Digital Commons Network^™

Food Waste In Uk Households: Attitudes, Behaviours And Marketing Implications, Mihaela Bishop

Plymouth Business School Theses

Food waste is generated in large amounts across the food chain, ensuing serious environmental, social and economic consequences. Although consumers are the single most significant contributors, little is known about the drivers of food waste in households. The study explores individual attitudes towards food waste, identifies associations between psychological factors and behaviour and establishes consumers’ current understanding of food waste. This study employs mixed methods, starting with a qualitative stage using focus group discussions (7 focus groups, n=48) and following it up with a quantitative survey (411 questionnaires). The thematic analysis findings suggest that attitudes, social norms, perceived behaviour control …

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 …

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 …

Implementing And Evaluating A Gaussian Mixture Framework For Identifying Gene Function From Tnseq Data, Kevin Li, Rachel Chen, William Lindsey, Aaron Best, Matthew Dejongh, Christopher Henry, Nathan L. Tintle

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

The rapid acceleration of microbial genome sequencing increases opportunities to understand bacterial gene function. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of genes have been studied. Recently, TnSeq has been proposed as a cost-effective, highly reliable approach to predict gene functions as a response to changes in a cell's fitness before-after genomic changes. However, major questions remain about how to best determine whether an observed quantitative change in fitness represents a meaningful change. To address the limitation, we develop a Gaussian mixture model framework for classifying gene function from TnSeq experiments. In order to implement the mixture model, we present the Expectation-Maximization …

Leveraging Summary Statistics To Make Inferences About Complex Phenotypes In Large Biobanks, Angela Gasdaska, Derek Friend, Rachel Chen, Jason Westra, Matthew Zawistowski, William Lindsey, Nathan L. Tintle

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

As genetic sequencing becomes less expensive and data sets linking genetic data and medical records (e.g., Biobanks) become larger and more common, issues of data privacy and computational challenges become more necessary to address in order to realize the benefits of these datasets. One possibility for alleviating these issues is through the use of already-computed summary statistics (e.g., slopes and standard errors from a regression model of a phenotype on a genotype). If groups share summary statistics from their analyses of biobanks, many of the privacy issues and computational challenges concerning the access of these data could be bypassed. In …

Biccherna Covers And Sienese Trecento Society: Five Case Studies, Marietta H.W. Klein Essink

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

In the study of trecento Sienese Biccherna covers several questions immediately arise: how and why did the iconographies of their figurative and inscriptive parts change and did the magistrates whose names appear as signatories to the tax returns influence the covers’ commission. In five case studies, this dissertation shows that the hitherto stilted and formal representation of the Camarlengo around the early trecento changed into a narrative of topical social and religious events, thereby turning the covers into important primary civic sources of religious and social historical information. A close observation of the meaning of the narratives and their inscriptions …

Representations Of War And Conflict In The Painting Of Gustave Doré, Sebastian Tym

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The project, using the working title Representations of War and Conflict in the Painting of Gustave Doré, proposes to explore one of Gustave Doré’s little-known, but extensive oeuvres in painting. That is, the artist’s representation of conflict through the modes of history painting and allegory. With an initial chapter, Doré’s successful debut as a politicised painter and pamphleteer during the Crimean War will be outlined, contextualising the focus of the two following chapters, which cover his artistic output during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 – 71. The exploration of this largely unaccounted-for aspect of Doré’s career is to the greatest …

The Use Of The Personal Response System (Prs) At King Khalid University For Learning Development, Bandar Alzahrani

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This study will evaluate the use of the Personal Response System (PRS) to increase interactivity in the classroom and change the form of learning from transmissive to constructive learning in Saudi Higher Education. PRS is a technology to enable students in the educational environment to answer questions individually or group and anonymously to the lecturer’s questions. In this study, Activity Theory (AT) has been applied to explore how PRS has changed learning and increases interactivity. The constructionist paradigm has been adopted to create a deep understanding of the use of PRS. The case study methodology was employed in this study. …

Art As A Generator Of New Mental Patterns: From An Epistemological Perspective Of Modern Physics, Neuroscience And The Buddhist System Of Thought., Sarah Ciraci

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis draws upon research in Eastern philosophy and neuroscience to argue that art is capable of metabolizing and embodying different levels of reality, and therefore functions as an instrument that can generate states of consciousness. The research and writing that went into this text has provided the critical and conceptual foundation for a new artwork, which I present in the last chapter. Historically, art changes in tandem with the paradigm shifts of a given era. This thesis argues that our contemporary paradigm shift has introduced new ways of considering the relationship between subjectivity and objectivity. Such categories no longer …

