Accurate determinations of body composition, fat mass (FM) and fat-free
mass (FFM) are of interest to scientists as well as many individuals
who serve as health and fitness practitioners. Currently, researchers and
practitioners use a variety of indirect methods to determine body
composition. Traditional methods of estimating percent body fat...
Background: Low drop cushioned running shoes have been popular over the past decade despite a lack of research on low drop shoes. There is some evidence that low drop cushioned shoes increase vertical ground reaction forces (VGRFs) and influence ankle kinematics but no study to date has focused on large...
Mapper is a tool designed by Gurjeet Singh, Facundo Mémoli, and Gunnar Carlsson for Topological Data Analysis (TDA) that constructs a simplicial complex from a finite subset of a metric space, which has been met with great success. Due to the many moving parts of Mapper and the potential it...
Low bone mineral density (BMD) and poor stability both contribute to
increased risk of fractures associated with a fall. The aim of this dissertation was
two-fold. The first study, a cross-sectional analysis, sought to determine the
anthropometric and/or performance variables that best predicted BMD and postural
stability in mature, premenopausal...
Four studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of varying levels of vitamin
B-6 (B6), protein and pyridoxine glucoside (PNG) on B6 status and requirements of
women. In the first two studies, women were fed a constant protein diet and vitamin
B-6 intakes of 0.84 to 2.39 mg/d during 10-...
This thesis is a collection of three short stories and the
beginnings of a novel. A similar thread is woven through all the
stories: in the attempt to know spiritual truth, what it is to be a
woman, and to know themselves, the various protagonists precariously
oscillate between the seemingly...
The primary goal of my study was to evaluate the effects of high dietary vitamin E on the rodent skeleton. The outcomes from my study assess the impact of high intakes of vitamin E and increased concentrations of its metabolite, carboxy ethyl hydroxy chromanol (CEHC), on bone turnover and skeletal...
The purpose of this study was to determine if a 5-month
progressive-resistance exercise program would affect measures
of activities of daily living (ADLs) and functional stability
in elderly women. All subjects were ambulatory women, 80 to
93 years old, who lived in assisted-care facilities. Eight
exercise and 7 control subjects...
Numerical model and assimilation experiments were conducted in the tropical Pacific Ocean to obtain a better understanding of the processes that control the cold tongue surface mixed layer temperature balance during August 1999 to July 2004. The numerical model was first applied to test two hypotheses (asymmetric background currents and...
(Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) PAHs are widespread in the environment, and are derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The physicochemical properties of PAHs along with the wide range of PAH sources leads to their persistence in the environment. Since PAHs are ubiquitous, and have the potential to illicit adverse effects,...
Met is a prognostic indicator of colorectal cancer patient survival. Therapies that target Met may therefore have beneficial outcomes in the clinic. Recently, EGCG was reported to suppress Met activation, although the mechanisms were not elucidated. HCT116 and HT29 human colon cancer cells were used to examine the relationships between...
Lack of access to safe water is the leading cause of mortality in the world; approximately 3.4 million people die every year from waterborne pathogens. Inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation has contributed to an annual average of 1,980,000 deaths of children under five from diarrheal disease. Three...
The focus of this thesis is to design, characterize, and apply novel computational methods and molecular systems to interrogate heterogeneous human gut microbiome-related phenomena. In Chapter 2, I design, implement, and characterize a method for embedding co-occurrence patterns derived from massive 16s amplicon datasets. I use this method to 1....
The practice of green infrastructure is synonymous with collaborative partnerships. Expertise from engineers, land care professionals, planners, and natural resource consultants are often required for successful project implementation. Traditionally, these professionals perform their responsibilities in their disciplinary “silos,” but this evolving area of sustainable development is creating a demand for...
To determine whether meiotic maturation of ovarian follicles,
ovulation, and oviposition are influenced by male mating behaviors,
female rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) were captured prior
to contact with males and maintained in simulated pond conditions.
Females were either exposed to male courtship and inseminated or
were isolated from male contact....
Understanding the impact of low volume road networks on forested watersheds is important for future forest management and watershed restoration. This study characterized the hydrology of five segments of forest road in the Oregon Coast Range. Rainfall, infiltration, road surface runoff, and intercepted subsurface flow were measured at each road...
The Cone Penetration Test (CPT) has been widely-adopted for rapid, cost-effective exploration of the subsurface and reduction in the effort associated with drilling, sampling, and laboratory testing of soil. The adoption of the CPT has stemmed in part to the correlation of measurements to preliminary soil classification, stress history, drained...