The University of Sydney

Deadline Scheduling with Predictions

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Deadline Scheduling with Predictions Zhang, Luoyuan Online deadline scheduling has been extensively studied. Most prior works assume a known deadline per job, but this is sometimes impractical, e.g., submission and withdrawal of cloud jobs. Deadline scheduling with unknown deadlines for real-time systems is a challenging problem, where deadlines need to be predicted. This thesis considers the problem of maximizing the number of early jobs under unknown dead lines. In this setting, a job has an unknown deadline, which becomes known only when it is reached, and the job immediately fails after that. The study of this prob lem in this work is within the learning-augmented framework, where the scheduler can access deadline predictions, which may come with errors. A simple error metric is defined to quantify prediction quality and design an algorithm with a competitive ratio as a function of the prediction error. The algorithm achieves performance matching the optimal online scheduler that knows the deadlines and smooth performance degradation as the prediction error increases. Simulations are run to compare the performance of the proposed algorithm with the existing ones. Simulations show that the performance of the proposed algorithm consistently exceeds the conservative theoretical bound; thus, the bound represents a pessimistic view of the algorithm; one can expect exceptional practical performance.

Outcome Measurement, Costing, and Practical Guidance for Evaluating Supported Employment for People with Severe Mental Illness: A Methodological Review

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Outcome Measurement, Costing, and Practical Guidance for Evaluating Supported Employment for People with Severe Mental Illness: A Methodological Review Chang, Kuo-Yi Jade; Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Koh, Ancheng; Yao, Yao; Li, Ying Supported employment programs are widely implemented to improve vocational outcomes for people with severe mental illness, yet evaluations of these programs employ highly heterogeneous approaches to costing and outcome measurement. This methodological review examines how costs and outcomes have been identified, measured, and reported in randomized controlled trials of supported employment interventions conducted in high-income countries. Eligible trials were drawn from a recent rapid scoping review and analysed using narrative synthesis, with data extracted on analytical perspectives, outcome domains, costing methods, and data collection approaches. Thirty-two trials were included, of which seven incorporated an economic analysis. Vocational outcomes were consistently prioritised, while clinical, functioning, recovery-oriented, service use, and implementation outcomes were variably assessed. Economic analyses differed substantially in perspective, time horizons, cost identification and valuation, and transparency, limiting comparability and transferability. While methodological diversity reflected differing research questions and policy contexts rather than inconsistent intervention effectiveness, incomplete reporting constrained interpretation and evidence use. Based on these findings, the review outlines practical guidance for evaluators, emphasising alignment of study design with decision making needs, transparent and perspective-consistent costing, theory-informed outcome selection, and explicit documentation of contextual and methodological choices to enhance the policy relevance and interpretability of supported employment evaluations.

Sounding the Wallacea: The Siboga Oceanographic Expedition (1899-1900)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sounding the Wallacea: The Siboga Oceanographic Expedition (1899-1900) Maharani, Annissa Ayu This thesis examines the historical context of the research on ocean circulation in the eastern Indonesian waters conducted by the Dutch Siboga Expedition (1899-1900). The region is characterised by abundant and scattered islands, while the seafloor exhibits countless elevations and depressions in close proximity. In the late 19th century, this complex underwater topography in the eastern Indonesia was believed to yield a distinctive physical environment to which marine fauna would respond. The Siboga aimed to investigate deep-layer water communication across basins and to speculate about the effects on the distribution of marine fauna. The thesis emphasises the role of nautical charts, as both scientific instruments and navigational guidance, which were often inaccessible to scientists due to their association with the colonial administration and top-level authorities. It highlights the involvement of naval powers and the mobilisation of the colonial maritime infrastructure in sustaining oceanographic expeditions within the archipelagic colony. The thesis argues that the Siboga made significant contributions to the understanding of physical oceanography in Indonesian waters, producing foundational observations on stratified deep circulation between the neighbouring Pacific and Indian Oceans. It illustrates how knowledge is produced under multi-layered states of technological, logistical, and political factors, including manual sounding technology, changing monsoonal atmospheric conditions, and colonial hydrographic records.

Partners in Recovery: A Case Study of a National Support Coordination Program for People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Partners in Recovery: A Case Study of a National Support Coordination Program for People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Hollier, Joel; Hancock, Nicola; Gye, Bill; Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Halloran, Kieran; Campos, William; Rosenberg, Sebastian Objective: Partners in Recovery (PIR) was an Australian Commonwealth Government funded program supporting 35,000 people with complex needs, who experienced severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). The program was designed to foster integrated care to address fragmented and missing supports. Internationally it is a rare example of a national coordination program evaluated in multiple local contexts, from multiple stakeholder perspectives. This paper examines factors that contributed to the program’s strengths and weaknesses, contextualising this in relation to the limits of subsequent supports. Methods: This case study draws together 30 program evaluation papers, identified through a range of search strategies. Utilising Arksey and O’Malley’s review framework we collaboratively developed a synthesis of themes and findings. Results: The support facilitator role was essential to implementation as was organisational environment. As a cornerstone of care for people with SPMI, support coordination required effective collaboration; strong communication; individualised, flexible, and recovery-oriented support; and a well-equipped workforce. Conclusions: Data from multiple evaluations of PIR demonstrate the importance of care coordination for SPMI which is underpinned by a recovery-oriented key worker, localised approaches and flexible funding. These are key attributes of integrated support which can inform practice and policy development for this group internationally.

Evaluating The Impact Of The Speech-Language Pathology Primary Contact Model Of Care In Diagnostic Assessment Of Voice Disorders.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Evaluating The Impact Of The Speech-Language Pathology Primary Contact Model Of Care In Diagnostic Assessment Of Voice Disorders. Payten, Christopher Letton Voice disorders affect millions and are costly. Early assessment is vital, but access to ENT and multidisciplinary clinics is limited. The speech-language pathology primary contact (SLP-PC) model offers quicker evaluation before or instead of ENT assessments, though its reliability and diagnostic contribution need more evidence. This thesis presents five studies on SLP-PC in adult VD diagnosis: an observational cohort, a literature review, a global MDT survey, a GP referral review, and another cohort study, examining outcomes, frameworks, practice patterns, predictors, and diagnostic agreement. Integrating SLP-PC into an ENT MDT pathway reduced wait times by an average of 277 days compared to traditional pathways. Most patients (81%) managed by SLP didn't need ENT assessment, but 7% of urgent cases required ENT. SLP-PC was estimated to cut staffing costs by 27%. A review of 20 frameworks across 2,675 publications highlighted the need for clearer classification systems for VDs suitable for first-line SLP intervention, a need that was subsequently addressed. A survey of 109 clinicians showed growing support for diverse diagnostic pathways, including SLP-PC, emphasising the importance of case history. An analysis of GP referrals found no strong predictors of assessment approach, underscoring the need for better triage information and GP training. The SLP-PC telehealth model showed promise in predicting urgent ENT needs, with substantial diagnostic agreement. Overall, these studies demonstrate that SLP-PC is a reliable, effective model that improves access and diagnostic efficiency while enhancing clinical skills among ENT and SLPs within an integrated MDT VD service. This research advances global voice assessment practices, supports SLP-first pathways, offers insight for GPs, and highlights the need for standardised classification systems. Further research is needed to understand the diagnostic reasoning of SLPs and ENTs in VDs and the economic impact of SLP-PC. Includes publication

Defining and measuring psychosocial disability in Australia: Assessment of national surveys and administrative datasets

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Defining and measuring psychosocial disability in Australia: Assessment of national surveys and administrative datasets Bobo, Firew Tekle; Hollier, Joel; Chang, Kuo-Yi Jade; Disney, George; Mullin, Bernie; Smith-Merry, Jennifer Objective: We aimed to assess the alignment in defining and measuring psychosocial disability and/or mental health challenges across major Australian national mental health data sources. Methods: We reviewed the definition and measurement of psychosocial disability and mental health challenges in two stages. First, we examined the data items across five national data sources: the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), the National Health Survey (NHS), the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHW), the Census and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) administrative data. In the second stage, we analysed the prevalence of psychosocial disability and mental health challenges across the datasets. Results: The definition and measurement approaches for psychosocial disability and mental health challenges vary across data sources, reflecting differences in the conditions included and the purpose for which data were collected. Psychosocial disability is inconsistently defined: broad population surveys (SDAC, NHS) include neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions, whereas the NDIS captures only severe mental illnesses with substantial functional impairment. Prevalence across Australia varied widely from 42.9% for lifetime mental disorders (NSMHW) and 26.1% for long-term conditions (NHS), down to 6% when strictly defining psychosocial disability (SDAC). Conclusions: There are variations in definitions and measurement across major Australian mental health data sources with respect to conditions captured in the datasets and the definitions used. Researchers and policymakers should therefore critically appraise – and where possible adjust for – these variations when using these data to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation.

