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Sleep And Risk For Metabolic Syndrome, Hypertension, Diabetes And Obesity Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Philip Zendels, Trudy L. Moore-Harrison, Jane F. Gaultney

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(3): 88-102, 2022. Older adults often face a variety of health problems that are found less frequently in younger populations. Metabolic syndrome and other related diseases are common due to a variety of age and lifestyle factors. Sleep, often operationalized only as duration, quality, or apnea diagnosis, is associated with worse health outcomes across the lifespan. However, sleep is multi-faceted and may require a collection of measures in order to reflect this. This study examined a suite of self-reported sleep habits (risk for sleep apnea, night time duration, nap duration, quality, timing, and consistency of …

Effects Of Low Dose Caffeine On Post-Exercise Heart Rate Variability: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial, Cagney T. Sargent, Tareq K. Shahbal, Andres E. Carrillo, Tania Amorim, Jason R. Edsall, Emily J. Ryan, Edward J. Ryan

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(2): 103-112, 2022. Caffeine may impact post-exercise heart rate variability (HRV); although, studies have yielded inconsistent findings. We examined the effects of low dose caffeine on post-exercise HRV. Healthy, college-aged adults [n = 18; age: 22.1 ± 2.6 years; BMI: 26.9 ± 4.3 kg/m²; estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max): 45.1 ± 8.3 ml∙kg^-1∙min^-1] participated in a repeated-measures, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. During the experimental trials, participants were fitted with a heart rate monitor and a mouthpiece with a one-way nonrebreathing valve and then rested for 10 min …

An Overview Of Drugs For The Treatment Of Mycobacterium Kansasii Pulmonary Disease, Shashikant Srivastava, Jotam G. Pasipanodya, Scott Heysell, Gunavanthi D. Boorgula, Tawanda Gumbo, Pamela J. Mcshane, Julie V. Philley

School of Medical and Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine and compare the efficacy of drugs to treat Mycobacterium kansasii (Mkn) pulmonary disease by performing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination and time-kill studies. Methods: We determined the MICs to 13 drugs against the Mkn standard laboratory strain ATCC 12478 and 20 clinical isolates and performed time-kill studies with 18 drugs from different classes using the standard laboratory strain of Mkn. The β-lactam antibiotics were tested with or without the combination of the β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam. An inhibitory sigmoid Emax model was used to describe the relationship between drug concentrations and bacterial …

Commencement [Program], December 18, 2021, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

Differential Methods In Modern Biological Data Analysis, Micah Thornton

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of biological data for differentiation of organisms/cells within and across species or even the same organism is important to a wide variety of applications. This work considers three different biological data sets at the genome, proteome, and epigenome levels: respectively, DNA sequences, glycosalation data, and DNA methylation. We explore some statistical modeling approaches for handling these modern datasets, and provide a relevant set of experiments for explanation and illustration.

First, genomic Fourier coefficients, which capture information about the harmonics of genetic sequences in terms of nucleotide pattern recurrence are investigated as summary metrics for medium sized virus genomes from …

Bayesian Multiple Instance Learning With Application To Cancer Detection Using Tcr Repertoire Sequencing Data, Danyi Xiong

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

As a branch of machine learning, multiple instance learning (MIL) learns from a collection of labeled bags, each containing a set of instances. Each instance is described by a feature vector. The learning process is weakly supervised due to ambiguous instance labels. Since its emergence, MIL has been applied to solve various problems including content-based image retrieval, object tracking/detection, and computer-aided diagnosis. In biomedical research, the use of MIL has been focused on medical image analysis and molecule activity prediction.

The first part of this dissertation focuses on a comparative study of MIL methods for a novel biomedical application. To …

2021 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 18.

