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2021-12-24_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 216 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (139 Emergency Departments (ED), 77 Urgent Care) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, …

Regional Topological Aberrances Of White Matter- And Gray Matter-Based Functional Networks For Attention Processing May Foster Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Attention Deficits In Adults, Ziyan Wu, Meng Cao, Xin Di, Kai Wu, Yu Gao, Xiaobo Li

Publications and Research

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is highly prevalent in adults. TBI-related functional brain alterations have been linked with common post-TBI neurobehavioral sequelae, with unknown neural substrates. This study examined the systems-level functional brain alterations in white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) for visual sustained-attention processing, and their interactions and contributions to post-TBI attention deficits. Task-based functional MRI data were collected from 42 adults with TBI and 43 group-matched normal controls (NCs), and analyzed using the graph theoretic technique. Global and nodal topological properties were calculated and compared between the two groups. Correlation analyses were conducted between the neuroimaging measures that …

Dielectric Relaxation Studies Of Hydrogen Bonded Complexes Of Benzamide And Acetamide With Halogenated Phenols Using X-Band Microwave Frequency, Basha A. Aathif, Khan F. Liakath Ali

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

At 308 K, using a 9.37 GHz dielectric relaxation setup, dielectric studies of hydrogen bonded complexes of benzamide and acetamide with 4-fluorophenol, 4-bromophenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 4-iodophenol in benzene were performed. Various dielectric parameters (such as ?', ?'', ?0, ??) were tested. The steric interactions of the proton donor determined the group rotation relaxation time t(2), whereas the significance of the single frequency method of Higasi et al. for multiple relaxation time t(1) was determined by the hydrogen bonding power of the phenolic hydrogen. The presence of a 1:1 complex system between the prepared samples, as well as a charge transfer …

High Expression Of Glycolytic Genes In Clinical Glioblastoma Patients Correlates With Lower Survival, Kimberly M. Stanke, Carrick Wilson, Srivatsan Kidambi

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive brain tumor, is associated with a median survival at diagnosis of 16–20 months and limited treatment options. The key hallmark of GBM is altered tumor metabolism and marked increase in the rate of glycolysis. Aerobic glycolysis along with elevated glucose consumption and lactate production supports rapid cell proliferation and GBM growth. In this study, we examined the gene expression profile of metabolic targets in GBM samples from patients with lower grade glioma (LGG) and GBM. We found that gene expression of glycolytic enzymes is up-regulated in GBM samples and significantly associated with an elevated risk …

Spontaneous Visual Perspective-Taking: Level 2 Representations Of Another's Perspective Are Not Related To What They Actually See, Louis Aldrich

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The ability to understand what another person can see is a fundamental feature of human interaction, commonly referred to as ‘visual perspective-taking’ (VPT). Traditionally, this ability has been conceptualised along two ‘levels’, in line with developmental observations (Flavell, Everett, Croft & Flavell, 1981). ‘Level-1 VPT’ is a simple, automatic, and rapid process enabling understanding of what another individual can see. In contrast, ‘Level-2 VPT’ is a more complex process requiring conscious control, which enables understanding of how features of the environment look from another’s location. This has led to a widely accepted hypothesis that Level-1 VPT is necessary in the …

A Study To Assess The Viability Of Novel In-Situ Techniques For Determining Chloroform In Drinking Water In Developing Countries, Jack Baker

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The aim of this study was to research appropriate methods for the in-situ analysis of chloroform and other disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water and then assess the viability of these techniques by comparing them against the established methods. A literature search was undertaken using Web of Science and the various features contained within it to research a series of techniques in three distinct categories. These were βeta-cyclodextrin (βCD) techniques, colourimetry techniques and gas-chromatography (GC) techniques. Of the βCD techniques studied, the 2014 paper by Ncube et al showcased a novel method using an azo dye modified βeta-cyclodextrin epichlorohydrin polymer …

Who Owns These Objects? - Impact Of Social And Personal Conditions On Self-Prioritisation, Sammy Parkin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

A relatively new development concerning literature pertaining to the concept of self-bias has highlighted that humans tend to self-prioritise when completing tasks based on perceptual judgements (the self-prioritisation effect). Since then, further exploration into the role that other tasks can have on this effect have been demonstrated, including the idea that object-ownership tasks show the same effects (Golubickis et al., 2018). As recent focus has been on the association between this effect and the task used, it means that there has been little exploration into the possible role that other variables have on predicting levels of self-prioritisation. Based on this, …

Parameters Controlling Large Landslide Propagation, Taylor Wood

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Landslides are an ever-present natural hazard and understanding factors such as propagation are vital for the management of such events. This natural hazard has increased in frequency in recent history which further highlights the importance of the research. This study aims to determine which parameters contribute to large rock avalanche propagation using an experimental approach within a laboratory environment. The experiment was designed to simulate a granular flow event using equipment formed of an inclined slope and a flat horizontal plane with a confined zone. A range of material flow combinations and two different slope inclinations were used throughout. The …

