Digital Commons Network^™

Brief Report On 14th International Neurology Update & 7th National Stroke Conference, Muhammad Malik

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Learning is an enduring burden for neurologists aiming to maintain a high standard of clinical practice and education. Keeping up to date with new developments in medicine is a real challenge. But it's a challenge all neurologists must take if they are to do justice to their patients and aim for superior clinical expertise. The colossal burden of neurological disorders in Pakistan often overwhelms neurologists and trainees leaving them little time for professional self development.

The Broadsheet- Issue 10, Merrimack College

The Broadsheet

Merrimack College's English Department newsletter.

This issue features:

• Senior Seminar Reflection
• Alison Leonard Profile
• Maleficent Film Review
• Dracula Untold Film Review
• Guest Book Review of Let’s Take the Long Way Home
• English Fall Excursion 2014

Diffusion Of The Lnternet And Its Effect On Gender Attitudes: A Cross-National Approach, Robert Roznowski

Masters Theses

The rapid diffusion of the Internet worldwide generates discussion about the social implications of the Internet. To explore the effect of Internet diffusion worldwide, this study examines changes in reported gender attitudes since the introduction of the Internet. I propose that the diffusion of the Internet fosters egalitarian changes in gender attitudes. Using cross-national data from forty countries over a time span of nearly twenty years, I successfully implement an alternative analysis technique, the slope-slope model, to examine the relationship between rates of Internet diffusion and changes in gender attitudes in the economic, political, and education domains. Internet diffusion affects …

Effects Of Video Enhancement In A Stated-Choice Experiment On Medical Decision Making, Susanne Hoffmann, Joachim Winter, Francis G. Caro, Alison Gottlieb

Gerontology Institute Publications

Background. The internet can be useful in administering stated-choice experiments to understand medical decision making and refine the content of patient decision aids. In internet-based stated-choice experiments, video and audio files can be used to provide information to respondents. Quality of data may or may not be affected.

Objectives. In a methodological experiment concerned with administration of a stated-choice experiment on the internet concerned with knee-replacement surgery, we compared the data quality obtained with video-enhanced and conventional text formats.

Methods. Members of the RAND Corporation’s American Life Panel and 50 years of age or older (n=1616) were randomly assigned to …

Designing Acoustics For Linguistically Diverse Classrooms: Effects Of Background Noise, Reverberation And Talker Foreign Accent On Speech Comprehension By Native And Non-Native English-Speaking Listeners, Z. Ellen Peng

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The current classroom acoustics standard (ANSI S12.60-2010) recommends core learning spaces not to exceed background noise level (BNL) of 35 dBA and reverberation time (RT) of 0.6 second, based on speech intelligibility performance mainly by the native English-speaking population. Existing literature has not correlated these recommended values well with student learning outcomes. With a growing population of non-native English speakers in American classrooms, the special needs for perceiving degraded speech among non-native listeners, either due to realistic room acoustics or talker foreign accent, have not been addressed in the current standard. This research seeks to investigate the effects of BNL …

Effects Of Feeding Distillers Grains Throughout A Yearling Heifer Beef Production System On Meat Quality Attributes And Effects Of Omnigen-Af With Ractopamine Hydrochloride On Animal Performance And Beef Carcass Characteristics Of Feedlot Steers, Kelby M. Sudbeck

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Heifers (n = 229; 225 kg ± 2) were used in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial to determine the effects of longterm exposure to corn distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) on meat quality characteristics. Factors included supplementing 0.91 kg (LW) or 2.3 kg (HW) modified DGS (MDGS) while grazing corn stalks; 0.6% BW dry DGS (SS) daily or none (NS) during summer grazing; and finishing diet containing 40% wet corn gluten feed (CGF) or 40% MDGS (DGF) on a DM basis. An interaction was observed within CGF for discoloration, with SS increasing discoloration 30%; but no differences between …

Metadata Determination For A Cadaveric Collection, Shamsi Rebecca Berry

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The number, size and complexity of research databases continue to grow unabated. Yet, despite significant advances in information technology, scientists continue to struggle with 'data wrangling' or issues of finding, sharing, and reusing data, often for unanticipated future purposes. Most research databases are designed ad hoc, by native investigators for specific research functions and immediate needs with little to no input from database designers, informaticians, or other subject matter experts. Little thought is usually given to the implications of future data retrieval, sharing and reuse. When the needs of future investigators or research requirements change, the original design of the …

Answering The "Serious Constitutional Question": Ensuring Meaningful Review Of All Constitutional Claims, George Bach

