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Student Senate Meeting Minutes October 22, 2025
No full textThis document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for October 22, 2025
Student Senate Meeting Minutes September 17, 2025
Get PDFThis document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for September 17, 2025
Misinformation—How it Plays a Role in Our Perceptions of the Political Realm
Get PDFIf survey recipients are presented with negative misinformation, then they will be unsatisfied with the president elects time in office. If survey recipients are presented with positive misinformation, then they will be unsatisfied with the president elects time in office. This research takes the form of a survey which will be sent Winona State students to record their responses. I will test my hypothesis with one survey, which will include several demographic questions. These questions will be paired with questions that present “fake news” or misinformation about president elect Donald Trump. The misinformation will present him in a negative light. The other set of questions that show misinformation will show president elect Donald Trump in a positive light. This set of questions will be randomized in each survey. The end of the survey will then ask a question about the recipient\u27s satisfaction with presidents\u27 term so far. The idea is that the fake news presented will affect the recipient\u27s satisfaction with the president\u27s term so far. If recipients are presented with positive fake news, they will be more satisfied with the president\u27s term so far. If the recipients are presented with negative fake news they will be dissatisfied with the president\u27s term so far. If the demographics in each survey are roughly 50% equal, then my hypothesis will be correct. I will get my data from the survey responses and analyze the answers to either support my hypothesis or disprove my hypothesis
Evidence-Based Education for Conducting Long-COVID Community-Based Screening
No full textEvidence-Based Education for Conducting Long-COVID Community-Based Screening
Craig Schapekahm & Justin Mann
Dr. Ashley Busch & Dr. Amy Reitmaier
Problem Statement: Lack of a consistently used community screening tool for long-COVID (LC), with associated training, was identified as a clinical concern within Winona State University (WSU) community outreach settings. We know this is a problem because of the lack of screening in practice and while conducting a Bridges Health, PC site assessment, it was identified that LC education of the illness and screening procedures are lacking for interprofessional students of various health majors. Training future health professionals (i.e., students) is needed because of the emerging knowledge and practice changes related to LC within community and primary care settings. Further, without a standard screening tool for healthcare teams, treatment and management of LC in affected clients could be delayed.
Purpose: Determine if a modified LC screening tool increases student screening use and confidence over their semester working with Bridges Health, PC clinics.
Methods: A two-group pretest-posttest design will be used. Participants will be given LC screening education at the beginning of their semester, before the pre-test and will take a post-test survey at the end of their semester, around March or April 2025.
Inclusion criteria: Students within an undergraduate or graduate healthcare educational program and completing clinical hours within a Bridges Health, PC clinical site within Southeast Minnesota. Students may or may not have participated in a Bridges Health, PC clinical opportunity prior to this quality improvement project
Analysis: Paired pre-post survey of Bridges Health, PC students analyzed with McNemar’s or Bowker’s test for dichotomous or ordinal responses. Comparison of Bridges Health, PC LC screening rates in 2024 vs 2025 analyzed with Fischer’s exact test, z-test and confidence interval, and odds ratio
Implications for Practice: Creating a modified LC screening tool paired with an educational presentation about screening tool use and rationale for use has a positive correlation with LC screening among undergraduate and graduate students in healthcare-centric track
The Connection Between Fan Engagement, Social Media, and Team Success
