Digital Commons Network^™

Qualitative Systematic Review Of The Acceptability, Feasibility, Barriers, Facilitators And Perceived Utility Of Using Physical Activity In The Reduction Of And Abstinence From Alcohol And Other Drug Use, J. Horrell, T. P. Thompson, A. H. Taylor, J. Neale, K. Husk, A. Wanner, S. Creanor, Y. Wei, R. Kandiyali, J. Sinclair, M. Nasser, G. Wallace

More Faculty of Health Research

Given the growing global increase in harm from alcohol and substance use, and the inadequacy of standard treatment to tackle the challenge, the use of physical activity (PA) interventions has received increased attention. The aim of this review is to identify common and cross cutting themes relating to how and why physical activity may impact on reduction of/abstinence from alcohol and other drug use to support future intervention design (including aspects of physical activity, barriers and facilitators, and elements of support which may have an impact). Twenty papers including qualitative data were included in the synthesis. A deductive coding framework …

Assessing Relative Biomarker Responses In Marine And Freshwater Bivalve Molluscs Following Exposure To Phosphorus 32 (32p): Application Of Genotoxicological And Molecular Biomarkers, Emily L. Vernon, Tim P. Bean, Awadhesh N. Jha

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Polyvinyl Chloride (Pvc) Plastic Fragments Release Pb Additives That Are Bioavailable In Zebrafish, David Boyle, Ana I. Catarino, Nathaniel J. Clark, Theodore B. Henry

School of Health Professions

No abstract provided.

Exchange & Flow: An Anthology, Joanna Griffin, Hannah Drayson, Jacqui Knight, Jane Hutchinson, Michael Punt

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This book is an archive of the Exchange & Flow writing workshop, its process, participants and impact. The first part documents the workshop, its modalities and approaches to writing. The second part presents new writing by participants in the form of experimental texts, reflections, proposals for writing projects and for research inspired by Exchange & Flow. As a collection, we hope that these materials will offer not only an archive of the project, but a resource for ongoing reflection and new work, and allow contributors to revisit the events of the workshop in continued engagement with their own inspiration and …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Anaesthesia Trainees And Their Training, John R. Sneyd, Sophie E. Mathoulin, Ellen P. O'Sullivan, Vincent C. So, Fiona R. Roberts, Aaron A. Paul, Luis I. Cortinez, Russell S. Ampofo, Caitlynn J. Miller, Maxine A. Balkisson

More Faculty of Health Research

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] has dislocated clinical services and postgraduate training. To better understand and to document these impacts, we contacted anaesthesia trainees and trainers across six continents and collated their experiences during the pandemic. All aspects of training programmes have been affected. Trainees report that reduced caseload, sub-specialty experience, and supervised procedures are impairing learning. Cancelled educational activities, postponed examinations, and altered rotations threaten progression through training. Job prospects and international opportunities are downgraded. Work-related anxieties about provision of personal protective equipment, and risks to self and to colleagues are superimposed on …

The Value Of Anaesthesiologists In The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Model For Our Future Practice?, Wilton A. Van Klei, Markus W. Hollmann, J. Robert Sneyd

More Faculty of Health Research

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Temporal Scale Selection On Pelagic Habitat Biodiversity Indicators, Jacob Bedford, Clare Ostle, David G. Johns, Alexandre Budria, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Computer Aided Autism Diagnosis Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Yaser A. Elnakieb, Mohamed T. Ali, Ahmed Soliman, Ali H. Mahmoud, Ahmed M. Shalaby, Norah Saleh Alghamdi, Mohammed Ghazal, Ashraf Khalil, Andrew Switala, Robert S. Keynton, Gregory Neal Barnes, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

© 2013 IEEE. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly known as autism, is a lifelong developmental disorder associated with a broad range of symptoms including difficulties in social interaction, communication skills, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. In autism spectrum disorder, numerous studies suggest abnormal development of neural networks that manifest itself as abnormalities of brain shape, functionality, and/ or connectivity. The aim of this work is to present our automated computer aided diagnostic (CAD) system for accurate identification of autism spectrum disorder based on the connectivity of the white matter (WM) tracts. To achieve this goal, two levels of analysis are …

Decentralized Telemedicine Framework For A Smart Healthcare Ecosystem, Ahed Abugabah, Nishara Nizamuddin, Ahmad Ali Alzubi

All Works

The healthcare sector is one of the most rapidly growing sectors globally. With the ever-growing technology, patient care, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation, there is an increased need for healthcare sectors to collaborate with all stakeholders – both within the healthcare ecosystem and in concurring industries. In recent times, telemedicine has proven to provide high quality, affordable, and predominantly adapted healthcare services. However, telemedicine suffers from several risks in implementation, such as data breach, restricted access across medical fraternity, incorrect diagnosis and prescription, fraud, and abuse. In this work, introduce blockchain-based framework that would unlock the future of the healthcare …

