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Empowering Creativity: Harnessing the Potential of Industrial Design Students with ADHD
Get PDFThe purpose of this project is to leverage the college-aged individual with diagnosed ADHD to best find their niche procedure within the design process by utilizing strategic management solutions in the design curriculum. By the creation of a new adaptable design method–through the combining of existing design methodology– these students can leverage their confidence and gain insight into how to work with their ADHD abilities during the creative segment of the design process. They will also be able to better overcome average ADHD challenges such as ‘Time Blindness’ and ‘Task Paralysis’. The conceptualization of ADHD is still quite new, being only a little over 50+ years old as an accepted learning disability. Framing ADHD as a possible superpower in a creative field such as Industrial Design through this approach will assist in leveraging creativity, learning helpful self-management strategies, and allowing minds to flow within different design process modules. The primary approach is through task switching so one will be better equipped to work within a given time frame without abstraction by organizing their thoughts and applying their unique process to any design project within the Industrial Design classroom. Therefore, this project intends to bridge the gap between Industrial Design students with ADHD and Industrial Design methodology by creating a supplemental productive working routine before students with ADHD leave school for the workforce
An Examination of Intolerance of Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Spirituality in College Undergraduates
Get PDFFeelings of distress over the unknowns of the future refers to an intolerance of uncertainty (IU). IU is significantly linked to internalizing disorders like anxiety. College students are in a unique position of uncertainty and anxiety as they emerge into adulthood. Additionally, external sources of uncertainty, like the economy, may contribute to feelings of anxiety over the future due to negative perceptions of its stability and certainty. Coping skills, like spirituality, may lessen the feelings of IU and anxiety that college students experience. Past research has explored the relationship between IU and spirituality and IU and anxiety, yet there exists a gap in the literature examining all three factors, especially with college students. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the relationship between anxiety, IU, and spirituality in undergraduate college students. Specifically, the study explored the moderating effects of spirituality between IU and anxiety. Results found significant positive correlations between the three variables. However, spirituality was not found to be a significant moderator between IU and anxiety. These results are discussed with implications for counselors and counselor educators
Examining the Framing of Book Banning in Alabama: A Study of News Coverage through Content and Critical Discourse Analysis
No full textThe issue of book banning in education systems and public libraries has increased in recent years as a tool being weaponized by politicians, specifically targeting material about LGBTQ individuals and people of color. News coverage is a major source of information that influences public perception; however, literature remains scarce on how news organizations are framing coverage of book banning attempts. This study explores how Alabama news outlets frame stories on book banning and whether this presentation contributes to a conservative political agenda.
The research analyzes six major Alabama news outlets, conducting a qualitative content analysis and a critical discourse analysis to explore how major news organizations reported on book banning from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023. Specifically, this study seeks to reveal how news outlets in Alabama a) frame the issue of book banning, b) potentially advance a conservative political agenda, and c) privilege certain voices in their coverage. This study found that episodic framing is more prevalent than thematic framing. The seven major themes found were: banning attempts rising, conflict within the community, historical comparison, importance of access to knowledge, insufficient book content context, lack of political nuance, and misuse of language. Findings revealed that leaders and politicians were most often represented, with students and marginalized voices rarely heard. In addition to community characteristics, gender, age, and race often did not represent those with marginalized identities whom book banning is targeting
Description of zoonotic blood-borne pathogens of domestic animals in Cairo, Egypt in a One Health framework
No full textZoonotic, ectoparasite-vectored blood pathogens are crossing the human-animal interface in many countries in North Africa and the Middle East. This dissertation performed a meta-analysis of Dirofilaria spp. in 21 countries in this region and estimated the prevalence of Dirofilaria spp. to be 2.4%. Dirofilaria spp. was detected in multiple hosts including companion animals and humans. A novel laboratory method was created for recovering dried DNA extract on filter paper to facilitate laboratory work in resource limited settings like Cairo, Egypt. In Cairo, Egypt, whole blood and ectoparasite samples were collected from 250 domestic species and dogs were found to have a high degree of positivity for blood pathogens of zoonotic potential. Dogs tested positive for antibodies to Anaplasma sp. and Ehrlichia sp. most often. One species of flea Ctenocephalides felis and two species of ticks, R. sanguineus and R. annulatus were collected from sampled host species. All three collected ectoparasite species are competent vectors of zoonotic pathogens. The work of this study identified the presence of pathogens and competent vectors with the ability to cross the human-animal interface. A One Health intervention that prevents transmission to humans and enhances the health of the animal through the use of ectoparasiticides could be effective in preventing the transmission of Dirofilaria spp., Anaplasma spp., and Ehrlichia spp
