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Country tracking voices: Dharug women’s perspectives on presences, places and practices
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 353-361.Chapter 1. Openings as disruptive places and pointers -- Chapter 2. Yarning back to written places on Dharug Nura -- Chapter 3. Ways of doing : practicalities, goanna walking and mapping the landscape -- Chapter 4. An interlude, introducing seven sista’s yarnings - seven lifeworkings -- Chapter 5. Kookaburra’s dreaming – a place of being strong, smart and deadly -- Chapter 6. Wagtail’s witnessing : a place of unceasing business -- Chapter 7. Aunty crow’s yarning – some secret song and dance -- Chapter 8. Rngtail's remembering --Chapter 9. Bushytail possum : a story of belonging, caring and connecting references -- Chapter 10. Sandstone’s country - a place of outlooks and viewpoints -- Chapter 11. Bellbird's becoming -- Chapter 12. Weaving a yarning basket Chapter 13. Yarning the heart -- References -- Appendices.Country Tracking Voices is a thesis that for the first time brings seven Dharug women’s voices to the written scholarship and broader academy. It is centered in the Australian Aboriginal belief that we belong and are obligated to caring for Country as it is the source of all species’ wellbeing and survival. The thesis engages with how seven Dharug custodians are continuing cultural practices, sharing Dharug knowledges and employing Dharug ways of caring, connecting and belonging. When Dharug Country covers the majority of Sydney, Australia, this thesis contributes knowledges for resilience and renewal to benefit all sentient beings.The ways of practicing Dharug culture today are diverse, educational and positive. They include puppetry, the visual arts, singing, dancing, possum-skin work, weaving, story-telling and poetry, as well as through customary ceremonies and practices. Equally the ways of undertaking research are diverse. This thesis challenges customary thesis methodologies by including the influence of other-than-humans in the research process. By recognizing the agency of Country, this research is able to acknowledge participant voices of birds, possums, and sandstone. It also positions the research method as ‘Goanna walking’, de-composes human-centricity and repositions us to the more sustainable place of being only one within a profound web of interconnectivity.What also makes this project unique is that for more than 200 years Dharug people, Country, practices and values have been talked about by others. In this thesis, we talk back. This project is not a representation of all Dharug people. It is instead a beginning. It offers Goanna’s trailing tail in the sand: simply a tale to follow.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (394 pages) colour illustrations, colour portraits, colour map
A comparative analysis between deradicalization programs in Arab states and Western states in terms of their underlying assumptions and scholarship
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 93-105.Chapter One. Introduction -- Chapter Two. Methodology -- Chapter Three. Literature review -- Chapter Four. Arab States’ deradicalization programs -- Chapter Five. Deradicalization in Western states -- Chapter Six. Findings and discussion -- Chapter Seven. Conclusion -- Appendix -- References.The war on terror has created more harm than good, largely confronting terrorism with a kinetic approach that has yielded undesirable outcomes. Increased numbers of foreign fighter returnees and home-grown terrorists have forced many countries to develop soft approach deradicalization programs, part of wider Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) initiatives, in response. These programs have been created to manage and deradicalize apprehended violent extremists, often within the correctional setting. Although many countries face the challenges of differing forms of radicalization, different states have approached the construction of these programs differently. In the Arab world the focus is on correcting deviant religious ideology through re-education and the support of normative Islam. In Western countries, on the other hand, there has been more focus on the adoption of social and psychological programs and processes to counter radicalized violent extremists. The aim of this study is to map, for the first time, the differences between Arab and Western deradicalization programs in terms of the fundamental assumptions upon which they are based. It will then explore how these assumptions have affected the structure and success of the programs. The research method adopted is an inductive theoretical approach using core qualitative components consisting of: 1) a literature review; 2) case studies; and 3) a comparative analysis. This research confirms that Arab programs do indeed focus on religious issues, while Western countries generally do not, although there is significant overlap in how the programs function. It is recommended that a mixture of religious and social approaches, with a focus on ideology, is crucial to success in the future.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (105 pages) diagrams, table
Enhancing our understanding of rapidly internationalising professional service firms: an exploration of post-entry internationalisation strategies
