Digital Commons Network^™

December 2019 Full Issue

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Generalized Ultrasonic Scattering Model For Arbitrary Transducer Configurations, Andrea P. Arguelles, Joseph A. Turner

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Ultrasonic scattering in polycrystalline media is directly tied to microstructural features. As a result, modeling efforts of scattering from microstructure have been abundant. The inclusion of beam modeling for the ultrasonic transducers greatly simplified the ability to perform quantitative, fully calibrated experiments. In this article, a theoretical scattering model is generalized to allow for arbitrary source and receiver configurations, while accounting for beam behavior through the total propagation path. This extension elucidates the importance and potential of out-of-plane scattering modes in the context of microstructure characterization. The scattering coefficient is explicitly written for the case of statistical isotropy and ellipsoidal …

A Current Overview Of Ten University-Based Reading Clinics, Bethanie Pletcher, Phyllis Robertson, Maureen Sullivan

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this study was to explore the operations of a sample of university-based reading clinics in order to better understand their functions and practices and to inform the planning for the authors’ own clinic. This study was carried out in two phases. In Phase I, the authors conducted Internet searches and contacted knowledgeable university faculty to create a list of currently operating clinics. They then interviewed 10 reading clinic directors about the structure and functioning of their clinics. Each interview was audio-recorded, transcribed, and focus-coded for themes related to the interview questions. Themes were then grouped into the …

Scaffolding Choice, Increasing Access: A Summer Initiative To Promote Middle School Students’ Book Reading, Lauren Capotosto

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Middle schools often mandate summer reading as a means of stemming summer learning loss, but research suggests that many students do not read any books during the summer months. Limited book access and difficulties self-selecting books are two barriers that can impact students’ summer reading practices. To address these challenges, students in one Grade 7 classroom participated in an initiative designed to scaffold book choices prior to summer break and to increase students’ access to high-interest books. Compared to students in a randomly selected business-as-usual classroom, students who participated in the book scaffolding initiative were more likely to read at …

Stem Stories, December 2019, Brooke Wiese

STEM Stories

Undergraduate Research - Dr. Chad Heinzel

Cole Train | V.16, No.1 (Fall 2019), Houston Cole Library

Library Annual Reports & Newsletters

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Into The Relationships Between Bullying, Discrimination, Burnout And Patient Safety In Nurses And Midwives: Is Burnout A Mediator?, Judith Johnson, Lorraine Cameron, Lucy Mitchinson, Mayur Parmar, Gail Opio-Te, Gemma Louch, Angela Grange

HPD Articles

BACKGROUND: Bullying and discrimination may be indirectly associated with patient safety via their contribution to burnout, but research has yet to establish this. AIMS: The aims of this study were to investigate the relationships between workplace bullying, perceived discrimination, levels of burnout and patient safety perceptions in nurses and midwives and to assess whether bullying and discrimination were more frequently experienced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic than White nurses and midwives. METHODS: In total, 528 nurses and midwives were recruited from four hospitals in the United Kingdom to complete a cross-sectional survey between February and March 2017. The survey …

August 14, 2019 Conference Call, Beth Ashmore

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of Ventilator Bundle For Prevention Of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia In Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Abd-Elaleem Elgendy, Ahmed Y. Alsawah, Mahmoud M. Al-Shahat, Mohamed F. Alsoda, Mohammad A. M. Abboud, Sherif M. K. Reda

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients. Objective The aim was to examine the effect of adherence to VAP prevention bundle on the incidence of VAP in PICU. Patients and methods A prospective comparative study was conducted in Al-Hussein University Hospital on all patients admitted and ventilated in PICU in a year from September 2017 until September 2018. They were divided into two groups: the first group included patients admitted to PICU after implementation of the study, comprising 43 patients as cases, and the second group included patients admitted …

The Use Of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist In Women Undergoing Intrauterine Insemination, Bassem Sobhy, M Yousef Elsemary

