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The Acute Effects of Foam-Rolling and Dynamic Stretching on Flexibility
No full textMyofascial release, via the foam rolling method, has commonly been used as a post exercise recovery technique. This study tested the effectiveness of foam rolling on flexibility prior to exercise. Foam rolling effects were compared to the effects of dynamic stretching in a sample of 20 Hope College students. The participants were tested 3 times over the course of 2 weeks by foam rolling and dynamic stretching for 10 minutes each. On the first testing day, baseline flexibility measurements were taken without prior warm-up. Participants were then randomly assigned into two groups that met for two additional days of testing separated by at least 48 hours. Each group either engaged in foam rolling or stretching on the first day; they switched on the second day. Flexibility measurements were taken after both days through hip and knee ROM goniometer assessments and sit-and-reach testing. It was hypothesized that foam rolling would result in greater flexibility when compared to dynamic stretching. Improvements were seen between the pretest and foam rolling for sit-and-reach (pre: 35±8 cm, post: 38±7 cm, p=0.004), dynamic stretching (pre: 35±8 cm, post: 36±6 cm) and foam-rolling (p=0.005), Hip ROM pretest and dynamic stretching (pre: 74±13 degrees, post: 81±11 degrees, p=0.002), right hip ROM pretest and foam rolling (pre: 74±13 degrees, post: 83±11 degrees, p=0.000), left hip ROM pretest and dynamic stretching (pre: 73±12 degrees, post: 81±15 degrees, p=0.002), and left hip ROM pretest and foam rolling (pre: 73±12 degrees, post: 82±13 degrees, p=0.001). Foam rolling was found significantly more effective in increasing flexibility on the sit-and-reach test as compared to dynamic stretching. There is a need for more studies on the effects of foam-rolling prior to exercise
The Effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitated Stretching and Plyometric Exercise on Broad Jump Performance
No full textThe broad jump is a test used to measure horizontal power. This test is often employed in sports such as football and rugby, where horizontal power is critically important for success. Little research has been done examining the most effective ways for athletes to warm-up prior to broad jump testing. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess and compare the acute effects of three separate warm-up conditions on broad jump performance in college football players. The three conditions were: A) Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitated (PNF) stretching which is a method of stretching that targets flexibility through passive and active stretching, B) Plyometric exercise which involves high intensity bouts of explosive movements to stretch and contract the muscles, in order to increase overall power and C) Static stretching in which the individual stretches the muscles to their end range-of-motion and holds the stretch for 30 to 45 seconds. Approximately 20 football players were recruited for this study. Participants were randomly assigned their testing condition order and served as their own control. Testing was done during the offseason on non-training days. Participants underwent a familiarization session prior to starting the study. All sessions were completed in the course of one week on non-consecutive days. On testing days, participants first performed an initial set of three broad jumps. Then they underwent one of the three warm-up conditions. Lastly, they performed another set of three broad jumps. The time between warm-up and jumps was standardized at 1.5 minutes. Significant findings as to the effect of plyometrics and PNF stretching on broad jump performance could change the way power athletes’ warm-up prior to testing and/or competition. This study is ongoing and results will be available during the poster celebration
The Impact of Worry on College Students
No full textCollege-aged students are at an increased risk for worry compared to older adults (Brose, Scheibe, & Schmiedek, 2013). Worry in college students may not pose an immediate threat to health; however, long-term worry has been linked with reduced physiological flexibility, posing a threat to cardiac health and mortality (Fisher & Newman, 2013). In the current study, we are investigating worry in college students. By determining the domains college students worry about, and how the worry manifests itself, we will be better equipped to assist this population with their worries. Participants (N=89) were recruited from Hope College. The participants completed individual difference measures before the induction to assess trait measures. A two-minute pre-trial baseline preceded a two-minute worry induction. Heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, heart rate (HR), skin conductance, cardiac impedance, facial electromyography (EMG), trapezius EMG, and respiration were monitored. After the worry induction, the participants rated their worry. Finally, participants filled out a questionnaire asking about habits and substances that could potentially impact physiology. We expect inducing worry will produce an aroused physiological