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Compressive sensing based positioning algorithms to locate transmitting nodes in wireless networks
No full textThesis by publication.Bibliography: pages 223-244.1. Introduction -- 2. Literature review -- 3. Highly accurate off-grid direction of arrival estimation using an uniform circular array -- 4. A novel signal processing technique to estimate the off-grid direction of arrival using a uniform linear array -- 5. Performance comparison of a uniform circular array and uniform linear array using an iterative compressive sensing framework -- 6. Multresolution compressive sensing algorithm to detect off-grid direction of arrival -- 7. Effective sensor positioning to localize target transmitters in a cognitive radio network -- 8. Conclusion and future work -- Appendices.Over the decades, the Wireless Cellular Network (WCN) and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) have transformed into a gigantic eco-system feeding billions of portable devices with an astronomical amount of the digital data. With modernization and miniaturization of computer electronics, this amount of data is set to hit a record high in the next few years. Unfortunately, current infrastructures of WCN and WLAN are struggling to cope with the global demand due to severe scarcity of spectral resources and outdated infrastructure. This lead to extensive research on the upcoming Fifth Generation (5G) wireless network technology. The 5G technology aims to increase the data rate by two orders of magnitude compared to the predecessor technology 4G. The technologies listed to be the key enablers for 5G include, spatial multiplexing, device-to-device communication, beam-forming and cognitive radio networks (self-configuration networks). In this regard, geo-location information of the wireless devices is crucial in bounding the large-scale interference between the devices to a level producing acceptable performance degradation. Moreover, accurate positioning information plays a critical role in determining exclusion zones for wireless devices in networks, and this enables maximal spectrum reuse and spectrum efficiency.The thesis introduces several novel algorithms. Algorithms are introduced which accurately determine the Direction Of Arrival (DOA) of the signal at a receiver. Using these techniques at two or more receiving locations, the position of the radio transmitter may be determined with great accuracy using triangulation. In addition, the thesis proposes an algorithm to determine the position of a transmitting source using the Received Signal Strength (RSS) at several locations. The new DOA and RSS based positioning algorithms are based upon the framework of compressive sensing (CS),which is an emerging signal processing technique that offers superior recovery of a signal using limited observations, especially when the signal is sparse in some given bases. For CS implementation of the DOA estimation, the problem is initially modeled with the assumption that actual DOA is one of a quantized set of angles. With this assumption, a dictionary matrix may be constructed which can be used in the CS algorithm to find an estimated DOA which is an element of the set of quantized positions. In practical situations, the actual DOA is not always equal to an element of the quantized set of grid points, and this implies that the estimated DOA will have some quantization error. Since the number of antenna elements is typically much smaller than the number of quantization points, the matrix formulation of the solution of the vector indicating the DOA represent an under-determined set of equations. Compressive sensing is used to determine the sparsest solution to the matrix equation.A fundamentally new iterative algorithm to estimate the DOA of an incoming signal in a wireless network is introduced in the thesis. This algorithm, which utilizes compressive sensing as a foundation, eliminates the error induced due to discrete grid quantization. This enables the estimation error performance of the algorithm to achieve the theoretical Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) using just two iterations. The algorithm requires extremely low computational complexity for implementation and is general in nature. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated by applying it to two antenna array geometries, the Uniform Circular Array (UCA) and Uniform Linear Array (ULA). For both the UCA and the ULA, the CRLB performance is achieved by the new algorithm. The relative performances of the UCA and ULA were compared.The thesis also considers a novel multiresolution DOA estimation algorithm based on CS that illustrates superior performance compared to the traditional techniques.The multiresolution approach is also shown to be effective in reducing the computational complexity of the estimation process.A novel RSS based localization algorithm is presented that offers improvement in the structure of the dictionary matrix by selectively eliminating observations from closely placed sensors. Similar observations lead to ill-conditioned dictionary matrices and as a