Digital Commons Network^™

Behavioral Household Finance, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

This chapter provides an overview of household finance. The first part summarizes key facts regarding household financial behavior, emphasizing empirical regularities that are inconsistent with the standard classical economic model and discussing extensions of the classical model and explanations grounded in behavioral economics that can account for the observed patterns. This part covers five topics: consumption and savings, borrowing, payments, asset allocation, and insurance. The second part addresses interventions that firms, governments, and other parties deploy to shape household financial outcomes: education and information, peer effects and social influence, product design, advice and disclosure, choice architecture, and interventions that directly …

Exploring The Potential Of Lms Log Data As A Proxy Measure Of Student Engagement, Curtis R. Henrie, Robert Bodily, Ross Larsen, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

This study examines the relationship between log data of student activity in learning management systems and self-reported student engagement survey scores. Log data has the potential to serve as a meaningful proxy for survey scores. Should this be the case, log data could be used as a minimally disruptive and scalable approach to quickly identify who needs help, evaluate design, and personalize instruction. We correlated LMS log data variables to student engagement survey scores to study the relationship between these two sources of data. Overall, log data was not a statistically significant proxy measure of students’ self-reported cognitive and emotional …

Examining The Impact And Influence Of The Leisure Science Literature, Mat D. Duerden, Michael B. Edwards, Michael C. Goates, Justin Dyer

Faculty Publications

This study explored the impact and influence of the leisure sciences literature through an analysis of highly cited articles. Discriminant function analysis identified whether articles had more exclusive impact inside or outside the field. Research themes and methodologies were examined based on these classifications. Results indicate articles with the greatest impact within the leisure literature tended to be quantitative studies drawing upon survey data and non-experimental designs focused on general leisure and outdoor/forest recreation. Articles with the greatest impact outside the leisure literature were more recent and focused on place attachment, psychological motivation, or community parks and recreation and used …

Food Federalism: States, Local Governments, And The Fight For Food Sovereignty, Sarah B. Schindler

Faculty Publications

Recently, a number of states have sought to withdraw or restrain local power. In this Article, which is part of the “Re-Thinking State Relevance” symposium hosted by the Ohio State Law Journal, I write about a state taking the opposite approach, and attempting to affirmatively endow its local governments with additional powers. The state is Maine, and the context is control over local food production and sales. This Article begins by addressing the emergence of the sustainable local foods movement broadly, and reasons for the growth of this movement. It then focuses more pointedly on the food sovereignty movement, considering …

Declaration Of God's Power To The Nextgen, Padma P. Tadi Uppala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of The Role Of Religion And Spirituality In The Treatment And Recovery Of Patients With Eating Disorders, P. Scott Richards, Michael E. Berrett, Carrie L. Caoili, Sabree A. Crowton, Randy K. Hardman, Russell N. Jackson, Peter W. Sanders

Faculty Publications

This article reports two qualitative studies that explored how religion and spirituality (R/S) influenced the treatment and recovery process of patients with eating disorder. In Study 1 and Study 2, a total of 83 women who had successfully completed treatment at an inpatient eating disorder treatment center responded to open-ended survey questions about the role of R/S in their recovery. Twelve of the women in Study 2 participated in follow-up phone interviews. Qualitative analysis of survey responses and interview transcripts indicated that although many women believed R/S contributed to the development and maintenance of their eating disorder, most of them …

Project Sweat (Summer Weight And Environmental Assessment Trial): Study Protocol Of An Observational Study Using A Multistate, Prospective Design That Examines The Weight Gain Trajectory Among A Racially And Ethnically Diverse Convenience Sample Of Economically Disadvantaged School-Age Children, Laura C. Hopkins, Christine Penicka, Carly Evich, Blake Jones, Carolyn Gunther

Faculty Publications

Introduction Racial/ethnic minority school-age children are at risk for unhealthy weight gain during the summer, and there is a dearth of information regarding the underlying behavioural and environmental factors. The study objective is to provide an in-depth examination of dietary and physical activity behaviours and food, physical activity, and social environments of African American and Hispanic school-age children during the summer.

