Digital Commons Network^™

Cetacean Maternal Investment: Importance In Conservation Across Species And Drivers For Interspecific Altruism, Christopher Klein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cetacean maternal investments can be useful for conservation management as well as examining behaviors such as interspecific altruism in the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae. Cetaceans are among the most threatened group of marine mammals. In the second chapter, maternal investments across ~90 species/subspecies of Cetacea were analyzed to aid in the understanding of recovery/replacement for conservation and management. Using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), a relative maternal-investment index for 41 cetacean species was built. The maternal-investment index was a composite of four maternal-investment variables, the duration of gestation, lactation, calving intervals, and the number of reproduction years per female per species. …

Chemical Nature Of Phosphorus In Cropping Soils From Western Australia Characterised By 31p Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Gustavo Boitt, Craig Scanlan, Zed Rengel

The State of Soil Science in WA

Speciation of soil phosphorus (P) is paramount to understanding the biogeochemical cycle in agroecosystems and key for an efficient P management. Most studies using solution-state 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for P speciation were done in soils from eastern Australia. Currently, in-depth knowledge of the P dynamics is limited for the western-Australian region. Only one study has been published using solution-state 31P NMR to characterise P compounds in topsoils (0–2.5 cm) from Western Australia under karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) forests. Therefore, the objective of this research is to improve our knowledge and provide new information on the …

Engineering In Situ Soil And Plant Microbiomes To Improve Agricultural Productivity, Falko Mathes, Fiona Mcdonald, Peter Keating

The State of Soil Science in WA

The world’s population is predicted to reach 9 billion people by 2050 thus increasing crop production on current agricultural land to meet the rising demand for food is paramount. Farmers routinely manage both plant and soil nutrition to increase crop yields. However, active management of in situ soil and plant microbiomes to improve productivity is uncommon. Here, we present a patented technology aiming to reliably engineer soil and plant microbiomes to increase crop production. Bioprime is a ferment of molasses that can be applied as seed coating, or as foliar and soil spray.

Inheriting And Advancing The Essence Of Nomadic Culture, And Searching For A New Course Of Harmonious Development On The Grassland, Zhongling Liu, Cunzhu Liang, Lixing Wang, Dunyuan Hao, Huaming Liu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of Diabetes Prevention In Health Care Organizations: Best Practice Recommendations, Janet Williams, Neha Sachdev, Kate Kirley, Tannaz Moin, O. Kenrik Duru, Kimberly D. Brunisholz, Kelly Sill, Elizabeth Joy, Gina C. Aquino, Ameldia Brown, Christopher O'Connell, Brenda Rea, Holly Craig-Buckholtz, Patricia W. Witherspoon, Cindy Bruett

Hospital Medicine Articles

Approximately 1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes, a condition characterized by blood glucose levels that are above normal, not in the type 2 diabetes ranges, and that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Evidence-based treatments can be used to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes. The American Medical Association (AMA) has collaborated with health care organizations across the country to build sustainable diabetes prevention strategies. In 2017, the AMA formed the Diabetes Prevention Best Practices Workgroup (DPBP) with representatives from 6 health care organizations actively implementing diabetes prevention. Each organization had a unique …

We Are...Marshall, June 23, 2021, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

Interactive Features Of E-Texts’ Effects On Learning: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Ben Seipel, Staci Gilpin, Christine Litzinger

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

E-texts afford interactive features that are not feasible with paper texts. Several studies have been conducted examining interactive features of E-texts, but it is uncertain what the overall effect is or what features may be most useful. The purpose of this study is to systematically review and meta-analysis of the findings comparing reading performance and/or reading times between E-texts with interactive features and control texts (paper or static E-texts). The systematic search of the literature identified 26 independent studies on reading performance. Based on the meta-analysis, interactive features benefited reading performance (g = .66, p < .001). Individual studies with positive effects involved multiple interactive features; however, potential contributions of three types of features (questions with feedback, digital glossaries, and collaborative tools) are discussed. Future directions for examining interactive features experimentally to better understand what features are most helpful for whom are described.

Half Of New Hampshire Residents Buy Local Farm Food At Least A Few Times A Month, But Engagement Varies By County, Jess Carson, Analena Bruce, Isaac Leslie

Carsey Publications

Getting local farm food to customers in ways that make financial and logistical sense for both farmers and consumers has long challenged the growth of direct-to-consumer sales. And despite a surge of interest in local foods spurred by the pandemic, there have been few data sources available to farmers and local food advocates for measuring consumers’ contemporary engagement with local food systems and market types.

