Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Pocket Parks To Enhance Public Space And Realm In Ajman, Uae, Manal Abdalla Al Shamsi

Theses

Green spaces in urban life play an important role in maintaining healthy lifestyle and providing a calm and peaceful place for roaming around. Large new urban park projects are gradually decreasing in dense cities, and small green spaces like pocket parks are likely to become more important. However previous studies showed that multiple research studies on small urban green spaces have been conducted. On infill sites and other overlooked city corners, pocket parks are created. Apart from the obvious benefits of the ecosystem and the environment, they can be a small but important step towards a fair architecture. The project …

Cognitive Reappraisal And Expressive Suppression: An Examination Of Their Associations With Seeking Social Support, Well-Being And Academic Performance, Khalid Abdulazem Mohamed Ahmed

Theses

This thesis examined individual differences regarding two prominent emotion regulation processes - cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression - and their associations with social functioning, psychological well-being, and academic performance. Six hypotheses were proposed. It was hypothesized that frequent use of cognitive reappraisal is positively correlated with seeking social support, psychological well-being, and academic performance, while the chronic use of expressive suppression is negatively associated with the three factors. Additionally, the differences between high reappraisers and low reappraisers, and between high suppressors and low suppressors, were investigated to confirm the results following the correlational analyses. An online survey was conducted …

Investigating Emotion-Label And Emotion-Laden Words In A Semantic Satiation Paradigm, Ryan Hildebrandt

Theses

Current literature suggests emotion-label words (e.g., sad) and emotion-laden words (e.g., funeral) are processed differently.  The central focus of the present study was to investigate how valence and emotion word type influence how words are processed. A satiation paradigm was used to characterize the relationship between the processing of emotion-label and emotion-laden words of positive and negative valence. It was hypothesized that, in addition to the standard slowed response times to satiated words, emotion-label words would exhibit greater satiation and priming effects than emotion-laden words.  Analyses indicated expected priming and satiation effects across a range of other stimulus characteristics. Neutral …

Designing A Mental Health Institute For Adolescents In Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia (Healing Architecture), Heba Bin Seddeq

Theses

The society in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia obstructs people who want to see a psychiatrist, especially adolescents. Based on the lack of mental health support in Saudi Arabia, this thesis will introduce a mental health institute project for adolescents that puts more attention on specific design factors, such as daylighting, color, and green roofs. These aspects provide help for the recovery process by supporting healing according to many psychological studies. This psychiatric institute will be specialized for teenagers 10-19 because the early intervention at this critical period has the possibility for the potential for making a lifelong difference. by …

New Technology For Old Models: Can Dioramas Resonate With A Modern Audience?, Carmen Ibis Lopez

Theses

This thesis uses visitor studies from the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) to investigate whether dioramas are still a useful, resonant tool for visitor engagement and if they do fulfill this purpose, how do they do so. The case study is the newly revamped diorama Rochester in 1838: Young Lion of the West at the RMSC. This diorama, a 70-year-old model, has been mixed with modern Virtual Reality (VR) technology to create an experience that will provide the visitor with a new perspective on an old model. As context, this thesis uses the history of the diorama to show …

“Natural State”: Navigating The Experiences Of Black Women’S Natural Hair Identities, Leah Green

Theses

In 2009, The “Natural hair movement” developed and was widely discussed in online discourse. The goal of this contemporary movement was to encourage Black women to wear their natural hair to work in an effort to combat internalized negative images Black women might have surrounding natural hair. This transformative movement resulted in many books and articles being written on the shared experiences and adversities many Black women face about choosing to wear their natural hair today in the workplace. These inspiring books and articles prompted this project which will track my journey and the results of conducting a Black hair …

Dynamic Speed And Separation Monitoring With On-Robot Ranging Sensor Arrays For Human And Industrial Robot Collaboration, Shitij P. Kumar

Theses

This research presents a flexible and dynamic implementation of Speed and Separation Monitoring (SSM) safety measure that optimizes the productivity of a task while ensuring human safety during Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC).

Unlike the standard static/fixed demarcated 2D safety zones based on 2D scanning LiDARs, this research presents a dynamic sensor setup that changes the safety zones based on the robot pose and motion.

The focus of this research is the implementation of a dynamic SSM safety configuration using Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor arrays placed around the centers of the links of a robot arm. It investigates the viability of on-robot …

Young Patient Education On Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Margaret Jane Atieno Mcfarland

Theses

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that primarily causes the degeneration of major muscle groups. It’s caused by the absence of an essential sarcolemma protein called Dystrophin due to mutations in its gene that is in the X-chromosome. DMD affects 1 out of 4,000 boys worldwide with most being diagnosed between ages 3-5 and if left untreated, most patients would succumb to the disorder by their late teens or early twenties. While there currently isn’t a cure for DMD, there are different treatments available that are effective in prolonging patients’ lives.

