Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Balance Training With An Innovative Approach Compared To Traditional Balance Exercises, Brian Curtis Waite

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of an X Box 360 KinectTM game as a modality for improving balance. Specifically, this study explores the use of the Target Kick mini game on Kinect SportsTM as a tool for VR rehabilitation. Subjects (N=18, age 23.3 ±2.87 yrs, mass 71.83 ±15.25 kg, height 168.4 ±7.79 cm) with no lower extremity injury were randomly placed into three groups (X Box n = 6, Traditional n = 6, and Control n = 6). The X Box (XBOX) group performed ten minutes of balance training by playing an X Box game …

"My Words Fly Up, My Thoughts Remain Below": Community And Penance In Early Modern English Drama, Benedict John Whalen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines the vexed relationship between Christian doctrine, practice, and community in English Renaissance drama due to the abandonment of the sacrament of auricular confession during the Protestant Reformation. I argue that many English Renaissance dramatists were sensitive to the vast ramifications of the Reformers' theological understanding of penance, particularly in its emphasis upon a sinner's ability to accomplish unmediated contrition, and to be psychologically and emotionally satisfied thereby. By desacramentalizing and interiorizing penitential practices, the Protestant understanding of penance fundamentally changed the ways in which communities dealt with sins. As this dissertation demonstrates, many of the plays from …

Oral Presentation Abstracts By Day And Symposium From The 11th International Mammalogical Congress (Belfast, Northern Ireland : August 11-16, 2013), International Mammalogical Congress

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

About IMC

IMC returns to Europe after 24 years at a time when IUCN has identified 25% mammal species as at risk. As a venue to share concerns, concepts and techniques among professional mammalogists, IMC has never been more relevant. IMC11 Organising Committee hopes to welcome colleagues with diverse interests in the biology, conservation and management of mammals from throughout the world. IMC11 will encourage active participation in the Congress program by maximising time for spoken papers and posters offered by delegates.

Queen's University Belfast is the venue and are pleased to host the 11th International Mammalogical Congress on behalf …

Comfortable Approach Distance With Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Brittany A. Duncan, Robin R. Murphy

School of Computing: Conference and Workshop Papers

This paper presents the first known human-subject study of comfortable approach distance and height for human interaction with a small unmanned aerial vehicle (sUAV), finding no conclusive difference in comfort with a sUAV approaching a human at above head height or below head height. Understanding the amount, if any, of discomfort introduced by a sUAV flying in close proximity to a human is critical for law enforcement, crowd control, entertainment, or flying personal assistants. Previous work has focused on how humans interact with each other or with unmanned ground vehicles, and the experimental methods typically rely on the human participant …

Exploring The Variable Sky With Linear. Ii. Halo Structure And Substructure Traced By Rr Lyrae Stars To 30 Kpc, Branimir Sesar, Hakeem Oluseyi

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Faculty Publications

We present a sample of ∼5000 RR Lyrae stars selected from the recalibrated LINEAR data set and detected at heliocentric distances between 5 kpc and 30 kpc over ∼8000 deg2 of sky. The coordinates and light curve properties, such as period and Oosterhoff type, are made publicly available. We analyze in detail the light curve properties and Galactic distribution of the subset of ∼4000 type ab RR Lyrae (RRab) stars, including a search for new halo substructures and the number density distribution as a function of Oosterhoff type. We find evidence for the Oosterhoff dichotomy among field RR Lyrae stars, …

Why I Killed The Draft Horse: The Golden Bough, Robert Frost, And "Progress", Eugene Charles Mcgregor Boyle Iii

Master's Theses

The absence of criticism on Robert Frost's "The Draft Horse" suggests that it is a challenge to Frost scholarship. This reading views Frost's strange and neglected poem as a return to a monomyth offered by James Frazer's hugely influential The Golden Bough. In "The Draft Horse," Frost reconsiders the concept of ceremonial sacrifice that undergirds Frazer's encyclopedic study of world culture and, by performing ceremony as a kind of modem poesis, Frost complicates the hero/sacrificial object role and critiques the progressive ideology that grounds Frazer's account to fashion a troubling epic for modern America that implicates its national readers …

