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Separation Index And Fit Items Of Creative Thinking Skills Assessment, Andi Ulfa Tenri Pada, Badrun Kartowagiran, Bambang Subali

REID (Research and Evaluation in Education)

This article discusses the evaluation results of the separation index and fit item of creative thinking skills assessment that supports the conation aspect of prospective biology teachers in Aceh. This assessment consists of 37 items of divergent tasks, which is the application of human physiology courses that support the conation aspects. The participants were selected from the Biology Education Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Syiah Kuala University. The data were analyzed using the Quest software including the separation index and fit item. The results indicate that the creative thinking skills assessment instrument that supports the conation aspect of …

Don't Use A Hammer When You Need A Screwdriver: How To Use The Right Tools To Create Assessment That Matters, Dominique Turnbow, Annie Zeidman-Karpinski

Communications in Information Literacy

Instruction librarians want clear data showing the effectiveness of our workshops as a way of demonstrating our value in education. This article uses instructional design approaches to show how to make specific changes when writing and measuring our learning outcomes to capture what we are doing in our sessions. Unlike classes that develop over the course of several months, we are faced with unique challenges when conducting one-shot instruction sessions. By focusing our attention on student satisfaction and learning, we see ways to improve those sessions for everyone involved. In this essay, we provide examples and discuss how to write …

Cochlear Implants And Related Neurotechnologies: Japanese Perspectives In Deaf Neuroethics, Zachary Clayton Abbott

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Asian neuroscience and neurotechnology (neuroS/T) research and development will surpass that of the United States and Europe, achieving a 60% increase in overall market growth, within the next decade. One area of ethical interest in neuroS/T involves auditory technologies: cochlear implants, middle ear prosthetics, bone-anchor hearing aids. A survey collected data on Japanese and U.S. attitudes of deafness as a disability, awareness of auditory technologies, and beliefs regarding psychosocial implications of such interventions. This survey is particularly timely because of shifts in attitudes toward these technologies and deaf identity between younger and older Japanese people in the direction of U.S. …

Role Of Selenium In Age-Related Degeneration: Selenotranscriptome Hierarchy And Characterization Of Selenoprotein H, Lei Cao

Theses and Dissertations

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element exerting its biological functions mainly through selenoproteins. Our lab has recently shown a paradoxical role of dietary Se at nutritional levels of intake in the delay of age-related degeneration while reducing longevity in mice carrying humanized telomeres. The first aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effects of long-term dietary Se deficiency, aging, and sex on selenotranscriptome hierarchy in tissues. Four unique patterns in selenotranscriptomic changes were summarized. First, the responses of selenotranscriptomes to dietary Se deprivation and aging were sexually dimorphic. Second, a few selenoproteins responded to dietary Se deficiency and …

Governing The Rurals: Food Security And Governance In The 21st Century, Gina Paola Rico Mendez

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops a theory about the consolidation of state legitimacy given transformations in food security. Food security has moved from a national food maximization effort to the provision of food to households and individuals, regardless of the production source. This definitional change was triggered by urbanization, industrialization of agriculture and liberalization of trade. These dynamics altered the formula for balance and control of a country’s territory; as agricultural output moved into a global context, urban centers became less reliant on its periphery for sustenance and thus governments have fewer incentives to provide governance of any quality to rural areas. …

Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuroprotection Induced By Neuropharmacological Agents In An In-Vivo Model Of Glaucoma, Quinn Ameel

Honors Theses

Recent discoveries from this lab have demonstrated that activation of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the retina is linked to neuroprotection of RGCs that are typically lost in glaucoma-like conditions. Various chemical agents have been produced to increase overall neurotransmission of ACh from cholinergic neurons. DMP-543 is an agent that increases calcium release from cholinergic synaptic terminals. Donepezil is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that inhibits the breakdown of ACh in the synaptic cleft, prolonging ACh’s effect. In this study, the neuroprotective activity of these two agents was analyzed at the synapse between starburst amacrine …

Electrodermal Activity: What It Can Contribute To The Assessment Of The Autonomic Nervous System, Hugo F. Posada-Quintero

Doctoral Dissertations

About 70 million people worldwide are affected by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). These dysfunctions can lead to life-threatening conditions, because ANS controls vital functions like heart rate, digestion, respiration, among others. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) allows noninvasive assessment of the ANS. However, the low frequencies (0.04-0.15 Hz) of HRV are influenced by the two complementary branches of the ANS, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems; hence, the spectral analysis cannot separate the dynamics of these autonomic tones. Developing reliable noninvasive techniques for assessment of the ANS dynamics remains a challenge for scientists. Recently, measure …