No full textIn their study exploring how female sports fans observe and select fan characteristics, Sveinson and Hoeber (2014) defined a “sports fan” as one “who follows many sports, leagues and/or teams.” (Sveinson & Hoeber, 2014, p. 406). In today’s digital age, social media has become a crucial platform for sports fans to express their fandom and connect with other like-minded individuals. A 2023 study by Matang, Suryadi, Darmawan, and Anggraeni found that social media is crucial for fans to be able express their fandom and engage with sports-related content (Matang, Suryadi, Darmawan, & Anggraeni, 2023). Fans use social media to share their opinions and experiences, creating a sense of community among supporters (Matang et. al., 2023). Overall, social media has reshaped the dynamics of sports fandom, making it more interactive and accessible (Matang et. al., 2023). A 2023 study by Steiner, Pittman, and Boatwright gathered survey data from 452 U.S. sports fans’ about their social media engagement with their favorite teams across six popular platforms for two different situations, in-game and out-of-game. In their study, they found a relationship between fans\u27 social media engagement behavior (SMEB) and their purchase intention (PI). Interestingly, the type of engagement that best predicts PI differs based on the context of “In-game” or “Out-of-game.” Many major professional teams use social media campaigns for direct sales, capitalizing on fans\u27 desire for immediate information and connection (Steiner et al,. 2023). A recent study by Romero-Jara et al., (2024) found that Instagram is the top platform for generating fan engagement in sports. Their study analyzed 10,772 posts and revealed that Instagram consistently outperformed Facebook and Twitter in engagement (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). Various content formats on Instagram, such as image and video combinations, significantly enhance engagement levels (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). This is credited to Instagram’s audio-visual nature, which fosters stronger emotional connections with users (Romero-Jara et al., 2024). However, nobody has compared NBA and NFL fan engagement. RQ1: What types of posts drive the most fan engagement? RQ2: Do different types of posts drive fan engagement more than others? This study, a quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis; utilized 50 randomly chosen Instagram posts from the official Instagram accounts of teams who played in the 2024 NBA Finals (Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks) as well as both teams who played in Super Bowl LIX in 2025 (Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs). The posts were selected from the 2025 NFL playoffs and the 2024 NBA Playoffs. After randomly choosing the Instagram posts from each team, each post was analyzed using the coding system defined and designed by Romero-Jara et al., (2024), who used it to analyze the engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments of previous Championship contending teams. This study analyzed the account metrics of each of the teams, such as the total number of posts made by the account, total number of followers, and total number accounts that the team’s account is following
Development of a qPCR for detecting Borrelia burgdorferi and Ixodes tick DNA simultaneously
Get PDFBlack-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, are prevalent in the upper Midwest. Accurate determination of the percentage of Ixodes ticks that carry Lyme disease could help physicians and health experts develop treatment and prevention plans to curb the prevalence of disease. The purpose of this study was to see if accurate results for both Ixodes DNA and Borrelia DNA could be analyzed in the same qPCR assay for faster Lyme disease testing. Current testing in humans is achieved by running two separate diagnostic assays, an ELISA and Western Blot, both of which are very time-consuming and temperamental lab procedures. By using qPCR, an automated result is achieved in a shorter amount of time with less errors because of the sensitivity of the assay. Throughout the two-semester long experiment, several adjustments were made to increase the accuracy of the qPCR, including changes to the primers, their concentrations, and DNA content. Additionally, the thermocycler conditions were frequently modified to accommodate the simultaneous use of both the Ixodes specific and Borrelia-specific primers for running the test. After nine months of trial, the results were inconclusive. This study encountered many difficulties, like contaminations in the primers that produced false positive results and condition complications causing both false positive and negative results. Currently, additional modifications are being assessed to improve the results of the qPCR
Plasma Profiling Reveals Proteins Specific to Primary Disease Origin of Retroperitoneal Fibrosis
Get PDFRetroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of scar-like tissue in the retroperitoneum, which can lead to life-threatening obstructive nephropathy. RPF is typically a secondary disease, arising from various underlying conditions. Currently, no objective and highly accurate diagnostic methods exist. Identifying blood protein biomarkers specific to RPF could facilitate the development of objective minimally invasive diagnostic tests.
In this study, blood plasma samples were collected from 45 participants spanning 5 different primary causes of RPF, including idiopathic cases where no underlying condition was identified. Six participants without significant diseases at the time of sample collection served as healthy controls. From these plasma samples, the abundances of 7,293 proteins were measured.
