Digital Commons Network^™

Prototyping Relational Things That Talk: A Discursive Design Strategy For Conversational Ai Systems, Birgitte Aga

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-based research inquiry explores the implications of conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, ‘relational things that talk’, on the way people experience the world. It responds directly to the pervasive lack of ethical design frameworks for commercial AI systems, compounded by limited transparency, ubiquitous authority, embedded bias and the absence of diversity in the development process. The effect produced by relational things that talk upon the feelings, thoughts or intentions of the user is here defined as the ‘perlocutionary effect’ of conversational AI systems. This effect is constituted by these systems’ ‘relationality‘ and ‘persuasiveness’, propagated by the system’s embedded bias …

The Impact Of Quality Management On The Thermal Performance Of Social Housing In The United Kingdom, João Paulo Ulrich De Alencastro

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

In 2017, the domestic sector in the UK accounted for approximately 28% of final energy consumption, 63% of this energy was used for space heating. Therefore, to achieve the UK Government carbon emission targets it is pivotal to reduce the heating energy use in housing sector by upgrading the thermal performance of the existing housing stock and building new energy-efficient dwellings. In 2017, housing associations were responsible for providing 16% of the new dwellings in the UK housing sector to a part of British society encompassing 73% of the lowest household incomes (lowest and second lowest quintiles). Apart from the …

Mindfulness And Embodiment In The Design Of A Synthetic Experience, Julieta Aguilera

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

How can the design of synthetic experiences and scientific visualizations establish aesthetically coherent spatiotemporal interactions that couple with the embodiment continuum already in place in the structures of the mind, the body, and the planetary environment in which we exist? The thesis addresses synthetic experiences in three areas: research on mind and the senses, designing sensorimotor embodiment, and the relevant notion of mindfulness as enaction practice. In real life we never have firsthand access to the experiences of others, or their feelings about their experiences, or ultimately who they are as people, but instead rely on simulations to explore what …

Landscape Of Legislation: A Photographic Investigation Of The Mendip Hills Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, David Anthony Wyatt

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This study used the researcher’s own photographic practice to interrogate the judgements of value explicit in the creation and maintenance of the Mendip Hills ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’ (AONB). The objective was to investigate what photography could say about the aesthetic judgements associated with such a designation. This was examined through identifying four case studies, all geographically located within the AONB, in order to explore the potential and limitations of diverse photographic methods. At each site, maps were created as part of the research thereby allowing site-specific conservation information to lead the practice. These locations were then photographed as …

Arhitectura 1950-1989. Interstitial Spaces Of Communist Romanian Architecture, Ioana Popovici

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between communist Romanian architecture as a politicised field of cultural production, and power embodied in the state’s institutions. While it is generally acknowledged that the cultural production in socialist Romania was undeniably impacted upon by politics, this sense of the extensive inter-conditioning between the paths of architecture and politics seems to disappear with Romania’s 1990s transition to democracy and capitalism. By adding to the nascent critical history of communist Romanian architecture, this thesis seeks to highlight the tacit transference of interaction patterns between the spheres of architecture and that of politics into contemporary practice, thereby …

Saudisation Rhetoric And Realities: Barriers To Effective Private Sector Participation In Public Policy Regulatory Framework, Salman F. Alotaibi

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis is concerned with the method and process of Saudisation policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The thesis examined the extent to which the Saudusation policy is regarded as a myth or reality and the factors responsible for this position. The study examined barriers to effective private sector participation in public policy regulatory framework and how modernisation of Saudi Arabia, has created a dependency on foreign workforce, due to scarce local high skilled workers. The research was based upon three case study conducted among the Ministry of Labour, The Chambers of Commerce and the Private Sector. It addresses …

Governance And Economic Development In The Arab Region: A Global Perspective, Islam Abdelbary

Plymouth Business School Theses

The Arab region enjoys a strategic geographical location, an abundant natural resource base, a demographic gift of an expanding pool of young and educated labour force, and a dynamic and entrepreneurial population. Despite these, the region has been unable to achieve sustained and inclusive growth. This failure has strongly been attributed to igniting a wave of protests, popularly referred to as the ‘Arab Spring’, which spread throughout most of the region. Hence, the study aimed to identify the economic and especially institutional reasons that led to the Arab uprising by evaluating reform programmes that took place over the past two …

The Performance Of Islamic Banks Vs. Conventional Banks: The Case Of Mena Region, Ahmed Mohammed Debes

Plymouth Business School Theses

This study aimed to compare the financial performance of Islamic banks and conventional bank in the MENA region. This was undertaken through examining the influence of bank specific factors (represented by bank size, capital risk, loan intensity, financial leverage, credit risk, operating ratio and Z-score) and macroeconomic factors (represented by gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation) on banks’ financial performance (captured by return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE)). The underlying aim is to demonstrate that the difference in operational models of banks has an effect on financial performance. The study analysed data obtained from Bankscope and Worldbank …

