia. Drawing from a range of empirical data, including interviews with healthcare professionals, media coverage, advertising material, and online discussions, I analyse how understandings of NIPT’s technical, clinical, social, and ethical workability have been discursively constructed. Gaining insight into the perspectives of different social groups connected to NIPT is critical for better understanding the social shaping of new biomedical developments.I find that, while individual and collective accounts of the value of NIPT are dynamic and heterogeneous, three broad positions can be identified: that NIPT is the right tool for the right job; that NIPT is the wrong tool for the right job; and, that NIPT is the right tool for the wrong job.My analysis draws from social worlds theory to investigate who is connected to NIPT and how they talk about it. I complement this with compatible constructivist theories focussing on the intersection of people, discourse and biomedicine. I approach discourse as something that does things and through which things are done. I build on work on promissory discourses and the sociology of expectations, and explore the performative capacity of discourse to propel (and constrain) action around this new biomedical object.Building on studies on biomedicalisation, I also examine the wider sociotechnical and cultural elements conditioning and reflected in accounts of NIPT. I focus on the way biomedicalisation trends (e.g. commercialisation, technoscientisation) and countertrends, have manifested within the Australian context, highlighting the broader conditions shaping NIPT’s development. I also examine instances of resistance against biomedicalization, drawing attention to the ways in which NIPT’s use has been both practically and discursively contested.This study contributes to academic scholarship by interrogating how biomedicalisation functions outside of the US and providing new insight into how NIPT has come to be manifoldly understood within Australia.</p
Design and Control of Multifunctional Electromagnetic Dampers for Enhanced Vehicle Suspension Performance
No full textThe suspension system plays a crucial role in ensuring vehicle ride comfort, handling stability, safety, and energy efficiency, especially with the growing demands of modern passengers and drivers. This thesis develops multifunctional electromagnetic dampers (MFEMDs), an emerging suspension technology. These dampers integrate the advantages of multiple suspension types through electrical network design and control strategies. This research proposes multifunctional electromagnetic damper (MFEMD) systems and their control strategies. The goal is to achieve a balanced improvement in ride comfort, handling stability, and energy efficiency.The traditional four types of suspension systems—passive, active, semi-active, and energy regeneration suspensions—each have distinct advantages and limitations in terms of ride comfort, handling stability, road-holding performance, and energy efficiency. By combining the strengths of these systems, MFEMD systems can overcome individual disadvantages, achieving both improved energy efficiency and enhanced vibration control performance. This promising capability has driven the rapid development of multifunctional suspensions such as MFEMDs.</p
Psychiatry Unexplained
No full textThis thesis critically examines the arguments and justifications that have maintained explanation as a prime principle in psychiatric theory and practice. This thesis starts from the widespread assumption that psychiatry is a discipline with commitments to causal explanations. It examines the recent history of philosophical accounts of scientific explanations and some of the epistemic tools used in their construction; natural kinds, levels, and the reification or “ontologisation” of abstract objects. The thesis proposes a turn from explanation to understanding as the central epistemic goal in psychiatric practice. This turn leads to a pragmatic conception of psychiatry as, fundamentally, a human practice, informed by science but not a science itself.The first chapters critically examine philosophical arguments about scientific explanation in psychiatry. They focus on key ideas.The first is that psychiatry relies on forms of causal explanation found in science more generally. This starts from nomological models in which explanations are validated by natural laws or high levels of inductive support. As that nomological model was eclipsed in psychiatry and in science generally, explanation turned to mechanisms dominated by genetic, neural, and “neurocognitive” mechanisms. That has not been successfully accomplished in psychiatry. In the absence of nomological or mechanistic explanation, explanation drawn from “Natural History” has been the dominant mode as in the rest of clinical medicine.Secondly, natural history style explanation is built on “natural” kinds (e.g. species in biology, diagnoses and psychopathological classes in psychiatry). Natural kinds are assumed to conform with the causal structure of the natural world, hence they will support induction, causal scientific explanation, prediction, and intervention. Natural kinds and their consequent assumptions are examined and their validity questioned.Thirdly, psychiatry’s objects, its diagnoses, its classes, and its processes are epistemological tools. They are mistakenly assumed to have an ontological foundation in the uncertain pathological processes underlying psychiatric illnesses.More than one hundred years ago Charles Broad, writing about induction, argued that universal causation, natural kinds, and permanent substances, are interwoven as a whole and if any fails, they all fail. The preceding sections argue that they fail.This leads to the Volta or turn from a conventional epistemology of psychiatric explanation. The turn starts from philosophical critiques of the causal assumptions of scientific explanation and the dogma of empirical verification of psychiatry’s objects of explanation. It is also a turn from a narrow view of science in psychiatry as the search for cause in “biological” (brain-based) scientific knowledge toward a science that includes descriptive and historical knowledge.The turn hinges on the contrast between Explanation and Understanding in psychiatry. This starts from contrast of Erklärung as explanation that is appropriate to physical sciences and Verstehen as the understanding appropriate to “human” sciences. Jaspers brought this into psychiatry from Windelbandt and Dilthey. That contrast proves too sharp but it is a contrast, not the opposition as the Methodenstreit constructed it. The argument expands into an examination of a wider understanding of understanding but I signal here that psychiatry is a practice, not a science. This steers the development of the argument. In psychiatry, understanding yields a larger “epistemic gain” than is provided by explanation and is more tolerant of uncertain and incomplete information. Understanding is served by “thick” description and it serves comprehension rather than factual explanation and anticipation rather than prediction. Language plays an outsized role in this.The thesis argues that transparent “thick” description that serves understanding, is the primary skill in psychiatry. It comes before the opaque postulates of scientific explanation and, while description is implicated even in the most rigorous explanation, the description most useful in understanding is the sort of topographic description that gives an overview of the field of phenomena and events. Rather than opposing methods, description and explanation are better seen as poles of a virtuous hermeneutic circle, where creative attempts at explanation focuses a light on phenomena that are comprehended in description. For some time, explanation has been overvalued at the expense of description in psychiatry. In the end, narrative drawn from thick description starts to break down the distinction between explanation and description.The argument of the thesis is resolved in a coda which returns to psychiatry as an interventional practice. Practice, composed of what psychiatrists can do best, decides the domain of psychiatry. That domain is not decided by definitions or scientific delineations of mental illnesses. Psychiatric practice is informed by the human and biological sciences but it is constituted largely by the long experience of the profession transmitted in a tradition and the personal experience of the practitioner, summed as phronesis.Ultimately, there is a limit to what practice can draw from causal explanation, from scientific generalisation and from theoretical postulation, except as a spur to the reconsideration of the tradition and the careful clinical description that yields judgment and considered intervention. Finally, psychiatry is a practice that whose practitioners draw mainly from the tradition in which they are rooted. The tradition requires constant updating from the sciences, from theory but most particularly from the description and redescription of the problems the profession faces.</p