Using Remote Sensing Techniques To Investigate The Detection Of Sargassum Blooms In The Caribbean And Possible Causes For These Events, Louise Ely

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Sargassum was thought to originate from a single source, the Sargasso Sea in the central west Atlantic. This has been challenged over the past decade after excessive amounts of the macroalgae began washing up on Caribbean coastlines in June 2011, leading the scientific community to investigate causes of this phenomenon. These, now yearly, events are having detrimental environmental and socioeconomic impacts in areas of the Caribbean and central America, providing motivation for uncovering any regime shifts or severe changes in anthropogenic activity. Anthropogenic sources of nitrate from three rivers surrounding the CWA in addition to wind stress and chlorophyll-a levels …

Handedness: Does It Affect Interhemispheric Transfer?, Diyotima Datta

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Left- handed people have different patterns of cerebral dominance to the rest of the population, as explained by Annett’s (1996) right shift theory. Left handers are considered to have bilateral functionality unlike right handers who have left cerebral dominance, which is believed to lead to faster interhemispheric transmission time in left- handers. The current research examined the effect of handedness on interhemispheric transfer time. The study was conducted online using fifty-one left and fifty-one right handers classified by laterality quotients obtained from Oldfield’s (1971) 12 item Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. The crossed uncrossed difference was calculated using mean reaction times yielded …

Variations In Thermal Performance Of Cardiac Function Of Pure And Hybrid Mytilus Spp. As A Factor Influencing Hybrid Zone Dynamics, Isabelle Hann

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Interspecific hybridisation within the Mytilus complex has been well documented. Distribution patterns of Mytilus congeners in mosaic hybrid zones are hypothesised to reflect differences in their thermal tolerances. In this present study, the relative thermal performance of adult Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus edulis and their hybrids, from a sympatric population within the Southwest England mosaic hybrid zone was assessed using cardiac function as a proxy for thermal performance. As indices of cardiac performance, the Arrhenius break temperature (ABT), the maximum heart rate, the slope post-ABT and the flat line temperature were used. Examination of the response of cardiac activity under emersion …

Spatial Variation In Epibiont Communities On The Shells Of Patella Vulgata Along An Estuarine Gradient, Edward Wilson

The Plymouth Student Scientist

In space limited intertidal habitats, non-specific substratum generalists can be observed to increase their survival and settlement opportunities by growing upon other living organisms. To date, few studies have assessed the influence of multiple environmental factors in determining patterns of epibiont diversity and community structure upon gastropod shells, across spatial scales. This study investigated the significance of surface salinity range, wave exposure and shell metrics in determining the composition and diversity of epibionts found upon shells of Patella vulgata (Common Limpet), throughout the Plymouth Sound and lower reaches of the Tamar Estuary, United Kingdom (UK). A total of 292 shells …

Predicting Emergency Repairs Using Classification Method, Jacqueline Tan, Qing Zhang, Sia Wang Ying, Yutong Qin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This paper discusses how each explanatory variable affects the possibility of having an emergency repair to people’s home with the help of machine learning. Here, the outcome variable is binary. The aim of this is to determine whether increasing the frequency of routine repairs would decrease the frequency of emergency repairs, and the predicted probability of having an emergency repair based on the variable statuses for each property. Data exploratory is first carried out to understand and simplify the dataset obtained from a Housing Association. Statistical models such as logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, linear discriminant analysis and k-nearest …

Constrained Portfolio Optimisation, Mohammad Alam Tahir

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Portfolio optimisation is an important problem in finance; it allows investors to manage their investments effectively. This paper considers finding the efficient frontier associated with the mean-variance portfolio optimisation (unconstrained) problem. We then extend the mean-variance model to include cardinality constraints (resulting in an NPHard problem) that limits the number of assets in a portfolio. We discuss different types of algorithms that one can use for finding the optimal portfolios, implementing a meta-heuristic genetic algorithm technique to solve the unconstrained and cardinality constrained problems. Finally, we improve our solutions by altering the crossover and mutation probabilities in the genetic algorithm …

The Extent To Which Autistic Traits Are Predictive Of Impairments In Allocentric Spatial Navigation, Amber Presley

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This research is centred around how individuals with autistic traits navigate using both allocentric and egocentric spatial reference frames. Previous research suggests differences in the way that those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) navigate with much research indicating that those with ASD struggle particularly with allocentric navigation. In this study, 256 participants completed a place learning task followed by two self-report questionnaires, the Navigation Inventory and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results showed that AQ scores correlated with better performance in the allocentric condition of the place learning task, this was in the opposite direction than predicted. Further to this, …

