Digital Commons Network^™

Responding To Covid-19: How Massachusetts Senior Centers Are Adapting, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the United States with force and speed. Massachusetts is one of the hardest hit states in nation, with over 120,000 cases and over 8,500 deaths to date. Local governments across the Commonwealth have had to work quickly to meet the needs of their constituents in a constantly changing environment. With older adults being at high risk of contracting COVID-19, having more severe symptoms, and at higher risk of dying from the disease, special efforts are warranted to ensure that they are supported in their efforts to maintain physical distance while meeting needs for food and …

Living Below The Line: Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Economic Security Among Older Americans, 2020, Jan Mutchler, Nidya Velasco Roldán, Yang Li

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates from the 2019 Elder Index^TM highlight the risk of economic insecurity experienced by older adults, a risk that is especially high for persons of color. The Gerontology Institute compares the household incomes for adults age 65 and above living in one- and two-person households to the 2019 Elder Index for each state and Washington, DC to calculate Elder Economic Insecurity Rates (EEIRs), the percentage of independent older adults age 65 or older living in households with annual incomes that do not support economic security. National averages suggest that among people living alone, 48% of older people who …

One In The Hand Worth Two In The Bush? Reproductive Effort Of Young Males Is Not Affected By The Presence Of Adult Males, Kevin L. Monteith, Kyle B. Monteith, Jonathan A. Jenks, Rhiannon P. Jakopak

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Reproduction is a costly endeavor, and most large, long-lived, and iteroparous mammals exhibit conservative life-history tactics wherein an individual may forego or abandon a reproduction event for the sake of survival. Nevertheless, risks and benefits associated with reproduction are not equal across males and females, nor across their life. Whereas expenditure for females is associated with rearing young (e.g., lactation), expenditure for males occurs with securing mating opportunities. Young males may be more successful when dominant males are lacking, but it is less clear whether—and at what cost—young males will expend effort when those opportunities arise. We designed an experiment …

Violence, Intimidation And Incarceration: America’S War On Whistleblowers, Kevin Howley

Communication & Theatre Faculty Publications

Much has been made of US President Donald Trump’s authoritarian tendencies. Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and draconian policies lay bare the violence embedded in contemporary political discourse and power relations. While Trump’s verbal assaults on news workers are well documented and widely discussed, his efforts – and those of his immediate predecessor Barack Obama – to silence government whistleblowers receive far less scrutiny. Drawing on discourse theory and analysis, this paper explores the experience of three prominent leakers and the epistemic violence underpinning America’s war on whistleblowers.

School Gardens As A Tool To Improve Student Health Outcomes And Increase Parent Engagement In The Clark County School District, Sabina Malik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background-School Gardens (SG) have been used in student programming to help achieve many goals that include increasing academic achievement, improving nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, increasing physical activity rates, instilling eco-consciousness, and increasing student and community engagement. To date, garden programs have predominantly been evaluated by case control studies examining pilot or informal short term implementation without consideration of garden program longevity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of SGs on student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity, examine student connection to the garden, and to identify stakeholder perceptions of best practices …

Spectral Fingerprints Predict Functional Phenotypes Of A Native Shrub, Brecken Cherice Robb

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Landscapes are rapidly changing. To understand these changes and how they may influence coexisting herbivores, it is critical that we improve the ways in which we monitor changes in plant species, populations, and functional phenotypic traits over space and time. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is proving to be a valuable tool when it comes to this goal. NIRS is noninvasive and can provide high-resolution temporal information, including structural and chemical characteristics, on objects that are otherwise expansive, inaccessible, or imperceptible. We used the threatened sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, which spans over 43 million hectares of the Western United States, as a case …

Co-Consumption Of Vegetables And Fruit, Whole Grains, And Fiber Reduces The Cancer Risk Of Red And Processed Meat In A Large Prospective Cohort Of Adults From Alberta’S Tomorrow Project, Katerina Maximova, Elham Khodayari Moez, Julia Dabravolskaj, Alexa R. Ferdinands, Irina Dinu, Geraldine Lo Siou, Ala Al Rajabi, Paul J. Veugelers

All Works

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. We examined whether co-consumption of red and processed meat with key foods items and food constituents recommended for cancer prevention (vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and fiber) mitigates cancer incidence. In a prospective cohort of 26,218 adults aged 35–69 years at baseline, dietary intake was collected through 124-item past-year food frequency questionnaire. Incidence of all-cause and 15 cancers previously linked to red and processed meat intake was obtained through data linkage with a cancer registry (average follow-up 13.5 years). Competing risk Cox Proportional Hazard models estimated cancer risk and Accelerated Failure …

