Digital Commons Network^™

High – Rise Housing And Social Interaction Study Under Current Chinese High-Rise Residential Situation, Yao Yao

Theses

High-rise residential buildings, accommodating the significant amount of Chinese population in urban areas, has been the most primary housing style in great cities of China today, due to the conflict between severe Chinese land use and huge population. However, after moving to high-rise housing, Chinese residents in high-rise buildings barely have social interaction with each other compared with the past decades. Additionally, less social interaction in residential housing could lead to a series of problems which have a negative influence on people’s daily lives.

Through a summary of previous research and a questionnaire, to investigate the current situation of social …

New Technology For Old Models: Can Dioramas Resonate With A Modern Audience?, Carmen Ibis Lopez

Theses

This thesis uses visitor studies from the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) to investigate whether dioramas are still a useful, resonant tool for visitor engagement and if they do fulfill this purpose, how do they do so. The case study is the newly revamped diorama Rochester in 1838: Young Lion of the West at the RMSC. This diorama, a 70-year-old model, has been mixed with modern Virtual Reality (VR) technology to create an experience that will provide the visitor with a new perspective on an old model. As context, this thesis uses the history of the diorama to show …

“Natural State”: Navigating The Experiences Of Black Women’S Natural Hair Identities, Leah Green

Theses

In 2009, The “Natural hair movement” developed and was widely discussed in online discourse. The goal of this contemporary movement was to encourage Black women to wear their natural hair to work in an effort to combat internalized negative images Black women might have surrounding natural hair. This transformative movement resulted in many books and articles being written on the shared experiences and adversities many Black women face about choosing to wear their natural hair today in the workplace. These inspiring books and articles prompted this project which will track my journey and the results of conducting a Black hair …

Representations And Representation Learning For Image Aesthetics Prediction And Image Enhancement, Michal Kucer

Theses

With the continual improvement in cell phone cameras and improvements in the connectivity of mobile devices, we have seen an exponential increase in the images that are captured, stored and shared on social media. For example, as of July 1st 2017 Instagram had over 715 million registered users which had posted just shy of 35 billion images. This represented approximately seven and nine-fold increase in the number of users and photos present on Instagram since 2012. Whether the images are stored on personal computers or reside on social networks (e.g. Instagram, Flickr), the sheer number of images calls for methods …

Exploring Students Mental Behaviors Using Unsupervised Learning Algorithms And Graph Theory, Abdullah Hussein Mohsen

Theses

With the high amount of mentally seeking behaviors among students nationwide according to Healthy minds network survey (2019) and lack of related studies to students mental health in the Gulf region, a gap is created Fatima Al-Darmaki et al. (2015) this project is executed to fill the gap by utilizing data analytics techniques to generate insights that can be used to support future decisions. Students who suffer from mental disorders are most likely to disengage from university which can be translated into a dropout. Many organizations are conducting periodically to capture as many insights to tackle those behaviors. This project …

Dynamic Speed And Separation Monitoring With On-Robot Ranging Sensor Arrays For Human And Industrial Robot Collaboration, Shitij P. Kumar

Theses

This research presents a flexible and dynamic implementation of Speed and Separation Monitoring (SSM) safety measure that optimizes the productivity of a task while ensuring human safety during Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC).

Unlike the standard static/fixed demarcated 2D safety zones based on 2D scanning LiDARs, this research presents a dynamic sensor setup that changes the safety zones based on the robot pose and motion.

The focus of this research is the implementation of a dynamic SSM safety configuration using Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor arrays placed around the centers of the links of a robot arm. It investigates the viability of on-robot …

Young Patient Education On Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Margaret Jane Atieno Mcfarland

Theses

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that primarily causes the degeneration of major muscle groups. It’s caused by the absence of an essential sarcolemma protein called Dystrophin due to mutations in its gene that is in the X-chromosome. DMD affects 1 out of 4,000 boys worldwide with most being diagnosed between ages 3-5 and if left untreated, most patients would succumb to the disorder by their late teens or early twenties. While there currently isn’t a cure for DMD, there are different treatments available that are effective in prolonging patients’ lives.

Because DMD is such a deadly disorder, …

Pleasure From Erotic Nipple Stimulation, Pre-Pregnancy, As A Predictor Of Successful Initiation Of Breastfeeding, Jessica Jolie Badonsky

Theses

The erotic association with breasts and nipples can be a barrier to breastfeeding due to fear and misunderstanding by breast feeders and health professionals alike (Polomeno, 1999). Little is known about erotic pleasure from nipple stimulation and its correlation to initiate breastfeeding. This study was to determine if erotic pleasure from nipple stimulation prior to pregnancy is a predictor of successful initiation of breastfeeding.