Knowledge Sharing And Innovative Strategies In Organisational Collaborative Relationships: The Potential Of Open Strategy, Anna Wulf

Plymouth Business School Theses

Today’s challenges presented by a rapidly changing business environment can be met by collaborative relationships between businesses. Businesses can exchange or share key resources that companies are unable to develop alone. Knowledge is one of the most important organisational resources and one which businesses can share in order to increase their competitive advantages, under the right circumstances. Networks are one form of collaborative relationship being already well known and widely researched. Business ecosystems are an even broader conception of inter-company relationships. The two research streams, network theory and business ecosystem theory, complement each other. Whilst network theory focuses on structures, …

Message Factors That Favourably Drive Consumer’S Attitudes And Behavioural Intentions Towards Social Network And Media Platforms, Sarhang Majid

Plymouth Business School Theses

As consumers are increasingly utilising social network and media platforms for pre-purchase information, managers are confronted with producing effective social network and media platform (SNMP) messages that can favourably influence buyers’ attitudes and behavioural intentions towards brands and products. To ensure a thorough investigation of this research realm, and to develop awareness of the factors influencing the effectiveness of social media marketing, this study adopted a mixed methods approach involving a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research. An exploratory sequential research design was followed, starting with an in-depth, elite interview investigation with social media marketing experts. Adopting a thematic …

The Holistic Exploration Of The Multifaceted Relationship Between Healthcare Professionals’ Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Care., Moya Lerigo-Sampson

Plymouth Business School Theses

Problem definition: Healthcare is a professional field, which most individuals will encounter at some point in their life, directly or indirectly. In the UK, healthcare organisations are facing significant challenges, including financial pressures, shortages in staffing levels, and changes in the way healthcare is delivered. In addition, patient demand for such healthcare systems has been increasing dramatically year on year, in part, due to societal changes towards unhealthier lifestyles. Consequently, amid such adversities, it is important to understand how these issues are affecting both the providers and receivers of healthcare. Therefore, the current study will explore how healthcare professionals’ job …

'As You Were': Military-Bureaucratic Control And The Employment Relationship In The British Armed Forces, Margaret Prior

Plymouth Business School Theses

Service in the British armed forces has not previously been considered a subject for employment and industrial relations research, but military personnel are in an employment relationship and thus worthy of such study. Drawing on an extensive literature review, documentary analysis and a qualitative survey and interviews with ex-service personnel, this study adopts a critical realist philosophy and retroduction to examine how the military employment relationship is regulated, experienced and contested, with particular reference to discipline and voice. It also compares military service with civilian employment, noting that the two, once similar, have diverged. The study uncovers a complex web …

Strategic Management In Improving Total Quality In Bahrain’S Public Sector, Abdulrahman M. Alnoaimi

Plymouth Business School Theses

This study determined the strategic management in improving total quality in Bahrain’s public sector. More specifically, the concerns of this study were: 1) the demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of gender, nationality, number of years in public sector, category of specialisation, position in the organisation, and field which team work is relevant; 2) the strategic management practices and TQM application along institutionalising the planning function, establishing the strategic foundation, strategic situational diagnosis, and managing TQM implementation; and 3) TQM factors implemented in Bahrain’s public sector; 4) applying TQM and influenced the Bahrain’s public sector competitiveness; 5) the role …

Hidden In Plain Sight-An Analysis Of The Influence Of Strategic Leadership Characteristics And Styles Of The Chair, Chair/Ceo, Ceo And Cfo In Banking Failure, Recapitalisation Or Bailout (1999-2017). A Grounded Theory Approach, Alison Louise Miles

Plymouth Business School Theses

The global financial crisis (2007-2009) caused the most severe global economic downturn since the Great Depression and in the 10 years since, the global banking sector has witnessed an onslaught of banking scandals such as: LIBOR, FOREX, money laundering, and tax avoidance. In the wake of these ongoing issues, there is a clear need to explore alternative methods to tackle failures and scandals in the banking sector. A key weakness in the current discourse is the lack of analysis of the leadership characteristics and styles of board members of leading banks. This study responds to this weakness, contributing in three …

Supply Chain Financial Performance In Liquefied Natural Gas Systems, Nasiru Zubairu

Plymouth Business School Theses

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a rapidly growing energy source, with highly competitive supply chain networks, sensitive to global macro-economic developments. To date, supply chain finance studies have failed to explore supply chain financial performance (SCFP) in the LNG sector and few have demonstrated the potential impact of supply chain practices on financial performance. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between supply chain strategies and the financial performance of Nigeria liquefied natural gas (NLNG) systems, to guide practitioners to review and adopt supply chain initiatives that drive business survival and growth, while creating value for investors. To identify key …

