Sydney Digital Theses (University of Sydney Access only)

Assessment of pathological features to improve accuracy of diagnosis, classification and prognosis of primary and metastatic melanoma

2026-07-02T08:18:25Z

Assessment of pathological features to improve accuracy of diagnosis, classification and prognosis of primary and metastatic melanoma Rawson, Robert V. The gold standard for the diagnosis of melanocytic lesions and provision of vital prognostic information for primary melanoma, is microscopic examination by a trained pathologist. When interpreting difficult to diagnose primary melanocytic lesions the challenges for the reporting pathologist include subjective diagnostic criteria leading to significant interobserver variability in diagnosis, definitive diagnosis when interpreting an initial partial diagnostic biopsy and, more recently, how to integrate the complex genomic information available from ancillary testing with the morphological clues to diagnosis which have been accumulated and learnt over the last 50 or so years by pathologists. Once the diagnosis is made the pathologist’s role is to report key prognostic information to ensure the lesion is appropriately classified, staged and managed. Traditionally pathologists role in the reporting of patients with advanced (macroscopically detectable metastatic melanoma) has been minimal, usually limited to the initial diagnosis and identification of further adverse features including tumour bulk and extranodal extension4. However, the recent development of effective systemic therapies, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, have been tested with proven superior survival in the neoadjuvant setting compared with the adjuvant setting5, 6. This provides the opportunity for pathologists to provide crucial information when analysing these neoadjuvant specimens to assist in predicting clinical outcomes in patients and guide further management. The ensuing body of work studies novel ways in which pathological assessment, through morphological and immunohistochemical techniques, of both primary melanocytic lesions and neoadjuvant specimens in metastatic melanoma can lead to more appropriate management and improved patient outcomes. Includes publication

Molecular and Cellular Characterisation of Non-coding Variants in Inherited Heart Disease

2026-07-02T04:37:37Z

Molecular and Cellular Characterisation of Non-coding Variants in Inherited Heart Disease Singer, Emma S. Genetic variants outside of protein-coding regions of genes, i.e non-coding variants, are increasingly identified to cause inherited diseases. However, the clinical relevance of these variants is challenging to determine from sequence context alone, leaving many classified as variants of uncertain significance. This thesis aimed to study the functional consequences and clinical relevance of non-coding variants in people with inherited heart disease and sudden cardiac death (SCD) through genetic and cellular studies. A rare variant burden analysis in Chapter 2, found an enrichment of RNA splice-disrupting variants in six cardiac disease genes in over 1000 people with inherited heart disease or SCD compared to population controls, supporting their relevance to disease causation. RNA extracted from blood amplified two-thirds of cardiac disease genes, highlighting the suitability of blood RNA for functional analyses of splicing variants. Chapter 3 presents functional analysis reports confirming the pathogenicity of eight putative splice-disrupting variants following blood RNA analyses. RNA and protein studies using primary heart tissue samples presented in Chapter 4 confirmed that a 5’ untranslated region deletion in TAFAZZIN abrogated protein expression from the gene, leading to haploinsufficiency and causing Barth syndrome. Eight MYBPC3 midigenes were developed in Chapter 5 to functionally assess the impact of putative splicing variants without requiring patient-derived RNA samples. In Chapter 6, RNA sequencing of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes confirmed the pathogenicity of a minor intron variant in SCN5A. CRISPR-Cas9 correction of this variant in Chapter 7, reversed cryptic splicing to wild-type. Collectively, data presented in this thesis led to a clinically meaningful reclassification of 13/21 (62%) non-coding variants and demonstrated how incorporating RNA analyses in genetic testing shortens the diagnostic odyssey for families. Includes publication

A Proposed Framework for an Artificial Intelligence-based Clinical Decision Support System in Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology

2026-07-02T03:47:37Z

A Proposed Framework for an Artificial Intelligence-based Clinical Decision Support System in Dento-Maxillofacial Radiology Delamare, Eduardo Artificial intelligence shows promise for automated image analysis in dento-maxillofacial radiology (DMFR), yet few systems reach routine clinical use. This thesis argues that the gap between benchmark performance and adoption stems from four limitations of deep-learning-only systems—interpretability, generalisability, trustworthiness, and explainability—and proposes an AI-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) addressing them through hybrid deep-learning/rule-based (HDLRB) architectures, modular agentic orchestration, and human-in-the-loop design. Three empirical studies underpin the framework. A systematic review of how panoramic imaging errors are handled during machine-learning development revealed marked inconsistencies, exposing a generalisability gap that motivates automated quality assurance as a CDSS's first stage. Two further studies showed that HDLRB pipelines—pairing deep-learning segmentation with deterministic spatial analytics—can simulate expert reasoning for the surgical management of impacted mandibular third molars and for staging periodontal bone loss on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Both reached strong agreement with expert consensus while preserving full transparency, every recommendation traceable to inspectable measurements and auditable rules. The thesis synthesises these into a framework built on five principles—hybrid architecture, modular auditable orchestration, human-in-the-loop design, quality assurance as the first diagnostic stage, and determinism where possible—structured around a QA–anatomy–pathology pathway mirroring DMFR specialist reasoning. The PerioDetect Registered Report, a supplementary appendix, operationalises these as a fully auditable multi-agent system for periodontal CBCT assessment. This work shows HDLRB pipelines can match expert-level agreement on structured DMFR tasks without sacrificing the transparency clinicians need for trust, and extends to further specialties, modalities, and technologies. Includes publication

Investigating uncharacterised epigenetic regulators in the C. elegans germline

2026-07-01T23:31:25Z

Investigating uncharacterised epigenetic regulators in the C. elegans germline Wills, Carlotta Epigenetics refers to the molecular signals that control the activation and repression of genes. These signals are important for several biological processes ranging from gametogenesis to development, and to the development of complex disease. Additionally, there is growing evidence that they can be inherited from one generation to the next, challenging traditional understanding of heredity. To fully comprehend how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to germline development and function, we must understand how the germline regulates, and is regulated by, these epigenetic processes. In this thesis, I use Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to explore understudied players in germline epigenetic regulation. The findings span numerous facets of epigenetic regulation, from chromatin to small RNA and the spatial organisation of biomolecules into phase-separating granules. I provide an overview of the burgeoning intersection between the fields of epigenetics and evolutionary biology, giving broader context for the potential implications of epigenetic inheritance. I synthesise existing data on protein-protein interactions in the germline granule context, developing a resource to better inform future investigations in this area. I investigate two uncharacterised genes in detail, using a range of phenotypic, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to probe their functions, with a focus on their roles in germline epigenetics. Lastly, I explore the writing and reading of an underexplored histone modification which has been implicated in transgenerational effects but is lacking characterisation of its precise function and regulation in the germline. This thesis broadens the network of genes that play a role in germline epigenetics in C. elegans. It opens several new avenues of investigation that future work can build on to further expand our understanding of how epigenetics is regulated in the germline, and how it can contribute to complex phenotypes.

Understanding Inter-Ethnic Differences in Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Response

2026-06-29T05:52:08Z

Understanding Inter-Ethnic Differences in Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Response Kyriacou, Nicki Marie Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are a class of targeted drugs that have transformed the landscape of cancer pharmacotherapy, however, they exhibit large inter-individual variability in their systemic exposure and effects. Ethnicity/geographic ancestry has been identified as a factor potentially contributing to inter-individual variability in drug response, primarily driven by population differences in the profiles of intrinsic (e.g., genetics, body weight) and extrinsic factors (e.g., diet, complementary medicine use) influencing drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Investigations of the use of pazopanib in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer have revealed differences in the tolerability and therapeutic benefit of pazopanib between women of European and East Asian ancestry, although the mechanisms underlying these differences remain unclear. This prompted exploration of extrinsic factors potentially contributing to these inter-ethnic differences, including the effect of green tea consumption on pazopanib pharmacokinetics, given the greater prevalence of green tea consumption in East Asian populations. An open-label, single-dose, fixed-sequence pharmacokinetic study was designed and conducted to evaluate the influence of green tea administration on the pharmacokinetics of pazopanib in healthy participants. Concomitant consumption of a green tea extract tablet significantly decreased the oral systemic exposure of a 200 mg dose of pazopanib by approximately 50%. Exposure-response relationships for pazopanib efficacy are well-established such that decreases in pazopanib systemic exposure arising from concomitant green tea consumption could potentially lead to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. This research highlights the importance of exploring the factors contributing to inter-individual variability in TKI pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to inform appropriate dosing recommendations and improve therapeutic outcomes. Includes publication

The Characteristics of Jockey and Rider Falls and the Development of a Clinical Trial Protocol to Evaluate the Effect of Fall Safety Training on Injury Severity in Equine Sports

2026-06-29T03:37:55Z

The Characteristics of Jockey and Rider Falls and the Development of a Clinical Trial Protocol to Evaluate the Effect of Fall Safety Training on Injury Severity in Equine Sports Nylund, Lindsay Edwin People who engage in equestrian sports have a high risk of falling from their horse, which can result in serious injury. The first study was analysis of injury outcomes for riders who fell wearing or not wearing an air jacket. From Fédération Équestre Internationale data, air jacket usage was found to be associated with an increase in the incidence of serious injuries in falls (p=0.007). Riders wearing an air jacket had 1.7 times increased odds of sustaining a serious or fatal injury in a fall compared to riders not wearing an air jacket; however, there was insufficient data to determine the cause of this counterintuitive association and further research is needed. The second study investigated relationships between fall characteristics and high-risk landings (HRL) at jumps in cross-country eventing. A video analysis protocol was developed to analyse 87 video recordings of HRL — defined as when the rider's head impacted the ground and or where there was potential horse impact with the rider. An Equestrian Fall Assessment Instrument (EFAI) video analysis protocol was developed to examine the characteristics associated with high-risk landings. Based on the EFAI and subsequent data analyses, findings suggest optimised approach speed for correct striding and take-off; jump design to enable run-out; and rider training could help reduce the occurrence of HRLs. In the third study, video footage of 80 racing falls which occurred in UK, Ireland, and NZ, were analysed using the EFAI. Lower race class (p=0.054), hanging onto the reins upon ground impact (p=0.028), and no jockey tuck-and-roll behaviour following ground impact (p=0.001) explained 40.3% of the variance associated with HRLs. The evidence-base and findings in this thesis will enable future research work, including a FALLSAFE clinical trial to be carried out to ascertain potential cost-benefits of a training intervention that may mitigate injury risk for riders who regularly engage in equine activities. Includes publication

