Prevalence Rates for Medical Problems among Flautists: A Comparison of the UNT-Musician Health Survey and the Flute Health Survey

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-101
Author(s):  
Cari Spence

The purpose of this study was to identify prevalence rates of medical problems among flautists. The Flute Health Survey (FHS), a questionnaire with items regarding musculoskeletal and nonmusculoskeletal problems, was distributed at the 1999 National Flute Association annual meeting (n = 40). This questionnaire was pilot tested at the 1999 Texas Flute Festival, which is hosted by the Texas Flute Society. The University of North Texas has posted on the Internet a similar questionnaire regarding the medical problems of all musicians. Responses from the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey (UNT-MHS) were filtered to include only those respondents who denoted flute as their primary instruments (n = 328). Data sets from both surveys were then processed using comparative statistics. Findings show that there was no significant difference between the demographics of the two populations. Only one musculoskeletal site, the left hand, was found to be statistically significant between the two groups. Four nonmusculoskeletal items, depression, earache, headache, and sleep disturbances, were found to be different between the two groups. The overall findings of this comparison show that there are many medical problems facing the flute playing community. Further investigation and observations of this population are necessary.

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-38
Author(s):  
Kris Chesky ◽  
Miriam A Henoch

The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of hearing problems reported from a heterogeneous group of musicians as a function of both primary performance area and primary instrument. Information for the investigation was obtained from the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey that allows musicians to report medical problems via the World Wide Web. Data were generated from a question regarding the presence or absence of hearing loss. The respondents were grouped according to primary performance area, according to primary instrument, and by primary instrument relative to whether they were classical or non-classical musicians. Results showed that 21.7% of the 3,292 musicians responding perceived having a problem with hearing. Findings showed the highest rate of occurrence was in rock/alternative musicians; in musicians who were included in the nonclassical grouping; and in musicians who played amplified instruments, drum-set, and primary brass instruments. Implications for further research and risk management are discussed.


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-98
Author(s):  
Kris Chesky ◽  
Karendra Devroop ◽  
James Ford

This study examined the medical problems of musicians who primarily perform on a brass instrument. Data for this study (n = 739) were extracted from the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey data set. Subjects were included if they indicated either trumpet, trombone, French horn, or low brass as their primary instrument. Prevalence rates for one or more musculoskeletal problems were determined for the whole group and by instrument. For those subjects who reported problems at specific sites, average severity levels were derived from responses to a five-point grading scale. Additional prevalence rates for non-musculoskeletal problems were established for the whole group and by instrument. About 60% of the brass musicians reported having one or more musculoskeletal problems. The trombone group reported the highest rate (70%), followed by French horn and low brass (62%), and then trumpet (53%). Results suggest unique physical performance requirements and risks across the four main brass instrument groups and that future studies should examine each brass instrument group individually.


2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chong H Pak ◽  
Kris Chesky

Musculoskeletal problems are considered significant health factors for performing artists, especially instrumentalists. Although numerous studies exist that document the extent to which musicians experience these problems, serious consideration has not been given to musicians who play the keyboard, or the type of music played by each instrumentalist. Furthermore, although the Internet is an emerging tool for research, epidemiologists have been surprisingly slow in adapting to this novel way to conduct surveys. Using data derived from the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey (UNT-MHS) conducted over the Internet, this study assessed the prevalence of upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among 455 keyboard instrumentalists and the association with musician type, daily playing time, gender, and age. Age and gender were found to be significant risk factors, while musician type and daily playing time did not show statistical significance.


2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 157-160
Author(s):  
Michael Thrasher ◽  
Kris S Chesky

One aspect of double reed performance warranting consideration involves the biomechanical stress placed on the human body through the performance of these instruments. At present, inadequate information exists that can effectively answer questions regarding the types of physical problems experienced by oboe and bassoon players and the percentages of players who suffer from such problems. The purpose of this study is to describe medical problems of double reed players utilizing data collected through the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey (UNT-MHS). Sixty survey respondents identified oboe as their primary instrument. The majority of musculoskeletal problems reported by oboists related to the right wrist, right hand, right fingers, right forearm, right neck, and right lower back. In all areas, females reported higher percentages of problems than did males. Among nonmusculoskeletal problems, oboists reported a high incidence of headaches, blackouts/dizziness, and stage fright. Seventy-five subjects identified bassoon as their primary instrument. The majority of musculoskeletal problems reported by bassoonists related to the left wrist, left hand, right wrist, and left fingers. Among nonmusculoskeletal problems, bassoonists reported a high incidence of headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue. Since the lack of a truly randomized sample prevents generalization of these results to the total double-reed-playing population, these results should be interpreted with caution. However, the high rates of right upper extremity dysfunction among oboists and left upper extremity dysfunction among bassoonists illustrated in this study warrant additional research.