A total of 176 proteins were found to be significantly differentially abundant in individuals with RPF compared to healthy controls. Additional comparisons identified distinct differentially expressed proteins associated with specific primary causes. Proteins shared across multiple comparisons offer insights into the common pathogenesis of RPF, while those unique to a single primary cause suggest mechanistic links between the underlying disease and RPF development.
Further analysis compared the blood proteomes of individuals with idiopathic RPF to individuals with a known related primary cause, assessing whether idiopathic cases are biologically distinct. A similar analysis examined whether RPF secondary to IgG4-related disease results in a significantly different plasma proteome than idiopathic RPF.
Finally, a machine learning approach was applied to classify individuals with RPF versus healthy controls. A machine learning pipeline was developed that trained a random forest classifier on 100 differentially expressed proteins, which achieved an average ROC-AUC of 0.809 (out of 1.000) across 100 bootstrapped trials. The pipeline was also used to test the potential of classifying various other comparisons that are of clinical interest. The success of this pipeline demonstrates the potential for blood-based classification of RPF for clinical use.
These findings highlight key proteomic differences associated with RPF and its primary causes, providing a foundation for improved diagnostic strategies and a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms
Jazz Ensemble Concert
No full textOn April 25, 2025, 7:30pm-8:30pm attend this free concert featuring WSU students in the jazz ensemble. Location is the Vivian Fusillo Main Stage Theatre
Using DNA Barcoding to Determine if Minnesota Ornate Box Turtles are Native or Introduced
No full textThe ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata) is native to the southeastern U.S., with its range extending northwards into southern Wisconsin (with a disjunct population along the Wisconsin River). The ornate box turtle is not believed to exist in Minnesota, but several individuals were found in the Weaver Sand Dunes in 2024. The goal of this research is to determine if the Minnesota turtles are native or were introduced to the Weaver Sand Dunes. Partial cytochrome b (1097 bp) and cytochrome oxidase (140 bp) sequences were generated and compared to sequences of the same species across its range from GenBank to determine if the individuals found are native or introduced to Minnesota
Perceived Effectiveness of Recovery Strategies In Division III Athletes
No full textPURPOSE: This study examines which aspect of recovery, sleep, nutrition, hydration, or physical therapy techniques is perceived as the most effective among NCAA Division III athletes at the University of Wisconsin River Falls (UWRF).
METHODS: A digital survey collected daily self-reported data from 94 UWRF athletes across multiple sports, including 41 males and 53 females, ranging 18-23 years of age, totaling 394 observations. The subjects were asked to take the survey daily. The survey assessed fatigue levels, sleep duration, nutritional intake, hydration, and the use of various recovery modalities which consist of rolling out, stretching, using heat/ice, massage/compression/cupping, resting/sleeping, walking/other physical activity. Fatigue level was reported as a score from one to five, with one indicating being less fatigued and five indicating being more fatigued.
RESULTS: Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Regression models with a random subject effect indicated significant correlations between fatigue level and previous night\u27s sleep (p = 0.0034), protein consumption (p = 0.024), and calorie consumption (p = 0.0284). Tukey\u27s HSD tests confirmed that those with \u3c6 hours of sleep had significantly higher fatigue levels than those with 7-8 hours (p = 0.0334) or 8+ hours (p = 0.0023). Similarly, those consuming \u3c100g of protein or \u3c2000 calories exhibited significantly higher fatigue levels than those consuming 150+g of protein (p = 0.0225) or 3000+ calories (p = 0.0216), respectively. No significant correlation was found between fatigue and water consumption (p = 0.1909) or most recovery strategies, except for marginal evidence with rolling out (p = 0.0896). A full multiple regression model accounting for all predictors confirmed that only previous night\u27s sleep remained a significant predictor of fatigue (p = 0.0387, R² = 0.24).
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that sleep is the most influential factor in perceived recovery, while other commonly used recovery strategies may have limited effectiveness in reducing perceived fatigue. This research highlights the importance of prioritizing sleep hygiene interventions to optimize performance and recovery in collegiate athletes, particularly within resource-limited environments