Digital Commons Network^™

Heeding The Call Of Covid-19, David Wiebers, Valery Feigin

Animal Sentience

We are grateful to all of our commentators. They have provided a wide range of valuable perspectives and insights from many fields, revealing a broad interest in the subject matter. Nearly all the commentaries have helped to affirm, refine, expand, amplify, deepen, interpret, elaborate, or apply the messages in the target article. Some have offered critiques and suggestions that help us address certain issues in greater detail, including several points concerning industrialized farming and the wildlife trade. Overall, there is great awareness and strong consensus among commentators that any solution for preventing future pandemics and other related health crises must …

Identifying Meaningful Dietary Intake And Physical Activity Questions For Individual And Population Health, Jennifer Bennett Shinall, David G. Schlundt, Et Al.

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

We aimed to identify valid screening questions for adults regarding physical activity and dietary behaviours that (a) were correlated with BMI, (b) were deemed by patients and providers to be relevant to clinical care, and (c) have utility for longitudinal understanding of health behaviours in populations. The goal was to identify screening questions that could be implemented at annual health care visits. First, we identified dietary behaviour questions and solicited patient input. Next, we tested both physical activity and dietary behaviour questions in a large sample to test their potential utility. Finally, we used cognitive interviews with patients and physicians …

Characterizing Industrial And Artisanal Fishing Vessel Catch Composition Using Environmental Dna And Satellite-Based Tracking Data, Demian A. Willette, Gabriela Navarrete-Forero, Zachary Gold, Apollo Marco D. Lizano, Leonardo Gonzalez-Smith, Giovanna Sotil

Biology Faculty Works

The decline in wild-caught fisheries paired with increasing global seafood demand is pushing the need for seafood sustainability to the forefront of national and regional priorities. Validation of species identity is a crucial early step, yet conventional monitoring and surveillance tools are limited in their effectiveness because they are extremely time-consuming and require expertise in fish identification. DNA barcoding methods are a versatile tool for the genetic monitoring of wildlife products; however, they are also limited by requiring individual tissue samples from target specimens which may not always be possible given the speed and scale of seafood operations. To circumvent …

Parental Substance Use And Its Impact On Children’S Health And Safety. Increased Need For Collaboration And Multidisciplinary Efforts, Blerta Shehaj, Joanne Chopak-Foss

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

Pengaruh Jam Kerja Orang Tua Terhadap Kognitif Anak Di Indonesia, Pradini Ajeng Gemellia, Turro S. Wongkaren

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

The current phenomenon shows an increasing work activities by both fathers and mothers to fulfil household needs. This social change is feared to give children imbalance time, causing children’s development to be not optimal. This study aims to see the influence of parental working hour on children’s cognitive scores in Indonesia. This study used data from IFLS Survey in 2007 and 2014 with a unit of analysis of children aged 7 to 14 used an OLS estimation method. The results of this study indicate that parental working hours had negative influence on children’s cognitive scores.

Rethinking Behavior - Winter 2021, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Winter 2021, Volume 4, Issue 2

Modeling Substance Use And Mental Disorder Comorbidity Using Latent Variable And Network Approaches, Courtney T. Blondino

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Addressing SUD has been complicated by comorbid mental disorders and co-occurring substance use. Consequently, detailing and addressing SUD and comorbid SUD represent an important goal to improve the health of Americans.

Objective. The research goal of this dissertation was to characterize the comorbidity between substance use, including tobacco use, and mental disorder symptoms measured as negative affect and externalizing symptoms in a population-based sample using latent variable and network approaches.

Methods. Waves 1 – 3 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were used. …

Streptococcus Sanguinis: The Good, The Bad, And The Metal-Binding Lipoprotein, Cody Murgas

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is an opportunistic bacterium living beneficially in the human mouth. When S. sanguinis gains access to the bloodstream, it can result in colonization on damaged tissue and generate heart valve vegetations that can develop into infective endocarditis. It has been suggested that Mn and Fe are cofactors in the pathogenic capacity of this bacterium, and that these redox active metals are imported by the metal binding lipoprotein S. sanguinis adhesin B (SsaB). The SsaB lipoprotein is an integral part of SsaACB, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport system in S. sanguinis. When SsaB is deleted, the resulting strain displays …

Kaleidoscope Wellness | Destigmatizing Mental Health For Teens By Design, Rhode L. Baptiste

