Digital Commons Network^™

Vocabulary Needs For The General Education Curriculum At A Four-Year University In The U.S., Esraa Kadhem

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study sought to find out the key terms and concepts needed for international students to succeed in the general education courses in a four-year university in the United States. This study analyzed existing enrollment data across three academic year (2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017) to learn which general education course is most frequently taken by international students. One course in each LASC area was identified as the top one from the most frequent taken courses by international students. After identifying the top ten courses, answers on vocabulary needs were obtained by conducting semi-structured interviews with permanent faculty …

Understanding Myself As A Counselor & Individual, Jacob Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This is a personal reflection piece which serves to summarize my growth and development as a professional in the field of counseling and also as a person. The paper will start with background information which includes topics such as my history, family, relationships, culture, health, hobbies, and personal strengths. Also included are interviews with family and friends where topics of my personality, strengths, weaknesses, family culture, and coping techniques will be discussed. Assessments relating to my personality and theoretical orientation such as the Myers-Briggs, Strong Interest Inventory, and Selective Theory Sorter-Revised will also be featured. Then I continue on with …

A Change In Grain? Diet Induced Plasticity In The Generalist Grasshopper Melanoplus Differentialis, Austin M. Culotta

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity is favored in heterogeneous environments in which alternative phenotypes can exploit alternative resources. However, it’s not clear whether phenotypic plasticity is useful in environments that become more homogenous over an organism’s life cycle. I studied a population of grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis that experiences high resource diversity as nymphs but low resource diversity as adults to determine if individuals can undergo diet-induced morphological plasticity in head shape to increase biting ability and ingestion of hard diets. Insects on a soft diet were larger and had greater bite force than those on a hard diet. Head structures related to chewing …

Mechanical Suppression Of Osteolytic Bone Metastases In Advanced Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomised Controlled Study Protocol Evaluating Safety, Feasibility And Preliminary Efficacy Of Exercise As A Targeted Medicine, Nicolas H. Hart, Daniel A. Galvão, Christobel Saunders, Dennis R. Taaffe, Kynan T. Feeney, Nigel A. Spry, Daphne Tsoi, Hilary Martin, Raphael Chee, Tim Clay, Andrew D. Redfern, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Skeletal metastases present a major challenge for clinicians, representing an advanced and typically incurable stage of cancer. Bone is also the most common location for metastatic breast carcinoma, with skeletal lesions identified in over 80% of patients with advanced breast cancer. Preclinical models have demonstrated the ability of mechanical stimulation to suppress tumour formation and promote skeletal preservation at bone sites with osteolytic lesions, generating modulatory interference of tumour-driven bone remodelling. Preclinical studies have also demonstrated anti-cancer effects through exercise by minimising tumour hypoxia, normalising tumour vasculature and increasing tumoural blood perfusion. This study proposes to explore the promising …

Strategies And Challenges Associated With Recruiting Retirement Village Communities And Residents Into A Group Exercise Intervention, Rachel L. Duckham, Jamie L. Tait, Caryl A. Nowson, Kerrie M. Sanders, Dennis R. Taaffe, Keith D. Hill, Robin M. Daly

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide the highest level of scientific evidence, but successful participant recruitment is critical to ensure the external and internal validity of results. This study describes the strategies associated with recruiting older adults at increased falls risk residing in retirement villages into an 18-month cluster RCT designed to evaluate the effects of a dual-task exercise program on falls and physical and cognitive function.

METHODS: Recruitment of adults aged ≥65 at increased falls risk residing within retirement villages (size 60-350 residents) was initially designed to occur over 12 months using two distinct cohorts (C). Recruitment occurred via …

The Current State Of Subjective Training Load Monitoring—A Practical Perspective And Call To Action, Joseph O. C. Coyne, G. Gregory Haff, Aaron J Coutts, Robert U. Newton, Sophia Nimphius

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This commentary delivers a practical perspective on the current state of subjective training load (TL) monitoring, and in particular sessional ratings of perceived exertion, for performance enhancement and injury prevention. Subjective measures may be able to reflect mental fatigue, effort, stress, and motivation. These factors appear to be important moderators of the relationship TL has with performance and injury, and they also seem to differ between open and closed skill sports. As such, mental factors may affect the interaction between TL, performance, and injury in different sports. Further, modeling these interactions may be limited due to the assumption that an …

