Digital Commons Network^™

Measurement Of Solid Rocket Propellant Burning Rate Using X-Ray Imaging, Matthew D. Denny

Theses

The burning rate of solid propellants can be difficult to measure for unusual burning surface geometries, but X-ray imaging can be used to measure burning rate. The objectives of this work were to measure the baseline burning rate of an electrically-controlled solid propellant (ESP) formulation with real-time X-ray radiography and to determine the uncertainty of the measurements. Two edge detection algorithms were written to track the burning surface in X-ray videos. The edge detection algorithms were informed by intensity profiles of simulated 2-D X-ray images. With a 95% confidence level, the burning rates measured by the Projected-Slope Intersection algorithm in …

Limb Correction Of Individual Infrared Channels For The Improved Interpretation Of Rgb Composites, Nicholas J. Elmer

Theses

Red-Green-Blue (RGB) composites combine information from several spectral channels into one composite image, enabling forecasters to make decisions in a more efficient and timely manner. However, the limb effect, a result of an increasing optical path length of the absorbing atmosphere as view angle increases, interferes with the qualitative interpretation of RGB composites. Additionally, subtle channel differences between sensors make the comparison of similar composites from multiple sensors difficult. Infrared channels can be corrected for limb effects using latitudinally and seasonally varying limb correction coefficients, which account for an increasing optical path length, in order to produce corrected RGB composites. …

The Development Of A Near-Real Time Hail Damage Swath Identification Algorithm For Vegetation, Jordan R. Bell

Theses

The central United States is primarily covered in agricultural lands with a growing season that peaks during the same time as the region's climatological maximum for severe weather. These severe thunderstorms can bring large hail that can cause extensive areas of crop damage, which can be difficult to survey from the ground. Satellite remote sensing can help with the identification of these damaged areas. This study examined three techniques for identifying damage using satellite imagery that could be used in the development of a near-real time algorithm formulated for the detection of damage to agriculture caused by hail. The three …

A Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectral Analysis Of Aromatic Medicinal Plants From Yemen, Bhuwan Khatri Chhetri

Theses

Yemen is a small country located in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen’s coastal lowlands, eastern plateau and deserts give it a diverse topography, which along with climatic factors make it opulent in flora. Despite the introduction of western medicinal system during the middle of the twentieth century, herbal medicine still plays an important role in Yemen. However, little has been done on the study of the aromatic medicinal plants that have been used through ages to cure and heal diseases. To this end, in collaboration with Deparment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sana’a University, Yemen the essential …

Risk Processing, Affect, And Efficacy In Online Privacy Behavior, Michael Shreeves

Theses

Cybersecurity research has indicated that people use simple heuristics to assess online privacy risk. Online warnings typically operate by encouraging systematic risk processing. A review of the literature on risk perception suggested that negative emotional affect produced by risk descriptions can both increase systematic processing and independently increase perceived risk. A review of fear appeals in health behavior research suggested that risk communications that produce fear will be rejected if an effective behavioral response recommendation is not provided. This study investigated the (a) impact of emotional vividness in warning descriptions and (b) response information presence on disclosure of a single …

An Exploration Of The Perspectives Of The Stakeholders On The Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Scheme In Ireland, In Relation To Children’S Transition Into Primary School, Ciara Allen

Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme in Ireland and a child’s transition from a pre-school setting to the formal primary school environment, from the perspective of parents, pre-school practitioners, primary school teachers and childcare organisations. The ECCE initiative was introduced in January 2010 for all children between the ages of 3 years and 3 months and 4 years and 6 months, offering them one year of free pre-school (50/38 weeks) prior to commencing primary school. This research identifies the need to study a child’s transition into formal schooling, as research …

Inventory Management Modeling With Markov Decision Process (Mdp) For Equitable Distribution Of Supplies Under Uncertainty, Fianu Sefakor

Theses

Food insecurity is defined as the situation where people are not able to access enough food at all times for an active, healthy life. The 2012 food security report stated that 49 million Americans including children lived in food insecure households. Many individuals suffering from food insecurity obtain assistance from governmental programs and nonprofit agencies. Food banks are one of many non-profit organizations assisting in the fight against hunger. They serve communities by distributing food to those in need through charitable agencies. Many of the food distributed by the food bank comes from donations. These donations are received from various …

Workplace Well-Being: Examining The Mental And Psychological Health And Safety Of Non-Unionised And Unionised Employees, Peter O'Mahony

Theses

A quantitative case study was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the mental and psychological health and safety of non-unionised and unionised employees within the researcher's organisation, a multi-national pharmaceutical company based in Ireland. One hundred and sixty-seven employees and seven senior managers were surveyed to explore their perspectives of psychological health and safety risks in the workplace across thirteen different psychosocial factors which are known to either have positive or negative effects on the psychological health and well-being of an employee.

