Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Energy Consumption Of Drones For Delivery Usage: Case Study In Dubai, Maitha Huraiz Bin Touq

Theses

In the past couple of years, the dependency of delivery services on road vehicles has increased, compromising the efficiency of this service in urban areas. Aside from efficiency, another issue is the increase in greenhouse emissions, which jeopardizes the government's efforts to reduce dangerous gasses. Drone-based delivery has been highlighted as one of the most promising technologies in the field of delivery systems. This system could ease traffic congestion, expediting delivery efficiency, and in parallel, the use of electrified drones could help with decarbonizing the atmosphere. This study examines the use of drones for delivery in the city of Dubai …

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 …

The Survival Of Punic Identity In The Imperial Roman Age, Ryan Alcanio

Theses

After the Roman conquest of Carthage in 146 BC, North Africa began the process of becoming a Roman Province. From the 1st century AD onward, the surviving culture of the Carthaginian and Punic peoples underwent significant changes that better incorporated it into the Roman world. The Punic religion became adopted into the Roman Pantheon and took on Roman attributes while the Punic language survived mostly intact thanks to the written form adopting the Latin alphabet by the 2nd century AD.

Caring For Individuals Who Have Used Methamphetamine: A Study Exploring The Experiences Of West Australian Nurses Working In An Authorised Mental Health Institute, John Kriticos

Theses

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) use in Australia has stabilized over the last 22 years, however changing routes of administration and increased purity of the drug has led to greater rates of physical dependency and higher rates of cardiovascular, neurological, and mental health complications. Challenges managing MA related presentations have been reported in Australian Emergency Departments (ED’s), with limited research considering nurses’ experience treating individual(s) who use MA (IWUM) and require prolonged mental health care. Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand nurses’ experiences who care for IWUM in a West Australian hospital’s inpatient mental health service. Methods: Interpretive phenomenological …

'Crying Wolf': Generating New Understandings Of Alarm Fatigue Using A Convergent Mixed Methods Approach, Meagan Rae Vidyaeva

Theses

Introduction: Alarm fatigue is a consequence of sensory overload due to frequent nuisance alarms from physiologic monitoring devices. This ‘cry wolf’ phenomenon occurs frequently in the context of continuous cardiac monitoring and ST segment monitoring.

Research significance: The effect of these alarm types on nurses’ perceived alarm fatigue in Australian settings is yet to be examined. Accordingly, this thesis explores registered nurses (RN’s) perception of alarm fatigue. The effect of ST segment monitoring on perceived alarm fatigue, as well as the necessary resources for RNs to reduce alarm fatigue is also a focus of this thesis.

Methodology: The research was …

The Impact Of Weighted Football Training On The Skill Acquisition Processes Of Place-Kicking In Sport, Sam Jermyn

Theses

Weighted implement training (WIT) involves performance of sport-specific motor skills with heavier-than-normal sporting implements. Typically, full range of motion (ROM) and similar kinematic characteristics of the respective motor skill are maintained concurrent to minimal changes in the force-velocity movement profile. While the majority of WIT research has been conducted in baseball, track and field, and cricket, there is a paucity of research conducted in the football codes, particularly Gaelic football. Existing observations of increased standard implement velocity and distance following the use of weighted implements infers potential benefits for Gaelic football performance, such as increasing kick-out ball velocity (BV) and …

‘A Healthy Mtu’ A Mixed Methods Baseline Programme Of Research To Empirically Inform A Campus Health Promotion Initiative Within An Irish Higher Education Setting, Andrea Bickerdike

Theses

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been called to lead global health promotion actions, yet there remains a dearth of empirically informed ‘Healthy University’ (HU) initiatives. This thesis constituted a baseline mixed methods needs assessment to inform a settings-based health promotion (HP) initiative (‘A Healthy MTU’) within a multi-campus ‘case’ HEI in Ireland (Cork campuses of MTU, formerly CIT). Specific aims were to (i) investigate student and staff health metrics, and (ii) identify the cultural and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing within the case HEI setting. Using a phased, mixed methodology (QUAN-QUAL), five sequential empirical studies were undertaken. Quantitative data …

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 …

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, …

The Laicisation Of Principalship In Australian Jesuit Province Schools, Christopher John Kitching