Exploring Electrically Conductive Nanoparticle Additives in Greases for Electric Vehicle Applications
No full textGlobal transportation trends favor renewable alternatives, with electric vehicles (EVs) emerging as a popular choice. However, EV adoption is challenged by range anxiety and infrastructure. Optimizing tribological contacts within gears and rolling element bearings in electric drivetrain systems is essential to ensuring safe, efficient, and sustainable EV performance. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EVs offer more responsive performance at the cost of increased mechanical and thermal expectations. In addition to traditional wear and fatigue, current leakage can induce electrical damage along the surfaces of mechanical contacts. Bearing manufacturers have implemented solutions, such as insulating bearing surfaces or increasing the bulk lubricant conductivity, to mitigate this electrical damage without compromising friction or wear resistance. Both solutions can prevent the damaging discharge of accumulated energy across bearing surfaces, but altering bearing conductivity does not require modifying or adding mechanical components. Studies have indicated that blending conductive nanoparticles (NPs) into grease can reduce pitting damage caused by electrical exposure. This research compares the performance of various NP-enriched polyurea greases with electrified rolling ball-on-disk tests. Systematic variations in speed and moving profiles are employed to determine conditions that increase the probability of surface damage. Results reaffirm the potential for conductive NPs to mitigate electrical damage. However, incorporating these particles requires suspension in a colloid solution, introducing additional liquid hydrocarbons to the grease mixture. Oscillatory amplitude sweeps demonstrate that the increased liquid content effectively lowers the NP-enriched grease's crossover (flow) point compared to neat grease. This observation underscores the intricate relationship between tribological performance, rheological behavior, and electrical resistance necessary for lubricants to succeed in electrical applications
Inclusive Research Representation and Blood Lactate as a Metabolic Biomarker of Vocal Function: Equitable Development of a Vocal Capacity Anaerobic Task
Get PDFVoice production is a highly coordinated motor-based task that involves the integration of three major anatomical and physiological skeletal muscle systems: respiratory, laryngeal (phonatory), and articulatory (oropharyngeal) systems. A voice disorder may exist if an individual expresses concern about their voice or voice quality being unable to meet their daily vocal demands, even if others do not perceive it as different. One of the most commonly reported vocal symptoms and precursors to laryngeal pathology and voice disorders is vocal fatigue, the sensation of feeling tired when speaking. Despite the prevalence of this vocal symptom in a diverse range of patients seen in clinical voice settings, there is limited evidence on the role of skeletal muscle metabolism and physiology in developing chronic, debilitating vocal fatigue.
Voice scientists have primarily focused on indirect measures of vocal function (acoustic, aerodynamic, and perceptual measures), with frequent equivocal or inconsistent findings. It is hypothesized that such variability in the findings is due to the lack of direct measures to determine skeletal muscle function during vocal demand. In applied exercise science there is well-established methodology for the study of skeletal muscle adaptation with training and response to performance demand, including the use of metabolic blood biomarkers. This dissertation sought to address this gap in knowledge through the integration of exercise science methodology of investigating a well-studied metabolite, blood lactate, in the presence of a vocally demanding task hypothesized to be anaerobically challenging. This body of work also targeted the study of a diverse range of participants in terms of sex, race, ethnicity, and body composition to frame historical limitations and reporting of research volunteer diversity.
This research was composed of three manuscripts: a meta-analysis, tutorial, and a prospective multimodality study, all of which seek to address different aims within the broad
objective. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the frequency of sex, race, and ethnicity reporting and proportional representation in funded, non-cancerous voice clinical trials, to determine the state of compliance with National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines for inclusivity in clinical research. Clinical trials registered with the NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine between January 1988 and September 2021 were analyzed. Primary reports of the trials were obtained from clinicaltrials.gov and PubMed. The search yielded 46 research studies. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and attempts to locate studies were conducted, 11 total papers were ultimately evaluated. Descriptively, there were more female subjects, yet overall, no significant difference in sex distribution (X2 = .07, P value = 0.75, 95% CI -0.25 to - 0.19). Race and ethnicity were only reported in two clinical trials. Black participants were underrepresented in one clinical trial (X2 = 4.93, P value = 0.02, 95% CI -0.11 to - 0.02), while Hispanic participants were underrepresented in a second trial (X2 = 11.27, P value < 0.00, 95% CI -0.20 to - 0.13). This preliminary analysis highlights the disparities in race and ethnicity recruitment and reporting in non-cancerous voice clinical trials. There is a need for strategic recruitment strategies and improved reporting practices to adhere to the NIH inclusivity directives.
