Digital Commons Network^™

Utilization Of Workplace Health Promotion (Whp) Programming To Improve Health Literacy, Lyric Hayden-Lanier

Symposium of Student Scholars

Organization

The organization is a municipal workplace in metro Atlanta, GA with an authorized strength of 1,500 individuals in a variety of job descriptions.

Summary of the primary program

The organization’s WHP provides knowledge and skills that seek to improve outcomes on several levels: promotion, prevention, treatment, management, and diagnostic, all of which require a certain level of health literacy for acquisition, application, and adherence.

Explanation of the evaluation plan

Health literacy has been identified as a priority area by the Department of Health and Human Services, and the workplace offers an opportunity for improvement with program dissemination of knowledge …

Love, A Dream, Brittany A. Cordaro

Symposium of Student Scholars

No abstract provided.

The Revolution Of Fitness: A Contemporary Analysis Of How Technology And Personal Training Influences Consumer Behavior In Two Atlanta, Georgia Fitness Centers, Krista L. Cross

Symposium of Student Scholars

The Revolution of Fitness: A Contemporary Analysis of How Technological and Personal Training Influences Consumer Behavior in Two Atlanta, Georgia Fitness Centers

Krista Cross (Kennesaw State University)

"Krista Cross"

Today, fitness gyms and private health clubs are globally recognized as multi-billion-dollar establishments. This study explores the development of the modern gym and fitness culture, particularly the emergence of fitness trends such as personal training and technology. This paper aims to understand how and why training in the gym has become so important for people. A comparative case study approach was used to consider personal training and technological influences, which are …

Message Design Logics And Messaging In The Ebola Crisis, Gregory M. Bieger

Symposium of Student Scholars

O'Keefe's (1988) theory of message design logics explains why some messages are more

persuasive than others. The first, expressive design logic, is the most basic and focuses on

expressing individual thoughts and opinions (O’Keefe, 1988). This type of message design

merely states what the persuader wants. The second, conventional design logic, appeals to

typical reasons or emotional appeals that would be suitable for any audience. The third,

rhetorical message design logic, is the most complex and sophisticated message design focusing

on achieving an agreement between the sender and receiver in which the message provides

context. Unlike conventional design logic, rhetorical …

Georgia Latino & Immigrant-Serving Nonprofit Organizations: Identifying And Mapping Human Services, Karen Costa, Gabriela Mosso

Symposium of Student Scholars

No abstract provided.

Is There A Relationship Between Physical Inactivity And Visceral Fat Accumulation In Pregnant Women?, Ashlyn R. Showalter, Danielle Brown

Symposium of Student Scholars

Association of Physical Inactivity with Visceral Fat Accumulation in Pregnant Women

Ashlyn Showalter, Danielle Brown

Introduction: Abdominal obesity is associated with chronic diseases such as obesity and coronary artery disease (1). Abdominal (or visceral) fat is strongly correlated with an inactive and sedentary lifestyle. Recent research shows that pregnancy is associated with high levels of visceral fat beyond appropriate levels; however, no studies have linked them with physical inactivity. Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between physical inactivity and high visceral fat accumulation in pregnancy.

Methods:

•We recruited eleven pregnant women who are currently in …

Diversity And Tolerance: Acceptance Of Non-Christian Religious Faiths On A University Campus, Michele Kumar

Symposium of Student Scholars

Michele Kumar - Email: [email protected]

Diversity and Tolerance: Acceptance of Non-Christian Religious Faiths on a University Campus

The purpose of this research was to explore the diversity of non-Christian belifs on a university campus to better understand the acceptance and tolerance of these religious affiliations and belief systems. In doing humanistic, exploratory research using both deductive and inductive methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviewing, this study asked, how do the students of non-Christian faiths or belief systems at a southeastern comprehensive university feel about the level of acceptance and tolerance toward their beliefs on campus? Organizations such as the …

Examination Of Blunt Force Skeletal Injuries As A Result Of Falls From Heights, Michele Kumar

Symposium of Student Scholars

Michele Kumar - Email: [email protected]

Title: Examination of Blunt Force Skeletal Injuries as a Result of Falls from Heights

Damage to the skeleton can be extensive with falls from heights. Using measurements such as the height of the fall, the weight of the individual to calculate acceleration due to gravity, velocity of the launch speed, and the take-off distance in cases of homicide or suicide, certain occurrences can be predicted (Cross 2006:93). The position of the body, in conjunction with the surface and angle of impact can identify skeletal trauma in cases where the manner of death is unknown. Although …

How Does The Exploitation And Degradation Of Finite Natural Resources By Industrial Oil Producers Effect Our Future Planetary Environment?, Zachary J. King Mr.

