Digital Commons Network^™

Exercise As Medicine : Reversing Treatment Toxicities In Prostate Cancer Patients, Bradley A. Wall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A common treatment for prostate cancer, which is the most common form of cancer after skin cancer in Australian males, is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, ADT is associated with an array of adverse effects including reduced bone and lean mass, loss of muscle strength, negative change in lipid profile, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well as diabetes, all of which can compromise physical function and quality of life. Physical exercise has been suggested as a key lifestyle intervention for this group of cancer patients as it has enormous potential to limit and even reverse the effects …

A Moment To Give, No Moment To Take : A Mixed-Methods Study On Volunteer Tourism, Usep Suhud

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The number of research projects (theses and non-theses) on volunteer tourism (VT) has increased significantly over the last twelve years. However, few studies have measured an individual’s intention and stage of readiness to be involved in VT. The main purpose of this thesis is to develop a model to predict intention and stage of readiness to be involved in volunteer tourism by applying variables, including attitudes towards the concept of volunteer tourism (VT), subjective norms, altruistic lifestyle values, the sensation-seeking personality, social class, taking/receiving motivation, giving motivation, past experience in tourism, past experience in volunteering, past experience in VT, perceived …

Tablet Pc Use In Teaching And Learning : A Case Study, Andrew Stewart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With the emergence of the use of the traditional (non-touch screen) notebook computer in the classroom, different teaching styles and equipment have been introduced. Teachers have started to use the Notebook PC to support their teaching. They now have the ability to gather and use a far greater range of materials in the classroom with little distraction.

The introduction of the touch screen Tablet PC has brought another dimension to the way technology can be used in the classroom. This study seeks to investigate the ways in which Tablet PC technology has been used to enhance the learning of students …

The Reality Of Reform : Teachers Reflecting On Curriculum Reform In Western Australia, Jessica Lyle

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia is implementing its first national curriculum, the Australian Curriculum, after many years of debate regarding the validity and practicality of such an undertaking. Although it is widely accepted that “the effects of education policies and programs depend chiefly on what teachers make of them” (Cohen & Ball, 1990, p. 233), little is known about teachers’ perceptions of the Australian Curriculum or their prior experiences of mandatory curriculum reform as they begin engaging with this unique reform. To provide a means of exploring these perceptions and experiences, 18 teachers, four Head of Learning Areas (HOLAs) and the principal from a …

Migration Matters : The Experience Of United Kingdom Registered Nurses Migrating To Western Australia, Caroline J. Vafeas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This qualitative study uses heuristic inquiry to investigate the unique journey of 21 registered nurses (RN) who migrated from the United Kingdom (UK) to Perth in Western Australia (WA) between 2003 and 2008. The study explores the reasons for migration as well as the professional, social and psychological impact on each participant and their accompanying family during the first two years of settling in a new country.

In the contemporary climate of international nurse mobility, many employers are attempting to attract new employees, often with tantalising offers of an immediate visa and the enticement of a better climate and standard …

A Study Of The Spatial Dynamics Of Some Introduced Avian Species In The Southwest Region Of Western Australia, Desiree L. Moon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Southwest region of Western Australia is a recognised ‘biodiversity hotspot’, as it possesses high levels of biodiversity and endemism; it also holds a number of species threatened by habitat loss. The arrival of Europeans in the region wrought major changes on the natural landscape. Extensive tracts of bushland were cleared for housing, infrastructure, forestry, farming, and mining. Another challenge to regional biodiversity was the spread of exotic plants and animals (including birds); the latter provide the focus for the present study. The research examines four bird species that colonised the Southwest region following European settlement: Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis …

Power Relationships And Authentic Organisational Learning : Daring To Break The Silence On Meaningful Dialogue In Policing Organisations, Lindsay B. Garratt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The 21st century presents great opportunities and threats for business: national and global markets are demanding high performance, innovation, creativity, and flexibility. Public sector organisations are continually asked to do more with less, with equal if not greater efficiency and creativity demands as the private sector. Organisational learning is a concept touted as an important and necessary strategy for organisations to keep pace with the rapid changing global environment that now plays host to opportunities as well as great economic and social volatility. However the reality for many is that they become proficient at the kind of organisational learning that …

Obstacles Which Significantly Affect Tourism Development In Jordan, Linda Samardali-Kakai

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Tourism in Jordan is a service industry with enormous potential. However it has not been fully utilised and developed to generate increasing income for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a growing tourist destination. This research examines the current tourism environment to identify obstacles that hinder its enhancement. The study investigates both domestic and international tourism in Jordan and makes recommendations to resolve the obstacles identified.

