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The Late Victorian Nursery: A Legacy Space
No full textThe Late Victorian Nursery: A Legacy Space examines both the physical and mental constructions of the British nursery space through its appearance in a variety of texts from British authors born during the Victorian era. The nursery was one of the first widely used child-centered spaces, and it served as a foundation for children’s spaces even today. Even so, it appears less frequently in children’s literature as one might expect, which raises questions about how the space was often considered uninteresting to adult writers, despite the myriad possibilities the space could afford for child characters.
Though Victorian society formulated a set of ideals for the nursery and the acceptable forms of children’s socialization, play, sexuality, gender, etc. in the space, the authors in this study use the nursery to resist these ideals and provide examples of children pushing back against adult-imposed restrictions. As spatial theorists note, spaces exist with or without human implications, but places, such as nurseries, contain meaning. The people within the nursery construct its meaning, and the physical aspects of the space also reflect back on the relationships and performances of the people therein. It is a reciprocal space where children, despite the limits of Victorian ideals, could experiment, play, break rules, and use their imaginations freely, often without judgement or interference from adults.
In each of the main chapters of this study, the texts exemplify ways child characters resisted norms and social constructions, using the nursery to find independence, agency, and enjoyment whether or not they had adult approval. By examining these often-canonical children’s texts, this study builds on research on the spaces of childhood. Though this study focuses only on a space made for middle- and upper-class children, this study purports that the nursery became a symbol of ideal childhood for all children, and through providing the space through literature, children’s writers began the work of taking children, childhood, and their spaces seriously
An Application of Vocal Pedagogy for Thai Singers
No full textVocal pedagogy incorporates diverse techniques and methodologies that aim to maintain longevity of the voice and to improve vocal performance, range, and tone. While vocal pedagogy has been extensively studied in Western music traditions, its application in the context of Thai singers remains unfamiliar. This dissertation will investigate the application of vocal pedagogy for Thai singers, with a focus on understanding the unique challenges faced by them. It will outline pedagogical approaches to address these challenges and will therefore lead to more authentic performances. “Complete mastery of the voice as an instrument is an idea toward which every singer must work assiduously… But realize that technique must be mastered to the point of being unconscious before you can really become an interpreter.”1
The academic pursuit of music is a new concept in Thailand. The first College of Music was established in 1994 at Mahidol University. The first musical theater program was then established in 2011 at the same university. With the growing popularity of both musical theater and opera, it has become apparent that a solid vocal technique is essential to help bridge the gap between the classical and musical theatre styles.
Though Thai audiences are now familiar with Western genres such as musical theatre and opera, the idea of cultivating professional singers and performers is relatively new. Thai singing instructors have faced challenges due to a lack of easily accessible information. Western singing instructors, despite their expertise, face communication problems due to language and cultural differences. This has led to misunderstandings and flawed techniques over time, making misconceptions a significant burden in the Thai singing culture. One such misconception is the idea of breath support for belting. Current practice places the breath predominantly in the upper chest which creates an unbalanced breath support and leads to major muscular tension. “The normal breath cycle appropriate to speech is not identical to that required for singing…the tasks of skillful singing require higher rates of breath energy… Elongation of the breath cycle for singing is dependent on a learned technique…appoggio…that results from the thorax and the abdominal wall, the transverse abdominus, the internal oblique, the external oblique, and to a lesser extent, the rectus abdominus.”2
The research will explore issues stemming from Thai language characteristics, language barriers, and cross-cultural miscommunication in vocal pedagogy. Additionally, it will analyze existing literature, including books, articles, and established vocal pedagogical approaches, to provide solutions for supporting Thai singers in their vocal development
Florida Deep Sea Habitat
No full textOver 45 years, Dr. Steve W. Ross has worked in habitats from estuaries to the deep sea. For a fascinating career story and images, see his Ocean Reflections paper, volume 36, pages i-xix.https://aquila.usm.edu/gcrgallery/1008/thumbnail.jp
Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy-Derived Oxygen Desaturation Rates During Post-Exercise Circulatory Occlusion as Predictors of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Markers
No full textCardiorespiratory fitness, measured as maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max) is a critical predictor of all-cause mortality and overall cardiovascular health. Metabolic carts are the current gold standard for evaluation of VO₂max, but are inaccessible to most facilities and individuals, and are expensive (5,000-$10,000) alternative for evaluating skeletal muscle oxygenation kinetics and mitochondrial oxidative capacity. However, there is limited research in examining whether NIRS-derived oxygen desaturation rates can be a predictor of cardiorespiratory fitness markers (such as VO₂max and peak power output [PPO]), and whether these measurements show a superior predictive validity when collected during resting conditions, or during post-exercise conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between NIRS oxygen desaturation rates and cardiorespiratory fitness markers (VO₂max/PPO) during resting and post-exercise circulatory occlusion in adults. The study consisted of 33 participants (12 males, 21 females, ages 