The Effectiveness of Constant Versus Rotating Buddy Dyads on the Social Interactions of Handicapped Preschoolers

Due to the passage of Public Law 94-142 (1975), widespread attempts have been made to integrate children who have handicaps into settings with their nonhandicapped peers. Although integrated settings may provide the opportunity for social interaction to occur between children with and without handicaps, often interaction does not occur. In order to address the issue of how to best facilitate appropriate interactions in integrated settings, specialized programs such as the FMS buddy system (Quintero, Phelps, Striefel, & Killoran, 1987) have been developed to promote positive social interactions between children with and without handicaps. One important aspect programs such as the buddy system have not fully considered is the differential impact a nonhandicapped child could have on the level of social interaction of the child with handicaps. The impact the nonhandicapped buddy could make if constantly paired with the same child with handicaps may be different than the one a nonhandicapped child could make if paired, over time, in an alternating sequence with different children who have handicaps. In response to the question of possible differential impact, a single subject multiple baseline design was utilized to compare the effect constant buddies and rotating buddies had on the social interactions of 8 children who had handicaps. The intervention included training the buddies on how to interact with children who have handicaps and providing the opportunity for the children with and without handicaps to play together. Treatment effects were measured by direct observations of social interactions between the children with and without handicaps during free play and buddy sessions, sociometric measures, and attitude measures. Results indicated that pairing children who have handicaps with a nonhandicapped buddy increased social interactions between children with and without handicaps during buddy sessions. The level of interaction achieved during buddy sessions was not fully generalized to subsequent free play sessions. Buddies from constant dyads rated their playmates who had handicaps sociometrically higher than buddies from rotating dyads. Non handicapped children who served as buddies rated their buddy experience favorably. Suggestions for future research in this area are made

Performance on an Anagram Task as a Function of Experimenter Status and Subject Dogmatism

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of experimenter status and subject dogmatism on anagram solving. The subjects were 90 college students. Only those subjects scoring in the upper or lower thirds on the Dogmatism Scale were utilized. The same experimenter was described as being of either high or low status in each class. In the low status condition, the experimenter was introduced as a student making up an incomplete, while in the high status condition, the experimenter was introduced as a Doctoral student doing research for a Federal Grant Agency. Therefore, four experimental groups were formed in relation to two different levels of dogmatism and two different statuses for the experimenter. A two-way analysis of variance with one covariate {Composite ACT scores to account for intellectual functioning) was computed using subject dogmatism and experimenter status as the independent variables and anagram performance as the dependent variable. It was found that neither the main affects of subject dogmatism and experimenter status, nor the interaction between the two variables were significant. Analysis of a questionnaire designed to evaluate the status manipulation indicated that the manipulation had not been effective. The problem of devising an effective status manipulation for a female experimenter was discussed in relation to future research

An Analysis of a Measure of Productivity in Mule Deer Populations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the fall proportion of fawns among fawns and does in a mule deer population and two measures of productivity, the spring recruitment rate and the reproductive performance as measured in the fall. The spring recruitment rate was defined to be the number of fawns per doe which were recruited into the population at 1 year of age. The reproductive performance was defined to be the number of fawns produced per doe 2 years or older which survive to a specified time. The relationships between these quantities were measured by calculating linear coefficients of correlation from data generated by a projection matrix model of a mule deer population. A coefficient of correlation of 0.86 was found between the fall proportion of fawns and the rate at which fawns are recruited into the spring population. A coefficient of correlation of 0.89 was found between the fall proportion of fawns and the reproductive performance as measured in the fall. The effect of misclassifying fawns as does and does as fawns on estimates of the proportion of fawns among fawns and does was also investigated. A comparison was made between the expected values of two estimates of the fall proportion, one with misclassification and one without misclassification. The misclassification of fawns and does was found to bias estimates of the proportion of fawns. The bias was found to be a function of the amount of misclassification and the actual pro, portion of fawns

The Effect of Anger Management and Communication Training on Functional and Quality-of-Life Status in Fibromyalgia Patients

