Digital Commons Network^™

Connecting Bridges : A Critical Disability Reading Of A Silent Voice, Tyler Dickey

Theses

Disability scholars have read stories in the form of manga to see how their depictions of disabilities can be harmful or helpful to those possessing disabilities. Most manga examined in this way usually consists of a story where either only one character is present with a disability, or the story falls within the ‘supercrip’ narrative. Yoshitoki Ōima’s A Silent Voice differs from this trend as it displays multiple characters with different types of disabilities and falls into the slice-of-life genre. This thesis exists to do a critical disability reading of A Silent Voice as a piece of disability literature. I …

The Implications Of Information Load On Usability And Performance In Dashboards, Emily O'Hear

Theses

As learning analytics dashboards become ubiquitous in various industries, understanding how users process data and information is crucial to their design. Previous literature has brought valuable knowledge to dashboard design and cognitive load, but it is unclear how individuals perform with and digest a high or low information load. Tradeoffs are present as a dashboard with a lower information load requires more clicks and a dashboard with a higher information load could lead to information overload. This study presented a data-rich and minimalistic dashboard to active-duty airmen at Fairchild Air Force Base. Results indicated that participants largely preferred the data-rich …

The Impact Of Framing Effects And User Role On Analytics Dashboard User Experience, Carly Gray

Theses

This study considered the design and formatting of data visualizations as framing effect catalysts among leader and subordinate Air Force personnel. Gain and loss framing was applied to dashboard prototypes by incorporating colors with known population stereotypes (i.e., red and green) and emphasizing completed or remaining tasks. Users’ performance, preferences, and risk tendency were measured in response. Risk-aversion, performance and preference were expected to be higher in the loss frame for leaders and higher in the gain frame for subordinates. Study results did not fully support the involvement of role with framing effects, and main effects were observed for some …

Large Scale Data Transfers In Cloud-Based Systems, Uday Kumar Bommala

Theses

My dissertation focuses on developing a High-performance, Scalable, and Efficient Data Transfer Framework with Configurable and Extensible Features. The exponential growth of high-volume data poses collaboration challenges for big data providers, particularly in global-scale scientific research. The Earth’s scientific sector experiences an ongoing trend of increasing temporal and spatial data resolution, resulting in massive data archives at organizations like NASA, ESA, and JAXA. To facilitate efficient scientific study with partner agencies worldwide, data transfer solutions must handle this vast data volume across platforms at reasonable costs. The dissertation proposes a 3-phase approach (Analysis, Evaluation, and Implementation) to address the implementation …

The Impact Of Mkp-2 Deficiency On Hematological Parameters In Diet Challenged Mice, Cassandra Secunda

Theses

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate metabolic homeostasis and MAPK dysfunction promotes metabolic diseases. MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) regulate MAPKs and are implicated in obesity and platelet activation. To elucidate the role of MKP-2 in platelet function and NAFLD, tail bleed, platelet isolation, and western blot assays were performed. MKP-2 KO mice and control mice were fed either a chow or 12- 13 week high fat diet (HFD), a 10 week iron deficient (ID), or an iron supplement (IS) regimen. On the chow diet, the bleeding time was significantly reduced in female MKP-2 KO mice. Male MKP-2 KO IS mice showed significantly …

Assessing Activity Of Iot Smart Stuff Using Inertial Sensors, Juan Tarrat

Theses

Inertial sensors, including accelerometers and gyroscopes, are commonly used for capturing and quantifying motion and orientation data. IoT devices use inertial sensors to detect user activity. In this thesis we present the use of inertial sensors for determining user interactions with smart objects of everyday use, that we refer to as Smart Stuff. We present a novel use of inertial sensor to assess the use and state of the smart water bottle configured as IoT appliance. Staying hydrated is crucial for health and wellbeing; precise monitoring of user hydration is very important for the elderly and patients with chronic conditions. …

