Digital Commons Network^™

Patient Involvement In Healthcare Projects: A Mixed Method Study On The Perspectives Of Project Staff In Western Australian (Wa) Public Hospitals And Health Services, Melanie Wright

Theses

Background: the benefits of patient involvement in clinical care and research is well described in the literature; but there is little evidence to suggest that involving patients in the planning and delivery of healthcare projects is beneficial to the outcomes of the project.

Purpose: this study explores the perspectives of staff who were specifically employed to lead and manage healthcare projects in Western Australian (WA) public hospitals and health services, regarding patient involvement in their projects and the perceived benefits and barriers of this involvement.

Study design: the study was designed using a sequential mixed method approach in three phases …

Does The Catechism Of The Catholic Church Possess An Educational Function As A Formative Tool For Catholic Educators?, Marlon De La Torre

Theses

With the initial formal promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church by St. John Paul II (1992) the entire Christian world exercised a call to hope and at the same time despair. Hope in the continual fruitful understanding of Church doctrine presented in a clear and definitive way, a living resource that would provide the faithful since the development of the Roman Catechism a deeper understanding of the Mysteries of Christ and His Church. In concert with this is a clear systematic exposition of the faith rooted in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition bringing to light the importance of …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of A Low Dose Subcutaneous Lignocaine And Ketamine Infusion Utilising Nerve Excitability Studies In A Chronic Migraine Population., Christopher Rofe

Theses

Migraine is a common condition in which the diagnosis is based on clinical grounds. There is no clinically available biophysical marker that can evaluate migraine. Migraines are linked to functional brain changes in the absence of structural abnormalities. A clinically useful tool capable of evaluating functional changes in patients with migraine could be used to aid diagnosis and management.

Patients with chronic migraine have frequent or continuous headache which is accompanied by significant morbidity. There are limited data available regarding treatment options for curtailment of chronic migraine. In this prospective observational study, patients suffering from chronic migraine underwent a prolonged …

"Taming The Beast": Exploring The Lived Experience Of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Using A Life History Approach, Therese Burke

Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complex neurological disease affecting the central nervous system and is driven by a complex autoimmune cascade. The peak age of onset is between the ages of 20 and 40 years and shows a female preponderance of 3:1. The most common form of the disease affecting 85% of people living with the illness is called relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), and is characterised by unpredictable relapses or exacerbations which usually last a few weeks before returning to baseline function. There is the possibility of disease progression and non-reversible disability after many years. RRMS is also characterised by …

“Turning Mirrors Into Windows”: A Study Of Participatory Dynamic Simulation Modelling To Inform Health Policy Decisions, Louise Freebairn

Theses

Introduction: Achieving evidence-based public health policy is challenging. There is increasing recognition that more sophisticated, system-science, analytic methods, such as dynamic simulation modelling (DSM), are needed to better understand the dynamic, interacting and interrelated elements within complex public health systems. This thesis explored the implementation, feasibility and value of a novel participatory DSM approach as a tool for knowledge mobilisation and decision support in Australian health policy settings. An indepth case study of participatory modelling of Diabetes in Pregnancy (DIP) in the Australian Capital Territory (2016-2018) was conducted. Two additional modelling case studies focusing on prevention of childhood overweight and …

Hearing And Understanding: Vernacular Liturgical Reform At Holy Trinity Abbey New Norcia 1963-1970, Christopher Kan

Theses

The first fruit of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) was Sacrosanctum Concilium – the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Within eight years of its promulgation Roman Catholic worship across the world was transformed, as the language and practice of the rites of the Church underwent significant change. One of the most noticeable changes was the relaxation of the requirement for the Church’s liturgy to be celebrated in Latin and instead be in the local language of the people, the vernacular.

Case studies of the implementation of the post-conciliar reform, as advocated by the Council, are infrequent, especially in the context …

Evaluating Local, National, Regional And International Interventions In Northern Uganda Using A Human Security Approach, Davis Kawooya

Theses

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1962, Uganda has been beset by conflicts, the worst of which took place between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda (1988-2006), causing a massive humanitarian crisis. The central argument of the thesis is that the government’s programmes in response would have been more successful if they had been people-centred, directly responsive to the suffering of the people, rather than centralised in the hands of a small Kampala-based elite, which controlled access to funding and political power, without transparency or accountability. This research uses human security as an umbrella concept …

Differentiating Pre-Capillary And Post-Capillary Pulmonary Hypertension By Doppler Echocardiography In A Large Realworld Database, Pyi Naing

