Digital Commons Network^™

Gut-Derived Butyrate Suppresses Ocular Surface Inflammation, Zhiyuan Yu, Stephen C Pflugfelder, Robert A Britton, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dry eye is a common ocular inflammatory disorder characterized by tear film instability and reduced tear production. There is increasing evidence that homeostasis of the ocular surface is impacted by the intestinal microbiome. We are interested in investigating the potential role of microbially produced small molecules in mediating the interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the ocular surface. One such molecule is butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced by certain members of the gut microbiota through fermentation of dietary fiber. Here we show that SCFA transporter SLC5A8 is expressed in vivo in murine conjunctival and corneal epithelium. Pre-treatment of …

Predicting Health-Related Social Needs In Medicaid And Medicare Populations Using Machine Learning, Luca Giancardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Providers currently rely on universal screening to identify health-related social needs (HRSNs). Predicting HRSNs using EHR and community-level data could be more efficient and less resource intensive. Using machine learning models, we evaluated the predictive performance of HRSN status from EHR and community-level social determinants of health (SDOH) data for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries participating in the Accountable Health Communities Model. We hypothesized that Medicaid insurance coverage would predict HRSN status. All models significantly outperformed the baseline Medicaid hypothesis. AUCs ranged from 0.59 to 0.68. The top performance (AUC = 0.68 CI 0.66-0.70) was achieved by the "any HRSNs" outcome, …

Gut-Derived Butyrate Suppresses Ocular Surface Inflammation, Zhiyuan Yu, Stephen C Pflugfelder, Robert A Britton, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dry eye is a common ocular inflammatory disorder characterized by tear film instability and reduced tear production. There is increasing evidence that homeostasis of the ocular surface is impacted by the intestinal microbiome. We are interested in investigating the potential role of microbially produced small molecules in mediating the interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the ocular surface. One such molecule is butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced by certain members of the gut microbiota through fermentation of dietary fiber. Here we show that SCFA transporter SLC5A8 is expressed in vivo in murine conjunctival and corneal epithelium. Pre-treatment of …

Macronutrients And Water – Do They Matter In The Context Of Cognitive Performance In Athletes?, Ewa Karpecka, Barbara Fraczek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Proper nutrition is a key factor in physical performance, but there are also indications of an impact of dietary components on the brain function. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the impact of macronutrients and water on cognitive performance. Assumptions of the Mediterranean diet correlate with better global cognition, episodic memory, lower risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases. In turn, a high-fat and high-sugar diet shows the opposite effect. Omega-3 fatty acids could be used as a preventive tool for cognitive decline, but there is still insufficient evidence if supplementation improves cognitive functions. The proper intake …

Differences Between All-Around Results In Women’S Artistic Gymnastics And Ways Of Minimizing Them, Almir Atiković, Edina Kamenjašević, Amra Nožinović Mujanović, Edin Užičanin, Muhamed Tabaković, Mijo Ćurić

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: In the present study, the main goal was to establish whether the disciplines are equal and should the Code of Points (COP) women's artistic gymnastics be revised in terms of point standardization on apparatus. Material and methods: The sample included all-around senior female gymnasts who participated in the qualification (C-I) competitions at World Championships held in 2009-2019. Results: The biggest differences are even two points between the two apparatus vault and balance beam. Vault compared to other apparatus is different for 1.559 points. Presentation of correlations between each apparatus the evidence that nothing has changed significantly in recent years, …

Influence Of Functional Abilities On The Quality Of Refereeing In Handball, Ivan Belcic, Lana Ruzic, Alen Marosevic

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Several factors contributed to the evolution of handball, and one of the most important changes for faster, more dynamic and aggressive game is the change of rules which increase physical demands of players and especially referees. The aim of this study is to determine whether functional abilities have an influence on the quality of refereeing. Material and methods: 31 subjects were involved in the research, all of them top-level referees with an average age of 34.66±6.44, height 184.02±5.87 cm and body mass 91.14±10.61 kg. Testing was divided into two parts: the first part was spiroergometric progressive test on a …

Athlete Self-Efficacy Scale: Development And Psychometric Properties, Çalık Veli Koçak

