Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Evaluation Report For Society Of American Foresters' Continued Accreditation Of Bachelor Of Science Degree In Forest Ecology And Management, Karen E. Mock, Department Of Wildland Resources, Utah State University

Faculty

This self-evaluation report has been produced for the purpose of reaccreditation of the Utah State University Forest Ecology and Management (FEMA) undergraduate degree program by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). Utah State University has maintained an SAF-accredited forestry program since 1936 and was most recently reaccredited by SAF in 2010.

Utah State University has a long and influential legacy in the forestry profession. Our faculty have led and shaped the profession, and our graduates have become leaders in a variety of state, federal, international, and academic organizations. Our institutional structure, degree program components, and enrollments have changed over time, …

Health Justice For Immigrants, Medha D. Makhlouf

Faculty Scholarly Works

Should universal health coverage include immigrants within the “universe?” Should federal taxpayers subsidize health insurance coverage for immigrants, even those who are undocumented? Should all immigrants be required to purchase health insurance? Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is conceived as a progressive project to expand access to coverage and promote equity in health care, it intentionally left out the 12.5 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States and preserved the existing restrictions on subsidized coverage for lawfully present non-citizens. In fact, it increased the disparity in access to health care between U.S. citizens and immigrants. As a result, …

Food Pantries And Stigma: Users’ Concerns And Public Support, Peter A. Kindle, Mckayla Foust-Newton, Marissa Reis, Margaret Gell

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study compares the perception of stigma measured as social distance between users (n = 40) and non-users (n = 202) of local food pantries in the Upper Midwest. Utilizing the concept of social distance to measure social disapproval and stigma with a new Food Pantry Stigma Scale, these nonprobability results indicated that users’ perception of stigma was significantly higher than the non-using public (Cohen’s d = 1.56). These findings suggest that public support for need-based use of local food pantries in the Upper Midwest is substantially higher than those facing food insecurity anticipate.

Food For Thought, Beenish M. Chaudhry

School of Computing and Informatics

Healthy eating is essential to avoid many health problems, but identifying health-promoting foods and behaviors is difficult for most individuals. Fooducate is a diet tracking app that comes with a variety of tools, features and support mechanisms that claim to simplify the task of eating healthy. Based on our analysis of the user reviews, we identified five benefits that Fooducate users have reported experiencing in relation to achieving good health: improved food choices, increased awareness, weight loss personalized care and “ever-present” human support. Fooducate can align itself more closely with users’ goal of achieving healthy lifestyle by expanding its database, …

Biomarker-Performance Associations During Nutritional And Exercise Intervention In Air Force Personnel, Jennifer Jurcsisn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the combined effects of an exercise intervention and nutritional supplement on biomarkers of stress and resilience, and the relationships of those markers with physical and cognitive performance. 130 healthy Active-Duty Air Force (AF) personnel were recruited to participate in a double-blind, placebo controlled 12-week exercise and nutritional intervention. Serum was collected at basal and high stress conditions pre- and post-intervention to track the following biomarkers: cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), norepinephrine (NE), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and serotonin. The exercise intervention significantly attenuated the cortisol response and peak stress cortisol levels. The nutritional intervention decreased peak stress NE. The selected …

Move It Or Lose It: Interspecific Variation In Risk Response Of Pond-Breeding Anurans, Philip Matich, Christopher M. Schalk

Faculty Publications

Changes in behavior are often the proximate response of animals to human disturbance, with variability in tolerance levels leading some species to exhibit striking shifts in life history, fitness, and/or survival. Thus, elucidating the effects of disturbance on animal behavior, and how this varies among taxonomically similar species with inherently different behaviors and life histories is of value for management and conservation. We evaluated the risk response of three anuran species—southern leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus), Blanchard’s cricket frog (Acris blanchardi), and green tree frog (Hyla cinerea)—to determine how differences in microhabitat use (arboreal vs …

Variation In Carbon Concentrations And Allocations Among Larix Olgensis Populations Growing In Three Field Environments, Jiang Ying, Yuhi Weng, Brian P. Oswald, Hanguo Zhang

Faculty Publications

Key message Variation in carbon concentration among Larix olgensis A. Henry provenances and tree tissues was significant, suggesting importance of such variation to carbon stock calculation. Provenance variation in carbon allocation was only significant in allocations to some tissues, including stem wood, and was strongly site-specific. Some allocation patterns correlated significantly with provenance growth and were related to geographic/climatic variables at the provenance origins.

