Digital Commons Network^™

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Computerized Battery For Neuropsychological Evaluation Of Children (Benci) Among School Aged Children In The Context Of Hiv In An Urban Kenyan Setting, Rachel Maina, He Jia, Amina Abubakar, Miguel Perez-Garcia, Manasi Kumar, Jelte M. Wicherts

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction Culturally validated neurocognitive measures for children in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries are important in the timely and correct identification of neurocognitive impairments. Such measures can inform develop‐ ment of interventions for children exposed to additional vulnerabilities like HIV infection. The Battery for Neuropsy‐ chological Evaluation of Children (BENCI) is an openly available, computerized neuropsychological battery specifically developed to evaluate neurocognitive impairment. This study adapted the BENCI and evaluated its reliability and validity in Kenya.

Methodology The BENCI was adapted using translation and back‐translation from Spanish to English. The psy‐ chometric properties were evaluated in a case–control study of 328 …

Attitudes Towards Gluten Free Foods And Celiac Disease In Italy, Joellyn Speredelozzi

Senior Honors Projects

This project addresses the perception and realities of living with Celiac’s Disease in Italy. I combine a literature review with my own anecdotal experiences as an individual with Celiac’s Disease who has lived and studied in Italy. In my paper, I first describe the high awareness of gluten-free living that I noted the first time I studied abroad, being the impetus of this project. I follow this with the history and science of Celiac’s Disease for those who may be unaware of this serious chronic medical condition. I then continue to describe personal experiences I had while living in Naples, …

Maureen Biology: Teaching Environmentalism Through Television, Maureen Kennedy

Senior Honors Projects

Children’s television is proven to be an effective instrument for educational material for young age groups and can be utilized to teach social awareness, traditional educational content, and about worldly issues. Highly successful shows for varying adolescent ages, such as Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Bill Nye the Science Guy, exist for the sole purpose of increasing young viewers’ cognition and knowledge. Differing formats are used to convey educational content, such as narrative and expository structures, depending on the material and target age group. This project will develop the script for a children’s television show in the expository format that …

Nutrition Education In U.S. Medical Schools: An Analysis And Discussion Of Its Necessity, Marie G. Fam

Senior Honors Projects

MARIE FAM

(Dietetics)

Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools: An Analysis and Discussion of its Necessity

Sponsor: Sarah Amin (Nutrition and Food Sciences)

Although approximately 80% of chronic diseases across all ages can be treated, prevented, or even cured with proper nutrition therapies, preliminary evidence suggests that medical schools in the United States deemphasize its importance by not allotting appropriate time and resources to nutrition education. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting organization for U.S. medical schools, recommends no less than 25 hours of nutrition education. The objective of this study was to evaluate how nutrition education content …

Uri Athletics Fueling Station, Caitlin O'Leary

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Social Media On The Publishing Industry: A Case Study Of Author Colleen Hoover, Chloe Foster

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Thanks to the BookTok community, adult romance author Colleen Hoover has taken the world by storm. Anyone that has had access to TikTok within the past year has probably had a Colleen Hoover book appear in video on their “For You Page,” the page on TikTok where users can scroll through content that follows an algorithm which learns about the user’s specific interests. However, Hoover has been writing and publishing novels since 2012. She had already published more than a dozen novels by 2020, yet her popularity has only grown since she made her appearance on social media. Her book …

Nicotinamide Riboside And Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Activate Parallel Pathways For C. Elegans Lifespan Extension, Mckenzie Peters

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Supplementation with nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 and a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) extends lifespan in the nematode C. elegans and delays aging-related pathologies in mammals. During aging, levels of NAD⁺ decline causing metabolic dysfunction and oxidative damage. Studies in C. elegans found that when NR was administered during larval development it induced the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt), which is frequently associated with lifespan extension. Both calorie restriction (CR) and ketogenic diets (KD) have been shown to extend lifespan, in part through increasing NAD⁺ and through increasing levels …

