Digital Commons Network^™

A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Study Of Male Farmers' Health Beliefs, Attitudes And Practices In Rural Kerry, Chrystal O'Brien

Theses

Aim/Background: Beliefs and attitudes about health directly and indirectly influence concomitant behaviours, practices and health outcomes. In Ireland, male farmers are experiencing a disproportionate burden of ill health in preventable lifestyle diseases, yet there is a lack of behavioural research in relation to male farmers and their health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the health beliefs, attitudes and practices of male farmers in rural Kerry, and to explore healthcare professionals' insights of male farmers' health beliefs, attitudes and practices.

Methodology: The study adopted a mixed methods design. Phase one of the study involved structured interviews with …

The Ernie Els #Gameon Autism™ Golf Program For Young People With Autism: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Jerrome Suganthy Selvaraj

Theses

The first evaluation of the #GameON Autism^^ Golf Program was conducted outside of the USA by the UNESCO Chair, I.T. Tralee in conjunction with the Els for Autism Foundation in partnership with LD Golf Ltd. The central aim of this research study was to evaluate the efficacy of the #GameON Autism^ Golf Program on young people with autism (ASD), their families, PGA golf coach, and volunteers. The two main objectives of the research were to analyse the impact of the program on the socia/communication, motor, and golf skills of individuals with autism and to assess the potential for the #GameON …

Parent Rated Importance Of Active Play And Organised Physical Activity For Young Children, Casey Murphy

Theses

Background: Children participate in less daily physical activity, both organised and informal, often referred to as active play (AP), than in the past. For young children, parents are primarily responsible for planning their child’s day including their engagement in physical activity.

Purpose: As there has been little research in this area, the purpose of this study was to examine how parents rated the importance of their child’s level of AP and organised physical activity (OPA), how this affected the amount of time their child participated in these activities, and whether their child’s physical activity (PA) related to their own level …

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 …

Modeling Of A Dynamic Mckibben Style Muscle System Using Material Properties, Alexander G. Arcus

Theses

The McKibben style artificial muscle is a type of pneumatic artificial muscle. When the muscle is pressurized a length contraction and contractive force occur. Modeling a McKibben style muscle presents many challenges. The physical dynamics of the muscle are highly nonlinear, which makes accurate modeling difficult. Modeling using experimentally determined coefficients enables the creation of an equation that ignores the nonlinear nature of the system, but it can have a limited range or accuracy and cannot adjust for changing system properties. Modeling using the system properties requires the consideration of the nonlinear dynamics of the muscle; however, it provides the …

Using High-Order Prior Belief Predictions In Hierarchical Temporal Memory For Streaming Anomaly Detection, Brody Kutt

Theses

Autonomous streaming anomaly detection can have a significant impact in any domain where continuous, real-time data is common. Often in these domains, datasets are too large or complex to hand label. Algorithms that require expensive global training procedures and large training datasets impose strict demands on data and are accordingly not fit to scale to real-time applications that are noisy and dynamic. Unsupervised algorithms that learn continuously like humans therefore boast increased applicability to these real-world scenarios.

Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) is a biologically constrained theory of machine intelligence inspired by the structure, activity, organization and interaction of pyramidal neurons …

Compact Antenna With Artificial Magnetic Conductor For Noninvasive Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring, Meenakshy Iyer

Theses

A non-invasive technique for real-time continuous monitoring of blood glucose has been under development by Venkataraman’s research group in the ETA lab at RIT [16]-[18]. The methodology involves placing an antenna on the arm and monitoring changes in the resonant frequency, which is attributed to changes in the blood glucose level. This is because the blood’s permittivity depends on the glucose levels, and in turn, affects the antenna’s resonant frequency. In order to correlate the antenna’s resonant frequency shift with the real-time blood glucose change, glucose estimation was also modeled using the antenna’s input impedance. The antennas designed could successfully …

Passive Planar Terahertz Retroreflectors, Dhruvkumar Desai

Theses

As the application of the Terahertz (THz) band (0.1 - 10 THz) is investigated in various settings, wireless communication stands out as an important frontier to explore. The benefits of increased bandwidth and data rates it promises will only be realized if new technology is developed to support it. Specifically, since THz wireless communication links are typically line-of-sight (LoS), the LoS can be blocked by moving obstacles, thereby requiring alternative link paths. One proposed solution for indoor wireless communications involves systems of steerable antennas, reflective "wallpaper", and steerable mirrors which would redirect THz beams around a blocking obstacle.

