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The application of tessituragrams for song analysis
No full textFifteen vocal works by Argentinian Composer Carlos Guastavino are analyzed in this paper using tessituragrams/song range profiles. Tessituragrams and Song Range Profiles offer objective insight into the various vocal demands (range, tessitura, passaggio, cycle dose, short-term recovery dose, and vowel alignment) a song requires. A rating is individually assigned to these metrics (1 = Beginner, 2 = Intermediate, 3 = Advanced) with the mean of these scores creating a composite rating for each song. Each datapoint is assigned specific parameters based upon published literature and my experience as an educator and singer. By presenting a rubric that notates how datapoints are measured, an objective analysis is created measuring the vocal demands of a work
Beef, bees, and biodiversity: A mixed-methods study exploring undergraduate students’ efficacy and experiences with a community science intervention
No full textExperiential learning in higher education is often undervalued due to logistical issues and concerns that reduced lecture time diminishes science content knowledge. This mixed-methods research explores the experiences and effects of a community (citizen) science intervention on undergraduate students’ efficacy in scientific learning, practice, and environmental action. The eight-week intervention was conducted at a private university as part of a general studies course for both major and non-major students in a Ranch Management department. Participants (N=34) were selected based on course enrollment, and data were collected from pre- and post-surveys and student artifacts. The findings indicate that engagement in the intervention significantly increased students’ self-efficacy for learning and doing science while improving content knowledge and enhancing environmental collective efficacy, personal agency, and critical scientific literacy. Results highlight the benefits of community science in higher education, demonstrating that experiential learning can enhance comprehension, foster higher-order thinking, and cultivate pro-environmental behaviors
Role of interfacial phenomena in antibacterial applications of metal oxide semiconductors
No full textSemiconductors serve as the foundation of the modern electronics industry, playing a crucial role in applications ranging from computing and lighting to missile guidance systems and beyond. Among them, metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) have garnered significant interest due to their broad spectrum of current and emerging applications, including biosensors, thin-film transistors, gas sensors, and photocatalysts. While their electronic and catalytic properties have been extensively studied, their biological activity—particularly their antibacterial effects—has only recently come into focus. Although MOS particles and MOS-based systems have demonstrated antibacterial efficacy, the fundamental mechanisms driving these interactions remain poorly understood, sparking ongoing debate in the field. In this work the interface between bacteria and MOS micro-/nanoparticles is explored through the lens of interactions at the semiconductor surface and the impact thereof. We utilize scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, temperature dependent photoluminescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction crystallography, transient and spectroscopic surface photovoltage techniques. These are employed before and after exposure to varying environments with and without Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. We reveal a number of results which support defect-mediated reactions at the MOS surface which result in the release of toxic cations into solution which drive observed antibacterial behaviors. We also elucidate the role that particle size, media type and surface properties play in enabling or inhibiting cytotoxic behaviors of nano-/microscale MOS crystals
Kant on Imperfect Duties: A Defence of the Latitudinal Interpretation
No full textAccording to the ‘rigorist’ interpretation, the imperfect duty of (e.g.) beneficence does not permit agents to fail to perform any beneficent act that is available to the agent in order to pursue some nonmoral interest, whereas on the latitudinal interpretation, agents are permitted to fail to do so. I defend the latitudinal interpretation by criticising recent defences of rigorism offered by Jens Timmermann and Pauline Kleingeld, arguing that they conflict with important features of Kant’s moral theory, and that the latitudinal interpretation better coheres with Kant’s overall view
Centering racial health equity in systematic reviews Paper 4: A systematic review on the use of logic models and frameworks for methodological conduct of evidence synthesis.
