Digital Commons Network^™

Negotiating With-Ness: Midwives' Lived Experiences Of Gender, Inclusive Language, And Professional Identity., Kimberley-Ann De Wet

Theses

This research investigated midwives lived experiences of using gender-inclusive language in public maternity care, examining how linguistic practices intersect with professional identity, ethical commitment, and institutional constraint. Informed by feminist theory and guided by descriptive phenomenology with a constructivist paradigm, the study explored how midwives navigate the profession’s foundational ethos of being ‘with woman’ while responding to the ethical imperative to provide inclusive care in an increasingly diverse society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight practising midwives in Western Australia, generating rich descriptions of how inclusive language is enacted, negotiated, and constrained in practice. Reflexive thematic analysis produced three overarching …

A Framework For Mixed Reality Within Healthcare Education, Benyamin Ebadinia

Theses

Understanding complex three-dimensional systems and spatial relationships is a recurring difficulty in healthcare education, where students are often expected to reason about internal structures and multi-system processes from 2D diagrams, textbook figures, and static mannequins. This thesis presents the design, implementation, and mixed-methods evaluation of Systems Simulation, a reusable mixed reality (MR) application intended to help undergraduate nursing students explore human anatomy and pathophysiology using immersive 3D visualization.

Built in C# with the StereoKit framework for Microsoft HoloLens 2, Systems Simulation organizes nine anatomical body systems within a shared application. Learners can select a system, anchor the model in their …

Internet Of Things (Iot) In Developing Smart City Traffic Management Systems In Dubai, Ayesha Ahmed Alnuaimi

Theses

Traffic congestion is an ever-present problem affecting most cities, negatively affecting the economy, the environment, and people’s quality of life. Dubai is one of the rapidly growing cities in terms of urbanization and the usage of technologies, and it is aware of the ability of IoT to design intelligent city traffic control systems to resolve this problem. Consequently, this study sought to assess the implication of IoT in improving traffic management systems within the Emirate of Dubai, gleaning data concerning the factors that have a direct impact on the implementation of the IoT, the challenges, and barriers met during the …

Surveillance Report​: Che-Wei Hsu​, Che-Wei Hsu

Theses

Face ID: A Surveil of Che-Wei Hsu is a lens based artistic investigation and experience into the nature of surveillance in modern society. Through performance, photography, and installation, my work explores the dynamics between being watched and watching, questioning how surveillance influences human behavior and identity. In my art practice, I think about the behavior that people would not do in front of other people or violate the social norm and perform in the public as a way to experience how surveillance influences how we act in the public, for example eating a sandwich on the ladder in front of …

Neuro-Evolution For Multivariate Time Series Anomaly Detection, Aryan Jha

Theses

Given the exponential growth of data in various sectors, the timely identification of anomalies has become crucial in mitigating risks such as financial losses and data breaches. This research focuses on advancing multivariate time series anomaly detection through the innovative application of neuro-evolutionary methods. Utilizing the Evolutionary eXploration of Augmenting Memory Models (EXAMM) algorithm, the study automates the design and optimization of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) autoencoder networks, enabling enhanced forecasting capabilities in recurrent neural network architectures. Leveraging these networks along with a One-Class Support Vector Machine (OCSVM) to generate boundary thresholds, this project delivers a robust and scalable procedure …

Fake News Detection In Arabic Media Using Machine Learning And The Afnd Dataset, Hussain Ali Bahri

Theses

The proliferation of fake news in digital media poses a significant challenge to information credibility, particularly in linguistically diverse regions such as the Arab world. This study addresses the critical problem of detecting fake news in Arabic media by leveraging advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques and the AFND dataset, which contains over 600,000 news articles categorized into "credible," "not credible," and "undecided" classes. The research focuses on developing a robust system using AraBERT, a transformer-based model specifically pre-trained for Arabic text. Key contributions of this work include a comprehensive preprocessing pipeline tailored to Arabic linguistic complexities, incorporating stopword removal, …

Determinants Of Profitability In Uae Banks (2019-2023): An Analysis And Forecast For The Next Five Years, Rashed Aljanahi