Investigating the therapeutic potential of Australian honey as a prebiotic and anti-inflammatory to improve gut health

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Investigating the therapeutic potential of Australian honey as a prebiotic and anti-inflammatory to improve gut health Schell, Kathleen Rose The gut microbiome is a complex microbial community that plays a critical role in host health. Diet is a major determinant of its composition and function, while dysbiosis is associated with intestinal inflammation and numerous chronic diseases. Australian honey has emerged as a potential functional food due to its complex carbohydrate content and reported antimicrobial, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. This thesis investigated the antibacterial, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory potential of 56 Australian honeys from diverse floral sources using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models. Australian honeys exhibited minimal antibacterial activity under anaerobic conditions, indicating little potential to adversely affect beneficial gut bacteria, while antioxidant capacity differed significantly between floral types. Ex vivo studies demonstrated that all honeys promoted Lactobacillaceae growth and enhanced suppression of opportunistic pathogens in mixed faecal cultures. In vivo, Australian honey increased the abundance of beneficial taxa, including members of the Lactobacillaceae and Muribaculaceae families, in mice fed a standard chow diet. Following western diet-induced gut microbiome restructuring, honey promoted alternative carbohydrate-metabolising taxa rather than restoring those reduced by the diet. In a dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) model of colitis, honey reduced histopathological indicators of inflammation and promoted immune phenotypes associated with inflammation resolution. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Australian honey possesses antimicrobial, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory properties that support its potential to beneficially modulate the gut microbiome and attenuate intestinal inflammation. These results provide a foundation for future investigations into Australian honey as a functional food for gastrointestinal health. Includes publication

The Thermo-Mechanical Control and Analysis of the TOLIMAN Space Telescope

2026-07-13T00:00:00Z

The Thermo-Mechanical Control and Analysis of the TOLIMAN Space Telescope George, Mark Andrew The Telescope for Orbital Locus Interferometric Monitoring of our Astronomical Neighborhood (TOLIMAN) is a microsatellite mission that aims to detect habitable exoplanets in the Alpha Centauri star system. TOLIMAN is designed around a 13 cm Ritchey–Chrétien telescope in low Earth orbit that uses a reformulation of an optical configuration known as a ``diffractive pupil'' to measure the micro-arcsecond angular deflections between stars. TOLIMAN aims to address a critical blind spot in our astronomy cabability; answering the basic question of whether there are Earth-analog exoplanets orbiting our nearest-neighbour star systems. This innovative mission concept requires an optical system with thermo-mechanical stability previously unseen in this class of telescope. This thesis introduces the design and analysis of a ``cold bias'' thermal control system for TOLIMAN. Through extensive simulations, candidate orbits are studied, exploring the trade space between thermal performance and viewing time on the science target. Parametric thermal models and optimisation routines are used for the determination of worst case orbit conditions and optimal design choices. Reduced order thermal models are also created based on finite element models for the design of an active heater control system. These thermal models and their results are integrated with structural models to assess the dimensional stability of the primary mirror. The proposed design can achieve on orbit temperature stability of 20 +/- 0.05 deg C on the primary mirror, and 20 +/- 0.25 deg C on the metering structure through a synthesis of active and passive control techniques. The final outcome of a predicted RMS dimensional stability of better than 5 nm on the primary mirror is highly encouraging for the precision optical measurements required to accomplish the core mission science.

DEVELOPING PROTEIN-RICH FOODS FROM AUSTRALIAN GROWN FABA BEANS

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

DEVELOPING PROTEIN-RICH FOODS FROM AUSTRALIAN GROWN FABA BEANS Hopf, Andreas Nikolaus This thesis examined dry fractionated faba bean protein concentrate through systematic investigation of extraction method effects, controlled modification strategies, and application in diverse food structuring systems. Initial characterisation compared dry fractionated and wet fractionated pulse proteins from faba bean, mung bean, chickpea and red lentil against commercial soy protein concentrate. Extraction process critically impacted functional properties and composition. Controlled thermal treatment applied prior to dry fractionation altered functional behaviour of dry fractionated faba bean concentrate. Partial denaturation of the proteins modified gelation mechanism. Thermal treatment mitigated the reduced water-holding capacity associated with elevated Calcium Sulphate coagulant concentrations, revealing synergistic effect of thermal pretreatment and gelation. The gelation properties of faba bean protein were further investigated in the application of tofu-like bean curds. Coagulant selection in faba bean tofu production was critical. Finally, the assessment of dry fractionated faba bean protein under high moisture extrusion conditions using a micro compounder explored the material for fibrous meat analogue products. This research demonstrates that dry fractionated faba bean protein concentrate possesses distinctive functional characteristics. These characteristics can be systematically enhanced through pretreatments, including thermal treatment. The protein concentrate supports implementation in both conventional gel-based and emerging extrusion-based food applications. These outcomes advance industrial adoption pathways for sustainably produced pulse proteins while delivering practical formulation frameworks for manufacturers pursuing alternatives to animal-based and wet fractionated protein ingredients. The findings hold particular relevance to the Australian pulse industry, by exploring pathways to valorise local protein-rich crops for the food industry. Includes publication

Inflammation and its Effects on Plaque Cell Fate in Atherosclerosis

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Inflammation and its Effects on Plaque Cell Fate in Atherosclerosis Lin, Alexander Atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries, causes myocardial infarction and stroke when an unstable atherosclerotic plaque ruptures. Stable plaques consist of a thick fibrous cap, composed of abundant collagen-secreting cells, with fewer inflammatory infiltrates, whereas unstable plaques have a thin fibrous cap with few collagen-producing cells and excessive inflammatory cells. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are traditionally considered the primary source of collagen production within the lesion, but studies over the last decade have revealed their capacity to also modulate their phenotype and worsen lesion stability instead. However, the cellular mechanisms which regulate SMC phenotype are not fully understood. This thesis aims to investigate how modulating inflammation, using colchicine as an anti-inflammatory therapy and diabetes as a pro-inflammatory cardiovascular risk factor, influences SMC phenotypic behaviour within the atherosclerotic lesion, and how this ultimately affects plaque stability. First, we demonstrate that colchicine directly promotes a contractile SMC phenotype, an effect which appears independent of its canonical anti-inflammatory properties in immune cell populations. Second, we show that diabetes induces the expansion of multiple SMC clones into the lesion but hinders their trans-differentiation to a fibroblast-like phenotype, ultimately leading to declines in lesion stability. Third, we find that colchicine intervention in diabetic lesions did not alter the stability of plaques and had very little influence on SMC behaviour. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of SMCs and their phenotypic transitions in atherosclerosis, both in the therapeutic stabilisation of lesions, and in driving disease pathogenesis with co-morbidities. Includes publication

Knowledge-Driven Visual Reasoning Under Data Scarcity

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Knowledge-Driven Visual Reasoning Under Data Scarcity Zhang, Xu Visual reasoning connects seeing with understanding by requiring vision systems to produce structured, decision-relevant outputs from pixels. These capabilities are crucial for open-world deployment and are viewed as a prerequisite for general intelligence. Yet, despite progress driven by deep learning and pretraining, state-of-the-art visual reasoning pipelines remain constrained by a fundamental bottleneck: they rely heavily on structured supervision. Reasoning-oriented tasks require annotations such as boxes, which are more expensive to obtain than class labels, making data-hungry fine-tuning difficult to extend to specialized applications. This thesis advances data-efficient visual reasoning from the perspective of knowledge-driven learning. Its unifying principle is that when structured labels are scarce, missing supervision can be compensated by making relevant knowledge explicit and using it to guide learning and inference. Here, knowledge is instantiated as explicit guidance signals, including linguistic knowledge, reasoning priors, and exemplar-derived textual conditions. We develop it across increasingly stringent scarcity regimes. First, under intra-domain sparsity with large appearance variability, we improve pose estimation via contrastive alignment that leverages linguistic knowledge to enhance keypoint correspondence learning. Second, for cross-modal reasoning, we improve label efficiency in referring object detection by integrating interpretable priors into transformer-based pipelines. Third, under the regime where data scarcity is compounded by severe domain shift, we propose a training-free paradigm that uses language as a domain-invariant bridge, converting exemplars into textual conditions that guide frozen detectors. Extensive experiments show that explicit knowledge guidance can serve as a practical surrogate for structured supervision, offering a scalable route for applying foundation models to data-scarce, real-world visual reasoning. Includes publication

Data Repository For ‘ILLICIT PRACTICES WITHIN PPP SPONSOR NETWORKS’

2026-07-10T00:00:00Z

Data Repository For ‘ILLICIT PRACTICES WITHIN PPP SPONSOR NETWORKS’ Salazar, John This file contains the data and supplementary materials used in the development of the article ‘ILLICIT PRACTICES WITHIN PPP SPONSOR NETWORKS’ (DOI:10.1080/01446193.2026.2699104). The files included support the analyses and findings reported in the manuscript.

Associations between parental engagement with health professionals and child health behaviours

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Associations between parental engagement with health professionals and child health behaviours House, Eve T; Xu, Huilan; Baur, Louise A; Denney-Wilson, Elizabeth; Taki, Sarah; Wen, Li Ming Background: Health professionals are an important source of infant feeding advice in the first year of life. However, little is known about the impact of such advice provided as part of routine child health services on feeding practices and other child health behaviours. This study aimed to examine the association between parental engagement with health professionals for breast and formula feeding advice during the first 6 months of life and child health behaviours at 6, 12 and 24 months of the child's age. Methods: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of survey data from a randomised controlled trial in Australia were conducted. At 6 months, parents were asked what sources of information regarding breast and formula feeding they used; at 6, 12 and 24 months, they were asked about their child's nutrition, feeding and movement behaviours. Cross-sectional and longitudinal multiple logistic regression models examined the association between engagement with health professionals in the first 6 months of life and child health behaviours at 6, 12 and 24 months of age. Results: A total of 1155 mothers completed the baseline survey, 947 (82%), 920 (80%) and 797 (69%) completed the 6-, 12- and 24-month surveys. Longitudinal modelling indicated that seeking health professional advice regarding infant feeding was associated with a lower likelihood of current breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio = 0.54, 95% confidence interval = 0.41-0.71, p < 0.001). After adjustment for confounders, engagement with health professionals in the first 6 months of life was not associated with any other child health behaviours based on cross-sectional analyses. Conclusions: These findings suggest that parental engagement with health professionals for infant feeding support may be a response to significant breastfeeding challenges or transitions in infant feeding, pointing to an opportunity to support more routine health promotion in child healthcare settings before such challenges arise.

