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Roughness and Gloss of 3D-Printed Crowns Following Polishing or Varnish Application
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the surface roughness and gloss—both initially and after simulated toothbrushing—of three 3D-printed crown materials subjected to different surface treatments: varnishing, polishing with diamond-impregnated rubber polishers, and polishing with a bristle brush and paste. Disc-shaped specimens (n = 90) were 3D-printed using three commercially available crown resins (Rodin Sculpture, VarseoSmile TriniQ, and OnX Tough 2) and post-processed per manufacturers’ instructions. Specimens were divided into three surface treatment groups: application of a light-cured varnish, polishing with a two-step diamond-impregnated rubber polisher, or polishing with a bristle brush and abrasive paste. Surface roughness and gloss were measured after treatment and again following 20,000 cycles of simulated toothbrushing. Additional specimens were prepared for Vickers microhardness testing and determination of filler weight percentage (wt%). Statistical comparisons were performed using two-way ANOVA with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The varnish provided the statistically lowest roughness of all surface treatments for all materials. The bristle brush and abrasive paste polishing protocol produced the greatest gloss for the softest material (VarseoSmile TriniQ) and lowest gloss for the hardest material (Rodin Sculpture), whereas the two-step diamond-impregnated rubber polisher produced an equivalent gloss on all materials. Following toothbrushing, roughness was minimally affected; however, gloss was considerably reduced. Conclusions: All tested polishing and varnishing methods achieved clinically acceptable surface roughness (Ra < 0.2 µm) that persisted after simulated toothbrushing. Notably, the two-step diamond-impregnated rubber polisher produced consistent gloss across all materials, while the bristle brush and abrasive paste polishing protocol performed better on softer materials, and varnish application resulted in equal or superior gloss and roughness retention compared to polishing
Integrating Medication Management and Access, Medicare Counseling, and Tailored Referrals: Planning to Scale a Community-Based Model
Get PDFSenior PharmAssist (SPA), a community-based not-for-profit agency, addresses medication-related challenges through 4 integrated services: medication therapy management, financial assistance for medications, tailored community referrals, and counseling on Medicare coverage. With expert input and community feedback, SPA articulated its model and selected pilot sites to adapt the program to other communities
Investigating the Effects of SOX9 on Intestinal Mitochondria
No full textReduced or dysfunctional mitochondria in intestinal epithelial cells are linked to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Our group found the crypt-enriched transcription factor SOX9 represses total and active mitochondria in cultured human intestinal stem cells (ISCs), potentially acting as an early contributor to IBD development; however, how SOX9 regulates mitochondria is not fully understood in human intestinal cells. Thus, the major objective of this project is to explore the role of SOX9 in regulating mitochondrial levels in primary human intestinal stem cells
Preserving Our History: Remembering the Legacy of Native Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Get PDFThrough the collection of oral histories, this project uncovers and tells the story of the work and advocacy that Native students have done to make UNC-Chapel Hill a better environment for themselves and for future generations of Indigenous scholars within a system steeped in colonialism. The Native Archive, which houses the oral histories, is a tangible reflection of this narrative and history and stands as a testament to the power of student activism
Toric Polynomials of Planar Quivers
Get PDFA combinatorial algorithm was published by Abdelgadir, Mellit, and Rodriguez-Villegas in 2022 for decomposing Nakajima quiver varieties of dimension vector (1,\dots,1) via Tutte's deletion/contraction formula. We review the relevant theorems, give examples, and consider cases where the algorithm can be simplified.Master of Scienc
Evidence-Based Assessment of Childhood Reactive Aggression: Critical Review and Novel Measure Development
Get PDFDisruptive behavior disorders rank among the most common concerns motivating families to seek mental health services. A growing body of research suggests that frequent and severe behavioral outbursts characterized by reactive aggression (RA) may characterize a distinct group of youth with behavior problems. However, RA is not specific to a single diagnosis in the current clinical nosology. The transdiagnostic yet impairing nature of RA poses challenges to both clinicians and researchers. The current work addresses one factor contributing to this problem: a lack of validated, RA-specific assessment tools. In the first study, a scoping review identified a lack of validation evidence for brief, accessible instruments targeting RA behaviors in young children. Existing RA-specific assessments lacked adequate norms and evidence of validation evidence in children under 12 years of age. The second study drew on an existing, nationally representative dataset to create a new parent-report measure of RA: the 16-Item Reactive Aggression Assessment (RAGA-16). This work compared two approaches to measure development: a data informed approach that combined item response theory analyses with clinical judgment, and a completely automated approach based on item characteristics. Finally, the clinical validation study reviewed chart data from children seeking treatment to assess associations between RAGA-16 scores and continuous symptom measures as well as service utilization data. Across these studies, the RAGA-16 scores showed excellent evidence of reliability and validity in both treatment-seeking and epidemiological samples. Clinical and non-clinical norms for RAGA-16 scores are reported along with indices of clinically significant change. Taken together, these results support the use of the RAGA-16 as a promising new clinical screening measure and outcome tool likely to support research and clinical practice to help children experiencing impairing RA behaviors.Doctor of Philosoph
Growth in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children in Malawi and the Effect of Maternal Education on Their Growth
