Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Two Training Programs On Acceleration Out Of The Break In American Football, Micah Adam Alba

Theses and Dissertations

Athletes of American football need the ability to stop, start, and reach top speed in an efficient manner. Football players on the defensive side of the ball require the skill of stopping a backward run and accelerating to a forward run. This action is termed the break. Football players receive year-round training in an effort to improve performance. Yet, many times, these athletes may not focus specifically on the muscular systems that are unique to the position they play. The law of specificity states that the more specific the training is for the action required, the more beneficial the outcome. …

The Development Of Hyaluronic Acid Biomaterials For Vascular Tissue Engineering, Samir Ibrahim

All Dissertations

Current vascular implant materials poorly interact with medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) allowing the permanent loss of vascular elastin, eliminated by trauma or disease, a crucial element in maintaining the natural biomechanics of the blood vessel and overall vascular homeostasis. In addition, these materials insufficiently recruit vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to form a normally functional, confluent endothelium that acts as the interface between the blood and vascular tissue and regulates numerous vital vascular processes. As a result, the restenosis, or re-occlusion, rate within these devices has remained fairly high stimulating the investigation of numerous new materials capable of providing the …

Client Change In Multi-Model Treatment: A Comparison Of Change Trajectories In Group, Individual, And Conjoint Formats In A Counseling Center, Bryan K. Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations

Providing clinicians with a clearer understanding of how clients' recover over the entire course of therapy has important implications for referral and treatment strategies. The present study compares rates of change in 160 clients in group therapy with 6632 clients in individual therapy and 864 clients receiving both individual therapy and group therapy. Therapeutic outcomes were measured using the Outcome Questionnaire-45. Data was analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), also called Multi-Level Modeling (MLM), to produce recovery curves for clients in each group. Recovery curves showed that most change occurred in the early part of group therapy and slowed near …

Identification Of G1-Regulated Genes In Normally Cycling Human Cells, Maroun J. Beyrouthy, Karen E. Alexander, Amy Baldwin, Michael L. Whitfield, Hank W. Bass, Dan Mcgee, Myra M. Hurt

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Obtaining synchronous cell populations is essential for cell-cycle studies. Methods such as serum withdrawal or use of drugs which block cells at specific points in the cell cycle alter cellular events upon re-entry into the cell cycle. Regulatory events occurring in early G1 phase of a new cell cycle could have been overlooked. Methodology and Findings: We used a robotic mitotic shake-off apparatus to select cells in late mitosis for genome-wide gene expression studies. Two separate microarray experiments were conducted, one which involved isolation of RNA hourly for several hours from synchronous cell populations, and one experiment which examined …

The Portland Spectator, December 2008, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Portland Spectator

Editor: Sarah J. Christensen

Articles in this issue include: Romeo Sosa: The success story of a Guatemalan activist; Resouces for you! Fitness writer shares the secrets of the Stott Center; Vulgarity in TV and film: Keith Moore shows his disdain Hollywood’s use of vulgarity and violence; Dis-unity in our parties: Our writer looks at the power of failure; and Oregon's smoking ban: What this really means for your rights.

Honor's Constitutional Moment: The Oath And Presidential Transitions, Paul Horwitz

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

A Groundwork For The Theory Of Notation, Len O. Olsen

Open Access Dissertations

This work is a philosophical investigation of signs. It offers a definition of the term ?sign? and develops three different systems for talking precisely about signs and their properties. The system of object display lines is developed in the first chapter; the ostension notation and the box notation are developed in the second chapter; and the contemporary associationist definition of a sign is developed in the third chapter. These systems, in conjunction with the definition, are proffered as a philosophical foundation for the theory of notation. The first chapter of this work develops the distinction between i) mere objects (non-signs), …

The Earthquake Cycle Of Strike-Slip Faults, Gina M. Schmalzle

Open Access Dissertations

An earthquake is a mechanism of stress release along plate boundaries due to relative motion between the Earth's lithospheric blocks. The period in which stresses are accruing across the plate boundary is known as the interseismic portion of the earthquake cycle. This dissertation focuses on interseismic portion of the earthquake cycle to extract characteristics of fault, shear zone and rock properties. Global Positioning System (GPS) data are used to observe the pattern of deformation across two primarily strike-slip fault systems: the Carrizo Segment of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) and the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ). Two sets of GPS …