Automated Radiation Dose Monitoring in Computed Tomography: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Clinical Effectiveness Adoption and User Experience

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Automated Radiation Dose Monitoring in Computed Tomography: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Clinical Effectiveness Adoption and User Experience Alanazi, Mohammed Aim: This thesis investigated the role of automated dose monitoring systems (DMS) in computed tomography (CT) radiation dose monitoring and optimisation. Method: A multi-method research design comprising two systematic reviews and three empirical studies was undertaken. The first review evaluated the use of DMS high-dose alert functions and their impact on CT dose optimisation, while the second examined DMS applications, benefits, and challenges in CT practice. The third study surveyed CT dose monitoring practices and DMS adoption in Australian radiology facilities. The fourth study explored the experiences of medical physicists and radiographers using DMS in CT. The final study retrospectively assessed a DMS's ability to detect high-dose CT events at an Australian radiology facility. Results: Study 1 showed that DMS systems are valuable for identifying high-dose events and supporting dose optimisation. Study 2 showed that DMS systems facilitate benchmarking, tracking and estimation, although challenges related to data inconsistencies and integration issues were reported. Study 3 found that while most Australian radiology facilities performed CT dose assessments, these were commonly undertaken annually using traditional methods, and 41% used DMS. Study 4 showed that DMS users reported improved workflow efficiency, CT dose assessment, and radiation protection practices, although challenges related to system setup, data validation and IT infrastructure were identified. The final study found that 851 of 11,865 CT examinations (7%) triggered DMS alerts, most commonly in spine, joint, and abdomen–pelvis CT exams, with contributing factors related to patients and operators. Conclusion: Automated DMS systems support CT dose monitoring and optimisation through continuous dose assessment, benchmarking, and identification of high-dose events. Wider adoption, supported by appropriate implementation and training, would strengthen radiation protection and enhance patient safety. Includes publication

Multi-Scale Thermo-Mechanical and Microstructural Simulations of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) of 316L Stainless Steel

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Multi-Scale Thermo-Mechanical and Microstructural Simulations of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) of 316L Stainless Steel Valiente Dies, Fernando Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) of 316L stainless steel offers a practical route to large structural components, yet industrial uptake is limited by distortion, residual stresses, and microstructure heterogeneity, together with a lack of experimentally validated simulation workflows. This thesis develops and validates an integrated framework that links WAAM process parameters to thermo-mechanical response, hardness, and microstructure. Purpose-built benchmark walls and T-joints were designed and fabricated to generate co-registered datasets: in-process thermocouples, full-field distortion by GOM, microhardness maps, EBSD textures, and internal residual stresses from neutron diffraction and the contour method. A coupled thermo-mechanical model in MOOSE, with temperature-dependent properties, and progressive element activation, was calibrated to the thermal data and validated against distortion and hardness. A hardness surrogate tied to accumulated equivalent plastic strain, reproduced measured hardness gradients between wall, HAZ, and base plate. For T-joints, simulations captured the sign, magnitude, and spatial distribution of tensile and compressive regions observed by diffraction and contour measurements to clarified their evolution through deposition and cool-down. Microstructure was interrogated with phase-field and Cellular Automata models to reproduced epitaxial columnar growth, grain size trends through height, and texture consistent with EBSD. The outcome is an open, experimentally anchored pathway for pre-build what-if analysis and process design in WAAM 316L. The work contributes: a shared benchmark dataset, a calibrated modelling stack connecting temperature, stress, distortion, and hardness, microstructure-informed interpretation of anisotropy, and actionable guidance on energy input, interpass temperature, bead sequencing, and restraint. The proposed framework is readily extensible to more complex geometries and other alloys. Includes publication

Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Australia 2026

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Australia 2026 Dent, Helen Zhi; Qian, Sissi; Jin, Shao-Lu; Yu, Ivy; Ferguson, Doug; Li, Wei; Nan, Xi This report examines the experiences, strategies and contributions of first-generation Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Australia. Drawing on survey and semi-structured interview data from 100 entrepreneurs collected in 2025, it highlights how this group navigates geopolitical uncertainty, maintains cross-border business and innovation ties, and contributes to Australia’s economic capability. The findings show that while geopolitical tensions have created supply-chain, cost and regulatory challenges, many entrepreneurs remain resilient by diversifying markets, localising operations and strengthening compliance. The report also shows that Chinese migrant entrepreneurs act as important bridges between Australia and China, leveraging business, capital, cultural and knowledge networks across both markets. Their resilience is shaped by migration experiences, competitive educational and professional backgrounds, and a strong learning orientation. Over 80% of respondents reported recent innovation activities, including entering new customer segments, adopting new technologies and adjusting business models. Overall, the report argues that Chinese migrant entrepreneurs are not only business owners but also valuable carriers of China capability, cross-border knowledge and innovation within Australia’s business community.

Considerations of eating disorder risk during obesity treatment in Australia: Current practice, attitudes and barriers

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Considerations of eating disorder risk during obesity treatment in Australia: Current practice, attitudes and barriers Kwok, Cathy; Forward, Victoria; Lister, Natalie B; Garnett, Sarah P; Baur, Louise A; Jebeile, Hiba Introduction People with obesity are vulnerable to eating disorders. It has been suggested that screening for eating disorder risk be part of obesity care. However, it is unclear what current practice entails. Objective To explore considerations of eating disorder risk during treatment of obesity, including assessment and intervention strategies used in clinical practice. Materials and Methods An online (REDCap) cross-sectional survey was distributed to health professionals working with individuals with obesity in Australia through professional societies and social media. The survey had three sections: 1. Characteristics of Clinician/Practice, 2. Current Practice, 3. Attitudes. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics and free-text comments were independently coded in duplicate to identify themes. Results 59 health professionals completed the survey. Most were dietitians (n = 29), identified as women (n = 45) and worked within a public hospital (n = 30) and/or private practice (n = 29). Overall, 50 respondents reported assessing for eating disorder risk. Most reported that having a history of, or risk factors of eating disorders should not preclude obesity care but emphasised the importance of treatment modification including using a patient-centred approach involving a multidisciplinary team and promoting healthy eating behaviours, with less emphasis on calorie restriction or bariatric surgery. Management approaches did not differ for those with eating disorder risk factors or a diagnosed eating disorder. Clinicians identified the need for additional training and clear referral pathways. Conclusion Individualised care, balancing models of care for eating disorders and obesity and further access to training and services will be important in improving care of patients with obesity.

On Vassiliev Invariants and Weight Systems of Classical and Welded Knots

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

On Vassiliev Invariants and Weight Systems of Classical and Welded Knots Lin, Damian Vassiliev invariants are a special class of knot invariant that are analogous to polynomial functions on, for example, the real line. We review how Vassiliev invariants can be constructed from Lie algebra objects in arbitrary monoidal categories and are completely determined by their weight systems. We make some computations of the values of the g2 and f4 exceptional Lie algebra weight systems on a certain special class of chord diagrams. We generalise a construction of Hinich-Vaintrob to welded knots, thereby constructing a universal welded weight system.

Additional Support Needs of Adolescents with Obesity During an Obesity Treatment Trial: Fast Track to Health

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Additional Support Needs of Adolescents with Obesity During an Obesity Treatment Trial: Fast Track to Health Kwok, Cathy; Lister, Natalie B; House, Eve T; Baur, Louise A; Garnett, Sarah P; Jebeile, Hiba; Fast Track to Health study team Background: Treatment-seeking adolescents with obesity may have diverse dietetic, psychological, or medical needs that require support during obesity treatment. Objectives: To characterize initial referral reasons, content, and outcome of support visits provided in addition to protocolized visits during an obesity treatment trial. Methods: The Fast Track to Health trial was a 52-week multi-site randomized trial conducted between 2018 and 2023 in Australia, comparing intermittent and continuous energy restricted dietary interventions delivered as part of an intensive behavioral intervention in adolescents with obesity and ≥1 obesity-related complications. Alongside protocolized mental health screening and medical and dietetic reviews, additional support was provided by the study dietitian, pediatrician or psychologist if needed or requested by families. Two reviewers independently coded deidentified clinical notes for each additional support visit to identify referral reasons, content and outcome of each visit. Results: Of 141 adolescents enrolled, 51 (36.2%) attended at least one additional support session, with most (n = 31) having one visit. Most referrals were initiated by a clinician (n = 34) and included requests for dietetic review (n = 16), motivation and/or support during COVID-19 lockdowns (n = 15), general psychological review (n = 14) and anxiety (n = 11). Conclusions: Understanding the diverse needs of adolescents with obesity is essential to inform obesity treatment interventions.