Commencement Speaker: Dan Davidson

Black Students In Higher Education: An Identification Of Factors Predicting Academic Success, Franklin A. Soares

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The quantitative study was an ex-post-facto study design to explore specific factors and their magnitude that predicts the successful matriculation toward and achievement of a bachelor’s degree by Black students enrolled at a PWI in the deep South. The researcher pursued to explore the direction and magnitude that fall into the following three categories on several measures the matriculation progress toward and deficit of a bachelor’s degree: student demographics characteristics, socio-economic background and economic status, and pre-and post-admission academic readiness and performance. The study was established on Tinto’s (1993) Model of Institutional Departure. Moreover, the study used binomial logistic regression, …

Can Activated Titanium Interbody Cages Accelerate Or Enhance Spinal Fusion? A Review Of The Literature And A Design For Clinical Trials, Nathaniel Toop, Connor Gifford, Rouzbeh Motiei-Langroudi, Arghavan Farzadi, Daniel Boulter, Reza Forghani, H. Francis Farhadi

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

While spinal interbody cage options have proliferated in the past decade, relatively little work has been done to explore the comparative potential of biomaterial technologies in promoting stable fusion. Innovations such as micro-etching and nano-architectural designs have shown purported benefits in in vitro studies, but lack clinical data describing their optimal implementation. Here, we critically assess the pre-clinical data supportive of various commercially available interbody cage biomaterial, topographical, and structural designs. We describe in detail the osteointegrative and osteoconductive benefits conferred by these modifications with a focus on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and titanium (Ti) interbody implants. Further, we describe the rationale …

Ecg Denoising Using A Single-Node Dynamic Reservoir Computing Architecture., Aya N. Elbedwehy, Mohy Eldin Abo-Elsoud, Ahmed Elnakib

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Accurate detection of heart disease requires purely realistic electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. In the process of acquisition and transmission, various noises destroy the clean ECG signal, making diagnosis difficult. Here, we apply a single node Reservoir computing (SNRC) architecture based on a recurrent neural network (RNN) to solve this problem by minimizing typical electromyogram noise (EMG) and power line interference (PLI) that damage the ECG signal. MIT-BIH, the standard online arrhythmia database, is used to collect data and test the quality of the proposed method. To evaluate the SNRC architecture, we use two performance indicators, namely, SNR output improvement (SNRimp) and …

Arginine-Rich Polypeptides Are Potent Inhibitors Of Human Papillomavirus Infection And Powerful Tools To Investigate Viral Attachment And Entry, Jesse Mckay Young

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is estimated that 80% of sexually active adults will contract an HPV infection. Thus, there is a significant need for low-cost and easily distributable HPV antivirals that can be used alongside vaccines to combat infection. Herein I have identified protamine sulfate (PS) as a potent microbicide against HPV infection. PS was agnostic to genotype and efficacious pre and post HPV exposure. PS application topically reduced HPV internalization by altering epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and suppressed EGFR-stimulated HPV entry. Our preliminary data also suggest that heparin binding epidermal growth factor …

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Scoping Review., Amy L Shaver, Swapnil Sharma, Nikita Nikita, Daniel S Lefler, Atrayee Basu-Mallick, Jennifer M Johnson, Meghan Butryn, Grace Lu-Yao

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cancer therapies are associated with multiple adverse effects, including (but not limited to) cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), occurring in up to 25% of patients. Physical activity has been shown to help reduce CRF through modulating the immune system, and may synergistically aid in the anti-tumor effects of ICIs. This review describes the nature and scope of evidence for the effects associated with concurrent physical activity while undergoing ICI therapy.

METHOD: Scoping review methodology was utilized to identify studies, extract data, and collate and summarize results.