Electrochemiluminescence Mechanisms Investigated With Smartphone-Based Sensor Data Modeling, Parameter Estimation And Sensitivity Analysis, Elmer Ccopa Rivera, Rodney Lee Summerscales, Padma P. Tadi Uppala, Hyun J. Kwon

Faculty Publications

The present study introduces a unified framework combining a mechanistic model with a genetic algorithm (GA) for the parameter estimation of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) kinetics of the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA system occurring in a smartphone‐based sensor. The framework allows a straightforward solution for simultaneous estimation of multiple parameters which can be, otherwise, time‐consuming and lead to non‐convergence. Model parameters are estimated by achieving a high correlation between the model prediction and the measured ECL intensity from the ECL sensor. The developed model is used to perform a sensitivity analysis (SA), which provides quantitative effects of the model parameters on the …

Testing Flowering Perennial Plants In A Bermudagrass (Cynodon Spp.) Lawn, Paige Elizabeth Boyle, Michelle Wisdom

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most pollinating insects require a season-long succession of floral resources to fulfill life-cycle requirements. Incorporating forbs into turfgrass sites may create a season-long sequence of flowers to support foraging pollinators. However, persistence of forbs in warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) may be affected by the competitive nature of the turfgrass and routine management practices such as mowing. A 2-year study was conducted to evaluate seven forbs (Bellis perennis L., Lotus corniculatus L., Prunella vulgaris L., Trifolium fragiferum L. ‘Fresa’, Trifolium repens L. ‘Durana’ and ‘Resolute’, Trifolium subterraneum L.) for persistence and ability to produce floral resources …

An Examination Of Parental Locus Of Control, Stress, Social Support, And Depression Among Parents Of Children And Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities, Brandi Ellis

Dissertations

Caregivers (i.e., mothers and fathers) of youths with ID seem to be at a much higher risk of having symptoms of depression than caregivers of typically developing youths (Cantwell, Muldoon, & Gallagher, 2015; Giallo et al., 2015; Hu et al., 2010; Lee, 2013). A concurrent link has been found between parental locus of control (PLOC) and depression; however, there is a lack of support for a longitudinal association between these constructs among caregivers of youths with ID (Campis, Lyman, & Prentice-Dunn, 1986; Coyne & Thompson, 2011; Freed & Tompson, 2011; Lloyd & Hastings, 2009). Researchers have hypothesized that the lack …

General Catalog 2020-2021, Utah State University

University Catalogs

This catalog contains information on the Academic Departments and Programs as well as Course Descriptions for the above school year at Utah State University. To avoid large file downloads, the Academic Departments and Programs information is located in this file. The Course Description information is located in the secondary file.

Optimizing Species Selection For Forest Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Faeqa Mohsin

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, the Lower Rio Grande Valley has been reforested with over 3.3 million native thornscrub plants in old agricultural land through transplanting native species. However, assessments of LRGV forest restoration efforts are scarce, and to address the knowledge gap, this study examined species-specific responses to restoration interventions (RIs) aimed at minimizing seedling mortality for optimizing species selection. A critical period for forest restoration in old croplands is the seedling stage, where high mortality occurs due to the interactive effects of abiotic stress, compromised soil nutrient status from intensive agriculture, and mammalian herbivory. So, we evaluated seedling …

Aquatic Stage Mosquito Biocontrol: Effects Of Entomopathogenic Fungi Blastospores And Conidia On Aedes Aegypti Pupae, Ricardo Alberto Ramirez Garcia Rojas

Theses and Dissertations

Fungal entomopathogens present an opportunity to produce mosquito controls on-site, from remote locations to developing communities. Locally produced biopesticides have the potential to empower communities to develop internal disease vector control initiatives to protect local public health. We tested the effectiveness of the conidia solution and blastospore solution of Metarhizium anisopliae E9, Metarhizium anisopliae E1037, Isaria fumosorosea A97, and Isaria fumosorosea 9901 in controlling Aedes aegypti pupae. We observed that entomopathogenic fungi liquid blastospore solution induce mortality in Aedes aegypti pupae at a significantly greater rate than conidia solution and control treatment.

