Digital Commons Network^™

Upper And Lower Body Volume-Equated Resistance Exercise Increases Post-Exercise Lipid Oxidation In Trained Eumenorrheic Females., Alyssa L. Parten, Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Eric K. O'Neal, T Scott Lyons, Hunter S. Waldman

Theses

Exercise strategies targeted to increase lipid oxidation (LOx) in the resting state present an opportunity to optimize long-term metabolic health. However, research examining the effects of resistance training (RT) on LOx in females remains scarce, particularly with no studies yet examining whether differences exist in LOx between upper and lower body RT. This study examined LOx changes following volume-load equated upper and lower body RT in well-trained, eumenorrheic females. Twenty-two (age: 25.4 ± 5.6 years, BMI: 24.6 ± 2.7) females completed a 3-repetition-maximum (RM) and 1RM test for the barbell back squat (BS) and bench press (BP), respectively. From these …

Estimating Surface Sulfur Dioxide Concentrations Over Eastern China Using Omi Satellite Data, Zachary Watson

Theses

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a key air pollutant as it contributes to negative health effects, acid rain, and aerosol formation. Using satellite data to monitor surface SO2 concentrations can fill in the gaps of ground-based air quality networks in less populated areas. In this study, SO2 retrievals from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) were employed to estimate annual and seasonal average surface SO2 concentrations over eastern China, a major anthropogenic source region, from 2015 to 2018. The OMI-derived surface SO2 concentrations had a similar spatial distribution and temporal trends as ground-based measurements from an air quality monitoring network, but they …

Concentrated Benefits And Dispersed Costs: The Contributions Of Pareto, Olson, And Ostrom, Nathan John Cuthbertson

Theses

Concentrated benefits and dispersed costs (CBDC) is a central concept in the field of public choice as well as economics more broadly. The phrase concentrated benefits and dispersed costs refers to a situation in which economic benefits are concentrated and the associated costs are borne by a larger group. This thesis argues that the elements of CBDC are common in the literature without the term being used directly. This study is an exercise in the history of economic thought. The study is structured into three case studies, with each dedicated to the work of an influential economist: Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923); …

Sigrid Undset: Nordic Catholic Apologist, Brendan Edward Arthur

Theses

This thesis explores the depth and breadth of Sigrid Undset’s non-fiction Catholic writing, a substantial body of work that has largely remained inaccessible to all but readers of Norwegian. Through original translations and analysis, it synthesises these texts into broad themes while situating them within their historical contexts of the intellectual and cultural debates in early twentieth-century Norway. The study addresses three research questions: (1) the general themes in Undset’s Catholic non-fiction; (2) the contemporary relevance of these writings; and (3) whether Undset merits the designation “Catholic apologist.” In its method, the thesis employs textual analysis of Undset’s essays, articles …

The Table, Ruichu Yu

Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between identity formation, emotional rupture, and social performance through the symbolic framework of the dining table to examine how everyday rituals shape and destabilize the self. Beginning with a personal history of crafting prosthetic ears at the request of the artist’s otologist father, the project emerges from an initial desire to heal others and confronts the emotional weight of restoration. As the work evolves, this act of repair becomes a catalyst for the artist’s own confrontation with psychological fragmentation, shifting the focus from medical mending to the deconstruction of selfhood. Drawing on theories of performativity …

Aqualoop (The Four Stages Of Earth's Water Cycle), Precious Onwubuche

Theses

This research investigates the development of an educational initiative that illustrates the water cycle using real-life simulations and moving graphics targeting high school students and older audiences to connect theoretical knowledge with hands-on learning in Earth science education. The initiative utilises visual design strategies to turn intricate hydrological processes into an engaging educational journey. The significance of this project is underscored by statistics showing that fewer than 30 percent of secondary school students master Earth science principles, such as the water cycle. This is based on 2019 information from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Additionally, and notably, more …