Madness, Scalawagery, And Reconstruction: Dr. William M. Compton And Civil War Era Politics, Eugene Allan Branstiter

Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to advance scholars' understanding of Civil War era Mississippi through an examination of the often overlooked role former Whigs and scalawags played in the state's postwar politics. Using the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum and the career of its scalawag superintendent Dr. William M. Compton as lenses, this paper examines Civil War era Mississippi's political, social, and cultural history. In doing so, this thesis seeks to complicate the historical memory of the era—a memory often dominated by images of irreconcilable Redeemer Klansmen and Radical Republicans—by arguing that moderate white Mississippians played a powerful role in rebuilding their society …

Dynamics And Control Of A Single-Line Maneuverable Kite, Christopher Donnelly

Theses

Through simulation, an automated control system for a single-line maneuverable kite is developed for application in kite wind energy production. The kite used in this study is a small, tension-controlled, single-line kite, commonly known as a fighter kite. These kites have a simple design, but flying them requires complex control of line tension and visual input. At low tether tension, the kite is unstable; spinning about the tether. Increasing tension in the tether causes the kite to deform and fly in the direction it was facing. Experienced fliers can produce intricate maneuvers and often participate in competitions with other fliers. …

Sustainability And Collegiate Recreational Sports Facilities., Thomas Bradley Stinnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability is a hot topic in higher education. Buzz words such as green and renewable have helped brand modern environmentalism. A greater emphasis on facility planning, development, and management is contributing to sustainability efforts. Collegiate recreational sports programs often include facilities that pose a challenge to the green movement, due to their size and operational requirements. To identify efforts within the collegiate recreational sports industry, this dissertation focuses on assessing the state of facility sustainability. The purpose of this study was to assess levels of personnel familiarity and institutional level of adoption related to sustainable initiatives at collegiate recreational sports …

Preclinical Safety Assessment Of Griffithsin-Based Vaginal Microbicides., Amanda Lasnik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Griffithsin (GRFT) is a protein derived from the red alga Griffithsia sp. off the coast of New Zealand. It binds and inactivates number of enveloped viruses including HIV-1. For a product to be developed as a microbicide, it must be safe and effective after repeated use. For initial in vivo safety testing we exposed mice repeatedly to various vaginal products and found that increased concentration of mouse serum albumin (MSA) in the vaginal lumen is predictive of epithelial damage. Repeated intravaginal administration of GRFT did not result in increased amounts of MSA, but the known epithelial disrupters nonoxynol-9 and benzylkonium …

Plant And Arthropod Diversity In Prairie Restorations Around Louisville, Ky., Sarah Elizabeth Atherton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prairies are important ecological biomes that contain high biodiversity of economic and ecologically important flora and fauna. Unfortunately, despite the vast historic distribution over most of mid-America, remnant prairies are critically threatened due to urbanization and other anthropogenic activities. Therefore, measurements of richness are utilized to assess the stability and condition of remnant and restored prairies-higher richness indicating greater ecosystem stability. Arthropod abundance comprises a significant portion of the species richness found in prairies. Because of this, arthropods are an ideal group of organisms to study due to their relatively limited dispersal range and utilization of microhabitats. In this study, …

Modern Arabic Calligraphic-Based Logos: The Influence Of Traditional Arabic Calligraphy On Modern Arabic Calligraphic-Based Logo Designs, Amer Alkharoubi

Theses

Calligraphy in the Arabic language is an ancient form of communication and a method of documenting history. The Arabic script started in a very simple form with characters similar to each other. However, through the years, many developments have occurred within this form of communication. These developments were created by several artists and calligraphers, which resulted in generating a variety of styles of scripts with unique treatments.

