The initial work in chapter 1 revealed that only size (total area), not morphology, was important in determining the drag acting on E. radiata at peak velocities. This implied that at storm velocities the only way drag forces acting on a kelp can be reduced is by a reduction of total thallus area (biomass) and not by modification of thallus shape. These results constituted the first step to build a mechanistic model of kelp dislodgement.

In chapter 2, it is shown that wounds were highly abundant on kelps before peaks in winter storms and that simulated wounds caused significant loss of tissue integrity and strength. Collectively, these findings suggest that accumulation of wounds over summer results in kelp pruning (tissue fragmentation) in early winter. Paradoxically, this may increase kelp survival during winter storms because the biomechanical drag is much lower on small, pruned kelps (lower biomass).

Results presented in chapter 3 indicated that erosion accounted for 80% of the annual detrital production with a pulse in autumn, whereas dislodgement accounted for a smaller and more constant proportion throughout the year. Neither erosion nor dislodgement correlated with increasing water velocity. Instead, the pulse of detrital 4 production coincided with sporogenesis, leading to the hypothesis that weakening of structural tissue through the formation and release of spores made E. radiata more susceptible to wound accumulation (Ch. 2) and erosion.

In chapter 4, results are presented that show no increase in kelp dislodgement with increasing water velocity, except during the most severe storms. The dislodgement model indicated that the seasonal variation in individual kelp biomass, resulting from erosion of frond tissue (Ch. 3), resulted in lower susceptibility to dislodgement (lower biomass) at times of peak water velocities. The benefit of erosion in reducing drag acting on the thallus, as proposed in the previous chapters, was therefore demonstrated by the model.

The commonly accepted model of wave-driven mortality of kelp during storms in winter was refined by the results. The experimental, field sampling and modelling studies have been synthesised into an alternative model of kelp dislodgement, in which kelp beds are in dynamic equilibrium with wave disturbance. This equilibrium is mediated through erosion-driven adjustment of individual kelp biomass in autumnwinter which lowers drag on kelp thalli during the period of peak water velocity. This relationship between erosion and the susceptibility of E. radiata to dislodgement suggests an adaptation of the kelp E. radiata to its environment, critical to kelp survival in one of the most hydrodynamically challenging environment.

1. What experiences influence staff members’ perceptions of International Education at one Australian university?

2. What experiences influence international students’ perception of their education at one Australian university? As directed by theoretical sampling, the views of domestic students were then also sought, to shed light on the following research question:

3. What experiences influence domestic students’ perceptions of International Education at one Australian university?

Conceptual Framework: A Social Constructivist theoretical framework was employed within a Case Study approach for a number of reasons. First, institutions have their own specific characteristics, budgets and student populations and so can be studied separately in order that the researcher might develop a detailed critical understanding of the intricacies of the single case. Since International Education is a complex phenomenon, the researcher also needed to include the multiple realities of the different stakeholders involved. The researcher’s personal philosophy aligned with Social Constructivism, which argues that perceptions of reality are subjective to the person experiencing them. As such, Social Constructivist Grounded Theory allowed for the interpretation of both the participants’ views of reality as well as the researcher’s. Finally, this approach allowed for a co-construction of reality through the interactions of the participants and the researcher during the data collection process. This was important since the researcher, too, is an international student. Data collection strategies associated with Grounded Theory (GT) were used to obtain a more holistic understanding of the complex issues at play, and allowed for theoretical sampling, such that the researcher could follow up new directions as they arose during data analysis.

Methodology: The study evolved in three interwoven stages, during which 25 international students, 38 staff members (academic and non-academic) and 10 domestic students were interviewed using semi-structured, face-to-face interview techniques. Theoretical sampling allowed new issues to be addressed in subsequent interviews as the study progressed.

Participants: Data collection ceased after 38 interviews for staff members. This group comprised of 28 females and 10 males, most over 45 years of age, and an approximately equal mix of academic and non- academic staff. For international students, data collection ceased after 25 interviews. This group included both undergraduates and postgraduates, with only two having English as their first language. Length of stay in Australia varied from 2 months to 9 years. Data collection for the third group of participants, the domestic students, ceased after ten interviews, due to the difficulty of recruiting more students. There was an important gap in the sample of staff members, with no representatives from the SSC (Student Services Centre) responding to the numerous invitations to participate in the research. Ironically, SSC staff reported there was a policy based deterrent by which any staff working in the SCC were technically unable to participate in this (or any) research within the course of working hours.

