Irrational Aggregates

This thesis paper examines the work included in my Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition entitled Irrational Aggregates. The goal of this work is to facilitate a dialogue between our natural environment and the excessive consumer-based environments in which we live. Combining a variety of ceramic techniques including hand building, wheel throwing, and casting these sculptures appear to be grown from, and even taken over by nature itself. Often drawing inspiration from my personal narrative, that of consistent upheaval, relocation, and adjustment to new places, my work can appear both grounded and in a state of motion. I believe that the objects we surround ourselves with, both natural and human made, have a history, a life, and a language. By gathering discarded personal effects and sculpting new aggregate forms which deliberately consider nature at the tangible level, I am bringing to mind the epoch-shift of our consumer based society and the versatile potential of the materials we surround ourselves with. Influenced by invasive, adaptive, and resilient plants and organisms, the sculptures are metaphorical creatures for the excessive domestic environments we construct and take with us wherever we call home. To create a sense of stability and belonging through the collection and consumption of personal effects, we close ourselves off to the natural world by bringing a little more of the inorganic consumer-saturated world inside

Examination of the Prevalence and Mediating Factors of Diabetes Diagnoses in Kentucky Women with a History of Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an overwhelming health issue in the United States affecting 25.8 million people, which is equivalent to 8.3% of the population.1 It is the seventh leading cause of death and a major cause of serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nontraumatic lower limb amputations, and new causes of blindness among adults in the U.S.1 Paralleling the obesity epidemic, the rates of DM incidence and prevalence continue to rise each year.2 One particularly troubling public health issue related to DM is that over a quarter of the people who have this disease are unaware, even though research has shown that preventative care can delay the onset of DM and its complications.1,3 In order to try to combat this problem, a Healthy People 2020 objective was established to increase the proportion of persons with diabetes whose condition had been diagnosed by 10%.4 Improving primary prevention among those at risk of developing DM and increasing early diagnosis could lead to significant savings in human and financial costs associated with this disease. While it is commonly understood that screening which enables early diagnosis of diabetes can allow for more effective management and appropriate treatment of the disease, low screening rates still remain a major public health issue.5 The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has issued guidelines about what patient populations should be screened and when, and have provided support for testing to be carried out within the health care setting; however, there remains a need for improvement in terms of effective methods to enhance the proportion of people who are actually being screened.6 As research studies continue to report the evidence for improving screening practices and the patients’ improved outcomes, specific populations for whom screening is particularly important have been identified. 3 Women with a history of gestational diabetes are a unique target population with critical diabetes screening needs. Previous research has shown that women who have had gestational diabetes have a 35% to 60% chance of developing diabetes in the next 10-20 years.1 Since these women are considered at high risk for developing diabetes, the ADA recommends that screening for the development of diabetes be performed every one to two years. However, at least one study showed that only 37% of women underwent the postpartum diabetes screening tests recommended by the ADA.7 Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when women who have never had diabetes before develop high glucose levels during pregnancy, which can lead to poor outcomes for the baby such as a high birth weight, delivery injuries, and increased risk of diabetes later in life for both the baby and the mother.8 Perceptions about health beliefs and lifestyle behaviors may be an important part of the equation for care for women with gestational diabetes. These perceptions include not only a women’s belief about their risk factors, but their experiences within the health care system itself. In ambulatory care settings, a comprehensive health care review includes a range of interactions with different providers including physicians, pharmacists, nutritionists, and nursing staff. Compliance with the directives of their healthcare providers, such as medication adherence, physical activity, and proper eating may be dependent upon women’s positive or negative experiences with care. 9,10 It is important that research be conducted to determine specific strategies to improve rates of screenings among people at high risk of developing diabetes, like women who have had gestational diabetes, so that they are able to receive quality care and prevent significant costs associated with the disease. 4 In this study, we sought to determine if women with a history of gestational diabetes were more likely to be screened and diagnosed with diabetes depending on their level of medical care and satisfaction with their patient/provider relationship. Previous research has shown that patient trust in his or her physician may positively influence patient adherence to diabetes management recommendations.11 However, one study found that while longer continuity of care was associated with greater patient satisfaction and confidence in one\u27s physician, it was not associated with a greater likelihood of receiving recommended preventive services.12 Therefore, in order to make evidence-based recommendations about improving diabetes screening, more information is needed about whether satisfaction with the patient/provider relationship makes a difference in screening practices of patients and the prevalence of diabetes. The results of this study could emphasize the importance of preventative practices and expand the amount of evidence available to healthcare providers about increasing the amount of time invested in their patients in order to improve their patients’ satisfaction with their relationship and overall health outcomes