Context Understanding variation in carbon concentrations and allocations to tree tissues among genetic entries is important for assessing carbon sequestration and understanding differential growth rates among the entries. However, this topic is poorly understood, in particular …

Youth Opportunities Unlimited Fiti Plan 2019, Bob Gough, Toby Le

Business and Social Enterprise

Intent of the Collaboration To establish and operate a Fiti probiotic yogurt social enterprise in London Ontario. Many studies, including by Western’s Geography Professor Gilliland, have shown that schools and homes in the poorest part of London, are surrounded by 40 or more fast food outlets. The data correlates with malnutrition, obesity, and diabetes. By bringing highly nutritious food with added health benefits at an affordable price, it will encourage families to include Fiti as a substitute for those ‘harmful foods. One of the key aims of the program is to provide probiotic foods to vulnerable populations through youth engagement …

A Mouse Model Of Gestational Glucose Intolerance Through Exposure To A Low Protein Diet During Fetal And Neonatal Development, Sandra K. Szlapinski, Renee T. King, Gabrielle Retta, Erica Yeo, Brenda J. Strutt, David J. Hill

Paediatrics Publications

Key points: Pancreatic β-cell dysfunction is hypothesized to be the significant determinant of gestational diabetes pathogenesis, however pancreatic samples from patients are scarce. This study reports a novel mouse model of gestational glucose intolerance in pregnancy, originating from previous nutrition restriction in utero, in which glucose intolerance was restricted to late gestation as is seen in human gestational diabetes. Glucose intolerance was attributed to reduced β-cell proliferation, leading to impaired gestational β-cell mass expansion in maternal endocrine pancreas, in addition to reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. This model reproduces some of the features of gestational diabetes and is suitable for testing …

Vitamin D And Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Is There A Link?, Gianluca Rizzo, Simone Garzon, Michele Fichera, Marco Marzio Panella, Ursula Catena, Antonio Schiattarella, Pasquale De Franciscis, George Vilos, Jan Tesarik, Péter Török, Giuseppe Grosso

Paediatrics Publications

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a very common condition among pregnant women worldwide with important metabolic implications on the mother and the offspring. Vitamin D status has been suggested to potentially play a role in GDM risk with no documented consequences for the offspring. The purpose of this article was to review currently available evidence on the relationship between vitamin D and GDM. Current evidence shows an association between vitamin D blood levels and risk of GDM, despite heterogeneity of results across studies limit the conclusions. Moreover, data from randomized controlled trials is scarce and resulting in null findings. Among …

Study Protocol Of A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Incorporated Into The Group Lifestyle Balance™ Program: The Nutrigenomics, Overweight/Obesity And Weight Management Trial (The Now Trial), Justine Horne, Jason A. Gilliland, Colleen O’Connor,, Jamie A. Seabrook, Peter Hannaberg, Janet Madill

Human Environments Analysis Lab (HEAL)

Background

The nutrigenomics, overweight/obesity and weight management trial (NOW Trial) is a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of community-dwelling adults recruited from the Group Lifestyle Balance™ (GLB™) Program. The GLB™ Program (formerly referred to as the Diabetes Prevention Program) is an evidence-based, intensive weight management program, which was offered to overweight/obese patients (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2) in a rural Ontario community.

Methods

Patients enrolled in the GLB™ Program were invited to participate in this study. GLB™ groups were randomized 1:1 to receive either the standard GLB™ program + population-based lifestyle advice for weight management, or a modified GLB™ program + personalized, …

The Impact Of Canadian School Food Programs On Children’S Nutrition And Health: A Systematic Review, Paige Colley, Bronia Myer, Jamie A. Seabrook, Jason A. Gilliland

Human Environments Analysis Lab (HEAL)

The quality of children’s diets has declined over the past few decades, giving rise to a variety of health-related consequences. In response to this trend, school food programs have become an increasingly effective method to support nutrition and lifelong healthy eating habits. This systematic review synthesizes current academic literature pertaining to school nutrition programs in Canada to identify existing interventions and their impacts on children’s nutritional knowledge, dietary behaviour, and food intake. The review was conducted through a search of the following databases: ERIC, Education Source, CINAHL, PubMed, SagePub, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CBCA. Information extracted from the articles included the …

Digital Literacy And Propaganda, Renee Hobbs, Igor Kanizaj, Luis Pereira

Communication Studies Faculty Publications

N/A

The Current [January 2019 - April 2019], Corporate Relations & Communications Department

The Current

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Revised Discharge Process From Acute Care To Home Care On Hospital Utilization In Children With Single Ventricle Heart Disease, Brian M. Stahulak

