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All ETDs from UAB

2012

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The Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, And Thermal Stability Of Ternary Cr1-Xmoxny Thin-Films, Yujiao Zou Jan 2012

The Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, And Thermal Stability Of Ternary Cr1-Xmoxny Thin-Films, Yujiao Zou

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The microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of ternary chromium molybdenum nitride (Cr-Mo-N) films were studied. In this work, a series of Cr-Mo-N films with different Cr/Mo ratios were deposited on CoCrMo and silicon substrates at various deposition temperatures by using a dual rf-magnetron sputtering system with Cr and Mo targets and nitrogen as reactive gas. Thermal processing at temperatures up to 700°C in air and up to 800°C in microwave plasma with H2/N2 gas mixture were employed to evaluate the thermal stability of films. The films' microstructure was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The …

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The Impact Of The State Children's Health Insurance Program's Unborn Child Ruling On Foreign-Born Latina Prenatal Care Utilization And Birth Outcomes, 2000-2007, Jonathan Hawthorne Drewry Jan 2012

The Impact Of The State Children's Health Insurance Program's Unborn Child Ruling On Foreign-Born Latina Prenatal Care Utilization And Birth Outcomes, 2000-2007, Jonathan Hawthorne Drewry

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In 2002 the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) "unborn child ruling" was established to provide prenatal care (PNC) to low income women otherwise without health insurance. The majority of foreign-born (FB) Latinas otherwise ineligible for PNC should have benefited most from the ruling. In late 2003 six states incorporated the UCR into their state plan amendments, providing a natural experiment for policy analysis. This study used cross-sectional pooled natality data from 2000-2007 to estimate the effect of the UCR on prenatal care utilization (PNCU) and birth outcomes. A differences-in-differences econometrics model was employed using policy enacting and non-enacting states, …

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The Effects Of Caregiver Emotional Stress On The Depressive Symptomalogy Of The Care Recipient, Deborah Blessing Ejem Jan 2012

The Effects Of Caregiver Emotional Stress On The Depressive Symptomalogy Of The Care Recipient, Deborah Blessing Ejem

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Depression is one of the leading mental health issues affecting America's aging population . The current body of research contends that stress, social disconnectedness, and the presence of disability are possible causes of depression. This research, on one hand, widely neglects to study caregiver emotional stress as another probable cause of depression in the elderly. This study plans to investigate caregiver emotional stress as a chronic life stressor of an elderly care recipient using the life stress paradigm as the theoretical foundation. The relationship between caregiver emotional stress and care receiver depression will be investigated using the 2004 wave of …

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Sleep Quality, Stress, Caregiver Burden, And Quality Of Life In Maternal Caregivers Of Young Children With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Christine A. Feeley Jan 2012

Sleep Quality, Stress, Caregiver Burden, And Quality Of Life In Maternal Caregivers Of Young Children With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Christine A. Feeley

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Mothers are usually the primary caregivers of young children with a chronic illness such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and may have no formal caregiver training. Children with BPD often require complex healthcare at home (complex medication regimens, oxygen via nasal cannula, Gastrostomy feedings, etc.), thus many maternal caregivers experience difficulty balancing the needs of their child with their own needs and other responsibilities. As such, maternal caregivers may report increased levels of stress and caregiver burden, as well as decreased quality of life (QOL). Additionally, a great number of maternal caregivers report poor sleep quality due to nighttime caregiving duties. …

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The Antecedents And Consequences Of Public Hospital Privatization, Zo Harivololona Ramamonjiarivelo Jan 2012

The Antecedents And Consequences Of Public Hospital Privatization, Zo Harivololona Ramamonjiarivelo

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ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the antecedents and consequences of public hospital privatization with special attention to financial distress and financial performance. A national sample of public hospitals using secondary longitudinal data from 1997 to 2009 was used in this study. Data set from the American Hospital Association, the Area Resource File, the Medicare Cost Report and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics were merged to test the hypotheses pertaining to each research question. Based on the resource dependence theory, both environmental variables and organizational variables were included in the analyses. This study adopted the Altman Z-score …