Hearsay, Lei Xue

Theses

The inspiration for my artworks comes from my life experience and cultural background. There is an idiom in China, “daotingtushuo,” which explains that “most people’s impressions of a certain person/thing are easily affected by irresponsible rumors.” In general, people are more likely to add their personal and emotional perspectives to a certain person/thing when describing it to others. After observation and research, the rumor propagation process needs a medium—the emotions of a human being. To materialize this concept of the emotions, I related color psychology to my work. Based on psychological research, I introduced five different colors to represent human …

An Implementation Of Embedded Software For Real Time Monitoring Of Bioimpedance, Amirahmad Ramezani

Theses

Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a convenient and highly accurate method for assessment of the internal composition of the body. It can be particularly used for evaluating the hydration level of an individual based on the amount of intracellular water (ICW) and extracellular water (ECW) in total body water (TBW). Complex impedance of the body is a function of frequency and amount of ICW and ECW. By injecting small currents at different frequency and measurement of complex impedance, we can assess the amount of ICW, ECW, and TBW. This method can be applied to Internet of Things (IoT), fitness, and clinical …

Positive And Negative Affect And Their Influences On Pain Belief, Coping, And Quality Of Life In Chronic Pain Patients Undergoing Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Savannah Michelle Kaye

Theses

The current study aimed to evaluate the influences of affectivity on pain belief, coping and quality of life in chronic pain patients. These relationships were tested using six separate Structural Equation Models. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to determine positive and negative affect from the Personality Assessment Inventory and the Millon Behavioral Diagnostic. EFA was also used to identify adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies from the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory. Pain attitudes were measured using the Survey of Pain Attitudes measure, and quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF instrument. Results …

The Use Of Social Media To Advance Sports Marketing: The Atlantic Hockey Conference, Erin Claybaugh

Theses

Social media has rapidly changed the world of communications, becoming a popular area of interest to many researchers. Sports marketing has also drastically developed and gained recognition within academia. This project evaluated the use of social media by Atlantic Hockey teams through an investigation of their social media strategies and the effectiveness of their channels. With only a small focus on the Atlantic hockey conference and the widespread growth of college hockey nationally over the years, this study was proposed out of personal interest and found necessary. Research was conducted through a series of interviews with social media coordinators of …

Safety And Effectiveness Of Stoss Therapy In Children With Vitamin D Deficiency, Paul Tannous

Theses

Objectives: Paediatric vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D - 25OHD) deficiency can lead to nutritional rickets and extra-skeletal complications. Compliance with daily therapy can be difficult, making high dose, short-term vitamin D (stoss) therapy attractive to correct vitamin D deficiency. We compared the effectiveness and safety of standard versus stoss therapy in treating childhood 25OHD deficiency.

Study Design: Children aged 2 - 16 years with 25OHD <50nmol/L were randomized to either standard (5,000IU daily for 80 days) or stoss (100,000 IU weekly for 4 weeks) cholecalciferol. Participants underwent evaluation of effectiveness and safety. 25OHD, random spot calcium: creatinine ratio (Ca:Cr) and compliance were measured at 12 weeks.

Results: 151 children were enrolled in the study (68 standard and 83 stoss), median age 9 years (IQR: 6 - 12 years). Baseline 25OHD levels were 26 nmol/L (IQR: 19 - 35 nmol/L) and 32 nmol/L …

Hysterical Women: Moral Treatment Of Female Patients In The Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, 1858 – 1908, Alexandra Wallis

Theses

From 1858 to 1908, at least 452 women were admitted to the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum. Through an exploration of nineteenth-century theories of moral treatment, new insights into female patient experiences will allow for greater understanding of Fremantle’s working-class women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including those behaviours that were considered insane. The appraisal of moral treatment techniques also allows for a new investigation into the enforcement of nineteenth-century, socially-accepted ideas of womanhood.

In its three parts, using patient records, case books, and other sources, this thesis examines understandings of women’s insanity as they evolved in nineteenth-century Britain. It …

The Barren Bear Fruit: Towards A Theology Of Marital Fruitfulness For Sterile Catholic Couples In Light Of Hans Urs Von Balthasar’S Theology Of Fruitfulness, Briony Mowbray

Theses

It is estimated that between 4.0% and 11.2% of married Catholic couples remain undesirably childless after exhausting licit medical treatments for their infertility. Yet, a critical appraisal of the documents of the Magisterium highlights an absence of substantial and constructive dialogue about fruitfulness for sterile Catholic couples. This thesis draws upon the insights of Hans Urs von Balthasar in order to construct a preliminary theology of marital fruitfulness that is specifically applicable to Christian couples unable to have biological children. Following the aforementioned appraisal of relevant Magisterial documents, this thesis is divided into two further sections. In the first section, …

From Valuable Resource To Valued Person: Ontologies Of Human Resource Management, Gregory M. Latemore

Theses

This thesis examines the conceptualisations of those who do the work of organisations as evidenced in human resource management (HRM) scholarship. It contrasts three perspectives in the HRM discourse: strategic, humanistic and personalistic, and distinguishes the world-views and philosophies within them. The four papers in the thesis address these perspectives and indicate implications for HRM theory, research and practice.

