Digital Commons Network^™

Incentivizing Healthy Eating In Children: An Investigation Of The “Ripple” And “Temporal” Effects Of Reward-Based Interventions, Saied Toossi

Center for Policy Research

Although previous studies have established the effectiveness of using small reward-based incentives in inducing the choice and consumption of healthier foods among children, little is known about their impact outside of experimental settings or their effectiveness over time when administered daily. This paper presents the results of a field experiment conducted to provide insight on these matters. The study employs a pretest-posttest within-subject design and was conducted at a summer program catering to low-income children between the ages of 5 and 12. Corroborating existing studies, the introduction of small reward-based incentives was found to induce large increases in the number …

Understanding Teamwork In The Provision Of Cancer Care: Highlighting The Role Of Trust, Elizabeth H. Lazzara, Joseph R. Keebler, Soosi Day, Deborah Diazgranados, Minggui Pan, Michael A. King, Shin-Ping Tu

Publications

Team science research has indicated that trust is a critical variable of teamwork, contributing greatly to a team’s performance. Trust has long been examined in health care with research focusing on the development of trust by patients with their health care practitioners. Studies have indicated that trust is linked to patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, continuity of care, and improved outcomes. We explore the construct of trust using a case example of a patient who received a surgical procedure for a precancerous polyp. We apply the principle of trust to the case as well as present the literature on trust …

Overexpression Of Hdac1 Induces Functional Β-Cell Mass, Carrie Draney

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that results in β-cell dysfunction and ultimate destruction, and leads to impaired glucose homeostasis. High rates of proliferation and differentiation of pancreatic β-cells occurs mostly during neonatal development. However, research shows these mechanisms remain intact as β-cell proliferation has been observed during pregnancy and obesity. We have shown that overexpression of the β-cell transcription factor Nkx6.1 is sufficient to induce β-cell proliferation. Exploration of the transcriptional targets of Nkx6.1 has identified histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) as a down-stream target of Nkx6.1. Here we demonstrate that HDAC1 overexpression is sufficient to induce β-cell proliferation, …

Early Intervention Family Resource Portal, Heather L. Crichton

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research shows that actively engaged parents have higher satisfaction with home intervention services than more passive participants. A major component of Family Guided Routines Based Intervention is building capacity within families. Busy families have limited time to spend reading parenting and child development books. This family resource portal is designed to meet the needs of busy families who are interested in learning about child development and issues related to early childhood. The sites presented in this information portal have been researched for relevancy of content and reliability of information ensuring that families can quickly and easily access accurate information about …

The Relevance Of Sex Differences In Performance Fatigability, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Performance fatigability differs between men and women for a range of fatiguing tasks. Women are usually less fatigable than men, and this is most widely described for isometric fatiguing contractions and some dynamic tasks. The sex difference in fatigability is specific to the task demands so that one mechanism is not universal, including any sex differences in skeletal muscle physiology, muscle perfusion, and voluntary activation. However, there are substantial knowledge gaps about the task dependency of the sex differences in fatigability, the involved mechanisms, and the relevance to clinical populations and with advanced age. The knowledge gaps are in part …

November 2016 (Issue 1) : Eat More Fruit Everyday, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

Nutrition and Food Services Department (NFSD) Archives

• Benefits of Eating Fruit
• Tips for Increasing Fruits in Your Diet
• How to Make Fruits More Appealing
• Tips for Children
• How to Keep Fruit Safe

Decisions, Decisions: Factors That Influence A Patient's Medical Tourism Choices, Louis K. Falk, Thomas J. Prinsen

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

In the digital age, the amount of information and sources concerning Medical Tourism is overwhelming. Knowledge is power in an era of healthcare uncertainty. As health care options have grown in global proportions, it has become more difficult for potential patients to locate the material necessary to make informed decisions or to even know which factors to consider during their information search. Individual financial circumstances vary greatly. This paper suggests how medical tourism makes financial sense for many patients and payers. Proximity and culture play roles in that medical tourists may prefer locations that are not too far from home. …

Climate, Soil And Land-Use Based Land Suitability Evaluation For Oil Palm Production In Ghana, Tiemen Rhebergen, Thomas Fairhurst, Shamie Zingore, Myles Fisher, Thomas Oberthür, Anthony Whitbread

