Digital Commons Network^™

Heart Rate Variability And Exercise In Aging Women, Conrad P. Earnest, Steven N. Blair, Timothy S. Church

Faculty Publications

Background: Our group has shown a positive dose-response in maximal cardiorespiratory exercise capacity (VO_2max) and heart rate variability (HRV) to 6 months of exercise training but no improvement in VO_2max for women ≥60 years. Here, we examine the HRV response to exercise training in postmenopausal women younger and older than 60 years.

Methods: We examined 365 sedentary, overweight, hypertensive, postmenopausal women randomly assigned to sedentary control or exercise groups exercising at 50% (4 kcal/kg/week, [KKW]), 100% (8 KKW) and 150% (12 KKW) of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Panel physical activity guidelines. Primary outcomes …

Evaluation Of Lay Support In Pregnant Women With Social Risk (Elsips): A Randomised Controlled Trial, Sara Kenyon, Kate Jolly, Karla Hemming, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Nicola Gale, Sophie-Anna Dann, Jacky Chambers, Christine Macarthur

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Maternal, neonatal and child health outcomes are worse in families from black and ethnic minority groups and disadvantaged backgrounds. There is little evidence on whether lay support improves maternal and infant outcomes among women with complex social needs within a disadvantaged multi-ethnic population in the United Kingdom (UK). METHOD/DESIGN: The aim of this study is to evaluate a lay Pregnancy Outreach Worker (POW) service for nulliparous women identified as having social risk within a maternity service that is systematically assessing social risks alongside the usual obstetric and medical risks. The study design is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in …

Three Routes To Modulate The Pore Size Of The Mscl Channel/Nanovalve, Li Min Yang, Robin Wray, Juandell Parker, Danyell Wilson, Randolph S. Duran, Paul Blount

Faculty Publications

MscL is a bacterial mechanosensitive channel that protects cells from lysis upon acute decrease in external osmotic environment. It is one of the best characterized mechanosensors known, thus serving as a paradigm of how such molecules sense and respond to stimuli. In addition, the fact that it can be genetically modified, expressed, isolated, and manipulated has led to its proposed use as a triggered nanovalve for various functions including sensors within microelectronic array chips, as well as vesicular-based targeted drug release. X-ray crystallography reveals a homopentameric complex with each subunit containing two transmembrane α-helices (TM1 and TM2) and a single …

Inactivation Of Androgen-Induced Regulator Ard1 Inhibits Androgen Receptor Acetylation And Prostate Tumorigenesis, Zehua Wang, Zemin Wang, Jianhui Guo, Yingchun Li, Jasmin H. Bavarva, Chiping Qian, M. Christiane Brahimi-Horn, Deyong Tan, Wanguo Liu

Faculty Publications

Androgen signaling through androgen receptor (AR) is critical for prostate tumorigenesis. Given that AR-mediated gene regulation is enhanced by AR coregulators, inactivation of those coregulators is emerging as a promising therapy for prostate cancer (PCa). Here, weshowthat the N-acetyltransferase arrest-defect 1 protein (ARD1) functions as a unique AR regulator in PCa cells. ARD1 is up-regulated in human PCa cell lines and primary tumor biopsies. The expression of ARD1 was augmented by treatment with synthetic androgen (R1881) unless AR is deficient or is inhibited by AR-specific siRNA or androgen inhibitor bicalutamide (Casodex). Depletion of ARD1 by shRNA suppressed PCa cell proliferation, …

Of Frightened Horses And Autonomous Vehicles: Tort Law And Its Assimilation Of Innovations, Kyle Graham

Faculty Publications

This symposium contribution considers five recurring themes in the application of tort law to new technologies. First, the initial batch of cases presented to courts may be atypical of later lawsuits that implicate the innovation, yet relate rules with surprising persistence. Second, these cases may be identified, and resolved, by reference to analogies that rely on similarities in form, and which do not wear well over time. Third, it may be difficult to isolate the unreasonable risks generated by an innovation from the benefits it is perceived to offer. Fourth, potential claims by early adopters of the technology may be …

Integrating Advanced Writing Content Into A Scholarly Inquiry In Nursing Course, Barbara L. Madleco

Faculty Publications

Since there are few data examining methods to help students learn to write in a scholarly manner, the purposes of this project were to (1) evaluate students’ learning of writing content integrated into a Scholarly Inquiry in Nursing course by examining differences in scores on a writing assessment taken at the beginning and end of the course; and (2) examine student confidence ratings relative to writing to see if it improved during the course. After obtaining IRB approval and informed consent, the CLIPS pre and post assessment mean scores of 82 students in a Scholarly Inquiry in Nursing course were …