No full textObjectives To identify evidence syntheses of health interventions addressing racial health equity reporting the use of equity-focused frameworks and logic models. Study Design and Setting The search strategy included three sources; a search of three bibliographic databases to identify systematic reviews assessing interventions to improve racial health equity, semistructured interviews with diverse group and a targeted organization website searches (eg, National Institute of Health, United States Preventive Services Task Force) to identify relevant logic models and frameworks. The searches were conducted between January 1, 2020, and January 25, 2023. We used a qualitative approach to identify and describe key characteristics of equity-focused logic models and frameworks used in evidence syntheses. Results Of the 153 racial health equity-focused evidence syntheses identified, two explicitly used logic models to describe the intervention mechanism. We identified seven existing health equity frameworks from semistructured interviews and electronic search of key websites that were categorized by stated purpose as providing guidance for 1) research, 2) health policy, 3) digital health-care solutions, and 4) clinical preventive services. Two out of seven frameworks included guidance on integrating frameworks or logic models in evidence synthesis while the majority provided contextual information on how to define or consider race or racism as a structural determinant of health. Conclusion There is limited use of logic models and frameworks in evidence syntheses addressing racial health equity. There is a need for more applied frameworks providing guidance for framing, conducting and interpreting findings of evidence syntheses addressing racial health equity
Comparing the Impact of the COVAX Initiative on COVID?19 Vaccination Rates in Low? and Lower?Middle Income Countries
No full textResearch Question: Will the global initiative COVAX improve access to COVID?19 vaccinations for populations in lower?income countries in comparison to lower?middle income countries across three WHO regional divisions?Background and Significance: As new and modified vaccines have been made available to the world in the past several decades, global health experts have continued to explore methods of vaccine distribution in lower?middle and low?income countries. Global partnerships and plans have become more common, especially with the inauguration of the WHO¿s first decade plan, Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS), in 2006. Since this policy, the WHO has introduced the GVAP from 2012?2020 as well as the recent COVAX initiative, which operates as part of the ACT Accelerator, a global response to the COVID?19 pandemic, for the distribution of COVID?19 vaccines. This study seeks to evaluate and compare the effectiveness, methods, and impact of the COVAX vaccine plan to aid in the implementation of new immunization policies.Materials and Methods: A policy analysis will review the ability of the COVAX initiative to achieve its goals in vaccine distribution to low?income and lower?middle income countries through the areas of mobilization and country involvement. Data on COVID?19 vaccine mobilization will be collected from a representative sample of three WHO regions, including Uganda and Kenya from the African Region, Haiti and Nicaragua from the Region of the Americas, and Nepal and India from the South?East Asia Region. Vaccination rates between the low?income and the lower?middle income countries will be compared to identify efficacy of distribution between income levels. Factors such as vaccine hesitancy and authorization mechanisms will also be noted in each country to evaluate obstacles to distribution. Internal review analyses and data released from the WHO and World Bank will be examined for data on the COVAX policy as information is released between 2021 and 2023. The lessons gained from previous initiatives will be compared to the outcomes of the COVAX strategies to highlight future recommendations and coordinated responses for immunizations in developing nations.Results: We anticipate that the COVAX initiative will foster a large mobilization effort of COVID-19 vaccinations in lower-middle and low-income countries that may be limited by country-specific obstacles and a funding gap. WHO reports have revealed the GVAP utilized a top-down approach to immunization distribution in the general population, which may contribute to decreased country involvement from regional leaders and could carry over into the structure of COVAX. Issues such as vaccine hesitancy, health care worker availability, and political instability may contribute to hindered COVID-19 vaccine mobilization as well. Due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, some findings from GVAP reviews released in 2020 may not have been applied when developing the structure, methods, and goals of COVAX.Conclusion: This study aims to compile clear and persistent issues between these various global vaccine plans to propose key solutions for sustainable immunization availability to underserved populations in lower-middle and low-income regions and define lessons learned from the monumental undertaking
Gill raker and pyloric caeca counts differ between Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and Dolly Varden (S. malma) populations across their ranges
No full textMeristic characters are often used to differentiate between closely related forms, morphs, and species of fishes, and lend insight into ecology and post-glacial recolonization in taxa with complicated or contentious phylogenies, including the genus Salvelinus. Previous studies of meristics in Salvelinus have focused mostly on individual populations. We collated data from 456 populations/systems across the North American and Russian Arctic and sub-Arctic, and found that counts of pyloric caeca and gill rakers differed consistently between fish visually and/or genetically identified as Arctic char and Dolly Varden across their distributional ranges