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In the past decade, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) has become the world's most important oil crop. The large demand for palm oil has resulted in a rapid expansion of oil palm cultivation across the globe. Because of the dwindling availability of land in Southeast Asia, most expansion of the industry is expected in Central and South America and sub-Saharan Africa, where land with suitable agro-ecological conditions is available. Using Ghana as a case study, a method for evaluating areas that are both suitable and available for oil palm production is presented. Our assessment used spatial data and GIS techniques, …

Psychological Stress Among Risks For Alzheimer's Disease, Maria C. Norton, Elizabeth B. Fauth

All Current Publications

This fact sheet defines stress, stressors and reaction to them, what stress does to our brain and body, and how stress effects can accumulate over time. It also includes tips on reducing the effects of stress on the brain.

Informatics As A Strategic Priority And Collaborative Processes To Build A Smarter, Forward-Looking Health Department, Kay Lovelace, Gulzar H. Shah

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Publications (2006-2018)

This article was published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.

An Iterative, Low-Cost Strategy To Building Information Systems Allows A Small Jurisdiction Local Health Department To Increase Efficiencies And Expand Services, Kay Lovelace, Gulzar H. Shah

Health Policy & Management: Faculty Publications (2006-2018)

Objective and Methods: The objective of this case study was to describe the process and outcomes of a small local health department's (LHD's) strategy to build and use information systems. The case study is based on a review of documents and semi-structured interviews with key informants in the Pomperaug District Health Department. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed.

Results and Conclusions: The case study here suggests that small LHDs can use a low-resource, incremental strategy to build information systems for improving departmental effectiveness and efficiency. Specifically, we suggest that the elements for this department's success were simple information systems, …

A Study Of Arsenic Speciation In Soil, Irrigation Water And Plant Tissue: A Case Study Of The Broad Bean Plant, Vicia Faba., Bashdar A. Sadee, Mike E. Foulkes, Steve J. Hill

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Samples of soil, the broad bean plant, Vicia faba and irrigation water were collected from the same agricultural site in Dokan, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Total arsenic and arsenic speciation were determined in all materials by ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS, respectively. Available arsenic (11%) was also determined within the soil, together with Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe and Mn. The concentrations of total arsenic were: soil (5.32μgg(-1)), irrigation water (1.06μgL(-1)), roots (2.065μgg(-1)) and bean (0.133μgg(-1)). Stems, leaves and pods were also measured. Inorganic As(V) dominated soil (90%) and root (78%) samples. However, organo-arsenic (MMA, 48% and DMA, 19%) …

Bridged: An Autoethnography Exploring How An Alternative School For "At Risk" Middle And High School Youth Overcame The Achievement Gap, Michael Koeniger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to discover how an alternative school for at-risk students, bridged the achievement gap. It used autoethnographic approaches to examine the factors that have led to the successes of an urban school. In this study, 19 graduates of Eastend School (all participant and institutional names are replaced with pseudonyms), three parents and six current and former staff members participated in unstructured, individual interviews and shared their experiences. Autoethnographic field notes were composed. Documents and artifacts relating to Eastend School were collected and studied. The collected data were generally coded and specifically coded until themes …

Tennessee Farm Bureau News - November 2016, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Tennessee Farm Bureau News

No abstract provided.

Salt Gland Excretion Efficiency And Salinity Tolerance Of Sporobolus Species, Piumi Shrimani Weragodavidana

Theses

Halophytic C4 grasses, including Sporobolus species, have developed specific mechanisms to cope with salinity stress. Among these, “salt glands” which are bi- cellular leaf epidermal structures eliminating excess saline ions from shoots by excretion under salinity stress. Salt glands are morphologically visible and can potentially be used for salt tolerance breeding programs. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the leaf salt gland excretion rates of United Arab Emirates native halophytic chloridoid grass species, S. spicatus and S. arabicus; (2) to determine if leaf salt gland excretion rate and density can effectively predict salinity tolerance among Sporobolus genotypes, …

The Potential Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Date Seed Powder In Rats, Fatima Theyab Saif Amer Ai Meqbaali

