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Human Influence On The Adoption Of Lean Strategy In The Process Industries: A Case Study Of An Australian Steel-Manufacturer, I. Alony

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Lean strategy has become widely recognised since it was first popularised by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. However, despite its promised benefits and widespread proliferation, Lean strategy has not been extensively adopted in process industries (e.g., steel-making). This study examines an unsuccessful attempt to implement Lean strategy in a large Australian steel-manufacturing organisation, and pays particular attention to factors influencing scheduling decisions. This attention to scheduling decisions is both unique to the literature and crucial to a deeper understanding of Lean strategy enactment.

Multiple facets are involved in the complex implementation of Lean strategy, and thus this study draws on …

Investigating Human Lens Lipids Using Tandem Mass Spectrometric Techniques, Jane M. Deeley

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The lens is a transparent highly refractive structure within the eye, located between the iris and the vitreous body. It is avascular and thus all nutrients are transported into the lens from the surrounding aqueous humour. The main body is composed of tightly packed elongated crescent shaped cells, known as fibre cells, which are arranged in concentric layers. There are two regions to the lens. The nucleus which corresponds to the lens at birth and the cortex formed as the lens grows throughout life. Experimental evidence supports the formation of a barrier in the lens after middle age. The barrier …

Stigma And Discrimination Toward People With Mental Illness In Sri Lanka, Sunera M. Fernando

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The number of persons diagnosed with mental illness in Sri Lanka is increasing, but there is no published research on the experience of stigma, or discrimination experienced by patients and their family carers. The aim of the study was to assess the stigma experienced by patients and their carers, and to determine coping strategies and the effects of stigma on help-seeking delay and carer burden. It was hypothesized that higher perceptions of stigma would be associated with higher carer burden and with greater delays in help-seeking. It was expected that coping strategies such as withdrawal and secrecy would be more …

The Role Of Human Equivalent Intakes Of N-3 Pufa On Skeletal Muscle And Cardiac Function, Renee Henry

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Background: Dietary fish oil is associated with many health benefits. Changes in membrane composition in the heart with incorporation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) have been associated with improved function and reduced cardiac disease morbidity and mortality. Although similar incorporation of DHA is observed in skeletal muscle, very little is known about the effects of fish oil on skeletal muscle function. Preliminary work suggests an important role for fish oil in improving muscle function in rats. If dietary fish oil can affect skeletal muscle similarly to the heart, the potential applications are huge, …

Surface Dosimetry In Breast Radiotherapy, Andrew Kelly

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Radiotherapy is a common tool used by clinicians in the treatment of breast cancer patients. This thesis investigates the calculation and measurement of phantom surface dose during an IMRT breast radiation therapy dose delivery.

Measurements were taken to prototype the MOSkin dosimeters placed on an anthropomorphic phantom. The dose measurements are also indicative of skin doses that patients are likely to receive with and without Orfit immobilisation cast material in place during radiation therapy.

The first part of this thesis is focussed on the beam modelling of the Pinnacle planning computer. In particular, it focusses on the ability of …

Nanostructured Catalytic Electrodes For Fuel Cells, Weimin Zhang

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The main goal of this study was to design and develop novel electrocatalysts that exhibit high catalytic activity whilst maintaining 100 % selectivity for a desired product. Such catalytic materials will improve the performance of fuel cells by increasing cell efficiency and by removing by-products, thus eliminating waste in fuel cells electrocatalytic reactions.

A cobalt porphyrin electrocatalyst embedded in a conducting polypyrrole matrix was prepared using either a vapour phase polymerization or in-situ chemical polymerization method. The composite material showed enhanced catalytic activity and stability toward the electrochemical reduction of oxygen when compared with the original cobalt complex. The performance …

The Synthesis Of Novel Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles, Arife Yazici

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis reports on the development of new methods for the synthesis of functionalized pyrrolidines. These compounds are of important since they are the common ring structure that forms the bicyclic, heterocyclic core structure of the pyrrolizidine, indolizidine and Stemona alkaloids. In Chapter 2 we report our efforts to develop a general method for preparing 4- hydroxy-5-substituted pyrrolidin-2-ones from the borono-Mannich reactions of 4- hydroxy or 4-benzyloxy-5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-ones with boronic acids in the presence of BF3.Et2O. The 4,5-dihydroxypyrrolidin-2-one gave in two cases 4,5-cis adducts with very high cis selectivity but in relatively low yields, while the 4- benzyloxy-5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-one gave 4,5-trans adducts …