Exploring safer mobility behaviour for fall prevention: implications for people with Parkinson's disease

2026-06-26T04:31:33Z

Exploring safer mobility behaviour for fall prevention: implications for people with Parkinson's disease Cheung, Daniel Ho Yan Falls continue to be a devastating problem for people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD). Safer mobility behaviour is an emerging approach to fall prevention that focuses on how safely people move around. However, this concept remains poorly defined and inadequately conceptualised in research and clinical practice. This thesis aims to understand safer mobility behaviour within the context of fall prevention and how it applies to PwPD. Two scoping reviews were conducted to summarise existing literature on the concept of safer mobility behaviour and how it is currently applied in assessment and intervention. A qualitative study explored clinician/researcher perspectives on how safer mobility behaviour is approached in fall prevention for PwPD. Finally, a modified Delphi study was conducted to provide a consensus-based summary amongst people with lived experience and clinician/researchers on key assessment and intervention components targeting safer mobility behaviour. From these studies, a new theoretical conceptualisation was developed. Safer mobility behaivour was defined as any protective action or associated functional cognitive process used to reduce falls. Mobility behaviour is influenced by a dynamic interaction between person, environment and task-related factors. Promoting safer mobility behaviour was understood as empowering people to perform desired activities as safely as possible. This was practically applied through a contextual, individual and collaborative approach. However, there is currently no assessment tool nor optimal intervention addressing safer mobility behaviour in PwPD. Physical and cognitive ability were ranked as the top two components to include in assessment. Exercise, movement strategy training and cognitive strategy training were ranked as the top three components to include in intervention. This thesis establishes a clear and comprehensive foundation towards a safer mobility behavioural approach to fall prevention in PwPD. Includes publication

Modernisation as Discourse, 1949 to the Great Leap Forward: Zhou Enlai, Chen Yun, and Mao Zedong

2026-06-23T06:27:49Z

Modernisation as Discourse, 1949 to the Great Leap Forward: Zhou Enlai, Chen Yun, and Mao Zedong Chen, Ximeng This thesis examines the discursive and intellectual architecture of modernisation (xiandaihua) in the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to the end of the Great Leap Forward by juxtaposing the ideological and philosophical underpinnings of the discourses of Zhou Enlai, Chen Yun and Mao Zedong. Methodologically, the study employs a discursive analysis that begins by de-sedimenting established scholarly and historiographical frameworks. It combines close textual analysis of both established and more recently released primary sources to foreground temporality, subjectivity, and conceptual differences that animated the discourse of modernisation. It demonstrates that modernisation emerged through three distinct visions: (1) Zhou Enlai’s linear, Soviet-inspired teleology that cast heavy-industry precedence as historical necessity; (2) Chen Yun’s recursive, balance-oriented pragmatism that privileged systemic viability and embodied socialism in the here-and-now; and (3) Mao Zedong’s ruptural ‘Great Leap’ dialectics that re-imagined modernity as a process of continuous, partial qualitative transformations. By recasting xiandaihua as a unifying keyword that masked these deep ideological divisions, the thesis unsettles mainstream narratives that reduce early PRC development to a binary of Stalinist mimicry versus Maoist voluntarism. It positions temporality and agency as central analytics for socialist modernity and demonstrates that divergent readings of dialectics were not academic quarrels but concrete drivers of historical changes.

Behavioral Dataset Compression for Efficient Reinforcement Learning

2026-06-23T05:53:34Z

Behavioral Dataset Compression for Efficient Reinforcement Learning Lei, Shiye Offline reinforcement learning (offline RL) provides a principled framework for learning decision-making policies from fixed datasets without environment interaction, enabling applications in safety-critical, privacy-sensitive, and resource-constrained settings. However, modern offline RL systems often rely on large-scale datasets collected from suboptimal policies, leading to substantial computational overhead and limited scalability. Improving data efficiency is therefore critical for making offline RL practically viable. In this thesis, we develop dataset compression algorithms for offline RL that explicitly account for these intrinsic data properties. From the action perspective, we establish a theoretical equivalence between the policy performance gap and an action-value-weighted decision discrepancy. This insight motivates an action-value-weighted objective for offline behavior distillation (OBD), which distills large offline RL datasets into compact synthetic training sets. From the state perspective, we identify state diversity as a key factor governing the effectiveness of offline behavior distillation. We show that insufficient state coverage in the original dataset limits policy performance after compression. To address this issue, we propose state-weighted OBD, which explicitly incorporates state diversity into the distillation objective and significantly improves robustness to dataset compression. Finally, by jointly considering action-value information, state density, and trajectory-level sequential structure, we propose stepwise dual ranking (SDR), a simple and scalable coreset selection algorithm that constructs compact yet informative subsets from large offline behavioral datasets without additional training overhead. Includes publication

Sonochemical Processing of Gallium-based Soft Composites

2026-06-23T05:46:38Z

Sonochemical Processing of Gallium-based Soft Composites Chiu, Shih-Hao Gallium-enabled soft materials have emerged as promising systems for flexible electronics and sustainable devices due to their metallic conductivity, low melting point, and deformability. This thesis investigates how sonochemical processing and interfacial engineering can address key limitations of gallium-based particles while enabling the design of soft, conductive, and biomass-integrated composites. Thiol-functionalized gallium nano- and microparticles are developed to suppress oxidation and achieve sintering-free conductivity via metal–molecule junctions, with conjugated ligands enabling tunable electrical performance. Liquid gallium nanoparticles are further integrated into PEDOT:PSS, significantly enhancing electrochromic switching kinetics through improved interfacial charge transport. The role of sonochemistry in intensifying mass transport is demonstrated through a coffee-brewing sonoreactor, where extraction efficiency is improved while preserving chemical integrity. Building on this, sustainable composites incorporating spent coffee grounds (SCGs) and gallium nanoparticles are fabricated, forming flexible films with integrated biomass functionality. Preliminary NO₂ sensing results further demonstrate the potential of these materials for functional applications. Overall, this thesis establishes sonochemical interface engineering, molecular functionalization, and biomass integration as complementary strategies for designing next-generation gallium-based soft materials, advancing both fundamental understanding and practical applications in flexible and sustainable systems. Includes publication

Communal identities and legacies of hegemonic intervention: prospects for justpeace in Afghanistan

2026-06-22T07:23:30Z

Communal identities and legacies of hegemonic intervention: prospects for justpeace in Afghanistan Tippett, Diane This thesis seeks to address the following three research questions: 1. How have various communal identity groups and supra-communal understandings of belonging developed and been reproduced in Afghanistan? 2. How have successive hegemonic interventions affected patterns of state-making and civic organisation in Afghanistan? 3. What are the key relational considerations in respect of achieving a future justpeace in Afghanistan? This thesis examines how identity formation in Afghanistan is shaped by relational ontological insecurity—distinctively deepened and institutionalised during repeated hegemonic interventions— and argues that any future justpeace must therefore be grounded in relational, everyday, and structure–process dynamics that address the affective afterlives of the foregoing rather than interest based models. The above research questions situate this thesis not only within the existing case study scholarship on Afghanistan, but also within the following domains: - Politically applied psychology (specifically including discussions of self-making and identity group affiliation when faced with dynamic realities, the ‘prototype clarity’ of in-groups, and applied hegemony ); - Ontological security studies (specifically including discussions of anxiety, myth and narratives, habitus, rituals of state sovereignty and self/other relations which arise from the second wave of ontological security studies scholarship); and, - Justpeace (specifically including discussions of civic sovereignty, a structure-process orientation, and ordering power ). This broad contribution reflects the transdisciplinary nature of peace and conflict studies as a discipline but also the limitless movement and trajectory of belonging, violence, and peace— each of which are not only political processes, but phenomena continually re-grounded in the affective, relational, routinised practices of the everyday.

Chromosome-level, haplotype-phased genome assembly of an Australian isolate of the oat crown rust fungus Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae provides insights into population structure and genomics

2026-06-22T06:11:35Z

Chromosome-level, haplotype-phased genome assembly of an Australian isolate of the oat crown rust fungus Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae provides insights into population structure and genomics Guan, Haixia Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca), the causal agent of oat crown rust, is one of the most damaging pathogens of oat worldwide. Rapid evolution and extensive virulence variation continually erode host resistance, posing major challenges for disease management and breeding. This thesis investigated the genomic architecture, population structure, and molecular basis of virulence evolution in Pca through integrated genomic analyses. A chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased reference genome was generated for OCR_502, a representative Australian isolate, using PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding. The resulting high-quality assembly provides a valuable genomic resource and a foundation for downstream analyses. Using this reference genome, whole-genome resequencing data from Australian isolates collected over multiple decades were analysed to examine population structure and evolutionary dynamics. The population exhibited high genetic diversity and consisted of several distinct lineages. Temporal shifts in lineage composition suggested that mutation, somatic recombination, and/or the introduction of exotic lineages contribute to diversification despite predominantly clonal reproduction. To investigate the genetic basis of virulence, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and haplotype-resolved comparative genomics were conducted using 361 isolates phenotyped on five oat crown rust resistance genes (Pc38, Pc39, Pc50, Pc56, and Pc68). Comparative analyses indicated that virulence evolution is more likely driven by allelic variation than gene presence–absence variation. Four high-confidence candidate avirulence genes associated with AvrPc50 and AvrPc56 were identified. Overall, this study provides important genomic resources and advances understanding of the mechanisms underlying virulence evolution and population diversification in Pca. Includes publication

