Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (Pufa) On Satiety In Overweight Individuals Undergoing A Weight Loss Intervention Program, Grigorijs Teuss

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Overweight and obesity are highly significant public health concerns because of the close association of the metabolic syndrome with chronic and potentially fatal diseases (WHO, 2002). The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity have substantially increased over the past decade and arecurrently the highest on record (Yanovski and Yanovski, 2002). Developed countries exhibit higher prevalence rates; however, the difference between developed and developing countries is gradually becoming less evident. In Australia 62% of men and 45% of women are classified as being overweight or obese based on their body mass index (BMI) score (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). Abdominal obesity …

Inducing Hydrogen Assisted Cold Cracking In High Strength Steel Weld Metal, Rian Holdstock

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The thesis explores the hydrogen assisted cold cracking in high strength steel weld metal during flux cored arc welding (FCAW) using a technique involving the deliberate introduction of hydrogen into the CO₂ shielding gas. A specific objective was to investigate weld metal cold cracking susceptibility by development of a research tool which permitted control over both the weld metal diffusible hydrogen content and the stress applied during mechanical testing of single bead on plate weld deposits.

The basis for this undertaking is twofold, and stems from the fact that crack mitigating measures traditionally address cracking in the heat affected …

Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating Of Tephra-Bearing Deposits From Eastern Beringia, Martina Demuro

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Eastern Beringia (Alaska and the Yukon Territory) represents a unique high-latitude setting in that it has remained largely ice-free throughout the major global glaciations of the Quaternary. As a result, it contains extensive terrestrial palaeoenvironmental records in the form of perennially-frozen loess and loess-derived deposits, which span the last 3 million years. Numerous tephra horizons across eastern Beringia also provide invaluable chronostratigraphic markers that are capable of correlating regional stratigraphic sequences over large areas. These preserved records offer a unique opportunity to reconstruct detailed palaeoenvironmental, palaeoclimatic, palaeobiological and archaeological histories for this region. However, there remains a need to improve …

Drying Of Potable Water Treatment Plant Residuals, Ali Mohammad Gharaibeh

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The need for potable water treatment has become an increasing necessity in modern society. Worldwide, the most widely used water treatment technology remains a combination of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration. As a result, water treatment operations not only produce drinking water, they also produce wet residuals as a by-product. These residuals mainly include suspended solids, any organics found in water, and chemicals used in the treatment process such as coagulants, coagulant aids and filter aid polymers. The main objective regarding residuals management continues to be the reduction of residuals for either reuse or disposal. This reduction can be achieved …

Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction For On-Stream Monitoring Of Mineralogy, Joel N. O'Dwyer

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Mineral processing and metal production techniques depend on the mineralogy of the feedstock fed into the processing plant. The ability to perform on-stream mineralogical characterisation of feedstock materials, or to monitor intermediate, product and waste streams would allow better process control and increased efficiency. On-line elemental analysers based on X-ray fluorescence and prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis are widely used, but existing mineralogical analysis methods rely on extracting and measuring small samples. This can introduce sampling errors and is time consuming, particularly if the sample must be removed to a laboratory for analysis. These methods are therefore ill-suited to process …

Strip Detector For High Spatial Resolution Dosimetry In Radiation Therapy, Ashley James Cullen

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Radiation therapy is an established modality in the treatment of tumours. With treatments ever evolving and increasing in terms of their complexities, the need arises to ensure the best quality treatment is delivered; the survival of the patient relies upon it. A modern treatment such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy employs steep dose gradients varying dynamically to deliver complex dose profiles, whilst the experimental Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT) involves the delivery of an array of intense beams tens-of-microns wide separated by several hundred microns. In both cases, conventional dosimetry is inadequate in providing both spatial and temporal information about complex …

Application And Evaluation Of Shoreline Segmentation Mapping Approaches To Assessing Response To Climate Change On The Illawarra Coast, South East Australia, Pamela A.O. Abuodha

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Climate change, particularly sea-level rise, threatens many coastal systems around the world. Coastal managers and decision-makers require information that enables them to assess the vulnerability of the coastlines to the range of impacts and to develop cheap, simple, generic tools, prompting the need to develop tools that can be used to study the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on the coastal zones. This thesis examines tools that are available to assist in determining sensitivity of the coast, and then describes strengths and weaknesses of three different coastal assessment tools that adopt a GIS (Geographical Information System) approach to …

The Role Of Clusterin (Clu) In Extracellular Protein Folding Quality Control, Amy Ruth Wyatt

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Processes to attain and maintain the correct three-dimensional shape, known as the native conformation, of proteins are vital. However, certain conditions including thermal and oxidative stress may cause proteins to partially unfold and aggregate. Intracellular and/or extracellular protein aggregates have been identified in a large number of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis and type II diabetes. While intracellular quality control for the folding state of proteins is well characterized, corresponding mechanisms for extracellular protein folding quality control have yet to be described.

