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A study was made of three groups of materials used in dentistryq i. e. denture base acrylics, "Gel-type" tissue conditioners and epimine resins. Conventional denture base acrylic made by curing a dough of methyl methacrylate and poly(methyl methacrylate) beads is considerably weaker than homogeneous poly(methyl methacrylate). The reasons for this were revealed by a comparison of their fracture mechanics and morphology. Phase inhomogenuity was found in denture base acrylic, the interstitial phase having lower Mv and Young's modulus than the bead phase. A viscoelastic and autoradiographic study of the denture base acrylic revealed that the two phases were interpenetrating polymer networks. It was found possible to improve the strength of denture base acrylic by the addition of methacrylic acid thus improving the 19 v of the interstitial polymer. The combination of methacrylic acid and cross-linking agent also facilitated the control of phase stiffness. Improving the molecular weight and matching the phase stiffness produces a conventional denture base material of comparable strength to homogeneous poly(methyl methacrylate)o A study of the effects on "Gel-type" tissue conditioners of an oral environment revealed the reasons for their loss of compliance during clinical use. The alcohol desorption and water absorption characteristics of the gels were studied. prom such studies and a knowledge of their chemical composition conclusions were drawn regarding the best ccr. positions for tissue conditioner gels intended for long service in the mouth. Two epimine ccnpounds, an impression rubber and a temporary crown and bridge material were studied. Their physical properties and chemical composition were determined. A car. parison of known long term behaviour of analogous resins; canbined with the determined physical properties of the epimine resins studiedt revealed some of the clinical limitations of such systems.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a quantitative and non-invasive investigative tool, which permits the identification of pivotal biomarkers and their role in disease onset, transformation and progression. Quantitative detection of these disease biomarkers has qualified PET as a pioneering approach to rapid diagnosis. The tool is a powerful approach to patient diagnosis and investigation of inter- and intra- patient disease heterogeneity thereby supporting patient stratification and forging a truly personalised medicine approach. The sensitivity of PET is complemented by use of highly selective radiopharmaceuticals; this has fuelled the popularity of radiolabelled affinity peptides and proteins (APPs). Inspired by the high selectivity and affinity of biological protein-protein interactions, APP-based radiotracers are an increasingly popular class of radiotracer. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are an important category of APP-based radiotracer; their prevalence in the field is attributed to their high target selectivity and affinity characteristics, which, will likely, uphold their popularity in the field. Yet, advancements in protein engineering has transformed the landscape of APP-based radiotracers, indicated by a preference for small radiolabelled APPs which exhibit rapid pharmacokinetics whilst retaining high target specificity and affinity. Their fast pharmacokinetics is matched by the half-life of 18F which has been defined as an ideal PET radionuclide. 18F APP radiolabelling hasn't yet met its full potential due to its inherent challenges; many approaches have been adopted, ranging from non-site specific radiolabelling with amine reactive prosthetic groups to site-specific methods including oxime bond formation. The radiochemistry of 18F APP radiolabelling is diverse and evolving; yet ideal goals are apparent including site-specificity, fast reaction kinetics, mild labelling conditions and applicability to automation. Automation is challenging for multi-step 18F APP radiolabelling methods, but is a key developmental step. Automation helps with conformance to good manufacturing practice (GMP) by enhancing process robustness, consistency and reliability. It also permits the radiosynthesis of clinically relevant radiotracer doses. The development of an automated generic platform, or a method that adopts a general approach, for APP radiolabelling with 18F would assist in [18F]APPs meeting their potential in PET and, importantly, aid their translation from bench-to-bedside.

