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The Relationship Between Landing Error Scoring System-Real Time And Dorsiflexion Range Of Motion In Recreational Athletes, Hannah M. Twiddy

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Participation in physical activity is important for overall health; however, lower extremity injuries are a major risk associated with physical activity. Injuries can lead to time away from physical activity and be associated with negative health consequences. The most common injuries are traumatic injuries to the knee and ankle; which may be related to poor landing mechanics and decreased range of motion. Previous research utilizing motion analysis systems have determined people with greater dorsiflexion range of motion (DROM) demonstrated smaller ground reaction forces and greater knee and hip flexion displacement while landing; indicating a softer landing strategy. The ability to …

Cognitive Performance As A Function Of Right-Sided, Low-Frequency Rtms Administration Using Cns Vital Signs, Alexis J. Chappell

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a complex, widespread, and recurrent psychiatric disorder. Although the majority of affected individuals respond adequately to pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy, there persists a sub-population of affected individuals who do not improve despite these interventions. Electric convulsive therapy has been described in the research as the most efficacious options for treatment resistant depression. However, due to the neurocognitive deficits associated with ECT, interest in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive approach that stimulates the cerebral cortex, as an alternative to ECT has become a major research focus. The efficacy of both high-frequency and low-frequency rTMS for depression …

Concurrent Spatial Mapping Of The Viscoelastic Behavior Of Heterogeneous Soft Materials Via A Polymer-Based Microfluidic Device, Wenting Gu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a novel experimental technique, namely concurrent spatial mapping (CSM), for measuring the viscoelastic behavior of heterogeneous soft materials via a polymer-based microfluidic device. Comprised of a compliant polymer microstructure and an array of electrolyte-enabled distributed resistive transducers, the microfluidic device detects both static and dynamic distributed loads. Distributed loads deform the polymer microstructure and are recorded as resistance changes at the locations of the transducers.

The CSM technique identifies the elastic modulus of soft materials by applying a precisely controlled indentation depth using a rigid probe to a sample placed on the device. The spatially-varying elastic modulus …

Preferential Depletion Of Zinc Within Costa Rica Upwelling Dome Creates Conditions For Zinc Co-Limitation Of Primary Production, P. Dreux Chappell, Jagruti Vedmati, Karen E. Selph, Heather A. Cyr, Bethany D. Jenkins, Michael R. Landry, James W. Moffett

OES Faculty Publications

The Costa Rica Dome (CRD) is a wind-driven feature characterized by high primary production and an unusual cyanobacterial bloom in surface waters. It is not clear whether this bloom arises from top-down or bottom-up processes. Several studies have argued that trace metal geochemistry within the CRD contributes to the composition of the phytoplankton assemblages, since cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton have different transition metal requirements. Here, we report that total dissolved zinc (Zn) is significantly depleted relative to phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) within the upper water column of the CRD compared with other oceanic systems, and this may create conditions …

Marine Disease Impacts, Diagnosis, Forecasting, Management And Policy, Kevin D. Lafferty, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

(First paragraph) As Australians were spending millions of dollars in 2014 to remove the coraleating crown of thorns sea star from the Great Barrier Reef, sea stars started washing up dead for free along North America’s Pacific Coast. Because North American sea stars are important and iconic predators in marine communities, locals and marine scientists alike were alarmed by what proved to be the world’s most widespread marine mass mortality in geographical extent and species affected, especially given its mysterious cause. Investigative research using modern diagnostic techniques implicated a never-before-seen virus [1]. The virus inspired international attention to marine diseases, …

Oral Concurrent Session Iii: Biological Sciences Iii: Microbiology, Dayle Daines

Undergraduate Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Calcification Rates Indicate Thermal Stress Tolerance In Belize “Backreef” Corals, David D. Jones

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Reef-building corals host symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae living within their tissues. Exposure to prolonged elevated temperature can cause corals to expel their symbionts and lead to coral bleaching. In this study, corals from Florida and Belize inshore reefs (high temperature variability) and offshore reefs (low temperature variability) were subjected to a 6-week-long heat stress experiment to determine if inshore corals displayed higher stress tolerance than offshore samples. Measurements of calcification rates suggested that Belize’s inshore or “BackReef” corals demonstrated the greatest growth and stress tolerance. Ongoing symbiont density measurements will provide further clues to stress tolerance.

Damsels In Distress: A Preliminary Assessment Of Pomacentridae Extinction Risk, Allison Roberts

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The family Pomacentridae is among the most diverse of the perciformes, boasting 400 different species of damselfish. These fish are found in coral reefs of varying depths around the world, most of which risk great damage due to climate change. In addition, many species are key components of the ornamental aquarium trade. Considering these threats, the importance of examining the state of Pomacentridae is paramount in examining the health of our oceans. Using IUCN Red List methods, preliminary data suggests some species of damselfish are at elevated risk of extinction.