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: It is estimated that approximately ~0.5%, or ~400,000, of all U.S. children, are identified as having complex chronic conditions (CCC) and account for as much as one-third, or ~$100 billion, of health care spending for all children. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) project was to identify the impact of a revised discharge process for children with Single Ventricle Heart Disease (SVHD) on hospital utilization rates and the parent’s perception of discharge readiness during the interstage period. The QI project was conducted in a 44-bed cardiac care unit within a 336-bed freestanding pediatric, academic medical center in …

The Impact Of An Online Educational Course On Vascular Nurses’ Knowledge, Self-Confidence And Competence, Julio Santiago

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

In the United States, approximately 8 to 10% of patients admitted to an acute care facility receive venous access. Nurses that specialize in vascular access place approximately 3 million peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines annually. There is a lack of standard minimum requirements for educating PICC nurses, especially on insertion techniques and maintenance. The goal of the project was to enhance the preparation of nurses who place PICC lines in different healthcare settings in order to improve quality metrics such as CLABSI, UE DVT, and LOS, with a subsequent decrease in cost of care. A pilot study that utilized …

Sex, Trump, And Constitutional Change, Elizabeth Schneider, Helen Hershkoff

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

In The Round: The Future Of Food, Teddy Bekele, Jane Black, Mitchell Davis, Jon De La Para Harper, Natalie Dinicola, Virginia Dunleavy, Sam Fiorello, Kimberly Flowers, Raj Gollamudi, Daniel Hewett, Jak Knowles, Tom Laurita, Robert Lawrence, Maureen Mazurek, Robyn Metcalfe, Mike Miille, Hari Pulapaka, Jenneffer Pulapaka, Patricia Risica, Simone Sala, Chase Sova, Karen Washingon, Tom Weis, Center For Complexity

Future of Food

In collaboration with PopTech, the Center for Complexity (CfC) hosted a two day convening in March 2019 to discuss the future of food, conducted in-the-round. Conversations-in-the-round offer an experimental and collaborative forum where a variety of perspectives collide to reimagine how we should approach navigating complex challenges.

30 professionals, community leaders, ag-tech startups, policymakers, local activists, global aid administrators, and many other important voices in the food industry were in attendance. We did not set out to create solutions, rather we devoted our time to exploration — a process that allowed us to assess, discover, reality-check, and strategically plan the …

The Cry Of A Revolutionary Spirit: Reactions To The Goals Of Three Movements From Revolutionary Groups Within The United States Of America, Dennessa D. Gooden

ETD Archive

This thesis explored the power of verbal and non-verbal communication through revolutionary movements in the United States of America. The research focused on the overall question of whether people in America still support key U.S. revolutionary movements (as expressed by three U.S. revolutionary groups--the U.S. Founding Fathers, the Black Panther Party, and the Black Lives Matter group). These three revolutionary movements had similar goals and verbal messages, but there were three very different reactions among people in the United States of America. Overall, it was found that people in the Unites States generally do support the goals of these three …

Investigation Of Ires-Mediated Translation Of Puma Mrna: Initiation Factor Requirements And Search For Itafs, Amra Ismail

ETD Archive

Translation initiation is the rate-limiting and tightly regulated step of protein synthesis. Cap-dependent translation initiation accounts for about 95% of cellular mRNAs. Around 3-5% of cellular mRNAs have been found to contain a cis-regulatory element (IRES) which can recruit ribosomes in a cap-independent manner. IRESs support protein synthesis under cellular stress conditions when cap-dependent translation is inhibited. Differentiation in 23A2 myoblast cells can be induced by culturing cells in serum-free differentiating media (DM). During 23A2 cellular myoblast differentiation, approximately 30% of cells undergo apoptosis as a result of stress caused by serum withdrawal in order to induce differentiation. The expression …

Validation Of Esens Pressure Sensor Array During Walking And Running, Nicolas Matthew Chambers

ETD Archive

The eSens Pressure Sensor Array is a prototype device aimed at quantifying the spatiotemporal measurements obtained during walking or running. The objective of the present investigation was to validate the spatiotemporal measurements from the eSens against those of the PKMAS walkway. Twenty-four adults with a mean age of 40.72 years completed the study. Mean group height and weight were 66.64in and 152.48lb respectively. Subjects performed a series of 6 locomotor conditions consisting of 3 differing walking or running speeds. Subjects were asked to walk or run at the instructed speed along a course constructed of markers at 5m or 10m …

Impact Of Gender On Acute Aerobic Exercise Induced Brainderived Neurotrophic Factor And Cognitive Function In Older Adults, Madison Leigh Phillips

