Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Vulnerability To Body Image Disturbance, Jyoti A. Kolodziej

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than 100 years of psychological research has demonstrated the importance of body esteem and the relationship between low body esteem and undesirable physical and mental health outcomes. Women and adolescent girls are more vulnerable than men and adolescent boys (Huenemann, Shapiro, Hampton, & Mitchell, 1966). In addition, Caucasians have been more prone to body image disorders (Brylinsky, 1990; Huenemann et al., 1966). Lastly, people with high exposure to Western medias thin ideals are more susceptible to low body esteem (Bell & Dittmar, 2011; Ferguson, Muñoz, Contreras, & Velasquez, 2011). For the purpose of this study, predictors of body esteem …

Teacher Involvement In Implementing State Personal Finance Mandates, Deanna Franklin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined strategies teachers are implementing for personal finance instruction in answer to the state financial-literacy mandates in Central Texas. One-on-one interviews, focus groups, and document analysis found that teachers are relying on personal experience, community resources, and Internet resources to instruct in personal finance in absence of personal finance curricula. No data emerged that school districts were providing resources; however, administrators are willing to provide resources if they were available. Teachers are using a variety of creative methods to enhance personal financial literacy in the classroom. Sporadic in-service/professional-development opportunities were available to train teachers in personal financial-literacy instruction; …

A Model Of Packet Loss Caused By Interference Between The Bluetooth Low Energy Component Of An Ios Wearable Body Area Network And Residential Microwave Ovens, William C. Barge

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States. Advances in wireless technology have made possible the remote monitoring of a patient's heart sensors as part of a body area network. Previous studies have suggested that stray wireless transmissions in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band cause interference resulting in packet loss in Bluetooth piconets. This study investigates the impact that wireless transmissions from residential microwave ovens have on the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) component of the body area network. Using a systematic data collection approach, two variables were manipulated. The distance between the microwave oven …

China's Ip Protection Minefield: Separating Fact From Fiction, David Llewelyn, Peter J. Williamson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

China is the key emerging market for international technology companies. Smart, well-informed IP and business strategies are required if companies are to make the most of what the country has to offer.

What We Know, What We Do And What We Could Do: Creating An Understanding Of The Delivery Of Health Education In Lower Secondary Government Schools In Western Australia, Donna Michelle Barwood

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australian health data indicates that childhood is a significant time for young Australians to develop health and well-being issues. Concurrently, health advocates herald in-school delivery of skills-based participatory health education as making significant contributions to developing behaviour change and supporting health enhancing dispositions in children and young people. In Western Australia (WA), skillsbased participatory health education is characterised by linking knowledge and understandings of what it means to be safer, healthier and more physically active to skills that action these states. Skills-based is a preferred approach to teaching and learning in the Health and Physical Education Learning Area (HPE LA), …

An Examination Of Social Desirability Confounds In A New Ipsative Measure Of Murray's Psychogenic Needs, Lisa Harris

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A reliable and valid instrument for the direct measurement of the relative strength of psychological needs is currently lacking. In response to this shortcoming, a new ipsative instrument, the Psychogenic Need Scale (PNS), is currently being developed; this is a 190-item forced-choice self-report measure that is based upon Murray’s psychogenic needs. For the development of a valid forced-choice instrument, it is critical to minimise the confounding effects of social desirability (the tendency for respondents to describe oneself in the most favourable light). Whilst other measures typically use specifically designed scales to detect social desirability confounds, this approach is unsuitable for …

Evaluation Of A Modified Food Frequency Questionnaire To Measure Lignans In Australian Men And Women, Ying Qi Winnie Li

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that possess estrogenic and biological properties that have been postulated to protect against chronic diseases. Isoflavonoids and lignans are two main classes of phytoestrogen that have been investigated for their estrogenic efficacy and occurrence in the human diet. Isoflavonoids are found in soy and related products, whereas lignans are found in a wider range of plant-based foods, such as cereals, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds; and in beverages such as tea, coffee and wine. In Western populations with low dietary intake of soy products, compared to the Asian counterparts, lignans could be a more important …

Maps For The Lost: A Collection Of Short Fiction And Human / Nature Ecotones: Climate Change And The Ecological Imagination: A Critical Essay, Susan Heather Greenhill

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The thesis comprises a collection of short fiction, Maps for the Lost, and a critical essay, “Human / Nature Ecotones: Climate Change and the Ecological Imagination.” In ecological terms, areas of interaction between adjacent ecosystems are known as ecotones. Sites of relationship between biotic communities, they are charged with fertility and evolutionary possibility. While postcolonial scholarship is concerned with borders as points of cross-cultural contact, ecocritical thought focuses upon the ecotone that occurs at the interface between human and non-human nature.