Oral Concurrent Session Ii: Biological Sciences Ii: Aquatic Sciences, Dan Barshis

Undergraduate Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Oral Concurrent Session I: Biological Sciences I: Birds, Ticks, And Algae, Eric Walters

Undergraduate Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Poster Session, Honors College, Odu

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Poster Session featuring Electrical, Computer, and Civil Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Psychology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Human Services

College Of Health Sciences Newsletter, February 2016, Irvin B. Harrell (Ed.)

Ellmer College of Health Sciences Newsletters

February 2016 Issue of Old Dominion University's College of Health Sciences Newsletter.

Volumetric Flow Imaging Reveals The Importance Of Vortex Ring Formation In Squid Swimming Tail-First And Arms-First, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, Rachel A. Jastrebsky, Sheila Williams, Joseph T. Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Squids use a pulsed jet and fin movements to swim both arms-first (forward) and tail-first (backward). Given the complexity of the squid multi-propulsor system, 3D velocimetry techniques are required for the comprehensive study of wake dynamics. Defocusing digital particle tracking velocimetry, a volumetric velocimetry technique, and high-speed videography were used to study arms-first and tail-first swimming of brief squid Lolliguncula brevis over a broad range of speeds [0-10 dorsal mantle lengths (DML) s^-1) in a swim tunnel. Although there was considerable complexity in the wakes of these multi-propulsor swimmers, 3D vortex rings and their derivatives were prominent reoccurring features …

Study Of Infrared Emission Spectroscopy For The B 1Δg- A 1Πu And B ′1Σg +- A 1Πu Systems Of C2, Wang Chen, Kentarou Kawaguchi, Peter F. Bernath, Jian Tang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Thirteen bands for the B¹Δ_g-A¹Π_u system and eleven bands for the B′¹Σ_g ⁺-A¹Πu system of C₂ were identified in the Fourier transform infrared emission spectra of hydrocarbon discharges. The B′¹Σ_g ⁺ v = 4 and the B¹Δ_g v = 6, 7, and 8 vibrational levels involved in nine bands were studied for the first time. A direct global analysis with Dunham parameters was carried out satisfactorily for the B¹Δ_g-A¹Π_u system except for a …

Sperm Quality And Dna Integrity Of Coke Oven Workers Exposed To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Hueiwang A. Jeng, Chih Hong Pan, Mu R. Chao, Chien C. Chiu, Guodong Zhou, Chon-Kit Chuo, Wen-Yi Lin

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess sperm quality and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as compared to control subjects. Material and Methods: The coke oven workers (N = 52) and administrative staff (N = 35) of a steel plant served as the exposed and control groups, respectively. Exposure to PAHs was assessed by measuring 1-hydroxypyren. Analysis of sperm quality (concentration, motility, vitality, and morphology) was performed simultaneously with sperm DNA integrity analysis, including DNA fragmentation, denaturation, bulky DNA adducts, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo). A questionnaire was conducted to collect …

The Role Of Executive Functions In Classroom Instruction Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Silvana M. R. Watson, Robert A. Gable, Lisa L. Morin

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

In this article, we describe executive functions and their role in determining student academic success. We focus on the executive function difficulties of students with learning disabilities and explain how executive dysfunctions can negatively affect different academic areas (e.g., reading comprehension, mathematics). Finally, we offer ways teachers can modify their instruction to better address the diverse needs of students with learning disabilities who are struggling to perform various academic tasks.

Center For Global Health Newsletter, Center For Global Health, Old Dominion University

Center for Global Health Newsletter

January-June 2016 issue of Old Dominion University's Center for Global Health Newsletter.

Supporting Business Privacy Protection In Wireless Sensor Networks, Nan Feng, Zhiqi Hao, Sibo Yang, Harris Wu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

With the pervasive use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) within commercial environments, business privacy leakage due to the exposure of sensitive information transmitted in a WSN has become a major issue for enterprises. We examine business privacy protection in the application of WSNs. We propose a business privacy-protection system (BPS) that is modeled as a hierarchical profile in order to filter sensitive information with respect to enterprise-specified privacy requirements. The BPS aims at solving a tradeoff between metrics that are defined to estimate the utility of information and the business privacy risk. We design profile, risk assessment, and filtration agents …

Part 4: The Rise Of Single-Earner Households In Virginia: Why It Matters, Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Almost one-third of all households in Hampton Roads are “nonfamily,” in the sense that they are not headed by two married individuals. More than 40 percent of all births now occur out of wedlock and the number of older single people has skyrocketed. Both public and private programs and policies have not kept pace with these developments and are in need of revision.

