Digital Commons Network^™

Walking With A Robotic Exoskeleton Does Not Mimic Natural Gait: A Within-Subjects Study, Chad Swank, Sharon Wang-Price, Fan Gao, Sattam Almutairi

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Background: Robotic exoskeleton devices enable individuals with lower extremity weakness to stand up and walk over ground with full weight-bearing and reciprocal gait. Limited information is available on how a robotic exoskeleton affects gait characteristics.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether wearing a robotic exoskeleton affects temporospatial parameters, kinematics, and muscle activity during gait.

Methods: The study was completed by 15 healthy adults (mean age 26.2 [SD 8.3] years; 6 males, 9 females). Each participant performed walking under 2 conditions: with and without wearing a robotic exoskeleton (EKSO). A 10-camera motion analysis system synchronized with 6 …

Endowments Of Higher Education Institutions And Individual Income Tax Policy: Wealth Erosion From A Loss In Charitable Contributions, Jennifer W. Siebenthaler

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The most significant tax overhaul bill in over thirty years was enacted in 2017 and expected to have wide-ranging effects. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes numerous policies that directly and indirectly impact the higher education sector and the effect to endowments was not addressed in the public debate leading up to enactment. Unlike expendable gifts, a reduction in endowment contributions has a cumulative effect because a gift to an endowment can benefit all subsequent years. Each year following a contribution, investment income earned on the original gift is available for spending and benefits escalate over time in amount, …

Soft Skills: Old & New, Kevin Wayne Beardmore

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The problem of a prepared workforce is perennial. Part of the challenge is one of supply and demand, as education systems attempt to produce graduates with the technical competencies required for the current jobs available. In the new service- and knowledge-based economy, however, soft skills are cited as a greater need by today’s employers. Increasingly sought across all industry sectors, these skills allow employees to work independently and interdependently, respond rapidly to customer needs, and adjust to changing market conditions. As a result, institutions of higher education are being called upon to infuse soft skills into their curricula. In this …

Believing In Achieving: Examining African American Women’S Doctoral Attainment, Reshanta Camea Hazelbaker

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

This research explored the intersectionality of race, class, and gender within the sources of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) underlying the socialization messages influencing African American women’s doctoral attainment beliefs. Twenty African American female/woman doctoral achievers completed an online survey, consisting of open-ended and multiple-choice response items, designed to identify and explore the sources of self-efficacy influencing African American women’s doctoral attainment beliefs. Eleven participants participated in focus interviews to expand upon and clarify initial survey responses.

Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and tenets of critical race theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; McCoy & Rodricks, 2015) were used to analyze the …

The Stakeholder Gap Lens: Teacher And Parental Perceptions Of The Achievement Gap In Kentucky's Public Schools, Heather Renee Brown Chapman

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

The research around the achievement gap is extensive. However, regardless that the term “achievement gap” is so widely used in academia today, there is often confusion surrounding what the achievement gap is. This study seeks to answer three research questions: (1) To what extent does an achievement gap exist among different subgroups of students in Kentucky’s K-12 public schools? (2) How do the perceptions of parents and teachers interact with decision-making? (3) How do the ideas of parents and teachers regarding closing the achievement gap compare?

This research examines perceptions of the existence of an achievement gap in Kentucky’s public …

A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Middle Level Student Engineering Understanding Pre-And Post-Treatment, Emily Driessen

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

This qualitative quasi-experimental study analyzed middle-level students’ understanding of engineering before and after instruction. Students from four teachers were examined. Before and after instruction, all students completed the Draw an Engineer Test (DAET) and the Views of Nature of Engineering (VNOE) survey. Additionally, sixteen students (eight girls and eight boys) from each group (Treatment and Comparison) were interviewed before and after instruction. Findings revealed that after instruction (1) many students viewed engineers as makers/builders/workers (just as they did pre-instruction), however, the percentage of students who listed engineers as inventors, designers, and creators increased; (2) fewer students from both groups noted …

The Influence Of Access To Informal Stem Learning Experiences On Middle School Students’ Self-Efficacy And Interest In Stem, Soledad G. Yao

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Informal learning experiences have become increasingly effective in enhancing self-efficacy and interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).This study investigated the impact of access to informal STEM learning experiences on student self-efficacy and interest in STEM before and after participating in the 2018 See Blue See STEM Summer Experience. Pre-survey results indicated that middle school students who had previous access to informal STEM learning experiences are 3.21 times as likely to demonstrate high self-efficacy in STEM as those who had no previous access. After engaging in the 2018 summer experience, post-survey results showed a statistically significant …

Improving Undergraduate Statistics Education: Educational Lessons From Two Pedagogical Experiments, Anushka Karkelanova

Theses and Dissertations--Curriculum and Instruction

The ultimate goal of statistics education is to create a statistically literate society in which people can appropriately use statistical thinking. Although the need to improve the teaching of introductory statistics courses is not a new one, with increased demand on these courses, there has been constant effort to seek out better ways of teaching these courses. The University of Kentucky (UK) began a reform of its general education program in November 2005. Thinking and reasoning are the central themes of this well-designed general education curriculum.