Military oriented publications Army Times and Veterans of Foreign Wars publish stories praising wounded warriors returning to duty. This praise complicates the conception of masculinity and ability among service-members. One reading of Judith Butler’s chapter “Bodies that Matter” aids understanding how the military forms bodies of service-members and how these bodies overcome injury. Simi Linton criticizes this rhetoric of overcoming as oppressive, and Garry B. Trudeau’s illustrated narrative The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time offers a positive alternative to reenlisting. This alternative resists this militaristic rhetoric, which will lead to detrimental consequences. The military forms civilians into service-members, andButler’s reading of Plato’s masculine autogenesis applies to the formation of service-members. Military and civilian audiences accept this reproduction of service-members, andButler’s resistance to Plato serves individuals and society. Linton’s critique of the rhetoric of overcoming also serves individuals and society. This rhetoric causes distress among individuals with disabilities, and if the military and society embrace this rhetoric, individuals with and without disabilities will suffer. Fortunately, Trudeau diverts this rhetoric of overcoming. His narrative reminds audiences a return to civilian life does not end one’s masculinity. Rehabilitation and recovery require dedication and focus, two virtues gained through military training and service. As members of society, we need to recognize the detrimental affects of this rhetoric of return. If we accept this conception of masculinity, it will influence our understanding of masculinity and ability, which will then permeate throughout society.

Development of an Open Source Prosthetic Hand Platform Scott Garrett In the field of upper extremity prosthetic devices, advancements in technology drive the design of products which are becoming capable of restoring the lost functions of the native hand. While several dexterous devices have been developed to serve this purpose, they remain prohibitively expensive and thus are not a viable option for many upper extremity amputees. To address this problem a prosthetic hand platform was developed utilizing the open source Arduino microcontroller and off-the-shelf electrical components. Using these resources, a novel finger actuation mechanism was developed to show how a prosthetic hand platform could be developed which is capable of individual finger actuation, multiple actuation modes, sensing of forces at the individual fingers, providing force feedback to the user, and control of finger actuation through a variety of control inputs. After going through several iterations of hand’s mechanical components, electronics, and firmware a final prototype was built to showcase the possible capabilities of the open source prosthetic hand platform. This prototype consisted of several groups of subcomponents including an auto-flexing / extending finger design, a modular palm/ servo attachment base, and a wrist section which housed the hand’s electronic components, power supplies, force feedback system. The open source prosthetic hand platform was then verified using a series of tests to quantify several performance characteristics of the final prototype. Battery life and grip strength during continuous use were evaluated and demonstrated that the hand could provide consistent grip force during up two hours of initial continuous use. Also, the grip performance of the hand was assessed through the grasping of spherical objects with varying surface textures, diameter, and weight. Furthermore the hand was tested in various “real life” applications including manipulating and sorting small objects, opening doors, grasping moderately heavy objects such as water bottles, and sensitive objects such as an egg. Lastly, the platform was connected to a myoelectric input circuit to demonstrate compatibility with advanced electro-physical inputs. These tests demonstrated that the platform was capable of performing some of the dexterous tasks performed by prohibitively expensive available robotic upper extremity prosthetic devices. Further developments could be made to the open source prosthetic hand platform including enhancements to the platform’s finger force sensing and feedback mechanisms, consolidation of the electronics, refinement of the auto-flexing / extending fingers, and integration with a silicone covering and patients residual limb socket. These future iterations of this platform could help provide a dexterous prosthetic hand platform at lower cost to a wider patient base.

This dissertation takes a deep look at a first-person narrative from a man who develops complete impotence following androgen-deprivation treatment for prostate cancer. After feeling depressed for some time about what he imagined to be the permanent loss of his sexual life, the man, pseudonymously called Michael in this dissertation, tried using a strap-on dildo. Michael was surprised and pleased to find that using the dildo for sex brings him sexual satisfaction including orgasm. The dildo transforms "from object to organ" as Michael gradually comes to experience the dildo as a part of his own body. He also experiences a shift in his gendered and sexual identity, discovering that the dildo is neither a prosthetic penis nor a medical device, but a post-gendered object subject to playful interpretation. This dissertation aims to elaborate how the phenomenon presented in the case study narrative takes place, to discuss the implications this phenomenon has in a number of theoretical domains, and to apply these findings to clinical practice. It uses phenomenological elaboration and hermeneutic narrative analysis to explore the case study phenomenon. Then, the case study phenomenon is interrogated from various theoretical approaches in order to elaborate the implications of this phenomenon regarding the relationships between physical body morphology, lived embodied experience, and gender identity, the relationship between the body and sensorium-expanding technology, and the breadth and range of human sexuality. The case study narrative serves as a locus for dialogue between feminist phenomenological and feminist poststructural thought on the question of the relationship between the material body and identity, and also includes discussions of transsexuality and male lesbian identities in terms of how the case study phenomenon is related to the embodied experiences of people in these groups. The dissertation also explores how Michael's partner contributes to Michael's change in embodied experience and identity and contributes to the creation of an imaginative and playful space for sexuality to emerge, suggesting that sexuality is created in an interpersonal context rather than being located in a single person or having a particular aim or trajectory. Dissertation findings suggest that conceptual and technical playfulness, including the creation of an imaginative and playful space, may be beneficial in the clinical treatment of sexual "dysfunctions," persons with non-binary or flexible gender identities, transsexual persons, and for clinical conceptualization of sexuality and embodiment in general. Dissertation findings imply that there exists great complexity and variability in embodied experience, that the body is deeply significant for developing identity and that bodily changes may alter identity, and that sexuality is an event that emerges with others. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts / Clinical Psychology / PhD / Dissertation

