Digital Commons Network^™

Chain Restaurant Calorie Posting Laws, Obesity, And Consumer Welfare, Charles J. Courtemanche, David Frisvold, David Jimenez-Gomez, Mariétou H. Ouayogodé, Michael Price

Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise Working Papers

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced a mandate requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus and menu boards. This paper investigates whether and why calorie posting laws work. To do so, we develop a model of calories consumed that highlights two potential channels through which mandates influence choice and outlines an empirical strategy to disentangle these alternatives. We test the predictions of our model using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare changes in body mass index (BMI), obesity, and consumer well-being in locations that implemented calorie-posting laws between 2008 and …

Personal Health Information Management By College Students: Patterns Of Inaction, Sujin Kim, Donghee Sinn, Sue Yeon Syn

Institute for Biomedical Informatics Faculty Publications

Introduction. College students' diverse health information management activities are rarely studied within a personal health context. Our study identified an inactive group of college students and their information management activities to understand what factors determine inactivity.

Methods. An online questionnaire was distributed to college students enrolled in a state-owned university in the USA between January and March 2017. A total of eighty-four questions on twelve information management activities grouped by seven types of personal health information were used to identify inactive performers within our student sample. Additionally, potential factors regarding demographics, academics, information resource types, and information workload …

Adolescents' Attitudes And Intentions To Use A Smartphone App To Promote Safe Driving, Caitlin N. Pope, Emre Sezgin, Simon Lin, Nichole L. Morris, Motao Zhu

Graduate Center for Gerontology Faculty Publications

Purpose

Designing effective driving safety interventions is imperative as traffic crashes are the leading cause of injury and death for adolescents. Using concepts from the Integrated Behavioral Model, we investigated adolescents' attitudes and intentions towards engaging in safe driving practices and using smartphone-based driving safety technology.

Methods

Two-hundred and seven adolescents aged 14–18 (M = 16.1, SD = 0.8) completed a safe driving survey. A path model testing the associations between individual scores of attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control with intentions controlling for demographic covariates was conducted.

Results

Greater intentions to drive safely was associated with greater …

Leave The Books On The Shelves: Library Space As Intrinsic Facilitator Of The Reading Experience, James M. Donovan

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Library literature frequently reports projects to remove print collections and replace them with other amenities for patrons. This project challenges the untested assumption that the physical library itself serves no useful function to users unless they are actively consulting books from the shelves. The alternative hypothesis is that readers benefit from the mere act of studying while in a book-rich environment.

To test this possibility, ten subjects completed SAT-style reading comprehension tests in both a traditional library environment, and a renovated chapel that strongly resembles library space except for lacking books. Results provide a reasonable basis to support an expectation …

Serum Amyloid A Is Not Incorporated Into Hdl During Hdl Biogenesis, Ailing Ji, Xuebing Wang, Victoria P. Noffsinger, Drew Jennings, Maria C. De Beer, Frederick C. De Beer, Lisa R. Tannock, Nancy R. Webb

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

Liver-derived serum amyloid A (SAA) is present in plasma where it is mainly associated with HDL and from which it is cleared more rapidly than are the other major HDL-associated apolipoproteins. Although evidence suggests that lipid-free and HDL-associated forms of SAA have different activities, the pathways by which SAA associates and disassociates with HDL are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated SAA lipidation by hepatocytes and how this lipidation relates to the formation of nascent HDL particles. We also examined hepatocyte-mediated clearance of lipid-free and HDL-associated SAA. We prepared hepatocytes from mice injected with lipopolysaccharide or an SAA-expressing adenoviral …

Inventory Of Important Fodder Plants Of Ladakh Himalaya, Suheel Ahmad, J. P. Singh, D. K. Verma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Ladakh, livestock rearing is a major activity in the livelihoods of the population and contributes greatly to income generation in the region and therefore alleviating poverty. In agro-pastoral animal husbandry systems of Leh, Khaltsey, and Nubra blocks and limited areas in Nyoma and Durbok, villagers live in settled communities and practice sedentary agriculture, but they also keep relatively large herds of livestock to augment income and meet dietary and fibre subsistence needs (Ahmed, 2002). Due to prolonged and extreme cold winter, the agriculture season is very short which starts from May and ends by September depending upon different altitudes. …

Identification And Characterization Of Pastureland And Other Grazing Resources Of Jammu & Kashmir Using Gis And Satellite Remote Sensing Technique, J. P. Singh, I. Dev, D. Deb, R. S. Chaurasia, S. Radotra, Suheel Ahmed

