Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of The Aca Medicaid Expansion On Disability Program Applications, Lucie Schmidt, Lara D. Shore-Sheppard, Tara Watson

Economics: Faculty Publications

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded the availability of public health insurance, decreasing the relative benefit of participating in disability programs but also lowering the cost of exiting the labor market to apply for disability benefits. In this paper, we explore the impact of expanded access to Medicaid through the ACA on applications to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs. Using the fact that the Supreme Court decision of June 2012 made the Medicaid expansion optional for the states, we compare changes in county-level SSI and SSDI caseloads in contiguous county pairs across a …

Informing Social And Behavior Change Programs: Using Social Listening And Social Monitoring, Breakthrough Research

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief offers practical guidance on social listening and social (media) monitoring as tools to inform social and behavior change programs, intended for global and regional program implementers, evaluators, and donors in USAID priority countries. This brief explains how social listening and social monitoring can be important tools for collecting information about target audiences’ knowledge and attitudes, as well as their exposure and responses to particular interventions. Using applied examples in Francophone West Africa, it illustrates social and social monitoring steps, provides examples of lessons, and identifies how these methods can be applied to social and behavior change programming. People …

Pointing The Zinc Finger On Protein Folding: Energetic Investigation Into The Role Of The Metal-Ion In The Metal-Induced Protein Folding Of Zinc Finger Motifs, Inna Bakman-Sanchez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Interactions between inorganic metal-ion cofactors and organic protein scaffolds are important for the proper structure and function of metalloproteins. Zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are an example of proteins with such crucial metal-protein interactions. Incorporation of the Zn(II)-ion into ZFPs allows for their correct folding into structures that can carry out vital biological functions which include gene expression and tumor suppression. In addition, engineered ZFPs have shown to be promising genetic therapeutics in the clinic. And yet, there is still a gap in a quantitative understanding of the energetic contribution of the metal-protein interactions towards the structure and function of these …

“The Gifts Of Enemies”: The Acteal Massacre, Sociedad Civil Las Abejas And Mexico’S Ejército Zapatista De Liberación Nacional And Humanitarian And Development Aid During The Low-Intensity War, 1997–1999, Maria R. Hart

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is about a faction of the Sociedad Civil Las Abejas who, as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), were housed at the INI IDP camp in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, in 1997-99 after the Acteal massacre on December 22, 1997. This faction is of interest because they protested the remaining members of Sociedad Civil Las Abejas (Civil Society The Bees) social movement at Acteal and the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, often better-known as the Zapatistas), because the movement required them to reject governmental humanitarian aid and development programs or lose their membership in the social …

Taking It To Heart: Trauma And Cardiovascular Risk In Court-Involved People Of Color, Tanya Erazo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Research supports that racial disparities in health persist in the United States, with cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular disease remaining particularly high in low-income, communities of color (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013; Winkleby, Jatulis, Frank, & Fortmann, 1992). Public health literature often focuses on sociodemographic variables when assessing for health disparities without considering trauma or forensic populations. This dissertation provides an overview of literature that examines cardiovascular disease and its relationship to trauma, particularly in low-income, communities of color, and forensic populations. Although the dissertation culminates in providing results for an investigation …

Long‐Distance Natal Dispersal Is Relatively Frequent And Correlated With Environmental Factors In A Widespread Raptor, Hanna M. Mccaslin, T. Trevor Caughlin, Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

1. Dispersal is a critical process influencing population dynamics and responses to global change. Long‐distance dispersal (LDD) can be especially important for gene flow and adaptability, although little is known about the factors influencing LDD because studying large‐scale movements is challenging and LDD tends to be observed less frequently than shorter‐distance dispersal (SDD).
2. We sought to understand patterns of natal dispersal at a large scale, specifically aiming to understand the relative frequency of LDD compared to SDD and correlates of dispersal distances.
3. We used bird banding and encounter data for American kestrels (Falco sparverius) to investigate the effects of …

Remote Learning Rapid Literature Review, Gill Cowden, Pru Mitchell, Pauline Taylor-Guy

Student learning processes

This rapid literature review identifies effective practice in remote learning and synthesises key evidence relevant to education in Australia during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It draws upon bodies of literature about education in emergencies, access and equity, distance education, blended learning, and quality teaching and learning using technology. The focus is primarily on Kindergarten to Year 12 schooling in Australia. The literature firstly examines education in emergencies, as this underpins the initial crisis approaches and preparedness for the shift to remote learning. The research in this area has a strong focus on implications for wellbeing. The review is then organised …

Reducing Ageism: Changes In Students' Attitudes After Participation In An Intergenerational Reverse Mentoring Program, Skye N. Leedahl, Sereny Brasher, Dana L. Lobuono, Bethany M. Wood, Erica L. Estus

