Digital Commons Network^™

Controllable And Scalable Engineered Soil Surrogates Utilizing Simulated Soil Organic Matter For The Study Of Environmental, Ecological, And Agricultural Processes, Arjun Pandey, Benjamin J. Haywood, Ghada Abdalla, Stephen Smith, Balamurugan Subramanian, David A. Spivak, Robert L. Cook

Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. An entirely new, tunable, and scalable platform (model) approach for the detailed study of important molecular processes that take place in geomacromolecular matrices, such as soils, using block copolymer materials at inorganic interfaces has been developed and applied to gain a molecular-level understanding of environmental pollutant/soil interactions. This approach provides a scalable platform with molecular-level control of the soil organic matter (SOM) chemical composition and structure, allowing one to examine proposed SOM interactions with agricultural chemicals (ACs). Accordingly, a series of engineered soil surrogates (ESSs) utilizing simulated SOM was synthesized, in which multiblock oligomers …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Helicopter Parenting In Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson, Ryan D. Mclean

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this exploratory longitudinal study was to examine stability and change of helicopter parenting throughout the first few years of emerging adulthood and to examine child and parent–child relational factors that might predict helicopter parenting. Participants included 453 emerging adults from a northwestern city in the United States (51% female, 33% single-parent families) who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study, with the current study examining ages 19–21. Results revealed that (a) for both mothers and fathers, helicopter parenting decreased over time, (b) some child and relational factors predicted initial levels of helicopter parenting, but (c) the findings were …

Community Engagement In The Liberal Arts: How Service Hours And Reflections Influence Course Value, David Painter

Faculty Publications

Background: In response to critics’ charges that the liberal arts lack practical value, most colleges have incorporated service-learning in their curricula. Ideally, these service-learning activities not only benefit the community but also enhance the course’s (a) pedagogical effectiveness as well as the students’ (b) civic engagement and (c) professional development.

Purpose:This investigation uses a survey to measure the extent to which service-learning in community engagement courses at a liberal arts college achieved these three outcomes.

Methodology/Approach:Specifically, we parsed the influence of service hours and reflection activities on 740 students’ ratings of pedagogical effectiveness, civic engagement, and professional development. …

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2020 Meeting Highlights, Alexander C. Razavi, Véronique Gingras, Erin D. Michos, Ann Marie Navar, Sherry Ann Brown, Erin Delker, Kathryn Foti, Stéphanie Harrison, Yifei Lu, Jovia L. Nierenberg, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Olive Tang, Alvin G. Thomas, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Amelia Wallace, Mingyu Zhang, Kristie J. Lancaster, Pamela L. Lutsey, Elizabeth Selvin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

American Heart Association Epi|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions: 2020 Meeting Highlights, Alexander C. Razavi, Véronique Gingras, Erin D. Michos, Ann Marie Navar, Sherry Ann Brown, Erin Delker, Kathryn Foti, Stéphanie Harrison, Yifei Lu, Jovia L. Nierenberg, Jewel Scott Phd, Rn, Fnp-C, Olive Tang, Alvin G. Thomas, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran, Amelia Wallace, Mingyu Zhang, Kristie J. Lancaster, Pamela L. Lutsey, Elizabeth Selvin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Living Arrangements And Food Security Of A Sample Of Older Palestinian Refugees In Lebanon, Nadine R. Sahyoun, Anniebelle Sassine, Anna Vaudin, Fayrouz Sakr-Ashour, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background

Although we know of the relationship between food insecurity, poor dietary intake and health outcomes, there are limited studies examining the determinants of food insecurity in older adults in developing countries. This study describes the living arrangement and characteristics of protracted Palestinian refugees in Lebanon aged 60 years and older and, the status and determinants of household food insecurity.

Methods

Two surveys, representative of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon (2010 and 2015), were appended and used to examine living arrangement of older adults and household food security. Our final pooled sample included 5412 households and 24,540 individuals. Of these individuals, …

Linking Activity, Nutrition, And Child Health (Launch): Protocol For A Longitudinal Cohort Study Of Children As They Develop From Infancy To Preschool Age, Russell R. Pate, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Kerry Cordan, Marsha Dowda, Alexander C. Mclain, Myriam E. Torres, William H. Brown, Agnes Bucko, Emily R. Shull

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity is known to provide important health benefits in children ages 3 years and above, but little is known about the effects of physical activity on health in very young children under age 3. LAUNCH (Linking Activity, Nutrition, and Child Health) is a study designed to expand the body of knowledge on development of physical activity behavior and associations between physical activity and other health characteristics as children transition from infancy to preschool age.

