Ontology-based collaboration in design. The design process of a building project establishes function, form and performance for the final building. When multiple participants from varying professions are involved there is a serious problem in coordinating, communicating, and locating information around each design decision. Establishing an ontology for this process, and using this ontology to structure all participant communication, will allow the requisite information from all participants to b ....Ontology-based collaboration in design. The design process of a building project establishes function, form and performance for the final building. When multiple participants from varying professions are involved there is a serious problem in coordinating, communicating, and locating information around each design decision. Establishing an ontology for this process, and using this ontology to structure all participant communication, will allow the requisite information from all participants to be considered for each design decision. This will greatly reduce rework and poor design decisions based on missed information. It will also ensure that participants are aware of all related information for their particular design tasks.Read moreRead less
A model of sex offender registration, monitoring, and risk management. This research will investigate the ways in which sexual offenders are managed in the community and identify the most effective means of preventing further offending, thereby promoting community safety.
Analysing interactions within the criminal deportation system. This project aims to investigate the convergence of migration control and criminal justice by analysing pathways to criminal deportation. The project expects to generate new criminological understandings of deportation as a means of promoting community safety using interdisciplinary approaches that capture regional and metropolitan practice. Expected outcomes include knowledge of how information flows between migration control and cr ....Analysing interactions within the criminal deportation system. This project aims to investigate the convergence of migration control and criminal justice by analysing pathways to criminal deportation. The project expects to generate new criminological understandings of deportation as a means of promoting community safety using interdisciplinary approaches that capture regional and metropolitan practice. Expected outcomes include knowledge of how information flows between migration control and criminal justice agencies, and the implications for policing, courts, and prison administration. This should provide significant benefits for policy-makers and practitioners, by articulating emerging and unexplored practices that have major consequences for community safety, social cohesion and the rule-of-law.Read moreRead less
Competitive or complementary institutions? Security intelligence and criminal justice in counter-terrorism prosecutions in Australia. How do Australia's prosecutors and judges interact with security and intelligence agents in the new field of counter-terrorism and which values and objectives do they pursue? In this study, Australia's 37 counter-terrorism prosecutions are examined to answer the question: 'is Australia becoming a "security" or "surveillance" society?'
Can attentional re-training reduce food cravings and consumption? This project aims to determine the impact of a procedure involving the re-training of attention to food cues on food cravings and food intake. Results will advance our understanding of food cravings and contribute to interventions aimed at curbing unwanted cravings and (over) consumption.
Children's memory for traumatic events. Many children are exposed to negative and distressing events. Understanding the processes underlying memories of such events is critical, especially in the present world climate in which the Australian public is increasingly confronted with threats of terrorism and other negative world events. This research will contribute directly to understanding why some children develop maladaptive responses to major life events, and others appear to adjust with few ps ....Children's memory for traumatic events. Many children are exposed to negative and distressing events. Understanding the processes underlying memories of such events is critical, especially in the present world climate in which the Australian public is increasingly confronted with threats of terrorism and other negative world events. This research will contribute directly to understanding why some children develop maladaptive responses to major life events, and others appear to adjust with few psychological difficulties. The research will pinpoint better management strategies for children affected by trauma by improved understanding of how traumatic memories are developed, as well as identifying critical variables that are amenable to change early after trauma exposure.Read moreRead less
The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcom ....The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcomes include novel empirical evidence for preventative strategies that will predict, monitor and reduce negative mental health outcomes. This will provide significant global benefits to people with indirect trauma experiences, such as defence and forensic personnel.Read moreRead less
The Ontogeny of Pain Behaviour: A Novel Neuroimmune Pathway. In Australia, 20% of the population report suffering from chronic pain. The cost of pain to Australian business per year is over $3 billion. Attempts to explain many chronic pain states, based on current knowledge, have failed. The central hypothesis of this project is that pain sensitivity is determined by programming of the fetal immune system during pregnancy. This research proposal will determine whether exposure to infection early ....The Ontogeny of Pain Behaviour: A Novel Neuroimmune Pathway. In Australia, 20% of the population report suffering from chronic pain. The cost of pain to Australian business per year is over $3 billion. Attempts to explain many chronic pain states, based on current knowledge, have failed. The central hypothesis of this project is that pain sensitivity is determined by programming of the fetal immune system during pregnancy. This research proposal will determine whether exposure to infection early in life determines sensitivity to pain in adult life. In doing so, this research offers a new theoretical explanation for the ontogeny of pain and may begin to account for the many forms of chronic pain that are currently not only unexplainable from current pain theory, but difficult to manage clinically.Read moreRead less
Implicit cognitive processing of environmental food and eating cues in obese adults. Obesity is a major public health concern in Western countries, including Australia. In focusing on implicit cognitive processing of environmental food and eating cues, this project addresses a factor that has hitherto been neglected in obesity research. The inclusion of a component that specifically addresses food-related cognitions has the potential to dramatically improve the success of weight-loss programs. A ....Implicit cognitive processing of environmental food and eating cues in obese adults. Obesity is a major public health concern in Western countries, including Australia. In focusing on implicit cognitive processing of environmental food and eating cues, this project addresses a factor that has hitherto been neglected in obesity research. The inclusion of a component that specifically addresses food-related cognitions has the potential to dramatically improve the success of weight-loss programs. Accordingly, our research has clear potential benefit for Australian national health and well-being, consistent with Research Priority 2: Promoting and maintaining good health. It will also contribute to the international profile of Australian social science and provide valuable research training opportunities for students.
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'Images of desire': An experimental cognitive approach to understanding and reducing food cravings. Food cravings are an important precursor to binge eating, a risk factor for both obesity and bulimia nervosa. Like many other Western countries, Australia has recently seen an alarming rise in these disorders. This project aims to investigate the imagery basis of food craving and develop effective techniques for its reduction. It has clear potential benefit for Australian national health and well- ....'Images of desire': An experimental cognitive approach to understanding and reducing food cravings. Food cravings are an important precursor to binge eating, a risk factor for both obesity and bulimia nervosa. Like many other Western countries, Australia has recently seen an alarming rise in these disorders. This project aims to investigate the imagery basis of food craving and develop effective techniques for its reduction. It has clear potential benefit for Australian national health and well-being, consistent with National Research Priority No. 2, "Promoting and Maintaining Good Health." The research will clearly contribute to the international profile of Australian social science and provide valuable research training for undergraduate and postgraduate students.Read moreRead less