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Ageism is a societal concern that greatly affects the social, emotional, physical, and mental health of older adults. One way to decrease ageist attitudes and improve the treatment of older adults is to address and improve age stereotypes among young adults. Using data from students participating in an intergenerational digital-learning program, the present study investigated change in students' stereotypes of older adults and aging. We examined change from pre- and post-scores in student attitudes toward older adults and the type of adjectives used to describe older adults. We also analyzed responses to open-ended questions about changes in perception of older …

Managing Phosphate Rock To Improve Nutrient Uptake, Phosphorus Use Efficiency, And Carrot Yields, Edwin Mwangi, Catherine Ngamau, John Wesonga, Edward Karanja, Martha Musyoka, Felix Matheri, Komi Fiaboe, David Bautze, Noah Adamtey

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The objectives of this study were to assess (a) the efficiency of lemon and pineapple juices and the concentration and time needed to release more than 50% of available phosphorus from phosphate rock (PR), and (b) the effect of different types of PR management on carrot yields, nutrient uptake, and phosphorus use efficiency. Field trials were set up at two sites with humic andosols and orthic acrisols over two seasons in Kenya. In a randomized complete block design, replicated three times, the following treatments were compared: (i) composted dissolved PR in lemon juice; (ii) powdered PR composted; (iii) dissolved PR …

Prevalence Of Exclusive Breastfeeding And Some Of Its Determinants In Hilla City, 2018

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

BACKGROUND: Health organizations recommended that mothers exclusively breast feed infants for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding is a natural food that serves as a complete source of infant nutrition for the first six months of life. It contains all the necessary nutrients provided in a bioavailable and easily digestible form, protecting both mothers and children against illnesses and diseases with immunological properties. Place of delivery in many study showed positive effect of rate of exclusive breast feeding. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of breastfeeding in Hilla city and the rate of delivery in different sites …

Corporate Social Responsibility In International Hotel Chains And Its Effects On Local Employees: Scale Development And Empirical Testing In China, Chaohui Wang, Runhong Hu, Tingting (Christina) Zhang

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study aims to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of international hotel chains operating in China and their effects on local Chinese employees. As CSR practices vary across countries and contexts, this study developed a scale of CSR metrics, which was based on CSR reports published by international hotel chains in China and a comprehensive literature review. Subsequently, the proposed model, which depicts the relationships between CSR practices and local employee work metrics, was tested with a PLS-SEM. Multiple phases of qualitative and quantitative investigations of 2451 local Chinese employees of international hotel chains allowed for validating a …

Evaluating The Effect Of Non-Thermal Processing And Enzymatic Hydrolysis In Modulating The Antioxidant Activity Of Nebraskan Great Northern Beans, Madhurima Bandyopadhyay

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Great Northern Beans (GNB), a major pulse crop of Nebraska, are a rich source of dietary proteins and has the potential to release peptides with beneficial biological properties upon enzymatic hydrolysis. Thermal processing, such as boiling, is the most common way to process beans; it makes the beans palatable and also improves the accessibility of the proteolytic enzymes. Heat treatments destroy the naturally present essential bioactive components in beans like phytochemicals and could be prevented using an alternative non-thermal process. High Pressure processing (HPP), a non-thermal process and the most used alternative to thermal processing, can influence the storage proteins …

The Trophic Ecology Of Coral Reef Sponges In Caribbean Mesophotic Ecosystems, Keir John Macartney

Doctoral Dissertations

Emergent sponges are crucial to the functional ecology of coral reef ecosystems, playing key roles in benthic-pelagic coupling, biogeochemical cycling of key nutrients, and provision of food and habitat to a variety of coral reef fauna. In mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs), sponges show a repeatable pattern of increasing abundance and diversity with increasing depth. Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems are typically found between 30 – 150 m and are characterized by depth-dependent gradients in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and trophic resources such as increases in particulate organic matter (POM) and decreases in dissolved organic matter (DOM). Increased concentrations of POM …

Russ 301.B01: Russian - Oral And Written Expression I, Ona Renner-Fahey

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Recirculating Aquaculture System Nutrient Production, Alexander J. Sitek

Master's Theses and Capstones

While aquaculture production accounts for half of the world fish production, a growing problem emerges with the amount of effluent being produced. Waste treatment of aquaculture effluent is expensive and energy- intensive as conventional approaches to waste remediation have remained mostly unchanged. To improve the economic sustainability, the aquaculture industry needs to integrate with other production systems similarly as terrestrial animal agriculture has done with soil-based crop production. Integrating waste production in a wastes-to-resources approach as fertilizer for hydroponic cropping systems will allow aquaculture producers to monetize waste treatment. However, a full accounting of aquaculture nutrient production is necessary to …

Racial Justice And The Image Of Public Health, Marilyn Fischer

Philosophy Faculty Publications

The City Commission in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio recently adopted a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. In doing so, Dayton joins municipalities around the country, as the global pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19 swirls around us. The Commission gave compelling reasons for their action, citing the disparate rates of poor health outcomes in African American communities, as well as disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, economic distress, homelessness, incarceration, and inadequate education.