Theses

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is common, dangerous and has multiple causes. Vasodilator therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but the diagnosis can be challenging, requiring right heart catheterisation (RHC). Differentiating pre-capillary PH (prePH) and postcapillary PH (postPH) and measuring pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) are key steps for diagnosing PAH. A novel echocardiographic parameter, the pulmonary to left atrial ratio (ePLAR), which is derived from the tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) divided by the ratio between the early diastolic filling velocity and the early mitral annulus velocity (E/e’), i.e., ePLAR=TRV/E/e’, has been described as a …

The Course Changes In Maximal Strength Velocity Following A Traditional Strength- Or Power Orientated Training Session, Alexander Vernon

Theses

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the return to baseline of movement velocity and maximal strength following a typical strength-orientated and power-orientated session in the full depth, free-weight back squat performed with maximal concentric velocity. Fourteen strength-trained males completed a power-orientated session (3-sets of 6-repetitions @50% of a one-repetition maximum [1RM]) and a strength-orientated session (5-sets of 5-repetitions @80%1RM) in randomised order over two weeks. At 24, 48, 72 and 96-hours following the training session stimulus, sessions were completed with loads of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 90% and 100%1RM lifted. Prior to the completion of the training …

Motivation In Knowledge Workers, Carmen Wong

Theses

Traditional theories that form the basis of workplace motivation may be inadequate to manage workers in the knowledge-based economy. Knowledge workers are a growing segment of the workforce, and their needs differ from previous generations of employees. How managers can best motivate knowledge workers towards greater performance and employee satisfaction may not have a definitive answer, however we will explore the effectiveness of some of the commonly used practices in the current workplace.

Knowledge workers add value to a company's products and services by applying their knowledge. The self-determination theory (SDT) is considered a more encompassing theory than the traditional …

Being On Track: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Staff Development Nurses’ Transition From A Ward-Based Role To The Role Of Staff Development Nurse In A Hospital In Western Australia, Penny Keogh

Theses

Continuing education is widely accepted as a means to remain competent in nursing and knowledgeable about the numerous changes in health care and the health care environments in which nurses work. The ward-based staff development nurse (SDN) role is considered a vital support for clinical staff (Armstrong & Laschinger, 2006; Conway & Elwin, 2007), with the role responsible for organising orientation and continuing education for nursing staff in their respective area of specialty. There is a dearth of research on the lived experience of the hospital-based SDN, most of whom have no formal training or preparation for their role. Newly …

Assessment Of Pre-Eclampsia Risk In Early Pregnancy, Ziad T.A Al-Rubaie

Theses

My thesis aims to improve pre-eclampsia prevention and outcomes in Australian women by providing evidence that can be used to enhance pre-eclampsia risk assessment in broad antenatal settings. I conducted the thesis in three stages. In stage 1, a systematic review identified major limitations in the existing evidence for current guideline approaches and ‘simple’ risk models incorporating maternal characteristics to identify women at increased risk of pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy. While the review demonstrated models including specialised tests such as uterine artery Doppler and serum biomarkers improved sensitivity to predict pre-eclampsia compared to simple models, there was insufficient evidence to …

An Investigation Into The Role And Function Of Athlete Monitoring And Its Impact On Training Practice And Performance Among Elite Gaelic Football Players, Jason Hugh Mcgahan

Theses

Background: Ensuring adequate rest and recovery is critical for the avoidance of overtraining and the achievement of optimal performance, therefore it is recommended that training load and recovery be continually monitored throughout the training year. The purpose of this research was to investigate training load and markers of wellness among elite Gaelic footballers to assist the regulation of such loading to optimise performance in an amateur sports setting.

Methods: Participants were selected from two elite Gaelic football teams (Division 1 and 3 respectively) where training load data (global positioning system (GPS), session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) and wellness markers) …

Applications Of Earth Observations For The Monitoring Of Deforestation Dynamics In The Peruvian Amazon, Andrea Puzzi Nicolau

Theses

In the context of global environmental change, deforestation in the Amazon is a major concern for sustainable resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. Understanding the processes of land use and land cover that drive deforestation is relevant towards more sustainable land management and will aid global initiatives such as the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). This thesis addresses the use of Earth Observations to monitor deforestation dynamics in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. Two papers are presented; the first analyzes the spatial patterns of forest …

Effect Of Scytovirin And Testosterone On Cryptococcus Neoformans, Marjan Berenji Jalaei

Theses

Pathogenic fungi have become increasingly important due to a wide range of fungal infections worldwide and emergence of drug resistant strains. Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes mostly pulmonary infections, meningitis and meningoencephalitis. The rate of mortality in males is higher compared to females. Testosterone, the major steroid hormone in males, has been shown to affect the C. neoformans pathogenicity. Searching for an effective antifungal drug against C. neoformans, in particular for males, is a matter of importance. Scytovirin is a lectin with newly discovered antifungal activity associated with cell wall interaction. Scytovirin was tested against two …

