Digital Commons Network^™

Characterisation Of Selected Microbes In Terrestrial And Simulated Extraterrestrial Habitats: Human Health And Environmental Applications, Daniel Joseph Keaney

Theses

The rapid development of the Space industry and associated technologies over the past decade is leading to the inevitable consideration of establishing human-based colonies on extra-terrestrial bodies such as the moon and Mars. With Mars being the focus of not only this body of work, but current New Space Age travel (NASA and SpaceX), a significant issue posed by Martian colonists includes establishing a safe and sustainable food source. Owing to its constantly evolving prehistoric landscape, the soils of Mars are contaminated with sodium perchlorate, a water-soluble salt that is toxic to humans, leftover from once inferred brine seeps that …

The Use Of Membrane Filtration To Increase Native Whey Protein In Infant Formula, And Effects On Bioaccessibility And Bioactivity, Yihong Chen

Theses

Breastfeeding is recognised as the gold standard for feeding newborns and infants. However, infants who cannot be breast-fed or for whom breast milk is not available, can be fed with bovine infant milk formula (IMF) as a substitute. Researchers and producers of IMF strive to continually improve or “humanise” the composition and functionality of IMF. During production of IMF it must undergo several heat treatment steps, e.g. heat-sterilisation or spray-drying, in order to provide a safe product to the infant. These heat treatments denature the globular whey proteins in IMF. In contrast, breast milk is by its nature unheated, so …

Isolation And Characterisation Of Soil-Derived Bacteria With Antimicrobial Activity Against Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens, Ellen Twomey

Theses

Bacteriocins are a diverse range of ribosomally synthesized bioactive peptides, recognised predominantly for their potent antimicrobial activity against other strains closely related to the producer. The focus of this thesis was to explore this activity and examine the potential of bacteriocins to inhibit the growth of clinically relevant pathogens. Although evidence exists in the literature to suggest that bacteriocins could be applied in a similar fashion to conventional antibiotics, to date they are only utilised as preservative in food to prevent the growth of foodborne illness causing organisms. Isolating and screening bacterial strains in order to identify bacteriocin producers has …

An Investigation Into The Irish Bread Market With A Particular Focus On Sourdough Bread. Are Increased Numbers Of Consumers Purchasing Sourdough Bread? If So, Why And What Do They Know About It?, Aisling Kelly

Theses

Bread has a long-standing history in the Irish diet and remains a staple part of our calorie intake with an average consumption of 37.5 kg per person per annum (Jocelyn, 2020; Murtagh, 2009). While the traditional breads of oatcakes and soda bread have remained a favourite for many decades, Ireland’s bread market has also evolved to include baked items from all over the world. Most recently, consumers have altered their purchasing habits in relation to bread due to the enforced restrictions on the movement of people (and consequently goods) during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to 2022. Evidence suggests that …

The Effects Of Processing Environment On The Additive Manufacturing Of 316l Stainless Steel, Isaac Barnett

Theses

Metal additive manufacturing provides the ability to print near-net-shape parts through a layer-by-layer process, presenting a new approach to produce complicated assemblies in one manufacturing step. MAM processes are usually characterized by the heat source and feedstock used. Another area of interest is the purge gas that is utilized in these processes. Stainless steel 316L is an austenitic stainless steel derived from 304 stainless steel to include higher strength and better weldability. The objective of this research is to determine the effects of purge gas and cooling rate during heat treatment in the additive manufacturing of stainless steel 316L using …

The Role Of The Anthropogenic Fire Regime In Protected Areas In Kenya : A Case Study In The Mau Forest Region, Stefanie Mehlich

Theses

Kenya is frequently subject to fire activity. Natural fire occurrence is part of and beneficial to most of the country’s ecosystems. However, anthropogenic activities associated with agricultural practices increasingly introduce fire activity to ecosystems that are not fire adapted, such as forest systems. Registration of small-size burned areas below an extent of 1 square kilometer, especially from fires in mixed agricultural-forest interfaces, is a substantial gap in currently available products. Addressing this issue, an improved spatial resolution fire burned area product was generated, based on VIIRS Active Fire Detections and Landsat Surface Reflectance data products, and used to characterize fire …

A Comparison Of Metabolite Extraction And Data Manipulation Methods For ¹H Nmr Spectroscopy Of Skeletal Muscle Using Chicken Breast Tissue, Hannah Underhill