A previous study highlighted ten main obstacles to tourism in Jordan, and attempted to make viable recommendations to resolve them in the short to medium term. This study involved a series of questions and discussions …

Understanding Variety In Small Firm Internationalization : The Decison-Making Process Of Small Manufacturing Firms In Indonesia, Maria Y.D.H. Agustini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research on small firm internationalization has been conducted intensively over the last few decades. However, knowledge of small firm internationalization varied. This research addresses the question of this variety in small firm internationalization applying the stage models theory, network theory, resource-based theory and international new venture. As the more recent studies showed that researchers have inclined towards one conclusive finding of the central role of the manager in internationalization, the key explanation of the inconclusive knowledge about small firm internationalization possibly resides in the decision made by the manager. Thus, this research explored the process of making an internationalization decision …

Complexity And Creative Capacity : Reformulating The Problem Of Knowledge Transfer In Environmental Management, Kelly Chapman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Ningaloo Reef is Australia’s largest fringing coral reef and an iconic tourist destination; however tourism development in Ningaloo has been ad hoc and the area is challenged by human pressure on numerous fronts. In response to these challenges a number of research agencies brought together a range of scientists to study the effects of human interaction on the reef. Moving from research to practice has been understood to depend on the adaptive capacity of the institutions responsible for governing human activities, in this case in the Ningaloo area. Knowledge transfer describes the suite of strategies used to try to …

Microbiology, Steelman Library, B Mcconchie Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Biol 4903: Senior Capstone, Steelman Library, Jerm J. Day-Storms Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Fundamentals Of Speech, Steelman Library, David Yates

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Theatre Appreciation, Steelman Library, Michael A. Salsbury

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Mass Communication, Steelman Library, William David Yates

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Acting One, Steelman Library, Michael A. Salsbury

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Acting I, Steelman Library, Michael A. Salsbury

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Acting I, Steelman Library, Michael A. Salsbury

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

A Decision Making System For Selecting Sustainable Technologies For Retail Buildings, Z Dangana, W Pan, S Goodhew

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Pain Solutions In The Emergency Setting (Pasties); A Protocol For Two Open-Label Randomised Trials Of Patient-Controlled Analgesia (Pca) Versus Routine Care In The Emergency Department, Je Smith, M Rockett, R Squire, Cj Hayward, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction Pain is the commonest reason that patients present to an emergency department (ED), but it is often not treated effectively. Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) is used in other hospital settings but there is little evidence to support its use in emergency patients. We describe two randomised trials aiming to compare PCA to nurse titrated analgesia (routine care) in adult patients who present to the ED requiring intravenous opioid analgesia for the treatment of moderate to severe pain and are subsequently admitted to hospital. Methods and analysis Two prospective multi-centre open-label randomised trials of PCA versus routine care in emergency …

L’Est Visto Dall’Ovest. Dei Discorsi Occidentali Sull’Omofobia Nell’Europa Centro-Orientale, R Kulpa

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

“Representation is really, not symbolically, powerful”, John Fiske (2003, p.278) Negli ultimi anni, l’Europa “centro-orientale” 1 e, più nello specifico, la Polonia hanno attirato l’attenzione della comunità LGBT dell’Europa “occidentale”. Ciò anche e soprattutto a causa dell’atteggiamento xenofobo e ostile manifestato dai partiti populisti e nazionalisti di molti paesi ex-comunisti. Sempre più frequentemente si sente sostenere l’equazione “Europa centro-orientale = omofobia”. Percezione, questa, che gli eventi accaduti in Polonia, Lettonia, Lituania e Russia hanno contribuito ad alimentare. Più precisamente, di fronte al diniego dell’autorizzazione al Gay Pride e, in altri casi, di fronte ai violenti attacchi contro le pacifiche manifestazioni …

Interaction And Influence In Culturally-Mixed Groups., Dre Cotton, R George, M Joyner

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Graduates are increasingly expected to work in international contexts, therefore skills in intercultural interaction are crucial. Previous research suggests that overseas students anticipate positive intercultural interaction but are often disappointed, as some home students are unwilling to work in intercultural groups without explicit encouragement. In this study, we investigated interactions in three group work settings with home (UK) and international students in order to explore differing patterns of participation. The findings suggest that in culturally mixed groups, the UK students (particularly males) dominated discussions, with limited input from overseas students. In a group consisting solely of international students, the interactions …

A Robust Sound Perception Model Suitable For Neuromorphic Implementation., Martin Coath, Sadique Sheik, Elisabetta Chicca, Giacomo Indiveri, Susan L. Denham, Thomas Wennekers

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

We have recently demonstrated the emergence of dynamic feature sensitivity through exposure to formative stimuli in a real-time neuromorphic system implementing a hybrid analog/digital network of spiking neurons. This network, inspired by models of auditory processing in mammals, includes several mutually connected layers with distance-dependent transmission delays and learning in the form of spike timing dependent plasticity, which effects stimulus-driven changes in the network connectivity. Here we present results that demonstrate that the network is robust to a range of variations in the stimulus pattern, such as are found in naturalistic stimuli and neural responses. This robustness is a property …