The Guarding Minds at Work (GM@W) online survey resources were considered appropriate methods to collect the necessary …

Spatial Incidence Of Adult Obesity In The State Of Alabama, Mary G. Odhiambo

Theses

No abstract provided.

Are Employee Assistance Programs An Effective Mechanism For Preventing, Managing And Alleviating Stress In The Workplace?, Carol O'Keeffe

Theses

According to the EAP Institute (2015), the rise in litigation related to occupational illnesses in the 1980’s has spurred companies to take employee health and well-being more seriously, which, subsequently, led to a growth in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). In particular, the employers' liability for workplace stress continues to be one of the growth areas in Irish employment law (CIPD, 2012), ultimately placing very substantial obligations on employers (Gorry, 2015). This includes the employer’s obligation to identify risk factors, and put in place remedial mechanisms for, preventing, managing and alleviating stress in the workplace.

This dissertation focuses on examining whether …

Courage To Move Beyond The Past: Common Law And Canonical Structures For The Governance Of Australian Congregational Schools In The 21st Century, Jane Power

Theses

The future governance and ownership of congregational schools has become a compelling question for many congregations still seeking to determine the future of their schools and education ministry. Some congregations have already made the transition to new legal structures, some are in a transitional phase, and still others are yet to make decisions.

The purpose of this thesis is to determine suitable common law and canon law structures for the future governance and ownership of congregational schools when the congregations are no longer willing or able to continue in their current roles. The following aspects determine the focus of the …

Delirium Epidemiology, Systems And Nursing Practice In Palliative Care Inpatient Settings: A Descriptive Mixed Methods Project (The Depac Project), Annmarie Hosie

Theses

Background: Delirium is a distressing and serious acute neurocognitive disorder frequently experienced by hospitalised patients yet under-recognised by nurses.

Aim: To identify the actions required to improve the capabilities of specialist inpatient palliative care nurses to recognise and assess delirium.

Design: A two-phase sequential transformative mixed methods project, involving five studies and underpinned by a knowledge translation conceptual framework – collectively termed the DePAC project.

Methods: A mixed methods design was used to examine delirium in palliative care inpatient settings from epidemiological, systems and nursing practice perspectives. Participants were nurses, physicians, allied health professionals, managers and patients of Australian palliative …

Characterisation And Applications Of Natural Lactic Acid Bacteria With Emphasis On Weissella Cibaria And Associated Exopolysaccharide, Kieran M. Lynch

Theses

The work presented in this thesis characterises natural cereal-derived lactic acid bacteria and examines their potential application in the dairy fermentation area, with special emphasis on the sourdough isolate, Weissella cibaria MGl and its associated glucan homoexopolysaccharide. This strain is notable for its high-level production of dextran, being termed a “hyper-producef’. Genome sequencing and analysis of a number of IV. cibaria strains was performed in the context of available genomic data for other Weissella species, with special focus on the metabolic traits of W. cibaria MGl, and the results represent the first study to explore members of the Weissella genus …

The Affect Of Employee Engagement Among Support Staff In Cork University Maternity Hospital, Marion Josephine Cottrell

Theses

In recent years the academic research relating to employee engagement has flourished. Despite the increase in engagement literature, there is a gap concerning employee engagement regarding support staff categories. This dissertation focuses of the minority grouping, support staff

The research methodology for this study is a quantitative method. In addition, questionnaires were administrated to ninety support staff working in Cork University Maternity Hospital, with seventy contributing to the data for this study. Analysis of questionnaires resulted in the identification of a number of findings.

One significant finding of this research study was the discovery of an extra dimension affecting employee …

Adding Value For An Organisation Through Employee Engagement: A Case Study Of A Temporary Workforce, Hannah O'Shea

Theses

Over the last 10 years, the requirement for temporary workers has shown significant increases. Casual and part-time workers, on the live register, have increased during this period from 20,752 to 71,744. In March 2013 the numbers rose to 89,798, an all-time high in Ireland (Central Statistics Office, 2014). Consequently, it is becoming increasingly important to observe how organisations undertake engagement with temporary employees. This research study focusses on the employee engagement levels of a temporary agency workforce, working in an e-commerce organisation, on behalf of a third party agency. Questionnaires were completed by 55 temporary agency workers and three direct …

Exploiting Bacteriophages And Associated Peptidoglycan Hydrolases With Potential For Biocontrol In Food Related Applications, Lorraine Endersen

Theses

The work presented in this thesis describes the isolation and characterisation of novel bacteriophages, and the subsequent exploitation of their bactericidal properties against two opportunistic food related pathogens, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Cronobacter sakazakii.

