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The Upright Go Wearable Posture Device: An Evaluation of Postural Health, Improvement of Posture, and Salivary Cortisol Fluctuations in College Students
Get PDFHealth professionals consider improper posture as a risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders, chronic pain, and additional health issues. The chief aim of my study was to investigate links between poor posture and health, particularly in college students. To collect data regarding postural health, I distributed an exploratory survey to Human Anatomy and Physiology II (BISC 207) students at the University of Mississippi in Spring 2018. Students reported significant concern with quality of personal posture and significant experience with negative side effects of poor posture. Results demonstrated a need for postural education, leading to phase 2 of my experiment, the evaluation of the Upright Go wearable posture training device in improving user posture.
The Upright Go development team claims the device provides an efficient and comfortable method to improve postural health. This insight into student experience and information on the Upright Go allowed me to generate the second phase of my experiment and create testable hypotheses: (1) the Upright Go device will work to prevent back slouch, thus reducing mean percent of time slouching in students and (2) improved postural health can physiologically influence neuroendocrine responses, such as decreased cortisol levels. Upright Go devices were used on the Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BISC 206) volunteers during laboratory periods of the fall 2018 semester. The second phase of my study began with an intake survey given to BISC 206 students in fall 2018. Results indicated students had significant postural issues and verified that these students were willing to try the Upright Go device. The Upright Go experiment involved four experimental groups: no treatment, text reminders to correct posture, Upright Go in tracking mode, and Upright Go in tracking and training mode. Over the course of treatment sessions, all volunteers provided three saliva samples. Samples were frozen and tested for cortisol levels using an Eagle Biosciences ELISA kit.
To analyze the effectiveness of the Upright Go device, I used a 2-way ANOVA to evaluate the mean percent of time slouching as recorded by the Upright Go device. This data did not differ significantly between sessions and groups (F = 2.83, d.f. = 2, p = 0.085). Results from a 2-way ANOVA also indicate that there were no significant changes in salivary cortisol levels between experimental groups (F = 1.23; d.f. = 3; p = 0.302) or treatment sessions (F = 0.21; d.f. = 2; p = 0.813). To evaluate student perceived postural improvement, I distributed an exit survey to students. The majority of experimental group 2 participants indicated no substantial postural improvement. All experimental group 3 students noticed a substantial improvement in posture. Three students in experimental group 4 noticed substantial postural improvement and group 4’s Upright Go data demonstrates a decreasing percent of time slouching with each treatment session. Students predominantly found the Upright Go device to be comfortable and effective. The majority of exit survey questions for experimental groups 2, 3, and 4 yielded observable trends in results, yet most of these trends were not statistically significant. The small sample sizes in these groups limited the statistical power of Upright Go data and exit survey results. Overall, exit survey results demonstrate that this study has produced a positive, significant change in student awareness of proper postural management. A larger and longer-term study is necessary to fully evaluate the Upright Go device and the effect that improved posture may have on salivary cortisol levels
External Support in Civil Wars and Its Effects on Refugee Flow
Get PDFThe refugee crisis in Syria that began in 2011 raised several questions in terms of civil war interventions and their effects on refugee flow. Did a third party’s decision to intervene in the Syrian Civil War have any impact on the flow of refugees from the region? This thesis attempts to answer this question. There are multiple forms that external support by a third party can assume: direct military support, indirect military support, and humanitarian aid. This thesis hypothesized that direct and indirect military support would correlate with an increased number of refugees, and that humanitarian aid would have little to no correlation. This thesis used data from Patrick M. Regan’s article “Third-Party Interventions and the Duration of Intrastate Conflicts” (2002) to construct each of those broad categories of external support by combining relevant variables into a single measure. These categories were then tested using R against refugee data pulled from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. While regression tests supported the second hypothesis by showing little to no correlation between humanitarian aid and refugee flow, direct and indirect military support also exhibited little to no relationship with refugee flow. Tests at the constituent variable-level, however, did reveal that external support in the form of troops or military equipment were correlated with increased numbers of refugees, opening the door for further research with respect to these types of interventions
Synthesis of a Novel Tetradentate Ligand and its Copper Complex for Redox Shuttle Applications
Get PDFWith growing energy demands, alternatives to the traditional non-renewable fuel sources are currently being explored. Of these alternative fuel sources, solar energy, particularly dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC), have garnered considerable interest. Traditional redox mediators within these solar cells have been triiodide/iodide couples, which pose several complications due to their corrosiveness, absorption in the visible range, and efficiency, motivating the development of better redox couples for next generation DSSCs. Thus, transition metal complexes have rapidly gained traction as a potential replacement for this traditional I-/I3- based system. In this study, a novel tetradentate ligand framework and its copper and nickel complexes are designed and synthesized to study these complexes’ viability as redox shuttles. Electrochemical studies of reversibility and scan rate dependence were performed on the copper complex to aid in establishing such viability. These results, along with the Cu(II/I) oxidation potentials were compared with other developed copper-based systems. The synthesized copper shuttle demonstrated electrochemical reversibility, and the Cu(II/I) potential was comparable to the shuttles reported in the literature. Future work to compare the synthesized complex to the nickel-based complex is currently in progress. Different electrochemical results from those observed in the copper complex are expected. Overall, this study illustrates that the synthesized copper complex could be a viable replacement for traditional redox mediators, but further testing should be conducted to establish its usefulness in an actual DSSC environment
Descriptive Study of Reading Comprehension Skills in Individuals with Down Syndrome
Get PDFProblem Statement: Previous research has documented that individuals with Down syndrome are able to read and have identified strengths and weakness demonstrated within the reading domain, but research on their reading comprehension abilities is scarce.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze strengths and weaknesses of reading comprehension in individuals with Down syndrome, including within the word identification and language comprehension subdomains.