result, degrades the performance of CS processing. The study illustrates that different random distributions of sensors have unique effects on the structure of the measurement matrices. An in-depth analysis on the impact of different parameters on the structure of the dictionary matrix is presented. The analysis suggests that careful manipulation of antenna array geometry parameters can significantly enhance the structure of the dictionary matrix and therefore improve the estimation accuracy of the algorithm. In summary, the thesis investigates localization techniques based on compressive sensing processing. Several new, high-performance algorithms were described and their performances and computational complexities were analyzed. The thesis establishes a connection between the mathematical properties of the dictionary matrix and the performance of the new localization techniques. Within classes of antenna array geometries, the dictionary matrix properties are used as an enabler for the selection of antenna elements spacings that provided optimized DOA estimation performance.1 online resource (xxviii, 244 pages : illustrations
Finding the female in ancient Greek landscapes
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 247-273.Chapter One. Finding the female in ancient Greek landscapes : introduction, scholarship and methods -- Chapter Two. Digging-up the earth : denotations of ancient Greek landscapes and female beings -- Chapter Three. The sensuality and physicality of kῆπος, Λειμών, vegetation and females in Archaic to Hellenistic evidence -- Chapter Four. Calypso’s Garden: Νύμφη, Θεά and the Ogygian landscape -- Chapter Five. A walk on the wooded side : goddesses and emotional evocation in Ἄλσοςand Ὕλη in Archaic Greek myth and poetry -- Chapter Six. Female associations with Ἀγροί, Ἄρουραι and Νομοί -- Chapter Seven. Females of the Ἀλωή and Ὄρχατος -- Chapter Eight. Conclusions -- Bibliography.This thesis examines the associations between females and landscape in ancient Greek evidence from the Archaic to Hellenistic periods. Drawing on select linguistic evidence, it demonstrates that ancient Greek poets and authors use landscape and its features in numerous ways in relation to females. These include their bodies and physical appearances; culturally prescribed female experiences including maidenhood, womanhood and motherhood; female sexuality and sensuality; the manifestation or expression of female power, ability and persona; and female participation in society such as in ritual and religion, marriage as an institution and physical labour in cultivated landscapes.The investigation reveals women who negotiate their roles in social norms, expectations and relationships with others, whilst challenging the assignment of the female to passivity, silence and seclusion.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xii, 273 pages) illustration
Chinese luxury fashion buying behaviour
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 144-158.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Affiliation, differentiation and social taboos in luxury fashion purchases -- Chapter 3. Live here, buy overseas? Chinese luxury fashion buyers -- Chapter 4. Which bag? Predicting consumer preferences for a luxury product with a discrete choice experiment -- Chapter 5. Conclusion -- Chapter 6. References -- Chapter 7. Appendix.This thesis investigates the buying motivations, buying behaviour, and buying preferences of Chinese luxury fashion consumers. The Chinese market is now the second largest market for luxury products, and it is forecast to become the largest market over the next decade. However, the vast bulk of research into the behaviour and motivations of luxury goods buyers has been with Western consumers. Although there is now an increasing amount of research with Chinese and other Asian consumers, much of that research has been with students (most of whom are unlikely to purchase luxury products, except perhaps for the lowest priced products, such as key rings or coin purses), and/or with Asians living in developed cultures, such as Singapore, Hong Kong or Western countries. This relative lack of research with actual Chinese purchasers of luxury products presents an obvious gap in the literature. Research with Chinese consumers is particularly important because there are theoretical arguments and empirical evidence suggesting that Chinese consumers will make decisions about luxury products differently from Western consumers.This thesis addresses the relative lack of research with Chinese luxury goods consumers in three separate but inter-related papers investigating the motivations, behaviours and preferences of Chinese luxury goods buyers, and in a large quantitative study, the preferences of a diverse sample of Chinese consumers. The first two studies used in-depth interviews to explore the buying motivations and behaviour of wealthy Chinese consumers who are repeat buyers of luxury fashion products. The first study identified that many of the study’s participants bought luxury products outside China, and that it was common for Chinese to ask someone who was travelling