Digital Commons Network^™

Patients' Perceptions Of Using Technology For Self-Reporting Cancer Medication Safety Events From Home, Katie Gahn, Misun Hwang, Youmin Cho, Heidi Mason, Yang Gong, Yun Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Frequent transitions of care among patients with cancer increase their risks for medication safety events (MSEs). Patients and families need to become "vigilant partners" in MSE self-reporting when transitioning back home. However, limited evidence is available to guide patient and family engagement in preventing and managing MSEs. This study explored patients' perceptions of using technology for MSE self-reporting by interviewing 41 patients with breast, prostate, lung, or colorectal cancer. The findings revealed that patients with cancer perceived technology as convenient and easy to use to address urgent MSE concerns. However, the lack of access to technology and being unconfident in …

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists’ Knowledge, Confidence, And Experiences With Treating Trafficked Individuals: A Call For Interprofessional Continuing Education, Christen C. Cooper, Lydia Mcroberts

Journal of Dietetic Education

Background: Victims of human trafficking (HT) frequently face malnutrition, dehydration, low food security, and infections. When identified, victims of HT are normally treated with interprofessional team (IPT) care that often excludes Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). Although RDNs are trained to treat these conditions, they may lack knowledge, confidence, and skills, for working with this population, as well as the opportunities to work on such IPTs. To date, no study has explored RDNs’ knowledge of or work with individuals who are trafficked. Objective: To explore RDNs’: HT knowledge, confidence in the ability to work with victims of HT, and barriers to …

Breakaway Roping – Event Analysis And Resistance Training Model, Andrew A. Wolfe, Libby E. Winchell, Ruth Caddell, Jackson Maynard, Gillian Braden

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 9, 2024. Breakaway roping is a rodeo event that has received little empirical investigation, and to the best of our knowledge, no specialized resistance training recommendations have been disseminated. Furthermore, the purpose of this article was to (1) outline and analyze the biomechanical and physiological requirements of breakaway roping, and (2) articulate a theoretical specialized annual strength training and conditioning periodization plan for collegiate breakaway roping rodeo athletes. Included within the training plan are 8 distinct mesocycles containing general and event specific exercises of which are associated with the …

Effects Of Remote Versus In-Person Training On Metabolic Profiles And Body Composition Of Physically Inactive Adults. Randomized Clinical Trial, Jhonatan Peña, Willlian Martin, Luis Cardozo, John F. Rodriguez, Cristian C. Peña, Luisa Cardenas, Luis Andres Tellez Tinjaca

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(4): 1016-1025, 2024. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the population to adopt increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Faced with this problem, remote training appears as a practical and inexpensive strategy to promote physically active lifestyles. The aim of this research was to compare the effects of remote versus in-person training on metabolic profiles and body composition of physically inactive adults. This research was conducted through a randomized, single-blind clinical trial with balanced block randomization. The sample consisted of 30 physically inactive subjects of both sexes between 18 and 30 years of age. The sample was selected using …

Evaluating The Effects Of Concussions And Tdcs On Executive Functioning In College Students, Macey Hoffman, Erin Dychdala

Neuroscience Summer Fellows

This PowerPoint presentation evaluates the effects of concussions and tDCS treatment on executive functioning in students at Ursinus College.

Skills And Hills: Factors That Influence Women’S And Non-Binary College Students’ Decisions To Commute Via Bicycle, Emily Dzieniszewski, Ashley N. Myers, Lucas D. Elliott, Melissa Bopp

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(8): 1003-1015, 2024. College students, who actively travel in the forms of walking and/or bicycling, have shown a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Despite the known benefits of bicycling, participation is influenced by various demographics, including gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. Universities have the potential to promote active travel participation to all populations. The study aimed to understand the environmental and social factors influencing female students’ decision to commute via bicycle in a university setting. A volunteer sample of female college students (n=153) were surveyed to identify common themes from the …

Wearable Device Case-Study: Unveiling Physiological Stress Patterns In A Neurosurgeon Operating Multiple Surgeries, Andy Suarez, Justin Braun, Gabriel J. Sanders, Yoav Ritter, Steven Vanni, Jaime Tartar, Corey A. Peacock

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Introduction

Utilizing a wearable device, this case study aims to measure stress at different surgical durations to bridge the gap in research regarding the physiological stress of surgery. Significant stress variations throughout the surgeries are anticipated, which will provide valuable insight into the patterns of physiological stress experienced by our neurosurgeon.