Parent pathology and family environment as correlates of child separation anxiety disorder

Forty-four families whose children were tested for Separation Anxiety Disorder three years ago were again contacted for a follow-up study focusing on stability of the diagnosis over time and the associative characteristics of parent pathology and aspects of their family environment. Children were diagnosed with either no symptoms of separation anxiety, subclinical symptoms of separation anxiety (1 or 2 symptoms), or clinical Separation Anxiety Disorder (3 or more symptoms). Parent pathology focused on depression, obsessive/compulsive, phobic anxiety, and somatization. Family environment examined parental control and level of expression in the family. Current levels of parental pathology were found to be associated with both current and previous levels of Separation Anxiety. However, there was a decrease in diagnosis severity over time, so the hypothesis that Separation Anxiety Disorder is a stable disorder was not supported

Robb Garden Building

Final project from the EMGT 193/293 Building Information Modeling (BIM) course in the School of Engineering and Computer Science as part of the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management degree. A student group designed and modeled a one-story building to house the Pacific Garden Program on campus

LeaderShape: Creating a Vision, Living in Possibility

Leadership involves living in possibility, committing to a vision, forming relationships that will help visions take action, and upholding a high level of integrity. Leadership takes place in a community and allows positive changes to occur. The LeaderShape Institute is a six day experience which explores and develops such leadership skills. In the program, students address questions such as, “Who am I?” and “What kind of leader am I?” LeaderShape is a program with the mission of transforming the world with individuals who lead with integrity and have a healthy disregard for the impossible. Participants in this session will learn more about how they can be a part of the LeaderShape Institute and explore the leadership concepts of integrity and vision

A Catalog of Cool Dwarf Targets for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

We present a catalog of cool dwarf targets ($V-J>2.7$, $T_{\rm eff} \lesssim 4000 K$) and their stellar properties for the upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), for the purpose of determining which cool dwarfs should be observed using two-minute observations. TESS has the opportunity to search tens of thousands of nearby, cool, late K and M-type dwarfs for transiting exoplanets, an order of magnitude more than current or previous transiting exoplanet surveys, such as {\it Kepler}, K2 and ground-based programs. This necessitates a new approach to choosing cool dwarf targets. Cool dwarfs were chosen by collating parallax and proper motion catalogs from the literature and subjecting them to a variety of selection criteria. We calculate stellar parameters and TESS magnitudes using the best possible relations from the literature while maintaining uniformity of methods for the sake of reproducibility. We estimate the expected planet yield from TESS observations using statistical results from the Kepler Mission, and use these results to choose the best targets for two-minute observations, optimizing for small planets for which masses can conceivably be measured using follow up Doppler spectroscopy by current and future Doppler spectrometers. The catalog is incorporated into the TESS Input Catalog and TESS Candidate Target List until a more complete and accurate cool dwarf catalog identified by ESA's Gaia Mission can be incorporated.Comment: Accepted to The Astronomical Journal. For the full catalog, please contact the corresponding autho

Geri Fields turf improvement project environmental impact statement Bellingham, WA

The purpose of this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is to investigate the potential environmental impacts of upgrading the baseball fields at the Frank Geri Ball Fields (FGBF) complex from natural grass to synthetic turf. This would increase the year-round availability of the fields for recreational purposes. This assessment includes analysis of the proposed action in question, as well as an alternative action and a no action plan as mandated by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The proposed action is to upgrade all four fields at the FGBF complex from their natural grass surface to a synthetic turf playing surface, as well as make some minor updates and upgrades to the lighting systems on fields 2 and 3. The alternative action would leave the upper field, 4, in its natural grass state, in an effort to lessen several of the supposed impacts of a turf upgrade. If no action is taken, the fields will remain saturated and unusable for the majority of the year

An Educational Workshop to Improve Neurology Resident Knowledge and Understanding of Burnout, Substance Abuse, and Mood Disorders