Symposium of Student Scholars

Zachary King

Dr. Tu

26 March 2015

GEOG 3700

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to communicate content of the reports given by credible institution on the degradation and exploitation of finite natural resources by corporate institutions, for short term financial gain, and how it will effect the future planetary environment. Methods used in obtaining this research range from point source observation directly from oil spills in the Gulf or pipe leaks in the Mid-West, to analytical and numerical data quantifications gathered over a period of two decades. This presentation encompasses a wide scope of information concerning the way …

Modeling Traffic At An Intersection, Kaleigh L. Mulkey, Saniita K. Fasenntao

Symposium of Student Scholars

The main purpose of this project is to build a mathematical model for traffic at a busy intersection. We use elements of Queueing Theory to build our model: the vehicles driving into the intersection are the “arrival process” and the stop light in the intersection is the “server.”

We collected traffic data on the number of vehicles arriving to the intersection, the duration of green and red lights, and the number of vehicles going through the intersection during a green light. We built a SAS macro code to simulate traffic based on parameters derived from the data.

In our program …

Mohamed BanawyʹS "The Valleyʺ And The "Treasures Of Knowledge", Emily M. Knight

Symposium of Student Scholars

Within the context of the production of contemporary art, interest has increasingly focused on global art. New cultural and artistic exchanges have influenced and enabled artists of diverse backgrounds to gain recognition with international art exhibitions being the forum in which to encounter and interpret new artistic representations. The 55th Venice Biennale held in 2013 hosted over 88 national pavilions, exhibiting works by over 150 artists. It was here that I encountered the work of Egyptian artist Mohamed Banawy and his large scale multimedia mosaic ‘The Valley’. Through visual analysis and a dialog with the artist I examine Banawy’s exploration …

Repsa-Directed Identification Of Dna-Binding Specificity For Orphan Transcription Factors, Kamir Hiam

Symposium of Student Scholars

The function of many genes and the biological roles of their encoded products are still not well characterized. Given the sequence-specific DNA-binding properties of transcription factor proteins, it is possible to purify them, identify the responsible polypeptide(s), determine their consensus binding sequences, and identify their genomic binding sites. Thus, one can go from cellular extract to proposed biological regulatory roles in relatively short order. Our goal is to identify and characterize orphan DNA-binding proteins in the model organism E. coli K12 using the novel combinatorial technique, REPSA (Restriction Endonuclease Protection Selection Amplification), as well as further develop the REPSA to …

Sustainability Perceptions In The Brewing Industry: Regional/Regional Craft, Microbreweries And Brewpubs, William B. Pierson

Symposium of Student Scholars

The purpose of this study is to identify sustainability perceptions within the US brewing industry. In 2014, we disseminated an online survey to all regional/regional craft breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs as identified by the Brewer's Association, 2012 (http://www.brewersassociation.org/). We employed statistical analysis to determine if there was a significant difference among the three categories of breweries found in urban and urban clusters regarding their self-assessment of sustainability. Findings indicate that regional/regional craft breweries and microbreweries tend to score higher in their self-assessment when compared to brewpubs.

Positional Relationship Of The Fibula Relative To The Tibia In Collegiate Athletes, Kat Lane

Symposium of Student Scholars

The research being conducted for a Practicum in Anthropology is related to the cross-sectional geometric properties of the tibia and fibula. Wolff’s Law states that form follows function, or that when stresses are placed on bone, the bone will remodel through either absorption or deposition in order to maintain optimal strain levels. The majority of research in cross-sectional bone geometry has been on the femur, and that which has been examining the lower leg usually focused on only the tibia. The tibia has managed to escape the focus of research due to the assumption of its lack of importance due …

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points: Distance Learning Library Instruction, Lugene Rosen

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

This presentation offers advice on providing effective library instruction for distance learners, and discusses the benefits of using a federated search tool such as EBSCO Discovery Service.

Conserving Natural Water Storage To Mitigate Climate Change In The Clark Fork Basin, Bruce Simms

Clark Fork Symposium Archives

There is widespread scientific consensus that climate change will affect Montana’s hydrology by increasing spring and fall rainfall, reducing snowpack and increasing summer evapotranspiration. The expected results include earlier and more intense spring runoff (flooding) and reduced baseflow in summer (lower low flows). Natural water storage features on the landscape tend to smooth out the extremes of the hydrograph, by storing spring rains and gradually releasing the water later in the dry season. Natural water storage features can be managed to mitigate the expected effects of climate change. Options include riparian and wetland protection, increasing beaver populations, implementation of the …