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Forensic Facial Reconstruction Using Computational Approach, Wenzhen Jia Jan 2012

Forensic Facial Reconstruction Using Computational Approach, Wenzhen Jia

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Forensic facial reconstruction is an application of forensic anthropology. It is a process of recreating the face of a human being based on skull remains. The process of recreating faces can be used to identify otherwise unknown individuals or to reconstruct faces of historical figures, such as the famous effort of reconstructing King Tut in 2005. There are many approaches to perform facial reconstruction in both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D). In 2-D cases, an artist works from photos of the skull and sketches the facial features based on his or her scientific training and artistic intuition. In 3-D cases, …

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Postpartum Health Outcomes Of Male Partners: The Paternity Role, Carrie Ann Betcher Jan 2012

Postpartum Health Outcomes Of Male Partners: The Paternity Role, Carrie Ann Betcher

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The purpose of this study was to investigate how assuming a paternal role for the first time affects the mental and physical health of males, and identify the key characteristics of the paternal role. The characteristics deemed most important by first-time fathers were providing love (51.3%), being a teacher (19.9%), participating in childcare responsibilities (11.8%), providing financially (9.6%), providing protection (3.7%), and being an authority figure (3.7%). Conversely, 21.1% of fathers stated financial obligations were not important, and 18.7% of fathers deemed participating in childcare not important. All fathers within this study self-reported being at least moderately active in their …

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An Information Theoretical Modeling And Analysis Of Systems, Bunyamin Ozaydin Jan 2012

An Information Theoretical Modeling And Analysis Of Systems, Bunyamin Ozaydin

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The growth of the service industry also comes with problems and complications because of its inherent error proneness. As the complexity of systems increases, whether the system of interest is a service product or a natural phenomenon, it only proves that there is always a need for improved modeling approaches. In this study, we approach systems from an information theoretical perspective. More specifically, we model systems by noisy communication channels and analyze them by a structure of relationships whose elements are commonly used analysis tools in science and engineering. We call this modeling approach and the structure of relationships it …

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Connexin 43 Remodeling Contribute To Slowed Conduction Velocity In An Irreversible Arrhythmogenic Canine Model Of Non-Ischemic Heart Failure, Jiajie Yan Jan 2012

Connexin 43 Remodeling Contribute To Slowed Conduction Velocity In An Irreversible Arrhythmogenic Canine Model Of Non-Ischemic Heart Failure, Jiajie Yan

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Heart failure is associated with a high mortality due to ventricular tachycardia leading to ventricular fibrillation that could arise from impaired conduction velocity. Myocardial conduction relies on intercellular coupling maintained primarily by the gap junction protein connexin43. The objective of this research is to assess the correlation between connexin43 remodeling and altered conduction in our novel irreversible and arrhythmogenic HF large animal model that mimics human heart failure. A novel heart failure canine model was established with combined strategy of creating aortic insufficiency and aortic constriction. We measured conduction velocity in heart failure and control left ventricular epicardium (n=5, 5) …

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Multiscale Modeling Of The Mouse Femur, Shannon Lisenbee Jan 2012

Multiscale Modeling Of The Mouse Femur, Shannon Lisenbee

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This paper seeks to advance the knowledge base for bones and how they respond to mechanical stimuli through the use of multiscale modeling. First, a simple but effective approach for segmenting bone from computed tomography images using MATLAB is presented. Using edge detection and gradient operators to identify areas of bone within an image allows for much more accurate and consistent bone segmentation than simpler techniques like thresholding. This technique is applied to the femur of a female mouse for use in further modeling and testing. Next a representative volume element (RVE) for lamellar cortical bone is created based on …

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Adaptation To A Simulated Central Scotoma With Visual Search Tasks, Dave Walsh Jan 2012