The Commission’s commitment to remedy these inequities is welcome. Others have laid out this evidence in much detail; I want to focus here on public health …

The Two-Phase Establishment Of Training Models For Diabetes Care In Solomon Islands And Its Outcomes, Chia-Lun Lee, Meng-Chuan Huang, Hsiu-Chu Lin, Yu-Chau Lin, Shih-Huai Hsiao

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in Solomon Islands (SI), requiring a coordinated and sustainable training program related to management of diabetes. This study aimed to report the process of establishment of 2-phase training model and evaluation of program outcome in SI supported by Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan during 2009-2016. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study. During 2009-2013, a 2-4 day needs-based training program and educational materials including 4-8 in-class theoretical concept lectures and hands-on skill practice sessions for the diabetes care was developed by Taiwan instructors and local health coordinators in …

The Effect Of Cold Pool Variability On Zooplankton Dynamics Of The Eastern Bering Sea Shelf, Jennifer Johnson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Interannual variability of ocean temperatures and sea ice extent has been observed on the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) shelf, where annual conditions have resulted in regional “Cold” or “Warm” years. Consecutive years of Cold or Warm year characterization has resulted in regime states within the past two decades. A characteristic feature of the EBS is a subsurface layer linked to seasonal sea ice (SSI) and defined by bottom temperatures less than 2°C, termed the Cold Pool. Cold Pool variability is tied to the dynamics of fish distribution in the Arctic and subarctic ecotones. Water column, multifrequency acoustic backscatter data were …

The Development Of A Naturally-Derived Hydroponic Nutrient Solution From Recirculating Aquaculture System Effluent Using Microbial Digestion, Joseph Tetreault

Master's Theses and Capstones

The United States imports more seafood than any other country in the world. Supporting the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry will allow the United States to meet domestic seafood demand and compete in international markets. However, conventional aquaculture production methods such as pond and net pen systems are limited in capacity to meet the market demands for variety and local production. Instead, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are a promising option for domestic aquaculture expansion. RAS is a controlled environment agriculture production model which is location-independent, offers significant water conservation, and optimizes environmental conditions to maximize fish production year round. …

Pregnancy Cohorts And Biobanking In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review, Jeffrey N. Bone, Kelly Pickerill, Mai-Lei Woo Kinshella, Marianne Vidler, Rachel Craik, Lucilla Poston, William Stones, Esperanca Sevene, Marleen Temmerman, Angela Koech

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Technological advances and high throughput biological assays can facilitate discovery science in biobanks from population cohorts, including pregnant women. Biological pathways associated with health outcomes differ depending on geography, and high-income country data may not generalise to low-resource settings. We conducted a systematic review to identify prospective pregnancy cohorts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that include biobanked samples with potential to enhance discovery science opportunity.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were prospective data collection during pregnancy, with associated biobanking in SSA. Data sources included: scientific databases (with comprehensive search terms), grey literature, hand searching applicable reference lists and expert input. Results were …

Introducing Occupational Balance And Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction To Women At The New Beginnings Center, Piper Cleveland

OTD Capstone Projects

The New Beginnings Center is a workout facility that provides coaching in nutrition, fitness, and health behaviors for women experiencing obesity in low socioeconomic classes. The purpose of this project was to enhance the current 12-week curriculum based on reserch and client feedback, as well as create a potfolio for the marketing team of evidence and testamonies. The two curriculum additions focused on stress reduction through occupational balance and mindfulness. In the "Schedule Redesign" class, we focused on the importance of finding maladaptive time use in their schedule (e.g. watching too much TV, laying in bed too long, etc.) and …

Taking On Big Challenges, Sarah Schaier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Malaria: Insights For Improving Malaria, Family Planning, And Maternal And Child Health Outcomes In Northwestern Nigeria Through Social And Behavior Change Programming, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

This brief provides rigorous evidence-based insights to implementers and researchers of social and behavior change (SBC) programs that seek to improve community knowledge, attitudes, norms, and behaviors for improved health of women and their young children. The brief focuses on key malaria prevention and treatment behaviors, and uncovers the barriers and facilitators to the practice of these positive health behaviors in northwestern Nigeria. It is one of a series that present findings from a Breakthrough RESEARCH study that uniquely captures data on a wide range of psychosocial drivers of behavioral outcomes in family planning, malaria, and maternal, newborn, child health …

Social And Behavior Change Programming Landscape For Out-Of-School Adolescent And Youth Reproductive Health Programs In The Philippines: A Scoping Review, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

This research brief presents key findings of a scoping review of past and present social and behavior change (SBC) programs targeting male and female out-of-school youth (OSY) ages 15 to 19 in the Philippines, with particular focus on four priority reprodutcive health (RH) behaviors: delay of sexual debut, use of modern contraceptive methods to prevent teenage pregnancy, care-seeking in first trimester of pregnancy, and birth spacing of 3 to 5 years to prevent short birth intervals. This scoping review is part of a broader research study by Breakthrough RESEARCH with financial support from USAID Philippines.