Nutrition Needs Assessment For Women Of Childbearing Age With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Callie Coleman, Whitney Bignell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects women’s menstrual cycles, androgen (male hormones) levels, and cysts on the ovaries. This endocrine disorder has various symptoms, with insulin resistance as a hallmark symptom. Approximately 65-70% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, whether or not they are overweight, obese, or lean (Marshall & Dunaif, 2012). Many women with PCOS struggle to lose weight because their excess weight is related to nutrition, lifestyle factors, and imbalanced hormones. Understanding PCOS as a metabolic disorder with nutritional implications led to investigating the potential benefit of having registered dietitian nutritionists …

Sexual Dimorphism Of Glomerular Capillary Morphology In Rats, Zackarias Coker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progresses faster in males than females; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Sex differences in glomerular capillary morphology has been hypothesized to contribute, in part, to the increased susceptibility to hypertension-induced renal injury and CKD progression in males, but this has not been investigated. The goal of the present study was to assess glomerular capillary morphology in male vs. female rats with intact kidneys and after uninephrectomy (UNX). We hypothesized that glomerular capillary radii (R_CAP) and length (L_CAP) would be greater in male rats.

Male (n=4) and female (n=4) with intact …

Food Insecurity Screening In People With Cystic Fibrosis, Rebecca Edwards, Lauren Tate, Ana Cairns, Cheryl Coyne, Kathleen Walker, Kim Violette, Ann Ladner, Jessica D'Amico

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Background: Adequate nutrition is a cornerstone in the management of cystic fibrosis (CF). Malabsorption secondary to pancreatic insufficiency and increased energy demands related to lung disease can increase energy requirements over twofold for a person with CF. Food insecurity (FI) affects approximately 10% of Mainers (1). Per the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, there may be up to a threefold increase in the prevalence of FI in the CF population (2). To address this issue, we implemented FI screening in the adult and pediatric CF programs to identify the prevalence of FI within our population and to offer immediate interventions.

Audit Of Correct Order Entry Of Registered Dietitian Recommendations For Nutrition Support, Paul A. Blakeslee, Felicia Bryant, Michele Creech, Alexandra Fierros, Kristine Kittridge, Casey Larsen, Thomas Mellette, Anh Thu Truong

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Several quality improvement (QI) analyses have demonstrated that optimizing accuracy and efficiency of clinical nutrition interventions improves patient outcomes, including increased calorie and protein delivery, decreased length-of-stay, decreased mortality, and improved quality of life post-discharge.

Access To Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Care In Montana, James C. Bohnhoff, Michael Kohut Phd, Chelsea Bodnar, Elizabeth A. Jacobs

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction: Management of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) requires significant family effort and specialty support. We aimed to understand how living in a rural state impacts families’ experiences during and after diagnosis.

Growing Up In Ana’S Shadow, Michaela Cahill, Gail Wronsky

Honors Thesis

In this collection, the poet explores how her personal struggles with mental health have shaped her development, relationships, experiences, and outlook on life. In poems that display a variety of stylistic forms and poetic techniques, the collection creatively sheds light on taboo topics including eating disorders, OCD, anxiety, and depression. Without making light of the sensitive subject matter, the poems reflect the author’s characteristic humor, self-satire, authenticity, and humility. Through metaphors, symbolism, and allegory, many draw subtle attention to the stigma around therapy, residential rehabilitation, and psychiatric prescriptions, in hopes of raising awareness for mental health treatment and removing the …

University To Award Honorary Doctorate To Clayton Mathile, Community Builder; Former Owner, Ceo Of The Iams Company, University Of Dayton

News Releases

The University of Dayton will award an honorary doctorate to Clayton Mathile, former owner and CEO of The Iams Company whose entrepreneurial vision and philanthropy has had a significant impact on people near and far, with a very strong passion for the people of southwest Ohio.

