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A Trial Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Facilitate Psychological Adjustment After A Traumatic Brain Injury, Diane Lynn Whiting

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The adjustment process after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is complex, individual and results in high levels of psychological distress as the individual comes to accept their post-injury self. This thesis undertakes a series of five studies to investigate whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can facilitate psychological adjustment after a severe TBI. The first study provides a selective review of cognitive and psychological flexibility in the context of treatment for psychological distress after traumatic brain injury, with a focus on acceptance-based therapies. Cognitive flexibility is a component of executive function that is referred to mostly in the context of …

Australian Industry Superannuation Default Funds: Examining Sequencing Risk For Baby Boomers, Loretta Anne Iskra

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The growth of superannuation (private pension systems) is a global phenomenon, which has been intended to counter the financial burden of an ageing population. Superannuation is part of the Australian government’s retirement income policy, as it is expected to supplement the Government Age Pension and other private savings in providing sufficient retirement funding for the nation. With the impact of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) leading to reduced share market asset values, corporate failures and consequently reduced retirement funds, superannuation is increasingly the focus of reform initiatives. In Australia, superannuation is the legislated process of employers depositing a percentage …

Pricing American-Style Parisian Options, Tan Nhat Le

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Barrier options are the most common path-dependent options traded in financial markets. They are particularly attractive to investors, because not only are they cheaper than vanilla options but they also offer different choices of investment, which allow investors to bet their views on the movement of the underlying asset prices. The “one-touch” breaching barrier however is prone to market manipulations which can be made by influential agents in order to free them from their liabilities to the option holders. Aiming to prevent such market manipulations, Parisian options were introduced, with an extended trigger clause, which makes the knock-in or knock-out …

Ultraviolet Photodissociation Of Protonated Pyridine Derivatives: Action Spectroscopy And Mass Spectrometry, Christopher S. Hansen

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis describes the development and benchmarking of photodissociation action spectroscopy instrumentation bringing together a commercial linear ion trap mass spectrometer and multiple pulsed laser systems. The focus of the thesis is then a study of the spectroscopy and photochemistry of gas-phase protonated pyridine derivatives using this instrumentation.

Development Of Three Dimensional, Conducting Structures For Nerve Regenerative Applications, Katharina Schirmer

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Peripheral nerve damage affects thousands of people every year. While less severe injuries usually heal over time, surgery is the only option to attempt restoration of sensation and function in severely damaged peripheral nerves. Autologous nerve grafting is currently the most successful and commonly used treatment for injuries of the peripheral nervous system. The functional outcomes of autografting are still far from ideal and further limitations result from the need to sacrifice a nerve from elsewhere in the body. To overcome these limitations research has focussed on the development of artificial nerve conduits which are designed to support the damaged …

Coming To Terms With The Occupation Of Nature: Engagements Between Indigenous Australians And Conservation Organisations, Heather Moorcroft

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis explores contemporary engagements between Indigenous Australians and conservation organisations. Under a new paradigm, conservation claims to be inclusive of Indigenous people. There is a considerable body of work on this topic stemming from case studies from developing countries, yet little attention has been afforded to developed settler societies such as Australia, where Indigenous people are often considered citizens of the “fourth world”.

Using a multiple case study design and a mixed methods approach of archival research, document analysis, interviews and observations, the thesis investigates the historical and contemporary context of engagements between Indigenous Australians and the conservation sector, …

Brand As An Influence On Mobile Converged Technology Purchases Among Australian 18 To 34 Year Old Young Adults, David Edwin Rogerson

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis explores the influence of brand on mobile converged technology purchase decisions made by young adult Australians, between 18 to 34 years of age, specifically focusing on mobile phone purchase decisions from 1 February, 2009 to 31 January, 2011. A review of the literature reveals that, predominantly, research has focused on the individual elements of brand, technology convergence and the consumer decision making processes, however, research into the combination of multiple variables in the purchase decision making process, for newer converged technologies, is not apparent. This research contributes to the available literature analysing the influence of brand as well …

Frequency-Domain Method For Measuring Alpha Factor By Self-Mixing Interferometry, Zhenghao Liu

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Linewidth enhancement factor, also known as the alpha factor, is a fundamental characteristic parameter of a laser diode (LD). It characterises the broadening of the laser linewidth, the frequency chirp, the injection lock range and the response to external optical feedback. In the past few decades, extensive researches have been dedicated to the measurement of alpha. Among all the existing approaches, the methods based on selfmixing interferometry (SMI) are considered the most simple and effective. The core components of a SMI consist of an LD, a lens and a moving target. When a portion of laser light backscattered or reflected …

