Digital Commons Network^™

Home-Based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Poststroke, Stephen Isbel, Christine Chapparo, David Mcconnell, Judy Ranka

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study examined the efficacy of a home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CI Therapy) protocol with eight poststroke survivors.

Method: Eight ABA, single case experiments were conducted in the homes of poststroke survivors. The intervention comprised restraint of the intact upper limb in a mitt for 21 days combined with a home-based and self-directed daily activity regime. Motor changes were measured using The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL).

Results: Grouped results showed statistically and clinically significant differences on the WMFT (WMFT [timed items]): Mean 7.28 seconds, SEM 1.41, 95% CI 4.40 – 10.18, …

Introducing Breakouts, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Haworth College Of Business News (10/2014), Western Michigan University

Haworth College of Business News

• Meet our 2014 awards recipients
• Bronco business
• Key to success
• IT forum to address cyber security

The Graduate Standard - Vol. 3, No. 1, Western Michigan University

Graduate College news

• Dean's Message
• Keith Thompson – Master of Arts degree in Communication
• Jeanne LaMere – Ph.D. in Psychology
• 2014 Graduate Ambassadors
• The New Graduate Student Association

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 18: October 2014, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• WMU gets $3.2 million to build culture of degree completion, success
• Million Dollar NSF Grant Comes to WMU
• Two to receive WMU's Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award
• Two will be honored at convocation with Distinguished Teaching Awards
• Five Biologists to Provide Leadership, Expertise for ASM-NSF Biology Scholars Program Research Residency
• WMU philosopher-ethicist to be honored as an emerging scholar
• Cal State Fullerton professor receives top NGWA awards for contributions to groundwater industry
• An Extraordinary Life
• Communication and Social Robotics Lab

Cto Updates - October 2014, Office Of Information Technology

Tech Talk

• Augmented reality
• Collaboration video
• Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR)
• Elearning copyright materials
• End of life for iTunes U at WMU
• Tuesdays with Techies

English Studies + Stem: Envisioning A 21st Century Curriculum, Gwen Tarbox

Academic Leadership Academy

In 2013, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences established a commission to study the importance of integrating the STEM fields and the humanities in K-12 and higher education environments. The resulting report, entitled The Heart of the Matter, concluded that:

“Scientific advances have been critical to the extraordinary achievements of the past century, and we must continue to invest in basic and applied research in the biological and physical sciences. But...we must recognize that all disciplines are essential for the inventiveness, competitiveness, security, and personal fulfillment of the American public...The humanities remind us where we have been and help …

Updates In Academic Affairs - 09/15/14, Office Of The Provost And Vice President For Academic Affairs

Updates in Academic Affairs

• Forum, lunches set as part of Academic Program Review and Planning process
• Committee nominations sought
• Academic affairs non-bargaining staff invited to Oct. 31 meetings
• Graduate and Professional School Fair set for Oct. 6
• Join your colleagues at 2014-15 Fridays with Friends mixers

Western News, Sept. 4, 2014, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Cooley Law, WMU affiliation finalized; Six to receive one of two Universitywide awards; All WMU campuses are now tobacco free; Faculty Senate announces leadership for 2014-16; On Campus with Dale Hagens.

Cto Updates - September 2014, Office Of Information Technology

Tech Talk

• Adobe update
• Bronco Bash
• Camtasia Relay

Attitudes Towards Latino Immigrants Expressed In The Online Media, Jordan Mcclain

Honors Theses

The language used towards Latino immigrants expressed in the online media is a prevalent occurrence that warrants a more detailed analysis. I used a total of fifty-four articles from Fox New, CNN, MSNBC, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center, Immigration Advocates, Networks Liberty News, Minuteman Project, and American Immigration Control Council. I analyzed the wording used by each source when they referred to Latino immigrants. I analyzed my data further by distinguishing it into five categories: Affirmative language, negative language, avoidance language, the use of linguistic devices, and a category dedicated to the special circumstances around the recent …

Enewsletter - August 2014, College Of Education And Human Development

College of Education and Human Development News

• TLES alumni named Bridgman High School Prinicipal
• FCS students win regional competition for 2nd consecutive year
• Exercise Science alumni named NDC Strength and Conditioning Coach
• ELRT welcomes Dominican Republic administrators
• CECP congratulates the newest Mu Beta Members
• CTE faculty members secure federal grant
• Alumnus Named Martin School District Superintendent
• Graduate Receives Teacher of the Year Award
• TLES Alumnus named Theatre Coach of the Year

Cto Updates - August 2014, Office Of Information Technology

Tech Talk

• 24/7 Help Desk
• Adobe update
• Bronco Review
• Faculty One Stop
• Securing the Human security education
• Security education for students
• Studio A
• Sustainability
• Web conferencing support