Healthy Links – Addressing Social Determinants Of Health And Improving Cardiac Health With Medically Tailored Meals, Emily Follo, Katherine Sharp, Mylan Cohen

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Introduction:

• Social determinants of health (SDOH) strongly influence risk factors for cardiac disease, especially in rural areas

• Medically-tailored meals have shown promising results for reducing hospitalizations

• Some state insurance programs are covering medically-tailored meals given beneficial outcome studies

• This project builds upon prior Healthy Links programs to expand our reach to rural patients

Guidance In Tracheostomy Care For Speech-Language Pathologists: The Green Light Tool, Sara Penrod, Dory Forgit

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Purpose: to assess the effectiveness of the GLT to improve assessment consistency among SLPs and shorten time to PO intake and speaking valve use to improve patient outcomes.

Library News May 2023, Research Medical Library

Library News 2023

• Article Processing Charges for Open Access Journals
• Now Available: DSM Library
• OpenWorks at MD Anderson
• When to Use “Survival,” “Survival Time,” and “Survival Rate”
• AAPI eBook Collection

The Effect Of Head Size On Canine Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses, Abigail Eileen Hayes

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

The brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) test is a commonly used objective tool for estimating hearing sensitivity in newborn humans and could be a useful diagnostic test for humans who are unable or unwilling to participate in behavioral audiometric testing. The BAER test is currently the gold standard for testing domestic canine hearing and could similarly be used either as a screening tool or diagnostically. The test procedure is minimally invasive and could provide ear-specific estimates of hearing sensitivity. While the general morphology of the waveform resulting from a BAER test is generally agreed upon, questions remain regarding the expected …

Impact Of An Educational Intervention On Provider Perspectives About The Use Of Phenobarbital In The Management Of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome, Kimberly Twaddell

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a clinical diagnosis that occurs when an individual who regularly consumes alcohol either reduces or stops consumption. Complications of AWS include admission to the intensive care unit, prolonged hospitalization, and increased risk of infection and mortality. These complications might lead to poor patient outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Currently, the standard of care in managing this inpatient population includes supportive and pharmacological interventions with sedatives such as benzodiazepines. However, recent research found that a long-acting barbiturate, phenobarbital demonstrated superiority in reducing both hospital length of stay and progression of AWS symptoms when compared to benzodiazepines. …

Multiomic Explorations Of Fruit Texture And Postharvest Quality In Blackberry And Muscadine Grape, Thomas Mason Chizk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For most fresh-market fruit crops, texture is an important trait that strongly affects both shipping potential and consumer opinion. Efficient, scalable phenotyping methods are required by breeding programs to effectively select for improvements to fruit texture quality. In muscadine, we have developed a recommendation for characterizing complex muscadine grape texture profiles by comparing the results of breeders’ ratings, descriptive sensory panel results, and an array of instrumental protocols. Regression models were constructed to predict awareness of skins, crispness, hardness, and visual separation explaining 85%, 91%, 82%, and 83% of variance respectively. Genotypes that scored most highly in breeders’ ratings of …

Health Management Program For Homeless Veterans, Rileigh Smith Daniels

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

In the United States, it's clear that homelessness within the veteran population is rampant, with programs only slowing the growing number, not decreasing it. The inclusion of health management skills within the homeless veteran community can help reduce homelessness and prolong life satisfaction within this population. Access to health care, nutrition management skills, and social promotion and maintenance can help decrease homelessness within the homeless veteran population by providing the health management skills needed to obtain occupational balance. By implementing occupational therapy’s role and scope within health management skills, the hope is that homelessness within the veteran community will decrease …

Increasing Health And Wellness For Low Socioeconomic Status Children At The Bryant Boys And Girls Club, Bethany D. Hutchinson

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

The Occupational Adaptation Theory was used to guide the experience and project by identifying deficits and creating adaptive responses as solutions to the found deficits.