As an …

Improving Methods To Estimate Time Of Death From Body Temperature, Carly Berdan

Theses

By protocol, ambient and body temperatures are collected at every investigated death scene. These data has been used since 1839 to estimate the time of death, a crucial factor when it comes to cases of unnatural deaths and homicides. The Glaister Equation and Henssge's nomogram, commonly used to calculate estimated time of death, are inconsistent and often do not agree with each other. Therefore, my objective was to evaluate and improve them.

I collected data in the field and consistently measured temperature data. Furthermore, I was granted access to a database of every death in New Jersey and published data. …

Assessment Of The Neuroprotective Efficacy Of Poly-Arginine-18 (R18) Peptides In A Pre-Clinical Model Of Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy (Hie), Adam Edwards

Theses

Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in infants, globally. This disorder eventuates following a reduction in oxygenated cerebral blood flow to the foetus in utero, leading to excitotoxic-mediated brain cell (e.g. neuron, glia and glial progenitor cell) death. Currently, there is no clinically appropriate neuroprotective treatment to reduce acute brain injury following HIE. Recent studies have demonstrated that poly-arginine and cationic arginine-rich peptides (CARPs; e.g. R18: R = arginine residues) exhibit potent neuroprotective properties in both in vitro and adult animal models of ischaemia, and therefore have the potential to be developed into …

Modelling Spatial Heterogeneity In The Haemodynamic Response With Implications For Neuroimaging, Russell Gore

Theses

Background: A foundational assumption of neuroimaging is the central volume principle (CVP): the mean transit time of oxygen particles in the brain equals the ratio of blood vessel volume to blood flow. Changes in mean transit time are expected to cause detectable changes in images produced by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The CVP assumes a uniform distribution of transit times, but in fact blood vessel volumes are spatially heterogeneous. This thesis examines the implications of spatial heterogeneity for fMRI research.

Methods: An amended form of the CVP that accounts for spatial heterogeneity is developed and parameterised using empirical data. …

Insight Into Unexplained Infertility: How Do Women Make Sense Of Their Experience Of Unexplained Infertility Followed By Spontaneous Conception, Fabienne Michea

Theses

The causes of infertility are diverse and broadly fall under four categories: male, female, combined or unexplained (Wynter et al., 2013, p. 285). Treating infertility is usually associated with an often medically invasive procedure and fertility clinics have been expanding globally in the last thirty years (Krisak, 2013). Furthermore, medical research and treatment for this condition have allowed for considerable progress to be made, allowing a greater number of couples to have children despite their difficulty or inability to conceive at some time in their life (Bushnik, Cook, Hughes, & Tough, 2012). The focus of this study will be the …

Prognostic Role Of Histologic Tumour Regression In Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy For High-Grade Serous Tubo-Ovarian Carcinoma, Edwina Coghlan

Theses

High-grade serous tubo-ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most common tubal/ovarian malignant tumour and is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Historically, primary debulking surgery followed by adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy was the recommended management of these patients. However, since two randomised controlled phase III trials (1, 2) both demonstrated non-inferior survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval debulking surgery (IDS) compared to primary debulking surgery, there has been an increasing trend to treat HGSOC patients with NACT. (3, 4)

Evidence supporting the change in practice is mounting, with the findings of a recent meta-analysis of 1,607 women showing that NACT is …