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is considered to be a very popular treatment procedure that is used for many infertile women worldwide. Aim The aim was to evaluate whether the addition of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist would improve the clinical pregnancy rate in women undergoing IUI. Materials and methods A prospective study was performed at El-Galaa Maternity Teaching Hospital where 124 women with primary or secondary infertility were subjected to controlled ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropin (74–150 IU/day) only (control group, n=62) or to human menopausal gonadotropin (75–150 IU/day) plus Cetrorelix (0.25 mg/day, starting when the leading follicle was ≥16 mm; …

Determinants Of Infarction Patterns In Posterior Cerebral Circulation, Ahmed H. T Badr Ahmed, Mohamed M. Fouad, Ramez R. Moustafa, Taha K. Alloush

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Ischemic stroke is defined as focal or global neurological dysfunction lasting longer than 24 h or leading to death that is caused by vascular insult, either stricture or occlusion of a specific vascular territory. Aim of the study This study aimed to determine the relationship between different risk factors and different infarction patterns in posterior circulation such single small lacunar lesion, single large lesion, and multiple scattered lesions. Patients and methods This study included 60 patients recruited from the stroke unit of Ain Shams University and El Sahel Teaching Hospitals during the period from April to October 2018 with …

Omental Flap Harvested Through Transdiaphragmatic Approach At The Same Sternotomy Incision For Poststernotomy Mediastinitis: A New Approach, Waleed El-Awady

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background The surgical treatment of poststernotomy mediastinitis is still a challenge and associated with high mortality. Conservative treatment and various surgical procedures are sometimes inadequate and need more aggressive treatment. Omental flap improves control of infection and prognosis, but harvesting is an additional procedure with its associated morbidity and trauma. Patients and methods A total of 14 patients had omental flap, which was harvested through a diaphragmatic opening at the lower part of the same sternotomy incision, without additional laparotomy incision or extension of sternotomy incision into the upper abdomen or even laparoscopically. The mean age of the patients was …

Engagement With Project Echo To Increase Medication-Assisted Treatment In Rural Primary Care, Julie Salvador, Snehal Bhatt, Rebecca Fowler, Jerrilyn Ritz, Regina James, Vanessa Jacobsohn, Heidi Rishel Brakey, Andrew L Sussman

Project ECHO Bibliography

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to understand the barriers and facilitators that affect engagement with Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) to implement medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in primary care settings.

METHODS: A 12-session weekly curriculum was delivered to participating primary care providers and clinic staff (N=24 participants from 13 clinics). Participants completed attendance logs and a qualitative interview in order to identify factors that influence engagement in the ECHO sessions and the potential integration of MAT.

RESULTS: Primary care providers and staff valued the ECHO sessions, but overall attendance was low and variable. Participants generally valued the …

Distance Education To Improve The Quality Of Asthma Treatment In Primary Health Care, Rudi Roman, Karine Margarites Lima, Maria Angela Fontoura Moreira, Roberto Umpierre, Lisiane Hauser, Dimitris V. Rados, Alvaro Vigo, Marcelo Goncalves, Sotero Serrate Mengue

Project ECHO Bibliography

Objective: The mere dissemination of standard care recommendations has been insufficient to improve clinical results in patients with asthma. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a multifaceted asthma distance education for primary care providers. Methods: Cluster randomized controlled trial. Full primary care teams were included if they had access to telehealth support and free basic asthma treatment. Before randomization, selected teams indicated asthma patients between 5-45 years old for inclusion. The intervention group received three interactive online sessions, printed educational material, reminders, booklet for patients, and frequent stimulus to use consulting services. The …

Oral Development And Breastfeeding: An Assessment Of The Lactation Care Provider Approach, Robin Gatlin

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Breastfeeding influences the infant’s oral development in many ways. Lactation care providers work closely with the mother-infant pair and may be the first to provide information on oral health. The purpose of this study is to assess lactation care provider’s perception, attitude and behavior on the relationship between breastfeeding and oral development; including oral malocclusion, breathing patterns, tethered oral tissues and dental caries. A survey sent to lactation care providers who are members of The United States Lactation Consultant Association. A total of 12 members participated in the survey. Of that, 11 were International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and …

