Digital Commons Network^™

Advance Care Planning In Cancer Patient - Caregiver Dyads, Natasha Michael

Theses

For many, a cancer diagnosis signals death's inevitability and elicits much existential concern. In the quest for life prolongation, many are offered or seek life-sustaining treatments, fail to appreciate a declining trajectory and lack the opportunity to seek information or plan meaningfully for their future.

Advance care planning (ACP) provides an avenue for patients and their caregivers to plan for future care. ACP is defined ‘as a process that supports adults at any age or stage of health in understanding and sharing their personal values, life goals and preferences regarding future medical care’ and is a key quality indicator in …

The Characteristics Of Senior Leadership Teams In High Performing Western Australian Catholic Composite And Secondary Schools, Daniel Michael Groenewald

Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of principals, senior leadership team members, and middle leaders regarding the characteristics of senior leadership teams (SLTs) in high-performing Catholic Education Western Australian composite and secondary schools (CCSS). The study investigated the characteristics that enhanced and inhibited SLTs. It explored the resources and professional learning that could improve SLTs and the role of the principal in the SLT. This research is the first study of SLTs in CCSS.

The study's literature review identified six areas of literature that formed the conceptual framework of this thesis. These six areas were: the …

Household Recycling Behaviour In Metropolitan Australia: A Social Practice Theory Perspective, Susann Noe

Theses

Australians generate almost 545kg of annual kerbside waste per capita, one of the highest amounts compared to other OECD countries (Blue Environment, 2022). Although kerbside systems in Australian metropolitan areas are well-developed and the recycling practice is considered a social norm, residents' inaccurate handling of recyclable items send as much as 35% of valuable recyclable materials to landfill, contributing to environmental harm (Cleanaway Waste Management Limited, 2021). Furthermore, newly established recycling schemes in Australian jurisdictions are not used to their full potential.

In the context of both issues, the current thesis aims to understand the underperforming nature of recycling practices …

The Perceptions Of Year 5 And 6 Students, Their Teachers And The School Principal Of Their Australian Identity And The School's Role In Developing Students' Australian Identity., Renae Nahajski

Theses

The aim of this qualitative research was to investigate the perceptions of Year 5 and 6 students, their teachers and the school principal of their Australian identity and the school’s role in the development of Australian identity. The study explores participants’ perceptions of their own identity and investigates where and when students feel they are taught about Australian identity.

The research also investigates where and when the principal and teachers feel the school develops students’ Australian identity. The review of the literature highlighted three areas that formed the conceptual framework for the study. The three areas were national identity; curriculum; …

Wellbeing In The Outdoors: Exploring The Impact Of An Outdoor Adventure Education Program For The Social And Emotional Wellbeing Of Western Australian Adolescents From Selected Independent Schools, Michael Down

Theses

Outdoor adventure education (OAE) programs encompass practical outdoor activities, such as hiking or canoeing, and activities promoting interpersonal and intrapersonal development. Participants are challenged in a manner that appeals to typical risk-taking behaviours common in adolescents, resulting in benefits such as resilience development, personal growth, individual empowerment, and self-efficacy. OAE is commonly used to support positive physical, emotional, and psychological changes among adolescents.

This research aimed to determine the most impactful OAE activities for adolescent wellbeing. A sequential mixed-methods research design using a pragmatic approach was undertaken to identify the most impactful OAE elements for participant wellbeing. This research involved …

Contralateral Acl Rupture Is More Common Than Acl Graft Rupture In Australian Netballers After Acl Reconstruction, Conor Honeywill

Theses

Background: Netball is a popular sport worldwide, particularly in females. The nature of the sport makes it high-risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Purpose: The primary outcome was to determine the prevalence of ACL graft rupture and contralateral ACL (CACL) rupture in Australian female netballers following ACL Reconstruction (ACLR). Additionally, this study aimed to determine the rate of return to sport and psychological readiness.

Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study

Methods: From a prospective database, 332 consecutive ACLR with hamstring autograft conducted between the years 2007-2015 performed by 2 surgeons in female netball players were identified. Patients were retrospectively surveyed at …

Improving Care In End-Stage Dementia With The End Of Life Care Assessment Tool For Advanced Dementia: A Multi Method Study, Carolyn Heather Bourke

Theses

Introduction

Often people living with advanced dementia do not receive person-centred palliative care until they are terminal. Two common barriers preventing provision of person-centred palliative care is staff’s uncertainty of dementia severity/stage and insufficient staff training in dementia symptom assessment. Evidence suggests that residential aged care nurses would benefit from gaining access to a measure that can build essential knowledge and skills in identifying advanced dementia symptoms, to ensure that planned care and support is responsive to the needs of the individual. The aims of this project were to develop and validate an advanced dementia symptom measure for use in …

An Exploration Of The Causes And Effects Of Interpersonal Conflict Related Stress Among A Self-Selected Cohort Of Second Level Teachers In Ireland, Patrick Bruce

Theses

Teaching has been classified by researchers as a high stress profession. Stress in teaching has been reported to have many negative health outcomes and also affects productivity. The literature also reports that stress in teaching is a difficult matter to resolve satisfactorily, with mixed outcomes from interventions. An emergent cause of work-related stress in education is IPC and this study sets out to investigate the prevalence of this underreported phenomena.

A sample of 25 teachers working in Irish second level schools were recruited. Semi structured interviews were conducted to report on the experiences of stress, it’s causes and effects both …

Pedagogical Approaches To Enhancing Student Self-Efficacy And Addressing Gender Inequality In Undergraduate Stem, Gintarė Lübeck

Theses

Previous research has shown that the success and retention of students in STEM university programmes are highly correlated with their self-efficacy beliefs, and women and gender minority students in STEM have been consistently found to possess lower self-efficacy than men. Since specific teaching and learning practices are known to contribute to increased self-efficacy and help diversify STEM education, this study sought to identify which pedagogical approaches are effective in creating a more equitable learning environment in introductory STEM classes by positively contributing to students’ self-efficacy. This study employed methodological triangulation and synthesised findings from self-efficacy questionnaires, classroom observations, and a …

Trust In Automation And The Consequences Of Reliance On Monitoring Checks, Jenna E. Cotter

Theses

As automation becomes increasingly prevalent across society, it is crucial to further understand the benefits or consequences of the solutions implemented in automated systems that support user interaction and the overall system design. While previous literature has provided valuable knowledge to the understanding of automation and trust, there is still uncertainty about how individuals perform and respond to automated systems that provide monitoring checks to maintain users’ attention. To address this gap, this study assessed the effects of varied reliability and monitoring checks on individuals interacting with an automated system. This study is among the first to examine the consequences …

Differences In Effectiveness Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivation-Based Incentives In Promoting Use, Acceptance, And Adoption Of Automated Systems, Hannah M. Barr

Theses

This study examines the effectiveness of incentive mechanisms manipulating extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Specifically, these incentives are used to promote use, acceptance, and adoption of an automated system in a simulated hostage-rescuing task. More frequent use of the automated system indicates increased acceptance and adoption. Participants are measured for how frequently they use the system. Participants also responded to questionnaires measuring their motivation, acceptance, and adoption. Bayesian ANOVAs are used to find differences in use, acceptance, and adoption between incentive mechanisms. It was expected that incentive mechanisms affecting intrinsic motivation will outperform incentive mechanisms affecting extrinsic motivation in promoting system …

The Effectiveness Of System-Wide Trust Repair Strategies, J. Andrew Atchley

Theses

This study considered whether contagion effects for trust extend to an interactive task that includes tasks that are visually incongruent and perform dissimilar task functions, and if trust repair strategies operate on a system-wide basis. Participants supervised three automated tasks over three blocks. The animal task decreased in reliability in block 2, and a trust repair strategy was issued prior to block 3. The findings indicated that there was a decrease in trust for the animal task only. The trust repair strategies were also ineffective for restoring trust. This study supported the idea that contagion effects do not extend to …

Deciphering The Salivary Microbiome In Crohn’S Disease Patients With Different Factors Contributing To Dysbiosis, Hala Elzayat

Theses

Crohn’s Disease (CD) is a chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), common in the UAE. Microbiota is necessary to maintain a balanced gut environment which is essential for good health. Dysbiosis can predispose to many diseases including CD. The oral cavity has the second largest and most diverse microbiota after the gut harboring over 700 species of bacteria. This study aims to investigate the alterations in the salivary microbiome in patients with CD compared to Healthy controls (HC). It also aims to compare CD patients for salivary microbiome complexity and diversity according to different factors that can contribute to dysbiosis, including …

The Experiences Of Parents Diagnosed With Cancer Whilst Parenting Minor-Aged Children, George Prince

