Master of Fine Arts

thesisFrom the unnatural long lives of Old Testament prophets and Gandalf the Grey, to the immortality of Elves and The Highlander, I am fascinated by stories of longevity and immortality. I chose medieval fantasy as a genre to answer my own question about immortality: How far into hell can seven people take a world and still hope to be redeemed? The day Sylva's favorite student graduates from his military training, she is murdered in her home. An investigation ensues. When her student, Ustin, sees her alive the next morning, the investigation turns into a "man-hunt" for the victim. Sylva has survived her own murder. For Ustin, this means traveling outside his homeland with the menacing Prince Endegar. For Sylva, it may mean dying all over again. The novel spans three weeks and thousands of years, from the age in which The Six were first made immortal, to the day Sylva is found by her husband and pupil, only to be lost again. In the time leading up to that day, Ustin must decide what kind of man he will become. When he realizes what his backwoods warrior-society has turned him into, he seeks an alternative to the violent culture from which he comes. Ustin lives in a microcosm created to protect its inhabitants from a world that struggles against a cycle of its own natural and unnatural destruction. The Six ruled for thousands of years, testing every method of dictatorial government. When cataclysms occurred, The Six were sure to survive and lead the remainder of humanity into the next cycle of destruction. The vacuum created when they choose to leave ruling and live in obscurity has the power to destroy the world yet again. Through a mixture of chance and choice, Ustin, Sylva, and Endegar become players in the world struggle for redemption

Thomas Wayne Bolton in a Junior Voice Recital

This is the program for the voice recital of tenor Thomas Wayne Bolton, accompanied by Glenda Plummer on piano. The recital was held on April 21, 1967, at Calvary Baptist Church

Status, Technology, and Rural Tradition in Western Pennsylvania: Excavations at the Shaeffer Farm Site

Archaeological excavations have been performed at the Shaeffer Farm site (36AR410), a rural residence in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Documentary research and archaeological investigations indicate that the site was mainly occupied in the 19th century, probably by the Shaeffer family during its earliest occupation phase, and later by tenants. The site consisted of a dry-laid stone foundation and artifacts dating from approximately 1830 until shortly after 1900. The artifacts included architectural, domestic, faunal, and personal items. The study provided information about the lives of rural middle- and lower-class residents in western Pennsylvania, focusing on the housing, diet, recreation, and social aspirations of the residents. Information was obtained about the nature of small farming communities in American backcountry areas and the attitude of farmers toward an increasingly capitalist marketplace

The relationship between clinical perfectionism and nonsuicidal self-injury: The roles of experiential avoidance, self-esteem, and locus of control

Objectives: Perfectionism is linked to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Individuals with elevated perfectionism tend to avoid undesirable emotions and experience lower self-esteem, which are associated with NSSI. However, it is unclear if these mechanisms explain the link between clinical perfectionism and NSSI, and if locus of control is involved. We aimed to explore whether experiential avoidance and self-esteem would mediate the relationship between clinical perfectionism and NSSI, and if locus of control would moderate links between clinical perfectionism and both experiential avoidance and self-esteem. Method: As part of a larger study, 514 Australian university students (Mage = 21.15 years, SD = 2.40; 73.5% female) completed an online survey of NSSI, clinical perfectionism, experiential avoidance, self-esteem, and locus of control. Results: Clinical perfectionism was associated with NSSI history, but not with recent NSSI or past year NSSI frequency. Lower self-esteem, but not experiential avoidance, mediated links between clinical perfectionism and NSSI history, recent NSSI, and NSSI frequency. More external locus of control was associated with NSSI, experiential avoidance, and lower self-esteem, but locus of control did not moderate pathways between clinical perfectionism and experiential avoidance or self-esteem. Conclusion: University students reporting elevated clinical perfectionism may have a tendency to experience lower self-esteem which is associated with NSSI history, recency, and severity

Thomas Wayne Bolton in a Senior Voice Recital

This is the program for the senior voice recital of Thomas Wayne Bolton, accompanied by Glenda Plummer on piano, Marilyn Rauch on flute, and Charles Wesley on bassoon. The recital was held on April 28, 1968, in Mitchell Hall

The influence of pH on the binding of immunoglobulin G to staphylococcal protein A