Measuring Sustainability In Less Developed Countries: Case Of Tourism In The Gorilla Parks Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Vincent-Bouky Kakuru Luhunde

Plymouth Business School Theses

This research proposes a method and tool for measuring the sustainability of tourism in Less Developed Countries (LDCs), more specifically the gorilla tourism of the D.R. Congo. Since the Brundtland Report several assessment models have been proposed but have all failed to capture the centrality of sustainability, i.e. stakeholders, the very ones who can take action for sustainability to be achieved or not. This research has helped to design a holistic and stakeholder-centred method and tool for measuring sustainability of tourism, the Sustainability Value Model (SVM) using Social Network Analysis (SNA) method. The SVM tool provides a visual assessment of …

Exploring The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Audiology Students About People Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Nancy Grosz Sager

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to explore and understand the attitudes and beliefs of audiology students about Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. The problem of practice was that some audiologists continue to advise parents not to sign with their Deaf or Hard of Hearing children. This problem was studied using the conceptual framework of General Systems Theory, looking at the problem through the lens of Critical Disability Theory, to determine if audiology students view Deaf and Hard of Hearing people from a medical model or from a social/cultural model. Using a qualitative case study methodology, I interviewed six first-year doctor …

The Evolution Of Sunset Magazine's Cooking Department: The Accommodation Of Men's And Women's Cooking In The 1930s, Jennifer Hoolhorst Pagano

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The Western regional magazine Sunset has been published under a series of owners and publishers since 1898. In 1928, Sunset was purchased by Lawrence Lane, a Midwestern magazine executive who transformed it from a failing turn-of-the-century, general interest publication about the West, into a successful magazine about living in the West for the Western middle-class. Sunset had always been a magazine for men and women, and one that appealed to both male and female intellectuals at the time Lane purchased it. Lane and his editors attempted to interject more rigid middle-class ideals into a magazine that had espoused ideas that …

Factors Underlying High School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions Of Challenging Math Tasks, Mariya Anne Sullivan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In this confirmatory factor analysis, factors previously identified to explain the variability in Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ perception of the Common Core State Standards of Mathematics were considered as factors hypothesized to effect high school math teachers’ perceptions of challenging math tasks (CMTs). The factor of student characterization (i.e., disposition, academic preparation, and student behavior) was additionally considered as a factor hypothesized to explain teachers’ perceptions of CMTs, as well as site-based variables (i.e., curriculum, assessment and evaluation, professional development, and collaboration). In addition, teachers’ understanding of the importance of the mathematical practice standards and teacher familiarity with enacting CMTs …

Faculty Adaptation To Emerging Instructional Technologies In Higher Education, Marilyn Murrillo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how and why faculty adopt podcasting as an instructional technology tool in their teaching. Podcasting is an instructional technology tool being used for teaching and learning in higher education. Faculty may record lectures with audio, video, and/or PowerPoint slides to instruct students on class material. Students may access podcasts at their convenience through various devices, including mobile devices and computers. Research has shown that students who use podcasts to study for tests tend to perform more successfully on tests. This study was a qualitative multiple case study of seven California community college faculty using podcasting as an …

An Autoethnographic Study: An Identity Lost And A Passage Discovered, Simone Shonte Martinez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The professional careers of teachers with a chronic illness can sometimes be devastating. This study addresses the insufficient understanding of the identity crisis a teacher goes through when one is suddenly diagnosed with a chronic illness. While researching different types of theories, identity theory best fit this topic and my interest. Within identity theory, there are four perspectives to view identity. The four perspectives are Nature, Institution, Discourse, and Affinity identities. In order to understand identity, one must understand how identity is formed. Chronic illness identity is a change from all other identities that have been constructed. This study uses …

The Potency Of Ag10 In Stabilizing Transthyretin Is Driven By Interactions Mimicking The Disease-Suppressing T119m Variant, Dengpan Liang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Transthyretin (TTR) amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a fatal disease with no available disease-modifying therapies. While destabilizing TTR mutations increase the risk of developing ATTR-CM, the naturally occurring Thr119Met (T119M) variant stabilizes TTR and prevent disease. The two Serine 117 and Serine 117’ (S117/S117’) side chain hydroxyl groups of monomers A and B in T119M variant TTR form direct hydrogen bonds with each other. AG10 is an orally available, small molecule TTR stabilizer in Phase 3 clinical development for ATTR-CM. Structural features that infer high potency of AG10 for stabilizing TTR remains incompletely characterized.