Adaptation To A Simulated Central Scotoma With Visual Search Tasks, Dave Walsh

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This study characterized the perceptual and oculomotor adaptation to a simulated central scotoma in normally-sighted subjects and characterized the effects of two different scotoma profiles on the adaptation process. Twelve normally-sighted subjects, 6 for each type of scotoma profile, prac-ticed a search task (finding an "O" target among "C" distracters) for 11 blocks (162 trials per block). Search reaction time (RT) and eye movement data were collected. A head-mounted eye tracker was used to simulate two 10 deg circular central scotomas (CS), one with a sharp change from seeing to unseeing (S-CS) and the other with a gradual transition (G-CS). …

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Facilitating The Use Of Implicit Memory And Learning In The Physical Therapy Management Of Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease; A Case Series., Laura White Jan 2012

Facilitating The Use Of Implicit Memory And Learning In The Physical Therapy Management Of Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease; A Case Series., Laura White

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Background and Purpose: Physical rehabilitation of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often complicated by impairments in explicit memory and learning. Rehabilitation strategies that facilitate use of the preserved implicit memory system may be effective in treating patients with AD. The purpose of this case series is to describe the application of these strategies, including high-repetition practice, errorless learning (EL), and spaced retrieval (SR), to the physical therapy management of individuals with moderate AD. Case Description: Three women aged 89 to 95 years old with moderate AD who resided in an assisted living facility participated in physical therapy to address …

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The Role Of Histone Methylation In The Medial Temporal Lobe During Long-Term Memory Formation, Swati Gupta Jan 2012

The Role Of Histone Methylation In The Medial Temporal Lobe During Long-Term Memory Formation, Swati Gupta

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Several studies have established the importance of epigenetic regulation of gene transcription in the brain during memory consolidation. Epigenetic mechanisms involve modifying the DNA or the associated histone proteins to determine the transcriptional outcome of a gene. The work encompassed in this dissertation serves as an initial investigation for the role of histone lysine methylation mechanisms in regulating gene activation and suppression in the medial temporal lobe that includes entorhinal cortex (EC), hippocampus, and amygdala during memory consolidation. To this end, we found that di-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me2) which promotes gene suppression was specific to associative …

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The Effect Of Structured Background On Smooth Pursuit With Real And Simulated Central Scotoma, Thomas Keith Jan 2012

The Effect Of Structured Background On Smooth Pursuit With Real And Simulated Central Scotoma, Thomas Keith

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The purpose of the study was to better understand the role of the fovea in smooth pursuit eye movements in human subjects. The research entailed a systematical study of a previously unstudied condition where the foveal inputs of both the background and the pursuit target were eliminated through simulation but the anatomic fovea was intact; and a comprehensive study of smooth pursuit eye movements of human subjects with real central scotoma. Ten normally sighted subjects (NS) and three central scotoma subjects (CS) were asked to visually pursuit a 0.87o yellow dot moving along either a horizontal or a vertical trajectory …

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Histomorphometry And Quantitative Analysis Of Longer-Term Implant Interfaces, Dave Darko Kojic Jan 2012

Histomorphometry And Quantitative Analysis Of Longer-Term Implant Interfaces, Dave Darko Kojic

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Objective: This investigation was to evaluate (>10 year) bone response around custom (HA plasma coated) dental implants and HA particulate. Materials and Methods: Three individual post mortem mandibular COI Implants with surrounding bone were processed at six transverse locations to obtain non-decalcified ground sections (20-80µm)(n=36) and stained initially with methylene blue/basic fuchsin. Slides were evaluated to select (n= 8) slides for regions of interest along the perimeter of the implant, using optical microscopy (Olympus BX51 microscope) with a Retiga EXi color digital camera (Olympus, Center Valley, PA) and Bioquant VR software (R&M Biometrics, Nashville, TN) at an original magnification …

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Mechanism Of Nfi-C Functionin During Tooth Root Formation, Ejvis Lamani Jan 2012