Evaluating Transit Demand For Disadvantaged Riders And A New Performance Measure To Incorporate Disadvantaged Riders, Sahana Shankar

Theses

Access to transportation is a fundamental need for individuals to access employment, healthcare, education, and social activities. However, disadvantaged populations, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and those with limited incomes, often face transportation challenges, resulting in social and economic disparities. The goal was to address these disparities by examining transit demand and introducing a new performance measure that factors in demographic characteristics, particularly for vulnerable populations. To achieve this, the study utilizes data from the United States Census and transit providers in Alabama. It relies on the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to pinpoint areas where vulnerable populations are …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Quality Of Homicide Evidence Provided To Law Enforcement, Reilly Calloway

Theses

The present study investigated the perceived quality of homicide evidence provided to law enforcement by the coroner versus medical examiner systems. Respondents (N=15) from county law enforcement agencies in three different Southeastern states that utilize either the coroner, medical examiner, or combination of both systems were presented with a 17-question virtual survey that included questions regarding personal background, educational background, employment history, knowledge of the medical examiner versus coroner systems, and personal experience with one or both systems involving homicide investigations. Participants who resided in the state that utilizes the medical examiner system reported mostly negative feedback regarding the collection, …

An Evaluation Of A Health, Wellbeing And Lifestyle Promotion Intervention Among A Cohort Of Year 1 Male Gaelic Games Student Athletes In An Irish University Setting, Anthony Casey

Theses

Background: The current research investigated the health, wellbeing and lifestyle behaviours of a cohort of 1st year male Gaelic Games student athletes (Study 1), and subsequently evaluated the impact of a bespoke intervention on these health, wellbeing and lifestyle behaviours in the same cohort (Study 2).

Methods: Participants were 1st year male Gaelic Games student athletes (mean age 18.6 ± 0.6 years, n=166) in a university in southern Ireland. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach during the 2018/19 and the 2019/20 academic years. Data collection consisted of an online questionnaire (Bickerdike et al., 2018), which assessed health, wellbeing …

Composition, Nutritional And Physicochemical Properties Of Milk Fat Globule Membrane Enriched Ingredients For Use In Infant Nutrition Products, Pierre Ponchon

Theses

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the nutritional, techno-functional and physicochemical properties of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) enriched whey protein concentrate (WPC) ingredients. This research focused on the physicochemical, nutritional, techno-functional, and microstructural properties of MFGM-enriched whey protein concentrate (WPC) powder ingredients, which included 3 MFGM-enriched WPC ingredients and a WPC ingredient co-enriched with α-lactalbumin and MFGM. These were compared to parallel stream (WPC 80 and whey protein isolate (WPI)) and upstream, whole milk powder (WMP) bovine derived ingredients of varying macromolecular composition, including MFGM-enrichment. The macromolecular compositions of the MFGM-enriched WPC ingredients included fat contents ranging …

The Satiating Potential Of Plant Proteins Transiting The Upper Gut., Leo Nunn

Theses

Increasing the feeling of fullness through modulation of satiety hormones by dietary proteins may be a promising daily approach in the prevention of unnecessary weight gain and in the maintenance of a healthy weight over our lifetime. The effects of animal sourced proteins on satiety hormone (GLP-1, PYY and CCK) has been well documented. However to meet the EU Green Deal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a 15-20 % dietary shift to plant proteins is required. This thesis examined the satiating potential of six plant protein ingredients, Teff, Oat Fibre, Lentil Protein Isolate, Buckwheat, Quinoa and Strong …

The Transformation Of Cherokee Medicial Practices And The Hesitations That Surround Them, Rebecca Bills

Theses

Studies on traditional Cherokee medicine during the 1800s explained Cherokee religious beliefs and the treatments they used to heal the members of their community. However, no updated research has been done to see if Cherokees are still using traditional medicine and if they are, which kinds are they using in the 21st century. This is in part due to the fact that Native Americans and the U.S. government have a complicated relationship from centuries of mistreatment, broken treaties, and the removal from their ancestral homelands. This has created a distrust between native and non-natives. Today, traditional healers' identities are protected …

