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Design, modelling and evaluation of a variable inertance bypass fluid inerter
No full textThe inerter emerged as a mechanical analogy to the electrical capacitor, completing the force-current analogy. It operates as a one-port, two terminal device, where the equal and opposite forces at its terminals correlate with the relative acceleration between them. This relationship is governed by ‘inertance’, a quantity that bears the unit of mass, allowing inerters to exert inertial forces. Inerters have gained considerable traction, particularly in vibration control applications. Derived from their passive counterparts, variable inertance inerters enable active control of their inertance through integrated control mechanisms. This work presents the design, modelling and evaluation of a variable inertance inerter prototype dubbed the ‘Variable Inertance Bypass Fluid Inerter’ (VIBFI). An experimental prototype of the concept was designed, constructed and tested. Simultaneously, an effort to develop and validate a mathematical model of the VIBFI is thoroughly documented. Experimental results demonstrate the controllability of performance parameters of the device, including inertance and damping coefficients, through modulating the flow restriction of the bypass channel. The mathematical models derived for the device can serve as an estimate for its performance parameters, though further refinement is required
Topological Levinson's theorem via index pairings and spectral flow
No full textUsing techniques from noncommutative geometry, we explore how Levinson's theorem from scattering theory can be interpreted in a topological manner. We use low-energy resolvent expansions to deduce that the wave operator for short range scattering has a particular universal form. The wave operator does not have this form when certain obstructions occur in the resolvent expansions in even dimensions. Using the form of the wave operator, we apply index theoretic techniques to interpret Levinson's theorem as an index pairing between the K-theory class of the unitary scattering operator and the K-homology class of the generator of dilations on the half-line. A careful analysis of the trace class properties of the scattering operator allows us to provide new proofs of Levinson's theorem in all dimensions. We also compute the spectral ow for Euclidean Schrodinger operators, giving another new proof of Levinson's theorem in all dimensions
Supporting the Development and Management of Privacy-Aware Software Applications
No full textIn an era where digital and physical trails of user activities are tracked by software applications, protecting user privacy has become increasingly challenging. The growing user awareness regarding privacy, coupled with the introduction of data protection regulations, has urged for the need to protect personal data and empower users with control over their own data based on their individual rights. This has raised new challenges for software engineers, either in developing software applications that comply with relevant data protection regulations or in ensuring that existing software applications comply with these regulations. This thesis aims to develop a range of support for software engineers in developing privacy-aware software applications. We propose approaches and frameworks that address three key areas: privacy requirement engineering, privacy vulnerability identification and privacy policy generation. Firstly, we develop a taxonomy of privacy requirements for software applications based on well-established data protection regulations and privacy frameworks. In addition, we proposed artificial intelligence (AI) learning-based methods for automatically mapping privacy requirements in our taxonomy with issue reports in software projects. Secondly, we develop a taxonomy of common privacy threats, and propose eleven new common privacy weaknesses, which can be added into the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE). Finally, we propose and implement a framework that supports software developers in generating privacy policies. This framework not only generates a privacy policy that aligns with the functionalities actually implemented in software applications but also ensures compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation
The Impact of Music on the Mental and Emotional Health of First World War Soldiers
No full textThis thesis explores the impact music had on the mental and emotional health of soldiers during the First World War. Marching music, military bands, war songs and buglers are all aspects of music that have been closely related to war and the military for a large portion of human history, going as far back as ancient civilisations. This thesis explores this connection and addresses the impact music had during wartime, both on soldiers and the communities at home. Fundamentally, music had a positive impact on soldiers’ mental and emotional health and was effectively harnessed to drive recruitment, morale and patriotism at home. This study analyses the roles of music, the ways soldiers interacted with music on the front lines, how music was used to help shell shock victims and how the beginnings of the use of music as treatment for mental disorders during the First World War led to the development of modern music therapy as it is practiced today. Source material includes sheet music, self-made instruments, newspaper articles and military records, in addition to a vast body of scholarship. This evidence culminates in the conclusion that music was closely connected to the mental health of soldiers, aiding them to either maintain or regain mental health. This is significant as mental health in the military is an issue that remains important and has increased in public awareness
Identifying and Responding to Intimate Partner Violence in Australian Refugee Settlement Services