Efficient Edge-AI: Towards the Future of Implantable and Smart Medical Devices

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Efficient Edge-AI: Towards the Future of Implantable and Smart Medical Devices Herbozo Contreras, Luis Fernando Epilepsy affects over 1% of the global population and imposes substantial clinical, social, and economic burdens. Although pharmacological therapy is the first line of treatment, approximately 30–40% of patients remain drug-resistant, making neuromodulation one of the few viable options. However, current neuromodulation systems are largely open-loop or depend on cloud-based AI, limited by latency, power, privacy, and scalability. These constraints hinder autonomous, personalised, implantable closed-loop neurostimulation. This thesis investigates neuromorphic computing as a paradigm for next-generation closed-loop neuromodulation, focusing on seizure detection and prediction in epilepsy. It introduces neuromorphic neuromodulation and shows how biologically inspired, on-device intelligence can support self-responsive and personalised therapies. Building on this framework, the thesis develops seizure detection systems using liquid-time constant neurons and dendritic spiking mechanisms with heterogeneous temporal dynamics. These models enable efficient neural-signal representation without expensive feature extraction and show robust out-of-sample generalisation across patients and recording conditions on large-scale clinical EEG datasets. The thesis also addresses edge learning by proposing a neuromorphic learning rule for on-device adaptation toward patient-specific treatment under strict power and memory constraints. This mechanism can be adopted by the developed models to support personalised, low-latency intelligence at the edge. Finally, learnable activation functions are explored within artificial neural networks to improve training efficiency and interpretability, highlighting a pathway for integration with neuromorphic technology. Together, these contributions advance neuromorphic neurotechnology toward autonomous, personalised, and continuously learning closed-loop systems, with implications beyond epilepsy to a broader range of neurological disorders.

Blockchain-based Advanced Information Infrastructure and its Applications in Demand-Side Energy Systems

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Blockchain-based Advanced Information Infrastructure and its Applications in Demand-Side Energy Systems Yu, Teng The energy sector is moving from centralised one-way power systems to decentralised bidirectional smart grids driven by distributed energy resources (DERs). This shift requires infrastructure for secure coordination, verifiable markets, and prosumer data privacy. Existing blockchain systems have limited scalability, security, and interoperability, restricting high-frequency smart-grid applications. This thesis designs blockchain infrastructure for peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading and power load forecasting (PLF). It has three theoretical innovation points. First, a dual-blockchain architecture with an Improved Optimistic Rollup (IOR) improves vertical throughput by offloading heavy computation from a primary to a secondary blockchain. Second, a Transaction Batch Generation (TBG) protocol for leaderless Byzantine Fault Tolerance (LBFT) consensus improves horizontal throughput by letting every node broadcast blocks, avoiding redundant transaction rebroadcast, and reducing transaction censorship to nearly zero. Third, a Blockchain-of-Blockchains (BoB) architecture, with Cross-Chain Token Exchange (CCTE) and Cross-Chain Data Interoperability (CCDI), supports asset and data transfer across blockchains with lower latency and memory overhead. The infrastructure is applied to two demand-side problems. For P2P market clearing, it is combined with Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), D-TASK, and TEAR-DO to address the privacy-robustness-latency trilemma: prosumer data remain private, distributed optimisation preserves optimal convergence, and clearing time is reduced by an order of magnitude over state-of-the-art methods. For PLF, CTP-FL combines the infrastructure with message coding and commitment-based dual consensus to preserve local-model privacy, tolerate Byzantine faults at client and server sides, and keep communication latency below local model training time. Includes publication

Towards Geometry-Grounded World Understanding

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Towards Geometry-Grounded World Understanding Tang, Liyao Understanding the three-dimensional (3D) world underpins embodied artificial intelligence, enabling robotics, autonomous driving, augmented and virtual reality, and, more broadly, spatial intelligence. Yet the most direct representation of a 3D scene can be deceptively simple: a point cloud, \ie, a set of Cartesian coordinates sampled from scene surfaces, from which objects and semantic structure must be inferred. In practice, point clouds are noisy, incomplete, and irregularly sampled, making reliable interpretation fundamentally challenging. Geometry-grounded world understanding demands semantics that are consistent with metric 3D geometry. Semantic segmentation provides a principled route from geometric measurements to high-level scene understanding. In 3D point clouds, semantic segmentation anchors geometry-grounded world understanding by coupling fine-grained semantics with explicit 3D geometry and confronting a core perceptual challenge: forming structured and coherent interpretation from noisy, incomplete, and irregular samples. This thesis investigates how explicit 3D geometry can be elevated from a passive input to a source of structure for learning and generalization. We treat geometry as a prior that constrains what a plausible segmentation should look like, modulates how noisy supervision should be used, and guides how models adapt when spatial statistics shift. Building on this view, we advance geometry-grounded scene segmentation along three complementary aspects of the learning problem: the output, the supervision, and the adaptation Overall, this thesis approaches scene segmentation by structuring the outcomes of learning, the supervision that guides learning, and the contexts in which learning occurs, all grounded in explicit 3D geometry. In doing so, we advance a geometry-grounded view of world understanding in which explicit 3D geometry shapes both learning and generalization.

Effects of the Post-Heat Treatment (Furnace Cooling) on the mechanical strength and dimensional accuracy of 3D printed PEEK in FDM method

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Effects of the Post-Heat Treatment (Furnace Cooling) on the mechanical strength and dimensional accuracy of 3D printed PEEK in FDM method Deng, Yunxiang In recent decades, the production of polymeric parts using fused deposition modelling (FDM) has gained significant attention in the field, owing to its design flexibility, low cost, and time-efficient prototyping capabilities. Nevertheless, the inherently as-built limitation constrains the performance and challenges the broader applications. To address these limitations, the post-heat treatment or annealing has long been applied as one the critical post processing techniques for enhancing the materials properties and its performance. Despite the beneficial effects of the post-heat treatment on the mechanical strength, its effect on the long-term tribological performance with the involvement of complex structures are limited. While it is often assumed that improvements in mechanical properties lead to enhanced tribological performance, tribological properties are not intrinsic material properties. Instead, they are instead dependent strongly on the specific system and operating conditions in which a material or structure has to function. Among the tribological studies, the friction-induced vibration (FIV) is a critical issue, causing unwanted noise, wear, and potential system failure. Although the proposed active or passive controls can mitigate FIV, they inevitably increase the complexity in the design and implementation of the whole system. The re-entrant auxetic structure was employed in this study as the solution, characterized by Negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR). Notably, the performance of AM-fabricated parts remains highly sensitive to the external environmental stimuli, particularly temperature.

Probabilistic Learning and Inference for Multi-Modal Trajectory Generation and Adaptation

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Probabilistic Learning and Inference for Multi-Modal Trajectory Generation and Adaptation Yin, Zeya Robotic systems are fundamental to enhancing efficiency, advancing autonomous processes, and performing tasks that are hazardous or routine in daily life. However, the complexity and unpredictability of various tasks require that robots can adapt effectively to changing environments. This thesis aims to advance the state of the art in robotic motion generation by presenting an ensemble of approaches that combine motion planning, learning from demonstration techniques, and modern probabilistic methods. Our goal is to develop principled frameworks that can produce diverse and reliable multimodal solutions for robotic tasks. Includes publication

Attention Calibration for Reducing Hallucination in Large Vision-Language Models

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Attention Calibration for Reducing Hallucination in Large Vision-Language Models Zhu, Younan Large Vision-Language Models (LVLMs) exhibit impressive multimodal reasoning capab- ilities but remain highly susceptible to object hallucination, where models generate responses that are not factually aligned with the visual content. Recent works attribute this issue to an inherent bias of LVLMs where vision token attention map has spurious focus on certain positions, and propose to mitigate this issue by reordering visual tokens. However, we find that different LVLMs exhibit different correlations between attention and spatial position, which makes the existing static solution difficult to generalize to other LVLMs. To begin with, we investigate the attention bias introduced by image tokens through a toy experiment, in which a blank image is fed into the model to capture its position-dependent bias. We then remove this bias from the original attention map, which already leads to a substantial reduction in hallucinations. This proof of concept validates the core intuition behind attention calibration. Building on this insight, we propose Dynamic Attention Calibration (DAC), a lightweight, plug-and-play module that leverages contrastive learning to dynamically enforce positional invariance. Unlike static baselines, DAC adapts to different models and inputs in a robust and learnable manner, offering a generalizable solution to mitigate attention-related hallucinations in LVLMs. Comprehensive experiments across multiple benchmarks demonstrate that DAC significantly reduces object hallucination while improving general multimodal alignment. Our method achieves state-of-the-art performance across diverse LVLM architectures on various metrics.