MAP is a proven animal pathogen known to cause Johne’s disease in cattle but has been implicated as a causative agent of Crohn’s disease in humans. Despite the fact that this association has yet to be proven, significant focus has been directed towards evaluating the consequences of consuming milk contaminated with MAP. Accordingly, six mycobacteriophages were isolated and characterised in terms of temperature and …

The Impact Of Corporate Social Responsibility In Customers' Preference Of Retail Business; A Case Study Of Debenhams Pic. In The Context Of Public Relations., Md Abul Kalam Azad

Theses

The aim of this thesis is to find out how the consumers' loyalty to a particular retailer is affected by the involvement of the company to various CSR activities. Companies engage in a number of CSR activities not only for an instant increase of sale but also for a good reputation and to fulfil their commitments to the community. At least three different but integrated research methods were used in this thesis to find out what CSR activities the mentioned company is engaged in and the extent of customers' loyalty is achieved. In a word, the correlation of these was …

Sustainability In Business: A Study On Marketers' Attitudes Towards Sustainable Practices In The B2b Environment, Natarajan Arunachalam

Theses

Green marketing has an important role to play in supporting sustainable development. Marketers have a vital responsibility to communicate on relevant products and services, creating awareness on environmental issues among consumers. They could also play a role in promoting sustainable consumption. However, previous research has also suggested that, as yet, green marketing and indeed marketing’s broader influence on attitudes towards sustainability, are yet to be fully mobilised. Considering the important role of marketers in achieving sustainable development, this research focuses on marketers and studying what the attitude of marketers regarding sustainability and green marketing actually is. Additionally, given the extensive …

Evaluating Web-Based Pelvic Floor Muscle Education For Pregnant Women, Judith Wilson

Theses

Background: Guidelines recommend that when pregnant women attend antenatal education they gain adequate knowledge about pregnancy-related topics, including the function of pelvic floor muscles and how to undertake a pelvic floor muscle exercise programme. Evidence is limited about how this information can be optimally delivered to pregnant women such that they gain knowledge, confidence and motivation to engage in a pelvic floor muscle exercise programme during the antenatal period. The primary objectives of the research were to evaluate the effect of delivering a web-based pelvic floor muscle education intervention in addition to usual antenatal care on primiparae women’s awareness; knowledge; …

Traumatic Facet Joint Dislocations In Western Australia, Vivek Eranki

Theses

Background: Early enlocation of dislocated cervical facets is important to minimize long term neurological deficit.

Aims: To assess impact of delay in enlocation on clinical outcome in patients with facet dislocations and propose a scheme for enlocation for rural patients who usually have longer enlocation times.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive cervical spine facet joint dislocations presenting to Royal Perth Hospital from January 2009 to November 2012 was carried out to assess factors affecting final neurological outcome (ASIA score) at discharge.

Results: A total of 51 patients were included in the study. More patients in the urban group had …

Classroom Teachers Meeting The New National Professional Standards For Teachers Specifically Standards 1.4 And 2.4, Lisa Buxton

Theses

Commitment to enhancing the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people has long been the aspiration in Australia. Research over many years has, however, noted inequitable outcomes between these children and their non-Indigenous counterparts. The groundswell of support for reconciliation and the ongoing determination to enhance the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people more recently has seen the inclusion of two new Standards in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers that teachers have to meet to gain and retain registration as a teacher in Australia. The first Standard required …

Optimising Motor Learning Of Infants At High Risk Of Cerebral Palsy Using Goal-Oriented And Environmental Interventions, Catherine Morgan

Theses

Background and aims: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability of childhood occurring in 1 in 500 live births in developed countries. Although CP starts in infancy because of a lesion in the developing brain, it is usually not diagnosed until about 19 months. The problem with late detection has meant that early neurorehabilitation is not accessed until motor impairment is evident. Consequently the dose of active intervention during the critical period for brain plasticity is often inadequate. Little evidence exists for the effectiveness of early intervention (EI) protocols for infants with CP. In particular, interventions that take …

The Prevalence, Characteristics, Impact And Management Of Headache In People With Schizophrenia And Schizoaffective Disorder: A Cross Sectional Cohort Study, Joanne Connaughton

Theses

Headache is the most common pain problem reported by people with schizophrenia, with 12 month prevalence rates of around 50%. Despite this little research has been conducted into the characteristics, impact and management of headaches in this population. There is evidence to support the efficacy of physiotherapy treatment of cervicogenic headache and tension type headache and determining the prevalence, impact and current management of these types of headache was of particular interest.

