Working the space: locating teachers’ voices in large-scale, mandated curriculum reform

The educational landscape is one of significant change. This thesis is concerned with the early responses of a group of teachers to large-scale, mandated curriculum reform at one independent P-12 school located in regional Queensland. The literature on curriculum reform and teacher agency suggests that teachers respond in wide-ranging ways to curriculum change. There is, however, a gap in the literature with regard to how teachers’ perceptions of their own capacities, which contribute to the formation of their dispositions, inform their engagement practices and, consequently, their responses to large-scale, mandated change. This study explored these relationships by focusing on the engagement, mediation and negotiation practices of six teachers as they made early preparations to implement Phase One of the Australian Curriculum, in 2012. This study sought to examine these practices in two ways. First, it drew on aspects of Bourdieu’s (1990; 1991; 1993) field theory and utilised the concept of habitus to describe the policy field of prescribed curriculum and the enacted field of teachers’ work in the classrooms where they practise. Second, in focusing on this space between policy as text and policy as practice, this study examined how teachers’ dispositions influenced their perceptions of their capacity to engage with curriculum policy and undertake its implementation. The conceptual lens for the research focus used to analyse the operations of the space was shaped by Albert Bandura’s (1995; 2001; 2008) theory of cognition; particularly his concept of self-efficacy. Bandura’s work casts light on the way in which individual responses can move beyond the reactive to become agentive. By focusing attention on the way these teachers engaged with, mediated and contextualised curriculum change, the study aimed to provide insights into the complex nature of teachers’ work within their operational space, as they negotiated and interpreted the requirements of this large-scale, mandated reform. The findings of this research indicated that whilst an individual’s self-efficacy perceptions significantly influenced their professional actions and interactions, an understanding by leaders and managers of an individual’s self-efficacy dispositions could mediate negative and resistant behaviours towards change. These findings have resonance for discussions around the effective leadership and management of organisational change, particularly for those working in the areas of policy reform, most specifically large-scale, mandated education reform since it promotes achieving reform efficacy from the teachers’ perspective. Such an approach privileges teacher agency in education policy decision-making and implementation

Methods to Aid Robust Structural Characterisation Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The structural assignment of organic molecules in spectroscopy underpins our understanding of their related physical and chemical properties. This is particularly prominent for pharmaceuticals, where understanding the behaviour of a material in both solution and solid can dictate its applicability for future developments. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can play a critical role given its ability to elucidate local environment information whilst providing insight to conformation, polymorphism, dynamics, and exchange. In this thesis, organic materials have been probed using both solid and solution state NMR methods with the aim of providing comprehensive and robust structural characterisation. This has been demonstrated through the determination of the correct structural model of indapamide using an NMR crystallographic approach alongside the evaluation of possible multiple-quantum-based pulse sequences to probe carbon connectivity both indirectly and directly. A Bayesian probability-based workflow has also been presented as a method to evaluate a proposed experimental assignment of a material where its proof of concept is discussed. In the final chapter, the solution state behaviour of the pharmaceutical, ritonavir, has been revisited where the assignment, exchange behaviour and conformation has been evaluated. This has led to the extraction of kinetic information directly from 1H-1H exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) spectra to comprehensively understand the interconversion of conformers in the solution state

The Distinctive Regulatory Mechanisms of Bacterial Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase

Metabolic Regulation is a complex system used to control cellular metabolism in response to conditions in the cell’s environment. For most enzymes, the cell can rely upon a minimal amount of regulation; however, critical enzymes, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase, must be regulated at multiple levels. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase catalyzes the first committed step in fatty acid synthesis. In bacteria, acetyl-CoA carboxylase forms a complex of three subunits–biotin carboxylase, biotin carboxyl carrier protein, and carboxyltransferase–which catalyze the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to form malonyl-CoA via two half-reactions. In the first half-reaction, biotin covalently linked to biotin carboxyl carrier protein is carboxylated by biotin carboxylase. Carboxyltransferase catalyzes the second half-reaction where the carboxyl group is transferred from carboxybiotin to acetyl-CoA, forming malonyl-CoA. As acetyl-CoA carboxylase is a critical enzyme in cell growth, it is subject to multiple forms of regulation. This dissertation describes two distinct mechanisms of regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Previous reports showed that the downstream product of fatty acid synthesis, palmitoyl-acyl carrier protein, inhibits catalysis by acetyl-CoA carboxylase via negative feedback regulation. This dissertation reports the acetyl-CoA carboxylase complex was found to exhibit a pronounced hysteresis when inhibited by palmitoyl-acyl carrier protein. Alternatively, palmitoyl-acyl carrier protein does not inhibit either half–reaction. Structure-function studies of palmitoyl-acyl carrier protein demonstrate the inhibitory moiety is the cofactor pantothenic acid. This dissertation also reports that the biotin carboxyl carrier protein subunit of acetyl-CoA carboxylase regulates catalysis. The biotin carboxyl carrier protein in E. coli is composed of two domains: the N-terminal domain, and the C-terminal domain. The C-terminal domain contains the biotin cofactor, and acts as a substrate, while the function of the N-terminal domain was unknown. In vivopull-down assays demonstrated the N-terminal domain is not required for formation of the catalytic complex, whereasin vitroanalyses demonstrated that the N-terminal domain binds biotin. Thus, it is likely the role of the N-terminal domain of biotin carboxyl carrier protein in bacterial acetyl-CoA carboxylase is to bind and stabilize the carboxybiotin intermediate during catalysis