outside China to buy a luxury product for them while travelling. The second study was therefore designed to explore where Chinese consumers buy luxury products, and why. Finally, the third study – in a large discrete choice analysis study – examined the impact of product characteristics, attitudinal and social factors on consumers’ preferences regarding luxury fashion products.Many of the findings from the research are consistent with prior research – for example, the use of luxury products for status signalling, and for affiliation with attractive reference groups and differentiation from undesirable groups. However, the research also identified characteristics of the Chinese luxury goods market that have not been identified in previous research. For example, the research is the first to identify a luxury brand becoming the subject of a social taboo, after a perception that it has become popular with an undesirable social group. The research also shows evidence to support untested propositions from previous research – for example, the suggestion that hedonic features will be less important for Asian luxury goods buyers. Despite the frequent discussion in the Western literature of the importance of hedonic features for luxury goods buyers, the wealthy repeat buyers of luxury products in this study appeared to almost always choose luxury products on the basis of an acceptable brand, rather than on the basis of an evaluation of the relative hedonic benefits from different products. Study Two also identified the frequency of what the thesis has described as a ‘commissioned purchase’ – where one consumer asks another to buy a luxury product for them outside China. While the concept of a commissioned purchase is not new, the frequency of commissioned purchases for high-cost, high-involvement products, where a dissatisfied customer cannot return the product for a refund, is novel in the literature and also challenges the frequently discussed importance of the retail store for luxury products.Finally, in the first discrete choice analysis of the preferences of luxury buyers, Study Three identified that while a majority of the Chinese consumers in the study preferred prominent logos, a large minority preferred less conspicuous logos. While this form of ‘inconspicuous consumption’ is receiving increasing attention in the literature examining Western luxury goods buyers, this is the first study to investigate the frequency of a preference for less conspicuous logos across a variety of product characteristics, and buyers’ attitudinal and social factors.The findings from the thesis contribute to both research and practice. Firstly, the results show that research findings from Western luxury consumers cannot be assumed to apply to Chinese luxury consumers. While many of the same concepts appear to be important for Chinese consumers – for example, the importance of luxury goods for status signalling – the relative importance of those concepts appears to differ markedly. For example, the wealthy repeat buyers of luxury products discussed in Study One and Study Two did not discuss hedonic features as important, but in contrast, repeatedly discussed different luxury brands as being either acceptable or unacceptable, based on the participant’s perception of the acceptability of those brands for the their peers. This importance of the brand, as discussed above, extended to some brands becoming the subject of a social taboo – that is, even if the hedonic features of one of the brand’s products were considered attractive, the participant would not consider buying that brand. These differences in the relative importance of product features across Asian and Western consumers clearly merit further research attention.The results also have important implications for the marketing of luxury products. The possibility of a brand becoming the subject of a social taboo, the frequency of commissioned purchases outside China, and the wide preference for less conspicuous logos all suggest that luxury brands marketing to Chinese consumers need to carefully consider the curation of brand value to preserve the attractiveness of their brands. As well as balancing the diverse preferences for conspicuous and subtle branding, brand strategies must weigh the value of high market share against the risk of a social taboo, and consider how to enhance brand value to the many Chinese consumers who ‘buy’ luxury products (through commissioned purchases), often without themselves entering a brand’s store – either in China or in another country.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (164 pages) illustrations (some colour
Development of an immunoluminescence assay to detect Glypican 1 in urine cells, as a candidate biomarker for diagnosis of prostate cancer
