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Effect Of Umbilical Cord Essential And Toxic Elements, Thyroid Levels, And Vitamin D On Childhood Development, Jesse Cottrell, Chelsea Nelson, Catherine Waldron, Mackenzie Bergeron, Abigail Samson, Monica Valentovic

Biomedical Sciences

Introduction: The in-utero environment has dramatic effects on childhood development. We hypothesized prenatal levels of inorganic agents, thyroid levels, and Vitamin D effect childhood development.

Methods: Umbilical cord blood was collected from April 3, 2013 to January 30, 2014 and analyzed for 20 different elements, thyroid and Vitamin D. A retrospective review (n = 60) was performed of well-child examinations from birth to 5 years old (y.o.).

Results: There were associations with calcium and 4 month BMI (p = <0.01), 12 month language (p = 0.03); Magnesium and 6 month language (p = 0.04) and gross motor skills at 5 years old (y.o.) (p = 0.03); Copper and 12 month fine motor (p = 0.02); Zinc with fine motor (p = <0.01) and language (p = 0.03) at 2 y.o.; Manganese was associated with language development at 2 y.o. (p = 0.02); Molybdenum and fine motor at 12 months of age (p = 0.02); Selenium with gross motor (p = 0.04) and BMI (p = 0.02) at 5 y.o.; Lead with cognitive function at 4 months (p = 0.04) and 2 y.o. (p = 0.01); Mercury with gross motor at 4 months (p = 0.04) and language at 2 y.o. (p = 0.02). Platinum at 12 months of age (p = <.01) as well as multiple associations at 5 y.o. (p = <.01). Thyroid function tests for free T3 were associated with multiple cognitive and physical milestones. T3 Uptake was associated with 5 y.o. gross motor skills (p = 0.02). Total and Free T4 was associated with cognitive development (p = <.01) and fine motor development, respectively. Vitamin D was associated with a delay of fine motor development (p<0.01).

Conclusion: There were multiple associations between umbilical cord essential and toxic elements, thyroid levels, and Vitamin D on childhood development.

Note From The Editor

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Keynote Address: Alaska Native Peoples And The Environment, Elizabeth Saagulik Hensley, Esq.

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Heat Waves And A Public-Private Partnership In Alaska, Karen Sandrik, Sarah Matsumoto

Alaska Law Review

The recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act represents the largest single step that Congress has taken to combat harms from climate change. In its over $360 billion commitment, the Act incentivizes clean energy development and generation, includes methods to directly lower residential utility bills and increase home efficiency, promotes cleaner transportation and agricultural practices, and funds states' and cities' efforts to meet their individual climate goals. While many environmental organizations applauded the Act's passage, some—even simultaneously—expressed concern about its tradeoffs: the Act continues to invest in fossil fuels, subsidizing pipeline construction and guaranteeing new oil and gas leases, specifically expanding leasing in …

Protecting Subsistence Lands While Boosting The Bottom Line: The Enhanced Federal Tax Incentive Available To Alaska Native Corporations For Donations Of Conservation Easements, Timothy Troll, Konrad Liegel

Alaska Law Review

Alaska Native corporations face a dilemma. They own land of immense and significant cultural and ecological value. Their lands are critical for maintaining the Alaska Natives' subsistence needs. But they are also corporations established under the law to maximize the economic value of their land holdings to provide financial dividends to their Native shareholders. This paper explores the enhanced federal tax incentive for donations of perpetual conservation easements that became available in 2015 to Alaska Native corporations. The tax incentive offers Alaska Native corporations a way to protect the aboriginal lands conveyed to them under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement …

Coastal Marine Debris In Alaska: Problems Withplastics, Pollution, & Policy, Savannah Artusi

Alaska Law Review

Plastics pollute people and the planet throughout their lifecycle, from intensive extraction of raw materials to chemical leaching during their use to entangling animals in discarded plastic products. Plastic waste is especially troublesome in Alaska, where the state's extensive shoreline and coastal communities are disproportionately inundated with plastic marine debris. Current policies internationally, in the United States, and in Alaska have not done enough to prevent plastic waste from ending up on Alaska's coasts, to hold plastic producers accountable for that waste, or to provide Alaskan communities the support needed to remove the waste themselves. This Note offers several proposals …

Wilderness V. Oil: Resource Balancing In The Arcticnational Wildlife Refuge, Megan Mason Dister

Alaska Law Review

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a national wildlife refuge in a remote region of Alaska, has captured the national spotlight for decades due to conflicting viewpoints on how to manage the refuge's resources. ANWR is home to a large population of diverse species and Alaska Native communities. However, it may also contain large quantities of oil. Debates over ANWR resource management often provide only two options: preserve the Coastal Plain as wilderness or allow energy development. In 2017, a congressional budget resolution opened a portion of ANWR (the Coastal Plain) to oil and gas leasing for the first time. …