Neural substrates underpinning co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder

2026-06-19T03:24:38Z

Neural substrates underpinning co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder Towers, Ellen Elizabeth Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly prevalent and debilitating. Despite this, the neurobiology of comorbid PTSD & AUD remains poorly understood. To address this gap, this thesis aimed to investigate neural and psychological mechanisms that may represent risk factors for, or consequences of, co-occurring PTSD and AUD (PTSD & AUD). Chapter 2 systematically reviewed the genetic, molecular, neural and cognitive mechanisms specific to PTSD & AUD. While evidence for greater hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation was limited, findings suggested potentially unique disruptions spanning genetic and neural domains, warranting further investigation. Building on these findings, Chapters 3-5 used pooled neuroimaging datasets to examine the structural and functional underpinnings of PTSD & AUD. Chapters 3 and 4 represents the first large-scale investigation to directly compare current PTSD & AUD with PTSD-only, AUD-only, and controls. Using complementary region-specific and graph-theoretical approaches, these chapters identified shared and comorbidity-specific structural alterations. Chapter 5 identified altered intrinsic functional connectivity patterns associated with depression and stress symptom severity in PTSD & AUD relative to AUD-only. Chapter 6 explored associations between negative affect, drinking motives, craving and use in a large Australian AUD sample with and without PTSD. Findings indicated that alcohol-related processes were more broadly linked to negative affect states (e.g., depression, stress, anxiety) in PTSD & AUD than AUD-only. This thesis provides a comprehensive and highly integrated body of work examining the neural substrates of co-occurring PTSD and AUD and explores how psychological features relate to both clinical and neurobiological phenotypes. Findings suggest that PTSD & AUD is characterised by distinct neural and psychological alterations that may represent risk and/or maintenance mechanisms. Includes publication

Melanoma risk assessment and risk-stratified melanoma screening and surveillance

2026-06-19T03:00:32Z

Melanoma risk assessment and risk-stratified melanoma screening and surveillance Reyes- Marcelino, Gillian Melanoma remains a major public health challenge in Australia, which has one of the highest melanoma incidence rates worldwide. Despite this burden, there is currently insufficient evidence to support the implementation of an organised population-wide melanoma screening program. Early detection largely relies on opportunistic skin checks undertaken in clinical practice. Current clinical guidance recommends identifying individuals at higher personal risk and offering them more regular skin examinations, yet the consistency of this risk-based approach remains uncertain. This thesis examined how melanoma early detection currently operates in Australia and how risk prediction tools might support more consistent risk-based approaches in clinical practice and future screening policy. The research programme combined studies examining clinical skin check behaviours, the acceptability of melanoma risk prediction tools, and the performance of existing melanoma risk prediction models. This thesis provides new evidence relevant to both current clinical practice and ongoing considerations regarding melanoma screening policy in Australia. Includes publication

Three Essays in Corporate Finance and Informed Trading

2026-06-18T06:39:49Z

Three Essays in Corporate Finance and Informed Trading Sarkar, Md. Ahasan Habib This dissertation examines how uncertainty, organizational capabilities, and information networks shape corporate investment, international acquisitions, and institutional investor behavior. Using novel identification strategies and granular data across multiple institutional settings, it provides new evidence on how firms and financial intermediaries respond to uncertainty and exploit private information around major corporate events. The first essay examines how central bank governor transitions influence corporate investment. Exploiting predetermined leadership transitions that generate exogenous policy uncertainty, it shows that firms reduce investment in anticipation of governor turnover, particularly in interest- and exchange-rate-sensitive industries, with effects attenuated in countries with stronger central bank independence. The second essay studies the role of organization capital in international acquisitions. Firms with higher organization capital are more likely to undertake international acquisitions and create greater shareholder value following deal completion, highlighting the importance of intangible organizational capabilities in successful international expansion. The third essay provides transaction-level evidence on mutual fund trading around mergers and acquisitions. Mutual funds accumulate target shares before public announcements and earn substantial profits from these trades. Profitability is significantly higher when trades overlap with corporate insider activity, when affiliated investment banks advise transaction parties, and when funds are geographically closer to event firms. Overall, the dissertation contributes to the literatures on monetary policy uncertainty, organization capital, and informed trading by demonstrating how uncertainty, organizational capabilities, and information networks shape investment decisions, corporate strategy, institutional investor behavior, and ultimately asset prices. Includes publication

Investigating the Mechanisms and Applications of Liquid Metal-Biomolecule Interactions

2026-06-15T23:25:43Z

Investigating the Mechanisms and Applications of Liquid Metal-Biomolecule Interactions Liu, Li Gallium (Ga)-based liquid metals have attracted increasing attention due to their metallic conductivity, fluidity, and unique surface chemistry. However, their interactions with biological macromolecules remain insufficiently understood. This thesis investigates the interfacial interactions between liquid Ga droplets and biomolecules, focusing on protein self-assembly and nucleic acid reactivity. First, a self-standing soy protein isolate (SPI)-Ga composite film is developed to study interactions between Ga droplets and protein fibrils. Protein fibrils reduce Ga surface oxidation, promote droplet coalescence, and facilitate conductive pathway formation without disrupting the β-sheet-rich fibrillar network. The resulting composites exhibit combined electrical conductivity and mechanical robustness, enabling applications in gas sensing and electrically stimulated antibacterial activity. This thesis then investigates the interaction between Ga droplets and DNA. The results demonstrate that Ga droplets can cleave DNA phosphodiester bonds, with preference for adenine- and thymine-rich sequences. Mechanistic studies show that the activity originates from interfacial electron transfer associated with Ga surface oxidation, generating reactive species that cleave the DNA backbone while largely preserving nucleobase integrity. The nuclease-mimicking activity can also be tuned through droplet characteristics and external stimuli. Together, this thesis establishes a fundamental understanding of how liquid Ga interfaces interact with protein fibrils and nucleic acids, providing guidance for the design of liquid metal-based biohybrid materials and future biomedical applications. Includes publication

Essays on Machine Learning in Economics

2026-06-15T10:48:59Z

Essays on Machine Learning in Economics Deng, Sinan This thesis presents three studies exploring how machine learning can be applied to understand and model complex phenomena in economics. Chapter 2 investigates how machine learning can be used to examine geographic diversity within global economics research. Chapter 3, published in Energy Economics (2024), develops a seasonal deep learning model for Great Britain’s electricity imbalance prices, showing that incorporating seasonality improves forecasting accuracy. Chapter 4 extends this framework by applying distributional deep learning methods to model full price distributions and distinguish between aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty. Includes publication

Engineering entanglement in trapped ion quantum harmonic oscillators using spin-dependent interactions

2026-06-15T10:33:09Z

Engineering entanglement in trapped ion quantum harmonic oscillators using spin-dependent interactions Millican, Maverick James Quantum harmonic oscillators are a central resource in quantum technologies. Coupling this resource to a two-level system gives rise to spin-oscillator dynamics that can be used for system calibrations, enhanced sensitivity to signals, and the preparation of oscillator entangled states. Chapter 4 introduces a motional-frequency calibration protocol based on a time-reversal, state-dependent force sequence that maps the effects of motional-frequency miscalibration onto a narrow spin-response feature. The chapter also discusses how thermally occupied motional states enhance sensitivity to particular Hamiltonian terms, making them effective probe states. A two-point feedback servo with processing performed on a field-programmable gate array, or FPGA, is used to track the interaction resonance in real time, enabling sub-second updates and continuous correction of frequency drift during data acquisition. Chapter 5 realizes phase-insensitive displacement sensing by embedding spin-dependent squeezing in a time-reversal interferometry sequence. The method prepares a spin-correlated superposition of orthogonally squeezed motional states, yielding a spin-observable response used to estimate displacement amplitudes while remaining agnostic to the signal phase. Experiments with vacuum and number-state probes demonstrate enhanced sensitivity with increasing motional energy. Chapter 6 extends the spin-oscillator toolkit to multi-oscillator control. Optimized phase modulations applied to Jaynes-Cummings and anti-Jaynes-Cummings couplings between a single spin and two motional modes synthesize an effective two-mode squeezing interaction, enabling preparation of two-mode squeezed vacuum states and a non-Gaussian superposition of those states. Joint phase-space tomography reveals multi-mode correlations, and continuous-variable entanglement is certified by the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen criterion and a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-type continuous-variable Bell test. Includes publication

Mesenchymal stem cell senescence: Mechanisms and rejuvenation strategies

2026-06-15T07:40:23Z

Mesenchymal stem cell senescence: Mechanisms and rejuvenation strategies Zhang, Yiran Cellular senescence is a key contributor to organismal ageing and reduces the regenerative capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), limiting their therapeutic potential in treating age-related diseases. This thesis aimed to investigate the mechanisms and functional consequences of MSC senescence and to develop strategies to rejuvenate senescent cells. Using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs), this study first examined the effects of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) on senescence. Both short- and long-term DOX exposure induced senescence; however, while long-term exposure impaired osteogenic differentiation, short-term exposure enhanced osteogenesis. Transcriptomic analysis identified insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) as a potential regulator of this dual effect, and IGF2 treatment restored osteogenic potential in senescent ASCs, suggesting a beneficial role of transient stress-induced senescence. To explore rejuvenation strategies, this thesis investigated both biomaterial and drug delivery approaches. Osteopontin (OPN), a major extracellular matrix protein, was shown to reverse senescence-associated phenotypes in replicative senescent ASCs, restoring proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, trophic support, and regulating cell morphology. In parallel, a liposome-based drug delivery system was developed to encapsulate nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), an anti-senescence drug. Optimised formulations achieved high encapsulation efficiency and reduced the expression of senescence markers in vitro. Together, these findings advance understanding of MSC senescence and identify OPN-based biomaterials and liposomal delivery systems as promising strategies for MSC rejuvenation and regenerative medicine.