No full textPurpose: Emerging evidence suggests that women settling in a country after forced migration are at greater risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). Screening for IPV has been widely implemented in mainstream health services and found to increase identification of IPV and provide opportunities for access to support. The Australian government funds a suite of settlement services and programs to assist refugees in their settlement journey. This study aimed to assess the suitability of these settings to screen refugee women and to tailor responses to their needs, given their low utilisation of mainstream services. Methods: This study piloted IPV screening and a brief intervention for women accessing settlement services at four sites in Australia. Using the recently validated four-item ACTS tool which enquires about the frequency of women being afraid, controlled, threatened and slapped/hit by a partner, screening was undertaken by bi-cultural workers with risk assessment, safety planning and referral offered to those who disclosed. Results: Over a four-month period, 354 women were approached at routine visits to the service with 309 (87%) being asked the ACTS questions and 18 (5%) refusing. Responses from 90 women (29%) to the ACTS questions indicated past 12 months IPV. Of those experiencing IPV, 28 (31%) accepted support from the site’s IPV worker including four (4%) additionally referred to other services. Conclusion: Strong uptake, with high screening rates, low refusal rates and high disclosure rates indicate the potential for screening refugee women in services they already access for settlement support.</p
Balancing protection and production in ocean conservation
No full textWith the acceleration of the global biodiversity and climate crises, the need to protect and sustainably manage ocean resources has never been greater. However, the science needed to integrate ocean protection (through marine protected areas and OECMs) and sustainable production in the blue economy (particularly pelagic fisheries) remains underdeveloped and contested. The scientific divide and the knowledge gaps still remaining have created serious real-world challenges for practitioners seeking to reconcile protection and production approaches, and is hindering progress in achieving global conservation targets. Here, we identify the vital science necessary to bring together the “twin pillars” of protection and production, integrating mutually reinforcing meaningful protections at scale, while also driving management of production systems to internationally accepted sustainability standards. The research community must rapidly develop this new horizon of ocean science – particularly in pelagic ecosystems - to aid countries and practitioners in achieving global conservation and sustainable development targets.</p
Developing an Appendicectomy Surgical Pathway Ontology (ASPO)
No full textThis study proposes an ontology model to represent the surgical pathways for appendicectomy, incorporating domain knowledge extracted from literature and electronic records in an Australian health district. The ontology comprised 108 concepts and 81 object properties. The model is useful for continuous quality improvement initiatives, i.e., process mining to understand what happens in the hospital versus what is required by the policy.</p
How is primary care nursing embedded in nursing undergraduate curricula: A mixed-method study from four countries
No full textIntroduction: Given the increase in the primary care nursing workforce and the need to further grow nursing roles in the community understanding how this is included in undergraduate education is important. This study aimed to explore the inclusion of primary care in the undergraduate nursing education curriculum of four countries. Method: A mixed-method design was employed to obtain a broader context of primary care nursing in nursing education and teaching approaches relating to primary care nursing. Subsequently, Australia, Canada, Spain, and Ireland were selected for this study because primary healthcare systems are established as a part of their healthcare system. Results: In total, 136 nursing faculties (40 in Australia, 35 in Canada, 46 in Spain, and 15 in Ireland) were invited to participate in this study. Of these, 27 responses were obtained (19.8% response rate). Following the survey phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 participants. The results indicated that the highest number was coded within the theme of “Understanding of PHC in the curriculum” (n = 108). The second highest number (n = 87) was within the theme of “Interpretation differences of PHC in curriculum,” and the third highest (n = 31) was coded within “Policy impact on health by national government and others.”. Conclusion: The results emphasized the ambiguity of primary care within the undergraduate nursing curriculum and that interpretation and implementation into the curriculum largely depended on the school's intentions.</p
Brain and heart activity during interactions with pet dogs: A portable electroencephalogram and heart rate variability study
No full textDog ownership has been linked to numerous benefits to human health and wellbeing. However, due to the lack of previous research on changes to brain activity during interactions with pet dogs, the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine changes in heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalogram (EEG) power during interactions between dog owners and their pet dog. Fifty healthy adult dog owners completed baseline psychological measures and pet attachment scales. Subjective units of relaxation (SUR) as well as continuous EEG, HR, and HRV via portable devices were measured during five experimental conditions (baseline resting, relaxation-induction exercise, patting a toy dog, real dog present, and patting a real dog) in participants' homes. SUR was higher in all experimental conditions than at baseline. SUR was also higher during dog interaction than when the dog was present with no interaction. However, SUR during dog interaction was not significantly different from the toy dog and relaxation induction condition. Higher delta, theta, alpha, beta power and HR were found during dog interaction than all other conditions. Higher HRV was found during dog interaction compared to baseline, patting a toy dog, and relaxation-induction exercise, but not significantly different from the real dog present only condition. Lastly, overall HR correlated with psychological measures. Overall, the results show that there are significant changes in brain and heart activity when humans interact with pet dogs, consistent with increases in relaxation and focussed attention. These findings are relevant to understanding the potential mechanisms for health benefits associated with pets.</p
Julia Child’s France, pig slaughter in Portugal and a culinary detective: 5 delicious food writing classics
No full textSummer holidays are traditionally a time of celebration and feasting. So, as our minds turn to food and our stomachs rumble, why not read about it?These five food titles, ranging from a chef’s memoir to a foodie crime novel, offer a smorgasbord of perspectives on the ways food shapes our culture, our identities, our environment and our selves. All of them will leave you hungry!</p