Methods

Physical activity and sedentary behavior will be measured objectively in young children over a period of 30 months. Each child will complete a …

Sex And Gender In Research On Healthcare Workers In Conflict Settings: A Scoping Review, Dana A. Halwani, Diana Mikati, Layal Hneiny

Faculty Publications

The occupational health literature has established that sex and gender are associated with all dimensions of the workplace. Sex and/or gender (sex/gender) factors play an important role in shaping the experiences, exposures, and health outcomes of male and female healthcare providers working in war and conflict settings. This study aims to (1) assess how sex/gender is considered in the occupational health literature on healthcare workers in conflict settings, and (2) identify the gaps in incorporating sex/gender concepts in this literature. A scoping review was carried out and nine electronic databases were searched using a comprehensive search strategy. Two reviewers screened …

Characterization Of Bacterial And Fungal Assemblages From Historically Contaminated Metalliferous Soils Using Metagenomics Coupled With Diffusion Chambers And Microbial Traps, Ashish Pathak, Rajneesh Jaswal, Xiaoyu Xu, John R. White, Bobby Edwards, Jaden Hunt, Scott Brooks, Rajesh Singh Rathore, Meenakshi Agarwal, Ashvini Chauhan

Faculty Publications

The majority of environmental microbiomes are not amenable to cultivation under standard laboratory growth conditions and hence remain uncharacterized. For environmental applications, such as bioremediation, it is necessary to isolate microbes performing the desired function, which may not necessarily be the fast growing or the copiotroph microbiota. Toward this end, cultivation and isolation of microbial strains using diffusion chambers (DC) and/or microbial traps (MT) have both been recently demonstrated to be effective strategies because microbial enrichment is facilitated by soil nutrients and not by synthetically defined media, thus simulating their native habitat. In this study, DC/MT chambers were established using …

Identifying A Typology Of Emerging Adult Romantic Relationships: Implications For Relationship Education, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer, Tyler B. Jamison

Faculty Publications

Objective: Our objective was to use multiple romantic relationship dimensions to identify a typology of emerging adult romantic relationships.

Background: Emerging adult romantic relationships vary in terms of their relational dynamics, emotional and physical intimacy, and commitment. Understanding the diversity in emerging adult romantic relationships is crucial for developing effective relationship education for emerging adults as they make decisions about their romantic partnerships.

Method: Using data from 396 romantically involved but unmarried emerging adults, we used cluster analysis to identify a typology of romantic relationships based on relational dynamics (i.e., warmth and support and negative interactions), relationship duration, consolidation (i.e., …

Father-Adolescent Relationship Closeness: A Path Analysis Of Family Factor Associates With Father-Adolescent Engagement And Relationship Quality, Mark H. Trahan, Richard H. Morely, Kevin Shafer

Faculty Publications

Father-adolescent child relationship quality has been identified as key to adolescent health outcomes. While factors have previously been identified associated with father-adolescent closeness, a comprehensive model of understanding the influence of these factors is needed. Using cross-sectional data from the Study of Contemporary Fatherhood (SCF), this analysis of father-adolescent relationship closeness evaluated responses of nine hundred (N = 900) father surveys to investigate historical factors, including own father relationship quality, biological fathering, family transitions, and ACEs along with current factors, including co-parenting, depression, parenting stress, knowledge of adolescent, warmth, and engagement, on father-adolescent relationship closeness. Path analysis results indicate that …

Spatial And Temporal Changes To A Hydrologically-Reconnected Coastal Wetland: Implications For Restoration, Alina C. Spera, John R. White, Ron Corstanje

Faculty Publications

Mississippi River Delta wetlands were isolated from river influence due to levee construction beginning in the early 1900's. Surface water diversions were primarily designed to manage salinity and maintain marsh vegetation by reintroducing Mississippi River water and nutrients into adjacent wetlands. Phosphorus (P) is a major limiting nutrient that can control productivity, but in excess can contribute to wetland eutrophic conditions and water quality degradation. Most wetland soil characterization assessments consider soil total P, however, this parameter alone cannot describe P bioavailability due to differences in organic and inorganic forms. A soil characterization of the Davis Pond diversion was done …