Fatigue Mitigation Effects Of En-Route Napping On Commercial Airline Pilots Flying International Routes, Thomas Bunting

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of ultra-long range commercial aircraft and the evolution of the commercial airline industry has provided new opportunities for air carriers to fly longer range international route segments while deregulation, industry consolidation, and the constant drive to reduce costs wherever possible has pressured airline managements to seek more productivity from their pilots. At the same time, advancements in the understanding of human physiology have begun to make their way into flight and duty time regulations and airline scheduling practices. In this complex and ever changing operating environment, there remains an essential need to better understand how these developments, and …

Volatile Compounds And Microbiota: Antibacterial Properties In Traditional Preparation Methods Of Medicinal Herb Neurolaena Lobata (Asteraceae), December 2016, Nina Djukic

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

I assessed the differential effectiveness of traditional herbal preparation methods of medicinal herb gavilana (Neurolaena lobata) on an assay of four bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus, Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp.) known to cause food poisoning symptoms in humans. Medicinal plants are used both traditionally at home in many cultures and in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. Their medicinal properties often come from their secondary compounds, chemicals that play a role in their ecophysiology and primarily defend them from herbivory. I prepared three types of Neurolaena lobata extracts - an oil, an alcohol, and a tea - and assessed the zones …

Laboratory Development Of A Self-Powered Fontan For Treatment Of Congenital Heart Disease, Arka Das

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Around 8% of all newborns with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) have only a single functioning ventricle. The Fontan operation has served as a palliation for this anomaly for decades, but the surgery entails multiple complications and survival rate is less than 50% by adulthood. A rapidly testable novel alternative is proposed by creating a bifurcating graft, or Injection Jet Shunt (IJS), used to “entrain” the pulmonary flow and thus provide assistance while reducing the caval pressure. A benchtop Mock Flow Loop (MFL) is configured to validate this hypothesis. The MFL is based on a Lumped-Parameter Model (LPM) of the …

Behavioral Reactions To Emotional And Physical Infidelity: An Evolutionary Perspective, Mandy Walsh Walsh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examined the effects of sex and type of partner infidelity, including both physical (i.e., sexually involved with another person) and emotional (i.e., emotionally involved with another person) infidelity, on mate abandonment behaviors. Previous research has demonstrated sex differences in emotional responses to infidelity, where men react more negatively to physical infidelity and women react more negatively to emotional infidelity. While various studies have investigated perceived behavioral reactions using imagined scenarios, this study expands current research by utilizing actual retrospective reports. It was hypothesized that males would engage in significantly more mate abandonment behaviors after experiencing a physical infidelity, …

Characterizing Sleeping Habits And Disturbances Among Saudi Adults, Mohamad A. Al-Tannir, Samer Y. Kobrosly, Ahmad H. Al-Badr, Nourhan A. Salloum, Youssef M. Altannir, Husam M. Sakkijha

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives To characterize sleeping habits, assess sleep disturbance prevalence, and identify associated factors among Saudi adults. Methods A total of 1720 adults were approached for this observational cross-sectional study between October 2014 and March 2015. The study took place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. We used a questionnaire to describe sleeping characteristics in relation to existing chronic diseases, smoking status, obesity, daily performance and sociodemographic variables. Results The response rate was 79.6% (1369 participants), 61.6% have or may have sleeping disturbances of which 18.6% claimed either slowed or stopped breathing during sleep. Women reported a higher prevalence of …

Gastrointestinal Health As A Stimulus For Native American Attraction To Medicinal Asteraceae And Further Implications For Human Evolution, Christopher David Stiegler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and …

Distress, Circadian Rhythms, Immunity, And Survival In Presurgical Breast Cancer Patients., Whitney Nicole Rebholz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women with breast cancer experience significant stress related to diagnosis and treatment, which may negatively affect physiology (e.g., circadian, endocrine, and immune) and contribute to cancer progression. Demographic (e.g., ethnic minority) and neighborhood factors can contribute to cancer-related stress. African American women with breast cancer experience more adverse disease pathology and earlier mortality; however, factors that explain these disparities rarely have been explored. It is hypothesized that psychosocial stressors (i.e., ethnicity, neighborhood stress, and cancerrelated stress) will be related to one another. Associations of psychosocial stress with physiological disruption are posited with regard to circadian, endocrine, and immune function. It …