Procedure: The sampling process was carried out using snowball and volunteering techniques. Invitational emails, flyers and website posts were used to inform staff members, international and domestic students about the research. The participants then contacted the researcher to arrange for an interview date and time suitable for all parties. Interviews ranged from 30 to 45 minutes in length and data were transcribed immediately after each interview, so that a constant comparison with previous data could be carried out. Data were analysed using Constructivist Grounded Theory techniques.

Findings: Perceptions of the key stakeholders were influenced by experiences both at the university level as well as at student and staff levels. It was observed that experiences of International Education depended on staff members’ roles and how much experience they had had with international students; how they perceived their international students; questions about the motivation of some students; and concerns about some students’ communication skills. At the university level, staff experiences were influenced by frustration with existing services and multi-level miscommunication across the university. These factors led to a number of implications for the staff, the students and the university. Issues such as lack of time to work with students, heavy workloads, lack of training or incentives to participate in training, and tensions around student assessment led to some staff members feeling “frustrated” or “resentful” about working with international students. International students’ perceptions of their education were influenced by concerns about the adequacy of their own communication skills, a lack of confidence in participating fully in the academic and social life of the university; and their perceptions of staff roles and responsibilities. Their broad experiences of their education were also affected by concerns about the services provided, which were either not specific enough, not familiar enough, or poorly coordinated. They also perceived some negative responses from their domestic peers. These combined factors resulted in a reluctance to access available services; some level of withdrawal from full participation in classroom activities, and feelings of being treated as the ‘other’ by some staff and students. Domestic students were recruited to the study using theoretical sampling after issues surrounding culturally-mixed group work were raised in the interviews with staff members and international students. Domestic students’ perceptions of International Education were influenced by concerns about some international students’ communication skills; in-group favouritism; and their belief that teachers did not facilitate group work to the extent required. At the university level, some commented that limited promotion of both the benefits of diversity, and of a sense of community on campus, influenced their experiences of working with individuals who were culturally and/or linguistically different.

Conclusions: The study highlighted the importance of the university’s Value Position in influencing the International Education experiences of staff and students. The findings of the study supported the view that the model of service provision did not acknowledge that different student cohorts had, to some extent, different needs. This stance then influenced how staff and students responded to those they deemed as different. The contributions of the current study, its limitations and directions for future research are also discussed, along with a set of recommendations for the current Case aimed at enhancing the key stakeholders’ experiences of International Education.

This research project investigated techniques that can support automated red teaming by conducting a systematic study involving a genetic algorithm (GA), a basic coevolutionary algorithm and three variants of the coevolutionary algorithm. An initial pilot study involving the GA showed some limitations, as GAs only support the optimization of a single population at a time against a fixed strategy. However, in red teaming it is not sufficient to consider just one, or even a few, opponent‟s strategies as, in reality, each team needs to adjust their strategy to account for different strategies that competing teams may utilize at different points. Coevolutionary algorithms (CEAs) were identified as suitable algorithms which were capable of optimizing two teams simultaneously for red teaming. The subsequent investigation of CEAs examined their performance in addressing the characteristics of red teaming problems, such as intransitivity relationships and multimodality, before employing them to optimize two red teaming scenarios. A number of measures were used to evaluate the performance of CEAs and in terms of multimodality, this study introduced a novel n-peak problem and a new performance measure based on the Circular Earth Movers‟ Distance.

Results from the investigations involving an intransitive number problem, multimodal problem and two red teaming scenarios showed that in terms of the performance measures used, there is not a single algorithm that consistently outperforms the others across the four test problems. Applications of CEAs on the red teaming scenarios showed that all four variants produced interesting evolved strategies at the end of the optimization process, as well as providing evidence of the potential of CEAs in their future application in red teaming.

The developed techniques can potentially be used for red teaming in military operations or analysis for protection of critical infrastructure. The benefits include the modelling of more realistic interactions between the teams, the ability to anticipate and to counteract potentially new types of attacks as well as providing a cost effective solution.

