Exploring the lived experiences of homeless families with young children.

This study researched the experiences of homeless families with young children between the ages of four and eight. Many families experience homelessness every year, and there is an importance for early childhood educators to understand how homelessness affects families with young children so that early childhood educators can effectively serve the needs of homeless families as they seek to find more permanent living situations for themselves and their young children. The research sought: (1) to explain reasons families with young children become homeless; (2) to explore the developmental effects that homeless living situations can have on young children; (3) to increase awareness of beneficial resources available to families and their perceptions of the resources. The outcomes of this study will be used to inform early childhood educators' practices as they seek to serve young children living in homeless situations. Research suggested ways that parents and young children were affected by homelessness and identified common themes that occurred throughout the parents' reasons for being homeless, their perception of resources, and their perceptions of themselves and their children.--Abstract

Single-Step Charge Transport through DNA over Long Distances

Quantum yields for charge transport across adenine tracts of increasing length have been measured by monitoring hole transport in synthetic oligonucleotides between photoexcited 2-aminopurine, a fluorescent analogue of adenine, and N_2-cyclopropyl guanine. Using fluorescence quenching, a measure of hole injection, and hole trapping by the cyclopropyl guanine derivative, we separate the individual contributions of single- and multistep channels to DNA charge transport and find that with 7 or 8 intervening adenines the charge transport is a coherent, single-step process. Moreover, a transition occurs from multistep to single-step charge transport with increasing donor/acceptor separation, opposite to that generally observed in molecular wires. These results establish that coherent transport through DNA occurs preferentially across 10 base pairs, favored by delocalization over a full turn of the helix

Time to address the double inequality of differences in dietary intake between Scotland and England

Geographical disparities in health outcomes have been evident across the UK for decades. There is limited recent analysis on the dietary differences between Scotland and England that might go some way to explain these health differences. This study aimed to assess whether, and to what degree, aspects of diet and nutrition differ between Scottish and English populations, specifically between those with similar household incomes. Twelve years of UK food purchase data (2001-2012) were pooled and used to estimate household level consumption data for Scotland and England. Population mean food consumption and nutrient intakes were estimated, adjusting for known confounders (year, age of household reference person, age they left full-time education and income). Comparison was also made within equivalised income quintiles. Analysis showed that the foods and nutrients that should be increased in the diet (highlighted in the Scottish Dietary Goals) were lower in Scotland than England (e.g. fruit and vegetables 267g/day (99%CI 259-274g/day) vs. 298g/day (99%CI 296-301g/day), P<0.001). Likewise, foods and drinks linked with poor health outcomes were higher in Scotland. These regional inequalities in diet were even more pronounced in the lower income groups (e.g. red and processed meat consumption in the lowest income quintile was 65g/day (99% CI 61-69g/day) in Scotland vs. 58g/day (99% CI 57-60g/day) in England, P<0.001, but similar in the highest income quintile (58g/day (99%CI 54-61 g/day) vs. 59g/day (99% CI 58-60 g/day) respectively). A poorer diet in Scotland compared to England, particularly among disadvantaged groups, may contribute to differences in excess mortality between countries

Identifying dietary differences between Scotland and England:a rapid review of the literature

Rates of premature mortality have been higher in Scotland than in England since the 1970s. Given the known association of diet with chronic disease, the study objective was to identify and synthesise evidence on current and historical differences in food and nutrient intakes in Scotland and England.A rapid review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature was carried out. After an initial scoping search, Medline, CINAHL, Embase and Web of Science were searched. Relevant grey literature was also included. Inclusion criteria were: any date; measures of dietary intake; representative populations; cross-sectional or observational cohort studies; and English-language publications. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies. A narrative synthesis of extracted information was conducted.Fifty publications and reports were included in the review. Results indicated that children and adults in Scotland had lower intakes of vegetables and vitamins compared with those living in England. Higher intakes of salt in Scotland were also identified. Data were limited by small Scottish samples, difficulty in finding England-level data, lack of statistical testing and adjustment for key confounders.Further investigation of adequately powered and analysed surveys is required to examine more fully dietary differences between Scotland and England. This would provide greater insight into potential causes of excess mortality in Scotland compared with England and suitable policy recommendations to address these inequalities

Four Weeks of Minimalist Style Running Training Reduced Lumbar Paraspinal Muscle Activation during Shod Running

