Digital Commons Network^™

Silver (Ag) Nanoparticle Based Masks For The Development Of Antireflection Subwavelength Structures In Gaas And Si Solar Cells, Nazme A. Moushumy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis focuses on the design and development of silver nanoparticles that can be used as masks for the development of antireflection subwavelength grating (SWG) structures. We particularly investigate the impact of silver thin film thickness and the effect of annealing temperature on the fabrication of silver nanoparticles of controlled size and spacing distributions. We also use these measured distributions to predict the performance of subwavelength grating structures developed using dry and isotropic etching of semiconductor substrates.

Silver (Ag) thin films of different thicknesses are deposited on Silicon (Si) and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor substrates and annealed at different temperatures. …

A Model Of Management Learning For Occupational Therapists In Small Business In Australia, Jeannine Millsteed

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research sought to identify factors that contribute to occupational therapists developing management competencies when they become small business owners providing professional clinical services. This is an important for several reasons and precipitated by the Australian government’s introduction of incentives that encourage health professions to move from employment in public hospitals into the private sector, coupled with a recognition that occupational therapists receive no formal business training in their professional education, and the reported high levels of business failure in the small business sector. A review of the literature established the value of small business to the Australian economy, growth …

Biomarkers Of Disease : Concentrations In The Serum Of Women During Natural And Stimulated Ovarian Cycles And During Early Pregnancy, Melissa Stemp

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Molecular biomarkers are chemical signatures that all cell types possess. They are used in medicine to evaluate both normal biological events and pathogenic processes. A series of biomarkers associated with cancer of the breast, ovaries and other parts of the female reproductive tract and the monitoring of pregnancy were measured in disease‐free women. The biomarkers measured were prostate specific antigen (PSA), CA125, CA15‐3, CA72‐4, and pregnancy associated plasma protein‐a (PAPP‐A). The patterns of change during natural and stimulated ovarian cycles and early pregnancy were investigated to determine if these biomarkers could reflect normal events relating to ovulation and implantation/placentation. In …

The Biology And Ecology Of Epinephilidae Speciea And Their Implications To Fisheries Management, Jason R. How

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines the biological and ecological aspects of members of the globally exploited Epinephilidae with reference to fisheries management and in particular the use of closures. The leopard coralgrouper Plectropomus leopardus is a common reef fish throughout the Indo-Pacific region and a major target of both commercial and recreational fisheries. There has been limited research on this species in the eastern Indian Ocean, where there are only two populations. An examination of the species found a number of significant biological differences to their eastern Australian con-specifics. Most noticeable was the strong size-related cue over their protogynous sex change. The …

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.

Editor's Note, Marites Tiongco

DLSU Business & Economics Review

No abstract provided.

Plymouth Family Intervention Project Longitudinal Review: 2008-2013, Z James, T Green

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Novel Polyomaviruses Of Nonhuman Primates: Genetic And Serological Predictors For The Existence Of Multiple Unknown Polyomaviruses Within The Human Population, Nelly Scuda, Nadege Freda Madinda, Chantal Akoua-Koffi, Edgard Valerie Adjogoua, Diana Wevers, Jörg Hofmann, Kenneth N. Cameron, Saj Leendertz, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Martha Robbins, Christophe Boesch, Michael A. Jarvis, Ugo Moens, Lawrence Mugisha, Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer, Fh Leendertz, Bernhard Ehlers

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

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 …

Simulation And Assessment Of Dental Extraction Proficiency Type Of Project : Self Administered Postal Questionnaire, D. R. Moles, Nigel Honey, Tom Gale

Peninsula Medical School

This study aimed to determine the confidence of recently qualified Foundation Dentists (FDs) in elements of the dental extraction process and to compare this with the assessment of their Foundation Trainers. Also the study aimed to investigate the foundation dentists’ views of their undergraduate training relating to exodontia and any aspects of which they found lacking or alternatively any experiences which they found particularly useful. The dental extraction needs of the UK population are changing with the development of an elderly dentate generation (McHarg and Kay 2009). The 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey observed that a very significant proportion of …

Macrophage Subset Sensitivity To Endotoxin Tolerisation By Porphyromonas Gingivalis., Andrew D. Foey, St John Crean

School of Biomedical Sciences

Macrophages (MΦs) determine oral mucosal responses; mediating tolerance to commensal microbes and food whilst maintaining the capacity to activate immune defences to pathogens. MΦ responses are determined by both differentiation and activation stimuli, giving rise to two distinct subsets; pro-inflammatory M1- and anti-inflammatory/regulatory M2- MΦs. M2-like subsets predominate tolerance induction whereas M1 MΦs predominate in inflammatory pathologies, mediating destructive inflammatory mechanisms, such as those in chronic P.gingivalis (PG) periodontal infection. MΦ responses can be suppressed to benefit either the host or the pathogen. Chronic stimulation by bacterial pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as LPS, is well established to induce …

