Digital Commons Network^™

Higher Education, Neoliberalism, And Conflict: A Case Of The University Of Balochistan In Pakistan, Syed Amir Shah

Dissertations

The current study focuses on the role of peacebuilding in the higher education sector of Pakistan’s conflict-affected region of Balochistan. The research is an extended case study of the University of Balochistan. It addresses how the institution’s peacebuilding agency has evolved in the face of ethnic conflict and the neoliberal reforms pursued by the state during the past two decades. The research is based on the study of policy documents, official reports, and individual and focus group interviews with various educational actors.

The peacebuilding agency of the institution is theorized according to the 4Rs (Novelli et al., 2019; Novelli et …

Characterization Of Mroq-Dependent Regulation Of Staphylococcus Aureus Quorum Sensing, Madison Ruth Stock

Dissertations

Gram-positive bacteria produce small autoinducing peptides (AIPs), which act to regulate expression of genes that promote adaptive traits including virulence. The Gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus generates a cyclic AIP that controls expression of virulence factors via the accessory gene regulatory (Agr) system. S. aureus strains belong to one of four Agr groups (I, II, III, and IV), and each group harbors allelic variants of AgrD, the precursor of AIP. In a prior screen for S. aureus virulence factors, the Alonzo lab identified MroQ, a putative peptidase. A ΔmroQ mutant closely resembled a Δagr mutant and had significant defects in AIP …

Development Of Inattention And Executive Dysfunction In Youth With Spina Bifida: Condition Severity Variables As Predictors, Allison D. Payne

Master's Theses

Spina bifida (SB) is associated with neurologic impairments that increase individuals’ risk for neuropsychological deficits, particularly inattention and executive dysfunction. While extant literature has yet to examine the development of inattention in youth with SB, some research suggests that these youth may not experience the age-related improvements in executive dysfunction seen in the general population. SB is a heterogeneous condition; thus, it is important to consider variability in condition severity when examining outcomes over time in youth with SB. Lesion level and shunt status are commonly used as indicators of SB severity and have been significantly associated with variability in …

Recognizing Right: The Status Of Artificial Intelligence, Tanner W. Mathison

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Covid-19 Quarantine On Lifestyle Indicators In The United Arab Emirates, Sharifa Alblooshi, Maryam Alfalasi, Zainab Taha, Farid El Ktaibi, Alia Khalid

All Works

Introduction: COVID-19 is a virus that has spread rapidly and brought economic and social crises all around the world. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on dietary habits, physical activity, food purchasing, smoking, and sleeping patterns in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire between November 1st, 2020 and the end of January 2021. Citizens and residents of the UAE aged ≥ 18 years old were asked to complete an anonymous electronic questionnaire created via Google Forms and distributed on various platforms, such as WhatsApp, Twitter, and email. …

Air Quality Improvement Following Covid-19 Lockdown Measures And Projected Benefits For Environmental Health, Yuei An Liou, Trong Hoang Vo, Kim Anh Nguyen, James P. Terry

All Works

Many regions worldwide suffer from heavy air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), resulting in a huge annual disease burden and significant welfare costs. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic, enforced curfews and restrictions on human mobility (so-called periods of ‘lockdown’) have become important measures to control the spread of the virus. This study aims to investigate the improvement in air quality following COVID-19 lockdown measures and the projected benefits for environmental health. China was chosen as a case study. The work projects annual premature deaths and welfare costs by integrating PM2.5 and NO2 …

Airport Ground Access Choice Between Transportation Network Companies And Parking: A Case Study Of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Sen Wang, Yichen Zheng, Yi Gao

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The segment between home and airports is an essential component in all air transportation trips. Travelers normally have different ground access options to commence their journeys. Using Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a special case, this study proposes a theoretical framework for quantifying and comparing the overall cost of driving and parking at airport and the use of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) ridesharing services such as Uber. Based on the cost comparison, we design an interactive web application to visualize the utility advantage area and summarize the corresponding demographic information. Our study has the potential to benefit airports, TNC operators, …

Clinical Education Innovation Enabled By Xr Space Medicine Technology, Ethan Waisberg, Joshua Ong, Phani Paladugu, Nasif Zaman, Sharif Amit Kamran, Andrew G. Lee, Alireza Tavakkoli

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Head-mounted extended reality (XR) has emerged as a powerful tool in medical education for simulation of clinical and surgical situations. Another potentially powerful clinical tool of XR may be to help clinicians further understand disease from the patient’s perception. In our work to develop a training tool for astronauts undergoing interplanetary gravitational transitions, we identified a unique opportunity to also develop this emerging tool for clinicians specializing in vestibulo-ocular disease. By emulating patient perception of disease, this may increase understanding and clinical insight into clinical care in the future. This work is a component of a developing NASA-funded, head-mounted multimodal …