Methods and analysis An observational study will be conducted using a multistate (Ohio and Indiana, USA) prospective design examining the weight gain trajectory among a racially/ethnically diverse convenience sample of economically disadvantaged school-age children. In addition, a subset of …

Polyamines In The Life Of Arabidopsis: Profiling The Expression Of S -Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase ( Samdc ) Gene Family During Its Life Cycle, Rajtilak Majumdar, Lin Shao, Swathi A. Turlapati, Subhash C. Minocha

Faculty Publications

Arabidopsis has 5 paralogs of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) gene. Neither their specific role in development nor the role of positive/purifying selection in genetic divergence of this gene family is known. While some data are available on organ-specific expression of AtSAMDC1, AtSAMDC2, AtSAMDC3 and AtSAMDC4, not much is known about their promoters including AtSAMDC5, which is believed to be non-functional. (1) Phylogenetic analysis of the five AtSAMDC genes shows similar divergence pattern for promoters and coding sequences (CDSs), whereas, genetic divergence of 5’UTRs and 3’UTRs was independent of the promoters and CDSs; (2) while AtSAMDC1 and AtSAMDC4 promoters exhibit high …

Evaluation Of A Health Education Intervention To Improve Knowledge, Skills, Behavioral Intentions And Resources Associated With Preventable Determinants Of Infant Mortality, Danielle Fastring, Susan Mayfield-Johnson, Janna Madison

Faculty Publications

Mississippi has the highest rate of infant mortality in the nation (9.3 infant deaths for 1,000 live births). A health disparity exists between white infants (6.2) and black infants (13.0). This project reports on the effectiveness of a pilot educational program, Healthy Moms and Healthy Babies, which sought to improve knowledge, skills, behavioral intentions and resources related to preventable determinants of infant mortality. A curriculum was developed and piloted with women who were currently pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant or who had an infant

Psychometric Testing Of The Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Questionnaire And The Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Behavior Recall Questionnaire For Children, Jane Lassetter Phd, Rn, Christopher I. Macintosh, Mary Williams, Martha Driessnack, Gaye Ray, Jonathan Wisco

Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the psychometric properties for two related questionnaires: the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (HEPASEQ-C) and theHealthy Eating and PhysicalActivity Behavior RecallQuestionnaire for Children (HEPABRQ-C). Design andMethods: HEPASEQ-C and HEPABRQ-C were administered to 517 participating children with 492 completing. Data were analyzed to evaluate for reliability and validity of the questionnaires. Results: Content validity was established through a 10-person expert panel. For the HEPASEQC, item content validity index (CVI) ranged from 0.80 to 1.00. The CVI for the total questionnaire was 1.0. AllHEPASEQ-C items loaded on …

Introduction Of Iodised Salt Benefits Infants’ Mental Development In A Community-Based Cluster-Randomised Effectiveness Trial In Ethiopia, Karim Bougma, Frances E. Aboud, Tizita M. Lemma, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Grace S. Marquis

Faculty Publications

The effectiveness of salt iodisation in improving the mental development of young children has not been assessed. We implemented a community-based cluster-randomised effectiveness trial in sixty randomly selected districts in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. We randomly allocated each district to treatment and randomly selected one of its villages. In parallel to national salt iodisation efforts, iodised salt was brought early into the markets of the thirty intervention villages before it became widely available in the thirty control villages 4–6 months later. The primary outcome was children’s mental development scores on the Bayley Scales. This was an intention-to-treat analysis using …

Utilizing Undf In Dairy Cow Diets: A New Way Of Looking At Forage Fiber, Peter S. Erickson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Intramyocellular Lipid Droplet Size Rather Than Total Lipid Content Is Related To Insulin Sensitivity After 8 Weeks Of Overfeeding, Jeffrey D. Covington, Darcy L. Johannsen, Paul M. Coen, David H. Burk, Diana N. Obanda, Philip J. Ebenezer, Charmaine S. Tam, Bret H. Goodpaster, Eric Ravussin, Sudip Bajpeyi

Faculty Publications

© 2017 The Obesity Society Objective: Intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) is inversely related to insulin sensitivity in sedentary populations, yet no prospective studies in humans have examined IMCL accumulation with overfeeding. Methods: Twenty-nine males were overfed a high-fat diet (140% caloric intake, 44% from fat) for 8 weeks. Measures of IMCL, whole-body fat oxidation from a 24-hour metabolic chamber, muscle protein extracts, and muscle ceramide measures were obtained before and after the intervention. Results: Eight weeks of overfeeding did not increase overall IMCL. The content of smaller lipid droplets peripherally located in the myofiber decreased, while increases in larger droplets correlated …

