Making it Through: From Start to Finish… Faculty and Student Co-authorship Process

Research Questions: RQ1: What is the process of co-authoring a writing project between professors and students? RQ2: What are professor’s perceptions of co-authoring a writing project with college students? RQ3: What are student’s perceptions of co-authoring a writing project with a professor? RQ4: What communication processes are involved in student faculty co-authorship? Method: The qualitative method of data collection was utilized for this study. The researchers conducted two focus groups and seven face to face interviews with different subjects, professors and students. This study was conducted at a university in the Pacific Northwest

A study investigating a season\u27s baseball performance while wearing SportSight soft contact lenses: phase III

Background: The use of tinted lenses in competitive sport is well known. Contact lens (CL) integration of wavelength-specific filters may provide significant performance enhancement and visual advantages in baseball compared to tinted spectacles. Methods: Five wavelength-specific filters were tested and two were chosen for use by the Pacific University 2003 baseball team. Twenty collegiate baseball players were fitted with both SportSight™ Amber42 and Amber66 soft contact lenses for wear during practices and games for a full season. The performance of the study participants was evaluated by comparing batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, and fielding percentage. Pitching performance was evaluated by comparing earned runs on average per nine innings, walk to strikeout ratio, hits allowed per inning, and accuracy. Performance statistics were compared under two tinted CL conditions and one no tint condition. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in any of the performance measures evaluated in this study. However, there was a trend for most athletes to perform better while wearing a SportSight tinted CLs versus wearing no tint. Subjective results also revealed perceived visual and performance benefits to wearing SportSight tinted CLs. Conclusion: Overall baseball batting, fielding, and pitching performance showed a tendency to improve when athletes wear SportSight tinted CLs. While the results are not statistically significant, any actual or perceived improvement in visual performance and psychological edge can make a considerable difference in an athlete or team\u27s performance. Therefore the SportSight CLs may be beneficial to baseball players

Empirical comparison of diffusion kurtosis imaging and diffusion basis spectrum imaging using the same acquisition in healthy young adults

As diffusion tensor imaging gains widespread use, many researchers have been motivated to go beyond the tensor model and fit more complex diffusion models, to gain a more complete description of white matter microstructure and associated pathology. Two such models are diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI). It is not clear which DKI parameters are most closely related to DBSI parameters, so in the interest of enabling comparisons between DKI and DBSI studies, we conducted an empirical survey of the interrelation of these models in 12 healthy volunteers using the same diffusion acquisition. We found that mean kurtosis is positively associated with the DBSI fiber ratio and negatively associated with the hindered ratio. This was primarily driven by the radial component of kurtosis. The axial component of kurtosis was strongly and specifically correlated with the restricted ratio. The joint spatial distributions of DBSI and DKI parameters are tissue-dependent and stable across healthy individuals. Our contribution is a better understanding of the biological interpretability of the parameters generated by the two models in healthy individuals

16S rRNA gene profiling and genome reconstruction reveal community metabolic interactions and prebiotic potential of medicinal herbs used in neurodegenerative disease and as nootropics.

The prebiotic potential of nervine herbal medicines has been scarcely studied. We therefore used anaerobic human fecal cultivation to investigate whether medicinal herbs commonly used as treatment in neurological health and disease in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine modulate gut microbiota. Profiling of fecal cultures supplemented with either Kapikacchu, Gotu Kola, Bacopa/Brahmi, Shankhapushpi, Boswellia/Frankincense, Jatamansi, Bhringaraj, Guduchi, Ashwagandha or Shatavari by 16S rRNA sequencing revealed profound changes in diverse taxa. Principal coordinate analysis highlights that each herb drives the formation of unique microbial communities predicted to display unique metabolic potential. The relative abundance of approximately one-third of the 243 enumerated species was altered by all herbs. Additional species were impacted in an herb-specific manner. In this study, we combine genome reconstruction of sugar utilization and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) pathways encoded in the genomes of 216 profiled taxa with monosaccharide composition analysis of each medicinal herb by quantitative mass spectrometry to enhance the interpretation of resulting microbial communities and discern potential drivers of microbiota restructuring. Collectively, our results indicate that gut microbiota engage in both protein and glycan catabolism, providing amino acid and sugar substrates that are consumed by fermentative species. We identified taxa that are efficient amino acid fermenters and those capable of both amino acid and sugar fermentation. Herb-induced microbial communities are predicted to alter the relative abundance of taxa encoding SCFA (butyrate and propionate) pathways. Co-occurrence network analyses identified a large number of taxa pairs in medicinal herb cultures. Some of these pairs displayed related culture growth relationships in replicate cultures highlighting potential functional interactions among medicinal herb-induced taxa

The Role of spiritual/religious practices in moderating stress among adolescent residential treatment staff

Adolescent residential treatment staff members have jobs that are emotionally exhausting, physically taxing and spiritually draining. Good coping skills, including religious/spiritual practices, may reduce burnout. Results from a small rural adolescent residential treatment center indicated a high degree of burnout. Burnout was negatively correlated with existential and religious well-being, stress, income, social support and personal mental health treatmen

Religious Affiliation, Religious and Spiritual Practices, and Burnout among Adolescent Residential Staff Members

Adolescent residential treatment staff members have jobs that are emotionally exhausting, physically taxing and spiritually draining. Good coping skills, including religious/spiritual practices, may reduce burnout. Results from a small rural adolescent residential treatment center indicated a high degree of burnout. Burnout was negatively correlated with existential and religious well-being, stress, income, social support and personal mental health treatmen

Characterization of health care utilization in patients receiving implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies: An analysis of the managed ventricular pacing trial.

