Digital Commons Network^™

Sub-Wavelength Gratings For Long Wavelength Sensing, Brian Hogan

Theses

This Ph.D. thesis is concerned with the design and use of guided mode resonance (GMR) reflectors for applications in optical absorption sensing at wavelengths around 10 μm. These grating based reflectors comprise appropriately designed optical nanostructures which resonantly reflect a wide range of incident wavelengths. Because of the periodic modulation of the refractive index in the grating layer, the guided modes which exist in this region leak out of the waveguide and arc more appropriately termed leaky or quasi guided modes. Resonant reflection occurs when phase matching of the incident light and these leaky modes cancels any transmitted light. The …

A Satellite-Based Climatology Of Transverse Cirrus Band Occurrence Using Deep Learning, Jeffrey Miller

Theses

Transverse cirrus bands (TCBs) occur in conjunction with meteorological features such as jet streaks and hurricanes and are often used as a proxy for clear-air turbulence. This study examines the viability of using a convolutional neural network to detect TCBs in satellite imagery. The Visual Geometry Group-16 (VGG-16) network architecture developed for general-purpose image classification was adapted for TCB detection using the transfer-learning approach. The modified network successfully detected (94% accuracy) the presence of TCBs in NASA MODIS and VIIRS true-color satellite browse imagery and outperformed a random forest classier (84% accuracy) trained on the same dataset. The CNN was …

Flannery O'Connor And Monster Theory, Katlyn Sutton

Theses

This study will assert that Flannery O'Connor's fiction falls into the genre of horror based on the frequent occurrences of monstrousness within her works. This study proposes that there is a hierarchal system of monstrousness that can be observed in O'Connor's writing. The first level of monstrousness observed can be found through reading O'Connor's works through the author's social critique of post-World War II culture. The second level of monstrousness can be found within the characters of O'Connor's fiction. The characters who are deemed monsters are both influenced by O'Connor's social critique and the role of God within the specific …

To What Extent Does Employee Engagement Impact On Business Productivity?, Leonie Kierans

Theses

Employee productivity is a critical element of business success. Employee engagement has a significant impact on an employee’s level of motivation and productivity. Due to the importance of engaged employees, this research will focus on engagement levels and what common motivators are driving engagement for employees within a recruitment agency. Specifically, the context of this study is focused around the researcher’s place of work, a small to medium sized recruitment agency with offices in Cork and Dublin, that recruit nationally for the life sciences sector. The researcher adopted a mixed methods approach, based on a sequential explanatory strategy for the …

Autonomous Vehicles As A Disruptive Innovation: Economic And Social Impact, Tomasz Walivander

Theses

The pace of technology development and innovation is accelerating. The impact of new innovations becomes more and more disruptive, enriching but also challenging peoples' concept of life and the perception of the world. Social and economic implications of new innovations cause rapid and deep shifts in the existing paradigms. The number of tasks, at which machines exceed human capabilities is growing rapidly. Computers analyse medical images, make financial decisions and drive vehicles better than humans. This study is aimed to understand the disruptive nature of self-driving cars and explore the possible socio-economic outcomes that this innovation is expected to bring. …

Significant News Detection, Diwas Sharma

Theses

Social media platforms nowadays have a large number of fake or false news which have been misleading and negatively impacting viewers. In order to combat the problem, being able to differentiate important news stories which need to be verified from unimportant news stories which need not, would be a decent starting point. In this thesis, we introduce “significant news” and define it as news that affects a large number of people, changes the routines of daily life, and needs verification on the information presented. This thesis then explores if it is possible to construct a classifier for detecting the significant …

A Novel Approach For Enhanced Accuracy In Isocontouring Using 2d Marching Squares Subdivided Into Triangles, Sriraksha Nagaraj

Theses

This thesis describes the development and evaluation of two new isocontouring algorithms, the Improved Marching Squares Subdivided into Triangles (IMSST) and the hybrid algorithm. They are based on an existing algorithm, MSST (Marching Squares Subdivided into Triangles). The main goal of these new algorithms is to generate an isocontour that follows the shape of the bilinear interpolant more closely than the MSST while also addressing the ambiguity problem of MSST. IMSST performs quadratic interpolation on the subdividing, diagonal edge used by MSST. It generates an isocontour closely matching the bilinear interpolant. The other algorithm, hybrid algorithm, in some cells chooses …

Using Nor Flash Memory In Microcontrollers For Generating True Random Numbers, Prawar Poudel

Theses

This thesis introduces a new technique for generating true random numbers that exploits read noise of perturbed cells in NOR Flash memories. The existing techniques for generating true random numbers rely on additional hardware resources that serve as a source of entropy or exploit memory components such as SRAM or NAND Flash memories. The proposed technique utilizes NOR Flash memories that are readily available in modern microcontrollers. We characterize behavior of the NOR Flash memories, introduce an algorithm for inducing a perturbed state of Flash memory cells, and introduce an algorithm for extracting randomness from these cells and generating true …