However, further analysis of testing methods used in …

Effects Of Seasonal Variations And Heat Exposure On Antioxidant Expression And Redox Status In The American Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica: Field And Laboratory Studies, Md Sadequr Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing atmospheric temperatures influence physiological functions in aquatic organisms. In this study, I observed the effects of seasonal (field study) and laboratory heat exposure (16, 22, 26, and 30°C for 1-week) on prooxidant-antioxidant homeostasis in gills and digestive glands of American oyster. Histological analysis showed an increase in mucus secretion with elevated temperatures in both organs. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a significant increase of heat shock protein-70, dinitrophenyl, and 3-nitrotyrosine protein expressions with higher seasonal and laboratory temperatures indicating heat-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress. This was concomitant with gradual rise in cellular apoptosis. Interestingly, catalase and superoxide dismutase expressions also increased …

The Effects Of Increasing Running Speed On Vgrf And Asymmetry, Kaela M. Hierholzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomechanical and physiological parameters related to running performance are usually studied separately. However, evaluating both aspects together could be beneficial in improving athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to observe the change in peak vGRF and asymmetry as speed increases, while observing physiological responses during a O_2maxtest. Data from athlete monitoring of 12 cross-country and triathlon athletes were analyzed. The athlete monitoring protocol included three unweighted countermovement jumps and a O_2maxtest performed by the athletes. The athletes had an average O_2maxof 53.4 ± 7.7 mL/kg/min, while their average vGRF asymmetry throughout the …

An Empirical Study Of The Determinants Of Consumer Price Sensitivity For The Health And Fitness Club Industry, Lei Ouyang

Dissertations

Ouyang, Lei. An Empirical Study of the Determinants of Consumer Price Sensitivity forthe Health and Fitness Club Industry. Published Doctor of Philosophydissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The primary purpose of this study was to propose and test a general model todescribe the extent to which customer price sensitivity is influenced by perceived value, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and switching costs. Additionally, the study also sought to examine if there is a significant difference in consumer price sensitivity among gender and household income groups. Finally, the study was designed to examine the congruency of the hypothesized model and …

Head Start Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions Of Reggio Emilia Principles Practiced Within Their Own Setting: A Case Study, Tara Terry Voit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Reggio Emilia Approach (REA) and Head Start (HS) value high-quality early education, support for families, and community partnerships according to the literature. Exploring principles of REA in relation to the HS program model may reveal alignment that will inform high-quality developmentally appropriate practices that are meaningful and enhance learning outcomes. This multiple case study explores the REA in alignment within three Head Start programs in New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Participant groups include one education director, one education leader, and four teachers in each of the three locations. In New Mexico, the HS program was located on a Native …

Yield And Nutritional Composition Of Conventional And Bmr Pearl Millet Under Different Management Conditions, Madeline A. Oskey

All Theses

The main objectives of these studies were to evaluate the yield, composition and digestibility of conventional and BMR pearl millet (PM, Pennisetum glaucum) with different establishment dates or harvested at different maturity stages. A second objective was to evaluate the impact of mixing PM with cowpea on measured variables. Two trials were conducted in field plots (1.5 m x 6.1 m) as randomized complete block designs with a split plot arrangement of treatments. In trial 1, two varieties of PM (conventional and BMR) were planted at two different dates (14d apart) and harvested at early heading stage. In trial …

Enzymatic Targets For Improvement Of Malting Sorghum, Andrew Disharoon

All Theses

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is a climate resilient grain cereal crop originating from Africa that has traditionally been used to make a variety of fermented beverages such as pito and baijiu. In western markets, the use of sorghum to produce beers and beverages has recently risen in part due to the visibility of a gluten sensitive/intolerant market and a growing interest in unique inputs for beverage production. As such, there is a developing body of research on sorghum as a malted input into beverages. A major limitation to the wider adoption of sorghum as a substrate in mashing is its …

Investigation Of Consumer Acceptability Of Beverages Through Automated Facial Expression Analysis And Overall Liking, Funan Jiang

All Theses

This research aims to understand consumer’s preference by self-reported overall liking (hedonic scores) and facial expressions elicited by beverages measured by automated facial analysis software (AFEA). Two independent studies were included:

In study 1-Observing and comparing emotions measured through AFEA and hedonic response on basic tastes (N=32), consumers’ facial expressions evoked by bitter and sweet taste solution at high concentrations (1.08g/L and 48.0g/L respectively) (ISO 8586- 1:1993) and water were studied. It concluded that the overall liking of water was significantly higher than bitter and sweet (p

In study 2- The influence of labeling on consumer emotion and hedonic liking …

Saudi Society Of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Guidance On Pregnancy And Coronavirus Disease 2019, Yaser A. Faden, Nadia A. Alghilan, Samiha H. Alawami, Eman S. Alsulmi, Hythem A. Alsum, Yasir A. Katib, Yasser S. Sabr, Fadwah H. Tahir, Nabeel S. Bondagji

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Endoscopic Dilatation As A New Technique In Managing Pediatric Duodenal Hematoma, Fahad M. Alharbi, Khalel H. Hamamesh, Sarah N. Algubaisi

