The Benefits of Intramural Sports on College Students at The University of Rhode Island

Intramural Sports is a great pastime for college students across the country. It gives college students an opportunity to stay active and socialize with peers in a healthy way. Some first- year students come to college after active athletic participation in high school. Intramural Sports gives students the opportunity to continue being involved in a sport they are passionate about while increasing their sense of belonging with their university. The University of Rhode Island (URI) runs a very successful Intramural Sports program in which over 2,200 students participate. Participants range from first year students to graduate students and even faculty at the university. Sports offered include flag football, soccer, basketball, sand volleyball, cornhole, badminton and many more. I have been involved in URI’s program firsthand by participating in the sports and helping to facilitate scheduled offerings. In these experiences, it was evident how positively Intramural Sports was impacting the participants. As a result, I wanted to find out exactly what student participants at URI were taking away from the program. I conducted participant surveys that gave me direct insight into the benefits and challenges of existing programming. I am using this feedback to help URI staff learn how we can improve the program and to expand our offerings based on student interest

Frequency domain identification of structural models from earthquake records

The usefulness of simple linear mathematical models for representing the behaviour of tall buildings during earthquake response is investigated for a variety of structures over a range of motions including the onset of structural damage. The linear models which best reproduce the measured response of the structures are determined from the recorded earthquake motions. In order to improve upon unsatisfactory results obtained by methods using transfer functions, a systematic frequency domain identification technique is developed to determine the optimal models. The periods, dampings and participation factors are estimated for the structural modes which are dominant in the measured response. The identification is performed by finding the values of the modal parameters which produce a least-squares match over a specified frequency range between the unsmoothed, complex-valued, finite Fourier transform of the acceleration response recorded in the structure and that calculated for the model. It is possible to identify a single linear model appropriate for the entire response, or to approximate the nonlinear behavior exhibited by some structures with a series of models optimal for different segments of the response. The investigation considered the earthquake records obtained in ten structures ranging in height from seven to forty-two stories. Most of the records were from the San Fernando earthquake. For two of these structures, smaller-amplitude records from more distant earthquakes were also analyzed. The maximum response amplitudes ranged from approximately 0.025 g to 0.40g. The very small amplitude responses were reproduced well by linear models with fundamental periods similar to those measured in vibration tests. Most of the San Fernando responses in which no structural damage occurred (typically 0.2g-0.3g maximum accelerations) were also matched closely by linear models. However, the effective fundamental periods in these responses were characteristically 50 percent longer than in vibration tests. The average first mode damping identified from these records was about 5 percent of critical. Only those motions which produced structural damage could not be represented satisfactorily by time-invariant linear models. Segment-by-segment analysis of these records revealed effective periods of two to three times the vibration test values with fundamental mode dampings of 15 to 20 percent. The systematic identification technique generally achieves better matches of the recorded responses than those produced by models derived by trial-and-error methods, and consequently more reliable estimates of the modal parameters. The close reproductions of the measured motions confirm the accuracy of linear models with only a few modes for representing the behaviour during earthquake response of tall buildings in which no structural damage occurs

High speed data transmission over HF radio links

The thesis describes the results of research work on techniques for high speed data transmission (2.4 kbit/s) over voice-band HF radio channels. This work has been carried out using extensive computer simulation of the various transmission techniques and the HF radio channels. Firstly, the characteristics of HF radio channels are discussed in detail and an HF channel model, suitable for computer simulation, is developed. The first of two techniques for high data rate transmission over HF links is then introduced, namely, multi-channel (or parallel) DPSK transmission. Parallel transmission is a well known technique in this application but it has been studied and simulated, in order to compare its performance with that of the second, more novel, transmission technique. This is a single channel system employing 4 point QAM signalling at the transmitter and maximum likelihood detection at the receiver. Initially, the parallel system is compared with an idealised serial system employing optimum Viterbi detection at the receiver with all other functions of the serial function assumed perfect. However, having shown the vastly superior performance of this serial system, a more practical serial modem is gradually developed, with further performance comparisons at each stage in this development. The final comparison is made with a very practical form of serial modem in which all practical receiver functions are simulated. Theseinclude a simpler, adaptive near maximum likelihood detector, receiver filtering, channel estimator, carrier phase tracking, timing synchronisation and automatic gain control. Finally, the design and implementation of the serial modem is studied and details of the complexity of a digital, processor-based, realisation are given

