Digital Commons Network^™

Risk And Decision Making: The “Logic” Of Probability, Manfred Borovcnik

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Risk is a hot topic. There is an international trend to use examples of risk or the concept of risk in the early teaching of probability. It enriches the problems, it widens the contexts, and it motivates the students to learn probability. This paper illustrates the notion of risk as a multi-faceted concept. The diverse perceptions start with language where risk is used in very different ways. The overlap of risk and hazard is not restricted to the technical context of safety and reliability; Knight’s seminal work on risk and uncertainty has its definite impact on today’s perception of the …

Genetic Engineering Online Lessons Improve Teaching And Increase Knowledge And Accepting Attitudes Among Students, Grace Troupe

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Genetic engineering has been used in the production of food in the U.S. for nearly three decades, however, science literacy in genetic engineering among consumers is still low. To address this problem, an online resource called The Journey of a Gene (passel.unl.edu/ge) was created to help incorporate genetic engineering education in high school and college curriculums. Here we report two studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of The Journey of a Gene in 1) improving student knowledge and attitudes about genetic engineering and 2) helping teachers increase their knowledge as well as quantity and quality of genetic engineering instruction. In …

The Emotional Experience Of American Indians Receiving Hemodialysis And How It Relates To Treatment Adherence, Anitra M. Warrior

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

This study used a phenomenological approach as an attempt to capture the essence of the experience of American Indians with diabetes who are receiving dialysis. The purpose of this study and this approach was to develop an understanding of factors that influence treatment adherence, specifically with mental health concerns. As an additional component of this study, this research also followed an advocacy/participatory approach (Creswell, 2007) in which steps to reform services are provided to the Indian Health Service in support of this marginalized group through a written Agenda for Change.

Participants for this study were recruited from multiple states serving …

Who’S To Blame? Blame Attributions And Obesity-Related Law And Policy, Lindsey E. Wylie

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Obesity is a foremost public health concern that has received considerable attention. Because of this so-named “epidemic,” law-makers are challenged with implementing effective policies that the public supports. Little is known, however, about the antecedents and consequences of these policies—especially attributions of blameworthiness. Study 1 developed the Obesity Blame Attribution Scale (OBAS). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that controllability, responsibility and dispositional blame were separate constructs and were part of a higher-order dispositional blame factor. Situational blame was a separate higher-order factor, not correlated with dispositional blame, consisting of blame toward the food industry and towards government policy. Using the OBAS, …

Economic Freedom And Participation In Physical Activity, Joshua C. Hall, Brad R. Humphreys, Jane E. Ruseski

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and influences a variety of health outcomes. A recent paper has found economic freedom to be positively associated with greater participation in physical activity in a sample of 34 European countries. We empirically investigate the relationship between economic freedom and physical activity across U.S. states. Contrary to the cross-country results, we find that states with higher levels of economic freedom have lower rates of participation in physical activity.

Psci 501.01: Public Administration, Jeffrey D. Greene

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Stepping Up Grazing Management-0615pfg., Edward Barrow Rayburn

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

balancing forage supply and livestock forage demand

Take Me To Your Liter: Politics, Power, And Public-Private Partnerships With The Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Industry In The Post-2015 Development Agenda, Craig W. Moscetti, Allyn L. Taylor

Washington International Law Journal

Today, non-communicable diseases (“NCDs”) are widely recognized as a global public health crisis and a foreign policy priority. The international community was slow to identify and respond to the crisis of NCDs in the later part of the twentieth century. However, in 2011 the United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs recognized NCDs as one of the greatest threats to health and development in the twenty-first century, and a major topic for the post-2015 development agenda. Notably, many experts, national governments, and global leaders have rallied for an inclusive, “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach, situating public-private partnerships (“PPPs”) with some of …

First Private Sector Midwifery Education Initiative In Bangladesh: Experience From The Brac University, Ismat Bhuiya, Asiful Haidar Chowdhury, Km Zahiduzzaman

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

In an attempt to further improve maternal and newborn health in Bangladesh, the BRAC University has started a three-year diploma in midwifery education programme, with the goal of ensuring availability of at least one midwife in all the 4,500 unions of the country by 2030, starting from the hard-to-reach under-served areas. The programme used a ‘hub and spoke’ model, where the BRAC University is the hub and six NGOs working in the rural under-served areas are the spokes, termed as academic sites. In addition, a new academic site was established in 2014 by the BRAC University in urban, Dhaka through …

Skyrim Survival Needs Modification, Sheng-Han Chen

Computer Engineering

A survival needs system implemented within Skyrim's modification framework using Bethesda Softwork's Skyrim Creation Kit.

