Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Energy Drinks On Cardiovascular Variables: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Cynthia Lee

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have investigated the effects of energy drinks on cardiovascular parameters. These studies were typically conducted with high volume (32 ounces) energy drinks and have demonstrated association with QT prolongation and blood pressure elevation after consumption. Currently, there is inconclusive evidence with lower volume energy drinks. This study intends to evaluate the effects of the largest commercially available energy drink can (24 ounces) in the United States on cardiovascular parameters compared with placebo arm. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted over 2 separate days with a minimum of 6-day wash out period. Healthy volunteers between the age …

Knob-Socket Investigation Of Stability And Specificity In Alpha-Helical Secondary And Quaternary Packing Structure, Taylor Renee Rabara

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The novel knob-socket (KS) model provides a construct to interpret and analyze the direct contributions of amino acid residues to the stability in α-helical protein structures. Based on residue preferences derived from a set of protein structures, the KS construct characterizes intra- and inter-helical packing into regular patterns of simple motifs. The KS model was used in the de novo design of an α-helical homodimer, KSα1.1. Using site-directed mutagenesis, KSα1.1 point mutants were designed to selectively increase and decrease stability by relating KS propensities with changes to α-helical structure. This study suggests that the sockets from the KS Model can …

How A Small Business Negotiates Digital Inclusion Of People With Disabilities: A Case Study, Belo Miguel Cipriani

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Technology has provided more people access products and services, yet some individuals who would benefit the most from digital access to resources are frequently excluded from participation. One group that is largely neglected is the disability community. Despite federal regulations intended to ensure that people with physical/mental disabilities are included in public digital platforms, organizations continuously design websites, applications, and interfaces without people with disabilities in mind. This is particularly the case with small businesses, which are most commonly reported as having inaccessible digital platforms.

Digital inclusion attempts to ensure equity in digital properties by providing a model to operationalize …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Relation To Perceived English Proficiency And Teaching Practices: An Investigation Of Chinese Primary English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Teachers, Yun Zhang

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Research on self-efficacy has been a productive field and abundant research has shown that teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs influence teachers’ actions and performances and thus affect students’ learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of literature on EFL teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and even less research was set in Chinese EFL contexts. On the one hand, this study was conducted to provide a general picture of the current status of EFL teachers’ perceived English proficiency, self-rated self-efficacy beliefs and self-reported teaching practices in terms of some demographic perspectives; On the other hand, it aimed to explore the correlations among Chinese primary EFL …

Dialogue During Team Problem Solving Using Visual Representation Boundary Objects: A Case Study, Julie Marie Webb

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Organizations benefit from the knowledge held by individual members as well as knowledge that is shared among those members. In order for knowledge to co-develop between members, and to spread, organizations must provide opportunities for members to collaborate. Organizational teams sometimes require assistance with interpersonal communication, establishing consensus, and sharing knowledge when collaborating. Group facilitators can offer guidance and intervene when teams need support. In addition, teams can find support through the use of visual representation boundary objects (VRBOs) to build trust, improve communication, increase cooperation, and share ideas. This study explores how knowledge is shared between team members and …

I3: Isomerization Of Isomer Ions, Krisztián Gabor Torma

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy is a robust tool for elucidating complex unimolecular dissociation mechanisms and for determining thermochemical and kinetic data of gas-phase ion dissociations with high accuracy. In this work, the dissociative photoionization of two sets of isomeric systems were analyzed with PEPICO: 1) C7H7+ ions of toluene (Tol) and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene (CHT), and 2) two butyl alcohol isomers, 1-butanol and isobutanol. Threshold dissociative photoionization data on these four molecules of interest were collected on the imaging PEPICO apparatus at the VUV beamline of the Swiss Light Source. Data analysis was aided by ab initio calculations and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) …

The Effects Of Listening To Motivational Music On Performance Of Knee Extension And Flexion In Healthy Adults, Alexander Lesser

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether listening to motivational music prior to performing leg extensions and flexions effected peak torque performance. Participants included 23 adults between the ages 18 and 48 years. Participants engaged in three sets of leg extensions and flexions utilizing a Cybex Humac NORM system following a warm-up period consisting of listening to either researcher-selected music, self-selected music, and in silence. Two one-way ANOVAs comparing participants’ data showed significant results in leg flexions performed following warm-up while listening to self-selected music. Significant results were not achieved for leg extensions yet a similar trend was …

