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Patterns Of Relationship Satisfaction And Sexual Behavior As A Function Of Pornography Use Among College Men, Joel David Deloy Dec 2006

Patterns Of Relationship Satisfaction And Sexual Behavior As A Function Of Pornography Use Among College Men, Joel David Deloy

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research on sexually explicit materials (SEM), or pornography, has expanded from a focus on sexual violence, and aggression, towards the examination of the influence of SEM on other relationship factors. Available information on how males involved in a romantic relationship use SEM has been limited, and the effect of SEM use on relationship satisfaction and sexual behavior is not well understood. This study examined 245 college men who completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, core relationship variables (autonomy, affection, conflict resolution, intimacy, and equality) and SEM use patterns. All participants were in significant romantic relationships of at least three …


Laryngeal-Level Amplitude Modulation In Vibrato, Lorie C. Reese Aug 2006

Laryngeal-Level Amplitude Modulation In Vibrato, Lorie C. Reese

Theses and Dissertations

Research in vocal vibrato has established that vocal tract filtering is primarily responsible for the amplitude modulation (AM) present in Western classical vibrato. Using electroglottography (EGG) and the EGG speed quotient, which is sensitive to fluctuations in the amplitude of vocal fold vibration, AM was detected at the laryngeal (source) level, in addition to the subsequent AM which results from vocal tract filtering. Seventeen classically-trained opera singers sang vowels in three pitch and loudness conditions. EGG and microphone measurements of FM and AM and their rates, extents, and periodicity were made. Airflow was also measured, and the samples were rated …


Recognition Of Facial Expressions Of Six Emotions By Children With Specific Language Impairment, Kristen Diane Atwood Jul 2006

Recognition Of Facial Expressions Of Six Emotions By Children With Specific Language Impairment, Kristen Diane Atwood

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past several years, research has shown that children with language impairment often have increased social difficulties. The purpose of this study was to take a closer look at the relationship between language ability and emotion understanding by examining the recognition of facial expressions in children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their typically developing peers. As such, this study is a follow-up investigation of the work done by Spackman, Fujiki, Brinton, Nelson, & Allen (2006). Children with SLI and their age- and gender-matched peers were asked to identify the following six facial expressions of emotion in a language-minimal …


Psychometrically Equivalent Arabic Monosyllabic Word Recognition Materials, Maida Christine Robertson Jul 2006

Psychometrically Equivalent Arabic Monosyllabic Word Recognition Materials, Maida Christine Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate a set of Arabic monosyllabic word lists to use in the measurement of the word recognition score. Familiar Arabic monosyllabic words were digitally recorded by a native male talker from Jordan who was judged to have a standard Arabic dialect. Twenty native Arabic participants with normal hearing were used as subjects to determine the percentage of correct word recognition for each word at 10 intensity levels ranging from -5 to 40 dB HL in 5 dB increments. The monosyllabic word data were analyzed using logistic regression. …


Accuracy Of Automated Developmental Sentence Scoring Software, Carrie Ann Judson Jul 2006

Accuracy Of Automated Developmental Sentence Scoring Software, Carrie Ann Judson

Theses and Dissertations

Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS; Lee 1974) is a well established, structured method for analyzing a child's expressive syntax within the context of a conversational speech sample. Automated DSS programs may increase efficiency of DSS analysis; however the program must be accurate in order to yield valid and reliable results. A recent study by Sagae, Lavie, and MacWhinney (2005) proposed a new method for analyzing the accuracy of automated language analysis programs. This method was used in addition to previously established methods to analyze the accuracy of a new automated DSS program, entitled DSSA (Channell, 2006). Previously collected language samples from …


Psychometrically Equivalent Bisyllabic Words For Speech Reception Threshold Testing In Arabic, Elisha Rose Ratcliff Jul 2006

Psychometrically Equivalent Bisyllabic Words For Speech Reception Threshold Testing In Arabic, Elisha Rose Ratcliff

Theses and Dissertations

The use of speech audiometry is essential in audiological testing. One of the most important elements of speech audiometry is speech reception threshold. To provide services for the growing population of non-English speaking people, audiologists need speech audiometry materials in a variety of languages. The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and equate Arabic bisyllabic words for use in testing speech reception threshold. Ninety frequently used bisyllabic words were digitally recorded by a male talker of standard Arabic. These words were presented to 20 normally hearing subjects in 2 dB increments at intensity levels ranging from …


Psychometrically Equivalent Bisyllabic Word Lists For Word Recognition Testing In Taiwan Mandarin, Alycia Jane Dukes Jul 2006

Psychometrically Equivalent Bisyllabic Word Lists For Word Recognition Testing In Taiwan Mandarin, Alycia Jane Dukes