Resveratrol Attenuates Allergic Asthma And Associated Inflammation In The Lungs Through Regulation Of Mirna-34a That Targets Foxp3 In Mice, Esraah Alharris, Hasan Alghetaa, Ratanesh K. Seth, Saurabh Chatterjee, Narendra P. Singh, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti

Faculty Publications

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of airways mediated by T-helper 2 (Th2) cells involving complex signaling pathways. Although resveratrol has previously been shown to attenuate allergic asthma, the role of miRNA in this process has not been studied. We investigated the effect of resveratrol on ovalbumin-induced experimental allergic asthma in mice. To that end, BALB/c mice were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) intraperitoneally followed by oral gavage of vehicle (OVA-veh) or resveratrol (100 mg/kg body) (OVA-res). On day 7, the experimental groups received intranasal challenge of OVA followed by 7 days of additional oral gavage of vehicle or resveratrol. At …

Prenatal Risk For Asd: Fetal Cortisol Exposure Predicts Child Autism-Spectrum-Disorder Symptoms, Sheena Ram, Mariann A. Howland, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is multifactorial, complex, and likely involves interactions among genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. With respect to environmental influences, a growing literature implicates intrauterine experiences in the origin of this pervasive developmental disorder. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examined the hypothesis that fetal exposure to maternal cortisol may confer ASD risk. In addition, because ASD is four times more prevalent in males than in females, and because sexually dimorphic responses to intrauterine experiences are commonly observed, we examined whether or not any associations differ by fetal sex. Maternal plasma cortisol was measured at …

Prenatal Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd): Fetal Cortisol Exposure Predicts Child Asd Symptoms, Sheena Ram, Mariann A. Howland, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is multifactorial, complex, and likely involves interactions among genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. With respect to environmental influences, a growing literature implicates intrauterine experiences in the origin of this pervasive developmental disorder. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examined the hypothesis that fetal exposure to maternal cortisol may confer ASD risk. In addition, because ASD is four times more prevalent in males than in females, and because sexually dimorphic responses to intrauterine experiences are commonly observed, we examined whether or not any associations differ by fetal sex. Maternal plasma cortisol was measured at …

Suggestions On Development Of Chinese Pig-Breeding Industry And Feed Industry, Yin Yulong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The development of pig-breeding industry is related to Chinese economic progress and daily life. The feed industry provides impetus and security for the increase of the pig-breeding industry. In this article, we firstly enumerate the problems those Chinese pig industry face and we are dealing with, such as the safety of pig germplasm resources, the safety of animal products, environmental safety, and low production efficiency. And this review makes recommendations for development of pig-breeding industry, such as concerning the pig germplasm resources in China, developing an environment-friendly and resource-efficient feed industry, and to develop the technologies to replace antibiotics.

Retinopathy Of Prematurity: A Major Review And Situation Analysis In Egypt, Ihab S. Othman

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a major cause of childhood blindness in developing countries. As childhood and neonatal mortality in Egypt has shown tremendous improvement over the past two decades, it is expected to encounter an increasing number of cases of blindness from ROP in surviving infants unless strict guidelines and cooperation between different involved departments are explicitly set. In this review article, the author highlights the studies conducted and published risk factors, recommends protocols for early diagnosis, and describes management strategies to lessen or prevent blindness related to ROP.

The Role Of Urinary Hepcidin In Early Detection Of Iron Deficiency Anemia, Aisha El Sheimy, Azza Omran, Fify Helmy, Hala I. Mouhamed, Sohaila Ali, Youssof Mohamed

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most severe and important nutritional deficiencies, especially in children all over the world. Iron deficiency may occur because of inadequate dietary intake, increase in physiological needs of the nutrient, and/or increased losses, which may lead to anemia. IDA has been associated with cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairment in children. The most commonly used tests to determine iron status include serum iron levels, ferritin, and others. However, these test have limited role in diagnosis of IDA. For this reason, there is great interest in investigating effective method for the diagnosis of IDA. The …

