Digital Commons Network^™

Patience, Young Grasshopper: Analyzing The Fungal Components Of The Grasshopper Gut Microbiome, Staci Seitz

Honors Theses

Microbes inhabit many corners of the Earth, including the intestines of all animals. These intestinal microbes, collectively called the “gut microbiome,” provide numerous nutritional and regulatory functions for the animals they live in and thus play an important role in animal health. The fungal communities in insects, specifically, play a diverse, but important role in insect physiology, as well as insect control. The goals of this project were to expand knowledge of R programming through statistical analysis of microbial ecology and to identify the fungal communities in grasshoppers to enrich our knowledge in insect fungal microbiome. Questions that we wanted …

Leptin’S Role In The Obesity Epidemic, Alyssa C. Washeleski

Honors College Theses

Weight loss methods have been around for decades, but yet, individuals still can’t lose weight or keep it off. Researchers have pondered if there is more to being incapable of losing body fat than individuals having a lack of willpower. While the environment plays a critical role in weight regulation, genetics may be just as important.

Research has discovered a hormone called leptin that controls energy expenditure and satiety. Leptin plays a part in many physiological roles, including appetite control, sexual function, immunity, insulin sensitivity, and the metabolism of lipid and bone. Studies done with mice and humans have concluded …

The Development Of A Scfa Analysis Method And The Examination Of Factors Affecting Listeria Pathogenesis, Ashton Dix

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the three different projects that I worked on during my time in Dr. Yvonne Sun’s microbiology lab. The main goal of the first project was to develop an analytical method on UD’s campus to analyze SCFAs by using Gas Chromatography. This was achieved by creating defined media that could sustain the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) and developing a successful characterization method on a GC. The main goal of the second project was to determine the effects that SCFA supplementation and age have on Listeria infection. This was achieved using in vitro methods to assess the …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Additional Sodium On Grasshopper Growth And Development, Mark Ghastine

Honors Theses

In order to investigate why sodium, combined with macronutrients, led to a spike in grasshopper abundance in a Texas prairie field, laboratory and field studies were conducted in Ohio and Texas to understand if sodium has an effect on grasshopper growth and development. These effects could happen directly, by altering grasshopper physiology, or indirectly by altering the plant communities that grasshoppers eat. To examine direct effects, grasshoppers were captured, reared, and fed diets with varying amounts of sodium. Indirect effects were examined by collecting the most dominant plants within plots treated with different micro and macronutrients, and feeding them to …

Farmer Fertilization Practices Of Mature Rubber Plantations In Northeast Thailand During A Period Of Low Rubber Prices, Supattra Kullawong, Satit Aditto, Bénédicte Chambon, Arunee Promkhambut

Forest and Society

Since 2000, farmers in Northeast Thailand have planted more than 5,000 sq km of rubber on land previously devoted to agriculture. The expansion of rubber led to a significant increase in tree cover in Northeast Thailand. Rubber prices peaked in 2011 and since then farmers have had to adjust to lower prices. Little research has documented how farmers responded to low rubber prices. This paper seeks to describe how small-scale rubber farmers use fertilizer in a region that did not historically grow rubber during a period of low rubber prices. We collected data from structured interviews with 29 farmers in …

An Overview Of Illegal Parrot Trade In Maluku And North Maluku Provinces, Ayu Diyah Setiyani, Mukhtar Amin Ahmadi

Forest and Society

Maluku is widely considered as a global avifauna hotspot. However, illegal parrot trades threatens numerous species to extinction. To date, there is no study on the extent of illegal trade in Maluku, which as a result, hampers efforts at targeting conservation initiatives. The aims of this study are to identify the pattern of illegal parrot trade, to identify factors that contribute to illegal parrot trade, and to identify actors involved in illegal parrot trade in Maluku and North Maluku Provinces. The study found that the number of wildlife rescued in 2018 was 1,402 individuals. Surprisingly, 84% (1,177 individuals) of the …

Clean Meat: Did We Under Or Over Estimate How Far This New Industry Could Grow?, Tyler R. Glick

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Soon lab-grown meat will be on the market for everyday consumers to purchase, but will it be successful as the companies producing it are predicting? Scholarly discussions on lab-grown meat are in their beginning stages with most attention being directed toward the production process (Kowitt 2017; Mitchell 2017: Schwartz & Conley 2018). The late decade of the 2010’s saw an increasing amount of coverage and interest in lab-grown meat. As the technology continues to advance, I hypothesize thatlab-grown meat will become more readily available to consumers; however, I question whether or not consumers are ready for such a change even …