Ongoing astrometric microlensing events from VVV and Gaia

6 pages, 2 figures, accepted MNRAS LettersWe extend predictive microlensing event searches using the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea survey and the second Gaia data release. We identify two events with maxima in 2019 that require urgent follow-up. First, we predict that the nearby M2 dwarf L 338-152 will align with a background source with a closest approach of $35^{+35}_{-23}$ mas on 2019 November $16^{+28}_{-27}$ d. This will cause a peak astrometric shift and photometric amplification of the background source of $2.7^{+3.5}_{-1.5}$ mas and $5.6^{+143.2}_{-5.2}$ mmag respectively. This event should be astrometrically detectable by both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research instrument on the Very Large Telescope. Secondly, we predict the likely K dwarf NLTT 45128 will lens a background source with a closest approach of $105.3^{+12.2}_{-11.7}$ mas on 2019 September $26^{+15}_{-15}$ d. This will produce a peak astrometric shift of $0.329^{+0.065}_{-0.059}$ mas. NLTT 45128 is only 3.6 magnitudes brighter than the background source which makes it an excellent candidate for follow-up with HST. Characterisation of these signals will allow direct gravitational masses to be inferred for both L 338-152 and NLTT 45128 with an estimated precision of $\sim9$ and $\sim13$ per cent respectively.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Analyzing geographic accessibility of community health centers for low-income adults in the United States

Community health centers (CHCs) provide comprehensive primary care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Key policies in the last decade facilitated development of new CHC delivery sites, but the extent of change in geographic access to CHCs (CHC accessibility) is understudied. Furthermore, existing research on CHC accessibility relies on antiquated methods for measuring CHC accessibility despite the growing use of contemporary accessibility methods to study access to other types of health services. We conducted three studies that examined CHC accessibility using contemporary accessibility methods and publicly available data from the Health Resources and Services Administration, American Community Survey, Area Health Resources File, and the 500 Cities Project. The first study assessed CHC accessibility at the census tract level in 2008 and 2016, before and after implementation of policies that expanded CHCs, using the two-step floating catchment area method. It then investigated the association between indicators of CHC need and changes in CHC accessibility. The second study examined the association between CHC accessibility and primary care utilization. The third study investigated differential change in CHC accessibility for census tracts in a subset of Medicaid expansion states compared to census tracts in a subset of non-expansion states. We found that CHC accessibility substantially increased between 2008 and 2016, that spatial distribution of increases in CHC accessibility was not uniform, and that the two-step floating catchment area method could be successfully applied to reveal small area variation in CHC accessibility changes across states. We also found that CHC accessibility was positively related to primary care utilization, but moderated by extent of primary care provider supply and median household income in the surrounding area. Finally, we found that census tracts in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states saw similar increases in CHC accessibility from 2008 to 2016. In the current health policy context, where gains in health coverage from the Affordable Care Act are in jeopardy of being scaled back, CHC accessibility is critically important. The findings of this work support the important role of CHC accessibility in primary care utilization and describe how CHC accessibility has changed in the last decade.2020-10-23T00:00:00

Livelihood and coping strategies changes along rural-urban continua with an emphasis on natural resources

Rapid urbanisation is one of the greatest challenges facing both developed and developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has historically been one of the least developed and least urbanised areas of the world. However, urbanisation is now occurring much more rapidly in countries that have lower levels of per capita income. Therefore, in the coming decades, urban population growth is expected to be more widespread in the developing countries of the world. Most research on the role of natural resources focuses on rural communities and little is known about the contribution these resources make along the rural-urban continuum in small and medium sized towns as well as the contribution to total livelihoods. This is because researchers and policy makers have often treated rural and urban areas and their residents as distinct entities that should be studied in isolation. This, however, is not a true reflection of household livelihoods which often include both rural and urban elements. This study therefore analysed the impact of urbanisation on livelihoods along a rural-urban continuum with an emphasis on natural resources in South Africa. The main characteristics as well as the livelihood portfolios of respondent households were investigated. Secondly, the coping strategies used by households along the rural-urban continuum were explored, and disaggregated according to the gender of the household head. Data were collected along the rural-urban continuum of two small towns, namely Queenstown, located in the Eastern Cape province and Phalaborwa, located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Sampling covered the town, peri-urban areas, townships and adjacent rural households. A standardised survey instrument was used to capture household details and livelihood activities and a total of 272 interviews were conducted. The rural areas near both towns were poorer than the township and urban areas with regards to assets, access to employment and annual household income across all cash and non-cash income streams. The engagement in land-based activities increased towards the rural areas. The use of natural resources, as well as the number of resources collected, increased along the continuum towards the rural areas, with 12.0% to 49.0% of urban households, 30.0% to 88.0% of township households and between 80.0% and 100.0% of rural households engaging in the use and collection of natural resources. While natural resource use and collection was lowest in the urban areas, a significant amount of resources were still collected by urban households. Income portfolios for all households were calculated to determine the direct-use value of wild natural capital to livelihoods as well as the contribution made from land (arable and livestock farming), welfare grants and employment. Employment, barring one exception in the rural areas of Phalaborwa, was the largest contributor in terms of mean annual income along the continuum in both towns, followed by grants and pensions in the township and rural areas. In Phalaborwa, however, wild natural capital was found to be the largest contributor to local livelihoods, contributing 48.0% of the mean annual income. Household portfolios become more diversified in the poorer, rural areas as well as in households headed by females. The main shocks reported along the continuum in both Queenstown and Phalaborwa were death in the family, followed by a loss of employment, which was concentrated in male-headed households. Coping strategies resulting in the attainment of cash income fast, such as borrowing money from friends/relatives and cashing in retirements savings were favoured over longer term strategies such as finding local wage employment. Female-headed households were found to rely significantly on social groups or clubs as a coping strategy, highlighting the importance of social capital and social relations in female-headed household