The research findings conclude that the novelty of the Orff-Schulwerk approach is considered effective in the teaching and learning of Italian. However, the research also highlights a number of constraints, which need to be addressed if teachers are to provide students with a rich and engaging curriculum.

Computer-aided design (CAD) software has rapidly improved as a result of the development of computer technology, and has provided huge opportunities for modular fixture designers to use its 3D modelling capabilities to develop more automated systems. Computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) systems have become automated by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This study will investigate the further improvement of automated CAFD systems by using AI tools. In this research, an integrated CAFD is developed by considering four main requirements:

· a 3D model of the workpiece,

· an expert system,

· assembly automation of MFs,

· an efficient feature library.

The 3D model is an important factor that can provide the appropriate specification of the workpiece; SolidWorks is used the CAD environment for undertaking the 3D modelling in this study. The expert system is applied as a tool to make right decisions about the CAFD planning process, including locating and clamping methods and their related element selection. This helps achieve a feasible fixture design layout. SolidWorks API and Visual Basic programming language are employed for the automating and simulation of the assembly process of MFs. A feature library of modular fixture elements is constructed as a means to simplify the fixture design process.

METHODS: Twenty four elite male athletes (age = 19.9 ± 2.7yrs; mass = 79.1 ± 13.0kg) performed the isometric bench press and a 45% 1RM ballistic bench throw on 2 separate days with 48 hours between testing occasions. Peak force, peak power, peak velocity, peak displacement and peak rate of force development were assessed using a force plate and linear position transducer. Reliability was assessed by Intra- Class Correlation (ICC), Percent Coefficient of Variation (%CV) and Typical Error (TE). The athletes’ DSD ratios were then calculated using the peak force values obtained during the BBT and IBP (DSD = IBP peak force/BBT peak force). Athletes were then placed in to 2 groups as matched-pairs based on their DSD ratio and their strength in the 1RM bench press. The Bench Press (BP) Group performed high intensity bench press while the Ballistic Bench Throw Group performed moderate intensity ballistic bench throws. Both groups trained twice a week for 5 weeks.

RESULTS: All performance measures except for peak rate of force development were considered reliable (ICC = 0.85-0.97, %CV = 1.2-3.3). The DSD ratio was sensitive to the disparate training methods between groups, with the BP Group increasing their IBP peak force (p = 0.035), the BBT Group increasing their bench throw performance (p ≤ 0.001), and as a result, yielding a significant change (p ≤ 0.001) in the DSD for both groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Performance measures such as peak force in the isometric bench press and ballistic bench throw are reliable when assessing upper body pressing strength qualities in elite male athletes. Further, the DSD can be used to detect qualities of relative deficiency and guide specific training interventions based on test results.

A qualitative approach, Portraiture, was used to construct a collection of portraits which enabled an exploration of the ‘why’ that relates to the individual nurse’s remaining in a workplace often described as awful.

A narrative analysis of the portrait data allowed a meaningful interpretation based in current literature and contemporary experience in uncovering the individual’s resilience and motivation to continue. The portraits give an overarching insight of the nurse participant’s world view and why each continues in her work. The traits and attitudes uncovered have implications for educators and employers of nurses as well as for consumers of nursing care.

Several recommendations arose from the findings in relation to further research, education and policy making. These recommendations could contribute to enhance a satisfying professional milieu for the practising nurse; and to the education and ongoing professional development of nurses which acknowledges the changing socio-political and fiscal environment in which nursing service takes place.

The findings from this study show that gender was important in explaining the nature and characteristics of men‟s and women‟s leisure. In terms of access and opportunity for leisure, women were more constrained than men, as the significant life event loomed and this became even more evident during the early stages of parenthood. In preparing for parenthood, couples used a range of strategies, which included reading parenting literature; watching instructional DVDs and videos on different aspects of parenting; talking with friends and family about parenting issues; attending antenatal class and reflection on their own experience of being parented. In addition, this study highlights that women undertook the primary role in parenting and men provided a supporting role and the majority of first-time parents described parenting as enjoyable and rewarding, but time pressured, challenging and stressful.

Couples reported that finding time for coupled leisure, solo leisure and other leisure such as time out with friends became more difficult during the latter stages of pregnancy, and was even more limited after their child was born. Much of their freetime was taken up with preparing for the birth of their child or in meeting the needs of their new born, with a discernible shift in their lifestyle, from an adult to a child centered focus.