A Comparative Analysis Of Trna[Superscript Ala] Production, Brandie Byler

Theses

With more and more antibiotic-resistant infections occurring worldwide each year, it is imperative that a new class of antibiotics be developed in order for modern medical treatments to continue to advance. To do so effectively, new antibacterial targets must be found and analyzed for their potential as novel antibiotic drugs. Peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase I (Pth1) is potentially one such target. During protein translation, approximately 10% of the time the ribosome stalls. When this happens, and rescue mechanisms fail, the ribosome is disassembled. This leaves the nascent peptide attached to the P-site tRNA, creating peptidyl-tRNA. If peptidyl-tRNA is not recycled, the cell …

Structural Engineering Of The Antifungal High Mannose Binding Lectin Myxovirin, Jessica L. Osier

Theses

The pathogenic encapsulated yeast Cryptococcus neoformans causes a majority of fungal disease related deaths worldwide from pulmonary infections, meningitis, or meningoencephalitis. Loss of efficacy in current treatment options against C. neoformans and the emergence of antifungal drug resistance call for the development of new therapeutics. High mannose binding lectins such as Scytovirin have been shown to be promising anticryptococcal drug candidates. In this work, a homologous antifungal lectin, Myxovirin, was structurally engineered in an effort to improve both its carbohydrate binding affinity and its anticryptococcal activity. Carbohydrate binding was studied using both isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and nuclear magnetic resonance …

Evaluating And Forecasting Development Within Riparian Corridors In North Alabama For Conservation, Leah Parker

Theses

As urban development continues to spread from urban centers, natural riparian corridors and their ecosystem services are becoming at risk. This study utilized the Riparian Buffer Delineation Model, the National Land Cover Database, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to evaluate and summarize historical land cover changes and vegetation health within variable-width riparian corridors between 2001 and 2016 in Madison County and Limestone County of North Alabama. The TerrSet Land Change Modeler was used to predict the risk of urban development by 2030 based on historical land cover trends and driver variables. The predicted future risk of urban development …

Love And Hip Hop : An Examination Of Hip-Hop Media Effects On African American Romantic Relationships, Latoya D. Binford

Theses

Hip-hop has grown immensely since its invention in the 1970s. No longer just a musical genre, its influences can be seen in all facets of culture, especially within the African American community in which it was created. Because so much of the commercially successful hip-hop media is shrouded in themes such as violence, abuse, and misogyny, it is important to examine its effects on its consumer. This study examined the effects of hip-hop consumption on romantic relationships, as perceived by African American/black women. Through thematic analysis and the theoretical framework of Mere Exposure effect, findings revealed that the participants correlated …

Equitable Pricing Of Episodes Of Care In A Cluster-Based Bundled Payment System, Bikram P. Singh

Theses

Most of the individuals in the United States are concerned about healthcare affordability and rising healthcare costs. The prevalent healthcare cost reimbursement system, Fee-For-Service (FFS) has been deemed as a key driver for increasing healthcare costs. Bundle payments (BP) has been suggested as an alternative to replace FFS and has shown to reduce the rising healthcare costs. Under BP, the expected set of services involved in treating a diagnosis, or episode of care, is reimbursed by a single payment. We propose a systemic pricing of multiple diagnosis under a Cluster-Based Bundle Payment system (CBBP), where for a given diagnosis, groups …

Exploring The Supply Side Of Food And Beverage Festivals In Saudi Arabia, Mossa Ahmed Haressy

Theses

Recently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) announced its intention to begin implementing a tourist visa regime to streamline entry of tourists into the country and, therefore, attract more international visitors. Food and Beverage festivals (F&B) are targeted as a crucial part of the events sector in Saudi Arabia as they align well with agricultural traditions and Middle East culture to attract both domestic and foreign tourist. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics, management, and goals of F&B festivals in Saudi Arabia. F&B event organizers were utilized to collect data regarding seven established F&B festivals that …

Properties Of Mixing Sac Solder Alloys With Bismuth-Containing Solder Alloys For A Low Reflow Temperature Process, Tayler John Swanson

Theses

The subject of extensive research has been the establishing of lower temperature soldering of electronic assemblies that are similar to the once common yet still preferred eutectic Tin-Lead (SnPb) soldering manufacturing processes that are below 217˚C. This research opportunity will contribute data on mixed solder alloy assemblies that can be formed at lower process temperatures. There are many environmental and economic benefits of avoiding the current reliability concerns of assembling electronics at the standard high temperatures which peak at 230˚C 260˚C. To reduce this temperature the use of Bismuth containing solder pastes are mixing with the standard high temperature SAC …

Eazytrack: Exploring Next-Gen Technology And User Experience Design To Help Relieve Stress, Kaiyi Dong