Dog Ownership During Pregnancy, Maternal Activity, And Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study, Carri Westgarth, Jihong Liu, Jon Heron, Andrew R. Ness, Peter Bundred, Rosalind M. Gaskell, Alexander J. German, Sandra Mccune, Susan Dawson

Faculty Publications

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is an observational study of 14273 UK pregnant singleton mothers in 1990/1991. We examined outcomes of self report of strenuous activity (hours per week) at 18 and 32 weeks of gestation, hours spent in leisure-time physical activities and types, and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI); overweight status was defined as pre-pregnancy BMI$25 and obesity BMI$30. Pet ownership and activity data were reported for 11,466 mothers. Twenty-five percent of mothers owned at least one dog. There was a positive relationship between participation in activity at least once a week and dog ownership …

History And Development Of The Simulation Effectiveness Tool (Set), Victoria L. Elfrink Corgi, Kim Leighton, Nancy Ryan-Wenger, Thomas J. Doyle, Patricia K. Ravert

Faculty Publications

Background: There has been a lack of reliable and valid instruments measuring human patient simulation effectiveness reported in the literature. Two related studies addressing this concern are described.

Methods: A multi-phased pilot investigation at a single nursing program (N=161) and a follow-up multi-site national study (N=645) evaluated the reliability of the Simulation Effectiveness Tool (SET) as a measure of the effectiveness of a simulated clinical experience (SCE).

Results: Findings from the pilot study resulted in a revision of the original 20-item evaluation tool to a 13-item 3-point ordinal scale instrument. Two subscales, “confidence” and “learning” were noted with Chronbach's alpha …

Slow Amyloid Nucleation Via Α-Helix-Rich Oligomeric Intermediates In Short Polyglutamine-Containing Huntingtin Fragments, Murali Jayaraman, Ravindra Kodali, Bankanidhi Sahoo, Ashwani K. Thakur, Anand Mayasundari, Rakesh Mishra, Cynthia B. Peterson, Ronald Wetzel

Faculty Publications

The 17-amino-acid N-terminal segment (httNT) that leads into the polyglutamine (polyQ) segment in the Huntington's disease protein huntingtin (htt) dramatically increases aggregation rates and changes the aggregation mechanism, compared to a simple polyQ peptide of similar length. With polyQ segments near or above the pathological repeat length threshold of about 37, aggregation of htt N-terminal fragments is so rapid that it is difficult to tease out mechanistic details. We describe here the use of very short polyQ repeat lengths in htt N-terminal fragments to slow this disease-associated aggregation. Although all of these peptides, in addition to httNT itself, form α-helix-rich …

Constructivism Applied To Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing: An Alternative To Supplement Traditional Clinical Education, Michelle Hampton

Faculty Publications

With the popularity of accelerated pre‐licensure nursing programmes and the growth in nursing student enrolments, traditional clinical education continues to be a challenge to deliver. Nursing faculty members are required to develop and implement educational innovations that achieve effective learning outcomes, while using fewer resources. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effectiveness of a constructivism‐based learning project to achieve specific learning outcomes and to supplement approximately 30 clinical hours in a psychiatric–mental health nursing course. Students participated in a 10‐week, multistage project that examined life histories, treatment resources, and evidence‐based practice, as applied to a single …

Epithelial Na + Sodium Channels In Magnocellular Cells Of The Rat Supraoptic And Paraventricular Nuclei, Ryoichi Teruyama, Mayumi Sakuraba, Lori L. Wilson, Narine E.J. Wandrey, William E. Armstrong

Faculty Publications

The epithelial Na + channels (ENaCs) are present in kidney and contribute to Na + and water homeostasis. All three ENaC subunits (α, β, and γ) were demonstrated in the cardiovascular regulatory centers of the rat brain, including the magnocellular neurons (MNCs) in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). However, the functional significance of ENaCs in vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) synthesizing MNCs is completely unknown. In this study, we show with immunocytochemical double-labeling that the α-ENaC is colocalized with either VP or OT in MNCs in the SON and PVN. In addition, parvocellular neurons in the …

Genome Sequence Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri 93-146, A Strain Associated With A Natural Channel Catfish Outbreak Of Enteric Septicemia Of Catfish, M. L. Williams, A. F. Gillaspy, D. W. Dyer, R. L. Thune, G. C. Waldbieser, S. C. Schuster, J. Gipson, J. Zaitshik, C. Landry, M. M. Banes, M. L. Lawrence

Faculty Publications

Edwardsiella ictaluri is the cause of extensive mortalities and economic losses to the channel catfish industry of the southeast United States. Here we report the complete genome of Edwardsiella ictaluri 93-146. Whole-genome sequence analysis of E. ictaluri provides a tool for understanding the genomic regions specific to the species and the Edwardsiella genus. © 2012, American Society for Microbiology.