Understanding And Improving Model Representation Of Aerosol Optical Properties For A Chinese Haze Event Measured During Korus-Aq, Pablo E. Saide, Meng Gao, Zifeng Lu, Daniel L. Goldberg, David G. Streets, Jung-Hun Woo, Andreas Beyersdorf, Chelsea A. Corr, Kenneth L. Thornhill, Bruce Anderson, Johnathan W. Hair, Amin R. Nehrir, Glenn S. Diskin, Jose L. Jimenez, Benjamin A. Nault, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Jack E. Dibb, Eric Heim, Kara D. Lamb, Joshua P. Schwarz, Anne E. Perring, Jhoon Kim, Myungje Choi, Brent Holben, Gabriele Pfister, Alma Hodzic, Gregory R. Carmichael, Louisa Emmons, James H. Crawford

Faculty Publications

KORUS-AQ was an international cooperative air quality field study in South Korea that measured local and remote sources of air pollution affecting the Korean Peninsula during May–June 2016. Some of the largest aerosol mass concentrations were measured during a Chinese haze transport event (24 May). Air quality forecasts using the WRF-Chem model with aerosol optical depth (AOD) data assimilation captured AOD during this pollution episode but overpredicted surface particulate matter concentrations in South Korea, especially PM2.5, often by a factor of 2 or larger. Analysis revealed multiple sources of model deficiency related to the calculation of optical properties from aerosol …

The Cascade Of Care In Managing Hypertension In The Arab World: A Systematic Assessment Of The Evidence On Awareness, Treatment And Control, Christelle Akl, Chaza Akik, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer

Faculty Publications

Background:

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for mortality and morbidity globally and in the Arab world. We summarize the evidence on awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, to assess the extent of gaps in the hypertension continuum of care. We also assess the influence of gender and other social determinants at each level of the cascade of care.

Methods:

We searched MEDLINE and SSCI databases for studies published between 2000 and 2017, reporting the rates of awareness, treatment or control of hypertension and/or their determinants in the Arab region. We included sources on both general populations and on clinical …

Heavy Metals In The Arctic: Distribution And Enrichment Of Five Metals In Alaskan Soils, Clarice R. Perryman, Jochen Wirsing, Kathryn A. Bennett, Owen Brennick, Apryl L. Perry, Nicole Williamson, Jessica G. Ernakovich

Faculty Publications

Metal contamination of food and water resources is a known public health issue in Arctic and sub-Arctic communities due to the proximity of many communities to mining and drilling sites. In addition, permafrost thaw may release heavy metals sequestered in previously frozen soils, potentially contaminating food and water resources by increasing the concentration of metals in freshwater, plants, and wildlife. Here we assess the enrichment of selected heavy metals in Alaskan soils by synthesizing publicly available data of soil metal concentrations. We analyzed data of soil concentrations of arsenic, chromium, mercury, nickel, and lead from over 1,000 samples available through …

In Vitro And In Vivo Characterization Of Potent Antileishmanial Methionine Aminopeptidase 1 Inhibitors, Felipe Rodriguez, Sarah F. John, Eva Iniguez, Sebastian Montalvo, Karina Michael, Lyndsey White, Dong Liang, Omonike A. Olaleye, Rosa A. Maldonado

Faculty Publications

Leishmania major is the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). No human vaccine is available for CL, and current drug regimens present several drawbacks, such as emerging resistance, severe toxicity, medium effectiveness, and/or high cost. Thus, the need for better treatment options against CL is a priority. In the present study, we validate the enzyme methionine aminopeptidase 1 of L. major (MetAP1Lm), a metalloprotease that catalyzes the removal of N-terminal methionine from peptides and proteins, as a chemotherapeutic target against CL infection. The in vitro antileishmanial activities of eight novel MetAP1 inhibitors (OJT001 to OJT008) were investigated. Three compounds, OJT006, …

Critical Consciousness In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review,Critical Assessment, And Recommendations For Future Research, Amy E. Heberle, Luke J. Rapa, Flora Farago

Faculty Publications

Critical consciousness refers to an individual’s awareness of oppressive systemic forces in society, a sense of efficacy to work against oppression, and engagement in individual or collective action against oppression. In the past few decades, interest in critical consciousness as a resource that may promote thriving in marginalized people has grown tremendously. This article critically examines the results of a systematic review of 67 studies of critical consciousness in children and adolescents, published between 1998 and 2019. Across these studies, major themes included the role of socialization experiences, relationships, and context in the development of critical consciousness. In addition, critical …

Altered Gut Microbiota In Infants Is Associated With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease Severity, Jeffrey N. Harding, David Siefker, Luan Vu, Dahui You, John Devincenzo, J. F. Pierre, Stephania A. Cormier