Rhetoric Of Revolt In Thirteenth-Century Castile And England, Jillian M. Bjerke

Masters Theses

This thesis studies the rhetoric of revolt in the thirteenth century by comparing documents and chronicles from the Barons War against Henry III of England (1258-1265) and the revolt of the Castilian nobles against Alfonso X of Castile (1271-1273). By undertaking close readings of these Latin and Castilian texts, I uncover many similar approaches to writing revolt in two roughly contemporary and little-compared rebellions. The first comparison of the two briefs submitted by the rebelling English barons to Louis IX of France for arbitration in 1264 with the purported agreement between the Castilian nobles and Alfonso X presented to Enrique …

Comparison Of Dual- And Tri-Axial Accelerometer Accuracy, Lindsay Powell Toth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the Omron HJ-720ITC and the Fitbit Zip activity monitors with regard to step count, energy expenditure, and distance traveled measurements. The importance of this research rests in the success rates of pedometer-based physical activity interventions which have been shown to increase physical activity while also enabling weight loss and lowering blood pressure in the adult population. Activity monitors available for retail sale must be found accurate for proper participation in exercise interventions especially low-cost devices as used in this study.

In order to test the accuracy of the Omron …

Integrating 3d Layered Manufacturing With Photonic Sintering, Precision Machining And Smart Coating Techniques For Rapid Casting Applications, Hemant Bohra

Dissertations

Developments in rapid casting technologies have led to a new era of inclusion of 3D printing. Three-Dimensional (3D) printing provides the flexibility and ease of reproducing a sand mold directly from CAD models, eliminating patterning steps, thus reducing the process time for creating prototypes. In addition to minimizing processing steps, 3D printing provides the advantages of higher precision and the ability to produce complex shaped sand molds, but it simultaneously possesses some limitations and concerns related to throughput, safety and logistics.

This study proposes an alternative method for creating sand molds by introducing a hybrid rapid prototyping approach to overcome …

The State And Civil Society In The Arab Middle East, Stacey E. Pollard

Dissertations

While the notion that civil society organizations can democratize authoritarian regimes from below has become an article of faith among many policy makers and democracy promoters, some area experts warn that practitioners and advocates should not overestimate civil society's democratizing role. This dissertation challenges a large body of scholarship on civil society by arguing that while civil society may constitute a democratic force in any given polity it may also be comprised of less democratic, even radically undemocratic forces as well. Therefore, commensurate with the research yielding that finding, this project argues that on an account of the nature of …

Eliciting Elementary School Students’ Informal Inferential Reasoning Through Storytelling, Dustin Owen Smith

Dissertations

One growing area of research on statistical learning is Informal Inferential Reasoning (IIR). Makar and Rubin (2009) describe IIR as having three components: making and evaluating inferential claims, supporting claims explicitly with data, and attending to the inherent uncertainty present in statistical inference-making. This dissertation study was built around developing a method for providing opportunities for elementary school students (Grades K, 2, and 4) to engage with IIR within the context of stories and storytelling through a method called Storytelling-Questioning. After interacting with and discussing two separate stories, it was found that students of each grade level were able to …

The Counselor Experience In Counseling Clients Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted, Carrie J. Tremble

Dissertations

Despite sexual assault being the second highest reported violent crime in the United States, the literature regarding the experience of counselors who counsel clients who have been sexually assaulted is limited. This qualitative study explored and described the lived experiences of 9 counselors who, in the last five years, have provided counseling services to at least five clients who had been sexually assaulted when they were at least 18 years of age. The phenomenological data analysis approach of Moustakas (1994) was utilized to guide the data collection and analysis. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, the participants were able to share their …

Mediated Homestyle: Congressional Strategy And Local Press Relations In The 111th House Of Representatives, Michael K. Romano

Dissertations

For over thirty years, research on Congressional behavior has provided evidence of a link between constituent opinions and the ways in which members publically conduct themselves. Homestyle (Fenno, 1978: pg. 32), the way members “cultivate their constituencies,” has emphasized that personal encounters between members and their constituents is an effective strategy for decreasing the level of uncertainty members have about their approval. Homestyle, however, overlooks the fact that members of Congress cannot directly interact with their constituents on a daily basis. The mass media, specifically local media outlets, help legislators by transmitting relevant information about political events and legislators’ actions …

Replacement Of Solvent Based Ink By Water Based Inks For Gravure Presses With Low Efficiency Ink Driers, Viraj Suresh Dalvi

Masters Theses

Rotogravure printing of decorative laminates, wall coverings, or vinyl floorings process often uses solvent based inks. The main constraining factor with solvent based ink is presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). Due to the environmental norms on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and restrictions on using solvent based inks, the ink industry came up with water based ink as more environmentally friendly alternative. Organizations which print decorative laminates, wall coverings, or vinyl floorings with solvent based inks have gravure printing infrastructure, which is often equipped with low efficiency driers capable of drying solvent based inks. In order to comply with environmental …

Emerging Technologies In Art Education, Molly A. Marshall

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the emerging technologies in visual arts education and the impact they will make on the future of visual arts education in a K-12 setting. Research was done through a literature review. As a result, it was found that integrating technology into the visual arts is beneficial to both student and teacher on many levels.