Theses

This study aims to analyze the factors that led to the banks' profitability in UAE from 2019 to 2023 based on factors such as capital adequacy, asset quality, and liquidity. With these factors and Return on Assets, the study seeks to determine the link between the variables affecting financial performance in the banking sector. The study relies on quantitative data from UAE banks to include statistical analysis and construct predictive models. The relationships between the variables are established using Multiple Linear Regression. At the same time, Random Forest Algorithms explore Non-Linear Interactions and Time Series Analysis using ARIMA models to …

Leveraging Future Foresight And Planning In Human Resource Management: Preparing Organizations For The Workforce Of Tomorrow, Naser Althehli

Theses

As organizations face unprecedented uncertainty as they navigate a complicated and fast-changing world, the ability to anticipate and adapt to workforce shifts has become more crucial than ever. This thesis examines how future foresight and strategic planning in human resource management (HRM) can reinforce organizational adaptability and maintain a competitive edge. By analyzing key drivers of change—including technological advancements, demographic shifts, political dynamics, and socio-economic trends—the study identifies innovative HRM strategies that enable organizations to address emerging workforce challenges and opportunities proactively. Through a structured evaluation of foresight techniques, this research highlights best practices for cultivating a resilient and future-ready …

The Implementation Of The Queensland Health Smoking Cessation Clinical Pathway In A Western Australian Private Hospital Setting: A Feasibility, Leah Jane Epton

Theses

As smoking is prohibited on most hospital grounds, hospitalisation presents a valuable opportunity for healthcare professionals to identify smokers, administer smoking cessation treatments, and ensure appropriate inpatient support, as well as continued follow-up on discharge. It has been reported both anecdotally and in published research that encouragement from a health professional is a significant external prompt for a smoker to attempt quitting. It has also been noted in the inpatient setting, one in every 33 conversations will lead to the successful cessation of smoking.

More broadly, a 2012 Cochrane review on smoking cessation interventions for inpatients identified that they are …

Vision Or Exemplification? Augustine And Aquinas On Divine Illumination, Matthew Richard Cain

Theses

Many interpreters of Thomas Aquinas since the second half of the twentieth-century emphasise the Platonist dimensions of his thought, particularly his metaphysics. This contrasts with, and is a shift away from, the dominant Aristotelian interpretations of previous generations. Aquinas’s theory of knowledge, however, tends still to be interpreted in Aristotelian terms, according to which Augustine’s Platonist illuminationism is replaced by a Peripatetic emphasis on sensation and abstraction in the soul.

This thesis reexamines the role of illumination in Augustine and Aquinas’ theories of knowledge. It asks whether scholarship today ought to reconceive the relationship between these two major thinkers in …

Defining Barriers In Pulmonary Hypertension: Pulmonary Hypertension In Remote And Rural Settings In Australia: An Epidemiologic Study Aided By Echocardiography, Pyi Naing

Theses

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common, complex, and potentially lethal haemodynamic condition with many underlying aetiologies. It is poorly understood, and diagnosis is usually made late in the disease process resulting in poor outcomes even in the developed world. An innovative universal framework is required to achieve early and accurate diagnosis for improved outcomes, especially in remote and rural areas. The thesis documents my substantial body of work that unlocks a collective framework to assist patients with PH, particularly in areas not classically serviced by tertiary level PH care.

The first chapter of my thesis outlines the history, important milestones …

A Public For The Problem: Vocabularies Of Belonging At The Climate Precipice, Louisa Stredwick

Theses

This study proposes the central concepts of belonging and vocabulary to critically analyse and recompose current approaches to more-than-human relationship that are inadequate and counterproductive. Contemporary vocabularies of belonging are inadequate because they fail to account for the practicalities of an expansive human and more-than-human ‘we’, and they are underpinned by extractivist or idealist logics. They are counterproductive because they carry embedded dualisms that often directly counter intended messages of inherent relationality. A largely theoretical work, the thesis is informed by a field philosophy approach in the Environmental Humanities, working alongside the Martuwarra (Fitzroy) River, in North-Western Australia, and its …

