New information technologies bring with them new possibilities for defining and simulating complex physical systems. A huge amount of progress was made in this field with the Modelica language standard, developed by the worldwide nonprofit Modelica Association. Using the Modelica language specification, new chemical, hydraulic, thermal and population components for human physiology were designed for the implementation of the physiological principles in this thesis. The presented free Modelica libraries was named PHYSIOLIBRARY and CHEMICAL. Similarly to the electrical circuits already implemented in the Modelica Standard Library, it is also possible to connect the components of these libraries to the diagrams and, in this way, define more complex components of physiological systems. Using this kind of implementation, this thesis presents an extension and improvement of the HumMod version 1.6 model, developed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson, MS), which has more than 5,000 variables. As a result of the use of graphical diagrams, our implementation is more expandable and more modifiable at each point. The precise rules of connections lead to fewer implementation errors. In addition, the visual verification of the model is achieved, because the physiological connections of...

Huntingtons sjukdom (HS) är en ovanligt förekommande sjukdom med komplexa sjukdomsförlopp. Att vara anhörigvårdare till en individ som drabbats av HS kan därför innebära en speciellt utmanande livssituation med många svårigheter liknande andra anhörigvårdare med sjukdomstillstånd som parkinsons sjukdom och alzheimers sjukdom. Det är därför viktigt för sjuksköterskan att att få en förståelse för vad anhörigvårdare går igenom vid vårdandet av en individ med HS för att kunna förstå och ge adekvat stöd. Syftet: med litteraturstudien är att beskriva anhörigas perspektiv av att vara vårdare för en anhörig som är drabbad av huntingtons sjukdom. Metod: för att analysera datan så användes en integrerad analysmetod enligt Whittemore & Knafl (2005). 12 inkluderades (2 kvantitativa, 10 kvalitativa) som samlades från två databaser. Resultat: analysen resulterade i fyra kategorier: Existera i rollen anhörigvårdare, hantera att vara anhörigvårdare, undvikande av sjukdomen, kämpa för att få stöd och förståelse. Resultatet påvisade bland annat hur anhörigvårdares liv förändras samt hur det kan se ut när anhörigvårdare hanterar den nya situationen. Det är viktigt för sjukvården att ha insikt för vad anhörigvårdare går igenom för att kunna ge ett adekvat stöd och bemötande.

Bees are necessary pollinators for a vast array of different plants, including many which we rely on for food. In order to grow sufficient crops to feed the world’s growing population, we need to make sure our crops are visited by the most effective possible pollinators. However, this is complicated by the fact that there are over 4,000 bee species in North America, many of which vary in their pollination effectiveness and are difficult to identify. My dissertation’s first two data chapters focus on classifying the species of the xeric solitary bee group Anthophora subgenus Micranthophora, including seven newly described species, while also providing identification resources for telling them apart. With this group’s classification fixed, my third chapter then uses differences in the DNA of these species to reconstruct evolutionary trees of their relationships; those with more similar DNA sequences are grouped more closely together. I then use powerful modern methods to and determine how quickly new species have arisen throughout the entirety of the group’s evolutionary history, in order to determine how desertification has influenced the evolution of these xeric bees. My results suggest that the Neogene Uplift, a mountain-building event, initially increases their diversification rates, but climatic cooling and niche competition later greatly decrease these rates. Finally, my last chapter looks at bee evolution from a contemporary perspective, viewed through the lens of a new species of bee that actually excavates its nests in sandstone, Anthophora pueblo, despite the obvious time and energy costs of this behavior. In addition to describing this fascinating new species, I also use interdisciplinary methods from biology and geology to demonstrate that, although they prefer to use weaker sandstone, intermediate levels of sandstone hardness are likely beneficial to them, enabling future generations of their relatives to reuse nest tunnels for many years without excavating. Preliminary evidence also suggests that these bees benefit from protections afforded to them against parasites and pathogens that can destroy their nests and kill their offspring. Overall, this species will provide a terrific system for future studies of bee evolution and life history trade-offs. By performing these studies, my dissertation will enable a wealth of additional studies on these poorly known solitary bees.

