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Intrinsic And Extrinsic Brain Activity In Children With Autism Before And After A Visualization Language Intervention, Donna Murdaugh Jan 2015

Intrinsic And Extrinsic Brain Activity In Children With Autism Before And After A Visualization Language Intervention, Donna Murdaugh

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Deficits in language comprehension have been widely reported in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recent evidence from neuroimaging research has found that individuals with ASD tend to recruit visuospatial imagery to comprehend language (Kana et al., 2006). The theory of cortical underconnectivity in autism suggests that in tasks that can be interpreted either visually or verbally, brain regions associated with language and visuospatial processing will be substantially less functionally integrated (especially between frontal and more posterior regions) than healthy-matched controls (Just et al., 2004). Indeed, cortical underconnectivity in individuals with ASD has been documented, not only in extrinsic brain …


Religious Affiliation As A Predictor Of Mental Health Outcomes Among Immigrants In The United States, Haley Medved Kendrick Jan 2015

Religious Affiliation As A Predictor Of Mental Health Outcomes Among Immigrants In The United States, Haley Medved Kendrick

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Previous research largely (but not conclusively) suggests that religious participation is positively correlated with good mental health, but it is unclear what effect religion has on mental health outcomes of racial/ethnic and religious minorities. Prior findings that non-Christian (e.g. Muslim, Buddhist, etc.) migrants have lower levels of religious participation than Christian migrants suggest that there may be a disparity in mental health outcomes between religious groups. This study aims to fill the gap by comparing mental health outcomes (measured by four DSM-IV-based diagnoses) of Christian immigrants with non-Christian immigrants. The study uses data from the National Latino and Asian American …


“A Thrice Told Tale”: William Wordsworth’S Chaucer Translations As Works Of Romantic Medievalism, Rachel Lee Landers Jan 2015

“A Thrice Told Tale”: William Wordsworth’S Chaucer Translations As Works Of Romantic Medievalism, Rachel Lee Landers

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Throughout the course of his career William Wordsworth created four translations of Geoffrey Chaucer’s works. Although on the surface these translations appear to be nothing more than Wordsworth trying his hand at translating Chaucer, his compositions are far more complex. Within the body of all four of his Chaucer translations, Wordsworth makes changes to Chaucer’s language choices, spelling, the meter, and the poetic form so that his versions more closely resemble his own poetry. Additionally, he also adds extra content into his translations so that his works will sound more like his own poetry. By changing Chaucer’s texts in the …


Examining Parental And Neighborhood Factors As Moderators In A Youth Violence Prevention Pilot Study, Kendra Piper Jan 2015

Examining Parental And Neighborhood Factors As Moderators In A Youth Violence Prevention Pilot Study, Kendra Piper

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Youth violence is a significant and prevalent public health concern in the United States. Adolescents and young adults have the highest rates of violent crime perpetration and victimization. Youth violence is a complex problem involving multiple levels of influence that interact to diminish or increase risk and protective factors in high risk communities. Family and neighborhood factors have emerged as prominent influences on the risk of violent and delinquent behavior. Approaches to reducing risk behaviors in adolescence have moved beyond traditional risk-factor reduction to emphasize the importance of enhancing protective factors. Positive youth development programs have been found to be …


Self-Perceptions And Social Comparison With A Primary Focus On Racial Identity In African American, Hispanic And Caucasian Fifth-Grade Children, Jeffrey G. Moore Jan 2015

Self-Perceptions And Social Comparison With A Primary Focus On Racial Identity In African American, Hispanic And Caucasian Fifth-Grade Children, Jeffrey G. Moore

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Understanding the significance of one’s ethnic group is pivotal to comprehending and defining one’s overall process of self-perception, its influence on academic achievement, and probability for future success as well as personal fulfillment, especially among adolescents (Hill, Mance, Anderson, & Smith, 2012). Consequently, an adolescent’s view of self is often directly associated with personal interactions with individuals closest in nature and proximity. To explore the effects of self-perception among fifth-grade adolescents, a quantitative study was conducted to examine physical appearance and self-worth disparities among pre-adolescent Black, Hispanic, and White youth. For this research, three racial identity developmental theories were applied, …