The primary research question is ‘how is the person conceptualised in the HRM discourse?’ which is answered by affirming that such conceptualisation has varied throughout the HRM tradition wherein the ‘human’ in HRM is regarded as both a valuable resource and …

Incorporating An Interdisciplinary Approach To Examine The Relationship Between Physical Capacity, Perceptual Motor Skill, Mental Toughness And Match Performance In Australian Football, Benjamin Piggott

Theses

Performance in sports involves a combination of components such as physiological, psychological and perceptual-cognitive-motor. Yet, despite a call in the literature dating back more than 20 years for an interdisciplinary approach, the majority of studies in sports science have used a monodisciplinary approach focusing on one component to understand sport performance. Accordingly, the primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the value of an interdisciplinary approach to understand match performance using Australian Football (AF) as the exemplar sport. The secondary aim of this thesis was to quantify individual differences in performance and representative task design (RTD) of tests used …

Study Of The Health Needs Of Older Women Experiencing Homelessness In The Perth Metropolitan Area, Gloria Sutherland

Theses

Women aged over 50 years represent the most rapidly growing cohort of the Australian homeless population. Despite an increasing awareness of older Australian women being at risk of homelessness, little is known of how their health contributes to, and changes due to their homelessness. Drawing on the principles of the World Health Organisation’s social determinants of health, this study sought to investigate the personal life circumstances of older homeless women who live in the Perth metropolitan area, their healthcare needs and to identify any barriers to their accessing healthcare.

The study used a convergent mixed methods approach using quantitative and …

A Western Australian Story: A Mixed Method Study Exploring Nutrition Knowledge, Food Intake, Influences On Food Choice, Body Image And Eating Attitudes Of University Students, Michelle Lambert

Theses

Emerging adults are fast gaining recognition as an important target group for health promotion as previous research indicates very few are meeting dietary guidelines, often consuming foods that have increased saturated fats, sugar and sodium. These eating patterns place this group at higher risk of developing chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Understanding how and why these eating patterns develop is important to help establish healthy eating behaviours and greater compliance to Australian Dietary Guidelines – Recommended Daily Serves (ADG-RDS) for emerging adults. International research has focused on eating habits, weight gain patterns and possible influences …

Moral Competence In Nursing: An Exploration Of The Giving Voice To Values Curriculum, Catherine Costa

Theses

The development of moral competence is central to the profession of nursing and its practice. Nurses engage in moral decision making that impacts the health of people, families, and communities. It is important, then, to ensure that nursing graduates possess the necessary moral development for engaging in professional practice. To this end, research was conducted, the principle premise of which was to explore the use of the introduction of the Giving Voice to Values curriculum (Gentile, 2010) and its contribution to the development of moral competence in nursing. The Giving Voice to Values curriculum is a values-based methodology enabling students …

Worker Psycho-Spiritual Self-Care Choices: Making Sense During Times Of Stress And Anxiety, Peter Devenish-Meares

Theses

This thesis explores and extends the use of psycho-spiritual self-care choices in support of sense-making and inner healing of workplace stress. The study was motivated by a lack of research about and the observation that, despite their usefulness in other disciplines, psycho-spiritual self-care choices are often poorly understood or ignored in the workplace. Yet, chronic stress, if left unaddressed, can lead to adverse mental health consequences. This is particularly so when harsh self-criticism, poor self-acceptance and lack of self-kindness stymie self-care and meaningful sense-making. Notably too, there is next to no research that shows how workers might detach from work …

A Study Of The Contributions Of Fr. Johannes Hofinger S.J. And Msgr. Eugene Kevane To The Catechetical Renewal Of The 20th Century And Their Relevance For Catechesis Today, Ronald Bolster

Theses

The Kerygmatic renewal of the 20th century, facilitated and documented by Fr. Johannes Hofinger, S.J., was launched in response to the recognition that the traditional method of instruction from the catechism was no longer bearing the fruit of lived Christian discipleship. During this period, Msgr. Eugene Kevane associated this decline in effectiveness with the influence of Modernism. The contributions of both were consistent with the conciliar and post-conciliar catechetical interventions of the Catholic Church. Resistance to the Church’s implementation of these interventions demonstrates that the challenge for catechesis today is a contemporary manifestation of the historical tension intrinsic to the …

Exploring The Validity Of Script Concordance Testing To Assess The Clinical Reasoning Of Medical Students, Micahel Sh Wan

Theses

Assessment of clinical reasoning is often challenging, as it is a complex process of thinking and decision making. Script Concordance Testing (SCT), using authentic clinical scenarios with diagnostic or management uncertainties, has been developed to assess clinical reasoning. As SCT is a relatively new assessment modality, more empirical evidence is needed to support the validity of SCT scores.

