Production & analysis of dance costumes

Using Gerber AccuMark Pattern Design Software, I have designed a jazz dance costume. The costume, which will be showcased in the Dance Department\u27s Annual Undergraduate Senior Projects Concert, is based upon the basic leotard and follows the history of jazz dance aesthetics. I experienced the entire production process, from creating the design to sewing the final products together. Although specifically made for the Senior Projects Concert, this dance costume could be sold to any jazz, lyrical, or contemporary dancer in any size or color(s)

Technology : The Positive And Negative Effects On Student Achievement

Technology is the technical means people use to improve their surroundings. People use technology to improve their ability to do work. Classrooms around the world have implemented many forms of technology to enhance student interest and achievement. One form of technology that is common to math classrooms is the graphing calculator. One eighth grade math class of nineteen students from an urban middle school was taught a unit on Solving Systems of Equations by Graphing. The unit was implemented with and without the use of the graphing calculator. Students were first introduced to the unit through the use of pencils and graph paper. All the graphing was done by hand and students had to determine the solutions of the systems of equations by proper graphing techniques. The students were then tested at the end of the unit. Students were then given the same unit but were now able to use the graphing calculator as a means to enhance their learning of Solving Systems of Equations through graphing. Students were then tested again but this time they were able to use the graphing calculator during the test. Student achievement for the unit had risen and grades on the assessments had increased due to the presence of technology. Student engagement and interest had also increased due to the presence of technology

Draft Genome Sequence of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens Strain UCD-AKU (Phylum Actinobacteria).

Here we present the draft genome of an actinobacterium, Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens strain UCD-AKU, isolated from a residential carpet. The genome assembly contains 3,692,614 bp in 130 contigs. This is the first member of the Curtobacterium genus to be sequenced

Perceptions on artificial intelligence-based decision making for coexisting multiple long-term health conditions: A protocol for a qualitative study with patients and healthcare professionals

IntroductionCoexisting multiple health conditions is common among older people, a population that is increasing globally. The potential for polypharmacy, adverse events, drug interactions and causing additional health conditions complicates prescribing decisions for these patients. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated decision-making tools may help guide clinical decisions in the context of multiple health conditions, by determining which of multiple medication options is best. This study aims to explore the perceptions of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients on the use of AI in the management of multiple health conditions.Methods and analysis A qualitative study will be conducted using semi-structured interviews. Adults (≥18 years) with multiple health conditions living in the West Midlands of England and HCPs with experience in caring for patients with multiple health conditions will be eligible and purposively sampled. Patients will be identified from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum; CPRD will contact general practitioners who will in turn, send a letter to patients inviting them to take part. Eligible HCPs will be recruited through British healthcare professional bodies and known contacts. Up to 30 patients and 30 HCPs will be recruited, until data saturation is achieved. Interviews will be in-person or virtual, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The topic guide was designed to explore participants’ attitudes towards AI-informed clinical decision-making to augment clinician-directed decision-making, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of both methods and attitudes toward risk management. Case vignettes comprising a common decision pathway for patients with multiple health conditions will be presented during each interview to invite participants’ opinions on how their experiences compare. Data will be analysed thematically using the Framework method.Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the National Health Service Research Ethics Committee (Reference: 22/SC/0210). Written informed consent or verbal consent will be obtained prior to each interview. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer- reviewed publications, conferences and lay summaries.<br/

Integrating “Big Data” into Aquatic Ecology: Challenges and Opportunities

Got “Big Data”? Not sure how best to use it? Big Data is becoming an important facet of aquatic ecology, and researchers must learn to harness it to reap the rewards of using it. The benefits of using Big Data are many, and include advancements in scientific understanding at larger scales and higher resolution, applications to improving environmental management and policy, and public engagement. We aim to demystify the use of Big Data for individual scientists, and provide some food for thought for the aquatic ecology community on how to develop this sphere. To achieve this, we highlight six key challenges: (1) how to recognize if you have Big Data, (2) handling Big Data, (3) issues with classical analytical techniques, (4) verification of Big Data, (5) considerations for data sharing, and (6) community development of knowledge infrastructures. We then present approaches and tools which have been successfully applied to these challenges in aquatic ecology and other scientific fields