Fibromyalgia syndrome (PMS) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals throughout the world. As of yet the specific etiology of this condition remains unknown and successful treatments remain in their infancy. Although several studies have focused on the emotional components of fibromyalgia, none have specifically addressed the issues of communication and anger that appear to be important among this patient population. The objectives of this study were to design a 4-week experimental group therapy treatment based on successful cognitive behavioral components and add anger management and communication components in an attempt to increase benefits to the overall well-being of patients. Subjects were 46 fibromyalgia patients recruited from physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists as well as through newspaper, radio, and advertising through flyers. Patients who were accepted into the study were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a wait-list control group, with the control group receiving the treatment in the month following the treatment group. Outcomes were assessed using a repeated measures analysis of variance with one within (time) and one-between subjects (group) factor. The five assessment measures utilized in this study were the Fibrornyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Version 2, the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Survey (CPSS), the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory- 2 (ST AXI-2) and a communication inventory developed specifically for this intervention. Specific outcomes measured included change on fibromyalgia-specific symptoms and physical and emotional health-related status, improvement in communication, change in anger scores, and changes in levels of self-efficacy. Analysis of patient outcome data revealed that significant results were achieved. in the areas of mental health and communication variables. In addition, several notable effect sizes were also found, particularly in the areas of vitality (-.97), mental health (-.76) and pain management (- 1.17). Results demonstrated that a brief, cost-effective 4-week intervention can have a beneficial impact for FMS patients in the area of psychological function. Implications of these findings are discussed within the context of the existing literature on fibromyalgia treatment as well as in terms of possible limitations of the study as it was conducted

Hysteretic Transition Between States of a Filled Hexagonal Magnetic Dipole Cluster

By minimizing the magnetostatic potential energy and by finding zeros in the sum of the squares of the torques, we find the equilibrium states of six dipoles of identical strength at the vertices of a regular hexagon and a variable-strength dipole at the center. The seven dipoles spin freely about fixed axes that are perpendicular to the plane of the hexagon, with their dipole moments directed parallel to the plane. When the central dipole is weak compared with the perimeter dipoles, a ‘‘circular’’ state applies in which the perimeter dipole moments circle around the central dipole, which points toward a perimeter dipole. When the central dipole is strong, a more symmetric ‘‘dipolar’’ state applies in which the perimeter dipole moments align approximately with the field of the central dipole. Over an intermediate range of dipole strengths bounded by two critical values, both states are locally stable and the state of the system depends upon its history. Iron filings are used to observe both states in experiments on small spherical neodymium magnets. A ‘‘misaligned’’ state that is barely unstable theoretically is also observed experimentally; this state resembles the circular state except that the central dipole moment points toward a point of contact between two perimeter magnets

The Ecology and Genetics of \u3ci\u3eSchoenoplectus maritimus\u3c/i\u3e, an Important Emergent Macrophyte, Across Diverse Hydrologic Conditions--Implications for Restoration

Wetlands in the Intermountain West are typically dominated by large monotypic stands of emergent wetland plants, are highly productive, and support millions of migratory birds as important stops along the Pacific Flyway. In systems with low species diversity, such as these, diversity within a species (intraspecific diversity) can play an important role in population fitness and ecosystem functioning and can impact restoration success. Our research was designed to inform future restoration and management activities by studying the pattern of diversity within and among natural plant populations, and by studying how hydrology and plant materials used in restoration (source and diversity of seeds) influenced plant success (establishment and productivity). We focused our research on Schoenoplectus maritimus L Lye. (alkali bulrush), a wide-spread wetland plant that is widely used in restoration projects in our study area due to its’ ecological importance. In our second chapter we evaluate genetic diversity within and among stands of S. maritimus at six sites of southern Idaho and Utah (Bear Lake, Salt Creek, Bear River, Ogden Bay, Farmington Bay, and Fish Springs). We found that most genetic diversity was found within stands of S. maritimus and that all stands sampled are distinct populations. One population, Fish Springs, which was an isolated spring complex in the West desert of Utah, was very distinct from the other populations. We also found that the proportion of viable seeds produced was surprisingly high. In our third chapter we discuss a field study and a greenhouse experiment that were conducted to look at the influence of hydrology, population of origin, and genetic diversity of seeds on S. maritimus. In the field study we measured environmental variables and productivity within established S. maritimus stands. In the greenhouse experiment we determined how source population identity and the genetic diversity of seeds impacted emergence and productivity under different hydrologic conditions. We found that stands of S. maritimus differed in proportion of time with water present, mean water level among sites, and soil conditions. Productivity also differed, with 3-fold differences in stem density and biomass among sites. In the greenhouse experiment, we found that productivity was reduced dramatically by drought and that seeds from some sources had greater seedling emergence and partitioned biomass to leaves or roots differently. The results of the research presented here have important implications for the management and restoration of S. maritimus—dominated wetlands. First, populations of S. maritimus are sufficiently differentiated such that there should be limited translocation of plant materials between populations to conserve historic lineages. Second, if there are no remnant populations at a restoration site from which to obtain seeds, restoration practitioners should target source populations in close physical proximity to the proposed restoration area as no one seed source outperformed others in the greenhouse experiment. Third, genetic diversity is high within sites and genetic diversity may increase restoration success and reduce the risk of inbreeding, make sure to collect from many parent plants at any given site. Fourth, water level management is extremely important at all life stages of S. maritimus and should be an important consideration in wetland restoration and management in this water-limited region