An Educational Framework For Managing And Supporting Medication Adherence In Europe, S White, W Clyne, C Mshelia

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: Decisions about taking medicines ultimately lie with patients, so health professionals need to engage with patients to manage and support medication adherence. Health professionals need appropriate education to do this. We aimed to develop an educational framework for health professionals in Europe for managing and supporting medication adherence. Description of the framework: The resulting educational framework comprises a competency framework, a curriculum, a diagnostic tool for competence assessment and a reading list. Quality assurance: Framework development started from a 2007 competency framework for shared decision-making. A literature review and a Europe-wide consultation were conducted and the ABC research team …

An Interactive Channel Model Of The Basal Ganglia: Bifurcation Analysis Under Healthy And Parkinsonian Conditions, R Merrison-Hort, N Yousif, F Njap, Et Al

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Oscillations in the basal ganglia are an active area of research and have been shown to relate to the hypokinetic motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. We study oscillations in a multi-channel mean field model, where each channel consists of an interconnected pair of subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus sub-populations.To study how the channels interact, we perform two-dimensional bifurcation analysis of a model of an individual channel, which reveals the critical boundaries in parameter space that separate different dynamical modes; these modes include steady-state, oscillatory, and bi-stable behaviour. Without self-excitation in the subthalamic nucleus a single channel cannot generate oscillations, yet …

The Emergence Of Two Anti-Phase Oscillatory Neural Populations In A Computational Model Of The Parkinsonian Globus Pallidus, R Merrison-Hort, R Borisyuk

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Experiments in rodent models of Parkinson's disease have demonstrated a prominent increase of oscillatory firing patterns in neurons within the Parkinsonian globus pallidus (GP) which may underlie some of the motor symptoms of the disease. There are two main pathways from the cortex to GP: via the striatum and via the subthalamic nucleus (STN), but it is not known how these inputs sculpt the pathological pallidal firing patterns. To study this we developed a novel neural network model of conductance-based spiking pallidal neurons with cortex-modulated input from STN neurons. Our results support the hypothesis that entrainment occurs primarily via the …

Employability And Transferable Skills: Investigating Work Placements For Humanities Students, Sandra Barkhof, C Rockey

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This project aims to enhance the employability of our graduates through an evaluative case study investigating subject-specific work placement and work experience opportunities in the local and regional community. The project will use a new work-facing module on ‘History and Heritage’ as a case study, although the aim of the project is to provide a sustainable model for a work-facing approach to teaching that can also be applied to other subjects.In the past, History as a course has offered no work placements or work experience either as part of the curriculum or as extra-curricular activities. Preliminary research has shown that …

Trust In The Health-Care Provider-Patient Relationship: A Systematic Mapping Review Of The Evidence Base., Nicola Brennan, Rebecca Barnes, Mike Calnan, Oonagh Corrigan, Paul Dieppe, Vikki Entwistle

Peninsula Medical School

PURPOSE: Trust is important for patients and may be used as an indicator and potential 'marker' for how patients evaluate the quality of health care. The review aimed to classify the current evidence base on trust in the patient-provider relationship in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and to point towards areas for future research. DATA SOURCES: Nine electronic databases were searched from 2004 onwards using text and subject heading keywords relating to 'trust' and 'health care' and 'relationships'. STUDY SELECTION: Abstracts were identified for empirical studies carried out in health-care settings that explicitly examined trust or reported trust-related findings …

Evidence-Based Programs In Children's Services: A Critical Appraisal, Nick Axford, Louise Morpeth

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

International Multicenter Evaluation Of The Diversilab Bacterial Typing System For Escherichia Coli And Klebsiella Spp., Guido M. Voets, Hall Ma Leverstein-Van, Susanne Kolbe-Busch, Der Zanden A Van, Deirdre Church, Martin Kaase, Andrea Grisold, Mathew Upton, Elaine Cloutman-Green, Rafael Cantón, Alexander W. Friedrich, Ad C. Fluit, Diversilab Study Group

School of Biomedical Sciences

Successful multidrug-resistant clones are increasing in prevalence globally, which makes the ability to identify these clones urgent. However, adequate, easy-to-perform, and reproducible typing methods are lacking. We investigated whether DiversiLab (DL), an automated repetitive-sequence-based PCR bacterial typing system (bioMérieux), is suitable for comparing isolates analyzed at different geographic centers. A total of 39 Escherichia coli and 39 Klebsiella species isolates previously typed by the coordinating center were analyzed. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) confirmed the presence of one cluster of 6 isolates, three clusters of 3 isolates, and three clusters of 2 isolates for each set of isolates. DL analysis was …