Theses

Chronic diseases are among the main leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Oxidative stress (defined as an imbalance in the reactive oxygen species production/degradation ratio) in interaction with inflammation, has been highlighted as one major underlying mechanism in the development of these diseases. Due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, polyphenols could prevent the development of chronic diseases. Interestingly, date seeds are particularly rich in such compounds. Nonetheless, an in vivo study aiming at studying and understanding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of date seeds in serum and various organs is missing. Therefore, the present …

Lack Of Association Between Slc30a8 Variants And Type 2 Diabetes In Mexican American Families, Hemant Kulkarni, Manju Mamtani, Juan M. Peralta, Vincent P. Diego, Thomas D. Dyer, Harald H. H. Goring, Laura Almasy, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Michael C. Mahaney, Ravindranath Duggirala, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

SLC30A8 encodes zinc transporter 8 which is involved in packaging and release of insulin. Evidence for the association of SLC30A8 variants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is inconclusive. We interrogated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) around SLC30A8 for association with T2D in high-risk, pedigreed individuals from extended Mexican American families. This study of 118 SNPs within 50 kb of the SLC30A8 locus tested the association with eight T2D-related traits at four levels: (i) each SNP using measured genotype approach (MGA); (ii) interaction of SNPs with age and sex; (iii) combinations of SNPs using Bayesian Quantitative Trait Nucleotide (BQTN) analyses; and (iv) …

Exposure To Tritiated Water At An Elevated Temperature: Genotoxic And Transcriptomic Effects In Marine Mussels (M. Galloprovincialis)., Lorna J. Dallas, Tim P. Bean, Andrew Turner, Brett P. Lyons, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Temperature is an abiotic factor of particular concern for assessing the potential impacts of radionuclides on marine species. This is particularly true for tritium, which is discharged as tritiated water (HTO) in the process of cooling nuclear institutions. Additionally, with sea surface temperatures forecast to rise 0.5 - 3.5 C in the next 30-100 years, determining the interaction of elevated temperature with radiological exposure has never been more relevant. We assessed the tissue-specific accumulation, transcriptional expression of key genes, and genotoxicity of tritiated water to marine mussels at either 15 or 25 C, over a 7 day time course with …

Current, October 31, 2016, University Of Missouri-St. Louis

Current (2010s)

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Champions: What They Do, Why They Do It, And Why It Matters To Organizations, Benjamin Silliman, Pennie Crinion, Thomas Archibald

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Evaluation champions are individuals who serve as catalysts for building evaluation capacity within an organization. They advocate for the importance of program evaluation, model good evaluation behaviors, and mentor their peers in program evaluation skills and competencies. Interviews with 40 peer-nominated champions in four purposively-sampled Extension organizations identified the roles, contexts, and motivations of staff who act as evaluation champions. Findings underline the importance—and the limits—of mentors and project teams in building evaluation capacity in complex organizations. Implications for practice, research, and policy are discussed.

Full Issue, Volume 4, Number 3, Donna J. Peterson

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Champions: What They Need And Where They Fit In Organizational Learning, Benjamin Silliman, Pennie Crinion, Thomas Archibald

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Evaluation champions in four state Extension systems described needs for training and support and perspectives on building evaluation capacity in their organization as part of a larger interview study exploring their roles, growth, and motivations. These 40 evaluation leaders identified needs for basic and advanced evaluation skills training, technical assistance, and practical learning via mentoring and project teams. Recommendations for organizational change in evaluation capacity included “top-down” investments in communication, training, and practical support, as well as increased “bottom-up” efforts by champions like themselves to advocate, model best practice, and contribute to training and mentoring peers. Implications for professional development …

Translating Myplate Into Food Selections That Meet Dietary Guidelines Recommendations, Jessica Bachman, Joanne Christaldi, Amy Tomasko, Diana Cuy Castellanos

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The objective was to determine if individuals could plan a diet that met the Dietary Guidelines (DG) using MyPlate as a guide. Participants (n=73) were 38.9±17.0 years of age, with 97% being Non-Hispanic White, 95% having some college education, and Body Mass Index (BMI) of 26.7±5.9. Participants used MyPlate to plan a one-day menu using food models. Nutrition literacy, nutrition scanning behavior, and nutrition information-seeking experience were assessed. Menus were analyzed using Nutrition Data Systems for Research and were compared to individualized DG recommendations. A multiple linear regression examined what characteristics predicted energy difference scores (difference between energy from menu …

Aligning Delivery & Financing Systems To Build A Culture Of Health, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Systems for Action research program uses strong social science methods to discover ways of aligning medical, public health, and social service systems in ways that improve health and wellbeing. This session profiles several of the studies now underway through this new program.