Public Opinion Concerning The Siting Of Vertiports, David C. Ison

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study sought a better understanding of public opinion about the siting of vertiports to support Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). An online survey was used to collect the necessary data. The survey was divided into seven sections: personal impacts, community impacts, acceptable proximity, benefits and concerns, flight operations, open-ended comments, and demographics. The findings for personal impacts suggested a slightly positive outlook. Community impacts were assessed, and data also indicated a marginally positive outlook. The survey revealed that a tolerable average distance between the home of the respondent and a vertiport was between one to two miles. Opinions about the …

Learning From Past In The Commercial Air Transport Industry: A Bibliometric Analysis And Systematic Literature Review In The Safety Management Framework, Alok Tyagi, Rajesh Tripathi Dr, Soufiane Bouarfa Dr

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In the commercial air transport industry, numerous accidents have occurred because stakeholders have failed to learn lessons from the past. The reactive hazard identification (HI) methodology in the current regulatory safety management framework provides a fresh opportunity to negotiate the challenges of the air transportation sector's predicted growth and societal safety expectations. In the regulatory framework, ‘learning from the past’ is related to the reactive method of HI, and it is viewed as a data-driven decision-making process in this review. This literature review aims to investigate academic literature on ‘learning from the past’ in the aviation industry to comprehend an …

Children With Williams Syndrome: Experiences Of Mainstream Primary Schools, Katherine Gulliver

Plymouth Institute of Education Theses

Four children with Williams Syndrome shared their daily experiences of attending a mainstream primary school in the South West of England, UK. Using an adaptation of the Mosaic approach (Clark, 2011), children shared their perceptions and experiences of belonging to a class, developing responsibility and learning to follow the rules. Children guided the researcher during a visit lasting one week in each school. Methods included videos, a child-led tour, photographs and interviews with staff. Informed consent was obtained by gatekeepers including children’s parents, head teacher and school staff. Children were continually monitored for assent using a reflective, ethically conscious total …

Soil And Wastewater Properties That Influence The Uptake Of Anti(Retro)Viral Pharmaceuticals In Plants, Preston Chebai Akenga

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This study evaluated the fate of anti(retro)viral (ARVDs) pharmaceutical compounds in the wastewater-soil-plant-human continuum. Wastewater frequently contains pharmaceutical micropollutants. A cause to worry is the potential uptake and bioaccumulation of these biologically active contaminants via the plant's roots into the edible tissues, posing a health threat to non-target consumers. Presently, the influence of the wastewater and soil parameters (pH, soil organic matter, dissolved organic carbon) on the uptake patterns of the (ARVDs) pharmaceutical compounds is unclear. Hydroponic and pot-soil experiments were utilized to assess the ARVD accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Spiked freshwater (stored rainwater) and synthetic wastewater (adopted as …

The Impact Of Changing Shipping Emissions On The Atmospheric Deposition Of Trace Elements And Sulfur To The Western English Channel And Coastal Zone, Laurence Christian Windell

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Maritime shipping is a significant source of anthropogenic emissions, with annual growth of shipping continually on the rise. In the marine environment, shipping emissions often dominate the atmospheric deposition of sulfur and contribute significantly to global sulfur emissions. As a result, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) introduced a regulation on 01/01/2020 restricting global marine fuel sulfur content from 3.5% to 0.5% w/w. The present study investigated the changes in airmass marine aerosol chemical character arriving at the Penlee Point Atmospheric Observatory (PPAO; 50∘19′ N, 4∘11′ W) to gain insight into the efficacy of the IMO-2020 regulation. The observatory in Southwest …

Using Mhealth To Support Weight Management Among Women With History Of Gestational Diabetes: A Mixed Methods Study, Katie Edwards

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Using mHealth to support weight management among women with history of gestational diabetes: a mixed methods study Katie Jane Edwards Background: Women who experience gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at significant risk of developing type 2 diabetes and recurrent GDM in subsequent pregnancies, particularly if they are overweight (body mass index (BMI)>25) or obese (BMI >30). Prevention of chronic disease in this population is of major public health concern, but formalised support in the UK is disjointed and limited. Women face considerable barriers to maintain motivation when undertaking and sustaining weight management, despite desires to improve their health. Motivation …

Investigating Opportunities For Sustainability Behaviours Within Paramedic And Ambulance Service Practice, Peter Allum

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

The National Health Service (NHS) is under increasing pressure to adopt radical strategies for change, in order to meet UK national targets of net zero emissions by 2050. This thesis aimed to explore and investigate sustainability behaviours of UK ambulance service personnel and how they contribute to a reduce, re-use, recycle (RRR) ethos. Phase one, a systematic literature review (n=114 studies) explored sustainability in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Phase two phenomenological study explored the role and experiences of NHS ambulance strategic managers (n=6 participants) in England, when implementing their organisational Green Plans. Phase three ethnographical observation explored the sustainability activities, …