state. Therefore, we expect a normal worrier to have reduced HRV, higher blood pressure, and increased HR during a worry induction than at baseline, analyzed using a within-subjects ANOVA. Qualitatively, we expect college students to report mostly self-oriented worries. Finally, we anticipate individual difference variables (i.e., trait worry, mindfulness, hope, gratitude) will moderate the impact of the worry induction. Specifically, we expect high-worriers to have lower HF-HRV and higher HR during the worry induction than during the baseline. These results will reveal the nature and mechanisms of worry within college students. This will promote the development of treatments, which could in turn reduce the risk of developing worry-related psychological disorders and negative cardiac consequences
The Road to Genocide: Reasons for the Herero Rebellion in German South-West Africa
No full textIn 1884, the Germans took control of an area of Africa that they called German South-West Africa, and which is now the country of Namibia. The native Herero people were thus forced to live under German rule and suffered many injustices. The Germans took advantage of the Herero by stealing land and cattle from them and trading unfairly. The Germans also thought that they were physically and mentally superior to the Herero because of their race, and they vocalized this view often. Because of this racism, the Herero suffered injustices such as beatings, sexual violence, and murder. In addition, the Herero suffered inequities within the German legal system. Therefore, the Herero rebelled against the Germans in January of 1904, and afterward the Germans issued an extermination order that essentially said to kill any Herero on sight. After this, about 80% of the Herero were killed by German tactics, and the Herero basically ceased to exist as a cultural society. This genocide of the Herero is considered the first modern genocide of the twentieth century. Most work on this topic focuses on German actions during the genocide. My research draws from first-hand accounts made by Herero people in a 1918 investigation into the genocide, known as the “Blue Book,” and German statements from the time to explain the reasons why the Herero people rebelled in the first place: German economic exploitations, racial ideologies, and racist treatment in and out of the legal system
Trifluoromethylation of Dihaloarenes: toward Bis(trifluoromethyl) quinazolinespirohexadienone
No full textOur computational studies predict that replacing the methyl groups in our group’s first dimethylquinazolinespirohexadienone (dimethylQSHD) photochrome will make for a much more potent photochromic photooxidant. Previous group members have determined that it is not possible to carry out the synthesis with trifluoromethyl groups present from the start, as they completely inhibit a key nitration step, and devised a synthesis of dihaloQSHDs that could be amenable to installing the trifluoromethyl group at a variety of points later in the synthetic route. Model studies have allowed us to optimize trifluoromethylation reaction conditions. The effects of competing reactions and inhibitors were studied through competition experiments. Together these allowed us to identify the most promising targets for trifluoromethylation in the synthesis of the desired bis(trifluoromethyl)QSHD. However, the desired transformation of the actual compounds has not yet been successfully achieved. Issues of solubility, reaction dilution, loss of compound upon workup, and the development of an internal standard for GC/MS and NMR monitoring of the reaction are all reported
Graham’s Conjecture, Lemke Graphs, and Algorithms
No full textGraph pebbling is a game on a connected graph G in which pebbles are placed on the vertices of G. A pebbling move consists of removing two pebbles from any vertex and adding one to an adjacent vertex. A configuration of pebbles is r-solvable if for a given target vertex r, there is a sequence of pebbling moves so that at least one pebble can be placed on r. The pebbling number of a graph G is the smallest integer π(G) such that any configuration that uses π(G) pebbles is r-solvable for any r V (G). A long standing conjecture in graph pebbling is Graham’s Conjecture. It states that given any two graphs G and H, π(G¨H) ≤ π(G)π(H), where G¨H is the Cartesian product of graphs. A graph G satisfies the two-pebbling property if two pebbles can be placed on any vertex v V (G) given any configuration of 2π(G)−q+1 pebbles, where q is the number of vertices that have at least one pebble. The only known graphs that do not satisfy the two-pebbling property are called Lemke graphs (Lk). We will show that Graham’s conjecture holds for such families as Lk¨Kn and several others
Design and Evaluation of Day1 Peer Partnership Learning Course Materials for General Chemistry and General Biology
