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EXAMINATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN DECOMPOSITION BYPRODUCTS IN SOIL
No full textDuring decomposition, human remains release naturally produced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are specific to the process of decay. These VOCs can act as markers that indicate remains are present [1] and presumably can be used to indicate whether or not remains were once present in a given location, thus making them a potentially viable avenue for investigators to pursue when trying novel techniques for locating remains. For this study, soil samples were taken from an approximate center of mass from 32 known cadaveric decomposition islands (CDIs) at the Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) in Marquette, MI, and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) headspace analysis. This study attempts to validate a minimally invasive soil sampling method for determining where a body is or was allowed to decompose. It was found that none of the CDIs in the samples contained decomposition VOCs, which is attributable three potential factors: volatilization of the VOCs before analysis, new vegetation growth and/or microbial activity, or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry headspace analysis is not sensitive enough
I Made You this Playlist because I Don\u27t Know How to Say I Love You
No full textThe following thesis is a creative work that explores the intersection of pop culture criticism and personal identity. This is a work of creative nonfiction, comprised of formally experimental essays, accompanied by a critical introduction which interrogates what it means, in this context, for a piece of writing to be creative nonfiction, as well as what it means for a piece of writing to be an essay. The essays within engage music from the perspective of a listener, and turn that same perspective on its thematic concerns, such as queerness, love, heartache, depression, alcoholism, and creativity. Throughout this work, the essays are presented in segmented forms that challenge the typical constraints of the prose essay
TROPHIC DYNAMICS OF THE LAKE SUPERIOR FISH COMMUNITY
Get PDFThe Lake Superior food web has undergone many changes in recent decades, including the rehabilitation of the native apex predator lake charr (Salvelinus namaycush) and the introduction of several nonnative species. The trophic linkages and ecological requirements of the entire fish community, including predators and prey fishes, has not been assessed on a whole-lake scale in over a decade. Here, I investigated the trophic dynamics across multiple regions of the lake, and estimated the consumptive effect of lean lake charr in one region of Lake Superior. From April to October of 2021, a total of five predator, four large prey fish, and five small prey fish species were collected by region and length class during coordinated, standard gillnet and bottom-trawl surveys. To assess trophic linkages, gut contents were examined and biomass, count, and length were measured. Additionally, twelve common lean lake charr diet items were collected during summer 2022, analyzed for energy density, and used to estimate a population-level consumption of leans. I found a high degree of interconnectedness in the Lake Superior food web, with Mysis as a keystone diet item for the entire fish community. Lake Superior predators displayed regional variance, ontogenetic shifts in diet structure, and opportunistic feeding strategies. Conversely, prey fish diets were less diverse, primarily reliant on Mysis and Diporeia, and were more likely to have a single dominant diet item. This study improves our understanding of Lake Superior trophic dynamics and provides a baseline for future food web and bioenergetics modeling in the lake
A PILOT STUDY OF ELBOW-SHOULDER COORDINATION PATTERNS DURING 3-POINT SHOTS IN PLAYERS OF DIFFERENT SKILL LEVELS
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine shoulder and elbow coordination between different skill levels in basketball players during 3-point shots. Digital video data were collected while five players performed 3-point shots. Video data were processed with Theia3D software, and shoulder and elbow joint angles were calculated in Visual3D. Vector coding analysis was used to calculate shoulder-elbow coupling angles. The mean coupling angles and frequency counts showed anti-phase coordination with elbow dominancy during ball release phase was consistent among all players. The results highlighted that high-skilled players may adopt more efficient shoulder and elbow coordination patterns to enhance their 3-point shots by taking relatively longer duration to adjust shoulder dominant in-phase coordination during shot preparation
IMPACT OF KINEMATIC MODIFICATION IN THE UNDERWATER UNDULATORY SWIMMING PERFORMANCE OF A SWIMMER
Get PDFThis work is a case study observing the impact of various kinematics modifications in the simulated pressure forces and hydrodynamic work done by an athlete performing maximum effort Underwater Undulatory Swimming (UUS). The studied athlete was recorded using a Motion Capture methodology. Seven key joints were identified to represent the athlete’s motion and their position were fitted with a fourth order Fourier series. This kinematic data was then modified to reduce or amplify the upper-body and lower-body motion but also to have a linear wave propagation. The kinematics (10 in total) were inputted in an unsteady 2D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver, Lily Pad. Results suggest directions for improvement in the execution of the athlete’s swimming style, whether it is for reducing the hydrodynamic work done or minimising resistive forces