Processes, Patterns And Petrophysical Heterogeneity Of Grainstone Shoals At Ocean Cay, Western Great Bahama Bank, Francisco Eduardo Gomes Da Cruz

Open Access Dissertations

Holocene and Pleistocene grainstone deposits surrounding Ocean Cay located on the western margin of Great Bahama Bank provide key evidence for the comprehension of patterns, processes and petrophysical heterogeneity of carbonate grainstone shoals. New datasets consisting of high-resolution remote sensing data, acoustic Doppler current measurements, sub-bottom profiles, and sedimentological and petrophysical analyses offer an opportunity to elucidate the various factors in the deposition of a grainstone shoal complex and assess of how much of the sedimentary fabric and early diagenetic overprint influences the petrophysical characteristics of similar ancient deposits. The Holocene shoal complex investigated here includes the Cat Cay ooid …

Effects Of Vibration On Spinal Circuitry Related To Spasticity And Walking, Lanitia L. Ness

Open Access Dissertations

In individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who have disrupted communication between the brain and spinal cord, vibration may mimic functions formerly served by the lost or impaired supraspinal inputs resulting in more normal reflex modulation and improved walking function. Three experiments assessed the effects of vibration on spinal locomotor-generating circuitry, spinal reflex activity, and walking function. In Experiment 1, localized leg vibration was used to elicit air-stepping responses in the lower extremities. We compared responses of individuals with SCI to those of non-disabled (ND) individuals and assessed the influence of severity injury and locomotor training on the air-stepping response …

A Groundwork For The Theory Of Notation, Len O. Olsen

Open Access Dissertations

This work is a philosophical investigation of signs. It offers a definition of the term “sign” and develops three different systems for talking precisely about signs and their properties. The system of object display lines is developed in the first chapter; the ostension notation and the box notation are developed in the second chapter; and the contemporary associationist definition of a sign is developed in the third chapter. These systems, in conjunction with the definition, are proffered as a philosophical foundation for the theory of notation. The first chapter of this work develops the distinction between i) mere objects (non-signs), …

Mcdaniel V. State, Dept. Of Transp. Appeal Record Dckt. 36744

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

December 13, 2008 (Pages 6677-6866), Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau

Volume 38 (2008)

No abstract provided.

Wave Forces On Bridges, Mary-Margaret Dickey

Theses and Dissertations

From this review, a FORTRAN code was developed that generates time and position dependent distributed loads based on linear wave theory for shallow water conditions. The routine was integrated into to the Abaqus finite element analysis framework, and used to evaluate the structural response of a representative bridge section impacted by tidal surge.

Burnout And Auditor Work Behaviours In Tanzanian Public Accounting Firms, Judika King'ori

Business Management Review

This study examined the effect of work stressors (time pressure, work ambiguity, work overload, and work conflict) and Burnout experienced by auditors working in Tanzanian audit firms, on organisational outcomes that are important to the effectiveness of the service offered by these firms. The work behaviours that were examined are Under-reporting of worked time (URT), Premature signing of audit steps in the audit programme without actually carrying out the required work (PMSO), and Turnover intentions (TI). The survey data was collected from a sample of forty (40) auditors at manager to assistant level, who are currently practising in various public …

Iso 9000 Certification: Some Lessons From A Large Firm In Tanzania, Charity N. Mwakio, Elinami Minja

Business Management Review

We present some findings on the implementations and achievements of ISO 9000 standard certification at the Tanzania Cigarette Company (TCC). Among other things we examine the motivation behind adoption of the standard and attempt to measure the implemented changes in terms of quality management. Though positive social impact, improved business results and increased customer satisfaction were recorded in the period following ISO 9000 implementation, these results were not viewed as resulting from ISO 9000 quality standard but rather from privatisation and what transpired during the process of seeking ISO 9000 certification. The findings suggest that ISO 9000 certification does not …

Uncertainty Analysis Of Net Heat Release Rate Predictions In A Single Cylinder Pilot Compression Ignited Natural Gas Engine, Brandon T. Marvel

Theses and Dissertations

A zero dimensional single zone model was developed to determine the crank resoled heat release rate at various injection timings (15°-60° BTDC) and the associated uncertainties from a pilot ignited natural gas engine. The uncertainty analysis examines the percentage contribution from various sources of error, including cylinder pressure measurements, intake manifold pressure measurements, and the impact of assumptions such as constant versus temperature dependent specific heat ratios. In particular, uncertainty percentage contributions and uncertainty magnification factors were used to quantify and compare the uncertainties in heat release rates using temperature dependent specific heat ratio correlations to constant specific heat ratio …