No full textThesis by publication."Sponsored by Minomic International Ltd and the Australian Research Council through the linkage project “Rapid detection of rare event cells by SUPER Dots: finding a needle in a haystack”" -- title page.Bibliography: pages 120-128.1. Introduction -- 2. Development of an immunofluorescence assay to detect Glypican 1 on urine cells for prostate cancer diagnosis -- 3. Upconverting nanoparticles -- 4. Europium chelate conjugates -- 5. General conclusions -- 6. References --7. Appendices.Among the cancers of the urinary tract in men, prostate cancer is the most common and with the second highest mortality rate if not detected on time. The current protocol for prostate cancer diagnosis includes a screening blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is problematic due to its low specificity. Patients who present high levels of PSA undergo invasive procedures that are often unnecessary. Voided urine is the biological source of choice for the investigation of biomarkers for cancers of the urinary tract. GPC1, also known as Glypican 1, is a cell surface glycoprotein involved in cell division and growth regulation. It has been linked to some types of cancers, such as pancreas, breast and prostate. The main goal of this work was to develop an assay platform in order to determine whether GPC1 has potential as a biomarker for detection of prostate cancer in voided urine sediments samples. MIL38 is a mouse monoclonal antibody, originally raised against a bladder cancer cell line, that binds to GPC1; it is used as the core tool for this work. A fluorescence immunoassay for urine sediments was developed using MIL38 to detect GPC1 positive cells. Autofluorescence and low cells numbers generated bias in the study, which was otherwise promising. To overcome these problems, optimisation in the sample processing was done and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) and luminescent europium chelates tools were explored to develop an immunoassay to eliminate autofluorescence interference.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (141 pages) colour illustration
Evaluating the interpersonal theory of suicide and measurement invariance of the Interpersonal needs questionnaire in Australian and Chinese cultures
No full textThesis by publication.Bibliography: pages 82-93.General introduction -- Article 1. Translation and validation of the Chinese versions of the Interpersonal needs questionnaire -- Article 2. The cross-cultural generalizability of the interpersonal theory of suicide and measurement invariance of the Interpersonal needs questionnaire -- General discussion -- References.The interpersonal theory of suicide is one of the most influential frameworks used to understand suicide. In order to examine the interpersonal theory in Chinese cultures, there is a need to develop and psychometrically evaluate a Chinese version of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ). This dissertation conducted two studies. Study 1 aimed to translate the INQ into Chinese and examined its factorial structure and psychometric properties. A sample of 854 Chinese undergraduates was randomly split into two samples for performing exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to test the measurement models of the Chinese INQ. Structural equation models (SEMs) were performed to test the convergent, divergent and concurrent validity of the Chinese INQ. Results indicate that the 14-item Chinese INQ retained from the factor analyses reliably measured the two constructs with adequate internal consistency. Both constructs exhibited convergent associations (i.e., burdensomeness with self-esteem and belongingness with loneliness and social support) for the 10-item, 14-item, and 15-item Chinese INQ. Burdensomeness demonstrated concurrent associations with suicidal ideation for the 14-item,and 15-item Chinese INQ. These findings support the use of the 14-item and 15-item Chinese INQ in future research. Study 2 aimed to establish measurement invariance for the INQ across two cultures and examine cross-cultural generalizability of the interpersonal theory. Using the undergraduate samples from Hong Kong (n = 427) and Australia (n = 469), a series of multigroup CFAs were conducted to examine measurement invariance. Multigroup SEMs and Wald tests were performed to compare the associations of the interpersonal factors with suicide ideation across cultures. Study 2 established measurement invariance for the 15-item and 14-item INQ and provided support for the cross-cultural equivalence for the associations of the interpersonal factors with suicide ideation across Australian and Chinese cultures. Although cultural differences were found in the predictive effect of the two-way interaction between the interpersonal factors on suicidal ideation, the findings generally support the generalizability of the interpersonal theory across Western and Chinese cultures.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xi, 93 pages) diagrams, graphs, table
Foreign language anxiety: a study of Australian language students of Chinese