Bayesian Networks For Safety-Critical Systems, Joseph Mietkiewicz

Theses

This thesis addresses a operational challenge in modern industrial operations: the increasing complexity of systems and the consequent cognitive burden on operators. As industrial technologies advance, the human-computer interface has become the primary conduit for information flow, playing a pivotal role in operational decision-making. However, the proliferation of data often leads to information overload, potentially compromising rather than enhancing operator performance. This research explores an approach to this pressing issue through the application of Bayesian networks as decision support systems in safety- critical scenarios. Our study employs a multi-faceted approach, combining theoretical modeling with empirical testing. Through collaboration with industry …

Generation Of True Random Numbers With Actively Stabilized, Low Dimensional Chaos, Aidan Barton

Theses

True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) are heavily used and their design often relies on empirical validation from statistical test suites. Reliance solely on empirical observations to estimate entropy rates for cryptographic applications introduces risk, as accurately inferring long-term correlations demands prohibitively large datasets. Empirical validation of TRNGs must be supplemented by strong theoretical backing to justify estimated information theoretic quantities. We present an electronic, hardware TRNG scheme that produces a maximally random output guaranteed from first principles. This TRNG uses a pulse-width based hardware realization of an iterated map that produces physical entropy via low-dimensional chaotic dynamics. The simple dynamics …

Gai Research - A Case Study On The Implications Of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gai) On Teaching Within An Irish Technological University., Moya Cronin

Theses

The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has introduced a transformative age of technology, gaining prominent attention in higher education. This mixed-methods case study examined how GAI was understood, applied, and managed within an Irish Technological University at a time of turbulence when no official GAI policies were available as a point of reference. Lecturing and research staff were invited to participate in an online survey (𝑛 = 145) and semi-structured interviews (𝑛 = 8) to share their experiences with GAI technology within the case study university. Lack of guidance was seen to affect staff’s confidence and adoption, but …

The Effects Of Color, Framing, And System Certainty Information On Human-Machine Teaming, Bryanna S. Hamblin

Theses

This study examined the effects of socially learned predispositions, such as framing and color, on the use of certainty information from an automated teammate in the context of human-machine teaming. Participants were randomly assigned to a color condition (red, green, black) and saw a series of 30 certainty icons (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) in each framing condition (success, failure). A 2 x 5 x 3 mixed subjects design was used to analyze the effects of each of these factors on the acceptance rates of the automation’s suggestion and the decision response time. The analysis found that color, framing, and …

Fault Tolerance In Krylov Subspace Methods, Sandesh Pandit

Theses

The increasing complexity of modern high-performance computing (HPC) systems, with their vast number of processing units and extensive memory hierarchies, introduces significant challenges to system resilience, particularly in the face of soft errors. Krylov subspace methods, which play a pivotal role in solving large-scale sparse linear systems and eigenvalue problems, are iterative in nature and thus susceptible to the propagation of soft errors. In this paper, we examine the fault tolerance properties of two widely-used Krylov subspace methods: the Lanczos method and the Bi- Conjugate Gradient (BiCG) method. Specifically, we analyze the impact of soft errors introduced during the critical …

Neural Acceleration Of Graph Partitioning, Vishvam Patel

Theses

Graph Partitioning is a critical problem in numerous scientific and engineering domains including social network analysis, VLSI design, and many more. Spectral methods are known to produce quality partitions while minimizing edge cuts for a wide range of problems. However, the computational cost associated with the calculation of the Fiedler vector, an eigenvector associated with the second smallest eigenvalue of the graph Laplacian, remains a significant bottleneck. In this paper, we present an neural acceleration approach to spectral bisection partitioning by replacing the traditional eigenvalue calculation with a simple artificial neural network model to approximate the fiedler vector. We demonstrate …