Menstrual Justice: A Human Rights Vision For Australia, Mike Armour, Dani Barrington, Helen Connolly, Beth Goldblatt, Elizabeth Hill, Danielle Howe, Margaret E. Johnson, Minnie King, Nina Lansbury, Meredith Nash, Linda Steele, Jane M. Ussher

All Faculty Scholarship

In the past year alone, news reports have shown how menstrual injustice is linked to gender inequality, a lack of economic opportunity, poor health outcomes, and human rights violations. Here is a small sampling of the unjust treatment of women and other people who menstruate: locked bathrooms at schools, inadequate supply of free period products, harmful menstruation-avoidance options for athletes, the human and economic costs of the lack of menstruation and menopause employment leave policies, and the mistreatment of people imprisoned who menstruate.

To improve women’s equality, we need menstrual justice. Menstrual justice is the achievement of dignity, liberty and …

Accounting For Disability In International Humanitarian Law, Janet E. Lord

All Faculty Scholarship

The adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

represents an important and (potentially) progressive development in the protection

framework under international humanitarian law (IHL). Article 11 of the CRPD

specifically obliges States to protect persons with disabilities from harm in

situations of risk, including armed conflict, consistent with IHL and human rights

law. The CRPD framework signals the need to address the traditional framing of

disability under IHL and to draw from human rights concepts in the CRPD in

order to inform the protection accorded to persons with disabilities in armed conflict.

This article is …

Characterisation Of Caspase-6-Dependent Regulatory Mechanisms Of Sqstm1/P62 Droplet-Based Autophagy, Evelina Valionyte

Peninsula Medical School Theses

p62, otherwise known as SQSTM1, is the most characterised selective autophagy receptor essential for autophagic cargo recognition, capture and degradation. p62 and its cargo form liquid-liquid phase-separated droplets which operate as assembly platforms for the formation of autophagosomes. It is poorly understood how physiological and pathological conditions modulate p62 droplet-based autophagy. In this study, the effects of cellular toxicity upon the regulation of p62 droplet-based autophagy were investigated. This study discovered that the inflammatory toxicity promotes caspase-6 to cleave p62 at a novel site D256. As the C-terminal cleavage product was undetected via western blotting rendering it unstable, the attention …

Building Social & Emotional Competence In Early Education Classrooms Through Art Therapy, Amber Bliss, Melissa Halici, Nadia Herman, Camille Jessie, Madeline Madison, Melissa Washington Cross, Gaea Ray, Melanie Zarrow

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research project qualitatively explores how teachers address social-emotional learning and how educators understand and implement SEL and art therapy in early education. This research aimed to explore how art therapy theories can support teachers in their efforts to create socially and emotionally competent early education classrooms. Data collected included anonymous surveys from current kindergarten through third-grade teachers. Through data analysis, several findings suggest that art therapists, mental health practitioners, and teachers can benefit from collaboration in increasing access and training with SEL practices. These findings open new doors for further inquiry into art therapy and SEL.

Monitoring Persistent Organic Chemicals In Antarctica In Support Of Global Chemical Policy: A Horizon Scan Of Priority Actions And Challenges, Susan Bengston Nash, Pernilla Bohlin-Nizzetto, Cristobel Galban-Malagon, Simonetta Corsolini, Alessandra Cincinelli, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Global production and emission of chemicals exceeds societal capacities for assessment and monitoring. This situation calls for improved chemical regulatory policy frameworks and increased support for expedited decision making within existing frameworks. The polar regions of the Earth represent unique sentinel areas for the study of global chemical behaviour, and data arising from these areas can strengthen existing policy frameworks. However, chemical pollution research and monitoring in the Antarctic is underdeveloped, with geopolitical complexities and the absence of legal recognition of international chemical policy serving to neutralise progress made in other global regions. This Personal View represents a horizon scan …

Assessing The Impact Of The Yellowstone Tv Series On Montana's Tourism Economy, Patrick Barkey, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The hugely successful and popular dramatic television show Yellowstone, which portrays the fictional Dutton family ranch in Montana, has sparked the interest of a worldwide audience in our state. In addition to its critical and commercial success, the show has emerged as a significant factor in the marketing of Montana, with its more than 10 million viewers treated to storylines, characters and scenery of the mountain west. How has the show’s success affected the arrival and subsequent spending of visitors to the state? A new study jointly produced by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) and the Institute …

Consolidating Port Decarbonisation Implementation : Concept, Pathways, Barriers, Solutions, And Opportunities, A.S. Alamoush, D. Dalaklis, F. Ballini, A.I. Ölcer

Articles

No abstract provided.