19-50) with a wide range of cardiorespiratory fitness levels (18.4 - 47.2 mL/kg/min). Participants completed a maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer followed by NIRS assessments coupled with total arterial occlusions during both resting and post-exercise conditions. Analysis consisted of linear regression models that examined the relationship between NIRS-derived desaturation rates (tissue saturation index [TSI], oxygenated hemoglobin [O₂Hb], deoxygenated hemoglobin [DO₂Hb]) and fitness markers (VO₂max/PPO). Results demonstrated a significant association between all three NIRS parameters and VO₂max (p \u3c 0.01), with DO₂Hb explaining the highest variance (R² = 0.377, p \u3c 0.001). Peak power output (PPO) displayed a significant association with DO₂Hb and O₂Hb but displayed no association with TSI. O₂Hb had the strongest association with PPO during resting conditions (p \u3c 0.001) and PECO (p = 0.04). Importantly, NIRS measurements obtained during post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO) consistently demonstrated stronger associations with both VO₂max and PPO compared to resting conditions. These findings suggest that NIRS-derived oxygen desaturation rates found during post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO) may serve as valid predictors of cardiorespiratory fitness markers, which could provide a more accessible and affordable alternative to traditional, exhaustive metabolic testing. Future research can further this topic with larger sample sizes and could explore developments in standardized protocols that could be used in both clinical and athletic settings
The Little Red Circle Floating above an App Icon: Badge Notifications And The Relation to State and Trait FoMO and Procrastination
No full textProcrastination is not a new concept in terms of research related to college students. The use of social media is at an all-time high with the development of new platforms and the improvement of others. Students face many challenges throughout their academic career, and the fear of missing out (FoMO) is one. FoMO happens when people feel left out or in the dark on a situation. The use of push notifications allows people to be notified instantaneously about events and celebrations, both with friends and strangers on social media. These notifications are not only displayed momentarily but are also reminded to the user by the badge notification that remains on the app icon. This study employs a survey to assess the difference between FoMO trait and state and procrastination trait and state as they relate to the number of badge notifications in social media platforms’ app icons. A survey of college students was utilized to examine these relationships. No significant finding was identified in relation to the number of badge notifications present. The findings did reinforce the relationship between social media use and psychological behaviors (procrastination and FoMO)
Understanding Family Routines in a Head Start Sample: A Family Stress Model Perspective
No full textAccording to the family stress model (FSM), economic pressure, or the perceived strain of economic hardship, contributes to parent mental health problems, which impacts parenting behaviors and, in turn, results in negative child outcomes like child externalizing behavior. Studies have shown that routines within a household can mitigate child externalizing behavior problems, but relatively few studies have applied routines to the context of the FSM. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess the pathways through which parental distress and family routines link the association between economic pressure and child externalizing behavior. Participants included 89 female primary caregivers with a young child (aged 2-5) enrolled in a Head Start program in the Southeastern United States. Participants completed online questionnaires via Qualtrics in exchange for $10 gift cards. Simple mediation models revealed that more economic pressure was associated with more parental distress and fewer family routines, and when considered separately, both factors indirectly predicted more child externalizing behaviors. However, there was no association between parental distress and family routines, providing insufficient evidence to support a serial mediation model consistent with the FSM framework. Instead, post-hoc analyses provided support for a parallel mediation model combining the two simple mediations models. Greater economic pressure was associated with more externalizing behaviors through fewer family routines and separately, through greater parental distress. Regarding implications for practice, practitioners may find that interventions aimed at implementing family routines or lessening parental distress may lessen child externalizing behavior problems even in the context of economic hardship
Enhancing CRNA\u27s Knowledge of Radiation Safety Through Online Education
No full textAlthough ionizing radiation is frequently used in anesthesia-related procedures, many CRNAs receive minimal training in radiation safety principles and protective measures. This knowledge gap increases the risk of cumulative radiation exposure for providers and patients. To address the issue, this doctoral project developed and implemented an online educational intervention designed to enhance CRNAs’ understanding of radiation safety, ultimately promoting safer practices in radiation-prone environments.
The doctoral project follows a QI and EBP approach that incorporated diverse adult learning styles to enhance engagement and knowledge retention of CRNAs. The online educational module was designed and delivered to CRNAs that currently practice in the state of Mississippi. Pre and post tests were administered to discern the knowledge gained from the educational module concerning radiation safety and exposure in the OR setting. The pre- and posttests contained eight identical multiple-choice questions, with one anonymous identifier so the scores could be compared. In addition, the last question on the posttest asked for a written response from CRNAs to share important content regarding radiation safety and exposure from personal clinical experience.
The pre- and posttest were statistically analyzed, and an overall trend showed an improvement from existing knowledge (pretest score) to knowledge gained (posttest score). These results of the doctoral project supported that online educational modules for continuing education are beneficial to CRNAs