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: It is important that psychological structures have an impact on athlete performance, such as self-efficacy can be measured consistently. The aim of this study is to develop a measurement tool with psychometric properties that can measure the self-efficacy beliefs of athletes. Material and methods: The participants of the study consisted of 325 athletes (age 21.6 ± 4.2) who actively pursue sports in various sports branches in Turkey. In the validity and reliability analysis of the scale, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes were used. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient value of the total scale is .88. Results: The validity and reliability …

The Influence Of The Organization Structure Changes On Management And Sports Results In The Lech Poznan Sports Club Between 2011 And 2014, Lukasz Karski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The increase in the competitiveness on the sports market forces elaboration of the proper organization structure in sports clubs. In 2011 Lech Poznan Club found itself in a situation which was inadequate to its ambition. The aim of this work is to present the influence of the implemented organization structure changes on the process of club management. Material and methods: The subject of the research was the Lech Poznan club and its organization structure between 2011 and 2014. The applied research methods were the interview and the survey questionnaire. Results: The introduction and the strategy realization, as well as …

Changes In Air Tourism To Tunisia In 2009–2018, Jan A. Wendt, Dariusz Jacek Olszewski-Strzyzowski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The subject of this study is an analysis of the changes of tourist air traffic in Tunisia between 2009 and 2018. During this time, Tunisia saw political changes and worldwide-reported coverage of terrorist attacks on tourists (2014–2015). The aim of this study was to attempt to determine the extent to which the Tunisian Revolution and terrorist attacks have had a negative impact on the decline in the tourist traffic, and to assess the rate of return of the tourist traffic and income in this sector to the levels from before the Revolution. Material and methods: The main source of …

Aspects Regarding Extracurricular Sport Activities In Schools From Bihor County, Romania, Claudia Georgescu, Raluca Buhaș

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Participation in various extra-curricular sports activities is an important component of the professional activity of physical education teachers, regardless of whether we bring into discussion the organisation of such activities or training school teams in order to participate in these sports events. Material and methods: On the one hand, the present paper approaches the way in which teachers are involved in extracurricular sports activities from a descriptive perspective. On the other hand, the paper captures physical education teachers’ opinions on the way these sports competitions are organised and brings to attention some aspects that would need to be improved …

The Institutional Effect On Leisure Time And Competitive Sports At Higher Education Colleges And Universities In The Carpathian Basin, Klára Kovács, Marianna Moravecz, Zsuzsa Nagy, Dávid Rábai, Dániel Szabó

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The objective of our study is to reveal the resources within colleges and universities that may influence the leisure-time and competitive sports done in the respective institutions. For the theoretical background of our research, the models examining the institutional effects were used. Strange [1] arranged the models into four categories. Material and methods: In the course of our research, structured dialogues were carried out with PE teachers, sports leaders in the institutions of Eastern Hungary, in the Highlands, Voivodina, Transylvania and Partium. ATLAS.ti text analyzing software was used to analyze and process our findings. Results: In accordance with our …

Sport, Masculinity And Gender Relations, Arnaldo Spallacci

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

The ideological and cultural approach towards sport has changed over time and must be linked with the changes in gender relations especially in the Western society. Therefore, the present paper brings to attention the relationship between men and exercise and discusses sport as an important practice for the cultural and physical construction of masculinity. The paper is a narrative analysis of the concept of sport and its socio-cultural significance over time, all presented in the context of gender relations. The analysis is based on information from European documents regarding sport and on statistical data at European level regarding the engagement …

Validation Of The Lithuanian Version Of The Perceived Parental Success Standards In Sport Scale (Ppsss), Enrika Kromerova-Dubinskiene, Saulius Sukys

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The recently developed Perceived Parental Success Standards Scale (PPSSS) provides a new opportunity to understand better how parents perceive success in sport from the young athlete’s perspective. The aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the Lithuanian-language version of the PPSSS. Material and methods: The study included 587 adolescents (mean age = 14.3, SD = 1.11) from different sport teams in Lithuania. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and additionally exploratory Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis were performed to test discriminant, concurrent, and predictive validity. Results: Exploratory structural equation modelling provided an acceptable fit of a two-factor model …

A Comparative Study Of Anthropometric Measurements And Body Composition Between Junior Football And Basketball Players From The Serbian National League, Dusko Bjelica, Bojan Masanovic, Dragan Krivokapic