A Case Study On The Usage And Efficacy Of Infrasound Monitoring Arrays As A Means Of Tornado Detection, Barrett Goudeau

Theses

Prior studies have hypothesized that there is a distinct correlation between the detection of acoustic infrasound signals, which consists of the range of acoustic frequencies below 20 Hz, and tornadoes leading to theories suggesting that infrasound may be a potential early warning indicator of tornadogenesis. To test this hypothesis, The University of Alabama in Huntsville - Severe Weather Institute Radar and Lightning Laboratories (UAH-SWIRLL) in collaboration with General Atomics - Electromagnetics Systems Group (GA-EMS) and the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA), deployed a network of acoustic arrays capable of resolving signals in the infrasound regime across North Alabama in …

Ambiguity Of High Prf Waveforms In Time Difference Of Arrival Passive Detection Systems, Mark Thomas Fleming

Theses

This thesis documents the research on ambiguity in target position measurements by a time difference of arrival passive detection system when receiving waveforms with a high pulse repetition frequency. The thesis includes a detailed derivation of a set of multilateral equations used to compute target position estimates. A pulse correlation algorithm designed to mitigate the ambiguity incurred with high pulse repetition frequency waveforms is discussed. Simulation is used to analyze the performance of the pulse correlation algorithm.

Method And Results From Characterization Of Atmospheric Properties With Differential Temperature Methods, Alex Clark

Theses

As engineers and scientists work to refine free-space optical systems that operate over long terrestrial ranges, there is a need to better understand, characterize, and quantify the atmospheric properties of the environment. One such atmospheric property of interest is the refractive-index structure coefficient, or 〖Cn〗^2, which describes small changes in the base atmospheric refractive index. Over very short distances, small index of refraction changes usually cause negligible problems to all but the most demanding optical systems, such as interferometric systems, but can have a large effect on Optical Path Length (OPL) as short as 1 km. This thesis presents a …

Nobody Wanted To Speak On The True Disposition Of The World : Challenging American Historical Narratives In The Underground Railroad, Tia J. Smith

Theses

The Underground Railroad borrows from the logic of science fiction, the epic, and the historical novel to both critique American post racialism and to upend the nation’s incomplete historical narrative of social progress. This thesis begins with approaching sf using the novel’s racial influences to contemplate science fiction criticism. It then examines the text’s adoption of the genre’s critical apparatus as a method to explore contemporary American racial politics. I analyze the novel’s structure, use of primary sources, and reenactments of historical events, interpreting them as tools to illustrate the novel’s view of the United States as an institution mired …

The Motivation To Learn : Engaging Students In Pre-Modern Western Education, James Putman

Theses

Apathy among learners in secondary education classrooms is a modern problem but it has an interesting past. This paper assumes that unmotivated learners have always been a difficulty and uses a historical analysis to investigate how educators in the pre-modern world effectively motivated and engaged students. Using primary sources from scholars and educators of the pre-modern era a comparison is made to what modern pedagogical experts consider to be effective engagement strategies. Historical context for this comparison is provided within a chronological education narrative of Western civilization beginning with Ancient Greece and concluding with the Early Modern Period. The evidence …

Storytelling Elements In Nasa Case Studies, Giulia E. Palma

Theses

The goal of this thesis is to improve communication in engineering by understanding how storytelling elements are being used in engineering and how they could be used. Storytelling is an effective communication mean since it is a natural way in which humans think and verbalize their thoughts. For this reason, the author explores the possibility of introducing storytelling elements to engineering communication. Storytelling elements are identified to be used as metrics in the analysis of a case studies collection. The case studies collection was studied for patterns in the content. A human experiment was conducted using the backstory structure element …

Is Deliberate Knowledge Sharing Useful? Impacts Of Reflexivity, Diversity, And Motivation On Team Decision Making, Jeffrey Edmund Dyas

Theses

Knowledge sharing has been shown in studies to positively impact team performance. Understanding methods that could lead to deliberate knowledge-sharing could be beneficial for teams. Reflexivity is the degree to which team members communicate the team’s objectives, strategies, and limitations in order to mitigate unexpected situations. Reflexivity was examined with a motivational theory of goal orientation to test how team motivation influenced reflexivity’s impact on knowledge sharing and team performance. Furthermore, diversity in goal orientation was studied to gauge how diverse motives of team members influenced team performance. Results indicated no support for reflexivity improving knowledge sharing; however, the experiment …