Neuronal intermediate filament IgGs in CSF: Autoimmune Axonopathy Biomarkers

Objectives: To describe CSF-defined neuronal intermediate filament (NIF) autoimmunity. Methods: NIF-IgG CSF-positive patients (41, 0.03% of 118599 tested, 1996-2019) were included (serum was neither sensitive nor specific). Criteria-based patient NIF-IgG staining of brain and myenteric NIFs was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA); NIF-specificity was confirmed by cell-based assays (CBAs, alpha internexin, neurofilament light [NF-L]), heavy-[NF-H] chain). Results: Sixty-one percent of 41 patients were men, median age, 61 years (range, 21-88). Syndromes were encephalopathy predominant (23), cerebellar ataxia predominant (11), or myeloradiculoneuropathies (7). MRI abnormalities (T2 hyperintensities of brain, spinal cord white matter tracts. and peripheral nerve axons) and neurophysiologic testing (EEG, EMG, evoked potentials) co-localized with clinical neurological phenotypes (multifocal in 29%). Thirty patients (73%) had 65 1 immunological perturbation: cancer (paraneoplastic), 22; systemic infection (parainfectious [including ehrlichosis, 3] or HIV), 7; checkpoint-inhibitor cancer immunotherapy, 4; other, 5. Cancers were as follows: neuroendocrine-lineage carcinomas, 12 (small cell, 6; Merkel cell, 5; pancreatic, 1 [11/12 had NF-L-IgG detected, versus 8/29 others, P = 0.0005]) and other, 11. Onset was predominantly subacute (92%) and accompanied by inflammatory CSF (75%), and immunotherapy response (77%). In contrast, CSF controls (15684 total) demonstrated NIF-IgG negativity (100% of test validation controls), and low frequencies of autoimmune diagnoses (20% of consecutively referred clinical specimens) and neuroendocrine-lineage carcinoma diagnosis (3.1% vs. 30% of NIF cases), P &lt; 0.0001. Median NF-L protein concentration was higher in 8 NF-L-IgG-positive patients (median, 6718 ng/L) than 16 controls. Interpretation: Neurological autoimmunity, defined by CSF-detected NIF-IgGs, represents a continuum of treatable axonopathies, sometimes paraneoplastic or parainfectious

Comparison of Assertive Community Treatment Fidelity Assessment Methods: Reliability and Validity

Assertive community treatment is known for improving consumer outcomes, but is difficult to implement. On-site fidelity measurement can help ensure model adherence, but is costly in large systems. This study compared reliability and validity of three methods of fidelity assessment (on-site, phone-administered, and expert-scored self-report) using a stratified random sample of 32 mental health intensive case management teams from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Overall, phone, and to a lesser extent, expert-scored self-report fidelity assessments compared favorably to on-site methods in inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity. If used appropriately, these alternative protocols hold promise in monitoring large-scale program fidelity with limited resources

Special topic: The association between pulse ingredients and canine dilated cardiomyopathy: addressing the knowledge gaps before establishing causation.

In July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration warned about a possible relationship between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs and the consumption of dog food formulated with potatoes and pulse ingredients. This issue may impede utilization of pulse ingredients in dog food or consideration of alternative proteins. Pulse ingredients have been used in the pet food industry for over 2 decades and represent a valuable source of protein to compliment animal-based ingredients. Moreover, individual ingredients used in commercial foods do not represent the final nutrient concentration of the complete diet. Thus, nutritionists formulating dog food must balance complementary ingredients to fulfill the animal's nutrient needs in the final diet. There are multiple factors that should be considered, including differences in nutrient digestibility and overall bioavailability, the fermentability and quantity of fiber, and interactions among food constituents that can increase the risk of DCM development. Taurine is a dispensable amino acid that has been linked to DCM in dogs. As such, adequate supply of taurine and/or precursors for taurine synthesis plays an important role in preventing DCM. However, requirements of amino acids in dogs are not well investigated and are presented in total dietary content basis which does not account for bioavailability or digestibility. Similarly, any nutrient (e.g., soluble and fermentable fiber) or physiological condition (e.g., size of the dog, sex, and age) that increases the requirement for taurine will also augment the possibility for DCM development. Dog food formulators should have a deep knowledge of processing methodologies and nutrient interactions beyond meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials nutrient profiles and should not carelessly follow unsubstantiated market trends. Vegetable ingredients, including pulses, are nutritious and can be used in combination with complementary ingredients to meet the nutritional needs of the dog

