Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Forearm Pronation On Ultrasound-Measured Forearm Muscle Thickness In Children And Adolescents, Takashi Abe, Hayao Ozaki, Akemi Abe, Jeremy P. Loenneke

Faculty and Student Publications

Background and Aim: It was unknown whether ultrasound-measured forearm muscle thickness was impacted by pronation of the forearm. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of forearm pronation on two forearm muscle thicknesses (MT-ulna and MT-radius). Participants and Methods: Fourteen healthy children and adolescents sat on a chair with their right arm comfortably on a table, and their hands were fixed to the board with elastic bands. The probe was placed perpendicularly over the forearm, and the angle of the board was then pronated in 5° increments from -10° to 30°. The average value of the two …

Two Sides To Every Psyche: Implications Of Positive Psychology For "Mental Health" Research In Engineering Education, Muhammad Asghar, Angela Minichiello

Engineering Education Student Research

“Mental Health.” Throughout the 20th century, these familiar words have been quietly commandeered by a physiological model of health (Greenspoon & Saklofske, 2001). Unknowingly, society conspired to use these words—colloquially, academically, and scientifically—for the sole purpose of depicting (or implying) negative states of the human mind. Since the origins of psychological research over 100 years ago, our understanding of what mental health is has been conflated with notions of mental illness. Resultantly, we have tacitly agreed that the presence or absence of suffering is the sole implication of our mental health (Horwitz & Scheid, 1999).

Never Silent: Development Of Gay Activism In The Cold War Midwest, Braydon Conell

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Though not typically seen as a burgeoning environment for gay life, the Midwest nevertheless has a rich history of queer culture. Focusing on gay activism during the Cold War era, this thesis discusses the rise and influence of homophile organizations in the Midwest. Homophile organizations and the movement's ideals of accommodation and integration played an integral role in the activism coming out of World War II. The homophile movement, though, did not wane with the development of the more radical gay liberation movement. Instead, the homophile movement in the Midwest evolved and played its own part alongside radical activists. Historically, …

Forced Justice: The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Sara L. Ochs, Kirbi Walters

Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), the court created to adjudicate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo at the turn of the century, is the world’s newest hybrid tribunal. The KSC is classified as a hybrid tribunal because it ostensibly blends aspects of international and domestic law and resources. Upon examination, however, the KSC departs in critical ways from the traditional concept of a hybrid tribunal, representing an internationally dominated court with minimal local involvement. By detailing the history of judicial mechanisms employed to prosecute crimes committed during and in the aftermath of the Kosovo War from 1998-1999, …

Hiv-Tat Exacerbates The Actions Of Atazanavir, Efavirenz, And Ritonavir On Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor (Ryr2), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Chengju Tian, Sean R. Bidasee, Zachary L. Venn, Evan Schroder, Nick Y. Palermo, Mohammad Alshabeeb, Benson J. Edagwa, Jason J. Payne, Keshoer R. Bidasee

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people living with HIV infection (PLWH), especially those with inadequate viral suppression, is high and the reasons for this remain incompletely characterized. The timely opening and closing of type 2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is critical for ensuring rhythmic cardiac contraction–relaxation cycles, and the disruption of these processes can elicit Ca²⁺ waves, ventricular arrhythmias, and SCD. Herein, we show that the HIV protein Tat (HIVTat: 0–52 ng/mL) and therapeutic levels of the antiretroviral drugs atazanavir (ATV: 0–25,344 ng/mL), efavirenz (EFV: 0–11,376 ng/mL), and ritonavir (RTV: 0–25,956 ng/mL) bind to and modulate the …

Highly Efficient Photocatalysts For Methylene Blue Degradation Based On A Platform Of Deposited Go-Zno Nanoparticles On Polyurethane Foam, Mohamed Morsy

Nanotechnology Research Centre

No abstract provided.

Assessing Future Projections Of Intense Typhoon Return Period And Intensity Over Taiwan, Luke Glass

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Typhoons are a leading natural cause of mass socioeconomic losses through floods, storm surges and high winds, and this is projected to worsen in a warmer climate. While the majority of literature is in agreement, there is little research into typhoon behaviour projections past the year 2100. TCWiSE – a statistical modelling tool, is used to simulate and spatially assess changes in intense (category 4+) typhoon return period and average intensity over the island of Taiwan in four different climate scenarios all with increasing intensity and frequency values. In comparison to the present-day scenario, the future scenarios recorded a +12.0%, …

Assertive Behaviour: Not A One-Size-Fits-All Solution To Poor Psychological Well-Being, Oliwia A. Hryniewska