Data Sonification In Creative Practice, Nuria Bonet

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Sonification is the process of data transmission with non-speech audio. While finding increasing acceptance as a scientific method, particularly where a visual representation of data is inadequate, it is still often derided as a ‘gimmick’. Composers have also shown growing interest in sonification as a compositional method. Both in science and in music, the criticism towards this method relates to poor aesthetics and gratuitous applications. This thesis aims to address these issues through an accompanying portfolio of pieces which use sonification as a compositional tool. It establishes the principles of ‘musification’, which can be defined as a sonification which uses …

Movement, Technological Mediation And Embodied Interactions, In The Education Of Children With Autism., Abigail Jackson

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The thesis offers insight into an embodied practice informed by childhood development studies, cognitive science, and pedagogy as an iterative approach to develop creative alternatives to the application of solo engagement with technologies in the education of autistic children. Through the diverse experiences enabled by the project’s dual practice and theoretical approach, this work evidences alternative ways to reflect on the education of autistic children, and reports methods that can offer the education sector ways to support children exposed to computer technologies in education through more holistic methods. The thesis advocates for an approach, developed through the practice-research method, that …

A Critical Analysis Of Harms Experienced By Transgender Individuals, Katie Mcbride

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This study critically analyses trans people’s lived experiences of harm in relation to the wider socio-political economic neo-liberal environment. Through ethnographic interviewing methods that produced thick-data from 11 trans individuals, identifying variously within the broad umbrella term of ‘trans’, the data presented has been drawn from multiple interviews and subsequent discussions which were supplemented by life-timelines, personal missives and photographic images obtained through a participative Point of View visual methods approach. Through consideration of the limited capacity of the hate crime agenda to suitably acknowledge the significance of wider everyday harms that characterise trans individuals lived experiences; this thesis adopts …

Boy Work. From Education To Employment In England And Wales, 1901-1930, David Graham Goode

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis follows the route British boys (aged 12-19) took from education to employment between 1901 and 1930. A period of increasing concern about issues affecting the entry of youths into work; by the start of the 1930s, this study argues, there was a distinctive change in the lives of British adolescents as employment prospects weakened. The attitudes of contemporary policy makers and social reformers are considered, and the important themes of crime, leisure and physical wellbeing are interrogated. Two contrasting regions, the largely agricultural county of Devon and industrialised, urban Birmingham provide comparative case studies on reform and implementation …

The Role Of Mesenchymal Cells In The Regeneration Of Salivary Gland Tissue, Jonathan Paul Davies

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Primary Sjogren’s Syndrome (PSS) patients will suffer a variable degree of damage to their salivary glands, caused by lesions of immune infiltrates into the tissue surrounding duct structures. Some patients present with extensive lesions that destroy any residual secretory acinar tissue, leading to hyposalivation. This damage, and reduced salivation, can lead to deleterious effects on the oral health, such as increased risk of caries and periodontitis, and will impact the general quality of life of the patients and can increase their risk of developing other, more serious conditions. Previously, there has been limited knowledge and characterisation of how different cell …

The Future Of Early Modern Studies: Embracing The Impact And Public Engagement Agenda, James Daybell

More Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Research

No abstract provided.

Student Voices And Student Choices: Narrative Accounts Of Differentiated Higher Education Experiences Of First In Family He Students, Philip Brown

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

This thesis considers the HE choices and experiences of First in Family (FiF) HE students studying in a Sixth Form College (SFC), a FE College (FEC), and a small ‘teaching-intensive’ university. Using Bourdieusian sociological analysis it explored the complex influences upon students’ HE choices and the impact of the institutional environment upon student experiences. The implications of the study are considered in terms of policy and practice for students, institutions, and government. Neoliberalism and social inclusion policies have created a complex, competitive, and fragmented field of HE providers and qualifications. In exploring this field, previous research has predominantly used social …

Determinants Of Self-Efficacy Among Individuals Who Are Hard-Of-Hearing, Sergio Cuevas, Roy K. Chen, Chia Vang, Shawn P. Saladin

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Self-efficacy plays an important role in their lives of the estimated 48 million Americans who report having some degree of hearing impairment, helping them navigate through a myriad of communication challenges. The purpose of the present study was to assess the levels of self-efficacy in this disability group by examining an array of social, psychological, spiritual, disability, and demographic variables. A total of 114 persons who identified as hard-of-hearing took part in an online survey. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to answer the research question. The proposed regression model explained 24.7% of variance in self-efficacy among individuals who …

Client Assistance Programs And Protection And Advocacy Services, Charlene J. Blankenship, Roy K. Chen, Cynthia A. Serrata

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

Client Assistance Programs and Protection and Advocacy Services comprise the nationwide network of congressionally mandated, legally based disability rights agencies. Both of these programs and services were mandated as a response to the need for protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The authors will discuss both of these programs and the services they offer. Implications will also be addressed.