The Trace Of An Affective Object Encounter: A Picture Postcard, Its Provocations, And Processual Becomings, Louise J. Boscacci

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis of practice-based research begins with a first encounter: the affective provocation of a one hundred year-old pictorial postcard. It draws on a Spinozan-Deleuzian philosophical trajectory of contemporary affect theory in which affect is posited as the generative forces of encounter and the durational passage of those intensities and energies within a vocabulary of becomings. The travelling postcard, named within the project, ‘the Round Table postcard’, is housed in an intergenerational, familial archive in the Queensland tropics: an emplaced material object, and an electric encounter situated in idiolocal country of embodied attunement and connection. The thesis traces the …

Testing Stock Market Efficiency In The Weak Form: Evidence From The Dow Jones Islamic Indices, Mohammad Saleh Alsayed

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Market efficiency is one of the most controversial topics in the finance literature. Over the past four decades, academics and practitioners have widely examined the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) in conventional developed and developing financial markets. However, the limited number of studies on Islamic indices found within the literature stresses the need for additional scrutiny as to whether the claim of religious or moral Islamic principles may have led investors to make sacrifices in market efficiency. This thesis provides an empirical understanding for policy makers, investors, portfolio managers and researchers, whether individual or institutional, on Islamic investing in equity markets …

Quality Issues In Multipurpose Ongoing Population Health Surveys, Margo Barr

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Background: Quality is an important aspect of the conduct of sample surveys, but often the need for timely results, generated within a specified budget, can become the overriding imperative. When sample surveys are considered from a quality perspective two major dimensions need to be considered; measurement and representativeness. In ongoing data collections there is a third dimension; the impact dimension that includes timeliness, sensitivity and responsiveness, flexibility and coherence, comparability, accessibility and usefulness.

Aims and objectives: To consider important research issues for ongoing population health surveys in Australia including: (i) the diminishing coverage of landline phone frames because of mobile-only …

Towards An Improved Framework To Prevent Marine Plastic Debris, Karen Raubenheimer

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

A range of multilateral agreements exists to prevent pollution of the oceans from various sources. Yet it would seem this framework has failed to prevent the continuing flow of plastic waste into the marine environment. This research provides the first analysis of the international and regional legal and policy framework to assess the adequacy of provisions in establishing a duty to prevent marine plastic debris.

The central contributing factor is one of differing jurisdictions resulting in varying levels of duty established in the different maritime zones and on land. The Law of the Sea Convention provides various rights to States …

Nano-Engineering And Advanced Characterizations Of Layered-Structure Electrode Materials For Lithium-Ion And Sodium-Ion Batteries, Sujith Kalluri

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Undoubtedly, there is a huge demand for renewable energy storage devices for various everyday applications, from portable electronics to large-scale applications such as electric vehicles and energy storage for electrical grids, made especially urgent due to the depletion of fossil fuels. Currently, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology is most prominently used in mobile or portable electronics, which has raised a huge demand for expensive lithium, the reserves of which would not be sufficient for a future huge share of electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage, thereby putting severe pressure on lithium production and its cost. Alongside LIB technology, both academic …

Synthesis, Characterisation And Water Purification Properties Of Carbon Nanotube Membranes (Buckypapers), Md. Harun-Or Rashid

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Several different series of novel, self-supporting carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes, known as buckypapers (BPs), were successfully synthesised by vacuum filtration of dispersions containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), functionalised MWNTs (MWNT‒COOH and MWNT‒NH₂), or single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The formation of these dispersions was achieved by subjecting samples containing CNTs and various dispersant molecules, including a surfactant (Triton X-100 (Trix)), macrocyclic ligands (meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin dihydrogen chloride, phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid or 4-Sulfonic calix[6]arene hydrate), and biopolymers (bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, chitosan, gellan gum and DNA) to ultrasonic energy. Absorption spectrophotometry and optical microscopy was used to monitor the formation of …

Interaction Of Group A Streptococcus And The Plasminogen Activation System In Invasive Disease, Diane Thuyvi Ly

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Group A Streptococcus (GAS; group A streptococci; Streptococcus pyogenes) is a globally significant bacterial pathogen. The primary biological host for GAS is humans, and GAS is responsible for a plethora of non-invasive and invasive infections. Generally, GAS colonisation of superficial tissue sites, including the epidermal surface of the skin or the mucosal epithelium of the upper respiratory tract, results in non-invasive conditions such as impetigo and pharyngitis. Less commonly, GAS can gain access and disseminate into more sterile tissue areas. This leads to invasive life-threatening conditions, including necrotising fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which involve destruction of the skin …