Positive mindset and exercise capacity in school-aged children and adolescents with congenital heart disease

IntroductionPatients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have variable degrees of peak oxygen consumption (VO2) that can be improved with supervised fitness training. The ability to exercise is affected by anatomy, hemodynamics, and motivation. Motivation is in part related to mindset, or personal attitudes and beliefs, and a more positive mindset around exercise has been associated with better outcomes. It is unknown whether variations in measured peak VO2 in patients with CHD are related to having a positive mindset.MethodsPatient's ages 8–17 years with CHD were administered quality of life and physical activity questionnaires at the time of their routine cardiopulmonary exercise test. Those with severe hemodynamic burden were excluded. Patients were grouped based on disease classification. Mindset was evaluated via validated questionnaires including a PROMIS Meaning and Purpose (MaP) survey and an Anxiety survey. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to estimate the magnitude of the association between percent predicted peak oxygen consumption (pppVO2) and questionnaire scores overall and within CHD subgroups.ResultsEighty-five patients participated; median age was 14.7 years, 53% were female, 66% had complex CHD, 20% had simple CHD, and 14% had single ventricle heart disease. Mean MaP scores were significantly lower in all CHD groups compared to population norms (p &lt; 0.001). As a group, MaP scores were positively associated with the amount of reported physical activity (p = 0.017). In patients with simple CHD, MaP scores were positively associated with pppVO2 (p = 0.015). The association was even stronger for MaP:Anxiety, with worse ratios associated with lower pppVO2 (p = 0.005). Patients with complex and single ventricle CHD did not show a similar association.ConclusionsPatients with CHD, regardless of severity, had lower meaning and purpose scores than the general population, and these scores were associated with amount of reported physical activity. In the simple CHD subset, having a more positive mindset was associated with higher peak VO2 and a more negative mindset with lower peak VO2. This relationship was not seen with more significant CHD. While underlying CHD diagnoses are not modifiable, mindset and peak VO2 are, and consideration should be given to measuring both as each may be a target for intervention

Phylogenetic Codivergence Supports Coevolution of Mimetic Heliconius Butterflies

The unpalatable and warning-patterned butterflies _Heliconius erato_ and _Heliconius melpomene_ provide the best studied example of mutualistic M&#xfc;llerian mimicry, thought &#x2013; but rarely demonstrated &#x2013; to promote coevolution. Some of the strongest available evidence for coevolution comes from phylogenetic codivergence, the parallel divergence of ecologically associated lineages. Early evolutionary reconstructions suggested codivergence between mimetic populations of _H. erato_ and _H. melpomene_, and this was initially hailed as the most striking known case of coevolution. However, subsequent molecular phylogenetic analyses found discrepancies in phylogenetic branching patterns and timing (topological and temporal incongruence) that argued against codivergence. We present the first explicit cophylogenetic test of codivergence between mimetic populations of _H. erato_ and _H. melpomene_, and re-examine the timing of these radiations. We find statistically significant topological congruence between multilocus coalescent population phylogenies of _H. erato_ and _H. melpomene_, supporting repeated codivergence of mimetic populations. Divergence time estimates, based on a Bayesian coalescent model, suggest that the evolutionary radiations of _H. erato_ and _H. melpomene_ occurred over the same time period, and are compatible with a series of temporally congruent codivergence events. This evidence supports a history of reciprocal coevolution between M&#xfc;llerian co-mimics characterised by phylogenetic codivergence and parallel phenotypic change