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Extraversion as both a personality trait and state has robust links with well-being; extraverted state, or behaviour, is sufficient to increase positive affect (PA) regardless of disposition. However, examining extraversion more closely at the aspect and facet level has, to date, yielded mixed results for this relationship. This study sought to clarify extraversion’s impact on psychological well-being (PWB) and positive affect by investigating state and trait assertiveness as one aspect of extraversion (next to enthusiasm; DeYoung et al., 2007). It was hypothesized that this aspect specifically contributes to several PWB outcomes at the trait level, but not at the state …

Diurnal And Tidal Influence On The Spatial Distribution And Surface Activity Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In The Shannon Estuary, Ireland, Rosie Wilson

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The interactions between oceanographic processes and topography have an important role in driving the formation of localised biodiversity hotspots. These hotspots create predictable prey resources utilised by many large coastal marine vertebrates, such as the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus. The abundance, behaviour and distribution of bottlenose dolphins is therefore largely driven by predator-prey interactions which are strongly influenced by physical ocean processes such as tides and the formation of hydrographic fronts. Understanding these interactions as well as the ecology of bottlenose dolphins is therefore vital for the effective conservation management of this species. Through the fine scale examination of the …

An Investigation Into Whether Psychopathic Traits Negatively Contribute To Moral Judgements, Madeleine Esser

The Plymouth Student Scientist

High psychopathy and low morality have been associated as potential causes of anti-social and criminal behaviour. Literature suggests that high levels of psychopathic traits have a negative effect on an individual’s ability to make rational moral judgements. Much of this research focuses on offenders, creating a gap within research encompassing the typical population and whether the same affect is observed. It was hypothesised that high levels of psychopathic traits negatively affect moral judgement, however no predictions were made regarding specific traits. A sample of 50 students, ages ranging from 18 to 44 (M= 22.18), were asked to complete two self-report …

Biochar Amendment Of A Sandy Loam Improves Wheat Growth Under Drought And Control Conditions, Toby Anderson Von Trampe

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Drought stress is a major limiting factor in cereal crop growth. To meet the feeding requirements of an increasing population, cereal crop yields need to be significantly increased in a sustainable manner. Biochar is a charcoal-like substance derived from organic material. Here, the effects of biochar on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and stress responses under drought stress conditions were determined. Biochar was applied at 5% (w/w) and stressed plants weren’t watered during the four weeks of drought treatment to establish the rate of water loss in the different soil treatments. drought significantly decreased plant height, stem thickness, number of …

Numerical Models To Track The Origin And Drift Of Pharmaceutical Flotsam In The English Channel, Alizee De Groodt

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Marine plastic pollution is an increasing problem that has serious impacts on the environment. The sources, pathways and fate of plastics in the ocean are still poorly understood, especially for marine pollution coming from marine-based sources. In November 2018, a high number of pharmaceutical bottles named ‘Otrivin’ started to beach in high numbers along the English Channel. Research was initiated to investigate the likely origin of the bottles. In this study, we continue this research using the observational data from 2018-2019 and two numerical ocean models to hindcast the likely origin of the bottles, but also assess whether the effect …

The Relationship Between Diet, Supplement Use, And The Prevalence And Severity Of Nausea And Vomiting During The 1st And 2nd Trimesters Of Pregnancy, Bailey Lentern

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) are common conditions experienced by women throughout the world. However, despite their widespread occurrence, the prevalence and severity of symptoms range significantly, with the exact aetiology underpinning this variation relatively unclear. Several studies propose that NVP may serve as an adaptive function, protecting the embryo from harmful foodstuffs, implying that diet is implicated within the pathogenesis of the condition. However, there is limited literature focusing on this topic, specifically with regards to supplement use. Therefore, the aim of the present research was to examine the relationship between diet, both pre-pregnancy and current diet, including …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Risk Factors For Fatal Intimate Partner Violence And Domestic Violence Services Provided, Faith E. Alves

Honors Theses

The current study assessed the COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in risk factors for fatal intimate partner violence (IPV) among female victims. It additionally analyzed IPV services received before and during the pandemic. Data came from a system that most domestic violence (DV) agencies in Connecticut utilize to record their contacts with their clients, including an initial screening through a police-social service intervention. Results indicated that unemployment of the partner was significantly higher in the during-COVID group. Additionally, the delivery of criminal justice services was significantly higher in the pre-COVID group whereas delivery of law enforcement services was significantly higher in the …

Another History Of Global Financial Markets: Local Stock Market Integration Since 1913 From A Network Perspective, Cécile Bastidon, Michael Bordo, Antoine Parent, Marc Weidenmier

Business Faculty Articles and Research

We examine local and global equity market integration since 1900 using network methods. The analysis uncovers a new stylized fact about equity market integration over the past 120 years. Local equity market integration generally increases over the entire sample period. This finding is at odds with much of the existing literature that describes long-run market integration as following a U-shape pattern. Global stock market integration peaks in 1913 followed by disintegration during the Great Depression and Bretton Woods periods. Then it rebounds and achieves the highest level of integration during the recent period of globalization that began in the early …