The Kenai Rule In Four Acts: Bear Baiting, Firearms, And Hunting: Comment & Analysis Of Alaska V. Bernhardt, Jon C. Nachtigal, Mike Stocz

Alaska Law Review

The Kenai Rule, enacted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016, prohibits (a) the hunting of brown bears with bait in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, (b) most hunting in the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area, and (c) the discharge of firearms along the Kenai and Russian Rivers. The Kenai Rule was challenged by the State of Alaska and Safari Club International in Alaska v. Bernhardt. This Comment provides an overview of the case as it was heard in the District Court of Alaska. This discussion includes arguments and counterarguments surrounding the application of four legislative acts: the …

Journal Staff

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Vol 67 #6, Melanie Argo

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Improving Parental Education, Daisy Martinez Ortiz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Monterey County has one of the highest records of child maltreatment that leads to life-long consequences. COVID-19 has significantly impacted the way parent education classes are being delivered. Without the proper parental education, child maltreatment increases. Parental stress has also greatly contributed. All the stress brought among parents also posed as a factor for increased violence and child abuse. Low levels of parental education results in poor parenting. Poor parenting greatly affects a child’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Community Human Services is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing a variety of issues. Among their different departments, under their mental …

Improving Collegiate Athletes’ Recognition Of Mental Wellness And Coping Strategies, Jazmin Mora

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Research shows that the mental health crisis among collegiate athletes' has become an increasingly alarming issue. However, there is little done regarding the advocation for athletes on college campuses across the nation. At the junior college level, this reigns to be true, as research conducted shows there to be little research available on this group. This paper introduces a workshop that emphasizes the awareness of mental wellness and coping strategies for junior college (JUCO) athletes. The main goal of this workshop was to create a conversation about mental wellness at the JUCO level, as a majority of research was done …

Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Dependent Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular Adaptation To Chronic Exercise., Sean Raph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exercise increases cardiac workload, escalating the demand for oxygen. The myocardial vasculature responds to the greater demand for oxygen by increasing blood flow to match the needs of the heart during augmented work. Increasing blood flow requires the coronary arteries dilate (a.k.a. vasodilation); this is mediated predominantly by vascular smooth muscle cell relaxation. Vasodilation is driven through inhibition of calcium influx into vascular smooth muscle cells. The prevention of calcium influx is largely mediated by efflux of potassium via potassium channels causing membrane hyperpolarization, which in turn closes voltage-dependent (or gated) calcium channels (VDCC). Changes in vascular smooth muscle cell …

A Dialogical Approach To Peer Coaching For Asset Pedagogies, Elisabeth Van Beek

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how dialogical peer coaching using an asset pedagogical framework supported the development of culturally sustaining pedagogy (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Paris & Alim, 2017). This action research study followed one teacher and eight emergent bilingual students during an intervention. The intervention consisted of asset projects developed from the funds of identity framework (Esteban-Guitart, 2016). The peer coaching process consisted of a period of observation followed by repeated co-planning, coteaching, and reflection. The researcher took a dialogical stance on creating asset projects with the students as well as peer coaching with the teacher …

The Graduate Record Examination And Graduate Admissions: Issues In Diversity, Lauren Rankin

Dissertations

Doctoral education is an expensive and difficult endeavor. Program faculty are interested in finding students who will be successful in completing their courses and obtaining employment. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is often used to assess a student’s readiness for the rigors of graduate education. A student’s readiness for doctoral education can be assessed through analyzing the predictive validity of the GRE with various outcomes such as grade point average, scholarly output, and time to completion. However, this measure may not predict success for all students with potential bias towards students who are international and linguistically diverse. A total of …

Educational Experiences That Influence The Upward Mobility Of Maya Women In Belize, Jennine Pettit

Dissertations

This qualitative, multicase study explored the relationship between the educative experiences that allowed some Maya women in Belize to overcome economic and cultural barriers and change the trajectory of their lives. Many Maya girls face indigeneity, rurality, and gender discrimination (Vásquez, 2017), and obtaining a meaningful education was very difficult. The overall question for this study asked how exceptional Maya women perceived the relationship between their educational experiences and their ability to achieve advancement in society? This study also addressed the following sub-questions: How do Maya women describe their journey toward success? What institutional, cultural, or economic obstacles confront Maya …

Exploring Clinical Supervisors’ Experiences With Indirect Exposure To Trauma, Maya Kirsten Schmidt