The research will cover how these technologies affect best practices in teaching. Also how these technologies influence student learning. You will find the history of how technology has been implemented in art education, to give the reader and …

Gpu-Accelerated Influenza Simulations For Operational Modeling, Peter Holvenstot

Masters Theses

Simulations of influenza spread are useful for decision-making during public-health emergencies. Policy-makers use models to predict disease spread and estimate the effects of various intervention strategies. Effective modeling of targeted intervention strategies requires accurate modeling of individual-level behavior and transmission. However, this greatly increases the computational costs of these agent-based models. In addition, if the models are used as an outbreak progresses, some operational decisions must occur rapidly in order to contain the spread of the disease.

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are a type of specialized processor used to drive graphical displays. Many recent devices also allow users to write …

Integrating Art Education And Literacy Education: A Curriculum For The Secondary Level, Erin Moody-Zoet

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine, through the design of a new curriculum, how the integration of reading and writing literacy into a visual arts curriculum can strengthen literacy skills as well as foster creative thinking at the middle school level. There is a growing demand for the integration of literacy in all core, and non-core curricula. By developing a curriculum that integrates literacy strategies in a visual arts program, as well as touches on the disconnect that I see between individuals and their own creative outlets, a curriculum is established that fosters and engages students in creative …

A Phenomenological Study Of University Faculty Experiences With Disruptive Undergraduate Students In A Face-To-Face Classroom Or Laboratory Setting, Anne Marie Gillespie

Dissertations

Behavioral review teams on university campuses have become the standard since the shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. An institutional assumption is that faculty members will make referrals to these specialized teams when encountering disruptive students within their classrooms. Unknown is what actions faculty members actually take when faced with disruptive students in the classroom. This phenomenological study captures the experiences of faculty members with disruptive undergraduate students in face-to-face university classroom or laboratories.

All of the participants in the study described experiences with disruptive undergraduate students. Three female and three male faculty members, split evenly between tenured/tenure …

Gesture-Sensing Technology For The Bow: A Relevant And Accessible Digital Interface For String Instruments, Zachary Boyt

Masters Theses

Technological advances in powerful, miniaturized electronics have created a growing potential to continue the evolution of string instruments through an accessible digital interface. Although many new types of instruments and controllers have explored this goal, gesture-sensing technology, when paired with the expressive nature of the bow, has provided the most eligible solution towards bridging technology and tradition. Through a selective showcase of technical development, artistic application, and future possibilities, this thesis traces the evolution of gesturesensing bow technology as an accessible digital interface in string instrument performance.

The Nucleic Acid Binding Properties Of The Pwi Motif, Hamideh Keshavarz-Mohammadian

Masters Theses

The PWI motif is a highly conserved domain that contains a Proline-Tryptophan-Isoleucine (PWI) tripeptide sequence, for which it is named. Proteins that contain a PWI motif are known to be involved in the constitutive and alternative splicing and the 3'-end processing of messenger RNA transcripts. The hypothesized role of the PWI motif is to nonspecifically interact with nucleic acids. The PWI motif is capable of binding both doublestranded and single stranded forms of DNA and RNA. The structure of the highly conserved core of the PWI motif reveals that it adopts a four-helix bundle fold. The structured core domain, however, …

Policy Update: Federal And State Legislation To Support Grandfamilies, Ana Beltran

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Building on the progress of the last 20 years, helpful federal and state legislation continues to be pursued on behalf of grandfamilies. This update summarizes policy efforts during the last year and looks ahead to what is on the horizon. At the federal level, legislative efforts are focused on grandfamilies who are involved with the child welfare system. States are responding to federal activity by enacting policies to place more children with relatives and better serve grandfamilies who come into contact with the system, including “family finding” laws and including fictive kin as “relatives.” State policymakers are also striving to …

Grandfamilies Outcome Workgroup’S (Grow) Review Of Grandfamilies Support Groups: An Examination Of Concepts, Goals, Outcomes And Measures, Kerry A. Littlewood

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

A support group is the most widely used intervention for grandparents and other relatives raising children. Support groups require few resources to establish and are relatively inexpensive to implement. Despite the popularity of support groups for grandfamilies, there is little evidence evaluating their effectiveness to improve the lives of its members. In response to this issue and to support outcome-based research in the field, the Grandfamilies Outcome Workgroup (GrOW) was established. This study highlights GrOW’s review of the literature on the effectiveness of support groups for grandfamilies. Next, the GrOW Inventory of Support Groups (GrOW Inventory) was developed to explore …

Students Win Regional Competition For Second Consecutive Year, College Of Education And Human Development

Family and Consumer Sciences News

Textile and Apparel Studies majors Sarah Lyons and Erin Johnson have won first place in two recent Fashion on the Shore student design competitions.