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe anthropometric characteristics and body composition of junior football and basketball players as well as to make comparisons between them. Material and methods: In this study 70 males were enrolled, divided into three groups: 25 football players, 13 basketball players and 32 healthy sedentary subjects. All subjects were assessed for the anthropometric measures required to calculate body composition variables, using the standardized procedures. Descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean (SD) for each variable. To detect the effects of each type of sport ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out. …

Well-Being And Mental Health − Diet, Supplements, Exercise Or Sleep? A Review Of Reports From The Last Five Years, Elzbieta Grzywacz, Aleksandra Jaron

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

In the 2020s we are faced with a problem of an ageing society. Not only do we see it and struggle to provide care for the elderly, but we also focus on constantly maintaining a good form related to our well-being as well as physical, mental and social functioning. The publications used in this review were sourced from the PubMed database and from Google Scholar. The paper uses articles published in English which are not older than 5 years. Analysis of the latest literature has shown that there is evidence that modifiable factors have a positive effect on our well-being …

Models Of Speed Development In Soccer, Roksana Krosta, Milosz Drozd, Robert Goralczyk, Maciej Kostrzewa, Patricia Fischerova, Angelina Ignatieva

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The main objective of this research was to determine a model of the Speed Abilities Development Index (SADI) in selected teams of the top league, the first and the second league in Poland. The indirect aim was to determine the most significant predictors that have the greatest effect on development of this model. Material and methods: The study examined a group of randomly selected 20 athletes (age 24 ± 3years) from four Polish premium league soccer teams, four teams of the first league and four teams of the second league, what amounted to 60 randomly selected players. The following …

Meta-Analyses Of The Effect Of Flossing On Ankle Range Of Motion And Power Jump Performance, Anna Pisz, Katerina Kralova, Dusan Blazek, Artur Golas, Petr Stastny

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Decreased ankle range of motion (ROM) leads to many disorders, ranging in severity from gait abnormalities to knee and pelvis injuries. Therefore, maintaining full ankle ROM is very important, especially for athletes, for whom ankle ROM may affect their results during competitions. Medical flossing is a technique used by physiotherapists to improve ROM. The aim of this review was to investigate the effect of medical flossing on ankle ROM according to the results in previous studies. The search was conducted with the following key words individually and/or in combinations: range of motion, flossband, mobility bands, vascular occlusion, flossing bands, compression, …

The Relative Age Effect In Fifa U-17 World Cup: The Role Of The Playing Position And The Continent, Ali ̇ Işın, Tuba Melekoğlu

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the relative age effect of the countries which attended the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and to research the relative age effect in terms of continents and the players’ position. Material and methods: 504 male football players from 24 countries which participated in the U-17 World Cup in India in 2017 were included in the study. Football players’ dates of birth were grouped into periods of three months in quarter years (Q): Q1 – January-March, Q2 – April-June, Q3 – July-September, Q4 – October-December. To study the sub-group differences of the …

The Economic And Financial Impact Of The First Phase Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Sports Market, Joanna Jedel, Marcin Burchard

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: For the last several months, the world has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic that effectively stopped the activity of entities in all fields of social life: finance, economy, culture and, broadly defined sport. The dynamic nature of changes and adaptation to a new reality were related to new restrictions and limitations on the functioning of society that were imposed by local governments. Material and methods: The authors analysed available reports that described the general results of the sports market as well as reports and financial statements for the period of the COVID-10 pandemic published by public joint-stock companies …

The Dangers Of Travel – Banditry On The Roads In The Old Days, Piotr Godlewski, Dariusz T. Skalski, Robert Mruczyk

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Both in the most distant history and nowadays, travel is accompanied by danger. Nowadays, insecurity is becoming a basic barrier to tourist travel to high-risk areas. The aim of the study was to make a comparative review related to the subject of travel danger in retrospective terms. Material and methods: In a scholarly review, the authors mainly used the historical method, the method of establishing historical facts, the comparative method. The method of analysis and criticism of literature was also used. Results: Travel safety is not a common topic of historical literature on tourism. Although we have many fragmentary …

Considerations Regarding The Profile Of Tourists From Băile Felix – Băile 1 Mai Spa Destination, Romania, Grigore Vasile Herman, Norbert Banto, Tudor Caciora, Vasile Grama, Jakub Trojan, Mihaela Ungureanu, Sorin Furdui, Daiana Garai, Raluca Buhaş, Sorin Buhaş