Socioeconomic Status, Adherence To Therapy, And Health Outcomes In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Gabriela R. Oates Jan 2015

Socioeconomic Status, Adherence To Therapy, And Health Outcomes In Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Gabriela R. Oates

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Purpose: This study aimed to determine the relationship between caregivers' socioeconomic status (SES) and adherence to therapy in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and examine the role of adherence in the correlation between SES and health outcomes in this population. Methods: Socioeconomic, demographic, clinical, and adherence data in families of pediatric CF patients (N=110) were evaluated. SES measures included maternal and paternal education and annual household income. CF outcomes included lung function, nutritional status, and pulmonary exacerbations in 12 months. Adherence to therapy was conceptualized as health lifestyle practice of the caregiver. Of all therapeutic modalities, adherence to airway …


Women Manufacturing Methamphetamine: Gender In The Context Of Shake And Bake Cooking In Alabama, Jessica Rae Deitzer Jan 2015

Women Manufacturing Methamphetamine: Gender In The Context Of Shake And Bake Cooking In Alabama, Jessica Rae Deitzer

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Researchers of women in the drug economy have been divided, with some portraying women involved in drug manufacturing, dealing, and trafficking as limited participants, and others acknowledging women’s use of agency and gender to successfully accomplish higher roles in drug economies. Additionally, some suggest that the context of the local community and drug market has a strong influence on the roles women occupy within the drug economy. In this study, I examine women’s roles within a particular style of meth cooking (shake and bake) to determine the various opportunities and constraints they face as women meth cooks. To do so, …


Exploiting The Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment For Enhanced Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Therapy, Tyrel Talbert Smith Jan 2015

Exploiting The Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment For Enhanced Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Therapy, Tyrel Talbert Smith

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Gliomas are the most common and fatal malignancy of the adult central nervous system. The need for new therapeutic options is clear, as standard of care therapies only extend median survival 12-14 months beyond diagnosis. Conditionally replication-competent oncolytic herpes simplex type-1 viruses (oHSV) have emerged as promising therapeutics for treating malignant gliomas. However, two factors that contribute to the dismal prognosis of malignant gliomas, immunosuppression and invasive growth, are also thought to limit virotherapeutic efficacy. We examined these factors in tumor microenvironments to explore novel strategies to treat malignant gliomas with oHSV for improved therapeutic response. In a Phase 1b …


A Multiple Case Study Exploring Factors Promoting Nursing Faculty Satisfaction With Teaching Online In Three Schools Of Nursing In The Southeastern United States, Nancy Pope Wingo Jan 2015

A Multiple Case Study Exploring Factors Promoting Nursing Faculty Satisfaction With Teaching Online In Three Schools Of Nursing In The Southeastern United States, Nancy Pope Wingo

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To address nursing shortages in the healthcare workforce and expand access to higher education, many schools of nursing are offering academic degrees that can be completed mostly online. Nursing schools that consider online programs to be a key part of their strategic plan need faculty who are comfortable and satisfied with teaching online. Yet nursing schools nationwide are facing a shortage of nursing faculty, due to the retirement of aging instructors, high workload, low salaries, and other factors. To foster faculty gratification and promote long-term retention of skilled instructors to teach online, nursing schools need to learn more about factors …


Evaluation Of The Productive Efficiency Of Nurse Practitioners In A Nurse Managed Center In A Highly Restrictive Scope-Of-Practice State, Faraz Ahmed Jan 2015

Evaluation Of The Productive Efficiency Of Nurse Practitioners In A Nurse Managed Center In A Highly Restrictive Scope-Of-Practice State, Faraz Ahmed

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The purpose of this study is to determine the productive efficiency of Nurse Practitioners (NP) in a Nurse Managed Center (NMC) in a highly restrictive Scope-of-Practice (SOP) state. NPs are skilled, cost effective and quality health care providers and are considered a highly competitive option for increasing access while reducing health care costs. However, it is not clearly known if NPs are the most productively efficient at delivering this reduced cost of health care. The theories of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and Resource Based View (RBV) were used as a framework to develop the hypotheses that examined the productive efficiency …


