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2019

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The Internationalization Of Nigerian Firms: Motivations And Location Patterns, C Omokaro–Romanus, Jr Anchor, P Konara Jan 2019

The Internationalization Of Nigerian Firms: Motivations And Location Patterns, C Omokaro–Romanus, Jr Anchor, P Konara

Plymouth Business School

Despite the increased number of studies of the internationalization of emerging-market multinationals (EMNCs), Latin American and Asian firms have dominated the focus of such studies, while the study of the internationalization process of sub-Saharan African firms in the international business literature is quite limited. Therefore, this article examines the motivations and location patterns of the internationalization process of four Nigerian firms through a multiple case study approach. The findings show that the internationalization of the Nigerian firms is a recent phenomenon, but the foreign investment pattern reflects a pan-African investment strategy. However, the findings also reveal that the firm-specific advantages …

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Operational Risk And Reputation In Financial Institutions: Does Media Tone Make A Difference?, A Barakat, S Ashby, P Fenn, C Bryce Jan 2019

Operational Risk And Reputation In Financial Institutions: Does Media Tone Make A Difference?, A Barakat, S Ashby, P Fenn, C Bryce

Plymouth Business School

Operational risk announcements are unexpected adverse media news that potentially harm the reputation of financial institutions. This paper examines the equity-based and debt-based reputational effects of financial sentiment tones in operational risk announcements and shows how such reputational effects are moderated by alternative sources of public information. Our analysis reveals that the net negative tone and litigious tone have adverse reputational effects, and the uncertainty tone mitigates the adverse reputational impact. Additionally, alternative, simultaneous sources of information neutralize the reputational effects of textual tones. First, third-party information about the event (i.e. regulatory announcements and final settlements) dissolves the favorable (adverse) …

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Challenging Robot Morality: An Ethical Debate On Humanoid Companions, Dataveillance, And Algorithms, Eugenia Stamboliev Jan 2019

Challenging Robot Morality: An Ethical Debate On Humanoid Companions, Dataveillance, And Algorithms, Eugenia Stamboliev

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

In this thesis, I reflect on ethical, moral, and agenthood debates around social and humanoid robots in two ways. I focus on how the technological agency of social robots is understood in ethical canons by shifting from moral concerns in Robot Ethics to data-related ethical concerns in Media and Surveillance Studies. I then move to wider debates on morality, agenthood, and agencies in Machine and Computer Ethics research, so as to highlight that social robots, other robots, machines, and algorithmic structures are often moralised but not understood ethically. In that vein, I distinguish between these two terms to point to …

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Sustainable Digital Neighbourhoods: A Case Study Of People, Place And Technology Under The Rural Village Condition, Pamela Varley Jan 2019

Sustainable Digital Neighbourhoods: A Case Study Of People, Place And Technology Under The Rural Village Condition, Pamela Varley

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This research seeks to develop an advanced understanding of the interplay between broadband use, social interaction and the place in which people live. Fieldwork has involved working in an embedded manner within a central case study neighbourhood, a rural Cornish village – St Breward. A wide range of methods has been employed, including social network analysis, survey research, qualitative interviewing and a diary study. Results have painted a picture of how a community is structured, how it operates (both socially and spatially), and how technology infuses with this. The research presented here illustrates the unique nature of social operations within …

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Space-Time Experience In The Meta-Environment: A Cybersemiotic Analysis, Claudia Ferreira Jacques De Moraes Cardoso Jan 2019

Space-Time Experience In The Meta-Environment: A Cybersemiotic Analysis, Claudia Ferreira Jacques De Moraes Cardoso

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Space-time Experience in the Meta-environment: A Cybersemiotic Analysis Written from the perspective of a reflective technoetic art practitioner, this thesis investigates Human-Computer Interactions in interactive hybrid environments and their influences on mediated consciousness. It argues that practices established during the advent of computer graphic interfaces have limited the interactive potential of such environments. It examines interactive processes among user, information, and interface; proposes a closer look at representational paradigms of space and time; suggests potentially illuminating parallels with complex adaptive systems; and explores their theoretical and practical co-implications. Influenced by Marcel Duchamp’s conceptual-interactive art experiments, Brazil’s syncretic Tropicalismo movement, and …