Methods: Reading comprehension, word identification, phonological decoding, language comprehension, vocabulary, and syntax were the dependent variables in this study. Nine standardized assessments/subtests were used to measure these variables in 11 adolescents and adults with Down syndrome.
Results: The results of this study revealed relative strengths in word identification, phonological decoding, and vocabulary. Weaknesses were found in reading comprehension, language comprehension, and syntax. Significant correlations were found between language comprehension and reading comprehension.
Discussion: The results of this study suggest that language comprehension may have a strong impact on reading comprehension success in individuals with Down syndrome
The PRC and its Anti-Drug War: The Opium Suppression Campaign of the Early 1950's
Get PDFFor centuries, China sought to suppress opium consumption within its borders. Following the Chinese Communist Party’s rise to power, the 1950’s drug suppression campaign initiated new attempts to bring about the end of opium’s presence within Chinese society. What led to this campaign’s success is its utilization of different strategies within each region of focus. The combination of strategies used allowed the CCP to eradicate all forms of the opium market in both urban and rural areas where the campaign was active. This thesis examines the methods used during the campaign and how these methods resulted in the campaign’s success
Neurotoxic Effects of HIV-1 gp120 and Interaction with Allopregnanolone
Get PDFWith increasing incidence of HIV and its associated neurocognitive disorders,
there has emerged a need for an antiviral with improved delivery to the CNS. In
searching for drug candidates that meet these criteria, some have noted that certain
steroid hormones like estrogen and progesterone that naturally accumulate in the CNS
show neuroprotective effects in cells exposed to HIV proteins. This investigation focused
on testing the potential protective effects of the progesterone metabolite,
allopregnanolone (AlloP), against HIV protein gp120-mediated neurotoxicity.
Experiments were conducted using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells that were exposed to
varying concentrations of AlloP (0-100 nM) in conjunction with one of three gp120
conditions (vehicle, X4 gp120 at 500pM, R5 gp120 at 500 pM). Once treated, plates were
imaged at 24-hour intervals for 48 hours and assessed for proportion of cell death.
Analysis of the results found that AlloP had no significant influence over cell death and
that gp120 only induced a significant amount of cell death once deglycosylated. Further investigation will be needed to assess the influence of AlloP and natural steroid products
on the direct and indirect glial-mediated neurotoxic mechanisms of HIV-1 gp120
O-GlcNAcylation of HIF-1α Protein in Human Breast Cancer Cells
Get PDFCancer is an insidious disease that, if not caught in time, can cause devastating effects on the human body, especially if it metastasizes. It is important to note that each cancer behaves and develops differently based on its location in the body and the cellular characteristics constitute the instance of the disease. However, the development of cancer can universally be characterized by the acquisition of different hallmark abilities that promote disease progression. Proteins known as hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) can influence progression through these hallmarks, but primarily provides cancer cells with the ability to alter its metabolism to survive and further progress in hypoxic conditions, which are common intratumorally. The HIF transcription factors are composed of two subunits, an ‘α’-subunit that is oxygen-regulated and a constitutively expressed ‘β’-subunit. Posttranslational modifications are a common form of regulation among cell types. Specifically, enhanced O-GlcNAcylation, the addition of O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), has been observed to have implications in the progression of diseases, including breast cancer. The purpose of this research is to detect O-GlcNAcylation of HIF-1α protein, using the triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-321-derived (MDA-MB-231 BoM) bone-specific organotropic subclone as an in vitro model
The Economic Effects of National Marijuana Legalization
Get PDFIn today’s political and social climate, the legalization of marijuana has been a major topic of discussion across the nation. As more states pass legislation to legalize marijuana, whether it be for medicinal or recreational purposes, a market is being created that has economically beneficial possibilities that can be harnessed on a national level. This thesis seeks to highlight the economic effect marijuana legalization could possibly have on the national economy by examining the states that have legalized marijuana. States who have already passed such legislation provide a framework for state-level economic impact of marijuana legalization that can be projected to a national scale. The framework is based on the factors influencing marijuana’s economic impact, which will be further explored in this study. A comparison of alcohol and tobacco tax revenue to marijuana revenue will be examined in states who have legalized marijuana in order to better understand the relation and potential revenue marijuana could bring to the nation. An analysis of the two marijuana markets, recreational and medicinal, will be conducted to examine the economic impact each market has. As marijuana legalization occurs in more states, the impact legalization potentially has on both a state and national economy is worth examining
Sustainability in the Sanctuary: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Christian Churches and the Environment
Get PDFPaper bulletins, weekly customized song sheets, disposable coffee cups—all parts of a regular communal church gathering on Sunday mornings. Where do these products go after the service is over and the pews are empty? Combining the topics of environmental sustainability and organized religion, this thesis explores how local churches view the intersection of environmental sustainability and faith practices in Oxford, Mississippi. Preliminary research has shown that while many global denominations publicly issue statements supporting environmental practices and encouraging sustainable behavior, often these statements are not effective in directly influencing a local church’s behavior as it relates to implementing environmentally sustainable practices.