Clusterin (CLU) is an abundant extracellular chaperone that can stabilize proteins and prevent their precipitation during exposure to …

Building A Prototype For Quality Information Retrieval From The World Wide Web, Milly W. Kc

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Given the phenomenal rate by which the World Wide Web is changing, retrieval methods and quality assurance have become bottleneck issues for many information retrieval services on the Internet, e.g. Web search engine designs. In this thesis, approaches that increase the efficiency of information retrieval methods, and provide for quality assurance of information obtained from the Web, are developed through the implementation of a quality-focused information retrieval system. A novel approach to the retrieval of quality information from the Internet is introduced. Implemented as a component of a vertical search application, this results in a focused crawler which is capable …

Numerical Modelling Of Mining Subsidence, Upsidence And Valley Closure Using Udec, Walter Keilich

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Ground subsidence due to mining has been the subject of intensive research for several decades, and it remains to be an important topic confronting the mining industry today. In the Southern Coalfield of New South Wales, Australia, there is particular concern about subsidence impacts on incised river valleys – valley closure, upsidence, and the resulting localised loss of surface water under low flow conditions. Most of the reported cases have occurred when the river valley is directly undermined. More importantly, there are a number of cases where closure and upsidence have been reported above unmined coal. These latter events are …

The Virtual Orchestra: A Systematic Method Of Realising Music Composition Through Sample-Based Orchestral Simulation, Leif Sundstrup

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis investigates a method of orchestral simulation using sample-based synthesis, instrument modelling, and music performance rules. Music scores are produced using Sibelius notation software and performed by FATSO (Film and Television Studio Orchestra). FATSO is a virtual orchestra developed by the author using a combination of computer music software applications and expressive instrument modelling techniques capable of producing convincing simulated orchestral performances of music scores.

Music performance rules are modelled on live human performance practice using both Analysis-by-Synthesis and Analysis-by-Measurement techniques. The collected data is analysed, and then implemented into a music score using the Sibelius live playback transformation …

Heroine, Jennifer Kremmer

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Heroine 'Heroine' is a novel in the form of three linked novellas exploring 'the heroine' in literary as well as feminist senses. The three parts are connected both thematically (gender/war) and internally via slender threads of character and situational linkage.

The first section, 'Heroine', explores military disenfranchisement and 'woman' in relation to the masculine bond, using a narrator whose traumatic experiences continually limit self-recognition, but who eventually resolves to produce her own brand of heroinism.

The second section, 'Pan Osculans', explores ideas of 'nature', human complexity and a desire to find Utopian social forms through the quest of a primatologist …

A Study On Undeniable Signatures And Their Variants, Xinyi Huang

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

In an ordinary digital signature scheme, the verification of a signature requires the associated message, the signer’s public key and other public information (e.g. public parameter). Anyone in the system can verify the validity of the digital signature. This property is useful, as it has many applications. However, it is undesirable for some situations where signer’s privacy is a concern, especially in personally and commercially sensitive applications. In this thesis, we investigate several special signature schemes that accommodate the signer privacy.

In undeniable signatures, the most distinctive feature is that the signer is able to choose who can be convinced …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy And Depression: The Development Of A Depression Specific Process Measure, Elizabeth A. Cooper

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The aim of this study was to develop a self report measure to assess the core processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as they apply to depressed individuals in the interest of further assessing the role of these processes in mediating depression. One hundred and twenty clinically depressed participants and a control sample of 121 first and second year psychology university students participated. Participants in both groups completed a battery of questionnaires including demographic and mental health history, Acceptance and Avoidance Questionnaire for Depression (AAQ-D), Acceptance and Avoidance Questionnaire II (AAQ-II), Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale, White Bear Suppression …