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock acquires special importance in mountain farming system from both ecological and socioeconomic point of view. They are an integral part of the farming system and a “bridge’’ connecting two types of land viz., forest and cultivated. In hilly regions, the arable agriculture is not very remunerative; therefore farmers of all categories rear sheep, goats, cattle etc. under sedentary, semi-migratory and migratory systems to supplement family income (Dev et al., 2014). The common property resources (CPR) and degraded pasturelands are the major feed sources. Remotely sensed satellite imagery and Geographic Information System (GIS) are being widely used for the …

Isolation Of Root Endophytic Bacteria In Elephant Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schum.) Cultivars, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., João Tiago Correia Oliveira, Karina Rodrigues De Miranda, Mario De Andrade Lira Jr., Mércia V. F. Dos Santos, Mario De Andrade Lira, Erinaldo Viana De Freitas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) is one of the most productive warm-season grasses. Farmers utilize elephant grass in different forms, such as cut-and-carry operations, grazing, conserved forage (silage, hay), and as an energy source (Lira et al. 2010). Nitrogen (N) is an essential element for plant growth and development and it is usually a limiting factor for forage production in the tropics (Boddey et al. 2004). Biological N fixation (BNF) may occur in warm-season grasses by their association with diazotrophic bacteria. These bacteria colonize different niches in the host plant. Endophytic bacteria form colonies inside the plant tissue …

Planet At Risk From Grazing Animals?, Albrecht F. Glatzle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The famous FAO report “Livestock’s Long Shadow” (Steinfeld et. al. 2006) and hundreds of subsequent publications blamed domestic livestock, in general, and grassland-based production systems in the (sub) tropics, in particular, of causing serious environmental hazards such as climate change, claiming that 18% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are from livestock, more than from the transport sector. Few reviews challenged this claim, and those that did received little attention from the media. Pitseky et al. (2009) revealed the double standard applied by the FAO in this matter. Whereas for livestock products a full life cycle assessment for …

Adapting Livestock Production Systems To Climate Change In Nepal: Challenges And Opportunities, D. D. Poudel, R. P. Thakur, T. Duex, G. Blakewood, A. Singh, A. Deramus, B. Chapagain, K. Acharya, S. Adhikari, R. B. Gramling, N. Sharma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To assess climate change impacts and identify challenges and opportunities for livestock climate change adaption, we conducted a comprehensive study in the Thulokhola watershed of Nuwakot district in Nepal from June 1, 2011 to January 31, 2013. We established nine community livestock groups (CLGs) consisting of 51 members and trained the CLG members in daily livestock record keeping and monitoring surface water quality. Monthly fecal samples from 50 cattle, 50 goats, and 50 buffaloes were collected for the determination of gastrointestinal parasites. Soil and fodder samples were also collected and analyzed. Group discussions, Participatory Rural Appraisals, and full-fledged household survey …

Adaptation To Climate Change In Mixed Crop-Livestock Farming Systems In Developing Countries, Philip K. Thornton, Mario Herrero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Globally, crop-livestock systems produce over 90% of the world's milk supply and 80% of the meat from ruminants. Mixed crop-livestock systems are particularly important for livelihoods and food security, as they provide most of the staples consumed by poor people. These systems will be under considerable pressure in the coming decades to help satisfy the burgeoning demand for food from rapidly increasing populations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where rural poverty and hunger are already concentrated. At the same time, the impacts of climate change will be increasingly heavily felt. Increases in temperatures and changes in the amounts …

Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Through The Lens Of ‘Social License To Operate—With An Emphasis On A U.S. Perspective, Camie Heleski, C. Jill Stowe, Julie Fiedler, Michael L. Peterson, Colleen Brady, Carissa Wickens, James N. Macleod

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

This review addresses the question of whether Thoroughbred horse racing is sustainable in the context of current social values. A recently acknowledged framework, known as ‘Social License to Operate’ (SLO), provides us with a lens through which to view and assess racehorse welfare. In multiple surveys of the general public, the horse owning public, and university students, the primary topics of concern regarding Thoroughbred racing show considerable concordance: concern about catastrophic injuries—particularly as related to track surfaces, concern over the racing of two-year-olds, whip use by jockeys, drug/medication policies, and aftercare opportunities for retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Legitimacy of an industry, …

Methods Of Administering Igg1 Antibodies And Methods Of Suppressing Angiogenesis, Jayakrishna Ambati, Sandro De Falco

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Patents

A method of suppressing angiogenesis involves administering to a subject an isolated Fc fragment of an IgG1 antibody, or an IgG1 antibody.

