Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Dental Management Of Those With Physical And Mental Disabilities, Ashley M. Fleck

Honors Theses

Those with physical and mental disabilities are at an increased risk of oral complications such as gingivitis and periodontal disease. In comparison with this risk, this population struggles to access appropriate dental care that accommodates those with disabilities. This thesis reviews the demographics of those with special needs, dental education barriers to working with this population and financial barriers that hinder access to care. An overview of the oral health problems of common disabilities is presented as well as behavioral management techniques that could be easily implemented in the dental office. A general review of good oral hygiene for those …

Nanocomposite High Displacement Strain Gauges For Use In Human-Machine Interfaces: Applications In Hand Pose Determination, Thomas B. Calkins

Theses and Dissertations

Conductive nanocomposites are finding many uses as multi-functional materials. One recent development involves the creation of high displacement strain gauges, which have potential applications in a variety of engineering roles. The piezoresistive nature of the gauges makes possible their strain sensing capability. The intent of this research is to show that specific High Displacement Strain Gauges can successfully be used in one human-machine interface application that will demonstrate their potential for a range of other human-machine interface applications. This will be shown in the development of these sensors to accomplish hand pose determination. The flexible and inexpensive gauges are attached …

Modeling, Design, And Testing Of An Underwater Microactuation System Using A Standard Mems Foundry Process, Gregory L. Holst

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the modeling, design, and testing of an underwater microactuation system. It is composed of several thermomechanical in-plane microactuators (TIM) integrated with a ratchet system to provide long displacements and high forces to underwater microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). It is capable of actuating a 200µN load 110µm. It is a two-layer silicon MEMS device fabricated with a MEMS fabrication process, PolyMUMPS. This work also shows the development of an elliptic integral model to analyze the compliant fixed-guided beams in the TIM and gives new insight into the buckling behavior, reaction forces, and displacement of the beams. The derivation, verification, …

Spartan Daily April 18, 2011, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 136, Issue 39

Dialogue In The Galleries: Developing A Tour About Contemporary Art For The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts, Elizabeth Reilly-Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This museum thesis project considers the challenges involved in developing engaging museum tours. The purpose of this project was to develop a fifty-minute, guided gallery tour that uses inquiry-based instruction to engage participants in dialogue and critical thinking about artworks. The tour was designed specifically for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, Virginia, using artworks selected from the museum’s twenty-first-century art collection that relate to the theme hybridity. This project contributes to the museum studies field by exemplifying how gallery tours can stimulate active learning, encourage visitors to find meaning in artworks, and form their own conclusions …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Georgia Southern University Biology Research of Invasive Insects May Improve Ability to Effectively Use Pesticides, Decrease Long-Term Costs

A Comparison Of Elastic Modulii Of Femurs From Genetically Modified Mice: Three-Point Bending Experiments And A Correction Factor Approach, Meagan Maureen Buechel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Studies into how genetic modifications affect bone development may help research into new treatments for bone diseases. In order to understand whether these treatments are effective, bones should be mechanically evaluated, because ultimately they support large mechanical loads. Three-point bend testing has been widely utilized in the mechanical evaluation of whole, long bones since these bones fail mostly in bending. The accuracy of the mechanical properties obtained from these tests using the Euler-Bernoulli beam equations is questionable; due to the complexity of the bending mechanics of long bones. Therefore, in this work, a correction factor approach was utilized to measure …

Person-Environment Congruence And Academic Achievement Of College Students: An Application Of Holland's Theory, John Michael Hargett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis presented in Holland's theory that academic achievement is a function of the congruence between students' personality types and their academic environments. Holland asserts that higher levels of stability, satisfaction, and performance are a function of the fit or congruence between students' personality type and the environment in which they reside. The subjects in the study were 741 students who graduated from high school between 1998 and 2007 and matriculated to a private, Catholic, comprehensive university in the mid-South during those years. Students were assigned to one of six Holland personality …

Unusual Prosodic Descriptors In Young, Verbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Rachel Diane Fields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study aimed to determine which prosodic descriptors best characterized the speech of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and whether these descriptors (e.g., sing-song and monotone) are acoustically different. Two listeners' auditory perceptions of the speech of the children with ASD and the pitch of the speech samples were analyzed. The results suggest that individual children are characterized by a variety of prosodic descriptors. Some thought groups were described as both sing-song and monotone, however, most children appear to be either more monotone or more sing-song. Furthermore, the subjective and acoustic data suggest a strong relationship between atypical intonation …

Anti-Feminism In Stephenie Meyer's Twilight And New Moon, Emily Alexis Dockery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The novels Twilight and New Moon, written by Stephenie Meyer, present a barrier in media portrayal of feminist movements. Through the power of media, patriarchal dominated societies continue the reinforcement of maintaining women as figures of ownership. Examining Meyer’s characters, writing, and plot devices decode the underlying patriarchal ideals being pressed upon adolescent readers. Media influence upon society is a powerful means to promote the romanticizing of anti-feminist works, such as Twilight and New Moon. Understanding what comprises these characters as anti-feminist is crucial to understanding their influence upon society, and reveals the unknowing compliance many female adolescents perceive and …