The Impact Of A 3-Year After-School Obesity Prevention Program In Elementary School Children, Zenong Yin, Justin B. Moore, Maribeth H. Johnson, Marlo M. Vernon, Bernard Gutin

Faculty Publications

Background: Children tend to be sedentary during the after-school hours, and this has deleterious effects on their health. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of a 3-year after-school physical activity (PA) program, without restriction of dietary energy intake, on percent body fat (%BF), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and cardiometabolic markers in children.

Methods: A cluster randomization design was employed. A total of 574 3^rd grade children from 18 elementary schools in the south-eastern United States participated. The intervention consisted of 80 minutes of age-appropriate moderate-to-vigorous PA each school day. The main outcomes of interest were …

Differences In Folate-Protein Interactions Result In Differing Inhibition Of Native Rat Liver And Recombinant Glycine N-Methyltransferase By 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, Zigmund Luka, Svetlana Pakhomova, Lioudmila V. Loukachevitch, Marcia E. Newcomer, Conrad Wagner

Faculty Publications

Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) is a key regulatory enzyme in methyl group metabolism. In mammalian liver it reduces S-adenosylmethionine levels by using it to methylate glycine, producing N-methylglycine (sarcosine) and S-adenosylhomocysteine. GNMT is inhibited by binding two molecules of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (mono- or polyglutamate forms) per tetramer of the active enzyme. Inhibition is sensitive to the status of the N-terminal valine of GNMT and to polyglutamation of the folate inhibitor. It is inhibited by pentaglutamate form more efficiently compared to monoglutamate form. The native rat liver GNMT contains an acetylated N-terminal valine and is inhibited much more efficiently compared to the recombinant …

Cardiovascular Fitness Moderates The Relations Between Estimates Of Obesity And Physical Self-Perceptions In Rural Elementary School Students, Nathanael G. Mitchell, Justin B. Moore, Wendy S. Bibeau, Kathleen M. Rudasill

Faculty Publications

Background: Levels of physical activity decline throughout childhood. Children's physical self-perceptions have been found to relate to their physical activity. Understanding the relationships among physical self-perceptions, obesity, and physical activity could have important implications for interventions in children. Methods:The current study investigated the moderating effect of cardiovascular fitness (CVF, heart rate recovery from a 3-minute step test) on the relationship between obesity (BMI, waist circumference) and physical self-perceptions (athletic competence, physical appearance) in 104 fourth- and fifth-grade children from a small rural community. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that CVF moderated the relations between BMI and waist circumference on …

Human Rights, Emergencies, And The Rule Of Law, Evan J. Criddle, Evan Fox-Decent

Faculty Publications

This article illuminates the normative basis for international law’s regulation of public emergencies by arguing that human rights are best conceived as norms arising from a fiduciary relationship between states (or state-like actors) and persons subject to their power. States bear a fiduciary duty to guarantee subjects’ secure and equal freedom, a duty that flows from their institutional assumption of sovereign powers. The fiduciary theory disarms Carl Schmitt’s critique of constitutionalism by explaining how emergency powers can be reconciled with the rule of law.

Effect Of Different Doses Of Aerobic Exercise On Total White Blood Cell (Wbc) And Wbc Subfraction Number In Postmenopausal Women: Results From Drew, Neil M. Johannsen, Damon L. Swift, William D. Johnson, Vishwa D. Dixit, Conrad P. Earnest, Steven N. Blair, Timothy S. Church

Faculty Publications

Background: Elevated total white blood cell (WBC) count is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and death. Aerobic exercise is associated with lower total WBC, neutrophil, and monocyte counts. However, no studies have evaluated the effect of the amount of aerobic exercise (dose) on total WBC and WBC subfraction counts.

Purpose: To examine the effects of 3 different doses of aerobic exercise on changes in total WBC and WBC subfraction counts and independent effects of changes in fitness, adiposity, makers of inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α, C-reactive protein), fasting glucose metabolism, and adiponectin.