Faculty Publications

© 2020 The Author(s). Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the number one cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants. There are still no vaccines or specific antiviral therapies against RSV, mainly due to the inadequate understanding of RSV pathogenesis. Recent data suggest a role for gut microbiota community structure in determining RSV disease severity. Our objective was to determine the gut microbial profile associated with severe RSV patients, which could be used to help identify at-risk patients and develop therapeutically protective microbial assemblages that may stimulate immuno-protection. Results: We enrolled 95 infants from Le Bonheur during the 2014 …

The Association Between Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors And Colorectal Cancer In A National Cohort Of Patients, S. Scott Sutton, Joseph Magagnoli, Tammy H. Cummings, James W. Hardin

Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: To examine the association between phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor use and incidence of colorectal cancer among patients with erectile dysfunction treated in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure was conducted, with data spanning January 2001-December 2016. Patients were followed up from index until (i) the first diagnosis of colorectal cancer, (ii) death, or (iii) the end of study period. Statistical analyses evaluated demographics and baseline characteristics between cohorts (PDE-5 exposed or not) and the effect of additional dosages of each specific PDE-5 inhibitor using adjusted multivariate Cox …

Biomolecular Complex Viewed By Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State Nmr Spectroscopy, Arnab Chakraborty, Fabien Deligey, Jenny Quach, Frederic Mentink-Vigier, Ping Wang, Tuo Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2020 Portland Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) is an indispensable tool for elucidating the structure and dynamics of insoluble and non-crystalline biomolecules. The recent advances in the sensitivity-enhancing technique magic-angle spinning dynamic nuclear polarization (MAS-DNP) have substantially expanded the territory of ssNMR investigations and enabled the detection of polymer interfaces in a cellular environment. This article highlights the emerging MAS-DNP approaches and their applications to the analysis of biomolecular composites and intact cells to determine the folding pathway and ligand binding of proteins, the structural polymorphism of low-populated biopolymers, as well as the physical …

Underwater Noise Impairs Social Communication During Aggressive And Reproductive Encounters, Julie M. Butler, Karen P. Maruska

Faculty Publications

© 2020 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Human-generated noise pollution is of global concern, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise: Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. https://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/e94888/en/). Increases in shipping, sonar use, pile driving, and more have all contributed to a rise in ambient underwater sound levels. Unfortunately, continuous low-intensity sounds, like shipping noise, are pervasive in shallow-shore environments where many social species live and correspond to the frequency ranges at which many fishes produce and detect acoustic stimuli. Noise has the potential to alter the …

Race, Residence, And Underemployment: Fifty Years In Comparative Perspective, 1968–2017, Tim Slack, Brian C. Thiede, Leif Jensen

Faculty Publications

High underemployment has been a chronic structural feature of the rural United States for decades. In this paper, we assess whether and how inequalities in underemployment between metropolitan (metro) and nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas have changed over the course of the last five decades. Drawing on data from the March Current Population Survey from 1968 to 2017, we analyze inequality in the prevalence of underemployment between metro and nonmetro areas of the United States, paying special attention to differences between white, black, and Hispanic workers. Our results show that the underlying risk of underemployment has increased in both metro and nonmetro …

Homemade Infant Formula Recipes May Contain Harmful Ingredients: A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Blogs, Sutton A. Davis, Linda L. Knol, Kristi M. Crowe-White, Lori W. Turner, Erin Mckinley

Faculty Publications

Objective: When breast-feeding is not possible, commercially made human milk substitute is recommended. Some consumers would prefer to make their own homemade infant formula (HIF) and may seek information on this practice from internet sources. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the content of blogs posting HIF recipes.Design: Blog postings were identified through a comprehensive search conducted using the Google search engine and the following search terms along with the term 'blog': 'Make Your Own Baby Formula', 'Homemade Baby Formula', 'Do It Yourself (DIY) Baby Formula', 'DIY Baby Formula', 'Baby Formula Recipe' and 'All Natural Baby Formula'. …

Identification Of Qtls For Resistance To Fusarium Head Blight Using A Doubled Haploid Population Derived From Southeastern United States Soft Red Winter Wheat Varieties Ags 2060 And Ags 2035, Alejandro Castro Aviles, Stephen Alan Harrison, Kelly Joseph Arceneaux, Gina Brown-Guidera, Richard Esten Mason, Niranjan Baisakh