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Le Passage - Towards The Concept Of A New Knowledge Instrument, Isabella Marzena Beyer Jan 2019

Le Passage - Towards The Concept Of A New Knowledge Instrument, Isabella Marzena Beyer

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This dissertation is concerned with the analysis and development of the passage concept in immersive dome environments (IDE). The research follows an interdisciplinary approach that draws on practices of scientific and artistic visualisation in the process of knowledge production. The research methodology is informed by my working practice, developing experiences for spherical displays, first inside fulldome planetariums, and currently also inside further 360° media formats such as VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality). The methodology is further underpinned by a media archaeology and interrogated through an ethnographic process of expert conversations and interviews. The media archaeology …

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Artistic Modulation Of Consciousness By Bioelectromagnetic Stimulation, Luis Miguel Almeida Ferreira Girao Jan 2019

Artistic Modulation Of Consciousness By Bioelectromagnetic Stimulation, Luis Miguel Almeida Ferreira Girao

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The thesis demonstrates why the application of bioelectromagnetic stimulation as a medium of artistic expression allows for the production of new and unprecedented realisations of integrative art. Furthermore, the modulation of consciousness in human beings relating with such realisations is argued to be the core of a new practice of research resulting from the technological confluence of Philosophy, Art and Science. The Brunelleschi Experiment is examined in order to establish the assumption that one of the fundamental characteristics of Art is to impact consciousness of those interacting with its forms. The aspects of disembodiment of the previously referred experiment, instrumental …

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Application Of Musical Computing To Creating A Dynamic Reconfigurable Multilayered Chamber Orchestra Composition, Alexis Kirke Jan 2019

Application Of Musical Computing To Creating A Dynamic Reconfigurable Multilayered Chamber Orchestra Composition, Alexis Kirke

School of Art, Design and Architecture

With increasing virtualization and the recognition that today’s virtual computers are faster than hardware computers of 10 years ago, modes of computation are now limited only by the imagination. Pulsed Melodic Affective Processing (PMAP) is an unconventional computation protocol that makes affective computation more human-friendly by making it audible. Data sounds like the emotion it carries. PMAP has been demonstrated in nonmusical applications, e.g. quantum computer entanglement and stock market trading. This article presents a musical application and demonstration of PMAP: a dynamic reconfigurable score for acoustic orchestral performance, in which the orchestra acts as a PMAP half-adder to add …

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Prototyping Relational Things That Talk: A Discursive Design Strategy For Conversational Ai Systems, Birgitte Aga Jan 2019

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 …

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The Impact Of Quality Management On The Thermal Performance Of Social Housing In The United Kingdom, João Paulo Ulrich De Alencastro Jan 2019

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 …

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Mindfulness And Embodiment In The Design Of A Synthetic Experience, Julieta Aguilera Jan 2019

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 …

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Landscape Of Legislation: A Photographic Investigation Of The Mendip Hills Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, David Anthony Wyatt Jan 2019

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 …

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Arhitectura 1950-1989. Interstitial Spaces Of Communist Romanian Architecture, Ioana Popovici Jan 2019

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 …

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The Impact Of Defects On Energy Performance Of Buildings: Quality Management In Social Housing Developments, João Alencastro, Alba Fuertes, Andrew Fox, Wilde P De Jan 2019

The Impact Of Defects On Energy Performance Of Buildings: Quality Management In Social Housing Developments, João Alencastro, Alba Fuertes, Andrew Fox, Wilde P De

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

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Saudisation Rhetoric And Realities: Barriers To Effective Private Sector Participation In Public Policy Regulatory Framework, Salman F. Alotaibi Jan 2019

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 …

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Governance And Economic Development In The Arab Region: A Global Perspective, Islam Abdelbary Jan 2019

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 …

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The Performance Of Islamic Banks Vs. Conventional Banks: The Case Of Mena Region, Ahmed Mohammed Debes Jan 2019

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 …

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The Delivery Of Mixed Communities In The Regeneration Of Urban Waterfronts: An Investigation Of The Comparative Experience Of Plymouth And Bristol, Daniel Thorning, Christopher Balch, Stephen Essex Jan 2019

The Delivery Of Mixed Communities In The Regeneration Of Urban Waterfronts: An Investigation Of The Comparative Experience Of Plymouth And Bristol, Daniel Thorning, Christopher Balch, Stephen Essex

