Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Perspectives Of Year 12 Students From Five Catholic Secondary Schools In Western Australia Towards Teaching As A Career, Lucie M. Mccrory

Theses

The purpose of this research was to review the ways in which Year 12 Catholic school students perceive teaching as a career and to explore the people, contexts and factors that have influenced these perspectives. Schools are being increasingly challenged to revisit the role of the educator in today’s rapidly changing educational landscape. Best practice teaching and learning is at the forefront of this consideration. Attracting talented and committed students to the teaching profession is crucial if schools are going to play a part in adequately teaching and preparing future generations for society (Weldon, 2015). It follows therefore that both …

The Confluence Of Short-Term Immersion And Intercultural Competence: Positive Impacts For Australian Preservice Teachers, Julie Maakrun

Theses

Increasing global migration across geographical, linguistic and cultural borders has resulted in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms in Australia. In response, teacher education programs are exploring ways to enhance preservice teachers’ ability to engage with cultural diversity appropriately and effectively. One way is through the provision of short-term immersion programs. As experiential learning, such programs allow opportunities for students to be embedded in the breadth and depth of human experience, to better understand themselves and the ‘cultural other’. These programs also enable an examination of personal beliefs, habits, and values, which may assist students in moving from a rigid dualist …

Outcomes Of Resistance Exercise Training In Adults With Acute Burn Injury, Paul M. Gittings

Theses

Decreased quality-of-life and impairments in physical function, muscle strength and muscle volume are known complications of a burn injury. As such, rehabilitation is an important aspect of the burn care journey. Rehabilitation of burn injury is currently hampered by a lack of tools to reliably measure muscle strength and lower limb function, as well as an incomplete understanding of the effect of resistance training after a burn injury. Specifically, there is currently no data on the safety or efficacy of resistance training immediately after a burn injury.

The series of studies presented in this thesis aimed to: 1) systematically review …

The Importance Of Environmental Interventions In Eliminating Trachoma Infection In Africa: The Case Of Gashoho Health District, Burundi, Desire Ndisabiye

Theses

Gashoho Health District, Burundi, has not achieved the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of elimination of the blinding infectious disease, trachoma, by 2020. The work in this thesis addresses this problem using three different approaches.

Firstly, a cross-sectional study was undertaken to establish the current trachoma prevalence in Gashoho and whether poor sanitation was a risk factor for infection. 468 individuals from 117 households across four villages were clinically examined for signs of trachoma infection, and completed a questionnaire about environmental risk factors. The current prevalence of trachoma in Gashoho was 7.9% (95 % CI 5.0 - 10.6%). Children under …

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 …

Early Post-Operative Rises In Serum Metal Ion Levels In Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study, Michael Le

Theses

Background: Serum Cobalt (Co) and Chromium (Cr) forms part of the diagnostic process for metallosis following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). While knowledge exists on longer term metal ion levels, expected early post-operative rises in serum Co and Cr in Metal-on-Polyethylene (MoP) THAs are currently unknown. This study aims to describe early rises in serum Co and Cr at 6 months post-operatively.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 84 consecutive patients with an uncemented titanium stem from a single THA manufacturer was performed. Patients had either a metal (n=43) or ceramic (n=41) head articulating with a highly cross-linked polyethylene. Serum Co …

Effect Of Mptp On Α-Synuclein Spreading, Accumulation And Toxicity In Mice With Intrastriatal Innoculation Of Human Α-Synuclein Preformed Fibril, Madiha Mohieldin Merghani

Theses

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by abnormal accumulation of interneuronal inclusions of α-synuclein (α-syn) known as Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs), and significant loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) region of the brain. Recent evidence suggests that intrastriatal inoculation of α-syn Preformed Fibril (PFF) into mice induces PD-like LBs and LNs pathology formed by aggregated α-syn in anatomically interconnected brain regions which needs several months of incubation to develop the pathology. In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of different doses of 1-methyl, 4-phenyl, …

Development Of A Composite Sustainability Index For Roadway Intersecttion Design Alternatives In The Uae, Maryam Juma Al-Kaabi

