Publications by authors named "Prather J"

Article Synopsis
  • Caffeine's metabolism varies based on CYP1A2 genotypes, with AC/CC (SLOW) and AA (FAST) genotypes affecting exercise performance and cognitive effects in resistance-trained females.
  • The trial found that FAST genotype individuals performed more leg press repetitions to failure and reported better subjective outcomes after caffeine intake compared to SLOW genotype individuals.
  • Additionally, while both groups generally responded similarly to caffeine, the SLOW group reported dizziness after consumption, indicating differing side effects based on genotype.
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Diabetes has been linked to an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition characterized by a subtle cognitive decline that may precede the development of dementia. The underlying mechanisms connecting diabetes and MCI involve complex interactions between metabolic dysregulation, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. A critical mechanism implicated in diabetes and MCI is the activation of inflammatory pathways.

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Understanding how social and affective behavioral states are controlled by neural circuits is a fundamental challenge in neurobiology. Despite increasing understanding of central circuits governing prosocial and agonistic interactions, how bodily autonomic processes regulate these behaviors is less resolved. Thermoregulation is vital for maintaining homeostasis, but also associated with cognitive, physical, affective, and behavioral states.

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Introduction We examined if acute ingestion of a novel thermogenic supplement influences resting energy expenditure (REE), mood, and hemodynamic function. Methods Forty-six adults completed this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. Participants underwent two conditions: placebo (PL) and treatment (TX) containing 300 mg of caffeine and 3 g of acetyl-L-carnitine.

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Background: This Scoping review (ScR) builds upon the 2017 review conducted by Hansen et al which contributed to evidence base shinrin-yoku (SY), also known as forest bathing (FB), has many positive health effects and is becoming a prescribed dose (specific time spent in nature) by health care providers. Practice and research regarding SY, has been historically based in Asian countries with a recent increase in Europe. The need and call for more research worldwide continues to further the evidence of SY as a health promotion modality.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, with over 45 million patients worldwide, and poses significant economic and emotional burdens to both patients and caregivers, significantly raising the number of those affected. Unfortunately, much of the existing research on the disease only addresses a small subset of associated symptomologies and pathologies. In this review, we propose to target the earliest stages of the disease, when symptomology first arises.

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The primary goal of holistic nursing research is to develop and expand the knowledge base of holism and healing for nursing praxis. This article provides an overview of the process used to identify the research priorities for holistic nursing research over the next 3 to 5 years. A mixed method design using Appreciative Inquiry and surveys revealed five research priorities and the holistic philosophical foundation for these priorities.

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Objectives: To assess the ability of computed tomography angiography identified infrapopliteal vascular injury to predict complications in tibia fractures that do not require vascular surgical intervention.

Design: Multicenter retrospective review.

Setting: Six Level I trauma centers.

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Background: Thermogenic supplements are widely used in the general population to support attempted fat loss; however, the efficacy and safety of these supplements are questioned.

Purpose: To determine whether a thermogenic supplement affects metabolic rate, hemodynamic responses, and mood states.

Methods: In a randomized double-blind crossover design, 23 females (22.

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Rodriguez, C, Florez, CM, Prather, J, Zaragoza, J, Tinnin, M, Brennan, KL, Taylor, L, and Tinsley, GM. Influence of upper-extremity and lower-extremity resistance exercise on segmental body composition and body fluid estimates. J Strength Cond Res 37(5): 1042-1051, 2023-The purpose of this analysis was to determine if acute, localized resistance exercise (RE) artificially influences total and regional estimates of body composition from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

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BACKGROUND: Stroke survivors (SS) may experience alterations in physical and cognitive processes that increase stress and reduce well-being. Timely and accurate measurement of stress throughout the continuum of recovery is necessary to inform targeted interventions that will improve quality of life for this group. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the utilization of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) during recovery in SS.

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Animals use a variety of complex signaling mechanisms to convey an array of information that can be detected by conspecifics and heterospecifics. Receivers of those signals perceive that information and use it to direct their subsequent actions. Thus, communication such as that which occurs between senders and receivers of vocal communication signals can be a powerful model in which to investigate the neural basis of sensory perception and action initiation that underlie decision-making.