Materials and Methods

One male neurosurgeon subject (n=1; age: 48; height: 188 cm; weight: 87.3 kg) conducted 82 surgeries (2023-2024). A wearable device (Whoop 4, Boston, MA) was used to monitor maximum heart rate (MAXHR), average heart rate (AVGHR), calories (CAL), strain (STR) and surgery duration (MIN). Surgeries were …

Learning To Express Reward Prediction Error-Like Dopaminergic Activity Requires Plastic Representations Of Time, Ian Cone, Claudia Clopath, Harel Z Shouval

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The dominant theoretical framework to account for reinforcement learning in the brain is temporal difference learning (TD) learning, whereby certain units signal reward prediction errors (RPE). The TD algorithm has been traditionally mapped onto the dopaminergic system, as firing properties of dopamine neurons can resemble RPEs. However, certain predictions of TD learning are inconsistent with experimental results, and previous implementations of the algorithm have made unscalable assumptions regarding stimulus-specific fixed temporal bases. We propose an alternate framework to describe dopamine signaling in the brain, FLEX (Flexibly Learned Errors in Expected Reward). In FLEX, dopamine release is similar, but not identical …

Patient-Reported Quality Of Life At Diagnosis In Adolescent And Young Adults With Cancer, Goldy C George, Clark Andersen, Xiaohui Tang, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Midhat Jafry, Maria C Swartz, Sairah Ahmed, Carlos H Barcenas, J Andrew Livingston, Michael E Roth, Michelle A T Hildebrandt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The overall landscape of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been thoroughly investigated in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. Data are also lacking on how well HRQoL at the time of cancer diagnosis can prognosticate long-term survival in AYA survivors.

Patients and methods: We included 3,497 survivors of AYA cancer (age 15-39 years at diagnosis) who completed the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) HRQoL questionnaire at diagnosis. Physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were generated, with scores < 50 representing poor HRQoL. Differences in HRQoL by patient characteristics and tumor type were investigated using violin plots and t tests/analysis of variance. The effect of HRQoL on overall survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: Overall mean PCS and MCS scores in this racially/ethnically diverse cohort (64% White, 19% …

A Decade Of Earth-Centered Scholarship And Activism, Elizabeth Allison

CIIS Faculty Publications

Origin stories reveal the myriad causes that converge to birth a new initiative. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, this essay looks back to document the context and intellectual lineage out of which the Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion graduate program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) emerged in 2013, and suggests some possibilities for the future of transdisciplinary education and the fields of religion and ecology (e.g. Tucker and Grim 2001), religion and nature (e.g. B. Taylor 2010), and spiritual ecology (e.g. Sponsel 2012) more broadly.

Bridging The Gap: Psychopharmacologic Education And Side Effect Screening For Non-Prescribing Mental Health Professionals, Elaine Fitzgerald

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The United States is experiencing a growing demand for pediatric mental health support. Surges in mental health diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescriptions have occurred, compounded by a shortage of psychiatric providers. Non-prescribing mental health professionals are well-positioned to recognize psychotropic medication side effects. However, psychologists and counselors lack formal pharmacology education.

Methods: The quality improvement (QI) initiative was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model. The evidence-based psychopharmacologic education for non-prescribers utilized a quasi-experimental pre- and post- test design. Data collected from clinicians included knowledge, confidence, and skill concerning psychotropic medications. The Psychotropic Medication Monitoring Checklist (PMMC) screen clients …

Modeling Habitat Suitability And Current Distribution Of The Relicted Maghreb Magpie (Pica Mauritanica), Kamel Eddine Mederbal, Mohcen Menaa, Abdallah Aouadi, Lamia Boutabia, Lamia Bensaâd-Bendjedid, Khalladi Mederbal, Amira Bouderbala, Abderrahmane Chebli, Salah Telailia

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica) is an endemic bird to North Africa, encompassing Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Unfortunately, its population is facing a significant decline primarily attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urbanization and agricultural practices. Due to the lack of studies on habitat requirements of Pica mauritanica on a large scale, investigating the habitat preferences of this species and thereby understanding the potential threats, remains crucial for effective conservation strategies. We performed species distribution modeling (SDM), incorporating both occurrence records and predictor variables, to investigate the potentially suitable habitat and the factors influencing the distribution of the …