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 83-90.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Literature review -- Chapter 3. Methodology -- Chapter 4. Findings -- Chapter 5. Discussion -- Chapter 6. Conclusion -- References -- Appendices.Across the world, there are many people who take part in learning a foreign language. Within each learner, there are various individual learner differences that affect language learning, one of which is foreign language anxiety (FLA). FLA is considered by some to be one of the most important barriers to successful language learning (Tuncer & Dogan, 2016) and has been found to exist in all of the cultures where it has been studied (Tran, Baldauf, & Moni, 2013). However, there is limited research on student awareness of FLA, and a lack of studies replicated in different cultural contexts. To date, there are no studies that have focused on Australian learners of Chinese. This qualitative study investigated three Australian language learners of Chinese at the university level, and their awareness of FLA. The study also explored the participants’ experiences, and how they understood FLA in relation to their language learning. Data was obtained using background questionnaires, the foreign language classroom anxiety scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986) and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated that the participants were unfamiliar with the term ‘FLA’ and the concept it presented, but were able to describe feelings that were consistent with the experience of FLA. The analysis also revealed that different factors, including the speed of the class, speaking Chinese, preparation, and friendship, influenced the anxiety that the participants reported. This study demonstrates that language learners are not always aware of FLA, which suggests that language teachers should enrich students’ understanding of FLA, and the effects it can have on language learning, so that students can utilize available strategies to work with this anxiety. Future research should continue to investigate FLA in order to improve understanding of the issue and the ways to effectively minimize FLA in language learning contexts.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (107 pages) graphs, table
The role of body posture in perceptions of attractiveness and self-esteem
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 59-77.1. Introduction -- 2. Methods -- 3. General discussion -- References -- Appendices.Attractiveness is hypothesised as a mechanism for identifying healthy, fertile mates, with cues from faces and bodies to physiological and psychological health. Little is known about the impact of body posture on attractiveness. Participants (N=108) were photographed twice in profile in their natural and corrected posture, and completed a validated self-esteem questionnaire using three scales from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP,1992/2017): The Physical Attractiveness (Rational Scale; IPIP, 1992/2017; Goldberg et al.,2006), the Self-esteem scale (IPIP, 1992/2017; Rosenberg, 1965), and the Self-Consciousness (IPIP, 1992/2017; Buss, 1980) scale, In addition, the State Self-Esteem Scale (Heatherton & Polivy, 1991) was administered. In Study 1, a correlational design, 38 observers rated the attractiveness of the natural posture photographs. Those whose natural posture was more upright were perceived as more attractive and higher self-esteem. A mediation analysis ascertained whether posture mediated the relationship between attractiveness and self-esteem, and showed that self-rated self-esteem predicts rated attractiveness and rated self-esteem as well as posture predict perceived self-esteem and attractiveness. The indirect effect of self ratedself-esteem on perceived attractiveness via posture was not significant. In Study 2, an experimental design, 41 observers completed a forced-choice task, choosing upright postureas more attractive and higher self-esteem. However, people who have higher self-esteem do not stand more upright. Therefore, posture is probably not a valid cue to self-esteem. Possible explanations for the perception of upright posture as attractive and high in self-esteem are discussed.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (vi, 102 pages) black and white illustration
3 essays on benchmarks, derivatives and OTC markets
No full textThesis by publication.A cotutelle thesis with the University of Edinburgh.Bibliography: pages 184-200.0. Introduction -- 1. The impact of commodity benchmarks on derivative markets: the case of the dated Brent assessment and Brent futures -- 2. Skin in the game: resource proximity and price impact -- 3. The visible hand: benchmarks, regulation and liquidity -- 4. Conclusion -- Appendix.This dissertation consists of three empirical studies. Collectively, the chapters cover over the-counter(OTC) markets and assess the interactions with centralized exchange-traded markets via benchmarks and financial derivatives. Chapter 1, "The impact of commodity benchmarks on derivatives markets: The case of the Dated Brent assessment and Brent futures", examines the response of the futures market to the key spot oil benchmark assessed and published by Platts. Futures trading activity intensifies during the assessment window and aligns with the direction of the upcoming benchmark publication. A substantially increased arrival rate of informed traders suggests that sophisticated traders induce the futures price run-up ahead of the Dated Brent