Long-Term Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Relation To Bmi And Weight Change Among Women With A History Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Cohort Study, Wei Bao, Edwina Yeung, Deirdre K. Tobias, Frank B. Hu, Allan A. Vaag, Jorge Chavarro, James L. Mills, Louise Groth Grunnet, Katherine Bowers, Sylvia H. Ley, Michele Kiely, Sjurdur F. Olsen, Cuilin Zhang

Publications and Research

Aims/hypothesis—Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are advised to control their weight after pregnancy. We aimed to examine how adiposity and weight change influence the long-term risk of developing type 2 diabetes after GDM.

Methods—We included 1,695 women who had incident GDM between 1991 and 2001, as part of the Diabetes & Women’s Health study, and followed them until the return of the 2009 questionnaire. Body weight and incident type 2 diabetic cases were reported biennially. We defined baseline as the questionnaire period when women reported an incident GDM pregnancy. We estimated HRs and 95% …

Obesity Prevention: Assessing The Role Of State And Non-State Actors Under International Law, Anna K. Sims

Chicago Journal of International Law

Obesity is a global epidemic affecting both the developed and developing world. Governments have instituted different policy measures to counter their citizens' increasing weight, and these measures are often incompatible with the international trade laws protected by the World Trade Organization. Scholars have tried to interpret the various international trade law treaties in ways that would legitimize those diet-related policies that are in tension with the international trade regime. Such efforts, though, are misdirected because of their potential to be ineffective and regressive. Instead, this Comment will propose that non-state actors that have prospered within the global free trade system-- …

Ccl20 Is Elevated During Obesity And Differentially Regulated By Nf-Κb Subunits In Pancreatic Β-Cells, Susan J. Burke, Michael D. Karlstad, Kellie M. Regal, Tim E. Sparer, Danhong Lu, Carrie M. Elks, Ryan W. Grant, Jacqueline M. Stephens, David H. Burk, J. Jason Collier

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Enhanced leukocytic infiltration into pancreatic islets contributes to inflammation-based diminutions in functional β-cell mass. Insulitis (aka islet inflammation), which can be present in both T1DM and T2DM, is one factor influencing pancreatic β-cell death and dysfunction. IL-1β, an inflammatory mediator in both T1DM and T2DM, acutely (within 1. h) induced expression of the CCL20 gene in rat and human islets and clonal β-cell lines. Transcriptional induction of CCL20 required the p65 subunit of NF-κB to replace the p50 subunit at two functional κB sites within the CCL20 proximal gene promoter. The NF-κB p50 subunit prevents CCL20 …

Greater University Circle Initiative: Year 4 Evaluation Report, Ziona Austrian, Kathryn W. Hexter, Candi Clouse, Kenneth Kalynchuk

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report evaluates the fourth year of the Economic Inclusion program of the Greater University Circle Initiative (GUCI) in Cleveland, Ohio, namely the activities and accomplishments during 2014. The GUCI combines the economic power of anchor institutions with the resources of philanthropy and government to create economic opportunity, build individual wealth, and strengthen communities in the neighborhoods around University Circle and the Health Tech Corridor of Cleveland. The program, spearheaded by The Cleveland Foundation, is based on the premise that anchor institutions and residents share an interest in revitalizing their neighborhoods and by working together they can create jobs, income, …

Opportunistic Uses Of The Traditional School Day Through Student Examination Of Fitbit Activity Tracker Data, Victor R. Lee, Joel R. Drake, Ryan Cain, Jeffrey L. Thayne

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

In large part due to the highly prescribed nature of the typical school day for children, efforts to design new interactions with technology have often focused on less-structured after-school clubs and other out-of-school environments. We argue that while the school day imposes serious restrictions, school routines can and should be opportunistically leveraged by designers and by youth. Specifically, wearable activity tracking devices open some new avenues for opportunistic collection of and reflection on data from the school day. To demonstrate this, we present two cases from an elementary statistics classroom unit we designed that intentionally integrated wearable activity trackers and …

A Study On Urban Agriculture: Recommended Actions For California, Clarissa Marie Caruso

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Virulence Of Oomycete Pathogens From Phragmites Australis-Invaded And Noninvaded Soils To Seedlings Of Wetland Plant Species, Ellen V. Crocker, Mary Ann Karp, Eric B. Nelson