Nonlinear Dynamics And Data Driven Modeling, Mattan Tseng

Theses

The research areas of dynamics and data-driven modeling overlap in existing literature. Some research uses dynamical systems as a test bed while developing new modeling methods. Other papers attempt to use data-driven modeling as a tool to better understand, or potentially predict the behavior of a dynamical system. The primary goal of this thesis is to further the symbiotic relationship between these two research areas. Firstly, this paper provides a concrete example of how a basis function decomposition of the Lorenz system can provide a quantitative performance metric for data-driven modeling methods. Secondly, a novel application of an existing modeling …

170 Years Of San Francisco Sea Level Pressure, Brendan Heaven

Theses

This data-recovery project and subsequent data analyses address the construction of a continuous, long instrumental record of sea level pressure for San Francisco, California, USA and examines what the time series may reveal about atmospheric patterns through time. Atmospheric pressure is a physical component which is associated with both daily and seasonal weather phenomena and is one of the most robust of the meteorological variables. Observational data of surface pressure (SFP) and later sea level pressure (SLP) were accessed from digital archives, with a large part of these being manually keyed from original observations on paper. San Francisco, being near …

A Mutually Exclusive 3d Convolution Based Time Dilation Framework For Future Frame Prediction In Video Streams Of Natural Events, Benjamin Robinson

Theses

In this thesis, a framework for predicting future frames from videos of naturally occurring processes will be presented. This is achieved by learning the underlying physical laws of the natural process through the exploitation of spatiotemporal features from the frames of the video. Our framework defines windows containing frames at varying time intervals, which we call dilations, and uses them to predict future frames using a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN). The network architecture accepts six time-dilated windows of input video frames and computes spatiotemporal features for each window maintaining the exclusion of the resulting features across three phases of …

Evaluating The Accuracy Of Johnson-Cook Strain Rate Sensitivity For Fcc Aerospace Structural Materials, Sydney Carlota Resnick

Theses

Understanding aerospace materials’ strain rate sensitivity is crucial for accurate designs and analysis for structural performance in dynamic loading conditions, such as rocket launches, airplane collisions, and debris impacts. Three common aerospace face-centered cubic (FCC) metals are evaluated through various strain rate tests and FEA and simulation modeling. Quasi-static and intermediate tests are performed on a hydraulic load frame, and dynamic tests are run on a split-Hopkinson pressure bar, all in tensile motion. This covers the range of strain rates from 1x10-3 s-1 to 1x103 s-1. Results reveal little strain rate sensitivity at room temperature for A286 steel and AL7075 …

Heat Transfer And Aerodynamic Losses Caused By Additively Manufactured Turbine Blades Enhanced By Micro-Machining And Chemical Polishing, Mason Hancock

Theses

As turbine engines are pushed to operate at higher temperatures and pressure ratios, turbine blades are forced to interact with more extreme conditions. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers new possibilities for meeting these challenges by allowing the fabrication of complex shapes from advanced materials like GRX-810, an alloy designed to maintain strength and durability at extreme temperatures. However, one of the trade-offs with AM is its inherently rough surface finish, which can vary depending on how the surface is treated after printing. This thesis investigates how different surface treatment methods, including micromachining and chemical polishing, as well as the untreated, as-built …

Nursing Students' Clinical Placement Experience In A Residential Aged Care Facility: A Comparative Study, Nitasha Aarni Narayan

Theses

Nursing education programs play a significant role in preparing future nurses to care for the growing number of older people who will require health care. A key component of this preparation is the learning that nursing students acquire through clinical placement experience in a residential aged care facility. This clinical placement provides them with opportunities to experience caring for older adults. However, many students are reportedly reluctant to accept clinical placement in aged care and are ill-prepared for the challenges of the residential aged care facility environment. Hence, it is important for the development of future nursing programs and the …

The Implementation Of The Queensland Health Smoking Cessation Clinical Pathway In A Western Australian Private Hospital Setting: A Feasibility Study, Leah Jane Epton

Theses

As smoking is prohibited on most hospital grounds, hospitalisation presents a valuable opportunity for healthcare professionals to identify smokers, administer smoking cessation treatments, and ensure appropriate inpatient support, as well as continued follow-up on discharge. It has been reported both anecdotally and in published research that encouragement from a health professional is a significant external prompt for a smoker to attempt quitting. It has also been noted in the inpatient setting, one in every 33 conversations will lead to the successful cessation of smoking.