Methods: Data from 390 sedentary, overweight/obese …

Comparing The Validity Of 2 Physical Activity Questionnaire Formats In African-American And Hispanic Women, Louise C. Mâsse, Janet E. Fulton, Kathleen B. Watson, Susan Tortolero, Harold W. Kohl Iii, Michael C. Meyers, Steven N. Blair, William W. Wong

Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the validity of 2 physical activity questionnaire formats - one that lists activities (Checklist questionnaire) and one that assesses overall activities (Global questionnaire) by domain.

Methods: Two questionnaire formats were validated among 260 African-American and Hispanic women (age 40-70) using 3 validation standards: 1) accelerometers to validate activities of ambulation; 2) diaries to validate physical activity domains (occupation, household, exercise, yard, family, volunteer/church work, and transportation); and 3) doubly-labeled water to validate physical activity energy expenditure (DLW-PAEE).

Results: The proportion of total variance explained by the Checklist questionnaire was 38.4% with …

Hiv Testing In Women: Missed Opportunities, Wayne A. Duffus, Harley T. Davis, Michael D. Byrd, Khosrow Heidari, Terri G. Stephens, James J. Gibson

Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate opportunities for early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing on women.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study design linked case reports from HIV surveillance to several statewide health-care databases. Medical encounters occurring before the first positive HIV test (missed opportunities) were categorized by diagnosis/procedure codes to distinguish visits that were likely to have prompted an HIV test. Women were categorized as late testers (AIDS diagnosis < 12 months from first HIV test date), non-late testers (no AIDS diagnosis during study period or diagnosis of AIDS > 12 months of HIV diagnosis), of reproductive age (13-44 years old), and not of reproductive age (> 44 years old). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate risk …

Systematic Review Of Peer Support For Breastfeeding Continuation: Metaregression Analysis Of The Effect Of Setting, Intensity, And Timing, Kate Jolly, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Khalid S. Khan, Jonathan J. Deeks, Nick Freemantle, Christine Macarthur

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of setting, intensity, and timing of peer support on breast feeding. DESIGN: Systematic review and metaregression analysis of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Library, Medline, CINAHL, the National Research Register, and British Nursing Index were searched from inception or from 1980 to 2011. Review methods Study selection, data abstraction, and quality assessment were carried out independently and in duplicate. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for individual studies and pooled. Effects were estimated for studies grouped according to setting (high income countries, low or middle income countries, and the United Kingdom), intensity …

The Mechanical Properties Of Epoxy Composites Filled With Rubbery Copolymer Grafted Sio2, Jianing Gao, Junting Li, Brian C. Benicewicz, Su Zhao, Henrik Hillborg, Linda S. Schadler

Faculty Publications

This study demonstrated a method for toughening a highly crosslinked anhydride cured DGEBA epoxy using rubbery block copolymer grafted SiO2 nanoparticles. The particles were synthesized by a sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The inner rubbery block poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA) had a glass transition temperature below room temperature. The outer block poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) was matrix compatible. A rubbery interlayer thickness of 100% and 200% of the particle core radius was achieved by grafting a 20 kg/mol and a 40 kg/mol PHMA at a graft density of 0.7 chains/nm² from the SiO₂ surface. The 20 kg/mol rubbery …

Tunable Size And Spectral Properties Of Fluorescent Nanogumbos In Modified Sodium Deoxycholate Hydrogels, Susmita Das, Sergio L. De Rooy, Atiya N. Jordan, Lin Chandler, Ioan I. Negulescu, Bilal El-Zahab, Isiah M. Warner

Faculty Publications

Microstructures of sodium deoxycholate hydrogels were altered considerably in the presence of variable tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) concentrations. These observations were confirmed by use of X-ray diffraction, polarized optical microscopy, rheology, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Our studies reveal enhanced gel crystallinity and rigidity with increasing TRIS concentrations. The tunable hydrogel microstructures obtained under various conditions have been successfully utilized as templates to synthesize cyanine-based fluorescent nanoGUMBOS (nanoparticles from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts). A systematic variation in size (70-200 nm), with relatively low polydispersity and tunable spectral properties of [HMT][AOT] nanoGUMBOS, was achieved by use of these …

Protein Docking Prediction Using Predicted Protein-Protein Interface, Bin Li, Daisuke Kihara

Faculty Publications

Background: Many important cellular processes are carried out by protein complexes. To provide physical pictures of interacting proteins, many computational protein-protein prediction methods have been developed in the past. However, it is still difficult to identify the correct docking complex structure within top ranks among alternative conformations.Results: We present a novel protein docking algorithm that utilizes imperfect protein-protein binding interface prediction for guiding protein docking. Since the accuracy of protein binding site prediction varies depending on cases, the challenge is to develop a method which does not deteriorate but improves docking results by using a binding site prediction which may …

Debriefing Experience Scale: Development Of A Tool To Evaluate The Student Learning Experience In Debriefing, Shelly Jensen Reed

Faculty Publications

Background: Debriefing represents the reflection phase of the simulation process, in which feelings are resolved and learning is solidified, but the nursing student experience during debriefing is largely unknown.