Synthesis And Application Of Few-Layered Hexagonal Boron Nitrade, Majharul Haque Khan

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) is one of the most widely studied twodimensional (2D) materials these days, due to their extraordinary properties and potential applications. For example, BNNS has been proposed as an ideal substrate for graphene based electronics because of its ultra-flatness and structural similarity to graphene. The synthesis of large-area, homogeneous, and few-layered BNNS, however, remains challenging. Among the various synthetic routes, atmospheric pressure – chemical vapour deposition (AP-CVD) is preferred on the grounds of its cost effectiveness and its ability to yield large-area BNNS from a single run. Maintaining the homogeneity and crystallinity of the nanosheets over …

Institutional Influence On Hrm Practices In Equitised State Owned Enterprises In Vietnam, Quy Ngoc Nguyen

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Through the lens of institutional theory, this thesis examines institutional influence on the adoption and non-adoption of human resource management (HRM) practices in Vietnamese equitised state owned enterprises (ESOEs). Qualitative research was used to gather empirical evidence. Six interviews with government officials and 43 interviews in seven large equitised state owned enterprises in Vietnam were conducted. Taking observational notes, collecting organizational documents, and attending organizational meetings and relevant social activities were additional forms of data collection. ESOEs were chosen across a range of industry types and in different stages of equitisation from state dominant to 100% private enterprise. Within each …

Structure And Classification Of Generalised Bunce-Deddens Algebras And Their Kms States, James Rout

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

A Bunce-Deddens algebra is a direct limit of matrix algebras over C(T) arising from periodic weighted shift operators.

Hot Deformation Behaviour Of Ni-30fe And Ni-30fe-Nb-C Model Alloys, Parvez Mannan

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The studies of the influence of processing parameters and the effect of Nb content (from 0 to 1.4 wt. %) on the dynamic recrystallisation behaviour in model Ni-30 wt. % Fe alloys were conducted using a Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical processing simulator. Different processing parameters, such as solution treatment and deformation temperatures, strain and strain rate, were used to elucidate their effects on softening processes. It was shown that the deformation activation energy has increased from 362KJ/mol to 419 KJ/mol with an addition of 0.332 wt. % Nb to Ni-30 wt. % Fe alloy.

In order to clarify the evolution of dynamic …

Teaching Critical Literacy Using Multimodal Texts To College Students In The Philippines, Margarita Felipe Fajardo

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Critical literacy focuses on the connection between literacy and power (Lankshear & McLaren, 1993a). It examines how literacy practices are inextricably connected to social, political and economic contexts. Critical literacy has been studied extensively for four decades in varied contexts of schooling, vocational education, higher education and adult education. Most of these studies have been in English-speaking countries (Lankshear & McLaren, 1993b; Pandya & Avila, 2014; Simpson & Comber, 2001). In the Philippines, however, critical literacy as a pedagogical practice has not been widely explored. As such, this inquiry aims to contribute to the growth of literature on critical literacy …

The Impact Of The Dimensions Of Green Supply Chain Management Practices On Corporate Performance, Hassan Younis

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Global warming, carbon emissions and the depletion of natural resources have heralded significant changes in the way organizations produce and deliver products and services. Within this context the greening of supply chains has gained the attention of practitioners in many countries. In some countries, for example, carbon taxation has been introduced as a mandatory requirement. However, the implementation of green supply chain management practices and the impact of these practices on corporate performance are still in a nascent stage.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces many challenges including increased energy consumption, the depletion of natural resources and the generation of …

New Types Of Mckibben Artificial Muscles, Danial Sangian

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Actuators are devices that exhibit reversible change in their shape or volume or generate force when externally stimulated. Because of their very similar operation style to biological muscles, actuator materials are also known as artificial muscles. These materials are in demand for many applications, such as medical devices and robotics. These applications normally require an inexpensive actuator system that can offer high force, high strain, and high power density in a relatively short period of time. The device packaging and size of the actuator are also important parameters as currently most of the applications desire very compact and lightweight systems. …

Contributions To Functional Encryption And Its Applications, Tran Viet Xuan Phuong

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Access control plays an important role in many information systems. Embedding policy-based access control into modern encryption schemes is an interesting but challenging task that has been intensively studied by the cryptographic research community in recent years. Furthermore, most of encryption schemes require not only the guarantee of security, but also the efficiency in terms of computational and communication cost when producing ciphertext and secret key.