Theses

Many studies had been carried out to evaluate the sustainability of transportation systems, but little attention was given in these studies to the design of roadway intersections. The objective of this study was to define a framework to assess intersection sustainability from a road-user perspective and to develop a visual tool that helps decision-makers to support a more sustainable design of roadway intersections. Suitable sustainability indicators that would serve as elements in the built framework at the strategic and early planning level were extracted from the literature. The extracted indicators were utilized with relative weights to develop basic dimensional indices …

Control Of Energy Storage Utilisation For A Building Integrated Microgrid Using Multi-Objective Metaheuristic Optimisation Methods, Quang An Phan

Theses

The aim of this thesis was to develop and analyse optimisation strategies for commercial buildings with integrated microgrids, in order to find optimal trade-offs between maximising profitability and facilitating renewable energy from the national power grid. The continued proliferation of microgrids, as well as the increase in electricity produced by renewable energy sources on the Irish national grid has necessitated the requirement for these strategies. Models to simulate the performance of a photovoltaic system, wind turbine and battery bank were developed and validated. The most suitable optimisation algorithm to generate an optimal charge/discharge rate schedule for a battery bank was …

Role Of Sodium And Potassium In The Diet Of School-Aged Children In Ireland: Findings From The National Children’S Food Survey Ii, Eoin James Morrissey

Theses

A high sodium to potassium intake ratio (Na:K) resulting from a diet high in sodium and low in potassium can increase the risk of elevated blood pressure or hypertension in children, potentially leading to increased CVD in adulthood. The objective of this thesis was to estimate sodium and potassium intakes and Na:K in school-aged children (5-12y) in Ireland using data from the nationally representative National Children’s Food Survey II (NCFS II) (2017-18). The thesis study collected detailed dietary intake data for 600 children using 4-d food records and also collected spot urine samples from 95% of these participants. Sodium and …

Group B Streptococcus: Molecular Epidemiology, Pathogenic Profiling And Control Strategies, Katherine Mary Hayes

Theses

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are frequent colonisers of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy adults with worldwide rates of 18% colonisation; however, they are also opportunistic pathogens capable of causing invasive disease, particularly in neonates and adults with underlying conditions. Indeed, GBS is the leading cause of invasive neonatal disease worldwide with a global incidence of 0.49 per 1000 live births and GBS disease in adults is increasing globally, with estimated rates of 10.9 cases per 100,000 people. While GBS remain largely susceptible to penicillin, there have been reports of reduced beta-lactam susceptibility in certain countries and resistance to other antibiotic …

The Use Of Mycobacteriophages As A Novel Therapeutic Option To Control And Treat Johne's Disease, Gillian Catherine Crowley

Theses

The incidences of Johne’s disease (JD) in farms worldwide have increased significantly over the last 80 years. The increase in JD is owing to the lack of diagnostic tests available and the long incubation period of the disease causing pathogen, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP). In addition, treatment of JD with antibiotics has proven difficult due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance MAP strains and the presence of the thick lipid rich mycobacterial cell wall. An alternative diagnostic and treatment method for JD involves the use of mycobacteriophages. As part of this research, individual mycobacteriophages (TM4) and a mycobacteriophage cocktail (LE1 …

An Investigation Into The Technical And Running Performance Metrics Of Gaelic Football Training Andmatch-Play To Inform The Design Of A Novel Tactical Periodisation Training Model, Shane Mangan

Theses

Background: Carefully planned and implemented training programmes are essential for optimal sports performance. In depth knowledge of both the technical, tactical and physical demands of the sport are critical to informing these training programmes. Gaelic football, an amateur intermittent field sport, is one of the most popular sports in Ireland. Limited previous research has attempted to extensively analyse and interpret key findings from the literature to formulate practical recommendations for Gaelic football training and match preparation. The purpose of this research is to objectively analyse Gaelic football performance at the elite and sub-elite levels and to use this data to …

Investigating The Synergistic Bioactive Effects Of Fruit, Vegetable And Protein Combinations In A Market-Ready Food Product For Young Adults, Jessica Eivers

Theses

Diets high in fruits and vegetables (FV), are widely recommended for their health-promoting properties. A low intake of FV among young adults, is associated with the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, osteoporosis, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, hypercholesterolemia and certain cancers in later life. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), despite an increasing awareness of the health benefits of FV, consumption by young adult’s remains below the recommended intake of 400g per day. This project aims to develop innovative, FV products for young adults with demonstrated bioactivity and high nutrient density. Initially, …