Faculty Publications

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused primarily by the fungus Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat, causing significant loss of yield and quality worldwide. Warm and wet conditions during flowering, a lack of resistant wheat varieties, and high inoculum pressure from corn stubble contribute to frequent FHB epidemics in the southern United States. The soft red winter wheat variety AGS 2060 is moderately susceptible (as opposed to susceptible) to FHB and regularly found in pedigrees of resistant breeding lines. AGS 2060 does not carry any known resistance genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL). A QTL mapping …

Effects Of Education Savings Accounts On Student Engagement: Instrumental Variable Analysis, David Ansong, Moses Okumu, Youn Kyoung Kim, Mathieu Despard, Raymond Darfo-Oduro, Eusebius Small

Faculty Publications

As interest in youth financial inclusion continues to grow substantially, emerging research points to positive associations between students’savings and their educational outcomes. However, there is no definitive data on how assets alter student engagement, particularly in resource-limited settings. This study contributes knowledge by assessing the causal effects of education savings accounts on student engagement. We evaluate causal effects by using instrumental variable methods and data from a pilot study that assessed the viability of different education funding mechanisms for junior high-school students in Ghana. Results show that the offering of an education savings account to young people with an opt-out …

Evaluating The Kisan Credit Card Scheme: Some Results For Bihar And India, Areendam Chanda

Faculty Publications

The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was introduced in India in 1998-1999 and has since become a flagship programme providing access to short-term credit in the agricultural sector. According to the Government of India, over a 100 million cards had been issued cumulatively by March 2011. Using data from 2005-2006 to 2009-2010, the article critically examines the determinants of KCC lending across states in India and districts in Bihar. We also examine the effects of the scheme on agricultural growth and yields. Our results suggest that states with initially better access to agricultural credit show subsequently greater amounts of KCC …

How Should Non-Probate Transfers Matter In Intestacy?, Mary Louise Fellows, E. Gary Spitko

Faculty Publications

Current intestacy laws inadequately meet the needs of intestates. This study demonstrates that the new heir reform increases the likelihood of promoting intestates’ donative intent in a growing number of twenty-first century familial situations.

Prediction Of Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole Resistance In Community-Onset Urinary Tract Infections, Madeline Demarsh, P Brandon Bookstaver, Caroline Gordon, Juanne Lim, Nicole Griffith, Nicole K. Bookstaver, Julie Ann Justo, Joseph Kohn, Majdi N. Al-Hasan

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to predict trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) resistance in patients with community-onset urinary tract infection (UTI) due to Enterobacteriaceae based on patient-specific risk factors. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study in Prisma Health facilities in central South Carolina, USA, including three community hospitals, affiliated emergency departments and ambulatory clinics, including adult patients with community-onset UTI due to Enterobacteriaceae (1 April 2015 to 29 February 2016). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine risk factors for SXT resistance. RESULTS: Among 351 unique patients with community-onset UTI, 71 (20.2%) had SXT-resistant Enterobacteriaceae urinary isolates. Overall, median age was 64 years …

Recent Advances In Stimuli-Responsive Drug Release And Targeting Concepts Using Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles, Ghada G. Abdo, Moustafa M. Zagho, Ashraf Khalil

Faculty Publications

Being a developed and promising approach, nanotechnology has attracted a lot of attention in biomedical and pharmaceutical therapy applications. Among nanostructured materials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are effectively used as nanocarriers for drug delivery systems. MSNs can be tailored-designed by different synthetic techniques. Their morphological characteristics dictate the type of application of such materials. Recently, polymer-based materials have been employed to functionalize the MSNs surface. These modified nanocarriers are loaded with the drug and can unload their “cargo” upon exposure to either endogenous or exogenous types of stimuli. In this study, different targeting concepts, including passive, active, vascular, nuclear, and …

Violating The Inviolate?: Divided Tennessee Supreme Court Upholds Constitutionality Of Noneconomic Damage Caps, Focuses On Right To Jury Trial, Bailey D. Barnes

Faculty Publications

On Feb. 26, in McClay v. Airport Management Services LLC, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the noneconomic damage cap provisions of the Tennessee Civil Justice Act of 2011. The court’s analysis primarily centered on the constitutional right to a trial by jury. The justices split on whether the General Assembly maintains the authority to alter or abridge the state’s common law when doing so affects a constitutional right.

The three-justice majority concluded that noneconomic damage caps do not violate the right to a jury trial, though one of those justices authored a concurring opinion declaring the issue …