Obesity And Mortality In Us-Residing Hispanic Adults, Carrie Howell Jan 2015

Obesity And Mortality In Us-Residing Hispanic Adults, Carrie Howell

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Previous epidemiological studies observed the lack of an association between increased body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) and all-cause mortality in US-residing Hispanic adults. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the validity of three hypothesized explanations for the absence of significant associations. Using data on Hispanic participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) [1988-1994 and 1999-2004] and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this dissertation examined whether: (1) BMI was associated with cause-specific mortality; (2) measures of body composition was associated with all-cause mortality; and (3) the BMI-all-cause mortality association differed as a function of Hispanic …


A Comprehensive Assessment Of Possible Links Between Digital Advertising Billboards And Traffic Safety, Md Mozahidul Islam Jan 2015

A Comprehensive Assessment Of Possible Links Between Digital Advertising Billboards And Traffic Safety, Md Mozahidul Islam

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Advertising billboards are a common roadside object and a very efficient medium of outside advertising. For years, static billboards have been adopted by the billboard advertising companies. Most recently, a sizeable portion of the regular (static) billboards have been digitized to convey more information to the drivers, thus raising questions about their potential impact on traffic safety. Frequently changing images on digital advertising billboards may compel more glances, and sequential messages may hold drivers' gazes longer until the entire message is read. Earlier studies sponsored by billboard advertising companies did not report statistically significant correlations between the crash occurrences and …


Three Studies On Cardiovascular Health: Modifiable Risk Factors And Health Expenditures In Medicare, Kristal Jo Aaron Jan 2015

Three Studies On Cardiovascular Health: Modifiable Risk Factors And Health Expenditures In Medicare, Kristal Jo Aaron

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This dissertation comprises a series of studies conducted on modifiable risk factors as they contribute to cardiovascular health and disease and their associated health service expenditures and utilization. Specific topics in this compilation include (1) exploring the role of dietary sodium and potassium intake in cardiovascular health and disease; (2) examination of direct health expenditures in the Medicare-linked REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort as associated with Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), a composite measure of cardiovascular health defined by the American Heart Association (AHA) that is based on seven modifiable risk factors (blood pressure, blood cholesterol, …


Associations Of Gestational Weight Gain And Breastfeeding With Postpartum Weight Change Among African American Women, Camille Schneider Jan 2015

Associations Of Gestational Weight Gain And Breastfeeding With Postpartum Weight Change Among African American Women, Camille Schneider

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Objective: To examine the associations of gestational weight gain (GWG) and breastfeeding (BF) with postpartum (PP) weight change among African American women. Methods: Healthy, low-income African American women (n=32) were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study of early life origins of obesity. GWG was calculated using data retrieved from medical records. Women were stratified according to the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) GWG guidelines. Investigators measured maternal body weight at 2-weeks and 3-months PP, with the difference reflecting PP weight change. BF status at 2-weeks PP was self-reported. Analysis of covariance with Bonferroni post hoc testing was used to …


Anteroposterior (Ap) Relationship Of The Maxillary Central Incisors To The Forehead In Adult African American Females, Matthew Philip Gidaly Jan 2015

Anteroposterior (Ap) Relationship Of The Maxillary Central Incisors To The Forehead In Adult African American Females, Matthew Philip Gidaly

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Objective: Determine the optimal anteroposterior (AP) relationship of the maxillary central incisors to the forehead in adult African American females (AAF). Materials and Methods: Smile profile photographs of 48 AAF with optimal AP incisor positions (control); 49 seeking/wanting orthodontic treatment (Group 1), and 53 not seeking/wanting treatment (Group 2) were acquired. All images were scaled to life-size and printed. The AP position of the maxillary central incisors and forehead inclination were measured relative to reference lines. Results: The mean AP position of the maxillary central incisors relative to Glabella Vertical (GV) for the controls was 8.58 ± 3.96 mm ahead …