Leading To Serve: Participants' Perception Of A Servant Leadership Program In Anglican School Contexts, Keith Charles Peterson

Theses

This PhD study researched the impact of a servant leadership development program on the culture and practice of two Anglican faith schools. The intent was to document and enhance these schools’ culture and practice through the design, application and outcomes of this developmental process. The rationale for this study stems from the increasing awareness of servant leadership as a formatively based approach that has depth and integrity of alignment with the relationally set values of care, community and service implicit to faith-based education. By demonstrating the alignment between the intent for servant leadership and its actual application and outcomes, this …

Nursing Students' Clinical Placement Experience In A Residential Aged Care Facility: A Comparative Study, Nitasha Aarni Narayan

Theses

Nursing education programs play a significant role in preparing future nurses to care for the growing number of older people who will require health care. A key component of this preparation is the learning that nursing students acquire through clinical placement experience in a residential aged care facility. This clinical placement provides them with opportunities to experience caring for older adults. However, many students are reportedly reluctant to accept clinical placement in aged care and are ill-prepared for the challenges of the residential aged care facility environment. Hence, it is important for the development of future nursing programs and the …

The Perceptions Of Principals And Faith Leaders Regarding The Transmission Of Presentation Charism In Australian Presentation Schools, Gemma Louise Thomson

Theses

This purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of Principals and Faith Leaders regarding the transmission of Presentation charism in Australian Presentation schools. In particular, the study investigated how Principals and Faith Leaders perceive the nature of Presentation charism, as well as how it is evidenced in their leadership approaches in Catholic schools in the Presentation tradition. Furthermore, the study explored the perceptions of Principals, Faith Leaders and Presentation Sisters of what is required to formally and informally transmit the Presentation charism in Australian Presentation schools. The study’s review of literature identified four areas of literature that formed …

The Changing Nature Of Outdoor Play Spaces In West Australian Primary Schools: An Exploratory Case Study. Exploring Play Opportunities, Design And Utilisation Of An Intentionally Designed Nature Play Space (Idnps)., Catherine Fitzhardinge

Theses

The development, wellbeing and learning of children is of global importance; opportunities that promote healthy childhood development have long lasting social and economic impacts. Play is the primary occupation through which children develop; nature play provides opportunities for physical, cognitive, social and emotional skill development. West Australian (WA) schools are installing intentionally designed nature play spaces (IDNPS) to support outdoor play opportunities and connection to nature. However, there is little contextual evidence regarding how these spaces are designed and utilised to support child development, wellbeing and learning.

This exploratory, mixed methods case study examined how children aged 4-7 years old …

Exploring The Perceived Impact Of Hearing Impairment On The Mental Health And Well-Being Of Adults, Jacinta Ruth Marks

Theses

This thesis explores the perceived impact of hearing impairment on the mental health and well-being of Australian adults, responding to a growing need to understand how hearing challenges affect people beyond clinical or audiological measures. While hearing impairment is commonly framed through medical or functional models, its psychosocial effects remain underexplored, particularly in relation to stigma, identity, and mental well-being. This study addresses that gap by centring lived experience and examining how adults with hearing impairment navigate everyday life, social expectations, and systemic barriers. Grounded in a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm and informed by a disability studies lens, the research investigates the …

Learning To Be 'With Woman': The Lived Experience Of Studying Midwifery, A Phenomenological Study, Ashlee Guerin

Theses

At the heart of midwifery lies a philosophy grounded by the principle of being ‘with woman’. This core philosophy defines the profession itself, reflected in the etymology of the word midwife, derived from the Anglo-Saxon terms mid (with) and wif (woman), reflecting a tradition of relational care embedded within the profession. Understanding and embodying this philosophy is fundamental for midwifery students, as it shapes their professional identity, informs clinical decision-making, and underpins the provision of care that is safe, respectful and in partnership with women across their childbearing journey. Learning to be ‘with woman’ fosters respect, advocacy, and partnership, ensuring …

The Wellbeing Experiences Of Newly Employed Teachers At High-Fee-Paying, Independent, Pre-Kindergarten To Year 12 Schools In Perth, Western Austalia, Helen Mary Aguiar

Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the wellbeing experiences of newly employed teachers at high-fee-paying, independent, Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 schools in Perth, Western Australia. The research explored two factors: experiences that enhance teacher wellbeing and experiences that diminish the wellbeing of newly employed teachers in these schools.