The main goal of this dissertation is to fill in some gaps in the …

Principal Behaviors That Foster Collective Efficacy Among Teachers In Rural Secondary Schools In Kentucky, Tanya Jo Jury

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine principal behaviors, identified by teachers and principals, which foster collective efficacy among teachers. As instructional leaders of a school, principals are expected to lead their schools. Behaviors exhibited by the principal can either help or hinder the success of the school and teachers and students in that school. This study will assist principals, aspiring principals, and instructors of principal preparation programs in knowing what behaviors are necessary to foster collective efficacy in their schools, leading to greater success for that school.

Collective efficacy is a shared belief that by working together, “we …

Synthesis Of 4-Methylbenzoate(2ʹ,4ʹ,6ʹ-Trimethoxyphenyl) Iodonium Tosylate, Thomas Ludwig Seidl, Aaron Moment, Charles Orella, Thomas Vickery, David R. Stuart

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hypervalent iodine continues to intrigue organic chemists with its diverse breadth of reactivity. The use of diaryliodonium salts as aryltransfer reagents has increased dramatically in the past decade as they have become more available by the development of efficient “one-pot” synthesis methods. Unsymmetrical diaryliodonium salts that selectively, and predictably, transfer one aryl group over the other are particularly desirable reagents, especially for the transfer of elaborate aryl groups to nucleophilic moieties. While the mesityl (Mes; 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) group effectively serves as a general auxiliary in metal-catalyzed reactions of diaryliodonium salts, a broadly applicable auxiliary has not been adopted in metal-free reactions. …

Limited Sequence Diversity Within A Population Supports Prebiotic Rna Reproduction, Ryo Mizuuchi, Niles Lehman

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The origins of life require the emergence of informational polymers capable of reproduction. In the RNA world on the primordial Earth, reproducible RNA molecules would have arisen from a mixture of compositionally biased, poorly available, short RNA sequences in prebiotic environments. However, it remains unclear what level of sequence diversity within a small subset of population is required to initiate RNA reproduction by prebiotic mechanisms. Here, using a simulation for template-directed recombination and ligation, we explore the effect of sequence diversity in a given population for the onset of RNA reproduction. We show that RNA reproduction is improbable in low …

Targeting Mitochondria In Cancer Therapy Could Provide A Basis For The Selective Anticancer Activity, Dmitri Rozanov, Anton Cheltsov, Aaron Nilsen, Christopher Boniface, Isaac Forquer, James Korkola, Joe Gray, Multiple Additional Authors

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

To determine the target of the recently identified lead compound NSC130362 that is responsible for its selective anti-cancer efficacy and safety in normal cells, structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies were conducted. First, NSC13062 was validated as a starting compound for the described SAR studies in a variety of cell-based viability assays. Then, a small library of 1,4-naphthoquinines (1,4-NQs) and quinoline-5,8-diones was tested in cell viability assays using pancreatic cancer MIA PaCa-2 cells and normal human hepatocytes. The obtained data allowed us to select a set of both non-toxic compounds that preferentially induced apoptosis in cancer cells and toxic compounds that induced …

Aerosol Gas-Phase Components From Cannabis E‑Cigarettes And Dabbing: Mechanistic Insight And Quantitative Risk Analysis, Jiries Meehan-Atrash, Wentai Luo, Kevin J. Mcwhirter, Robert M. Strongin

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Consumption of cannabis by nontraditional methods has surged since the advent of legalization in North America and worldwide. Inhaling cannabis extracts using vaporizers and via dabbing has risen in popularity, while concerns over product safety have not hindered their proliferation. The work herein is the first step toward assessing the safety of vaporizing and dabbing concentrated cannabis extracts as a function of gas-phase reaction products. The gas-phase thermal degradants of Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have not been previously investigated. It was found that users may be exposed to concerning degradants such as methacrolein, benzene, and methyl vinyl ketone when using cartridge …

Spatial Fingerprinting Of Biogenic And Anthropogenic Volatile Organic Compounds In An Arid Unsaturated Zone, Christopher T. Green, Wentai Luo, Christopher H. Conaway, Karl B. Haase, Ronald J. Baker

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Subsurface volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can pose risks to human and environmental health and mediate biological processes. Volatile organic compounds have both anthropogenic and biogenic origins, but the relative importance of these sources has not been explored in subsurface environments. This study synthesized 17 yr of VOC data from the Amargosa Desert Research Site in Nevada with the goal of improving understanding of spatial and temporal variations that distinguish sources of VOCs from a landfill and from ambient sources including biogenic VOCs (bVOCs). Gas samples were collected from 1999 to 2016 from an array of shallow sample points (0.5- and …

Classic Papers In Critical Care: A Bibliometric Analysis, Seyed Ali Mahdiyoun, Heidar Mokhtari, Maryam Esmaeilzadeh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose- This study aimed to identify and analyze the bibliometric characteristics of the classic papers in the field of critical care.