Theses

The incidence of cancer in Australia for people in the parenting age range is significant, and as the fertility rate of women aged 35 years and over continues to rise, many cancer patients may be parenting minor-aged children. The aim of this research was therefore to explore the lived experience of parents diagnosed with cancer whilst parenting minor-aged children, and to gain knowledge and understanding as to how parents and their families respond to a parent’s cancer illness. Utilising a qualitative research design, eight participants, receiving treatment for cancer in a private hospital cancer treatment service, and parenting at least …

The Influence Of Personal Traits, Individual Behaviours And Population Health Determinants On The Epidemiology Of Facial Injury: Psychiatric Comorbidity, Substance Abuse, Sars Social Distancing Measures, Gary Russell Hoffman

Theses

ABSTRACT Introduction Injury can be defined as an act or event that causes harm, hurt or damage. It occurs as a result of the transfer of energy to living tissue. The biological response to such an insult is inflammation and is based on the activation of immune competent cells in tandem with alterations in vascular permeability. The process is orchestrated at a subcellular level by the release of immunomodulatory molecular mediators. T

he bones of the skull and face are the key determinant of human appearance. They form the framework to which other tissues are attached. The variability of facial …

The Aesthetically Engaging City: The Role Of Beauty And Play In Urbanism And Human Fulfilment, Amy Roser

Theses

This thesis argues that cities can only become better attuned to the complex human need for identity, meaning, understanding, and self-expression when urban decision-makers better understand the nature and significance of aesthetic engagement. When we strive toward aesthetic goals in building and city planning, we then nurture, more fully, essential human activities and needs. This thesis argues that the aesthetic of the urban environment profoundly influences the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours of those who dwell there and is therefore inseparable from culture, everyday life, and the cultivation of human fulfilment. By doing so, this thesis reconceptualises architecture, the urban environment, …

Assessing The Health Effects Of Climate Change, Social Vulnerability, And Environmental Justice In Camden County, New Jersey, Daniil Ivanov

Theses

Climate change negatively impacts health, while socially vulnerable and overburdened communities disproportionately experience climate change and negative health determinants. Camden County is used as a case study for analyzing environment, socioeconomics, and health. Environmental variables—PM2.5 and land cover of impervious surfaces, floodplains, and forests—were compared to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) at the census tract level, finding significant correlations between land cover, air quality, and the SVI. The overburdened communities defined by the NJ Environmental Justice Law experienced a significantly higher incidence of emergency department visitation for respiratory, circulatory, and mental illnesses than non-overburdened communities. Health outcomes were compared …

The Pendulum Of Juvenile Justice Policy: Examining The Creation And Implementation Of New York State’S Raise The Age Legislation, Mary Xitco

Theses

This paper discusses changes in juvenile justice policy, focusing largely on the last 40 years. Juvenile justice policy has historically transitioned quickly from conservative punitive strategies to liberal rehabilitative and lenient strategies. We see this most recently with the tough on crime strategies of the 1990s lowering the age of responsibility to now where states have decided to start raising the age of criminal responsibility up to 18 years old. This paper looks closely at what caused this most recent shift and gives historical context as to how juvenile justice policy trends may have predicted this.

To Be Captured, Suien Ma

Theses

To Be Captured, a 3D animated short, utilizes some toys as the film’s main characters to increase the sense of artificiality, while trying to animate their movements as closely to the forces of the real world as possible. It tells a story of a group of stuffed animals enclosed in a doll claw machine waiting to be captured. The main character, one of the smarter toys, is a seahorse who plays tricks to be captured when a little girl starts to play the game. Once out of the box, he despairs realizing that the girl is a fanatic who only …

En’S Adventure: Exploring Modern Design Mechanics In Retro Adventure Games, Frank Fasola

Theses

This project focuses creating a small game prototype that can be used to build a full game around. The primary focus is to create a short experience to establish the mechanics and gameplay of the game. Games made in the style of retro games are released every year, but most of these games strive to provide the same experience from the late 1980s. The project is a top down 2D retro adventure game made using modern techniques and learning from game development in the 30 years since these games were released.

From The Invisible Object To The Void: An Examination Of Surrealism And The Lacanian Real, Isabela Fernandes Pinheiro

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Foreboding Campaign System, Michael Fetters

Theses

This project creates a new campaign setting compatible with the Dungeons and Dragons system utilizing the SRD Open Game License content as a starting point. The campaign setting created establishes mechanics allowing for narrative interaction between the past and present timeline of events in the world of Lunaria. This new system, entitled The Foreboding, utilizes a shift mechanic to alter the player characters in several possible ways, ranging from changes in race or character history to interactions with past time periods and events that alter the present timeline of the narrative. New character options for race and class were also …

Virtual Reality And Video Game Gatekeeping, Autumn Franke

Theses

This thesis focuses on the effects of the video game industry being the only influence on the development of virtual reality technology and the hindrance caused by it. The aim of this thesis is to discuss this flaw and recommend a different route to develop the technology through the education and medical fields instead of the video game industry.