Development of a sustainable acid resistant mortar for back-filling of impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) anodes

2026-06-15T05:55:51Z

Development of a sustainable acid resistant mortar for back-filling of impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) anodes Fatemi Nayeri, Sayed Hamid Reza Reinforced concrete (RC) structures in marine environments are highly susceptible to chloride-induced corrosion, for which impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) is widely applied. The performance of ICCP systems is governed by the durability and electrochemical behaviour of the anode back-fill mortar. Field observations from New South Wales, Australia, show that conventional Portland cement-based mortars can degrade due to electrochemically induced acidification at the anode interface, highlighting the need for more stable and compatible materials. This thesis investigates ICCP-induced acidification through field sampling, laboratory characterisation, and electrochemical testing. Analyses of mortars retrieved from operational marine bridges show that anodic reactions generate acidic species that dissolve calcium-rich phases, promote gypsum formation, and degrade the binder, resulting in non-uniform deterioration. These mechanisms were reproduced under accelerated laboratory conditions. Based on this understanding, hybrid geopolymer mortars incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) were developed as acid resistant alternatives. Laboratory results show improved resistance to acidic exposure, reduced mass loss, and enhanced microstructural stability. Field implementation confirmed material integrity and compatibility with electrochemical requirements under marine exposure. Transport properties were also assessed. While higher SCM content improved durability, it increased resistivity, highlighting a trade-off between durability and electrochemical performance. Ionic conductivity governed polarisation behaviour, and its optimisation improved performance in atmospheric zones, while conductive additives were unnecessary in submerged conditions. Overall, this research establishes an exposure-specific framework for designing ICCP back-fill mortars that balance durability and electrochemical functionality in marine environments.

Leveraging deep learning to enable real-time beam-view image-guided radiotherapy

2026-06-15T03:51:29Z

Leveraging deep learning to enable real-time beam-view image-guided radiotherapy Chrystall, Danielle Maria Real-time image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is essential for minimising the clinical impact of patient motion during radiotherapy. Existing IGRT systems often rely on additional imaging dose or specialised, expensive technology to enable continuous intrafraction monitoring. Beam-view imaging offers a promising alternative, enabling real-time tumour monitoring directly in the treatment beam without additional imaging dose and with broad compatibility on standard linear accelerators (linacs). However, its clinical use is limited by treatment-beam occlusions and poor megavoltage (MV) image quality. This thesis aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a deep learning-enabled beam-view IGRT framework that is safe, accurate, and compatible with standard linacs. Novel deep learning approaches were leveraged to overcome the aforementioned challenges facing beam-view imaging. Three research objectives are addressed: (i) develop deep learning-enabled beam-view target tracking approaches for abdominopelvic and thoracic treatment sites; (ii) experimentally evaluate real-time beam-view marker tracking using an anthropomorphic pelvic phantom, and develop associated workflows and patient-specific quality assurance procedures to facilitate safe clinical deployment for prostate cancer radiotherapy; and (iii) clinically implement and evaluate real-time beam-view marker tracking during prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Real-time beam-view IGRT has been developed and investigated, with clinical feasibility demonstrated for prostate SBRT. Key implementation barriers are addressed, establishing a foundation for broader clinical adoption of real-time beam-view IGRT on standard linacs.

Critical point network-based organizational principle of cortical spatiotemporal dynamics

2026-06-04T05:33:37Z

Critical point network-based organizational principle of cortical spatiotemporal dynamics Xu, Yiben Inspired by the field of turbulence and vector field topology in neural activities, this thesis introduces a novel and generalizable organizational principle of cortical spatiotemporal dynamics based on a global network of interacting critical points. Starting from the analysis of human fMRI signals, this thesis highlights the discovery of travelling cortical spiral waves (termed ‘brain spirals’) during both the resting and task states, emphasizing the mechanistic and functional relevance of a novel spiralbased organizational principle of large-scale brain activities. Next, based on human high-density electroencephalography (HdEEG) recordings, this thesis extends the spiral-based organizational principle from wakefulness to non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, revealing that this spiralbased organizational principle is also a defining feature of human N2 sleep, which is associated with sleep-dependent-memory-consolidation and aging-related memory decline. Finally, this thesis further expands the spiral-based organizational principle to include other types of critical points (i.e., sinks, sources and saddles), two new recording modalities (Magnetoencephalography/MEG and Electrocorticography/ECoG), and intracranial recordings of non-human primates (marmoset). In two distinct datasets, a global network of interacting critical points can be consistently observed regardless of species, recording modalities and cognitive states. Acting like an organizational skeleton, this network of critical points collectively enables the task-dependent organizations of largescale brain activities, supporting the universal presence of a critical point network-based organizational principle of large-scale brain activities across species.

Memory, Perception & the Art of Seeing Double

2026-06-02T04:34:39Z

Memory, Perception & the Art of Seeing Double Brollo, Deidre This project seeks to examine the role of memory in the viewing of art, in a thesis, ‘Memory, Perception & the Art of Seeing Double’, and an exhibition, ‘the return room’. Drawing on the writings of Henri Bergson and Marcel Proust, the discussion argues for the interrelationship of perception and memory. In contending that perception is inherently bound up with memory, it argues that all artworks have the potential to elicit acts of recollection in the viewer. These acts of recollection should not be understood as an individual reverie detached from the world, but rather as a sort of introspective engagement, an act of viewing that encompasses both the present moment and a past one, in which individual recollection is brought to bear upon the artwork. It is therefore a process of seeing double. Subsequent chapters investigate the use of forms of memory technology in art, looking firstly at the privileged though problematic forms of the photograph and the public memorial. This is followed by an examination of text, maps, and books. The exhibition ‘the return room’ consists of an installation of artists’ books in a specially constructed room reminiscent of both a domestic and a gallery space. It draws on the idea of the palimpsest as a site in which other traces are visible, while also having the potential to be read as a form of memory theatre. The exhibition employs the forms of memory technology discussed in the thesis, with text, maps, and photographs, used within the books. This project, then, claims to be original in the following ways. It claims that Proust and Bergson’s demonstration of the interrelation of memory and perception has important implications for the role of memory in the viewing of all artworks. Secondly, this project draws attention to the possibilities of other forms of memory technology (text and maps) which have not been previously discussed in an art context with regard to their mnemonic potential in relation to the viewer. Thirdly, emphasising that memory is about the juxtaposition of past and present moments, the discussion here offers the models of the palimpsest and the stereoscope as useful conceptual models to describe the ‘art of seeing double.’ Finally, in taking a broad approach to the concept of the artist’s book, the project suggests that the idea of the book may move beyond its boundaries, and that the idea of the palimpsest can be applied in an extended sense to installation space. Includes publication

Mathematical Models for Immune Checkpoint Blockade and Delayed Responses

2026-06-02T03:09:36Z

Mathematical Models for Immune Checkpoint Blockade and Delayed Responses Zheng, Collin Yarmeng Immune checkpoint blockades have transformed oncology, yet a persistent clinical puzzle remains: Why do some patients exhibit delayed responses, with tumours that initially grow or plateau before abruptly regressing? This thesis tackles that question with a multi-scale mathematical study that couples analytically tractable ordinary differential equation (ODE) models with a spatial, stochastic agent-based model (ABM). In ODE form, we show that delayed responses can arise intrinsically, without imposed time lags, via costimulation bottlenecks and slow passages near tipping points associated with special saddle-node bifurcations. We map delayed responses to a statistically-thin part of the model parameter space, suggesting their rarity. Our ODE results enable us to propose an immune profile framework that maps patient prognosis to the natural strength of their immune system---an idea that has become increasingly popular in clinical research since COVID-19. To move beyond mean-field assumptions, we develop an ABM tracking cancer cells, dendritic cells (DCs), CD8+ T cells, and Tregs at single-cell resolution, with molecular attributes and cell-level rules. Mechanistically, our ABM explains why combination therapy outperforms monotherapy: anti-CTLA-4 'reopens the gate' while anti-PD-1 'lifts the brake', yielding a larger and fitter effector CD8+ T cell pool. Our results supports two hypothesised mechanisms of action underlying CTLA-4 blockades---Treg depletion in humans and Treg-driven stripping of B7 ligands---highlighting how depleting suppressors and protecting strategically-important ligands reopen the costimulatory pathway. We characterise delayed responses as an alignment of a multitude of immune events, followed by a fast cascade of killing. This suggests that DC therapies prioritising net DC recruitment and T cell therapies that prioritise tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) survivability synergise well with immune checkpoint blockades.

