Reliability of muscle fiber conduction velocity in the tibialis anterior

This document could not have been completed without the hard work of a number of individuals. First and foremost, my supervisor, Dr. David Gabriel deserves the utmost recognition for the immense effort and time spent guiding the production of this document through the various stages of completion. Also, aiding in the data collection, technical support, and general thought processing were Lab Technician Greig Inglis and fellow members of the Electromyographic Kinesiology Laboratory Jon Howard, Sean Lenhardt, Lara Robbins, and Corrine Davies-Schinkel. The input of Drs. Ted Clancy, Phil Sullivan and external examiner Dr. Anita Christie, all members ofthe assessment committee, was incredibly important and vital to the completion of this work. Their expertise provided a strong source of knowledge and went to ensure that this project was completed at exemplary level. There were a number of other individuals who were an immense help in getting this project off the ground and completed. The donation of their time and efforts was very generous and much needed in order to fulfill the requirements needed for completion of this study. Finally, I cannot exclude the contributions of my family throughout this project especially that of my parents whose support never wavers

Air Pollution in the Valparaiso Area

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) and particulate matter (PM) have been serious air pollution concerns around the world, particularly where industries and high volume traffic is present. These pollutants have been shown to have a negative effect on most living organisms, which is why they are regulated in many countries. To determine the air quality in the Valparaiso area, an experimental plan was conducted to determine the amount and type of these pollutants in the air. One of the project goals was to measure and compare indoor vs outdoor pollution. Another was to observe and assess weather effects on outdoor air pollution. Various locations around Valparaiso University campus and in the surrounding geographical area were chosen to analyze VOCs and PM. VOC testing was conducted using a solid phase microextraction fiber (SPME) to passively collect air pollutants. For PM, a MIE pDR-1500 active personal particulate monitor was used to actively draw in air and measure the concentration of particulate matter. A filter paper was used in the personal particulate monitor to collect the actual particulates. The instrument was run with both no filter, to determine total PM, and an adapter to select for PM 2.5 microns or lower. The SPME fibers were analyzed using a gas chromatographer - mass spectrometer (GCMS) to help determine the volatile or semi-volatile compounds present in the air. The collected data shows many differences between indoor and outdoor air

How Adolescent-Parent Relationships Effect Adolescent Religiosity

The relationship between adolescents and their parents has a significant impact on their positive development into adulthood. This study analyzes data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) in order to determine if an adolescent’s relationship with his or her parents has an impact on the religiosity of adolescents between the ages of 17-24 years old. This study distinguished the difference between religiosity and spirituality. Religiosity involves a relationship with a particular institutionalized doctrine about a supernatural power; a relationship that occurs through affiliation with an organized faith and participation in its prescribed rituals (Reich, Oser, & Scarlett, 1999). This is opposed to spirituality, which is a more general way of thinking about a higher being or purpose without the affiliation of an organized doctrine or faith. The study is framed by James Fowler’s faith development theory (Fowler, 1984), which contends that religion can be an important aspect of positive youth development for older adolescents. The theory supposes that the more autonomous a person grows in their faith the less influence others have on their faith development. Utilizing the NSYR, adolescent-parent relationships were measured using 12 indicators from the NSYR, such as “how close do you feel to your mother?” or “how often do you talk to your father?” Adolescent religiosity was also measured using 12 indicators from the NSYR, such as “how important is religious faith in shaping how you live your daily life?” or “how often do you pray by yourself alone?” Exploratory factor analysis reveled two major factors describing adolescent religiosity: adolescent religious importance and adolescent respect for religion. The EFA also revealed three factors for adolescent-parent relationships: mother-adolescent relationships, father-adolescent relationships, and parental visitation. These factors were tested against the two factors of adolescent religiosity to determine the effect of adolescent-parent relationships on adolescent religiosity. While parental visitation did not have a significant effect on adolescent religiosity, the study determined that adolescent-parent relationships have a positive effect on adolescent religiosity of adolescents 17-24 years old. The closer an adolescent of this age is to their parents the more likely they are to have respect for religion and find it important. However, adolescent-parent relationships are not the only indicators of adolescent religiosity. Faith development theory states that as adolescents grow they begin to think abstractly. This growth allows them to make their own decisions on abstract subjects such as religious belief (King & Roeser, 2009). Further research can explore other impacts on adolescent religiosity from ages 17-24 and examine how abstract thought impacts religious development. The findings in this study provide researchers and practitioners a glimpse into the influences of religion on older adolescents. This presentation will shine a light on these influences and suggest ways that these findings can be implemented into practice