Science Of The Cskt Water Rights Compact, Seth Makepeace

Clark Fork Symposium Archives

Starting in 1982, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes embarked on a deliberative process to collect hydrologic data and technical information concerning Reservation water resources. Through this effort the Tribes have developed a thirty+ year dataset, often on small and generally overlooked water resources, and have developed an in-depth understanding of surface and ground-water resources and their interaction. This information has broad application for ongoing water resources management. Also, for several decades the Tribes have recognized that their reserved, but unquantified, water rights would need to be perfected either in a negotiated or adjudicatory setting. Recognizing the complexity of water …

2015 State Of The River - 30 Years Of Conservation Progress, Vicki J. Watson

Clark Fork Symposium Archives

Evaluating the State of the Clark Fork River and its Basin requires that we periodically:

1. Assess its condition & compare that to our goals for the basin;
2. Determine whether the basin’s condition is getting better or worse;
3. Evaluate our plans & on-the-ground actions for effectiveness; and
4. Consider challenges that face us in meeting our goals.

Condition and Trends

The basin’s condition in 2014 is compared to its condition since 2000 based on biennial assessments made by MT Department of Environmental Quality and summarized in the Clean Water Act Information Center database. From 2000 to 2004, the percent of assessed streams …

Fitness Parameters In Malosma Laurina Seedlings Growing Near And Away From Invasive Brassica Nigra, Natalie M. Aguirre, Agustin Vargas, Phoebe Shin

Featured Research

In this study we aim to assess the photosynthetic rate of native Malosma laurina (M. laurina) seedling, in comparison to M. laurina seedlings growing amongst several hundred B. nigra invasive plants. We predicted that there will be a difference in the stomatal conductance of each population. We measured photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), seedling height, and stomatal conductance of two isolated populations of M. laurina seedlings. One population grows near B. nigra, an invasive specie, and the other only grows amongst native plants. We found that M. laurina seedlings growing near weeds …

Effects Of Drought On Malosma Laurina Leaves, Suk Ho (Josh) Chang, Jingyi Chen, Sarah B. Nelson

Featured Research

Drought induced deformations in the chaparral plant Malosma laurina were observed following the lack of water availability during the years of 2013 and 2014. We hypothesized that the middle leaves grown during the drought would have the lowest productivity, the top post-drought leaves would have the highest productivity, and the bottom pre-drought leaves would have an intermediate level of productivity. We used a sample size of n = 6, representing 6 unique M. laurina plants. To obtain our data, we used the LI-6400 gas exchange system. In our comparisons of photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic quenching of the top, …

Correlation Between Hydration And Reflectance Of Yellow Petals On Encelia Californica, Jayci M. Givens, Kaylee A. Nussbaum, Caitlin R. Kawata

Featured Research

It is known that the NDVI can be used as a measure of hydration in plants because of the variation in pigments due to xanthophyll cycling (Schmitz et al., 2013). Flower petals can also exhibit variations in petal reflectance invisible to the naked eye (Fam & Espinoza, 2013). It was hypothesized that overall hydration levels of a plant would correlate to a difference in the pigments produced for petal color, and thus differences in hydration levels would correlate to differences in petal reflectance. To test this hypothesis, three flowers and two stems were collected from ten different E. californica plants, …

Effects Of High Light Exposure On Photosynthetic Rate And Fluorescence Of Eucrypta Chrysanthemifolia, Alec Flores, Gina Gilderman, Hannah Dario

Featured Research

In this experiment, we examined how a partial shade plant, Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia, found in the Santa Monica Mountains, responded to predictive models of higher light intensities created bydrought. We hypothesized that, with higher levels of light, Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia would respond with a decreased photosynthetic rate, light-adapted, and dark-adapted fluorescence. This was performed by comparing control plants grown in an artificial shade environment to plants exposed to a series of high light intensity treatments. These partial shade plants were found on Piuma Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. Our data supported our null hypothesis, indicating the photosynthetic rates and light-adapted …

Seedling Resprouts Of Adenostoma Fasciculatum Between Wildfire Cycles Are Promoted By Environmental Conditions That Mimic Fire-Like Environments, Lexe Evans, Teal Speece, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

The Santa Monica Mountains represent one of the largest Mediterranean-type environments in the world. With sustained summer droughts, this ecosystem has become prone to frequent wildfires, a phenomenon that has affected the area with regularity (approximately 21 years apart). Naturally, this cycle of wildfires has had a great effect upon the mortality and survival of the diverse chaparral varieties that inhabit the Santa Monica Mountain region. This includes the Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise), which is the most commonly-found form of chaparral shrub in California. (Redfeldt & Davis, 1996) This species of chaparral is particularly well-adapted to survival in a climate that …

Difference In Chaparral Species Population On The North And South Aspect On Pepperdine University Campus, Alexandra N. Lozano, Drew N. Rasmussen, Ashlyn L. Rawls

