An Affordable Living Community

Beginning with a former grocery store building, “An Affordable Living Community,” explores the possibilities of redesigning big box buildings. Here, the building is transformed into an affordable living community - a place for people to live, work, learn, and interact. The renovation creates a place for not only its residents, but also the surrounding neighborhoods. The building provides the challenges of breaking the generic, window-less facade, as well as bringing light into the building. This model would encourage the health, learning, and support of its community

Analysis of a Lower Limb Prosthesis

The Center for International Rehabilitation (CIR) has programs all over the world to provide people in developing countries with the training and equipment they need to supply prosthetic devices to local landmine victims. CIR has created a monolimb, which is a lower limb prosthesis where the socket and shank are molded from a single piece of thermoplastic material. The monolimb can be fabricated on-site with minimal equipment at a low-cost. The shank portion of the device, which replaces the tibial region of the leg, was investigated through a finite element analysis computer program, COSMOSWorks. The current prosthetic device utilized by CIR uses a hollow, cylindrical shape with a rib on the posterior side as the overall shank design. This study combined varying circular outer diameters and rib lengths to determine which combination of parameters contributed to lower overall von Mises stresses and minimal displacement. Four hollow elliptical cross sectional shapes of different minor and major diameters were also modeled and compared to the results of the circular parameter study. The models were input into COSMOSWorks to perform a static analysis on each of the models and the results were displayed through contour plots. The output for each model was analyzed and compared to determine the maximum stresses and overall stress distributions. The displacement present was examined, paying particular attention to the flexibility across the shank, as the displacement can mimic that of natural ankle movement. The ISO Test Standard 10328, which details the necessary structural testing for lower limb prostheses, was used as the basis for testing. The final results compared the overall stress distributions and displacement of each of the models in COSMOSWorks to determine which shape would best withstand the ISO Test Standard 10328 specified load. The results determined that an increase in diameter and rib length positively influences the von Mises stress results and displacement by decreasing their values throughout the shank

Maximizing Societal Contributions of Latino Adults by Investing in Latino Children's Health Care

Focuses on the lack of preventive care and health insurance coverage for Latino children, and how this affects their health and school performance and impacts their ability to contribute as adults to California's economy and society

Reliability and Validity of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test for Children with Hearing Impairments

This researcher investigated the reliability and validity of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) for a hearing-impaired population. The subjects consisted of 15 hearing-impaired children between the ages of five and eight who are are enrolled in special education programs for the hearing-impaired. Three week test-retest reliability coefficients were moderate to high for all subtests (.65 to .89) and high for all scales and the total score (.88 to .96). Intracorrelations support the structure of the UNIT in that subtests demonstrated high correlations with the scale they were purported to represent. Concurrent validity was assessed with the Naglieri Draw-A-Person (DAP) during the first testing session. The UNIT and the DAP demonstrated correlations within the moderate to high range (.60 to .77) between the scales and total score of the UNIT and the three drawings and the total of the DAP. Results are discussed relevant to other measures utilized with hearing-impaired populations. The most important implication is that the UNIT appears to be a promising instrument for assessing intellectual abilities in children with hearing-impairments

The Experience of Pregnancy for Women with Bipolar Disorder: An Exploratory Study

Background: Bipolar disorder often emerges in an individual’s late teens and early twenties, thus women with bipolar disorder are impacted for the majority of their childbearing years. Pregnancy brings a unique set of challenges to this population, including risk of relapse, teratogenicity of medications, and increased risk of postpartum psychosis, yet no research exists on this population’s experience of pregnancy. Design: This study utilized semi-structured telephone interviews to gather preliminary qualitative data on the experience of pregnancy for women with bipolar disorder with the long-term goal of developing patient education materials and improving nursing-led interventions to help manage illness during pregnancy and postpartum. Method: A purposive sample of four English-speaking women, age 29-39, with a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar disorder I or II and who had given birth within the last eighteen months, was recruited nationally via the electronic and mass media, and postings on bulletin boards in a range of educational and related settings. One open-ended focused telephone interview was held with each client, and conducted by the first author. She was also responsible for doing the audiotaping, transcription, and coding of the data using a descriptive qualitative design.  Results: Women with bipolar disorder described a unique pregnancy experience, influenced by the intersection of mental illness, pregnancy, and pharmacotherapy. Recurrent themes included hopefulness, patient and healthcare provider as advocates, the importance of interdisciplinary care, education, community support and the mixed impact of medication. Discussion & Conclusion: This research contributes to initiatives designed to improve healthcare for pregnant women with bipolar disorder, augment patient education materials, and inform the design of nurse-led interventions. Empirical research findings become even more valuable tools for improving patient care when paired with the voices of patients themselves. As pregnant women are a historically under-studied population, this study also contributes to the larger body of scientific research on this population.&nbsp