A System for Emergency Care Ventilator Control

Closed-loop control of mechanical ventilators could have a positive impact on pre-hospital patient care. Several methods to achieve this goal have been researched. A current method entitled Adaptive Volume ventilation is being studied in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Utah Health Science Center. Preliminary clinical trials using the work of breathing model have shown that optimal settings for respiratory rate are significantly higher and optimal settings for tidal volume are significantly lower than those set by clinicians. Measured respiratory rate and tidal volumes were 9.7+/-1.4 bpm and 8.9+/-1.9 ml/kg, respectively. Optimal ventilator settings were calculated to be 19.3+/-3.5 bpm for respiratory rate and 5.3+/-1.3 ml/kg for tidal volume. Using these settings would decrease the work of breathing from 6.9+/-1.4 Joules/min of work to 4.6+/-2.1 Joules/min of work. clinical trials to investigate the effects these settings have on patients\u27 blood gas concentration are currently underway. This type of controller has several applications in both civilian and military health systems, including use in the space program

Assessment of gravity wave momentum flux measurement capabilities by meteor radars having different transmitter power and antenna configurations

Measurement capabilities of five meteor radars are assessed and compared to determine how well radars having different transmitted power and antenna configurations perform in defining mean winds, tidal amplitudes, and gravity wave (GW) momentum fluxes. The five radars include two new-generation meteor radars on Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (53.8°S) and on King George Island in the Antarctic (62.1°S) and conventional meteor radars at Socorro, New Mexico (34.1°N, 106.9°W), Bear Lake Observatory, Utah (∼41.9°N, 111.4°W), and Yellowknife, Canada (62.5°N, 114.3°W). Our assessment employs observed meteor distributions for June of 2009, 2010, or 2011 for each radar and a set of seven test motion fields including various superpositions of mean winds, constant diurnal tides, constant and variable semidiurnal tides, and superposed GWs having various amplitudes, scales, periods, directions of propagation, momentum fluxes, and intermittencies. Radars having higher power and/or antenna patterns yielding higher meteor counts at small zenith angles perform well in defining monthly and daily mean winds, tidal amplitudes, and GW momentum fluxes, though with expected larger uncertainties in the daily estimates. Conventional radars having lower power and a single transmitting antenna are able to describe monthly mean winds and tidal amplitudes reasonably well, especially at altitudes having the highest meteor counts. They also provide reasonable estimates of GW momentum fluxes at the altitudes having the highest meteor counts; however, these estimates are subject to uncertainties of ∼20 to 50% and uncertainties rapidly become excessive at higher and lower altitudes. Estimates of all quantities degrade somewhat for more complex motion fields

Next Generation Plasma Frequency Probe Instrumentation Technique

The fundamental parameter for the Earth\u27s ionosphere, a space plasma, is its density. This density can be determined in-situ from its resonant frequency properties, which can be stimulated by an antenna operating at RF frequencies immersed in the plasma. The resonant conditions are observed through the antenna\u27s impedance characteristics. Innovations in the Utah State University plasma impedance probe, an instrument used for making these measurements are discussed. An improved control theory model of the instrument is derived and analyzed for a variety of ionospheric conditions. Calibration measurements are compared with theoretical results