Efficient and Robust Self-Supervised Learning for Deep Learning-Based Healthcare Applications

2026-06-01T02:43:00Z

Efficient and Robust Self-Supervised Learning for Deep Learning-Based Healthcare Applications Wang, Hao As healthcare increasingly relies on deep learning for medical imaging, a critical challenge arises: the scarcity of labeled data due to expensive and time-consuming manual clinical annotation. This thesis addresses the mismatch between deep learning's heavy data demands and clinical data scarcity by exploring Self-Supervised Learning (SSL). SSL learns meaningful representations from unlabeled data, significantly reducing dependency on extensive annotations by leveraging inherent data structures and relationships. The primary objective of this research is to develop novel SSL methodologies tailored to distinct healthcare analysis tasks, maximizing the efficient use of limited data across multiple scales and modalities. This is demonstrated through three domain-specific innovations: 1. Histopathology: A novel SSL framework leverages the multi-resolution nature of whole-slide images to enable hierarchical representation learning. This effectively captures both global tissue organization and fine-grained cellular details. 2. Dermatology: To mirror clinical workflows, SSL is customized with pretext tasks that align multi-modal representations (clinical and dermoscopic images) and encode inter-label dependencies for complex diagnostic predictions. 3. Remote Physiological Measurement: To extract subtle spatiotemporal signals from facial videos, SSL is extended with physiology-aware temporal and spatial augmentations. This preserves periodic signal integrity while efficiently suppressing noise. Through these investigations, this thesis demonstrates that SSL can be successfully adapted to exploit domain-specific data characteristics—such as multi-resolution hierarchies, multi-modal complementarity, and spatiotemporal dynamics. Ultimately, this research introduces a robust, general SSL framework that significantly reduces annotation requirements while consistently achieving state-of-the-art predictive performance across diverse healthcare applications. Includes publication

Targeted evidence-based care in bronchiectasis in a regional centre: a treatable traits approach to improving clinical and implementation outcomes

2026-05-31T23:48:12Z

Targeted evidence-based care in bronchiectasis in a regional centre: a treatable traits approach to improving clinical and implementation outcomes Krieg, Kirsty Elise Bronchiectasis is a syndrome that develops from a complex interaction of pathophysiological mechanisms, where permanent, abnormal airway dilation is the defining feature. Symptoms, recurrent exacerbations and hospitalisation are key factors determining the severity of bronchiectasis. Exacerbations impact health-related quality of life and disease progression, with frequent exacerbations associated with a higher risk of hospitalisation and mortality. National and international guidelines in bronchiectasis outline the current evidence-based interventions for bronchiectasis. However, it is increasingly recognised that the co-existence of bronchiectasis with other respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, along with the large number of possible comorbid conditions, adds further complexity to management. It is difficult for management guidelines to address the individualised application required, in the presence of complex and unique clinical presentations. Perhaps due to these factors, adherence to guideline recommendations is reported as low in bronchiectasis, resulting in sub-optimal treatment outcomes. New treatment approaches have been proposed in other chronic respiratory diseases, which account for the heterogeneity of clinical presentations. Such approaches are focused on identifying treatable targets or traits of respiratory disease through a structured assessment, and the prioritisation of traits for treatment together with the patient. While treatable traits have been described in bronchiectasis, the approach has not yet been implemented and evaluated in clinical practice. With the known clinical heterogeneity and reported low adherence to guideline-informed care, it is important to test approaches that further individualise care. The treatable traits approach may offer a model that can improve health outcomes in people with bronchiectasis, with interventions that are guided by the patients’ priorities. Includes publication

Psychological injury: A quantitative assessment of natural justice and the optimum management of psychological factors in compensations systems

2026-05-28T11:46:01Z

Psychological injury: A quantitative assessment of natural justice and the optimum management of psychological factors in compensations systems McMahon, John Edward This thesis documents the creation of psychosocial support program and interdisciplinary clinics for people with insured injuries. Applying machine learning and artificial intelligence, insights are derived from eight single arm studies, including recovery pathways, feigning spectrum behaviour, and the impact of interventions for different insured injuries. A comprehensive narrative review shows the evolution of language from an instrument for cooperation, the means of incorporation, trauma, and the recent development of Generative Artificial Intelligence as language incarnate. Psychological injuries are elucidated. There is a review of literature showing how stakeholder interactions can impact recovery from injury and the need for a trauma informed care approach. The predictive value of verbal and non-verbal expressions of psychological distress on recovery are demonstrated through the application of the Manchester Colour Wheel to a cohort of 1098 injured workers. Machine learning models to compare recovery from work related shoulder injury and motor crash related whiplash, demonstrates the diverse factors in recovery from insured injury. Machine learning models were used to identify the significant psychosocial factors important to the vexing and costly problem of clinical non-attendance. Cut scores for simulation were determined for some common psychometric measures. Large Language Models were used to derive insights from more than 7472 injured workers using a new approach called "persona generation". So called "thinking" large language models generated recovery personas in 711 motor accident injured people. Time series analysis was used to show the locus of natural justice is not with laws per se but at the case manager or business unit level within compensation systems. Detailed recommendations were made for applying trauma informed care and artificial intelligence to maximise natural justice and improve the recovery journeys of people with insured injuries. Includes publication

Poisonings with Paracetamol: Improving Understanding to Guide Medication Safety Initiatives

2026-05-26T01:31:52Z

Poisonings with Paracetamol: Improving Understanding to Guide Medication Safety Initiatives Chidiac, Annabelle Suzan Paracetamol poisoning is a leading cause of acute liver failure in developed countries and a leading substance reported in calls to Australian Poisons Information Centres (PICs). Paracetamol poisoning is often intentional and higher doses taken in these poisonings carry a greater risk of severe liver injury. However, liver injury and death can also occur from unintentional poisonings. This thesis aims to characterise the nature of paracetamol poisoning in Australia using data from PICs and hospital admissions (with data linkage). Chapter 1 - Introduction on Australian paracetamol access, Australian PICs and data linkage. Chapter 2 - Narrative literature review encompassing paracetamol toxicity, treatments, prevention measures and an estimate of global burden from paracetamol poisoning. We estimated that paracetamol was involved in 6% of poisonings worldwide, 56% of severe acute liver injury and acute liver failure and 7% of drug-induced liver injury. Chapter 3 - Study focusing on therapeutic (dosing) errors with paracetamol in Australians aged ≥12 years old reported to Australia’s largest PIC. Our analysis found that exposures requiring hospitalisation were associated with paracetamol use for dental pain and that these individuals used paracetamol at greater doses for longer durations. Chapter 4 - Study focusing on therapeutic (dosing) errors with paracetamol in Australians aged <12 years old reported to Australia’s largest PIC. Our analysis found that high strength liquid dosage forms were frequently implicated however exposures in children were unlikely to cause severe outcomes such as liver injury and death. Chapter 5 - Data linkage study of hospitalised cases of paracetamol poisoning that explores poisoning intent, patient demographics and outcomes. Our analysis found that intentional poisonings had the lowest rates of liver injury compared to other types of poisoning but had a high risk of repeated poisoning and eventual death during the follow up period. Includes publication

The diagnostic and prognostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in heart failure

2026-05-25T03:41:55Z

The diagnostic and prognostic value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in heart failure Iyer, Nithin Ramesh Heart failure (HF) is a highly prevalent clinical syndrome with significant morbidity. There remain several unmet needs in HF, including delayed diagnosis, and knowledge gaps in risk stratification, monitoring of disease progression and determining response to treatment. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has become the non-invasive reference standard for evaluating HF due to its ability to accurately assess cardiac volumes, function, and myocardial tissue characteristics. As a result, CMR imaging in HF has been endorsed in multiple HF guidelines. The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether novel CMR techniques could improve upon current diagnostic algorithms, provide accurate risk stratification in HF and assess response to treatment. Chapter 2 reports on the study of a novel CMR sequence to quantify lung water density (LWD) in patients at risk of HF and in healthy volunteers. LWD was increased in patients at risk of heart failure from healthy volunteers, indicating a potential role for CMR in the early diagnosis of HF. Chapter 3 reports on the findings of a CMR study in a large cohort of patients with hypertensive heart disease, which showed that markers of focal and diffuse myocardial fibrosis predict cardiovascular outcomes in this group. Chapter 4 reports on the findings of a CMR and biomarkers study in patients with HF and DM, which showed that CMR-derived global longitudinal strain and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), a novel HF biomarker, are prognostic in this group. Finally, chapter 5 reports on the findings of a longitudinal CMR study assessing response to treatment in patients with OSA. This study showed that markers of diffuse myocardial fibrosis reduced following treatment. Overall, this thesis highlights the potential for CMR to be better integrated into contemporary HF guidelines, from a role in diagnosis, to risk stratification and prognostication, and assessment of treatment response. Includes publication

Increasing access to pulmonary rehabilitation through utilising primary care

2026-05-25T03:29:50Z

Increasing access to pulmonary rehabilitation through utilising primary care Walsh, Jessica Anne Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with chronic respiratory disease (CRD), yet only 5-10% of eligible patients access a program. PR is predominantly delivered in hospital outpatient settings, with accessibility a key barrier. Most physiotherapists and accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) work in private practice (PP), an untapped workforce that could deliver PR in primary care, but no funding model currently supports this. This thesis investigated whether upskilling PP physiotherapists and AEPs to deliver PR in primary care is feasible, acceptable and effective. Methods: A two-phase mixed-methods feasibility study comprised: a prospective cohort study of a PR training program for PP clinicians; a randomised controlled feasibility trial comparing an 8-week twice-weekly PR program in PP to usual care for people with COPD and interstitial lung disease; and a qualitative study of patient experiences and acceptability. In addition, a national cross-sectional survey of PP clinician interest and resources was conducted. Results: Training improved clinician knowledge, with 82% achieving the competency threshold post-training compared to 13% pre-training. The feasibility trial randomised 52 participants; 72% completed the intervention. Within-group changes in exercise capacity and HRQoL exceeded minimally important differences, with only one minor adverse event. Qualitative analysis identified high acceptability and a shift away from a passive illness-identity. The survey received 245 eligible responses; 91% of clinicians were interested in delivering PR and most practices had suitable resources, though current funding limited business sustainability. Conclusion: PP physiotherapists and AEPs upskilled in PR can feasibly deliver PR programs with promising clinical outcomes. A full-scale trial with longer-term follow-up is warranted to support advocacy for a funding model. Includes publication

Characteristics for successful implementation of professional services in Australian community pharmacies

2026-05-25T02:19:16Z

Characteristics for successful implementation of professional services in Australian community pharmacies Seda, Veronika Community pharmacy in Australia has expanded beyond dispensing to include patient‑centred and public health services. Despite strong evidence of effectiveness, these services are often inconsistently implemented and not sustained once external support ends. Existing research has focused on service models or strategies in controlled settings, offering limited insight into everyday practice. This thesis investigates how pharmacists implement and sustain services in real-world settings, focusing on their role as implementation leads and identifying pharmacist implementer archetypes. A multi method approach informed by implementation science and psychology was used. Four studies were conducted: (1) a systematic review of implementation strategies and effectiveness; (2) a national survey of service delivery and implementation practices; (3) qualitative interviews exploring factors supporting successful implementation; and (4) Q methodology to identify archetypal roles and practices. Limited comparative evidence was identified via systematic review, although higher intensity training was linked to better outcomes. Survey results showed pharmacists prioritised internal operational factors, with more experienced pharmacists placing less emphasis on external influences. Interviews highlighted key elements supporting sustained implementation. Q methodology identified four distinct pharmacist archetypes reflecting different approaches to successful service delivery. Successful implementation depends not only on strategies but on how they are applied in practice. Experience, operational priorities, and adaptive behaviours shape long term success. The four archetypes show implementation is not one size fits all, highlighting the need to align strategies with those leading implementation, and informing future research, policy, and workforce development. Includes publication