The purpose of the tutorial was twofold: 1) Present relevant exercise science literature on skeletal muscle metabolism and synthesize the limited available research on metabolism of the adult human speech musculature in an effort to elucidate the role of metabolism in speech production; and 2) Introduce a well-studied metabolic serum biomarker in exercise science, lactate, and the potential usefulness of investigating this metabolite, through well-established exercise science methodology, to better understand metabolism of the musculature involved in voice production. The tutorial synthesized the available research investigating metabolism of the
adult human speech musculature. The synthesis was followed by a proposed hypothesis of speech metabolism based on the voice science literature and the application of well-studied exercise science principles of muscle physiology. The tutorial concluded with a discussion of the potential usefulness of lactate in vocal function investigations to better understand the metabolism of the musculature involved in vocal demand tasks. The role of metabolism during speech (respiratory, laryngeal, articulatory) is an understudied yet critical aspect of speech physiology that warrants further study to better understand the metabolic systems that are used to meet vocal demands.
The objective of the third and final manuscript was to investigate if a change in blood lactate was detectable in an anaerobically designed vocal demand task (VCAT60) and establish construct validity of the developed vocal demand task in assessing the anaerobic capacity of the speech musculature, similar to anaerobic power tests commonly used in applied exercise science. A prospective, multimodality repeated measures study quantified blood lactate concentrations prior to and following VCAT60 in vocally healthy adults. The secondary outcomes included determining correlations and predictors of the change in lactate including aerodynamic and anthropometric data as well as participant reported vocal fatigue. A significant change in lactate pre and post VCAT60was observed (p = 0.003). Body mass index (p = 0.003) and body mass (p = 0.005) were significant predictors of the lactate concentration shift. Evidence supported the hypothesis that blood lactate may be an effective metabolic biomarker in investigating the metabolism of the vocal muscles in vivo. The VCAT60 provides a means from which to understand metabolic adaptations that occur in the peripheral muscles of the speech mechanism, a valuable metric to further study vocal effort and vocal fatigue. Future investigations into the role of metabolic disease and body mass in vocal function are warranted given the findings
Comparison and Efficacy of Soy-based Ingredients in Practical Diets for Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus)
Get PDFThree trials were performed to better understand how soy processed in different ways impacts the growth, feed conversion ratio, and health of the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus). First two growth trials were performed to evaluate the efficacy of an open soy-based diet compared to a commercially produced, fishmeal-based diet. Trial one utilized six replicates and was terminated after 42 days, with overall biomass (p=0.026), weight gain (p=0.006), and FCR (p=0.015) being significantly different between both treatments in favor of commercially produced, fishmeal-based feed. The second trial utilized three replicates, was run over the course of 56 days, and upon termination there were no statistically significant differences due to diets. Histological samples of the distal intestine showed no statistical differences in symptoms conducive to soy-induced enteritis (lamina propria thickness, lamina propria cellularity, thickening of connective tissue, and abundancy of goblet cells) between the practical soy diet and the commercial fishmeal diet. Trial three was designed to improve the soy-based feed by evaluating nine experimental diets with varying soy sources. The basal diet contained 49.97% solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM) which was replaced with low oligosaccharide soybean meal (LO-SBM), soy protein concentrate (SPC), and fermented soybean meal (Fer-SBM) at 50 or 100%, or expeller extruded soybean meal (EE-SBM) at 25 or 50%. Juvenile Florida pompano (4.82 ± 0.08 grams) were offered randomly assigned diets in quadruplicate for 76 days. Upon termination, there were no significant differences in weight (p=0.493), survival (p=0.925), or FCR (p=0.874) in fish offered any of the experimental diets. Histological analysis of distal intestine samples showed no statistical differences in lamina propria thickness, lamina propria cellularity, connective tissue thickening, or abundance of goblet cells
Teacher Perceptions: A Study of One School System Sponsored National Board Cohort
Get PDFResearch suggests that retaining teachers is becoming a challenge to school and system leadership in most states, including Alabama. Local school system sponsored national board cohorts are being developed as one means of providing the experiences necessary to train and retain teachers.