Theses

This study examines the introduction of lay (non-religious) principals into three of the four Australian Jesuit Province schools, and their influence on Ignatian Spirituality and the Jesuit charism within the tradition of Catholic education in Australia. This study coincides with a decrease in the number of clergy available to provide extensive academic, pastoral, and social justice activities throughout the Australian Jesuit Province. First, this study seeks to explain the values, understandings, and pedagogy of the schools, their heritage, and contribution to Australian Catholic education as well as the contribution of the laity in partnership with the (Society of Jesus) Jesuits. …

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 …

Novel Investigations For Reflux Disease And Their Complications In The Oesophagus, Jin-Soo Park

Theses

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a disease process in which gastric acid from the stomach refluxes upwards into the lower oesophagus and causes typical symptoms such as heartburn. In contrast, laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) is a reflux disease where stomach contents reflux upward to the upper oesophagus, pharynx, larynx, and lungs. LPR instead causes more nebulous and atypical symptoms such as voice change, chronic cough, and laryngitis. Furthermore, prolonged acid contact can cause cellular changes that increase risk of oesophageal malignancy.

GORD is a prevalent disease, and there are various investigative modalities to assess, diagnose, and quantify its impacts. On …

Anal Cancer Outcome Research Network (Acorn) Baseline Study – 20 Year Retrospective Study From Australia, Jean Wong Dr

Theses

Purpose

Anal cancer is an uncommon condition, occurring at higher rates in specific subpopulations. Clinical experience is limited and substantial changes have recently occurred in our understanding of this condition. We therefore set out to characterise patients presenting with anal cancer and investigate whether there had been any changes over the past 20 years.

Methodology

A retrospective audit of cases identified from pathology databases during the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2019.

Results

224 patients, comprising 162 (72%) males and 62 (28%) females were identified, with a mean age of 54 years (range 30-85) for males and 61 …

Outlier State: Elite Rhetoric As A Window To Western Australian Regionalism, David Jones

Theses

Western Australia was the last of the Australian self-governing British colonies to agree to join the Australian Federation in 1900 and voted to secede, by a significant electoral margin, in a referendum held in 1933. Some have even argued the State has been a reluctant member of the Federation since this momentous vote. If this is the case, what evidence is there that can justify this perception, and possibly point to enduring underlying factors supporting this Western Australian regionalism sentiment and identity? Many of the drivers which led to the successful secession referendum in 1933 still exist today. The State …

The Role Of Mkp-2 In Cellular Senescence And Metabolic Function, Morgan Welch

Theses

Senescence is a state of permanent cell cycle arrest which stops proliferation. It is hallmarked by changes in proteins such as p21, p53, and p16, which are regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) which are regulated by MAPK Phosphatases (MKPs). One such MKP, MKP-2, has a paucity of information on its physiological function. To study MKP-2 in senescence, we used mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from novel MKP-2 whole-body knockout mice. These MEFs were analyzed using senescence-associated β-galactosidase assays and immunoblotting approaches. It was found that there were reduced β-Galactosidase positive cells and reduced senescence phenotypes in the Mkp2 -/- …

Topological Interactions Of Spiky Particles With A Planar Wall, Elizabeth Andrew

Theses

Synthetic spiky colloids are attractive for different technologies, but quantifying the effect of orientation on the particle-surface interactions is still lacking and hinders the use of spiky colloids in different applications. This thesis tackles one of the main challenges in colloid science and engineering to describe the electrostatic and van der Waals interaction energies of a dilute suspension of spiky anisotropic colloids with a planar wall. The model reported here quantifies the DLVO interactions of a spiky particle with a planar wall, extending the surface element integration method and including the effects of particle position and orientation. The effect of …

Seasonal Vulnerability Of Snakes To Road Traffic At Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson S. Schoettle

Theses

Snakes are important predators and prey in North American food webs that exhibit seasonal activity patterns in temperate regions. During periods of heightened activity, they will often utilize roads both for traveling from one habitat patch to another and/or for thermoregulation. In this thesis, I explore how human recreational activities impact the diversity and distribution of snake communities by examining the relationships between seasonality of human recreational activities and gravel road closures for waterfowl management on snake road mortality and activity at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama, USA. Many studies have investigated how snakes interact with paved roads, …