The Factors Influencing Nurse Graduates Use Of Mobile Technology In Clinical Settings In Perth Western Australia: A Mixed Method Study, Benjamin Hay

Theses

The ubiquitous use of mobile technology in today’s society extends to the learning and teaching environment. Most academics in universities encourage its use, aided by libraries offering online resources. Whilst the literature highlights benefits of using mobile technology in learning, particularly for nurses to keep up-to-date, there is limited evidence on such use in clinical settings by graduate nurses in Western Australia (WA). Additionally, there is a lack of information and clarification on the use of such technology in WA hospitals. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore factors influencing the use of mobile technology by newly …

Macroeconomic Risk Factors Of Australian Mining Companies, Mohammed Kamruzzaman

Theses

This thesis identifies the priced macroeconomic risk factors for the Australian mining industry from January, 2004 to December, 2013, and the macroeconomic variables that have had an impact on stock returns. A rapid growth in the stock returns of the mining industry in Australia occurred during this period. This phenomenon is studied using a multifactor model and arbitrage pricing theory. The method involves analysis of two samples: the top ten mining firms and the aggregate mining industry. Firstly, unbalanced panel data containing 1550 yearly observations of 155 mining companies is selected for the aggregate industrial analysis. Secondly, data from the …

How Do The Writings Of Pope Benedict Xvi On "Transformation" Apply To A Couple's Growth In Holiness In Sacramental Marriage?, Houda Jilwan

Theses

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Pink Ribbon: An Exploration Of The Experience Of Self-Compassion In Western Australian Women Survivors Of Breast Cancer, Helen Wilson

Theses

Using a phenomenological lens this qualitative study explored the experience of self-compassion in self and other relating in Western Australian women breast cancer survivors (BCS). A purposive sample of 17 participants were drawn from women aged between 35 and 70 years of age who had completed treatment for primary breast cancer and had been disease-free for a minimum period of 12 months.

Participants were asked to take part in an in-depth semi-structured interview.

Additionally, eight participants interviewed engaged in three, one-hour Opening to

Self-Compassion sessions and three, four-hour sessions (12-hours in total) of a

Personal Reflection Program.

Data was …

Western Australian Teachers’ Perceptions Of Effective Secondary Mathematics Teaching Through The Lens Of The ‘Actions’ Of Mathematics: The Proficiency Strands., James O'Neill

Theses

This research examined how 14 Western Australian (WA) secondary mathematics teachers perceived effective mathematics teaching through the actions of teaching mathematics, described as Proficiency Strands. The research examined a variety of insights into what constituted effective teaching. Comparisons were made using an interpretive theoretical perspective of an instrumental case study and data were reviewed using a structured inductive framework with thematic analysis. Key findings of the research found that participants’ beliefs and practices did help determine their perceptions of effective teaching but that understanding, and interpretation of mathematical proficiencies were less influential and inconsistently understood. The study found evidence that …

Sustainability Of Sprinkler- Irrigated Horticulture On Sandy Soils At Binningup - Swan Coastal Plain, W.A., Eric Law

Theses

The sustainability of sprinkler-irrigated vegetable crops in the Binningup–Myalup area of south-western Australia was investigated. The main crops are carrots, potatoes and onions. The crops are grown throughout the year in sandy soils and require large volumes of sprinkler irrigation during the summer growing period and little during winter. The irrigation water is extracted from the underlying superficial aquifer.

The combination of water with a relatively high salt content, evaporation between the sprinkler and the ground, and subsequent high evapotranspiration, leads to escalating soil water salinity during summer. At Binningup, the necessary horticultural practice of daily watering in summer to …

The Design And Development Of E-Textbooks To Support Problem-Based Learning In Secondary School Science Classrooms, Nigel Stewart

Theses

Problem-based Learning (PBL) is widely used in education and extensive research has been conducted into the use of PBL to improve student learning. E-textbooks are a relatively recent development and represent the next stage of evolution of print media with improvements in the presentation of information. They also offer the possibility of being used as a learning tool rather than just as a store of knowledge. This thesis attempts to develop a set of design principles that allow the development of e-textbooks to promote PBL in secondary school science students.