Exchange Rate Regimes And Economic Growth, Amandarae Matthew

Undergraduate Theses

This paper explores the relationship between economic growth and exchange rate regimes among countries of lower income, lower middle income, upper middle income, and high-income countries. Countries must make careful consideration when choosing an exchange rate regime because each regime can have different long-term effects. A cross section pooled time series data will be used for a sample of 42 countries over the period of 2000-2018. Multiple models will examine the various relationships between types of exchange rate regimes, changes in exchange rate regimes, and economic growth. The components of the models being tested include political stability, change in terms …

Animal-Assisted Therapy And Quality Of Life In Patients With Dementia, Karissa D. Thomson

Student Capstone Papers

The aim of this quantitative study was to examine the effects animal-assisted therapy (AAT) had on people diagnosed with dementia living in a nursing home. The study aimed to examine the effects AAT had on depression, blood pressure, social interaction, and how these factors impact quality of life (QOL). The study was conducted once a week for one hour on Thursdays for 6 weeks. 7 participants were included in the study and further broken down into two groups based upon their level of cognition as measured by the Mini-Mental Status Examination. Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and the World Health Organization …

Supporting The Role And Transition To Motherhood Through The Occupation Of Feeding, Bethanne N. Vidmar

Student Capstone Papers

The purpose of this capstone was to assess and explore the occupational needs of mothers who are feeding their infants in a variety of ways to then identify psychosocial and occupational barriers effecting women’s choices in feeding options for their infant through survey and interviews and opportunities for occupational therapists to become more involved in the occupation of breastfeeding.

Data analysis for this capstone project consisted of running a needs assessment in Santa Barbara County. The needs assessment consisted of written or online surveys and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Of the 95 women who filled out the hard-copy or online survey, …

Sleep And Diet In Urban Pregnant African American Women, Erica C. Jansen, Louise M. O'Brien, Gwen L. Alexander, Gayle M. Shipp, Gwendolyn Norman, Kathryn Brogan-Hartlieb, Joseph C. Gardiner, Jean M. Kerver

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

Objective: Sleep disturbances during pregnancy are associated with gestational diabetes and excessive weight gain. Diet could potentially play a role in these relationships, yet examinations of sleep and diet in African American pregnant populations are scarce.

Methods: The study population includes pregnant African American women from Detroit, MI (n=53). At the baseline study visit during late pregnancy, women were surveyed about typical bed and wake times, as well as usual food intake via a dietary screener. Sleep measures examined included time in bed and sleep midpoint (median of going to bed and wake time). Composite dietary measures …

Assets And Unmet Needs Of Diverse Older Adults: Perspectives Of Community-Based Service Providers In Minnesota, Hayley R. Mccarron, Alana Wright, Rajean P. Moone, Traci Toomey, Theresa L. Osypuk, Tetyana Shippee

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This paper examines assets and unmet needs of diverse older adults and highlights the need for programs and policies that address the social determinants of health. The United States is undergoing an unprecedented demographic shift, becoming increasingly diverse and aging rapidly. Given these changing demographics, it is important to understand the strengths and needs of our diverse population of older adults. This study captures perspectives of diverse service providers who work with older adults in communities, to identify existing assets as well as unmet needs and challenges facing diverse older adults in Minnesota. Qualitative data were collected using key informant …

Does Patient-Provider Race/Ethnicity Concordance Impact Outcomes For Adults With Lupus?, Pamela C. Delis Phd, Rn, Cne, Inge B. Corless Phd, Rn, Fnap, Faan, Indigo Young Ms, Ccc-Slp, Mary W. Hildebrand Otd,Otr/L, Jessica G. Bell Ms, Amanda Tarbet Mslis

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Health disparities exist among the 1.5 million Americans with lupus, with women of color bearing higher disease rates and burden. Complex reasons include genetics, comorbidities, and socioeconomics. These factors may lead to differences in health-related outcomes in lupus.

Aim: To determine if patient-provider racial/ethnic concordance plays a role in outcomes for adults with lupus.

Method: For this scoping review, the authors searched PubMed Medline and CINAHL using keywords and subject headings for lupus, race or ethnicity, and patient-health professional concordance.

Results: Despite an intentionally broadened search of literature, the authors identified a lack of studies examining the topic.

Conclusions: …

Effect Of Poverty Level On The Relationship Between Hyperlipidemia And Cardiorenal Syndrome, Sri K. Banerjee Md, Phd, Raymond Panas, James Diegel, Karen Banerjee

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Purpose. Elevated cholesterol is known to be associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) independently. Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), a recently defined syndrome, is characterized by renal failure that is closely interrelated to cardiac dysfunction. The effect of socioeconomic status on cardiorenal syndrome has not been explored in a multi-ethnic population. In this retrospective secondary analysis, the hypothesis was tested if socioeconomic status modifies the effect of hyperlipidemia on CRS.