A Study On The Effect Of Emotional Efforts Of Academicians In Tourism Departments On Job Stress, Hasan O. Seyhanlioglu, Sevki Ulema

Journal of Mediterranean Tourism Research

The aim of this study is to examine the emotional labor and job stress levels of tourism academicians who train sector managers. The t-test and One-Way ANOVA analysis were conducted to determine whether there is a difference between the quantitative data collected from 346 individuals working as academicians in tourism departments operating in Turkey and the demographic characteristics of the variables. In addition, explanatory factor analysis was performed for the emotional labor scale. As a result, it has been observed that the stress level is high in academicians who have just started their profession.

The Role Of Er Stress In Diabetes: Exploring Pathological Mechanisms Using Wolfram Syndrome, Shuntaro Morikawa, Fumihiko Urano

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a cytosolic organelle that plays an essential role in the folding and processing of new secretory proteins, including insulin. The pathogenesis of diabetes, a group of metabolic disorders caused by dysfunctional insulin secretion (Type 1 diabetes, T1DM) or insulin sensitivity (Type 2 diabetes, T2DM), is known to involve the excess accumulation of "poorly folded proteins", namely, the induction of pathogenic ER stress in pancreatic β-cells. ER stress is known to contribute to the dysfunction of the insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. T1DM and T2DM are multifactorial diseases, especially T2DM; both environmental and genetic factors are involved in …

Fighting Words: Catalonia At The Language Instruction Crossroads, Jane Tien

Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law

The schism between Spain and Catalonia obscures a struggle over the teaching language for non-linguistic subjects in Catalonia's public schools. The recent two decades decanted into Catalan society two Spanish Constitutional Court rulings mandating a Castilian-Catalan conjunctive instruction model—with Catalan as the "center of gravity"—and tasking the Catalan legislature with configuring that "center." Pleasing none and spurned by all, the Constitutional Court duology emboldened activist lower courts to bypass the Catalan legislature, while schools in Catalonia continued to teach almost exclusively in Catalan. With the Castilians alienated and the Catalans defiant, language instruction in Catalonia turned into a festering wound …

Bequest To Help Students In Two Programs Succeed, Bill Dabney

University of Mississippi News

No abstract provided.

Roles Played By Nigerian Youtube Micro-Celebrities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aje-Ori Agbese

Communication Faculty Publications

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerian social media micro-celebrities were prominent players in the dissemination of information. This study examines the roles that one group of Nigerian micro-celebrities, YouTube video bloggers (vloggers)—also known as “YouTubers”—played during the pandemic. The research analysed the contents of COVID-19-themed videos that 15 popular Nigerian YouTubers posted on their channels between 29 February and 5 August 2020. The study was guided by the two-step flow of communication theory, in terms of which information first flows from mass media to opinion leaders, who then, in the second step, share the information with their audiences. The …

Machine Learning Of Plasma Metabolome Identifies Biomarker Panels For Metabolic Syndrome: Findings From The China Suboptimal Health Cohort, Hao Wang, Youxin Wang, Xingang Li, Xuan Deng, Yuanyuan Kong, Wei Wang, Yong Zhou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been proposed as a clinically identifiable high-risk state for the prediction and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. As a promising “omics” technology, metabolomics provides an innovative strategy to gain a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of MetS. The study aimed to systematically investigate the metabolic alterations in MetS and identify biomarker panels for the identification of MetS using machine learning methods. Methods: Nuclear magnetic resonance-based untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed on 1011 plasma samples (205 MetS patients and 806 healthy controls). Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to identify metabolic biomarkers …

Late Descemet Membrane Detachment After Uneventful Cataract Surgery, Lovaglio Cançado Trindade, Renata Attanasio De Rezende, Tiago Bisol, Christopher J Rapuano

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Purpose: To report 5 patients with late Descemet membrane (DM) detachment after uneventful cataract surgery.

Observations: After a retrospective chart analysis of consecutive patients that developed DM detachment after uneventful cataract surgery, six eyes of five patients were enrolled. In all cases, patients reported good vision initially after cataract surgery. Within days to months, these patients developed late DM detachment with decreased vision. In one patient, the detachment affected both eyes. Filtered air or diluted sulfur hexafluoride were injected in the anterior chamber to tamponade the DM detachment. In five eyes, the cornea cleared after DM reattachment. In two eyes …

Using Naming Conventions To Facilitate Data Transfer Between Asset Management Systems And Building Information Models, John D. Foster

