Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of The Dissolution Performance Of Aspirin Tablets In The Usp Apparatus 2 And In A Minivessel Dissolution System, Annmarie C. Walker

Theses

Dissolution testing is a critical component of quality control procedures in the pharmaceutical industry in order to ensure that the final solid dosage forms have consistent dissolution properties. Dissolution tests are also routinely conducted to evaluate the in-vitro performance of solid dosage forms during pharmaceutical development, to aid in the behavior of formulations, and to optimize drug release from dosage forms.

The use of compendial dissolution test apparatus and techniques, such as the USP 2 (Paddle), to characterize the dissolution performance of oral drug delivery system is an established area of pharmaceutical science. However, this method is not always appropriate, …

Effects Of 8 And 12 Hour Non-Rotating Shift Schedules For Security And Protective Services Workers, Zuleyha Aydin

Theses

Shiftwork is a major feature of working life in today’s world. Increasing the workday length is a new trend in alternative work schedules. The features of a shift system operation can have an impact on sleep, alertness, and the well-being of shift workers. The objective of this study is to evaluate security and protective services employees working in non-rotating shift systems of 8- hour and 12-hour schedules. New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Public Safety Department staff was studied to examine how non-rotating shift schedules affect sleep, alertness, and wellness under five different work schedules.

A survey instrument, approved by the …

Computational And Experimental Determination Of The Mixing Efficiency Of A Microfluidic Serpentine Micromixer, Siril Arockiam

Theses

In microfluidics, efficiency and mixing time are the greatest disadvantages. These parameters hinder the application of microfluidic devices for biochemical and immunological assays. However, once these disadvantages have been overcome by optimizing the parameters of the microfluidic device, it becomes the important analytical tool. In this experiment, various designs of microfluidic devices have been both simulated using COMSOL software, and experimentally verified to obtain the optimized parameter such as depth and velocity for better mixing efficiency. The COMSOL model has been validated by comparing the results with fluorescent images data of the experiment. The microfluidic device is built with Adhesive …

Mmtv Gene Expression Depends Upon A Short Cis Acting Sequence Within The 5' Untranslated Region Of The Viral Genome, Shaima Akhlaq

Theses

Retroviral genomes have been shown to contain regulatory sequences at the 3’ end of their genomes that have been implicated in critical steps of the viral life cycle, including nucleocytoplasmic RNA export, RNA stability, and post-nuclear export functions, such as translation. Recently mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) has been shown to encode Rem protein and its cis-acting cognate sequence located at the 3’ of the genome, the Rem-responsive element (RmRE). The binding of Rem to RmRE facilitates the export of genomic RNA (gRNA) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Using an expression system, our previous results have shown that …

The Effects Of Frondoside A In Acute Leukemia, Fatma Hussain Sajwani

Theses

Among hematological malignancies, acute leukemia is the major cause of mortality. Despite improvement of survival with current chemotherapies, some patients still diefrom the disease or the treatment side effects. Thus, new therapeutic agents are needed. Anti-cancer drugs derived from natural products are of interest. Frondoside A is a triterpenoid glycoside form the sea cucumber, Cucumaria frondosa that has shown potent antitumor effects in various cancers. Previous studies in acute leukemia are limited. The current study investigated the effects of frondoside a in acute leukemia cell lines alone and in combination with drugs currently used for this malignancy. This study is …

Power Dissipation And Power Correlations For A Retreatblade Impeller Under Different Baffling Conditions, Chadakarn Sirasitthichoke

Theses

Glass-lined stirred reactors and tanks are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry because of their corrosion resistance, ease of cleanliness and minimization of product contamination. Most industrial glass-lined tank reactors are provided with a torispherical tank bottom and a retreat curve impeller with low impeller clearance from the vessel bottom. The power, P, dissipated by the impeller is a critical process parameter to mixing processes to achieve the desired mixing effect, especially since the power per unit volume, P/V, directly controls mass transfer processes and other mixing phenomena. However, little information has been published about the power dissipation and the …

Network Exploration Of Correlated Multivariate Protein Data For Alzheimer's Disease Association, Matthew J. Lane

Theses

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is difficult to diagnose by using genetic testing or other traditional methods. Unlike diseases with simple genetic risk components, there exists no single marker determining as to whether someone will develop AD. Furthermore, AD is highly heterogeneous and different subgroups of individuals develop the disease due to differing factors. Traditional diagnostic methods using perceivable cognitive deficiencies are often too little too late due to the brain having suffered damage from decades of disease progression. In order to observe AD at early stages prior to the observation of cognitive deficiencies, biomarkers with greater accuracy are required. By using …

