Digital Commons Network^™

Social Media: On Tech-Caves, Virtual Panopticism, And The Science Fiction-Like State In Which We Unwittingly Find Ourselves, Michael Major

Theses

Making use of three historic philosophical thought experiments, this paper blends psychological perspectives with philosophical reasoning to show how social media is corrupting our perception of reality, the result of which is ultimately detrimental to society as a whole. This is accomplished by first using Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” to analyze and discuss the ways in which social media is limiting humanity’s access to real knowledge. Next, Michel Foucault’s analysis of punishment in its social context, Discipline and Punish, is used to discuss the ways in which social media is adversely affecting our behavior. Finally, Robert Nozick’s “Experience …

In Sheep’S Clothing: Reflections On The Trickery Of Nature, Moneerah Alayar

Theses

In the realm of nature as well as in human society, things are often not what they seem. Animals, plants, and humans use endless tricks and stratagems to hide their vulnerable parts, camouflage their true strength, and survive despite hazards and predators at every turn. To exist in this world as a woman is to be a student of these protective devices, to learn and adopt the techniques and behaviors that best ensure her survival against the forces of patriarchy and institutionalized oppression. She must use whatever means she can to protect herself and secure her place in the world. …

Re-Embodying Our Discipline, Chelsea Dryer

Theses

This Master's Thesis uses personal narrative and scholarly works to examine the benefits of embodiment in literary studies. Special attention is given to how lived experience can provide legitimate sources of academic evidence when examining texts and that texts can be used to integrate, examine, and reframe lived experiences.

Driving Forces In Disclosure: Self-Disclosure Goals And Intimacy At The Podium, Layne Paubel

Theses

This study examined six underlying motivations (expression, self-clarification, social validation, relationship development, social control, and information sharing) for self-disclosure in a public speaking setting and a dyadic relationship setting. Five of these goals come from Derlega and Grzelak’s (1979) functional approach to self-disclosure and one is an additional goal examined by Bazarova and Choi (2014). This study found that the relative salience of self-disclosure goals in the public speaking classroom was identity clarification, information sharing, self-expression/relief of distress, social validation, relationship development, and social control. Findings indicate that the relative salience of goals in the dyadic relationship setting was self-expression/relief …

Risk-Taking, Temper, And Impulsivity: An Investigation On The Effects Of Dimensions Of Self-Control On Adolescent Violent And Minor Delinquency., Lauren Mcleod

Theses

The current study explores potential disaggregated, simultaneous, and interactive effects of a composite scale measure of self-control on self-reported adolescent violent delinquency and minor delinquency. Using data from 616 Dutch adolescents participating in the Study of Peers, Activities, and Neighborhoods (SPAN), this exploratory study seeks to investigate the full utility of the self-control measure and its effect on adolescent delinquency. Specifically, this thesis explores if a composite measure of self-control—along with corresponding disaggregated measures—significantly predicts violent and minor delinquency independently from and simultaneously with one another. Interaction effects are also investigated with exploratory analysis. Using negative binomial regression, results indicated …

For The Sake Of The Intellect, Let Them Have Art: A Possible Reconciliation For The Value Of Mimetic Arts In The 'Republic', Breanna Liddell

Theses

This paper explores the possibility of a cohesive philosophy that recognizes both Plato’s concern about art as a moral danger in the Republic and the aesthete’s—a worthy adversary—position of art as something worth preserving. Plato understood the arts as mimêsis, or imitative and representational. Additionally, this paper suggests that Plato’s take on art extends beyond the limited realm of the performative arts that depict the misguided actions of Greek heroes and gods and how those arts positively or negatively impact the educational development of a citizen of the Republic. Rather, I assert that what he means by “art” is …

Assessing The Influence Of Variable Cognitive Load On Fatigue Development And Recovery Of The First Dorsal Interosseous Muscle, Sidharajsinh Jadeja

Theses

Localized muscle fatigue (LMF) has been associated to many adverse effects on human performance and the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). While the development of LMF can be dependent on several factors, the influence of cognitive demands is still uncertain. This study analyzed the influence of varying levels of cognitive load for a simple biomechanical system involving static exertions at a moderate level (25% of maximum voluntary capacity). Participants performed 1-hour sessions of intermittent isometric abductions of the index finger for four experimental conditions including passive rest and added cognitive load in the form of an arithmetic task. Both …

Examining University Faculty Attitudes Towards Including College Students With Disabilities In Higher Education Fn The Uae, Amel Benkohila

Theses

Recent research indicated that the success of inclusion programs is dependent on teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion. Therefore, the objective of this study was fivefold as follows: i) investigating university faculty attitudes toward including college students with disabilities in higher education, ii) examining the impact of university faculty teaching experience and their previous contact with individuals with disabilities on their attitudes towards including college students with disabilities in higher education, iii) examining the impact of the severity of the disability on the university faculty attitudes toward including college students with disabilities in higher education, iv) investigating willingness of university faculty toward …