Effects Of A 21-Day Daniel Fast With And Without Krill Oil Supplementation On Blood Lipids And Lipid Peroxidation, John Francis Trepanowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Aims: The purposes of this investigation were 1): to replicate or improve upon the findings of the initial study of the Daniel Fast, while 2) maintaining or improving high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) via krill oil supplementation.Methods: 39 subjects (12 men and 27 women) completed a 21-day Daniel Fast. During the fasting period, 19 subjects were randomly assigned to consume krill oil (2 grams per day in capsules), while the other 20 subjects consumed placebo capsules. Blood samples were collected immediately prior to and following the fast and assayed for blood lipids and malondialdehyde.Results: Krill oil supplementation had no effect on …

Vocal Quality Development In Children With Autism: The Role Of Flutter, Amber Nichole Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are frequently described as having unusual prosody. Studies in vocal quality in children with ASD have been limited in number and are generally descriptive in nature. The objective of this study was to examine the occurrence of a specific vocal quality, flutter, in children with ASD.Method: Vocal flutter was examined via subjective ratings and through acoustic analyses to determine if flutter occurred more frequently in children with ASD than in language delayed or typically developing peers.Conclusion: Vocal flutter was heard more frequently in children with ASD via the subjective ratings. The occurrence of …

Vagus Nerve Stimulator Implant Simulator Featuring Feedback System For Seizure Prediction And Treatment, Mark H. Myers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Utilizing EEG as a measurement of the changes between normal and abnormal (seizure) brain states, an enhanced vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) can be developed that can calculate the changes between local and remote brain sites as localized seizure events manifest into globalized synchronization throughout the cortex. A VNS simulator has been developed that captures the action potentials of human EEGs and measures the propagation of action potentials through the cortex by Phase/Amplitude Lock Values (PLV/ALV).PLV/ALV values are used to calculate the difference of phase and amplitude between local and remote electrodes. As the calculated difference between the channels approach one, …

The Impact Of Intensity On Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress In Trained Men, Tyler Mitchell Farney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Exercise has been noted in some, but not all studies, to elicit an oxidative stress response. The discrepancy in findings may be related to differences in exercise intensity across study protocols. Biomarkers of oxidative stress were compared for aerobic and anaerobic exercise bouts of different intensities and durations. On different days, exercised-trained men (n=12; 21-35 yrs) performed aerobic cycle exercise (60 min at 70% HR reserve) and anaerobic cycle sprints (five, 60 sec sprints at 100% max GXT watts; and ten, 15 sec sprints at 200% max GXT watts). Blood was collected before and 0, 30, and 60 min post-exercise …

Evaluating Elution & Mechanical Characteristics Of A Calcium Sulfate Bone Graft Substitute Containing Amphotericin B, Cefazolin, Or Vancomycin, Sami Ali Helou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Problem: Osteomyelitis is a major infection that destroys bone. Treatment of the infection involves use of an injectable calcium sulfate material. This material may be used for the local delivery of antibiotics at the site of infection to improve clinical treatment. Studies are needed to determine effects of added antibiotics on injectable calcium sulfate material properties.Hypothesis: Antibiotic-loaded injectable calcium sulfate will retain their chemical/mechanical properties, and elution of the antibiotics will remain large enough to inhibit any microbial infections.Aims:1. Characterize effects of mixing amphotericin B, cefazolin, or vancomycin on calcium sulfate's properties.2. Measure elution/dissolution profiles in vitro.3. Evaluate eluents ability …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - April 17, 2011, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the April 17, 2011 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler

Contents Include

• "Just Another Night For the USA Burn Center"

• USA Biomedical Library Director Renewed For Membership in Academy of Health Information Professionals

• April Med School Café - RSVP Today

• Renowned Surgeon's Upcoming Visit to USA Featured in Press-Register

• Next Week's DSS - Dr. Stephen D. Miller

• Retirement Reception Held For Former Pediatrics Practice Director

• USA Research Team Awarded NIH Grant

Deafdigest: Blue Edition, April 17, 2011, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Blue 2011

No abstract provided.

2010-2011 Lindenwood University Honors Convocation, Lindenwood University

Honors Convocation Programs

2010-2011 Lindenwood University Honors Convocation

Ua68/1/2 Student Awards Ceremony, Wku Potter College Of Arts & Letters

WKU Administration Documents

Program recognizing outstanding students and mentors of WKU Potter College of Arts & Letters.