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate a set of Taiwan Mandarin bisyllabic word lists to be used for word recognition testing. Frequently used bisyllabic words were selected and digitally recorded by male and female talkers of Taiwan Mandarin. Twenty normally hearing subjects were presented each word to find the percentage of words which they could correctly recognize. Each word was measured at 10 intensity levels (-5 to 40 dB HL) in increments of 5 dB. Logistic regression was used to include 200 words with the steepest logistic regression slopes in four psychometrically …


Speech Reception Threshold Materials For Taiwan Mandarin, Katie Bedke Slade Jul 2006

Speech Reception Threshold Materials For Taiwan Mandarin, Katie Bedke Slade

Theses and Dissertations

Speech reception threshold (SRT) tools have been developed to assist in the evaluation of hearing. This study was performed to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and equate Taiwan Mandarin trisyllabic words which can be used to measure the SRT. Eighty-nine commonly used trisyllabic words were chosen and digitally recorded by native male and female speakers. The words were then presented to 20 normally hearing subjects at 14 intensity levels (-10 to 16 dB HL) with 2 dB increments. Psychometric function slopes were calculated using logistic regression. Twenty-eight words with steep psychometric function were selected and digitally adjusted to match the mean …


Assessing Effects Of Iq On Sociable And Withdrawn Behaviors In Children With Language Impairment, Amanda Lyn Bradshaw Jun 2006

Assessing Effects Of Iq On Sociable And Withdrawn Behaviors In Children With Language Impairment, Amanda Lyn Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of IQ on subtypes of sociable and withdrawn behaviors in children with language impairment (LI). Research has suggested that children with LI are more likely to experience difficulty with social interaction than their typically developing peers (Brinton & Fujiki, 1999; Rice, 1991). The Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (Hart & Robinson, 1996) was used to compare sociable and withdrawn behaviors in 19 children with LI and 19 children with typically developing language. IQ scores for each participant were obtained by administering the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (Bracken & McCallum, 2003). These …


Influence Of Age On Auditory Gating, Ginny Marissa Smith Jun 2006

Influence Of Age On Auditory Gating, Ginny Marissa Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized paired tones at 1000 Hz with a 500 ms interpair interval and a 10 s interstimulus interval to assess sensory gating. Forty-two participants, ranging from 3-72 years of age were used to observe maturational changes in amplitude, latency, and suppression ratios of the P50 waveform. Previous research has shown that in normal adults the amplitude in response to the second of the paired tones is significantly suppressed compared to the amplitude in response to the first tone. The current study showed amplitude decreased with age to middle adulthood, where it increased slightly to later adulthood. Latencies decreased …


Forecasting Mental Health Care Cost For Oif And Oef Veterans, Phil Andrew L. Bernal Jun 2006

Forecasting Mental Health Care Cost For Oif And Oef Veterans, Phil Andrew L. Bernal

Theses and Dissertations

The war in Iraq has been the longest sustained ground combat that the US military has engaged since the Vietnam War. With the ongoing battle against the global war on terrorism, many military personnel will be deployed to hostile areas in support of these operations. The effects of multiple deployment and combat engagement on the mental health of military personnel have been extensively studied. The impacts of mental illnesses, such as PTSD, are tied to longer period in the combat zone. Meeting the psychiatric needs of these veterans will be costly: rehabilitation, retraining, post combat counseling, long-term medical treatment, and …


Hearing Health In Utah Special Olympics Athletes Compared To Special Olympics Athletes Worldwide: A Prevalence Study In Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Lisa Moses Mullins May 2006

Hearing Health In Utah Special Olympics Athletes Compared To Special Olympics Athletes Worldwide: A Prevalence Study In Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Lisa Moses Mullins

Theses and Dissertations

The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes initiative promotes wellness of the athletes with intellectual disabilities and education for medical professionals. Healthy Athletes has created a hearing screening program, Healthy Hearing, to help athletes with intellectual disabilities get the otological and audiological care they need. This program promotes a healthy hearing lifestyle and educates medical professionals regarding the need of health care for the intellectually disabled population. The physiologic, otologic, and audiologic abnormalities often occurring in the intellectually disabled population bring special attention for the need to determine the prevalence rate of hearing loss among the athletes participating in Special Olympics events. …


Automated Grammatical Analysis Of Language Samples From Spanish-Speaking Children Learning English, Nicole Redd Apr 2006

Automated Grammatical Analysis Of Language Samples From Spanish-Speaking Children Learning English, Nicole Redd

Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that automated grammatical tagging is fast and accurate for both English and Spanish child language, but there has been no research done regarding its accuracy with bilingual children. The present study examined this topic using English and Spanish language samples taken from 254 children living in the United States. The subjects included school-aged children enrolled in public schools in the United States in grades 2, 3, or 5. The present study found high automated grammatical tagging accuracy scores for both English (M = 96.4%) and Spanish (M = 96.8%). The study suggests that automated grammatical analysis has …


The Relationship Between Social Behaviors And Working Memory In School-Age Children With Language Impairment, Melanie Diane Javid Mar 2006

The Relationship Between Social Behaviors And Working Memory In School-Age Children With Language Impairment, Melanie Diane Javid

Theses and Dissertations

Children with language impairment (LI) have notable social problems (Brinton & Fujiki, 2004). Research has shown that children with LI often have deficits in working memory (Kirchner & Klatsky, 1985; Stark, Poppen, & May, 1987). The relationship between working memory and social behaviors has not been clearly defined. This study examined this relationship in children with LI and typical age-matched peers by asking participants to repeat nine nonwords and correlating these results with social behaviors as rated by teachers. The Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS; Hart and Robinson, 1996) was used to compare social behaviors of 19 school-age children with …


Development Of An Evaluation Methodology For Hazardous Waste Training Programs, Ryan A. Crowley Mar 2006

Development Of An Evaluation Methodology For Hazardous Waste Training Programs, Ryan A. Crowley

Theses and Dissertations

The Purpose of this research was to develop a methodology to measure hazardous waste training programs. The Air Force Material Command (AFMC) hazardous waste training program was used to conduct this research. To measure the effectiveness of AFMC's hazardous waste training program, the research attempted to answer four research questions. These questions addressed correlations between hazardous waste training programs and Environmental Compliance Assessment and Management Program (ECAMP) findings, the understanding personnel have of hazardous waste principles and concepts, the effectiveness of hazardous waste training courses, and how personnel feel about the hazardous waste training they are receiving. In addition, the …


A Meaning-Based Instruction To Enhance Literacy Learning In A Dual-Language Kindergarten Classroom, Megan Melissa Fife Mar 2006

A Meaning-Based Instruction To Enhance Literacy Learning In A Dual-Language Kindergarten Classroom, Megan Melissa Fife

Theses and Dissertations

Concerns among educators continue to grow with the increased enrollment of Second Language Learners (SLL) in classrooms throughout the United States. This influx has stressed the boundaries of current methods of literacy instruction, which are not designed to meet the needs of these at-risk students. Literacy instructional methods need to be remediated through early intervention, followed by effective literacy instruction that is designed to meet the specific needs of SLL. Effective literacy instruction overcomes differences in culture and background by using meaning-based instruction coupled with engaging and varied contexts. This study evaluated the effectiveness of incorporating meaning-based instructional activities into …


Contemplating A New Model For Air Force Aerospace Medical Technician Skills Sustainment Training, Robert M. Corrigan Mar 2006

Contemplating A New Model For Air Force Aerospace Medical Technician Skills Sustainment Training, Robert M. Corrigan

Theses and Dissertations

Two decades ago, Aerospace Medical Technicians received robust skills sustainment training through exposure to multifaceted patient treatment environments. Available training environments included inpatient care, outpatient care, and emergency services. This diverse training environment made possible through large operating budgets and an extraordinary infrastructure could not last. Today (after five separate base closure and realignment initiatives), medical funding and infrastructure is but a shadow of what it once was. Budget constraints and the rising cost of healthcare have necessitated a purposeful movement away from inpatient and emergency care, toward outpatient and preventative medicine. Although changes in Air Force health care delivery …


Analysis Of Patient Information: An Empirical Modeling Approach, Tony A. Murphy Mar 2006

Analysis Of Patient Information: An Empirical Modeling Approach, Tony A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

With rising costs and increasing complexities, many hospitals seek to better understand the intricate details of their operations. Increasingly, these organizations have a strong desire to accurately predict the resources required to effectively treat their patient load. This research investigates patient length-of-stay in a hospital neurological unit using an empirical modeling approach. Factors significantly affecting patient length of stay were identified and used to construct a regression model. The predictive model provides hospital decision makers with a compact tool to input what-if scenarios and predict future patient treatment lengths, thus, allowing the hospital to properly allocate resources.