Renal Function And Diabetic Foot Ulcer, El-Saied Shaheen, Feisal Goda, Helmy M. Elshazly

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Introduction Diabetic nephropathy has been identified as an essential risk factor for foot ulceration and amputation. Renal failure has been reported to independently predict the risk of nonhealing ischemic and neuroischemic foot lesions and major amputation. Objective In this study, we aimed at assessing the renal function of diabetic foot infected patients. Patients and methods We included 120 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, patients participated from the medical and surgical unit, Shebin El Kom Teaching Hospital, Egypt. They were divided into two main group; group 1 included 80 patients with an active diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and group 2 …

Implementation Of National Action Plans On Noncommunicable Diseases, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand And Viet Nam, Titiporn Tuangratananon, Sangay Wangmo, Nimali Widanapathirana, Suladda Pongutta, Shaheda Viriyathorn, Walaiporn Patcharanarumol, Kouland Thin, Somil Nagpal, Christian Edward L. Nuevo, Retna Siwi Padmawati, Maria Elizabeth Puyat-Murga, Laksono Trisnantoro, Kinzang Wangmo, Nalida Wellappuli, Phuong Hoang Thi, Tuan Khuong Anh, Thinley Zangmo, Viroj Tangcharoensathien

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

By 2016, Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) had developed and implemented national action plans on noncommunicable diseases in line with the Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (2013–2020). In 2018, we assessed the implementation status of the recommended best-buy noncommunicable diseases interventions in seven Asian countries: Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. We gathered data from a range of published reports and directly from health ministries. We included interventions that addressed the use of tobacco and alcohol, inadequate physical activity and high salt intake, as well as health-systems …

Structured Diet And Exercise Guidance In Pregnancy To Improve Health In Women And Their Offspring: Study Protocol For The Be Healthy In Pregnancy (Bhip) Randomized Controlled Trial, Maude Perreault, Stephanie A. Atkinson, Michelle F. Mottola, Stuart M. Phillips, Keyna Bracken, Eileen K. Hutton, Feng Xie, David Meyre, Rita E. Morassut, Harry Prapavessis, Lehana Thabane

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

BackgroundEvidence from epidemiological and animal studies support the concept of programming fetal, neonatal, and adult health in response to in utero exposures such as maternal obesity and lifestyle variables. Excess gestational weight gain (GWG), maternal physical activity, and sub-optimal and excess nutrition during pregnancy may program the offspring's risk of obesity. Maternal intake of dairy foods rich in high-quality proteins, calcium, and vitamin D may influence later bone health status. Current clinical practice guidelines for managing GWG are not founded on randomized trials and lack specific active intervention ingredients. The Be Healthy in Pregnancy (BHIP) study is a randomized controlled …

Seasonality Of Nitrogen Balances In A Mediterranean Climate Watershed, Oregon, Us, Jiajia Lin, Jana E. Compton, Scott G. Leibowitz, George Mueller-Warrant, William Matthews, Stephen H. Schoenholtz, Daniel M. Evans, Rob A. Coulombe

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

We constructed a seasonal nitrogen (N) budget for the year 2008 in the Calapooia River Watershed (CRW), an agriculturally dominated tributary of the Willamette River (Oregon, U.S.) under Mediterranean climate. Synthetic fertilizer application to agricultural land (dominated by grass seed crops) was the source of 90% of total N input to the CRW. Over 70% of the stream N export occurred during the wet winter, the primary time of fertilization and precipitation, and the lowest export occurred in the dry summer. Averaging across all 58 tributary subwatersheds, 19% of annual N inputs were exported by streams, and 41% by crop …

But Are They Actually Healthier? Challenging The Health/Wellness Divide Through The Ethnography Of Embodied Ecological Heritage, Kristina Baines

Publications and Research

A holistic definition of ‘health’ remains difficult to operationalize, despite decades of attempts by medical anthropologists and the World Health Organization to do so. Anthropologists routinely reject dichotomous notions – belief vs. knowledge, wellness vs. health, mental vs. physical, environment vs. self – yet demands for physiological evidence of ‘health’ persist. In this article, I ask what evidence would sufficiently demonstrate health, and explore the possibility of measures that move beyond the physiological. Using ethnographic data collected in indigenous Maya communities in Belize and in immigrant communities in New York City, I argue that ecological heritage practices can provide a …

