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Vitamin D Deficiency, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Diseases in Post-Menopausal African American Women: The Jackson Heart Study
Get PDFCardiovascular disease is a primary health burden in the population that affects all ethnic groups. Hypertension is also a condition that is very prevalent in the population and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease is hypertension. African Americans have the highest prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease as well as higher mortality rates compared to other ethnicities. Vitamin D deficiency affects all populations and research has shown it to be a risk factor for both hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In this study we examined the association between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular diseases, and the association vitamin D deficiency has on hypertension and blood pressure control in African American women. The study population consists of African American women enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study who are over the age of 40, free of cardiovascular disease, and have gone through the menopause transition. The reason for selecting this population is because African American women have the highest prevalence of cardiovascular disease and the highest mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and are often not the focus of research studies. In this study the association between vitamin D deficiency and incident CVD was examined and our findings indicated that in African American women who are vitamin D deficient have increased odds of developing cardiovascular diseases and decreased vitamin D levels is associated with insufficient blood pressure control in African American women. Keywords: Cardiovascular disease, hypertension, vitamin D deficienc
LINGUISTIC FEATURES IN MILD AND MODERATE DEMENTIA
Get PDFThe aim of this study is to understand what linguistic measures differ in individuals who have dementia versus a healthy control group as linguistic measures can provide insight to discrepancies in cognitive abilities, notably language. The problem with identifying and diagnosing diseases related to memory, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is that diagnoses require involved medical examinations, such as neuroimaging, and descriptive diagnostics that may be subjective and relative. This can lead to ambiguous results and lack of clarity for patients and their families and medical care team, making it difficult to chart a course of action or make decisions in the patient’s best interest. However, if we take a methodical, quantitative linguistic look at the language used in standard memory care diagnoses, we can generate objective parameters or baselines for rates of word usage that can provide more clarity for patients and their families and medical care teams. By using language categories and baseline rates of usage of terms like articles, prepositions, and dysfluencies in control populations versus those individuals with definitive mild and moderate memory care diagnoses, we can provide clinicians and practitioners with guidelines for making more objective diagnoses. Alongside other diagnostic processes, linguistic analysis will help the medical care team better inform patients and their families so they can make better choices and decisions about the level of care and interventions they need. In this study we analyze the lexical categories of patients diagnosed with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s/dementia (hereafter AD) alongside a control group to uncover patterns of language usage. We use a computational, corpus-based approach to gauge which psycholinguistic categories and subcategories and linguistic features are reflected in the speech of patients with mild and moderate dementia, with the help of the LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) software
THE IMPOSTER PHENOMENON IN GRADUATE STUDENTS: A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST PERSPECTIVE USING NARRATIVE INQUIRY
Get PDFA narrative inquiry study explored six graduate students’ experiences of imposter syndrome” during their graduate studies. Semi-structured interviews occurred with each participant at two time points: one initial interview and a follow-up interview to discuss the impact of the initial interview and to perform member checking. Each interview was analyzed individually to create summative narrative of their unique experiences of imposter feelings. Interviews were also analyzed on a study-wide level to explore common threads of the “imposter syndrome” in graduate school. Results suggested imposter feelings in graduate students were related to the ability to discuss imposter feelings with others, program demographic makeup, and the level of competition and support within a program. Implications and recommendations for further research and graduate programs are provided. Individual and systemic perspectives are discussed