Feature Selection In High-Dimensional Space With Applications To Gene Expression Data, Nishan Pantha

Theses

Recent years have seen rapid growth in high-dimensional datasets. Most existing machine learning (ML) algorithms fail in high-dimensional settings where many features could be redundant. A critical process of feature selection is thus applied in such a setting that helps in identifying the most relevant features while removing redundant ones. With the increase in high dimensionality, one is also faced with problems of efficiency and interpretation in performing such selection methods. Therefore, this thesis proposes a “novel” feature selection framework that uses an ensemble of interpretable ML algorithms to perform feature selection and the ranking of final features. Finally, this …

A Different Perspective: An Exploration Towards The Emancipation Of Practice Within Social Care, Jonathan Condon

Theses

In Ireland today, it is recognized that the Reflexive Practitioner is the dominant paradigm within the district of Social Care and the approach of professionals is obtained through the traditional ways; whilst Social Pedagogy is still a relatively new import with only a couple of organizations operating across the country. Both disciplines work with the same general clientele and have similar goals for the clients with whom they work (Lalor and Share, 2013). The professional approach of both disciplines was unfastened and discovered throughout this study. Social care professionals focus on the protection of those in their care. Along with …

Caring For Individuals Who Have Used Methamphetamine: A Study Exploring The Experiences Of West Australian Nurses Working In An Authorised Mental Health Institute, John Kriticos

Theses

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) use in Australia has stabilized over the last 22 years, however changing routes of administration and increased purity of the drug has led to greater rates of physical dependency and higher rates of cardiovascular, neurological, and mental health complications. Challenges managing MA related presentations have been reported in Australian Emergency Departments (ED’s), with limited research considering nurses’ experience treating individual(s) who use MA (IWUM) and require prolonged mental health care. Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand nurses’ experiences who care for IWUM in a West Australian hospital’s inpatient mental health service. Methods: Interpretive phenomenological …

Novel Electrocardiogram Biomarkers In Long Qt Syndrome, Daniel Theodore Tardo

Theses

Prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc) is key in diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS), however 25-50% of individuals with congenital LQTS (cLQTS) demonstrate a normal resting QTc. T wave morphology (TWM) can distinguish cLQTS subtypes but its role in acquired LQTS (aLQTS) requires further elucidation. Beyond the challenge of concealed LQTS, utilising the QTc is complicated by limitations related to overcorrection at fast and slow heart rates, due to assumptions based on non-physiological QT rate dependence. QT-RR dynamics enable improved heart rate correction and have been shown to distinguish cLQTS from controls, however RR dynamics have not yet been …

The Development Of The Mini-Neurosurgical Assessment Tool For Nurses, Loreta Murphy

Theses

A neurological assessment is performed on a patient to determine their neurological function and to establish a differential diagnosis should deficits be identified. Not all patients require the same neurological assessment, and a comprehensive assessment can be very time-consuming and lead to patient fatigue. However, the ability to identify and manage neurological decline and emergencies is singularly the most important skill required for the care of neurosurgical patients by their nurses. Consequently, neurosurgery nurses remain forever vigilant for neurological changes, assessing and recording their observations over time and at the bedside. Neurosurgery patients would benefit from a neurological assessment tool …

One Beat At A Time: Mitigating The Risk Factors Of Rheumatic Heart Disease Through Public Policies, Duy Phuong Huynh Nguyen

Theses

This thesis examines the challenges associated with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and the persistent prevalence of these diseases in the Australian context. In particular, the study focuses on the high resurgence of these preventable conditions within the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Torres Strait Island population. The study begins with an initial analysis on the initial infection of the Group A streptococcus (GAS: Streptococcus pyogenes). We then examine current knowledge of the mechanisms which permit the transmission and development GAS infections, leading to ARF and RHD. This chapter explores current challenges associated with …