In their occupation of the liminal zones between human and natural realms, the characters and narratives of Maps …

The Future Of International Mediated Settlement Agreements: Of Conventions, Challenges And Choices, Eunice Chua

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In 2002, UNCITRAL developed the Model Law on International Commercial Conciliation.1 Although at that stage there was a strong effort to develop a uniform enforcement mechanism, the ultimate conclusion was that because of the great variance in the technicalities of domestic procedural laws, harmonisation by way of uniform legislation was not feasible (UNCITRAL 2004: 55). Eventually, Article 15 merely provided that: If the parties reach and sign an agreement settling a dispute, that settlement agreement is binding and enforceable … [the enacting State inserts a description of the method of enforcing settlements agreements or refers to provisions governing such enforcement].

Boundaries Of Governance: Social Responsibility In Mining In Western Australia, Gemma L. Broderick

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigated the boundaries of governance of social responsibility in three multinational mining organisations based in Perth, Western Australia. The mining industry has economic, environmental and social impacts, both positive and negative. While most of the attention of the media and supporters in government seems to focus on the positive impacts, a growing concern regarding the social implications of mining is clearly evident in public discourse and the academic literature. In response to public concern, the mining industry has adopted terms such as ‘sustainability’, ‘sustainable development’, ‘social licence to operate’ and ‘social responsibility’. Such phrases are widely used in …

Music In Site: Integrating Elements Of Site-Specificity Into Composition, Mace Francis

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Architectural spaces and their acoustic characteristics offer unique musical material for the compositional process. Acoustic and physical design features of unorthodox performance spaces can become part of works and their performances. This thesis examines ways to integrate acoustic characteristics of an architectural space into the compositional process, and discusses how different levels of site-specificity may be engaged in this process.

This research grew from an interest in composing music for the acoustic problems of performance spaces rather than trying to resist them, after a jazz ensemble performance in a large reverberant space. This led to exploring built environments that offered …

Characterisation And Applications Of Iron Ore Tailings In Building And Construction Projects, Francis Atta Kuranchie

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The mine tailings are generated as the wastes worldwide as a result of exploration, excavation, blasting, beneficiation and extraction of mineral ores. In Western Australia, due to the extensive mining activities and increasing low grade ores, there is generation of mine tailings in large quantities, which could lead to environmental and disposal problems. The common practice of handling the tailings are to store them in tailing dams or as stockpiles near mine sites. Limited quantities are sometimes used as backfills and other applications. The utilisation of tailings in building and construction projects, which may consume a large volume of wastes, …

An Appraisal Of Experiences Of Climate Change And Adaptive Response To Heat Stress By Farmers In Rural Ghana, Kwasi Frimpong

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With the increase in average global temperatures, heat-related illnesses and deaths have unfolded as occupational and health issues. Periods of high to extreme temperatures are becoming more common and are a leading cause of weather-related deaths in many countries. In agricultural settings of African countries, heat stress is a major concern as many smallholder farmers work outdoors with limited access to cooling systems even in their resting and living environments. This study, conducted in the Bawku East part of Northern-East Ghana in 2013, examines, in the context of climate change, the trends and impacts of heat stress on smallholder farmers, …

Analysis Of Plant Analytes Using Capillary Electrophoresis And High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Umme Kalsoom

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Plants contain an enormous array of organic and inorganic components, the analysis for which may involve a wide range of methods. The focus of this study was to develop high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis methods for the analysis of three classes of analytes: osmoregulants, minerals and amino acids.

Firstly, this study explored the potential of capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of three very common osmoregulants (proline, glycine betaine and mannitol). A diverse array of methods has been reported for determining each of these analytes, however, the literature on osmoregulants and their analysis is quite disjointed and traverses both …

Training Load Quantification In Professional Australian Basketball And The Use Of The Reactive Strength Index As A Monitoring Tool, William Markwick

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Study 1: The intraday reliability of the reactive strength index (RSI) calculated from a drop jump in professional men’s basketball.

Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of the reactive strength index (RSI) and jump height (JH) performance from multiple drop heights with elite basketball players. Methods: Thirteen professional basketball players (mean ±SD: age 25.8 ± 3.5 y, height 1.96 ± 0.07 m, mass 94.8 ± 8.2 kg) completed 3 maximal drop jump attempts on to a jump mat at 4 randomly assigned box heights and 3 counter movement jump (CMJ) trials. Results: No statistical difference was observed between …

Electrical Resistivity Of Sandy Soil With Water, Leachates And Seawater, Lopa Mudra Pandey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Liners are used in the engineered containment systems such as landfills for controlling the migration of contaminants. Although there are several techniques for detecting the leakages through the liners, use of the electrical resistivity method can assist in timely detection of contaminant migration in cost-effective manner. This method is based on the well-established fact that the electrical resistivity of soils and other geomaterials is much higher than the electrical resistivity of water, leachates or any liquid effluents which may permeate the landfill foundation material. Additionally, the geotechnical properties of a soil exhibit a close relationship with its electrical resistivity values …