Short-Term Bilateral Adrenalectomy: Biochemical And Morphological Alterations In The Rat Hippocampus, Ahlam Said Abi Issa

Theses

Several studies showed the effects of glucocorticoid hormones on the hippocampus. It has been reported that the chronic administration of high dose glucocorticoids (GC) results in the degeneration of pyramidal neurons. However, bilateral adrenalectomy has been shown to damage the hippocampal neurons. Although the effects of long-term adrenalectomy have been studied extensively, there are few publications on the effects of short-term bilateral adrenalectomy (ADX). We aimed to investigate the effects of ADX on levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interkeukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α); levels of growth factors, response of microglia and astrocytes to neuronal death, and oxidative …

Genetic Polymorphism Of Cytochrome P450-1a2 (Cyp1a2) And N-Acetyltransferase-2 (Nat2) Among Emiratis, Mohammed Majed Al-Ahmad

Theses

Brief introduction: There are limited studies on CYP1A2 and NAT2 polymorphisms among Emiratis. Aims: This study aims to determine CYP1A2 and NAT2 alleles and genotypes and correlate these genotypes with caffeine metabolism phenotypes among Emiratis. Methods: After obtaining informed consent, five hundred and eighty-one non-smoker subjects were given 300ml of caffeinated soft drink and were asked to provide a buccal swab and a urine sample two hours later. TaqMan Real Time PCR, PCR-RFLP, DNA sequencing were performed to determine CYP1A2 and NAT2 alleles and genotypes. Phenotyping was carried out by analysing the caffeine metabolites using HPLC analysis. Results: We found …

Novel Experimental Method For The Determination Of The Minimum Agitation Speed For Solids Suspension In Flat-Bottomed Stirred Tank Reactors, Shriarjun Shastry

Theses

Knowledge of the minimum agitation speed, Njs, required to suspend finely divided solids in vessels stirred by an impeller is a critical parameter to properly operate industrial tanks in a large number of industrial operations. The most common experimental approach to measure N_js is that of Zwietering’s (Chem. Eng. Sci., 1958, 8, 244-253), consisting of visually inspecting the tank bottom and visually determining the impeller agitation speed at which the solids are observed to rest on the tank bottom for no more than 1-2 seconds before being swept away. This method is quite reliable, but a method …

Get A Grip: Analysis Of Muscle Activity And Perceived Comfort In Using Stylus Grips, Evanda Vanease Henry

Theses

The design of handwriting instruments has been based primarily on touch, feel, aesthetics, and muscle exertion. Previous studies make it clear that different pen characteristics have to be considered along with hand-instrument interaction in the design of writing instruments. This should include pens designed for touch screens and computer based writing surfaces. Hence, this study focuses primarily on evaluating grip style’s impact on user comfort and muscle activity associated with handgrip while using a stylus-pen.

Surface EMG measures were taken approximate to the adductor pollicis, flexor digitorum, and extensor indicis of eight participants while they performed writing, drawing, and point-and-click …

The Influence Of The Supernumerary Clinical Nurse Educator Role On Advancing Graduate Nurses’ Quality Of Patient Care: A Mixed-Methods Study In A Private Western Australian Health Service, Tracey Coventry

Theses

Theoretical and anecdotal evidence suggests that the presence of the supernumerary clinical nurse educator (CNE) in the acute care hospital clinical environment will positively affect patient quality outcomes. However, the supernumerary role suffers from scrutiny in response to the financial constraints of healthcare organisations, and is questioned regarding sustainability. The lack of empirical research diminishes the CNE role and its benefit for patient quality of care. This research focuses on newly qualified graduate registered nurses (GRNs) employed in a graduate programme and supported by the CNE in the clinical environment in order to articulate the effect of the supernumerary CNE …

The Modification Of Two Tools To Measure Emotional Intelligence In Undergraduate Student Nurses: A Mixed Method Pilot Study, Laurel Collin

Theses

Nurses need a range of strategies to manage their clinical practice while helping patients to cope with their health problems. Stress and inefficient coping skills of student nurses have been shown to lead to attrition within the university and later, on graduation, in the workplace. Student nurses can learn some of these strategies as they are expected to cope with issues associated with the practical nature of nursing, university demands and home life. One strategy offered is the use of emotional intelligence (EI). An ability to monitor and regulate emotions may contribute to an increase in the repertoire of coping …

