Senior Recital: Danielle Hearn, flute

Kennesaw State University School of Music presents Senior Recital: Danielle Hearn, flute. This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Music Performance.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1754/thumbnail.jp

A BAYESIAN GWAS METHOD UTILIZING HAPLOTYPE CLUSTERS FOR A COMPOSITE BREED POPULATION

Commercial beef cattle are often composites of multiple breeds. Current methods used to produce genomic predictors are based on the underlying assumption of animals being sampled from a homogeneous population. As a result, the predictors can perform poorly when used to predict the relative genetic merit of animals whose breed composition are different. In part, this is due to the changes in linkage disequilibrium between the markers and the quantitative trait loci as we move from one breed to the next. An alternative model based on breed specific haplotype clusters was developed to allow for differences in linkage disequilibrium across multiple breeds. The haplotype clusters were modeled as hidden states in a hidden Markov model where the genomic effects are associated with loci located on the unobserved clusters. Similar to the Bayes C model, we can model the genomic effects at the loci using a prior, which consists of a mixture of a multivariate normal and a point mass at zero distribution. The model will be used to construct genomic predictors using records on 5,000 cattle genotyped for 99,827 mapped SNPs representing various fractions of three different breeds

A BAYESIAN GWAS METHOD UTILIZING HAPLOTYPE CLUSTERS FOR A COMPOSITE BREED POPULATION

Commercial beef cattle are often composites of multiple breeds. Current methods used to produce genomic predictors are based on the underlying assumption of animals being sampled from a homogeneous population. As a result, the predictors can perform poorly when used to predict the relative genetic merit of animals whose breed composition are different. In part, this is due to the changes in linkage disequilibrium between the markers and the quantitative trait loci as we move from one breed to the next. An alternative model based on breed specific haplotype clusters was developed to allow for differences in linkage disequilibrium across multiple breeds. The haplotype clusters were modeled as hidden states in a hidden Markov model where the genomic effects are associated with loci located on the unobserved clusters. Similar to the Bayes C model, we can model the genomic effects at the loci using a prior, which consists of a mixture of a multivariate normal and a point mass at zero distribution. The model will be used to construct genomic predictors using records on 6,552 cattle genotyped for 99,827 mapped SNPs representing various fractions of three different breeds

Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Themselves As Learners Of Mathematics And Science

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here. This study investigated how prospective elementary teachers view themselves as learners of mathematics and science during their last year in a teacher preparation program at an American university. Using drawing and reflections as the method for collecting data, prospective teachers were prompted to draw themselves and reflect on learning mathematics and draw themselves and reflect on learning science prior to and after their mathematics and science methods courses. Drawings (n = 147) were coded according to the presence or absence of several themes including physical objects, teachers, students, and environment. The drawings and reflections indicated that the experience of participating in mathematics and science methods courses taught from a social constructivist perspective positively impacted prospective teachers’ conceptions of themselves as learners and in ways consistent with current research-based pedagogies. The research study described here proposes that prospective teachers’ learning experiences in mathematics and science methods classes might impact how they will teach mathematics and science in their future elementary classrooms

Improved Strain Analysis of Left Ventricular Function Post Myocardial Infarction in Mice

A myocardial infarction (MI), caused by an arterial blockage preventing blood from flowing to a part of the heart, restricts tissue oxygenation and results cell death and myocardial tissue damage. This compromises contractility, resulting either in sudden death, or ventricular remodeling and eventually heart failure. Echocardiography is the standard, non-invasive cardiac imaging technique for humans and small animals. The standard measurements obtained from M-mode echocardiography to assess left ventricle (LV) function lack the sensitivity to detect subtle changes in regional LV performance at the early stages of disease. Speckle tracking techniques in conjunction with strain analysis overcome this issue by tracking the movement of the myocardium across 6 transverse segments of the LV. Analysis of strain in more regions of the heart from the apex (bottom) to base (top) would reveal earlier, localized detection of LV dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology to improve regional specificity in the analysis of strain and strain rate (SR) relative to the site of injury in mouse hearts in 12 equal segments along the myocardium and compare these results to the VevoStrain software (VisualSonics) strain values. Echocardiographic images obtained from the Vevo 3100 (VisualSonics) ultrasound in uninjured hearts or after acute ischemia/reperfusion (30minI/24hr R) injury induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery were analyzed using MATLAB (MathWorks). To quantify strain, the motion of the speckles was tracked between the epicardium and endocardium for 3 consecutive cardiac cycles. Perpendicular lines were generated connecting these contours. Displacement of these lines were calculated from the starting location to end location to calculate strain. The LV was divided into 12 equal segments. The peak % strain values across the region of interest were averaged for the 12 segments to obtain global strain measurements. To measure SR, the change in strain was divided by the time between frames. The novel strain analysis was compared to the VevoStrain software data to validate the results. These values were used to measure the contractile function of the LV between sham, MI, and MI+ephrinA1-Fc mice. Feasibility of the proposed algorithm has been demonstrated, but due to some limitations, more work is needed to improve this method. With further work, this method could optimize the treatment process by determining the location being treated and extent of treatment to the infarct and remote regions of the heart