Theses and Dissertations

Motivation

Mental health is a global public health crisis. (Marcus et. al, 2012; WHO, 2020). Although there is a growing acceptance of the complexities surrounding mental illness, care delivery for adolescents with mental health concerns remains highly stigmatized, which contributes to delays in care (Hoisington et. al, 2019; Burns & Birrell, 2014). Half of all mental illnesses can be detected prior to the age of 14 (National Alliance for Mental Health, 2020). While research exploring how the physical health care environment impacts health and well-being for patients has evolved immensely over the past two decades, research on how facility design …

A Study On The Pupal Development Of Calliphora Vomitoria (L., 1758) (Calliphoridae: Diptera) At Different Temperatures, Osman Sert, Ceyda Ergi̇l

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, the pupal development process of the Calliphora vomitoria (L. 1758), widely used in the estimation of postmortem time in forensic entomology, was examined. In the last decade, studies of the development periods in the pupal stage and the development times of these periods have increased around the world and specifically in Turkey. In this study, the aim was to detect the pupal development periods of the Calliphora vomitoria via a process of hourly pupal dissection, a process that would be the only one of its kind in the literature for this species. This method was repeated under …

From Quandary Cases To Ordinary Life: New Opportunities To Connect Social Ethics And Health Care Ethics, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

In Christian bioethics, the call for a greater integration of social ethics and medical ethics is a popular refrain, yet lasting progress toward this goal has been elusive, in part due to the traditional emphasis on quandary cases in medical ethics. This article develops an alternative approach to moral discernment in health care, employing a theological interpretation of solidarity to promote greater social consciousness in ordinary health care decision making. This shifts the ethical analysis from abstract scenarios to everyday choices, elevating the moral significance of seemingly mundane concerns like antibiotic use and diet and exercise.

Dominance Or Leverage? An Analysis Of Female Power In Captive Varecia, Jessie E. Birckelbaw

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Lemurs are unusual in that, unlike in most other primates, females have more power than males. This is evident by females receiving priority access to foods and preferred spaces, and frequent grooming. Rebecca Lewis provided a framework to analyze the basis of female power that distinguishes between true dominance and leverage. Dominance is defined as the physical ability to overpower an individual, whereas leverage is the ability to influence others based on intangible resources, such as social currency like grooming or the potential for mating. This study aimed to investigate female power in the critically endangered ruffed lemurs (genus Varecia). …

Correctional Education As Therapeutic Change: Exploring The Use Of Animal-Assisted Therapy Programs With Incarcerated Women, Terrie Ciez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Throughout history and in every culture and country, animals and humans have formed special bonds often as pets. Well trained pets have often been used in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) programs in hospitals and nursing homes to help patients cope with illnesses and recovery while away from home. Pet visits to these facilities have documented reductions in medications, stress, and loneliness when a simple wet nose reaches on to a patient’s bed for attention. A variety of animals have been incorporated into various facilities ranging from birds, fish tanks, and puppies and kittens to relieve the stress of residents. A …

Secret Literate Lives: Rural Adolescent Title I Reading Students, Zoe A. Cassady

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the self-efficacy and identity beliefs about literacy of 10 rural adolescent Title I Reading students. Sociocultural theory influenced by knowledge of self, culture, identity, and self-efficacy served as the theoretical framework for the study. The research employed a qualitative case study design using a photo-elicitation interview (PEI) technique. Participants were asked to bring 20 photos picturing literacy to the interviews. An interview guide provided basic questions, and probes and discussions focused on the participants’ photographs, which are included in the dissertation. The audio- and videotaped interviews and the researcher notes concerning the participants’ photographs were transcribed for …

Comparing Students’ Academic Achievement And Attitudes In Undergraduate Flipped And Non-Flipped Classrooms: A Mixed-Methods Study, Rabab Alareifi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Today’s classrooms are filled with a diversity of students of different cultural backgrounds, languages, and socioeconomic statuses, and these differences can impact the students’ learning styles and outcomes. To meet their individual needs, the focus of educational institutions has been on transforming the role of teachers from lecturers to “guides on the side” by developing student-centered active learning strategies and employing effective instruction.A flipped classroom model of instruction is student centered and grounded in the constructivist theory of learning and serves as a potential instructional model to achieve these goals. Recently, a movement has emerged in higher educational institutions in …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of A Pre-College Summer Program: The Research Apprentice Program, Stanford B. Oglesby Iii

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Research Apprentice Program is a pre-college, summer enrichment program that seeks to recruit underrepresented students into the field of agriculture and the College of ACES at the University of Illinois. The program has been in operation for more than thirty years and has reported many successes. Among these successes are a recruitment rate of 55% and a graduation rate of 96%. This program has yet to be formally evaluated. This study was conducted to provide a formative evaluation of the program to assess if the intended outcomes of the administrative participants are consistent with the lived experiences of the …