The tropics are host to incredible insect diversity. One of the most charismatic groups that exhibit this diversity are the butterflies. Despite the tropical butterfly fauna being heavily researched, there remains much hidden diversity in the form of undescribed life histories and cryptic species. This is especially true among the species rich Nymphalidae, the brush-footed butterflies. Species in the genus Adelpha are known to be “the most trying taxonomically of all nymphalids” DeVries (1987), and as such are fruitful ground for uncovering unknown diversity. About half of the species within Adelpha have undescribed life histories, while A. serpa stands out within the genus in having remarkably wide host breadth, and thus potentially harbors cryptic diversity. Here we describe the life histories of two species of Adelpha from Costa Rica, and use an integrative approach to clarify species level boundaries within the Adelpha serpa-group. We conclude that A. serpa does not show significant evidence of harboring cryptic species, and appears to be a geographically widespread species and a hostplant generalist. Three additional species within the serpa-group show strong evidence of harboring cryptic species, and further research should be done to clarify these species relationships.

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Climate change has caused an increase in extreme rain events and flooding in certain regions across the globe. During rain events, water flows over impervious surfaces structures such as roads and sidewalks, picking up contaminants such as metals, fertilizers and other nutrients, and various organics that which may impact organisms in such as streams, river, and lakes. Previous work has found significant differences in survival of organisms that were exposed to contaminated stormwater runoff. This study investigated stormwater chemistry parameters at collection sites on the East Tennessee State University campus. Sites were selected based on the extent of human interaction and traffic in the areas. Additionally, acute toxicity of stormwater samples was investigated through 48-h bioassays with the cladoceran, Daphnia magna. In September and November 2022, water chemistry and toxicity analyses were conducted across multiple rain events and over a six-hour time course of an individual rain event. For each of the events and the time course, chlorophyll levels, specific conductivity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured. No statistical difference between the water chemistry parameters between sampling sites or between rain events were observed. Additionally, no significant differences in 48-h survival of D. magna were detected between sampling locations or during the single event time course study. These data suggest that there were no pollutant surges at the collection sites and that D. manga survival was not affected by the contaminants.

With increased data sharing and research collaboration options available through modern technology, there is an increased need to find more advanced techniques to analyze data across multiple studies. A systematic method of pooling participant-level versus study-level data would be particularly valuable as it would allow for more complex statistical analyses, broader assessment of constructs, and a cost effective way to examine new questions and replicate previous findings. One notable difficulty in pooling raw data in the behavioral sciences is the heterogeneity in methodologies and consequent need to establish measurement invariance. The present study explores the feasibility of using Integrative Data Analysis (IDA) to combine 10 heterogeneous eating disorder prevention data sets and establish measurement invariance across the constructs of thin ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction. Using standard multiple groups factor analysis and likelihood-ratio tests to examine differential item functioning, separate one-factor models were established for the three measures used across studies. Partial measurement invariance was established for all measures. Implications for future IDA studies based on this process are discussed, particularly regarding the clinical impact of measurement invariance.

Chronic pain has an adverse impact on the quality of life in children and adolescents. It can impair a child’s physical, psychological, and social functioning, leading to lower satisfaction with life and poor self-image related to health status. Forty-five percent of children experience chronic pain related to either disease processes or idiopathic causes. Not all children who suffer from chronic pain respond to traditional therapies. The purpose of this literature review was evaluation of current research on the use of yoga as an integrative therapy for chronic pain management in the pediatric population. A database search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO was conducted. Yoga has few side effects, is inexpensive, and can be practiced almost anywhere, regardless of physical ability or age. There is limited research on the use of yoga as an intervention within the pediatric population. Existing research supports the efficacy of yoga for chronic pain management.