56593 research outputs found
Sort by
The Influence of the Gut Microbiome on Human Health
No full textabstract: Bacteria are often regarded s pathogens, with deleterious impacts on the human body. However, it is known that the presence of trillions of bacteria on and in the human body impart beneficial effects on human health. Like a fingerprint, each individual’s microbiome is unique. The composition of bacteria in one person’s gut is different from the gut bacteria in another individual. Together, the human gut microbiome is a complex mix of organisms that is commonly referred to as “the second brain.� Its role in the human body goes beyond digestion and immune system function. The health of the microbiome factors into risk for illnesses as diverse as depression, obesity, bowel disorders and autism (Perlmutter et al., 2015). In context of the myriad of bacteria that live on and within the human body, the composition of bacteria in the gut may have the most significant impact on an individual’s well-being. This “superorganism� co-evolved with its host in order to provide essential and mutually beneficial functions (Ragonnaud et al., 2021).
Affecting millions of Americans, depression is one of the leading causes of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), followed by anxiety (Gibson-Smith et al., 2018). Communication that occurs between the human brain and the gut microbiome has been found to be a major contributor towards mental health. The human gut microbiome is comprised of many microbes that can communicate with the brain through the gut-brain axis. However, factors such as stress and diets can interfere with this process, especially after increasing the permeability of the intestine (Khoshbin et al., 2020). Perturbation of the gut-brain axis has been implicated across a wide scale of neurodegenerative disorders, with respect to psychopathology (Bonaz et al., 2018). The environment of the gut, along with which species reside there, can help determine the link between gut function and disease. Therefore, it may be possible to prevent the degradation of an individual’s immune function and well-being through alteration of the gut microbiome. (abstract
The Association Between Dietary Choices and Sleep Quality
No full textabstract: Objective: To examine the relationships between self-reported sleep disturbance, chronotype, sleep duration, and nutrition in people between the ages of 21 and 42 with complaints of poor sleep quality.
Methods: Utilizing data collected from community-based individuals with complaints of disturbed sleep enrolled in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation sponsored study titled “Markers of Early Atherosclerotic Progression in Insomnia” (MEAt-PI), Pearson correlation analyses were conducted between self-reported sleep disturbance symptom severity, chronotype, sleep duration, and eating habits. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morninging-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Multifactor Screener in Observing Protein & Energy Nutrition (OPEN).
Results: Data were evaluated for correlation from 45 participants consisting of 16 males, aged 21-42 and 29 females, aged 21-40. Scores on the PSQI ranged from 4-16, with an overall mean score of 9.9 SD of 2.8. On the MEQ, 11 participants scored as evening types, 7 participants scored as morning types, and 27 scored as intermediate types. The Multifactor Screener revealed a mean percentage of energy from fat of 33.3% (SD 4.7), mean energy from fiber of 2.4% (SD 0.7), and an average number of servings of fruits and vegetables per day of 3.5 (SD 1.7). There was a negative correlation between PSQI and sleep duration in hours (r = -.433, p = 0.01) suggesting as PSQI score increases, sleep duration decreases. There was a negative correlation between MEQ score and sleep duration in hours (r = -.389, p = 0.01) suggesting higher MEQ scores were associated with shorter sleep duration. Higher MEQ scores indicate morning types. There was a positive correlation between percentage of dietary energy from fat and sleep duration (r = .308, p = 0.05).