Pathways Toward Healing: Examining the Role of Emotion Regulation in Longitudinal Expressions of Complicated Grief and Multisystemic Resilience Resources Among Bereaved Youth
Get PDFThe death of a loved one is a profoundly impactful event, especially for youth who may lose a vital source of support during critical developmental stages. This study investigated the trajectories of complicated grief and multisystemic resilience resources among bereaved youth over a six-month period, considering the roles of emotion regulation strategies (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), potentially traumatic events (PTEs), and various sociodemographic and loss-related factors. The present study utilized self-report data from treatment-seeking bereaved youth (N = 106). Parallel process latent growth curve modeling (PP-LGCM) was used to explore individual differences in grief and resilience trajectories. Post-hoc moderation analysis examined nuanced relationships identified through PP-LGCM. The results showed significant variability in initial levels and trajectories of both complicated grief symptoms and multisystemic resilience resources. Higher initial levels of complicated grief were associated with a slower rate of decline, suggesting persistent challenges for youth experiencing intense grief. Multisystemic resilience resources exhibited stability over time, with significant individual differences highlighting the complexity of resilience processes. Sociodemographic and loss-related variables, such as gender and time since loss, significantly predicted initial levels of complicated grief and multisystemic resilience resources, while closeness to the deceased was a significant predictor of the trajectory for multisystemic resilience resources. Emotion regulation strategies showed nuanced effects: expressive suppression approached significance as a predictor of resilience, and its interaction with cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between closeness to the deceased and resilience. These findings underscore the importance of personalized, multifaceted approaches in supporting bereaved youth, considering the diverse experiences and coping mechanisms that influence their adjustment post-loss. The study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between grief, resilience resources, and emotion regulation, offering insights for clinical intervention and assessment to enhance bereavement support services
In Vivo Evaluation of Fatty Acid Loaded Chitosan Membranes for Pain Relief and Biofilm Associated Infection Prevention
Get PDFInfections are the leading cause of burn related deaths worldwide. These infections not only complicate micro-environment of a burn wound, but further obscure the wound due to the formation of biofilms at the wound site. Local drug delivery (LDD) has been a highly researched solution due to its advantages in locally treating and preventing infection while avoiding systemic side effects. LDD systems also have advantages for complex wounds, like burns. Chitosan is a natural polymer that is often used in these systems due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility and versatility. Previous research has suggested that short chain unsaturated fatty acids, for example cis-2-decenoic acid (C2DA), can disperse and inhibit formation of biofilms. Furthermore, due to the growing opioid crisis, alternate pain management strategies are crucial. Local anesthetics, like bupivacaine (BUP) have been shown to have inherent antimicrobial effects in addition to their analgesic effects. This project aims to study the in vivo efficacy of electrospun chitosan membranes (ESCMs) that are loaded with C2DA and/or BUP in burn wound applications in comparison to clinically used products
Groundwater recharge estimation focusing on shallow aquifer dynamics in the near stream zone of the incised Cub Creek, Middleton, Tennessee
Get PDFThis study investigated the Lone Oaks restoration site in Middleton, Tennessee, focusing on Cub Creek\u27s channeling issues. Subsurface investigations revealed a shallow aquifer with limited groundwater storage, varying in thickness by about 2 m between upstream (U/S) and downstream (D/S) sections, and an unsaturated zone extending from 1.8 m U/S to 2.3 m D/S. The underlying confining layer is 6.5 m bgs U/S and 9 m bgs D/S, indicating eastward erosion or deposition shift between the Wilcox and Porters Creek Clay. Where U/S and D/S soil moisture at 90 cm and 150 cm remained near saturation during the cool season, fluctuating in the growing season due to vegetation demand and reduced precipitation. The maximum moisture content showed porosity at 45% U/S and 38% D/S. Similarly, groundwater elevation showed a threshold during periods of continual rain and fluctuated during the warm season. Although higher precipitation in the cool season suggests a greater recharge potential, the actual recharge capacity is lower when soil water content reaches the porosity and groundwater elevation thresholds. Conversely, during the warm season, lower precipitation