Closing The Loop Of Food Systems: Analyzing Compost Within Community Bounds, Ellen A. Getter

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to construct a philosophical and ecological argument that places great value on localized food systems in terms of waste. This composition develops the claim that building composting infrastructure on a community scale will curb the global climate crisis and enhance the interconnectedness humans have within themselves, each other, and the natural world. The first prong of this thesis entails a theoretical framework we must function under in order to implement such radical food revolutions in our communities informed by Buddhist principles. This proceeds an international case study of the composting infrastructure of Fort Albany …

Petrographic Observations Of Stromatolites In The Late Cambrian To Early Ordovician Knox Group, Northwest Georgia And Their Relationship To Stromatolitic Fabrics Over Geologic Time, Evan Ritchey

Honors Theses

Silica deposits are common in Proterozoic carbonate platforms and are interpreted to form early in the diagenetic history of the carbonate strata. Black early diagenetic chert deposits are often associated with evidence of ancient microbial mats, or stromatolites. Proterozoic chert nodules can contain well-preserved microfossils, because silicification occurs rapidly; however, silica deposition has changed over time and it is unclear if similar deposits exist in the Cambrian period after silica-utilizing organisms evolved. The Copper Ridge Dolomite in the Knox Group, northwest Georgia, which was deposited in the late Cambrian to early Ordovician, contains black chert nodules that follow the structure …

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Proposed Mechanisms Of Pathophysiology And The Underlying Dysregulation Of Brain-Gut Interaction, Hailey Haddix

Senior Honors Theses

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract affecting approximately 11-21% of people worldwide (Xiao et al., 2021). This research focuses on the dysregulation of gut homeostasis in IBS and explains how the pathophysiology of the gut is controlled by the bidirectional brain-gut axis. The mechanisms of the brain-gut axis consist of neuro-immune cross talk, neuro-hormone cross talk, microbiome-gut signaling, and the HPA-axis. Each of these contribute to one or more of the possible phenotypes of gut pathophysiology, which could include intestinal permeability, visceral hypersensitivity, and motility disturbance (Xiao et al., 2021). Stress is also an important …

Physiological And Biochemical Responses To Salt And Cadmium Stress And It’S Amelioration By Exogenous Application Of Polyamines In Hybrid Poplar (Populus Nigra X Maximowiczii, Clone Nm6), Sanchari Kundu

Master's Theses and Capstones

The importance of nitrogen metabolism in plants in response to abiotic stress is widely known. Plant growth is severely hampered by abiotic stress, and appropriate nitrogen supply helps in plant growth and improves stress tolerance. At the same time, the regulation of nitrogen metabolism depends on the stress intensity. Abiotic stress can occur due to natural calamities, improper use of hazardous chemicals from industries, and careless environmental dumping of these chemicals. Hence, soils contaminated with hazardous chemicals are a significant threat to the development and yield of plants. Plants are affected by various abiotic stresses, i.e., salt, drought, and heavy …

Dionaea Muscipula, Venus Flytrap: A Case Study In Adapting To Environmental Imperfection, Kat O'Melia

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Issue 36

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Regional Food Systems And Food Security In Rural Mississippi And Italy, Reinhard Matthew Knerr

Honors Theses

Food insecurity has strong links to worsened overall health outcomes, specifically, increased prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Food insecurity in developed nations is primarily characterized by reduced access to nutritionally dense foods. This problem is especially prevalent in the Mississippi (MS) Delta region, where greater than two in five people are food insecure and community health outcomes are among the worst in the nation. Recent literature has placed emphasis on solutions to urban food insecurity, but urban resolutions cannot be fully extrapolated to rural food systems, where insecurity is characterized by a multifactorial lack …

Spatialising Degrowth In Southern Cities: Everyday Park-Making For (Un)Commoning, Manisha Anantharaman, Marlyne Sahakian, Czarina Saloma-Akpedonu

Sociology & Anthropology Department Faculty Publications

Answering the call in this special issue to spatialise degrowth studies beyond the Global North, this paper examines practices of ‘park-making’ in Chennai and Metro Manila as a potential degrowth pathway. Parks in the coastal mega cities of Metro Manila and Chennai can be seen as relics of a colonial era, and spaces coherent with capitalist, growth-oriented and consumerist logics. At the same time, however, they become spaces that prefigure alternative ways of organising social life in the city based upon values of conviviality, care and sharing. Using qualitative methods of analysis, this paper examines what practices people engage with …