Health Insurance Literacy Among International College Students: A Qualitative Analysis, Adebola Adegboyega, Chigozie Nkwonta, Jean Edward

Nursing Faculty Publications

In this qualitative descriptive study, we examine health insurance literacy among a group of international college students. They were recruited from a public, co-educational Southeastern university in the United States during the fall semester of 2016 to participate in semistructured interviews. Data were gathered through a demographic questionnaire, two focus group discussions, and individual interviews. Interview sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Three themes emerged, including knowledge of health insurance options and benefits information, affordability, and unmet expectations. These findings show the need for higher education institutions to develop a plan to integrate international students …

B Cells Migrate Into Remote Brain Areas And Support Neurogenesis And Functional Recovery After Focal Stroke In Mice, Sterling B. Ortega, Vanessa O. Torres, Sarah E. Latchney, Cody W. Whoolery, Ibrahim Z. Noorbhai, Katie Poinsatte, Uma M. Selvaraj, Monica A. Benson, Anouk J. M. Meeuwissen, Erik J. Plautz, Xiangmei Kong, Denise M. Ramirez, Apoorva D. Ajay, Julian P. Meeks, Mark P. Goldberg, Nancy L. Monson, Amelia J. Eisch, Ann M. Stowe

Neurology Faculty Publications

Lymphocytes infiltrate the stroke core and penumbra and often exacerbate cellular injury. B cells, however, are lymphocytes that do not contribute to acute pathology but can support recovery. B cell adoptive transfer to mice reduced infarct volumes 3 and 7 d after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo), independent of changing immune populations in recipient mice. Testing a direct neurotrophic effect, B cells cocultured with mixed cortical cells protected neurons and maintained dendritic arborization after oxygen-glucose deprivation. Whole-brain volumetric serial two-photon tomography (STPT) and a custom-developed image analysis pipeline visualized and quantified poststroke B cell diapedesis throughout the brain, including …

Hsp47 Promotes Cancer Metastasis By Enhancing Collagen-Dependent Cancer Cell-Platelet Interaction, Gaofeng Xiong, Jie Chen, Guoying Zhang, Shike Wang, Kunito Kawasaki, Jieqing Zhu, Yan Zhang, Kazuhiro Nagata, Zhenyu Li, Binhua P. Zhou, Ren Xu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Increased expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) suggests potential function of cancer cell-produced ECM in initiation of cancer cell colonization. Here, we showed that collagen and heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47), a chaperone facilitating collagen secretion and deposition, were highly expressed during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and in CTCs. Hsp47 expression induced mesenchymal phenotypes in mammary epithelial cells (MECs), enhanced platelet recruitment, and promoted lung retention and colonization of cancer cells. Platelet depletion in vivo abolished Hsp47-induced cancer cell retention in the lung, suggesting that Hsp47 promotes cancer cell colonization by enhancing cancer cell–platelet interaction. …

Access To Autism Spectrum Disorder Services For Rural Appalachian Citizens, Angela Scarpa, Laura S. Jensen, Denis Gracanin, Sharon L. Ramey, Angela V. Dahiya, L. Maria Ingram, Jordan Albright, Alyssa J. Gatto, Jen P. Scott, Lisa Ruble

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Low-resource rural communities face significant challenges regarding availability and adequacy of evidence-based services.

Purposes: With respect to accessing evidence-based services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this brief report summarizes needs of rural citizens in the South-Central Appalachian region, an area notable for persistent health disparities.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data during focus groups with 33 service providers and 15 caregivers of children with ASD in rural southwest Virginia.

Results: Results supported the barriers of availability and affordability of ASD services in this region, especially relating to the need for more ASD-trained providers, …

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence Capabilities To Improve Cybersecurity, Sherali Zeadally, Erwin Adi, Zubair Baig, Imran A. Khan

Information Science Faculty Publications

Cybersecurity is a fast-evolving discipline that is always in the news over the last decade, as the number of threats rises and cybercriminals constantly endeavor to stay a step ahead of law enforcement. Over the years, although the original motives for carrying out cyberattacks largely remain unchanged, cybercriminals have become increasingly sophisticated with their techniques. Traditional cybersecurity solutions are becoming inadequate at detecting and mitigating emerging cyberattacks. Advances in cryptographic and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques (in particular, machine learning and deep learning) show promise in enabling cybersecurity experts to counter the ever-evolving threat posed by adversaries. Here, we explore AI's …

Review Of Alterations In Perlecan-Associated Vascular Risk Factors In Dementia, Amanda L. Trout, Ibolya Rutkai, Ifechukwude J. Biose, Gregory J. Bix

