The fourth chromosome mutant cubitus interruptus‐Wallace(ciW) produces leg, wing, and body bristle aberrations. The effect on the wing is similar to that produced by cubitus interruptus‐dominant (ciD) which also has an influence on larval segmentation indicating that it has a regulatory function. Leg morphology of haplo‐4, ciW, and mosaic haplo‐4:diplo‐4, ci/ci+ flies was examined in an attempt to distinguish between a structural and a regulatory function by ciW. Aberrations recovered include failure of segment elongation, intersegmental gaps, duplication of bristles, and segments that are shorter than normal and of greater than normal diameter. Many of these effects are localized, suggesting that ciW may act to maintain cell positional reference. Increased local cell proliferation appears to be one manifestation of loss of the normal function.

Experiments were performed to test the postulate that exercise training (ExT) improves the blunted renal excretory response to acute volume expansion (VE), in part, by normalizing the neural component of the volume reflex typically observed in chronic heart failure (HF). Diuretic and natriuretic responses to acute VE were examined in sedentary and ExT groups of rats with either HF or sham-operated controls. Experiments were performed in anesthetized (Inactin) rats 6 wk after coronary ligation surgery. Histological data indicated that there was a 34.9 ± 3.0% outer and 42.5 ± 3.2% inner infarct of the myocardium in the HF group. Sham rats had no observable damage to the myocardium. In sedentary rats with HF, VE produced a blunted diuresis (46% of sham) and natriuresis (35% of sham) compared with sham-operated control rats. However, acute VE-induced diuresis and natriuresis in ExT rats with HF were comparable to sham rats and significantly higher than sedentary HF rats. Renal denervation abolished the salutary effects of ExT on renal excretory response to acute VE in HF. Since glomerular filtration rates were not significantly different between the groups, renal hemodynamic changes may not account for the blunted renal responses in rats with HF. Additional experiments confirmed that renal sympathetic nerve activity responses to acute VE were blunted in sedentary HF rats; however, ExT normalized the renal sympathoinhibition in HF rats. These results confirm an impairment of neurally mediated excretory responses to acute VE in rats with HF. ExT restored the blunted excretory responses as well as the renal sympathoinhibitory response to acute VE in HF rats. Thus the beneficial effects of ExT on cardiovascular regulation in HF may be partly due to improvement of the neural component of volume reflex. Copyright © 2006 the American Physiological Society.

Background and purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify whether or not sleep behaviors mediated bioecological predictors of weight-related behaviors among college students. Methods: This descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study, guided by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, examined bioecological characteristics and path analysis to assess model fit. Conclusions: The fit indices indicated excellent fit of the final model to the data (x2 (24) = 30.33, p =.17, root-mean-square error approximation = 0.04, comparative fit index = 0.96, standardized root-mean-square residual = 0.03). Sleep duration mediated significant bioecological predictors of weight-related behaviors, but sleep quality did not. Having children significantly predicted increased sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and decreased physical activity (PA) among college students. Conversely, eating the majority of meals at home significantly predicted decreased consumption of SSBs and increased PA. Implications for practice: Findings support inclusion of sleep duration and use of the bioecological model, when providing patient-centered healthcare focused on weight-related behaviors and weight management in college students.

The purpose of this thesis was to better understand physical activity (PA) maintenance among patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Study 1: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing PA and exercise maintenance interventions for adults who have completed CR. Descriptive synthesis of the studies combined with meta-analysis results provided evidence of increased PA among intervention groups compared with control groups at follow-up. Results of the meta-analysis found a significant difference in PA in the intervention groups compared to the control groups, via multiple exercise outcomes including exercise sessions/week (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04 - 0.35), kcal/week (SMD = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.19 - 0.98), and daily steps (SMD = 2.14; 95% CI, 0.90 - 3.38). There is evidence to support the effectiveness of interventions aimed at maintaining PA and exercise among adults who have completed CR. Study 2: This study was a synthesis of qualitative studies examining factors affecting PA maintenance among individuals who have completed CR. Eight studies met the criteria for inclusion. Multiple factors were identified among participants, including self-efficacy and motivation, social support, support with the transition from supervised hospital or centre-based exercise to exercise in the community or home, perceived safety of the exercise program, and availability and accessibility of PA resources and opportunities. Examining qualitative literature suggests factors at the intrapersonal-, interpersonal-, organizational- and neighbourhood-level are important in supporting exercise maintenance after completion of CR. Results from this synthesis identified key areas for tailored program design, grounded in a social ecological approach. Study 3: This study was a secondary analysis of trial data examining predictors of participants’ moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) 26 weeks after enrollment in a RCT of a PA maintenance intervention. Participants completed baseline questionnaires assessing social ecological, demographic, clinical, fitness, and behavioural variables. MVPA was assessed by accelerometer at baseline and 26 weeks later. Univariate analyses revealed nine significant baseline predictors of MVPA at 26 weeks including beliefs about exercise benefits, beliefs about exercise barriers, baseline MVPA, peak oxygen consumption, diabetes, age, sex, marital status, and work status. Multivariate analysis indicated that baseline MVPA was the only independent predictor of MVPA at 26 weeks. Given the pre-eminence of baseline MVPA, the regression analyses were re-run without baseline MVPA in the model. In that case, peak oxygen consumption became the only independent predictor of MVPA at 26 weeks. Results have implications for targeting intervention for PA maintenance in the unsupervised phase. Conclusion: The findings of this thesis provided insights into the influences on long-term PA among cardiac patients post-CR and the strategies which can support long-term PA. While there have been positive developments in understanding PA maintenance, there are important knowledge gaps that remain unaddressed. These knowledge gaps include the measurement, monitoring, and surveillance of PA behaviour and ways in which intervention research could be improved. Further research will be required to address these knowledge gaps and to build on the growing knowledge of effective PA interventions to support people with heart disease.