Faculty Scholarship

In 2012, the Supreme Court in Elgin v. Department of the Treasury clarified the standard that should apply when a federal statute purports to remove judicial review of all constitutional claims. The Court confirmed that, if a statute only channels judicial review of a constitutional claim into a specific avenue (for example, through administrative review and then the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals), then Congressional intent to do so need only be fairly discernible.' Alternatively, if a statute precludes all judicial review of a constitutional claim, there must be 'clear Congressional intent.' The Court explained that the reason for these …

Litter Decomposition And Root Production In Response To Grazing On Sandhills Subirrigated Meadow, Ben W. Beckman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Stocking density can be manipulated by management factors including herd size, pasture size, and grazing period length. Ultrahigh stocking density (mob grazing) is commonly characterized at 200,000 kg animal live weight ha^-1 or higher with multiple movements of livestock per day. Practitioners claim increased plant production, soil development, and nutrient cycling rates because of high trampling percentages resulting from ultrahigh socking densities. This study was conducted on subirrigated meadow in the Nebraska Sandhills in 2012 and 2013 to determine grazing method effect on annual root production and litter decomposition. Stocking rates were held constant while stocking densities varied by …

Is A 20 Kg Load Sufficient To Simulate Fatigue In Squat Jumps?, Chris A. Bailey, T. Mcinnis, K. Sato, B. Johnston, Z. Sha, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract available in the Annual Coaches and Sport Science College.

Analysis Of Changes In Strength, Explosiveness, And Agility Performance Over An Ncaa Division I Tennis Career: A Case Study, Caleb D. Bazyler, Jacob R. Goodin, George Beckham, H. Santana, M. Swartz, Ashley A. Kavanaugh

ETSU Faculty Works

Abstract available in the 9th Annual Coaches and Sport Science College .

Impact Of An Interprofessional Communication Course On Nursing, Medical, And Pharmacy Students’ Communication Skill Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Nicholas E. Hagemeier, Rick Hess, Kyle S. Hagen, Emily L. Sorah

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective. To describe an interprofessional communication course in an academic health sciences center and to evaluate and compare interpersonal and interprofessional communication self-efficacy beliefs of medical, nursing, and pharmacy students before and after course participation, using Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as a guiding framework.

Design. First-year nursing (n=36), first-year medical (n=73), and second-year pharmacy students (n=83) enrolled in an interprofessional communication skills development course voluntarily completed a 33-item survey instrument based on Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies prior to and upon completion of the course during the fall semester of 2012.

Assessment. Nursing students entered the course with higher interpersonal …

Cd100 Up-Regulation Induced By Interferon-Α On B Cells Is Related To Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Yu He, Yonghong Guo, Yun Zhou, Ying Zhang, Chao Fan, Guangxi Ji, Yu Wang, Zhiyuan Ma, Jianqi Lian, Chunqiu Hao, Zhi Q. Yao, Zhansheng Jia

ETSU Faculty Works

Objectives: CD100, also known as Sema4D, is a member of the semaphorin family and has important regulatory functions that promote immune cell activation and responses. The role of CD100 expression on B cells in immune regulation during chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unclear. Materials and Methods: We longitudinally investigated the altered expression of CD100, its receptor CD72, and other activation markers CD69 and CD86 on B cells in 20 chronic HCV-infected patients before and after treatment with pegylated interferon-alpha (Peg-IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) by flow cytometry. Results: The frequency of CD5+ B cells as well as the expression …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Complex Molecular Assemblies On Surfaces, Nitesh Madaan

Theses and Dissertations

The research presented in this dissertation is focused on the construction of complex molecular structures on planar gold and silicon dioxide surfaces using a variety of surface modification techniques, along with thorough surface characterization at each modification step. The dissertation is structured into six separate chapters. In Chapter 1, an introduction to the importance and implications of molecular level surface modification, commonly employed surface modification methods, and available surface characterization techniques is presented. Chapter 2 shows applications of novel methodologies for the functionalization of gold surfaces using alkane dithiol self-assembled monolayers and thiol-ene click chemistry. The resulting functionalized gold substrates …

Whose Success? The State–Foreign Capital Nexus And The Development Of The Automotive Industry In Slovakia, Petr Pavlinek

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

Using the case study of Slovakia, this article considers the role of the state in the rapid growth of the automotive industry in integrated peripheral markets of the global automotive industry. Although this growth has been mainly driven by the investment strategies of automotive lead firms, the state has played an important role by accommodating the strategic needs of foreign capital through neoliberal economic policies. In addition to secondary sources, the empirical research is based on a 2010 survey of 299 Slovak-based automotive firms with a response rate of 44% and on 38 on-site firm-level interviews conducted between 2011 and …

"Our Long Lost Patrimony": The Belding Family's Battle For The Spa, 1849-1887, Regina A. Bates