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Amid the exponential development of the tourist industry in general and spa tourism in particular that characterises the beginning of the century, the knowledge of tourists’ perception regarding the destination image is of utmost importance in order to enhance competitiveness. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of tourists from Băile Felix – Băile 1 Mai (Romania) about this spa area, in order to establish the profile of the tourist interested in this destination. Material and methods: Data was collected by applying a questionnaire (face-to-face technique), structured on eleven questions regarding the degree …

Study On The Efficiency Of Advanced Pressing In The Premier League, Sorin Brîndescu, Francisc-Remus Datcu, Ionuț-Alexadru Buda

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Advanced pressing is a tactical relationship which consists of a joint effort which players undertake to win back possession as high up the pitch as possible. It comes as a direct counter to slow build-up styles like the tiki-taka and has existed, historically, for decades. The best examples from history can be Ajax and Feyenoord in the 1970s, as well as the Dutch national team from the same period. In these days, some of English teams use this tactical relationship with the desire to recover the ball as quickly as possible. Material and Methods: In order to analyze the …

Outdoor Vs Indoor Physical Education Lessons As An Opportunity To Shape Environmental Attitudes, Marcin Pasek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Systematic contact with the natural environment seems to increase the level of human sensitivity to ecological problems. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of physical activity outdoors in nature as part of school physical education on the level of environmental attitudes. Method: 220 students participated in an experimental study. The experimental group, which did exercise usually in open spaces, included 103 students. The control group, which exercised inside school, consisted of 117 students. The study period lasted two years and involved the fifth and sixth form of primary school. The authors used the part relating …

Drosophila Functional Screening Of De Novo Variants In Autism Uncovers Damaging Variants And Facilitates Discovery Of Rare Neurodevelopmental Diseases, Paul C Marcogliese, Samantha L Deal, Jonathan Andrews, J Michael Harnish, V Hemanjani Bhavana, Hillary K Graves, Sharayu Jangam, Xi Luo, Ning Liu, Danqing Bei, Yu-Hsin Chao, Brooke Hull, Pei-Tseng Lee, Hongling Pan, Pradnya Bhadane, Mei-Chu Huang, Colleen M Longley, Hsiao-Tuan Chao, Hyung-Lok Chung, Nele A Haelterman, Oguz Kanca, Sathiya N Manivannan, Linda Z Rossetti, Ryan J German, Amanda Gerard, Eva Maria Christina Schwaibold, Sarah Fehr, Renzo Guerrini, Annalisa Vetro, Eleina England, Chaya N Murali, Tahsin Stefan Barakat, Marieke F Van Dooren, Martina Wilke, Marjon Van Slegtenhorst, Gaetan Lesca, Isabelle Sabatier, Nicolas Chatron, Catherine A Brownstein, Jill A Madden, Pankaj B Agrawal, Boris Keren, Thomas Courtin, Laurence Perrin, Melanie Brugger, Timo Roser, Steffen Leiz, Frederic Tran Mau-Them, Julian Delanne, Elena Sukarova-Angelovska, Slavica Trajkova, Erik Rosenhahn, Vincent Strehlow, Konrad Platzer, Roberto Keller, Lisa Pavinato, Alfredo Brusco, Jill A Rosenfeld, Ronit Marom, Michael F Wangler, Shinya Yamamoto

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit an increased burden of de novo mutations (DNMs) in a broadening range of genes. While these studies have implicated hundreds of genes in ASD pathogenesis, which DNMs cause functional consequences in vivo remains unclear. We functionally test the effects of ASD missense DNMs using Drosophila through "humanization" rescue and overexpression-based strategies. We examine 79 ASD variants in 74 genes identified in the Simons Simplex Collection and find 38% of them to cause functional alterations. Moreover, we identify GLRA2 as the cause of a spectrum of neurodevelopmental phenotypes beyond ASD in 13 previously undiagnosed …

Exaggerated False Positives By Popular Differential Expression Methods When Analyzing Human Population Samples, Wei Li, Jingyi Jessica Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