Autonomous Agent Negotiation Strategies In Complex Environments, Fenghui Ren

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Autonomous agents are software agents that are self-contained, capable of making independent decisions, and taking actions to satisfy internal goals based upon their perceived environment. Agent negotiation is a means for autonomous agents to communicate and compromise to reach mutually beneficial agreements. By considering the complexity of negotiation environments, agent negotiation can be classified into three levels, which are the Bilateral Negotiation Level, the Multilateral Negotiation Level, and the Multiple Related Negotiation Level. In the Bilateral Negotiation Level, negotiations are performed between only two agents. The challenges on this level are how to predict an opponent's negotiation behavior, and how …

Development Of New Electrode Materials For Lithium Ion Batteries, Chao Zhong

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that have been widely used in portable electronic devices are now extended to applications such as electric vehicles (EVs). Therefore, the performance of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries must continue to be improved in terms of capacity, rate capability, cycle life, etc. In this Master’s research study, to contribute to this goal, several materials were characterized and examined for possible applications as anode or cathode for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Among the anode candidates, nickel oxide (NiO), copper oxide (CuO) and copper oxide with carbon (CuO-C), and free-standing graphene-silicon (graphene-Si) were studied. Manganese dioxide (MnO2) was also studied as …

Thermogenesis In Plants: The Mode Of Heating And Regulation In Hot Flowers, Nicole Michele Grant

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Thermogenesis or self heating in plants has been known to scientists for more than 100 years. It occurs across a number of different plant families, most commonly in the Araceae family, however questions remain as to which tissues heat, the heating mechanisms and the respiratory substrates used for heating in the majority of species. Heat production is thought to occur via the alternative oxidase (AOX), the plant uncoupling protein (pUCP), or perhaps a combination of the two. In this study four thermogenic plant species were investigated: three species from the Araceae family, Amorphophallus titanum, Dracunculus vulgaris and Philodendron bipinnatifidum; and …

Developing Managerial Thinking Through "Reflection-On-Experience" Using An Online Discussion Forum And A Reflective Journal In A Health Services Management Subject, David John Ritchie

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Clinicians and managers often think differently about how health care should be organised, what constitutes best practice and how resources should be allocated (Degeling, Maxwell, Kennedy & Coyle 2003; Greater Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce 2004; Lawson & Rotem 2004). Despite management education using a variety of approaches to develop managerial thinking, there are concerns about management development and education in Australia (Karpin, 1995; Holian, 2004). In this study the development of managerial thinking using a “reflection-on-experience” approach was explored as a method that could address differences between how clinicians and managers think about the organisation of work and the use of …

Got Milk? : The Influence Of Toddler Formula Advertising On Attitudes And Beliefs About Infant Feeding, Nina J. Berry

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

AIMS This project sought to determine whether advertisements for toddler milk function as de-facto advertising for infant formula in Australia, and whether exposure to these advertisements influences parents’ attitudes towards breastfeeding or formula feeding. DESIGN A mixed methods triangulation model was selected to facilitate thorough investigation of a complex public health issue. METHODS Four studies were conducted simultaneously and the results synthesised at the level of analysis. In-depth interviews were conducted to examine expectant mothers’ understandings of toddler milk advertisements. Content analysis was used to compare the frequency with which advertisements for various formula products and brands appeared in parenting …

Network Attacks And Securing Streaming Content, Liang Lu

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Despite many years of effort by the industry as well as the research community, attacks on computer systems via access networks are still a severe threat. In the battle against network attacks, firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) have played one of the most important roles. However, conventional firewalls and IDSs have technical limitations and as such have difficulties dealing with emerging network applications, a notable example of which being streaming content. Besides, configuring firewall rule tables for large networks with complex security requirements is a difficult and error prone task.

In this thesis, we study the behavior of streaming …

Explorations Of Superconductivity Mechanism And High Critical Current Performance Of Mgb2, Wenxian Li

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The discovery of superconductivity in magnesium diboride (MgB2, with a critical temperature of 39 K, observed in January 2001) has generated enormous interest and excitement in the superconductivity community and the world in general, especially for those involved in researching superconductivity in non-oxides and boron related compounds. MgB2 possesses an AlB2-type hexagonal structure (space group P6/mmm) with alternating boron honeycomb planes and magnesium triangular planes. Each Mg atom is located at the center of a hexagon formed by boron atoms, and it donates its electron to the boron planes; hence, the B-B bonding is strongly anisotropic. The unit cell parameters …

Implementation Of Spatial Shift Estimation Approach For 3d Profilometry Based On Digital Fringe Projection, Pu Cao