An Examination Of The Trends In Activities Of Daily Living In The 12 Months After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Descriptive Study, Irene Van Staden

Theses

Background

The current trend to reduce the length of stay for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, together with the steadily increasing number of procedures being performed, has impacted on the functional independence goals expected by patients and the ability of nurses to deliver adequate education prior to discharge. Over the past 10 years length of stay has reduced from 7-10 days to 3-4 days and patients are expected to largely self-manage their post-operative rehabilitation and optimise their functional outcomes.

Patient feedback confirmed that patients do not feel ready for discharge and lack the ability to self-manage some activities of daily …

'Crying Wolf': Generating New Understandings Of Alarm Fatigue Using A Convergent Mixed Methods Approach, Meagan Rae Vidyaeva

Theses

Introduction: Alarm fatigue is a consequence of sensory overload due to frequent nuisance alarms from physiologic monitoring devices. This ‘cry wolf’ phenomenon occurs frequently in the context of continuous cardiac monitoring and ST segment monitoring.

Research significance: The effect of these alarm types on nurses’ perceived alarm fatigue in Australian settings is yet to be examined. Accordingly, this thesis explores registered nurses (RN’s) perception of alarm fatigue. The effect of ST segment monitoring on perceived alarm fatigue, as well as the necessary resources for RNs to reduce alarm fatigue is also a focus of this thesis.

Methodology: The research was …

Vegetarianism And Social Change: Alternate Diets As Activism?, Jasper Lloyd

Theses

Research into vegetarian and vegan (vegist) diets has previously found animal rights to be the primary/most significant motivator. Such studies, however, were largely conducted prior to the mass mobilisation of young people - instigated by the global School Strike for Climate in 2018 - in environmental activism. This project, which included 110 surveys and 9 interviews with vegist students (18-25) at an Australian University in 2019 and 2020, examines a) the motivations for vegism in a young cohort, and b) explores the experience, tactics, and goals of young vegists through a social movement theory lens. The project found that a …

The Aesthetically Engaging City: The Role Of Beauty And Play In Urbanism And Human Fulfilment, Amy Roser

Theses

This thesis argues that cities can only become better attuned to the complex human need for identity, meaning, understanding, and self-expression when urban decision-makers better understand the nature and significance of aesthetic engagement. When we strive toward aesthetic goals in building and city planning, we then nurture, more fully, essential human activities and needs. This thesis argues that the aesthetic of the urban environment profoundly influences the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours of those who dwell there and is therefore inseparable from culture, everyday life, and the cultivation of human fulfilment. By doing so, this thesis reconceptualises architecture, the urban environment, …

The Laicisation Of Principalship In Australian Jesuit Province Schools, Christopher John Kitching

Theses

This study examines the introduction of lay (non-religious) principals into three of the four Australian Jesuit Province schools, and their influence on Ignatian Spirituality and the Jesuit charism within the tradition of Catholic education in Australia. This study coincides with a decrease in the number of clergy available to provide extensive academic, pastoral, and social justice activities throughout the Australian Jesuit Province. First, this study seeks to explain the values, understandings, and pedagogy of the schools, their heritage, and contribution to Australian Catholic education as well as the contribution of the laity in partnership with the (Society of Jesus) Jesuits. …

Antibiotics And Secondary Metabolites Analysis Shell (Antismash) As A Tool To Detect Putative Novel Antibiotics, Rajiv Snape

Theses

In the Hudson Lab, which is focused on discovering new antibiotics, bacteria samples are taken from the environment and cultured in large quantities. Then they are tested for antibiotic resistance before they are sequenced and their secondary metabolite compounds are extracted. This is both a lengthy and expensive process that becomes more and more difficult as the number of samples one is working increases. This project assessed a different approach to rejuvenate antibiotic development with antiSMASH. antiSMASH is an online tool created by collaborators from many different institutions that uses profile Hidden Markov Models (pHMMs) to detect gene clusters which …