Design/methodology/approach- In this bibliometric overview, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science were used for data collection. Study sample consisted of the classic papers in the field of critical care, introduced in Google scholar. SPSS were used for data analyses.

Findings- Critical Care ranked the first journal in having critical care classic papers. All critical care classic papers were multi-authored. The most highly-cited paper was a paper titled "Intensive insulin therapy in the medical ICU", with 3796 received citations …

User’S Satisfaction Level Of Library Sources And Services In Pushpalata Vidya Mandir Cbse School, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu: A Study, M. Manthiramoorthi, M. Mani, Dr.R.R. Saravanakumar, Dr.A. Thirumagal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The objective of present study is to examine the user's satisfaction level of library sources and services in Pushpalata Vidya Mandir CBSE School, Tirunelveli. 100 questionnaires were distributed among the students to collect relevant data out of which, 95 questionnaires were received back. The findings of the study shows that 51 (53.68%) of the respondents were male. Majority of the respondents (48.42%) were visit to the library everyday.(47.37%) of the respondents were use the library to borrow books.41.05% of the respondents were mostly prefer books as the needed information sources followed by periodicals (29.47%) and e-resources (12.63%). (38.95%) were felt …

Characteristics Of Classic Papers Of Library And Information Science: A Scientometric Study, Mohammad Karim Saberi, Faezeh Ekhtiyari

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Classic papers are novel facilities of Google scholar. These papers were first developed by Google scholar in May 2017. Classic papers have been considered highly cited papers since last 10 years. Effective authors, institutions, universities, and countries on improving science can be identified by analyzing the papers. Therefore, this study aims to examine characteristics of classic papers of Library and Information Science (LIS). This study will use Scientometrics indicators. The study sample includes LIS classic papers. To gather the data, some databases such as Google scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus are applied. Excel and SPSS applications are used for …

Webometrics Research Methods Adopted In Library And Information Science: An Overview, Murugan Andham, Murugan Andham

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

At the moment, the technologies and applications have made the internet an important medium of communication and information dissemination. It provides a much enhanced interface between the user and information. The web set the foundation for global communication of computer users. Increasing the importance of web is clearly seen in the form of references or citations in the present day publications. Studies of the Web have been named webometrics or cybermetrics as in the electronic journal of that name. The web in particular has made all kinds of information easier to access and has encouraged people to make information …

Application Of Lotka’S Law In Bell’S Palsy (Facial Paralysis) Research Output During 2004 -2018., K.T Naheem Mr, P Sivraman Dr., G Saravanan Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper examines the validity of Lotka’s law of scientific publication productivity of the articles published on Bell’s palsy disease during 2004-2018. Data for this analysis was retrieved from WOS data base of Clarivate analytics. In this study, the straight and complete count of authorship was used. A total of 4039 articles along with 3384 and 14517 authors were identified by using straight and complete count method of authorship respectively. K-S goodness of- fit statistical test were employed to verify the applicability of Lotka’s law. The results showed that, Lotka’s law fits with the data of straight count of authors. …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 44, 2019, Department Of Geography, Geology, And The Environment

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment

The Regressive Effect Of Legal Uncertainty, Uri Weiss

Journal of Dispute Resolution

No abstract provided.

Towards Optimal Enforcement, Kent Barnett

Vanderbilt Law Review

No abstract provided.

Campus Sustainability Office Annual Report, 2018-2019, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office 2018-2019 annual report.