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Fringe Pattern Profilometry (FPP) based on Digital Fringe Projection (DFP) is a promising optical noncontact three-dimension (3D) profile measurement technologies due to its accuracy and flexibility. Popular FPP approaches retrieve the 3D profile information using the detection of phase difference, called the Phase Difference Estimation (PDE). Recently, a new kind of FPP approach, referred to as Spatial Shift Estimation (SSE) is introduced, which retrieves the 3D profile information using the detection of spatial shift instead of phase different. Compared with PDE approaches, SSE approaches are advantageous in that the projected fringe patterns do not need to be sinusoidal, and thus …

Playing With Fire? Bushfire And Everyday Life In Changing Rural Landscapes, Christine Eriksen

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The severity of the January 2003 Canberra bushfires initiated a national enquiry on bushfire mitigation and management by the Council of Australian Governments. One of the core messages conveyed by the enquiry was a concern about community complacency, particularly in the rural-urban interface, that previous and subsequent enquiries and research have also expressed. The enquiry also highlighted the importance of retaining local environmental knowledge on bushfire considering the demographic changes associated with amenity migration. These issues form the core of this thesis.

This thesis examines how experiences of place, culture, events and context mediate how diverse types of landholders in …

Identification And Characterisation Of Immunoreactive Antigens Of Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae, Jody Gorman

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

M. hyopneumoniae is the causative agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia (PEP) and inflicts a severe economic burden on swine production. Colonisation involves adherence of M. hyopneumoniae to the porcine respiratory epithelia in a process believed to be mediated by surface proteins capable of binding target cells. This thesis involved the identification and characterisation of several immunoreactive M. hyopneumoniae antigens in an effort to increase the current understanding of the surface topography of this organism.

The first antigen identified in this research was the now well-characterised cilium adhesin of M. hyopneumoniae, P97. P97 was found in earlier research to contain two …

Posture Detection By Kernel Pca-Based Manifold Learning, Peng Cheng

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

A Posture detection system aims to identify and localize any specific types of postures in images and video sequences. Unlike human or pedestrian detection where only one class of objects is required to be detected, posture detection is designed to detect multiple classes of postures. It remains a challenging problem because human bodies are complex and articulated with very diversified appearances. Posture detection often relies on a good generalization of the variations from large quantity of training examples that cover different situations. In this thesis, we devise a new posture detection framework that combines the histogram of gradient (HOG)-based feature …

Evaluation Of Provisions For Gifted Students In Saudi Arabia, Mohammed A. Al Qarni

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This study was conducted to evaluate the provision of gifted education in Saudi Arabia, which had not been assessed since its commencement 12 years ago. This study represents a comprehensive and objective evaluation of all the gifted centres that provide care and services for gifted students in Saudi Arabia, in order to achieve the following objectives:
1. Identify and classify different policies of planning and providing programs for gifted students in Saudi Arabia;
2. Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of procedures used in selecting gifted students in Saudi Arabia;
3. Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of procedures used in selecting …

Creating Optimal Literacy Learning Environments Using Synchronous Technologies To Support Aboriginal Adult Learners Effectively: A Narungga Perspective, Michelle J. Eady Dr

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Current reports of literacy rates in Australia indicate a persisting discrepancy in literacy skills between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian adults at a time when the literacy demands of work and life continue to intensify. There are many perspectives of the literacy needs of Aboriginal adults, including opinions from the literature, literacy practitioners, and Aboriginal community members themselves. These needs include adult basic education skills such as reading, writing and mathematics education, as well as employability training and the ever-increasing demand for technology competencies.

Current and active projects worldwide are attempting to alleviate literacy issues and lessen the glaring skills discrepancy …

Contributions To Pairing-Based Cryptography, Tsz Hon Yuen

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Pairing-based cryptography is an active research area in cryptography in the last decade. Pairings are bilinear mappings defined over cyclic groups wherein the discrete logarithm problem is hard. The bilinear property of pairings enables researchers to solve open problems like the construction of practical identity-based encryption, or short signatures without random oracles. Pairings can also be used to construct new cryptographic primitives.

This thesis contributes to the pairing-based cryptography in three areas. Firstly, we show that pairings can be used to construct efficient and provably secure digital signature schemes. We give the first convertible undeniable signatures without random oracles, and …

Black Power, Asio And Media Framing Of The 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy: For Film Development, Nick Mclaren

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The research path taken in this thesis follows a number of separate yet overlapping topics. Critically I have sought to re-examine the 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy as a media phenomenon. This leads me to address the question: to what extent did the creation of the Embassy protest as a media event influence the outcomes?