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The raison d’être of spatial planning is to secure public benefits or goods through the regulation of private development. Under neoliberalism, where economic growth is privileged over community interests, the ability of planning to deliver public goods can be compromised. The aim of this research was to investigate the delivery of mixed communities in the regeneration of waterfront sites in two outwardly comparable, but in detail, rather different port cities, namely Plymouth and Bristol. The range of dwelling types, extent of affordable housing and associated practicalities of delivery were evaluated using planning application data, 2000–2017 and semi-structured interviews with key …

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Supply And Demand In Prehistory? Economics Of Neolithic Mining In Northwest Europe, Peter Schauer, Stephen Shennan, Andrew Bevan, Gordon Cook, Kevan Edinborough, Ralph Fyfe, Tim Kerig, Pearson M Parker Jan 2019

Supply And Demand In Prehistory? Economics Of Neolithic Mining In Northwest Europe, Peter Schauer, Stephen Shennan, Andrew Bevan, Gordon Cook, Kevan Edinborough, Ralph Fyfe, Tim Kerig, Pearson M Parker

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Knowledge Sharing And Innovative Strategies In Organisational Collaborative Relationships: The Potential Of Open Strategy, Anna Wulf Jan 2019

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, …

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Message Factors That Favourably Drive Consumer’S Attitudes And Behavioural Intentions Towards Social Network And Media Platforms, Sarhang Majid Jan 2019

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 …

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The Holistic Exploration Of The Multifaceted Relationship Between Healthcare Professionals’ Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Care., Moya Lerigo-Sampson Jan 2019

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 …

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'As You Were': Military-Bureaucratic Control And The Employment Relationship In The British Armed Forces, Margaret Prior Jan 2019

'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 …

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Strategic Management In Improving Total Quality In Bahrain’S Public Sector, Abdulrahman M. Alnoaimi Jan 2019

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 …

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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 Jan 2019

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 …

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Supply Chain Financial Performance In Liquefied Natural Gas Systems, Nasiru Zubairu Jan 2019

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 …

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Measuring Sustainability In Less Developed Countries: Case Of Tourism In The Gorilla Parks Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Vincent-Bouky Kakuru Luhunde Jan 2019

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 …

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Variable Fault Geometry Suggests Detailed Fault Slip-Rate Profiles And Geometries Are Needed For Fault-Based Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (Psha), Walker J Faure, F. Visini, G. Roberts, C. Galasso, K. Mccaffrey, Z. Mildon Jan 2019

Variable Fault Geometry Suggests Detailed Fault Slip-Rate Profiles And Geometries Are Needed For Fault-Based Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (Psha), Walker J Faure, F. Visini, G. Roberts, C. Galasso, K. Mccaffrey, Z. Mildon

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Remote Health Coaching On Nutrition To Tackle Hyperlipidemia In Underserved Communities, Mary I. Gamble Jan 2019

Remote Health Coaching On Nutrition To Tackle Hyperlipidemia In Underserved Communities, Mary I. Gamble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Although there are effective medications to lower blood lipid levels, studies show that comprehensive nutritional counseling provides more effective and lasting results on blood lipids in comparison to standard of care with solely pharmacological intervention (Sialvera et al., 2017). Changes in diet such as reducing saturated fat and increasing fiber intake, are two of many alterations that have been proven to be successful and have consequently helped reduce the relative risk of ASCVD (Masana et al., 2017). The purpose of this quality improvement project was to direct participants with hyperlipidemia in the management of the condition using evidence-based nutrition guidelines …

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Improving Nutrition In Adults With Hypertension, Jennifer Jenkins Jan 2019

Improving Nutrition In Adults With Hypertension, Jennifer Jenkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Nutrition can play a significant role in health conditions especially diseases such as hypertension. Nutritional intake can positively or negatively affect blood pressure, and many authors have found impactful changes when proper diet is adhered. Individuals who follow DASH diet guidelines have especially made positive changes in blood pressure. This quality improvement project examined if DASH diet-based nutrition education in adults with hypertension improved dietary intakes of vegetables and fruits, and reduced sodium intake and blood pressure. This manuscript addresses this concern using current evidence by describing the steps taken in a quality improvement project at Community Health of South …

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