Smokejumper Obituary: Isbell, Donald Dean (Missoula 1952), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Urban-Rural Disparities In Food Insecurity And Weight Status Among Children In The United States, Jayna M Dave, Tzuan A Chen, Alexandra N Castro, Mamie A White, Elizabeth A Onugha, Sloane Zimmerman, Debbe Thompson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Place of residence (urban versus rural) is a contextual determinant of health that has received less attention in the food insecurity literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the urban–rural disparity in the prevalence of food insecurity and weight status among US children. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2016 with three age groups of children (2–5, 6–11, and 12–17 years old), the associations of weight status and child and household food security status by urban–rural residence were examined using Rao–Scott Chi-square tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Children living in urban areas were significantly more likely to experience household food insecurity (29.15%) compared to their rural counterparts (19.10%), among those aged 6–11 years. The associations between children’s weight status and child and household food security status were significant for children living in urban areas overall and different age groups but not for children living in rural areas. These trends were more pronounced in older age groups. Given the link between food insecurity and higher obesity rates, particularly among urban children, this study highlights the importance of incorporating food security interventions into future obesity prevention programs.

Beyond The Scalpel: Understanding Acute Kidney Problems After Heart Surgery, Navakanth Raju Ramayanam, Sarad Pawar Naik Bukke, Hari Babu Ramenani, Saira Patan, Niranjan Ponna, Supriya Pilliboina, Sahanaz Pinjari, Sri Sathyavathi D., Narayana Goruntla, Tadele Mekuriya Yadesa

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Acute renal injury (ARI) post cardiac surgery leads to substantial difficulty in going about the treatment, that often results in aggravated morbidity and mortality rates. Through this manuscript, we have the opportunity to cover a basic assessment of ARI complexity, including comorbidities which have been categorized as preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. The risk of all these ailments may also increase which is due to advanced age and comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension and may lead to procedures like cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and duration of cardiopulmonary bypass. The cardiac procedures under discussion like the Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) …

Wildlife Conservation: The Importance Of Individual Personality Traits And Sentience, Karen A. Owens, Gosia Bryja, Marc Bekoff

Animal Sentience

Individual differences in personality types within the same species have been studied much less than differences between species and populations. Personality differences are related to risk-taking and exploration, which in turn correlate with individuals' daily responses, decisions, and fitness. Bold and shy personality types can have different advantages and disadvantages under different social or environmental pressures. Analyzing personality differences has helped clarify how elk habituate to a well-populated area and how management strategies can be adapted to them. For wolves newly repatriated to Colorado, individual personality factors are likely to prove important for adapting to their new homes as well …

Using Machine Learning To Determine A Functional Classifier Of Reward Responsiveness And Its Association With Adolescent Psychiatric Symptomatology, Robert James Richard Blair, Johannah Bashford-Largo, Ahria Dominguez, Matthew Dobbertin, Karina S. Blair, Sahil Bajaj

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Background. Machine learning (ML) has developed classifiers differentiating patient groups despite concerns regarding diagnostic reliability. An alternative strategy, used here, is to develop a functional classifier (hyperplane) (e.g. distinguishing the neural responses to received reward v. received punishment in typically developing (TD) adolescents) and then determine the functional integrity of the response (reward response distance from the hyperplane) in adolescents with externalizing and internalizing conditions and its associations with symptom clusters.

Methods. Two hundred and ninety nine adolescents (mean age = 15.07 ± 2.30 years, 117 females) were divided into three groups: a training sample of TD adolescents …

Second Language Learning In Older Adults Modulates Stroop Task Performance And Brain Activation, Douglas H. Schultz, Alison Gansemer, Kiley Allgood, Mariah Gentz, Lauren Secilmis, Zoha Deldar, Cary R. Savage, Ladan Ghazi Saidi

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Numerous studies have highlighted cognitive benefits in lifelong bilinguals during aging, manifesting as superior performance on cognitive tasks compared to monolingual counterparts. Yet, the cognitive impacts of acquiring a new language in older adulthood remain unexplored. In this study, we assessed both behavioral and fMRI responses during a Stroop task in older adults, pre- and post language-learning intervention.