Methods. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a cross sectional survey done on the non-institutionalized population of the United States. All patients from the NHANES …

Early Sport Specialization And Its Negative Effects Compared To Sport Sampling, Emily Petro

Academic Festival

In the world of athletics, concussions are unfortunately being endured more frequently than ever regardless of skill level, gender, or age. A mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), more commonly referred to as a concussion, is defined as a transient neurological disturbance of the brain induced by some traumatic force.¹ In recent years, participation in athletics has resulted in a staggering 1.6 to 3.8 million annual concussion cases.² Once an athlete gets their first concussion, the likelihood of them getting a second concussion increases 3-fold.³ Concussion research thus far has focused mainly on the consequences of neurophysiological function, …

Media's Effect On America's Obesity Crisis, North Runk

Academic Festival

The obesity epidemic in the United States has continued to increase with more and more children and adults being diagnosed every year. While many recognize this as an issue, there has been little attempts to correct this problem. This paper will research how media has effected this rise in obesity rates by exploring a lack in health promotion as well as how advertisements are directed towards certain individuals. This examination of media’s effect on obesity points out the ineffectiveness of mainstream media to address the rise in obesity levels and will suggest changes required for a comprehensive solution that includes …

Newborn Jaundice, Emily Casey

Academic Festival

Education is a key component to achieving quality patient outcomes for patients and avoidance of preventable complications and adverse events, including medication. The presentation titled “Newborn Jaundice” supports registered nurse’s patient education efforts with the goal of increasing awareness about the signs and symptoms of jaundice and how it can be treated. This project was developed following participation in an undergraduate nursing preceptorship on the mother/baby unit at Greenwich Hospital. While present on the unit, my partner and I became aware that a majority of the newborns on the unit were diagnosed with jaundice within the first 48 …

Food Deserts: How Little, Fresh Food Results In Large Problems, Keira Tobia

Academic Festival

This presentation and paper talk focuses on food deserts and the role it plays in communities. The term food desert is defined due to its qualities and characteristics. The effects of food deserts are addressed. The health and quality of life of individuals living in areas of food deserts are rapidly declining. Data of food deserts in Bridgeport is reviewed and compared to other food desert areas. Education is focused on as having a potential role in reducing food deserts in the United States. Potential solutions are reviewed to eliminate food deserts from society.

The Evolution Of Cardiovascular Disease And Its Relationship To The Human Diet, Mary Reiner

Academic Festival

I am submitting a powerpoint presentation with a voiceover discussing the evolution of our human diet and its relationship to cardiovascular disease.

Thesis: Western style diets can cause detrimental consequences to the health and longevity of the contemporary human population, because the nutritional components of Western diets’ increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Health, Exercise, And Their Motivations, Victoria Dabek

Academic Festival

This paper includes the different type of motivating factors that motivate individuals of different ages and genders to participate in exercise and in healthy lifestyle habits. Also discussed within the paper is social media and web-based programs which contribute to motivating individuals to exercise in both positive and negative ways. For the working population, web-based health promotion campaigns increase adherence within the workplace to partake in healthier habits and physical activity. Social media can be potentially detrimental to the mental health of the young adult population, based on studies done about "fitspiration" media posts on Instagram. It is evident that …

The Genetic And Environmental Factors Of Childhood Obesity And Determining Its Overall Effect On Wellbeing, Janessa Leva

Academic Festival

The purpose of this paper is to provide a complete list of the factors which contribute to childhood obesity and use that knowledge to determine ways in which the disease affects an individual’s health, can be prevented, and those with the disease can become healthy.

Native Pollinator Bombus Impatiens (Apidae) Prefers Non-Native Flower Resources In Isolated Foraging Preferences Assays, Anna Carney, Victoria Jordan, Lexi Edwards

Academic Festival

Pollinators are the key to a successful ecosystem and without pollination our food chain would collapse. Studies have shown that both native and honey bee pollinators are on the decline in recent years. In order to increase pollinator health, proper foraging resources must be provided for bees. Many studies have provided knowledge of foraging preferences of honey bees, however, much less is known about the foraging preferences of native bees. The goal of our study was to determine the foraging preferences of native bees. We began by exploring the foraging preferences of the native eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens (Apidae); …

The Smell Of Attraction: Cuticular Hydrocarbon (Chc) Profiles In A Horned Beetle, Chelsey N. Caldwell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Asian Rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus, is characterized by its large “pitchfork” horns on the heads of males. They use these horns to engage in male competition; battling each other for access to limited females. However, recent field studies suggest that females are choosy, selecting male mates based on traits other than horn size. In many insects, cuticular hydrocarbons are used by females to choose attractive, high quality males as mating partners. CHC’s are the molecules present in the waxy outer layer of the cuticle, functioning in waterproofing but also acting as pheromones. Individual CHC profiles can be indicative of …