Model-Based Design Of A Protection Scheme For Shipboard Power Systems, Yujie Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

A shipboard power system (SPS) should be stable and reliable in order to ensure that the ship has better fight-through capability and increased fault invulnerability. The protection system is designed to minimize the effects of faults in the SPS, which presents challenges, such as increased fault vulnerability and lack of an electrical ground in the system. If protection devices are not updated after power system reconfiguration, they may not protect the power system appropriately. Therefore the development of elaborate digital protection devices for the SPS is required. This thesis focuses on the model-based methodology for designing a protection scheme for …

Evaluation Of The Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Targeted Re-Entry Initiative: Final Report, William H. Barton, G. Roger Jarjoura, André B. Rosay

Reports

In 2003 and early 2004 the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) introduced Targeted Re-Entry (TR), a juvenile aftercare approach derived from the Intensive Aftercare Program (IAP) model (Altschuler & Armstrong) into four sites, partnering with state juvenile correctional facilities in Mobile, Alabama; Anchorage, Alaska; Benton, Little Rock, and North Little Rock, Arkansas; and Milwaukee and Wales, Wisconsin. The Targeted Re-entry approach builds closely upon the IAP model, with local Boys & Girls Clubs providing community leadership, case management functions, and close linkages with the correctional system. A key element in all four sites is the introduction of a …

Dissolved Organic Matter In Wetland Soils And Streams Of Southeast Alaska: Source, Concentration, And Chemical Quality, Jason B. Fellman

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) transported from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems is an important source of C, N and energy for the metabolism of aquatic heterotrophic bacteria. I examined the concentration and chemical quality of DOM exported from coastal temperate watersheds in southeast Alaska to determine if wetland soils are an important source of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) to aquatic ecosystems. I addressed this question through a combination of high resolution temporal and spatial field measurements in three watersheds near Juneau, Alaska by using a replicated experimental design that characterized DOM export from three different soil types (bog, forested wetland …

Developmental Evolution Of Genetic Regulation And Signaling Of The Dorsoventral Axis Of Protostomes And Deuterostomes, Tammy Lynne Malachowski

Theses and Dissertations

The placement of Metazoan species into correct clades has become of prime concern to the study of evolutionary development, since the most recent phylogeny of Metazoans indicates embryological divergence. Genetic regulatory networks have been extensively described for some species but not for others. This study examines possible divergence of bilaterians at the protostome-deuterostome divide by examining dorsoventral patterning genes. A specific maternally active gene, dorsal/rela, the final element in the maternal pathway, was found to be a driving force behind this divergence and was co-opted from genes already existing in the Metazoan ancestor.

Assessing Parent-Child Agreement On An Eating Disorder Symptom Questionnaire, Lindsay Reece Klyce

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides preliminary data from a parent-report measure for assessing eating disorder symptoms in preadolescents. The Parent Eating Behaviors and Body Image Test (PEBBIT) is based on the Eating Behaviors and Body Image Test (EBBIT; Candy & Fee, 1998), a self-report measure for preadolescent girls. Eighty-three females in grades 4 through 6 were contacted from elementary schools, but only 10 participated. Girls’ individual responses on the EBBIT were compared to parental responses on the PEBBIT. Parents were able to accurately identify eating disorder behaviors in their children only 65.3% of the time when analyzing the individual responses found on …

A Case Study Examining Teachers' Beliefs Toward In-Grade Retention In A K-2 School, Charles Edward Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to examine teachers’ beliefs toward in-grade retention in a K-2 school. This study focused on how teachers acquire beliefs regarding grade retention, and their knowledge of research regarding the effectiveness of retention. Witmer, Hoffman and Nottis (2004) contend that teacher beliefs toward grade retention may not be based on research, but on peer influence, past practice, or administrative policy. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to examine teacher beliefs in a K- 2 school. Quantitative data were collected through the Teacher Opinion Survey (TOS) and Personal Experiences and Retention Practices (PERP). A …

Revitalization And Initial Testing Of A Blowdown Supersonic Wind Tunnel, West Cardman Ratliff

Theses and Dissertations

The Supersonic tunnel located in Patterson Labs at Mississippi State University has been thoroughly documented for future reference purposes. Data acquisition, physical components, shutdown devices, a control program, and the hydraulic system are all discussed in detail. Analysis is performed showing that the flow within the Mach 2 nozzle only reaches Mach 1.8 for a portion of the flow, but that this portion of the flow is relatively stable for a wide range of settling chamber pressures. It is concluded that the tunnel with the nozzle blocks used functions correctly.