The present qualitative case study focuses on leadership supports of teachers in a national board certification cohort. Its goal is to learn more about the role leadership plays in the success of the national board cohort model and which outcomes from participation might be helpful to develop, train, and retain teachers to curtail the present teacher shortage facing school systems in Alabama. Through confidential interviews, participants reflected on the facilitators and barriers leadership provided during certification. They describe the outcomes from certification including their viewpoint on remaining in the field.
The findings from this study suggest that school and system leaders can implement supports through the system sponsored national board cohort that will allow teachers reach high levels of self-efficacy in their practice, realize additional professional opportunities, attain greater job satisfaction, and improve their outlook on remaining in the field
Self-Directed Learning in the GED Classroom: Barriers and Retention
Get PDFAdult education often serves older individuals seeking continued intellectual engagement beyond traditional educational settings. Defined by Houle (1972) as a process whereby individuals seek personal or societal improvement through skill and knowledge acquisition, adult education faces challenges in supporting GED students navigating demographic barriers independently through the learning process. This study addressed the gap in recent research on GED students engaged in classroom self-directed learning. Specifically, it examined the progress of GED students, and their demographic factors such as employment status, participation in government assistance, and incarceration history, in relation to persistence and self-directed learning preferences.
Data from a convenience sample of 876 GED students from a southern state’s community college 2021 program year were analyzed. Findings for the study included being male is associated with having 1.43 greater odds of being in a higher persistence category, and those that identified as being unemployed have 1.99 greater odds for being in a higher persistence category. The study also found that being male provided 1.76 greater odds of participating in in-person learning, and being unemployed provided 1.33 greater odds of choosing digital instruction. Additionally, receiving government assistance did not significantly influence the likelihood of determining self-directed learning method. Previous incarceration status was a significant predictor suggesting that individuals with no history of incarceration have 2.29 greater odds of in-person learning.
This study highlights significant relationships between gender dynamics, incarceration history, persistence patterns, and instructional preferences, emphasizing the complex interplay between demographic barriers and educational outcomes
Assessing genetic diversity and virulence in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and evaluating putative secreted DNases as virulence factors
No full textThe Fusarium oxysporum species complex consists of asexual soil-borne fungi that cause vascular diseases of various plant hosts. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) infects the xylem of cotton and other host plants. As cotton is an important crop in Alabama and the United States, and few management strategies besides host resistance are effective for controlling Fov, this research aimed to better understand the pathogenicity of Fov so that better management strategies can be developed. This research also sought to better understand a new virulent genotype of Fov in the United States known as race 4.
In the first research chapter, 118 field isolates from Alabama were assessed for genetic diversity using TEF1/RPB2 phylogeny, hydroponic virulence assays, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Eighteen different haplotypes were identified and karyotypes of small chromosomes varied across haplotypes, suggesting Fov isolates from Alabama are genetically diverse, but no race 4 isolates were recovered. Fov isolates from a haplotype containing race 1 isolates were unexpectedly aggressive on both Pima and Upland cotton. Fov isolates from this haplotype may be a more pressing concern in Alabama currently than race 4.
The second research chapter investigates nucleic acid extracellular traps (NETs), consisting of nucleic acid, histones, and other antimicrobial peptides which may protect plant roots from infection and extracellular DNases (exDNases) in Fov. Some pathogens use exDNases to destroy NETs to allow them to infect their hosts. Manipulating the interaction of NETs produced by plant roots and pathogen exDNases may lead to new management strategies for soil-borne pathogens such as Fov. In this study, we show that two exDNases are induced upon infection of cotton plants in Fov, and mutation of one exDNase reduced virulence in Fov in hydroponic test tube assays. Complementation of the DNase gene restored this mutant to the virulence of the wild type. This shows for the first time the involvement of putative exDNases in virulence for a soil-borne fungal pathogen.
The last research chapter investigates race 4 isolates and potential cotton specific genes. Race 4 isolates were found to vary in levels of virulence as well as numbers and sizes of putative accessory chromosomes. All Fov genomes besides a race 5 isolate possess homologs not present in most other Fo genomes. The region containing these homologs is over 10× the size of other genotypes in race 4 isolates and contains an abundance of repetitive elements. These twelve homologous genes may be important for virulence on cotton and may be involved in defoliation.
Overall, this research found variation in virulence and putative accessory chromosomes across and within genotypes of Fov. Twelve gene homologs were identified which may be associated with cotton specific virulence and will be further investigated. exDNases were also found to be involved in virulence, and these will be further profiled in the future to identify potential mechanisms of action