Dissertations

In the United States, community-based victim services agencies commonly offer therapy services to survivors of interpersonal violence (Globokar et al., 2019; James & Eyjolfson, 2020; Langton, 2011). For mental health counselors and therapists working in victim services agencies and/or with survivors of interpersonal violence, indirect trauma is a known risk (Baird & Jenkins, 2003; Dworkin et al., 2016; Globokar et al., 2019; Kulkarni et al., 2013; McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995; Sommer & Cox, 2005). Consequently, clinical supervisors of clinicians working with survivors of interpersonal violence must be prepared and able to effectively support clinicians in managing …

The Effect Of Hurricane Harvey On The Continuity Of Patient Care For Long-Term Care Patients Diagnosed With Dementia In Dallas And Harris Counties, Texas, Martin Mufich

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze adverse health outcomes resulting from a disruption caused by Hurricane Harvey in the continuity of patient care for two geographically distinct patient populations: long-term care patients diagnosed with dementia in Dallas County, Texas and Harris County, Texas. Review of the literature revealed three themes: patient transitions from one level of care to another, members of the healthcare team (healthcare professionals, caregivers), and policies and strategies. The research design was a retrospective, quantitative, comparative, quasi-experimental design. The population of study consisted of long- term care patients diagnosed with dementia, N = 5,539. The …

Law Enforcement Efficacy In Domestic Violence Calls Based On The Responding Officer’S Experience, Training, And Scholarly Level, Idilio Moncivais Pinedo

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide insights into whether law enforcement officers (LEO) have been able to produce positive outcomes based on their responses when the victims have called 911. Law enforcement officers in this sample were grouped into three clusters based on the number of years of patrol experience (10 years or less versus more than 10 years), the education level (less than a bachelor’s degree versus at least a bachelor’s degree), and training (advanced training versus basic training). The key findings were A) The three clusters of law enforcement officers were well distinguished. The first cluster …

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Gratitude, And Burnout: A Structural Equation Model, Allegra Rose Lyon

Dissertations

The present cross-sectional study examined the interrelationships between mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, and burnout in a sample of Health Service Psychology doctoral trainees (n=234) using structural equation modeling. Results suggested that mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude may each function as important internal resources in mitigating burnout in HSP trainees. A priori models showed poor structural fit and were respecified according to modification indices. The respecified primary model was retained as it showed a good fit (χ2(df) = 347.497(99), p < .001; RMSEA = .074; CFI = .939; TLI = .914; SRMR = .054) and significantly better fit than the respecified alternative model (Δ χ 2(1) = 7.37, p < .01). Mindfulness showed direct positive effects on self-compassion (.643) and gratitude (.346), and direct negative effects on burnout (-.344). Self-compassion (-.271) and gratitude (-.220) each also showed direct negative effects on burnout. Mindfulness also showed significant specific indirect effects on burnout via self-compassion (-.174) and gratitude (-.076). Total indirect effects of mindfulness on burnout were medium negative effects (-.250). Total effect of mindfulness on burnout was a large negative effect (-.595). These results can be used to inform changes at the organizational level for doctoral training programs and can be used at an individual level as tools for empowering trainees to increase internal resources that may help them to engage in more sustainable practice. Theoretical, research, and practice implications for counseling psychologists and limitations are discussed.

Factors Influencing Political Self-Efficacy And Political Astuteness In Undergraduate Nurse Educators, Mark William Longshore

Dissertations

The profession of nursing, 3.9 million strong, continues to lag in taking an active role in the development of health policy. Reasons for that include lack of time, a lack of knowledge, and perceived competence of political action. The factors of knowledge and the related perceived competence, or in the case of this study, self-efficacy, could be improved through education. To that end, it was important to identify if nurse educators had the political astuteness, or knowledge, and self-efficacy. If not, how would nurses learn the necessary skills and gain confidence to be more active politically? The purpose of this …

Person-Oriented And Variable-Oriented Statistical Approaches To Understanding At-Risk, Online High School Students: Predictions Of Academic Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of Protective Factors, Amanda Renee Atwater Jacobs

Dissertations

Many students come to school with risk factors that negatively impact their educational attainment and overall well-being. These risk factors may include but are not limited to abuse, poverty, teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, and learning disabilities. Other types of factors have been shown to provide a protective aspect against risk, and examples include social emotional skills such as grit, flexibility, and social-awareness. There is benefit in individualizing educational experiences for at-risk adolescents based on their specific risks and available protective factors, but knowing how these factors influence and interact with one another to predict academic outcomes is the first …

Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching As Decision-Making For The University Mathematician Developing Coherence In Review Of Discrete Mathematics, Julie Lang