Methods to include environmental impacts in health technology assessments

2026-05-22T05:15:21Z

Methods to include environmental impacts in health technology assessments Williams, Jake Thomas Warton In the Australian health system, Government reimbursement decisions are often made on the basis of opportunity costs. The methods used to inform these decisions are health economic evaluation and health technology assessment. These consider the costs and consequences of alternative courses of action and have not traditionally considered environmental impacts. There is interest in Australia and elsewhere in understanding methods to include environmental impacts in health technology assessment in the pursuit of minimising the environmental and climate change impact of health technologies. The thesis found that economic evaluation frameworks are a useful way to estimate and present the environmental impact of health technologies. Further work is needed to understand how these can most usefully be implemented to inform HTA decisions in Australia and globally. Includes publication

Digital Discharge Education and Secondary Prevention of Heart Disease following Acute Coronary Syndrome

2026-05-22T04:50:33Z

Digital Discharge Education and Secondary Prevention of Heart Disease following Acute Coronary Syndrome Ellis, Tiffany Bianca Background: For people diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), education on secondary prevention should commence prior to discharge from hospital, however there are many barriers to engagement and its delivery. This thesis aims to investigate if digitally delivered discharge education on secondary prevention is effective, acceptable, and feasible for improving knowledge, quality of life (QOL), and cardiovascular risk factors, and for reducing readmissions, in people following ACS. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analyses of RCTs of secondary prevention education interventions commencing in hospital; RCT examining the effectiveness of an avatar-based discharge education smartphone application in people with ACS; and qualitative study exploring perspectives of people who declined or were ineligible to receive digitally delivered education. Results: Discharge education on secondary prevention, compared with usual care, improves knowledge and QOL and reduces hospital readmissions in people with CHD. An RCT of the aforementioned app found it to score highly on ease of use and satisfaction, was cost-effective, but did not elicit additional improvements in knowledge compared with usual care. This lack of benefit may be explained by high rates of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) attendance and low app engagement. Digital modes of education may be more suitable for people with low disease knowledge and low intentions to attend CR. People following ACS with sound disease knowledge and intentions to attend CR, or who have competing life stressors, may benefit from non-digital modes of education. Conclusions: This thesis provides evidence that digitally delivered discharge education on secondary prevention is acceptable and may improve outcomes. Future studies should evaluate whole models of care in which education is provided. Clinicians should tailor the mode and timing of education to the individual’s preferences, sociocultural context, and personal circumstances. Includes publication

Second Time Around: A critical re-evaluation of Julio Cortázar’s position in the Latin American literary canon

2026-05-22T04:42:08Z

Second Time Around: A critical re-evaluation of Julio Cortázar’s position in the Latin American literary canon Bayer, Fernando Rafael Arnaud Jallis Valentin This PhD thesis considers the various reasons for the decline in critical and commercial attention towards Julio Cortázar in the English-speaking world in the years following since his death in 1984. In acknowledging that Julio Cortázar is still considered to be and referenced as one of the ‘Big Four’ authors of the Latin American literary Boom of the 1960s, I argue that his current state of obscurity within the popular culture of the English-speaking world especially relative to other writers from Latin America such as Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez, who were first translated into English at a similar point, has broader implications for the discipline of Latin American studies. This is especially important when considering that the situation is vastly different in Latin America itself, and in particular his native Argentina, where he has instead remained one of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century. In this way, I propose that the irregular treatment of Cortázar as a representative of the Latin American literary canon is evidence of a broader schism in the field concerning the way that Latin America and its literature are conceived and thus that the revaluation of Cortázar’s reception in English-language criticism is a necessary step to better understanding of the literary and critical currents of the continent, and to address reductive streaks in the current field.

Investigation of Mechanical Field Effect on Liquid Metals

2026-05-22T04:19:21Z

Investigation of Mechanical Field Effect on Liquid Metals Azman, Nur Adania Binti Nor Gallium-based liquid metals exhibit unique mechanical and interfacial properties, including low viscosity, high surface tension, and dynamic surface reactivity, enabling significant deformation, fragmentation, and transport under external stimuli. Despite their potential in particle synthesis and functional applications, the role of mechanical fields in governing their interfacial dynamics remains poorly understood. This thesis investigates the influence of mechanical fields on liquid metal behaviour, focusing on ultrasonication and electrically induced effects. Ultrasonication is shown to drive efficient fragmentation and particle formation, with alloy composition playing a critical role in modulating surface tension and cavitation dynamics. Minor alloying additions reduce interfacial energy, enhancing cavitation–interface interactions and producing smaller, more uniform particles. High-speed imaging reveals cavitation-driven surface eruptions and fragmentation as key mechanisms. The introduction of an external electric field during sonication further modifies liquid metal behaviour. Voltage-assisted sonication demonstrates that electrical bias alters interfacial tension, oxidation, and surface activity, leading to polarity-dependent fragmentation and distinct particle size distributions. These results highlight the role of electrochemical effects in tuning the mechanical response under dynamic excitation. Under static electric fields, liquid metals exhibit composition-dependent deformation, motion, and fragmentation governed by electrocapillarity and oxidation-induced interfacial gradients. The strong coupling between alloy composition and interfacial stresses dictates macroscopic behaviour. Overall, this work establishes a unified framework linking mechanical fields and interfacial phenomena in liquid metals, providing new insights for controlling particle generation and liquid metal dynamics in advanced material systems. Includes publication

Renewable Energy-driven Oxidation of Methane to Value-added Products

2026-05-22T01:03:30Z

Renewable Energy-driven Oxidation of Methane to Value-added Products Song, Qiang Methane, as the primary component of natural gas, is an abundant but chemically inert molecule that represents both a challenge and an opportunity in modern catalysis. Recent advances in renewable electricity generation, notably from solar, wind, and hydroelectric sources, have accelerated the transition of electricity to chemicals. This progress provides a compelling rationale for developing electricity-driven catalytic processes that can be operated under ambient conditions, aiming to convert methane using electrons rather than high-temperature thermal energy. Such novel electrochemical approaches enable precise modulation of reaction potentials, interfacial energetics, and reactive intermediate formation, thereby offering a controllable and sustainable pathway for methane oxidation. However, the most critical challenge in methane oxidation reaction lies in the activation of methane molecule. Its high C–H bond dissociation energy, highly symmetric and nonpolar molecular structure, restrain the efficient activation and selectively conversion of methane under mild conditions, and often leading to overoxidation into CO2 or undesired by-products. Overcoming this kinetic and thermodynamic barrier is therefore a central issue for realizing the direct conversion of methane into value-added chemicals. Designing an efficient strategy to achieve selectively methane conversion under ambient conditions remains one of the most demanding goals in catalysis, and often regarded as the “Holy Grail” of catalytic chemistry. This thesis focuses on the development of renewable electricity–driven electrocatalytic systems for the selective oxidation of methane under ambient conditions. Includes publication

Heterogeneous metal catalyst for electrochemical applications

2026-05-22T00:53:11Z

Heterogeneous metal catalyst for electrochemical applications She, Fangxin Electrochemical energy conversion driven by renewable electricity offers a promising strategy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Among various systems, heterogeneous molecular catalysts (HMCs) have attracted attention due to their well-defined active sites and tunable structures. By immobilizing transition metal complexes onto solid supports, HMCs combine molecular-level precision with the advantages of heterogeneous catalysis. However, their performance strongly depends on interactions between metal centers and supports, which regulate electronic structure and reaction pathways. This thesis systematically investigates the synergistic roles of carbon support geometry, surface chemistry, and metal site configuration in HMCs. Chapter III shows that the curvature of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modulates electron distribution and adsorption behavior, significantly enhancing H₂O₂ selectivity in the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e⁻ ORR). Chapter IV demonstrates that the CO₂-to-methanol performance of CoPc supported on CNTs is strongly dependent on surface oxygen functional groups, and this effect can be extended to other reactions. Building on these findings, HMCs with tunable single-atom and dual-atom configurations are developed to regulate CO₂RR product selectivity. Overall, this work reveals the synergistic regulation of electrocatalysis across support geometry, surface chemistry, and metal site structure, providing design principles for advanced heterogeneous catalysts. Includes publication

Empathy and Cultural Adaptation in Auto-Translated Subtitles for Postpartum Depression:Improving Women’s Mental Health Media from English to Chinese

2026-05-21T23:33:12Z

Empathy and Cultural Adaptation in Auto-Translated Subtitles for Postpartum Depression:Improving Women’s Mental Health Media from English to Chinese Zhang, Boren Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent yet often overlooked mental health problem that profoundly affects women, babies, and families. Although one in seven women experiences PPD after childbirth, many are reluctant to disclose their symptoms due to stigma, resulting in nearly 50% of cases going undiagnosed and untreated. In light of this, YouTube has become an important medium for disseminating health information and reducing the stigma associated with mental health. Its automatic translation feature provides a cost-effective way to distribute PPD educational videos worldwide, but auto-translated subtitles still face challenges in delivering empathy, cultural context, and proper formatting, particularly between English and Chinese. This study examines the challenges and improvement strategies in translating PPD-related subtitles from English to Chinese through qualitative analysis of ten selected YouTube videos. Based on mental health language guidelines, it highlights four dimensions of empathy in automatic translation: destigmatising language, respectful language, positive language, and the handling of sensitive topics such as suicide and death discourse. From the perspective of cultural adaptation, the study reveals challenges in terminology, cultural and social attitude expression, and the handling of metaphors and polysemy. It also identifies issues in subtitle formatting and proposes strategies to improve readability, consistency, and viewers’ understanding. This research helps build a framework for translating PPD mental health subtitles and supports the wider dissemination of mental health information.