A New Platform For Knee Surgery Patient Rehabilitation, Motivating Mirror: Providing An Interactive Experience To Knee Surgery Patients To Assist Them With A More Effective Rehabilitation., Yu He

Theses

There are many tools for knee injury patients to use for rehabilitation. Both Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists work with patients on rehabilitation to help them recover, bring them back from illness or injury. For knee surgery patients, they will go through rehabilitation including CPM (Continuous passive movement) and exercises assigned by PT (Physical Therapists) to improve recovery.

CPM is a passive motion that a machine forces patients to do, and along with and after that, patients need to be active to do other exercises themselves. Lots of patients run into trouble when rehabbing. Some of them refuse to do …

Aevum: Personalized Health Monitoring System, Abhishek Swaminathan

Theses

Advancement in the field of sensors and other portable technologies have resulted in a bevy of health monitoring devices such as blue-tooth and Wi-Fi enabled weighing scales and wearables which help individuals monitor their personal health. This collected information provides a plethora of data points over intervals of time that a primary care physician can utilize to gain a holistic understanding of an individual’s health and provide a more effective and personalized treatment. A drawback of the existing health monitoring devices is that they are not integrated with the professional medical infrastructure. With the wealth of information collected, it is …

C H R O N O S P A C E Living In The Moment: Metaphorical Motion Design, Guan-Huei Wu

Theses

Live in the present. People often put too much emphasis on their past mistakes or planning for what their future may hold. We are living in the present and should focus on “The Now.” The present is the key to our future. Everything that happened in the past has shaped where people are now in the present.

People try to erase all the bad experiences and save only the good ones. However, everything that has happened, both positive and negative, provides some intrinsic value to people. The past is unchangeable. The future is untouchable. The present is what you can …

Prognosis Of Equine Limb Fractures Based On Type And Location, Megan Gaffney

Theses

Horses are powerful animals: a galloping horse’s forefoot hits the ground with an average of about 2,000 pounds of force. This can result in many kinds of injuries. To work with and love a horse properly, the owner needs to understand more than just grooming and feeding. Owners must understand how the horse operates, particularly the structure and workings of the horse’s legs, to comprehend how a broken leg impairs a horse. This understanding enables the owner to work well with a veterinarian in determining the best course of treatment for an injury.

A review of the current veterinary literature …

An Investigation Into Teleworking As A Flexible Working Arrangement In The Irish Private Sector, Elaine Galvin

Theses

This study is based on teleworking in the Irish private sector. The aim of the research study was to assess the impact teleworking has on work-life balance, motivation and performance levels of employees working within the private sector of Ireland. The researcher had a keen interest in the research topic due to two major storms that hit Ireland during late 2017 and early 2018. Storm Ophelia was one of the worst Atlantic hurricanes on record to hit Ireland in 50 years (Siggins, 2017). Storm Emma hit Ireland at the end of February and start of March 2018, this storm was …

Retaining Nurses In The Irish Health Service: What Role Does Human Resource Management Play In Employee Retention?, Aishling O'Gorman

Theses

This thesis focuses on the role of Human Resource Management for employee retention. Given the critical shortage of nurses within Irelands healthcare workforce, the need for first class recruitment and retention strategies is vital. Management should be actively working to attract, recruit and retain nurses within the sector.

In an attempt to investigate the turnover and retention of nurses in the Irish Healthcare workforce research was carried out in the form of surveys and semi structured interviews. The study draws upon a survey gathering both qualitative and quantitative data from 117 nurses currently employed in Irish hospitals. It also draws …

Designing And Evaluating The Impact Of An Inclusive Aquatics Training Programme For Aquatic Tutors And Teachers, Lucy Cush

Theses

Every human has a fundamental right to physical education, physical activity and sport without discrimination. To achieve quality physical education, physical activity and sport, the associated support personnel, professionals and volunteers alike should be appropriately enabled through suitable training. For people with disabilities, aquatic activities are a recognised method of developing physical and motor skills, social skills and developing selfesteem (Getz, Hutzler and Vermeer, 2006). Hence, aquatics being the most popular physical activity for people with a disability (Irish Sports Monitor, 2015).