Composition : Pure Data As A Meta-Compositional Instrument, Michael L.G Barkl

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The aim of “Composition: Pure Data as a Meta-Compositional Instrument” was to compose a folio of original electronic pieces that used Miller Puckette’s open source program Pure Data (Pd) as a “meta-compositional instrument”: that is, as a vehicle for documenting the creative process in a graphical way as a type of analytical notation. The pieces extended and explored creative aspects of my previous compositional research into binary processes, symmetry, and complementary pairs, using only sine tone frequencies based on the higher partials of sub-audio fundamentals. Published Pd programming conventions provided a standard benchmark with regard to “common sense” signal flow …

The Role Of Hypothalamic Neuropeptides And Bdnf In Obesity And The Effects Of Dietary Intervention, Yinghua Yu

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Obesity is a serious metabolic disorder that has reached epidemic proportions and has produced a heavy financial burden on health care systems worldwide. Obesity is usually induced by excessive energy intake and is highly resistant to treatment by lifestyle intervention. Using a mouse model, this study investigated the role of hypothalamic neuropeptides and neurotrophic factors in diet-induced obesity and obesity reversal by dietary interventions. Furthermore, this study tested the satiating capacity of various protein sources (whey, soy and gluten) through dietary intervention by analysing the meal pattern behaviour of mice. In the first two chapters, the mRNA expression of hypothalamic …

The Interpersonal Dynamics Of Aggression And Violence In Mental Health Inpatient Units, Jane L. Middleby-Clements

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Rationale: Mental Health professionals' ability to manage aggression and violence in mental health units is hampered by a lack of evidence-based research.

Aim: The research aimed to investigate the relationship between Health Professional attitudes and subsequent aggression by mental health inpatients. Method: An interpersonal model specific to inpatient mental health units guided three empirical studies. Study one investigated patient views on staff management of aggression. Study two examined specific staff variables such as rigid attitudes in dealing with aggression. Study three investigated the impact of a management philosophy upon staff attitudes in a controlled design.

Results: In study one, patients …

An Exploration Of Kindergarten Children's Multiliterate Practices In Their Homes, Margaret Turner

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Children who enter kindergarten bring to the school environment, a wide range of abilities in literacy. Prior literacy experiences in the home and the wider community have been shown to contribute towards these wide ranging abilities and, consequently, future success in literacy at school.

Our society today, though, is changing rapidly. Our task, therefore, as educators is to prepare our children to function in a future civilization created by the biggest leap in technology since the Industrial Revolution two centuries ago. We have entered a time when advances in technology are having an important effect on literacy development. The literacy …

The Linguistic Function Of Cantonese Discourse Particles In The English Medium Online Chat Of Cantonese Speakers, Yin-Ting (Stephanie) Wong

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Recent technological developments have given rise to a form of communication via the Internet known as online chat. This medium of communication has resulted in a language revolution, at least in Hong Kong where people communicating via the internet have adopted a new variety of language. This new variety is based in English but includes a number of Cantonese and Chinese sentence final particles as well as aspects of the grammar of these languages.

It is believed that the use of this hybridised English and especially the Cantonese sentence final particles has a specific function within the context of computer …

Investigating Student Outcomes From A Service Learning Project, Shona Gibson

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of a group of 15 and 16 year old school students who participated in a service learning project, referred to as the ‘Adopt a School’ project. This study was undertaken to understand what effect the project had on these students, and how it impacted on them as people. This study focused on the experiences these students had during their field trip in Sri Lanka in September 2005.

A qualitative methodology incorporating the grounded theory was selected to analyse the data.

The study identified that service learning engagement provides powerful and …

Contribution To Privacy-Preserving Cryptographic Techniques, Man Ho Allen Au

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Digital signatures are fundamental cryptographic primitives. They are useful as a stand-alone application and building blocks of complex cryptographic systems. Accumulators are another useful cryptographic primitive which provide a way to combine a set of values into one short value. They are useful in improving efficiency of cryptographic systems. In particular, these two primitives are key components in privacy-preserving cryptographic systems. In this thesis, we study the use of digital signatures and accumulators in cryptographic applications. We design digital signature schemes and accumulators with different features that are suitable for a wide range of applications. We are interested in privacy-preserving …