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2010-2020

The original Belding letters are part of the Belding-Gaines-Williamson Family Papers housed in the special collections section of the Riley-Hickingbotham Library at Ouachita Baptist University. Other original Belding letters are owned by Shawn Gibson of Texas, who is a direct descendent of the Belding family. The Beldings came to Hot Springs, Arkansas, after a brief stay in Virginia in 1828. Their letters are some of the only firsthand records of the Hot Springs Cases. The letters of the Belding and Gaines families begin in the 1840s and extend into the 1920s. This project focuses on the years surrounding the Civil …

From University Press To The University's Press, Gary Dunham, Carolyn Walters

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Bard Free Press, Vol. 16, No. 3 (December 2014), Bard College

Bard Free Press - All Issues (2000-2018)

No abstract provided.

Bibliography For Work In Ecocriticism, Zümre Gizem Yılmaz

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Effective Instructional Strategies Utilized In Successful And High Performing Secondary Schools In The Southern Region Of Mississippi, Jeanifer Lynn Pearson

Dissertations

The schools in the United States have implemented measures intended to close the achievement gap for over fifty years (Solomon, 2009). The mandates handed down by the federal government cannot be altered. Therefore, schools are required to determine specific measures that increase student academic success. Prior research has demonstrated that schools can be successful if effective leadership at the district, school, and classroom level was present (Gregory, 2003; Johnson, Livingston, & Schwartz, 2000). At the classroom level, it was the leadership of the individual teacher to determine the creation of innovative techniques aimed at academic success of all students (Farr …

The Natural Resource Curse In Sub-Saharan Africa: Transparency And International Initiatives, Meaza Zerihun Demissie

Dissertations

The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region has become a classic case of the resource-curse phenomenon characterized by the abundance of natural resources, low economic development, and misuse of natural resources. Economic-development experts debate ways to overcome or avoid the resource curse to advance SSA countries into developed countries. Only one natural resource-rich country in the region, Botswana, has succeeded in becoming an upper middle-income country using its natural resources, making the possibility of replication of this achievement difficult. The literature aligns in the belief that the economic and political well-being of resource-rich nations depends highly on the actors involved. National and …

Kinetic Experimental And Modeling Studies On Iron-Based Catalysts Promoted With Lanthana For The High-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Reaction Characterized With Operando Uv-Visible Spectroscopy And For The Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, Basseem Bishara Hallac

Theses and Dissertations

The structural and functional roles of lanthana in unsupported iron-based catalysts for the high-temperature water-gas shift reaction and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were investigated. The performance of the catalysts with varying lanthana contents was based on their activity, selectivity, and stability. With regard to the former reaction, extent of reduction of the iron in Fe2O3/Cr2O3/CuO/La2O3 water-gas shift catalysts is a key parameter that was characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy. Minor addition of lanthana (<0.5 wt%) produces more active and stable catalysts apparently because it stabilizes the iron-chromium spinel, increases the surface area of the reduced catalysts, enhances the reduction of hematite to the magnetite active phase, and facilitates the adsorption of CO on the surface of the catalyst modeled by an adsorptive Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. Statistical 95% confidence contour plots of the adsorption equilibrium constants show that water adsorbs more strongly than CO, which inhibits the reaction rate. A calibration curve that correlates the oxidation state of surface iron domains to normalized absorbance of visible light was successfully generated and applied to the water-gas shift catalysts. UV-visible studies indicated higher extent of reduction for surface Fe domains for the catalysts promoted with 1 wt% of lanthana and showed potential to be a more convenient technique for surface chemistry studies than X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES). Lanthana addition to iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts enhances the olefin-to-paraffin ratio, but decreases their activity, stability, and selectivity to liquid hydrocarbons. Adding lanthana at the expense of potassium reduces the water-gas shift selectivity and enhances the activity and stability of the catalysts. Finally, a model that simulates heat and mass transfer limitations on the particle scale for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction applicable at lab-scale suggests optimal operating and design conditions of 256°C, 30 bar, and 80 mirons are recommended for higher selectivity to liquid hydrocarbons. The model considers pressure drop, deactivation, pore diffusion, film heat transfer, and internal heat transfer when solving for the optimal conditions, and maps them as functions of design variables. This model can be up-scaled to provide guidance for optimal design of commercial-size reactors.