Microbiota, Diet And Medication In Human Gut Disorders, Adam Clooney

Theses

The microbiota, a community of micro-organisms in a particular environment, have been intensely researched in the past decade and interest appears to continue to increase. The human body is richly populated with bacterial cells (3.8x10'^) and alterations in these communities are associated with disease. The work presented in this thesis explores aspects of microbiota research methodologies with regard to optimisation and concerns over a lack of reproducibility. Additionally, we investigated the effects of medication, in particular Proton Pump Inhibitors, on the human gut microbiota, along with comparisons between the microbiota of patients with active and inactive Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Microbiota …

An Analysis Of The Physiological And Psychological Wellbeing Of Irish Naval Service Personnel, Cliodhna Sargent

Theses

Whilst all military cohorts have been seen to experience both physiological and psychological stressors during occupational duties, the naval service experience different stressors due the prolonged periods of time spent at sea. Research has analysed some of these stressors however many them have focused on how individuals are affected because of time spent in combat zones. The Irish Naval Service (INS) is an organisation under the Irish Defence Forces organisation and as such many of its physiological and psychological assessment procedures have come from the Defenee Forces. Very limited researeh has been carried out in relation to the INS as …

Integrating A Code Of Professional Conduct And Ethics: An Action Research Approach, Ciara Kissane

Theses

A new version of the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives (NMBI, 2014a) was published in 2014. A nurse’s fitness to practice, and the associated patient experience, is determined by the extent to which the nurse accords with the duties outlined in the Code. Professional misconduct among members of the nursing profession has been highlighted within recent reports and enquiries. The failure to act on unethical care is also a feature. The literature suggests that Codes are poorly understood and can be problematic to integrate in practice. This study sought to; explore the impact …

Reliability Of Micro Mechanical Low Frequency Energy Harvesters For Implanted Cardiac Pacemakers, Sunny Jay

Theses

The aim of this project was to develop methods to assess the suitability and reliability of silicon-based piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanicai systems (MEMS) energy harvesters to capture the kinetic energy of the heartbeat in an implanted cardiac pacemaker. The major challenges of the work were that harvesters for vibration frequencies below 100 Hz have not been widely reported and the system requires reliable operation over a long lifetime. In this work device modelling was used for harvester design assessment. Experimental test methods and equipment were developed to produce data to validate the device models and to assess device reliability. A 2D analytical …

Nutritional Labelling Providing Education On Its Usage Could It Impact On Patient's Food Choice Selection For Those In The Obese Classification?, Celia Lane

Theses

A build-up of too much body fat can cause significant health risks and development of medical conditions and disabilities (National Institute Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2014). The causes of obesity involve the disproportionate intake of calories that are not utilised (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2016). The rising trend towards obesity threatens to bankrupt medical systems (Heifer and Shultz, 2014). There has been a heighten awareness from the general public in the last decade of the affiliation between health and nutrition (Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (lUNA), 2011). In light of the ever increasing obesity trend, individuals still desire to take control of …

Intelligent Profiling Of Blood Donors In Ireland, Joanna Kossakowska

Theses

The demand for blood products in Ireland is constantly rising due to population growth and population ageing. It is believed that within the next decade these two factors will present challenges to blood donor recruitment and the availability of blood supplies. Improving the retention of blood donors will have a positive impact on the availability of blood products. Identification of suitable donors with the potential for long-term donating can potentially enhance the predictability of blood supply levels.

This research proposes that the patterns of blood donation behaviours of donors can be isolated from blood donor databases held by blood collecting …

Farm Deaths And Injuries: Changing Farmer Attitudes And Behaviour On Farm Safety, Kieran O'Connell

Theses

While the Irish agricultural sector accounts for just 6% of the working population of Ireland, it consistently has the highest proportion of fatal incidents of any sector - generally ranging from between 35% and 45% of all workplace fatalities in any given year (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). This was again evident in 2014 where 55% (30 of the 56) of the fatal workplace incidents were in the agricultural sector (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). Agriculture has an ageing workforce with the average age of an Irish farmer now standing at fifty-seven and farmers are eight times more likely to …

In Vitro Three-Dimensional Skin Tissue Constructs, Tinashe Dereck Gombedza

Theses

Human skin provides fortification against peripheral threats which may compromise the integrity and health of the human body. Its presence as the largest human organ forms a protective barrier making it an effective first line of defence against pathogenic, chemical and physical damage. Tissue engineering technology has enabled the development of in vitro three-dimensional (3D) organotypic skin cultures in order to understand the skin's physiology and architecture. This advancement has enabled the use of 3D skin model platforms to study skin diseases and conditions as well as facilitate drug discovery, clinical research and cosmetic product development.

