Exploring the Strength of Relationships between Group Exercise Instructors and Participants Through Social Media Outreach

Here at the University of Rhode Island, the department of Campus Recreation is a major component of student life on campus, offering substantial activities and employment opportunities that encourage students to get involved, in addition to increasing their overall physical and mental well-being. Campus Recreation hosts a wide variety of group exercise classes taught by students from within our facilities each week, including popular formats such as yoga and cycle. This project aims to strengthen the relationship between group exercise instructors and their participants by increasing opportunities for engagement both inside and outside the exercise studio. Campus Recreation social media accounts are responsible for posting announcements and promoting group exercise classes that encourage members to participate in Campus Rec affiliated activities. During the duration of this project, social media posts were curated in the form of Instagram posts, blogs, and a podcast episode devoted to the benefits of group exercise classes, encouraging those interested to participate. The goal was to increase member engagement and participation in group exercise classes, thus establishing a strong connection between group exercise instructors and their participants, creating a sense of community within URI Campus Rec. Results are analyzed in accordance with IMLeague statistics and responses from an administered survey

Onset of asymptotic scaling in deuteron photodisintegration

We investigate the transition from the nucleon-meson to the quark-gluon description of the strong interaction using the photon energy dependence of the d(γ,p)n differential cross section for photon energies above 0.5 GeV and center-of-mass proton angles between 30° and 150°. A possible signature for this transition is the onset of cross-section s-11 scaling with the total energy squared, s, at some proton transverse momentum PT. The results show that the scaling has been reached for proton transverse momentum above about 1.1  GeV/c. This may indicate that the quark-gluon regime is reached above this momentum

Determination of the prosumer's optimal bids

This paper considers a microgrid connected with a medium-voltage (MV) distribution network. It is assumed that the microgrid, which is managed by a prosumer, operates in a competitive environment and participates in the day-ahead market. Then, as the first step of the short-term management problem, the prosumer must determine the bids to be submitted to the market. The offer strategy is based on the application of an optimization model, which is solved for different hourly price profiles of energy exchanged with the main grid. The proposed procedure is applied to a microgrid and four different its configurations were analyzed. The configurations consider the presence of thermoelectric units that only produce electricity, a boiler or/and cogeneration power plants for the thermal loads, and an electric storage system. The numerical results confirmed the numerous theoretical considerations that have been made

Environmental Quality Index In Hospital Patient’s Rooms. Rapid assessment tool for the verification and design

The research proposes an environmental quality system assessment in hospital patient's rooms, based on a series of spreadsheets that define a global index, resulting from measurement of spatial, technological and perceptive parameters

Beneficial effects of fermented vegetal beverages on human gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem in a simulator

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of four beverage formulations (prebiotic - fructooligosaccharide, probiotic - Lactobacillus casei Lc-01, synbiotic - fructooligosaccharide and L. casei Lc-01 and placebo) based on aqueous extracts of soy and quinoa, towards the human intestinal microbiota using the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME (R)), a dynamic model of the human gut. To monitor the effects on microbial community composition, plate counts on specific growth media and a PCR-DGGE analysis were performed on samples from all colon compartments - ascending, transverse and descending. To verify the effects on microbial metabolism, we analyzed the ammonium and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentrations. The synbiotic beverage showed the best microbiological results in the ascending colon compartment, stimulating the growth of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp., and reducing Clostridium spp., Bacteroides spp., enterobacteria and Enterococcus spp. populations in this compartment. A larger reduction (p < 0.05) of ammonia ions in the ascending colon was observed during the synbiotic beverage treatment. No statistical difference was observed in SCFA production among the treatments and the basal period. Plate count and DGGE analysis showed the survival of L. casei Lc-01 in the colon. DGGE analysis also showed higher richness and diversity of the Lactobacillus spp. community during the treatment with synbiotic beverage, with higher accentuation in the ascending colon. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Glycopattern analysis and structure of the egg extra-cellular matrix in the Apennine yellow-bellied toad, Bombina pachypus (Anura: Bombinatoridae)

We studied the glycopatterns and ultrastructure of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) of the egg of theApennine yellow-bellied toad Bombina pachypus, by light and electron microscopy in order to determine structure,chemical composition and function. Histochemical techniques in light microscopy included PAS and AlcianBlue pH 2.5 and 1.0, performed also after b-elimination. Lectin-binding was tested with nine lectins (AAA,ConA, DBA, HPA, LTA, PNA, SBA, UEA-I, WGA). An inner fertilization envelope (FE) and five jelly layers(J1–J5) were observed, differing in histochemical staining, lectin binding and ultrastructure. Most glycans wereO-linked, with many glucosamylated and fucosylated residues. The fertilization envelope presented a perivitellinespace and a fertilization layer, with mostly neutral glycans. The jelly layers consisted of fibers and granules,whose number and orientation differed between layers. Fibers were densely packed in J1 and J4 layers,whereas a looser arrangement was observed in the other layers. Jelly-layer glycans were mostly acidic and particularlyabundant in the J1 and J4 layers. In the J1, J2 and J5 layers, neutral, N-linked glycans were also observed.Mannosylated and/or glucosylated as well as galactosyl/galactosaminylated residues were more abundant in theouter layers. Many microorganisms were observed in the J5 layer. We believe that, apart from their functions inthe fertilization process, acidic and fucosylated glycans could act as a barrier against pathogen penetration

Alianças estratégicas em empresas de médio porte: um estudo no setor de automação industrial automobilística no Brasil

This article presents inquiry on clarifying factors for the formation of strategical alliances formation among medium size firms of the sector of automotive industry. The process of the strategical alliances formation is analyzed under the perspective of the Resource Based View Theory. This theory asserts that the strategical alliances are formed as a means to provide to the organization the resources that are internally scarce or absent. The data come from the analysis of nine cases of firms of automotive industry sector located in São Paulo (Brazil) that they possess strategical alliances. The data collection took place in 2005 by means of interviews, which were recorded, transcribed and studied according to the content analysis technique. The main conclusion is that, by identifying the scarcity in relation to the resource “production technology”, the studied companies create strategic alliances to stabilize and to assure the access to this resource, at the same time they reduce the fixed costs and keep a clean structure. Key words: alliances, strategy, medium firms.Este artigo apresenta investigação sobre fatores explicativos para a formação de alianças estratégicas entre empresas de médio porte do setor de automação industrial automobilística. O processo de formação das alianças estratégicas é analisado sob a perspectiva da Teoria da Dependência de Recursos. Essa teoria assevera que as alianças estratégicas são formadas como meio de prover à organização os recursos que lhe são internamente escassos ou ausentes. Os dados provêm da análise de nove casos de empresas do setor de automação industrial automobilística localizadas em São Paulo (Brasil) que possuem alianças estratégicas. A coleta de dados deu-se em 2005 por meio de entrevistas, as quais foram gravadas, transcritas e tratadas pela técnica da análise de conteúdo. A principal conclusão é a de que, ao identificar a escassez em relação ao recurso “tecnologia de produção”, as empresas estudadas formam alianças estratégicas para estabilizar e assegurar o acesso a esse recurso, ao mesmo tempo em que reduzem custos fixos e mantêm uma estrutura enxuta. Palavras-chave: alianças, estratégias, médias empresas

Causes of Adult Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis in the Mediterranean Area

The term splanchnic vein thrombosis encompasses Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS), extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO), and mesenteric vein thrombosis