A pilot study was first undertaken to identify and refine an appropriate headache questionnaire, develop an algorithm to use for classification of headache and test the repeatability and …

Characterization Of Alabama Red Wine By Hplc And Multiple Spectroscopy Methods, Kayla Helene Smith

Theses

The purpose of this work was to conduct a chemical characterization on a local Alabama wine using Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy, Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy, and High Performance Liquid Chromatography to determine whether characteristics of the wine were altered throughout the clarification process. The analyzed samples consisted of a freshly pressed grape, processed grapes inclusive of the addition of sulfites, and a store ready bottle of a Muscadine sweet red wine. A Ferrozine Assay, used to determine antioxidant activity, indicated that the newest freshly pressed sample had the greatest amount of health benefiting antioxidants. The Atomic Absorbance revealed each sample to …

Measuring Hiv Stigma Among Healthcare Providers, Michael John Sullivan

Theses

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) experience stigma that creates barriers have the net effect of limiting access to care and decreased quality of life. This study seeks to identify, quantify, and measure mechanisms that produce the negative outcomes of provider-based stigma in regards to PLWH. The study employs the Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Stigma Scale (HPASS), a new instrument based on a tripartite model of measuring prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination as developed by Wagner et al. in 2014. The study shows stereotyping is prevalent in the sample as a whole while prejudice was statistically significant in both correlations and comparisons …

A Strategy To Improve Nutrition And Increase Physical Activity In Primary School Children., Lisa Delaney

Theses

Introduction: Paediatric obesity has become a global epidemic with many countries developing strategies to help tackle its prevalence. School based physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions have proven to play a promising role in tackling childhood obesity.

Background: Project Spraoi is an Irish primary school based intervention. The intervention was delivered to an intervention school to help enhance PA and nutritional behaviour amongst pupils. The intervention school was assigned an 'Energizer'; a trained PA and nutrition change agent who worked with the school to achieve the objectives. For evaluation purposes a control school was recruited.

Methodology: Pupils from the intervention …

The Expression Pattern Of Death Associated Protein Kinase1 In Normal Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons And Following Peripheral Nerve Injury, Maryam Sulaiman Mohammed Al Saadi

Theses

Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) is a calcium/calmodulin (Ca^2+/CaM) regulated serine/threonine kinase. An increasing body of evidence supports the significance of DAPK 1 protein in cancer and CNS diseases. The role of DAPK in peripheral nerve regeneration and neuropathic pain remains completely unexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression pattern of DAPK1 along with key pro-and anti-apoptotic cell signaling molecules (p53, Bax, Akt, ERK5, p38) and to verify the possibilities of DAPKI1-NMDA NR2B relationship in dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRG) after 2 hours, 7 days and 14 days following a sciatic nerve injury. Gene …

Analysis Of Host-Parasite Interactions Between Darters (Etheostoma) And Monogenoidean Gill Parasites (Aethycteron) In Flat Creek And Mill Creek, Kara Million

Theses

This study sought to investigate the parasite-host relationships between two darter assemblages and their gill parasite populations, and to compare the biodiversity present in both systems. Eight darter species were collected over the course of one year from two sites in Tennessee, Flat Creek and Mill Creek, and parasite counts were performed on all sample populations. Parasite loads were compared across darter species in each site to determine whether infection levels differed significantly between host species. Phylogenetic trees containing mitochondrial and nuclear markers were constructed for each set of organisms using Bayesian analysis, and the trees were examined for congruence …

Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Devices Among College Students, Kelly B. Vazquez

Theses

Electronic nicotine delivery devices (e-cigarettes) have increased in popularity over the past decade and new research will benefit the community, especially healthcare providers, as they will be providing education. To conduct this study, a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices survey was administered to students on one college campus using Qualtrics software. Results revealed that 99.4% of students were aware of e-cigarettes, 55.2% had friends who used them, 54% viewed them as safer than cigarettes, 26.3% were unaware of chemicals used, 62.7% were bothered by their use, 58.3% supported ban placements (especially females), and 55.5% thought they could be effective for smoking …

Effects Of Expressive Suppression On Emotion Recognition And Cardiovascular And Subjective Reactivity, Cassandra Baldwin

Theses

Expressive suppression is a late-occurring emotion regulation strategy in which individuals suppress the expression of their emotional behavior. Suppression was hypothesized to negatively impact the recognition of facial expressions compared to a control condition and to increase sympathetic activity. Women completed a series of emotion recognition tasks under a neutral condition, with a music emotion induction, and with a music induction while suppressing their emotional expression, concluding each block by completing subjective ratings. Pulse amplitude reactivity, reaction time, and accuracy rate were other dependent variables. Suppression while listening to music resulted in the greatest reactivity. Furthermore, listening to music without …