The Investigation Of Quality Of Life, Perceived Disease Severity, And Adherence In Patients With The G551d Mutation Receiving Ivacaftor Therapy, Heather Young Hathorne Jan 2015

The Investigation Of Quality Of Life, Perceived Disease Severity, And Adherence In Patients With The G551d Mutation Receiving Ivacaftor Therapy, Heather Young Hathorne

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Cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder, is a chronic life threatening illness that affects 30,000 adults and children in the United States and 70,000 worldwide. Treatment for CF is complex and consuming, consisting of multiple time intensive regimens. The therapy regimen has been descried as extraordinary when compared even to therapy regimens for other chronic illnesses. Oral and nebulized medication therapy, airway clearance therapy, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy and vitamin /nutritional supplements are all required for the multiorgan treatment regimen for CF. Daily prescribed therapy can include as many as 40-50 pills, breathing treatments lasting up to tow hours a …


Characteristics And Behaviors Based On Introduction To Opioids Among Adults In Buprenorphine/Naloxone Treatment, Angela R. Gallien Jan 2015

Characteristics And Behaviors Based On Introduction To Opioids Among Adults In Buprenorphine/Naloxone Treatment, Angela R. Gallien

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Buprenorphine/naloxone (BNT) is a pharmacological treatment for opioid use disorders and is available by prescription in an office-based setting from physicians with specialized training. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics and behaviors among adults on BNT with the intent to identify the linear combination of variables that account for the differences based on the origins of opioid use. Four opioid user groups were identified a priori: recreational users (RU); self-treaters (ST); medical users misusing (MUM); and medical users not misusing (MU). The dependent variables were mental health and mood, pain and medical problems, internal or external …


Chief Executive Officer Characteristics In Relationship With Patient Experience Scores Of Hospital Value Based Purchasing, Christina Galstian Jan 2015

Chief Executive Officer Characteristics In Relationship With Patient Experience Scores Of Hospital Value Based Purchasing, Christina Galstian

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ABSTRACT Patient experience scores have become important indicators of value in healthcare. This study was the first of its kind to examine CEO gender, tenure, and education in relationship with patient experience scores and all other value based purchasing scores, such as outcome, efficiency, clinical process of care, and total performance scores. This study suggested that hospitals with certain types of CEOs may perform better with respect to patient experiences and other value based purchasing scores. The primary analysis of this study was to examine the impact of hospital CEO characteristics (tenure, education, gender) on patient experience scores. A supplementary …


Examining The Relationship Between Driving Styles Of Teen Drivers And Their Parents, Shannon Michelle Oram Wittig Jan 2015

Examining The Relationship Between Driving Styles Of Teen Drivers And Their Parents, Shannon Michelle Oram Wittig

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Teenage drivers, ages 16 to 19, account for about 16.8% of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) in the United States, even though teenagers only represent about 4.4% of the United States population. Several factors increase teenagers’ risk for MVCs including: lack of driving experience, poor ability to identify and anticipate hazards, lack of sensitivity to road complexity and conditions, and increased willingness to take risks. Research has also suggested the importance of parental influences on risky teenage driving. This study examined the effects of parental driving styles, behaviors, and history on teenagers’ driving style using self-reported measures. Overall, it was hypothesized …


Difference In Recommended-To-Actual Nurse Staffing And Patient Falls, Shawn Ulreich Jan 2015

Difference In Recommended-To-Actual Nurse Staffing And Patient Falls, Shawn Ulreich

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Patient falls are a serious safety concern in hospitals. Injuries from falls can be devastating to patients and are now subject to reimbursement penalties from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Patient falls have been identified by the American Nurses Association as a nursing sensitive indictor suggesting that improvements in the quality or quantity of nurses may impact this outcome. Moreover, the literature suggests that nurse staffing levels have an impact on various patient outcomes such as patient falls. Therefore, identifying appropriate nurse staffing levels to minimize patient falls is critically important to hospitals. A variety of staffing metrics …


Individual, Family, And Social Factors Associated With Adolescent Obesity: A Policy Relevant Focus, Janice Marguerite Utley Jan 2015