In order to investigate the contribution of …

Evaluating Methods Of Obtaining Male Pheromone From Hymenochirus Sp. Using Analytical Chemistry, Vincent Wing-Kun Leung

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Male Hymenochirus sp. frogs are known to release pheromone that attracts females of the same species. Four methods for collecting secretions containing pheromone in Hymenochirus sp. were tested: norepinephrine injection, gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection, homogenization of gland tissue, and electrostimulation of the skin over the breeding gland area. The samples collected were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry. The HPLC chromatograph for the male norepinephrine sample contained a peak at 6.4 min that was not in the female norepinephrine sample HPLC chromatograph. The male norepinephrine sample mass spectrum had a peak of m/z 292.0 not in the female …

Sexual Dimorphism In Aortic Function Of Uc Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rat Model: Estrogen Specific Responses, Farjana Akther

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the interaction between diabetes and sex in vasculature. This study was designed to investigate the effects of estrogen as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D) on aortic function in rats with respect to sex. To test the effects of T2D and sex, UC Davis Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (UCD-T2DM) rat model was used. To study the effects of estrogen, ovariectomized Sprague- Dawley female rats and UCD-T2DM rats at pre-diabetic stage were used and the rats were implanted subcutaneously either with placebo or 17 β-estradiol pellets (60 days release, 1.5mg/pellets). The plasma analytes for metabolic parameters and …

Improving Teacher Retention By Addressing Teachers' Compassion Fatigue, Jacquelyn Ollison

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

California is experiencing a massive teacher shortage, and urban schools are disproportionately affected by it negatively. Retention efforts to date have not included strategies to address Compassion Fatigue (burnout and secondary trauma) teachers experience when working with traumatized students at urban schools. This dissertation explores whether Compassion Fatigue is an unaddressed reason for teacher attrition at urban schools. A mixed method practical action research approach using the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version Five (ProQOL 5) and qualitative interviews, portions of which were turned into illustrative vignettes drove the exploration. Approximately 114 teachers completed the ProQOL 5. Statistical analysis of …

The Effects Of Design Thinking On Students' Career Self-Efficacy In Career Guidance Courses, Zhongmiao Sun

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The present study focuses on integrating design thinking into career guidance courses to test whether students’ career self-efficacy is increased by comparing the experiment group (by using design thinking method) and the general group (by using traditional teacher-centered method). The basic theoretic framework is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977). Students will achieve career self-efficacy after experiencing repeatedly success (Bandura, 1977) in the career activities through design thinking method. Then students will have more confidence to make more appropriate career choices in their employment environment.

This study used AMOS and path analysis to analyze a just-identified model. The model included five …

Developing Collective Teacher Efficacy In One Urban Low-Income Elementary School: A Case Study, Lori Ann Morgan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, research has shown links between collective teacher efficacy and student achievement. While the benefits of high levels of collective teacher efficacy have been documented, research focused on how it is developed in school serving socio-economically disadvantaged students and the role of principal leadership in that development is lacking, specifically from a qualitative case-study approach This qualitative case-study explored how collective teacher efficacy was developed in an urban neighborhood elementary school serving socio-economically disadvantaged students and how the principal’s leadership influenced that development. This was accomplished through in-depth individual interviews with teachers, support staff, and the …

The Relationship Between The Cefi, As A Measure For Executive Function, And The Basc-3, As A Measure Of Externalizing Behavior, On School Problems For Children Receiving Special Education Services, David Looney

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between executive function and externalizing behaviors within a student population that was assessed for special education services. Executive function was measured by using the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI). Externalizing behaviors and school problems was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3). Four separate structural equation models were produced and analyzed to examine this relationship. The results from this study indicate that there is a significant direct effect from executive function on externalizing behaviors and school problems, such that higher scores in executive function yielded lower externalizing behavior and school problems …

Effects Of Extended Intervention Conditions On Levels Of Physical Activity Exhibited By Young Children, Ingunn Kristjansdottir Oveny

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity is an important health-related behavior, and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) daily (CDC, 2015). However, worldwide, many children do not reach those requirements and health problems associated with physical inactivity are becoming more prevalent (CDC, 2015; World Health Organization [WHO], 2016). Recently, a few studies have conducted an intervention analysis to evaluate implications for function-based interventions to increase physical activity (Larson, Normand, Morley, & Miller, 2014; Zerger, Normand, Boga, & Patel, 2016). However, intervention analyses, indicate an overall decrease in levels of …

Transcriptome Analysis For Novel Peptide In Breeding Gland Of Hymenochirus Boettgeri, Minjin Ko

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of the project was to find nucleotide sequences potentially encoding a pheromone from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri. The reasons in searching for the sequence of a pheromone were to better understand the organism and to use the information for application in reproduction of other species. Due to climate change and rampant deforestation, such as in Africa’s Congo Basin, many amphibian species are being threatened. With these increasing threats, a viable option for the future may be breeding in captivity for the amphibian species. Pheromone characterization from the breeding gland of Hymenochirus boettgeri may help with …