Neurology Faculty Publications

Perlecan is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan protein in the extracellular matrix that structurally and biochemically supports the cerebrovasculature by dynamically responding to changes in cerebral blood flow. These changes in perlecan expression seem to be contradictory, ranging from neuroprotective and angiogenic to thrombotic and linked to lipid retention. This review investigates perlecan's influence on risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and amyloid that effect Vascular contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID). VCID, a comorbidity with diverse etiology in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), is thought to be a major factor that drives the overall clinical burden of dementia. Accordingly, changes …

Immediate And Carryover Effects Of Post-Grazing Sward Height Imposed In Early Spring On Sward And Milk Production, Elodie Ganche, Luc Delaby, Michael O’Donovan, Tommy M. Boland, Emer Kennedy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A grazing experiment was undertaken to investigate the immediate and carryover effect of post-grazing sward height (PGH) in early spring on sward and dairy cow production. Ninety Holstein-Friesian spring calving dairy cows were randomly assigned across 3 PGH treatments: 2.7, 3.5 and 4.2 cm from February 14 to April 24, 2011. Following the experimental period animals were managed similarly until the end of the lactation. Grazing to 2.7 cm during the experimental period reduced milk (-159 kg/cow; P < 0.01) and milk solids (-16 kg/cow; P < 0.01) yields and increased BW loss (+13 kg loss; P < 0.05) when compared to the 3.5 and 4.2 cm treatments which performed similarly. Grass utilisation (>2.7 cm) increased (P < 0.001) by decreasing PGH from 4.2 cm (0.74) to 3.5 cm (0.82) and further to 2.7 cm (0.94). During the carryover period (April 24 to November 13), cumulative milk (3542 kg/cow) and milk solids (281 kg/cow) yields did not differ between the experimental treatments. End BW was similar across treatments (503 kg). Total lactation performance of cows grazing to 2.7 cm in spring was -24 kg milk solids (P < 0.05) than the total lactation production of the 3.5 and 4.2 cm treatments (405 kg milk solids) indicating that cows offered a restricted pasture allowance in early lactation do not recover lost production. This study recommends a PGH of 3.5 cm in the first 2 grazing rotations to achieve a compromise between sward utilisation and animal performance in early spring while also ensuring high subsequent lactation milk production.

Hypercholesterolemia Accelerates Both The Initiation And Progression Of Angiotensin Ii-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Jing Liu, Hisashi Sawada, Deborah A. Howatt, Jessica J. Moorleghen, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, Alan Daugherty, Hong S. Lu

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective: This study determined whether hypercholesterolemia would contribute to both the initiation and progression of angiotensin (Ang)II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in mice.

Methods and Results: To determine whether hypercholesterolemia accelerates the initiation of AAAs, male low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor -/- mice were either fed one week of Western diet prior to starting AngII infusion or initiated Western diet one week after starting AngII infusion. During the first week of AngII infusion, mice fed normal diet had less luminal expansion of the suprarenal aorta compared to those initiated Western diet after the first week of AngII infusion. The two groups …

Mineral Composition Of Brachiaria Brizantha Cv. Mg5 Irrigated And Non-Irrigated Subjected To Grazing, Rita C. R. Carvalho, Wellington W. Rocha, Bruno S. Pires, Luziney D. Silva, César T. Piza, Paulo R. V. Leite, Eliel A. Ferreira

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG5 is an important component of pastures in Brazil. Past studies (Corsi and Marta Jr. (1998), Maya (2003)) have shown significant pasture and animal production increases can be obtained through irrigation and associated grazing management. Such systems can significantly increase economic viability of production systems based on these pastures (Cedeño 2003). However, past studies have not measured possible differences in mineral composition of such pastures throughout the year with and without irrigation. Such differences, if present, may have implication for animal productivity.

This study had the objective of evaluating the mineral composition of Brachiaria brizantha cv …

Frontotemporal Dementia Nonsense Mutation Of Progranulin Rescued By Aminoglycosides, Lisha Kuang, Kei Hashimoto, Eric J. Huang, Matthew S. Gentry, Haining Zhu

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an early onset dementia and is characterized by progressive atrophy of the frontal and/or temporal lobes. FTD is highly heritable with mutations in progranulin accounting for 5-26% of cases in different populations. Progranulin is involved in endocytosis, secretion and lysosomal processes, but its function under physiological and pathological conditions remains to be defined. Many FTD-causing nonsense progranulin mutations contain a premature termination codon (PTC), thus progranulin haploinsufficiency has been proposed as a major disease mechanism. Currently, there is no effective FTD treatment or therapy.