Not-For-Profit Accounting, Christopher M. Fairchild

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Respite Care, Marital Quality, And Stress In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Amber Harper, Tina Taylor, James Harper, Susanne Olsen Roper, Mikle South

Faculty Publications

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at risk for having higher stress and lower marital quality than other parents. Survey data regarding respite care, marital quality, and daily hassles and uplifts were obtained from 101 mother-father dyads who were together raising at least one child with ASD (total # of children = 118). Number of hours of respite care was positively related to improved marital quality for both husbands and wives, such that a one-hour increase in weekly respite care was associated with a one-half standard deviation increase in marital quality. This relationship was significantly mediated by …

Video Self-Modeling On An Ipad To Teach Functional Math Skills To Adolescents With Autism And Intellectual Disability, Cami Elizabeth Burton, Darlene Anderson, Mary Anne Prater, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

Research suggests that video-based interventions can provide increased opportunity for students with disabilities to acquire important academic and functional skills; however, little research exists regarding video-based interventions on the academic skills of students with autism and intellectual disabilities. The current study used a multiple baseline design across participants to investigate the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) on the mathematics skill acquisition of adolescents with autism. Four adolescent male students viewed videos of themselves on an iPad solving mathematical problems to estimate the amount of money used to pay for a given item and the amount to receive in change. Findings …

Self-Sensing Surface Plasmon Resonance For The Detection Of Metallic Nanoparticles, Nh Salah, D Jenkins, L Panina, R Handy, G Pan, Sa Awan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is an established technique for label free sensing of bio-molecular species, including time-dependent reaction analysis. Unlike previous research by other workers, who have used gold or silver nanoparticles to enhance sensitivity by inducing LSPR, this study involves the theoretical development of a Localised SPR (LSPR) system where a glass prism is considered with multilayer films to enable the detection of metallic nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles with a volume concentration 0.25 % can be clearly detected from both amplitude and phase, according to the results of these simulations. The model presented is rigorous in that it accounts for …

Delivery And Use Of Individualised Feedback In Large Class Medical Teaching, Sa Burr, E Brodier, S Wilkinson

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

"Until The Trial Is Complete You Can't Really Say Whether It Helped You Or Not, Can You?": Exploring Cancer Patients' Perceptions Of Taking Part In A Trial Of Acupressure Wristbands, John G. Hughes, Wanda Russell, Matthew Breckons, Janet Richardson, Mari Lloyd-Williams, Alex Molassiotis

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

A Role For Two‐Pore Potassium (K2p) Channels In Endometrial Epithelial Function, Sk Patel, L Jackson, Ay Warren, Et Al

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The human endometrial epithelium is pivotal to menstrual cycle progression, implantation and early pregnancy. Endometrial function is directly regulated by local factors that include pH, oxygen tension and ion concentrations to generate an environment conducive to fertilization. A superfamily of potassium channels characterized by two-pore domains (K2P) and encoded by KCNK genes is implicated in the control of the cell resting membrane potential through the generation of leak currents and modulation by various physicochemical stimuli. The aims of the study were to determine the expression and function of K2P channel subtypes in proliferative and secretory phase endometrium obtained from normo-ovulatory …

Perceived Food And Labor Equity And School Attendance Among Ugandan Children Living In Kin Care, Jini Roby, Stacey Shaw, Laurel George

Faculty Publications

Emerging research suggests that biological relatedness contributes to differential treatment between children being raised by kin and the biological children in the caregiver’s household. This potential concern may be elevated especially when household resources are stretched thin. In this study, 518 Ugandan youth and their caregivers were interviewed individually, examining the association between relatedness and perceived food and work equity, and school attendance. Household income, but not relatedness, was negatively associated with food inequity. However, relatedness was positively associated with perceived disparity in the distribution of work among children living in the household, and with children’s school attendance. These findings …

The Germans In The Seventh U.S. Cavalry At The Battle Of The Little Bighorn, Albert Winkler

Faculty Publications

About 15% or 131 men assigned to the Seventh Cavalry in June 1876 were born in Germany. A total of 78 of these men fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and 36 of these men were killed in action. The Germans in the Seventh Cavalry enjoyed a fine reputation as good soldiers, most of them were listed as having “excellent character,” and three of them were awarded the Medal of Honor for their action at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This article deals with many issues including these men’s backgrounds, the condition of their lives, their height …

Remarital Chances, Choices, And Economic Consequences: Issues Of Social And Personal Welfare, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen

Faculty Publications

Many divorced women experience a significant decline financial, social, physical and psychological well-being following a divorce. Using data from the NLSY79 (n = 2,520) we compare welfare recipients, mothers, and impoverished women to less marginalized divorcees on remarriage chances. Furthermore, we look at the kinds of men these women marry by focusing on the employment and education of new spouses. Finally, we address how remarriage and spousal quality (as defined by education and employment) impact economic well-being after divorce. Our results show that remarriage has positive economic effects, but that is dependent upon spousal quality. However, such matches are …