Antitrust Policies and Firm Strategies in a Global Context

2026-05-21T02:09:34Z

Antitrust Policies and Firm Strategies in a Global Context Wen, Zhihong This thesis examines the impact of antitrust policies on international business strategies through three independent but interrelated studies. The first two focus on outward internationalization. The first study finds that stronger domestic antitrust legislation leads small and medium-sized enterprises to shift their focus to domestic markets, reducing their level of product market internationalization. This effect is moderated by ownership structure, with private firms and business-group affiliates responding more strongly. The second study explores the impact of stringent domestic antitrust enforcement on large emerging market firms. It finds that these firms accelerate their internationalization speed in response, and firms with moderate technological capabilities are most likely to pursue faster internationalization as a strategic response. The third study examines inward internationalization, specifically the influence of antitrust merger review policies on cross-border acquisitions. It finds that the introduction of these policies significantly reduces the likelihood of successful acquisitions by foreign acquirers, while domestic acquirers are unaffected, suggesting the presence of covert economic nationalism in the implementation of these policies. The negative impact is mitigated when foreign acquirers come from politically aligned countries or have a strong track record of successful acquisitions in the target country’s political allies. Together, these studies contribute to understanding how antitrust policies shape both inward and outward internationalization strategies in global business.

Profiling the landscape of short tandem repeats in human immunity

2026-05-21T00:09:41Z

Profiling the landscape of short tandem repeats in human immunity Tanudisastro, Hope Affandi Tandem repeats (TRs) are highly polymorphic repetitive sequences found throughout the human genome. There are over 2 million TR loci, with many playing key roles in regulating gene expression and biological function. Despite their functional importance, our understanding of how TRs regulate gene expression have lagged behind that of other classes of genetic variation due to genotyping uncertainty and computational challenges. This PhD thesis aims to characterise the landscape of TR variation genome-wide and their effect on gene expression in circulating immune cells. Chapter 1 describes the causes and consequences of TR variation and discusses advances in sequencing technology and genotyping tools that enable genome-wide characterisation of TRs. Benchmarking and validation experiments are performed in Chapter 2 to evaluate the performance of short-read TR genotyping tools. Chapter 3 describes whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis and quality control (QC) of the study cohort as well as QC of the TR genotypes. In Chapter 4, genome-wide single-cell expression quantitative trait TR loci (sc-eTR) discovery is performed using preliminary data from the TenK10K Phase 1 dataset, the largest collection of paired human WGS and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data generated to date. In Chapter 5, the performance of fine-mapping tools is compared, and functional characterisation of candidate causal sc-eTRs is performed. Using the final dataset of 1,925 individuals from TenK10K Phase 1, Chapter 6 describes a genome-wide atlas of expression-modulating TRs across 28 immune cell types, including epigenetic characterisation and downstream fine-mapping and functional characterisation. Finally, Chapter 7 summarises the findings of the thesis and discusses future directions. The discovery of immune cell type-specific sc-eTRs opens new avenues for understanding the genetic drivers of gene expression, immune function, and disease. Includes publication

Effect of Barium Promoter in Carbon-Supported Ruthenium Catalyst for Nitrogen Activation

2026-05-18T03:38:04Z

Effect of Barium Promoter in Carbon-Supported Ruthenium Catalyst for Nitrogen Activation Li, Jiarong Ammonia is essential for fertilisers and a promising carbon-free fuel, yet its industrial synthesis through the Haber-Bosch process remains highly energy-intensive and CO2-emitting. In response, carbon-supported ruthenium (Ru) catalysts with promoters such as barium (Ba) have gained significant attention, as they exhibit high intrinsic activity under milder conditions. However, the atomic-scale mechanism of Ba’s promotional effect on nitrogen activation and Ru’s electronic structure is still not well understood, limiting rational catalyst design. Here, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the catalytic behaviour of the Ba–Ru/C system. Adsorption geometries and energies of N2 were evaluated at different surface sites, and the electronic structure was analysed through charge density distribution, density of states, and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) analysis to elucidate bonding interactions. The results, obtained from both structural optimisations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, reveal that Ru clusters preferentially occupy defect sites, displacing Ba atoms initially located there. Ru clusters act as active centres that attract and bind N2, while Ba functions as an electronic promoter by donating electrons to the Ru-N system. This strengthens orbital interactions between Ru-d and N-p states, thereby enhancing the donation-backdonation process and promoting more efficient N≡N bond cleavage under mild conditions. Overall, the study reveals the cooperative roles of Ru and Ba in nitrogen activation and provides mechanistic insights to guide the design of next-generation carbon-supported Ru catalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis.

Deep Learning Enhanced Multivariate GARCH

2026-05-15T03:38:36Z

Deep Learning Enhanced Multivariate GARCH Wang, Haoyuan This thesis develops a unified multivariate volatility modeling framework that integrates deep learning architectures into multivariate GARCH processes. Beginning with the Long Short-Term Memory enhanced BEKK (LSTM-BEKK) model, the study combines the flexibility of recurrent neural networks with the econometric interpretability of BEKK to capture nonlinear, dynamic, and high-dimensional dependence structures in financial return data. The model effectively overcomes key limitations of traditional MGARCH frameworks, such as their restricted ability to represent persistent volatility clustering and asymmetric co-movements. Empirical analyses across multiple equity markets show that the LSTM-BEKK model significantly improves out-of-sample forecasting accuracy and portfolio risk evaluation. Building upon this, a Transformer-based MGARCH model is further proposed, replacing recurrence with self-attention and learnable positional embeddings to better capture long-range dependencies and structural shifts. The Transformer-MGARCH demonstrates superior scalability and robustness, particularly under high-dimensional and volatile market conditions. Overall, this research establishes a hybrid econometric–deep learning paradigm that preserves interpretability while enhancing flexibility and forecasting performance, offering new insights for financial volatility modeling and risk management.

Ultrasound Assessment of Kidney Transplant Blood Flow

2026-05-13T04:11:59Z

Ultrasound Assessment of Kidney Transplant Blood Flow Thebridge, Linda Nicole Renal transplantation is a treatment option for end stage renal failure. It is now also performed in some patients previously unfavourable for transplantation including older patients generally matched with a kidney from older donors, recipients with BMI over 35kg/m2 and recipients with less “well-matched” kidneys. Opportunities for transplantation are limited, due to the lack of suitable donors, so it is most important that outcomes are maximised. Kidney transplantation is a complex surgical procedure and therefore, minimising the risk of early renal transplant graft loss or graft dysfunction is essential. Early renal transplant graft loss can occur immediately post-operatively and up to day 30,and is caused by technical and surgical issues directly related to the surgery. Ultrasound is a readily repeatable, non-invasive, reliable investigation, however, knowledge of blood flow in kidney transplants is limited, especially at the time of surgery and in the early peri-operative period. The aim of this Thesis was to evaluate whether the additional clinical information about transplant blood flow provided by ultrasound improves the outcomes of renal transplantation. Ultrasound when routinely used intra-operatively, identified surgical or technical complications enabling immediate correction prior to wound closure. The rate of loss of the transplant kidney reduced from the national rate of 1% to zero. Post-operatively, there was demonstrated compression of the renal cortex and deeper vessels from adipose tissue or the weight of the kidney itself, causing reduced perfusion to the kidney. When patients were decubitus or standing the perfusion improved. Data from both studies provided nominal values for transplant blood flow. In conclusion, routine use of ultrasound provided additional information about kidney transplant blood flow with improved outcomes and avoided graft loss and dysfunction. Includes publication

Exploring New Possibilities for Decolonial Praxis in “Multicultural” Australia from “Latinx”

2026-05-12T06:34:59Z

Exploring New Possibilities for Decolonial Praxis in “Multicultural” Australia from “Latinx” Dai, Jiayu This thesis explores the transnational circulation and recontextualisation of “Latinx” as a contested political and epistemological signifier within the Australian settler-colonial and multicultural context. Originating in the United States as a gender-inclusive and decolonial linguistic intervention, Latinx has sparked extensive debates around language, identity, power, and representation. While its U.S.-centric genealogy has been widely theorised, its translocation beyond the U.S.—particularly into Australia—remains critically underexplored. Situated at the intersection of decolonial theory, settler-colonial studies, and intersectionality, the thesis conceptualises Latinx not as a stable identity category but as a mobile, contested signifier whose meanings are produced and negotiated through public discourse. Methodologically, it adopts a non-extractive, text-based approach aligned with critical discourse analysis and reflexive research praxis, analysing a curated corpus of public texts from digital platforms, cultural organisations, and policy discourse. Findings demonstrate that Latinx occupies a marginal yet symbolically charged position in Australia, circulating primarily within arts-based, academic, and LGBTQ+ spaces while remaining largely unintelligible within state multicultural discourse structured by the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) framework. The analysis reveals how Latinx debates expose the depoliticising limits of Australian multiculturalism and illuminate deeper tensions around race, gender, migrant settler complicity, and Indigenous sovereignty. The thesis contributes theoretically to debates on the transnational travel of identity politics, empirically to Latin American diaspora studies in Australia, and methodologically to decolonial, reflexive, and text-based research practices, framing Latinx as a diagnostic lens to examine the contradictions and possibilities of decolonial praxis in a settler-colonial multicultural state.