Longitudinal And Concurrent Contributions Of Verbal And Physical Scaffolding To Toddlers’ Inhibitory Control, Anton Petrenko

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Executive function (EF) is crucial to lifespan development and environmental factors have been found to impact its development. Previous research has shown that parenting can make meaningful impacts on children’s EF, with scaffolding receiving broad support. Scaffolding refers to an adult’s ability to guide a child through a challenging task without providing too much or too little support. However, many of the studies which have examined scaffolding have been done in preschool- and school-aged samples, with limited research conducted in younger samples. Very few studies have separately examined verbal and physical components of scaffolding, which may differentially contribute to children’s …

“They Just Think No One Struggles Here”: A Qualitative Case Study On The Experiences Of Students With Food Insecurity At A Small, Liberal Arts College In The Midwestern United States, Rachel Costello Pridgen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Food insecurity is more prevalent on college campuses than nationwide, though many assume it is not an issue. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of students with food insecurities at a small, liberal arts college. This study particularly focuses on how the liberal arts context influences the experiences of students with food insecurities. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis and analyzed through a single qualitative case study. Five themes emerged from the research: a) the perceptions of students as well-off created unique barriers; b) student participants had limited access to food …

The Power Of Presidential Rhetoric: The State Of The Union And Legislative Productivity, Kaylar M. Recker

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Congressional scholars have long debated what factors influence legislative productivity. Mayhew argues that “landmark enactments” are more likely to occur under divided-party control of government, while Binder takes exception to this contention by incorporating legislative demand and different types of divided-party governments. Dodd and Schraufnagel argue that topical legislative productivity is the best measure of legislative competence and quasi-divided government is especially counterproductive, when accounting for polarization. This research incorporates all of these factors: divided government, legislative demand, and polarization; however, my interest is more about the imperial presidency thesis, which argues that presidents have become too powerful relative to …

The Gut Microbiome Of Hapalemur Griseus Griseus, Propithecus Diadema, And Propithecus Coquereli: A Comparative Study Between Wild And Captive Lemur Species, Brenna Ritchie

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Madagascar is home to thousands of endemic species, making it a biodiversity hotspot that is rapidly losing its fauna due to deforestation and human expansion. Efforts to restore and preserve this unique island are ongoing and several researchers have placed their focus on preventing species extinctions. One research avenue that can help contribute to these efforts is to study health and wellness of animals located in areas affected by these changes. In this study, I sought to characterize microbial community composition of two native lemur species found in Madagascar and compare those profiles to similar species found in captivity in …

Xylan-Derived Carbon Nutrient Acquisition By Caulobacter Crescentus, Rhoda Ekuama Inkoom

Masters Theses

Bacterial decomposition of xylan and uptake of xylan-derived carbon compounds require a combination of enzymes, proteins, and complex molecular mechanisms. Bacteria have evolved molecular mechanisms for its utilization depending on its environment and source of xylan. Caulobacter crescentus, a Gram-negative bacterium which lives in an aquatic oligotrophic environment, exhibits asymmetric division which is an adaptive feature for its nutrient poor habitat. Although aromatic hydrocarbon and cellulose-derived mono-, di- and oligosaccharide utilization has been reported in literature, its xylan-derived carbon compound utilization is yet to be characterized. In this study, C. crescentus utilizes xylan-derived monomers arabinose, xylose and acetate as …

Chemical Diversity And Antimicrobial Properties Of Spike-Rush Species And Related Genera (Genus Eleocharis, Family Cyperaceae), Yiru Zhang

Masters Theses

The focus of this research was to explore the chemical diversity and antimicrobial properties of Eleocharis dulcis. By using methanol as a solvent to extract phytochemicals, qualitative comparisons were made between HPLC chromatograms from Eleocharis species and other genera. Meanwhile, this study also examined the antimicrobial properties of phytochemicals extracted from various tissues of Eleocharis dulcis in two different solvents (water or methanol) against two Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) using a disc diffusion assay. The results suggested that the extracts had limited antimicrobial properties at up to 100 …

Cumulative Risk, Parenting, And Adolescents’ Problem Behaviors In Ghana, Braima Salaam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The accumulation of multiple risk factors predisposes adolescents to problem behaviors such as anxiety, depression, and aggression, whereas parental warmth and behavioral control are protective by lowering adolescents’ experiences of these problem behaviors. Research in predominantly Western, industrialized, and rich contexts has shown that in stressful family environments, cumulative co-occurring risks and parenting factors act together to influence adolescents’ problem behaviors. In particular, studies have shown that parental warmth and behavioral control mediate and moderate the effect of cumulative risk to predict adolescents’ problem behaviors. The present study examines the effect of cumulative risk, and mothers’ and fathers’ warmth and …