Mechanism Of Nfi-C Functionin During Tooth Root Formation, Ejvis Lamani

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Currently, very little is known regarding tissue-specific gene regulation during the later stages of tooth development, especially those associated with root formation. Re-cent studies have identified nuclear factor I-C (NFI-C) as a critical factor for root for-mation in mammals. NFI-C functions as a cellular transcription factor and adenovirus DNA replication factor. Its role in root formation first became evident when Nfi-c null mice were shown to lack molar roots. A similar phenotype of incomplete or absent root formation is observed in patients with the autosomal dominant disease Radicular Dentin Dysplasia (RDD; MIM125400) also known as Rootless Teeth or Dentin Dysplasia …

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Association Between Cc Chemokine Ligand 3-Like-1 (Ccl3l1) Gene Copy Number And Rheumatoid Arthritis In African Americans, Mawuli Kwame Nyaku Jan 2012

Association Between Cc Chemokine Ligand 3-Like-1 (Ccl3l1) Gene Copy Number And Rheumatoid Arthritis In African Americans, Mawuli Kwame Nyaku

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Gene copy number of the CC Chemokine ligand 3-Like-1 (CCL3L1) located on chromosome 17 position q12 varies between ethnicities. Previously, gene copy number of CCL3L1 greater than the ethnic median copy has been associated with an increased risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Three later studies found no association between CCL3L1 and RA. All studies were conducted in non-African Americans and an objective of this study was to determine this association in an African American cohort. CCL3L1 shares significant homology with three other genes within the same cluster; CC Chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3), CC Chemokine ligand 3-Like-2 (CCL3L2) and CC Chemokine ligand …

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Synthesis And Properties Of Poly(Α-Hydroxy Acid)S With Poly(Ether) Cores, Jeffrey Larry Atkinson Jan 2012

Synthesis And Properties Of Poly(Α-Hydroxy Acid)S With Poly(Ether) Cores, Jeffrey Larry Atkinson

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Novel biomaterials composed of a polyglycidol backbone with polyester branches consisting of poly(lactide) or poly(lactide-co-glycolide) are synthesized and characterized. Thermal stability, mechanical properties, and hydrolytic degradation of these polymers are essential factors of their processing and practical application. Data from the analysis of the polymer properties is used to determine structure-property relationships for the branched polyesters. Poly(glycidol) (PG), poly(glycidol)-g-L-lactide (PG-g-La), and poly(glycidol)-g-glycolide (PG-g-Gly) are synthesized for evaluation of the core material and simple branched systems. Thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and isoconversional kinetic analysis are used to evaluate the kinetic and mechanistic aspects of nonoxidative thermal degradation. It is found …

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Nanographene Reinforced Carbon/Carbon Composites, Dhruv Bansal Jan 2012

Nanographene Reinforced Carbon/Carbon Composites, Dhruv Bansal

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Carbon/Carbon Composites (CCC) are made of carbon reinforcement in carbon matrix and have high thermal stability and fatigue resistance. CCC are used in nose cones, heat shields and disc brakes of aircrafts due to their exceptional mechanical properties at high temperature. The manufacturing process of CCC involves a carbonization stage in which unwanted elements, except carbon, are eliminated from the polymer precursor. Carbonization results in the formation of voids and cracks due to the thermal mismatch between the reinforcement and the matrix and expulsion of volatiles from the polymer matrix. Thermal cracks and voids decrease the density and mechanical properties …

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A Study Of Early Adopters Of Innovation, John B. Mcwhorter Jan 2012

A Study Of Early Adopters Of Innovation, John B. Mcwhorter

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This research study focused on identification of environmental and organizational variables that influence the rate of adoption of administrative innovation in organizations, and specifically hospitals that have adopted nurse magnet programs. The study identified both organizational and environmental factors as statistically significant among early adopters of magnet programs in hospitals, with organizational influences stronger than environmental influences in determining the rate of adoption of innovation. Organizational complexity, size, control of domain, presence of a competitor, and available resources were the factors identified as influencing the early adoption of innovation among hospitals.