Promoted-Combustion Chamber with Induction Heating Coil

An improved promoted-combustion system has been developed for studying the effects of elevated temperatures on the flammability of metals in pure oxygen. In prior promoted-combustion chambers, initial temperatures of metal specimens in experiments have been limited to the temperatures of gas supplies, usually near room temperature. Although limited elevated temperature promoted-combustion chambers have been developed using water-cooled induction coils for preheating specimens, these designs have been limited to low-pressure operation due to the hollow induction coil. In contrast, the improved promoted-combustion chamber can sustain a pressure up to 10 kpsi (69 MPa) and, through utilization of a solid induction coil, is capable of preheating a metal specimen up to its melting point [potentially in excess of 2,000 F (approximately equal to 1,100 C)]. Hence, the improved promoted combustion chamber makes a greater range of physical conditions and material properties accessible for experimentation. The chamber consists of a vertical cylindrical housing with an inner diameter of 8 in. (20.32 cm) and an inner height of 20.4 in. (51.81 cm). A threaded, sealing cover at one end of the housing can be unscrewed to gain access for installing a specimen. Inlet and outlet ports for gases are provided. Six openings arranged in a helical pattern in the chamber wall contain sealed sapphire windows for viewing an experiment in progress. The base of the chamber contains pressure-sealed electrical connectors for supplying power to the induction coil. The connectors feature a unique design that prevents induction heating of the housing and the pressure sealing surfaces; this is important because if such spurious induction heating were allowed to occur, chamber pressure could be lost. The induction coil is 10 in. (25.4 cm) long and is fitted with a specimen holder at its upper end. At its lower end, the induction coil is mounted on a ceramic base, which affords thermal insulation to prevent heating of the base of the chamber during use. A sapphire cylinder protects the coil against slag generated during an experiment. The induction coil is energized by a 6-kW water-cooled power supply operating at a frequency of 400 kHz. The induction coil is part of a parallel-tuned circuit, the tuning of which is used to adjust the coupling of power to the specimen. The chamber is mounted on a test stand along with pumps, valves, and plumbing for transferring pressurized gas into and out of the chamber. In addition to multiple video cameras aimed through the windows encircling the chamber, the chamber is instrumented with gauges for monitoring the progress of an experiment. One of the gauges is a dual-frequency infrared temperature transducer aimed at the specimen through one window. Chamber operation is achieved via a console that contains a computer running apparatus-specific software, a video recorder, and real-time video monitors. For safety, a blast wall separates the console from the test stand

Relationship Among Emotional Intelligence and/or Extrovert Bias on Perceived Stress Levels in DPT Students

Purpose/Hypothesis: Students in graduate level DPT programs function at varying levels. Some students thrive and others struggle to maintain required minimum levels of academic performance. When considering admission of applicants, and when assisting enrolled students, consideration of factors contributing to academic success is of interest. Stress has been shown to be prevalent in a wide range of students and has many negative effects including poor life satisfaction, increased clinical burnout, and reduced academic performance. Research has shown a correlation between higher emotional intelligence (EI) and decreased stress levels in medical, nursing, and undergraduate students. The purpose of this study was to examine if emotional intelligence (EI) and/or extrovert bias correlates with perceived stress levels in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. It was hypothesized that students with higher emotional intelligence and more extroverted personalities would experience lower levels of perceived stress. Participants: After providing consent, a convenience sample of 60 first and second year DPT students (33 female) with age range 23 to 38 participated in the current study. Participation was voluntary and 60 of a possible 72 students chose to participate. Materials/Methods: After obtaining informed consent, participants completed Goldberg’s IPIP-Neo questionnaire (extraversion), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Assessing Emotions Scale (emotional intelligence). Each of these tools have demonstrated validity and reliability for the respective areas measured. Surveys were administered to students and results were analyzed for possible relationships between extraversion and stress levels as well as EI and stress levels using a Spearman Correlation test. Results: Spearman Correlation analyses were conducted with a significant negative correlation between EI and perceived stress rs = -0.291, p= 0.026 and a non-significant negative correlation between extraversion and perceived stress rs = -1.36, p= 0.305. Discussion: In the current sample, EI had a significant negative relationship with perceived stress levels, with higher EI scores correlating to lower levels of stress. The relationship between extraversion and perceived stress was non-significant. Clinical Relevance: Doctorate level graduate programs can be considered intense and very stressful. Admission of qualified students equipped to meet the demands of a DPT program has great importance. Establishing a correlation between EI, introversion/extraversion bias, and stress may help DPT programs further assess prospective students. Consideration of factors correlated with higher perceived stress may be useful when providing resources to admitted students to facilitate academic success