(In)Equality., Jongin Choi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

(in)Equality. centers around my experiences as a transnational person and those around me who have affected my current concept of equality and cultural histories. My visual methodologies cover digital photography and editing, inkjet printing, and laser engraving: multimedia in a process of new discovery, translation between analog and digital, and rearticulation. The exhibition includes portraits peering down from above, illuminated by projected patterns and manipulated messages from Nike’s “Equality.” (2017). The purpose of this thesis paper is to describe the elements of identity, marginalization, and personal reaction to advertising, as well as the and theories which have shaped this project. …

Incorporating Geophysical Data In Slope Stability Modeling For Two Slopes In Arkansas, Vanessa Lebow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Slope failures in the United States alone cause millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure, threaten national monuments, create environmental hazards, and take an average of 25-50 lives a year. With the inevitable construction that occurs on slopes, it is imperative that the slopes be properly designed which requires a thorough understanding of slope grade, subsurface soil conditions, soil strength parameters, water table locations, and depth to bedrock across the entire site. The preferred method of data collection would be to use borings and other in-situ methods; however, sometimes due to cost constraints or site accessibility only a very limited …

Evaluation Of Concrete Deck Curing Regimens Using Capillary Pressure Sensing System, Samuel Spann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early-age plastic shrinkage cracking is a common problem with the construction of concrete bridge decks due to the high surface area-to-volume ratio and exposure to potentially detrimental environmental effects. Curing regimens are utilized to mitigate cracking risk during the plastic stage of the concrete; the curing regimens evaluated for this study were wet burlap-polyethylene sheeting, two acrylic curing compounds, and one lithium compound. Capillary pressure in the water filled pores has been shown to correlate to the plastic shrinkage cracking risk of concrete. A new portable system has been developed to measure the capillary pressure that could potentially be used …

Truck Activity Pattern Classification Using Anonymous Mobile Sensor Data, Taslima Akter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To construct, operate, and maintain a transportation system that supports the efficient movement of freight, transportation agencies must understand economic drivers of freight flow. This is a challenge since freight movement data available to transportation agencies is typically void of commodity and industry information, factors that tie freight movements to underlying economic conditions. With recent advances in the resolution and availability of big data from Global Positioning Systems (GPS), it may be possible to fill this critical freight data gap. However, there is a need for methodological approaches to enable usage of this data for freight planning and operations.

To …

The Effects Of Seed-Applied Fluopyram On Root Penetration And Development Of Meloidogyne Incognita On Cotton And Soybean, Tracy Hawk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plant-parasitic nematodes are major pests of cotton and soybean in Arkansas, and across the Southern United States. These nematodes cause more than $3 billion worth of crop losses each year, in part due to lack of available control tactics, such as nematicides. Fluopyram has recently been registered as a seed-treatment nematicide in agronomic crops. The toxicity of fluopyram against Meloidogyne incognita infection has been reported, however, information on root protection provided by fluopyram against Meloidogyne incognita is lacking. The first objective of this research was to evaluate the effect seed-applied fluopyram had on nematode development, root galling, and reproduction on …

Use Of Aerial Imagery And Novel Experimental Design To Determine The Distribution Of Foliar Diseases On Soybean And Improve Efficiency Of Product Testing, Mckayla Patterson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybeans are grown on approximately 1.3 million ha in Arkansas generating an estimated $1.7 billion annually. Foliar diseases on soybean can result in economic losses. Growers spend significant time and money on disease scouting via crop consultants and often (subsequent) fungicide applications. Fungicide trials are often arranged in small plots designs. In these scenarios, spatial variability of foliar disease is minimized. While it is advantageous to minimize variance outside of treatment differences, another limitation with many small plot trials is ample disease pressure or having only lower severity. Within a commercial production field, soil types and disease severities vary. Logically, …