Risk And Safety Of Complex Network Systems, Xiao-Bing Hu, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Mark S. Leeson, Supeng Leng, Julien Bourgeois, Xiaobo Qu

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Hierarchical Statistical Engineering Modeling Methodology, Teddy Steven Cotter

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the ASEM-IAC 2015, Cotter (2015) proposed a systemic joint deterministic-stochastic dynamic causal Bayesian statistical engineering model that addressed the knowledge gap needed to integrate deterministic mathematical engineering models within a stochastic framework. However, Cotter did not specify the modeling methodology through which statistical engineering models could be developed, diagnosed, and applied to predict systemic mission performance. This paper updates research into the development a hierarchical statistical engineering modeling methodology and sets forth the initial theoretical foundation for the methodology.

Walking-Induced Fatigue Leads To Increased Risk In Older Adults, S. Morrison, S. R. Colberg, H. K. Parson, S. Neumann, R. Handel, E. J. Vinik, J. Paulson, A. I. Vinik

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background- For older adults, falls are a serious health problem, with more than 30% of people older than 65 suffering a fall at least once a year. One element often overlooked in the assessment of falls is whether a person's balance, walking ability, and overall falls risk is affected by performing activities of daily living such as walking.

Objective- This study assessed the immediate impact of incline walking at a moderate pace on falls risk, leg strength, reaction time, gait, and balance in 75 healthy adults from 30 to 79 years of age. Subjects were subdivided into 5 equal groups …

Bisphenol-A And Sleep Adequacy Among Adults In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Surveys, Hind A. Beydoun, May A. Beydoun, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Alan B. Zonderman, Shaker M. Eid

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Study Objectives: To evaluate bisphenol-A (BPA) level and its relationship to sleep adequacy in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.
Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey whereby data were collected using in-person interviews, physical examination and laboratory testing. BPA level was measured in urine samples and analyzed as loge-transformed variable and in quartiles (< 0.9 ng/mL; 0.9 to < 1.9 ng/mL; 1.9 to < 3.7 ng/mL; 3.7+ ng/mL). Sleep adequacy was operationalized with three questions: "How much sleep do you usually get at night on weekdays or workdays?", "Have you ever told a doctor or other health professionals that you have trouble sleeping?" and "Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have a sleep disorder?" Sleep duration was further categorized as (< 6 h, ≥ 6 h); (< 7 h, 7-8 h, > 8 h); (< 5 h, 5-6 h, 7-8 h, ≥ 9 h). Linear, binary, and ordinal logistic regression models were constructed.
Results: Loge-transformed BPA level was inversely related to sleep duration defined, in hours, as a continuous variable, a dichotomous variable (≥ 6, < 6), or an ordinal variable (≥ 9, 7-8, 5-6, < 5), after adjustment for confounders. Help-seeking behavior for sleep problems and diagnosis with sleep disorders were not significantly associated with loge-transformed BPA level in fully adjusted models.
Conclusions: Loge-transformed BPA level may be associated with fewer hours of …

Effect Of Twisted Fiber Anisotropy In Cardiac Tissue On Ablation With Pulsed Electric Fields, Fei Xie, Christian W. Zemlin

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: Ablation of cardiac tissue with pulsed electric fields is a promising alternative to current thermal ablation methods, and it critically depends on the electric field distribution in the heart.

Methods: We developed a model that incorporates the twisted anisotropy of cardiac tissue and computed the electric field distribution in the tissue. We also performed experiments in rabbit ventricles to validate our model. We find that the model agrees well with the experimentally determined ablation volume if we assume that all tissue that is exposed to a field greater than 3 kV/cm is ablated. In our numerical analysis, we considered …

Cell Electrosensitization Exists Only In Certain Electroporation Buffers, Janja Dermol, Olga N. Pakhomova, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Damijan Miklavčič

Bioelectrics Publications

Electroporation-induced cell sensitization was described as the occurrence of a delayed hypersensitivity to electric pulses caused by pretreating cells with electric pulses. It was achieved by increasing the duration of the electroporation treatment at the same cumulative energy input. It could be exploited in electroporation-based treatments such as electrochemotherapy and tissue ablation with irreversible electroporation. The mechanisms responsible for cell sensitization, however, have not yet been identified. We investigated cell sensitization dynamics in five different electroporation buffers. We split a pulse train into two trains varying the delay between them and measured the propidium uptake by fluorescence microscopy. By fitting …