The review of literature highlighted four areas that formed the conceptual framework for the thesis. These four areas were the role of the teacher, wellbeing defined, the factors enhancing teacher wellbeing and the factors diminishing teacher wellbeing. These areas led to the development of the primary research question and the …

Consumer Buying Behaviour Towards Organic Food In Sri Lanka: Imports From Australia, Nalaka Kaushayla Mohotti

Theses

The Australian organic agriculture industry is thriving, with 9.9% of its agricultural land certified organic and production concentrated in fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy, collectively valued at over AUD 2 billion. At the same time, South Asia, including Sri Lanka, is experiencing significant growth in organic agriculture markets. In 1994, Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) was discovered among Sri Lankan paddy farmers. Research in 2012 linked it to hard water, pesticides, and heavy metals, triggering a pesticide ban and the ‘A Pesticides Free Nation’ program. This study analyses consumer buying behaviour for organic food in Sri Lanka, focusing …

Bayesian Networks For Safety-Critical Systems, Joseph Mietkiewicz

Theses

This thesis addresses a operational challenge in modern industrial operations: the increasing complexity of systems and the consequent cognitive burden on operators. As industrial technologies advance, the human-computer interface has become the primary conduit for information flow, playing a pivotal role in operational decision-making. However, the proliferation of data often leads to information overload, potentially compromising rather than enhancing operator performance. This research explores an approach to this pressing issue through the application of Bayesian networks as decision support systems in safety- critical scenarios. Our study employs a multi-faceted approach, combining theoretical modeling with empirical testing. Through collaboration with industry …

The Effects Of Color, Framing, And System Certainty Information On Human-Machine Teaming, Bryanna S. Hamblin

Theses

This study examined the effects of socially learned predispositions, such as framing and color, on the use of certainty information from an automated teammate in the context of human-machine teaming. Participants were randomly assigned to a color condition (red, green, black) and saw a series of 30 certainty icons (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) in each framing condition (success, failure). A 2 x 5 x 3 mixed subjects design was used to analyze the effects of each of these factors on the acceptance rates of the automation’s suggestion and the decision response time. The analysis found that color, framing, and …

Investigation Into Floral Structure Traits In Miscanthus, Wren Jenkins

Theses

Awns and callus hairs are significant dispersal traits of Miscanthus - understanding them will be essential in domesticating this crop. Due to their small size, these structures can be challenging to phenotype. To aid this, a method has been developed for automated length measurement via computational image analysis in Python. Lengths for both structures have been collected and processed for all plants in both the Mississippi State University and Alabama A&M University research fields. The measurements from both sites were compiled and mapped against the Miscanthus genome to create multiple Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) maps of inflorescence trait-affecting genes. Chromosomes …

Sex And Eugenics : A Memoir In Poetry And Prose, Amy Vaillancourt

Theses

This memoir is a work of hybrid creative nonfiction which incorporates the genres of essay, memoir and poetry. The memoirist uses multiple forms to address topics from their experience with Turner Syndrome, accessing medical care, medicine and coming to identify as disabled among many aspects of themself. The memoir asks the question; how do we live in a world where both sex and eugenics exist? It starts with the local -- the experience of one individual and expands into something farther reaching – the experiences of others over time. It begins with the perspective and understanding of the author’s own …

Characterization And Comparison Of Skin And Exoskeleton Microbiomes Of Stygobiotic Fauna And The Influence Of Environmental Variables On Microbiome Diversity And Composition, Bjorn Van Peterson