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 …

Investigating The Molecular Pathology Of Dupuytren’S Disease, Robert Pearce

Theses

The eponymous progressive palmar fibromatosis described by Guillaume Dupuytren in 1831 is a common and debilitating disease with limited treatment options and high rates of recurrence after intervention. Dupuytren’s disease has been generally accepted as predominantly affecting Northern European individuals; Dupuytren’s disease is sometimes referred to as “Vikings Disease” as an attribution to this ethnic origin. Its familial occurrence in all communities is suggestive of Mendelian inheritance as an autosomal dominant disease with incomplete penetrance. The genetic and molecular basis of Dupuytren’s disease (DD) has been the focus of many studies, with increasingly sophisticated approaches since the sequencing of the …

The Christian Concept Of The Nature Of Motherhood And Its Implications In A Contemporary Context, Christine Fisk

Theses

The contemporary context presents countless ideologies and conflicting views about what femininity is and what it is not. In particular, the modern pursuit of equality and autonomy has resulted in the perception of motherhood as inconvenient in some quarters or, worse yet, inconsequential. This thesis considers the question as whether or not motherhood is separable from womanhood, and if there is indeed any inherent value to motherhood. The intent of this thesis was to go beyond the variety of views of what motherhood is to the two primary female figures in Scripture – Eve and Mary - to discern what …

A Dialogue Of Traditions On The Reality Of Mind: Thomas Nagel And Bernard Lonergan, Robert Van Gend

Theses

The scientific picture of the world is one of invisible particles and empty space, but this is not the world of our everyday experience. How can we reconcile the scientific view of the world with the view from our ordinary perspective? This thesis puts Thomas Nagel and Bernard Lonergan into dialogue on the question of the mind’s place in the world. Coming from different philosophical traditions, both thinkers provide a bigger picture in which to place materialism and to assess its errors. Thomas Nagel criticises modern forms of materialism because they try to explain away the reality of our perspective …

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 …

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 …

Nobody Wanted To Speak On The True Disposition Of The World : Challenging American Historical Narratives In The Underground Railroad, Tia J. Smith

Theses

The Underground Railroad borrows from the logic of science fiction, the epic, and the historical novel to both critique American post racialism and to upend the nation’s incomplete historical narrative of social progress. This thesis begins with approaching sf using the novel’s racial influences to contemplate science fiction criticism. It then examines the text’s adoption of the genre’s critical apparatus as a method to explore contemporary American racial politics. I analyze the novel’s structure, use of primary sources, and reenactments of historical events, interpreting them as tools to illustrate the novel’s view of the United States as an institution mired …

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 …

Effects Of 8 And 12 Hour Non-Rotating Shift Schedules For Security And Protective Services Workers, Zuleyha Aydin

Theses

Shiftwork is a major feature of working life in today’s world. Increasing the workday length is a new trend in alternative work schedules. The features of a shift system operation can have an impact on sleep, alertness, and the well-being of shift workers. The objective of this study is to evaluate security and protective services employees working in non-rotating shift systems of 8- hour and 12-hour schedules. New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Public Safety Department staff was studied to examine how non-rotating shift schedules affect sleep, alertness, and wellness under five different work schedules.

A survey instrument, approved by the …

Carbon Fiber Electrodes For In Vivo Neural Recording, Esma Cetinkaya

Theses

Multi-channel micro electrodes for neural recording is a growing field that thrives on novel materials and fabrication techniques offered by micro fabrication technology. The material and the design of microelectrodes have a critical role on the quality of neural signals recorded. The neural signals collected by chronic implantation of these devices in experimental animals reveal new information about the brain functions and guide the development of new diagnostic and treatment options for neurological disorders.

Ideally, a microelectrode should meet two important criteria: longevity after implantation and minimal tissue insult. Carbon fibers` high tensile strength and flexibility allow fabrication of micro-scale …

Computational And Experimental Determination Of The Mixing Efficiency Of A Microfluidic Serpentine Micromixer, Siril Arockiam

Theses

In microfluidics, efficiency and mixing time are the greatest disadvantages. These parameters hinder the application of microfluidic devices for biochemical and immunological assays. However, once these disadvantages have been overcome by optimizing the parameters of the microfluidic device, it becomes the important analytical tool. In this experiment, various designs of microfluidic devices have been both simulated using COMSOL software, and experimentally verified to obtain the optimized parameter such as depth and velocity for better mixing efficiency. The COMSOL model has been validated by comparing the results with fluorescent images data of the experiment. The microfluidic device is built with Adhesive …