Conclusions: In a community-based, cross-sectional sample of individuals with complaints of disturbed sleep, poorer sleep quality and greater morningness were associated with shorter sleep duration. There was a positive correlation between greater percentage of dietary energy from fat and longer sleep duration. There were no correlations observed between sleep quality, chronotype, percentage of dietary energy from fiber, and number of daily servings of fruits and vegetables. These associations may indicate relationships between sleep duration and dietary fat consumption exist. Further research with larger sample sizes compared to normal sleepers should be conducted
Systematic Review of the Impact of Genistein on Diabetes Related Outcomes
No full textabstract: As the 7th leading cause of death in the world, with over 1.6 millions deaths attributed to it in 2016 alone, diabetes mellitus has been a rising global health concern. Type 1 diabetes is caused by lack of insulin production whereas type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. Both types of diabetes lead to increased glucose levels in the body if left untreated. This, in turn, leads to the development of a host of complications, one of which is ischemic heart disease. Accounting for the death of 16% of the world’s population, ischemic heart disease has been the leading cause of death since 2000. As of 2019, deaths from this disease have risen from 2 million to over 8.9 million globally. While medicine exists to counter the negative outcomes of diabetes mellitus, lower income nations suffer from the lack of availability and high costs of these medications. Therefore, this systematic review was performed to determine whether a non-medicinal treatment could provide similar therapeutic benefits for individuals with diabetes. Genistein is a phytoestrogen found in soy-based products, which has been potentially linked with preventing diabetes and improving diabetes-related symptoms such as hyperglycemia and abnormal insulin levels. We searched PubMed and SCOPUS using the terms ‘genistein’, ‘diabetes’, and ‘glucose’ and identified 32 peer-reviewed articles. In general, preclinical studies demonstrate that genistein decreases body weight as well as circulating glucose and triglycerides concentrations while increasing insulin levels and insulin sensitivity. It also delayed the onset of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In contrast, clinical studies of genistein in general reported no significant relationship between genistein and body mass, circulating glucose, serum insulin, A1C concentrations, or onset of type 1 diabetes. However, genistein was found to improve insulin sensitivity, delay type 2 diabetes onset and improve serum triglyceride levels. In summary, preclinical and clinical studies suggest that genistein may help delay onset of type 2 diabetes and improve several symptoms associated with the disease. By translating these findings into clinical settings, genistein may offer a cost effective natural approach at mitigating complications associated with diabetes, although additional research is required to confirm these findings
The effects of square breathing as a vagal nerve stimulant on learning new motor strategies in unreliable proprioceptive conditions
No full textabstract: Lack of proprioceptive feedback is one cause for the high upper-limb prosthesis abandonment rate. The lack of environmental interaction normalcy from unreliable proprioception creates dissatisfaction among prosthesis users. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effects of square breathing on learning to navigate without reliable proprioception. Square breathing is thought to influence the vagus nerve which is linked to increased learning rates. In this experiment, participants were instructed to reach toward targets in a semi-immersive virtual reality environment. Directional error, peak velocity, and peak acceleration of the reaching hand were investigated before and after participants underwent square breathing training. As the results of this experiment are inconclusive, further investigation needs to be done with larger sample sizes and examining unperturbed data to fully understand the effects of square breathing on learning new motor strategies in unreliable proprioceptive conditions. (abstract
A Research Review of The Trials and Errors of Predictive Policing
No full textabstract: The era of mass data collection is upon us and only recently have people begun to consider the value of their data. All of our clicks and likes have helped big tech companies build predictive models to tailor their product to the buying patterns of the consumer. Big data collection has its advantages in increasing profitability and efficiency, but many are concerned about the lack of transparency in these technologies (Dwyer). The dependency on algorithms to make and influence decisions has become a growing concern in law enforcement. The use of this technology is commonly referred to as data-driven decision making, which is also known as predictive policing. These technologies are thought to reduce the biases held in traditional policing by creating statistically sound evidence-based models. Although, many lawsuits have highlighted the fact that predictive technologies do more to reflect historical bias rather than to eradicate it. The clandestine measures behind the algorithms may be in conflict with the due process clause and the penumbra of privacy rights enumerated in the First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments.
Predictive policing technology has come under fire for over policing historically black and latinx neighborhoods. GIS (Geographical Information Systems) is supposed to help officers identify where crime will likely happen over the next twelve hours. However, the LAPD’s own internal audit of their program concluded that the technology did not help officers solve crimes or reduce crime rate any better than traditional patrol methods (Puente). Similarly, other types of tools used to calculate recidivism risk for bond sentencing are disproportionately biased to calculate black people as having a higher risk to reoffend (Angwin). Lawsuits from civil liberties groups have been filed against the police departments that utilized these technologies. This paper will examine the constitutional pitfalls of predictive technology and propose ways that the system could work to ameliorate its practices. (abstract
The Romanticization of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in Young Adult Media
No full textabstract: The following creative project defends that, whether intentionally or not, mental illness and substance abuse are inevitably romanticized in young adult media and discusses the dangers of this romanticization. This project is divided into three parts. The first part consists of psychological evaluations of the main characters of two popular, contemporary forms of young adult media, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Euphoria by Sam Levinson. These evaluations use textual evidence and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to determine what symptoms of psychopathology the characters appear to display. The second part consists of a self-written short story that is meant to accurately depict the life of a young adult struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. This story contains various aesthetic techniques borrowed from the two young adult media forms. The final part consists of an aesthetic statement which discusses in depth the aesthetic techniques employed within the short story, Quicksand by Anisha Mehra. (abstract
Leia Wasbotten, soprano
No full textCharles LloydHarrison Leslie AdamsErnest CharlesSamuel BarberGabriel FaureRoger QuilterLeonard Bernsteinarr. Moses Hoganarr. Mark HayesLouise ReichardtJudith CloudKurt WeillAdam GwonBenj Pasek & Justin PaulDolly Parto
Mikaela Hannon, flute
No full textAmanda Rontgen-Maier, arr. Carol WincencRobert MuczynskiJoseph Bodin de BoismortierKatherine HooverWalter Pisto