Visual Feedback In Voice Therapy For Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Rachel Brooke Convey

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson ’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects one’s movement. As the disease develops, individuals begin to present with symptoms that include but are not limited to bradykinesia, rigidity, tremors, and hypokinetic dysarthria. These symptoms affect a person’s entire body, including his/her voice. The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) program for treating individuals with PD is supported by over twenty-five years of research. It is considered a safe, non-invasive method to improve vocal loudness and speech clarity in individuals with PD. However, simply because LSVT is effective in its current state, it does not mean that the …

Disrupting The Prison-To-Prison Pipeline: Doing Restorative Identity Work With Offender-Labeled Youth, Jahmon Londre Gibbs

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to addresses how the existence of counterspaces influences the psychological well-being of offender-labeled youth transitioning back into society. A counterspace has been defined as a social setting where two or more individuals come together to challenge deficit notions. No longer is recidivism solely being placed on offender-labeled youth that reside within juvenile correctional facilities, therefore the need for innovative programs that help develop resistance narratives and promote reengagement with the educational system are needed. In this 12-week qualitative ethnographic study the two concepts of restorative practices and narrative identity work are blended …

Effects Of Eye Tracking During Infancy On Social Ambiguity And Emotional Distress, Gabriela Hernandez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between early eye tracking and later non-suicidal self-injury, and whether this relationship was negatively impacted by distress and impulsivity, and conversely alleviated by emotional regulation and problem solving abilities. Briggs-Gowan et al. (2001) found that young children with recurrent and comorbid externalizing and internalizing problems have the most impairment; they exhibit greater difficulty with emotional stability, and require greater utilization of mental health services. Little research has focused on the relationship between eye tracking in early infancy and suicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behavior in early childhood. Multiple regression analysis was used …

Using Meta‐Ethnography To Develop A Conceptual Model Of Peer‐Assisted Learning Of Nursing Students In Clinical Practice, Matthew C. Carey, Bridie Kent, Jos M. Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Fully Guided Placement Of Orthodontic Miniscrews-A Technical Report, B Kirnbauer, P Rugani, E Santigli, P Tepesch, K Ali, N Jakse

Peninsula Dental School

No abstract provided.

Learning From Failure: Errorful Generation Improves Memory For Items, Not Associations, Tina Seabrooke, Timothy J. Hollins, Christopher Kent, Andy J. Wills, Chris J. Mitchell

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty And Blocking In Human Causal Learning, Peter M. Jones, Tara Zaksaite, Chris J. Mitchell

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Thinking Outside Of The Box Ii: Disrupting The Cognitive Map., Matthew G. Buckley, Alastair D. Smith, Mark Haselgrove

School of Psychology

A number of influential spatial learning theories posit that organisms encode a viewpoint independent (i.e. allocentric) representation of the global boundary shape of their environment in order to support spatial reorientation and place learning. In contrast to the trial and error learning mechanisms that support domain-general processes, a representation of the global-shape of the environment is thought to be encoded automatically as part of a cognitive map, and without interference from other spatial cues. To date, however, this core theoretical assumption has not been appropriately examined. This is because previous attempts to address this question have failed to employ tasks …

Antifouling Paint Particles In Intertidal Estuarine Sediments From Southwest England And Their Ingestion By The Harbour Ragworm, Hediste Diversicolor, Christina Muller-Karanassos, Andrew Turner, William Arundel, Tom Vance, Penelope K. Lindeque, Matthew Cole

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

© 2019 Antifouling paint particles (APPs) of between 500 μm and >2 mm in diameter have been identified in silty, intertidal estuarine sediments through a combination of microscopy and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. APPs were heterogeneously distributed, with maximal concentrations of 430 particles L −1 (0.2 g L −1 ) near to a facility where boats are regularly maintained and 400 particles L −1 (4.2 g L −1 ) at a location where old boats had been abandoned, with the majority of particles encountered in the finest size fraction retrieved. APPs contained variable concentrations of Cu, Zn, Sn and Pb, with …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of The Nice Head Injury Guidelines On Inpatient Mortality From Traumatic Brain Injury: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis, Carl Marincowitz, Fiona Lecky, Victoria Allgar, Trevor Sheldon