In this brief, Jess Carson, Analena Bruce, and Isaac Leslie describe data collected in the May 2021 Granite State Poll and find that while more than 80 percent of Granite Staters report buying local farm …

Feasibility Of A Virtual Group Nutrition Intervention For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Acadia W. Buro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased likelihood of being overweight or developing obesity. As children and adolescents with ASD exhibit problematic eating behaviors and may consume more energy-dense foods and fewer fruits and vegetables than typically developing youth, nutrition represents a modifiable obesity risk factor for adolescents with ASD, yet there is a lack of interventions to improve healthy eating and reduce the risk of obesity in this population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a virtual implementation of BALANCE (Bringing Adolescent Learners with Autism Nutrition …

Amplified Pain Syndrome In Children, Catherine Soprano, Md, Katherine S. Salamon, Phd

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Objectives

• Describe chronic pain conditions
• Define chronic pain from biopsychosocial perspective
• Learn ways to describe treatment philosophy of pediatric chronic pain to families

Healthy Dietary Intake Moderates The Effects Of Age On Brain Iron Concentration And Working Memory Performance, Valentinos Zachariou, Christopher E. Bauer, Elayna R. Seago, Georgia Panayiotou, Edward D. Hall, D. Allan Butterfield, Brian T. Gold

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Age-related brain iron accumulation is linked with oxidative stress, neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Certain nutrients can reduce brain iron concentration in animal models, however, this association is not well established in humans. Moreover, it remains unknown if nutrition can moderate the effects of age on brain iron concentration and/or cognition. Here, we explored these issues in a sample of 73 healthy older adults (61-86 years old), while controlling for several factors such as age, gender, years of education, physical fitness and alcohol-intake. Quantitative susceptibility mapping was used for assessment of brain iron concentration and participants performed an N-Back paradigm to …

Dysregulation Of Systemic Immunity In Aging And Dementia, Jenny Lutshumba, Barbara S. Nikolajczyk, Adam D. Bachstetter

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Neuroinflammation and the tissue-resident innate immune cells, the microglia, respond and contribute to neurodegenerative pathology. Although microglia have been the focus of work linking neuroinflammation and associated dementias like Alzheimer’s Disease, the inflammatory milieu of brain is a conglomerate of cross-talk amongst microglia, systemic immune cells and soluble mediators like cytokines. Age-related changes in the inflammatory profile at the levels of both the brain and periphery are largely orchestrated by immune system cells. Strong evidence indicates that both innate and adaptive immune cells, the latter including T cells and B cells, contribute to chronic neuroinflammation and thus dementia. Neurodegenerative hallmarks …

Keeping Teams Fueled For Maximum Performance, Sarah Sapp

University of Mississippi News

Sports Nutrition Volunteer Program participants gain professional skills while aiding Ole Miss athletics

Exploring Community Health Worker Roles, Support, And Experiences In The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Haiti, Frontline Health Project, Zanmi Lasante

Reproductive Health

This brief presents results from the Frontline Health project's COVID-19 study in Haiti, highlighting the experiences (including challenges), responsibilities, and support provided to community health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Haiti, with implications for policy and program stakeholders.

Host Phylogeny And Diet Shape Gut Microbial Communities Within Bamboo-Feeding Insects, Kuanguan Huang, Jie Wang, Junhao Huang, Shouke Zhang, Alfried P. Vogler, Quanquan Liu, Yongchun Li, Maowei Yang, You Li, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome plays an important role in a host’s development and adaption to its dietary niche. In this study, a group of bamboo-feeding insects are used to explore the potential role of the gut microbiota in the convergent adaptation to extreme diet specialization. Specifically, using a 16S rRNA marker and an Illumina sequencing platform, we profiled the microbial communities of 76 gut samples collected from nine bamboo-feeding insects, including both hemimetabolous (Orthoptera and Hemiptera) and holometabolous (Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) species, which are specialized in three distinct dietary niches: bamboo leaf, shoot, and sap. The gut microbiota of these insects …

Sort And Sift, Think And Shift: Let The Data Be Your Guide An Applied Approach To Working With, Learning From, And Privileging Qualitative Data, Raymond Maietta, Paul Mihas, Kevin Swartout, Jeff Petruzzelli, Alison B. Hamilton

The Qualitative Report

The Sort and Sift, Think and Shift qualitative data analysis approach is an iterative process where analysts dive into data to understand its content, dimensions, and properties, and then step back to assess what they have learned and to determine next steps. Researchers move from establishing an understanding of what is in the data (“Diving In”) to exploring their relationship to the data (“Stepping Back”). This process of “Diving In” and “Stepping Back” is repeated throughout analysis. To conclude, researchers arrive at an evidence-based meeting point that is a hybrid story of data content and researcher knowledge. To illustrate core …

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Among Hispanics: Results Of The Maracaibo Aging Study, Mario Gil, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Vincent P. Diego, Ciro Gaona, Ledys Mata, Rosa V. Pirela, Carlos A. Chavez, Gabriel A. De Erausquin, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

Background:

Neuropsychiatric symptoms play an important role in diagnosing and clinical follow-up of cognitive impairment and dementia.