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 66-74.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Literature review and theoretical framework -- Chapter 3. Methodology -- Chapter 4. Findings -- Chapter 5. Discussion -- Chapter 6. Conclusion and implications -- References -- Appendices.Rapidly internationalising firms represent a growing phenomenon in advanced nations, whose economies are increasingly service based. There has been much research on initial internationalisation of manufacturing based firms, within the ‘international new venture’/‘born global’ literature, yet the rapid internationalisation of professional service firms or their post entry internationalisation stage remains under-explored. This study focuses on the post entry internationalisation processes of rapidly internationalising firms. Using a qualitativecase study approach, the drivers, market selection and entry mode of four professional service firms in their post entry internationalisation are explored. Using an interpretive research paradigm, the findings reveal that these firms initially rely on networks and reputation to internationalise, but are forced to reduce their pace of internationalisation and deinternationalise in their post entry stage due to loss of reputation within the international market and gaining stronger network within the home market.The research extends the body of literature for both rapidly internationalising firms and professional service firms by exploring three key phases of firm internationalisation and their drivers, exploring key drivers of internationalisation in the initial phase of internationalisation and post entry stage of internationalisation. As part of the initial rapid internationalisation phase, each firm advances their network and knowledge of the international environment, before entering the deceleration phase where firms reduce their pace of internationalisation prior to entering the de-internationalisation phase where firms take advantage of stronger home networks. This research will build on the insights and new knowledge found for links between internationalisation phases present in this research and will further benefit professional service firms that are looking to internationalise rapidly.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (viii, 83 pages) diagrams, table
Source assessment of fine carbonaceous aerosols in urban Sydney
No full textThesis by publication.Includes bibliographiocal references.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkanes in PM2.5 aerosols at a highly biogenic source dominated urban site (Sydney) in Australia -- Chapter 3. Chemical characterization of polar organic compounds in PM2.5 aerosols at an urban site in Sydney -- Chapter 4. Application of radiocarbon analysis to source apportionment of carbonaceous PM2.5 in urban Sydney: Insights from different seasonal biomass burning triggered haze events -- Chapter 5. Conclusions -- Appendices.Australia is a world famous livable country, with major large Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide all featuring in the top 10 World’s most livable cities in recent years. Sydney, because of its benign environment and mild climate, attracts thousands of tourists and immigrants every year. Although in most of cases Sydney has above average air quality, occasional bush fires/prescribed burns and domestic heating during cold periods can still bring deleterious impacts on air quality and potentially then on human health. Moreover, in summer stronger solar radiation in Sydney is also one of the factors for an increase in PM2.5 levels. Source apportionment research on carbonaceous aerosols, the most substantial component of PM2.5, is still very limited in Sydney.This thesis mainly contains three parts. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 focus on chemical characterization of non-polar (PAHs and n-alkanes) and typical polar molecular organic tracers in cold period PM2.5 aerosols at an urban Sydney site. Chapter 4 comprehensively assesses the various contributions of fossil/non-fossil and primary/secondary sources to PM2.5 using radiocarbon analyses under different cases. A refined EC tracer method was used to estimate the secondary organic carbon by estimating hourly primary OC/EC ratio ((OC/EC)pri).The findings in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 indicate that during urban Sydney cold seasons biomass burning, traffic, biogenic activities, secondary sources were distinguished and identified via source indices analysis. Specially, for non-polar organic compounds, 3-4 ring PAHs were mainly from vehicular emissions and 5-6 ring PAHs were derived from biomass burning, while, fossil fuel combustion, notably traffic exhaust made a distinct contribution to n-alkanes concentrations, particularly in winter. Three distinct sources of n-alkanes were identified, and their contributions were estimated using a PCA-MLR model; these sources were, fossil fuel combustion (74%), biomass burning + road dust (20%) and biogenic sources (6%). The chemical analysis of polar organic compounds suggests that the site was significantly influenced by the emissions from wintertime domestic wood combustion and