Category: Uncategorized

Improving Biometric Data Collection for Female Athletes

AbstractThe innovative field of biometrics has existed for more than a century in the medical and sports fields.In the athletic domain, biometric data are the measurements of physical and physiological informationfor assessment of performance and recovery in sports. Much of the existing biometric-based researchfrom the United State has been conducted on primarily on men which …

Selective Reflections for the Nelder-Mead Algorithm

Background The Nelder-Mead algorithm is used to find the smallest value of a function. The algorithm first evaluates the function at a set of points, called the simplex. Then the algorithm replaces the worst point with a new point generated via a geometric reflection of the worst point through the simplex. The most basic movement …

Fire Suppression and Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) Hypothesis Testing

Abstract The Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The prevailing hypothesis for the species decline is encroachment of trees into its habitat due to fire suppression. However, this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested. Using geographic information systems and aerial imaging, I compared changes in abundance …

Studying Bats in the UI Experimental Forest Using Acoustic Monitoring

Creepy, dirty, disease-ridden, blood-sucking pests. This is the description that come to mind for most people when they think about bats. So, why would anyone want to study bats? The truth is that bats are incredibly important to many ecosystems world-wide. Bats eat insects that carry diseases which means they serve as a natural insect …

Experimental Evolution: Identifying Pathways of Viral Resistance

Abstract Phage therapy and antibiotics have been used in treating bacterial infections for nearly a century. However, bacterial mutations over time have allowed bacteria to advance in fitness and, in turn, resistance to these treatments. In this experiment we evolve phage-resistant bacteria to observe the mutations present on a genomic level. Pairing these observations with …

Differences in Body Composition, Resting Metabolic Rate, and Sleep Quality Following a 6-Week Protein Supplementation Intervention in Collegiate Dancers

Abstract Dancers are often under pressure to maintain a lean physique; therefore it is common to observe unhealthy dieting behaviors leading to inadequate caloric intake and protein (PRO), which may negatively alter body composition (BC). PURPOSE: To assess collegiate dancers’ dietary intake, BC, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and total sleep (TS) following a 6-week PRO …