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Soil pathogens affect plant community structure and function through negative plant-soil feedbacks that may contribute to the invasiveness of non-native plant species. Our understanding of these pathogen-induced soil feedbacks has relied largely on observations of the collective impact of the soil biota on plant populations, with few observations of accompanying changes in populations of specific soil pathogens and their impacts on invasive and noninvasive species. As a result, the roles of specific soil pathogens in plant invasions remain unknown. In this study, we examine the diversity and virulence of soil oomycete pathogens in freshwater wetland soils invaded by non-native Phragmites …

Psychosocial Motivators For Obstacle Course Racing: A Qualitative Case Study, Aracely Rodriguez

Master's Theses

This study explored the psychological and sociological motivations of adult female and male obstacle course racers. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore the views, experiences, and motivations of obstacle course racing (OCR) participants. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulation was used to interpret responses to the 297 online questionnaires. A content analysis approach was used to analyze the qualitative data gathered from three focus groups with a total of 20 obstacle course racers. Three theories formed the basis of the study: Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), and Social Leaning Theory (SLT). Overall, findings supported previous research …

Washington's Reproductive Privacy Act: An Interpretation And Constitutional Analysis, Ross Tanaka

Washington Law Review

In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court declared that the “zone of privacy” inherent in the liberty component of the Due Process Clauses protected a woman’s right to choose when to terminate her pregnancy. Nevertheless, in the years following Roe, the Court held that the right of choice did not include a right to state assistance in obtaining an abortion. After decisions such as Webster v. Reproductive Services and Maher v. Roe, the state may express its preference for childbirth by denying the use of its funds, facilities, and personnel for abortion. Although a majority of the …

Assessment Of Knowledge Of Celiac Disease Among Health Care Professionals, Asaad M. Assiri, Anjum Saeed, Elshazaly Saeed, Mohammad I. El-Mouzan, Ahmed A. Alsarkhy, Muath Al-Turaiki, Ali Al-Mehaidib, Mohsin Rashid, Anhar Ullah

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess knowledge of celiac disease among medical professionals (physicians). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of hospital-based medical staff in primary, secondary, and tertiary care public, and private hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSA). We carried out the study between January 2013 and January 2104 at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA. A pretested questionnaire was distributed to the potential participants. A scoring system was used to classify the level of knowledge of participants into 3 categories: poor, fair, and good. Results: A total of 109 physicians completed the survey and of these participants, 86.3% …

Kids Count The State Of The Child In Tennessee 2014, Tennessee. Commission On Children & Youth.

The State of the Child in Tennessee

No abstract provided.

The Sustaintable Development Goals (Sdgs) As Drafted: Nice Idea, Poor Execution, Thomas Pogge, Mitu Sengupta

Washington International Law Journal

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is scheduled to adopt its 2015-2030 development agenda in September 2015: the Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations Open Working Group (OWG) on the SDGs set a draft of this agenda before the UNGA in September 2014. Despite clear positives, this draft fails to take advantage of the SDGs’ non-binding and aspirational nature to encourage global leaders to set aside short-term gain in order to invest in a sustainable future. Specifically, the draft ought to identify actors responsible for specific achievements, to envision structural reforms in the global institutional order, to provide for objective …

Nutrinews Volume 6, June, 2015, Department Of Nutrition And Dietetics, University Of North Florida

NutriNews

This issue features To GMO or Not to GMO, Fit & Fueled, Metabolic Mood Syndrome, and The Supplement Shelf

Effect Of A 7-Week Rock Climbing Class On Physical Fitness And Performance, Justin Scott Cargo

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in physical fitness and performance by rock climbing twice a week over a 7-week time period. Rock climbing is on the rise in popularity as seen in the rise of indoor climbing gyms and the increase in rock climbing competitions (Wall, C. B., Starek, J. E., Fleck, S. J., & Byrnes, W. C., 2004). Notably, the International Federation of Sport Climbing has held the Climbing World Championships biennially since the first event in 1991 (Schoffl, Burtscher, & Coscia, 2013), which emphasizes the importance of this research to apply to training programs. …

Long-Term Hypoxia Alters Ovine Fetal Adrenal Enos And Cortisol Biosynthesis, Elizabeth Anne Newby