The Experience of Pregnancy for Women with Bipolar Disorder: An Exploratory Study

Objective: Bipolar disorder often emerges in an individual’s late teens and early twenties. As a result, women with the disorder are impacted for the majority of their childbearing years. Pregnancy brings a unique set of challenges to this population, including risk of relapse, teratogenicity of medications, and increased risk of postpartum psychosis. This study utilized semi-structured telephone interviews to gather qualitative data on the experience of pregnancy for women with bipolar disorder with the long-term goal of developing patient education materials and improving nursing interventions to help manage illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Method: A sample of three English-speaking women, aged 29-39, with a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar I or II and who have given birth within the last eighteen months, were recruited. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded using a grounded theory approach, in consultation with the Thesis Advisor. Results: Women with bipolar disorder described a unique pregnancy experience, influenced by the intersection of mental illness, pregnancy and pharmacotherapy. Recurrent themes included hopefulness, patient and provider as advocates, education, community support and the mixed impact of medication. Conclusion: This research will contribute to initiatives designed to improve healthcare for pregnant women with bipolar disorder and augment patient education materials. Existing empirical research findings become even more valuable tools for improving patient care when paired with the voices of patients themselves. As pregnant women are a historically under-studied population, this study also contributes to the larger body of scientific research on this population.Bachelor of Scienc

A Monte Carlo Approach to Modeling the Breakup of the Space Launch System EM-1 Core Stage with an Integrated Blast and Fragment Catalogue

The Liquid Propellant Fragment Overpressure Acceleration Model (L-FOAM) is a tool developed by Bangham Engineering Incorporated (BEi) that produces a representative debris cloud from an exploding liquid-propellant launch vehicle. Here it is applied to the Core Stage (CS) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS launch vehicle). A combination of Probability Density Functions (PDF) based on empirical data from rocket accidents and applicable tests, as well as SLS specific geometry are combined in a MATLAB script to create unique fragment catalogues each time L-FOAM is run-tailored for a Monte Carlo approach for risk analysis. By accelerating the debris catalogue with the BEi blast model for liquid hydrogen / liquid oxygen explosions, the result is a fully integrated code that models the destruction of the CS at a given point in its trajectory and generates hundreds of individual fragment catalogues with initial imparted velocities. The BEi blast model provides the blast size (radius) and strength (overpressure) as probabilities based on empirical data and anchored with analytical work. The coupling of the L-FOAM catalogue with the BEi blast model is validated with a simulation of the Project PYRO S-IV destruct test. When running a Monte Carlo simulation, L-FOAM can accelerate all catalogues with the same blast (mean blast, 2 blast, etc.), or vary the blast size and strength based on their respective probabilities. L-FOAM then propagates these fragments until impact with the earth. Results from L-FOAM include a description of each fragment (dimensions, weight, ballistic coefficient, type and initial location on the rocket), imparted velocity from the blast, and impact data depending on user desired application. LFOAM application is for both near-field (fragment impact to escaping crew capsule) and far-field (fragment ground impact footprint) safety considerations. The user is thus able to use statistics from a Monte Carlo set of L-FOAM catalogues to quantify risk for a multitude of potential CS destruct scenarios. Examples include the effect of warning time on the survivability of an escaping crew capsule or the maximum fragment velocities generated by the ignition of leaking propellants in internal cavities

An Empirical Non-TNT Approach to Launch Vehicle Explosion Modeling

In an effort to increase crew survivability from catastrophic explosions of Launch Vehicles (LV), a study was conducted to determine the best method for predicting LV explosion environments in the near field. After reviewing such methods as TNT equivalence, Vapor Cloud Explosion (VCE) theory, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), it was determined that the best approach for this study was to assemble all available empirical data from full scale launch vehicle explosion tests and accidents. Approximately 25 accidents or full-scale tests were found that had some amount of measured blast wave, thermal, or fragment explosion environment characteristics. Blast wave overpressure was found to be much lower in the near field than predicted by most TNT equivalence methods. Additionally, fragments tended to be larger, fewer, and slower than expected if the driving force was from a high explosive type event. In light of these discoveries, a simple model for cryogenic rocket explosions is presented. Predictions from this model encompass all known applicable full scale launch vehicle explosion data. Finally, a brief description of on-going analysis and testing to further refine the launch vehicle explosion environment is discussed