Design and optimisation of OpenStride an open-source inexpensive force plate actometer

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Design and optimisation of OpenStride an open-source inexpensive force plate actometer Yang, Yang Quantitative assessment of rodent motor behaviour is central to preclinical neuroscience, and evaluation of naturalistic movement is of particular interest. In the early 2000s, force plate actometry (FPA) was developed to track rodent subject centre-of-mass (COM) with high temporal and spatial precision, enabling varied quantifications relevant to motor performance and behaviour. While FPA was commercialised, these systems cost ~$15,000 AUD and are no longer produced. Thus, despite clear utility, particularly in movement disorders and neuropsychiatric research, FPA adoption has remained limited. In this work, we sought to develop an open-source, low-cost FPA system called OpenStride, and to characterise how its performance is shaped by hardware and signal processing choices, providing users with information needed to use it effectively across varied experimental contexts. We designed OpenStride to be able to be fabricated for ~$800 AUD using standard 3D printing and laser cutting. OpenStride achieves minimal static drift during long recordings and minimal signal displacement in response to environmental perturbation; further, it reliably tracks position and distance and can separate groups of rodents with established motor phenotypes. We characterised the influence of five key variables on measurement quality: applied load, load cell excitation voltage, mechanical damping, platform mass, and signal filtering, providing suggestions on how to optimise setup in a context-dependent manner. Our findings support the interpretation that OpenStride is capable of meaningful motor and behavioural quantification across rodent species and experimental paradigms. Its performance is influenced by modifiable parameters, and understanding these relationships allows users to configure the system to suit their specific needs. All hardware and software files have been distributed freely via GitHub, with the intent of making force plate actometry accessible to the research community. Includes publication

Multimodal Learning for Multi-scope Brain Lesion Segmentation

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Multimodal Learning for Multi-scope Brain Lesion Segmentation Chen, Jiahao Brain lesion-related diseases, including glioblastoma, stroke, and demyelinating disorders, present significant challenges for accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment due to heterogeneity in lesion distribution, morphology, and progression. Early and accurate lesion identification is critical for disease classification, prognosis, and treatment planning. MRI provides rich tissue-level structural information for lesion detection, while microscopy reveals morphology and topology at the cellular level. Together, they offer complementary perspectives on multifocal brain lesion pathology. However, existing deep learning methods for multimodal MRI segmentation often hinder interpretability and introduce redundant parameters, leaving AI decision-making opaque in clinical settings. My contributions are: 1.SwitchNet: A modality-adaptive fusion network that explicitly learns each MRI modality's contribution to different lesion subregions via Adaptive Encoder/Decoder Blocks and modality-specific attention, improving interpretability while maintaining segmentation accuracy. 2.Multi-scale Diffusion Segmentation: I refactor segmentation into stepwise mask reconstruction, constructing a mask pyramid with independent diffusion processes at each scale to establish structural-level image-mask correspondence. 3.Skeleton-Guided Microscopy Pipeline: A cellular-level analysis pipeline for tumor and non-tumor cell segmentation, topology extraction, and quantitative analysis of cell spatial organization. Includes publication

Inter-project Learning in Major Infrastructure Projects

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Inter-project Learning in Major Infrastructure Projects Liu, Yuhan In project-based organizations (PBOs), the episodic character of projects disrupts durable knowledge retention and organizational memory. While inter-project learning (IPL) has been proposed to improve knowledge flow across projects, institutionalizing knowledge does not automatically activate it. Knowledge can remain dormant in manuals, platforms, and reports unless organizations help people reinterpret and adapt it for new project contexts. Drawing on a longitudinal case study of Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 and Beijing Daxing International Airport, led by Capital Airports Holding Company (CAH), this thesis investigates how organizations can sustain and reactivate IPL. The study develops an integrated framework that explains how project knowledge is identified and externalised, embedded through formal systems and routines, and regenerated across later project contexts. It further examines how dormant knowledge is brought back to life through knowledge translation, including deconstructing prior knowledge, reframing it for local use, embedding it into routines and discourse, and renewing it through feedback loops. Rather than treating knowledge as a static object to be transferred, this thesis conceptualises IPL as a reflexive and recursive process grounded in communicative practices and organizational design. By theorising IPL as organizational reproduction and knowledge translation, the study offers insights into how organizations maintain learning continuity and make past project knowledge meaningful and usable again amid fragmentation, turnover, and temporariness. Includes publication

Towards Efficient High Fidelity 3D Reconstruction and Novel View Synthesis

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Towards Efficient High Fidelity 3D Reconstruction and Novel View Synthesis Chen, Haodong This thesis studies three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and novel view synthesis (NVS) under tight hardware and data budgets, a common constraint in VR/AR, robotics, autonomous navigation, and cultural heritage. Existing methods often rely on multi-camera rigs, dense imagery, calibrated cameras, or heavy compute, limiting embedded and dynamic deployment. The thesis addresses this through three largely orthogonal pipeline-stage contributions: E2V for event-stream sensing, 3DLS for splatting-kernel representation, and HDGS for sparse-view depth supervision. First, E2V shows that a single neuromorphic event camera can support full volumetric reconstruction. It uses an end-to-end model to map raw events to voxel occupancy in one pass, without known intrinsics/extrinsics or multi-stage processing. A synthetic dataset of 39,739 object scans generated with an event-camera simulator is also released for training and benchmarking. Second, 3D Linear Splatting (3DLS) improves point-based radiance-field rendering by replacing the Gaussian fall-off in 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) with a bounded linear kernel. This reduces blur, preserves high-frequency detail, and improves rendering speed by 30% while maintaining competitive image quality across benchmarks. Third, Hierarchical Depth-Guided Splatting (HDGS) addresses geometric inconsistency in sparse-view splatting. Its Cascade Pearson Correlation Loss (CPCL) supervises depth across scales, improving geometric accuracy and consistently outperforming prior methods when only a few views are available. Together, E2V, 3DLS, and HDGS advance 3D reconstruction and NVS toward practical use under tight energy, compute, and memory budgets. Remaining challenges include the synthetic-to-real gap, broader kernel design for splat-based rendering, and geometric consistency under extreme sparsity, occlusion, and scene dynamics.

The quantitative significance of membrane lipids to the phosphorus economics of Australian native plants

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

The quantitative significance of membrane lipids to the phosphorus economics of Australian native plants Liang, Grace Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient that commonly limits the productivity of plants in terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. The prevalence of P-impoverished soils across the Australian continent, and throughout much of Australia’s geological history, has played a significant role in the evolution of its native flora. Many native species exhibit a wide range of traits and mechanisms that allow them to persist and thrive on some of the most P-impoverished soils, including reducing their allocation of P into membrane phospholipids. Membrane phospholipids, which account for around one-third of organic P in leaves, is a unique P compound as they can be substituted by functionally similar non-P lipids, such as galactolipid and sulfolipids. This process of substitution allows for lipidbound P to be liberated and reallocated to maintain plant growth and function. Therefore, phospholipids likely play an important role in the P economics of plants. The main focus of this thesis is on foliar membrane lipids and their quantitative significance to the P economics of native Australian flora. In particular, I investigated the contribution of membrane phospholipids in the adaptation of Australian native plants to P-impoverished soils. Includes publication

Data from "Corallivore assemblage, feeding behavior, and cover of Acropora corals drive fish corallivory on tropical reefs"

2026-07-08T00:00:00Z

Data from "Corallivore assemblage, feeding behavior, and cover of Acropora corals drive fish corallivory on tropical reefs" Hsu, Tsai-Hsuan Tony; Hoey, Andrew S.; Ferrari, Renata; Toor, Maren; Gordon, Sophie; Remmers, Tiny; Smallhorn-West, James; Piccaluga, Agustina; Figueira, Will F. Understanding spatial patterns and drivers of corallivory is essential for assessing reef resilience and identifying recovery pathways. Fish corallivory patterns arise from the complex direct and indirect effects of key factors, including food availability (cover of preferred corals), the nature of the corallivore assemblage (richness and biomass), how the corallivores choose to feed (intensity and bout duration), and the local risk profile (predator biomass and habitat structural complexity). While some linkages within this network are well studied, such as the generally positive relationship between coral cover and the abundance of corallivores, the manner and extent to which they can explain overall corallivory rates is less clear. In this study, we used structural equation modelling to provide an integrated assessment of the relative importance of these key elements in both directly and indirectly explaining patterns of total corallivory by fishes (bites in 30 min). We used remote underwater video sampling at four reefs spanning ca. 1,800 km across the Torres Strait (TS) and Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in northeast Australia to quantify corallivory. Total corallivory and corallivore biomass were significantly higher in back- than fore-reef habitats, while neither corallivore feeding behaviour (intensity or duration) nor richness varied across spatial scales. Due to distinct benthic and corallivore assemblages, separate analyses were conducted for GBR and TS sites. Structural equation modelling showed that among GBR sites, corallivore richness, feeding intensity, and event duration were direct positive drivers of corallivory, while the cover of Acropora corals was both a direct and indirect (via its effect on corallivore richness, feeding intensity, and event duration) positive driver of corallivory. In contrast, TS sites, dominated by large massive corals and near monospecific corallivore assemblages, showed no relationship between corallivory and any assemblage or behavioural metrics. Our findings showed little evidence in either area that predation risk (biomass of piscivores) affected corallivory either directly or through changes in feeding behaviour. If used in full or in part, please cite this dataset and the original publication: Hsu T-H.T, Hoey A.S, Ferrari R, Toor M, Gordon S, Remmers T, Smallhorn-West J, Piccaluga A, Figueira W.F (in press). Corallivore assemblage, feeding behavior, and cover of Acropora corals drive fish corallivory on tropical reefs. Ecoshpere. The R script to replicate the analyses is available on GitHub (https://github.com/THTonyHsu/Drivers-of-corallivory.git).

Australian minimum legal drinking age & effects later-in-life

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Australian minimum legal drinking age & effects later-in-life Denford, Thomas This thesis examines the long-run effects of Australia’s 1970s minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) reforms, which aligned all states to a uniform age of 18. While alcohol’s harms on adolescents are well-established, less is known about its level of persistence decades on. Using a staggered synthetic difference-in-differences (SDID) framework and HILDA data, I estimate the impact of exposure to MLDA reform on a range of outcomes at ages 55 to 63. Large and highly significant effects are found for annual income (negative) and the prevalence of long-term health conditions (positive). However, a likely violation of the identifying assumption known as ’parallel trends’—driven by structural differences between treated and control states—means these estimates cannot be interpreted as causal. A novel contribution of this thesis is its focus on the long-run outcomes of MLDA policy in an Australian context, in contrast to existing literature which has largely examined short-run effects. Most importantly, however, the study highlights the challenges of using retrospective data to assess historical policy impacts, underscoring the need for caution in formulating research questions.