More broadly, a 2012 Cochrane review on smoking cessation interventions for inpatients identified that they are …

Leadership In The Digital Economy: An Investigation Into How Digitalisation Is Changing The Role And Practice Of Leadership In The Australian Defence Industry, Rhogan Aitken

Theses

Digitalisation is a phenomenon that is transforming society and is the process that moves an organisation to become digital. Research was conducted on senior leaders in the Australian defence industry with the purpose of investigating how the role and practice of leadership was changing because of digitalisation. A two-phased qualitative methodology was employed. An initial Delphi study on 13 experts in digital transformation was adopted to gain consensus on key issues, with the results informing a second stage of semi-structured interviews with 32 senior leaders in the Australian defence industry. The results identified factors that were influencing leadership, including increased …

Vision Or Exemplification? Augustine And Aquinas On Divine Illumination, Matthew Richard Cain

Theses

Many interpreters of Thomas Aquinas since the second half of the twentieth-century emphasise the Platonist dimensions of his thought, particularly his metaphysics. This contrasts with, and is a shift away from, the dominant Aristotelian interpretations of previous generations. Aquinas’s theory of knowledge, however, tends still to be interpreted in Aristotelian terms, according to which Augustine’s Platonist illuminationism is replaced by a Peripatetic emphasis on sensation and abstraction in the soul.

This thesis reexamines the role of illumination in Augustine and Aquinas’ theories of knowledge. It asks whether scholarship today ought to reconceive the relationship between these two major thinkers in …

Leading To Serve: Participants' Perception Of A Servant Leadership Program In Anglican School Contexts, Keith Charles Peterson

Theses

This PhD study researched the impact of a servant leadership development program on the culture and practice of two Anglican faith schools. The intent was to document and enhance these schools’ culture and practice through the design, application and outcomes of this developmental process. The rationale for this study stems from the increasing awareness of servant leadership as a formatively based approach that has depth and integrity of alignment with the relationally set values of care, community and service implicit to faith-based education. By demonstrating the alignment between the intent for servant leadership and its actual application and outcomes, this …

Learning To Be 'With Woman': The Lived Experience Of Studying Midwifery, A Phenomenological Study, Ashlee Guerin

Theses

At the heart of midwifery lies a philosophy grounded by the principle of being ‘with woman’. This core philosophy defines the profession itself, reflected in the etymology of the word midwife, derived from the Anglo-Saxon terms mid (with) and wif (woman), reflecting a tradition of relational care embedded within the profession. Understanding and embodying this philosophy is fundamental for midwifery students, as it shapes their professional identity, informs clinical decision-making, and underpins the provision of care that is safe, respectful and in partnership with women across their childbearing journey. Learning to be ‘with woman’ fosters respect, advocacy, and partnership, ensuring …

Negotiating With-Ness: Midwives' Lived Experiences Of Gender, Inclusive Language, And Professional Identity., Kimberley-Ann De Wet

Theses

This research investigated midwives lived experiences of using gender-inclusive language in public maternity care, examining how linguistic practices intersect with professional identity, ethical commitment, and institutional constraint. Informed by feminist theory and guided by descriptive phenomenology with a constructivist paradigm, the study explored how midwives navigate the profession’s foundational ethos of being ‘with woman’ while responding to the ethical imperative to provide inclusive care in an increasingly diverse society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight practising midwives in Western Australia, generating rich descriptions of how inclusive language is enacted, negotiated, and constrained in practice. Reflexive thematic analysis produced three overarching …