Individual, Family, And Social Factors Associated With Adolescent Obesity: A Policy Relevant Focus, Janice Marguerite Utley

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INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND SOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT OBESITY: A POLICY RELEVANT FOCUS JANICE M. UTLEY PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT This dissertation is comprised of three papers that examined individual, family, and social factors associated with adolescent overweight and obesity with the aim of generating data that could inform the design of policy interventions to prevent or reverse rising prevalence. The first investigation was a type of literature review called a scoping study that examined the extent, range, and type of research activity on adolescent obesity that used a multilevel or hierarchical design to look at two or more contextual areas …


Cost Effectiveness Of Hypertension Treatment: New Model, Methods, And Focus On African Americans, Gabriel Saidimu Tajeu Jan 2015

Cost Effectiveness Of Hypertension Treatment: New Model, Methods, And Focus On African Americans, Gabriel Saidimu Tajeu

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This dissertation focuses on the potential benefits of hypertension (HTN) treatment for the general population and African Americans (AAs) specifically. We undertake three research projects that are interconnected. First, using a systematic review methodology we assess the current state of the cost-effectiveness of HTN treatment literature in order to identify potential gaps in the cost-effectiveness literature, methodological shortcomings, and provide policy makers and researchers with a summary of the current findings as well as methods used in the literature. Second, building off our findings in paper 1, we construct a cost-effectiveness model. We assess the cost-effectiveness of HTN treatment not …


Deleterious Effects Of Hyperglycemia On Cognitive Functioning In The Cardia Study Cohort, Michele Holland Talley Jan 2015

Deleterious Effects Of Hyperglycemia On Cognitive Functioning In The Cardia Study Cohort, Michele Holland Talley

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DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF HYPERGLYCEMIA ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN THE CARDIA STUDY COHORT MICHELE LYN HOLLAND TALLEY SCHOOL OF NURSING ABSTRACT With an aging society, maintaining cognitive functioning into older age is becoming more important. Because of the impact cognitive functioning has on daily activities, any disruption may inhibit the ability to perform such daily activities successfully. To prevent disruptions, determinants of cognitive functioning must be considered. Such determinants may or may not be modifiable. Some predictors may be demographic, metabolic, or inflammatory in nature. In addition, predictors or determinants may differ based on genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease. As part …


Teacher And Student Perceptions Of What Motivates Reading In African American Males Enrolled In Developmental Reading Classes: A Qualitative Multiple Case Analysis, Dominique Prince Jan 2015

Teacher And Student Perceptions Of What Motivates Reading In African American Males Enrolled In Developmental Reading Classes: A Qualitative Multiple Case Analysis, Dominique Prince

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TEACHER AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT MOTIVATES READING IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES ENROLLED IN DEVELOPMENTAL READING CLASSES DOMINIQUE PRINCE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ABSTRACT Research has indicated that effective literacy skills are needed participate fully in society and become productive employees. Still, many high school graduates lack the essential literary skills needed. In spite of African American males continuing to value literacy, some are not performing to levels of proficiency. Understanding the impact teachers and educational leaders have on students’ reading achievement, attention has been placed on students’ motivation to read. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case analysis was to explore …


Perceptions Of Facial Attractiveness: Outcomes Of Orthognathic Surgery, Brittany Bross Reid Jan 2015

Perceptions Of Facial Attractiveness: Outcomes Of Orthognathic Surgery, Brittany Bross Reid

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PERCEPTIONS OF FACIAL ATTRACTIVENESS: OUTCOMES OF ORTHOGNATHIC SURGERY BRITTANY REID DEPARTMENT OF ORTHODONTICS ABSTRACT Perceptions of physical attractiveness contribute to generalized assumptions that can create significant bias in social decision-making. Because these biases exist, patients often seek ways to improve facial harmony and overall appearance. Orthodontics and orthognathic surgery are treatment modalities that may be considered as a means to achieve facial balance. Orthodontists and oral surgeons must have an understanding of facial beauty and how to properly carry out techniques in order to preserve or improve facial balance. More importantly, the treatment goals of the patient and clinician(s) must …