autumn time controlled bushfire prevention burns. In autumn, hardwood was found as a predominant source combined with some softwood burning, whereas in winter hardwood and grass combustion are the main type of biomass burnt. It is apparent that during the cold seasons the primary sources of the polar fraction of the organic component of PM are biomass combustion.For the eight limited selected radiocarbon analysis PM2.5 samples, the average abundances of SOA and PCA were 2.3 μg·m-3 and 8.9 μg·m-3, respectively for the Rozelle and Macquarie University (MQ) sites, accounting for 11% and 42% of the PM2.5 mass. Higher proportions of POCnf (POCnf: non-fossil sources in primary organic carbon (POC)) and ECbiomass (ECbiomass: biomass burning sources in EC) were determined in winter samples, amounting to 60% and 11% compared with 50% and 4% in the summer samples. This suggests that biofuel combustion mainly wood burning for household heating in the cold season would be a major contributor to total carbon in the collected particulates.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xiv, 146 pages) colour map
Parametric methods for time series discrimination
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 195-199.1. Introduction -- 2. Background -- 3. Autoregressive spectral discrimination -- 4. ARMA spectral discrimination -- 5. Comparing multivariate time series -- 6. The estimation of frequency in the multichannel sinusoidal model - 7. Discriminating between time series with periodic components -- 8. Conclusion -- References.In this thesis we consider the problem of determining whether two or more independent time series have been generated by the same underlying stochastic process, or by the same mechanism.There is an extensive literature on comparing time series from univariate stationary processes on the basis of their second order properties, that is, their dependence structures over time. These existing methods are nonparametric and are based on comparing periodograms or sample autocovariances. They are generally limited by requiring equal sample sizes and Gaussian assumptions. We introduce a parametric approach which involves fitting parametric models to the time series and comparing model parameters. The parametric approach avoids the limitations of the nonparametric and simulations are used to show that it results in a more powerful test. We also show how to extend the parametric approach to compare time series from multivariate stationary processes.A further extension is to compare time series which are from stochastic processes which contain periodic components. Such time series are typically modelled using mixed models which are made up of a deterministic periodic component and a stationary stochastic component. We develop tests for whether two or more time series have been generated by processes with periodicities at the same fixed frequencies and stationary components with the same second order properties. In order to extend the procedures to the multivariate case we first develop novel methods for frequency estimation in the multivariate mixed model.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xii, 199 pages) graphs, table
Living on the edge: ecological and evolutionary mechanisms of range expansion in invasive species
No full textEmpirical thesis.Includes bibliographical references.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Does enemy damage vary across the range of exotic plant species? Evidence from two coastal dune plant species in eastern Australia -- Chapter 3. Mixed evidence for shifts to faster carbon capture strategies towards range edges of two coastal invasive plants in eastern Australia -- Chapter 4. Have your cake and eat it toov: greater dispersal ability and faster germination towards range edges of an invasive plant species in eastern Australia -- Chapter 5. It doesn't take two to tango : increased capacity for self-fertilisation towards range edges of two coastal invasive plant species in eastern Australia -- Chapter 6. Discussion.Despite ongoing research into traits of successful invasive species, few studies have examined how selection on such traits change during the course of an invasion. This is despite increasing recognition that populations in the invaded range are generally not at equilibrium and many invasive species are still undergoing range expansion. As a species expands in its range from its range core where it was first introduced, populations at the edge of the range may experience different ecological (e.g. fewer enemies) and evolutionary conditions (i.e. selection for increased dispersal, growth and reproduction). Changes in these conditions towards range edges may facilitate continual range expansion and examining how such selective pressures vary across the range of invasive species may increase our understanding of factors determining species' ranges. This thesis explores the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms of range expansion in exotic invasive species using two coastal exotic dune plants (Gladiolus gueinzii Kunze (Iridaceae) and Hydrocotyle bonariensis Lam. (Apiaceae)) occurring along eastern Australia. In particular, it examines variation in enemy attack across ranges (Chapter 2) as well as selection for increased growth (Chapter 3), dispersal (Chapter 4) and reproduction (Chapter 5) towards range edges to facilitate further range expansion. Both H. bonariensis and G. gueinzii did not show consistent responses in terms of enemy release and trait shifts towards range edges. Hydrocotyle bonariensis experienced increased enemy attack and growth towards range edges however there were no such differences towards range edges for G. gueinzii. These inconsistent responses highlight the complexity of understanding factors influencing range expansion within and across species and provide a rich avenue for continued research.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (150 pages) graphs, table