Theses

In this competitive society with the pace of people’s life speeding up, stress is inevitable. Too much stress though will bring negative effects on people’s physical and emotional wellbeing. According to a survey the American Psychological Association conducted from 2007 to 2016, very few actions are being taken to prevent or relieve stress effectively even though an increasing number of people have realized that stress has an impact on health and wellbeing.¹ Untreated chronic stress can contribute to severe health problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system.² Today, there are many stress trackers …

Sense - Recommendation System Based On Affective Interpretations Of Social Media Posts: A Proposed User Interface Design, Zheng Zhang

Theses

It is now easier and cheaper for people to get involved in technology, and most people are obtaining or receiving tons of information nowadays, such as recommendations. Different recommendations are filled with our devices like smartphones, tablets or even wearable devices. However, most searches and recommendation systems fail to take into consideration the emotional context related to a user’s input and action, and as a consequence, people can hardly receive personalized, emotion-related, user-based recommendations. Though people are given various choices about lives based on searches and saved data, those recommendations can hardly improve the stress and difficulties of accomplishing daily …

Modeling And Extraction Of Transport Parameters To Simulate Drug Delivery In The Murine Cochlea, Kevin Wilson

Theses

The usage of 1D and 3D models to simulate drug transport through the inner ear is a prominent method in cochlear fluid pharmacokinetics. However, the data used to create these models, is often based on invasive sampling methods that limit the spatial resolution given the size of the cochlear compartments within which solute can be measured. In this work by leveraging 3-D registered micro-Computed Tomography (μCT) scans of the murine cochlea that have been taken as iodinated contrast agent is delivered to it, we extract transport parameters and simulate a forward 1D model that allows variable and pulsatile delivery profiles …

Research & Development Of A Sensory Exploration System, Surabhi Vijay Rajandekar

Theses

Learning Disabilities affect individuals in all age groups and affect how one comprehends the information they receive. Individuals with learning disabilities are often distracted by their surroundings and face difficulties to follow paths in surroundings. Learning disabilities can be addressed with proper support, feedback, and assistive technology. Schools provide children a favorable environment to learn and can support overcoming such difficulties with the help of different activities. This paper discusses the design of a sensory exploration system for individuals with Autism Spectrum to help them learn how to follow paths and not get distracted. The sensory exploration system is called …

The Transition Of The College Quarterback To The Nfl: Why The Hardest Position In Sports Is Getting Easier, Derik Abbott

Theses

The NFL is changing. Score boards are being lit up by young quarterbacks like never seen before. Rookie quarterbacks are playing like 10 year veterans. Offenses are playing at light speed paces. But why? This Thesis paper looks to uncover why college quarterbacks are playing at MVP caliber levels at such a young age. With research in multiple fields such as analytics, neuroscience, youth football developmental leagues and artificial intelligence,, this paper seeks to determine the relationship between what strategies front offices and coaching staffs are using and the high success rate of young quarterbacks in the National Football League. …

The Photometric Effect Of Macroscopic Surface Roughness On Sediment Surfaces, Greg Badura

Theses

The focus of this work was on explaining the effect of macroscopic surface roughness on the reflected light from a soil surface. These questions extend from deciding how to best describe roughness mathematically, to figuring out how to quantify its effect on the spectral reflectance from a soil’s surface. In this document, I provide a background of the fundamental literature in the fields of remote sensing and computer vision that have been instrumental in my research. I then outline the software and hardware tools that I have developed to quantify roughness. This includes a detailed outline of a custom "LiDAR" …

Glimmer, Cody Barron

Theses

Glimmer is a 3D animated graduate thesis film that is 4 minutes long. The film is a gag-based comedy that sets out to emulate the style of early Warner Brothers shorts as well as other slapstick-style comedies.

The story itself follows a bumbling treasure hunter as he explores a set of newly discovered ancient ruins in the hopes of finding untold riches. His fumbling missteps wake the inhabitant of the ruins, who turns out to be a mischievous and clever monkey. This monkey does not take kindly to the treasure hunter’s theft of his possessions and so sets about the …

Creating Sustainable Industrial Building In China By Lowering Energy Use And Improving The Working Environment, Wenjie Hu

Theses

Over 70% of energy in China is consumed by industrial buildings and related support activities. In order to reduce production costs, owners of factories tend to pay little attention to protecting the environment or workers’ health, causing many serious consequences. Poorly designed buildings require more energy to operate and are less energy efficient to maintain. A lack of natural lighting results in more energy consumption for interior illumination, and improper fenestration design requires more energy to keep buildings cool. An uncomfortable working environment will affect the working efficiency and physical health of the labor force. In this thesis, two simple, …