Effect Of Silicate Slag Application On Wheat Grown Under Two Nitrogen Rates, Brandon White, Brenda S. Tubana, Tapasya Babu, Henry Mascagni, Flavia Agostinho, Lawrence E. Datnoff, Steve Harrison

Faculty Publications

Field studies were established on the alluvial floodplain soils in Louisiana, from 2013 to 2015, to evaluate the effect of silicate slag applications on productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum), under sufficient and high nitrogen (N) application rates. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design, with four replications consisting of twelve treatments: a factorial combination of two N (101 and 145 kg N ha-1) and five silicate slag rates (0, 1, 2, 4.5, and 9 Mg ha-1), and two control plots (with and without lime). Nitrogen had a greater impact on wheat productivity than silicate slag application. Wheat grain …

Incorporating Flaxseed (Linum Usitatissimum) Oil Into Queso Blanco At Different Stages Of The Cheese Manufacturing Process, Cristhiam Gurdian, Vondel Reyes, Emmanuel Kyereh, Franklin Bonilla, Cesar Galindo, Alexander Chouljenko, Kevin Mis Solval, Charles Boeneke, Joan M. King, Subramaniam Sathivel

Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and microbial properties of queso blanco (QB) with flaxseed oil (FO) incorporated at different stages of the cheese manufacturing process. Whole milk was homogenized, coagulated with citric acid, salted with NaCl, and the resulting curds were pressed. Then QBFO was produced by incorporating FO during homogenization (QBFO-H), coagulation (QBFO-C), or salting (QBFO-S). The cheeses were stored at 8 °C for 30 days. Significantly lower lipid oxidation in QB was observed when FO was added during coagulation or salting compared to homogenization. However, lipid oxidation values of QBFO-H did not exceed …

Effect Of Lactation On Conceptus-Maternal Interactions At The Initiation Of Implantation In Cattle: I. Effects On The Conceptus Transcriptome And Amino Acid Composition Of The Uterine Luminal Fluid, Niamh Forde, Constantine A. Simintiras, Roger G. Sturmey, Alexander Graf, Eckhard Wolf, Helmut Blum, Pat Lonergan

Faculty Publications

Approximately 65-75 days postpartum (dpp), the estrous cycles of nonlactating (dried off immediately postpartum: n = 12) and lactating (n = 13) Holstein Friesian cows were synchronized and on day 7 a single blastocyst derived from superovulated nulliparous Holstein Friesian heifers was transferred to each cow. A control group of nulliparous heifers (n = 8) were synchronized, inseminated to a standing heat, and slaughtered on the same day as nonlactating and lactating recipients (day 19; estrus = day 0). The uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum was flushed with 10 ml phosphate-buffered saline and the conceptus, and uterine luminal …

Association Mapping For Traits Related To Nitrogen Use Efficiency In Tropical Maize Lines Under Field Conditions, Júlia Silva Morosini, Leandro De Freitas Mendonça, Danilo Hottis Lyra, Giovanni Galli, Miriam Suzane Vidotti, Roberto Fritsche-Neto

Faculty Publications

Aims: Nitrogen deficiency is one of the most critical abiotic stresses for maize (Zea mays) cultivation worldwide. For a productive and sustainable scenario, developing genotypes more efficient in nitrogen use is essential. This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) traits under field conditions and candidate genes related to these markers by genome-wide association study (GWAS). Methods: Sixty-four tropical maize inbred lines were evaluated in ideal and low nitrogen conditions for total root length (TRL) and low nitrogen tolerance index (LNTI). GWAS was performed using a fixed and random model circulating probability …

Quantity And Quality Limit Detritivore Growth: Mechanisms Revealed By Ecological Stoichiometry And Co-Limitation Theory, Halvor M. Halvorson, Erik Sperfeld, Michelle A. Evans-White

Faculty Publications

Resource quantity and quality are fundamental bottom-up constraints on consumers. Best understood in autotroph-based systems, co-occurrence of these constraints may be common but remains poorly studied in detrital-based systems. Here, we used a laboratory growth experiment to test limitation of the detritivorous caddisfly larvae Pycnopsyche lepida across a concurrent gradient of oak litter quantity (food supply) and quality (phosphorus : carbon [P:C ratios]). Growth increased simultaneously with quantity and quality, indicating co-limitation across the resource gradients. We merged approaches of ecological stoichiometry and co-limitation theory, showing how co-limitation reflected shifts in C and P acquisition throughout homeostatic regulation. Increased growth …

