Digital Commons Network^™

The First Global Deep-Sea Stable Isotope Assessment Reveals The Unique Trophic Ecology Of Vampire Squid Vampyroteuthis Infernalis (Cephalopoda), A. V. Golikov, F. R. Ceia, R. M. Sabirov, J. D. Ablett, Ian G. Gleadall, Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Henk-Jan T. Hoving, Heather L. Judkins

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope analyses of a unique collection of beaks from 104 specimens from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Cephalopods typically are active predators occupying a high trophic level (TL) and exhibit an ontogenetic increase in δ15N and TL. Our results, presenting the first global comparison for a deep-sea invertebrate, demonstrate that V. infernalis has an ontogenetic decrease in δ15N and TL, coupled with niche broadening. Juveniles are mobile zooplanktivores, while larger …

Factors Affecting Goat Meat Demand And Willingness To Pay A Premium Price For Domestically Produced Goat Meat In The Southern United States, Mohammed Ibrahim, Nalini Pattanaik, Benjamin Onyango, Elizabeth Walker, Melissa Bledsoe, Christine Sudbrock

College of Agriculture

A consumer survey in Arkansas, Georgia, and Missouri was conducted to determine the drivers of goat meat demand and explore consumers’ willingness to buy goat meat on various festive occasions. Two logistic models were introduced to examine factors affecting current goat meat demand and willingness to pay more for the domestically produced goat meat. Results indicate that goat meat consumption in the South is driven by factors associated with younger age, being nonwhite, and having attained a bachelor’s degree. The study also revealed that willingness to buy goat meat on various festive occasions is highly influenced respondents’ willingness to pay …

The International Human Right To Adequate Housing:An Economic Approach, Sahar Segal

Chicago Journal of International Law

International law recognizes a right to adequate housing. Affordability is one component of this right, and it is increasingly unrealized in highly concentrated cities in advanced economies. The prevailing approach to the right to adequate housing is the human rights approach, which favors government involvement in the market to reduce housing prices, for example, via rentcontrol regulations and policies that limit the use of housing as primarily an investment. This Comment notes that this approach misses the critical fact that governments are already involved in the housing market through the imposition of zoning laws. It suggests that an economic approach, …

Reds, Whites, And Sulfites: Examining Different Organic Wine Regulation Practices In The United States And The European Union, Ryan Puszka

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Abstract:

This note examines the history of regulation within the organic wine industry in the U.S. and the E.U. and explores the motivations behind the production of organic wine in these two regions. The variance in the historical significance of wine between these two regions is reflected in the contemporary differences between the two regions’ rules for organic wine certification. In 2012, the U.S. and the E.U. entered into a comprehensive organic equivalency agreement that covered nearly all organic agricultural products but due to significant differences in the two regions’ regulatory schemes concerning the inclusion of added sulfites in wine, …

Classical Engineering Systems Provide Behavioral Analog For Ephemeral Insect And Plant Biomechanics, Nicholas Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this dissertation we consider ephemeral behaviors of two small-scale living systems, mosquitoes and citrus fruit reservoirs. While these two systems share few obvious commonalities, they both express life events that are complex and conclude within approximately 50 milliseconds. We utilize high-speed videography, between 1,000-16,000 fps, to detail how complex behavior can be modeled as classical engineering systems. Beginning with the larger organism we assessed the landing and takeoff behavior of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to ascertain the secrets of their covert interaction with humans. At takeoff, mosquitoes decrease pushing contact time with substrates of low friction through a modified takeoff …

Water Insecurity And Climate Change As Emerging Human Migration Pressures, Michael Tiboris

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review

No abstract provided.