World Englishes: Practical Implications for Teaching and Research

With the emergence of World Englishes (WE) and the continuous flow of international students into universities in the United States, issues surrounding the tolerance and acceptance of varieties of English, the notion of standards, and the concept of nativeness all come to the forefront of research and pedagogy. Since English is the dominant language of international academic publication and since it has been adapted and adopted by a number of countries for various instrumental, institutional, innovative/imaginative, and interpersonal functions (Kachru, 1984), it is essential for teachers and administrators to be aware of the pluricentricity of English and their students’ different sociolinguistic backgrounds as outlined in the WE paradigm (Kachru, Kachru, & Nelson, 2006). A key characteristic of the WE paradigm is the Concentric Circles model in which the world is divided into three circles that describe the spread of English in the world according to users, “patterns of acquisition, and the functional domains in which English is used across cultures and languages” (Kachru, 1985, p. 12). The three circles are the Inner Circle where English is the native language (e.g., the U.S. and the U.K.); the Outer Circle where English became an official/second language as a result of colonialization (e.g., India and South Africa); and the Expanding Circle where English is taught as a foreign language (e.g., France, Russia, and China). Another element of WE research includes the issues of nativeness and standards. “Who is a native speaker?” and “which standard should we teach?” are two questions that have been debated for the past 60 years. This paper addresses these issues in the classroom and beyond. It contextualizes and identifies the problem with English as a Second Language (ESL) composition classes in the Inner Circle context, specifically the U.S., and examines several methods for incorporating a WE perspective into an ESL composition program. It also challenges English language teacher requirements and an international publication culture that follows Inner Circle standards

Air Pollution in the Valparaiso Area

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) and particulate matter (PM) have been serious air pollution concerns around the world, particularly where industries and high volume traffic is present. These pollutants have been shown to have a negative effect on most living organisms, which is why they are regulated in many countries. To determine the air quality in the Valparaiso area, an experimental plan was conducted to determine the amount and type of these pollutants in the air. One of the project goals was to measure and compare indoor vs outdoor pollution. Another was to observe and assess weather effects on outdoor air pollution. Various locations around Valparaiso University campus and in the surrounding geographical area were chosen to analyze VOCs and PM. VOC testing was conducted using a solid phase microextraction fiber (SPME) to passively collect air pollutants. For PM, a MIE pDR-1500 active personal particulate monitor was used to actively draw in air and measure the concentration of particulate matter. A filter paper was used in the personal particulate monitor to collect the actual particulates. The instrument was run with both no filter, to determine total PM, and an adapter to select for PM 2.5 microns or lower. The SPME fibers were analyzed using a gas chromatographer - mass spectrometer (GCMS) to help determine the volatile or semi-volatile compounds present in the air. The collected data shows many differences between indoor and outdoor air

The origin of HIMU in the SW Pacific : evidence from intraplate volcanism in southern New Zealand and subantarctic islands

Author Posting. © The Author, 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Oxford University Press for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Petrology 27 (2006): 1673-1704, doi:10.1093/petrology/egl024.This paper presents field, geochemical and isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) results on basalts from the Antipodes, Campbell and Chatham Islands, New Zealand. New 40Ar/39Ar age determinations along with previous K-Ar dates reveal three major episodes of volcanic activity on Chatham Island (85-82, 41-35, ~5 Ma). Chatham and Antipodes samples comprise basanite, alkali and transitional basalts that have HIMU-like isotopic (206Pb/204Pb >20.3-20.8, 87Sr/86Sr 0.5128) and trace element affinities (Ce/Pb 28-36, Nb/U 34-66, Ba/Nb 4-7). The geochemistry of transitional to Q-normative samples from Campbell Island is explained by interaction with continental crust. The volcanism is part of a long-lived (~100 Myr), low-volume, diffuse alkaline magmatic province that includes deposits on the North and South Islands as well as portions of West Antarctica and SE Australia. All of the continental areas were juxtaposed on the eastern margin of Gondwanaland at >83 Ma. A ubiquitous feature of mafic alkaline rocks from this region is their depletion in K and Pb relative to other highly incompatible elements when normalized to primitive mantle values. The inversion of trace element data indicates enriched mantle sources that contain variable proportions of hydrous minerals. We propose that the mantle sources represent continental lithosphere that host amphibole/phlogopite-rich veins formed by plume and/or subduction related metasomatism between 500 and 100 Ma. The strong HIMU signature (206Pb/204Pb >20.5) is considered to be an in-grown feature generated by partial-dehydration and loss of hydrophile elements (Pb, Rb, K) relative to more magmaphile elements (Th, U, Sr) during short-term storage at the base of the lithosphere.This study was supported by National Science Foundation Grants OPP-9419686 and OPP-0003702 awarded to KSP