Diversity And Taxonomy Of Malagasy Pygmy Hippopotamuses, Allison Shackelton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Madagascar has many species of extinct megafauna, including up to three species of extinct hippopotamus. Subfossil hippo specimens have been found at sites across Madagascar, yet the number of species and taxonomic relationships of the extinct Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus are poorly understood. This thesis will analyze cranial and postcranial bones to improve our understanding of the diversity and taxonomy of Malagasy subfossil hippos, focusing on adults from Ampasambazimba and Tsaramody and juveniles from Ampasambazimba and Anjohibe. Measurements of the tibia and femur of adult specimens, which are used as diagnostic features in other studies, may not be accurate diagnostic features, …

Recreational Female Crossfit Athletes And Low Energy Availability, Alison Kuch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CrossFit is a demanding sport in which athletes perform constantly varied, functional movements at a high intensity, therefore requiring an adequate energy availability to avoid negative health and performance consequences. The purpose of this study was to assess risk of low energy availability (low EA) (phase 1) among recreational, female CrossFit athletes and measure and calculate energy availability using a 7-day dietary to measure energy intake (EI) and exercise energy expenditure (ExEE) (phase 2). In phase 1, using the LEAF-Q (Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire), 49% of survey respondents (n=149) were found to be at risk of low EA. …

Evaluating And Predicting The Risk Of Algal Blooms In A Freshwater Lake Through A 4-Dimensional Approach: A Case Study On Lake Mitchell, Sumit Kumar Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Excessive algal growth in freshwater lakes can negatively impact ecosystems, recreation, and human health. Though algae are a natural part of freshwater ecosystems, elevated nutrient loading from anthropogenic and natural sources can lead to algal blooms. Both algae and blue-green algae (BGA) are responsible for algal blooms; however, BGA (cyanobacteria) is more dangerous. The first objective of this research was to prepare a conceptual model to understand how various environmental variables affect algae. This conceptual model was used to choose the environmental variables that help increase or decrease algae in the water environment. The second objective was to develop empirical …

Enabling Conceptual Learning To Prepare Students For The New World Of Nutrition Communication, Sabine Zempleni

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

During the last decades, the flow of nutrition information between nutrition professionals and consumer has changed profoundly. Newest scientific findings are freely available from public data bases and often make it prematurely into the media and social media. Therefore, students need to require a precise knowledge of nutrition concepts, be able to explain the concepts to the consumer, and apply those concepts to eating decisions. Many students have not made the transition from memorizing individual facts to conceptual learning. Students will need appropriate learning tools and instructions to help them make this transition successfully. The goal of this Peer Review …

Vbms 403: Integrated Principles And Prevention Of Livestock Diseases, Christina L. Topliff

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio documents the teaching objectives, strategies, assessments, and changes implemented for VBMS 403: Integrated Principles and Prevention of Livestock Diseases, an Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) 10 Capstone course taught during the Spring Semester through the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Teaching methods and course activities included traditional lecturing with quizzes and examinations, in-class discussions, short reading assignments, and the generation of a scholarly term paper demonstrating broad knowledge, technical proficiency, information collection, synthesis, interpretation, and presentation. This portfolio documents the qualitative and quantitative methods used to assess the course learning objectives (goals). My …

Fdst205 Food Composition Analysis — A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Mei Lu

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The purpose of this peer review of the teaching portfolio was to document and evaluate the course activities that are aimed at improving student learning in FDST205 Food Composition Analysis. This FDST205 is unique that it is offered exclusively to the students in the 3+1 International Food Science Dual Degrees Program established between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Northwest Agricultural & Forestry University (NWAFU) in China. Students that enrolled in this course were a cohort of 55 sophomores in the 3+1 Food Science Dual Degrees Program. In spring 2021, the lecture part of FDST205 was offered online synchronously, while …

Fdst 420: Fruits And Vegetables Technology – A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Charles Nwaizu

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The aim of this portfolio is twofold: first, the portfolio serves to document the author’s approach to teaching while also providing necessary tools to revamp the course delivery methods to a more active learning format from traditional lecture format. Secondly, this portfolio evaluates the effects of students’ group lab discussion, students Interactive class trivia and interdisplinary students’ collaboration active learning approaches on student learning and performances in the course. The student group lab discussion activity involved modification of some of the lab tasks to include short questions listed under the lab procedure. These questions were discussed within the group and …