In Sickness Or In Health: The Impact Of Disease Burdens On The Likelihood Of Violent Conflict, Devyn Escalanti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This paper expands on the relationship between disease burdens and the onset of violent conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1990-2012. Most studies have focused on conflict as a cause of HIV transmission, while some suggest that HIV infection rates, by substantially reducing life-expectancy, increase the onset of violence by lowering the opportunity cost of rebelling for HIV-positive individuals. This paper argues that to the degree that life expectancy is important to opportunity costs, it is more likely driven by other factors. First, I argue preventable diseases that are less connected to individual decision-making, and the presence of poor health infrastructure …

Mobile Health Technology To Enhance Healthcare Service Delivery In Developing Nations (Saudi Arabia), Nawaf Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Saudi Arabia is among the countries that have very high prevalence rates of diabetes and hypertension, with prevalence rates of almost 18% and 25%, respectively. The majority of patients with diabetes and hypertension fail to manage their diseases and to show up for their follow up appointments. Mhealth technology is among the interventions that have been recently adopted to overcome these issues and improve the quality of healthcare services. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile phone application named diabetes and hypertension application (DHA Tracking) to promote adherence for patients with diabetes and hypertension in Mecca, Saudi …

A Computational Biomechanical Model-Based Optimization Of Fulcrum Support In Orthosis Enabled Closed Reduction Of Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip, Christopher Rose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Hip abduction orthosis devices (HAOD) are used to reduce the hip joint of infants affected by developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). HAOD have been successful for mild cases of DDH and ineffective for severe cases. Efforts in understanding the biomechanics of lower limbs have been made to improve the success rate of current treatment methods, especially for Grade IV dislocations (G4). The aim of this dissertation is twofold: first, it proposes the use of a varying fulcrum point (FP) located below the leg to improve DDH treatment; and secondly, it defines the optimal FP (OP) location for a broad …

Nutrition And Health Status Of Hemodialysis Patients In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tanjina Rahman

Wayne State University Dissertations

Methods to identify patients at risk for End stage renal disease (ESRD) are a high priority in Bangladesh, where kidney transplants/dialysis options are limited and costly. Every year, 35,000 to 40,000 people reach ESRD in Bangladesh, but currently available facilities can hardly accommodate only 9000 to 10,000 new patients with twice weekly dialysis and the remaining 66% have no access to any kind of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the form of dialysis or transplantation. Nutrition is an important factor in maintaining good health of hemodialysis patients. However, data on nutritional status of Bangladeshi dialysis patients is limited and is …

The Effects Of Postpartum Depression, Acculturative Stress, And Social Support On Mother-Infant Bonding Among U.S. Immigrant Women Of Arabic Descent, Darin Mansor Mathkor

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purpose and Background/Significance: The transition from “woman” to “mother” is a significant life event and can be extremely stressful when merged with the transition from ‘local’ to ‘immigrant’. The development of mother-infant bonding is considered a critical process in the postpartum period. Immigrant women have higher rates of PPD compared with women in their native countries. Among the general population, PPD is strongly associated with lower quality mother-infant bonding. Social support can play a central role in lowering the levels of PPD, and may contribute to higher quality of mother-infant bonding. Moreover, limited data suggests that acculturative stress is found …

Technology And Responsibility: A Discussion Of Underexamined Risks And Concerns In Precision Livestock Farming, Ian Werkheiser

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Implications

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) promises to replicate at scale, the care usually provided by farmers who know their animals.

This suite of current and developing technologies has the potential to address many problems facing modern farms.

Many underexamined concerns still exist around PLF, some of which are common to many new technologies, and others of which are more specific to these technologies being implemented on farms with humans and nonhuman animals.

Though these concerns are not a sufficient reason to abandon PLF, they ought to be considered more carefully by everyone working on developing, implementing, or legislating these technologies.

2020 Annual Report, Tennessee. Department Of Human Services

Annual Reports

This annual report highlights the accomplishments of the Department of Human Services for the fiscal year.

Annual Report [2020], Tennessee. Department Of Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities

Annual Reports

This document is the annual report of the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the fiscal year.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Racial And Ethnic Differences In Cost Of Care Conversations Among Older Adults, Kyaien Oquinn Conner, Jaqueline Wiltshire, Edlin Colato Garcia, Barbara Langland-Orban, Erica Anderson, Iraida Carrion, Amber Goodman, Ashley Goodman

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: The rapidly growing racially diverse, aging population in the United States is presenting unique challenges for our social, economic, and healthcare systems. Rising health care costs, increased patient cost-sharing, and limited financial resources make this generation of older Americans susceptible to large medical bills or debt which disproportionally impacts older racial/ethnic minorities. Cost-of-care (CoC) conversations between patients and doctors is one recommended approach to containing health care costs and alleviating patients’ financial burden of care.