Alkenones as a promising green alternative for waxes in cosmetics and personal care products

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Cosmetics 5 (2018): 34, doi:10.3390/cosmetics5020034.The move toward green, sustainable, natural products has been growing in the cosmetic and personal care industry. Ingredients derived from marine organisms and algae are present in many cosmetic products. In this study, a new green ingredient, a wax (i.e., long-chain alkenones) derived from Isochyrsis sp., was evaluated as an alternative for cosmetic waxes. First, the melting point was determined (71.1–77.4 °C), then the alkenones’ thickening capability in five emollients was evaluated and compared to microcrystalline wax and ozokerite. Alkenones were compatible with three emollients and thickened the emollients similarly to the other waxes. Then, lipsticks and lip balms were formulated with and without alkenones. All products remained stable at room temperature for 10 weeks. Lipstick formulated with alkenones was the most resistant to high temperature. Finally, alkenones were compared to three cosmetic thickening waxes in creams. Viscosity, rheology, and stability of the creams were evaluated. All creams had a gel-like behavior. Both viscosity and storage modulus increased in the same order: cream with alkenones < cetyl alcohol < stearic acid < glyceryl monostearate. Overall, alkenones’ performance was comparable to the other three waxes. Alkenones can thus offer a potential green choice as a new cosmetic structuring agent.This research was funded by the Washington Research Foundation and a private donor from friends of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, grant number N-126478

Oral and dermal toxicity of alkenones extracted from Isochrysis species

Author Posting. © Bioscience Research Institute, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of Bioscience Research Institute for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in McIntosh, K., Sarver, J., Mell, K., Terrero, D. J., Ashby, C. R., Reddy, C., O’Neil, G., Ramapuram, J. B., & Tiwari, A. K. Oral and dermal toxicity of alkenones extracted from Isochrysis species. Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark, 25(5), (2020): 817–837, https://doi.org/10.2741/4836.Isochrysis is commercially available marine algae used for animal feed, human nutrient supplements, and biodiesel. The Isochrysis species is one of five genera of haptophytes that produces unique, long-chain lipids known as alkenones that are promising new ingredients for green cosmetics, personal care products and pharmaceutical delivery. However, there is a lack of toxicity data for alkenones in animals, thus limiting their use in humans. In this study, we performed acute oral, acute dermal, and repeated 28-day dermal toxicity studies, using female SAS Sprague Dawley Rats. Our behavioral studies indicated that the specific alkenones had no overt behavioural effects at oral doses up to 4000 mg/kg. In the acute and chronic dermal toxicity studies, the alkenones produced less irritation and did not significantly damage the skin based on the Draize skin reaction scale and trans-epidermal water loss readings compared to the positive control, 1% sodium lauryl sulfate. Overall, our results indicated that alkenones are safe in Sprague Dawley rats, suggesting that they could be used for both oral and dermal formulations, although additional studies will be required.This work was supported by the Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) under grant (N-126665-01, 2017), Washington Research Foundation, and University of Toledo start-up funding under a grant (F110760) to A.K.T. The authors declare no conflict of interest

Optically-passive spirals: The missing link in gradual star formation suppression upon cluster infall

Galaxies migrate from the blue cloud to the red sequence when their star formation is quenched. Here, we report on galaxies quenched by environmental effects and not by mergers or strong AGN as often invoked: They form stars at a reduced rate which is optically even less conspicuous, and manifest a transition population of blue spirals evolving into S0 galaxies. These 'optically passive' or 'red spirals' are found in large numbers in the STAGES project (and by Galaxy Zoo) in the infall region of clusters and groups.Comment: Proceedings of "The Starburst-AGN connection" conference held in Shanghai, Oct 27-31, 200