Winter Range Studies Of The Western Arctic Caribou Herd, Northwest Alaska, Kyle Joly

Biological Sciences

Climate change is likely to bring a myriad of interrelated changes to the Arctic. One change is warmer and drier conditions that could increase the prevalence of wildfire in northwest Alaska. Wildfires destroy terricolous lichens that Western Arctic Herd caribou (Rangifer tarandus ) rely on during winter; taking decades to recover. My goals were to assess the recent (1950--2007) fire regime within the herd's range, identify characteristics of habitat selected by overwintering caribou, and determine the potential impacts of climate change on the fire regime and caribou winter range. I used a combination of existing data and information collected at …

The Northway Wild Food And Health Project: Confronting The Legacy Of Toxic Waste Along The Alcan, Anna R. Godduhn

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Northway, Alaska is a small, mostly Athabascan community with a large Formerly Used Defense Site, located near the Alaska Highway in Eastern Interior Alaska. Despite remediation in the 1990s, local residents are concerned about the contamination of wild foods. This Community Based Participatory Research project comprised two studies: the Northway Wild Food Study, to investigate contaminant levels in locally prioritized traditional foods; and the Northway Health Study, to investigate locally suspected links between historic pollution sources and health problems. The project identifies multiple pathways of exposure that were more significant in the past, including a clear water creek, whitefish, a …

Differences Between Frequency Of Diagnosis, Diagnosis Extremity, And Global Assessment Of Functioning Score In A Euro-American And Alaskan Native Client, Britton Ann Niles

Education

This research answers the question, given identical client information, history, and presenting issues, but variation in ethnicity, does diagnosis frequency, diagnosis extremity, or Global Assessment of Functioning score differ for an Euro-American male versus an Alaska Native male mental health client. Graduate counseling students, six males and six females, ranging in age from 22--59, currently enrolled at either the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Anchorage, or Alaska Pacific University, volunteered to participate in the present study. Participants were randomly assigned to view either a Euro-American or Alaska Native client's mock intake session. The mock videos were identical …

Structured Algorithm For Error Reduction In Chemotherapy Administration, Marianne Bundalian Tejada

Nursing Faculty Presentations

Purpose. To develop an evidence-based structured algorithm tool that might be used by nursing leaders at a cancer center to decrease chemotherapy medication errors.

Background. In spite of available technology and known factors resulting in medication errors, chemotherapy errors remain the major cause of iatrogenic patient morbidity in hospitals (Gilbar, 2001; Heidt et al., 2001 ). A major risk factor for chemotherapy errors is lack of standardization in administration (ordering, dispensing, administration, monitoring). Failure to identify necessary staff skills/aptitude required to prevent errors may also be problematic.

Significance. Use of the developed algorithm may lead to development of evidence-based strategies …

Uaa Student Showcase Journal: Recognizing Excellence (2011), N/A N/A

UAA Student Showcase Journal

No abstract provided.

Assessment And Prediction Of Potentially Mineralizable Organic Nitrogen For Subarctic Alaska Soils, Aiqin Zhao

Agriculture and Horticulture

The objective of this study was to identify a rapid laboratory technique to predict potentially mineralizable organic N for subarctic Alaska soils. Soil samples were taken from major agricultural area of subarctic Alaska. Laboratory incubation followed by kinetic model fit was first used to select a best model to estimate potential soil N mineralization. By correlating the model estimated organic N pool sizes and different chemical extracted organic N, I then found the best chemical method to estimate soil potentially mineralizable N. Spectroscopic properties of water extractable organic matter were also determined and correlated with model estimated organic N pool …

Aurora Vol. 03 No. 2 (Spring 2011), N/A N/A

Aurora

No abstract provided.

Aurora Vol. 04 No. 1 (Fall 2011), N/A N/A

Aurora

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Assessment In A Yugtun Second Language Intermediate Adult Classroom, Stephen Walkie Charles

Linguistics

Dynamic Assessment is a new theoretical framework for language assessment, and it is particularly relevant for underrepresented languages and learners. For this study the process is investigated in the context of Yugtun second language learners at a university level. This qualitative teacher action research was a study that involved seven students enrolled in an intermediate Yup'ik language course and that comprised three DA sessions over the course of one semester. The intention in using DA was not to help learners do better on the tests but to understand their development in the language. The hope was that DA interactions would …

The Hydrologic Regime At Sub-Arctic And Arctic Watersheds: Present And Projected, Anna K. Liljedahl

Engineering

The wetlands in the Arctic Coastal Plain, Northern Alaska, support a multitude of wildlife and natural resources that depend upon the abundance of water. Observations and climate model simulations show that surface air temperature over the Alaskan arctic coast has risen in recent history. Thus a growing need exists to assess how the hydrology of these arctic wetlands will respond to the warming climate. A synthesis study was conducted combining the analysis of an extensive field campaign, which includes direct measurements of all components of the water balance, with a physically-based hydrologic model forced by downscaled climate projections. Currently, these …

Seabird Habitat Use And Zooplankton Abundance And Biomass In Relation To Water Mass Properties In The Northern Gulf Of Alaska, Leandra De Sousa

Marine Biology

Understanding of biological and physical mechanisms that control the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) ecosystem is of major importance to predicting the responses of bird and zooplankton communities to environmental changes in this region. I investigated seasonal (March-October) changes in seabird abundance in relation to changes in zooplankton biomass and water mass properties from 1998 to 2003. Oceanodroma furcata and Fratercula cirrhata were most abundant during the peak of the zooplankton production season (May-August). Overall abundance of seabirds did not follow seasonal changes in zooplankton biomass. Seabird abundance was low in the study area when compared to other regions in the …