Methods: The current study used focus group methodology to qualitatively explore the contextual factors that influence CoC conversations in a diverse sample of older …

A Mixed Methods Study To Investigate Barriers And Enablers To Nurses’ Implementation Of Nonpharmacological Interventions For Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Nas), Allison Suber Adrian

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The national burden of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome on individuals, families, and the healthcare system has reached epidemic proportion. The rising incidence of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome significantly impacts healthcare utilization and costs due to increases in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admissions and length of hospitalization, to the possible detriment of maternal-infant bonding. Because nonpharmacologic nursing care is not complicated by the potentially harmful side effects of pharmacological treatment, it should be considered the standard of care for opioid-exposed infants; therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the barriers and enablers to nurses’ implementation of nonpharmacological interventions for infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is …

Effect Of November 2016 Medicare And Medicaid Programs Policy Of Requirements Of Participation (Rop) For Nursing Homes On Quality Measures, Lynn Naves Carpenter

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Policymaking has a long and complex history in long-term care, which is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States. The Final Rule for Reform of Requirements of Participation (RoP) for Long-Term Care Facilities was published with Phase I of III effective November 26, 2016. A retrospective program evaluation using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Compare was conducted of 14,210 SNFs/ NFs. This study used a quantitative approach to determine the impact of the RoP on four quality measures: percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic, long-stay residents with …

Type 2 Diabetes Prevention And Management Educational Toolkit, Theresa O. Orjiakor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDiabetes is one of the chronic diseases that are challenging to prevent and manage. Approximately 8.3% of the United States' population has type 2 diabetes. One of the primary challenges in managing the disease entails reducing the associated financial and human costs by preventing new cases and enacting social change. Prevention and management education programs using enhanced toolkit may have positive effects on type 2 diabetes patients, who start enjoying a good quality of life, as well as positive social change in their communities and families. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate a type 2 diabetes …

Strategies For Recruiting Volunteers In The Nonprofit Sector, Marsha Delahaye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many nonprofit organizations (NPO) leaders lack formal strategies to recruit volunteers. Nonprofit leaders without effective volunteer recruitment strategies may lack the workforce necessary to achieve the organization’s mission to support organization beneficiaries. Grounded in the strategic human resource management theory, the purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to explore strategies 3 leaders of a nonprofit organization located in the U.S. state of Colorado use to recruit volunteers. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, organizational documents, public and government data, and the organization’s website. The data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step thematic analysis process and the Baldrige Performance Excellence …

Organizational Culture As A Predictor Of Counselors’ Wellness, Ashley Nicole Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The foci of existing literature related to counselor wellness are on counselors as individuals, and researchers have failed to consider counselors as part of a larger system. Researchers have found that demanding work environments are more likely to lead to compassion fatigue and burnout for counselors which pose threats to the well-being of clients. The organizational culture also affects counselor self-efficacy, which influences the emotional state of the counselors. Limited research exists on institutional-level factors, such as the organizational culture, in counselor wellness which demonstrates the importance of this study. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental survey study was to …

Pressure Injury Prevention In An Urban Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Kayma P. Ricks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) affect approximately 2.5 million patients in the

United States, annually. Prevention requires surgical intensive care unit (SICU) nursing staff to

effectively use evidence-based risk assessment measures to appropriately identify patients at risk

for developing HAPIs and to prevent poor patient outcomes. The Braden Scale risk assessment

tool has demonstrated reliability and validity in the prediction and assessment of patients at risk

for the development of HAPIs. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project

was to improve nurses’ knowledge of the appropriate use of the Braden Scale risk assessment

tool in the SICU of …

Online Social Support And Biopsychosocial Implications For Bariatric Patients, Jamie Kathryn Schofell-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has grown to epidemic proportions in the United States with approximately 40% of women and 30% of men having a body mass index greater than 35. Bariatric surgery is an effective form of weight loss. However, weight regain is a problem, with 50% of persons undergoing bariatric surgery experiencing a weight regain of 5% within 2 years of surgery and only 40% maintaining a loss of 30% or more long-term. Potential biological, psychological, and social issues can negatively impact the long-term success of weight management for many bariatric surgery patients. Research is significantly limited within this area and it …