No full textFirst-year college students encounter a multitude of obstacles ranging from acclimating to living away from home to adapting to a higher level of course rigor. In Fall 2015, Hope College launched “Day1 Research Communities”, a program designed to promote retention and performance of first year students in STEM fields through interdisciplinary research projects. In addition to shared residence halls and coursework, students enrolled in Day1 participate in Peer Partnership Learning (PPL) activities on a weekly basis. PPL Leaders attend all lectures for a given section and lead one or two PPL sessions per week for approximately 10 students. The design for these sessions has been built from a literature review of best practices for problem solving in STEM fields, the information processing model of learning, social cognitive theory, and integrated learning of study skills. Worksheets for the first semester of introductory biology and chemistry have been created in partnership with lecture professors in order to train this first generation of PPL Leaders and promote collaborative learning. Goals for their implementation, a template for their generation, and a plan for evaluation will be presented
Driving Down Teen Employment? Determining the Effect of GDL Programs on Employment Among 16- and 17-year-olds
No full textBeginning in the mid-1990s, states implemented more stringent Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds who wish to obtain a driver’s license. Data show that the implementation of such restrictions has coincided with a reduced rate of teen licensure. Contemporaneously, the number of high-school-aged students who hold part time jobs has also declined dramatically. While little research on the subject exists, economic studies support that the inability to access private transportation would increase the time cost of employment, consequently, reducing the likelihood that a teen engages in market activity. This paper uses employment data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) to determine if the strengthening of GDL requirements has contributed to a decline in 16- and 17-year-old labor force participation or the number of hours teens work after controlling for a number of other factors. My findings indicate that the harshest GDL restrictions reduce the average number of hours worked
Production of Monoclonal Antibodies against VACM-1/Cullin5
No full textVasopressin – Activated Calcium Mobilizing receptor 1 (VACM-1) is a 780 amino acid long protein that is part of the E3-Ligase complex responsible for ubiquitin mediated protein degradation. VACM-1 has been shown to have severely decreased expression in cancer cell lines compared to normal cells. Until now it has been difficult to study VACM-1 in the cell using immunochemistry techniques (Western blotting, In-Cell Western, and immunostaining) to investigate cellular processes due to the limited availability of monoclonal antibodies against VACM-1. Whereas polyclonal antibodies can bind to multiple epitopes of a protein, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) will bind to a specific epitope of a protein. The use of monoclonal antibodies conjugated with therapeutic drugs has become popular in cancer treatment. Monoclonal antibodies can be used to target the antigens that are uniquely expressed in cancer cells to deliver therapeutic drugs to cancer cells specifically or to stimulate the normal immune system pathways to help the body combat the cancer cells naturally. A new mAb against VACM-1 would be useful in providing insight into the role VACM-1 plays in cancer and how it might be used in cancer treatment. Prior to this study cell lineages that produce mAbs to VACM-1 were generated. The media from these cells (which should contain secreted antibody) were purified into fractions using column purification. Fractions from two of the cell lineages (1-10D and 2-F3) were found to contain antibodies. The aim of this study is to screen those fractions for biological activity
Intimate Partner Violence: Cultural Factors and Prevention
No full textCultural relativism is defined by the Random House dictionary as “the concept that cultural norms and values derive their meaning within a specific social context.” This is pertinent to understanding the Western view of women’s oppression as a human rights violation and public health concern. In order to thoroughly comprehend the beliefs, customs, and ethics that form an individual’s culture, one must inform themselves of the social context in question. One of the most harmful oppressions forced upon women is the violence inflicted by their intimate partner. Intimate Partner Violence, or IPV, has become culturally acceptable, and is referred to as the “normalization of violence.” Within the countries of Bangladesh and India, the main cultural factors that impact women in intimate relationships include adolescent marriage, the use of contraceptives, and dowries. To understand the severity of the issue, comparisons to Intimate Partner Violence in the United States have been recorded. The process of women gaining full equality has been prevented from progressing due to a lack of knowledge concerning the issue as well as a lack of health care facilities. Cultural relativists would claim that it is not our responsibility to prevent this abuse. However, living in a developed country with numerous resources, we could help provide a strong foundation for developing countries as they begin to address IPV and exploitation. Now is the time to be activists against Intimate Partner Violence