Multiscale Mechanics Of Bone: Examining The Influence Of Genetic Alterations, Brendyn James Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This MSc thesis investigates how genetic alterations involved in the synthesis of proteins or in the regulation of tissue remodeling affects the composition, structure and mechanics of bone at the multiscale levels. This was accomplished by performing two mouse model studies. In the first study, bone properties of TIMP-3 knock-out (Timp-3⁻ˊ⁻) mice were examined by performing mechanical testing, µCT analysis, and FTIR analysis. Results demonstrated that the mechanical integrity of the Timp-3⁻ˊ⁻ bone was compromised. Decreased values for the yield and ultimate load, stress capacity, and fracture toughness were observed in both the TIMP-3 deficient bones. These reductions in the …

The Effects Of Deception And Manipulation Of Motivation To Deceive On Event Related Potentials, Ethan C. Ashworth

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Correct Response Negativity (CRN) is an event-related potential component that is affected by the act of deception. However, there have been inconsistent findings on the effect of deception on the CRN. Suchotzki, et al. (2015) suggested that the design of the paradigm used to elicit the deceptive response is what controls the size of the CRN. Specifically, motivation to deceive changes the size of deception relative to telling the truth. This study attempted to follow up on suggestions made by Suchotzki et al. (2015) to investigate if extraneous motivation to lie does indeed invert the ratio of CRN in …

Exploring The Production Of Extracellular Matrix By Astrocytes In Response To Mimetic Traumatic Brain Injury, Addison Walker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Following injury to the central nervous system, extracellular modulations are apparent at

the site of injury, often resulting in a glial scar. Astrocytes are mechanosensitive cells, which can create a neuroinhibitory extracellular environment in response to injury. The aim for this research was to gain a fundamental understanding of the affects a diffuse traumatic brain injury has on the astrocyte extracellular environment after injury. To accomplish this, a bioreactor culturing astrocytes in 3D constructs delivered 150G decelerations with 20% biaxial strain to mimic a traumatic brain injury. Experiments were designed to compare the potential effects of media type, number of …

The Influence Of Plant- And Animal-Based Diets On Testosterone And Lean Body Mass Is Male Rats, Damien Christopher Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Background: It is commonly believed but unproven that plant-based diets result in low circulating testosterone, with minimal gains in lean body mass (LBM). Methods: Long-Evans rats (N=28) were assigned to experimental diets with either plant (PD) or animal (AD) protein sources. Animals were further divided into two additional conditions without and with exercise. Animals were fed ad libitum for 3 months and at the end of month three blood was collected for measurement of testosterone and estradiol concentrations. Dual x-ray absorptiometry assessed body composition. Results: Neither blood testosterone concentrations nor LBM differed between rats fed the PD or AD. Conclusion: …

An Examination Of Accessible Hands-On Science Learning Experiences, Self-Confidence In One’S Capacity To Function In The Sciences, And Motivation And Interest In Scientific Studies And Careers., Mick D. Isaacson, Cary Supalo, Michelle Michaels, Alan Roth

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This study examined the potential relationship of accessible hands-on science learning experiences to the development of positive beliefs concerning one’s capacity to function in the sciences and motivation to consider science as a college major and career. Findings from Likert survey items given before and after engaging in accessible hands-on science laboratories show that students who were blind or had low vision (BLV) were more likely to agree with the following items after engaging in accessible science experiences: 1) I plan on enrolling as a science major in college; 2) My educational experiences, so far, have given me the …

From The Reference Desk--Reviews Of Reference Titles, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

From Asclepius To Ospedale - The Evolution Of Space For Healing From Antiquity To The Age Of Enlightenment, Nuran Saliu, Andrea Maliqari, Kujtim Elezi, Ulvie Memedi Usejni

UBT International Conference

In the construction industry, where in recent times every detail is looked over and planned with the most scientific and technological responsibility, hospitals represent the most investigated and scrutinized facilities.

Related closely with institutional and medical practices, hospital design has undergone many reconfigurations. The second half of the past century experienced and produced many hospital models (L, H, T, K type, Patients Tower, Block Plan, etc.), all with the same denominator – too big, isolated and highly complex structures, strictly opposed to nature, oriented towards medical technology rather than patient’s well-being.