Educative Curricula And Improving The Science Pck Of Teachers In Middle School Settings In Rural And Remote Australia, Arthur Townsend

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Science is one of seven-mandated Key Learning Areas (KLAs) Foundation to Year 10 of the new Australian National Curriculum (ACARA, 2012). Not only, therefore, is science to be offered in every school as part of the curriculum, there is also the expectation that science is to be taught well to all students regardless of location, gender, cultural background or socio-economic status (ACARA, 2012). Studying science provides benefits to individuals by developing their scientific literacy skills (Goodrum, Hackling & Rennie, 2001; Hackling & Prain, 2008). Its study also benefits the national economy by equipping students with the innovative, inventive, and creative …

Using Collaborative Review To Deepen Conceptual Engagement?, Jude Elund, Lelia Green, Carmen Guinery

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In December 2013 the Design Research Institute at RMIT University, and CREATEC at Edith Cowan University, collaborated in a Symposium addressing the topic of ‘Digital interventions in everyday creativity’. Partly sponsored by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, this Symposium was one of a Digital Interventions series organised by Professor Sarah Pink of RMIT. The Call for Papers noted that the symposium was to examine “how digital media are implicated in processes of change, [… interrogating] how people engage digital media in creative practices that intervene in their own and others’ lives, the intentionalities through which …

Towards An Online Ethnography Of Children's Virtual Worlds: A Review Of Current Literature And Research Methods, Ashley Donkin, Donell Holloway, Lelia Green

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The research around children’s use of the Internet has focused on some of the benefits and risks of online play, as well as the digital skills children require to use the Internet safely, particularly virtual worlds. These benefits, risks and digital skills have been examined in European studies, but minimal research attention has been given to young Australian children’s use of virtual worlds. Virtual worlds are simulated environments embedded with social network functions, which allow young children to explore and experiment with identity formation, interactive play and social networking. These Web sites for young children have become increasingly popular. Young …

Digitods: Toddlers, Touch Screens And Australian Family Life, Donell J. Holloway, Lelia Green, Kylie J. Stevenson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Children are beginning to use digital technologies at younger and younger ages. The emerging trend of very young children (babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers) using Internet connected devices, especially touch screen tablets and smartphones, has elicited polarising opinions from early childhood experts.At present there is little actual research about the risks or benefits of tablet and smartphone use by very young children. Current usage recommendations, based on research into passive television watching which claims that screen time is detrimental, is in conflict with advice from education experts and app developers who commend interactive screen time as engaging and educational.

Learning As It Goes Down The Line: Siblings And Family Networked In The Acquisition Of Online Skills, Kylie J. Stevenson, Lelia Green, Leslie Haddon

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Parents and Peers project set out to investigate key influences of peers and parents on the online experiences of young people aged 13 - 17. Specifically, the project sought to explore the family constructions of learning, support and management systems that operate in the informal context of the domestic space of the family home (Silverstone & Haddon 1996). It became apparent through interviewing several sets of older siblings that there was benefit in interviewing a wider age range of siblings who were engaged in online activity within individual families. Therefore, the interview participants’ age range was extended to age …

Examining The Social Aspects Of Enterprise Architecture Implementation: A Morphogenetic Approach, Edi Nuryatno, Philip Dobson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper argues that existing research in Enterprise Architecture (EA) tends to emphasise the technical aspects of implementation and neglects the role of ‘people’. The paper uses Archer’s Morphogenetic Approach (MA) to elaborate the social context of EA. This approach examines the relationships between agency, structure and culture to understand how stakeholders affect and are affected by EA implementation. A university just commencing an EA program is used as a case example. The case example describes the challenging university environment and provides an illustration of the important situational logics that direct agency action within the complex social context of a …

Development And Validation Of Australian Aphasia Rehabilitation Best Practice Statements Using The Rand/Ucla Appropriateness Method, Emma Power, Emma Thomas, Linda Worrall, Miranda Rose, Leanne Togher, Lyndsey Nickels, Deborah J. Hersh, Erin Godecke, Robyn O'Halloran, Sue Lamont, Claire O'Connor, Kim Clarke

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives: To develop and validate a national set of best practice statements for use in post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation.

Design: Literature review and statement validation using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM).