RESULTS: …

The Effect Of Ph On Organic Carbon Uptake And Biological Phosphorus Removal By Tetrasphaera Polyphosphate Accumulating Organisms, Derek Belka

Civil Engineering ETDs

Tetrasphaera polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) have been found in greater abundance and may remove more P in full-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) worldwide than the more extensively studied Accumulibacter PAO. Understanding the effect that environmental conditions, such as pH, have on Tetrasphaera metabolisms is critical to understanding EBPR WRRF process upsets, achieving consistent low effluent P concentrations, and formulating optimization strategies. The objective of this study was to determine pH effects over the range from 5.5 to 8.5 on anaerobic amino acid uptake, P release, and cation release in a Tetrasphaera-enriched culture from …

The Power Of Outdoor Learning Experiences: A Narrative Inquiry, Vincent M. Case

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Outdoor learning experiences offer schools an initial avenue to address global community issues, including climate change, natural resource depletion, disconnection from nature, and the current global coronavirus pandemic. This narrative inquiry study, grounded in the theoretical work of Vygotsky, Cajete, Brody, and Kahn, seeks to understand how children’s perceptions of their outdoor learning experiences provide insights into their learning processes. This study’s findings suggest that regardless of the location (mountains, home, school campuses, local natural areas), students say that they: experience positive affect and enjoyment; observe through their senses to explore, discover, inquire, change their behavior, and build deeper relationships …

Nature And Its Place In Professional Counseling: A Qualitative Study Of Expert Views, Experiences, And Future Plans, Matthew V. Bukowski

Dissertations, 2020-current

Recent publications and initiatives within professional counseling indicate a growing interest in the connections between human wellness and the natural world. Despite consistent growth of this trend between the years 2000 and 2021, there has been little dialogue within the profession about the ethical, ideological, and social justice implications of integrating nature therapy with professional counseling and counselor education. This study investigated the views, experiences, and future plans of 10 counselor educators who integrate nature therapy into their professional roles and developed two major themes and 12 subthemes that encapsulate their responses. Participants in the study overall shared a desire …

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Scoping Review, Amy L Shaver, Swapnil Sharma, Nikita Nikita, Daniel S Lefler, Atrayee Basu Mallick, Jennifer Johnson, Meghan Butryn, Grace Lu-Yao

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Cancer therapies are associated with multiple adverse effects, including (but not limited to) cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), occurring in up to 25% of patients. Physical activity has been shown to help reduce CRF through modulating the immune system, and may synergistically aid in the anti-tumor effects of ICIs. This review describes the nature and scope of evidence for the effects associated with concurrent physical activity while undergoing ICI therapy.

Method: Scoping review methodology was utilized to identify studies, extract data, and collate and summarize results.

Results: …

Functional Structure Of Biomacromolecules In Plant Biomass Using Solid-State Nmr And Dynamic Nuclear Polarization, Alex Kipchirchir Kirui

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation summarizes the recent findings on complex biomacromolecules in cell wall of plants and fungi which perform important roles in cell recognition, structural build up, and energy storage. Because of the technical difficulty in characterizing these biomacromolecules, which are often polymorphic and disordered in structure, the functional structure of these biomacromolecules remains elusive. In this dissertation, I present two solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) studies of carbohydrate-rich biosystems: the energy-rich plant biomass and disease-relevant, pathogenic fungi.

First, we have investigated the secondary cell wall of plant biomass which is a carbohydrate-rich biosystem using solid …

The Impact Of Insufficient Sleep And Early Class Start Times On U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Health And Performance, Stephanie Osborn

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Emerging adults face a set of unique obstacles that combine to make getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night a challenge. Internally, adolescents and young adults have a biologically based tendency to go to sleep and wake up later. Externally, they may participate in scheduled activities that wake them up early or keep them awake late. One primary obligation that can contribute to short sleep duration in students is early class start times. Emerging adults attending a civilian college may benefit from the ability to set their bedtimes and class schedule. However, their same-aged peers attending a military …

Covid-19 In A Secure Behavioral Rehabilitation Setting: A Program Evaluation, Jennifer G. Jones

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Problem: The COVID-19 case rate as of June 5, 2020, for prisoners was 5.5 times higher than the United States (US) population case rate (Saloner et al., 2020). A secure behavioral rehabilitation facility in the US was challenged to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and made many changes to facility and program protocol in order to meet this challenge.