Since the twentieth century, these traditional calligraphic styles have started to lose their importance, and the use of modern Arabic calligraphy is becoming more dominant, especially in the fields of modern design such …

Wine With Pharaohs., Jean Fox Demoisey 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This manuscript contains poems linked by thematic, structural, and stylistic concerns. Thematically, the poems explore a subject's search for satisfactory connections to people, to place, and to culture; the role of language, and of possibilities for its usage, as both might pertain to such a search, is of vital interest. The order of poems intends an evolution of understanding, one explicit in the content of the pieces and also inflected poetically in the various deployments of the genre's conventions and devices. In conjunction with subjects explored, Wine with Pharaohs reflects a processing of origins and influences; a series of intertextual …

Synapses, Spines, Zinc And Pathology Of Alzheimer's Disease., Dmitry Familtsev 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial illness manifesting as gradual progressive memory loss, culminating in an end-stage of profound cognitive deterioration. While AD pathology is characterized by the presence of beta amyloid (Aß) plaques, clearing Aß deposits from the brain has not proved sufficient to improve cognition. It is thought that the gradual loss of synaptic connections in the telencephalon leads to cognitive impairment. Thus, understanding synaptic function and testing methods to prevent the loss of synapses are the primary directions of current AD research. AD pathology in the primary sensory areas of the cortex (the granular or koniocortex) is …

Effects Of Telemetry Emg Implants On Hindlimb Locomotor Recovery In Thoracic Spinal Contused Rats., Matthew L. Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spontaneous recovery in rats after spinal cord injury (SCI), and interventions that improve or impede spontaneous recovery are not well understood. During a study to characterize recovery landmarks after SCI using telemetry EMG, we discovered loss of function in telemetry implanted animals. To investigate this difference further, we implanted animals with leads in various hindlimb muscles to look for behavioral and kinematic differences in recovery. We found significant differences in both open field locomotor testing (BBB) and kinematics between implant and non-implant groups where implanted groups showed loss of coordination, as well as trends for animals implanted below the knee …

The Involvement Of Beta-Catenin In The Inflammatory Response Leading To Autoimmune Diabetes Development., Arin Lee Zirnheld

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We identified and characterized a novel defect in β-catenin expression in bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDC) from NOD mice, a model for human Type I diabetes. This protein is expressed at high levels throughout the lifespan of the mouse and correlates with increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production by the BMDC and IFNγ induction by T cells cocultured with the BMDC. These defects, including a similar pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, are also observed in human monocytederived DC from diabetic patients. After exploring several potential mechanisms involved in the accumulation of β-catenin in NOD BMDC, we found that β-catenin is phosphorylated …

Computational Modeling Of Human Dorsal Pathway For Motion Processing, Yuheng Wang

Theses

Reliable motion estimation in videos is of crucial importance for background iden- tification, object tracking, action recognition, event analysis, self-navigation, etc. Re- constructing the motion field in the 2D image plane is very challenging, due to variations in image quality, scene geometry, lighting condition, and most importantly, camera jit- tering. Traditional optical flow models assume consistent image brightness and smooth motion field, which are violated by unstable illumination and motion discontinuities that are common in real world videos.

To recognize observer (or camera) motion robustly in complex, realistic scenarios, we propose a biologically-inspired motion estimation system to overcome issues posed …

Running Among Thorns : Perspectives On Ethiopian/United States Educational Experiences., Bruce Whearty 1952-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative exploration of the perspectives of Ethiopian immigrants to the United States who have educational experience in both cultures. By interviewing five respondents and asking them to reflect on the role that their education played in their acculturation to the United States, a series of case histories was developed. The case histories were analyzed using the Differentiated Multi-Dimensional Model of Acculturation to determine if they upheld the two predictions made by this model: 1) acculturation for any particular individual proceeds independently at different rates across three different dimensions: language, behavior, and cultural identity; and 2) acculturation …