Defining Digital Addiction: Key Features From The Literature, Mohamed Basel Almourad, John Mcalaney, Tiffany Skinner, Megan Pleva, Raian Ali

All Works

© 2020 by authors. Within recent years there has been increasing societal concern around the compulsive and excessive use of digital and Internet-enabled devices, such as the use of social media or online video gaming, and associated psychological and physical harms. However, problematic use or addictive behaviours are not yet included as diagnosable mental health issues in any major diagnostic system in Western countries and the conceptualisations of the phenomena are still inconsistent. To address this issue, the present study reviewed the current conceptualisations of digital addiction used within the research literature and identified common features of the definition of …

Prevalence Of Overweight/Obesity, Anaemia And Their Associations Among Female University Students In Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study, Haleama Al Sabbah

All Works

© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society. The present study assessed the associations of overweight, obesity and anaemia with selected lifestyle factors, total body fat and abdominal obesity among female university students in Dubai. A total of 251 female students from a national university in Dubai participated in the present study. Weight, height, waist circumference, Hb level and total body fat percentage were measured. Participants also completed a self-reported questionnaire that included items related to the factors of obesity, anaemia and lifestyle. The study was approved by the University Ethical Committee. Almost …

Rethinking The Role Of Business School In Creating Corporate Managers, Khurram Parvez Raja, Muhammad Anowar Zahid

All Works

Distinguished from the traditional forms of business, namely proprietorship and partnership, a corporation emerged as a new type of business organization in the middle of the nineteenth century in American society, which accepted it only on the understanding that the corporate managers should be professionally well trained and socially beneficial (Khurana, 2010). In order to prepare these new professionals, the business schools came into being in America and elsewhere (Khurana, 2010). However, corporate scandals and financial crises of the late 20th and early 21st centuries posed a valid question about the originally expected role of corporate managers and, in turn, …

Risk Factors Associated With Initiation Of Breastfeeding Among Mothers With Low Birth Weight Babies: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Zainab Taha, Ahmed Ali Hassan, Ludmilla Wikkeling-Scott, Dimitrios Papandreou

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© 2020 Zainab Taha, Ahmed Ali Hassan, Ludmilla Wikkeling-Scott, Dimitrios Papandreou. BACKGROUND: Early initiation of breastfeeding is important for good lactation outcomes and has long been recommended by the World Health Organization. Recommendations are based on research showing that breastfeeding saves children’s lives, particularly among vulnerable populations such as low birth weight (LBW) neonates. In spite of a consistent rise in LBW deliveries, and in spite of the importance of breastfeeding for the survival of LBW neonates, a dearth of research exists regarding early initiation of breastfeeding for this population. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the …

Sleep Duration Is Associated With Vitamin D Deficiency In Older Women Living In Macao, China: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study, Xiaoying Liu, Liang Ke, Jacky Ho, Myriam Abboud, Elias Mpofu, Tara C. Brennan-Speranza, Rebecca S. Mason, Kaye E. Brock

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© 2020 Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Chinese women are known to have both a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) /l). Associations between sleep duration and circulating 25OHD have recently been reported but, to our knowledge, these associations have not been studied in older Chinese populations. We thus investigated whether sleep duration was associated with vitamin D status in …

Exploration Of Lifestyle Choices, Reproductive Health Knowledge, And Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pcos) Awareness Among Female Emirati University Students, Sreepoorna Pramodh

All Works

© 2020 Pramodh. Objective: Healthy lifestyle and adequate reproductive health knowledge are prerequisites for maintenance of physical and mental well-being of women across the world. With increasing prevalence of metabolic disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), it is important that sufficient awareness of these issues is generated, especially in conservative communities in Arab regions. The main objective of this study is to assess reproductive health (RH) knowledge and awareness of PCOS among female Emirati students and also to explore their lifestyle choices. Materials and Methods: A total of 493 Emirati students were recruited based on convenience sampling and completed …

Exploring Cultural Variation In The Emotional Expressivity Of Online Drawings, Justin Thomas, Aamna Al-Shehhi, Ian Grey, Tai Broach

All Works

Extensive research points to cross-cultural differences in emotional expressivity and the use of context in communication. This study explored these ideas through digital, online, drawings produced using Google's Quick Draw (N = 4869). The selected pictures were of fish and had been drawn by individuals from across six nations: UK, USA, Australia (individualist), Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (collectivist). Participants from individualist societies produced images expressing emotion (e.g. smiling or frowning fish) more frequently than their collectivist counterparts. Similarly, participants from individualist nations were significantly more likely to include contextualising elements within their drawings (e.g. seaweed, bubbles …