Iodinated contrast media and cerebral hemorrhage after intravenous thrombolysis

<p>Background and Purpose: Iodinated contrast is increasingly used in CT perfusion or angiographic examinations in acute stroke. Increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) complicating microcatheter contrast injections has recently been reported in the second Interventional Management of Stroke (IMS 2) trial with contrast toxicity potentially contributory.</p> <p>Methods: We reviewed clinical and radiological data on all patients treated with intravenous alteplase at a single center between May 2003 and November 2008.</p> <p>Results: Of 312 patients treated with intravenous alteplase, 69 (22.1%) received intravenous iodinated contrast in volumes between 50 and 150 mL. Incidence of symptomatic ICH defined as per European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study 2 was 16 of 312 (5.1%; 95% CI, 2.7% to 7.6%); among patients not given contrast, it was 12 of 243 (4.9%; 2.2% to 7.7%) compared with 4 of 69 (5.8%; 0.3% to 11.3%) in those given contrast. Incidence of symptomatic ICH defined as per Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-MOnitoring Study (SITS-MOST) criteria was 12 of 312 (3.9%; 1.7% to 6%), 9 of 243 (3.7%; 1.3% to 6%) among those not given contrast, and 3 of 69 (4.4%; 95% CI, -0.5% to 9.2%) among those given contrast. Patients with symptomatic ICH were older, had higher pretreatment National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and blood glucose than those without symptomatic ICH. In logistic regression analysis, pretreatment blood glucose was the only significant predictor of symptomatic ICH by either definition (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.48 per mmol/L increment; P=0.024). Contrast administration or dose was not associated with symptomatic ICH.</p> <p>Conclusions: Intravenous iodinated contrast in doses typically required for CT angiography and perfusion imaging was not associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in patients treated with alteplase.</p&gt

Multimodal CT imaging in acute ischemic stroke

Introduction: Options for imaging in acute stroke are expanding with the potential to select therapy based on imaging targets, as well as providing additional diagnostic and prognostic information. Multimodal CT has been used to image the ischemic penumbra, infarct core, and to detect leptomeningeal collateral flow although the optimum way to image these variables is not clear. Methods: In addition to a systematic literature review of imaging for leptomeningeal collaterals, Data from observational studies of acute stroke which employed multimodal CT imaging on admission and follow up was used to evaluate feasibility of acute stroke imaging with CT and MRI, Perfusion thresholds for core and ischemic penumbra, methods to quantify leptomeningeal collateral flow and sensitivity of non contrast CT for detecting infarct core pixels. Results: Advanced imaging in acute stroke and at follow up was more feasible with CT compared to MRI with the possible suggestion that imaging with MRI alone could introduce a bias regarding age and clinical severity for patients entered into clinical studies Heterogeneity in grading and detecting collateral flow was found in the literature providing an opportunity to devise a novel assessment method. Well developed collaterals were associated with imaging and clinical markers for good outcome as well as some potential biomarkers including atrial fibrillation and blood fibrinogen level. Relative cerebral blood flow and delay time were found to be the best predictors on infarct core and ischemic penumbra after derivation of optimum perfusion thresholds and subsequent validation in independent patient groups. Pixel based comparison of infarct core on CT perfusion and non contrast CT highlighted the lack of sensitivity of CT for detecting infarct core based on Hounsfield unit value alone. Conclusion: Multimodal CT for acute stroke assessment offers the potential for measuring infarct core, ischemic penumbra and leptomeningeal collateral flow status rapidly according to novel grading scales and thresholds and provides information on tissue viability which cannot be detected on non-contrast CT. Further evaluation on the impact additional imaging should have in clinical practice is needed

Direct grafting of tetraaniline via perfluorophenylazide photochemistry to create antifouling, low bio-adhesion surfaces.

Conjugated polyaniline has shown anticorrosive, hydrophilic, antibacterial, pH-responsive, and pseudocapacitive properties making it of interest in many fields. However, in situ grafting of polyaniline without harsh chemical treatments is challenging. In this study, we report a simple, fast, and non-destructive surface modification method for grafting tetraaniline (TANI), the smallest conjugated repeat unit of polyaniline, onto several materials via perfluorophenylazide photochemistry. The new materials are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectroscopy. TANI is shown to be covalently bonded to important carbon materials including graphite, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, large area modifications on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films through dip-coating or spray-coating demonstrate the potential applicability in biomedical applications where high transparency, patternability, and low bio-adhesion are needed. Another important application is preventing biofouling in membranes for water purification. Here we report the first oligoaniline grafted water filtration membranes by modifying commercially available polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The modified membranes are hydrophilic as demonstrated by captive bubble experiments and exhibit extraordinarily low bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Escherichia coli adhesions. Superior membrane performance in terms of flux, BSA rejection and flux recovery after biofouling are demonstrated using a cross-flow system and dead-end cells, showing excellent fouling resistance produced by the in situ modification