Six Key Components Of A Farm Or Ranch Business Plan, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

Developing a good farm or ranch business plan can have many benefits. In an earlier Cornhusker Economics article, I outlined six good reasons to develop a business plan (Parsons 2015). It helps to get your business organized and moving in the right direction. It lets your lender know you have a plan to succeed, which opens up your access to capital. It also helps you organize your thoughts, clarifying the goals and objectives you wish to achieve. In summary, putting together a written business plan increases the likelihood of your business achieving success (Scarborough 2011).

Ocean Deoxygenation And Zooplankton: Very Small Oxygen Differences Matter, Karen F. Wishner, Brad A. Seibel, Christopher Roman, C. Deutsch, Dawn Outram, C. T. Shaw, M. A. Birk, K. A. S. Mislan, T. J. Adams, D. Moore, S. Riley

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), large midwater regions of very low oxygen, are expected to expand as a result of climate change. While oxygen is known to be important in structuring midwater ecosystems, a precise and mechanistic understanding of the effects of oxygen on zooplankton is lacking. Zooplankton are important components of midwater food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Here, we show that, in the eastern tropical North Pacific OMZ, previously undescribed submesoscale oxygen variability has a direct effect on the distribution of many major zooplankton groups. Despite extraordinary hypoxia tolerance, many zooplankton live near their physiological limits and respond to slight …

Volume 56, Number 19: December 19, 2018, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of A Youth-Led Early Childhood Care And Education Programme In Rural Pakistan: A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial, Aisha Khizar Yousafzai, Muneera Rasheed, Arjumand Rizvi, Fariha Shaheen, Liliana A. Ponguta, Chin R. Reyes

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals encompass lifelong learning from birth to youth to adulthood (Goal 4) and economic opportunities for young people (Goal 8). The targets include improving access to quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) as well as learning and training opportunities for adolescents and youth. Cross-generational models for young children and youth may offer opportunities to address the interconnections between goals and targets for the next generation. We investigated whether an ECCE programme for young children (3.5-6.5 years) delivered by female youth (18-24 years) in rural Pakistan would be effective on children's school readiness.
Methods: …

The Relationship Between The Phosphate And Structural Carbonate Fractionation Of Fallow Deer Bioapatite In Tooth Enamel, Holly Miller, Carolyn Chenery, Angela L. Lamb, Hilary Sloane, Ruth F. Carden, Levent Atici, Naomi Sykes

Anthropology Faculty Research

Rationale The species‐specific relationship between phosphate (δ18OP values) and structural carbonate (δ18OC values) oxygen isotope ratios has been established for several modern and fossil animal species but until now it has not been investigated in European fallow deer (Dama dama dama). This study describes the relationship between phosphate and structural carbonate bioapatite in tooth enamel of extant fallow deer, which will help us further understand the species' unique environmental and cultural history. Methods The oxygen isotope composition of phosphate (δ18OP value) and structural carbonate (δ18OC value) of hydroxylapatite was determined in 51 modern fallow deer tooth enamel samples from across …

Physicochemical And Ecotoxicological Assessment Of Biochar For Environmental Application, Maria Guillermina Cantou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Multiple benefits of biochar conversion and utilization, including soil carbon sequestration and environmental remediation, have been proposed by researchers. Biochar may be produced from a wide array of feedstocks and pyrolytic process conditions. This influences the final biochar composition, which includes the presence of potential pollutants that could ultimately result in detrimental environmental impacts. The major purpose of this research was to improve our understanding of potential unintended effects of biochar addition to the environment either as a potential source of toxicity towards organisms or as a material influencing availabilities of other soil contaminants. Biochars were produced from ten different …

Diabetic Foot Disease Research In Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Bibliometric Analysis, Ibrahim S. Al-Busaidi, Nadia N. Abdulhadi, Kirsten J.