In a world of war and turmoil in developing nations, land mines are becoming a concern, as millions of them are scattered in countries all over the world. Moreover, land mine prevention programs cannot clear land mine fields as fast as they are detonated each day. As a result, there are thousands that fall victim each year. There is immense demand for newer technologies to replace the aging prostheses used in these war torn nations. The active prosthetic knee (APK) design project is a novel design that utilizes simple, robust one degree of freedom (DOF) mechanics, while providing fully active knee torque control. The APK utilizes a high-speed brushed servomotor, providing the necessary torque and dynamics to provide the necessary gait characteristics of human locomotion. The main research contributions of this thesis are: 1) the mechanics and 2) the intelligence of the APK. This thesis investigates and highlights the prosthetic’s design process. The human biological system is studied and used as the design criteria when designing the device. Anthropometric data was used to determine the sizing and other physical properties. Moreover, Adaptive-Network-based Fuzzy-Interference Systems (ANFIS) and Fuzzy Interference Systems (FIS) are used to provide control to the APK. Finite element analysis (FEA) verifies the structural integrity of the APK. Four simulations are analyzed: equivalent stress, equivalent strain, shear stress and total deformation. These four simulations provide a mathematical interpretation of the physical system. We found that the first prototype, although a sound design, can be further improved to allow greater loading capabilities. Moreover, cyclical loading and total life cycles would also be significantly improved. A modular test stand is also designed and prototyped to allow APK testing. Since the APK prototype cannot be immediately placed on a human test subject, the test stand allows for experimentation in replicating human gait cycles.

In a world of war and turmoil in developing nations, land mines are becoming a concern, as millions of them are scattered in countries all over the world. Moreover, land mine prevention programs cannot clear land mine fields as fast as they are detonated each day. As a result, there are thousands that fall victim each year. There is immense demand for newer technologies to replace the aging prostheses used in these war torn nations. The active prosthetic knee (APK) design project is a novel design that utilizes simple, robust one degree of freedom (DOF) mechanics, while providing fully active knee torque control. The APK utilizes a high-speed brushed servomotor, providing the necessary torque and dynamics to provide the necessary gait characteristics of human locomotion. The main research contributions of this thesis are: 1) the mechanics and 2) the intelligence of the APK. This thesis investigates and highlights the prosthetic’s design process. The human biological system is studied and used as the design criteria when designing the device. Anthropometric data was used to determine the sizing and other physical properties. Moreover, Adaptive-Network-based Fuzzy-Interference Systems (ANFIS) and Fuzzy Interference Systems (FIS) are used to provide control to the APK. Finite element analysis (FEA) verifies the structural integrity of the APK. Four simulations are analyzed: equivalent stress, equivalent strain, shear stress and total deformation. These four simulations provide a mathematical interpretation of the physical system. We found that the first prototype, although a sound design, can be further improved to allow greater loading capabilities. Moreover, cyclical loading and total life cycles would also be significantly improved. A modular test stand is also designed and prototyped to allow APK testing. Since the APK prototype cannot be immediately placed on a human test subject, the test stand allows for experimentation in replicating human gait cycles.