Addressing Cardiovascular Disease Among Populations Disproportionately Impacted In The United States, Michael Leron Sells

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes the most deaths in the United States and is disproportionately impacting certain groups more than others. A gap in the research exists when focusing on national data for those who bear the highest burden of CVD amongst people with hypertension when cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are examined. There is also a need to investigate the relationships between key indicators for CVD health disparities in people with hypertension. The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the cumulative effect of key health disparities indicators such as race, age, gender, education, and income using national-level surveillance data …

Electronics And Computer Sales: Brick-And-Mortar Retail Strategies To Increase Revenue, Thomas Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growth of online retailing threatens brick-and-mortar retail revenues. Brick-and-mortar retail leaders who fail to increase revenues risk insolvency. Grounded in the theory of change, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies electronics and computer brick-and-mortar retail leaders use to increase revenue in response to competition from online retailers. The participants comprised 6 electronics and computer brick-and-mortar electronics retail store leaders in San Diego, California, who effectively used strategies to increase revenues. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company information, financial data, and web site documentation. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the …

An Interpretive Qualitative Study Of Idaho Head Start Families Facing Food Insecurity, Sherry Deiter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to examine food insecurity among Idaho Head Start enrolled families, focusing on barriers and deterrents to accessing available nutrition assistance programs. The social-ecological model (SEM) was used as the theoretical foundation for this study. Based on this model, the research questions were designed to explore experiences of participants related to individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, policy, and educational factors that influenced food insecurity. Parents who had children enrolled in Idaho Head Start programs that met purposeful sampling criteria were recruited for the study. A total of 11 parents, all who had experiences …

Congestive Heart Failure And Strategies To Improve Quality Of Life, Esther Akunna Okorie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congestive heart failure is a global, chronic, progressive, and debilitating disease affecting mostly older adults. The multiple complications associated with the health issue led to readmissions and markedly reduced ability of heart failure (HF) patients to perform the self-care management of the problem. Nurses are responsible for providing a standardized quality education for patients; however, nurses at the project site lacked adequate skills and knowledge to bridge the gap in HF self-care management education. The project was guided by health belief model and self-care deficit with the goal of boosting the staff knowledge and confidence with providing patient HF self-care …

African American Maternal Mortality In The United States: A Quantitative Analysis Of Chronic Disease And Maternal Deaths, Glory Inyang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women have higher rates of chronic disease including diabetes and cardiovascular related disease compared to White women and are 3 to 4 times more likely to die during childbirth, more than any other ethnic group in the United States. . When African American women become pregnant these conditions may influence their maternal health outcomes. This study aimed to determine difference in pregnancy related death associated with chronic conditions between African American women and White women. Based on secondary/archival data from the Center for Disease Control and Preventions' 2017 National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Multiple Cause Files a …

The Meaning Of Work And Self-Sufficiency For Rural Work- Eligible Adults, Janneice Mitcheam-Eatmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the implementation of government programs created to ensure access to job training and education assistance for rural residents, which encourage and support their efforts to change their life trajectory, many rural residents remain unemployed and unable to move beyond poverty. Most research on job training focuses on program effectiveness or epidemiological trends; however, the voices of rural residents' descriptions of their relationship to work and self-sufficiency are missing from the literature. This IPA study explored the meaning of work and self-sufficiency for rural, work-eligible adults using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) as the theoretical framework. I used a combination …

Pulse 005

Pulse Magazine Archive

No abstract provided.

Interprofessional Education Annual Report: 2019-2020, University Of Nebraska Medical Center

Annual Reports: Interprofessional Education

No abstract provided.