Shopping at the Australian Supermarket for meat, eggs, dairy goods, and other items with animal-based ingredients
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 81-86.Chapter One. Meat: learning, living, and remembering -- Chapter Two. 'Free food', television, and celebrity chefs -- Chapter Three. Aussieness and 'Otherness' -- Conclusion.This thesis looks at supermarket shopping for meat and other animal - based foods from the perspective of supermarket shoppers , which is usually missing in food studies (Koch, 2012: 105). T he qualitative research took place in supermarkets across urban Sydney and the regional city of Nowra and involved conversations with staff, managers, security personnel, and shoppers. A total of twenty - two participants from various educational, religious, gender and cultural backgrounds and locations took part in accompanied shopping trip s and follow - up interviews. With the shopper at the forefront of this research, I examine how the enculturated practice of eating meat translates into the supermarket shopping experience . I also examine the tensions and complexities that are emerging around the ethics of factory farming and how they impact on the meat that is for sale in supermarkets. Rather than an approach that expands on an overarching argument, I have explore d a range of themes , such as how the remembrance of animal - based foodways inform s culinary and cultural capital , and how the politics of Islamophobia intersect with the meat that is for sale in Australian supermarkets . The predominance of female shoppers is another thread that was evident during observational field trips to supermarkets. Anecdotal evidence gathered during these trips revealed that women still fill the role of the household's primary shopper , and that supermarket shopping continues to be an undertaking that is mediated by gender. However, regardless of whether it is performed by women or men, shopping for animal - based foods, is emblematic of, as well as a performance of identity , class, and social relations.The extent to which not only culturally - informed taste, but also ethics of animal welfare, cost, health, and quality influences shoppers varies from location to location. In interviews, participant s discuss ed considerations such as whether a lower price was mo re important than health or nutritional values, whether premium prices equate to higher quality, whether animal welfare was relevant as an ethical or moral concern, and whether taste was an essential attribute that trumped other concerns. Sydney's cross - cultural mix is representative of the way in which contemporary urban Australia is transitioning towards cosmopolitanism, implying a commitment to what Corones (1988) has termed as ' multiculinarism ', or 'the coexistence, awareness and understanding of many different cuisines'. However, Nowra became an important site of investigation, where the issues of cultural capital, culinary neophobia and xenophobia all intersect ed . All of these phenomena are present in Sydney, but are condensed in Nowra's more monocultural environment, and revealed as 'culinary protest': the rejection of foods suspected of being halal - certified as a means of rejecting the foreign ' Other'. What these issues all have in common is that they are culturally determined, thus giving an insight into the social order of contemporary urban and country Australian culture. By looking at how , we learn to eat meat as children, and as adults , go on to habitually buy meat and other animal - based foods, I question how we make sense of what informs the decision - making processes that are in play when we shop at the supermarket . Thus, this thesis assists in shed ding new light on the 'social grammar' of Australia's omnivorous culinary identity.1 online resource (x, 121 pages
Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart nitrate sensor for real- time water quality monitoring