This thesis examines key aspects of the validity of SCT scores in the assessment of the clinical reasoning ability of medical undergraduates. A review of the current literature informs the use, design and standard setting of SCT, as well as evidence for …

Identifying And Implementing The Theology Of The Domestic Church, Mishel Stefanac

Theses

This project explores the development of the theology of the domestic church and how it can be implemented in Catholic families. It investigates the origin of the phrase domestic church, traces its development over centuries, and considers the implications this has on the Church and families. The overall objective of this project is to inquire into the significance of this term and identify the principles that ought to be incorporated in a practical resource for families.

The project begins with a comprehensive analysis of the origins of the term domestic church, and how it developed over time. It investigates why …

Help-Seeking Behaviour For Fatigue In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Doireann Ní Dhálaigh

Theses

Background: Fatigue is a common and burdensome symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although many symptoms of IBD can be debilitating, fatigue is reported to be the most burdensome. It is experienced by up to 86% of people in active disease and 41-48% in remission and impacts greatly on all aspects of people’s lives. Fatigue is an invisible symptom and can often be overlooked by healthcare professionals. Since it is invisible, it can only be made known to healthcare professionals if patients seek help for it. This study aims to explore the determinants of help-seeking behaviour for fatigue in IBD …

Leaving No Trace In The Irish Countryside: Effecting Behavioural Change Of Recreationists, Noel Doyle

Theses

The Irish countryside has become a hotspot for outdoor recreation and activity tourism. Despite the many positive impacts of these activities, adverse impacts on wildlife, the environment and farming practices are an unfortunate consequence of irresponsible behaviour. Although not all negative impacts can be mitigated by behaving responsibly, user education has been identified as crucial to reducing negative impacts and ensuring the environmental, and hence the economic, sustainability of both activity tourism and recreation. The development of effective programmes aimed at behavioural change requires a thorough investigation of the target audience and how they interact with the natural environment. This …

Exploring 4th Year Medical Students’ Learning And Understanding In Mental Health And Psychiatry, Kimberly Smith

Theses

The stigmatisation and disempowerment of mental health consumers led to the consumer recovery movement, which now underpins the reform of Western Australia’s (WA’s) mental health system. As medical professionals are one of the first lines of care for consumers, it is necessary to understand whether future doctors’ training aligns with the direction of the reform. This research explored a group of WA-based fourth-year medical students’ learning in mental health and psychiatry to understand how their knowledge and training prepared them for working with people experiencing mental or emotional distress. Conducted under a qualitative research paradigm using critical theory and underpinned …

Decoding Gender In The Selected Works Of Salman Rushdie, Zubaidah Binti Mohamed Shaburdin

Theses

This thesis examines how ideologies such as feminism and patriarchy operate within language by providing a detailed analysis of five of Salman Rushdie’s novels, Midnight’s Children, Shame, The Satanic Verses, The Ground Beneath Her Feet and The Enchantress of Florence. It is concerned with the changes in Rushdie’s use of language and the effect of this on the way gender is constructed in the selected texts. His novels offer a critique of contemporary Western culture’s understanding of gender, identity, politics, philosophy and religion. Although Rushdean scholarship is often concerned with identity politics, this thesis expands the discussion by critically engaging …

Veteran Paramedics’ Experience Of Managing Work-Related Trauma: A Qualitative Study, Ryan D. Jenkins

Theses

Paramedics throughout the world are trained to competently treat the physical injuries of patients requiring pre-hospital emergency medical care. The nature of this work exposes them to highly traumatic and often life threatening situations. As a result of working with this stress and trauma, they themselves can experience emotional, psychological, and physical trauma (Gayton & Lovell, 2012). Research suggests that they receive little education and training about how to effectively manage this trauma (Gayton & Lovelle, 2012) and that many paramedics experience symptoms of Burnout, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Depression (Beaton, 2006; Millar, 2004; Shakespeare-Finch, 2006). The impact of …

An Examination Of Pain Education Of Medical Students In Australia And New Zealand, Elspeth Shipton

Theses

Background: Unrelieved pain is a significant public health challenge in Australia and New Zealand. Medical practitioners play an essential role in the management of acute, cancer and chronic non-cancer pain.

Aim: This thesis aimed to examine the delivery of pain education at medical schools in Australia and New Zealand, and to determine how effectively it equips medical students with pain medicine competencies required for internship.

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used. Quantitative studies focused on gathering information regarding the pain-related content of medical curricula of all medical schools; and on testing pain medicine competencies of final-year medical …