Characterizing The Nuclear Import And Functions Of Cystin, The Ciliary Protein Disrupted In The Cpk Mouse Model Of Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease, Jacob Asher Watts Jan 2015

Characterizing The Nuclear Import And Functions Of Cystin, The Ciliary Protein Disrupted In The Cpk Mouse Model Of Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease, Jacob Asher Watts

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Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD; MIM 263200) is a ma-jor cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Typically, orthologous animal models are the mainstay for pathogenic studies of human diseases. However, gene-targeting of Pkhd1, the mouse ortholog of the ARPKD gene, results in mutants with little or no kidney disease. In contrast, disruption of the non-orthologous gene, Cys1, in the cpk mouse model closely phenocopies human ARPKD. We speculate that this phenotypic similarity suggests that the Pkhd1 and Cys1 genes encode proteins (FPC and cystin, respectively) that share, at least in part, common molecular pathways. Our laboratory, as well as …


Three-Dimensional Age-Related Changes Of The Adult Face; African American Female Population, Christina Theresa Sutherland Jan 2015

Three-Dimensional Age-Related Changes Of The Adult Face; African American Female Population, Christina Theresa Sutherland

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Objectives: Treatment of older adults is one of the fastest growing areas in orthodontic practice. The objectives of this study are to: 1. Investigate the aging of the female African American face using three-dimensional surface imaging to understand how the soft tissue of the face matures in relation to the teeth and 2.) Compare the effects of aging on African American female faces to aging of Caucasian female faces. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 100 African American females with balanced faces. Five age groups (in years) were included: [20-30], [31-40], [41-50], [51-60], [61-70]. Three-dimensional (3D) surface images of …


Assessment Of Antipsychotic Medication Effects On Dynamic Functional Network Connectivity In Patients With Schizophrenia, Kristin Lottman Jan 2015

Assessment Of Antipsychotic Medication Effects On Dynamic Functional Network Connectivity In Patients With Schizophrenia, Kristin Lottman

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Schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population, is often characterized as a disorder of dysconnectivity. Evaluation of the dysconnectivity hypothesis of schizophrenia has been extensively examined via functional neuroimaging studies in order to enhance insight into the disorder’s pathology. In particular, resting-state functional connectivity analyses have reported widespread aberrant network connectivity between brain regions in patients; however, consistencies in the directionality of abnormalities are often variable across studies. Recent investigations have begun to analyze functional connectivity dynamically as it is likely these inconsistencies may be a result of the static nature of traditional connectivity measures. In this …


Robust Discrete Choice Models For Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions At Unsignalized Locations, Shrikanth Mamidipalli Jan 2015

Robust Discrete Choice Models For Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions At Unsignalized Locations, Shrikanth Mamidipalli

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There has been a growing emphasis on improving multimodal serviceability of transportation systems. The integration of pedestrian behavior in mainstream traffic models, hence, is gaining traction. Advances in modeling pedestrian-vehicle interactions can aid in better understanding and development of control strategies for pedestrian safety. In support of such efforts, this study delivers an improved understanding of pedestrian and driver behavior at crossing locations through the development of discrete gap choice models to model the interaction between pedestrian and drivers at unsignalized crossing locations. First a comprehensive literature review was performed and latest advances in modeling pedestrian-vehicle interaction at various types …


The Accuracy Of A Clinician's Assessment Of Insertion Torque At Implant Placement, Britany Fabian Matin Jan 2015

The Accuracy Of A Clinician's Assessment Of Insertion Torque At Implant Placement, Britany Fabian Matin

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Background: Primary implant stability contributes to the success of dental implant placement and affects long-term function. Factors that contribute to the primary stability and osseointegration of a dental implant include the quality and quantity of bone present at the site of placement as well as the shape and surface treatment of the implants. There are numerous methods that assist the clinician in determining implant stability during placement and to confirm osseointegration after a period of healing. Their reliability to predict implant success, however, has not been proven. Torque measurements acquired during implant placement have been used as a method for …