Gene Expression Analysis Of Neurotrophins, Trk Receptors, And Associated Regulatory Molecules After Contusive Spinal Cord Injury., Matthew Tyler Hougland 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in changes to the anatomical, neurochemical, and physiological properties of cells in the central and peripheral nervous system. Neurotrophins, acting by binding to their cognate Trk receptors on target cell membranes, contribute to modulation of anatomical, neurochemical, and physiological properties of neurons in sensorimotor circuits in both the intact and injured spinal cord. Neurotrophin signaling is associated with many post-SCI changes including maladaptive plasticity leading to pain and autonomic dysreflexia, but also therapeutic approaches such as training-induced locomotor improvement. Here we characterize expression of mRNA for neurotrophins and Trk receptors in lumbar dorsal root …

The Relationship Between Dispositional Mindfulness And Eating : An Analysis Of Self-Reported And In Vivo Eating Behaviors In Undergraduate Females., Megan E. Jablonski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation theorized that higher levels of dispositional mindfulness (DM), the innate tendency to be aware and accepting of the present moment, is associated with fewer maladaptive eating behaviors, particularly in response to stress and negative emotions. Previous research has established that DM is predictive of decreased stress perception and more skillful emotion regulation. However, few studies have explored how this quality might relate to eating behaviors, which can be influenced by psychological stress and negative affect. A sample of non-clinical female undergraduates (N = 158) completed self-report questionnaires assessing DM, perceived stress, emotional regulation skills, and problematic eating patterns. …

Interleukin Expression After Injury And The Effects Of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist, Connie S. Chamberlain, Ellen M. Leiferman, Kayt E. Frisch, Stacey L. Brickson, William L. Murphy, Geoffrey S. Baer, Ray Vanderby

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Ligament healing follows a series of complex coordinated events involving various cell types, cytokines, as well as other factors, producing a mechanically inferior tissue more scar-like than native tissue. Macrophages provide an ongoing source of cytokines to modulate inflammatory cell adhesion and migration as well as fibroblast proliferation. Studying interleukins inherent to ligament healing during peak macrophage activation and angiogenesis may elucidate inflammatory mediators involved in subsequent scar formation. Herein, we used a rat healing model assayed after surgical transection of their medial collateral ligaments (MCLs). On days 3 and 7 post-injury, ligaments were collected and used for microarray analysis. …

Management Options Of Acquired Punctal Stenosis, Amal A. Bukhari

Saudi Medical Journal

Punctal stenosis is a frequent source of patients referral to the otoplasty clinic and the search for a procedure that can permanently eliminate epiphora without disturbing the normal lacrimal system anatomy and physiology started centuries ago and continues today. The following article summarizes the reported procedures in the English literature in the acquired punctal stenosis with a description of techniques, success rates, and potential complications with the goal of identifying the most effective treatment strategy based on the current knowledge available.

Prevalence Of Vitamin D Deficiency In Saudi Adults, Abdulkareem O. Alsuwadia, Youssef M. Farag, Dujanah H. Mousa, Fayez F. Alhejaili, Ali S. Al-Harbi, Abdulrahman A. Housawi, Bharati V. Mittal, Ajay K. Singh

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy Saudi adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study carried out as part of the screening and early evaluation of kidney disease project. Vitamin D was measured in subjects recruited at 2 screening camps in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between March to May 2008. Subjects from the 2 large commercial centers in Riyadh aged >/=18 years and Saudi nationals were invited. RESULTS: The study sample comprised of 488 subjects. The mean age of the subjects was 37.43 (11.32) years, of which 50.2% (n=245) were males. Twenty-nine percent of subjects were in the vitamin …

Fatal Hemophagocytic Syndrome As A Manifestation Of Immune Reconstitution Syndrome In A Patient With Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Samreen M. Safdar, Jalil U. Rehman, Eba M. Samman, Nezar M. Bahabri

Saudi Medical Journal

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an aggressive and potentially life-threatening condition characterized by uncontrolled hyper inflammation caused by various inherited or acquired immune deficiencies. We report a case of a 42-year-old man, newly diagnosed with HIV on the basis of a low CD4 T lymphocyte count (17/mm3) and HIV viral load >100,000 copies/mL by polymerase chain reaction tests who was undergoing an anti-retroviral regimen (emitricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, ritonavir, and darunavir) and opportunistic infection prophylaxis (clarithromycin and atovaquone). He was concomitantly diagnosed with hemophagocytic syndrome, also known as HLH. He developed increasingly severe pancytopenia while on treatment with anti-retroviral drugs.