Inclusive Recreation: The Malleability Of Attitudes Toward Disability Through Peer Interaction, Megan Fort

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the malleability of attitudes with the goal of improving social inclusion for a stigmatized group, specifically individuals with developmental disabilities. Contact Theory was used as an intentional structure for meaningful intergroup contact to assess, understand, and improve meanings applied to individuals with disabilities at an inclusive summer day camp. Adolescent volunteers were administered quantitative questionnaires utilizing the Contact with Disabled Persons Scale (CDP) and the Multi-Dimensional Attitude Scale (MAS). Collected data were used to determine the efficacy of involvement in an inclusive recreation program on adolescent participants' attitudes toward disability. After a covariate-adjusted regression analysis, contact with …

Self-Compassion And Employment Issues Of Persons With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

Self-compassion……..What is it? Why is it of value? How does it relate to the employment needs of persons with disabilities? These are just a few of the questions people might have when they hear the term followed by having it associated with employment and persons with disabilities. For starters, self-compassion is not a topic that has been historically discussed openly, correctly understood, or promoted. Instead, the societal message when faced with difficult life events such as disability, unemployment, and lack of resources (i.e., access, education) has been one of “just man up and deal with it.” Self-compassion offers everyone, including …

Leisure Defined By Free Choice: Ugandan Women's Perceptions Of Leisure, Emilie Adams

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of leisure among women in the developing East African nation of Uganda. In this study, I evaluated the leisure experiences of 38 Ugandan women of various backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses through semi-structured interviews. I analyzed the data using the constant comparative method. Themes for the meaning of leisure include fortifying leisure, enjoyment, and rest and relaxation. Results point to free choice as the core variable. Finally, I discuss the implications and suggestions for future research.

The Word Problem Factor: Assessing The Ability Of Utah High School Career And Technical Education Students To Do The Math Involved In Formulating And Calculating Energy Cost Factors, Kristen Bentley

Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done showing the difficulty people have with word problems. This has been shown to be true for many types of word problems and for different demographics. Questions have remained unanswered regarding the reasons for this difficulty. It has been unclear if the word problems were hard because the people had forgotten or had not yet learned how to do the math calculations involved or for some other reason. This study deals with high school students who are currently in a high school level math class. They were given an assessment involving word problems and number-only problems. …

The Roman Riders: Ethnicity And Iconography On Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones, Jessica Colleen Kramer

Theses and Dissertations

The funerary grave stelae of the Roman cavalrymen are large, impressive monuments set apart from their military counterparts by the ornate relief carvings which they exhibit. The two most common motifs featured on these tombstones are the rider relief motifs and the totenmahl motifs. Aspects of both the reliefs and the inscribed epitaphs are distinctly characteristic of the Roman military. Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, men in the auxiliary cavalry units were recruited from non-Roman allied tribes. These recruits brought with them foreign languages, customs, and beliefs. Through a comparative study of Roman cavalry tombstones found in Great …

Use Of Fresh Parental Fibular Allograft For Reconstruction Of Skeletal Defects After Limb Salvage Surgery, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Raza Askari, Sher Baz

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To share early experience with paediatric patients having undergone skeletal reconstruction after limb salvage surgery.

METHODS:

A reterorespective audit study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from 1994 to 2011 An audit of the institutional tumour registry was done and relevant cases of paediatric patients having undergone skeletal reconstruction after limbsalvage surgery were tracked. Outcomes were objectively assessed through Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score. International Society of Limb Salvage grading was used to measure union of the graft to the host bone.

RESULTS:

Of the total 9 patients, 5(55.6%) were males and 4(44.4%) were females with an …

Functional And Radiological Outcome Of Intramedullary Nailing Vs. Plate Fixation For Humeral Shaft Fractures. Does Treatment Method Bring Any Difference?, Pervaiz Hashmi, Yasir Mohib

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

BACKGROUD:

Operative Management of Humeral shaft fractures may be accomplished with the help of Plate fixation or IM Nails. Controversy exists as to which modality is superior to the other in terms of fewer complications and better functional and radiologicaloutcome.

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the differences in radiological and functional outcome of humeral shaft fractures managed by platefixation and antegrade intramedullary nails.

METHODS:

The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised records of Patients managed surgically for uncomplicated humeral shaft fractures between 2007 and 2012. The patients were followed up for one year at clinic, …

Operative Management Of Patients With Non-Spinal Metastatic Bone Disease. Does It Actually Improve Quality Of Life?, Masood Umer, Yasir Mohib, Hafiz Muhammad Umer

Department of Surgery Docs

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the survival rate and functional outcome of skeletal stabilisation in patients with metastatic bone disease.

METHODS:

The retrospective study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of patients with non-spinalmetastatic bone disease managed surgically from January 2002 to December 2010. All patients had been managed by experienced orthopaedic, oncology and multidisciplinary teams. Patients managed by non-oncologic orthopaedic surgeons were excluded. The prognostic influence of clinical, pathological and treatment variables on Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score, range of motion, local complications and death rate were measured. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: …