INVESTIGATING THE PERFORMANCE OF CYCLING AND HOCKEY HELMET LINER MATERIALS IN MITIGATING IMPACTS AT LOWER SPEEDS DURING FREE FALLS
Get PDFThis study examined the performance of helmets made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and expanded propylene (EPP) in mitigating linear impacts over three consecutive drop trials at 16 impact speeds ranging from 0.93 to 3.96 m/s. It was found that EPS, a liner material used in cycling helmets, had lower capacity of mitigating linear impact acceleration and captured a larger compressed area of impact than the EPPs, liner materials used for hockey helmets. EPS and EPPs all experienced some degrees of loss in their capacities to mitigate acceleration after the initial impact. All tested materials had no statistically significant difference in their peak resultant linear acceleration (PRLA) between the first and third impacts, and the second and third impacts. This study also found strong and positive correlations between ellipse area and PRLA
BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION DOES NOT AFFECT ACUTE MEASURES OF POWER AND FATIGUE DURING MAXIMAL CYCLING AMONG WOMEN
Get PDFWhile it is known that blood flow restriction (BFR) can positively affect training and rehabilitation progression timelines, the physiological basis of this intervention is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the short-term impact of BFR upon power and fatigue performance measures during maximal cycling. In this study, maximal cycling was assessed using the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). Using a counterbalanced design, fourteen female participants completed standardized BFR and non-BFR protocols while completing the WAnT. No statistically-significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found between conditions for measures of peak power (PP), low power (LP) or fatigue index (FI). These findings suggest that BFR had no statistically-significant acute effect on these performance measures commonly assessed during the WAnT
LANDING KINEMATICS AFTER ACL RECONSTRUCTION; DO THE BIOMECHANIST AND PHYSIOTHERAPIST SEE DIFFERENT THINGS?
Get PDFRehabilitation following ACL reconstruction is a long process where the chance of a recurrent injury remains high. Compensatory and asymmetric landing strategies, which may lead to these re-injuries, often remain present during the rehabilitation process although not often visually identified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the visually identified asymmetries with objective inertial sensor data during the Single and Triple Hop test. The kinematic data was able to identify asymmetric kinematics that led to altered strategies that were not identified subjectively by the physiotherapist in both the Single and Triple Hop, in particular in the hip joint. It is speculated that being able to able to identify these asymmetric strategies will improve ACLR rehabilitation and reduce the chance of a re-injury
REAL-TIME PREDICTION OF FAILURE IN RESISTANCE TRAINING: APPLICATION TO ARM CURL
Get PDFResistance training has recently become popular. If failure points, beyond which the intended motion cannot be executed, are reliably predicted, it is possible to increase the efficacy of the training and decrease the risk of injury. We aim to develop machine learning models that can enhance training effects through the proper setting of the rate of perceived exertion and prevent injuries from excessive motion by predicting the failure points. Ten young and healthy adults performed 3 sets of dumbbell arm curl using each arm with a weight of 70% of their one-repetition maximum until they reached the failure point and could not perform the standard arm curl. Using the kinematic features that we collected during each set, we developed failure prediction models based on five classification algorithms. Four models out of the five yielded the accuracy over 90%. Our findings suggest that these models can enhance the training effects by maintaining proper rate of perceived exertion, and prevent injuries due to excessive training load
LOAD CARRIAGE ALTERS TIBIOFEMORAL KINEMATICS DURING SLOW JOGGING IN ADULT MEN AND WOMEN
Get PDFThe purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of load carriage on tibiofemoral kinematics during running. Nineteen healthy, recreationally active adults completed dynamic biplane radiography trials of the dominant limb knee with no load (BW), and an additional 55% of body weight (+55%BW) while running 10% above gait transition velocity. A volumetric model-based tracking technique was utilized to derive medial translation excursion, proximal (inferior-superior) translation excursion, anterior translation excursion, flexion, internal rotation and abduction. At heel strike, running with +55%BW exhibited a more flexed knee compared to BW. However, BW exhibited more proximal translation excursion compared to +55%BW. By contrast, +55%BW had greater anterior translation excursion compared to BW. There were no significant differences between BW and +55%BW for medial translation excursion, internal rotation angle/excursion or abduction angle/excursion The greater knee flexion angle at heel strike for +55%BW may serve as a mechanism to better attenuate the greater impact force via eccentric muscle action. However, reduced proximal translation excursion during +55%BW could suggest greater loading of the soft tissues