This thesis will explore the philosophy that as stewards of creation and leaders in society, churches have a responsibility to promote environmental conservation and implement sustainability practices such as recycling. This thesis will consist of five sections. Chapter one will explore current trends surrounding the practice of recycling on a national, small town, and religious level. The second chapter will include a review of relevant literature regarding the church’s relationship to influencing behavior, sustainability, and environmentalism in terms of “caring for creation.” The third chapter will examine churches and their local leaders’ views on the responsibility to participate in sustainable practices, specifically recycling. Chapter four reports the corresponding congregations’ current expectations and aims to determine if there exists a desire to implement practices such as recycling in the respective churches. Finally, in chapter five, research results will be analyzed to explore if there exists a gap between what is expected and what is delivered.
To gain necessary insight into the attitudes and opinions of four local churches in the Oxford, Mississippi, community, secondary and primary research was conducted. Six separate interviews were conducted on authoritative figures such as priests, preachers, clergy, and other leaders in prominent Oxford churches. The interviewees were asked to describe their denominations’ views on sustainable activity such as recycling and furthermore how they address the topic at an institutional, local level. To augment interviews, a survey was conducted and distributed to members of participating congregations to determine level of awareness on their respective church’s involvement in recycling and to gauge interest on the issue of addressing sustainability in churches. The goal of the survey was to determine the congregation’s expectations of service as far as becoming involved with sustainable practices like recycling.
This thesis will contribute to the understanding of how churches can best communicate messages to most effectively influence behavior. It will also make recommendations to churches, if desired, as to how they can address the topic of sustainability in terms of faith
Time- and pH- dependent proteolysis of Engineered Proteins by Collagenase
Get PDFPleiotropic effects from oral administration of anti-inflammatory drugs limit their effectiveness. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a novel self-assembling protein-based hydrogel for in situ delivery of NSAIDs at the site of chronic inflammation. Since inflammation causes acidification and activation of collagenases in the inflamed tissue, we have designed the hydrogel to respond to both of these queues to effectively deliver drug at the site. Self-assembly of the protein hydrogel exploits the high affinity and specific interaction between the protein calmodulin (CaM) and its specific binding peptide, M13. The two components of the hydrogel, CCLP and PCLP contain repeats of CaM and M13 domains, respectively, which are separated by engineered collagen-like-sequences (CLS). Proteolysis of the protein hydrogel formed by PCLP and CCLP by collagenases will cause exposure of the protomers and release of drug at the site. This important aspect of this responsive material requires susceptibility to relevant proteases, and is the specific subject of the present study. Exposure of CCLP to collagenase, and MMP-1, indicates that each protomer is susceptible to cleavage in the CLS sequences. This conclusion was confirmed by SDS-PAGE of cleaved CCLP. Further proof, through use of MALDI-TOF, was required in order to more precisely characterize fragment identity; however, lack of access to current working negative mode MALDI-TOF prohibited precise molecular weight quantification of fragment bands. Initial studies have prompted iterations of the component protomers. Further, we have demonstrated that the hydrogel is also susceptible to cleavage by collagenases. Results indicate the pH and Temperature dependent degradation of Engineered Proteins by collagenase require investigation into other degradable sequences as substitutes for current CLS to better improve lifetime in inflammatory conditions. Also, future research into kinetic profiles of the degradation of PCLP and CCLP by MMPs are necessary for optimizing the lifetime of the hydrogel for in-situ drug delivery