Impact of coping styles on wellbeing in older adults with severe and enduring mental illness: a systematic review; and, From powerless to empowered: a grounded theory approach to chronic psychosis in middle aged and older adults

Aim: The aim of this thesis portfolio was to develop a preliminary, theoretical understanding of the experiences of middle-aged and older adults with chronic psychosis, their beliefs about illness and the impact on their self-identity. Additionally, it aimed to assess the impact of coping styles of middle-aged and older adults with severe mental illness (SMI) on overall wellbeing, and to identify if there was a certain type of coping style that had a more positive impact on outcomes. Method: A systematic review of the literature was conducted assessing the impacts of coping strategies on wellbeing outcomes for adults over the age of 55 with severe mental illness. A search strategy was developed and carried out on PsychInfo, Web of Science, Ovid-Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC and PubMed. From the 154 records identified, a narrative synthesis of 19 papers were included for review. For the empirical paper, interviews were conducted with middle-aged and older adults with chronic psychosis, with a grounded theory methodology applied to develop a theoretical understanding of their experiences of their mental health. Results: Key findings from the systematic review indicated that active coping strategies (e.g. reinterpreting thoughts or seeking social contacts) were more beneficial than passive coping strategies (e.g. doing nothing or avoiding). A number of studies were divergent in their findings regarding which specific strategy led to better outcomes, but there appears to be slightly more consistent evidence that the use of cognitive strategies as opposed to behavioural strategies can lead to better wellbeing outcomes in people over the age of 55 with SMI. Within the empirical paper, the preliminary emerged model identified a core concept of “From Powerless to Empowered”, which was a key experience of all participants in relation to their experiences with mental health services, along with two major categories of “Stigma” and “Family/Community” which also influenced participants beliefs about illness. Conclusions: Both the systematic review and the empirical study of this portfolio suggest that, along with traditional interventions of cognitive behavioural therapy, interventions with a focus on acceptance, mindfulness and compassion can be beneficial for middle-aged and older adults with chronic psychosis and severe mental illness. Formulation of the operation of institutional power should be considered when working with this population, and coping mechanisms encouraged and developed, with a focus on cognitive strategies where possible

Transcriptional repression by ApiAP2 factors is central to chronic toxoplasmosis

Tachyzoite to bradyzoite development in Toxoplasma is marked by major changes in gene expression resulting in a parasite that expresses a new repertoire of surface antigens hidden inside a modified parasitophorous vacuole called the tissue cyst. The factors that control this important life cycle transition are not well understood. Here we describe an important transcriptional repressor mechanism controlling bradyzoite differentiation that operates in the tachyzoite stage. The ApiAP2 factor, AP2IV-4, is a nuclear factor dynamically expressed in late S phase through mitosis/cytokinesis of the tachyzoite cell cycle. Remarkably, deletion of the AP2IV-4 locus resulted in the expression of a subset of bradyzoite-specific proteins in replicating tachyzoites that included tissue cyst wall components BPK1, MCP4, CST1 and the surface antigen SRS9. In the murine animal model, the mis-timing of bradyzoite antigens in tachyzoites lacking AP2IV-4 caused a potent inflammatory monocyte immune response that effectively eliminated this parasite and prevented tissue cyst formation in mouse brain tissue. Altogether, these results indicate that suppression of bradyzoite antigens by AP2IV-4 during acute infection is required for Toxoplasma to successfully establish a chronic infection in the immune-competent host

A Case of Metastatic Melanoma Presenting as a Small Bowel Obstruction

Small bowel obstructions are most commonly caused by adhesion. Less common causes arise from malignant pathology. Here we present a relatively rare case of a small bowel obstruction due to malignant melanoma. Melanoma involving the gastrointestinal tract is relatively rare with most cases occurring as metastatic spread from a cutaneous primary. The treatment typically requires a surgical resection or palliative bypass. When a patient presents with a small bowel obstruction but without prior abdominal surgeries or hernias a malignant obstruction must be on the differential

Foundational Curriculum for the African American Student Network: Synthesis of Discussion Topics and Themes

The African American Student Network (AFAM) is a therapeutic counterspace associated with positive educational and social outcomes for Black undergraduates at a predominantly White institution in the Midwest. We adapted consensual qualitative research methods to explore discussion topics and synthesize themes across hundreds of AFAM meetings spanning more than a decade. Including many of the traditional psychosocial tasks associated with emerging adulthood along with developmental milestones for racially diverse emerging adults, we found that AFAM students talked most about navigating college life followed by understanding racism, exploring identity, standing up for justice, and finding love, respectively. The results of this case study can provide a foundational curriculum for others interested in developing therapeutic counterspaces like AFAM