Examining The Relationship Between Park Neighborhoods, Features, Cleanliness, And Condition With Observed Weekday Park Usage And Physical Activity: A Case Study, Kerry Hamilton, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Melissa L. Fair, Lucie Levesque

Faculty Publications

Background. Little research has comprehensively explored how park features, quality indicators, and neighborhood environments are associated with observed park usage and physical activity (PA). This case study examined whether weekday park usage and PA differ by neighborhood type, across numerous categories of park features, and according to park feature condition and cleanliness. Methods. Direct observation was used to capture the number of users and PA levels within 143 park features in 6 parks (3 urban, 3 suburban) over the course of six weeks. Audits of park environments assessed the type, condition, and cleanliness of all features and amenities. …

An Undergraduate Laboratory Manual For Analyzing A Crispr Mutant With A Predicted Role In Regeneration, Susan Walsh, Ashley Becker, Paxton S. Sickler, Damian G. Clarke, Erin Jimenez

Faculty Publications

Exposing students to undergraduate research has reportedly improved students’ development of knowledge and skills in the laboratory, self-efficacy, satisfaction with their research, retention, and perseverance when faced with obstacles. Furthermore, utilizing authentic course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) includes all students enrolled in the class, giving those who may not otherwise have access to an independent undergraduate research project an opportunity to engage in the scientific process in context of an original, unanswered question. In the fall of 2016, second semester introductory biology students conducted a semester-long research project on the transcription factor Lin28a to determine the effect of Lin28a on …

What's It To Me? Self-Interest And Evaluations Of Financial Conflicts Of Interest, Samuel Bruton, Donald Sacco

Faculty Publications

Disclosure has become the preferred way of addressing the threat to researcher objectivity arising from financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs). This article argues that the effectiveness of disclosure at protecting science from the corrupting effects of FCOIs—particularly the kind of disclosure mandated by US federal granting agencies—is more limited than is generally acknowledged. Current NIH and NSF regulations require disclosed FCOIs to be reviewed, evaluated, and managed by officials at researchers’ home institutions. However, these reviewers are likely to have institutional and personal interests of their own that may undermine the integrity of their evaluations. This paper presents experimental findings …

The Role Of Feature-Based Discrimination In Driving Health Disparities Among Black Americans, Randl B. Dent, Nao Hagiwara, Elena V. Stepanova, Tiffany L. Green

Faculty Publications

Objective: A growing body of research finds that darker skin tone is often associated with poorer physical and mental health in Blacks. However, the psychosocial mechanisms underlying the skin tone-health link remain elusive. The present study seeks to address this knowledge gap by investigating the direct and indirect (through perceived discrimination, socioeconomic status, and self-esteem) effects of skin tone on self-reported physical and mental health.

Design: An urban sample of 130 Blacks aged 35 and above completed a self-administered computerized survey as a part of larger cross-sectional study.

Results: Self-esteem played a particularly important role in mediating the associations between …

Hospitalization Rates And Predictors Of Rehospitalization Among Individuals With Advanced Cancer In The Year After Diagnosis, Robin Whitney, Janice Bell, Daniel Tancredi, Patrick Romano, Richard Bold, Jill Joseph

Faculty Publications

PurposeAmong individuals with advanced cancer, frequent hospitalization increasingly is viewed as a hallmark of poor-quality care. We examined hospitalization rates and individual- and hospital-level predictors of rehospitalization among individuals with advanced cancer in the year after diagnosis.MethodsIndividuals diagnosed with advanced breast, colorectal, non–small-cell lung, or pancreatic cancer from 2009 to 2012 (N = 25,032) were identified with data from the California Cancer Registry (CCR). After linkage with inpatient discharge data, multistate and log-linear Poisson regression models were used to calculate hospitalization rates and to model rehospitalization in the year after diagnosis, accounting for survival.ResultsIn the year after diagnosis, 71% of …

The Stadium Effect: Rodent Damage Patterns In Rice Fields Explored Using Giving-Up Densities, Clare R. Jones, Renee P. Lorica, James M. Villegas, Angelee F. Ramal, Finbarr G. Horgan, Grant R. Singleton, Alexander M. Stuart

Faculty Publications

Rodents are globally important pre-harvest pests of rice. In Southeast Asia, rodent damage to growing rice crops is commonly concentrated towards the center of rice fields, away from the field edge, resulting in a clear pattern known as the “stadium effect.” To further understand this behavior of rodent pests and to develop recommendations for future research and management, we examined the relation between giving-up densities (GUDs) and damage patterns. In Tanay, Luzon, Philippines, GUD trays containing pieces of coconut in a matrix of sand were placed at 4 different distances from the field edge to quantify the perceived risk of …