Vhf Transmitter Development For Wildlife Tracking, Bryan Westra

Masters Theses

Wildlife biologists often use collars with VHF transmitters to gather wildlife data. The purpose of this project is to determine the best approach to designing a wildlife tracking VHF transmitter on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). A variety of frequency generation methods were considered for the transmitter, including transistor-based crystal oscillators and chip based solutions from the chip manufacturers Analog Devices and Silicon Labs. Prototypes of the feasible options were built and evaluated for cost, power consumption, efficiency, size, frequency range, signal bandwidth, and frequency stability. It was found that the Silicon Labs Si4010 chip was the best solution based …

Hurricane Isaac Brings More Than Oil Ashore: Characteristics Of Beach Deposits Following The Deepwater Horizon Spill, Karin L. Lemkau, Christopher M. Reddy, Catherine A. Charmichael, Helen K. White

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Patient Reported Outcomes For Nurse-Led Models Of Survivorship Care For Adult Cancer Patients, Leanne Monterosso, Violet Platt, Max Bulsara, Melissa Berg

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of nurse-led cancer survivorship care, compared with existing models of care, on patient reported outcomes for cancer survivors.

Methods: Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and controlled before-after studies published in English between 1 January 2007 and 28 July 2017 were identified in bibliographic databases including Medline, Pubmed and PsychINFO. Included studies described nurse-led cancer care after treatment to adults (age ≥18 years) <2 years post treatment completion. Risk of bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute’s tools and meta-analysis was undertaken.

Results: Twenty one publications were included describing 15 tumour-specific trials involving 3278 survivors of breast (n = 5), gynecological (n = 3), head and neck (n = 2), colorectal …

Father Inclusive Practice In A Parenting And Early Childhood Organisation: The Development And Analysis Of A Staff Survey, Dawson Cooke, Elaine Bennett, Wendy Simpson, Keith Read, Garth Kendall

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: The successful embedding of father inclusive practice (FIP) in parenting and early childhood organisations is relatively new and therefore challenging to assess. The purpose of this study was to describe the process of adapting an existing tool, the Knowledge about fatherhood checklist (KAFC), to suit the parenting service context and apply the modified survey to establish a baseline of attitudes and practice of all staff at an established parenting and early childhood service in Western Australia, Ngala.

Method: Following the application of the KAFC at Ngala in 2016, feedback provided by the staff led to a reflective and iterative …

The Art Of Clinical Supervision Program: Its Impact On Nurses Attitudes Towards Nursing Students, Kylie Russell, Selma Alliex, Heather Gluyas

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Increasing health professional student numbers in Australia, in response to looming predicted workforce shortages, resulted in a Federal Government call for action to provide clinical supervision education to health professionals.

Objectives: This research aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the programme, ‘The Art of Clinical Supervision’ (ACS), designed to support nurses facilitate a positive learning environment for student nurses.

Method: The ACS programme was presented (n = 199) across Western Australia as a doctoral study, with participants from both the public and private healthcare sector working in a variety of specialties. A triangulation approach of surveys, reflective entries and …

Why Doesn't Training Based On Safe Handling Techniques Work? A Critical Review Of The Literature, Denys Denis, Maud Gonella, Marie Comeau, Martin Lauzier

États de la question, rapports d’expertise et revues de littérature

Mise en contexte et objectif

La formation en manutention fait l’objet de nombreuses demandes de la part des milieux de travail. Or, malgré leur abondante diffusion, ces formations voient leur efficacité remise en cause par cinq méta-analyses publiées entre 2007 et 2014. La consultation de ces revues de la littérature ne permet pas de comprendre les raisons pour lesquelles il en est ainsi puisque les formations recensées – et dont on tente d’évaluer l’efficacité – n’y sont pas décrites, ou alors elles ne le sont que sommairement. Le fait de disposer de plus d’informations sur les caractéristiques des formations en …

Association Between Periodontal Disease And Prostate Cancer, Nur Ras. Aji, Dahlia Herawati

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Latex And Nitrile Glove On Total Bacterial Colonisation Onclinical Students At The Department Of Oral And Maxilofacial Surgery Faculty Of Dentistry Universitas Sumatera Utara March-May 2018, Ahyar Riza, Rahmi Syaflida, Abdullah Oes, Arisya Fiqriyah

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Pain And Swelling Following Surgical Extraction Of Impacted Mandibular Third Molar Using Complete And Partial Wound Closure Techniques In A Tertiary Institution, Thomas Owobu, Babatunde O. Bamgbose, Abubakar M. Kaura, Ibisola O. Amole, Junichi Asaumi

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Asymmetric Mandible Identification Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (Cbct), Barunawaty Yunus, Zulfikar R. Mailili, Dwi P. Wulansari

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Inhibitory Potential Test Of Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotusspp) Extract On The Growth Of Streptococcus Mutans (In Vitro), Fajriani, Eka P. Rati

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.