Background and Purpose: Research has shown that the risk of low back dysfunctions in runners is related to the increased mileage of distance running. Repetitive shock loading of the spinal structures during running has been indicated as one of the important biomechanical mechanisms underlying such injury. Acute changes in foot strike pattern, like those seen during minimalist style running, have been shown to lead to modifications in lumbar range of motion. Minimalist style running could lead to changes in lumbar biomechanics and muscle activation, potentially reducing the loading on the musculoskeletal structures of the lower back. However, the long term effects of minimalist style running on lumbar biomechanics have not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects a 4-week training program aimed at transitioning recreational runners to minimalist style footwear would have on lower back kinematics and lumbar paraspinal muscle activation. Subjects: 17 volunteers between the ages of 18-45 years who were habitually shod runners and averaged running 10-50 km per week participated in the study. Data from 15 volunteers was used in the analysis of the biomechanics. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to determine the appropriateness of each volunteer for this study. Methods: Subjects participated in three data collection sessions at the beginning, during (2-week), and at the end of a 4-week training program. The training consists of progressively increasing the distance each runner ran in the minimalist shoes up to 30-50% of their regular running distance while maintaining the overall distance (minimalist + normal shoes) comparable to before training. Running trials were collected with the subject wearing their normal running shoes. Subjects were asked to run at a prescribed speed (11.2 km/h), and a blinded self-selected speed. During running, kinematics of the lower back in the sagittal plane was recorded using an electro-goniometer. Surface EMG was used to monitor the activation of the lower back (L3 level) paraspinal muscles. Data collected during 10 stance phases were averaged and used for analysis. One-way repeated measures ANOVA tests were used to analyze the effect of training on lumbar kinematics and lumbar paraspinal muscle activation. Results: For the 11.2 km/h running speed, statistically significant differences were found in mean lower back posture (PRE = 1.9 ± 15.3 degrees, MID = 0.4 ± 13.0 degrees, POST = -6.0 ± 13.3 degrees, p = 0.001) and contralateral lumbar paraspinal muscle activation (PRE = 47.0 ± 34.0%, MID = 24.9 ± 8.2%, POST = 29.4 ± 11.3%, p = 0.039) after training. For the self-selected running speed, statistically significant differences were found in mean lower back posture (PRE = 2.3 ± 15.5 degrees, MID = 0.9 ± 13.9 degrees, POST = -5.7 ± 14.2 degrees, p = 0.002) and contralateral lumbar paraspinal muscle activation (PRE = 41.6 ± 28.6%, MID = 23.4 ± 6.2%, POST = 30.3 ± 11.6%, p = 0.047) after training. During both speeds, lower back posture became more extended and contralateral lumbar paraspinal muscle activation decreased. No significant differences were noted in overall lower back range of motion or ipsilateral paraspinal muscle activation over the training period at either speed. Conclusions: Including minimalist running shoes and barefoot exercises into a runners’ training regime can alter the lumbar spinal kinematics and muscle activation. Specifically the runners adapted a more extended lumbar posture and reduced the lumbar paraspinal muscle activation after training. This effect carried over to shod running

Mythbusting: Transgender Truths

A PowerPoint presentation, titled Mythbusting: Transgender Truths, given by Bernadette Barton, Meg Akers, and Stephanie Perry at the Justice Festival held on the campus of Morehead State University on October 11, 2023

The Binomial Transform of P-Recursive Sequences And the Dilogarithm Function

Using a generalized binomial transform and a novel binomial coefficient identity, we will show that the set of p-recursive sequences is closed under the binomial transform. Using these results, we will derive a new series representation for the dilogarithm function that converges on its domain of analyticity. Finally, we will show that this series representation results in a scheme for numerical evaluation of the dilogarithm function that is accurate, efficient, and stable

The Macroeconomic and Cultural Microcosms of Global Groceries

The aim of this thesis is to understand the global grocery market and to present a framework to assist sector players in developing go-to-market strategies as they expand abroad. In order to holistically study the cultural and economic implications of grocery stores across the world, we first selected six unique countries to focus our research: Singapore, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Germany, and the United States. In addition to having personally traveled to each of these countries, we chose to analyze these six very different markets in order to include a wide range of cultures and levels of economic development. We found that despite all nations having their own specific shopping habits and preferences, universal themes do exist in regards to trends and substantial factors in all grocery sectors around the world. With our findings, we created a framework made to aid multinational grocery store chains as well as product brands looking to enter foreign markets. The framework consists of seven universal determinants of retail and beverage success. Our framework is not a stand-alone solution and must be supplemented with thorough research about the potential market

Interpreting sources of variation in clinical gait analysis: A case study

© 2016 Objective To illustrate and discuss sources of gait deviations (experimental, genuine and intentional) during a gait analysis and how these deviations inform clinical decision making. Methods A case study of a 24-year old male diagnosed with Alkaptonuria undergoing a routine gait analysis. A 3D motion capture with the Helen-Hayes marker set was used to quantify lower-limb joint kinematics during barefoot walking along a 10 m walkway at a self-selected pace. Additional 2D video data were recorded in the sagittal and frontal plane. The patient reported no aches or pains in any joint and described his lifestyle as active. Results Temporal-spatial parameters were within normal ranges for his age and sex. Three sources of gait deviations were identified; the posteriorly rotated pelvis was due to an experimental error and marker misplacement, the increased rotation of the pelvis in the horizontal plane was genuine and observed in both 3D gait curves and in 2D video analysis, finally the inconsistency in knee flexion/extension combined with a seemingly innocuous interest in the consequences of abnormal gait suggested an intentional gait deviation. Conclusions Gait analysis is an important analytical tool in the management of a variety of conditions that negatively impact on movement. Experienced gait analysts have the ability to recognise genuine gait adaptations that forms part of the decision-making process for that patient. However, their role also necessitates the ability to identify and correct for experimental errors and critically evaluate when a deviation may not be genuine

Biophysical Aspects of Resource Acquisition and Competition in Algal Mixotrophs

Mixotrophic organisms combine autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition and are abundant in both freshwater and marine environments. Recent observations indicate that mixotrophs constitute a large fraction of the biomass, bacterivory, and primary production in oligotrophic environments. While mixotrophy allows greater flexibility in terms of resource acquisition, any advantage must be traded off against an associated increase in metabolic costs, which appear to make mixotrophs uncompetitive relative to obligate autotrophs and heterotrophs. Using an idealized model of cell physiology and community competition, we identify one mechanism by which mixotrophs can effectively outcompete specialists for nutrient elements. At low resource concentrations, when the uptake of nutrients is limited by diffusion toward the cell, the investment in cell membrane transporters can be minimized. In this situation, mixotrophs can acquire limiting elements in both organic and inorganic forms, outcompeting their specialist competitors that can utilize only one of these forms. This advantage can be enough to offset as much as a twofold increase in additional metabolic costs incurred by mixotrophs. This mechanism is particularly relevant for the maintenance of mixotrophic populations and productivity in the highly oligotro phic subtropical oceans.United States. National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationGordon and Betty Moore Foundatio