The majority of couples described the range and choice of leisure facilities in Christchurch as adequate and most of them used leisure facilities that were local and easily accessible on foot or via public transport. Accessibility and affordability was important for couples and the most popular leisure facilities mentioned were local parks, libraries, swimming pools and walking tracks. Leisure managers‟ reported a number of constraints limiting their ability to provide opportunities for families and included, outdated management styles and philosophies that emphasized a facility oriented approach in meeting the needs of the „whole‟ community, rather than specific communities, such as families.

This research study follows a number of couples from the stage of pregnancy into early parenthood and provides new insights for first time parents through this transition. These transitions impact upon family leisure and other types of leisure such as solo leisure, coupled leisure and other leisure such as time out with friends for heterosexual couples. As a result of this study, a number of recommendations are provided to enhance and improve leisure provision for families. Also, a number of research priorities for family leisure research in the future are identified to encourage research using a wider range of methods.

Previous studies of family leisure have tended to focus their analysis across all stages of the lifecycle. Such studies have had little or no specific reference to particular lifecycle stages. In this study men‟s stories are told which helps fill the gap in the literature concerning men‟s experience of family leisure and the voices of those responsible for providing family leisure opportunities are heard in relation to family leisure. Finally, this study contributes to the family leisure literature and the parenting/family based literature and helps fill an important gap in our knowledge about the transition period between pregnancy and first time parenthood.

Various themes are explored in the novel, including the overarching idea that, in patriarchal societies, there is a common tendency towards control of that which is different or perceived as threatening: women, the mentally ill and the land. This is explored through the juxtaposition of masochistic sexual desire, psychosurgical treatment and the tractors that clear the land next door to Sharon and Gary’s house. The tractors provide a visual reminder of one way that humankind controls the environment.

The critical essay discusses the inspiration for and genesis of ’Lilac Tractors’, which was developed first as a film script and progressed through many versions to become a novel. I discuss my stylistic choices and why I chose to write a work of general fiction that draws on and also violates some key conventions of ‘chick lit’. The essay also refers to relevant feminist theory and criticism to support a discussion on pornography and female sexuality, providing an explanation and rationale for the novel’s depiction of a masochistic relationship. ‘Lilac Tractors’ depicts ‘aberrant sexuality’ within a conventional suburban milieu, which some readers may find challenging or even iv troubling; however, fictional treatments of this kind are important and might potentially open space for frank and serious examination of power in relation to sexual desire.

A key concern of the novel is psychiatry. The essay also discusses two aspects of psychiatry, with a focus in particular on the history and practice of psychosurgery and diagnostic and literary depictions of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

The aim of this research is to interpret the human intervention into the wetland ecosystems by using a methodology that combines cultural landscape, historical and biophysical concepts as guiding themes. Assisted by historical maps and field observations, this study offers an ecological perspective on the wetlands, depicting changes in the human footprint on its landscape, and mapping the changes since the indigenous people’s sustainable ecology and guardianship were removed. These data can be used and compared with current information to gain insights into how and why modification to these wetlands occurred.

An emphasis is on the impact of human settlement and land use on natural systems. In the colonial period wetlands were not generally viewed as visually pleasing; they were perceived as alien and hostile environments. Settlers saw the land as an economic commodity to be exploited in a money economy. Thus the effects of a sequence of occupances and their transformation of environments as traditional Aboriginal resource use gave way to early European settlement, which brought about an evolution and cultural change in the wetland ecosystems, and attitudes towards them.

The aim of this study was to use longitudinal data to examine bullying experiences and their temporal association with other problem behaviours, social and mental health during the transition period from primary to secondary school. The findings from this research will facilitate the development of empirically grounded recommendations for effective school policy and practice to help reduce the bullying experiences and enhance the social and mental health of adolescents who are transitioning from primary school to high school.

Longitudinal data collected during the Supportive Schools Project (SSP) were used to address the aim of the study. The SSP project recruited 21 Catholic education secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia, and tracked 3,459 students from the last year of primary school (Year 7) to the end of the second year of secondary school (Year 9). The SSP aimed to enhance the capacity of secondary schools to implement a whole-of-school bullying reduction intervention. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire on four occasions that allowed for a longitudinal assessment of their knowledge, attitudes, and bullying experiences during the transition from primary to secondary school.