Defining Barriers In Pulmonary Hypertension: Pulmonary Hypertension In Remote And Rural Settings In Australia: An Epidemiologic Study Aided By Echocardiography, Pyi Naing

Theses

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common, complex, and potentially lethal haemodynamic condition with many underlying aetiologies. It is poorly understood, and diagnosis is usually made late in the disease process resulting in poor outcomes even in the developed world. An innovative universal framework is required to achieve early and accurate diagnosis for improved outcomes, especially in remote and rural areas. The thesis documents my substantial body of work that unlocks a collective framework to assist patients with PH, particularly in areas not classically serviced by tertiary level PH care.

The first chapter of my thesis outlines the history, important milestones …

Digital Threads: Fashion Design With Clo3d, Maya Herring

Theses

CLO3D (CLO) has emerged as a prominent software service within the fashion industry, molding the conceptualization and development of 3D fashion designs. By eliminating the constraints of customary manufacturing processes and real-life production costs, CLO equips designers with tools to bring their fashion garments and designs to life. This study aims to explore the capabilities of CLO software by developing five digital bridal dresses while also examining the learning curve, challenges, and benefits associated with its usage. The objective is to identify how CLO can provide aspiring fashion designers with the tools to produce high-quality designs without traditional training.

By …

Structure/Property/Processing Of A 3d Printed Self-Healing Polymer Blend Based On A Thermoplastic Healing Agent, Vincent Mei

Theses

Self-healing polymers can regain mechanical performance following damage, offering increased material durability and sustainability. This thesis establishes structure/property/processing relationships for a 3D printable extrinsically self-healing polymer based on a UV polymerizable thermosetting resin system blended with a low temperature thermoplastic healing agent. This work serves as the first example of a vat polymerization 3D printed soft, low Tg low-melt thermoplastic extrinsically self-healing polymer blend. This development enables high resolution fabrication of complex geometries with self-healing functionality. This strategy of imbuing self-healing properties onto vat polymerization resins will enable functionality in many application spaces including aerospace, biomedical, soft robotics, coatings, and …

Surveying The Role Of Visual Analytics In Human-Machine Teaming, Naga Datha Saikiran Battula

Theses

Humans and machines both possess their unique capabilities and have their strengths and weaknesses, which can be complementary to one another and allow them to achieve a common goal. Teaming in the modern era involves text prompts, voice commands, gesture recognition, touch interfaces, and the latest visualization techniques that allow parties/agents to interact. Communication through visualization plays a vital role in allowing robust insights to be gained through a glance. Using visualization as a medium between humans and machines can increase the communication bandwidth. Human-machine teaming has witnessed much progress, with many theories and practical examples emerging. In the report, …

Utilitarian And Self-Representational: Player-To-Player Character Relationships In Final Fantasy Xiv, Zu Er Guan

Theses

This thesis studies the relationships between video game players and their player characters, the characters that they control, through the lens of player purpose and intent by conducting research using an online survey developed and analyzed using an interdisciplinary methodology based on existing studies in the field regarding avatar identification, player psychology, and queer and feminist theory. This thesis posits that are two types of player relationships with their player characters based on player intent—player characters as the personal avatar and representation of the self, and player characters as a tool for the execution of player control and gameplay experience. …

Pixel Personalities Ai, Patrick Casey

Theses

The Pixel Personality AI project explores how AI characters can be embedded in augmented reality (AR) environments to foster user interaction and storytelling. By situating AI personas within real-world contexts, the project examines how design principles, storytelling techniques, and user-centric technology can create engaging and intuitive experiences. Through iterative prototyping and design refinement, the project addressed challenges in aesthetic design, interface usability, and AR integration. The resulting low-poly aesthetic and customized visual filters enhance spatial storytelling while maintaining a balance between user focus and environmental immersion. This research highlights the potential of AI-driven narratives to reshape AR experiences, emphasizing user …