Technical And Economic Impacts Of Distributed Generators And Energy Storage Devices On The Electric Grid, Aarthi Asok Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Distributed Generators (DGs) and energy storage devices have gained more popularity due to growing energy and environmental concerns. Interconnection of DGs and storage devices in an electricity grid impacts its performance under steady state and transient conditions. This research aims at analyzing the impacts of distributed generators and energy storage devices on the transient stability of the grid. Battery and ultra-capacitor technologies have been taken as the two types of storage devices and their electrical characteristics have been modeled using Simulink. Impact of these devices has been analyzed by connecting them to the system by means of …

Physically Motivated Internal State Variable Form Of A Higher Order Damage Model For Engineering Materials With Uncertainty, Kiran N. Solanki

Theses and Dissertations

any experiments demonstrate that isotropic ductile materials used in engineering applications develop anisotropic damage and shows significant variation in elongation to failure. This anisotropic damage is manifest by material microstructural heterogeneities and morphological changes during deformation. The variation in elongation to the failure could be attributed to the uncertainties in the material microstructure and loading conditions. To study this deformation induced anisotropy arising from the initial material heterogeneities, we first performed uncertainty analysis using current form on an internal state variable plasticity and isotropic damage model (Bammann, 1984; Horstemeyer, 2001) to quantify the effect due to variations in material microstructure …

Protocols For Preconditioning Of Patellar Tendon For Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Richard Lee Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

The ACL is one of the major ligaments in the knee connecting the femur to the tibia which provides stability by resisting shear in sagittal plane. ACL tears occur in 1 out of 3000, and due to inability to heal, reconstructive surgeries are performed at a rate of 200,000/year. Final graft fixation tension during surgery has been shown to wane due to stress-relaxation which has been correlated with negative clinical outcomes. Therefore, preconditioning, which currently is an isometric load (88N), is performed to remove stress-relaxation after the final tension has been applied in vivo. Three preconditioning protocols, creep, stress relaxation, …

Quantifying Cognitive Workload And Defining Training Time Requirements Using Thermography, Jihun Kang

Theses and Dissertations

Effective mental workload measurement is critical because mental workload significantly affects human performance. A non-invasive and objective workload measurement tool is needed to overcome limitations of current mental workload measures. Further, training/learning increases mental workload during skill or knowledge acquisition, followed by a decreased mental workload, though sufficient training times are unknown. The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate the efficacy of using thermography as a non-contact physiological measure to quantify mental workload, (2) quantify and describe the relationship between mental workload and learning/training, and, (3) introduce a method to determine a sufficient training time and an optimal …

Local Law Enforcement's Counter Terrorism Capabilities., J. Ryan Presnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze local law enforcement's counter-terrorism capabilities as it relates to the varying size of United States local law enforcement agencies. Data for the study came from a study entitled "Impact of Terrorism on State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies and Criminal Justice Systems in the United States, 2004". Statistical analysis revealed that there are large disparities in the allocation of resources to intelligence gathering, analyzing, and sharing between smaller local law enforcement agencies and their larger counterparts. Furthermore, smaller agencies are not interacting with federal agencies in a manner consistent with the interactions …

Relationship Between Nurse Educators' Cultural Competence And Ethnic Minority Nursing Students' Recruitment And Graduation., Pearl Ngozika Ume-Nwagbo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to measure the cultural competence of nurse educators in accredited baccalaureate (BSN) nursing programs in Tennessee (TN) and investigate the relationship, if any, between nurse educators' cultural competence and the percentage of minority nursing students recruited into and graduated from these schools in the previous 5 years.

With the rapid rise of the minority population in the United States, more minority healthcare providers, including nurses, are needed to provide culturally congruent care in underserved communities. Literature has implied that nurse educators' lack of cultural competence and sensitivity regarding minority nursing students' educational needs …