Because DMD is such a deadly disorder, …

Pleasure From Erotic Nipple Stimulation, Pre-Pregnancy, As A Predictor Of Successful Initiation Of Breastfeeding, Jessica Jolie Badonsky

Theses

The erotic association with breasts and nipples can be a barrier to breastfeeding due to fear and misunderstanding by breast feeders and health professionals alike (Polomeno, 1999). Little is known about erotic pleasure from nipple stimulation and its correlation to initiate breastfeeding. This study was to determine if erotic pleasure from nipple stimulation prior to pregnancy is a predictor of successful initiation of breastfeeding.

Hearsay, Lei Xue

Theses

The inspiration for my artworks comes from my life experience and cultural background. There is an idiom in China, “daotingtushuo,” which explains that “most people’s impressions of a certain person/thing are easily affected by irresponsible rumors.” In general, people are more likely to add their personal and emotional perspectives to a certain person/thing when describing it to others. After observation and research, the rumor propagation process needs a medium—the emotions of a human being. To materialize this concept of the emotions, I related color psychology to my work. Based on psychological research, I introduced five different colors to represent human …

An Implementation Of Embedded Software For Real Time Monitoring Of Bioimpedance, Amirahmad Ramezani

Theses

Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a convenient and highly accurate method for assessment of the internal composition of the body. It can be particularly used for evaluating the hydration level of an individual based on the amount of intracellular water (ICW) and extracellular water (ECW) in total body water (TBW). Complex impedance of the body is a function of frequency and amount of ICW and ECW. By injecting small currents at different frequency and measurement of complex impedance, we can assess the amount of ICW, ECW, and TBW. This method can be applied to Internet of Things (IoT), fitness, and clinical …

Positive And Negative Affect And Their Influences On Pain Belief, Coping, And Quality Of Life In Chronic Pain Patients Undergoing Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Savannah Michelle Kaye

Theses

The current study aimed to evaluate the influences of affectivity on pain belief, coping and quality of life in chronic pain patients. These relationships were tested using six separate Structural Equation Models. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to determine positive and negative affect from the Personality Assessment Inventory and the Millon Behavioral Diagnostic. EFA was also used to identify adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies from the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory. Pain attitudes were measured using the Survey of Pain Attitudes measure, and quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF instrument. Results …

Safety And Effectiveness Of Stoss Therapy In Children With Vitamin D Deficiency, Paul Tannous

Theses

Objectives: Paediatric vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D - 25OHD) deficiency can lead to nutritional rickets and extra-skeletal complications. Compliance with daily therapy can be difficult, making high dose, short-term vitamin D (stoss) therapy attractive to correct vitamin D deficiency. We compared the effectiveness and safety of standard versus stoss therapy in treating childhood 25OHD deficiency.

Study Design: Children aged 2 - 16 years with 25OHD <50nmol/L were randomized to either standard (5,000IU daily for 80 days) or stoss (100,000 IU weekly for 4 weeks) cholecalciferol. Participants underwent evaluation of effectiveness and safety. 25OHD, random spot calcium: creatinine ratio (Ca:Cr) and compliance were measured at 12 weeks.

Results: 151 children were enrolled in the study (68 standard and 83 stoss), median age 9 years (IQR: 6 - 12 years). Baseline 25OHD levels were 26 nmol/L (IQR: 19 - 35 nmol/L) and 32 nmol/L …

Hysterical Women: Moral Treatment Of Female Patients In The Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, 1858 – 1908, Alexandra Wallis

Theses

From 1858 to 1908, at least 452 women were admitted to the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum. Through an exploration of nineteenth-century theories of moral treatment, new insights into female patient experiences will allow for greater understanding of Fremantle’s working-class women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including those behaviours that were considered insane. The appraisal of moral treatment techniques also allows for a new investigation into the enforcement of nineteenth-century, socially-accepted ideas of womanhood.

In its three parts, using patient records, case books, and other sources, this thesis examines understandings of women’s insanity as they evolved in nineteenth-century Britain. It …

Incorporating An Interdisciplinary Approach To Examine The Relationship Between Physical Capacity, Perceptual Motor Skill, Mental Toughness And Match Performance In Australian Football, Benjamin Piggott

Theses

Performance in sports involves a combination of components such as physiological, psychological and perceptual-cognitive-motor. Yet, despite a call in the literature dating back more than 20 years for an interdisciplinary approach, the majority of studies in sports science have used a monodisciplinary approach focusing on one component to understand sport performance. Accordingly, the primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the value of an interdisciplinary approach to understand match performance using Australian Football (AF) as the exemplar sport. The secondary aim of this thesis was to quantify individual differences in performance and representative task design (RTD) of tests used …

Worker Psycho-Spiritual Self-Care Choices: Making Sense During Times Of Stress And Anxiety, Peter Devenish-Meares