Theses

Caves and other subterranean ecosystems are among the most understudied ecosystems globally and house unique and ecologically important biodiversity. While several studies have characterized the microbial communities of respective cave systems, research on microbiomes of cave fauna has been limited. This study investigated microbiomes for aquatic cave fauna in the southern Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee and Alabama, USA. Exoskeleton and skin swabs were taken from three species of cave-dwelling crayfishes, two species of salamanders, and one cavefish. Bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified in microbiomes of hosts included primarily members of the phylum Pseudomonadota, but also the phyla Acidobacteriota, Actinomycetota, …

Expression, Purification, And Characterization Of The Angiopoietin-Like 4 Protein N-Terminus, Alexis Leann Paskach

Theses

This research focused on developing protocols to express and purify the N-terminus of angiopoietin-like protein 4 (nANGPTL4), and identify its structural characteristics to understand its possible contribution to cancer metastasis. Bacteria expression was optimized by adding magnesium, calcium, and glycerol to the initial Luria-Bertani (LB) broth incubation, then transferring to Terrific Broth (TB) for induction. Purification was enhanced through overnight nickel resin suspension, extended sonification, and buffer adjustments. Protein recovery was further improved by transferring size exclusion columns to G50 superfine resin. Protein purity was analyzed using SDS-PAGE and native gel electrophoresis, while protein content was determined through UV-Vis spectroscopy. …

Multi-Factor Mathematical Optimization For Healthcare Referral And Facility Placement, Mitchell Moody

Theses

This thesis addresses the challenge of optimizing patient referrals in healthcare systems by integrating clinical needs, geographic proximity, and dynamic infection risk. Healthcare referral networks (HRNs), which capture patient transfers between hospitals, serve as the foundation of the study. First, a recommendation algorithm is developed to assign patients by jointly considering clinical compatibility and logistical considerations like travel distance, striking a balance between quality and accessibility. Building on this, a reinforcement learning framework is proposed to dynamically adjust referral strategies for vulnerable patients by incorporating the evolving risk of hospital-acquired infections. Finally, long-term planning is explored through methods that recommend …

Generation Of True Random Numbers With Actively Stabilized, Low Dimensional Chaos, Aidan Barton

Theses

True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) are heavily used and their design often relies on empirical validation from statistical test suites. Reliance solely on empirical observations to estimate entropy rates for cryptographic applications introduces risk, as accurately inferring long-term correlations demands prohibitively large datasets. Empirical validation of TRNGs must be supplemented by strong theoretical backing to justify estimated information theoretic quantities. We present an electronic, hardware TRNG scheme that produces a maximally random output guaranteed from first principles. This TRNG uses a pulse-width based hardware realization of an iterated map that produces physical entropy via low-dimensional chaotic dynamics. The simple dynamics …

Optimizing Reliability And Design Efficiency Of Liquid Rocket Engines : A Structural Margin Approach For The Early Design Lifecycle, Mason Tudor

Theses

This thesis introduces a reliability-based design methodology aimed at mitigating costs incurred during the Test-Fail-Fix cycle for Liquid Rocket Engines (LREs) by addressing the limitations of the standard Factor of Safety (FoS) approach. By integrating a neural network informed by a structural model into a Bayesian framework for uncertainty quantification, the methodology enables the characterization of structural margin and early analysis of failure risks in the design lifecycle. A generalized 3D component geometry is subjected to typical LRE loading environments within Finite Element Analysis software to gather data for stress and strength distributions. These distributions serve as a foundation for …

Application Of Machine Learning To Predict Ultrasound Wave Propagation In Biphasic Fluid–Solid Media, Jahnavi Dandamudi

Theses

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the application of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict ultrasound wave propagation in the cartilage tissue of the knee joint. The learning data necessary for the ML algorithm has been generated through finite-element method (FEM)-based simulations for solving the Biot theory equations governing the propagation of continuous ultrasound through the cartilage. Specifically, we computed the ultrasound-induced dilatations and displacements in the microscale cartilage that is represented as consisting of four zones, namely the chondrocyte cell and its nucleus, the pericellular matrix (PCM) that forms a layer around the chondrocyte, and the extracellular …