The Dark Tetrad Of Personality And The Tendency To Engage In Revenge Porn, Niamh Thomason-Darch

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Revenge porn is an increasing and pervasive phenomenon. Despite this, the knowledge and understanding of this behaviour is limited, especially the psychological characteristics of perpetrators of revenge porn. The Dark Tetrad of personality: Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism, has been associated with a range of antisocial behaviours. Recent research indicates a relationship between the Dark Tetrad and revenge porn proclivity. The present study extended these findings by investigating the relationship between revenge porn proclivity and the Dark Tetrad using more trait-specific measures. A community sample of 306 participants, aged 18-77, were recruited online. Participants completed a series of personality measures …

Public Perceptions Of Indecent Image Offenders, Joshua Samuel Taylor-Smith

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Indecent images of children (IIOC) offences are on the rise year by year, in part due to the easy accessibility to this content with the augmentation of the internet. This has led to increased attention from the public and those involved with law enforcement. However, research into the public perceptions of these offences is very limited. While they do not directly dictate law enforcement, the views of the public have become dominant in penal policymaking and therefore, understanding their current perceptions and beliefs is paramount. One of the only items of research into this area was conducted by Lam et …

How Do Personality Traits Influence The Experience Of Positive Emotions?, Elenie Shotton

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Neuroticism is a personality trait known to be associated with negative emotions (Tellegan, 1985), but little is known about how it affects the experience of positive emotions, and more specifically, hope. Positive emotions can have long lasting effects on well-being, by broadening thought-action repertoires and undoing lingering negative emotions (Frederickson, 1998). Cognitive strategies strongly influence state positive emotions in individuals low in neuroticism, but have no effect on those with high neuroticism (Ng & Diener, 2009). We expected individuals high in neuroticism would experience a smaller increase in state hope following hope emotion induction. Participants completed an online survey involving …

The Effect Of Onshore Wind On Wave Overtopping Of A Vertical Sea Wall, Sarah Durbridge

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Strong winds can produce overtopping rates that are considerably higher than predicted by the EurOtop formulae, which do not make provision for wind. However, no detailed industry guidance exists about the quantification of those wind effects. Physical modelling tests (scale 1:21) investigated how the mean rate of overtopping changed with wave frequency under the influence of various wind speeds. The nature and quantity of overtopping was found to be strongly related to the frequency of the incident wave. The wind had a significant effect on the mean overtopping rate, with the most pronounced effect occurring when the overtopping was at …

An Isotropic Neo-Hookean Finite Element Model Of Healthy Elastic Arterial Walls Within Commercial Software, Reece Ambrose

The Plymouth Student Scientist

A non-linear isotropic finite element model of an elastic arterial wall is developed within the ANSYS commercial software package. While progressively increasing complexity of the model, it is validated with analytical theory. Geometric nonlinearity is investigated and an iterative convergence method for the calculation of a solution-dependent axial force, which increases with artery deformation, is presented. Neo-Hookean hyperelastic material models are fitted to existing uniaxial, biaxial, and shear experimental data from literature for both rubber and polyurethane elastomer to introduce material nonlinearity into the arterial wall model. A mesh independence study was performed to determine a suitable mesh and the …

Scale Model Behaviour And Float Geometry Influence On An Oscillating Water Column System, Daniel Cresswell

The Plymouth Student Scientist

A numerical model based on a 1:60 scale Lazy-S Mooring Line has been developed using the dynamic analysis software OrcaFlex, to determine the software’s capabilities when analysing discretized scale models, and to quantify the effect that varying float surface geometry has on mooring line system damping. Static analysis was performed, followed by dynamic analysis, based on experimental data from physical testing in the University of Plymouth 35m Sediment Flume tank, against two distinct float shapes with equivalent hydrostatic properties but aspect ratio variance perpendicular to fluid flow. The impact of scale modelling on static line forces, effective tension and driving …

How Are Defendants Of High-Profile Court Cases Framed In The Media? A Qualitative Analysis Of News Media Coverage Of Caroline Flack's Arrest, Lucy Matthews

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This present study aims to investigate whether news media coverage on Caroline Flack’s arrest, in December 2019, showed characteristics of ‘Trial by Media’ (TBM) through identification of one-sided, unbalanced or predominantly negative, sensationalised or speculative news coverage. Caroline Flack’s case has importance due to her ‘media trial’ potentially contributing to her mental health issues, and subsequent suicide two months after her arrest. This study also aims to assess how much this media coverage could have contributed to this. Forty news media articles were analysed from the 18-day period, starting from her arrest, using Media Framing Analysis (MFA; Giles & Shaw, …

Impact Of Geographical Variability On The Bleaching Stresses In The Atlantic, Indian And South Pacific Ocean, Niamh Bowdler