In this study, an …

Hospitalisation And Comorbidities In Parkinson's Disease: A Large Australian Retrospect Study, Michal Lubomski

Theses

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive and disabling neurological disorder that affects approximately 1% of the adult population aged over 65 years in Australia. Parkinson’s disease, as with many other chronic illnesses, results in frequent patient hospitalisations. There is a paucity of information on the causes and related co-morbidities that lead to hospitalisation among these patients in an Australian setting. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of hospitalisation of Parkinson’s disease patients with regards to demographic factors, co-morbidities and aspects relating to clinical management. In this study, data was extracted from the NSW Ministry of Health’s Admitted …

Bioimpedance Spectroscopy - Can It Be Used As A Tool For Monitoring Fluid Shifts In Burns?, Pippa Kenworthy

Theses

Large fluid shifts and oedema are features of burn injuries. Oedema hampers burn wound healing and is directly related to the size and depth of the burn. The degree of oedema in burns covers a broad spectrum: Minor burns cause localised or peripheral oedema, whilst major burns may result in a systemic inflammatory response which can be life threatening and necessitates formal fluid resuscitation. Acute burn fluid resuscitation is paramount in decreasing patient morbidity and mortality but can contribute to already large amounts of oedema. There is currently no single clinically applicable, non-invasive and accurate outcome measure to titrate fluid …

The Effect Of Continuing Professional Development From The Perspective Of Nurses And Midwives Who Participated In Continuing Education Programs Offered By Global Health Alliance Western Australia: A Mixed-Method Study, Yan Ing (Jenni) Ng

Theses

Continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for nurses and midwives are central to improving knowledge, broadening skills and maintaining competencies to provide best practice and clinical care. This is gained through participating in continuing education (CE). CPD is readily accessible and a mandatory requirement for nurses and midwives in developed nations, such as Australia. However, in developing countries, such as Tanzania, while CPD is promoted, it has limited availability. As such, the Global Health Alliance Western Australia (GHAWA), an international health development program, seeks to provide further sustainable CPD opportunities for nurses and midwives in Tanzania.

The purpose of this research …

Assessment Of The Neuroprotective Potential Of Poly-Arginine Peptides In Stroke Models, Diego Milani

Theses

Currently, there is no available neuroprotective treatment for reducing acute brain injury following stroke. Recent studies have demonstrated that poly-arginine and arginine-rich peptides (e.g. R18; R = arginine residues) exhibit potent neuroprotective properties in both in vitro and in vivo stroke models, and therefore have the potential to be developed into a neuroprotective treatment for stroke.

Consequently, the aim of this thesis was to further assess the neuroprotective efficacy of several poly-arginine and arginine-rich peptides in permanent and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) stroke models in the rat.

The poly-arginine peptides R12, R15, R18 and the arginine-rich peptide protamine …

The Lived Experience Of The Western Australian Graduate Registered Nurse Who Is Male, Dianne Juliff

Theses

Nursing professionals are ageing and alternate career opportunities for females threatens nursing workforce sustainability. Largely untapped human resource and underrepresented within nursing in Australia are men. Therefore, the attraction and retention of men into nursing is imperative for the profession to support a sustainable workforce.

A qualitative longitudinal phenomenological study, explored the lived experience of nine newly graduated registered nurses who are male during their first year in their professional-practice environment. The methodological approach that guided this study was Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The IPA enhanced the exploration of the lived experiences of these participants by investigating the meaning of …

Development, Implementation, Evaluation And Validation Of A Haemophilia Nurses’ Education Program In South Africa, Jill Smith

Theses

Haemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder found in all races and ethnic groups. Intervention regimens are more complicated in developing countries, such as South Africa, where numerous challenges present impediments to effective health care. This study investigated the value of the Haemophilia Nurses’ Education Program (HNEP) in the South African context where no comparable program of training for haemophilia nurses exists.

The HNEP has been in operation in South Africa for some fifteen years. The researcher, as one of the key instigators of the HNEP, was keen to determine whether the course was delivering the outcomes that had been …

Exploring The Concept Of Receptivity To Bereavement Support: Implications For Palliative Care Services In Rural, Regional And Remote Western Australia, Pippa Blackburn

Theses

Background: Palliative care services are primary organisations that provide bereavement support in Australia and aim to mitigate potential adverse outcomes of grief and bereavement The success of bereavement services depends, in part, on how ‘receptive’ the bereaved are to receiving support. Although palliative care services provide support services for bereaved carers and families, there still remains a discord between what is delivered, what is needed and factors that deter or encourage a person’s receptiveness to support.

Purpose: The aim of this research was to examine utilisation of bereavement support through the ‘lens’ of receptivity. Bereavement and receptivity are complex multifactorial …