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Environmental Enrichment Recouples Histone Methylation In The Hippocampus To Restore Cognition In Aging, Sarah Jean Morse Jan 2012

Environmental Enrichment Recouples Histone Methylation In The Hippocampus To Restore Cognition In Aging, Sarah Jean Morse

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It is hypothesized that age-related memory deficits arise in part due to altered gene transcription within the hippocampus. These aberrations in gene transcription can lead to alterations in the induction of synaptic plasticity and subsequently interrupt the process of memory formation. Histone methylation-mediated chromatin remodeling mechanisms have recently emerged as crucial regulators of gene transcription in the hippocampus during memory formation. In the present study, we examined the contributions of histone methylation to cognitive deficits and transcriptional aberrations in the hippocampus throughout aging. We found that aging is associated with reduced histone acetylation and an increase in tri-methylation of histone …

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Hcn Channels And Regulation Of Neocortical Network Activity, Asher Albertson Jan 2012

Hcn Channels And Regulation Of Neocortical Network Activity, Asher Albertson

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Hyperpolarization activated non-specifc cation (HCN) channels are unique channels that activate following membrane hyperpolarization. Expressed primarily along the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons, they pass a non-inactivating, inward current (Ih). HCN channel activation at resting membrane potentials profoundly impacts the synaptic and intrinsic properties of pyramidal neurons. Activated channels decrease intrinsic membrane excitability, hyperpolarize the resting membrane potential, and increase excitatory post-synaptic potentials (EPSP) summation. Loss of HCN channels is commonly observed in models of epilepsy. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that the influence of HCN channels on individual neuron excitability translates to an influence on network excitability. Furthermore, we …

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Regulation Of Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation By The Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway In A Preclinical Model Of Parkinson Disease, Leandra Rosa Mangieri Jan 2012

Regulation Of Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation By The Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway In A Preclinical Model Of Parkinson Disease, Leandra Rosa Mangieri

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Finding novel therapeutics that delay or halt the progression of Parkinson Disease (PD) is key to providing symptomatic relief of debilitating symptoms. A defining pathological feature of PD is characterized by the formation of Lewy bodies, intraneuronal inclusions comprised mainly of α-synuclein (ASYN) (4). Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase), an enzyme complex comprised of two multi-subunit-containing domains, critically regulates the acidification of vesicles such as lysosomes and thus proper function of the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP), which is critical for the degradation of ASYN. Compromises to V-ATPase have been shown to negatively affect lysosome function and its ability to clear toxic forms of …

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Mental Health Disparities In Racial And Ethnic Minorities: The Impact Of Nativity And Ethnicity On Depression And Anxiety, Henna Budhwani Jan 2012

Mental Health Disparities In Racial And Ethnic Minorities: The Impact Of Nativity And Ethnicity On Depression And Anxiety, Henna Budhwani

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This research examined factors associated with mental health outcomes for minority groups residing in the United States, with an emphasis on racial and ethnic minorities and a further segmentation between those born in the United States and those born outside the United States. Two theories were used: the Healthy Migrant Theory and Health Lifestyles Theory. In combination, they identified important elements, such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, exposure to discrimination, and health lifestyle behaviors, thought to influence mental health outcomes. Nine hypotheses were presented; support was mixed. Some support was found to support the idea that nativity, independently, influenced mental health …

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Effects Of Mobile Internet Use On College Student Pedestrian Injury Risk, Katherine Walker Byington Jan 2012

Effects Of Mobile Internet Use On College Student Pedestrian Injury Risk, Katherine Walker Byington

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Unintentional pedestrian injury is a leading cause of death in the United States. Given the complexity of accurately judging the safety of a street crossing, the task likely becomes even more challenging when pedestrians become distracted by attempting to multitask. Newly introduced cell phone functionalities such as mobile internet may introduce distraction that goes beyond the basic cognitive demand of a phone conversation or even text messaging, both of which distract pedestrians and increase unsafe behavior. The present study examined participants' pedestrian behavior while distracted by mobile internet applications. In addition, we aimed to explore college students' perceptions of the …

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Effect Of Different Percentages Of Silica Nanofibers Filler Loads On Mechanical And Physical Properties Of Flowable And Hybrid Composite Resins, Qinyue Cai Jan 2012