Multifactor Authentication Using Zero Trust, Mathews Rajan Alappat

Theses

In today's world, industries are constantly integrating new technologies to improve workplace flexibility and customer service. However, this also creates a broader attack surface for attackers, making it easier for them to identify weaknesses and exploit them, leading to security lapses that cost businesses both money and goodwill. To address this issue, information technology security professionals have developed the Zero Trust framework. This framework focuses on carefully examining each and every attempt made to access the resources, restricting access only to those authorized individuals and providing them with minimum privileges to accomplish their specific tasks successfully. The underlying concept behind …

Identifying The Causes Of Heart Disease Using Classification Techniques, Wadeema Alshamsi

Theses

Heart disease is a global epidemic that affects millions of people and is responsible for a significant portion of annual deaths worldwide. Timely diagnosis and prediction of heart disease can save countless lives, and advancements in information technology have opened up new avenues for improving medical diagnosis. In this project, we aimed to explore the use of machine learning classification techniques for predicting the presence of heart disease in patients. We deployed five classification techniques: Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, K Nearest Neighbors, and Support Vector Machine. We used a dataset of 1025 observations with 13 features and one …

Energy Consumption Of Drones For Delivery Usage: Case Study In Dubai, Maitha Huraiz Bin Touq

Theses

In the past couple of years, the dependency of delivery services on road vehicles has increased, compromising the efficiency of this service in urban areas. Aside from efficiency, another issue is the increase in greenhouse emissions, which jeopardizes the government's efforts to reduce dangerous gasses. Drone-based delivery has been highlighted as one of the most promising technologies in the field of delivery systems. This system could ease traffic congestion, expediting delivery efficiency, and in parallel, the use of electrified drones could help with decarbonizing the atmosphere. This study examines the use of drones for delivery in the city of Dubai …

Analysis Of Micro-Perforated Packaging Systems For Minimally Processed Fresh Greens, Heidy Lizardo

Theses

Because of the increased demand for fresh greens presented in an accessible format, the demand for a new packaging technology to extend shelf life has also increased. Micro perforation is a packaging system that allows rapidly modifying headspace gases under refrigerated storage. Previous research has demonstrated that the pattern in which the perforations are aligned in the film affects the gas exchange modification of the package headspace gases. A rapid modification of the headspace gases of the product in the package must be achieved in order to guarantee extended shelf life. Several patterns of micro-perforation location and density have been …

Is Patient Controlled Analgesia A Feasible Method Of Pain Relief In The Emergency Department: A Mixed Method Study, Raja Natasya Raja Azlan

Theses

Although pain is the most common reason for patients to present to emergency departments (EDs), conventional methods of pain management in EDs are suboptimal. Patient controlled analgesia (PCA), commonly used for post operative pain relief, was proposed as a modality of pain management in ED. PCA enables the patient to self-administer intravenous analgesia, has been rigorously evaluated in acute care settings and is widely used in many clinical areas. It is not routinely used in EDs. The literature review found critical gaps in the existing evidence of PCA use in EDs justifying this research. A three-phase sequential mixed methods study …

Is Knowledge Enough? Exploring Mental Health Literacy And Other Factors Of Help-Seeking In Rural And Urban Emerging-Adult Males, Chris Haydock

Theses

Background and Aim: There is strong evidence to support that mental health concerns become most prevalent among emerging adult males (18-25 years) due to their reluctance to seek-help. Mental Health Literacy (MHL) comprises knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards mental health with some evidence suggesting it also enhances help-seeking. However, research has reported that rural residents are less likely to seek help compared to their urban counterparts, despite similarities in MHL. Other factors that impact help-seeking include self-stigma towards mental illness, masculine norms, wellbeing, and access to care. Despite this, there is limited research investigating the influence of MHL in unison …