Theses and Dissertations

An improvement to the workflow developed by Loeh et al. (2021) is proposed using a Revit template with BUILDER SMS naming conventions when creating the Sustainable Facility Management-enhanced BIM Model. The method presented by Loeh et al. (2021) is modified by integrating BUILDER SMS parameters and naming conventions into the BIM model during, as opposed to after, the creation of the model. Four building models created in 2020-21, four from 2021-22, and one building from 2019 were used in this study. Two groups of students were used to evaluate the effect of the building-specific BIM templates. Evaluating the 2020 and …

The Stockholm Paradigm Explains The Dynamics Of Darwin’S Entangled Bank, Including Emerging Infectious Disease, Salvatore J. Agosta

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Pathogens and their hosts are embedded within the larger biosphere, what Darwin called the “entangled bank.” Emerging infectious disease occurs when a parasite “switches” to a new host. Understanding the dynamics of emerging disease requires understanding the dynamics of host-switching, which requires a more general understanding of how the biosphere and its constituent members cope when conditions change. The Stockholm paradigm is an integrative evolutionary framework that describes how living systems cope with change by oscillating between exploiting and exploring the geographical and functional dimensions of their environments. It combines organismal capacity, ecological opportunity, and the repeated external perturbations to …

Knowledge Mobilization For Agri-Food Supply Chain Decisions, Guoqing Zhao, Shaofeng Liu, Sebastian Elgueta, Juan Pablo Manzur, Carmen Lopez, Huilan Chen

Plymouth Business School

The current world business environment is characterized by increasing uncertainties, complexities, and risks, which require agri-food supply chain (AFSC) managers to respond and act quickly in a context full of instability and unpredictability. Increasing pressure placed on AFSC managers intensifies the need to combine knowledge management (KM) and decision support that rapidly overcome knowledge boundaries. It has been recognized that the research issue related to the knowledge mobilization crossing boundaries in the AFSC needs to be addressed. This paper investigates knowledge boundaries and boundary-spanning mechanisms by collecting data from experienced AFSC practitioners. Empirical results verify that knowledge boundaries such as …

Biutiful: En Los Márgenes De La Cosmópolis Neoliberal, Alberto Ribas-Casasayas

Modern Languages & Literature

In Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Biutiful, the city operates as a sort of anti-model exposing the dark side of neoliberal economies in larger fashionable cities, with an emphasis in precarization and exclusion and dynamics of violence against migrant populations. To this end, he uses an aesthetics of incongruence and a focus over a motley society, in permanent tension and negotiation between variegated groups. These strategies coexist with two other themes: exclusion represented as a form of expulsion or excrecence, and the appeal to memory as an ethical imperative that disrupts the logic of monetary calculus in which the main characters …

Feeling The Heat: Climate Change Is Becoming A Big Factor In Business Decision-Making, Risk Assessment, Candace Beeke, Sahan Dissanayake, Jennifer Price, Moss Adams

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland Business Journal Publisher and President Candace Beeke spoke recently with PSU’s Sahan Dissanayake and Jennifer Price, with Moss Adams, about the direct and indirect effects of climate change on business, along with the physical impacts and economic hazards. Here are their insights.

The Effect Of Pre-Event Instructions On Eyewitness Identification, Jessica Allen

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Eyewitness identification research has informed policies and procedures, but experiments on eyewitness identification often use unrealistic testing methods. Part of these unrealistic methods are pre-event instructions given before the participant is exposed to the crime. Instructions can direct attention, thus lead to better accuracy. If previous research had used pre-event instructions, results may have overestimated people’s ability to identify culprits correctly and called into question the validity of previous conclusions. This would not be an issue if usage of pre-event instructions were reported in the literature, as comparisons could be made between studies that did use them or between studies …

Analysing Association Rates Of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula Alfredi) Situated In Chagos Archipelago, Lena Pollett

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are in rapid decline and threatened by multiple anthropogenic pressures. Conservation of this vulnerable marine species requires an understanding of the drivers of their movement patterns and group structuring. Aggregations have been presumed to be a function of resource availability. However, recent studies have suggested that association rates within these areas of aggregation may underpin social behaviour, furthering our understanding of these species' movement and social networking. Here we used acoustic telemetry technology to assess the extent that a group of 26 M. alfredi associates within Egmont Atoll, situated within the Chagos Archipelagos, over a …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Optimisation Of Grid Fin Aerodynamic Design For Reusable Launch Vehicles, Jack Orders

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Grid fins are an unconventional flight control surface utilised by SpaceX for its Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle upon re-entry. Previous literature surrounding grid fins has used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate sensitivity factors of the design to vary drag or maximise hinge moment but often suffer from limitations (e.g., insufficient modelling of the boundary layer, or no evidence of sensitivity studies/validation).Due to the lack of literature a systematic CFD-based method is employed in which grid fin geometry is simplified to a 2D flat plate and validated against Tekure (2021) and the simulation verified using oblique shock wave theory …