The Expression And Function Of Wilms' Tumor 1 In Malignant Glioma, Aaron J. Clark Jan 2006

The Expression And Function Of Wilms' Tumor 1 In Malignant Glioma, Aaron J. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The Wilms' tumor 1 gene is overexpressed in many types of cancer and is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to anti-cancer therapies. In vitro studies in non-glioma cells types have demonstrated that WTl plays a role in increased proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, and increased cellular invasion. We aimed to thoroughly characterize the expression pattern of Wilms' tumor 1 in human malignant glioma and discern its function in this complex disease process. We screened a large sample of established human malignant glioma cell lines and glioma tissue specimens of all grades for WT1 expression. The majority of cell lines and …


Characterization Of Perphenazine And Scopolamine Aerosols Generated Using The Capillary Aerosol Generator, Xihao Li Jan 2006

Characterization Of Perphenazine And Scopolamine Aerosols Generated Using The Capillary Aerosol Generator, Xihao Li

Theses and Dissertations

The characterization of perphenazine and scopolamine aerosols generated using the capillary aerosol generator (CAG) was reported. Variables including steady state power, the formulation vehicle, the drug concentration and the formulation flow rate were studied for their effects on the chemical stability and particle size of these drug aerosols.Stability-indicating HPLC and LC-MS assays were developed and validated for perphenazine and scopolamine, respectively. The chemical stability of each compound was investigated under a variety of stress conditions and the structure of degradation products was proposed.Perphenazine aerosols were generated from propylene glycol (PG) formulations with concentrations of 9, 48 and 90mM at formulation …


Molecular Localization Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1-Alpha In Post-Ischemic Myocardium Following In Vivo Prolyl-4 Hydroxylase-2 Gene Silencing, Julia Antoinette Messina Jan 2006

Molecular Localization Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1-Alpha In Post-Ischemic Myocardium Following In Vivo Prolyl-4 Hydroxylase-2 Gene Silencing, Julia Antoinette Messina

Theses and Dissertations

Administration of small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for prolyl-4 hydroxylase-2 (PHD2) results in PHD2 inhibition, Hypoxia Inducible Factor-I (HIF-1) activation, and cardioprotection versus Ischemia Reperfusion (IR). This study observes the effects of siRNA-mediated PHD2 inhibition on the distribution of cardioprotective proteins by immunofluorescence and basic histology. Fifteen mice were divided into 5 groups: PHD2 Control, Non-Targeting scramble (NTS) Control, IR Control, PHD2 IR, and NTS IR. Histologically, tissue damage was reduced dramatically in the PHD2 IR group compared to the NTS IR and IR control groups. From confocal images, total fluorescent pixels and intensities were quantified. The PHD2 IR group …


Identification Of Novel Allosteric Regulators Of Human Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase, Shilpa S. Kharalkar Jan 2006

Identification Of Novel Allosteric Regulators Of Human Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase, Shilpa S. Kharalkar

Theses and Dissertations

Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (R-PK) is a key glycolytic enzyme catalyzing the transphosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and ADP to pyruvate and ATP respectively3,4. The substrate PEP and product pyruvate of this reaction are involved in a number of energetic and biosynthetic pathways; hence a tight regulation of R-PK activity is crucial not only for glycolysis, but also for the entire cellular metabolism. Deficiency of R-PK is one of the most common enzymatic defects of RBC, and may be caused by mutations of the PK-LR (pyruvate kinase liver red blood cell) gene31, 32. Clinically, R-PK deficiency manifests itself as a chronic life-long …


A Critical Review Of Telomerase Biology And Model Systems For The Study Of Telomerase, Jeremy Charles Aisenberg Jan 2006

A Critical Review Of Telomerase Biology And Model Systems For The Study Of Telomerase, Jeremy Charles Aisenberg

Theses and Dissertations

The study of telomere and telomerase biology holds substantial promise in uncovering the molecular process of aging and the treatment of cancers. Studies have shown that telomere shortening is directly linked to cellular aging and that telomerase expression is found in over 85% of human cancers, including 95% of all advanced malignancies. Development of effective model systems to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of telomeres and telomerase in the processes aging and cancer is of particular importance. While inbred strains of mice have provided a wealth of information for a variety of pathways and diseases, the mouse model …


Effect Of The Use Of Amaranth Leaf Flour In The Development Of A Diet For Guinea Pigs, Verónica Del Rocío Guerrero Carrera Jan 2006

Effect Of The Use Of Amaranth Leaf Flour In The Development Of A Diet For Guinea Pigs, Verónica Del Rocío Guerrero Carrera

Theses and Dissertations

This study was carried out in the San Clemente community. The objective was to analyze the effect of using amaranth leaf flour in the creation of a diet for guinea pigs. The field work was done over a period of 12 months and was done in two phases: Development of the diet: this was done by growing the amaranth, cutting it, and dehydrating it until flour was obtained. Then, it was mixed into the diet in accordance with the pre-determined formula along with the other respective materials. Handling of guinea pigs: This was done in the shed of the San …