In this thesis, we study Functional Encryption comprising its subclasses such as Attribute Based Encryption, Hidden Vector Encryption, and Inner Product Encryption. We boost the advantage of these encryption schemes by improving their performance, …

Stm Investigation Of Silicene, Jincheng Zhuang

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Silicene, the silicon-based counterpart of graphene, has attracted intensive interest due to its unique characteristics and a wide range of promising applications. In this thesis, we investigate its growth mechanism, EPC strength, and oxygen adsorption functionality. The details are as following:

1. Epitaxial growth mechanism of silicene layers fabricated on a Ag(111) surface by MBE deposition were reported in this chapter. The coverage effect and the structural defects have been identified by using STM imaging. It is found that substrate temperature plays a critical role in determination of the silicene superstructures. Several types of defects are observed in different silicene …

Behaviour Of Concrete Beams Reinforced With Gfrp Bars Under Static & Impact Loading, Matthew William Goldston

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Composite materials, including Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars, have been gaining momentum as alternatives to traditional steel reinforcements in civil and structural engineering sectors. FRP materials are non-corrosive, making them a suitable alternative to steel reinforcement in aggressive environments, lightweight and possess high longitudinal tensile strength, which are advantageous for their use in civil infrastructure. Furthermore, since they are non-conductive, they are a suitable in medical applications that are highly sensitive to electromagnetic fields including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilities.

The effects of high velocity conditions such as blast or impact loading on reinforced concrete structures reinforced with steel reinforcement …

Magnetic Actuation For Drug Delivery In Capsule Endoscopy, Fredy Munoz

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

The development of a highly controllable drug delivery system (DDS) for wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is an important field of research due to its promising features in therapeutic treatment of diseases in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and drug absorption studies. Before establishing an effective DDS for WCE, several factors need to be considered to set the minimum requirements for the DDS. Operation conditions in the GI tract as well as pharmaceutical factors play a significant role in determining the requirements. In order to facilitate the effective operation of a DDS in the GI tract, at least two mechanisms should be …

A 3d Multiscale Simulation Of Rough Surface Contacts At The Atomic Level, Jie Zhang

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Investigating rough surface contacts at the atomic level is instrumental to the overarching understanding of tribology across the scales. Limitations of traditional techniques, such as purely atomistic and continuum simulations, motivate the development of multiscale simulations accounting for nanoscale contact.

In this work, multiscale models are developed, and applied to investigate rough surface contacts at the atomic level with consideration of elastic deformation, elasto-plastic deformation, effects of temperature and lubricant.

Sensitivity Of Subantarctic Marine Invertebrates To Metal Contamination, Jessica Rose Holan

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

Areas of the subantarctic are isolated, cold, harsh and generally pristine. However, the presence of humans invariably leads to contamination, particularly around research stations and legacy refuse sites. Increases in ship visits to the region will heighten the chance of fuel spills and increase concentrations of contaminants including copper, due to its use as a biocide on ship hulls. Despite this increased risk of contamination, there is currently very limited data available on the sensitivity of subantarctic marine biota to contaminants, and no environmental quality guidelines exist for this region. This study is therefore the first marine-based comprehensive ecotoxicology study …

A Study Of Vortex Dynamics In Patterned Superconducting Thin Films, Jonathan George

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

This thesis can be divided into two primary works, examining the effects of uniform and non-uniform pinning arrays of antidots in YBCO thin films, and optimising the deposition of Nb thin films. The ultimate goal was compare the poorly investigated effect of pinning arrays of large antidots in Nb and YBCO thin films, which have different intrinsic pinning properties and different vortex sizes.

The non-uniform graded pinning arrays etched into YBCO thin films such as graded, inverted and evenly spaced rings of triangular antidots indicated the success of novel artificial pinning arrays of large antidots could come from the suppression …

Care, Connect, Cure: Constructing Success For Health Consumer Organisations, Dianne Prince

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016

In Australia, Health Consumer Organisations (HCOs), also known as Patient Support Groups, play an important role in supporting people facing a shared health condition. This research aims to identify and illustrate factors mediating the success of formally structured Australian HCOs. An understanding of what enables or inhibits ‘success’ for such organisations will inform HCOs and stakeholders seeking to work with them, and assist them in the development and evaluation of their strategic plans.

This research identifies factors mediating the success of HCOs operating in Australia through a study involving four separate organisations. Organisations were selected purposefully to illustrate differences and …