Statistical Methods for Assessing Individual Oocyte Viability Through Gene Expression Profiles

In vivo derived oocytes are held as the gold standard for viability, other known origination methods are sub-par by comparison. Due to the low-viability of oocytes originating from these alternate methods, research was conducted to determine and quantify the validity of these alternate origination methods. However, the larger question of viability is on the individual oocyte level. We propose and compare methods of measurement based on gene expression profiles (GEPs) in order to assess oocyte viability, independent of oocyte origin. The first is based on a previously published wRMSD quantification of GEP differences. We also consider three novel methods: a distance comparison method, a tolerance interval method, and a classification-tree decision method; each utilizes a variable selection technique that focuses on the most differentially expressed genes. In our project, we obtain GEPs of individual swine oocytes and a general GEP distribution for in vivo oocytes. This distribution was the comparison standard for all oocytes, to gain a classification of viability. Each method is a valid method for driving viability decisions of the individual oocytes

Ground State Energy of the One-Dimensional Discrete Random Schr\"{o}dinger Operator with Bernoulli Potential

In this paper, we show the that the ground state energy of the one dimensional Discrete Random Schroedinger Operator with Bernoulli Potential is controlled asymptotically as the system size N goes to infinity by the random variable \ell_N, the length the longest consecutive sequence of sites on the lattice with potential equal to zero. Specifically, we will show that for almost every realization of the potential the ground state energy behaves asymptotically as $\frac{\pi^2}{\ell_N+1)^2}$ in the sense that the ratio of the quantities goes to one

Mental Health Stigma - Impact and Interventions

Research shows that negative stereotyping leads to social stigmatization of those with mental illness resulting in self-stigmatization, lower self-esteem, diminished self-efficacy, and limited access to social support and mental health services for those with mental illness. Few studies have been conducted to identify who is most predisposed to be supportive of those with mental illness and who may be willing to advocate for greater access to services. The purpose of this study is to clarify who is most open to support and advocate for those with mental illness. Responses from a sample of 48 volunteer college students to a researcher-developed survey of attitudes towards mental illness were analyzed to determine which demographic factors were related to more accepting attitudes of those with mental illness. Results yielded significant main effects for gender F (1, 47) = 5.49, p \u3c .05, and for those who have a relative with a mental illness, F (1, 47) = 17.82, p \u3c .01. Results suggest that females and relatives of those with mental illness are more accepting and could be targeted to help reduce mental health stigma by advocating for, and serving as allies to, those with mental illnesses

Updating the Kentucky Contract Time Determination System

The Federal Highway Administration requires State Transportation Agencies to have a formal method to estimate contract time for highway construction projects. To meet this requirement many states use an integrated scheduling system to estimate project durations based on assumed productivity rates and generic job logic. The current work investigated the accuracy of two of these systems found that both systems accuracy in predicting the duration of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet projects was greater than +200%. In response to this poor accuracy, a parametric project duration estimating tool was developed based on a multivariate regression analysis of bid item quantities and engineering and construction estimate. Five regression models were develop to estimate contract time for large projects (great than $1,000,000) based on key bid item quantities; limited access (+22$1,000,000) as it appears that the duration of small projects is determined by factors outside of bid item quantities

Variations in strength-speed-power performance across the season: Do true changes occur in elite rugby players?

This study aimed to determine, through the use of a highly sensitive statistical tool, whether real changes in performance were present; and compare the rates of meaningful variations in strength, speed, and power parameters at different time-points during the competitive season in national team rugby players. Thirty-two players were assessed 5 times across the season using the following tests: squat jump and countermovement jump tests; 30-m sprint velocity; and one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the half-squat and bench-press exercises. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to test for differences between successive time-points. Individual coefficients of variation values were used to set target scores for post-measurements and examine whether changes in performance parameters were greater than the natural test variance, thus providing an indication of whether “true changes” occurred. No significant changes were detected in the vertical jump height, 1RM measures, and sprint velocity and momentum throughout the 11-month period (P \u3e 0.05). True changes occurred much more frequently for strength-power measures than for sprint velocity and momentum. Elite rugby union players did not exhibit significant variations in neuromuscular performance across the competitive period, when a group-based analysis was conducted. However, at the individual level, “true changes” in strength-power-(but not in speed-) related qualities were consistently observed over the competitive season