Theses

¹H NMR has become an incredibly useful tool in the field of metabolomics. Many tissue types may be examined via ¹H NMR in order to obtain a quantitative metabolic profile for an infinite number of phenotypes. In this study, I have tested three methods of metabolite extraction in conjunction with three methods of data analysis, in an attempt to determine which combination of the six methods (if any) are appropriate for extracting aqueous metabolites from skeletal muscle tissue for metabolite description and quantification via ¹H NMR. Metabolite extraction methods tested the use of methanol/ chloroform/ water, methanol/ …

Bayesian Model Calibration Of A Mechanical Finite Element Model Of An Lr61 Alkaline Battery, William O'Donoghue

Theses

The growing use of batteries in vehicular applications and its associated risk of crashes that develop large deformations has raised the salience of how mechanical loads can lead to battery failure and cascade to battery pack fires. Batteries are complicated devices containing many materials with complex behaviors, making calibration of mechanical simulations an involved process. There are many techniques in the inverse problem field which could complement existing model tuning procedures through reducing the required number of experimental tests by extracting more information out of each data set and identifying which observations can most improve the model parameters at the …

Environmental Factors Influencing Selection Of Cave Entrances As Nesting Sites By The Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis Phoebe), J. Foster Sims

Theses

The Eastern Phoebe (Saynoris phoebe) is a medium-sized flycatcher found throughout eastern North America that traditionally nested in cave entrance zones. However, with the onset of human civilization and the adoption of man-made structures (e.g., barns, porches, bridges), the Eastern Phoebe’s population has dramatically increased (over 90%) in recent years. There has been little recent research regarding the continued use of cave entrances as nesting sites by the Eastern Phoebe. In this study, I surveyed 50 cave entrances in northern Alabama and south-central Tennessee to determine the environmental factors that influence the use of cave entrances as nesting …

The Impact Of Mkp-2 Deficiency On Hematological Parameters In Diet Challenged Mice, Cassandra Secunda

Theses

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate metabolic homeostasis and MAPK dysfunction promotes metabolic diseases. MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) regulate MAPKs and are implicated in obesity and platelet activation. To elucidate the role of MKP-2 in platelet function and NAFLD, tail bleed, platelet isolation, and western blot assays were performed. MKP-2 KO mice and control mice were fed either a chow or 12- 13 week high fat diet (HFD), a 10 week iron deficient (ID), or an iron supplement (IS) regimen. On the chow diet, the bleeding time was significantly reduced in female MKP-2 KO mice. Male MKP-2 KO IS mice showed significantly …

Testing Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma : A Model For Cleaning Single-Use Urinary Catheters To Prevent Infections, Elanie Francease Briggs

Theses

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most abundant bacterial infections world-wide with over 10 million cases and 13,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. The use of urinary catheters in hospitals and in outpatients significantly increases the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) that are promoted by uropathogenic biofilm formation. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the dominant cause for both UTI and CAUTI, which are becoming increasingly multidrug-resistant. Uropathogenic biofilm accumulation on urinary catheters is very resistant to treatment by traditional sterilization methods. Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPP) have been known for their strong microbicidal …

A Study Of Explainable Real-Time Object Detection And Human-Ai Teaming Interactions In Virtual Environments, Joseph Schwalb

Theses

The exponential nature by which Artificially Intelligent (AI) models grow enables evermore complex tasks to be achieved. Since these tasks tend to augment human capability, interacting with these models presents a unique way to commission assistive automation. The introduction of Explainable AI (XAI) enables AI stakeholders to converse with models, understand model reasonings, and comprehend biases while considering reliability requirements. The introduction of this Explainable capability in Human-AI teams presents a unique approach to addressing the complexities behind Human-Computer Interactions. Our application of Explainable AI for Intelligent Systems to augment decision-making is poised to shine a light on the challenges, …

Feature Selection In High-Dimensional Space With Applications To Gene Expression Data, Nishan Pantha

Theses

Recent years have seen rapid growth in high-dimensional datasets. Most existing machine learning (ML) algorithms fail in high-dimensional settings where many features could be redundant. A critical process of feature selection is thus applied in such a setting that helps in identifying the most relevant features while removing redundant ones. With the increase in high dimensionality, one is also faced with problems of efficiency and interpretation in performing such selection methods. Therefore, this thesis proposes a “novel” feature selection framework that uses an ensemble of interpretable ML algorithms to perform feature selection and the ranking of final features. Finally, this …