No full textThesis by publication.Bibliography: pages 125-146.1. Introduction -- 2. Literature review -- 3. Interdigitated sensing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy -- 4. Temperature sompensation for low concentration nitrate measurement -- 5. Graphene-PDMS sensor for nitrate measurement -- 6. Selectivity of nitrate sensor -- 7. IoT enabled smart sensing system -- 8. Conclusions and future work -- Bibliography.Nitrate-N is a naturally occurring ionic compound that is part of nature's nitrogen cycle. Nitrates-N are readily lost to ground and surface water as a result of intensive agriculture, industrial wastes, disposal of human and animal sewage. The impact of elevated nitrate-N concentrations on water quality has been identified as a critical issue of a healthy environment for the future. Presently, water quality managers follow the traditional measurement systems that involve physically collecting the sampling water from remote sites and testing it in the laboratory. These methods are expensive, require trained people to analyse the data and produce much chemical waste. Therefore, low-cost Ion Imprinted Polymer (IIP) coated impedimetric nitrate-N sensor was developed, and the detection range of nitrate-N was 1-10 (mg/L). The selective IIP material was sensitive to nitrate-N ions in an aqueous medium, and the results are validated through standard UV-spectrometric methods. MEMS (microelectro-mechanical-system) based interdigital sensor and sensing system was also developed to measure nitrate-N, and the range was 0.01 - 0.5 (mg/L). The graphene-based low-cost sensor was also fabricated, and the sensor was characterized to measure nitrate-N in the range of 1-70 (mg/L). Temperature compensation was added for both the sensors (MEMS and Graphene) and WiFi connectivity was provisioned in the system to transfer the measured data in real time. An improved LoRa based sensing system (solar panel and rechargeable battery powered) was developed and trialled in the field successfully which can measure the nitrate-N concentration in real-time and transfer the data to IoT cloud server to overcome the limitations of lab based sensing system.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xxviii, 146 pages) colour illustration
Identification and characterization of a novel isoform of fused in sarcoma and its role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 210-256.1. General introduction -- 2. Material and methods -- 3. Identification of a novel extracellular isoform of FUS -- 4. Characterization of FUSEC -- 5. Examining the role of FUSEC in ALS -- 6. General discussion -- 7. References -- 8. Appendix.The fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene is mutated in 4% of familial cases of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 1% of sporadic cases. Moreover, FUS immunoreactive inclusions are present in both ALS patients. Importantly, mutations in FUS account for a particularly aggressive, juvenile form of the disease. Hence, elucidating the pathological role of FUS in ALS is crucial for understanding the disease. While the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in ALS are not fully understood, defects in alternative splicing have been previously associated with ALS disease pathology. Additionally, alternative spliced forms of proteins linked to ALS, have also beenimplicated. This thesis focuses on the study of a newly identified, extracellular isoform of FUS, which was termed 'FUSEC'. FUSEC has a unique N-terminus sequence but shares its C-terminus with canonical FUS. For FUS, the most abundant ALS mutations are enriched at the C-terminus. Here it was confirmed FUSEC expression at the mRNA and protein level. Furthermore, it was demonstrated it is N-glycosylated mostly with complex N-glycans, and this regulates its secretion. Also it was studied its intracellular localization and its potential normal functions. Finally, the role of FUSEC in ALS was examined. FUSEC bearing ALS mutations demonstrated inclusion formation, induction of ER stress and Golgi fragmentation and finally apoptosis, key cellular features of ALS. The discovery of a new alternatively spliced isoform of FUS provides novel insights into the pathogenic mechanisms implicated in ALS.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xxvi, 320 pages) colour illustration
Providing timely support to students in educational virtual worlds
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 52-55.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Literature review -- Chapter 3. Methodology -- Chapter 4. Results -- Chapter 5. Discussion -- Chapter 6. Conclusion -- References -- Appendices.Educational virtual worlds (EVWs) are immersive educational tools that have the potential to engage students using interactive virtual avatars in the simulated multi-media environments. As with any learning approach, EVWs should have the capacity to adapt according to individual student needs and differences such as their personality characteristics, engagement levels, navigational behaviour, and emotional level. Based on such factors, the EVWs should be capable of providing tailored support and feedback when required. This experimental study conducted with 144 undergraduate students investigates the relationship between individual learner factors, including personality, cognitive and affective engagement, and the value of providing either tailored, generic or no hints on academic performance in an EVW. Results suggest that extravert and agreeable personality traits are positively linked to academic performance and affective and cognitive engagement levels. Contrary to our hypothesis, participants who were provided with hints did not perform better than the control group in performance. Further studies are needed to gain deeper insights to design appropriate support strategies within EVW.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (61 pages) diagrams, table