By the end of the twentieth century, a group …

Effects Of Eurycoma Longifolia And Maca Root On Libido And Mood In Premenopausal Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Case Study Design, Ryan Gerald Moran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The aim of this study was to determine if Eurycoma longifolia in combination with maca root could be effective in treating women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, case study design we evaluated the hypothesis that E. longifolia and maca root (3400 total mg/day) supplementation by premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder would imporve mood, libido, overall quality of life, muscular strength, and aerobic capacity. E. longifolia and maca root su[[lementation did not elicit positive changes in muscular strength or aerobic capacity. Further investigation using a larger sample size may evalutate the aphrodisiac properties of …

Human Exposure Modeling Using Sheds, Luther Smith, William Graham Glen

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Peripersonal Space And Margin Of Safety Around The Body: Learning Visuo-Tactile Associations In A Humanoid Robot With Artificial Skin, A Roncone, M Hoffmann, U Pattacini, L Fadiga, G Metta

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This paper investigates a biologically motivated model of peripersonal space through its implementation on a humanoid robot. Guided by the present understanding of the neurophysiology of the fronto-parietal system, we developed a computational model inspired by the receptive fields of polymodal neurons identified, for example, in brain areas F4 and VIP. The experiments on the iCub humanoid robot show that the peripersonal space representation i) can be learned efficiently and in real-time via a simple interaction with the robot, ii) can lead to the generation of behaviors like avoidance and reaching, and iii) can contribute to the understanding the biological …

Spiritan Pedagogy And Cura Personalis In A Large Lecture Hall, Matthew Kostek

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

Sagp Ssips 2016 Program, Anthony Preus

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Stable Engraftment Of Bifidobacterium Longum Ah1206 In The Human Gut Depends On Individualized Features Of The Resident Microbiome, María X. Maldonado-Gómez, Inés Martínez, Francesca Bottacini, Amy O’Callaghan, Marco Ventura, Douwe Van Sinderen, Benjamin Hillmann, Pajau Vangay, Dan Knights, Robert W. Hutkins, Jens Walter

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Live bacteria (such as probiotics) have long been used to modulate gut microbiota and human physiology, but their colonization is mostly transient. Conceptual understanding of the ecological principles as they apply to exogenously introduced microbes in gut ecosystems is lacking. We find that, when orally administered to humans, Bifidobacterium longum AH1206 stably persists in the gut of 30% of individuals for at least 6 months without causing gastrointestinal symptoms or impacting the composition of the resident gut microbiota. AH1206 engraftment was associated with low abundance of resident B. longum and underrepresentation of specific carbohydrate utilization genes in the pre-treatment microbiome. …

Fungi In The Healthy Human Gastrointestinal Tract, Heather E. Hallen-Adams, Mallory J. Suhr

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Many species of fungi have been detected in the healthy human gut; however, nearly half of all taxa reported have only been found in one sample or one study. Fungi capable of growing in and colonizing the gut are limited to a small number of species, mostly Candida yeasts and yeasts in the family Dipodascaceae (Galactomyces, Geotrichum, Saprochaete). Malassezia and the filamentous fungus Cladosporium are potential colonizers; more work is needed to clarify their role. Other commonly-detected fungi come from the diet or environment but either cannot or do not colonize (Penicillium and Debaryomyces species, which are …

Learning Opportunities 2016/2017, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 5 academic courses (2.5 credits) for a grade (not Pass/Fail). Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses, or any course taken on a Pass/Fail basis do not count towards the 5 course (2.5 credits) minimum. Most students will take between 5 (2.5 credits) and 7 (3.5 credits) academic courses per semester. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count …

Engineering Synthetic Feedback To Promote Recovery Of Self-Feeding Skills In People With Sensory Deficits Due To Stroke, Alexis Krueger

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Kinesthesia refers to sensations of limb position and movement, and deficits of upper limb kinesthetic feedback are common after stroke, impairing stroke survivors’ ability to perform the fundamental reaching and stabilization behaviors needed for daily functions like self-feeding. I attempt to mitigate the negative impact of post-stroke kinesthesia deficits by evaluating the utility of vibrotactile sensory substitution to restore closed-loop kinesthetic feedback of the upper limb. As a first step, this study evaluated performance in healthy individuals during fundamental reaching, stabilization, and tracking behaviors while using supplemental vibrotactile feedback encoding either limb state information or goal-aware error information. First, I …