I examine the Aboriginal Embassy as a historic event shaped by the US Black Power movement with its emphasis on urban self-help programs free of ‘white’ influence. The Embassy protest was also forged around the Aboriginal Land Rights movement originating in non-urban areas, especially in the …

Examining How An Online Mentoring Model May Support New Supplemental Instruction Leaders, Phillip John Dawson

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This study investigated online mentoring as a method of supportinginexperienced, geographically-dispersed Supplemental Instruction Leaders (SILs). Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic support program thatemploys successful senior students as SILs to facilitate regular peer learningsessions. Over 250,000 tertiary students attend SI each year worldwide (Arendale, 2002). Students who attend SI are more likely to succeed in theirstudies, achieve higher grades, and be retained at their institutions (Martin &Arendale, 1993). The Australian higher education sector has a need forinitiatives like SI that support the success of non-traditional students (Bradley,Noonan, Nugent, & Scales, 2008); however such programs can be difficult toimplement in multi-campus …

Methane Emissions From Livestock Measured By Novel Spectroscopic Techniques, Mei Bai

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas with the second largest radiative forcingafter CO2- its global warming potential (GWP) is 25 times that of CO2 over a100 year time span. CH4 mixing ratio varied in the atmosphere over the last 650kyr, from approximately 320 ppb to 800 ppb until around 1750, after whichmethane mixing ratio increased dramatically to approximately 1770 ppb in 2005.During this period, more than half of the methane emissions to the atmospherewere from human activities.

Ruminant livestock is the main source of methane

Water Law And Administrative Procedure In The Sydney Region, Wendy Louise Ambler

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The objective of this research project was to identify and critically examine the regulatory mechanisms that authorise, and those that restrict, what is done with water in the Sydney Region and how it is done. Four principal areas of investigation were identified: how water is used, where it is sourced, how those water sources are managed, and how water is supplied to consumers.

The research traced the evolution of a national urban water management framework through the 1990s and observed how the national framework is implemented in the Sydney Region.

A complex pattern of urban water regulation emerged from observations …

The Role Of Context In Adolescent Hopelessness: Differences In Associated Variables And Felt Experience, David R. St. Quintin

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Although sizeable, the literature on hopelessness in young people is fragmented and lacks integrated consideration of the possible effects that social context plays in the genesis, maintenance and experience of hopelessness. The current research comprised two studies designed to allow for clarification and integration of the literature. Study 1 was a quantitative survey of students (n=450) drawn from metropolitan and rural high schools in New South Wales, Australia. While levels of hopelessness did not differ between the rural and metropolitan samples, regression analyses revealed differences between the variables associated with hopelessness in each of the groups. Results suggest that hopelessness …

Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By Membrane Bioreactors (Mbrs), Nichanan Tadkaew

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This research investigates the removal of trace organics by membrane bioreactors (MBRs) under various operating conditions to elucidate the removal mechanisms and factors affecting the removal efficiency of these contaminants. The reported results show excellent performance of a laboratory scale MBR system regarding the removal of basic biological performance with stable removal efficiency throughout over two years. Changes in operating conditions including mixed liquor pH, temperature, salinity could affect the performance of the MBR system at extreme conditions. However, the MBR system could quickly recover after returning to a normal operating condition. In contrast, mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) and …

Development Of A Silicon Detector For Dose Imaging And Measurement In External Beam Radiotherapy, Anthony Anselmo Espinoza

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The aim of this research project is to characterise two silicon epitaxial diode types with structures differing with the presence of n+ guard ring in one type. These detectors will be evaluated and ultimately assessed on their potential as a reliable commercial detector system for newer radiation therapy modalities, with focus on its use in Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance.

The detectors comprise of a p+ layer as its substrate and a p-type epitaxial layer, with n+ junction implanted. One of the detector types had an n+ guard ring surrounding the diode, which was designed to minimise leakage current …

Adaptive Inference And Design For Multistage Surveys, Loai Mahmoud Awad Al-Zou'bi

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Two-stage sampling usually leads to higher variances for estimators of means and regression coe_cients, because of intra-class homogeneity. This thesis will develop and evaluate adaptive strategies for designing and analyzing twostage surveys, where sample data will be used to determine the appropriate way of allowing for intraclass correlation. The approach to analysis will be based on _tting a linear regression model to estimate means and regression coe_cients. One method for allowing for clustering in _tting a linear regression model is to use a linear mixed model with two levels. If the estimated intra-class correlation is close to zero, it may …

Nonlinear Neural Network For Conditional Mean And Variance Forecasts, Porntip Dechpichai

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Over-fitting usually appears in financial time series forecasting by neural networks, where the target series are usually contaminated with noise. To avoid this problem, regularization and committee machine methods are considered.

In the context of financial applications, especially in the stock market predictions, the variance of asset returns is of particular interest in addition to the mean, in order to provide information to balance risk and return in investment at each point of time. To be able to fit two-dimensional mean and variance output to one-dimensional asset return data, an objective function based on the negative log likelihood of the …