A key factor that determines the success of an inclusive aquatic programme is the aquatic instmctor (Conaster et …

The Impact Of Humor On Stress Responses During A Listening Span Task, Cynthia L. Stanley

Theses

The current experiment examined how humor influences the effects of stress induced by mental workload. Participants completed a Modified Listening Span task (MLS) that was chosen to induce mental workload and measure working memory capacity. Participants also viewed a series of neutral and positive images, one of three videos, completed a workload measure before and after the MLS, and pulse wave amplitude readings were collected throughout the experiment. Participants reported higher workload ratings following completion of the MLS, demonstrating an increased mental workload. Subjective stress ratings and PWA readings were higher following the completion of the MLS, illustrating an increase …

Effect Of A Nurse-Led Lymphoma Survivorship Model Of Care: A Pragmatic Phase Ii Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, Karen Taylor

Theses

Background: Cancer survivorship is recognised as an integral component of the cancer continuum. Robust evidence on how best to deliver tailored survivorship care is limited, particularly for individuals affected by rarer cancers such as lymphoma, a potentially curable haematological cancer. These survivors may face long-term and late effects affecting quality of life due to the aggressiveness of the disease and treatment that may not be adequately addressed in current follow-up models of care.

Aim: To develop and pilot test a nurse-led model of survivorship care intervention that utilises an individualised survivorship care plan and treatment summary (SCPTS), motivational interviewing, tailored …

Psychometric Testing Of The Endotracheal Suction Assessment Tool© (Esat©): An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Kylie Davies

Theses

Background: Endotracheal tube (ETT) suction is a common nursing procedure performed in paediatric intensive care settings. Significant side effects of this procedure can dramatically affect the stability of the critically ill ventilated paediatric patient. The lack of clear standards for determining when the procedure is warranted, especially in paediatrics, can present challenges for the inexperienced paediatric intensive care nurse when assessing a patient’s need for ETT suction. Previous research underpinned the development of an Endotracheal Suction Assessment Tool© (ESAT©) to guide inexperienced nurses through the decision making process to determine suction requirements. The aim of the ESAT© is to improve …

Between Forum And Tower: The Sources Of Political Judgement In The Leadership Of Pope John Paul Ii, Cormac Mccaughan

Theses

According to Mary Ann Glendon, scholars and statespersons have often grappled with a tension of pursuing their political ideals within practical realities. In The Forum and The Tower, Glendon examines how the political judgments of prominent public figures illuminates how conceptions of political ends inform, or do not inform, those decisions. This thesis draws from contemporary debates on Aristotle’s phronesis to explore how political actors deliberate between acting with integrity and compromising their political ideals. It develops a theoretical framework to examine the sources of political judgment in the leadership of Pope John Paul II towards Communist authority in Poland. …

The Plight Of Mass Man & The Concept Of Creatura According To Romano Guardini & Josef Pieper, Andriya Martinovic

Theses

This thesis argues that the plight of Mass Man finds relief when creaturely awareness is practised. For Guardini, a close reading of key passages substantiates the basis for the thesis. The Pieper response considers a broad selection of texts to affirm what is explicit in Guardini regarding Mass Man, established continuity with it, and to explicate what Guardini infers regarding creatura. Chapter 1 finds that Guardini affirms the goodness of matter or masses, and man’s mediative role in perfecting it (Ur-Werk), by drawing upon Augustine’s theory of hyle as creation; but shows the possibility of massification when man, as created …

Promoting Student Belongingness: The Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of A Toolkit For Nurses, Christine King

Theses

The literature suggests that the need to belong to a community influences health and wellbeing, which in turn affects behavioural, and cognitive responses. However, student nurses are often in a vulnerable position of being excluded intentionally or otherwise from ward/unit activities. This can lead to feelings of isolation and poor achievement.

The aim of this project was to design and develop a toolkit for nurses in an e-learning format using reflective learning to promote a sense of belonging and inclusion of student nurses in the clinical team. Upon completion of the development of the e-learning program, distribution commenced to selected …

Religious Free Speech And Anti-Discrimination Laws In Australia, Isabel Rocha De Sousa

Theses

This thesis addresses the delicate relationship between Religious Free Speech and Australian Anti-discrimination laws. There are an increasing number of conflicts arising between religious and secular speech. Different opinions related to sensitive matters often result in social and legal disputes. Some of these disputes become complaints under Anti-discrimination laws and arguably lead to less freedom of conscience and speech.

This thesis focuses on ‘the relationship between Religious Free Speech and Anti-discrimination laws’. This is done though critical analysis of relevant literature, cases and legislation, contextualising them in response to the questions proposed in the research paper.