Featured Research

In this experiment, we analyzed the difference in population frequencies of chaparral plants along the north and south aspect of a slope on Pepperdine University campus in the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu, CA. We began the experiment by hypothesizing the south aspect would receive the most sunlight, and thus would hold the most amount of plants. By using the Point Quarter Sampling Method, we were able to determine if our hypothesis was correct. After analyzing our data, we found no significant difference between the north and south aspect in terms on frequency. During our experiment we also measured the …

Possible Fungal Infection Leading To Malosma Laurina Dieback, Gabriella N. Palmeri, Braden S. Olsen, Kaitlyn E. Sauer, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

There is a significant and apparent dieback of Malosma laurina in the Santa Monica Mountains, some which is found near Pepperdine University. Other areas near Pepperdine show a flourishing growth of M. laurina and our objective was to determine why this difference in M. laurina health exists. We initially hypothesized that in addition to water stress, the unhealthy M. laurina was effected by a pathogen. Under further inspection, the unhealthy plants contained hyphae in some of their xylem vessels, while the healthy ones did not. We sought to determine whether the existence of hyphae in the unhealthy plant’s xylem affected …

Morphological Changes In Malosma Laurina Due To Prolonged Drought In The Santa Monica Mountains, Grace S. M. Bae, Majie C. Foster, Maryelizabeth S. Stein, Mariah K. Taylor

Featured Research

Observations of Malosma laurina seedlings in Sycamore Canyon, Malibu, CA, exhibit abnormally small and wrinkled leaves. We propose that the prolonged drought in California’s Santa Monica Mountains has lead to physical malformations indicative of water strain in the leaves of M. laurina plants. In this experiment, we tested water relations of six M. laurina plants found on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus showing similar leaf patterns to those found in Sycamore Canyon. Six M. laurina plants devoid of the abnormal leaf growth patterns functioned as our control group. Stomatal conductance, water potential, and leaf mass to area data was gathered using …

The Effects Of Salinity On The Photosynthetic Rate Of Limonium Californicum, Adriana J. Borges, Elizabeth S. Chau, Justine M. Mckitrick

Featured Research

Halophytic plants, unlike most plants, are able to survive in stressful saline environments. Halophytes possess adaptations to osmoregulate, which gives them a competitive edge in saline environments such as coastal salt marshes. Our group analyzed the responses to salinity of the halophytic plant, Limonium californicum, which is present in California’s coastal salt marshes. We hypothesized that the photosynthetic rate of the Limonium californicum plants would decrease with increasing saline water treatments. In order to test this hypothesis, we watered L. californicum plants with solutions of varying salinity over the course of four days. We measured the photosynthetic rates using …

Correlation Between Hydration And Reflectance Of Yellow Petals On Encelia Californica, Jayci M. Givens, Kaylee A. Nussbaum, Caitin R. Kawata

Featured Research

It is known that the NDVI can be used as a measure of hydration in plants because of the variation in pigments due to xanthophyll cycling (Schmitz et al., 2013). Flower petals can also exhibit variations in petal reflectance invisible to the naked eye (Fam & Espinoza, 2013). It was hypothesized that overall hydration levels of a plant would correlate to a difference in the pigments produced for petal color, and thus differences in hydration levels would correlate to differences in petal reflectance. To test this hypothesis, three flowers and two stems were collected from ten different E. californica plants, …

Assembly, Alignment, And Maintenance Of An Automated Laser Cutter, Zhenghao Ding, Lunjun Liu, Gabriel C. Spalding, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

We have assembled a kit for an automated laser cutter system, intended to play an important role in a wide variety of student-led design projects on our campus. We began by electrically soldering the wiring for a powerful (60 Watt), pulsed infrared (10.6µm wavelength) CO₂ laser beam, which can thermally induce shock waves that locally ablate a wide range of (non-reflective) materials. The laser tube itself generates significant heat when operating, so we also assembled the required water-cooling system. Given the high powers involved, careful alignment this invisible laser was required, to ensure that the beam is safely contained …

Microfluidic Generator Of Sub-10-Micron Hydrosomes, Zhenghao Ding, Lunjun Liu, Gabriel C. Spalding, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Known as the fundamental “lab on a chip” technology, microfluidics is a thriving young research area that first took off in the 1990s. It is commonly used for reducing the amount of material required for biochemical analysis, such DNA sequencing. Its narrow tunnels can annihilate turbulence even in high-speed fluid flow, facilitating controlled, systematic processing. Also, by leveraging lithographic techniques developed for the semiconductor industry, enormous capability can be integrated into a single microfluidic chip. We have thus far utilized templates designed and fabricated by previous students in our lab, for fabrication of a series of microfluidic chips, made of …