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have some of the highest prevalence rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the world; however, DM-related research activity in this region is limited. This study aimed to examine trends in published diabetic foot disease (DFD) research undertaken in GCC countries. Methods: This bibliometric study was conducted in December 2016. Standardised criteria were used to search the MEDLINE® database (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) for DFD-related publications authored by GCC researchers between January 1990 and December 2015. Various details such as the type of publication, journal impact factor and number of …

2nd International Nursing Conference: Transforming Nursing Future - Technology, Innovation And Collaboration, Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Obstetric And Neonatal Outcomes Of Pregnant Indian Pilgrims: A Three-Year Experience At The Indian Hajj Medical Mission, Shazia Khan, Inam D. Khan

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: The Hajj, an annual mass gathering of Muslim pilgrims, is known for its high morbidity and mortality rates. However, pregnant women sometimes participate in this pilgrimage, despite guidelines that discourage such an undertaking due to potential fetomaternal complications. This study aimed to evaluate fetomaternal outcomes among pregnant Indian Hajj pilgrims. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at two Indian Hajj Medical Mission (IHMM)-affiliated secondary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj periods of August–October 2015 and 2016 and July–September 2017. All female Indian pilgrims of reproductive age who underwent pregnancy screening at secondary care IHMM hospitals during …

Comparison Of Anti-Inflammatory Activity Between Fermented And Dried Breadfruit Leaves Extract (Artocarpus Altilis), Hesti Riasari, Sani N. Fitriansyah, Oktamuman Putra

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus altilis) have been empirically used to treat inflammation. Biosynthesis process such as fermentation can possibly changes the composition of secondary metabolites in breadfruit leaves. The aim of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory activity between fermented and natural-dried breadfruit leaves extract. Fermented and dried breadfruit leaves were extracted with soxhlet device using methanol solvent. The anti-inflammatory activity of both extracts were evaluated using carrageenan (1% w/v) foot edema model of inflammation in male Wistar rats. The edema was measured with plethysmometer every 1 hour for 6 hours. The results showed that both extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory activity. …

Parent And Household Influences On Calcium Intake Among Early Adolescents, Jinan Banna, Jessica O'Driscoll, Carol J. Boushey, Garry Auld, Beth Olson, Mary Cluskey, Miriam Edlefsen Ballejos, Christine Bruhn, Scottie Misner, Marla Reicks, Siew Sun Wong, Sahar Zaghloul

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Calcium intake during early adolescence falls short of requirements for maximum bone accretion. Parents and the home food environment potentially influence children’s calcium intakes. This study aimed to quantify parental psychosocial factors (PSF) predicting calcium intakes of Asian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white (NHW) early adolescent children from a parental perspective.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving the administration of a validated calcium-specific food frequency questionnaire to a convenience sample of children aged 10–13 years and the primary individual responsible for food acquisition in the child’s household. Based on Social Cognitive Theory, parental factors potentially associated with children’s calcium …

Evaluating The Impact Of Local Vegetable Messaging On Elementary School Students’ Vegetable Choice And Nutrition Behaviors, Jesse Chiero

Doctoral Dissertations

Farm to school (FtS) initiatives within a school setting may include purchase of local foods, nutrition education, and school gardening. Previous FtS research has indicated a positive impact on child nutrition behaviors and body weight but less is known about how and what aspects of local foods within school meals impact child nutrition behaviors. The specific aims of this project were to: 1) Determine which benefit(s) of eating local vegetables are most salient to 3^rd-5^th grade students for a local vegetable message campaign intervention and compare if message preferences varied by age, gender and school district, and …

In Vitro Inhibition Of Α-Amylase And Α-Glucosidase By Different Parts Of Amla Plant (Phyllanthus Emblica L), Novi I. Fauzi, Maria Ulfah, Syarif Hamdani, Saeful Hidayat

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Amla plant (Phyllanthus emblica L) has been empirically used to treat diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the most potential part of amla plant that can be used as α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitors. The fruit was subjected to cold extraction method, while the stem underwent soxhlet extraction process. Ethanol was used as solvent for both extracts. In-vitro inhibiton against α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzyme was measured by calculating IC50 of water fractions of stem and fruits. Fruit fraction exhibited the highest percentage of inhibitory activity on α-amylase (IC50=5.68% w/v), while the strongest inhibition against α-glucosidase was shown by …