Fine-Grained Sentiment Analysis For Measuring Customer Satisfaction Using An Extended Set Of Fuzzy Linguistic Hedges, Asad Khattak, Waqas Tariq Paracha, Muhammad Zubair Asghar, Nosheen Jillani, Umair Younis, Furqan Khan Saddozai, Ibrahim A. Hameed

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© 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. In recent years, the boom in social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter has brought people together for the sharing of opinions, sentiments, emotions, and experiences about products, events, politics, and other topics. In particular, sentiment-based applications are growing in popularity among individuals and businesses for the making of purchase decisions. Fuzzy-based sentiment analysis aims at classifying customer sentiment at a fine-grained level. This study deals with the development of a fuzzy-based sentiment analysis by extending fuzzy hedges and rule-sets for a more efficient classification of customer sentiment and satisfaction. …

Gender Differences In Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking Among University Students In Four Eastern Mediterranean Countries, Randah R. Hamadeh, Juhan Lee, Niveen M.E. Abu-Rmeileh, Muhammad Darawad, Aya Mostafa, Khalid A. Kheirallah, Afzalhussein Yusufali, Justin Thomas, Mohamed Salama, Rima Nakkash, Ramzi G. Salloum

All Works

© 2020 Hamadeh R.R. et al. INTRODUCTION Males have a higher prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) than females in most Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries, with a smaller gender gap than that of cigarette smoking. The objective of this study was to determine gender differences among university students with respect to WTS initiation, smoking behavior, tobacco flavors, and expenditure on WTS, in four EMR countries. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted based on convenient samples of ever waterpipe smokers among university students in four EMR countries (Egypt, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the United Arab Emirates) in 2016. …

Services Resumption Marketing Plan The Aga Khan University Hospital Strategy To Support Service Lines, Aga Khan University Hospital

COVID-19 Archive Project

• Key Challenges - 2020
• MARKET Insights, August 2020
• Goals And Objectives
• MarCom – Restoration of Services Q3-Q4 2020
• Key Messages: In-person Clinics and Services
• MARKETING Campaign STREAMS SIMPLE, CONSISTENT, CONCISE
• MARKETING CHANNELS (full mix, 3600 campaign)
• Target Audience
• Channels for Promotion
• Key Initiatives - 2020
• Key Achievements - 2020
• Strategic Marketing – Shift In Strategies
• Hospital Services Resumption – Impact on Occupancy
• Hospital Services Resumption – Summary

Applications Of Bi-Framelet Systems For Solving Fractional Order Differential Equations, Mutaz Mohammad, Carlo Cattani

All Works

© 2020 CSIRO Framelets and their attractive features in many disciplines have attracted a great interest in the recent years. This paper intends to show the advantages of using bi-framelet systems in the context of numerical fractional differential equations (FDEs). We present a computational method based on the quasi-affine bi-framelets with high vanishing moments constructed using the generalized (mixed) oblique extension principle. We use this system for solving some types of FDEs by solving a series of important examples of FDEs related to many mathematical applications. The quasi-affine bi-framelet-based methods for numerical FDEs show the advantages of using sparse matrices …

Ethnic Identity And Stress Appraisal As Acculturative Stress Processes Among Armenian Americans, Tsolak Michael Kirakosyan

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The current study examined the role of ethnic identity and stress appraisal as buffers of the relationship between acculturative stress and wellbeing in a national sample of Armenian American adults between eighteen and thirty-nine years old (N = 159; 62.89% women, 32.08% men; mean age = 25.59, SD = 5.30). Acculturative stress positively correlated with depressive symptoms, and negatively with self-esteem and positive stress appraisal. Stronger ethnic identity affirmation and belonging was related to less depressive symptoms, more positive stress appraisal, and greater self-esteem and life satisfaction. In hierarchical linear regression analyses, acculturative stress significantly predicted more depressive symptoms, …

Influence Of Locally Produced Wood Biochar On Soil Nitrogen And Phosphorus Dynamics In The Northwestern Us, Si Gao

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfire cause a rapid and sometimes dramatic loss of carbon and nitrogen from forest ecosystems, but it also leaves behind ash and charcoal on the soil surface, both of which affect soil properties, processes, and function. Some of these effects may be induced by applying charcoal or biochar to surface soils. Biochar is the term given to the carbon rich product of thermochemical decomposition of organic material in an oxygen limited environment that is explicitly intended for soil application. Producing biochar from wood residues from timber harvest and applying it to nearby soils may represent a means of reducing carbon …

Programmatic Desensitization Of The Cough Reflex In Patients With Refractory Chronic Cough, Emma Bozarth Dailey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aim: The purpose of this blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial was to determine the potential of treating refractory chronic cough (RCC) using a progressive desensitization model paired with behavioral cough suppression.