Examining An Information System (Is) Solution To Increase Uk University Students’ Engagement During Lecturing Activities, A. Dalaklis, A. Dalaklis, D. Dalaklis

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Critical Analysis Of The Working Memory Model Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing, Adam Stewart

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the foremost interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment aims to desensitise and reprocess trauma memories by combining imaginal exposure to the trauma with concurrent bilateral stimulation, usually in the form of eye movements (EMs). Multiple explanations have been proposed to account for therapeutic effect of EMs in EMDR. This thesis examined a leading theoretical account: the working memory (WM) hypothesis. To investigate the theory that EMs desensitise negative imagery in EMDR by taxing visuospatial WM, a series of experiments were conducted in which healthy subjects formed a visual image depicting …

The Role Of Tau In Epidermal Stratification And Differentiation And Its Implications In Skin Cancer, Charlotte Illsley

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Background: Microtubule associated proteins are a group of proteins well characterised for their role in the stabilisation and polymerisation of microtubules, but they have been increasingly demonstrated to have a more diverse role within cells. Tau is a microtubule associated protein, well studied for its pathological role in Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies have provided evidence that tau is also expressed in the epidermal compartment of the skin. However, the precise roles of tau during epidermal stratification and differentiation are currently unknown. Aims: This study aims to investigate the role of tau in epidermal stratification and differentiation and its function in …

Regulatory Reliance And Post-Marketing Surveillance Systems For Safe And Accelerated Introduction Of New Medical Products In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Jude Nwokike

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Though delayed access to medicines is still common, disease outbreaks in the past three decades has driven speedier introduction of innovative medical products. Yet, successful models for safe and accelerated introduction of new medical products in low- and middle-income countries are scarcely documented. Recent viral diseases outbreaks like Ebola, COVID-19, and Monkeypox has further highlighted the need for regulatory preparedness for health emergencies. Well-resourced countries have developed expedited regulatory pathways for such situations, while LMICs are not as prepared. They lack models for adopting best practices for implementing regulatory reliance and integrated post marketing surveillance (PMS). Experiences gained from our …

A Framework For Syncretic Pluriversal Narrative: Somaesthetics And Consciousness In Thai Design Education, Tommaso Maggio

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The investigation began by examining the diverse conceptions of creativity in the Western and Eastern hemispheres, specifically focusing on ‘Ex nihilo’ and ‘In situ’ (Ames) and how it is applied to creative education. The studies delved into the early modern art and design schools in Western countries, such as the German Bauhaus Art School (1919-33) and the Russian Vkhutemas Institute (1920-30), to gain a comprehensive understanding of how these experimental educational institutions influenced and continue to influence the contemporary global design education agenda. The thesis poses questions about how these approaches have been adapted within significantly different cultural contexts. The …

Performance Writing, Objects And Millennial Precarity: A Co-Authored Par Exploration Between Friends, Chris Green

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-as-research project uses performance writing to understand, illustrate and work through aspects of millennial experience, with a specific interest in precarious housing and labour. For us, experiencing precarity means that fundamental aspects of what is required to experience what Lauren Berlant calls ‘a good life’ (including secure working contracts, renters’ rights, access to leisure time) are not being met. This leads to a feeling of ‘living on the edge’ (Ahmed, 2017: 238), which in turn prevents us from being able to imagine alternatives. This performance writing takes the form of scores, instructions, maps, walking, knitting, zines, and audio recordings. …

Humanity Undone, A Practice Led Enquiry Into Self-Injury, Karen Abadie

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis enquires into my lived experience of self-injury (cutting my own skin), asking to what extent can moving image, sound and performance in the context of art installation reveal an understanding of the processes of self-injury. I employ an embodied onto-epistemological methodology that blends artistic enquiry with active engagement with phenomenological and new materialist feminist theory. This investigation reveals a dynamic yet subtle relationship between the body-as-object and the body-as- subject, as initially described by Husserl as Leib and Körper (1990). I use 16mm film and performance in a haptic immersive installation environment to articulate these dynamic subtleties. Merleau-Ponty …

Performance Writing, Objects And Millennial Precarity: A Co-Authored Par Exploration Between Friends, Katheryn Owens

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-as-research project uses performance writing to understand, illustrate and work through aspects of millennial experience, with a specific interest in precarious housing and labour. For us, experiencing precarity means that fundamental aspects of what is required to experience what Lauren Berlant calls ‘a good life’ (including secure working contracts, renters’ rights, access to leisure time) are not being met. This leads to a feeling of ‘living on the edge’ (Ahmed, 2017: 238), which in turn prevents us from being able to imagine alternatives. This performance writing takes the form of scores, instructions, maps, walking, knitting, zines, and audio recordings. …