Plasma-Activated Air Mediates Plasmid Dna Delivery In Vivo, Chelsea M. Edelblute, Loree C. Heller, Muhammad A. Malik, Anna Bulysheva, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Plasma-activated air (PAA) provides a noncontact DNA transfer platform. In the current study, PAA was used for the delivery of plasmid DNA in a 3D human skin model, as well as in vivo. Delivery of plasmid DNA encoding luciferase to recellularized dermal constructs was enhanced, resulting in a fourfold increase in luciferase expression over 120 hours compared to injection only (P < 0.05). Delivery of plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was confirmed in the epidermal layers of the construct. In vivo experiments were performed in BALB/c mice, with skin as the delivery target. PAA exposure significantly enhanced luciferase expression levels 460-fold in exposed sites compared to levels obtained from the injection of plasmid DNA alone (P < 0.001). Expression levels were enhanced when the plasma reactor was positioned more distant from the injection site. Delivery of plasmid DNA encoding GFP to mouse skin was confirmed by immunostaining, where a 3-minute exposure at a 10 mm distance displayed delivery distribution deep within the dermal layers compared to an exposure at 3 mm where GFP expression was localized within the epidermis. Our findings suggest PAA-mediated delivery warrants further exploration as an alternative approach for DNA transfer for skin targets.

The Cytotoxic Synergy Of Nanosecond Electric Pulses And Low Temperature Leads To Apoptosis, Claudia Muratori, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Elena C. Gianulis, Sarah D. Jensen, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

Electroporation by nanosecond electric pulses (nsEP) is an emerging modality for tumor ablation. Here we show the efficient induction of apoptosis even by a non-toxic nsEP exposure when it is followed by a 30-min chilling on ice. This chilling itself had no impact on the survival of U-937 or HPAF-II cells, but caused more than 75% lethality in nsEP-treated cells (300 ns, 1.8-7 kV/cm, 50-700 pulses). The cell death was largely delayed by 5-23 hr and was accompanied by a 5-fold activation of caspase 3/7 (compared to nsEP without chilling) and more than 60% cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (compared …

Cytosolic Dna Sensor Upregulation Accompanies Dna Electrotransfer In B16.F10 Melanoma Cells, Katarina Znidar, Masa Bosnjak, Maja Cemazar, Loree C. Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

In several preclinical tumor models, antitumor effects occur after intratumoral electroporation, also known as electrotransfer, of plasmid DNA devoid of a therapeutic gene. In mouse melanomas, these effects are preceded by significant elevation of several proinflammatory cytokines. These observations implicate the binding and activation of intracellular DNA-specific pattern recognition receptors or DNA sensors in response to DNA electrotransfer. In tumors, IFN β mRNA and protein levels significantly increased. The mRNAs of several DNA sensors were detected, and DAI, DDX60, and p204 tended to be upregulated. These effects were accompanied with reduced tumor growth and increased tumor necrosis. In B16. F10 …

Electrosensitization Assists Cell Ablation By Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field In 3d Cultures, Claudia Muratori, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Shu Xiao, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

Previous studies reported a delayed increase of sensitivity to electroporation (termed "electrosensitization") in mammalian cells that had been subjected to electroporation. Electrosensitization facilitated membrane permeabilization and reduced survival in cell suspensions when the electric pulse treatments were split in fractions. The present study was aimed to visualize the effect of sensitization and establish its utility for cell ablation. We used KLN 205 squamous carcinoma cells embedded in an agarose gel and cell spheroids in Matrigel. A local ablation was created by a train of 200 to 600 of 300-ns pulses (50 Hz, 300-600 V) delivered by a two-needle probe with …

The Protective Role Of Mlcp-Mediated Erm Dephosphorylation In Endotoxin-Induced Lung Injury In Vitro And In Vivo, Anita Kovacs-Kasa, Boris A. Gorshkov, Kyung-Mi Kim, Sanjiv Kumar, Stephen M. Black, David J. Fulton, Christiana Dimitropoulou, John D. Catravas, Alexander D. Verin

Bioelectrics Publications

The goal of this study was to investigate the role of MLC phosphatase (MLCP) in a LPS model of acute lung injury (ALI). We demonstrate that ectopic expression of a constitutively-active (C/A) MLCP regulatory subunit (MYPT1) attenuates the ability of LPS to increase endothelial (EC) permeability. Down-regulation of MYPT1 exacerbates LPS-induced expression of ICAM1 suggesting an anti-inflammatory role of MLCP. To determine whether MLCP contributes to LPS-induced ALI in vivo, we utilized a nanoparticle DNA delivery method to specifically target lung EC. Expression of a C/A MYPT1 reduced LPS-induced lung inflammation and vascular permeability. Further, increased expression of the …