Dissertations

Mathematicians teaching at the university level have a deep understanding and appreciation for the mathematics that they teach. However, they rarely receive much formal training in teaching. Thus, university mathematicians must rely on their mathematical understandings and personally developed ideas of teaching to guide their decision-making. Relatively little research exists on mathematicians’ teaching practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) of a university mathematician teaching discrete mathematics and how he leveraged his knowledge to make decisions and develop coherence among mathematical ideas during a semester review. An enactivist perspective examining a mathematician’s …

Political Astuteness Of Nurse Educators, Gail Marie Hanson Brenner

Dissertations

Nurses comprise the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. Although nurses have advocated for patients since Florence Nightingale’s time, advocating for changes in health policies that affect populations on a larger scale has not changed over time (Rasheed et al., 2020). Professional nursing associations, nurse educators, and the Institute of Medicine have all identified the need to educate nurses in advocacy and health policy. With the recent revision of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials publication, health policy has moved from an essential to a featured concept that is found in the competencies and subcompetencies of the domains. …

College Students’ Perceptions Of The Desert Canyons Of The Colorado Plateau, Jeremy Roger Deem

Dissertations

This study investigates eight college students’ perceptions of their experiences during an accredited outdoor education course entitled Technical Canyoneering. The course took place in four separate desert canyons of the Colorado Plateau, two in Arches National Park, and two on nearby Bureau of Land Management public space. Utilizing the data collection process of photo-elicitation, the participants’ time spent in the canyon settings was described in order to gain an understanding of their experiences, with particular attention paid to analyzing what perceptions those students ascribed to those experiences. The intent was threefold. First, the study makes understanding at how college students …

Middle School Students’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Behaviors Towards Using A Virtual Reality Application To Build Molecules, Dalal Za'al Ali Alrmuny

Dissertations

To deliver successful integration of virtual reality (VR) technology into chemistry education, it is essential that students have clear and positive perceptions about the purpose and the value of such integration. An important part of establishing a plan for integrating virtual reality technology into chemistry education is to explore the current perceptions, experiences, and behaviors of students towards the use of VR technology to establish an initial baseline of skills and areas in need of development. The purpose of this exploratory mixed methods study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and behaviors of 62 middle school students in the state …

An Ensemble Machine Learning Approach To Causal Inference In High-Dimensional Settings, Sami Saad Alanazi

Dissertations

The machine-learning algorithms have gained popularity and have gotten the attention of many researchers in the fields of statistics and computer sciences in recent decades. Due to their computational capabilities in big data, many researchers have been attempting to incorporate machine-learning in prediction and inference problems. One of the recent methods that got a lot of attentions was referred to as the double machine learning method (DML). This method attempts to estimate the effect of the treatment variable in the presence of high-dimensional nuisance function by incorporating machine-learning algorithms. Previous studies have shown that the DML method is able to …

Putting Policy Into Practice: The Problematisation Of Catalan Language Planning And Ideologies In Media Discourse, Farah Ali

Global Language Studies Faculty publications

The revitalization of the Catalan language has been an ongoing effort in Catalonia for decades. The language policies that have stemmed from this effort have perpetuated ideologies that promote the use and legitimization of Catalan as both an official and a vehicular language. While this effort is widely regarded as an example of successful language revitalization, the process has not been without conflict between Spanish and Catalan, particularly in terms of domains of use and disparate attitudes towards the two languages (Newman & Trenchs-Parera, 2015; Woolard, 2016; Soler & Gallego-Balsà, 2019; Ianos et al., 2020). Given that these policies aim …

Estimating The Distribution Of Ratio Of Paired Event Times In Phase Ii Oncology Trials, Li Chen, Mark Burkard, Jianrong Wu, Jill M. Kolesar, Chi Wang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

With the rapid development of new anti-cancer agents which are cytostatic, new endpoints are needed to better measure treatment efficacy in phase II trials. For this purpose, Von Hoff (1998) proposed the growth modulation index (GMI), that is, the ratio between times to progression or progression-free survival times in two successive treatment lines. An essential task in studies using GMI as an endpoint is to estimate the distribution of GMI. Traditional methods for survival data have been used for estimating the GMI distribution because censoring is common for GMI data. However, we point out that the independent censoring assumption required …

Marriage, Labor Supply And The Dynamics Of The Social Safety Net, Hamish Low, Costas Meghir, Luigi Pistaferri, Alessandra Voena

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

The 1996 US welfare reform introduced time limits on welfare receipt. We use quasi-experimental evidence and a lifecycle model of marriage, divorce, program participation, labor supply and savings to understand the impact of time limits on behavior and well-being. Time limits cause women to defer claiming in anticipation of future needs, an effect that depends on the probabilities of marriage and divorce. Time limits cost women 0.5% of life-time consumption, net of revenue savings redistributed by reduced taxation, with some groups affected much more. Expectations over future marital status are important determinants of the value of the social safety net.