Using Genomic Data to Elucidate the Evolution and Historical Biogeography of the Liverwort Family Lepidoziaceae (Jungermanniales; Jungermanniopsida)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Using Genomic Data to Elucidate the Evolution and Historical Biogeography of the Liverwort Family Lepidoziaceae (Jungermanniales; Jungermanniopsida) Rayos, Antonio Jr Luciano Lepidoziaceae, the third-largest family of liverworts, account for almost 10% of liverwort species diversity worldwide, and there are many unanswered questions about the phylogeny and biogeography of this large and diverse family. The broad aims of this thesis were to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among the taxa within Lepidoziaceae, to propose necessary taxonomic revisions based on the resulting phylogenetic analyses, and to provide insights into the spatial and temporal distribution of the family. The thesis opened with an introduction to Lepidoziaceae, the phylogenetic studies that have been done on the family so far, and the potential of genomic data to resolve the phylogeny of the family. The remaining chapters then addressed the aims using a range of methods to analyse data sets with overlapping taxon sampling. Overall, this thesis has presented several interesting findings about the evolutionary relationships among the members of Lepidoziaceae at different taxonomic levels and provided insights into the distribution of the family across space and time. These results have taxonomic implications that can be used as the basis for taxonomic revisions. The findings from this thesis still leave many unanswered questions that can be addressed in future studies.

WOMEN-FRIENDLY QURʾĀN TRANSLATIONS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE: A FEMINIST CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF LALEH BAKHTIAR’S THE SUBLIME QURʾĀN (Q.2:231, Q.4:11, Q.4:34)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

WOMEN-FRIENDLY QURʾĀN TRANSLATIONS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE: A FEMINIST CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF LALEH BAKHTIAR’S THE SUBLIME QURʾĀN (Q.2:231, Q.4:11, Q.4:34) Elmir, Mouna This thesis investigates how English translations of the Qurʾān shape gender-conscious interpretations of verses concerning women's rights and roles. It examines Laleh Bakhtiar's The Sublime Qurʾān (2007), focusing on her translation of three Qurʾānic verses (Q.2:231, Q.4:11 and Q.4:34) that have traditionally been associated with debates on marriage, divorce, inheritance and domestic authority. The study argues that Qurʾānic translation plays a significant role in shaping ethical understandings and social attitudes towards women. It explores how alternative translation choices can challenge interpretations that have been used to justify spiritual abuse, domestic violence and patriarchal authority, while remaining grounded in the Qurʾān's ethical framework. Using an interdisciplinary methodology, the study integrates Translation Studies with Critical Discourse Analysis, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, Feminist Poststructuralist Discourse Analysis and Contrastive Analysis. Bakhtiar's translation is analysed in comparison with selected classical and modern Qurʾānic commentaries across textual, discursive and contextual levels. The findings demonstrate that Bakhtiar's approach is best understood as an ethically grounded and linguistically informed reinterpretation rather than a feminist ideological project. The thesis makes two original contributions to Qurʾānic translation studies by introducing the analytical category of woman-friendly translators and the concept of woman-friendly commentary as a hybrid exegetical model of tafsīr. Together, these contributions expand contemporary approaches to Qurʾānic translation and interpretation by foregrounding ethical coherence, contextual sensitivity and the Qurʾān's inclusive moral vision.

Young Children’s Meaning-Making through the Use of Tablets in Digital Play

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Young Children’s Meaning-Making through the Use of Tablets in Digital Play Guo, Zejian In recent decades, digital technologies have become not only prevalent in early childhood school environments but increasingly embedded in home settings. Digital play has become a significant activity where young children engage, explore, and express themselves. This situation raises important questions about how children make meaning through digital play and how parents, educators, and researchers can understand and support these processes. The current study investigated the meaning-making processes of four young children during digital play at home in Australia and China. The children were accompanied by their parents during these processes. Grounded in sociocultural theories, this study explored digital play behaviour using the digital play framework (DPF) (Bird & Edwards, 2015). The research further examined the roles of oral language and child–parent interactions in shaping these processes, and potential sociocultural differences between two distinct contexts. Based on a qualitative case study methodology, the findings suggested that the four children’s meaning-making processes were informed by their use of oral language, their agency during play, the selection and affordances of technologies, and the child–parent interactions. Various types of parental scaffolding were observed as significant in fostering the children’s communication, creativity, and learning within digital play. The application of the DPF highlighted both epistemic and ludic play, with three distinct digital play movements emerging across the four cases. Cross-case analysis suggested that although cultural differences existed between the Australian and Chinese families, more similarities than differences were observed. It concludes by discussing the broader implications for research and practices for educators, policymakers, parents, and technology designers while acknowledging the study’s limitations and identifying directions for future research in this evolving field.

Leveraging gene-by-environment interactions to identify molecular drivers of diet-induced metabolic disease

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Leveraging gene-by-environment interactions to identify molecular drivers of diet-induced metabolic disease Cutler, Harry Benjamin Understanding why individuals differ in susceptibility to cardiometabolic disease remains a central challenge in metabolic research. Although caloric excess is a major driver of obesity and disease risk, the threshold at which dysfunction develops varies substantially between individuals. This points to intrinsic biological mechanisms that buffer against adverse dietary environments. To identify such mechanisms, I developed a systematic experimental pipeline integrating genetic diversity across inbred mouse strains with multi-omic profiling of metabolically relevant tissues following high fat high sugar (HFHS) feeding – a perturbation that induces metabolic disease only in a subset of strains. Comprehensive metabolic phenotyping revealed that tissue-specific dysfunction was strongly shaped by genetic background, in some cases fundamentally altering which tissues were affected by HFHS exposure. Deep learning models trained solely on protein abundance in chow-fed mice accurately predicted strain- and tissue-specific responses to HFHS feeding, leading to the hypothesis that dietary stress responses are governed by the pre-existing molecular architecture of each tissue. To test this, I established a bespoke tissue-specific adeno-associated virus platform to overexpress candidate regulators identified by the deep learning models, substantially accelerating functional validation compared to conventional genetic approaches. This enabled testing of seven candidate regulators of diet-induced metabolic dysfunction. Hepatic SLC22A7 emerged as a previously unrecognised mediator of insulin resistance in both liver and white adipose tissue under HFHS conditions. Collectively, this work demonstrates that integrating systems-level molecular profiling with predictive modelling and high-throughput in vivo validation is a powerful strategy to uncouple metabolic disease from caloric excess, providing a framework for precision therapeutic discovery.

Genetic Architecture and Molecular Mechanisms of Coat Colour Variation in Domestic Dogs

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Genetic Architecture and Molecular Mechanisms of Coat Colour Variation in Domestic Dogs Brancalion, Lillian Valmai Coat colour in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a complex trait shaped by several interacting genetic variants, regulatory mechanisms and breed-specific evolutionary history. While multiple pigmentation loci have been identified, the genetic basis of many coat colour phenotypes remains unresolved. This thesis advances knowledge of canine pigmentation genetics by identifying novel genetic variants underlying coat colour variation, resolving complex inheritance patterns, and developing practical frameworks for genetic coat colour prediction. This thesis characterises two variants associated with white-spot modification near USH2A, resolving the molecular basis and inheritance of ticking and roan phenotypes through a three-haplotype allelic series and identifying USH2A as a novel candidate pigmentation gene. Further, this thesis demonstrates that pheomelanin intensity in the Golden Retriever can be accurately predicted using a simple, biologically informed predictive model. Evaluation across multiple dog breeds highlights the importance of population-aware approaches to phenotype prediction. Finally, characterisation of the MITF-A pseudogene and reference genome misassemblies at the MITF locus facilitate more accurate genetic interpretation of this important pigmentation region. Collectively, this research expands understanding of the genetic architecture of canine pigmentation by identifying novel coat colour variants, clarifying complex genomic regions, and demonstrating how biologically informed models can translate complex traits into practical predictive tools. These findings provide valuable Includes publication

Relationship between Metabolome and Survival Characteristics of Rhizobia after Growth in Liquid Media

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Relationship between Metabolome and Survival Characteristics of Rhizobia after Growth in Liquid Media Vathshalyan, Nishanthi Legume inoculation enhances biological nitrogen fixation, but desiccation stress reduces rhizobial survival on seed. This thesis investigated the effect of different liquid media on the rhizobial metabolome and desiccation tolerance. The effect of carbon sources and carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios in defined media were examined and defined medium (mJMM) was compared with complex media, peat extract (PE) and a food-waste-derived medium (FW). Three rhizobial strains representing clover, pea and soybean symbionts were studied. Carbon source strongly influenced metabolome and desiccation tolerance. Growth on L-arabinose increased trehalose levels and improved survival after drying while lower C:N ratios also improved survival. Early survival was positively associated with trehalose, whereas longer-term survival correlated with metabolites including 3-hydroxybutyric acid. To explore mechanisms in complex media, TA1 survival was monitored during storage at 4 °C in PE, FW and mJMM. Although mJMM maintained the highest viable counts, survival was greatest in FW during early stages and in PE after prolonged storage. Pantothenic acid and ribonic acid were positively associated with survival on beads. Despite upregulation of otsB in complex media, intracellular trehalose accumulation was low and did not predict survival. Improved survival was more closely linked to other metabolites and physiological changes. Membrane integrity increased during storage, particularly in PE-grown TA1. Survival correlated positively with saturated fatty acids, xylitol and related metabolites and negatively with unsaturated fatty acids. These findings suggest that improved desiccation tolerance in TA1may be explained by membrane remodelling triggered by growth and storage in PE. Overall, this study advances understanding of the metabolic and physiological basis of rhizobial desiccation tolerance and informs future development of inoculant formulations for seed survival.