Aminoglycosides are a class of antibiotics that possess a less known function …

Forage Nutritive Value Changes In A Stratified Canopy Of A Mixed Cool-Season Grass Sward Affected By Season, Renata L. Nave, Reuben M. Sulc, David J. Barker

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The seasonal pattern of herbage growth rate is an important determinant on forage system productivity. Pasture stocking rates and supplemental feed requirements are influenced by the dynamic balance between forage growth and the amount of herbage available. There is limited in-formation regarding vertical distribution patterns (layers within the sward) in nutritive value in cool-season grasses, especially for vegetative herbage (Burner and Belesky 2004). More complete information could support decisions regarding cutting schedules, residual mass and heights to meet nutritional value targets, and timing of pasture allocation. The objective of this study was to characterize the vertical distribution of nutritive value …

Consumers’ Willingness-To-Pay For Local Sourcing In Alternative Restaurant Formats, Mahla Zare Mehrjerdi

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation consists of three essays that contribute to the research on local food purchase and consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay. Essay I examines whether there are differences in consumers’ willingness-to-pay for local food across alternative restaurant formats and provides a justification for using a system to legitimate local sourcing in restaurants. Essay II studies consumers’ preferences for local sourcing in restaurants in rural and urban communities and elaborates on where there is a significant willingness-to-pay for local food in rural communities. Lastly, essay III examines consumers’ purchase frequency of local food across direct and intermediated markets and provides results on …

Studying The Longest ‘Legal’ U.S. Same-Sex Couples: A Case Of Lessons Learned, Esther D. Rothblum, Kimberly F. Basalm, Ellen D. B. Riggle, Sharon S. Rostosky, Robert E. Wickham

Political Science Faculty Publications

We review methodological opportunities and lessons learned in conducting a longitudinal, prospective study of same-sex couples with civil unions, recruited from a population-based sample, who were compared with same-sex couples in their friendship circle who did not have civil unions, and heterosexual married siblings and their spouse. At Time 1 (2002), Vermont was the only US state to provide legal recognition similar to marriage to same-sex couples; couples came from other US states and other countries to obtain a civil union. At Time 2 (2005), only one US state had legalized same-sex marriage, and at Time 3 (2013) about half …

Digital Monopoly Without Regret, Ramsi Woodcock

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Attacks on Amazon, Google, and Facebook have tended to ignore a key lesson of the theory of monopolistic competition: that big is not always bad. A monopolist grows large because consumers prefer the firm’s products. The only question for the antitrust laws is whether consumers prefer the monopolist’s products because the monopolist has improved its products relative to those of competitors, or because the monopolist has degraded the products of competitors without improving its own. Only product-degrading conduct is socially harmful and violative of the antitrust laws. Although a complete accounting of conduct by Amazon, Google or Facebook is not …

De Alcalá De Henares A Ciudad De México: Ciudades, Universidades Y Preservación Del Patrimono Histórico, Juan Fernandez Cantero

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

This dissertation explores the relationship between the city of Alcalá de Henares, Spain and Mexico City, Mexico, in terms of the colonization-decolonization processes of the latter. First, Alcalá de Henares and a few years later, Mexico City, suffered profound urban transformations that led to the construction of the so-called City of God (Civitas Dei). The City of God was a utopia: an urban, philosophical and educational model conceived during the first stages of the early modern period. By following Saint Agustine’s precepts, in his book, The City of God Against the Pagans, cardinal Francisco Ximénez de Cisneros created …

Better Devils Of Our Nature: The Role Of Violence-Justifying Ideologies In Opinion Formation, Steven Kaiser

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

Extensive theoretical and empirical research has examined the role that violence-justifying ideologies play in generating violent behavior. Yet, a substantial body of this work employs measures that are consistently associated with sexist attitudes and gender stereotypes. As a consequence, scholars are limited in our ability to fully comprehend individuals’ propensity to endorse, or even promote violent behavior – or how these attitudes influence perceptions of victims and related policy preferences.

I contribute to this line of research by creating a gender-neutral battery of anti-violence questions, in large part divorced from sexist stereotypes, to assess the consequence of those attitudes for …

Exploring Crisis Communication And Information Dissemination On Social Media: Social Network Analysis Of Hurricane Irma Tweets, Xianlin Jin

Communication Graduate Research

This study utilized social network analysis to identify the top 10 Twitter influentials during the Hurricane Irma crisis period and examined the relationship between social media attributes and the bridge influence of controlling information flow. The number of a user’s followers and tweets significantly predicted one’s control of information. Crisis information tended to be shared in scattered subgroups. Social network boundaries impeded information diffusion, and the communication pattern was largely one-way. The findings partially supported the opinion leader argument while indicating that influentials can directly generate information, which is consistent with the social-mediated crisis communication model. Such findings will contribute …