Two Studies of Partnership Approaches to Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming: A Process Evaluation and a Case Study

This dissertation consists of two studies that examine partnership approaches to comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAP). Both studies function in tandem to advance the knowledge base about school – university partnership approaches to CSPAP programming. Study 1 examined the first-year classroom component of the Partnerships for Active Children in Elementary Schools (PACES) intervention, and Study 2 examined the implementation of a Health Optimizing Physical Education (HOPE)- based CSPAP. Both studies utilized school-university partnerships in their design and implementation. The purpose of Study 1 was to examine the effects of different PACES treatment levels on classroom movement integration promotion during the first year of implementation, and qualitatively examine program implementation processes from the perspective of intervention classroom teachers. Four schools participated in the study. The first school received all three levels of the intervention (Community of Practice [CoP], Community-based Participatory Research, [CBPR], and Service Learning [SL]), the second school received two levels (CoP and CBPR), the third school received one level of the intervention (CoP), and the fourth school served as a waitlisted control. Three teachers from each school (N=12) participated. Process data were collected in the Fall 2014 (baseline) and Spring 2015 (~ four months of intervention) using the System for Observing Student Movement in Academic Routines and Transitions. Semi-structured interviews with the intervention teachers (n=9) were conducted after ~four months of intervention. There were no significant differences between intervention classrooms and control classroom in PA promotion, but differences in classrooms receiving two levels of the intervention (CoP+ CBPR) and three levels of the intervention (CoP+CBPR+SL) when compared to classrooms receiving one component of the intervention (CoP) and the control school were found. The difference between the classrooms receiving two or more intervention components when compared to classrooms receiving one component and the control classrooms were approaching significance (U = 5, p = 0.037, d=1.22). Quantitative and qualitative results supported the CBPR component having the most marked impact on classroom-based physical activity promotion. This study provides rich information about process variables in the context of a classroom-based physical activity intervention, and the types of support universities can offer schools for physical activity promotion. The purpose of Study 2 was to examine the enablers and barriers related to the development, implementation, and sustainability of a two-year university-supported HOPE based CSPAP implemented at a middle school. The study employed a qualitative case study design. The literature on program diffusion and school-university partnerships for CSPAP implementation and sustainability guided data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each member of the implementation team (n=5), the funding agency (n=1), each health-physical education teacher at the school (n=7), follow-up interviews with the implementation team (n=5), and a focus group interview with students (n=5). Documents were collected from the implementation team (e.g., field notes, meeting minutes) and from the teachers (e.g., lesson plans, newsletters, etc.). Next, prolonged field observations were conducted at the school during physical education, health, and before and after school programming. Data was coded using the theoretical model of program diffusion. Trustworthiness included member checking, data and researcher triangulation, researcher debriefing, and an audit trail. The findings about the implementation suggest that HOPE and CSPAP programming takes a lot of effort to implement, training should be centered on marketing, advocacy, and physical activity management, and needs assessments should be used before the start of new programming. Several components of the HOPE-based CSPAP sustained including before and after school programming and an annual 5k run. This study provides insider perspectives from health-physical educators, students, and a university intervention team about the implementation and sustainability of a HOPEbased CSPAP. The study suggests that program implementation and sustainability of a CSPAP are linked to strong external support mechanisms

Teacher Attitudes on Assessing Student Effort

Research indicates that there are classroom practices teachers can implement to help students develop non-cognitive skills such as the ability to persevere and tackle challenging work. After consulting the literature, there is a clear lack of research measuring teacher attitudes and beliefs about pedagogical practices that promotes resilience and perseverance. Research suggests that teachers’ beliefs and attitudes shape the learning environment and impact student outcomes (Brackett et al., p. 232). Therefore, it is critical to understand teacher comfort and commitment to initiatives, as well as their perceptions on how school culture supports such practices. Understanding teacher attitudes and beliefs can help administrators make decisions on the timing, type, and amount of teacher training if the school is committed to efforts to teach these skills (Brackett et al., p. 232). I conducted this mixed methods action research study using a cross-sectional survey design to gather and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data on variables regarding Grade 7-12 teacher attitudes and classroom practice aimed at promoting increased student effort. The data suggests real-life obstacles faced by teachers and provides valuable discussion points on assessment and grading practices. Study limitations, implications for practice, and suggestions for further research are discussed

Valuing Water Quality As a Functionof Water Quality Measures

This paper incorporates a rich set of physical water quality attributes, as well as site and household characteristics, into a model of recreational lake usage in Iowa. Our analysis shows individuals are responsive to physical water quality measures. Willingness-to-pay estimates are reported based on improvements in these measures.

Intraretinal pigmented cells in retinal degenerative disease

PURPOSE: Invasion of pigmented cells into the retina occurs in retinal degenerative diseases, such as macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). These intraretinal pigmented cells may be derived from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), but differences and similarities between intraretinal pigmented cells and RPE have so far not been well characterised.Clinicopathologic case report. METHOD: Here, we compared intraretinal pigment cells with RPE cells by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistological stains for classic RPE markers (RPE65, CRALBP and KRT18) and blood vessel markers (lectin and collagen 4) were done on sections from postmortem eye tissue from two MacTel donors, an RP donor and a control donor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of specific immunohistochemistry markers on intraretinal pigmented and RPE cells. RESULTS: We found that intraretinal pigmented cells did not express RPE65 and CRALBP, with a small subset expressing them weakly. However, they all expressed KRT18, which was also present in normal RPE cells. Interestingly, we also found clusters of KRT18-positive cells in the retina that were not pigmented. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that RPE cells invading the retina dedifferentiate (losing classic RPE markers) and can be pigmented or unpigmented. Therefore, the number of RPE cells invading the retina in retinal degenerative disease may be underappreciated by funduscopy