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Maintaining normal levels of cortisol in response to chronic stress, while retaining the ability to respond to acute stress, is important for ensuring normal fetal growth and development. Long-term hypoxia (LTH) causes adaptations in the fetal hypothalamopituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis that maintain basal cortisol levels but enhance production in response to a secondary stress. Nitric oxide (NO), produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the adrenal cortex, plays a significant role in regulating cortisol production in the LTH fetus. The production of NO is regulated by eNOS activity which can be altered via phosphorylation through key signaling pathways. In …

Cultural Beliefs And Self-Efficacy In Diet Adherence Among Type 2 Diabetics, Sonika Kravann Ung

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a global epidemic that disproportionately affects socioeconomic and ethnic minority populations (International Diabetes Federation, 2013). Mapuches, the largest Native American population in Chile, shifted from the lowest incidence of T2D to equal rates in comparison to mainstream Chileans within a decade (King & Rewers, 1991; Perez-Bravo et al., 2001). This may be due to economic growth and rapid nutritional shifts (Yu & Zinman, 2007). Previous research has identified the importance of cultural beliefs in explaining health behavior (Betancourt, Flynn, & Ormseth, 2011). This study, guided by Betancourt’s Integrative Model for Culture, Psychological Factors and Behavior …

Human Disturbance And The Physiological Response Of Elk In Eastern Washington, D. S. Jachowski, S. Mccorquodale, Brian E. Washburn, Joshua J. Millspaugh

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Stress hormone measures have proven useful for assessing effects of human disturbance on wildlife populations. However, most studies are of short duration or limited geographic scope (i.e., without spatial replication), leading to concerns about confounding effects of biotic conditions. Previous research correlated fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) of elk (Cervus elaphus) with human disturbance, but this factor also co-varied with seasonal climatic conditions, making it difficult to make broader inference regarding the role of human disturbance. In this study we attempted to simultaneously evaluate the effects of climatic conditions and human disturbance by comparing the year-round physiological stress response …

Postpartum Contraceptive Use And Unmet Need For Family Planning In Five Low-Income Countries., Omrana Pasha, Shivaprasad S. Goudar, Archana Patel, Ana Garces, Fabian Esamai, Elwyn Chomba, Janet L. Moore, Bhalchandra S. Kodkany, Sarah Saleem, Richard J. Derman, Edward A. Liechty, Patricia L. Hibberd, K. Michael Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Waldemar A. Carlo, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Marion Koso-Thomas, Robert L. Goldenberg

Community Health Sciences

BACKGROUND:

During the post-partum period, most women wish to delay or prevent future pregnancies. Despite this, the unmet need for family planning up to a year after delivery is higher than at any other time. This study aims to assess fertility intention, contraceptive usage and unmet need for family planning amongst women who are six weeks postpartum, as well as to identify those at greatest risk of having an unmet need for family planning during this period.

METHODS:

Using the NICHD Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research's multi-site, prospective, ongoing, active surveillance system to track pregnancies and births …

Association Of Vitamin D With Statin Induced Myalgia, Ayla K. Zubair, Imran N Ahmad, Arsalan Ahmad Md

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Objective:
To determine the association of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH) Vitamin D) deficiency with the occurrence of myalgia in patients on statin therapy.

Methods:
The pathology laboratory database was reviewed to identify patients tested for serum 25(OH) Vitamin D and creatine kinase. A retrospective chart review was then conducted to ascertain statin use and reporting of myalgia for patients tested concurrently for serum 25(OH) vitamin D and creatinekinase levels between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013.

Results:
Of the 825 patients tested for creatine kinase and 25 (OH) Vitamin D in 2013, 49 met the study criteria.The …

Origins Of An Unmarked Georgia Cemetery Using Ancient Dna Analysis, Andrew T. Ozga, Raúl Y. Tito, Brian M. Kemp, Hugh Matternes, Alexandra Obregon-Tito, Leslie Neal, Cecil M. Lewis, Jr.

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Determining the origins of those buried within undocumented cemeteries is of incredible importance to historical archaeologists and in many cases, the nearby communities. In the case of Avondale Burial Place, a cemetery in Bibb County, Georgia, in use from 1820 to 1950, all written documentation of those interred within it has been lost. Osteological and archaeological evidence alone could not describe, with confidence, the ancestral origins of the 101 individuals buried there. In the present study, we utilize ancient DNA extraction methods to investigate the origins of Avondale Burial Place through the use of well-preserved skeletal fragments from 20 individuals …