Studying the Mode of Action of Novel Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
No full textAlzheimer's disease (AD) is ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the US with over six million Americans currently diagnosed, and that number is projected to reach about 13 million by 2050. AD is currently believed to be caused by numerous factors ranging from genetics, lifestyle, and environmental conditions, but the exact pathogenesis of AD remains uncertain. What has been identified is the pathology associated with the disease includes the presence of amyloid beta (AB) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of the protein tau in the brain. In cases of AD these proteins are misfolded and accumulate, causing disruptions in cell signaling and neuronal death, therefore worsening the disease. AB plaques also activate microglial cells, which produce cytokines and induce inflammation. Activation of an inflammasome protein, NLRP3, found in microglial cells, results in the production of the cytokine IL-1B which has been implicated in Alzheimer's due to its ability to induce and maintain this chronic cycle of inflammation, and possibly results in more amyloid-beta deposition. Studies have shown that the removal of NLRP3 results in decreased deposition of the proteins involved in AD. Our research examines novel anti-inflammatory drugs and their potential to reduce NLRP3-mediated inflammation-induced brain damage. We hypothesize that these drugs act to reduce inflammation by inhibiting a component of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. The levels of various proteins involved in the pathway were measured using Western Blot analysis, and preliminary results suggest that treatment with the drugs reduces LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Leveraging Athletic Success to Guide Institutional Strategic Branding Decisions: A Case Study on TCU’s Historic 2022 Season
No full textThis thesis examines the strategic utilization of athletic success in branding decisions at Texas Christian University (TCU) during its historic 2022 season. Through a detailed case study, this research explores how TCU leveraged its athletic achievements to enhance its branding strategy, thereby increasing the university's visibility, engaging stakeholders, and aligning with its broader academic and cultural missions.
The study employs qualitative methods, including interviews with key university stakeholders and analysis of TCU's branding materials and public communications. It investigates how the excitement generated by athletic success was integrated into a comprehensive branding strategy that not only celebrated sports achievements but also underscored the university's academic strengths and community values.
Key findings indicate that TCU's approach to leveraging athletic success involved capitalizing on media exposure, engaging alumni and donors, and utilizing social media platforms to amplify achievements. The research highlights the challenges of balancing athletic and academic priorities, stakeholder alignment and perception, rapid decision-making in a large organization, and maintaining authenticity to mission and values. It recommends best practices like proactively establishing partnerships, telling the story of students, anticipating triggers, leaning into the unconventional, finding experts, seizing the window of opportunity, and telling the broader story of the institution.
This thesis contributes to the field by outlining best practices for universities looking to harness athletic success for branding purposes. It provides insights into the complexities of balancing sports enthusiasm with educational objectives and offers strategies for other institutions to enhance their brand through athletic success. The study underscores the potential of athletic success to serve as a powerful tool for strategic branding, capable of fostering lasting engagement and enhancing institutional reputation
Characterization and distribution of a 14-Mb chromosomal inversion in native populations of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
No full textMultiple studies in a range of taxa have found links between structural variants and the development of ecologically important traits. Such variants are becoming easier to find due, in large part, to the increase in the amount of genome-wide sequence data in nonmodel organisms. The salmonids (salmon, trout, and charr) are a taxonomic group with abundant genome-wide datasets due to their importance in aquaculture, fisheries, and variation in multiple ecologically important life-history traits. Previous research on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has documented a large pericentric (similar to 55 Mb) chromosomal inversion (CI) on chromosome 5 (Omy05) and a second smaller (similar to 14 Mb) chromosome inversion on Omy20. While the Omy05 inversion appears to be associated with multiple adaptive traits, the inversion on Omy20 has received far less attention. In this study, we re-analyze RAD-seq and amplicon data from several populations of rainbow trout (O. mykiss) to better document the structure and geographic distribution of variation in the Omy20 CI. Moreover, we utilize phylogenomic techniques to characterize both the age- and the protein-coding gene content of the Omy20 CI. We find that the age of the Omy20 inversion dates to the early stages of O. mykiss speciation and predates the Omy05 inversion by similar to 450,000 years. The 2 CIs differ further in terms of the frequency of the homokaryotypes. While both forms of the Omy05 CI are found across the eastern Pacific, the ancestral version of the Omy20 CI is restricted to the southern portion of the species range in California. Furthermore, the Omy20 inverted haplotype is comparable in genetic diversity to the ancestral form, whereas derived CIs typically show substantially reduced genetic diversity. These data contribute to our understanding of the age and distribution of a large CI in rainbow trout and provide a framework for researchers looking to document CIs in other nonmodel species