The Who.I.Am Study : Identity Formation And Motor Competence In Adolescents, Amanda Timler

Theses

Our sense of identity is an emergent concept that develops over the lifespan in response to many factors, however the adolescent phase is the most critical. During adolescence, some factors that influence identity are level of parent and peer support, environmental stresses and the ability to form personal interests and goals. These factors influence the health of one’s identity in both positive and negative ways, which may differ between males and females. Therefore, identity health refers to an individual’s capacity to develop a positive sense of self and to integrate their self within a number of valuable social settings. One …

"No Sir, It’S Not Discrimination, You’Re Just Too Old". An Auto-Ethnography Of The Effects Of Perceived Age Discrimination Among Older Australian Male Professionals., Colin Brown

Theses

This thesis investigates the effects of perceived age discrimination in employment practices on Australian professional men. It commences by outlining the global setting of the age discrimination phenomenon, and then draws attention to the myths and stereotypes that have engendered this unsavoury, often hidden, form of discrimination by focusing on the attitudes of recruitment agencies, private and government employers and older workers themselves. The thesis examines the literature on the multiple negative effects of discrimination, and then presents the method used, the personal interviews, the analysis and findings, and finally, the conclusion.

There is limited ethnographic research into the psychological …

Intensive Care Nurses’ Attitudes, Beliefs And Reported Practices Relating To Patient Sleep: A Descriptive Study, Rebecca Hahn

Theses

Empirical evidence suggests that patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) experience chronic sleep disturbance, leading to sleep deprivation. Multiple intrinsic and external factors contribute to poor quantity and quality of sleep among critically ill patients. Noise, light and clinical interventions are some of the external factors most disruptive to patient sleep in the ICU. Given that nurses are the gatekeepers to the ICU, understanding their perceptions and practices relating to patient sleep is necessary to elicit change. However, ICU nurses’ attitudes, beliefs and practices relating to sleep are poorly understood.

Using a descriptive survey method, this study investigated …

Resilience And Coping In Survivors Of Unwanted Sexual Contact: Do Gender And Service Utilization Make A Difference?, Madeleine Frankford

Theses

While rates of sexual assault vary widely across studies, strong evidence exists that women, as well as men, face a risk of being sexually victimized during their college years (Artime & Buchholz, 2016; Krebs et al., 2007; Moors & Webber, 2013). The goal of the current study was to examine the association between gender and service utilization on measures of resilience and coping in victims of unwanted sexual contact. As part of a larger campus climate survey, college students who identified as having experienced an incident of unwanted sexual contact since becoming a student at the university were asked a …

The Use Of Machine Learning To Detect Suckling In Pre-Weaned Calves, Sukumar Katamreddy

Theses

The weaning of cattle is a process which is known to be labour intensive and to have stressful effects on both cow and calf Common methods used in the weaning process include the temporary removal of a mother from the calf and manual observation and intervention. Early and speedy weaning is known to have a number of benefits, including health benefits for both cow and calf, additional weight gains for the calves as well as reduced labour and feed requirements. The process known as Two-Stage Weaning is recognised to be an effective low-stress approach to weaning in which the calf …

Changes In Nadph Oxidase (Nox) Protein Isoforms And Downstream Reactions As Function Of Time And Overpressure In Blast Tbi, Smit Prakash Shah

Theses

Blast-induced Traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a leading cause of morbidity in soldiers on the battlefield and training sites with long-term neurological and psychological pathologies. Among many pathological sequela of blast TBI, oxidative stress has been identified as a major factor contributing to the pathophysiology of bTBI. Recent studies have demonstrated activation of oxidative stress pathways following blast injury but their distribution among different brain regions as function of post injury time and Blast over pressure (BOP) have not been explored. The present study examines the protein expression of NADP oxidase (NOX) isoforms 1 & 2, corresponding superoxide production, a …

Development Of The Alabama Prisoner Quality Of Life Survey, Mckenzie L. Alden

Theses

Quality of life (QOL) is a subjective evaluation of an individual’s position in life, and is context dependent. No research to date focuses on QOL in general inmate populations in the United States (U.S.). The aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound inmate QOL scale beta version for use with inmates in the U.S. prison system. A 136- item inmate QOL questionnaire was administered to 216 inmates at Limestone Correctional Facility (LCF) in Harvest, Alabama. Items were developed based on interviews with 38 LCF Correctional Officers and 77 LCF inmates, and previous research conducted in England and …

Beyond The Pink Ribbon: An Exploration Of The Experience Of Self-Compassion In Western Australian Women Survivors Of Breast Cancer, Helen Wilson

Theses

Using a phenomenological lens this qualitative study explored the experience of self-compassion in self and other relating in Western Australian women breast cancer survivors (BCS). A purposive sample of 17 participants were drawn from women aged between 35 and 70 years of age who had completed treatment for primary breast cancer and had been disease-free for a minimum period of 12 months.

Participants were asked to take part in an in-depth semi-structured interview.

Additionally, eight participants interviewed engaged in three, one-hour Opening to

Self-Compassion sessions and three, four-hour sessions (12-hours in total) of a

Personal Reflection Program.

Data was …