Theses

This thesis explores and extends the use of psycho-spiritual self-care choices in support of sense-making and inner healing of workplace stress. The study was motivated by a lack of research about and the observation that, despite their usefulness in other disciplines, psycho-spiritual self-care choices are often poorly understood or ignored in the workplace. Yet, chronic stress, if left unaddressed, can lead to adverse mental health consequences. This is particularly so when harsh self-criticism, poor self-acceptance and lack of self-kindness stymie self-care and meaningful sense-making. Notably too, there is next to no research that shows how workers might detach from work …

A Study Of The Contributions Of Fr. Johannes Hofinger S.J. And Msgr. Eugene Kevane To The Catechetical Renewal Of The 20th Century And Their Relevance For Catechesis Today, Ronald Bolster

Theses

The Kerygmatic renewal of the 20th century, facilitated and documented by Fr. Johannes Hofinger, S.J., was launched in response to the recognition that the traditional method of instruction from the catechism was no longer bearing the fruit of lived Christian discipleship. During this period, Msgr. Eugene Kevane associated this decline in effectiveness with the influence of Modernism. The contributions of both were consistent with the conciliar and post-conciliar catechetical interventions of the Catholic Church. Resistance to the Church’s implementation of these interventions demonstrates that the challenge for catechesis today is a contemporary manifestation of the historical tension intrinsic to the …

Exploring The Validity Of Script Concordance Testing To Assess The Clinical Reasoning Of Medical Students, Micahel Sh Wan

Theses

Assessment of clinical reasoning is often challenging, as it is a complex process of thinking and decision making. Script Concordance Testing (SCT), using authentic clinical scenarios with diagnostic or management uncertainties, has been developed to assess clinical reasoning. As SCT is a relatively new assessment modality, more empirical evidence is needed to support the validity of SCT scores.

This thesis examines key aspects of the validity of SCT scores in the assessment of the clinical reasoning ability of medical undergraduates. A review of the current literature informs the use, design and standard setting of SCT, as well as evidence for …

Addressing Sexual Assault: How Architectural Design Can Promote Life Long Healing, Diana Heliotis

Theses

The Trauma of any origin can forever alter the way individuals live their everyday lives. Relationships with people, places, and the self are compromised and may never fully heal. Generally, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a globally accepted condition, with many great strides being made to provide centers of continual healing to those who suffer from it. The two most common demographics that are clinically diagnosed with PTSD are military Veterans and survivors of sexual assault. Where there is a lot of research and active development towards establishing treatments in combination with spacial and architectural design for Veterans, there is virtually …

Help-Seeking Behaviour For Fatigue In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Doireann Ní Dhálaigh

Theses

Background: Fatigue is a common and burdensome symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although many symptoms of IBD can be debilitating, fatigue is reported to be the most burdensome. It is experienced by up to 86% of people in active disease and 41-48% in remission and impacts greatly on all aspects of people’s lives. Fatigue is an invisible symptom and can often be overlooked by healthcare professionals. Since it is invisible, it can only be made known to healthcare professionals if patients seek help for it. This study aims to explore the determinants of help-seeking behaviour for fatigue in IBD …

Leaving No Trace In The Irish Countryside: Effecting Behavioural Change Of Recreationists, Noel Doyle

Theses

The Irish countryside has become a hotspot for outdoor recreation and activity tourism. Despite the many positive impacts of these activities, adverse impacts on wildlife, the environment and farming practices are an unfortunate consequence of irresponsible behaviour. Although not all negative impacts can be mitigated by behaving responsibly, user education has been identified as crucial to reducing negative impacts and ensuring the environmental, and hence the economic, sustainability of both activity tourism and recreation. The development of effective programmes aimed at behavioural change requires a thorough investigation of the target audience and how they interact with the natural environment. This …

Exploring 4th Year Medical Students’ Learning And Understanding In Mental Health And Psychiatry, Kimberly Smith

Theses

The stigmatisation and disempowerment of mental health consumers led to the consumer recovery movement, which now underpins the reform of Western Australia’s (WA’s) mental health system. As medical professionals are one of the first lines of care for consumers, it is necessary to understand whether future doctors’ training aligns with the direction of the reform. This research explored a group of WA-based fourth-year medical students’ learning in mental health and psychiatry to understand how their knowledge and training prepared them for working with people experiencing mental or emotional distress. Conducted under a qualitative research paradigm using critical theory and underpinned …

Decoding Gender In The Selected Works Of Salman Rushdie, Zubaidah Binti Mohamed Shaburdin

Theses

This thesis examines how ideologies such as feminism and patriarchy operate within language by providing a detailed analysis of five of Salman Rushdie’s novels, Midnight’s Children, Shame, The Satanic Verses, The Ground Beneath Her Feet and The Enchantress of Florence. It is concerned with the changes in Rushdie’s use of language and the effect of this on the way gender is constructed in the selected texts. His novels offer a critique of contemporary Western culture’s understanding of gender, identity, politics, philosophy and religion. Although Rushdean scholarship is often concerned with identity politics, this thesis expands the discussion by critically engaging …