BACKGROUND: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are effective in terminating lethal arrhythmias, but little is known about the degree of health care utilization (HCU) after ICD therapies. OBJECTIVE: Using data from the managed ventricular pacing trial, we sought to identify the incidence and types of HCU in ICD patients after receiving ICD therapy (shocks or antitachycardia pacing [ATP]). METHODS: We analyzed HCU events (ventricular tachyarrhythmia [VTA]-related, heart failure-related, ICD implant procedure-related, ICD system-related, or other) and their association with ICD therapies (shocked ventricular tachycardia episode, ATP-terminated ventricular tachycardia episode, and inappropriately shocked episode). RESULTS: A total of 1879 HCUs occurred in 695 of 1030 subjects (80% primary prevention) and were classified as follows: 133 (7%) VTA-related, 373 (20%) heart failure-related, 97 (5%) implant procedure-related, 115 (6%) system-related, and 1160 (62%) other. Of 2113 treated VTA episodes, 1680 (80%) received ATP only and 433 (20%) received shocks. Stratifying VTA-related HCUs on the basis of the type of ICD therapy delivered, there were 25 HCUs per 100 shocked VTA episodes compared with 1 HCU per 100 ATP-terminated episodes. Inappropriate ICD shocks occurred in 8.7% of the subjects and were associated with 115 HCUs. The majority of HCUs (52%) began in the emergency department, and 66% of all HCUs resulted in hospitalization. CONCLUSION: For VTA-related HCUs, shocks are associated with a 25-fold increase in HCUs compared to VTAs treated by ATP only. Application of evidence-based strategies and automated device-based algorithms to reduce ICD shocks (higher rate cutoffs, use of ATP, and arrhythmia detection) may help reduce HCUs

A Tracer Investigation of Pheromone Dispersion in Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pine Forest Canopies

Tracer experiments were conducted in 2000 and 2001 to study spread of insect pheromone plumes in forest canopies. The field sites consisted of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) canopies in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Ranges of temperature, wind speed, and turbulence conditions were similar in the two campaigns, and field data showed comparable variability on near-instantaneous time scales of wind speed, wind direction, and plume behavior. We developed simple empirical equations to estimate average horizontal and vertical plume spread as functions of standard turbulence statistics, downwind distance from the source, and wind speed. For horizontal plume spread, predicted dispersion coefficients were within a factor of 3, or better, for 97 percent of the observed values in the combined dataset from 2000 and 2001. Likewise, 99 percent of the predicted vertical dispersion coefficients were within a factor of 3 of the observed data

Relationships among classifications of ayurvedic medicine diagnostics for imbalances and western measures of psychological states: An exploratory study.

BackgroundAccording to Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, doshas are a combination of characteristics based on a five-element philosophy that drive our mental and physical tendencies. When the doshas, or functional principles, are out of balance in quality or quantity, wellbeing is adversely affected and symptoms manifest.ObjectiveThis study examined relationships among imbalances in the doshas (termed Vikruti) reported via questionnaire and Western measures of psychological states.Materials and methodsStudy participants were 101 women (n = 81) and men (n = 20), mean age 53.9 years (SD = 11.7; range 32-80). Participants completed questionnaires to categorize their Vikruti type and psychological states, which included depressed mood (CESD), anxiety (PROMIS), rumination & reflection (RRQ), mindfulness (MAAS), stress (PSS), and quality of life (Ryff).ResultsMultivariate general linear modeling, controlling for age, gender and body mass index (BMI), showed that Vata imbalance was associated with more anxiety (p ≤ 0.05), more rumination (p ≤ 0.01), less mindfulness (p ≤ 0.05), and lower overall quality of life (p ≤ 0.01). Pitta imbalance was associated with poorer mood (p ≤ 0.01) and less mindfulness (p ≤ 0.05), more anxiety (p ≤ 0.05) and stress (p ≤ 0.05). Kapha imbalance was associated with more stress (p ≤ 0.05), more rumination (p ≤ 0.05) and less reflection (p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionThese findings suggest that symptoms of mind-body imbalances in Ayurveda are differentially associated with western assessments of psychological states. Ayurvedic dosha assessment may be an effective way to assess physical as well as emotional wellbeing in research and clinical settings

Effects of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, a Multicomponent Breath-Based Yogic Practice ( Pranayama), on Perceived Stress and General Well-Being

Stress-induced disorders such as anxiety represent the leading causes of adult disability worldwide. Previous studies indicate that yoga and other contemplative practices such as pranayama, or controlled yogic breathing techniques, may be effective in the treatment of mood disorders and stress. In this study, 142 individuals (mean age = 43 years; SD = 13.90) participated in a 3-day retreat program during which they learned Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya, which is a yogic practice that includes both deep breathing and meditation techniques. Participants were instructed to practice the kriya each day for 21 minutes. After 6 weeks of daily practice, participants reported subjectively lower levels of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and higher levels of general well-being (General Well-Being Scale) compared to baseline. These results support the notion that Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya may represent a natural treatment for stress reduction