When identifying differentially expressed genes between two conditions using human population RNA-seq samples, we found a phenomenon by permutation analysis: two popular bioinformatics methods, DESeq2 and edgeR, have unexpectedly high false discovery rates. Expanding the analysis to limma-voom, NOISeq, dearseq, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test, we found that FDR control is often failed except for the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Particularly, the actual FDRs of DESeq2 and edgeR sometimes exceed 20% when the target FDR is 5%. Based on these results, for population-level RNA-seq studies with large sample sizes, we recommend the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Cleavage Stimulating Factor 64 Depletion Mitigates Cardiac Fibrosis Through Alternative Polyadenylation, Rahul Neupane, Keith Youker, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Katarzyna A Cieslik, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Ashrith Guha, Rajarajan A Thandavarayan

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) regulates gene expression by cleavage and addition of poly(A) sequence at different polyadenylation sites (PAS) in 3'UTR, thus, generating transcript isoforms with different lengths. Cleavage stimulating factor 64 (CstF64) is an APA regulator which plays a role in PAS selection and determines the length of 3'UTR. CstF64 favors the use of proximal PAS, resulting in 3'UTR shortening, which enhances the protein expression by increasing the stability of the target genes. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of CstF64 in cardiac fibrosis, a key event leading to heart failure (HF). We determined the expression …

American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7: Lifestyle Recommendations, Polygenic Risk, And Lifetime Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease, Adam S Heath, Allison Bebo, Kellan E Ashley, Eric Boerwinkle, Alanna C Morrison, Aaron R Folsom, David Aguilar, Paul S De Vries

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Understanding the effect of lifestyle and genetic risk on the lifetime risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is important to improving public health initiatives. Our objective was to quantify remaining lifetime risk and years free of CHD according to polygenic risk and the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) guidelines in a population-based cohort study.

METHODS: Our analysis included data from participants of the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study: 8372 White and 2314 Black participants; 45 years of age and older; and free of CHD at baseline examination. A polygenic risk score (PRS) comprised more than 6 …

Considerations For The Use Of Phage Therapy In Clinical Practice, Jane M Knisely, Jose Alexander, Saima Aslam, Karen D Barton, Erica Bizzell, Katherine M C Totten, Joseph L Campbell, Benjamin K Chan, Scott A Cunningham, Katherine E Goodman, Kerryl E Greenwood-Quaintance, Anthony D Harris, Shayla Hesse, Anthony Maresso, Veronique Nussenblatt, David Pride, Michael J Rybak, Zoe Sund, David Van Duin, Daria Van Tyne, Robin Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Increasing antimicrobial resistance and medical device-related infections have led to a renewed interest in phage therapy as an alternative or adjunct to conventional antimicrobials. Expanded access and compassionate use cases have risen exponentially but have varied widely in approach, methodology, and clinical situations in which phage therapy might be considered. Large gaps in knowledge contribute to heterogeneity in approach and lack of consensus in many important clinical areas. The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) has convened a panel of experts in phage therapy, clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, and pharmacology, who worked with regulatory experts and a funding agency to identify …

Maternal Low Protein Diet And Fetal Programming Of Lean Type 2 Diabetes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Maternal nutrition is found to be the key factor that determines fetal health in utero and metabolic health during adulthood. Metabolic diseases have been primarily attributed to impaired maternal nutrition during pregnancy, and impaired nutrition has been an immense issue across the globe. In recent years, type 2 diabetes (T2D) has reached epidemic proportion and is a severe public health problem in many countries. Although plenty of research has already been conducted to tackle T2D which is associated with obesity, little is known regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of lean T2D, a variant of T2D. Recent studies have focused on …

Clinical Evaluation Of An Auto-Segmentation Tool For Spine Sbrt Treatment, Yingxuan Chen, Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy, Yan Yu, Wenyin Shi, Haisong Lui

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Purpose: Spine SBRT target delineation is time-consuming due to the complex bone structure. Recently, Elements SmartBrush Spine (ESS) was developed by Brainlab to automatically generate a clinical target volume (CTV) based on gross tumor volume (GTV). The aim of this project is to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of ESS auto-segmentation.

Methods: Twenty spine SBRT patients with 21 target sites treated at our institution were used for this retrospective comparison study. Planning CT/MRI images and physician-drawn GTVs were inputs for ESS. ESS can automatically segment the vertebra, split the vertebra into 6 sectors, and generate a CTV based on the …