Publications by authors named "Mary Ballard"

Textiles provide a valuable source of information regarding past cultures and their artistic practices. Understanding ancient textiles requires identifying the raw materials used, since the origin of dyes and fibers may be from plants or animals, with the specific species used varying based on geography, trade routes and cultural significance. A selection of nine Chancay textile fragments attributed to 800-1200 CE were studied with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) to identify the chemical compounds in extracts of natural dyes used to create green, blue, red, yellow and black colors.

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This study focused on the importance of social videogame play for remaining connected to others early in the COVID-19 pandemic. While social isolation and loneliness negatively affect well-being, social interaction is important for positive outcomes. During the pandemic, online videogame play has offered a safe outlet for socialization.

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Uncivil behavior by a faculty member or student can threaten a classroom environment and make it less conducive to learning. The aim of this study was to explore faculty behaviors that dental faculty and students perceive to be uncivil when exhibited in the classroom and clinic. In 2015, all faculty, administrators, and students at a single academic dental institution were invited to participate in an electronic survey that used a five-point Likert scale for respondents to indicate their agreement that 33 faculty behaviors were uncivil.

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Students and faculty members in the health professions classroom are expected to exhibit professional behaviors that are conducive to maintaining a positive learning environment, but there is little published research concerning incivility in the area of dental education. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in perceptions of incivility between dental faculty and students, between students in different courses of study, and between students in different years of dental study. The study utilized an anonymous electronic survey of all dental faculty and administrators and all dental, dental hygiene, and dental laboratory technology students at a single institution.

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A new capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE-MS) technique is introduced for age estimation of silk textiles based on amino acid racemization rates. With an L to D conversion half-life of ~2500 years for silk (B. mori) aspartic acid, the technique is capable of dating silk textiles ranging in age from several decades to a few-thousand-years-old.

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This study examined the correlations between media use, body mass variables, and physical activity among 116 male undergraduates (white n=106; African American n=5, Latin American n=1, Asian American n=2, and 2 others). Length of video game play during one sitting was positively related to body mass index (BMI; r=.27, p<.

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This study was designed to examine whether people's expectations differ regarding how music lyrics affect individual behavior as a function of music genre. Because legislative attention and media publicity have been biased against certain types of popular music (i.e.

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