Stars Annual Report, 2019, Campus Sustainability Office

Campus Sustainability Office Publications, Reports and Presentations

The Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) compiles information from departments across campus annually to complete the STARS Report. The score is based on the number of points received across five categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration, and Innovation & Leadership. PSU has maintained a Gold rating since the institution began reporting in 2011 and is within the top 40 of over 400 reporting institutions. This summary includes improvement opportunities to assist our efforts to eventually become a STARS Platinum institution. For more information on improvement opportunities please contact Amanda Wolf at [email protected]

Despite Similar Perceptions And Attitudes, Postbaccalaureate Students Outperform In Introductory Biology And Chemistry Courses, Erin E. Shortlidge, Liz Rain-Griffith, Chloe Shelby, Gwen Shusterman, Jack Barbera

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Embedding active learning is a common mechanism for meeting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform goals. Researchers have identified student benefits from such strategies, yet these benefits may not be universal for all students. We sought to identify how students at a nontraditional university perceive introductory biology and chemistry courses, and whether perceptions relate to course type, performance, or student status. We surveyed students (n = 601) using open-ended prompts regarding their perceptions of factors that impact their learning and interest, and about specific learning strategies. Generally, students did not differ in what influenced their learning or …

Ecopsychology Revisited, Jorge Conesa-Sevilla

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

Ecopsychology Revisited is a critique of and deconstructive approach to several trends termed “ecopsychology.” This work attempts to bring light to some of the misconceptions that have hardened as “ecopsychology,” as these ideas have been reinterpreted and sometimes oversimplified by the general public and some professionals outside mainstream psychology. Part of the confusion arose when “ecopsychology” became inadequately amalgamated with other ideas. Nevertheless, within the social and behavioral sciences, at least, there is great value in devising and applying evidence-based strategies that track the normative ramifications dealing with cognition, emotion and behavior, exploring how or why humans relate to natural …

Lenders' Roles And Responsibilities In Sovereign Debt Markets, Susan Block-Lieb, W. Mark C. Weidemaier

Faculty Publications

Academic and policy debates about the multi-trillion-dollar sovereign debt markets presume these markets are unique. The reason is that sovereigns differ from other borrowers. To the extent observers look elsewhere for guidance, they turn to corporate debt as a comparison. For example, official actors have repeatedly intervened in sovereign debt markets by prodding market participants to draft loan contracts that simulate aspects of corporate bankruptcy. We argue that the conventional view of sovereign debt—though useful to a point—has substantially and unjustifiably limited the academic and policy agenda. Rather than dwell on the unique characteristics of sovereign borrowers, we examine the …

A Bibliometrics Literature Review On Cryptocurrency, Asefeh Asemi, Andrea Kő

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Objective: A bibliometrics literature review on Cryptocurrency and thematic clustering. The study tried to answer the following questions: What are the most active publishers in Cryptocurrency? What are the most active Authors in Cryptocurrency? What is expression count of the main categories in Cryptocurrency? What is expression count of the sub-categories in Cryptocurrency?

Q5. What is expression count of the keywords in cryptocurrency? What are the most important word occurrences in the title? What are the most thematic clusters in Cryptocurrency?

Methodology: A combined research method is applied. Research community included the published papers in cryptocurrency and retrieved from Google …

Art Adherence And Viral Suppression Are High Among Most Non-Pregnant Individuals With Early-Stage, Asymptomatic Hiv Infection: An Observational Study From Uganda And South Africa, Jessica E. Haberer, Bosco M. Bwana, Catherine Orrell, Stephen Asiimwe, Gideon Amanyire, Nicholas Musinguzi, Mark J. Siedner, Lynn T. Matthews, Alexander Tsai, Ingrid T. Katz, Kathleen Bell, Annet Kembabazi, Stephen Mugisha, Victoria Kibirige, Anna Cross, Nicola Kelly, Bethany Hedt-Gauthie, David R. Bangsberg

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction

The success of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) access and aspirations for an AIDS‐free generation depend on high adherence in individuals initiating ART during early‐stage HIV infection; however, adherence may be difficult in the absence of illness and associated support.

Methods

From March 2015 to October 2017, we prospectively observed three groups initiating ART in routine care in Uganda and South Africa: men and non‐pregnant women with early‐stage HIV infection (CD4 > 350 cells/μL), pregnant women with early‐stage HIV infection and men and non‐pregnant women with late‐stage HIV infection (CD4 < 200 cells/μL). Socio‐behavioural questionnaires were administered and viral loads were performed at 0, 6 and 12 months. Adherence was monitored electronically.

Results

Adherence data were available for 869 participants: 322 (37%) early/non‐pregnant, …

Incomplete Gamma Distribution: A New Two Parameter Lifetime Distribution With Survival Regression Model, Aliakbar Rasekhi, Mahdi Rasekhi, Gholamhossein Hamedani

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

We introduce a new two parameter lifetime distribution constructed via incomplete gamma function which includes exponential distribution as a limiting case. This distribution is more flexible than most of the two parameter extended exponential distributions. Various statistical properties such as moments, moment generating function and certain useful characterizations based on the ratio of two truncated moments are presented. Maximum likelihood estimation method is used for estimating parameters of this distribution and a survival regression model based on the proposed distribution is presented for fitting breast cancer data set.