The Stringent Response Induced By Phosphate Limitation Promotes Purine Salvage In Agrobacterium Fabrum, Smitha Sivapragasam, Dinesh K. Deochand, Jacob K. Meariman, Anne Grove

Faculty Publications

© 2017 American Chemical Society. Agrobacterium fabrum induces tumor growth in susceptible plant species. The upregulation of virulence genes that occurs when the bacterium senses plant-derived compounds is enhanced by acidic pH and limiting inorganic phosphate. Nutrient starvation may also trigger the stringent response, and purine salvage is among the pathways expected to be favored under such conditions. We show here that phosphate limitation induces the stringent response, as evidenced by production of (p)ppGpp, and that the xdhCSML operon encoding the purine salvage enzyme xanthine dehydrogenase is upregulated ∼15-fold. The xdhCSML operon is under control of the TetR family transcription …

Why Does It Take Two To Tango? Lifetime Fitness Consequences Of Parental Care In A Burying Beetle, Ashlee N. Smith, J. Curtis Creighton, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

In species that require parental care, each parent can either care for their offspring or leave them in the care of the other parent. For each parent this creates three possible parental care strategies: biparental care, uniparental (male or female) care, and uniparental desertion by either the male or female. The burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis, typically exhibits biparental care of offspring, and thus provides a unique system that allows us to compare the fitness benefits of these parental care strategies in an unconfounded way. In this study, we assess the lifetime fitness of biparental care, uniparental care, and uniparental …

A Mixed-Method Multiple Case Study Of Three Business Models For Local Healthy Food Delivery Systems In Underprivileged Urban Areas, Gretchen Elizabeth Krivak, Garth B. Woodruff, S. Forrest, Hannah Mbungu, Kechler Orcel, Soraya Fish, Sherine R. Brown-Fraser

Faculty Publications

Define a USDA food desert Analyze the three business models for benefits and deficiencies Identify methods for starting a sustainable mobile farmers market program. Over 40% of Berrien County Michigan land use is agricultural. Many products are fruits and vegetables. Yet, the county has six identified USDA defined Food Deserts. Past research, based on a mobile farmers market, confirmed local trends and deficits. The purpose for this research is to define a sustainable business model that delivers healthy local food options to USDA Food Deserts combating food inequity. A mixed method multiple case study was created to test three business …

Hispanic College Students’ Health And Lifestyle, Mary Olle, Hyunsook Kang, Gina Fe G. Causin

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to further expand the understanding of how Hispanic college students’ life styles influence their health. The research design employed a cross-sectional survey approach utilizing the purposive sample of 116 Hispanic undergraduate students (62 men, 54 women, all lived in the dormitory during the semester) at a university in Texas. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between Hispanic male and female college students in their life styles. In addition there is a significant relationship between health and life styles of Hispanic male and female students. It is necessary to have amacro-level of …

Evaluation Of Programs To Improve Complementary Feeding In Infants And Young Children, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Evaluation of complementary feeding programs is needed to enhance knowledge on what works,to document responsible use of resources, and for advocacy. Evaluation is done during program conceptualization and design, implementation, and determination of effectiveness. This paper explains the role of evaluation in the advancement of complementary feeding programs,presenting concepts and methods and illustrating them through examples. Planning and investments for eval-uations should occur from the beginning of the project life cycle. Essential to evaluation is articu-lation of a program theory on how change would occur and what program actions are required for change. Analysis of program impact pathways makes explicit …

College Freshmen Students’ Perspectives On Weight Gain Prevention In The Digital Age: Web-Based Survey, Courtney M. Monroe, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy, Chelsea A. Larsen, Karen Magradey, Heather M. Brandt, Sara Wilcox, Beth Sundstrom, Delia Smith West

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: College freshmen are highly vulnerable to experiencing weight gain, and this phenomenon is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and mortality in older adulthood. Technology offers an attractive and scalable way to deliver behavioral weight gain prevention interventions for this population. Weight gain prevention programs that harness the appeal and widespread reach of Web-based technologies (electronic health or eHealth) are increasingly being evaluated in college students. Yet, few of these interventions are informed by college students' perspectives on weight gain prevention and related lifestyle behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess college freshmen students' …