Methods: The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the COVID-19 facility response, case rates, percent positivity and attack rates between units at a secure behavioral rehabilitation facility to inform further policy and procedure recommendations for the mitigation of COVID-19 …

Β-Hydroxy-Β-Methylbutyrate Supplementation Promotes Antitumor Immunity In An Obesity Responsive Mouse Model Of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Michael F. Coleman, Kristyn A. Liu, Alexander J. Pfeil, Suhas K. Etigunta, Xiaohu Tang, Salvador Fabela, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Pancreatic cancer (PDAC) is a deadly disease, exacerbated by obesity, which lacks effective therapeutic interventions. Most PDAC has a limited response to immune- and chemotherapy. Treating PDAC is made additionally challenging by the rapid emergence of muscle wasting and cachexia, which predict poor response to several therapies. We have found that dietary supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate promotes immunosurveillance in PDAC tumors and protects muscle. This dietary supplement has the potential to be an important adjuvant in PDAC therapy, opening the doors to immunotherapy response.

Biodiversity And Spatial Heterogeneity In Semi-Natural Grasslands In A Mountain Area In Slovakia, Masae Shiyomi, N. Gáborèík, H. Koizumi, A. Javorkova, E. Uhliarova, O. Jezikova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The spatial pattern of vegetation in the following 3 semi-natural grasslands in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, was observed in August, 1998: (1) a grassland sown with improved herbage plants after plowing in 1991, (2) a grassland oversown with improved herbage plants in 1991, and (3) a natural grassland without any treatment at the time of establishment. A new method of measuring vegetation was adopted: in each grassland, 50 quadrats 50 cm × 50 cm, composed of 4 smaller cells 25 cm × 25 cm, were set up, and all the species in each cell were recorded. The sown grassland displayed the …

Optimum Area Of Semi-Natural Grassland To Maintain Maximum Butterfly And Avian Species Richness In Japan, A. Shoji, K. Kohyama, H. Sasaki

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To evaluate the optimum area of semi-natural grassland to maintain maximum butterfly and avian species richness in Japan, digitalized grid data of butterfly and avian distribution, as well as vegetation distribution, throughout the country were used. After obtaining logistic regression models explaining the probabilities of occurrence of each species with semi-natural grassland area and latitude as variables, the optimum value was calculated. The expected maximum species richness of butterflies in the country was the highest in the case of about 40 square kilometers of semi-natural grassland per 100 square kilometers, though the value varied somewhat with latitude. The expected maximum …

Managing Grassy Woodlands: Balancing Production And Conservation Of Resources, John G. Mcivor, Neil D. Macleod, S. Mcintyre

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Eastern Australian eucalypt woodlands are important agricultural areas that have been widely modified during two centuries of European-style use. Despite this they contain important natural resources including significant biodiversity. Long term sustainability of production depends on maintaining resources and management must be for both production and conservation. A research program on four properties in south east Queensland showed the properties were in generally good condition although all had some problems, and has highlighted a number of significant costs and barriers to adopting a more balanced approach to production and conservation.

Species Segregation And Functional Groups In The Hill Country Of New Zealand, I. López, I. Valentine, D. Hedderley, M. G. Lambert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the hill country of New Zealand, the soil-sward relationship on hill microrelief was studied. Three categories of slope or microsites were distinguished: low, medium and high. The hypothesis was that soil variables of neighbouring microsites differ, and because of this, there is a segregation of species or functional groups of species between the microsites. Soil features, botanical composition and total annual yield were measured in the slope categories in two similar paddocks; one of which had received long-term phosphorus fertilisation and a non-fertilised paddock. ANOVA, cluster analysis and canonical variate analysis were performed on the data. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, …