Effect Of Different Percentages Of Silica Nanofibers Filler Loads On Mechanical And Physical Properties Of Flowable And Hybrid Composite Resins, Qinyue Cai

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Dental composites are used for a variety of applications in dentistry today. Dental composites are composed of a resin matrix containing a blend of Bis-GMA (bis-phenol A-glycidyldimethacrylate) or urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) along with TEGDMA (tetraethylglycidylmethacrylate). Exhaustive researches has been conducted in recent years to improve physical and mechanical properties of resin-based dental composites, since the existing resin-filler systems may not be suitable for long term applications in large as well as high stress restorations. Nanofillers reinforced composite resins have shown promising results. Silica-based nanoparticles and clusters are blended with larger-sized fillers and are available commercially for restoring large posterior restorations. …

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Centering Pregnancy And Adverse Pregnancy Outcome: An Evaluation Of Group Prenatal Care In A Rural Western Kentucky Clinic, Lorie Wayne Chesnut Jan 2012

Centering Pregnancy And Adverse Pregnancy Outcome: An Evaluation Of Group Prenatal Care In A Rural Western Kentucky Clinic, Lorie Wayne Chesnut

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CenteringPregnancySmiles [TM] (CPS), a group prenatal care program with an oral health component, has demonstrated promising results in urban communities with primarily low-income minority women. This study examined three questions: 1) Do women who participate in CPS have better birth outcomes than those who participate in traditional prenatal care, even after adjusting for maternal characteristics and risk factors? 2) Is level of exposure to the intervention associated with improved birth outcomes? 3) Do women with dental infection have an increased risk of poor birth outcomes? Data were abstracted from medical records and birth certificates. Birth outcomes for women enrolled in …

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Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Natural Dentition, Ryan Jeffery Cox Jan 2012

Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Natural Dentition, Ryan Jeffery Cox

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The purpose of this study was to determine if ultra short echo time magnetic resonance imaging (UTE-MRI) technology could be used to image teeth in orthodontics. The objectives of this study were to determine the accuracy and resolution of UTE-MRI on dental morphology and its application to the field of orthodontics with respect to appliance affect on morphology. Teeth were collected from the Orthodontic clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Institutional Review Board of the University of Alabama at Birmingham approved the study. High-resolution 3-Tesla UTE-MRI was preformed on sixty extracted human premolar teeth with fixed …

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The Impact Of Speed Of Processing Training On Physical Function And Mobility Trajectories In Old Age., Joan Elizabeth Dodson Jan 2012

The Impact Of Speed Of Processing Training On Physical Function And Mobility Trajectories In Old Age., Joan Elizabeth Dodson

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Multiple research studies have shown transfer effects in everyday functioning with speed of processing training. Research has also shown that processing speed predicts physical function and mobility trajectories, with declining speed predicting weaker physical capacities and smaller life space. Additionally, it is well established that processing speed declines in older adults. As processing speed is a modifable cognitive ability, it is possible that speed of processing training may be useful to improve physical function and mobility outcomes in the aging population. The current study examined 5-year trajectories of mobility and physical function in 1400 older adults to ascertain if speed …

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Wind Resistance Of Composite Structural Insulated Panels (Csips), Li Dong Jan 2012

Wind Resistance Of Composite Structural Insulated Panels (Csips), Li Dong

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Extreme windstorms are frequent and destructive natural hazards in the United States. Each wind disaster proves that traditional wood houses are too fragile to withstand high air pressures. The proposed Composite Structural Insulated Panels (CSIPs) are made of a low-cost, thermoplastic orthotropic glass/poly-propylene (glass-PP) laminate as the face sheet and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam as the core, with a high face sheet/core moduli ratio. In order to evaluate the wind-resistance of CSIPs, panels with cores of 16 kg/m3 (1 PCF) and 48 kg/m3 (3 PCF) density were tested at the University of Florida. Stepwise and dynamic simulated wind pressure was …

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