assessment ending point. The general increase in the arrival rates of both informed and uninformed traders during the assessment window underscores the benchmark's significance as a critical financial market infrastructure element. Chapter 2, "Skin in the game: Resource proximity and price impact", exploits a novel dataset incorporating OTC oil forward trading with exchange-traded futures activity to investigate the intricate interactions between both markets. I confirm that the futures market is the uncontested information leader, but that the forward market contributes a non-negligible proportion to the determination of the efficient oil price. Further, I find that fundamental supply and demand information, likely gained through 'skin in the game' in upstream and downstream oil infrastructure, proxied by the traders' centrality in the forward market, is revealed to the futures market by their forward trading activity. Chapter 3, "The visible hand: Benchmarks, regulation, and liquidity", suggests that a more precise assessment of the OTC interest rate swap benchmark can enhance welfare by improving the traders' ability to monitor the dealers. The transition from the unregulated submission-based ISDAFIX regime to the more transparent and regulated market-based ICE Swap Rate regime provides a natural experiment for testing this proposition empirically. Utilizing proprietary electronic order book data for USD interest rate swaps, I confirm that liquidity in the underlying swaps, affected by the regime switch, improves significantly more vis-à-vis swaps not impacted by the change in assessment procedure.1 online resource (xxiii, 201 pages
Investigating the association between hepcidin and brain amyloid-β burden in cognitively normal elderly individuals
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 51-611.1. Alzheimer's disease -- 1.2. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD -- 1.2.1. Amyloid plaques -- 1.2.2. Neurofibrillary tangles -- 1.2.3. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy --1.3. Types of AD -- 1.4. Genetic and non-genetic risk factors --1.4.1. Apolipoprotein E allele -- 1.4.2. Age --1.4.3. Type 2 diabetes -- 1.4.4. Hypertension -- 1.5. Modifiable lifestyle factors -- 1.6. Alzheimer's disease biomarkers -- 1.6.1. CSF biomarkers -- 1.6.2. Imaging biomarkers -- 1.6.2.1. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- 1.6.2.2. Functional MRI -- 1.6.2.3. Positron emission tomography (PET) -- 1.6.3. Blood biomarkers -- 1.7. Treatment strategies -- 1.7.1. Anti-amyloid strategies -- 1.7.1.1. Targeting Aβ production -- 1.7.1.2. Aβ aggregation inhibitors -- 1.7.1.3. Targeting Aβ clearance -- 1.7.2. Targeting Neurofibrillary tangles -- 1.7.2.1. Tau phosphorylation inhibitors -- 1.7.2.2. Enhancing tau degradation -- 1.8. Clinical and preclinical stages of AD -- 1.9. Oxidative stress and metal dyshomeostasis in AD -- 1.10. The role of iron in healthy individuals -- 1.10.1. Peripheral iron uptake -- 1.10.2. Brain iron uptake -- 1.11. Iron dysregulation and its role in AD pathogenesis -- 1.12. Ferritin and its alteration in AD -- 1.13. Hepcidin and its biological function - 1.14. The role of hepcidin alteration in AD -- 1.15. Hypothesis and aims -- 1.15.1. Aims -- 1.15.2. Hypothesis -- Chapter 2 Materials and methods -- Chapter 3 Results -- Chapter 4 Discussion.Introduction: Metal dyshomeostasis is one of the predominant pathways in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hepcidin is a protein synthesised in the liver, and it is known to play a key role in iron regulation. Hepcidin level alteration has been previously observed in the brain and blood samples of patients with AD, however, it has not been investigated yet in preclinical AD, i.e. prior to cognitive impairment.Objective: Investigate the association of serum hepcidin with neocortical amyloid load (NAL). Also, investigate its association with AD risk factors, cognitive performance and other iron related proteins.Methods: Serum hepcidin concentration was measured by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in participants from the Kerr Anglican Retirement Village Initiative in Ageing Health cohort. Participants were aged 65-90 years and they were cognitively normal based on the neuropsychological tests. Subjects were categorised into the high NAL (n=35) and low NAL (n=65) groups via positron emission tomography (PET) scans using a standard uptake value ratio cutoff = 1.35.Results: Serum hepcidin levels were significantly higher in participants with high NAL compared to those with low NAL. Moreover, a significant positive association was observed between the serum hepcidin and NAL. To evaluate the potential of hepcidin in distinguishing the low NAL and high NAL groups, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated using the logistic regression. The area under the curve slightly increased from 0.78 in the 'base model' to 0.81 in the 'base+hepcidin' model.Conclusion: Current findings show that increased serum hepcidin is an early event in AD pathogenesis. Therefore, hepcidin can be considered as a potential biomarker within a diagnostic panel of markers for AD, and could be helpful in the process of identifying therapeutic targets for AD.1 online resource (xiii, 61 pages) illustration