Author(s):  
Kathryn Dixon ◽  
Ricardo Gonzalez-Carriedo ◽  
Lisbeth Dixon-Krauss

This chapter provides an account of an international student teaching exchange program between the University of North Texas (UNT) and the University of Seville (UdeS) from inception to implementation. The first section of the chapter offers a rationale for the program including a review of research related to international exchanges specific to educator preparation. Section two includes a discussion of program establishment, a description of initial contacts between the universities and steps taken to form legal agreements binding the institutions to the program. Logistical aspects of the program are detailed, including agreements with local school districts. The final section synthesizes the research conducted at UNT using Mezirow's (1991) transformative learning theory to study the effects of the program on its students. Three years of data have shown a clear pattern in regard to the personal and professional growth student teachers experience as a result of their participation in the program.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 293-307
Author(s):  
Mark Edward Phillips ◽  
Daniel Gelaw Alemneh ◽  
Brenda Reyes Ayala

Purpose – Increasingly, higher education institutions worldwide are accepting only electronic versions of their students’ theses and dissertations. These electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) frequently feature embedded URLs in body, footnote and references section of the document. Additionally the web as ETD subject appears to be on an upward trajectory as the web becomes an increasingly important part of everyday life. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyzed URL references in 4,335 ETDs in the UNT ETD collection. Links were extracted from the full-text documents, cleaned and canonicalized, deconstructed in the subparts of a URL and then indexed with the full-text indexer Solr. Queries to aggregate and generate overall statistics and trends were generated against the Solr index. The resulting data were analyzed for patterns and trends within a variety of groupings. Findings – ETDs at the University of North Texas that include URL references have increased over the past 14 years from 23 percent in 1999 to 80 percent in 2012. URLs are being included into ETDs in the majority of cases: 62 percent of the publications analyzed in this work contained URLs. Originality/value – This research establishes that web resources are being widely cited in UNT's ETDs and that growth in citing these resources has been observed. Further it provides a preliminary framework for technical methods appropriate for approaching analysis of similar data that may be applicable to other sets of documents or subject areas.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 1460147 ◽  
Author(s):  
BIBHUDUTTA ROUT ◽  
MANGAL S. DHOUBHADEL ◽  
PRAKASH R. POUDEL ◽  
VENKATA C. KUMMARI ◽  
WICKRAMAARACHCHIGE J. LAKSHANTHA ◽  
...  

The University of North Texas (UNT) Ion Beam Modification and Analysis Laboratory (IBMAL) has four particle accelerators including a National Electrostatics Corporation (NEC) 9SDH-2 3 MV tandem Pelletron, a NEC 9SH 3 MV single-ended Pelletron, and a 200 kV Cockcroft-Walton. A fourth HVEC AK 2.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator is presently being refurbished as an educational training facility. These accelerators can produce and accelerate almost any ion in the periodic table at energies from a few keV to tens of MeV. They are used to modify materials by ion implantation and to analyze materials by numerous atomic and nuclear physics techniques. The NEC 9SH accelerator was recently installed in the IBMAL and subsequently upgraded with the addition of a capacitive-liner and terminal potential stabilization system to reduce ion energy spread and therefore improve spatial resolution of the probing ion beam to hundreds of nanometers. Research involves materials modification and synthesis by ion implantation for photonic, electronic, and magnetic applications, micro-fabrication by high energy (MeV) ion beam lithography, microanalysis of biomedical and semiconductor materials, development of highenergy ion nanoprobe focusing systems, and educational and outreach activities. An overview of the IBMAL facilities and some of the current research projects are discussed.


Author(s):  
Rambod Rayegan ◽  
Yong X. Tao ◽  
Frank Y. Fang

This study utilizes two sets of wind speed data at 3 m above the ground surface level retrieved from two on-campus weather stations to study the wind power generating potential at the University of North Texas Campus. Weather stations have been installed approximately 5 miles away from each other. The mean wind speed data of 10 minute intervals in a one-year period from February 1st 2011 to January 31st 2012 has been adopted and analyzed. The numerical values of the dimensionless Weibull shape parameter (k) and Weibull scale parameter (c) have been determined. Monthly average wind speed and standard deviation, power generation, and power density at the sensor level for both locations has been discussed. Lower values of wind speed were found during summer months and higher during spring months. The results show that the wind power density in the area is fair enough to be considered as a renewable power source for the University. Thereafter annual energy production by using two wind turbines with nominal capacities of 100 and 3.5 kW for both weather stations has been studied. Initial costs of using each turbine to maintain power demands of selected buildings have been compared. In order to utilize wind energy, it is recommended to install highly efficient wind turbines for electricity supply of campus buildings with lower power demands. Using grant monies to maintain the initial costs of the installation of wind turbines make them economically more desirable. Since wind power potential is low during summer, PV panels as proper supplements to the power generating system are suggested.


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