The effects diabetes has on the neurovascular system during exercise

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the involuntary control of most visceral organs. This system greatly influences the neurovascular and cardiovascular systems while at rest and during exercise. Central command, the baroreflex, and the exercise pressor reflex are the three systems that are responsible for the distribution of blood during exercise. Specifically, the exercise pressor reflex plays a dominant role during exercise because it is influenced by metabolic and mechanical factors that affect the vasculature health. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that can alter the way these systems function within the body. The effects of neural damage and exercise-induced hypoglycemia have been thought to be the sources behind the changes seen in the exercise pressor reflex. Currently, not a lot of research has been done on the exact mechanisms behind the changes of the exercise pressor reflex in diabetes; therefore, the explanations to these alterations are unknown. Thus, the purpose of this report is to develop a hypothesis for the effects of diabetes on the autonomic control of exercise, specifically the exercise pressor reflex.Kinesiology and Health Educatio

Integrating Empathy Pedagogy with Feminist Thought and Social Justice Praxis

This thesis outlines the need for empathy pedagogy in higher education. It will examine how empathy pedagogy can be integrated with feminist thought and social justice praxis. I argue that when we integrate empathy pedagogy with feminist thought and social justice, we are building the capacity for students to understand others’ lives in oppression. Furthermore, an integrated modality of teaching empathy will allow students to foster the traits of empathy within themselves; students are then better able to act as agents of social change by utilizing the traits of empathy to actively listen, self-reflect, and mindfully engage with other lived experiences of oppression. As part of my thesis, I created three lesson plans that provide models for how to integrate empathy into higher education spaces. The lesson plans I created house ideas of what empathy pedagogy looks like in practice, as a modality for students to practice their empathetic skills

Do 2 with VCU: A Community Engagement Initiative

Do 2 with VCU will be a day-long Expo highlighting volunteer activities and opportunities with up to 100 community partners. VCU faculty and staff will be encouraged to collaborate with these community partners by using their 16 hours of community service leave provided by VCU. The Expo will culminate with a Keynote Speaker for this inaugural event. This year we have selected author and activist, Elaine Brown; she will deliver an address on the importance of community activism and service which will be marketed to the greater Richmond area. This project was designed around Theme IV of the VCU Quest for Distinction: “Become a national model for community engagement and regional impact.

MLB Statcast Pitch Analysis: the Association between Active Spin and Opponent’s Batting Average

Baseball has often been described as a game of statistics and strategy, and current technology allows detailed examination of the game. One statistic measured concerning the movement of the ball is spin rate, the rotations per minute created by the pitcher when the ball is released from the hand. However, recent research has not examined the inclusion of pitchers’ spin rate in batter strategy. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to see if there is an association between the movement of breaking balls with the batting average of Major League Baseball batters. METHODS: A sample including 76 elite Major League Baseball pitchers, all male (age = 30.12 ± 3.68, mean ± sd), were taken from the 2019 MLB regular season using Statcast, Pitch F/x, and Trackman cameras. Statcast is used in Major League Baseball and collects the pitcher’s data revolving around their pitches (e.g., active spin, speed, whiff). Pitchers who had thrown a minimum of 2,500 pitches were included. The outcome was batting average, an aggregate number based on the number of players who faced an individual pitcher during the season. We performed multivariable linear regression models to regress batting average on curveballs and sliders separately. Covariates for assessment included pitcher demographics, active movement of the pitch, spin rate of the pitch, hits, at bats, percent of breaking balls thrown, pitch velocity, and number thrown versus right- and left-handed batters. RESULTS: After regression assumptions and steps were satisfied, 43.7% of the variation in batting average could be accounted for by the active spin of the slider, the number of sliders thrown, pitching hand, and the pitcher’s height. For every one-unit increase in active spin of the slider, batting average significantly decreased by 0.0013. Concerning curveballs, regression steps yielded a single-variable model, where 13.1% of the variation in batting average could be explained by the number of curveballs thrown. For every one-unit increase in the number of curveballs thrown, batting average significantly decreased by 0.00013. CONCLUSION: Variables significantly associated with batting average varied by whether a slider or a curveball was thrown; an increase in spin rate was significantly associated with a decrease in batting average for sliders thrown, but not for curveballs. The results of this study can be used by coaches as they prepare for games to enable the most favorable matchup between batter and pitcher. Future research should expand the timeline to include multiple MLB seasons to further corroborate these findings

From Mantle to Motzfeldt : a genetic model for syenite-hosted Ta,Nb-mineralisation