Incorporating spatial information for microaneurysm detection in retinal images

The presence of microaneurysms(MAs) in retinal images is a pathognomonic sign of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). This is one of the leading causes of blindness in the working population worldwide. This paper introduces a novel algorithm that combines information from spatial views of the retina for the purpose of MA detection. Most published research in the literature has addressed the problem of detecting MAs from single retinal images. This work proposes the incorporation of information from two spatial views during the detection process. The algorithm is evaluated using 160 images from 40 patients seen as part of a UK diabetic eye screening programme which contained 207 MAs. An improvement in performance compared to detection from an algorithm that relies on a single image is shown as an increase of 2% ROC score, hence demonstrating the potential of this method

A Spitzer IRS Spectral Atlas of Luminous 8 micron Sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present an atlas of Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra of highly luminous, compact mid-infrared sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Sources were selected on the basis of infrared colors and 8 micron (MSX) fluxes indicative of highly evolved, intermediate- to high-mass stars with current or recent mass loss at large rates. We determine the chemistry of the circumstellar envelope from the mid-IR continuum and spectral features and classify the spectral types of the stars. In the sample of 60 sources, we find 21 Red Supergiants (RSGs), 16 C-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, 11 HII regions, 4 likely O-rich AGB stars, 4 Galactic O-rich AGB stars, 2 OH/IR stars, and 2 B[e] supergiants with peculiar IR spectra. We find that the overwhelming majority of the sample AGB stars (with typical IR luminosities ~1.0E4 L_sun) have C-rich envelopes, while the O-rich objects are predominantly luminous RSGs with L_IR ~ 1.0E5 L_sun. We determine mean bolometric corrections to the stellar K-band flux densities and find that for carbon stars, the bolometric corrections depend on the infrared color, whereas for RSGs, the bolometric correction is independent of IR color. Our results reveal that objects previously classified as PNe on the basis of IR colors are in fact compact HII regions with very red IRS spectra that include strong atomic recombination lines and PAH emission features. We demonstrate that the IRS spectral classes in our sample separate clearly in infrared color-color diagrams that use combinations of 2MASS data and synthetic IRAC/MIPS fluxes derived from the IRS spectra. On this basis, we suggest diagnostics to identify and classify, with high confidence levels, IR-luminous evolved stars and HII regions in nearby galaxies using Spitzer and near-infrared photometry.Comment: 46 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in AJ; abstract abridge

Altered dietary behaviour during pregnancy impacts systemic metabolic phenotypes

Rationale: Evidence suggests consumption of a Mediterranean diet (MD) can positively impact both maternal and offspring health, potentially mediated by a beneficial effect on inflammatory pathways. We aimed to apply metabolic profiling of serum and urine samples to assess differences between women who were stratified into high and low alignment to a MD throughout pregnancy and investigate the relationship of the diet to inflammatory markers. Methods: From the ORIGINS cohort, 51 pregnant women were stratified for persistent high and low alignment to a MD, based on validated MD questionnaires. 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the urine and serum metabolite profiles of these women at 36 weeks of pregnancy. The relationship between diet, metabolite profile and inflammatory status was investigated. Results: There were clear differences in both the food choice and metabolic profiles of women who self-reported concordance to a high (HMDA) and low (LMDA) Mediterranean diet, indicating that alignment with the MD was associated with a specific metabolic phenotype during pregnancy. Reduced meat intake and higher vegetable intake in the HMDA group was supported by increased levels of urinary hippurate (p = 0.044) and lower creatine (p = 0.047) levels. Serum concentrations of the NMR spectroscopic inflammatory biomarkers GlycA (p = 0.020) and GlycB (p = 0.016) were significantly lower in the HDMA group and were negatively associated with serum acetate, histidine and isoleucine (p \u3c 0.05) suggesting a greater level of plant-based nutrients in the diet. Serum branched chain and aromatic amino acids were positively associated with the HMDA group while both urinary and serum creatine, urine creatinine and dimethylamine were positively associated with the LMDA group. Conclusion: Metabolic phenotypes of pregnant women who had a high alignment with the MD were significantly different from pregnant women who had a poor alignment with the MD. The metabolite profiles aligned with reported food intake. Differences were most significant biomarkers of systemic inflammation and selected gut-microbial metabolites. This research expands our understanding of the mechanisms driving health outcomes during the perinatal period and provides additional biomarkers for investigation in pregnant women to assess potential health risks

Bovine Neonatal Monocytes Display Phenotypic Differences Compared With Adults After Challenge With the Infectious Abortifacient Agent Neospora caninum

The neonatal period represents a window of susceptibility for ruminants given the abundance of infectious challenges in their environment. Maternal transfer of immunity does not occur in utero but post-parturition, however this does not compensate for potential deficits in the cellular compartment. Here we present a cellular and transcriptomic study to investigate if there is an age-related difference in the monocyte response in cattle during intra-cellular protozoan infection. We utilized Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes abortion and negative economic impacts in cattle worldwide, to study these responses. We found neonatal animals had a significant greater percentage of CD14+ monocytes with higher CD80 cell surface expression. Adult monocytes harbored more parasites compared to neonatal monocytes; additionally greater secretion of IL-1β was observed in neonates. Microarray analysis revealed neonates have 535 genes significantly upregulated compared to adult with 23 upregulated genes. Biological pathways involved in immune response were evaluated and both age groups showed changes in the upregulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT protein and JAK-STAT cascade pathways. However, the extent to which these pathways were upregulated in neonates was much greater. Our findings suggest that neonates are more resistant to cellular invasion with protozoan parasites and that the magnitude of the responses is related to significant changes in the JAK-STAT network