Progressing Cross-Sector Collaboration for People With Eating Disorders and Higher Weight: Priority Actions From an Expert Roundtable Using a Modified Nominal Group Technique

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Progressing Cross-Sector Collaboration for People With Eating Disorders and Higher Weight: Priority Actions From an Expert Roundtable Using a Modified Nominal Group Technique Jebeile, Hiba; Brennan, Leah; Burrows, Tracy; de la Piedad Garcia, Xochitl; Ralph, Angelique F; Saluja, Supreet; Atlantis, Evan; Garnett, Sarah P; Harrison, Carmel J; House, Eve T; Lister, Natalie B; Moran, Lisa; Piya, Milan K; Rieger, Elizabeth; Smith, Evelyn; Hay, Phillipa; Trobe, Sarah Introduction Eating disorders are more prevalent in people with higher weight than those with low weight. However, contention between the fields of obesity and eating disorders has prevented meaningful progress in research, prevention, identification and coordinated clinical services for people with co-occurring conditions. In Australia, public health approaches and provision of treatment services for people with eating disorders and clinical obesity are siloed, often resulting in contradictory messaging. To address this, a roundtable meeting was held in November 2024 in Sydney, Australia, with 28 experts in one or both of these fields, including researchers, clinicians and service leaders working across paediatric and adult care, and individuals with lived experience. Guided by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration stepped system of care framework, participants identified key challenges and possible solutions, and established five priority actions. Main Recommendations The priority actions across sectors are: Health Campaigns focused on raising awareness of eating disorders at higher weight, using appropriate language and reducing weight stigma; improved Screening and Assessment using standardised protocols across healthcare settings; supporting Primary Healthcare and improving the use of Medicare items; Tailored Treatment Pathways including integrated care models; and building Workforce Capacity to upskill professionals to provide safe, person-centred care. Changes in Management as a Result of the Statement These actions aim to promote improved cross-sector collaboration and effective, safe, coordinated and integrated approaches to prevention, identification and treatment across the fields of obesity and eating disorders. They address the complex medical and psychological needs of those with co-occurring eating disorders and higher weight or clinical obesity through a skilled workforce and improved access to care. Effective integration, collaboration and coordination across services is essential for long-term recovery support.

Socio-Demographic, Self-Control, Bullying, Parenting, and Sleep as Proximal Factors Associated with Food Addiction among Adolescents

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

Socio-Demographic, Self-Control, Bullying, Parenting, and Sleep as Proximal Factors Associated with Food Addiction among Adolescents Leary, Mark; Pursey, Kirrilly M; Verdejo-Garcia, Antonio; Smout, Scarlett; McBride, Nyanda; Osman, Bridie; Champion, Katrina E; Gardner, Lauren A; Jebeile, Hiba; Kelly, Erin V; Thornton, Louise; Teesson, Maree; Burrows, Tracy L Adolescence is considered an important period of neurodevelopment. It is a time for the emergence of psychosocial vulnerabilities, including symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and increased engagement in unhealthy eating behaviours. Food addiction (FA) in adolescents is an area of study where there has been substantial growth. However, to date, limited studies have considered what demographic characteristics of adolescents may predispose them to endorse greater symptoms of FA. Studies have found a variety of factors that often cluster with and may influence an adolescent’s eating behaviour such as sleep, level of self-control, and parenting practices, as well as bullying. Therefore, this study investigated a range of socio-demographic, trait, mental health, and lifestyle-related profiles (including self-control, parenting, bullying, and sleep) as proximal factors associated with symptoms of FA, as assessed via the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) in a large sample of Australian adolescents. Following data cleaning, the final analysed sample included 6587 students (age 12.9 years ± 0.39; range 10.9–14.9 years), with 50.05% identifying as male (n = 3297), 48.5% as female (n = 3195), 1.02% prefer not to say (n = 67), and 0.43% as non-binary (n = 28). Self-control was found to be the most significant predictor of total FA symptom score, followed by female gender, sleep quality, and being a victim of bullying. Universal prevention programs should therefore aim to address these factors to help reduce the prevalence or severity of FA symptoms within early adolescent populations.

Mindful and Intuitive Eating Imagery on Instagram: A Content Analysis

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

Mindful and Intuitive Eating Imagery on Instagram: A Content Analysis Hoare, Johanna K; Lister, Natalie B; Garnett, Sarah P; Baur, Louise A; Jebeile, Hiba Non-dieting approaches, including mindful/intuitive eating, to health improvement are of increasing interest, yet little is known about young adults' social media exposure to them. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the imagery related to mindful/intuitive eating which is visible to young adult Instagram users. Images categorized under the hashtags 'mindfuleating' and 'intuitiveeating' were searched in September 2021 using the 'top posts' view. Screen captures of 1200 grid-view images per hashtag were used to construct coding frameworks and to determine saturation. Sample sizes for #mindfuleating and #intuitiveeating were 405 and 495 images, respectively. Individual images were coded collaboratively. Almost half of each sample depicted food or drink, of which 50-60% were healthy foods. Approximately 17% were single-person images, of which the majority were young, female adults with healthy weight. Approximately one-third of text suggested credibility through credentials, profession, or evidence. Messaging was similar for both hashtags, encompassing mindful/intuitive eating (~40%), nutrition/eating behaviours (~15%), physical/mental health (~20%), disordered eating (~12%), and body-/self-acceptance (~12%). Differences were observed between hashtags for weight-related concepts (20%/1%) and anti-diet/weight-neutral approaches (10%/35%). The representation on Instagram of mindful and intuitive eating portrays healthy lifestyles without a focus on weight but lacks demographical and body-type diversity. Instagram holds the potential for health professionals to disseminate culturally/demographically inclusive, evidence-based health/nutrition information to youth.

The Effectiveness of Different Diet Strategies to Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Youth

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Effectiveness of Different Diet Strategies to Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Youth Gow, Megan L; Garnett, Sarah P; Baur, Louise A; Lister, Natalie B Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents has become a prominent clinical issue in recent decades. Increasing numbers of young people have risk factors for type 2 diabetes, particularly obesity, indicating the need for effective type 2 diabetes prevention strategies. The aim of this review was to identify specific dietary strategies that optimize improvements in risk factors for type 2 diabetes in youth and hence reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes development. Our review of the current literature indicates that dietary interventions lead to weight loss when intervention adherence is high. However, in addition to weight loss, a diet that is reduced in carbohydrates may optimize improvements in other type 2 diabetes risk factors, including insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. While further research is needed to confirm this finding, reduced carbohydrate diets may include a very low-carbohydrate diet, a very low-energy diet, a lower-glycemic-index diet, and/or an intermittent fasting diet. This array of dietary strategies provides a suite of intervention options for clinicians to recommend to young people at risk of type 2 diabetes. However, these findings are in contrast to current guidelines for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in adults which recommends a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.

Efficacy, safety and acceptability of a very-low-energy diet in adolescents with obesity: a fast track to health sub-study

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Efficacy, safety and acceptability of a very-low-energy diet in adolescents with obesity: a fast track to health sub-study Gow, Megan; Jebeile, Hiba; House, Eve T; Alexander, Shirley; Baur, Louise A; Brown, Justin; Collins, Claire E; Cowell, Chris T; Day, Kaitlin; Garnett, Sarah P; Grunseit, Alicia; Inkster, Mary-Kate; Kwok, Cathy; Lang, Sarah; Paxton, Susan J; Truby, Helen; Varady, Krista A; Lister, Natalie B The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy, safety and acceptability of a 4-week very-low-energy diet (VLED) program for adolescents with obesity. Adolescents (13–17 years) with obesity and ≥1 obesity-related complication were Fast Track to Health 52-week randomized controlled trial participants. Adolescents undertook a 4-week micronutrient-complete VLED (800 kcal/day), with weekly dietitian support. Anthropometric data were recorded at baseline and week-4 and side-effects at day 3–4, week-1, -2, -3 and -4. Adolescents completed an acceptability survey at week-4. A total of 134 adolescents (14.9 ± 1.2 years, 50% male) had a 5.5 ± 2.9 kg (p < 0.001) mean weight loss at week-4: 95% experienced ≥1 and 70% experienced ≥3 side-effects during the VLED program, especially during the first week. Hunger, fatigue, headache, irritability, loose stools, constipation and nausea were most common. Reporting more side-effects at day 3–4 correlated with greater weight loss at week-4 (r = −0.188, p = 0.03). Adolescents reported ‘losing weight’ (34%) and ‘prescriptive structure’ (28%) as the most positive aspects of VLED, while ‘restrictive nature’ (45%) and ‘meal replacement taste’ (20%) were least liked. A dietitian-monitored short-term VLED can be implemented safely and is acceptable for many adolescents seeking weight loss, despite frequent side-effects. Investigating predictors of acceptability and effectiveness could determine adolescents most suited to VLED programs