and higher vegetation demand reduce recharge potential. Using the Episodic Master Recession (EMR) method, average recharge rates of 0.40 m/year for LOF-MW1 and 0.43 m/year for LOF-MW2 were identified, approximately 30 to 40% of the average annual water table fluctuation of 1.0 m/year and 1.4 m/year, respectively. Meanwhile, Cub Creek levels remained stable throughout the seasons but were flashy during storms. In warmer months, the U/S reach, with higher levels than the groundwater, potentially lost water to the aquifer, while the D/S reach had consistently lower water levels than the aquifer, suggesting a possible contribution from the aquifer. This investigation enhanced the understanding of groundwater recharge dynamics and the shallow aquifer system in Cub Creek Valley, also shedding light on the hydrological impacts of historical stream system alterations in a humid climate
Gaslight Dinner Theatre, program, Memphis, Tennessee, 1981
Get PDFGaslight Dinner Theatre and Professional Artists Productions, Inc. program for Michael Edwards in Irva Levin\u27s Deathtrap, directed by Michael Edwards, Brooks Road at I-55, Memphis, Tennessee, 1981 June 11-July 5.https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-mss-ewperry1/1031/thumbnail.jp
Effect of Atmospheric Turbulence Length Scales on Wake Meandering Formation and Energy Transfer in Wind Turbines employing Data-Driven Analysis
Get PDFThe increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy has led to the rapid growth of wind energy production. The variability of energy production is affected by wake meandering, a large-scale periodic oscillating motion of the far wake of a wind turbine. However, formation and energy dynamics of the wake meandering are not fully understood. This undermines the development of accurate models for predicting wind farm performance. Two distinct formation mechanisms have been separately hypothesized: (1) modulation by large, upwind coherent structures present in the atmospheric boundary layer and (2) turbine-scale bluff body effects related to the size of the rotor. Numerical investigations employing large-eddy simulation of high-fidelity wind turbine flows are undertaken to elucidate the dependency of lengths scale on wake meandering and assess energy transfer mechanisms between scales. A series of precursory large-eddy simulations of an atmospheric boundary layer are carried out where the streamwise length scale distribution ranges from a magnitude larger than the boundary layer height to much smaller than a utility-scale wind turbine rotor. Length scales are manipulated using a high pass filtering approach to produce upwind length scale scenarios, with varying cutoffs of the largest scale while maintaining the same total energy flux. Wind turbine simulations for each scenario employ the actuator surface with the nacelle model and actuator disk model to assess effects of upwind scale and turbine scale separately. Both near and far wake differences are exhibited in the instantaneous and averaged features related to wake meandering. The peak wake meandering frequency is shown to shift higher as the energy in large upwind scales decreases explaining the variation in wake meandering frequency in previous laboratory, field, and computational results. Energy dynamics including mean and turbulent kinetic energy budgets are assessed to elucidate effects on global energy transfer. Furthermore, scale-to-scale energy dynamics in a wind turbine are based on a new methodology where specific scales of coherent structures are identified through dynamic mode decomposition, whereby the total coherent velocity is separated into a set of velocities classified by frequency. The coherent kinetic energy of a specific scale is defined by a frequency triad of scale-specific velocities. Equations for the balance of scale-specific coherent kinetic energy are derived to interpret inter-scale dynamics. Triadic interactions, the mechanism of energy transfers between scales, manifest as triples of wavenumbers or frequencies and can be characterized through bispectral analyses. We compare the new method to bispectral mode decomposition. The bispectrum from both methods identifies prominent upwind and wake meandering interactions that create a broad range of energy scales including the wake meandering scale. The coherent kinetic energy associated with the interactions shows a strong correlation between upwind scales and wake meandering. The coherent kinetic energy in the rotor scales and the hub vortex scale in the wind turbine interact to produce new scales. The analysis reveals that vortices at the blade root interact with the hub vortex formed behind the nacelle, which has implications for the proliferation of scales in the downwind near wake
U.S. Custom House and Downtown Memphis
No full textRiverside view of the U.S. Custom House (center) and downtown Memphis, Tennessee, with the Horatio G. Wright snag boat moored in the foreground.https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-mss-rpevahouse2/1006/thumbnail.jp