The interaction between protein A and immunoglobulin G (IgG) was studied at a variety of pH values using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) device, which provides real time kinetic data without labelling or molecular alteration. This study was carried out due to the large scale use of Protein A affinity chromatography for the purification of IgG for pharmaceutical purposes, and is one of the most costly steps in the purification process. The results produced were largely in line with those produced in previous literature with binding remaining strong between pH 7.4 and 5.0, although the association rate decreased as pH decreased. Below pH 5.0, the rate of IgG elution markedly increased, with pH 3.5 showing near full elution seconds after the association phase of the SPR interaction finished. Problems were encountered with non-specific binding between the SPR sensor chip and IgG occurring under a variety of conditions, requiring various remedies. However, no complete interactions were successfully carried out under pH 5.0, so the results obtained below this value were obtained by binding at pH 7.4 and then elution at the desired pH. The data showed binding behaviour that was most successfully explained by a three-site model, each with a binding ratio of 1:1. The binding ratio is questionable given that Protein A and IgG typically bind at a ratio of 1:2 but may be explained by the sites being independent of one another and thus no secondary attachment is observed. A variety of models were fitted to the data but only two- and three-site models fitted the experimental data, with the three-site model being a more accurate and robust fit across pH changes. A multiple site model seems intuitively correct given the six different binding sites that Protein A has for interaction with IgG. The models produced have potential applications in a larger model of Protein A affinity chromatography, although a number of additional factors would need to be taken into account, such as mass transfer effects and the IgG concentration gradient

Cognitive-emotional networks in students with and without a history of non-suicidal self-injury

Background: Contemporary models of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) suggest that emotional vulnerabilities, negative self-schemas, and beliefs about NSSI work together to differentiate students who self-injure from those who do not. However, it is unclear how these mechanisms are differentially related among students with and without a history of NSSI. Considering this, we used a network analysis approach to explore how students with and without a history of NSSI vary in processing their emotional experiences in relation to their self-concepts and beliefs about NSSI. Method: A sample of 480 university students (Mage = 21.18, SD = 2.43; 73.5 % female) completed self-report measures about their perceived emotional experiences (e.g., emotional reactivity, emotion regulation difficulties), self-concepts (e.g., self-esteem, self-efficacy), and NSSI. Results: A network comparison test revealed that students with a history of NSSI perceived themselves to have difficulties regulating particularly intense, unwanted negative emotions. In light of this, students with a history of NSSI expected some benefits of NSSI (e.g., emotion regulation) regardless of potential barriers (e.g., pain). Conversely, for students without a history of NSSI, expecting NSSI to have aversive outcomes was tied to expecting NSSI to have few benefits. Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits inferences to be made about the network structures. Conclusions: Students with and without a history of NSSI appear to differ in their cognitive processing of negative emotions and strategies used to deal with these emotions

The Orbiter Stability Experiment on STS-40

The Orbiter Stability Experiment (OSE) was developed to evaluate the steadiness of the STS Orbiter as a potential platform for instrumentation that would image the Sun in its extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray radiations. We were interested in any high frequency motions of the Orbiter's orientation due to normal operations and manned activities. Preliminary results are presented of the observations. Other than the expected slow motion of the Orbiter within the specified angular deadband of 0.1 degrees during the observations, it was found that high frequency (above 1 Hz) angular motions (jitter) were not detectable at the 0.25 arc sec detection limit of the most sensitive detector, for most of the period of observation. No high frequency motions were recorded during intervals that were identified with vernier thruster firings. However, one short interval with detectable spectral power to a frequency of 10 Hz has been found to date. It has not yet been correlated with a particular activity going on at the time. The results of the observations may also be of value in assessing perturbations to the Orbiter's micro-gravity environment produced by normal operations

Multi-site Programming Offered to Promote Resilience in Military Veterans: A Process Evaluation of the Just Roll With It Bootcamps

Background and Purpose: Military and veteran suicide rates exceed those found in the general population. Veterans often reject patient identities, creating barriers to care for mental health within the clinical sector and a mandate for prevention programs. The purpose of this study was to offer a postintervention process evaluation of one peer-led resilience program offered to military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan at three sites in 2013. Methods: Secondary analysis of survey data collected involved mixed-methods analysis of open and closed-ended questions. In total, the research team reviewed 52 electronic survey responses; participant response rate was 48.1%. Results: Descriptive data analysis found that all participants rated Just Roll With It Bootcamp content as “somewhat useful” (17.9%) or “very useful” (82.1%). Qualitative analysis of open-ended questions found that content was perceived as valuable by participants. Emergent themes included: health practices, social support, and participant quality of life or satisfaction. Comments also informed four subthemes which included: meditation/mindfulness, nutrition, physical practice, and the seminars’ physical environment. Conclusion: Culturally-informed prevention programs that emphasize social support, physical movement, and peer-leadership have a vital role to play in working to prevent suicide by promoting quality of life for veterans

No Association of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Related Genetic Variants With Colon Cancer

Background: Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are known risk factors for colon cancer. Recent reports from a number of genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with obesity and T2D. Here we tested the hypothesis that these SNPs may also be associated with risk of colon cancer. Methods: We genotyped nine SNPs reported in GWAS of obesity and/or T2D, including SNPs in HHEX, KCNJ11, SLC30A8, FTO, CDKN2, CDKAL1, TCF2, and the rs9300039 SNP in an intergenic region, in 561 colon cancer cases and 721 population controls. Results: None of these SNPs were statistically significantly associated with colon cancer in our sample. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that these obesity and T2D genetic susceptibility loci are unlikely to influence the risk of colon cancer