Living With Pku: The Lived Experience Of Irish Adults With Early Diagnosed Phenylketonuria On Long Term Dietary Therapy, Mary-Ellen O'Shea

Theses

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare genetic condition affecting the body’s ability to metabolise the amino acid phenylalanine (PHE). A build-up of PHE in the blood and brain can result in irreversible intellectual disability and developmental delays. Ireland has one of the highest prevalence rates of PKU in Europe and some of the earliest treated patients with PKU in the world. However, little is known about their lived experience with PKU. Furthermore, cost-benefit analysis of treatments for rare diseases in Ireland is principally based on quantitative data. More qualitative data is needed to highlight the quality of life experienced by people …

An Exploration Of The Motivations And Behaviours Of Generation Z Festival-Goers In Ireland., Sinéad O'Mahony

Theses

The current study explores the motivations and behaviours of Generation Z festival-goers in Ireland. The goal of this research is to identify the motivations and behaviours of Generation Z festival-goers in Ireland. Generation Z comprises those who were born between the years of 1995 and 2009 (e.g., Goh and Lee, 2018). This area is largely under-researched, especially in Ireland. This study investigated early Generation Z, those aged between 18 and 23 years old at the time of the present study. A mixed method approach was utilised in the current study. A sample of early Generation Z festival-goers (n=131) completed an …

Yurunnhang Bungil Nyumba: Infusing Aboriginal Ways Of Being Into Teaching Practice In Australia, Lisa Buxton

Theses

In the current educational climate of teacher accountability, the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers require teachers to demonstrate their level of competence in meeting the descriptors of the Standards that are grouped into three domains of teaching: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement. The professional knowledge domain includes Standard 1 ‘Know students and how they learn’, and Standard 2 ‘Know the content and how to teach it’ (AITSL, 2011, p. 3). Teachers in New South Wales, Australia, have been familiar with Teaching Standards for many years, however, with the introduction of National Standards across Australia, two new Standards appeared …

Theorising Leadership Authenticity: An Existentialist-Personalist Perspective, Anthony Howard

Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe authentic leadership theory (ALT), identify its philosophical limitations regarding the meaning of authenticity and what it is to be authentically human. The study also evaluates the contribution of three thinkers—the existentialists Søren Kierkegaard and Martin Heidegger, and the personalist Karol Wojtyła—towards overcoming those limitations.

This study straddles the fields of management and philosophy, combining management concepts regarding authentic leadership with the philosophical traditions of existentialism and personalism, to interrogate authenticity and authentic leadership. It finds that the existentialists Kierkegaard and Heidegger offer a more extensive understanding of authenticity than what the authentic …

Domestic Violence In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (Cald) Communities: Perceptions, Therapeutic Approaches And Responses Of Frontline Workers In New South Wales (Nsw), Oluwatoyin A. Dedeigbo

Theses

Domestic violence is a universal public health concern (VicHealth, 2011; World Health Organisation [WHO], 2013). Domestic violence cuts across all countries, regardless of economic, social, cultural or religious differences (Ali et al., 2020; VicHealth, 2011; WHO 2013). Men are often responsible for perpetrating domestic violence against women (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2019; Australia Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2018).

The effects of domestic violence on victims can be serious and long-term; affecting their physical and mental wellbeing, and lingering even after the exposure to violence has ended (Mitchell, 2011). That is, the effect on victims’ mental health is …

An Investigation Into The Prevalence Of Food Hypersensitivity Amongst Children In The Early Years Service In Ireland, Ruta Patel

Theses

In the early years services in Ireland, the study studied the prevalence of hypersensitivity to food and the associated food among children between the aging of 0 and 12. Participants were 980 EYS recorded with the State and Department of Education of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during 2019. In the descriptive-analytical report, the management guideline for answering these questions by the EYS was circulated electronically via emails and included information regarding class, age, food hypersensitivity and food that induce hypersensitivity among children. Results on the prevalence of allergens to Food and Coeliac diseases and current policies to …

Encountering Grief: Exploring The Value Of Art Therapy For Bereaved Adults, Paul Moynihan

Theses

This extended literature review explores the value of art therapy interventions for bereaved adults, with a particular emphasis on its application for individuals with histories of insecure attachment. A review of literature in the areas of bereavement and attachment considers how attachment insecurities present as a risk factor for complications in the grieving process with a subsequent focus on the implications for therapeutic intervention. A review of literature in art therapy, related areas of psychoanalysis and creativity aims to highlight the distinct value that art therapy could offer this particular subgroup of bereaved adults in adapting to grief. An incorporation …