This research comprised four stages. The predictive relationship of bullying perpetration and victimisation and the future level of involvement in other problem behaviours were explored in Stage 1 of this research. Stages 2 and 3 investigated the direction and strength of the relationships between social and mental health factors (e.g., loneliness at school, connectedness to school, peer support, safety at school, depression and anxiety) and bullying victimisation during early adolescence, and determined the most critical time to focus school-based social health and bullying intervention programs. Stage 4 investigated the social health predictors and mental health outcomes of chronic victimisation over the primary to secondary school transition period.

Six research questions were tested as part of this research and are reported in a series of five peer-reviewed publications. The first research question, (Does the level of bullying involvement predict level of engagement in problem behaviours?) was addressed in Stage 1. Results from Stage 1 found high correlations between cyberbullying and traditional forms of bullying, and found levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration at the beginning of secondary school (Year 8) predicted levels of engagement in problem behaviours at the end of Year 9. Cyberbullying was not found to represent an independent risk factor over and above levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration for higher levels of engagement in problem behaviours. Stage 1 results highlighted the importance of reducing the frequency of bullying prior to and during transition to lessen the likelihood of future involvement in bullying and other problem behaviours. Knowledge of the temporal relationships between social and mental health and bullying experiences over the transition period may allow for early intervention to address bullying, which in turn, may lessen the likelihood of involvement in other problem behaviours. These results from Stage 1 led to Stages 2 and 3.

Stage 2 addressed the relationship between social health and bullying experiences, answering Research Questions 2 and 3 (What is the temporal association between peer support, pro-victim attitudes, school connectedness and negative outcome expectancies of bullying behaviour and perpetration-victimisation over the transition period from primary to secondary school?; What is the temporal association between social variables such as connectedness to school, peer support, loneliness at school, safety at school and victimisation during and following the transition period from primary to secondary school?). Stage 3 involved examining the temporal relationship between mental health and victimisation addressing Research Question 4 (What is the temporal association between mental health and bullying victimisation over the transition period?). The significant reciprocal associations found in the cross-lag models between bullying and social and mental health indicate social and mental health factors may be both determinants and consequences of bullying behaviours (Stages 2 and 3). Based on the magnitude of the coefficients, the strongest associations in the direction from victimisation to the social health variables occurred from the beginning to the end of Year 8, suggesting these relationships may already be well established for some students by the time they complete primary school. Reducing students’ victimisation in Year 8 may, therefore, protect students from poorer social and mental health outcomes during the first and subsequent years of secondary school.

Understanding the social health predictors and mental health outcomes of those chronically victimised over the transition period led to Stage 4 of this research. Stage 4 answered Research Questions 5 and 6 (How do social variables such as connectedness to school, peer support, loneliness at school, and safety at school predict class membership in bullying victimisation trajectories over the transition period?; Can class membership in bullying victimisation trajectories predict mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety?). Using developmental trajectories of victimisation during and following the transition from primary to secondary school, adolescents were assigned to non-victim, low, increasing and stable victimisation groups. Adolescents with poorer social health were more likely to be in the increasing and stable victimised groups than in the not bullied group. Students in the low increasing victimised group had poorer mental health outcomes than those in the stable and not bullied groups. Unexpectedly, the impact of victimization onset at the start of secondary school had a greater impact on mental health than prolonged victimisation beginning at an alternative developmental stage. The results of Stage 4 reiterate the importance of intervening to reduce bullying prior to and during the transition period.

There are limitations which may affect the validity and generalisability of these research findings. Threats to the internal validity of this study include data collection methods, selfreport data, measurement limitations, and attrition. The causal links and trajectory groups were studied over a relatively short, but critical, social time period consisting of immense social growth and development of social skills and relationships. For some students, the associations studied may have been well established prior to their involvement in the study.

These findings collectively suggest that by secondary school bullying behaviours and outcomes for students are fairly well established. Prior to transition and the beginning of secondary school appears to be a critical time to provide targeted social health and bullying intervention programs. The results of this study have important implications for the timing of school-based interventions aimed at reducing victimisation and the harms caused by long-term exposure.