Methods: A group of 41 participants (age: 60–80) from a predominantly monolingual environment underwent a four-month online language course, selecting a new language of their preference. This intervention mandated engagement for 90 minutes a day, five days a week. …

Ocular Gene Transfer In The Spotlight: Implications Of Newspaper Content For Clinical Communications, Shelly Benjaminy, Tania M. Bubela

Office of the Provost

Background: Ocular gene transfer clinical trials are raising hopes for blindness treatments and attracting media attention. News media provide an accessible health information source for patients and the public, but are often criticized for overemphasizing benefits and underplaying risks of novel biomedical interventions. Overly optimistic portrayals of unproven interventions may influence public and patient expectations; the latter may cause patients to downplay risks and over-emphasize benefits, with implications for informed consent for clinical trials. We analyze the news media communications landscape about ocular gene transfer and make recommendations for improving communications between clinicians and potential trial participants in light of …

Understanding Sport Attrition In Experienced Adolescent Athletes In Minnesota: A Mixed-Approach Study, Justin M. Gagnon

Master of Science in Kinesiology

Sports participation has the potential to positively impact a young athlete’s physical, mental, and social health. Although some athletes have positive experience with sports, many choose to leave sports for a number of reasons. Sport participation has been on a decline in both the United States and Minnesota over the past 10 years. The purpose of this study was to understand the motives as to why experienced athletes decided to quit sports. Minnesotan adolescents aged 12-17 who quit sports after at least three years of participation were the subjects for this study. Thirty-two adolescents participated in a 20-question Likert-scale survey, …

Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy: An Effective Alternative To Common Pharmacological Treatments For Low Back Pain, Nicole Shirman

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) is a promising non-pharmacological treatment for low back pain, but its efficacy and mechanisms have been debated. This literature review provides a comprehensive assessment of OMT’s therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms for the treatment of low back pain. Multiple randomized trials demonstrate OMT provides statistically and clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity and disability compared to sham treatments or standard care, particularly among patients with higher baseline symptom severity. Subgroup analyses reveal older age and absence of depression enhance OMT response rates. OMT appears safe and well-tolerated, with high patient satisfaction and reduced analgesic requirements versus …

The Blessed Assembly: Irreplaceable Physical Co-Presence In Worship And Healthy Hybridity Reimagined After The Pandemic In The Digital Age, Yvette, Ying Wai Lau

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Because of the unprecedented and unexpected force of the pandemic since 2020, most churches around the world have experienced some online worship during the lockdown of their cities or the mandated closure of the church buildings. For many people, online worship seems to be an equivalent, if not better, alternative for gathering together—a physical co-presence in worship—even after the pandemic has ended. As necessary and vital as online worship experiences have been for Christians during the pandemic, the witness of the church from Pentecost throughout Christian history indicates that gathered worship in physical spaces is irreplaceable for faith formation and …

An Exploration Of Misophonia In The Literature, Megan E. Singer

Honors Projects

Misophonia is a disorder that elicits an extreme negative reaction to specific auditory and visual stimuli. Triggering stimuli, which are often human produced, provoke an array of symptoms including heightened negative emotions along with autonomic nervous system responses. Despite being a relatively common disorder, misophonia is still inadequately recognized and is often classified under conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. No cure for misophonia currently exists, but there are many treatments and coping mechanisms used by people with misophonia to ease their symptoms. This comprehensive review synthesizes current research on misophonia, exploring underlying mechanisms, comorbidities, diagnostic methodologies, and treatment …

Decentralized Clinical Trials For Medications To Reduce The Risk Of Dementia: Consensus Report And Guidance, Leanne Howard, Carla Abdelnour, Erin Abner, Ricardo F. Allegri, Hiroko H. Dodge, Serge Gauthier, Camilla M. Hoyos, Gregory Jicha, Patrick G. Kehoe, Catherine J. Mummery, Adesola Ogunniyi, Nikolaos Scarmeas, Xiaoying Chen, Jodie R. Titiner, Christopher R. Weber, Ruth Peters

Neurology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Recent growth in the functionality and use of technology has prompted an increased interest in the potential for remote or decentralized clinical trials in dementia. There are many potential benefits associated with decentralized medication trials, but we currently lack specific recommendations for their delivery in the dementia field.