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Background: The lateral extensile approach (LEA) is an operative approach for calcaneal fractures. High rates of wound complications have led to alternative approaches such as the sinus tarsi approach to grow in popularity. The LEA affords substantial visualization of the calcaneus.

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Birdsong has long been a subject of extensive research in the fields of ethology as well as neuroscience. Neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying song acquisition and production in male songbirds are particularly well studied, mainly because birdsong shares some important features with human speech such as critical dependence on vocal learning. However, birdsong, like human speech, primarily functions as communication signals.

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Article Synopsis
  • Early detection of COVID-19 is crucial for controlling transmission, and consumer wearables like the Oura Ring can help by tracking physiological metrics and gathering user-reported data.
  • In a study with over 63,000 participants, a machine learning algorithm successfully predicted COVID-19 onset an average of 2.75 days before testing, achieving a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 63%.
  • The algorithm's accuracy improved when including continuous temperature data, and results showed variations based on age and sex, emphasizing the need for diverse representation in detection technology development.
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There is significant variability in neutralizing antibody responses (which correlate with immune protection) after COVID-19 vaccination, but only limited information is available about predictors of these responses. We investigated whether device-generated summaries of physiological metrics collected by a wearable device correlated with post-vaccination levels of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), the target of neutralizing antibodies generated by existing COVID-19 vaccines. One thousand, one hundred and seventy-nine participants wore an off-the-shelf wearable device (Oura Ring), reported dates of COVID-19 vaccinations, and completed testing for antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD during the U.

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Individuals with chronic conditions are susceptible to stress-related health complications. Left unattended, chronic stress exacerbates inflammation, diminishes quality of life (QOL), and increases all-cause mortality. Here, we suggest a theoretical framework promoting the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in patients with chronic conditions and a conceptual model of how MBIs may influence stress and QOL.

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Decision making resides at the interface between sensory perception and movement production. Female songbirds in the context of mate choice are an excellent system to define neural circuits through which sensory perception influences production of courtship behaviors. Previous experiments by our group and others have implicated secondary auditory brain sites, including the caudal nidopallium (NC), in mediating behavioral indicators of mate choice.

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Objectives: The Charlson Comorbidity Index score (CCI) records the presence of comorbidities with various weights for a total score to estimate mortality within 1 year of hospital admission. Our study sought to assess the association of CCI with mortality rates of patients undergoing surgical intervention.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

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Depression is an umbrella term used to describe a mood disorder with a broad spectrum of symptoms including a persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest, and deficits in social behavior. Epigenetic research bridges the environmental and genetic landscape and has the potential to exponentially improve our understanding of such a complex disorder. Depression is also a sexually dimorphic disorder and variations exist within epigenetic modification sites between sexes.

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Background: This study evaluated the union rate of talar neck fractures with substantial bone defects treated acutely with autologous tibial bone graft during primary osteosynthesis.

Methods: A case series at a level 1 trauma center was performed to identify consecutive patients who underwent operative fixation of talar neck fracture with autograft ( codes 28445 and 20902) between 2015 and 2018. "Substantial bone defect" was defined as a gap greater than 5 mm in the sagittal plane and greater than one-third of width of the talar neck in the coronal plane.

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Tracking changes in body composition may provide key information about the effectiveness of training programs for athletes. This study reports on the agreement between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for tracking body composition changes during a seven-week offseason training program in 29 NCAA collegiate American football players. Body composition in subjects (mean ± SD; age: 19.

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Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize illegal questions as defined by federal law and to assess their impact on applicants' rank lists across four surgical specialties.

Design: A survey was developed and sent to surgical specialty residency applicants. The survey asked demographics, the frequency of questions about age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, family status and impact on final rank list.

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Research over the last 20 years regarding the link between circadian rhythms and chronic pain pathology has suggested interconnected mechanisms that are not fully understood. Strong evidence for a bidirectional relationship between circadian function and pain has been revealed through inflammatory and immune studies as well as neuropathic ones. However, one limitation of many of these studies is a focus on only a few molecules or cell types, often within only one region of the brain or spinal cord, rather than systems-level interactions.

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