A Mathematical Model Regarding Change In Preferences Of Refugee Settlements, Raaghav Malik, Alice Xu, Ruoxian Huang

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

Where cultures meet, there is bound to be conflict to some extent. This especially applies in the case of refugees grouped together when seeking asylum, with different styles of life, socialization, and conflict resolution meeting in one place. This paper focuses specially on three types of conflict resolution(negotiation, mediation, and arbitration) and constructs a differential equation model to study how the interactions between populations cause the number of people following each resolution method to shift. It was found that when there is no existing outside authority or environmental bias towards a resolution method, the method with the greatest number of …

Convergence Properties Of Solutions Of A Length-Structured Density-Dependent Model For Fish, Geigh Zollicoffer

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

We numerically study solutions to a length-structured matrix model for fish populations in which the probability that a fish grows into the next length class is a decreasing nonlinear function of the total biomass of the population. We make conjectures about the convergence properties of solutions to this equation, and give numerical simulations which support these conjectures. We also study the distribution of biomass in the different age classes as a function of the total biomass.

Roosevelts "Tree Army": The Civilian Conservation Corps In Florida, Jerrell H. Shofner

Florida Historical Quarterly

The Civilian Conservation Corps— officially known as Emergency Conservation Work until 1937— was one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s favorite New Deal programs and certainly one of the most popular among the American people. Roosevelt saw great opportunities in the prospect of an agency which would help stimulate the devastated economy of the nation while salvaging two of its most valuable resources, the land and the nation’s youth. At the president’s urging, Congress enacted a law on March 31, 1933, authorizing emergency conservation work in which 300,000 young men could be employed in wholesome work preserving the nation’s natural resources. …

Florida Seminoles In The Depression And New Deal, 1933-1942: An Indian Perspective, Harry A. Kersey, Jr.

Florida Historical Quarterly

The Great Depression of the 1930s, following as it did the exuberant prosperity and financial excesses of the “Roaring Twenties,” caught millions of Americans both economically and psychologically unprepared to deal with the collapse which was to follow. One of the few groups which was not adversely affected immediately, if only because they were already living perilously close to the poverty level, was the Seminole Indians of Florida. As late as the turn of the century they had participated in a profitable trading relationship with white merchants in the south Florida region. These merchants had purchased a great volume of …

Standards Of Nutrition In A St. Augustine Hospital, 1783-1821, Ann P. Emerson

Florida Historical Quarterly

Established by royal decree of the king of Spain in 1776, the Regulations for Royal Hospitals provided guidelines for hospital care in royal Spanish hospitals. This included the one in St. Augustine, Florida, during the Second Spanish Period (1783-1821). Other Spanish hospitals at this time were located in Mobile and New Orleans. The set of regulations is among the earliest written documents specifying the role and responsibilities of medical personnel, treatment of patients, content of regular and special diets, and preparation of food for patients. Earlier, in 1570, Phillip II of Spain had established a law to provide his subjects …

Book Reviews, Florida Historical Society

Florida Historical Quarterly

THE FLORIDA SITUADO: QUANTIFYING THE FIRST EIGHTY YEARS, by Engel Sluiter, reviewed by Lyle N. McAlister; BEYOND THE NEXT MOUNTAIN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY ROBERT CRAWFORD WOODARD, DECEMBER 9, 1867-August 31, 1949, reviwed by Paul S. George; BERNARD ROMANS: FORGOTTEN PATRIOT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. MILITARY ENGINEER AND CARTOGRAPHER OF WEST POINT AND THE HUDSON VALLEY, by Lincoln Diamant, reviewed by Louis De Vorsey, Jr.; THE GEORGIA-FLORIDA CONTEST IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1776-1778, by Martha Condray Searcy, reviewed by Robin F. A. Fabel; MY GOLD COAST: SOUTH FLORIDA IN EARLIER YEARS, by Lora Sinks Britt, reviewed by Thelma Peters; MCKEITHEN WEEDEN …