This research presents the results of a four-year study, between …

The Plight Of Mass Man & The Concept Of Creatura According To Romano Guardini & Josef Pieper, Andriya Martinovic

Theses

This thesis argues that the plight of Mass Man finds relief when creaturely awareness is practised. For Guardini, a close reading of key passages substantiates the basis for the thesis. The Pieper response considers a broad selection of texts to affirm what is explicit in Guardini regarding Mass Man, established continuity with it, and to explicate what Guardini infers regarding creatura. Chapter 1 finds that Guardini affirms the goodness of matter or masses, and man’s mediative role in perfecting it (Ur-Werk), by drawing upon Augustine’s theory of hyle as creation; but shows the possibility of massification when man, as created …

The Emergence & Evolution Of The Concepts Of “The Author”, “The Work” And “Literary Property” With Specific Reference To Enlightenment England 1450-1769: The Role And Influence Of John Locke In The Case Of Millar V Taylor (1769), Mark Doepel

Theses

This thesis argues that the political philosophy of John Locke, as mostly contained in his Two Treatises of Government, but also in a number of other of his works, and especially in relation to his theory on how property rights might be acquired, had a direct influence on the emergence of the modern notions of the author, the literary work and copyright as witnessed through a series of legal cases brought before the courts of England and Scotland over the period of 1700 to 1780. It is specifically shown that Locke’s philosophy had a direct influence on the acknowledgment of …

To Teach Or Not To Teach? The Experiences And Self-Perceptions Of Early Career Teachers In Western Australian Catholic Primary Schools That Led Them To Remain In The Profession, Deborah Black

Theses

The focus of this research was Early Career Teachers (ECTs) in Western Australian Catholic primary schools, their experiences and self-perceptions that led them to remain in the profession. The review of literature highlighted four aspects that were pertinent to ECTs’ decisions to remain in the profession. These four areas were: motivation to join the teaching profession; likes and dislikes of teaching; challenges faced as a teacher; and, strategies used for coping with challenges faced that maintained motivation to remain in the teaching profession.

The study focused on an instrumental case study, the conduct of which was located predominantly in the …

“First Time Here, I Didn’T Know It Was Hospital”. Travelling For Treatment: The Structural Complexities Identified Via The Stories Of Aboriginal Women Who Relocated For Treatment In The State Adult Burns Unit At Fiona Stanley Hospital., Tiffany Ryan

Theses

Background: International and national research confirms the disparity in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations. Inequity of access to healthcare for remote and very remote Aboriginal people makes relocation for specialist medical services a necessity. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of relocation on Aboriginal patients admitted to the State Adult Burn Unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Aims: This qualitative study sought to define and describe this experience of relocation, with a strong focus on structural complexities. Aboriginal women were asked to describe their experiences of relocating from remote and very remote communities to the …

A Dialogue Of Traditions On The Reality Of Mind: Thomas Nagel And Bernard Lonergan, Robert Van Gend

Theses

The scientific picture of the world is one of invisible particles and empty space, but this is not the world of our everyday experience. How can we reconcile the scientific view of the world with the view from our ordinary perspective? This thesis puts Thomas Nagel and Bernard Lonergan into dialogue on the question of the mind’s place in the world. Coming from different philosophical traditions, both thinkers provide a bigger picture in which to place materialism and to assess its errors. Thomas Nagel criticises modern forms of materialism because they try to explain away the reality of our perspective …

Diagnosing Pulmonary Hypertension Due To Left Heart Disease Using Diastolic Echo Markers: The National Echo Database Of Australia (Neda) Ph-Lhd Predictive Formula, Kevin Chung

Theses

Aims: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is commonly due to left heart disease caused by ischaemic heart disease, hypertension and valvular heart disease. It is under diagnosed and associated with a high mortality. PH diagnosed using echo requires a measurable tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) to estimate the pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PH = PASP >40mmHg). However, up to 40% of studies have insufficient TRV to calculate a PASP. This can lead to significant delays in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, increased morbidity and delays in the initiation of treatment.

This thesis seeks to determine the prevalence of PH and the diastolic echo …

Narratives Of Experience: Senior Registered Nurses Working With New Graduate Nurses In The Intensive Care Unit, Susan Whittam

Theses

The experiences and perceptions of New Graduate Nurses as they transition into professional practice and into intensive care units abounds in the literature. However, there is a dearth of literature exploring the experiences of Senior Registered Nurses who work with New Graduate Nurses in intensive care units.

The aim of this inquiry was to contribute to nursing knowledge by examining Senior Registered Nurses’ stories of experience around the complexity of enabling development of New Graduate Nurses whilst working in clinical or team leading roles in the intensive care unit. Thus, allowing the Senior Registered Nurses’ voice to be heard in …

Predicting Energy And Water Consumption On Dairy Farms Through Statistical Analysis And Machine-Learning Methods, Philip Shine

Theses

With the abolishment of milking quotas across all European Union member states in April 2015, dairy farmers must adjust their farming practises to minimise milk production costs to adequately prepare for potential periods of reduced revenue. Milk production is an intense energy and water consuming process. Coupled with challenging European greenhouse gas reduction targets and legislation regarding the prevention of groundwater pollution and deterioration, increasing the production of milk in Ireland must be met with the sustainable consumption of on-farm energy and direct water resources, to ensure the future monetary and environmental sustainability of Ireland’s dairy industry. Thus, this body …