One Beat At A Time: Mitigating The Risk Factors Of Rheumatic Heart Disease Through Public Policies, Duy Phuong Huynh Nguyen

Theses

This thesis examines the challenges associated with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and the persistent prevalence of these diseases in the Australian context. In particular, the study focuses on the high resurgence of these preventable conditions within the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Torres Strait Island population. The study begins with an initial analysis on the initial infection of the Group A streptococcus (GAS: Streptococcus pyogenes). We then examine current knowledge of the mechanisms which permit the transmission and development GAS infections, leading to ARF and RHD. This chapter explores current challenges associated with …

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, …

Composition, Nutritional And Physicochemical Properties Of Milk Fat Globule Membrane Enriched Ingredients For Use In Infant Nutrition Products, Pierre Ponchon

Theses

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the nutritional, techno-functional and physicochemical properties of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) enriched whey protein concentrate (WPC) ingredients. This research focused on the physicochemical, nutritional, techno-functional, and microstructural properties of MFGM-enriched whey protein concentrate (WPC) powder ingredients, which included 3 MFGM-enriched WPC ingredients and a WPC ingredient co-enriched with α-lactalbumin and MFGM. These were compared to parallel stream (WPC 80 and whey protein isolate (WPI)) and upstream, whole milk powder (WMP) bovine derived ingredients of varying macromolecular composition, including MFGM-enrichment. The macromolecular compositions of the MFGM-enriched WPC ingredients included fat contents ranging …

The Satiating Potential Of Plant Proteins Transiting The Upper Gut., Leo Nunn

Theses

Increasing the feeling of fullness through modulation of satiety hormones by dietary proteins may be a promising daily approach in the prevention of unnecessary weight gain and in the maintenance of a healthy weight over our lifetime. The effects of animal sourced proteins on satiety hormone (GLP-1, PYY and CCK) has been well documented. However to meet the EU Green Deal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a 15-20 % dietary shift to plant proteins is required. This thesis examined the satiating potential of six plant protein ingredients, Teff, Oat Fibre, Lentil Protein Isolate, Buckwheat, Quinoa and Strong …

The Transformation Of Cherokee Medicial Practices And The Hesitations That Surround Them, Rebecca Bills

Theses

Studies on traditional Cherokee medicine during the 1800s explained Cherokee religious beliefs and the treatments they used to heal the members of their community. However, no updated research has been done to see if Cherokees are still using traditional medicine and if they are, which kinds are they using in the 21st century. This is in part due to the fact that Native Americans and the U.S. government have a complicated relationship from centuries of mistreatment, broken treaties, and the removal from their ancestral homelands. This has created a distrust between native and non-natives. Today, traditional healers' identities are protected …

Antibiotics And Secondary Metabolites Analysis Shell (Antismash) As A Tool To Detect Putative Novel Antibiotics, Rajiv Snape

Theses

In the Hudson Lab, which is focused on discovering new antibiotics, bacteria samples are taken from the environment and cultured in large quantities. Then they are tested for antibiotic resistance before they are sequenced and their secondary metabolite compounds are extracted. This is both a lengthy and expensive process that becomes more and more difficult as the number of samples one is working increases. This project assessed a different approach to rejuvenate antibiotic development with antiSMASH. antiSMASH is an online tool created by collaborators from many different institutions that uses profile Hidden Markov Models (pHMMs) to detect gene clusters which …

Identifying The Causes Of Heart Disease Using Classification Techniques, Wadeema Alshamsi

Theses

Heart disease is a global epidemic that affects millions of people and is responsible for a significant portion of annual deaths worldwide. Timely diagnosis and prediction of heart disease can save countless lives, and advancements in information technology have opened up new avenues for improving medical diagnosis. In this project, we aimed to explore the use of machine learning classification techniques for predicting the presence of heart disease in patients. We deployed five classification techniques: Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, K Nearest Neighbors, and Support Vector Machine. We used a dataset of 1025 observations with 13 features and one …

Analysis Of Micro-Perforated Packaging Systems For Minimally Processed Fresh Greens, Heidy Lizardo