Assessment Of Public Transit And Access To Essential Services And Facilities In Huntsville, Alabama, Sachin Shivashankar

Theses

This study aims to investigate the accessibility of public transit within the City of Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. Accessibility, in this context, refers to the distance between the residents in a certain census tract to essential amenities such as hospitals, schools, parks, workplaces, and other necessary services using public transportation. Data were obtained from the US Census Bureau and the City of Huntsville's Data Depot, focusing on aspects such as population socio-demographic attributes, and the distribution of essential amenities within the Huntsville city. Utilizing a range of Geographic Information System (GIS) methodologies and tools, including proximity analysis, random forest …

The Spiral Generator : Theory And Methods For Modeling And Fabrication, Jacob Kinsey

Theses

This thesis attempts to confront shortcomings of spiral generator knowledge of testing at low voltages, design techniques of spiral generators, and fabrication methods. To achieve this, basic fabrication methods were employed for generators to be tested at low and high voltage. This effort allowed development of a simple two-frequency model and winding machine. This two-frequency model depicts output waveform amplitude as a scaler of charging voltage and has been found to be adequate for using the model in comparison to less trivial models which can be less accurate in time-domain behavior. An updated winding machine was proposed as a result …

Analysis Of Interconnected Subreddits On The Reddit Social Network, Lance Lindner

Theses

This thesis analyzes the Reddit social network to identify two aspects of interactions on that platform: (1) implicit leader-follower relationships, which are obtained by mining patterns of user interactions on the network and (2) highly “interconnected” subreddits which are obtained by scoring each subreddit using a “interconnectedness” value derived from the interaction patterns of users across subreddits. The data were obtained from Reddit in 2022 using a custom-built scrapper. This work analyzed 125,000 subreddits. The results show that the most highly connected subreddits on the Reddit network are ones that discuss content considered to be “not suitable for work” (NSFW). …

Aquinas’S Four–Fold Senses Of Scripture: Harnessing Metaphysical Analogy For Theological Exegesis, Susanna Edmunds O.P. Sr.

Theses

This thesis seeks to contribute to the integration of exegesis and theology called for by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in his 1988 Erasmus address, “Biblical Interpretation in Crisis.” While much progress towards this integration has been made, limited attention has been given to Ratzinger’s recommended philosophical framework, the metaphysics of participation and analogy as formulated by St. Thomas Aquinas. This thesis builds on the contemporary revival in Aquinas’s approach to Scripture to propose a metaphysical framework for theological exegesis. This framework will be based on three claims. First, that the hermeneutic of faith adopted by the Pontifical Biblical Commission, among others, …

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 …

The Age Of De Fer: Maps, Knowledge, And The Western World View, 1680-1720, Fiona Keating

Theses

This thesis determines the degree to which cartographic tools and maps such as Nicolas de Fer’s Carte de la Mer du Sud et de la Mer du Nord (Paris, 1713) might be considered ‘weapons’ of empire and examples of eighteenth-century ‘plundering’ of the Pacific. It analyses the connection between knowledge, power, empire and identity in the so-called ‘Age of Discovery’ by examining the map created by de Fer in the early years of the Scientific Revolution and the ‘Age of Enlightenment’. Carte de la Mer du Sud et de la Mer du Nord is an encyclopaedic, visual representation of western …

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

Theses

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

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

Novel Electrocardiogram Biomarkers In Long Qt Syndrome, Daniel Theodore Tardo

Theses

Prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc) is key in diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS), however 25-50% of individuals with congenital LQTS (cLQTS) demonstrate a normal resting QTc. T wave morphology (TWM) can distinguish cLQTS subtypes but its role in acquired LQTS (aLQTS) requires further elucidation. Beyond the challenge of concealed LQTS, utilising the QTc is complicated by limitations related to overcorrection at fast and slow heart rates, due to assumptions based on non-physiological QT rate dependence. QT-RR dynamics enable improved heart rate correction and have been shown to distinguish cLQTS from controls, however RR dynamics have not yet been …

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

Theses

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

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

Theses

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

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

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

Theses

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

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

Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study

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

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 …