Insights into Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Using Multimodality Imaging

2026-05-12T02:03:36Z

Insights into Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Using Multimodality Imaging Readford, Thomas R. This thesis investigates atherosclerosis as a systemic, multifactorial inflammatory disease by evaluating atherosclerotic burden through non-invasive multimodal imaging techniques, including computed tomography angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). Drawing on diverse international cohorts, the research characterises structural and physiological imaging biomarkers to serve as surrogate measures of plaque composition and biology across multiple vascular beds. The overarching aim is to demonstrate that integrating these complementary biomarkers improves patient-level risk stratification, identifies high risk vascular phenotypes, and provides greater precision for atherosclerosis assessment than traditional risk factor profiling alone. A multimodality imaging framework is employed to uncover distinct, yet interconnected, pathophysiological insights. The research leverages CTA to quantify extracardiac plaque burden, revealing the limitations of standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs) in predicting true systemic disease extent. Additionally, it develops a simplified, reproducible dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI methodology that uses normalised signal intensity as a surrogate marker for carotid plaque neovascularisation, offering a reliable alternative to complex gadolinium kinetic modelling. Finally, dual-radiotracer PET/CT evaluations of arterial inflammation demonstrate that the distinct physiological processes driving atherosclerosis are only weakly correlated. Collectively, these studies underscore the additive diagnostic value of non-invasive multimodality imaging in atherosclerosis assessment. By capturing complex structural and biological insights not captured by conventional cardiovascular risk factor assessments or single-modality imaging approaches, this thesis establishes a comprehensive framework to complement existing risk stratification strategies for high risk atherosclerotic disease. Includes publication

An educational neuroscientific enquiry into the dynamics of moral thought: Probing the personal, affective, and social nexus in the neurobiological construction of moral meanings and judgements, and their linguistic communication

2026-05-08T03:40:29Z

An educational neuroscientific enquiry into the dynamics of moral thought: Probing the personal, affective, and social nexus in the neurobiological construction of moral meanings and judgements, and their linguistic communication Wu, Kwan Yiu Yoyo Research into human morality and the teaching of moral values education (MVE) in schools has a long and often distinguished history, though most of it was conducted without any reference to the human brain. This thesis conducts an educational neuroscientific enquiry into the dynamics of moral thought that closely aligns with the affirmation of the Australia Values Education Program (AVEP) that, at the heart of MVE there should be a commitment to each student’s personal, academic, social and emotional wellbeing. The focus of this thesis is the personal, affective, and social nexus in the neurobiological construction of moral meanings and judgements, and their linguistic communication. This inquiry is novel and significant in drawing on the neurobiological individuality of the human brain, and the philosophical concepts of personal knowledge and understanding, to support the claim that moral meanings and judgements are inherently personal. This claim involves the recognition that moral thought and language are distinct processes in the brain. Taken together, these claims act as a counterpoint to the strong emphasis placed on the sociocultural and sociolinguistic emphasis that has traditionally guided research into human morality and the teaching of moral values. This thesis fully recognises the sociocultural embeddedness of human brains and hence the social context of moral meanings and judgements, and the role of language in interpersonally communicating them. Nevertheless, it does so by drawing on key insights from the literature on (a) neural plasticity and the interweaving of thought and emotion in the brain, (b) the science of complex, dynamic systems, and (c) the neurobiological consensus that all brains are different, together with the philosophical concept of ‘personal knowledge and understanding’ that is not advocating subjectivity or sociocultural relativism, but rather as a hallmark of objective science.

How Autistic Students’ Voices Feature in Peer-Mediated Interventions: A Scoping Review

2026-05-07T02:00:46Z

How Autistic Students’ Voices Feature in Peer-Mediated Interventions: A Scoping Review Ma, Kaiwen Guided by Lundy's (2007) Model of Participation, this scoping review is structured around the four elements of space, voice, audience, and influence. This review aims to investigate the methods used to capture the perspectives of school-aged autistic students regarding their experiences with peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) implemented in general education settings. Additionally, autistic voices are synthesised to provide insight into thoughts, feelings, and views about these interventions. Finally, how autistic students’ views can be incorporated into intervention procedures is extracted and summarised. Results of the current review indicate that a range of methods, including observations, questionnaires, self-reports, meetings, and interviews, were used to capture the voices of autistic students across various components of PMIs during implementation. Student voice was coded and then categorised into seven domains: students’ preferences and interests, PMI components, engagement, emotion, perceived benefit, willingness to participate in future interventions, and friendship. Some studies used these voices to inform intervention design, goal setting, and ongoing adjustments, enabling the interventions to be tailored to students’ individual needs. In summary, this review summarised the methods used to capture students’ views, classified their views into meaningful domains, and identified practical approaches for incorporating these views into the design of PMIs. These findings serve as a guide for valuing students’ voices and fostering more inclusive educational practices within classrooms and research. Additionally, this review identified several limitations, including limited representation of female students, preschoolers and kindergarten students due to small sample sizes in these populations, as well as limited student voice in studies where academic skills were targeted as dependent variables. These are considerations for future research in this area.

Transforming care and improving patient-important outcomes in people with kidney failure

2026-05-06T23:05:37Z

Transforming care and improving patient-important outcomes in people with kidney failure Sabanayagam, Dharshana As patients transition from advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) to dialysis and from one kidney replacement therapy (KRT) modality to another, they are often faced with higher levels of morbidity and mortality, resulting in further increases in healthcare costs and reductions in QoL. This thesis furthers our understanding of transition phases in the management of kidney failure treatment, and to identify opportunities to improve resource utilisation, support home-based therapies and reduce the burden on patients and the healthcare system. Chapter 2 of this thesis presents a perspective piece, examining the underlying causes of and downstream impacts of inequities in access to dialysis services in Australia and proposes tangible solutions to help address them. Chapter 3 of this thesis presents a mini review of the epidemiology and impact of symptoms in people with kidney failure, whilst also providing a framework on selecting appropriate symptom measures and evidence-based interventions for symptom assessment and management in the dialysis population. Chapter 4 examines incremental dialysis as a potential approach for people transitioning from advanced CKD to dialysis, exploring both potential benefits and harms. Chapter 5 examines the association between sex and all-cause and cause-specific PD discontinuation and explores the factors mediating this relationship. Chapter 6 evaluates how graft survival time affects home dialysis uptake and Chapter 7 examines how different kidney function trajectories prior to graft loss influence the time to home dialysis uptake. By examining factors affecting key transition phases in the management of kidney failure, this thesis provides a holistic foundation to inform future studies, clinical practice and policy aimed at transforming care and improving patient-important outcomes for people kidney failure. Includes publication

Measuring and modelling maladaptive core beliefs in eating disorders

2026-05-05T21:45:48Z

Measuring and modelling maladaptive core beliefs in eating disorders Hatoum, Amaani Haifa Maladaptive core beliefs have been implicated in both the development and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs) and have been associated with increased eating psychopathology. Despite advances in treatment, low remission rates, high comorbidity, and diagnostic migration highlight the need to examine higher-order cognitive factors that contribute to EDs. This thesis explored the assessment and role of maladaptive core beliefs in disordered eating, and addressed limitations in measurement tools and theoretical models. Chapter 1 provided a critical narrative review of the literature on measuring and modelling maladaptive core beliefs in EDs and Chapter 2 presented a systematic review of psychometric properties of existing self-report questionnaires assessing ED-related cognitions. Chapter 3 evaluated the 40-item Eating Disorder Core Beliefs Questionnaire (ED-CBQ) and introduced a brief, psychometrically robust version (the 15-item ED-CBQ-R) that assesses four belief dimensions: self-loathing, unassertive/inhibited, demanding, and abandoned/isolated. Chapter 4 validates the ED-CBQ-R in an undergraduate sample, and Chapter 5 established its reliability, construct validity, and clinical utility in treatment-seeking adults across Australia and New Zealand with an ED. This study found that individuals with anorexia nervosa (restricting subtype) reported higher self-loathing than those with binge eating disorder, with self-loathing showing the strongest, consistent associations with symptom severity. Chapter 6 developed a cohesive theoretical model of maladaptive core beliefs in disordered eating, outlining distinct pathways to restriction, binge eating, and compensatory behaviours. Chapter 7 partially validates this model in an international clinical sample. The final chapter synthesised the findings of this thesis, and emphasised the theoretical and clinical significance of core beliefs in EDs, highlighting their potential as key targets for intervention. Includes publication

Optimising Management of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Remote Monitoring Through Digital Health Initiatives

2026-05-05T09:13:16Z

Optimising Management of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Remote Monitoring Through Digital Health Initiatives Sheahen, Brodie Introduction Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIEDs) remote monitoring (RM) was introduced to streamline in clinic workflows but has since shown substantial patient and system benefits. However, unscheduled RM alerts increase clinician workload, and limited guidance affects decision making. Patients also want greater engagement, yet current practices restrict this. This thesis advances understanding and implementation of effective CIED RM models. Methods This thesis examined CIED RM use across Australia and New Zealand, stakeholder perspectives, and the feasibility of digital support interventions. Methods included mixed methods analysis of industry and clinic data; interviews exploring RM barriers and enablers; observational and implementation evaluations of SMS based support programs; a randomised controlled trial of a post implant support program (PARTICIPATE); and development of expert consensus recommendations using a modified Delphi process. Results Findings showed a 10.2% rise in CIED implantations and a 55.8% increase in RM distribution from 2019–2023. Interviews with 35 stakeholders highlighted major implementation barriers, including limited resources, lack of standardised guidance, inadequate post implant education, and minimal patient engagement. The HeartHealth program reduced healthcare utilisation (RR 0.91) and was well accepted, with high completion and positive behavioural impacts. Preliminary PARTICIPATE trial findings showed high satisfaction with post implant support. A Delphi process produced 23 expert recommendations for RM data management and clinical response. Conclusion This thesis shows that optimising CIED RM requires digital health tools and standardised data management. SMS based programs improved engagement, support, and outcomes, while expert recommendations strengthened workflows. Together, these findings inform future CIED RM policy, reimbursement, and the transition from remote monitoring to comprehensive remote management. Includes publication