Words Mean Things: Navigating Language When Working with Students with Disabilities

Ever found yourself searching for the correct words to say when working with a student with disabilities? Join us for a discussion on the importance our words have in the disability field. Where we have been and where we are headed. Come explore Person First language and get ideas about how to find words when you are searching for them

Hybrid Rocket Engine Ignition and Control

Control of a hybrid rocket engine is dependent upon a robust system capable of executing commands at precise times. In order to accomplish this, hardware systems must be in place to control the flow of a pressurized gas and provide feedback to launch site personnel. Through the use of solenoid valves and wireless transceivers, control over the thrust of a rocket can be accomplished. In order to understand this information and provide a user-friendly interface to complete this, a launch control module is used. Through the combined capabilities of the two system it becomes possible to test and launch a hybrid engine rocket in a safe and efficient manner

An Analysis of the Influence of Speed on Fatal Accidents in Ohio

Through data collected by NHTSA and FARS, Ohio crash data resulting in fatalities were analyzed through four different breakdowns to determine variables correlating to the fatalities. The breakdowns include dividing data from overall Ohio data, reports involving speeding, then from there to single-vehicle crashes. That data was divided down to only include male drivers and then finally only motorcycles. This data was analyzed as it was broken down to find trends with each category. Through these analyses, the trends were developed to suggest recommendations to implement through education and laws to help reduce the number of crashes resulting in fatalities

Family Interactions with an Early Childhood Network

This dissertation seeks to better understand the experiences of families as they navigate systems and networks to gain access to the opportunities they want and need for their themselves and for their children. The specific area of focus for this research is how families, and more specifically women and mothers, are entering into a Formal Early Childhood Network in Battle Creek, MI and gaining access to the opportunities available. According to Grant-Thomas and powell (2006), one’s ability to flourish is contingent on access to opportunities, which are differentially available based on race, gender, class and other matters of social difference. Gaining access into these networks and systems, with the support of family, friends and/or trusted organizations can potentially have a significant impact on the resources and opportunities women and children are able to use to contribute to improved outcomes. One overarching question guides this study: How do families enter into and experience different features, opportunities and organizations in a Formal Early Childhood System Network? Addressing this question requires two sub-questions: 1) What constitutes the make-up, structure and function of the Formal Early Childhood System Network within the Battle Creek community?; and 2) What constitutes the make-up, structure and function of the Informal Networks of the families? These questions are addressed by analyzing information (websites, reports, meeting agendas and notes), by drawing on a social network analysis of 78 organizations in the early childhood system that has been conducted in the community as the result of a collaborative planning process, and through interviews with a purposeful sample of 7 families with a child or children between the ages of 3-4 who live below 250% of poverty in Battle Creek and qualify for free public preschool or a childcare subsidy from the state. The data gathered provided a better understanding of the networks of people and organizations each family relies on to meet their personalized needs and desires for early childhood opportunities. Through the approach of combining the social network data with the qualitative case study data of the families, I have been able to construct an understanding of the network/system, that is nuanced enough that some key intervention points have been identified. Relevant findings include: 1) A tightly connected network of formal systems and services doesn’t necessarily result in an improved experience for the end users, the women and families; 2) The Informal Networks of women in this study were extremely important in providing support and entry points to access opportunities; and 3) Key organizations within networks are more critical to families than others. These findings provide an opportunity to consider how network interventions might position those organizations differently within the network to improve the quality and flow of information through the network to enhance the experience and access for women and families.PHDEducational StudiesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163081/1/megrjohn_1.pd

Qualitative study of the quality of sleep in marginalized individuals living with HIV.

Sleep disturbances have been reported to be higher in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals compared to the general population. Despite the consequences of poor quality of sleep (QOS), research regarding sleep disturbances in HIV infection is lacking and many questions regarding correlates of poor QOS, especially in marginalized populations, remain unanswered. We conducted one-on-one qualitative interviews with 14 marginalized HIV-infected individuals who reported poor QOS to examine self-reported correlates of sleep quality and explore the relationship between QOS and antiretroviral adherence. Findings suggest a complex and multidimensional impact of mental health issues, structural factors, and physical conditions on QOS of these individuals. Those reporting poor QOS as a barrier to antiretroviral adherence reported lower adherence due to falling asleep or feeling too tired to take medications in comparison to those who did not express this adherence barrier. These interviews underscore the importance of inquiries into a patient's QOS as an opportunity to discuss topics such as adherence, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance use

Fulton County Business Court: A Specialized Solution for the Modern Business Community

Business courts or complex commercial divisions are growing in popularity as an effective tool to channel the most complex civil cases into one place before experienced judges with the background and training necessary to resolve the sophisticated issues often presented in those cases. According to North Carolina Business Court Judge Ben F. Tennille, one of the first judicial advocates of the business court model, the evolution of specialty business courts is a necessary response to “‘the rapidly increasing complexity, rate of change and globalization of business.’” In 2005, Fulton County Superior Court launched a Business Case Division (“Fulton Business Court”) to better serve the business litigants within its district. In the past eight years, the Fulton Business Court has demonstrated that,through specialization, the judicial system can evolve to fit the demands of the modern business community

Evaluation of a Multiwavelength Characterization of Brown and Black Carbon from Filter Samples

An ultraviolet – visible (UV-VIS) spectrometer coupled with an integrating sphere was used to measure diffuse reflectance and transmittance of particulate matter (PM) samples collected on quartz-fiber (QF) and Teflon-membrane (TM) filter media over the wavelength range 250 – 1000 nm at 1 nm resolution. These measurements were used to calculate PM sample attenuation, absorption, and Ångstrom absorption exponents (AAE). Samples included laboratory generated source samples (e.g. biomass burning emissions, diesel engine exhaust, and resuspended dusts) and ambient samples. PM sample attenuation and absorption were compared to other PM light absorption measurement methods including densitometer, dual-wavelength (370 & 880 nm) transmissometer, and 3-λ (405, 532, 781 nm) photoacoustic spectrometer (PAS). Large differences were found between filter-based methods and QF and TM absorption was found to be higher than PAS by average factors of 5.1 and 3.6, respectively. AAE values calculated for all samples compared well with values previously reported in literature. Comparison of the filter media showed that attenuation and absorption values from TM samples are, on average, ~1/2 of the values obtained using QF samples. Filter media comparison also revealed evidence of shadowing effects on TM filter media with high sample loading. Comparison of absorption approximation methods using various AAEs and a power law extrapolation exhibited large differences in radiative forcing estimates, indicating that PM absorption is not always well represented by the power law assumption