Many educational researchers have proposed teaching statistics with less lecture and more active learning methods. However, there are only a few comparative studies that have taught one section of statistics with lectures and one section with activity-based methods; of those studies, the results are contradictory. To address the need for more research on the actual effectiveness of active learning methods in introductory statistics, this research study was undertaken. An introductory, university level course was divided into two sections. One section was taught entirely with traditional lecture. The other section was taught using active learning methods and a minimal amount of lecture. Both sections were taught by the same instructor during the same semester. The experiment was repeated the next semester. Students' exam scores were analyzed to determine if the activity-based teaching approach led to higher student comprehension and understanding of statistical concepts, and the ability to apply statistical procedures. Surveys were also administered to students to ascertain if the lecture or activity-based approach led to higher, more positive student attitudes toward statistics. Analysis of the data did not show that the activity-based teaching method led to higher student comprehension or procedural ability. Neither teaching method led to signicantly higher student attitudes. Student comments indicated a positive response to the activity-based methods, but the responses also indicated a student desire for more teacher-centered time in the activity course.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between arrival time in coming to take the ACT test and academic achievement. The individuals who met the general criteria were used in this study numbered 129; 46 of these met the additional criteria of arriving early and they composed the early group. The early and late groups were compared on ACT composite score and cumulative grade point average. Significant differences between the means could not be found, by analysis of variance; between the early and late groups using either ACT composite score or cumulative grade point average.

The teratogenic potency of retinoid analogs was determined in Syrian hamsters and compared to the teratogenic potency of all-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans.-RA, ED50 = 10.5 mg/kg). A total of 15 analogs having variations in the cyclohexene ring were evaluated following various amounts of single oral doses on day 8 of gestation. Retinoids containing a five- or six-membered ring were as teratogenic as all-tmru.-RA, provided they had sufficient lipophilic substituents on the ring. The same pattern emerged for retinoids that had six-membered aromatic ring substitution for the natural cyclohexene ring of vitamin A. Incorporation of a supplementary aromatic ring in the side-chain adjacent to a gem-dimethyl-hexene ring resulted in an increase in teratogenicity by IS-fold compared to all-trans.-RA. Major modifications of the cyclohexene ring can be made without altering teratogenic activity. The ring need not be six-membered and can have decreased lipophilicity through the incorporation of polar groups compared to all-trans.-RA, but must have sufficient lipophilic substituents to provide the necessary mass for interaction with the retinoid receptor. Incorporation of a supplementary aromatic ring adjacent to a gem-dimethyl-hexene ring facilitated π-electron delocalization and restricts side-chain flexibility , thereby increasing teratogenic potency. The pharmacokinetic disposition of 8 retinoids was investigated. Pregnant hamsters were dosed orally with all-trans-RA, 13-cis-retinoic acid, all-trans.-4- oxoretinoic acid, 9-cis-retinal, all-trans.-retinyl acetate, N-ethyl-all-trans- retinamide, N-ethyl-13-cis-retinamide, and arotinoid. The bioavailability of the retinamides was one-tenth that of the free acid retinoids. The plasma elimination half-life for all-trans-RA was 0.5 h. For 13-cis-retinoic acid and all-trans-4-oxoretinoic acid the elimination half-lives were 4.4 and 5.7 h, respectively. The binding affinity of various retinoids to cellular retinoic acid-binding protein (cRABP) was determined in day-12 hamster fetuses. Fetal supernatants from the 105,000x g fraction were incubated with high specific-activity [3H]-all-trans-RA in the presence of various concentration of unlabeled retinoids with subsequent isolation of cRABP by size-exclusion HPLC. Teratogenic retinoids, or acidic metabolites of teratogenic retinoids bound to cRABP whereas nonteratogenic retinoids failed to bind.