Antenatal diet quality and perinatal depression: the Microbiome Understanding in Maternity Study (MUMS) cohort

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Antenatal diet quality and perinatal depression: the Microbiome Understanding in Maternity Study (MUMS) cohort Gow, Megan L; Lam, Yei W I; Jebeile, Hiba; Craig, Maria E; Susic, Danielle; Henry, Amanda Background: Previous findings from research investigating the role of antenatal nutrition in preventing postpartum depression (PPD) are inconsistent. Our primary aim was to investigate the association between pregnancy diet quality and PPD. Our secondary aim was to investigate associations between (a) diet quality and depression during pregnancy and (b) depression during pregnancy and PPD. Methods: This analysis represents data from 73 women participating in the Microbiome Understanding in Maternity Study (MUMS) cohort in Sydney, Australia, which followed women from Trimester 1 of pregnancy to 1-year postpartum (PP). Participants' diet quality was assessed using the Australian Eating Survey at Trimester 1 and 3 to calculate diet quality, known as the Australian Recommended Food Score (lower diet quality defined as score <39; higher diet quality ≥39). Depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Depression Scale at Trimesters 1, 2, 3 and 6 weeks PP (defined as score ≥11). Results: Depression scores during pregnancy were significantly associated with depression score 6 weeks PP (Trimester 1: r = 0.66, Trimester 2: r = 0.69, Trimester 3: r = 0.67; all p < 0.001). Diet quality during pregnancy was not significantly correlated with 6-week PPD score. In unadjusted analysis, diet quality during pregnancy was not associated with pregnancy depression scores. When adjusted for age, parity and Trimester 1 body mass index, Trimester 1 physical activity levels and gestational weight gain, higher Trimester 3 diet quality was associated with reduced Trimester 3 depression only. Conclusions: Depression scores during pregnancy were positively associated with PPD, highlighting the importance of screening for depression during pregnancy and postnatally. Larger longitudinal prospective studies may elucidate the association between diet quality and PPD.

Opportunities to advance research, intervention, and policy on stigma, eating disorders, and body image

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Opportunities to advance research, intervention, and policy on stigma, eating disorders, and body image Pearl, Rebecca L; Austin, S. Bryn; Jebeile, Hiba; D'Adamo, Laura; Wilfley, Denise E Stigma involves assigning labels and negative character traits (or stereotypes) to individuals who are viewed as “different.” This labeling is used to justify mistreatment and exert power over stigmatized individuals through diminished social status, discrimination, and overall devaluation as human beings [1]. Decades of research studies have documented stigmatization of people on the basis of body weight and other aspects of appearance. Weight stigma typically involves ascribing negative stereotypes to individuals with a high body weight or larger body [2]. Individuals with low body weight may also be viewed negatively and assumed to have eating disorders, which in turn are linked to stereotypes as well [3]. Stigmatization of persons with psychiatric disorders more generally can also extend to those with eating disorders. Due to misconceptions that body weight and eating disorder symptoms are entirely within an individual’s control, blame is rampant. This Special Issue aims to bring increased attention to stigma related to eating disorders, weight, and body image, including intersections with other forms of stigma, health impacts, and promising avenues for intervention.

New anti-obesity medications: Considerations and future directions in people with concurrent eating disorders

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

New anti-obesity medications: Considerations and future directions in people with concurrent eating disorders Sharp, Gemma; Girolamo, Teresa; Hay, Phillipa; Mitchison, Deborah; Cooper, Kelly; Sumithran, Priya; Jebeile, Hiba People with both obesity and eating disorders have complex medical needs requiring multidisciplinary care. Improved linkages and referral pathways between obesity and eating disorders are strongly needed to facilitate effective concurrent treatment of both conditions.

Participant recruitment for paediatric research using social media: A practical ‘how-to’ guide for researchers

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Participant recruitment for paediatric research using social media: A practical ‘how-to’ guide for researchers Lang, Sarah; Day, Kaitlin; Gallagher, Emma; Jebeile, Hiba; Collins, Clare E; Baur, Louise A; Truby, Helen Aim: Social media platforms are being increasingly used to support participant recruitment into paediatric health-related research. This study aimed to develop a multi-phase approach for using social media as a recruitment strategy for paediatric research studies. Methods: The process was informed by the authors' prior experiences recruiting for paediatric obesity-related research studies, expertise in social media marketing and digital participant/ patient recruitment. Reflection on these experiences resulted in the iterative creation of a draft process which was further refined. A narrative literature review using a structured search was conducted to refine and augment the content and finalise the process. Results: A six-phase recruitment approach was developed that includes: (i) plan for social media use as a recruitment strategy, (ii) explore relevant ethical considerations to protect the wellbeing of potentially vulnerable groups and create an ethical management plan, (iii) identify and understand the different target audiences and develop the advertising strategy, (iv) develop and design campaign content, (v) implement, monitor and iteratively refine the recruitment campaign, (vi) evaluate the campaign success. Potential activities and key considerations relevant for paediatric research are presented within each phase. Conclusion: Due to the widespread use and diverse characteristics of social media users, social media has the potential to disseminate details of research opportunities to community members who may otherwise not hear about, engage with, and potentially benefit from research participation. Researchers should collaborate with communication experts and target audiences to generate relevant and effective recruitment campaigns. Researchers should implement processes to protect vulnerable audiences' wellbeing at each stage of the process. Recruitment via social media may support wider community participation in research studies designed to improve young people's health.

Eating disorder risk during behavioral weight management in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review with meta-analysis

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Eating disorder risk during behavioral weight management in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review with meta-analysis Jebeile, Hiba; Libesman, Sol; Melville, Hannah; Low-wah, Timothy; Dammery, Genevieve; Seidler, Anna L; Jones, Rebecca A; McMaster, Caitlin M; Paxton, Susan J; Hill, Andrew J; Ahern, Amy L; Garnett, Sarah P; Braet, Caroline; Wilfley, Denise E; Baur, Louise A; Lister, Natalie B This systematic review examined change in eating disorder risk during weight management interventions. Four databases and clinical trials registries were searched in March and May 2022, respectively, to identify behavioral weight management intervention trials in adults with overweight/obesity measuring eating disorder symptoms at pre- and post-intervention or follow-up. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted examining within group change in risk. Of 12,023 screened, 49 were eligible (n = 6337, mean age range 22.1 to 59.9 years, mean (SD) 81(20.4)% female). Interventions ranged from 4 weeks to 18 months, with follow-up of 10 weeks to 36 months post-intervention. There was a within group reduction in global eating disorder scores (20 intervention arms; Hedges' g = -0.27; 95% CI -0.36, -0.17; I2 67.1%) and binge eating (49 intervention arms; -0.66; 95% CI -0.76, -0.56; I2 82.7%) post-intervention, both maintained at follow-up. Of 14 studies reporting prevalence or episodes of binge eating, all reported a reduction. Four studies reported eating disorder symptoms, not present at baseline, in a subset of participants (0%-6.5%). Overall, behavioral weight management interventions do not increase eating disorder symptoms for most adults; indeed, a modest reduction is seen post-intervention and follow-up. A small subset of participants may experience disordered eating; therefore, monitoring for the emergence of symptoms is important.

Complex Individuality: The Spatial Temporal and Agential Dimensions of The Problem of Biological Individuality.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Complex Individuality: The Spatial Temporal and Agential Dimensions of The Problem of Biological Individuality. Mann, Rebecca This dissertation explores how we understand and demarcate the spatiotemporally unified, cohesive wholes that we call biological individuals. There to be four main points of contention underlying the so-called problem of biological individuality: (1) Whether there is a single kind of biological individual or multiple; (2) How accounts of biological individuality address how different sorts of individuals exist in space and over time; (3) Which biological phenomena or criteria underlie biological individuality; and (4) How different concepts of biological individuality relate to one another and when they come apart. I develop a three-pronged account of biological individuality that recognises three changeable kinds of biological individuals: evolutionary individuals; organisms; and agential individuals. This is based on three core processes in the biological world: evolution, energy, and action. I begin by examining the ambiguity underlying the problem of biological individuality itself, surveying the numerous solutions to the problem. After dispelling monist approaches to biological individuality, I argue that we should treat biological individuality as an umbrella concept, under which there are multiple kinds of biological individuals based on the important ways in which biological processes form unified, cohesive wholes. I then show how the problem of biological individuality has both spatial and temporal dimensions, and that any solution must address both. I then develop a novel metabolic account of the organism, defining the organism as having a centred metabolic network, before arguing for an agential account of biological individuality, which is not coextensive with organismal or evolutionary individuality concepts. This analysis not only sheds new light on many commonly discussed problem cases, such as social insects and aggregative slime moulds, it also illuminates often-overlooked complex cases of biological individuality, including mammals like ourselves. Includes publication

Stand to your post: The impact of incentives on retention in the Australian Defence Force

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Stand to your post: The impact of incentives on retention in the Australian Defence Force Plummer, James The Australian Defence Force has publicly stated its strategic objective to expand operational capability. An integral part of that strategy is an increase in the number of service personnel, which requires higher rates of enlistment and (or) retention. This thesis considers three aspects of military service or reward that are expected to influence the retention decisions of personnel; retention bonuses, housing and relocation. It employs data rarely available to researchers, and uses empirical methods to identify how various factors influence the retention of military personnel. This thesis is intended to further academic understanding of a relatively unexplored aspect of labour economics, namely military workforces. It is also intended to inform decision-making by policymakers on a topic of national importance.