Care-Seeking And Treatment For Sick Children—Insights For Improving Malaria, Family Planning, And Maternal And Child Health Outcomes In Northwestern Nigeria Through Social And Behavior Change Programming, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

This brief provides rigorous evidence-based insights to implementers and researchers of social and behavior change (SBC) programs that seek to improve knowledge, attitudes, norms, and behaviors for caretakers of young children. The brief focuses on care-seeking and treatment behaviors for sick children. It summarizes the barriers and facilitators to seeking care from formal medical sources and receiving appropriate diagnosis or treatment for children under two years of age with symptoms of fever, diarrhea, or cough with fast or difficult breathing. It is one of a series of briefs that present findings from a Breakthrough RESEARCH study on a wide range …

Documenting Lessons From An Integrated Social And Behavior Change Program Linked To Integrated Health Services In Zambia, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

This program brief documents lessons for social and behavior change programmers implementing multi-health, community-based programs with integrated health services. An iterative process by Breakthrough ACTION Zambia, from October 2018 through March 2019, identified four design concepts with strong feasibility and potential for impact and expansion. These four concepts were refined in Breakthrough ACTION Zambia provinces and districts in collaboration with implementing partners and the Ministry of Health Department of Health Promotion, with final intervention design and implementation processes determined in close collaboration with the Ministry.

Mindful Matters: Addressing Barriers To Classroom-Based Mindfulness, Kirsten Munk

Doctoral Projects

A growing body of research suggests that incorporating classroom-based mindfulness interventions in elementary schools is associated with improvements in student behavior, self-regulation, and measures of mental health. However, the adoption of teacher-led mindfulness programs in California’s public schools has not been widely embraced. This doctoral project explored the impact of an educational intervention on pre-service teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions to implement mindfulness interventions in their classrooms. A brief educational intervention and website resource were provided to multidisciplinary teaching credential students in a 2-year graduate credential program. Participants completed a pre- and post-intervention survey to evaluate their intentions to implement …

Surgical Site Infections In A Tertiary Hospital Over 10 Years: The Effect Of Hospital Accreditation Strategy Implementation, Lateefah T. Alshammari, Sarah A. Alkatheer, Maymona B. Alshoaibi, Aqdas A. Alomran, Sharifah N. Almulhim, Reem Y. Aljindan, Yasser M. Aljehani, Khaled R. Alkharsah

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To analyze the rate of surgical site infections (SSIs), the type, and the frequency of the commonly-associated microorganisms. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia between December 2018 and June 2019 comprising data from August 2008 to August 2018 from patients with culture-confirmed surgical site infection at a tertiary hospital. Results: Out of 2716 wound infection cases during the study period, a total of 289 patients were diagnosed with SSI. The rate of SSI in the tertiary hospital decreased from 20 per 1000 operations in 2009 to 3.5 per …

Berry Phenolic And Volatile Extracts Inhibit Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion In Lps-Stimulated Raw264.7 Cells Through Suppression Of Nf-Κb Signaling Pathway, Inah Gu, Cindi Brownmiller, Nathan Blaine Stebbins, Andy Mauromostakos, Luke Howard, Sun-Ok Lee

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Berries are a rich source of phytochemicals, especially phenolics well known for protective activity against many chronic diseases. Berries also contain a complex mixture of volatile compounds that are responsible for the unique aromas of berries. However, there is very limited information on the composition and potential health benefits of berry volatiles. In this study, we isolated phenolic and volatile fractions from six common berries and characterized them by HPLC/HPLC-MS and GC/GC-MS, respectively. Berry phenolic and volatile fractions were evaluated for an anti-inflammatory effect using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by measuring levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the nuclear factor-kappa …

Quantifying Species Traits Related To Oviposition Behavior And Offspring Survival In Two Important Disease Vectors, Donald A. Yee, William C. Glasgow, Nnaemeka F. Ezeakacha

Faculty Publications

Animals with complex life cycles have traits related to oviposition and juvenile survival that can respond to environmental factors in similar or dissimilar ways. We examined the preference-performance hypothesis (PPH), which states that females lacking parental care select juvenile habitats that maximize fitness, for two ubiquitous mosquito species, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. Specifically, we examined if environmental factors known to affect larval abundance patterns in the field played a role in the PPH for these species. We first identified important environmental factors from a field survey that predicted larvae across different spatial scales. We then performed two experiments, …