This research summarises many years of field and lab studies on the area, but the most recent work (2016) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 689909).A genetic model for the Motzfeldt Tantalum-Niobium-rich syenite in south-west Greenland, considered to be one of the world’s largest Ta prospects, is presented. The Motzfeldt primary magma formed early in regional Gardar (1273 ± 6 Ma) rifting. Isotope signatures indicate that the Hf had multiple sources involving juvenile Gardar Hf mixed with older (Palaeoproterozoic or Archaean) Hf. We infer that other High Field Strength Elements (HFSE) similarly had multiple sources. The magma differentiated in the crust and ascended before emplacement at the regional unconformity between Ketilidian basement and Eriksfjord supracrustals. The HFSE-rich magmas crystallised Ta-rich pyrochlore which formed pyrochlore-rich crystal mushes, and it is these pyrochlore-rich horizons, rich in Ta and Nb, that are the focus of exploration. The roof zone chilled and repeated sheeting at the roof provided a complex suite of cross-cutting syenite variants, including pyrochlore microsyenite, in a ‘Hot Sheeted Roof’ model. The area was subject to hydrothermal alteration which recrystallized alkali feldspar to coarse perthite and modified the mafic minerals to hematite, creating the friable and striking pink-nature of the Motzfeldt Sø Centre. Carbon and oxygen isotope investigation of carbonate constrains fluid evolution and shows that carbonate is primarily mantle-derived but late-stage hydrothermal alteration moved the oxygen isotopes towards more positive values (up to 21‰). The hydrothermal fluid was exceptionally fluorine-rich and mobilised many elements including U and Pb but did not transport HFSE such as Ta, Hf and Nb. Although the U and Pb content of the pyrochlore was enhanced by the fluid, the HFSE contents remained unchanged and therefore Hf isotopes were unaffected by fluid interaction. While the effect on hydrothermal alteration on the visual appearance of the rock is striking, magmatic processes concentrated HFSE including Ta and the hydrothermal phase has not altered the grade. Exploration for HFSE mineralisation commonly relies on airborne radiometric surveying which is particularly sensitive to the presence of U, Th. A crucial lesson from Motzfeldt is that the best target is unaltered pyrochlore which was identified less easily by radiometric survey. Careful petrological/mineral studies are necessary before airborne survey data can be fully interpreted.PreprintPostprintPeer reviewe

Estrogen/progesterone Receptor and HER2 Discordance Between Primary Tumor and Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer and Its Effect on Treatment and Survival

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer treatment is based on estrogen receptors (ERs), progesterone receptors (PRs), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). At the time of metastasis, receptor status can be discordant from that at initial diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of discordance and its effect on survival and subsequent treatment in patients with breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM). METHODS: A retrospective database of 316 patients who underwent craniotomy for BCBM between 2006 and 2017 was created. Discordance was considered present if the ER, PR, or HER2 status differed between the primary tumor and the BCBM. RESULTS: The overall receptor discordance rate was 132/316 (42%), and the subtype discordance rate was 100/316 (32%). Hormone receptors (HR, either ER or PR) were gained in 40/160 (25%) patients with HR-negative primary tumors. HER2 was gained in 22/173 (13%) patients with HER2-negative primary tumors. Subsequent treatment was not adjusted for most patients who gained receptors-nonetheless, median survival (MS) improved but did not reach statistical significance (HR, 17-28 mo, P = 0.12; HER2, 15-19 mo, P = 0.39). MS for patients who lost receptors was worse (HR, 27-18 mo, P = 0.02; HER2, 30-18 mo, P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Receptor discordance between primary tumor and BCBM is common, adversely affects survival if receptors are lost, and represents a missed opportunity for use of effective treatments if receptors are gained. Receptor analysis of BCBM is indicated when clinically appropriate. Treatment should be adjusted accordingly. KEY POINTS: 1. Receptor discordance alters subtype in 32% of BCBM patients.2. The frequency of receptor gain for HR and HER2 was 25% and 13%, respectively.3. If receptors are lost, survival suffers. If receptors are gained, consider targeted treatment

Provincial and regional geochemical studies in Zambia

Imperial Users onl

Blast from the Past, the Late Show of Norfolk: Researching and Understanding Local LGBTQ+ Space

Queer spaces are immensely important as they offer a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to decompress from heteronormative society. In the fall 2018 I conducted research on the Late Show, a local LGBTQ after hours club that operated in the 1990’s era. The research process primarily included conducting archival research in Our Own, Norfolk’s gay newspaper from 1976-1998, and collecting personal experiences from those that attended the Late Show during its run. This presentation will explore the importance of the Late Show as part of local LGBTQ+ history and examine the differences between traditional research, and the research I conducted for the Queer Walking Tour of Norfolk, a project that works to preserve local queer history by uncovering historic queer spaces