Initial Findings on the Implementation of a Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) for Freshman Student-Athletes

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Angela D. Meyer on April 10, 2020

Can paraphrasing increase the amount and accuracy of reports from child eyewitnesses?

Young children’s descriptions of sexual abuse are often sparse thus creating the need for techniques that elicit lengthier accounts. ‘Paraphrasing’, or repeating information children have just disclosed, is a technique sometimes used by forensic interviewers to clarify or elicit information. (e.g., if a child stated “He touched me”, an interviewer could respond “He touched you?”). However, the effects of paraphrasing have yet to be scientifically assessed. The impact of different paraphrasing styles on young children’s reports was investigated. Overall, paraphrasing per se did not improve the length, richness, or accuracy of reports when compared to open-ended prompts such as “tell me more,” but some styles of paraphrasing were more beneficial than others. The results provide clear recommendations for investigative interviewers about how to use paraphrasing appropriately, and which practices can compromise the quality of children’s reports

State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri

We report the first known collection of Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Missouri. Two specimens were collected in pitfall traps during a field study at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, Missouri

Wh-movement vs. scrambling: The brain makes a difference

(no abstract

Error Signals from the Brain: 7th Mismatch Negativity Conference

The 7th Mismatch Negativity Conference presents the state of the art in methods, theory, and application (basic and clinical research) of the MMN (and related error signals of the brain). Moreover, there will be two pre-conference workshops: one on the design of MMN studies and the analysis and interpretation of MMN data, and one on the visual MMN (with 20 presentations). There will be more than 40 presentations on hot topics of MMN grouped into thirteen symposia, and about 130 poster presentations. Keynote lectures by Kimmo Alho, Angela D. Friederici, and Israel Nelken will round off the program by covering topics related to and beyond MMN

Agricultural management and plant selection interactively affect rhizosphere microbial community structure and nitrogen cycling.

BACKGROUND:Rhizosphere microbial communities are key regulators of plant performance, yet few studies have assessed the impact of different management approaches on the rhizosphere microbiomes of major crops. Rhizosphere microbial communities are shaped by interactions between agricultural management and host selection processes, but studies often consider these factors individually rather than in combination. We tested the impacts of management (M) and rhizosphere effects (R) on microbial community structure and co-occurrence networks of maize roots collected from long-term conventionally and organically managed maize-tomato agroecosystems. We also explored the interaction between these factors (M × R) and how it impacts rhizosphere microbial diversity and composition, differential abundance, indicator taxa, co-occurrence network structure, and microbial nitrogen-cycling processes. RESULTS:Host selection processes moderate the influence of agricultural management on rhizosphere microbial communities, although bacteria and fungi respond differently to plant selection and agricultural management. We found that plants recruit management-system-specific taxa and shift N-cycling pathways in the rhizosphere, distinguishing this soil compartment from bulk soil. Rhizosphere microbiomes from conventional and organic systems were more similar in diversity and network structure than communities from their respective bulk soils, and community composition was affected by both M and R effects. In contrast, fungal community composition was affected only by management, and network structure only by plant selection. Quantification of six nitrogen-cycling genes (nifH, amoA [bacterial and archaeal], nirK, nrfA, and nosZ) revealed that only nosZ abundance was affected by management and was higher in the organic system. CONCLUSIONS:Plant selection interacts with conventional and organic management practices to shape rhizosphere microbial community composition, co-occurrence patterns, and at least one nitrogen-cycling process. Reframing research priorities to better understand adaptive plant-microbe feedbacks and include roots as a significant moderating influence of management outcomes could help guide plant-oriented strategies to improve productivity and agroecosystem sustainability

The Relations Among Executive Dysfunction, Delay Aversion and Phonemic Awareness in Proschoolers

The Dual Pathways theory of AD/HD explains that there may be two independent neurologically based pathways in which AD/HD may develop: executive dysfunction (EDF) and delay aversion (DAv). A separate line of research has linked AD/HD to early reading problems. The purpose of this study was to further explore the two pathways of AD/HD in relation to the development of early literacy skills. More specifically, the relationship between EDF and DAv in preschoolers and phonemic awareness ability was examined. Using a hierarchical regression, it was indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between EDF scores and levels of inattention as rated by teachers. Teacher-rated hyperactivity/impulsivity was also significantly correlated with our early literacy outcome measure, indicating a possible connection between these two variables. No significant relationships emerged between EDF or DAv and the early literacy measure. Future research should explore the role of teacher-reported inattention as a potential mediator of EDF and preliteracy development. Lastly, a third pathway has recently been proposed; the pathways model should be explored further using multiple measures for each to determine potential relationships with common functional impairments such as literacy development.  M.A

Effects of aerobic exercise training on diaphragm muscle metabolism in a rat model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

poster abstractPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance that leads to right ventricular (RV) overload and eventually RV failure and death. PAH is associated with diaphragm muscle dysfunction and increased work of breathing which contributes to the exercise intolerance that is hallmark in this patient population. Our lab and others have described a shift in substrate utilization toward non-oxidative (glycolytic) metabolism in the RV and skeletal muscle of PAH rodent models as well as in patients. This project will determine if ‘glycolytic shift’ also occurs in the diaphragm muscle which may contribute to exercise intolerance and dyspnea. Since regular aerobic exercise is well-known to promote adaptations enhancing oxidative metabolism in cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle of the extremities, this project will also investigate the impact of exercise training on diaphragm muscle metabolism. Diaphragm muscles were harvested upon completion of a 6 week, 4x/wk. treadmill training program that consisted of 60 min runs at a relative intensity of 50% of aerobic capacity (VO2max). Abundance of glucose transporter Glut-1, a marker of glycolytic metabolism, is being evaluated by Immunoflourescent (IF) staining at the cell membrane of diaphragm myocytes. We expect to find that PAH rats have greater abundance of diaphragm Glut-1 and that exercise training at least partially ameliorates this PAH-induced ‘glycolytic shift’