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This dissertation examines the relationship between the geographical location and the degree of coral bleaching. Corals within different ocean regions are subjected to fluctuations in temperature causing variations in thermal thresholds which affects how the reef fauna adapts to the changing environment. Quadrats were obtained from XL Catlin Global Reef Record and analysed to determine the state of the coral at three locations: East Bermuda (Atlantic Ocean), Egmont (Indian Ocean) and Agincourt (South Pacific Ocean). The mean monthly and weekly sea surface temperature (SST) data was extracted from Giovanni between 2002-2020 for all three reefs. ANOVA: single factor tests (analysis …

Variability In Epifaunal Assemblages Between Sargassum Muticum And Zostera Marina: A Functional Group Approach, Jenny Hickman

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Marine macrophytes are globally important to coastal ecosystems, providing refugia, nutrients and important ecological processes. The structure and composition of macrophytes have a bottom-up effect on the epifauna they support. Due to their wide-reaching effects, invasive algae are considered one of the greatest threats facing marine ecosystems. Sargassum muticum is a Japanese algae increasing its non-native range in coastal habitats globally. A highly dispersive algae, able to colonise soft substratum, it is considered a threat to seagrass beds across the North East Atlantic. In Salcombe Estuary, Devon, beds of Zostera marina have seen increasing levels of invasion by S. muticum. …

Does Cannabidiol (Cbd) Oil Convert To Psychotropic Cannabinoids Including Tetrahydrocannabinol?, Danielle Young

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotropic cannabinoid that belongs to the Cannabis Sativa L plant. This naturally occurring cannabinoid has gained huge interest in recent years because of the potential therapeutic and pharmacological effects it has upon ingestion and inhalation. Cannabidiol has not only been regarded as a medicinal product but is widely sold over the counter (OTC) in the form of concentrated oils, food supplements, cosmetics, and electronic cigarettes. Regulation of OTC products has proven difficult because of the narcotic nature of the cannabis plant and it has been advised that CBD might be degraded into psychotropic cannabinoids, namely tetrahydrocannabinol …

A Comparison Of The Risk Of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Development Between Individuals With Different Abo Blood Group Phenotypes: A Meta-Analysis, Danielle Martin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

A comparison of the risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma development between individuals with different ABO blood group phenotypes: A meta-analysis

What Effect Do Government Policies Have On The Transmission Of Covid-19?, Emily Prestige

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This investigation aimed to determine the effect of government policies on the transmission of COVID-19 during the period 30/01/2020 – 03/01/2021. This investigation used qualitative data from policy legislation and journals and quantitative data from official government pandemic figures. It also used central factors of successful government approaches to assess the efficacy of the UK Government strategy. The measure used to monitor transmission rates is the instantaneous reproduction number Rt. I have used summary statistics, data visualisation, and time series representations to conduct exploratory data analyses. I also investigated the change in testing capacity and positivity rate over time to …

Exploring The Minimum Number Of Trials Needed To Accurately Detect Concealed Information Using Eeg, Rhian Graham

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Deception can have serious consequences, therefore detection methods such as the Electroencephalogram (EEG) are vital. However, they can be perceived as time-consuming thus causing limited usage. The purpose of this study was to discover the minimum number of trials needed to accurately detect deception. It was hypothesised that accuracy would increase with number of trials (due to reduced effects of noise) but would then fall (due to subject’s fatigue). Due to the Coronavirus, this study was restricted to 9 participants within our ‘Lab Bubble’ of third-year Psychology students at the University of Plymouth. A Concealed Information Test (CIT) was conducted, …

Scarcity Or Economic Insecurity? Two Yardsticks For Measuring Capitalism’S Performance, Costas Panayotakis

Publications and Research

This article argues that capitalism’s relationship to economic insecurity is as important for the evaluation of that system as its relationship to scarcity. Critically analyzing the neoclassical and Marxist focus on capitalism’s relationship to scarcity, the article describes how capitalism’s relationship to economic insecurity offers a more cogent elaboration of these traditions’ shared belief that the economic system should serve people. In particular, while critical of the neoclassical portrayal of capitalism as a system using scarce resources efficiently, this paper also argues, against Marxism, that an alternative to capitalism might be preferable even if scarcity is not abolished.

Workplace Democracy Practices And Librarians’ Commitment In Universities In Southwest Nigeria, Yemisi T. Babalola Prof, Oluwaseun O. Fagbemiro, Opeyemi D. Soyemi Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The effort of committed personnel is needed for the workplace to function optimally and to achieve the goals of the organization. This study examined the influence of workplace democracy practices on librarians’ commitment in universities in Southwest, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 477 librarians in Southwest, Nigeria. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 217 librarians who served as respondents in the study. A researcher’s developed instrument was used for data collection and collected data were subjected to analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that the extent of …