Objective:

We investigated the relationship between neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment, and dementia in Hispanics.

Methods:

We included 529 participants (age ≥40 years) from the Maracaibo Aging Study with standardized neuropsychiatric assessments, including the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Based on the Clinical Dementia Rating and the Mini-Mental State Examination scores, participants’ cognitive status was categorized into normal cognition, mild/moderate, and severe cognitive impairment. Diagnosis of dementia was established in a consensus conference. Statistical analyses included multivariable logistic regression models and area under the curve (AUC). …

Creating Your Own Fables: A Motivational Whole Language Lesson, Arden Ruth Post

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Lactobacillus Reuteri And Streptomyces Coelicolor On Growth Performance Of Broiler Chickens, Sarayu Bhogoju, Collins N. Khwatenge, Thyneice Taylor-Bowden, Gabriel Oluwamuyiwa Akerele, Boniface M. Kimathi, Joseph Donkor, Samuel N. Nahashon

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

There are well documented complications associated with the continuous use of antibiotics in the poultry industry. Over the past few decades, probiotics have emerged as viable alternatives to antibiotics; however, most of these candidate probiotic microorganisms have not been fully evaluated for their effectiveness as potential probiotics for poultry. Recent evaluation of a metagenome of broiler chickens in our laboratory revealed a prevalence of Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) and Actinobacteria class of bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. In this study Lactobacillus reuteri and Streptomyces coelicolor (S. coelicolor) were selected as probiotic bacteria, encapsulated, and added into broiler feed at a …

Creation And Application Of Various Tools For The Reconstruction, Curation, And Analysis Of Genome-Scale Models Of Metabolism, Wheaton L. Schroeder

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Systems biology uses mathematics tools, modeling, and analysis for holistic understanding and design of biological systems, allowing the investigation of metabolism and the generation of actionable hypotheses based on model analyses. Detailed here are several systems biology tools for model reconstruction, curation, analysis, and application through synthetic biology. The first, OptFill, is a holistic (whole model) and conservative (minimizing change) tool to aid in genome-scale model (GSM) reconstructions by filling metabolic gaps caused by lack of system knowledge. This is accomplished through Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP), one step of which may also be independently used as an additional curation …

Spontaneous Fetal Reduction In Triplets And Prolongation Of Twin Pregnancy For 111 Days As An Outpatient: A Case Report, Davis Rubagumya,, Munawar Kaguta, Ernie Mdachi, Muzdalfat Abeid, Hussein Kidanto

Faculty of Health Sciences, East Africa

Background:

Multiple gestation has been on the rise because of advancement in assisted reproductive technology. Triplet pregnancy is associated with fetal loss and preterm birth as its major complications. Spontaneous triplet pregnancy is rare. In the case of fetal loss, delayed interval delivery has been used to achieve delivery of the retained fetuses. There is no common approach to delayed interval delivery. Case A 31-year-old East African lady with spontaneous triplet pregnancy presented to our institution at gestation age of 19 weeks with features of threatened miscarriage. One fetus was miscarried, and delayed interval delivery was done as an …

Tom Andre Receives Thomas A. Crowe Outstanding Faculty Award, Sarah Sapp

University of Mississippi News

Assistant professor of exercise science recognized for exceptional support and service to students

Area Characteristics And Consumer Nutrition Environments In Restaurants: An Examination Of Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants In New York City, Melissa Fuster, Hanish Kodali, Krishnendu Ray, Brian Elbel, Margaret A. Handley, Terry T. Huang, Glen Johnson

Publications and Research

Hispanics in the USA, particularly those of Caribbean descent, experience high levels of diet-related diseases and dietary risk factors. Restaurants are an increasingly important yet understudied source of food and may present opportunities to positively influence urban food environments. We sought to explore food environments further, by examining the association between neighborhood characteristics and restaurant consumer nutrition environments within New York City’s Hispanic Caribbean (HC) restaurant environments. We applied an adapted version of the Nutrition Environment Measurements Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R) to evaluate a random sample of HC restaurants (n=89). NEMS-HCR scores (continuous and categorized as low, medium, and high …