Formulation Of Uv Curable Resins Utilized In Vat Photo Polymerization For The Additive Manufacturing Of Gun Propulsion Charge In 3d Printers, David T. Bird

Theses

Formulating resins for Additive Manufacturing (AM), utilizing UV laser stereolithography, is a new technique that makes it possible for the fabrication of complex geometries with high dimensional resolution. This layer by layer photopolymerization approach spans various industrial sectors from adhesives, inks and optical fibers to nanotechnology and biomaterials. UV curable resins such as epoxides, vinyl ethers and other acrylates are important monomers that offer effective mediums for energetic materials, and the potential exists to develop environmentally friendly formulations with suspended energetic materials at various solids loading levels.

Developing techniques for UV curing formulations of highly loaded energetic suspensions is a …

Electrical Properties Of Metal/Wse2structures, Zeel Rajiv Gandhi

Theses

The formation of low resistance metal contacts on two-Dimensional layer (2-D) of WSe2 is a big challenge. In this research, a comparative study is presented on the electrical properties of metal/WSe2 Schottky barrier diodes with various metals such as Au, In, Al, and Ga in the temperature range of 80K to 400K well within the domain of thermionic emission theory.

Topics covered here include the factors that determine the Schottky barrier height, the device capacitance, and its current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. I-V curves for different metals on WSe2 are analyzed as function of temperature. Barrier height is determined from Au-nWSe2 Schottky …

Comparative Analysis Of The Dissolution Performance Of Aspirin Tablets In The Usp Apparatus 2 And In A Minivessel Dissolution System, Annmarie C. Walker

Theses

Dissolution testing is a critical component of quality control procedures in the pharmaceutical industry in order to ensure that the final solid dosage forms have consistent dissolution properties. Dissolution tests are also routinely conducted to evaluate the in-vitro performance of solid dosage forms during pharmaceutical development, to aid in the behavior of formulations, and to optimize drug release from dosage forms.

The use of compendial dissolution test apparatus and techniques, such as the USP 2 (Paddle), to characterize the dissolution performance of oral drug delivery system is an established area of pharmaceutical science. However, this method is not always appropriate, …

No Beginning And No End, Ryan Arthur Florey

Theses

This thesis describes the realization of my art, created with the intention to project into a plastic medium the story of an ancient artifact, a weather-beaten stone, or a plant responding to stress in its environment. It describes the evolution of my inspiration and thought over the course of my graduate career, as well as, the various ancient cultures, artifacts, and traditions of making that I have found to be rooted in similar inspiration, and which have helped to guide the progression of my works.

Space Journey: Encouraging Astronomy Education And Space Exploration Through An Interactive Experiential Design Installation Of An Astronaut Training Program, Maria Gabriela Sanchez Angulo

Theses

Space journey is an interactive experiential design installation that explores the field of Astronomy and astronaut training programs, to encourage younger generations to follow scientific and astronomy education. This project explored, the boundaries of the interactive user experience along with projection design to learn, discover and experience using a gesture-based interface creating an immersive experience.

Astronomy as a scientific field, has always had a significant impact on the worldview, it explores the wonders of the universe and its countless celestial objects, through its multiples researches, it has been used to solve unknown questions about the evolution and it has been …

The Misconception Of Social Anxiety Disorder: Creating Understanding Through Motion Graphics, Kaijun Qu

Theses

This thesis project explores Social Anxiety Disorder, by showing emotions and feelings of the person who suffers from social phobia to help his/her friends and classmates to understand them.

The symptoms of a person with social phobia can be seen as being afraid of communicating with other people, appearing in public, and/or being the center of attention. In such situations, others may easily misunderstand them, so the patient can lose the chance to communicate to others. As a result, the patient's condition will be getting worse. Therefore, it is very hard for people with social phobia to make new friends. …