Saudi Medical Journal

A duodenal hematoma secondary to blunt -abdominal trauma is a relatively rare condition and is usually managed conservatively. We report a case of a post-traumatic duodenal hematoma after a road traffic accident in a 10-year-old boy, who presented with progressive vomiting 3 weeks after the accident. The case was managed using serial esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with dilatation. Controlled radial expansion (CRE) balloon dilatation was performed 4 times over a period of 11 weeks. The patient recovered uneventfully and remained asymptomatic at the 3-month follow-up after the last endoscopic dilatation. This case highlights the applicability of EGD with CRE balloon dilatation as …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 4, Number 8, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Steven L. Fullerton, Ana Gutierrez Zubiate, Ignacio Santana

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Employed Mothers’ Satisfaction With The Breastfeeding Provisions In The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Rebecca A. Penders

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Objective: Guided by the Conceptual Model for Nursing and Health Policy (CMNHP), the purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which employed mothers perceived satisfaction in their breastfeeding experiences after enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) breastfeeding provisions. Methods: The participants (N=507) were employed mothers who returned to work after the birth of their infants and reported hourly pay. Convenience sampling was used to recruit women via La Leche USA Facebook account (LLL USA). Participants completed the Penders Breastfeeding Survey in Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). The survey consisted of 39-items; including five …

Effect Of Unilateral Lower-Limb Amputation On Intact Limb Biomechanics: A Systematic Review, Amanda Boyd

Master's Theses

The United States will perform 30,000-40,000 amputations this year (Ertl et al., 2019). As a common medical intervention, there is extensive research regarding rehabilitation strategies and post-operative care. Many studies have explored the effects of the affected limb and prosthetic intervention yet have neglected that of the contralateral limb (De Asha et al., 2014; Jones et al., 2006; Winter & Sienko, 1988). Studies have reported an increase in secondary musculoskeletal conditions among unilateral lower-limb amputees, particularly in the intact limb, indicating the need for additional research (Gailey et al., 2008). The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the …

Profound And Redundant Functions Of Arcuate Neurons In Obesity Development, Canjun Zhu, Zhiying Jiang, Yuanzhong Xu, Zhao-Lin Cai, Qingyan Jiang, Yong Xu, Mingshan Xue, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Qi Wu, Gang Shu, Qingchun Tong

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The current obesity epidemic faces a lack of mechanistic insights. It is known that the acute activity changes of a growing number of brain neurons rapidly alter feeding behaviour; however, how these changes translate to obesity development and the fundamental mechanism underlying brain neurons in controlling body weight remain elusive. Here, we show that chronic activation of hypothalamic arcuate GABAergic (GABA

Break Interrupted: The Role Of Interruptions To Work Breaks In Momentary Recovery Outcomes, Alyssa Michels

Theses and Dissertations

Taking breaks at work can provide beneficial well-being and workplace outcomes through on-the-job recovery experiences, yet research suggests there may be specific break characteristics or individual differences influencing break effectiveness. In order to further elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the effectiveness of breaks during work hours, the present study examined the role interruptions to work breaks play in the relationship between work breaks and both recovery experiences and outcomes. Using an experience-sampling methodology, participants recorded three break experiences while at work. Results show work breaks predict a reduction in negative affect and that interruptions to these work breaks weaken this …

Development Of A Graphical User Interface For Ecg Signals Classification Using Statistical Features Analysis, Mousa Hammad S Aldosari

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac diseases are the most common cause of mortality in the world. The detection of cardiac arrhythmias is not a straightforward process, since minor variations in the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals cannot be easily identified manually. Therefore, automatic detection and classification of cardiac arrhythmia would shorten the diagnostic time and accelerate medical intervention resulting in reducing the mortality rate. In this thesis, I have developed a simple and low-cost computer-aided diagnostic system using MATLAB-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) to facilitate fast operation and access to the data along with the overall accuracy of the system. The acquired ECG signals are processed …

Assessment Of The Growth In Social Groups For Sustainable Agriculture And Land Management, Pretty Jules, Simon Attwood, Richard Bawden, Henk Van Den Berg, Zareen P. Bharucha, Jacob I. Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

For agriculture and land management to improve natural capital over whole landscapes, social cooperation has long been required. The political economy of the later twentieth and early twenty-first centuries prioritized unfettered individual action over the collective, and many rural institutions were harmed or destroyed. Since then, a wide range of social movements, networks and federations have emerged to support transitions towards sustainability and equity. Here, we focus on social capital manifested as intentionally formed collaborative groups within specific geographic territories. These groups focus on: (1) integrated pest management; (2) forests; (3) land; (4) water; (5) pastures; (6) support services; (7) …

To Stop Sharenting & Other Children’S Privacy Harms, Start Playing: A Blueprint For A New Protecting The Private Lives Of Adolescents And Youth (Pplay) Act, Leah Plunkett

Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

No abstract provided.