Equine-Assisted Therapy And Mindfulness: A Potential Correlation, Erin Caskey

Honors Projects

Equine-Assisted Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses horses to connect to people (Klontz, Bivens, Leinart, & Klontz, 2007). Clients of all ages with a variety of different reasons for seeking out this type of treatment have benefitted in many ways, including learning to trust and to be confident. A second therapeutic modality, mindfulness, is often a type of meditation based on focusing fully on the present moment (Niemiec, 2012). Researchers consider the term “mindfulness” to be synonymous with “awareness (Miller, Fletcher, & Kabat-Zinn, 1995).” It can also be a “state of being” and it has been found be …

Elementary Art And Writing, Mary A. Beningo

Masters Theses

The problem that I researched in today’s art education world is how to correlate elementary art curricula with writing curricula. To investigate this issue I field tested a curriculum module that reflects the contemporary issues of writing in art education. The curriculum module under investigation has been designed to correlate my 5^th grade fine arts curriculum with the homeroom teacher’s 5^th grade language arts curriculum.

During this study I worked with 56 fifth grade students and incorporated four writing projects into their fine arts curriculum: a Character Exploration project, a Black-out poetry project, a surrealistic textured paper collage …

The Key Sectors In Co2 Emission In Indonesia: Input Output Analysis, M. Handri Imansyah, Titi Muswati Putranti, Dean Yuliandri Affandi, Nidaan Khafian

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

This research is intended to identify changes of key sectors in CO2 emission over the period of 1990-1995. This research uses input-output method for mapping of the biggest polluting industry. By identifying the highest output multiplier, CO2 emission and change of final demand can be known from each of sectors. The research results show that there is emission reduction in the fifteen key sectors over 1990-1995, but there is no significant change in the five key sectors that are still the highest polluters.

Exercise Participation During Weight Loss On A High Protein – Low Carbohydrate Diet Plan In Females Aged 15-25 Years, Margaret Mobley-Meulman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Obese adults have an increased risk for serious health conditions including high blood pressure and cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and certain cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2012). Participation in exercise can help control weight, strengthen muscles and bones, and reduce the incidence of cardiac events, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporotic fractures, gallbladder disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, and delay mortality …

Ecology And Structure Of Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) Populations In The Interior Highlands Of Arkansas, Thea Vandervelde Kristensen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the Interior Highlands of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, over-harvest, extensive logging, and reductions of habitat availability by other means contributed to the decline of black bears (Ursus americanus). Bears were extirpated from the majority of the region by the 1940's Oklahoma by 1915 and from Missouri by 1931. From 1958-1968, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission undertook a reintroduction to the Ouachita and the Ozark National Forests in Arkansas. The successful growth and expansion of the released population caused these efforts to be considered one of the most successful reintroductions of carnivores. In this dissertation, I sought to examine …

Characterization And Quantification Of Monomers, Oligomers, And By-Products From Switchgrass Hemicelluloses During Biomass Pretreatment, Kris Allan Bunnell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Production of fuels and chemicals from biomass is contingent upon economical release of carbohydrates from biomass. Carbohydrates can then be used for production of bio-based products using a biochemical conversion process. Pretreatment, the first step of the biochemical conversion process, has been suggested to be the most costly step of the conversion process. Thus, better understanding the behavior of biomass during pretreatment is imperative for an economically viable production of biofuels and chemicals. Elucidating the physicochemical properties of biomass and developing an understanding the depolymerization patterns of biomass during pretreatment will help progress towards this goal.

In this study, July- …