Digital Commons Network^™

The Multifaceted Interaction Of Pain Perception In Collegiate Athletes, Kristen Leigh Bartiss

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Deepening the present understanding of the multidimensional nature of athlete perceptions of pain requires attention to three specific gaps. First, the field currently lacks fundamental knowledge regarding the relationship between an individual’s athletic identity and the role of the brain in deciphering and responding to painful stimuli. Because athletes view injury as a potential loss of identity and thus a significant part of themselves (International Olympic Committee, n.d.), the severity they ascribe to pain is both conceptually and practically relevant. Second, the field has yet to fully explore the specific areas of the brain associated with subsequent functional connectivity as …

Dose Response Relationship Between Aquatic Treadmill Running And Change To Si In Land Treadmill Running, Luke Campbell Roberts

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Aquatic therapies have been used in some of the earliest human civilizations. Examples can be seen in China, ancient Rome and even in the early history of U.S. settlements.^1,2 Over the past few years aquatic environments have become a more common method for rehabilitation, injury prevention, and cross training. Additionally, research has observed that aquatic exercise may assist in pain relief, swelling reduction, and ease of movement due to the pressure and warmth of water.⁷ Aquatic environments can also be used to reduce forces placed on the lower extremities by reducing the weight of the subject through buoyancy. …

Validity And Reliability Of A-Mode Ultrasound For Body Composition Assessment Of Lean, Division I Athletes, Dustin L. Cain

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Athletes strive for a competitive advantage, and for some athletes building a lean body with a low body fat percentage (%BF) can help them achieve a higher level of performance. This is particularly the case in gravitational sports in which a high body mass hinders performance, in aesthetic sports in which there is a perceived ideal shape, and in weight class sports in which competition is organized into categories of body mass (20). However, some athletes put themselves at risk of health problems through extreme dieting, disordered eating, and fluid restriction in an effort to achieve a particular weight or …

Comparison Of Propulsive Power During Loaded Countermovement Jumps Performed In Water Versus Land In College Aged Males, Clint R. Nardoni

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As use of an aquatic environment increases as a training and rehabilitative tool, the purpose of this study was to assess peak propulsive power in loaded countermovement jumps (CMJ) in water and compare them to loaded CMJ on land. 20 college aged (24.6±3.6 years) recreationally active males performed 4 randomized countermovement jumps on a force plate with increasing loads (bodyweight [BW], BW+10%, BW+20%, BW+30%) in two environments: immersed in water at the xiphoid process and on land. Peak power (PP) and mean power (MP) normalized to apparent mass were assessed for all jumps. A 2 (environment) by 4 (load) repeated …

Pregenomic And Genomic Effects Of 24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Yang Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the United States, the major dietary source of protein is poultry meat, particularly chicken. Phosphorus absorption in chickens is a critical problem in poultry production. It therefore is important to understand the cellular and molecular regulation of phosphorous absorption in intestine to increase efficiency of the process. This would provide the benefits of reducing feed costs and reducing phosphorous excretion, thereby contributing to the sustainability of agriculture in the United States. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is determining the effect of vitamin D metabolites involved in phosphate homeostasis using the chicken as a model.

Wingate Anaerobic Test Methods For Power-Trained Males Using Velotron, Nicolas W. Clark

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two methodologies (start method and sprocket size) of the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) on peak power (PP) and mean power (MP). Twenty power-trained males (24.6 ± 4.5 years; 25.4 ± 2.5 BMI) with the same exercise routine for the past 4 months performed, in a randomized order, four WAnT with different combinations of start method, flying (FLY) or stationary (STA), and front sprocket size, 62-tooth sprocket (S-62) or 85-tooth sprocket (S-85), using the Velotron Racermate®. The results showed main effects for start method (p < 0.001; ES 0.753) and sprocket size (p < 0.001; ES 0.69) for PP and MP, respectively. For PP, significantly (p < 0.001) higher mean differences were shown for both FLYs (14.4 w/kg) while MP showed significant (p < 0.01) increases for S-85 in combination with the FLY (10.9 W/kg) and for S-85 in combination with the STA (9.7 W/kg). Pearson correlation (r) revealed no significant relationship between same start methods, FLY (p > 0.05; r = 0.227) or …

The Role Of Diet, Erythrocyte Membrane Fatty Acid Composition, And Alzheimer's-Related Genes In Systemic Inflammation In The Cache County Memory Study, Rola Adnan Jalloun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 60 to 80% of all dementia cases. It affects 5.2 million Americans and 44 million worldwide. This project examines the association between dietary patterns, erythrocyte membrane fatty acids concentration, and AD-related genes in systemic inflammation as indicated by serum C-reactive protein (CRP). All studies performed in this project used the data collected in the Cache County Memory Study (CCMS).

Higher levels of accordance with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean dietary (MED) patterns were associated with consistently lower levels of CRP in …

The Role Of Medical Comorbidities On The Risk For Severe Dementia, Institutionalization, And Death In Alzheimer's Disease: A Population Study In Cache County, Utah, Mac J. Gilbert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that impairs cognitive and functional abilities. Without a cure, it is estimated there will be 81 million cases of Alzheimer’s disease by 2040. Life for the individual with Alzheimer’s disease, and their family, changes drastically when the affected individual experiences significant problems with memory, thinking, and ability to complete daily tasks. Some become so debilitated that they need to be placed in a nursing home for supportive care. Until a cure is discovered, it will be important to identify what can be done to help those with Alzheimer’s disease minimize time spent experiencing severe …

Effects Of Differential Rates Of Alternative Reinforcement On Resurgence Of Human Behavior: A Translational Model Of Relapse In The Anxiety Disorders, Brooke M. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Brooke M. Smith, graduate student in the Combined Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology program at Utah State University, proposed and completed this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master of Science in Psychology.

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorders in the world, and they place a substantial burden on society. Although successful psychological treatments for anxiety are available, many people still experience relapse once treatment ends. When consequences that follow a behavior increase its future probability, this is termed “reinforcement.” One common treatment approach for anxiety is to attempt to decrease problematic behavior, such as avoidance, …