Methods: Twelve adults with chronic cough who had failed behavioral cough treatment enrolled in and completed the study. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (n=8) or placebo group (n=4). The study consisted of three phases. During Phase I, participants completed baseline testing, including cough sensitivity testing with capsaicin, the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), urge-to-cough-testing, and 24-hour cough frequency testing. During Phase II, participants practiced behavioral cough suppression …

Muscle Soreness And Damage During Wildland Firefighter Critical Training, Katherine Sue Christison

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) undergo a critical training (CT) period immediately before the firefighting season. The intensity of CT exercise could lead to muscle damage, as previously reported cases of rhabdomyolysis in WLFFs have been documented. This study established the effects of activities performed during a two-week CT period on acute markers of muscle damage in WLFFs.

Methods: 18 male and 3 female Type I Interagency Hotshot WLFFs were studied during a 14-day critical training period. Upper- (US) and lower-body (LS) muscle soreness and daily body weight (BW) scales were collected. Venous blood was collected on Days 1, 4, 8, …

Social Climatology: An Age Comparison Of Women's Sustained Commitment To Collective Action Against Climate Change, Sara A. Humphers-Ginther

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climate activists urgently emphasize action to prevent catastrophic and apocalyptic-like damage from climate change. The foundation of the institutional change needed to combat climate change is collective action, which I study here through a collective action frame. These frames can gain traction for policy agendas: they are solution- and action-oriented. I interviewed women climate activists to understand how they frame the problems from, causes of, and solutions to climate change, as well as how they urge others to act against climate change. I compared my informants based on age because beliefs, values, and lived experiences are important in how activists …

Ethical Eating: Overcoming Alienation In The Industrial Food System By Aligning Our Practices With Our Principles, André Kushnir

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis arose out of a moment of discord, while an environmental philosopher was eating blackberries in the middle of a blizzard in Missoula, Montana. What follows is an attempt to bridge the gap between our principles and our practices, by asking the questions: What does ethical eating look like? Is it possible within our current industrial food system? and If not, what needs to change? Responding to the publication of the 2019 EAT-Lancet report, this essay moves beyond thinking of ethical eating as “healthy” and “sustainable” and challenges the networks of suffering and labour that we take for …

Characterizing Burn Severity Of Beetle-Killed Forest Stands Leveraging Google Earth Engine-Derived Normalized Burn Ratios, Sofronio Catalino Propios Iii

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Following numerous studies, a general consensus on burn severity in forests affected by bark beetle outbreaks has not yet been achieved. The purpose of this study is to characterize burn severities in forest stands affected by mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreaks, especially in relation to “time since outbreak”, vegetation cover, and topographic factors. This study focuses on wildfires that occurred in the northern Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Montana during the 2012 fire season within forested areas that had previously experienced prior MPB outbreaks. Remote sensing techniques were used to quantify and compare the burn severities of MPB-outbreak stands with …

Food Policy For A Healthy, Sustainable, And Equitable Local Food System: Recommendations For Missoula, Erika Berglund

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Over the last several decades, food policy councils (FPCs) have led the effort to place food on local government policy agendas. While FPCs continue to make progress in supporting local food systems, they also face institutional and organizational challenges. In recent years, a handful of cities and counties have endeavored to further food system reform with the establishment of full-time food policy staff positions. Currently, there are 19 confirmed food policy positions housed in local governments across the U.S. While there is considerable literature on FPCs, little research has been published regarding governmental food policy staff positions. This study uses …

An Exploration Of Zero Waste Policies And Recommendations For Missoula, Sarah Blyth Lundquist

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

“Zero Waste” is a concept and community goal that has arisen to challenge the current consumerist economic system and offer solutions for a number of environmental issues. In adopting this goal, individuals and communities pledge to reduce and divert at least 90% of their waste in a certain number of years. These goals can be reached by employing policies, programs, and other intervention tactics which establish Zero Waste infrastructure, ensure equitable and widespread access to Zero Waste services, and provide educational outreach and resources to the community. Missoula adopted a Zero Waste goal in 2016 and created a Zero Waste …

Alas, Poor Yorick: A Dna Analysis Of Ancestry Using Crania, Claire Hanson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Current methods for estimating ancestry in biological profiles provided to law enforcement and forensic collections rely heavily on the use of metric and non metric methods such as FORDISC 3.1 and “trait lists.” The reliance on these methods has led to inaccurate and ambiguous ancestry estimations, as many metric and non metric methods are subjective and cannot be statistically tested for error rates. As a result, forensic collections, such as the University of Montana Forensic Collection, could potentially house remains that have been inaccurately curated. In order to test the accuracy of curation in the UMFC, DNA samples were extracted …