Theses

Because of the increased demand for fresh greens presented in an accessible format, the demand for a new packaging technology to extend shelf life has also increased. Micro perforation is a packaging system that allows rapidly modifying headspace gases under refrigerated storage. Previous research has demonstrated that the pattern in which the perforations are aligned in the film affects the gas exchange modification of the package headspace gases. A rapid modification of the headspace gases of the product in the package must be achieved in order to guarantee extended shelf life. Several patterns of micro-perforation location and density have been …

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 …

Is Patient Controlled Analgesia A Feasible Method Of Pain Relief In The Emergency Department: A Mixed Method Study, Raja Natasya Raja Azlan

Theses

Although pain is the most common reason for patients to present to emergency departments (EDs), conventional methods of pain management in EDs are suboptimal. Patient controlled analgesia (PCA), commonly used for post operative pain relief, was proposed as a modality of pain management in ED. PCA enables the patient to self-administer intravenous analgesia, has been rigorously evaluated in acute care settings and is widely used in many clinical areas. It is not routinely used in EDs. The literature review found critical gaps in the existing evidence of PCA use in EDs justifying this research. A three-phase sequential mixed methods study …

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 …

At The Heart Of Leviathan: A Hobbesian Reading Of Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, Bethany Lilleyman

Theses

This thesis demonstrates how a historical-philosophical reading of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899) through the lens of Thomas Hobbes’ thought can provide new understandings of Conrad’s critique of empire, by extending existing literature on the novella’s historical and politico-philosophical ideas. As Conrad’s use of a literary-impressionistic style has often left readers debating the text’s meaning, the once-canonical novella has come under the intense scrutiny of both readers and scholars alike. This scrutiny intensified with the rise of postcolonialism in the late 1970s, which focused on the novella’s controversial representations of race and imperialism. Tensions surrounding the text have also …

Early Movement Matters: Examining The Influence Of Early Postnatal Caregiving Experiences Of Term Infants On Motor And Head Shape Outcomes Across Infancy, Helen E. Beaton

Theses

The nurturing, handling and positioning exposures infants experience during daily caregiving contribute to their physical, motor, cognitive and social–emotional development. A relationship exists between infant sleep and wake-time positioning, the emergence of motor skills and the development of head shape deformities diagnosed as non-synostotic plagiocephaly (NSP). However, the underlying causal mechanism of the specific caregiving behaviours that may play a role remains unclear.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between maternal caregiving behaviours and the developmental outcomes of ‘low-risk’ term infants in the first 10 months of life. The first phase of the research involved the …

Exploration Of The Effects Of Developmental Coordination Disorder On Skeletal Development From Childhood Through To Early Adulthood, Jocelyn Tan

Theses

This thesis examined bone development from childhood into early adulthood in individuals with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) using a life course health development framework. One systematic review was conducted, and four original research studies produced with retrospective data from four unique cohorts in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Physical activity was assessed via accelerometry in Finnish child and adult populations and via self-reporting in an Australian population at 17 and 20 years. Bone was assessed via peripheral quantitative computed tomography in adolescents and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in adults at age 20 years in two Australian cohorts. Bone was assessed cross-sectionally …

The Other Beginning Of Thinking: Heidegger And Neoplatonism, Emile Alexandrov

Theses

This thesis establishes an “other beginning” for thinking by repositioning Plato and Neoplatonism in Heidegger’s history of metaphysics. The thesis achieves this by revising Heidegger’s interpretation of Plato and retrieving Neoplatonist approaches to non-discursive thinking, corresponding to some of Heidegger’s post-turn concerns. The thesis begins by justifying the adoption of Heidegger’s “two beginnings” idea and illustrating what I label the “fundamentals of truth of the first beginning,” which Heidegger used to envision the other beginning of thinking. The fundamentals of truth inform Heidegger’s reading of Hölderlin and the later writings that emerged from the 1950s onwards. The second part re-thinks …

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 …

Sustaining Development Through Biodiversity Offsets, Linda Abdo

Theses

Biodiversity offsets, also called “environmental offsets”, are actions used to compensate for the loss of biodiversity and social values associated with development projects. They are commonly used by governments to contribute to ecologically sustainable development (ESD); however, offsets have been criticised for inappropriate use, poor implementation, and inadequate monitoring, reporting and enforcement. Regardless, use of offsets is likely to increase due to regulatory convenience in easing community discomfort with development impacts. This thesis investigated how biodiversity offsets in Australia can be enhanced to align with ESD principles. Analyses of peer-reviewed journal articles, published reports, media articles and legislative instruments for …