Get PDFThe number of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children– children of mothers living with HIV who are exposed to the virus in utero, during delivery, or via breastfeeding, yet do not acquire HIV infection themselves –is increasing. Despite being uninfected, these children may remain at increased risk of poor growth. We used data from a clinic-based cohort of HEU children born to mothers enrolled in the prospective cohort study that was conducted from 2015 to 2019 at Bwaila and A18 clinics in Lilongwe, Malawi. The children were followed from birth to 36 months. In the first aim, we compared growth of HEU children in the study cohort and children from the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic Health Survey (the DHS sample, served as the context for the general population of children aged 0-3 years in Malawi) to the WHO Growth Standards. In both the study cohort and the DHS sample, height-for-age and weight-for-age z-scores were below the WHO Growth Standards median while the weight-for-age were above the WHO Growth Standards median which was driven by greater deficits in height in the two study populations. Generally, the prevalence of stunting and underweight increased with age in both study populations while the prevalence of wasting was low and remained relatively stable with age. In the second aim, we estimated the effect of maternal education (categorized as no/primary education vs. secondary/higher education) on growth of HEU children in the cohort. We estimated the mean differences in height and weight for each sex by maternal education from birth to 36 months. There were statistically significant mean differences in height (emerging from 12 months onwards) and weight (emerging from 33 months onwards) in male HEU children. There was no effect of maternal education in height and weight among female HEU children. Overall, our findings show the level of undernutrition in HEU children in the study that was comparable to the level undernutrition in children from the DHS sample. This is not unexpected as the strongest influence of undernutrition are underlying structural, socioeconomic, and environmental determinants common to all children in Malawi. Maternal education is a potential intervention for improving growth in HEU children. Despite that there was no effect on growth in female HEU children in the study, maternal education has widespread societal benefits and other studies have shown its positive effect on growth in female children as well. As such, efforts to promote girls’ and women’s education should continue to be encouraged.Doctor of Philosoph
Urban Extractivism: Land, Elites and the Political Ecology of Real Estate in Postwar El Salvador
Get PDFThis dissertation explores the socioenvironmental dynamics of urban real estate expansion in El Salvador. It focuses on the case of Nuevo Cuscatlán, a coffee-producing town whose forests are being cleared for the construction of high-end residential developments. Moving beyond narratives that reduce deforestation to a lack of regulation or corruption culture, I focus on the processes of class and state formation that have shaped the area’s environmental change. I argue that the current landscape transformation is rooted in El Salvador’s old land conflict, whose expression in the 1980s civil war, compelled the country’s agroexport elite to move into urban-oriented activities like retail and services. This urban shift incentivized the transformation of large portions of agricultural land, such as forested coffee estates, into spaces for commercial and residential real estate investment. In Nuevo Cuscatlán, this materialized in three strategies pushed forward by an elite-dominated state: 1. The privatization of property regimes, 2. A market-oriented system of land use regulation, and 3. The establishment of a hydraulic water system. Though presented as solutions to socioenvironmental problems in the area, these strategies have given way to an institutional framework that facilitates resource dealing between the state and land speculators. The former has resulted in a systematic transfer of land and water rights from rural dwellers to the real estate sector. Following emerging Latin American scholarship on real estate, I categorize this appropriation of ecological wealth as a form of urban extractivism.Doctor of Philosoph
EFFECTS OF A VISUAL DISRUPTIVE TASK ON WALKING BIOMECHANICS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Those who undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are at high risk for developing post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Patients who develop PTOA display “stiffened knee gait” (i.e., smaller sagittal knee moments and angles). Patients with ACL injuries also reweight sensory information such that they rely more heavily on visual stimuli for lower limb control. The addition of a visual disruptive task has been shown to affect biomechanics in dynamic tasks (such as landing and change of direction) in healthy participants, those with chronic ankle instability, and those with ACLR. The introduction of stroboscopic goggles as a visual-disruptive task may closely mimic the visual-motor demands of sport and could be used in a rehabilitation setting to reduce dependence on visual stimuli. However, the effects of visual disruption on walking biomechanics in individuals with ACLR are unknown. The objective of this project is to evaluate the acute effects of a visual-disruptive task on walking gait biomechanics in individuals with ACLR. METHODS: Participants will complete an overground gait assessment under a control condition, and while wearing stroboscopic goggles under two (LOW and HIGH) intensities where gait kinematics, kinetics, and EMG data will be collected. Assessments of visual acuity, somatosensory function, and muscle function will be collected to determine their influence on gait biomechanics under each condition.Doctor of Philosoph
Some Things Never Change? Examining the Effects of Government Participation on the Radical Right’s Anti-Immigrant Discourse
Get PDFThis thesis examines the effects of government participation on the anti-immigrant discourse of Western European radical right parties (RRPs). As it stands, most of the current literature has focused on RRP policy moderation and the effects of office-seeking strategies on the party family’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. This has left the question of how entering government affects an RRP’s framing of immigrants largely unanswered. To address this research gap, I conduct a qualitative content analysis on 16 party platforms and manifestos published by the Austrian Freedom Party, Italian National Alliance, and the Norwegian Progress Party: three RRPs of differing ideologies and backgrounds that have previously participated in coalition governments. Ultimately, I find little evidence that entering government significantly changed or moderated the way that these parties frame immigrants. Given that the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the parties remained stable, this casts further doubt on whether RRPs that enter government ever become mainstream parties.Master of Art