Narratives Of Creativity Among Social Care Educators In Irish Higher Education, Louisa Goss

Theses

Research on creativity in the delivery of social care highlights growing evidence of its importance for the wellbeing and quality of life of those in receipt of care, as well as benefits for the workforce. However, what is less well understood and overlooked in the literature is how creativity is conceptualised and operationalised in practice and education. This thesis attends to this gap in research from the perspective of social care educators. With the aim of deepening understanding of higher education teachers’ construction of creativity, the study explores small stories about creativity from six educators teaching into an undergraduate degree …

A Study Of Food Safety Training And Associated Barriers To Effective Training Outcomes, Diane Fox

Theses

The safety of food is fundamental to public health, businesses and wider society and effective food safety training is an essential element to ensure safe food reaches our consumers. This is true for all food business operators in all sectors of the food industry including food service, retail and manufacturing facilities. Not complying with food safety obligations can have a serious impact on human health and serious consequences for the food business operator. In 2015 the World Health Organisation reported that almost 1 in 10 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food and 420,000 die as a result. …

Investigation Of Consumer Attitudes Towards Emerging Novel Food Processing Technologies In The Republic Of Ireland, Emine Berna Cibik

Theses

Food industry and governmental organisations are continuously working on innovative food processing technologies in order to produce safe foods without causing undesirable changes in the food products. Food is a very sensitive area so consumers are conservative in accepting food products produced from novel technologies compared to other products. Food is basic needs of humans and it is becoming more and more globalized recently, but public perceptions are not same in different countries. The aim of this research was to investigate consumer attitudes toward novel food processing technologies in Republic of Ireland. A quantitative research was conducted and data was …

Social Media Factors That Influence E-Commerce Buyer Behavior Of Millennials And Post-Millennials, Michele Pomponio

Theses

This research investigated the social media factors that influence the e-Commerce buyer behavior of Millennials and Post-Millennials. In today’s social media savvy environment, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to incorporate effective social media marketing into their business strategies. Further, companies should understand what is most important to customers while engaging on social media platforms. As a result, companies will need to know how to best utilize social media as a tool for increasing sales. This research included a survey that was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester …

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 …

Physical Activity In Aging: Biological Outcomes, Functional Autonomy, And Policy Implications, Nathan Albert Schuler

Theses

A 2016 study concluded that the elderly spend 2.5 times the national average on health services (De Nardi 2016). Despite consisting of only 14 percent of the United States population, the elderly accounted for 34 percent of all medical spending, and accounted for 73 percent of all deaths (De Nardi 2016). In addition, current projections estimate that with the aging of the baby boomer generation, the percentage of the population that is older than 65 will swell to approximately 20 percent of the population by 2030 (Ortman 2014). If the medical spending holds, this will coincide with massive increases in …

Evaluating Information Flow In Medication Management Process In Australian Acute Care Facilities: A Multi-Professional Perspective, Seyi Lagoke

Theses

Over the years, various interventions have been introduced to improve the medication management process. While these interventions have addressed some aspects predisposing the process to inefficiencies, significant gaps are still prevalent across the process. Studies have suggested that the goal of optimal medication therapy is achievable when information flow integrates across the various medication management process phases, stakeholders and departments involved as the patient moves through the process. To provide a cross-sectional view of the process, this study utilised a systemic philosophy to evaluate the information flow integration across the process.

The research approach adopted for this study takes a …

Assessment Of Different Seismic Retrofit Systems Of Rc Buildings For Earthquake Risk Mitigation, Aya Ragab Mohamed Abou Ei-Hamd

Theses

Many existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures were designed and constructed at a time when design codes were insufficient according to current standards. This class of structures is at risk of damage when subjected to strong earthquake loading. Therefore, several seismic retrofit techniques have been investigated experimentally to increase the earthquake resistance and damage-control potential of pre-seismic code structures using different methods such as quasi-static and pseudo-dynamic testing. However, a limited number of studies have focused on investigating the overall seismic performance of retrofitted RC structures using shake table testing. The first task of this study assesses analytically and experimentally the …