Imf Conditionality And Rule Of Law: Exceptional Powers And Banking In Malaysia And Venezuela, Gabriel Garcia

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The 1990s was a decade marked by the implementation of market reforms worldwide. Countries in Latin America and Asia experimented with neoliberal programs sponsored by international financial institutions (IFIs) in order to adopt the arrangements required for the functioning of a market economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) joined in these efforts and incorporated structural requirements in its programs as conditions for the provision of financial assistance, including requirements associated with the strengthening of governance and the rule of law that limited the scope of ad hoc decision making schemes. However, by the end of the 1990s the results of …

Sports Bra Design And Bra Fit: Minimising Exercise-Induced Breast Discomfort, Deirdre Mcghee

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Background: Exercise-induced breast discomfort is a barrier to females participating in physical activity and has been associated with excessive vertical breast displacement. Sports bras have been designed to provide external breast support in order to minimise vertical breast displacement and, in turn, reduce exercise-induced breast discomfort. Adequate breast support during physical activity, however, requires both a supportive bra design as well as correct bra fit.

Research Question: The overall aim of this thesis was to systematically investigate factors affecting the fit and design of bras worn during physical activity in order to develop breast support strategies to minimise the exerciseinduced …

Corporate Governance In Developing Countries: A Case Study Of Bangladesh, Md. Afzalur Rashid

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Following the large number of corporate collapses around the world and their profound impact on investors, most research on corporate governance has focused on the mature market situations of developed countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, investigating whether a control mechanism promotes accountability. Remarkably, there is a dearth of studies on corporate governance in developing countries, such as Bangladesh.

Although, there is no serious corporate scandal in Bangladesh to undermine investors' confidence, corporate governance issues have still been prevalent in Bangladesh for few reasons. For example, the existing corporate governance best practices are not …

Mosfet Dosimetry: Moskin Dosimetric Characteristics In A 6mv X-Ray Beam, David Zahra

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Real time in vivo dosimetry is a major challenge in modern radiotherapy. One promising candidate for such dosimetry is the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeter. The advantage of MOSFET dosimeters is that they offer real-time dose determination, along with a very small dosimetric volume. At the Centre for Medical Radiation Physics (CMRP) a new design of the MOSFET dosimeter called MOSkin, is being developed to measure the dose delivered to the basal layer (0.07 mm below the skin surface). This thesis discusses pre-clinical characterization of a new version of the MOSkin dosimeter and optimisation …

Determinants Of E-Government Services Adoption In Developing Countries: A Field Survey And A Case Study, Omar Alhujran

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The rapid growth of investment in public service delivery through e-government has drawn attention to research on this area. However, both governments and academic researchers recognise the problem of low-level adoption of e-government services among citizens; the common problem in both developed and developing countries. E-government adoption, unlike most of IT adoption by employees in private-sector organizations, is voluntary and occurs often in turbulent social-political environments. Therefore, the problem needs to be addressed comprehensively from technological, social, political, and cultural perspectives. However, e-government adoption research currently lacks a comprehensive conceptual framework for explaining citizen adoption of e-government services. To fill …

A History Of Australian Journalism In Indonesia, Ross Tapsell

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis examines the changing professional practice of Australian journalists since they began reporting in Indonesia from 1945. Existing literature on the Australian media in Indonesia has emphasised the problem of biased and troublesome Australian journalists who have deliberately caused bilateral relations disturbances between Australia and Indonesia. It is argued that the existing literature overstates the agency of Australian journalists, and downplays the attitudes and roles of governments and news forces in the shaping of journalists’ professional practice. This thesis will show how Australian journalists and their Indonesian staff have attempted to report what they saw as the ‘truth’ from …

Phytoremediation Of Hydrocarbon Contaminants In Sub-Antarctic Soils, Jessica Bramley-Alves

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Accidental fuel spills on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island have caused considerable contamination. Due to the island‘s high latitude position, its climate, and the fragility of its ecosystems, traditional methods of remediation are unsuitable for onsite clean up. However, if left untreated, even minor to moderate fuel spills could take decades before natural attenuation reduces the petroleum to environmentally acceptable concentrations. Currently, low cost, low disturbance in-situ methods to enhance biodegradation of fuel products, such as nutrient additions and air sparging, are under examination on Macquarie Island. This study investigated the potential of the sub-Antarctic native tussock grass, Poa foliosa, to …