The same project but different approaches to language learning in collaborative digital storytelling projects
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 430-447.Chapter 1. Introduction : analysing task management and language learning in collaborative digital storytelling projects -- Chapter 2. Literature review : language learning in long-term projects and short-term tasks -- Chapter 3. Theoretical framework -- Chapter 4. Research methodology -- Chapter 5. Patterns of peer interactions in collaborative digital storytelling projects -- Chapter 6. Comparing language learning in collaborative dialogue with peers during collaborative digital storytelling projects -- Chapter 7. Language learning using alternative learning resources in collaborative digital storytelling -- Chapter 8. Factors mediating language learning in collaborative digital storytelling projects -- Chapter 9. Implications, limitations and further research -- References -- Appendices.Language learners working on the same project may not learn the target language in the same way and to the same extent. This raises two important questions: What factors encourage language learners to learn in multiple ways? Do language learners use and learn the target language effectively during the project? These questions are of great interest to language educators who wish to enhance the language learning process and outcomes when implementing long-term collaborative projects.This project explored how 14 learners of Japanese learned the target language while completing collaborative digital storytelling projects. Studies of language learning during short-term collaborative learning tasks have demonstrated that language learning takes place in contexts where learners work together by discussing 'Language-Related Episodes' (Swain& Lapkin, 1995, 1998) with peers (e.g., Fernández-Dobao, 2012). However, the ways in which learners engage in language learning during long-term collaborative projects have received scant research examination. Understanding the language learning processes is of great mportance to educators to improve their ability to provide appropriate pedagogical support to learners to enhance their language learning experience.This study implemented collaborative digital storytelling projects with 14 learners of Japanese to answer the following three research questions: 1) What patterns of dyadic interactions do Japanese language learners develop during collaborative digital storytelling projects; 2) How do they use collaborative dialogue to resolve their language problems during this projects; 3) Do they use alternative resources other than their linguistic knowledge, and if so, what resources do they use; and 4) What factors mediate how they engaged in language learning. During the long-term collaborative project, the participants created culture-related digital stories in pairs using their preferred working styles. The duration of the research project was three to six sessions outside the classroom.To understand the language learning processes engaged in by the participants from multiple perspectives, seven types of data were collected including video recordings of the pair-groups' interactions and individual semi-structured interviews. To distinguish the patterns of learner interactions while completing their projects, task and role allocation, and frequency of peer interactions to discuss task procedures and language problems were examined. Language learning inside spoken interactions with peers was analysed by drawing on the participants' 'collaborative dialogues' (Swain, 1997). Also explored was the way in which participants engaged in Japanese language learning outside of collaborative dialogue with peers by applying the concepts of 'contradictions' in Engeström's (1987, p. 98) Activity System and 'resources' (Palfreyman, 2006, 2014). This study examined the mediating factors by also drawing on interacting activity systems Engeström (2001).This study found the seven participant pairs developed multiple language learning trajectories and engaged in division of labour when completing their digital storytelling projects. Unlike the findings reported in studies of short-term collaborative tasks, six of seven pair groups engaged in much fewer interactions to discuss LREs after dividing their tasks and roles. Despite these constraints for language learning, the participants also engaged in language learning outside of peer interactions by using multiple resources strategically. Various factors in their activity systems such as preferred learning style, rules, tools and communities mediated the participants' patterns of peer interactions and language learning pathways while completing their projects. These findings suggest the importance of providing pedagogical support to language learners to enhance learning outcomes by using resources strategically both in inside and outside of collaborative dialogue with peers.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xxv, 483 pages) table