ETD Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender on acute exercise induced BDNF and cognitive function among older individuals. The hypothesis was that exercise would increase BDNF levels and enhance cognitive processing time post exercise followed by a drop in BDNF and return cognitive processing time to baseline post-30 minutes. It was also hypothesized that women would have higher BDNF values compared to men. Methods: The subjects consisted of 18 active males (n = 9) and females (n = 9). The subjects took part in an exercise trial and a control trial. The exercise trial …

The Critical Review Of Overuse Of Medication In The Geriatric Population, Sophia A. Allwood

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: The overuse of medications is of concern among the geriatric population, especially in various settings including in-home and community-based (assisted living and independent living). This review found that older individuals take nine or more medications daily. The overuse of medications has an increased tendency to cause problems for older patients and creates adverse consequences. The adverse consequences cause problems and injuries, such as broken bones, head trauma, and death. Purpose: The purpose of this critical review of the literature is to investigate the issues related to the overuse of medication in the geriatric population and the negative impact of …

Nutrition Education For The Underserved Youth Within The Greater Twin Cities Area Through The Insports Foundation, Paige D. Deters, Allison Kaper, Maura Romanshek

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has been examined that poor access to nutritious foods and limited opportunities for physical activity is prevalent among children from underserved families. These deficiencies contribute to increasing childhood obesity rates and emphasize the need for early interventions. Establishing nutritional literacy and understanding the importance of an active lifestyle in early childhood can lead to long-term health benefits and reduction in chronic disease later in life (HHS & USDA, 2015; Tsai et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2011). The InSports Foundation serves as a comprehensive non-profit organization that addresses many of these issues by providing children from underserved families with …

Improvement Academy Annual Report Fy2019, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Improvement Academy Reports and Papers

Children's Mercy Improvement Academy's annual covering the fiscal year 2019 (July 2018-June 2019)

Spanish California Missions: An Economic Success, Lynne Doti

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

Starting in 1769, the Spanish established missions in Alta California. A small band of soldiers, Franciscan priests and volunteers walked from Baja California to San Francisco Bay through semi-arid, scarcely populated land stopping occasionally to establish a location for a religious community. Usually two priests, a few soldiers and a few Indians from Baja California settled at the spot. Their only resources for starting an economy were themselves, a few animals and a nearby source of water. They attracted the local Indians to join the community and perform the work necessary to create a strong economy. After only a few …

No. 24: Achieving Urban Food Security Through A Public-Private Hybrid Food Provisioning System: A Case Study Of Nanjing, China, Taiyang Zhong, Zhenzhong Si, Jonathan Crush, Xianjin Huang, Steffanie Scott, Menglu Yan, Shuangshuang Tang, Xiang Zhang

Hungry Cities Partnership

Private and public markets are two models of urban food retailing governance. This paper examines the public-private hybrid model of urban food provisioning system and its governance in Nanjing, China. Based on data from surveys, non-structured interviews, and bibliographical material analysis, we examine the public-private hybrid model and its linkages with urban food security. Our analysis shows that the public-private hybrid model of food markets and its governance ensures a relatively high-level urban food security in Nanjing. We argue that the hybrid food market governance system effectively integrates public and private capital into a government-supported and regulated, small-business-based system in …

No. 23: Food Vending And The Urban Informal Sector In Cape Town, South Africa, Godfrey Tawodzera

Hungry Cities Partnership

In South Africa, the informal food sector is either criminalized or ignored, despite the important role it plays in the economy in terms of employment, income generation, food distribution, and general livelihoods. This paper assesses the nature, operations, strategies, and challenges of the informal food sector in Cape Town. Data was collected through a survey of over 1,000 informal food vendors in the city. Survey results indicate that most of the enterprises were single-owner businesses, financed from personal savings, and started by owners seeking employment, independence, and improved financial security for their families. Most businesses had little or no access …

Nutech Ventures Annual Report 2018-2019

NUtech Ventures: Publications

NUTech Ventures annual report 2018-2019.

Role Of Dyslipidemia On Lipid Metabolism In Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients, Eno Latifi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients experience various abnormalities such as systemic inflammation (SI), oxidative stress (OS), and dyslipidemia (D). Defined as an imbalance of plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and lipid metabolism enzymes, D has been associated with a rise in morbidity and mortality within ESRD patients due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the contribution of each of these parameters to D is poorly understood; moreover, the impact of the following parameters on dyslipidemia in different ethnicities is unknown. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterize D in a multi-ethnic cohort of ESRD patients. We hypothesized that the degree of dyslipidemia …