Future Of The Land Grant Universities: Challenges And Opportunities, L. Washington Lyons

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Porcine Plasma Supplementation On Gestating Sow Serum Igf-1 Concentration And Litter Weights, Mathew Vaughn, Crystal Serrano, Derris Burnett, Duane Davis, Jason Woodworth, John Gonzalez

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effect of dietary porcine plasma on circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in gestating sows and characteristics of their litters. Primiparous and multiparous sows were randomly allocated to two treatment groups of sows fed a basal diet or sows fed the basal diet plus 6 g of porcine plasma throughout gestation. On 4 periods during gestation and farrowing, blood was collected for IGF-1 analysis. After farrowing, gestation length, number born, birth weight, and total litter weight were recorded. There were no three-way or two-way interactions between treatments, day of …

Assessing Georgia Consumer Attitudes And Beliefs About Locally Or Regionally Produced Livestock And Products, Jannette R. Bartlett, Reem I. Omer, Akua Adu-Gyamfi, David Nii O. Tackie, Francisca A. Quarcoo, Bridget J. Perry

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Interest in local and regional food production has been growing in the last few years. The study, therefore, assessed consumer attitudes and beliefs regarding local or regional livestock products. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 384 participants from several counties of Georgia, and were analyzed by descriptive statistics, including chi-square tests. A majority of respondents thought using chemicals and additives in locally or regionally produced beef or goat meat was a serious or somewhat serious hazard. Consequently, many were willing to pay more for meat certified as locally or regionally produced. Furthermore, a majority agreed or strongly …

Assessing Florida Consumer Attitudes And Beliefs About Locally Or Regionally Produced Livestock And Products, Akua Adu-Gyamfi, Reem I. Omer, Jannette R. Bartlett, David Nii O. Tackie, Bridget J. Perry

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

In recent years, consumer interest in locally or regionally produced foods has been growing. This study analyzed consumer attitudes and beliefs on local or regional livestock products in Florida. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 404 participants from counties in Florida. They were assessed by descriptive statistics, including chi-square tests. Most participants believed using chemicals in locally or regionally produced beef or goat meat was at minimum a somewhat serious hazard. Thus, many were willing to pay more for meat certified as locally or regionally produced. Moreover, most agreed or strongly agreed with statements on meat attributes. …

“I Felt Really Respected And I Know She Felt Respected Too”: Using Youth-Adult Partnerships To Promote Positive Youth Development In 4-H Youth, Elizabeth H. Weybright, Lauren M. Hrncirik, Alison J. White, Melissa M. Cummins, Mary Katherine Deen, Shirley Calodich

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Youth-adult relationships exist on a continuum from adult-led to youth-led collaborations. However, research suggests that quality youth-adult partnerships, which fall in the middle of this continuum, directly contribute to positive youth development. Given this, the current study evaluated the impact of a 4-H Youth Development program, using youth-adult partnerships and a teens as teachers program model, on positive youth development outcomes of participating youth. Qualitative data were collected from 29 youth to evaluate the 4-H Food Smart Families program presented by Washington State University Youth Advocates for Health (YA4-H!). Data analysis identified themes related to the benefits and challenges of …

Volunteer Delivery Of A Community-Based Strength Training Program: Comparison Of Adopting And Nonadopting Extension Educator Perspectives, Lisa T. Washburn, Carol E. Cornell, Lavona Traywick, Holly C. Felix, Martha Phillips

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Volunteer leaders are increasingly being utilized to deliver community strength training classes, but the factors affecting adoption of volunteer delivery approaches by educators or program managers have not been well explored. This study sought to identify these factors by comparing perspectives of adopting and nonadopting county Extension educators for a group strength training program delivered through county Cooperative Extension offices. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of adopting (n=6) and nonadopting (n=13) educators. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using thematic content analysis. Review of codes related to adoption or nonadoption of volunteer delivery approaches produced common …