The purpose of t his study wa s to analyze 149 Utah L.D .S. husband/ fathel's ' tirhe spent in various activities by their level of religious activity, and to re late their organization participation tirre to theil' household work time. Data for this study came f rom the Utah port ion of t he "I nterstate Comparison of Urban /Ru l'a1 Families' Time Use" This study used a sub-sample of the ori ginal Utah samp le. Data used were co llected through church affiliat i on and ac tivity questionnaires and t ime diaries . Level of re l i gious act ivity in the L.D.S. Church was considered along with husbands' ti me allocated to organization participation, social and recreational act ivi t ie s , and hous ehold work. Household work t as ks included food preparation, di shwashing, housecleanin g , maintenance of horne, yard, car and pet.s , physical care of hous ehold nEmbers , and non - physica"1 ca re of household rnembers . Statistical tests used were analysis of variance, corre l at ion and mul t i ple regress i on analysis. Findings revealed that level of religious activity did not significantly affect the ti me respondents allocated to either household vlork or to social and recredtional act ivitie s. It did significant ly affect their organization participationt i nE . The more act i ve respondents were in the L. D.S. Church, the more time they allocated to organization participation. Organization participation time significantly affected the time respondents allocated to maintenance of home, yard, car and pets, and to all household work . As organization participation time decreased, time in these t'·1Q at·eas significantly increase ci. Variations in husbands ' household work time vlere not significantly explained by any of the following variables : age of younger c hi ld, level of religious activity , hours of wife's paid employment , hours of husband's paid employment, husband's social and recreational time , husband's organization participation time, annual household income , rural or urban residence , or whether husband ' s house hold task performance time was measured on a weekend day or a weekday.

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic neurological disease whose prevalence within the world's population is increasing. Symptoms of this disease are fatigue, loss of coordination, numbness and tingling, paralysis, and blindness. Currently there is no cure for the disease and, with its disabling variety and severity of symptoms, it is important to look for possibilities that could help slow its progression. Physical activity is one health behavior that promises to slow the progression of the MS among persons afflicted with this disease. Research has revealed that an exercise program improves several measures of well-being, reduces fatigue, and improves strength. While physical activity has been suggested as a management tool, those with MS demonstrate lower levels of physical activity compared to those without MS in the U.S. population. This thesis investigates what influences individuals with MS to participate in physical activity. Its purpose is to look into the possibility that demographic, social hierarchy, social support, and psycho-social/personality characteristics may help predict physical activity regimens among persons with MS. Isolating the determinants of voluntary exercise in the MS subpopulation would enable clinicians and the public health community to develop effective policies and interventions that promote physical activity.

Prevalence of obesity, low physical activity, and poor physical fitness of youth in the United States are increasingly poor and in need of intervention to prevent later concerns like hypertension. The overall goal of this dissertation was to examine which factors weigh heaviest in predicting cardiovascular fitness in diverse youth, and how we might measure those factors by maximizing clinical utility and psychometric properties. The sample was gathered from a larger study examining physical activity in youth from Miami-Dade county enrolled in out-of-school programs. Participants (N = 58) were aged 6-17 and comprised exclusively of Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents, the majority of whom were from low-income families. Predictors of fitness were gathered in three primary categories: demographic variables (age, gender, race/ethnic category, family income level), body composition (Body Mass Index [BMI] percentile, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis [BIA]-measured body fat percentage), and habitual physical activity (accelerometer-measured counts per minute). These factors were entered in a hierarchical regression model to predict cardiorespiratory fitness measured by performance on a 20-meter shuttle run. Physical activity was not found to be significantly associated with fitness, and the effect size of this relationship was small, particularly when considering the impact of demographic and body composition variables. Overall, results reinforced the need for interventions to improve body composition and increase physical activity: the average participant was at the 81st percentile of BMI, had 26% body fat, was sedentary for approximately 84% of awake time, and only spent a few minutes per day engaging in vigorous physical activity. There were significant main effects of gender and race/ethnic category such that males and Non-Hispanic Black participants generally spent a greater proportion of time engaging in physical activity, with less sedentary time. Being female, younger, and having less body fat was associated with performance in the healthy fitness range when considering the impact of other variables, even though boys and older participants had more laps on the shuttle run. Findings presented in this dissertation indicate a continued need to develop technology with high utility, validity, and reliability to measure and improve indicators of health in diverse, low-income youth.