Outcome Expectations And Environmental Factors Associated With Engineering College-Going: A Case Study, Holly Matusovich, Andrew Gillen, Cheryl Carrico, David Knight, Jake Grohs

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Family, school, and community contexts each link to secondary school enrollment, yet these factors have been comparatively examined only in limited ways. A holistic examination of contextual factors will be particularly important for engineering where college enrollment patterns vary by demographics. To begin explaining patterns of engineering college-going at different high schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia, we answered the following research questions: Within a single school system and from a socializer’s perspective, what outcome expectations and environmental factors influence students’ engineering-related postsecondary educational plans? How are these factors the same and different between high schools within a school district? …

A Health/Media Literacy Intervention Improves Adults’ Interpretations Of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Advertising, Yvonnes Chen, Kathleen J. Porter, Wen You, Paul Estabrooks, Jamie M. Zoellner

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Although excessive sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) intake is linked to numerous adverse health consequences, media literacy interventions rarely address the influences of food and beverage marketing with a specific focus on adults. This randomized controlled trial study investigated (1) whether media literacy education modifies adults’ perceptions of SSB advertising and (2) whether changes are moderated by health literacy. Results from the multilevel mixed-effects regression analyses with the intention-to-treat last-observation-carried-forward method showed that compared to MoveMore (a matched-contact comparison condition), SIPsmartER (an intervention condition) participants significantly enhanced their skillsets across media literacy domains (i.e., authors/audiences, messages/meanings, representation/reality) between baseline and …

Fodder Yield And Quality Of Egyptian Clover (Trifolium Alexandrinum L.), Annual Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum Lam.), And Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) Monocultures As Affected By Organic And Mineral Fertilization, Heba Sabry Attia Salama

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is the most important forage legume crop in Egypt. Despite the fact that its yield and protein content are high, it is characterized by low dry matter content especially in the 1st cut, in addition to its limited energy supply, attributed to the low carbohydrate content. Therefore, there is a pressing need to introduce some promising winter annual forage grasses, like barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), and investigate their performance under the Egyptian agricultural conditions. This would enhance the Egyptian animal production systems by providing a high-quality feed …

The Effects Of Service-Learning On Writing And Rhetorical Development, Christopher Iverson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the effects of community engagement on college writers years after completing first-year composition courses with service-learning partnerships. Since the 1990’s, scholarship has connected service-learning pedagogy and the gains that student writers stand to enjoy when writing for audiences beyond the classroom and purposes beyond the grade (Bacon, Deans, Wurr), while others have warned of the consequences of hastily planned service-learning partnerships (Mathieu, Cushman). These predictions and cautions have guided the larger conversation of community engagement in writing studies to include community-academy partnerships that involve students to varying degrees or not at all while guiding academic stakeholders in …

Winthrop University Undergraduate Scholarship & Creative Activity 2020, Undergraduate Research Office

Abstract Books

University College and Winthrop University proudly present Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Activity 2020. This ninth annual University- wide compilation of undergraduate work chronicles the accomplishments of students and faculty mentors from at least 35 academic departments and programs, spanning all five colleges of the university: College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Business Administration (CBA), College of Education (COE), College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and University College (UC).

Community Doula Support For Promoting Healthy Gestational Weight Gain: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Meghan Burns

Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses

Appropriate gestational weight gain is important for a healthy pregnancy. Poor weight gain and excess weight gain are associated with increased risk of numerous adverse pregnancy outcomes. Doulas—trained professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to mothers before, during, and shortly after childbirth—have been shown to foster numer-ous health benefits for both mother and child. However, no studies to date have examined the ef-fects of doula support on gestational weight gain. We propose a randomized controlled trial in pregnant women to determine whether community doulas are effective in promoting adher-ence to established gestational weight gain guidelines. We hypothesize …

Liposomal Amphotericin B And Flucytosine Versus Micafungin In Treatment Of Candida Endocarditis, Anton Matthew Yanker

Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program Theses

Candida endocarditis is a life-threatening, opportunistic fungal infection of the endocardium. The mortality rate of Candida endocarditis is approximately 50% and has been increasing in incidence over recent years. Historically, amphotericin B and flucytosine has been considered the standard of treatment for candida endocarditis, but is limited by safety concerns of amphotericin B, primarily nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Echinocandins, such as micafungin, have demonstrated similar efficacy in other forms of invasive candidiasis with better safety profiles, but there have been no large-scale or direct comparison trials. In this review, we summarize existing data between micafungin, an echinocandin, vs. amphotericin B and …