Method: The Debriefing Experience Scale was developed from debriefing literature and expert opinion. This scale was used in 2 research studies and refined through the use of factor analysis.

Results: The resulting scale, divided into 4 subscales, consists of 20 items defining the nursing student debriefing experience.

Conclusions: The Debriefing Experience Scale has the potential to assist in providing further insight.

Network Modulation During Complex Syntactic Processing, Dirk B. Den Ouden, Dorothee Saur, Wolfgang Mader, Björn Schelter, Sladjana Lukic, Eisha Wali, Jens Timmer, Cynthia K. Thompson

Faculty Publications

Complex sentence processing is supported by a left-lateralized network including inferior frontal cortex and posterior superior temporal cortex. This study investigates the pattern of connectivity and information flow within this network. We used fMRI BOLD data derived from 12 healthy participants reported in and earlier study (Thompson, C. K., Den Ouden, D. B., Bonakdarpour, B., Garibaldi, K. & Parrish, T. B. (2010b). Neural plasticity and treatment-induced recovery of sentence processing in agrammatism. Neuropsychologia, 48(11), 3211-3227) to identify activation peaks associated with object-cleft over syntactically less complex subject-cleft processing. Directed Partial Correlation Analysis was conducted on time series extracted from …

Book Review Of Meeting The Ethical Challenges Of Leadership: Casting Light Or Shadow, By Craig E. Johnson, Duane Covrig

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethical And Environmental Disclosures: An Analysis Of The Oil And Gas Industry, Violet C. Rogers, Jack R. Ethridge, Treba Marsh, Jessica Lott

Faculty Publications

This study investigates the similarities of ethical and environmental disclosures, as well as risk factors contained within annual reports for the reporting year 2009. The data were collected from Fortune 500 oil and gas company annual reports. Findings include: 1) an emphasis on environmental, financial, nonfinancial and ethical disclosures and 2) similar reported risks for all companies investigated. The findings illustrate that many of the studied oil and gas companies have similar disclosures but, on the other hand, are situation specific to particular company and location.

Improved Self-Control Associated With Using Relatively Large Amounts Of Glucose: Learning Self-Control Is Metabolically Expensive, Matthew T. Gailliot

Faculty Publications

The current study examined whether changes in glucose during a self-control task would predict changes in self-control performance later on. Participants attended two experimental sessions, spaced two weeks apart. During each session, they had their glucose measured, completed the Stroop task as a measure of self-control, and then had their glucose measured again. Larger decreases in glucose (from before to after the Stroop task) during the first session predicted larger increases in improvement on the Stroop task during the second session, in the form of increased speed. Learning self-control might benefit from using larger amounts of glucose. Learning self-control is …

Mortality Salience And Metabolism: Glucose Drinks Reduce Worldview Defense Caused By Mortality Salience, Matthew T. Gailliot

Faculty Publications

The current work tested the hypothesis that a glucose drink would reduce worldview defense following mortality salience. Participants consumed either a glucose drink or placebo, wrote about either death or dental pain, and then completed a measure of worldview defense (viewing positively someone with pro-US views and viewing negatively someone with anti-US views). Mortality salience increased world- view defense among participants who consumed a placebo but not among participants who consumed a glucose drink. Glucose might reduce defensiveness after mortality salience by increasing the effectiveness of the self-controlled suppression of death-related thought, by providing resources to cope with mortality salience …

Breaking The Rules: Low Trait Or State Self-Control Increases Social Norm Violations, Matthew T. Gailliot, Seth A. Gitter, Michael D. Baker, Roy F. Baumeister

Faculty Publications

Two pilot and six studies indicated that poor self-control causes people to violate social norms and rules that are effortful to follow. Lower trait self-control was associated with a greater willingness to take ethical risks and use curse words. Participants who completed an initial self-control task that reduced the capacity for self-control used more curse words and were more willing to take ethical risks than participants who completed a neutral task. Poor self-control was also associated with violating explicit rules given by the experimenter. Depleting self-control resources in a self-control exercise caused participants subsequently to talk when they had been …