METHODS: A modified Delphi method engaged an expert panel to develop recommendations for the conduct of decentralized medication trials in dementia prevention. A working group of researchers and clinicians with expertise in dementia trials further refined the recommendations.

RESULTS: Overall, the recommendations support the delivery of decentralized trials in dementia prevention …

Examining Dietary Disparities And Associated Factors Among Young Children Across Diverse Racial, Ethnic And Immigrant Households In Nebraska, Naveta Bhatti

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Early childhood is a crucial stage for developing eating behaviors which in turn plays a major role in determining health outcomes. Assessing children’s diet plays a crucial role in tackling the obesity epidemic. One of the ways to assess children’s dietary intake is by evaluating their dietary quality. Dietary quality refers to the overall healthfulness and nutritional value of an individual's diet, considering the combination of foods consumed over time. Research has consistently demonstrated that a high-quality diet is associated with a reduced risk of several health issues, such as all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence or mortality, cancer incidence or …

Exploring Producers' Willingness To Pay For Ecosystem Services: Three Essays On Soil Health, Location Preferences, And Cover Crop Adoption, Kaouter Essakkat

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation comprises three essays: one assessing Midwest producers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for soil health-enhancing ecosystem services (ES), another examining the impact of policy implementation locations on WTP, and a third identifying factors influencing producers' adoption of cover crops (CC).

The first essay pioneers the understanding of agricultural producers’ valuation of soil health-associated ES amid growing concerns of soil degradation due to agricultural intensification. Using a discrete choice experiment, this study assesses producers’ WTP for a policy that incentivizes ES provision, specifically improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and enhanced crop yield. Surveying producers across Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, our results show …

Virtual Fencing In Livestock Management: Effects On Beef Cattle Stress And Enhancing Wildlife Conservation, Kaitlyn E. Dozler

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I examined the effects of virtual fencing on beef cattle stress and how implementing the technology can aid wildlife habitat conservation at the University of Nebraska Gudmundsen Sandhills laboratory (GSL) near Whitman, NE. First, I examined how virtual fencing influences acute heart rate changes in beef cattle fitted with the virtual fencing collars. No significant difference in the average heart rate of a cow (P > 0.05) was observed between the 30 min control and virtual fenced periods for both trial dates. Second, I examined the influence of topography on wildlife species richness and presence at GSL using wildlife camera …

Effects Of Ordered Eating On Various Postprandial Measures, Brian K. Ferguson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Postprandial glucose (PPG) is an indicator of acute and chronic overall health, and aberrations in glucose, insulin, and other postprandial (PP) markers are common in obesity and cardiometabolic disorders. Chronically elevated glucose can lead to a number of health problems such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, PPG responses can impact substrate utilization responses to exercise, which may have implications for both healthy and diseased populations. One potentially simple lifestyle modification to alter PPG and related markers is to change the order in which foods are consumed within meals. The purpose of this dissertation was to further explore the impact …

Raemap: Real-Time Advanced Eye Movements Analysis Pipeline, Gavindya Jayawardena

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Eye-tracking offers insights into human cognition and attention allocation by capturing and interpreting eye movements. Traditionally, eye tracking research has relied on offline analysis methods, requiring post-experiment processing to derive insights from gaze data. This approach limits its applicability in contexts requiring immediate feedback and adaptive responses based on real-time gaze behaviors. Recent advancements in computing power and eye tracking technology have enabled a shift towards real-time analysis, allowing modern systems to interpret gaze data with minimal latency, facilitating integration into interactive applications and experiments. Despite these advancements, existing tools often face challenges with real-time computation of advanced gaze measures …

Collegiate Student-Athlete Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexa Jenny Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Exercise imposes a physiological stressor on the body which is amplified as training intensifies. Collegiate fall-sport student-athletes return after summer break (off-season) and have approximately two weeks of training (preseason) with coaching staff before competition begins. The 2020 fall season was preceded by a five-month period away from campus due to the timing of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This also meant all commercial gyms and training facilities were closed, and student-athletes were forced to train with the resources they had at home. Upon return to campus, significant changes were made to practice and competition structures in attempt to …