Examining The Progression Of Disability Benefits Among Employees In The United States, Carolyn E. Danczyk-Hawley Jan 2006

Examining The Progression Of Disability Benefits Among Employees In The United States, Carolyn E. Danczyk-Hawley

Theses and Dissertations

The following project is a compilation of three separate articles all utilizing a database extracted from the UNUM/Provident Life Insurance Company, including all consecutive short-term disability (STD) claims filed with UNUM from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996 from claimants who were also insured for long-term disability (LTD) by UNUM. The resulting sample includes 77,297 claims.The results of these studies are part of a larger investigation that documented the Progression of Disability Benefits (PODB) phenomenon. PODB refers to the migration of workers with work-limiting disabilities through a system of economic benefits resulting in their placement onto Social Security Disability …


Influences On Health Related Quality Of Life In Community Dwelling Adults Aged 60 Years And Over, Hilary Beth Greenberger Jan 2006

Influences On Health Related Quality Of Life In Community Dwelling Adults Aged 60 Years And Over, Hilary Beth Greenberger

Theses and Dissertations

Interest in patient-reported health care outcomes such as health related quality of life (HRQL) has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Typically, HRQL has been conceptualized as having at least three domains: physical, psychological, and social functioning. Although research has attempted to identify factors that influence HRQL,few studies have simultaneously examined how various factors impact HRQL in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a causal model to identify factors influencing HRQL. The constructs and observed variables hypothesized to influence HRQL included medical burden, housing satisfaction, socioeconomic status,religion/spirituality, age, gender, and marital status.Three hundred …


The Influence Of Sustained Cb1 Blockade During Adolescence On Breakpoints In A Progressive-Ratio Paradigm, Mayo Jerry Wright Jr. Jan 2006

The Influence Of Sustained Cb1 Blockade During Adolescence On Breakpoints In A Progressive-Ratio Paradigm, Mayo Jerry Wright Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The developmental psychopharmacology of cannabinoids is poorly understood and little is known about the developmental consequences of repeated exposure to cannabinoid antagonists. In these experiments, male Long-Evans rats were treated with SR141716A, a cannabinoid antagonist, throughout adolescence and allowed unrestricted access to food. Control groups were treated with vehicle during the same developmental period and allowed either unrestricted access to food or were pair-fed with a member of the SR-treated group. Motivation to work for food was measured in progressive-ratio sessions at varying levels of food deprivation. For rats that consumed fewer calories throughout adolescence, whether because of pharmacological intervention …


Relationships Among Stress, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability In Meditators, Sangthong Terathongkum Jan 2006

Relationships Among Stress, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability In Meditators, Sangthong Terathongkum

Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM STATEMENT: Growing evidence indicates that psychological stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases through complex neuroendocrine mechanisms. Psychological stress leads to several physiological responses including increased heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) as well as decreased heart rate variability (HRV) through alterations in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and decreased parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. Meditation is thought to induce an innate relaxation response leading to reduced psychological stress. Findings from past studies have provided inconclusive evidence regarding the direction and strength of relationships among stress, BP, HRV, and meditation practice. PROCEDURES: A …


Knowledge And Perceived Ambiguity Of Physical Activity Recommendations And Physical Activity In Men And Women In The United States, Laura G. Kiken Jan 2006

Knowledge And Perceived Ambiguity Of Physical Activity Recommendations And Physical Activity In Men And Women In The United States, Laura G. Kiken

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The majority of Americans - especially women - do not meet physical activity recommendations. Having physical activity goals has been associated with physical activity participation, and physical activity recommendations set by public health experts can be viewed as externally set goals. However, past research has shown that goals that are specific rather than ambiguous are more likely to be achieved, and variations in recommendations over time and across sources may have created perceived goal ambiguity.Objectives: This study aimed to (1) examine the extent of physical activity recommendation knowledge among adults in the United States, (2) quantify perceptions of the …


Factors Associated With Hospital Commitment To Provide Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Services, Lea Anne Gardner Jan 2006

Factors Associated With Hospital Commitment To Provide Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Services, Lea Anne Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

General acute care hospitals play a particularly important role in the delivery of children's mental health given the extant lack of alternatives to long term hospitals for patients requiring a restrictive treatment environment (Glied and Cuellar, 2003). This cross-sectional study identifies environmental and organizational factors associated with general acute care and children's hospitals in the United States that provide hospital-based child/adolescent psychiatric services and the number of services. Two macro-level theories, Resource Dependence Theory and Institutional Theory were used to identify environmental and organizational factors. A nationwide sample of hospitals was drawn from the 2003 AHA annual survey. Data from …