Participants: A national Community of Practice of over 250 speech pathologists, researchers, consumers and policymakers developed a framework consisting of eight areas of care in aphasia rehabilitation. This framework provided the structure for the development of a care pathway containing aphasia rehabilitation best practice statements. Nine speech pathologists with expertise in aphasia rehabilitation participated in two rounds of RAND/UCLA appropriateness ratings of the statements. Panellists consisted of researchers, service managers, …

Current Land Bird Distribution And Trends In Population Abundance Between 1982 And 2012 On Rota, Mariana Islands, Richard J. Camp, Kevin W. Brink, P. Marcos Gorreson, Fred A. Amidon, Paul Radley, S. Paul Berkowitz, Paul C. Banko

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The western Pacific island of Rota is the fourth largest human-inhabited island in the Mariana archipelago and designated an Endemic Bird Area. Between 1982 and 2012, 12 point-transect distance-sampling surveys were conducted to assess bird population status. Surveys did not consistently sample the entire island; thus, we used a ratio estimator to estimate bird abundances in strata not sampled during every survey. Trends in population size were reliably estimated for 11 of 13 bird species, and 7 species declined over the 30-y time series, including the island collared-dove Streptopelia bitorquata, white-throated ground-dove Gallicolumba xanthonura, Mariana fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla, collared kingfisher …

Designing For Communities In Bushfire-Prone Situations: Redesigning The Firewatch Website Interface, Paul William Haimes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research describes the redesign of Landgate’s FireWatch service – a web-based map application that uses data derived from satellites to provide near real-time bushfire information. FireWatch was originally built for emergency services personnel, but recent Australian state government inquiries have called for individuals, households and communities to have independent access to bushfire information. Therefore, it was necessary to redesign FireWatch with a new remote community-based audience in mind. The thesis describes multiple iterations of a user-centred action research design process that resulted in a publicly accessible web application known as MyFireWatch. Due to delayed access to actual community–based users, …

Cognitive Fatigue: Exploring The Relationship Between The Fatigue Effect And Action Video-Game Experience, James Brooks

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

the effects of cognitive fatigue. Despite this, there remain advantages to regularly playing action video games. In Study 1, VGPs were significantly better at multitasking on the MATB-II compared to the NVGPs. Further, VGPs also demonstrated superior multitasking when driving, as they made significantly fewer traffic violations compared to NVGPs when not fatigued. VGPs demonstrated eye-movements similar to those of expert drivers; however, this did not result in any difference in performance between the two groups. There was also some evidence of a positive effect of video game training, although there was no advantage of one training technique over the …

The Use Of Ontologies In Forensic Analysis Of Smartphone Content, Mohammed Alzaabi, Thomas Anthony Martin, Kamal Taha, Andy Jones

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Digital forensics investigators face a constant challenge in keeping track with evolving technologies such as smartphones. Analyzing the contents of these devices to infer useful information is becoming more time consuming as the volume and complexity of data are increasing. Typically, such analysis is undertaken by a human, which makes it dependent on the experience of the investigator. To overcome such impediments, an automated technique can be utilized in order to aid the investigator to quickly and efficiently analyze the data. In this paper, we propose F-DOS; a set of ontologies that models the smartphone content for the purpose of …

Effects Of Stress On 9-1-1 Call-Takers And Police Dispatchers: A Study At The San Jose Police Department, Kimberly D. Turner

Master's Theses

This research addresses the significant gap in literature related to stress among 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers. The relationship between perceived stress and work-life balance, fairness at work, support at home, and work control as well as physiological and psychological outcomes is examined. Survey responses were collected during the summer of 2012 from 89 police 9-1-1 call-takers and radio dispatchers of the San José Police Department Communications Division in San José, California. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, I found those who enjoy a balance between work and personal life experience less stress. Also, greater stress is associated with more psychological and …

Location Gathering: An Evaluation Of Smartphone-Based Geographic Mobile Field Data Collection Hardware And Applications, Joel Clark

Master's Theses

Mobile field spatial data collection is the act of gathering attribute data, including spatial position, about features in a study area. A common method of field data collection is to use a handheld computing device attached to a global navigation satellite system in which attribute data are directly inputted into a database table. The market for mobile data collection systems was formerly dominated by bulky positioning systems and highly specialized software. However, recent years have seen the emergence and widespread adoption of highly customizable and user-friendly mobile smartphones and tablets. In this research, smartphone devices and smartphone data collection applications …

Effects Of Acute Exercise, Mindfulness Meditation, And Mindfulness Meditation Neurofeedback On Stroop Performance, Claire Evelyn Balgemann

Master's Theses

Empirical research has demonstrated that acute aerobic physical exercise, neurofeedback, and mindfulness meditation independently have positive effects on executive performance. Technology has enabled a new intervention that combines neurofeedback and mindfulness meditation; however its effects on executive function are unknown. The aim in the present study was to understand how executive function may be enhanced in healthy individuals. Forty-two participants were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: acute physical exercise, mindfulness meditation, or mindfulness meditation neurofeedback delivered via the Muse brain-sensing headband. Participants completed 50 trials of the Stroop task, a well-established measure of executive function. A statistically …