Problem: Many medical residents are at risk for burnout, mood disorders, and substance abuse. We created an educational activity composed of an online module (OM), an interactive role-playing session (AL), and a video practicum (VP) to inform neurology residents on the aforementioned risks and available support resources. This project evaluates the efficacy of these tools. Methods: PGY2 and PGY3 neurology residents were given OM. In addition, the PGY2 residents participated in AL. Three surveys were given to assess their knowledge about burnout before completing the module (Sur1), after AL session (Sur2), and after watching VP(Sur3). Outcomes: More PGY2 residents scored “confident” (agree or strongly agree) about resources at Jefferson for those struggling with burnout, substance abuse, or mood disorders in Sur2 (n=4/4) vs Sur1(n=0/4). More PGY2 residents scored “confident” in recognizing symptoms in Sur2 (n=4/4) vs Sur1(n=3/4). On knowledge-based questions regarding burnout, average test score increased from 46% to 70%. In Sur3, the PGY2 residents (n=8) outperformed PGY3 residents (n=3) when identifying symptoms of burnout, mood disorders, and substance abuse found in VP (Mean 84% (PGY2) vs. 72% (PGY3), t-test p=0.009). The PGY2 cohort also tended to agree that the video resident was a risk to patient safety when compared with the PGY3 cohort (2, p=0.01). Discussion: Our analysis shows that our educational tools (OM, AL) can improve resident knowledge and skills in handling burnout, substance abuse, and mood disorders

The Impact of Variable Dosage Using Robotic-assisted Task-Specific Upper Extremity Training in Children with Cerebral Palsy

poster abstractBackground: Cerebral Palsy (CP) and other acquired neurological disorders result from brain lesions that alter motor function in children. The impact of these deficits can impair a child’s ability to use their upper extremity (UE) for normal daily activities such as eating and playing. Robotic-assisted therapy has been shown to improve motor function in children with CP. Training parameters such as intensity and frequency were initially based on findings from studies measuring change in adults following stroke. Based on this, high intensity (960 repetitions per session) and increased frequency (2 times per week, 9 weeks) were initially implemented for children. Early findings demonstrated improvement in UE function for children with CP; however, training sessions were long, making them difficult to complete given the shorter attention span of the pediatric population. Determining the potential impact of a shorter, more optimal, dosage of robotic-assisted therapy for children would facilitate rehab training efficiency and maximize cost effectiveness. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact on motor impairments and movement capacity with variances in treatment intensity (number of repetitions per session) while holding constant the frequency of the application (2 times per week, 9 weeks) for robotic-assisted UE training for children with CP. Methods: Six children between the ages of 6 and 8 were analyzed from two separate studies evaluating the effectiveness of robotic-assisted training for UE functional improvement. The first study featured training at high intensity and frequency while the second study used lower intensity parameters but the same frequency. To be eligible for either study, children were required to have UE hemiplegia and the ability to participate in a task for up to 60 minutes. Twice weekly, each child participated in robotic training sessions consisting of either 960, 640, or 320 task-specific reaching movements of the affected UE. Each child completed a total of 16 robotic training sessions over a 9-week period as well as one pre- and one post-test session. Outcome measures included active range of motion (AROM), strength testing and tone using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). The children’s motor capacity was evaluated using the adaptive Fugl-Meyer scale (FM). Results: Percent change scores were calculated for each participant for each outcome measurement. AROM results for the shoulder resulted in an average increase of 10.6% for flexion and a 13.3% increase for abduction in both the 320 and 640 groups. Shoulder external rotation increased by an average of 13.6% for all three groups. Arm strength increased an average of 12.3% for all three groups. The MAS had an average decrease in tone of 23.8% across all 3 groups. Scores on the FM increased an average of 23% with in-depth analysis revealing shoulder movement to be the primary area for motor capacity change at 96%. Conclusion: These findings indicate that lower intensities of robotic-assisted therapy (320 and 640 repetitions) were as effective as the larger dose originally prescribed for children with CP. Outcome measures improved in all 3 groups and did not vary between dosing groups. This suggests that longer intensity sessions of robotic-assisted therapies may not be necessary to produce AROM, strength, and motor capacity changes. Further trials with more subjects are needed to validate these results