Predictive Modeling Of Influenza In New England Using A Recurrent Deep Neural Network, Alfred Amendolara

Theses

Predicting seasonal variation in influenza epidemics is an ongoing challenge. To better predict seasonal influenza and provide early warning of pandemics, a novel approach to Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) prediction was developed. This approach combined a deep neural network with ILI, climate, and population data. A predictive model was created using a deep neural network based on TensorFlow 2.0 Beta. The model used Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) nodes. Data was collected from the Center for Disease Control, the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the United States Census Bureau. These parameters were temperature, precipitation, wind speed, population size, vaccination rate and …

Dental Professionals Occupational Noise Exposure And Its Auditory And Non-Auditory Effects, Alexis Frees

Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess noise exposure and its auditory and non-auditory effects on workers in five clinical departments in the School of Dental Medicine at Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences Campus in Newark, New Jersey. The study included environmental noise level measurement, dental instrument sound level measurement, personal noise dosimetry and a questionnaire survey to assess non-auditory effects. Octave band analysis of environmental noise levels showed that they are slightly above the standard noise criteria for clinics, and measurements from six dental instruments confirm that they contribute higher sound pressure levels at the frequencies of 1000, 2000, …

Micro Pipes – A Portable Integrated Platform For Electrochemical Sensing Using Essence Architecture, Hansin Kim

Theses

The field of microfluidics and lab-on-chip (LOC) technology has the potential to have a truly transformative effect in biological engineering. This includes areas such as single-cell analysis, environmental monitoring, regenerative medicine, and point-of-care diagnostics. Yet despite being the subject of intense research over the past two decades, LOC devices have not been widely adopted. It is increasingly evident that there is a need for an effective and adaptable integration strategy to realize the potential of this technology.

Presented in this thesis is a design for a chip-to-world interface that aims to improve integration while maintaining cost-efficiency and ease of fabrication. …

Audience Engagement With The Marvel Studios’ Film Black Panther: Analyzing Fan Reactions Posted On An Online Forum, Jatin Vichare

Theses

This project examines audience response to the Black Panther movie by analyzing fan forums on SuperHeroHype website using a textual analysis approach. Grounded in film adaptation theory, (N = 200) comments posted by users were analyzed to identify fan reception of pre-release publicity of the film and post-release reactions. The results show that before the release of the movie, fans were excited about the adaptation of a comic book to a film. The analysis identified six themes in the comments posted on the website. Pre-release comments focused on a) casting, b) narrative arc, and c) music and locations. Post-release comments …

Solo Dining Restaurant: Environmental Interior Design & Interactive Ux Design, Kaiqi Jiang

Theses

Individualized dining can be anxious and awkward experiences for people. Especially when it comes to the sharing style of some foods (e.g., hotpot, barbecue, etc.) In addition to the form of food, the perception of social judgment creates discomfort for the individual. This project aims to incorporate the 3D interior design to model a restaurant that has embedded interactive UX design in the physical environment so that solo guests can enjoy the comfort of dining alone.

A case in point, imagine yourself sitting in a crowded restaurant, a giant pot with hot soup boiling in front of you. Every other …

Goldfish, Maryam Farahzadi

Theses

Goldfish is a film about Maryam, an 8- or 9-year-old girl whose dream is to pursue her artistic talent of painting. She encounters a problem due to the strict influence of her mother, who prevents her from fully pursuing her dreams. Each time Maryam is able to engage in painting, her world is filled with color, and her joy is clear. Maryam is however unable or unwilling to stand up for herself and make the autonomous decision to paint, until she observes the goldfish, who feels trapped and constrained in the bowl in which it is kept. Maryam falls asleep, …

Towards An Intelligent System For Software Traceability Datasets Generation, Waleed Abdu Zogaan

Theses

Software datasets and artifacts play a crucial role in advancing automated software traceability research. They can be used by researchers in different ways to develop or validate new automated approaches. Software artifacts, other than source code and issue tracking entities, can also provide a great deal of insight into a software system and facilitate knowledge sharing and information reuse. The diversity and quality of the datasets and artifacts within a research community have a significant impact on the accuracy, generalizability, and reproducibility of the results and consequently on the usefulness and practicality of the techniques under study. Collecting and assessing …