The Mexico Simsmoke Tobacco Control Policy Model: Development Of A Simulation Model Of Daily And Nondaily Cigarette Smoking, Luz Maria Sanchez-Romero, Luis Zavala-Arciniega, Luz Myriam Reynales-Shigematsu, Belén Sáenz De Miera-Juárez, Zhe Yuan, Yameng Li, Yan Kwan Lau, Nancy L. Fleischer, Rafael Meza, Jim F. Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, David T. Levy

Faculty Publications

Background

Nondaily smoking has been on the rise, especially in Mexico. While Mexico has strengthened its tobacco control policies, their effects on nondaily smokers have gone largely unexamined. We developed a simulation model to estimate the impact of tobacco control policies on daily and nondaily smoking in Mexico.

Methods

A previously validated Mexico SimSmoke model that estimated overall trends in smoking prevalence from 2002 through 2013 was extended to 2018 and adapted to distinguish daily and nondaily smoking prevalence. The model was then validated using data from Mexican surveys through 2016. To gauge the potential effects of policies, we compared …

Carotenoid-Rich Brain Nutrient Pattern Is Positively Correlated With Higher Cognition And Lower Depression In The Oldest Old With No Dementia, Jirayu Tanprasertsuk, Tammy M. Scott, Aron K. Barbey, Kathryn Barger, Xiang-Dong Wang, Mary Ann Johnson, Leonard W. Poon, Rohini Vishwanathan, Nirupa R. Matthan, Alice H. Lichtenstein, Guylaine Ferland, Elizabeth R. Johnson

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Healthy dietary patterns are related to better cognitive health in aging populations. While levels of individual nutrients in neural tissues are individually associated with cognitive function, the investigation of nutrient patterns in human brain tissue has not been conducted.

Methods: Brain tissues were acquired from frontal and temporal cortices of 47 centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Fat-soluble nutrients (carotenoids, vitamins A, E, K, and fatty acids [FA]) were measured and averaged from the two brain regions. Nutrient patterns were constructed using principal component analysis. Cognitive composite scores were constructed from cognitive assessment from the time point closest to …

Demographics, Activities, And Environmental Factors Impact Burnout In A National Survey Of Emergency Medicine Residents, Nicole Battaglioli, Tim P. Moran, Simiao Li-Sauerwine

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout in emergency medicine and in residency training has been well-described. The impact of demographic, individual, and programmatic factors on burnout have not previously been determined in a national survey of emergency medicine residents. This study aimed to identify personal and environmental factors impacting resident burnout in a national sample of emergency medicine residents.

Methods: A prospective Emergency Medicine Resident Wellness Survey was administered in 2017. We surveyed respondents on demographic, personal, and environmental factors; each respondent also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey. Linear regressions were used to identify variables associated with the Maslach Burnout …

Re: Lifestyle-Related Determinants Of Obesity Among Omani Children, Mahmood D. Al-Mendalawi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Women’S Reproductive Health And Rights Through The Lens Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mona Larki, Farangis Sharifi, Robab L. Roudsari

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

On The Move: Sloths And Their Epibionts As Model Mobile Ecosystems, Maya Kaup, Sam Trull, Erik F. Y. Hom

Faculty and Student Publications

Sloths are unusual mobile ecosystems, containing a high diversity of epibionts living and growing in their fur as they climb slowly through the canopies of tropical forests. These epibionts include poorly studied algae, arthropods, fungi, and bacteria, making sloths likely reservoirs of unexplored biodiversity. This review aims to identify gaps and eliminate misconceptions in our knowledge of sloths and their epibionts, and to identify key questions to stimulate future research into the functions and roles of sloths within a broader ecological and evolutionary context. This review also seeks to position the sloth fur ecosystem as a model for addressing fundamental …

Soil Quality Assessment Of An Agroforestry System Following Long-Term Management In The Ozark Highlands, Shane Ylagan, Helen C.S. Amorim, Amanda J. Ashworth, Tom Sauer, Brian J. Wienhold, Phillip R. Owens, Yuri L. Zinn, Kristofor R. Brye

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) is a quantitative soil quality (SQ) evaluation tool that is widely applied to assess soil response to specific agricultural management practices over time. Considering the reported SQ benefits of agroforestry (AF) systems and the potential usefulness of SMAF, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of tree species (pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] and northern red oak [Quercus rubra L.]), soil fertility source (poultry litter [PL] and inorganic N fertilizer [control]), and soil depth (0–15 and 15–30 cm) on SMAF-derived SQ indices after 17 yr of management at an AF …