Peninsula Medical School

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) head injury guidelines on deaths and hospital admissions caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI).SettingAll hospitals in England between 1998 and 2017.ParticipantsPatients admitted to hospital or who died up to 30 days following hospital admission with International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding indicating the reason for admission or death was TBI.InterventionAn interrupted time series analysis was conducted with intervention points when each of the three guidelines was introduced. Analysis was stratified by guideline recommendation specific age groups (0–15, 16–64 and 65+).Outcome measuresThe monthly population mortality and admission rates …

Towards Simulated Morality Systems: Role-Playing Games As Artificial Societies, J Casas-Roma, M Nelson, J Arnedo-Moreno, S Gaudl, R Saunders

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Diversity In Co2 Concentrating Mechanisms Among Chemolithoautotrophs From Genera Hydrogenovibrio, Thiomicrorhabdus, And Thiomicrospira, Ubiquitous In Sulfidic Habitats Worldwide, Kathleen M. Scott, Juliana M. Leonard, Rich Boden, Dale Chaput, Clare Dennison, Edward Haller, Tara L. Harmer, Abigail Anderson, Tiffany Arnold, Samantha Budenstein, Rikki Brown, Juan Brand, Jacob Byers, Jeanette Calarco, Timothy Campbell, Erica Carter, Max Chase, Montana Cole, Deandra Dwyer, Jonathon Grasham, Christopher Hanni, Ashlee Hazle, C Johnson, R Johnson, Brandi Kirby, Katherine Lewis, Brianna Neumann, Tracy Nguyen, Charari J Nino, Ooreoluwa Morakinyo, Bengt Olsson, Shanetta Roundtree, Emily Skjerve, Ashley Ubaldini, Robert Whittaker

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Members of Hydrogenovibrio, Thiomicrospira and Thiomicrorhabdus fix carbon at hydrothermal vents, coastal sediments, hypersaline lakes, and other sulfidic habitats. The genome sequences of these ubiquitous and prolific chemolithoautotrophs suggest a surprising diversity of mechanisms for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) uptake and fixation; these mechanisms are verified here. Carboxysomes are apparent in transmission electron micrographs of most of these organisms; lack of carboxysomes in Thiomicrorhabdus sp. Milos T2 and Tmr. arctica, and an inability to grow under low DIC conditions by Thiomicrorhabdus sp. Milos T2 are consistent with an absence of carboxysome loci in their genomes. For the remaining organisms, potential …

Exposure To Microplastics Reduces Attachment Strength And Alters The Haemolymph Proteome Of Blue Mussels (Mytilus Edulis), Dannielle S. Green, Thomas J. Colgan, Richard C. Thompson, James C. Carolan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Second Language Tutoring Using Social Robots: A Large-Scale Study, P Vogt, Den Berghe R Van, Haas M De, L Hoffman, J Kanero, E Mamus, J-M Montanier, C Oranc, O Oudgenoeg-Paz, Dh Garcia, F Papadopoulos, T Schodde, J Verhagen, Cd Wallbridgell, B Willemsen, Wit J De, T Belpaeme, T Goksun, S Kopp, E Krahmer, Ac Kuntay, P Leseman, Ak Pandey

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

We present a large-scale study of a series of seven lessons designed to help young children learn English vocabulary as a foreign language using a social robot. The experiment was designed to investigate 1) the effectiveness of a social robot teaching children new words over the course of multiple interactions (supported by a tablet), 2) the added benefit of a robot's iconic gestures on word learning and retention, and 3) the effect of learning from a robot tutor accompanied by a tablet versus learning from a tablet application alone. For reasons of transparency, the research questions, hypotheses and methods were …

Accurate Eye Center Localization Via Hierarchical Adaptive Convolution, H Cai, B Liu, Z Ju, S Thill, T Belpaeme, B Vanderborght, H Liu