Study Of Internal Strains Developed In Concrete Decks At Early Ages In Steel Continuous Bridges, Fernando R. Benitez Ortiz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has identified bridge deck cracking shortly after concrete decks are placed and prior to applying traffic loads. Previous researchers have confirmed improper construction practices and design methods can lead to deck cracking. Currently, many contractors throughout Arkansas are using continuous deck pours. This construction approach may restrict the concrete slab from movement during early age shrinkage, causing tensile stresses to develop. The final stresses at the end of construction must be lower than the concrete tensile strength, if not cracking issues will develop. Eventually, these cracks may enlarge due to service load stresses and …

When They Sing A Song Of Joy With Sorrow, Ziba Rajabi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As an Iranian female artist, my work revolves around my desire to reconcile my relationship with two distinctive places, Tehran (my native land) and Arkansas (where I reside now). In my paintings and installations, I re-create intimate moments culled from my home and neighborhood in Iran. Due to a situation where I am far away from my homeland and not allowed to return without being forced to remain in Iran, I can feel my memories of home fading away. By utilizing memories from my past, I take aspects of images that are no longer recognizable and, therefore, are abstracted into …

Understanding How The Effectors Hopd1 And Hopg1 From The Bacterial Pathogen Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000 Target The Arabidopsis Thaliana Protein Atnhr2b To Cause Disease In Plants, Catalina Maria Rodriguez Puerto

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The pathogenicity of Pseudomonas syringae is associated with the type III secretion system (T3SS), a complex of proteins assembled in the inner and outer bacterial membranes that traverses the plant cell wall to deliver bacterial proteins into the cytoplasm of plant cells. The effector proteins translocated into the plant cells are called Hops (Hypersensitive response and pathogenicity outer proteins). Bacterial effectors target plant immune proteins to suppress defense responses and enhance bacterial parasitism. The Arabidopsis thaliana nonhost resistance 2B (AtNHR2B), a recently identified immune protein, is degraded after inoculation with the adapted pathogen of Arabidopsis, P. syringae pv tomato DC3000 …

Cytotoxicity And Mutagenicity Of Disinfection Byproduct Mixtures Formulated Using Free Chlorine And Monochloramine, Yonas Ghebremedhin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bioassays have been used extensively to assess various toxicity endpoints of drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs), but an emphasis on single compounds prevails. In this research, DBP mixtures were assessed using a cytotoxicity test with Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and an Ames fluctuation test with Salmonella typhimurium TA-98 and TA-100 with and without S9 rat liver homogenate. Seven whole mixture DBP concentrates were formulated using reconstituted natural organic matter (NOM) extracts from the Upper Mississippi River using scaled disinfectant dosing protocols with free chlorine and monochloramine in the presence and absence of added bromide. DBPs were identified by gas …

Weigh-In-Motion Auto-Calibration Using Automatic Vehicle Identification, Fu Ren Zhang Zhang Durandal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) sensors are installed on mainline lanes at highway locations to record vehicle weights, axle spacing, vehicle class, travel speed, vehicle length, and traffic volume. These data elements support effective transportation planning, infrastructure design, and policy development. Therefore, it is important that WIM sensors supply accurate data. After initial installation and calibration, WIM systems may experience measurement drifts in weight and axle detection. Recalibration takes two general forms: (a) On-site calibration involving running trucks of known weight over WIM scales and (b) Auto-calibration methods involving comparisons to assumed reference weights. Auto-calibration can be more cost and time effective than …

Evaluation Of Fracture Principles In Asphalt Concrete Utilizing The Sc(B) Geometry, Airam Marlee Morales Vega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since cracking is one of the principal distresses to be considered in asphalt concrete, multiple fracture tests and geometries have been used to quantify cracking resistance. One of the most popular geometries that have been used in fracture tests is the Semi-Circular bend (SC(B)). However, for this geometry, most of the fracture test methods use different parameters such as thickness, testing temperatures, and loading rates. Thus, the purpose of this research was first to evaluate fracture energy by performing a ruggedness test based on ASTM E1169. Then, to apply fracture mechanics concepts to evaluate three specimen thicknesses (25, 50, and …

36 Hours, Ronda Crawford

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

Identity, Matt Mcnichols

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.

The Web, Haley Niedra

The Prairie Light Review

No abstract provided.