The Impact Of Game Play On Children’S Impulse Control In Early Education Settings, Sara Rodehaver

Theses

Executive functioning skills, especially impulse control, have been widely studied andinterventions have been developed to improve impulse control in young children. Play has also been studied for its benefits to young children’s development. Play skills have also been taught to students with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, play has not often been utilized to teach impulse control directly. The current study attempted to define the components of impulse control as conditional discrimination, and to apply those discrimination skills in early childhood settings for students with no diagnosis. Kindergarten children participated in baseline measuring of conditional discrimination …

Rite Of Identity, Youmee Lee

Theses

Rite of Identity, a graduate thesis film, is a 2D animated visual poem of deaf children’s experiences. The film follows the protagonist’s journey in navigating a visual realm and a black-and-white realm, which represent the deaf world and the hearing world. Childhood experiences of struggling to assimilate into mainstream society are conveyed through the protagonist in the black-and-white realm. The purpose of the film is to encourage the viewers to think about what it is like for a child to be underestimated and to struggle with a soundscape that is not perceived naturally in the realm. Deaf children have a …

How Do Academic Advisors Intentionally Design Their Office Space To Be More Inviting? A Qualitative Study On Office Décor And Self-Disclosure, Jessica Garcia

Theses

Academic advising has been part of institutions of higher education in the United States since the early 19th century. With the rise of incoming students each year and the wide range of majors and programs colleges offer, advisors are necessary to help guide students through their academic careers. This paper presents a qualitative study on how advisors intentionally create a space that encourages communication and collaboration within an advisor-advisee relationship. The theoretical framework used in this study is Social Penetration Theory, which suggests that facilitating self-disclosure will also support relationship development. For this research, academic advisors working at two different …

"Can You Please Turn Your Cameras On?" Communication Apprehension And Teleconferencing, Emily James Mcindoe

Theses

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a multitude of normalities in individuals' lives had to change to continue moving forward. The world began to embrace new technologies that allowed individuals to be connected while physically apart. One of the most embraced technologies was teleconferencing. Teleconferencing is not a new technology with the first primitive form being created in 1968, however, it was not until the world had to embrace teleconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic did the technologies became a common part of everyday life. The term Zoom is now synonymous with video chatting and conferencing becoming a part of …

Balanced Ar Glasses System Between Text And Image Information Helps People Get A Better Reading Skill, Libo Jiang

Theses

Nowadays, people prefer browsing images and videos on their phones rather than reading a book (Thain 2018). Even if they decide to read something, they are still heavily distracted by electronic devices. In my thesis, I’m trying to balance the visual and text information and help people to stay more focused while reading. My solution: Focus is an AR glasses system that recognizes the contents users are viewing and records users’ reading and image browsing time. And users have to earn image/video time by reading the text. The glasses block images/videos if they run out of image time.

Protectbot: A Chatbot To Protect Children On Gaming Platforms, Anum Faraz

Theses

Online gaming no longer has limited access, as it has become available to a high percentage of children in recent years. Consequently, children are exposed to multifaceted threats, such as cyberbullying, grooming, and sexting. The online gaming industry is taking concerted measures to create a safe environment for children to play and interact with, such efforts remain inadequate and fragmented. Different approaches utilizing machine learning (ML) techniques to detect child predatory behavior have been designed to provide potential detection and protection in this context. After analyzing the available AI tools and solutions it was observed that the available solutions are …

Effective Academic Advising Strategy In Higher Education Using Machine Learning, Reem Abuzayeda

Theses

Covid-19 pandemic has caused many obstacles to higher education students, especially students with academic, financial, and family disadvantages. Moreover, Covid-19 has caused negative impacts on enrollment of junior students and students’ academic goals, which has led to a higher rate of dropouts worldwide.

University enrollment is a complex process for students and families, and the decision to drop out is overwhelming to both. Many factors might cause the dropout, but the most important factors that might affect this decision are financial factors and academic standing. Higher education institutions can boost their academic advising plans, through the use of their strategic …