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Eye center localization has been an active research topic for decades due to its important biological properties, which indicates human's visual focus of attention. However, accurate eye center localization still remains challenging due to the high degree appearance variation caused by different kinds of viewing angles, illumination conditions, occlusions and head pose. This paper proposes a hierarchical adaptive convolution method (HAC) to localize the eye center accurately while consuming low computational cost. It mainly utilizes the dramatic illumination changes between the iris and sclera. More specifically, novel hierarchical kernels are designed to convolute the eye images and a differential operation …

Resonance Study Of Su(2) Model With 2 Fundamental Flavours Of Fermions, T Janowski, V Drach, S Prelovsek

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Composite Higgs models are promising candidate models to address the long-standing naturalness problem in the Standard Model. Among them, the most minimal one is the SU(2) with 2 flavours of fermions in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. An important prediction in these models is the existence of resonance spectrum in vector boson scattering. Here we study the lowest such resonance, which is the equivalent of rho resonance in QCD. We describe the scan of the parameter space using the clover-improved Wilson fermions with Symanzik improved gauge action and then show the first results for the mass and width …

Analytical And Numerical Simulations Of An Oscillating Water Column With Humidity In The Air Chamber, E. Medina-Lopez, A. G.L. Borthwick, A. Moñino

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Fishing For Litter (Ffl) Scheme In The Uk In Terms Of Attitudes, Behavior, Barriers And Opportunities, Kayleigh J. Wyles, Sabine Pahl, Lauren Carroll, Richard C. Thompson

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Social Evaluation Of Faces Across Gender And Familiarity, Mila Mileva, Robin S.S. Kramer, A. Mike Burton

School of Psychology

Models of social evaluation aim to capture the information people use to form first impressions of unfamiliar others. However, little is currently known about the relationship between perceived traits across gender. In Study 1, we asked viewers to provide ratings of key social dimensions (dominance, trustworthiness, etc.) for multiple images of 40 unfamiliar identities. We observed clear sex differences in the perception of dominance—with negative evaluations of high dominance in unfamiliar females but not males. In Study 2, we used the social evaluation context to investigate the key predictions about the importance of pictorial information in familiar and unfamiliar face …

Mine Or Mother’S? Exploring The Self-Ownership Effect Across Cultures, M Golubickis, Nsp Ho, Jk Falbén, Km Mackenzie, A Boschetti, Wa Cunningham, Macrae C Neil

School of Psychology

In exploring self-biases in cognition and decision-making, recent research has demonstrated cultural variation in the emergence of the self-ownership effect in memory. Whereas Westerners display enhanced memory for items owned by the self (vs. mother), this effect is reversed among Asian participants. Developing this line of inquiry, here we considered whether cultural influences on ownership extend to other outcomes—specifically, the efficiency of object categorization. In two experiments, Western and Asian participants were required to report if previously assigned items (i.e., pencils and pens) were owned-by-self or owned-by-mother. Results revealed a self-prioritization effect for participants from both cultures, such that responses …

Insulin Resistance During Normal Child Growth And Development Is Associated With A Distinct Blood Metabolic Phenotype (Earlybird 72), Joanne Hosking, Jonathan Pinkney, Alison Jeffery, Ornella Cominetti, Silva L Da, Sebastiano Collino, Martin Kussmann, Jorg Hager, Francois Pierre Martin

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Do Psychological Factors Relate To Energy Saving Behaviours In Inefficient And Damp Homes? A Study Among English Social Housing Residents, C Boomsma, Rv Jones, S Pahl, A Fuertes

School of Psychology

Social housing residents are vulnerable to rising energy costs. Reductions in energy use through behaviour change may be part of the solution but require an insight into the factors that relate to energy saving behaviour in this context. This paper responds to recent calls for an integrated approach to studying energy saving behaviours, investigating psychological (i.e. attitudes; perceived behavioural control; subjective norms), contextual (i.e. dwelling energy efficiency; problems with condensation, damp and mould), and socio-demographic factors (i.e. gender; age) together. Data was collected using a cross-sectional survey among social housing residents in South-West England. Dwelling characteristics were not found to …

Physical Activity Recognition By Utilising Smartphone Sensor Signals, A Alruban, H Alobaidi, N Clarke, F Li

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.