Digital Commons Network^™

Bridging Public Health Research And State-Level Policy: The Texas Research-To-Policy Collaboration Project., Deanna M Hoelscher, Alexandra Van Den Berg, Amelia Roebuck, Shelby Flores-Thorpe, Kathleen Manuel, Tiffni Menendez, Christine Jovanovic, Aliya Hussaini, John T Menchaca, Elizabeth Long, D Max Crowley, J Taylor Scott

Health Services and Informatics Research

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: Significant barriers to the implementation of evidence-based policy exist. Establishing an infrastructure and resources to support this process at the state level can accelerate the translation of research into practice. This study describes the adaptation and initial evaluation of the Texas Research-to-Policy Collaboration (TX RPC) Project, focusing on the adaptation process, legislative public health policy priorities, and baseline researcher policy knowledge and self-efficacy.

INTERVENTION APPROACH: The federal Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) method was adapted to the Texas legislative process in 2020. Policymakers and public health researchers were recruited using direct outreach and referrals. Legislators or their aides were …

Faculty Senate Chronicle November 7, 2024, Heather Loughney

The University of Akron Faculty Senate Chronicle

Minutes for the regular meeting of The University of Akron Faculty Senate on November 7, 2025

Nanobubble Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging: A Review, Pinunta Nittayacharn, Felipe M. Berg, Dorian Durig, Agata A. Exner

Faculty Scholarship

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is currently used worldwide with clinical indications in cardiology and radiology, and it continues to evolve and develop through innovative technological advancements. Clinically utilized contrast agents for ultrasound consist of hydrophobic gas microbubbles stabilized with a biocompatible shell. These agents are used commonly in echocardiography, with emerging applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Microbubbles are a blood pool agent with diameters between 1 and 10 μm, which precludes their use in other extravascular applications. To expand the potential use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound beyond intravascular applications, sub-micron agents, often called nanobubbles or ultra-fine bubbles, have recently emerged as a …

California Culinary School Graduates’ Perspectives On Their Education Programs, Robert Baradaran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The skills that culinary school graduates gain from the curriculum do not align with the culinary industry requirements for their first position. This problem, if not addressed, will lead to lower enrollment of students and a limited number of employed culinary arts graduates in California. This basic qualitative study aimed to explore California culinary school graduates’ perceptions of the education programs preparing them for their first restaurant position. The research questions guiding this study focused on (a) California culinary school graduates’ perceptions of their education programs preparing them for their first restaurant position and (b) California culinary school graduates’ perceptions …

Lived Experiences Involving Family Decision-Making Processes For Placing Older Adults In Long-Term Care Facilities In Arkansas, Jennifer Elaine Carpenter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although family members play an important role in decisions regarding their loved ones in long-term care facilities, their experiences have not been explored. Guided by Bowen’s family system and Simon’s decision-making theories, this qualitative study utilized phenomenology. The research question was: What are experiences involving the decision-making process for family members when placing family members in long-term care facilities in Arkansas? Purposive sampling resulted in face-to-face interviews with a sample of 11 such family members over 18 years of age. Data trustworthiness was established by using reflexivity and rich thick descriptions. Member checking was used with participants to verify transcripts …

Comparing Fermented Food And Vitamin E On Exercise-Mediated Nrf2/Are Activation In Middle-Aged/ Elderly: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Study, Joseph Cervi, Reza Rastmanesh, Amir Moghadam-Ahmadi, Antonio Ayala, Cristiana Aperio, Aldo Lorenzetti, Maki Osato, Francesco Marotta, Antonio Nardin, Fang He

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Background: There is a compelling need to emphasize the importance of deepening the rationale behind functional foods research in molecular biology. Indeed, establishing stringent criteria to evaluate functional food interventions in disease prevention and as adjunctive therapeutic strategies offers significant opportunities for health promotion. Objective: This study investigated the effects of fermented papaya preparation (FPP®) and vitamin E on gene expression in middle-aged/elderly individuals, leveraging FPP’s established antioxidant and immune-regulatory benefits. Methods: Graded Exercise Walking Test was administered twice weekly for 6 months. Total Antioxidant capacity (TAC) and gene expression (Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1) in PBMC were measured monthly. Results: Throughout …

Identification Of Atypical Pediatric Diabetes Mellitus Cases Using Electronic Medical Records, Marcela F Astudillo, William E Winter, Liana K Billings, Raymond Kreienkamp, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Maria J Redondo, Mustafa Tosur

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: There are no established methods to identify children with atypical diabetes for further study. We aimed to develop strategies to systematically ascertain cases of atypical pediatric diabetes using electronic medical records (EMR).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We tested two strategies in a large pediatric hospital in the USA. Strategy 1: we designed a questionnaire to rule out typical diabetes and applied it to the EMR of 100 youth with diabetes. Strategy 2: we built three electronic queries to generate reports of three atypical pediatric diabetes phenotypes: unknown type, type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosed(AbNegT1D).

RESULTS: Strategy 1 identified six cases …

Does The Age And Associated Ph Of Buttermilk Influence The Sensory Properties Of Soda Bread?, Liam Byrd, Pauline Danaher, Roisin Burke

Articles

Culinary proverbs, tips and tricks, or old wives’ tales lead to many variations in a recipe. In Molecular and Physical Gastronomy, the term “culinary precisions” is used to describe any piece of information that has something to do with the technical description of the dish, but does not belong to the definition (that is the minimum required to make the dish). The aim of this study was to test the culinary precision that “using aged cultured buttermilk” (which should be more acidic than fresh buttermilk) improves the sensory properties of soda bread by promoting the chemical reactions between the acidic …

Michigan Academician, Volume 48, Issue 2

Michigan Academician

No abstract provided.

Biofabrication Of Tissue Constructs Using Protein-In-Polysaccharide Bioinks For Muscle Regeneration, Harshavardhan B

Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial infarction (MI) and volumetric muscle loss (VML) are debilitating conditions that severely affect patient quality of life and challenge healthcare systems, particularly in diagnosis and treatment. Conventional therapies often result in long recovery periods with limited functional restoration. Advances in regenerative medicine, especially extrusion-based 3D bioprinting, offer promising potential to improve the regeneration of complex tissues by precisely depositing cells and biomaterials layer-by-layer to create tailored tissue constructs.

A critical challenge in muscle tissue regeneration is developing protein-polysaccharide bioinks that closely mimic the native muscle tissue microenvironment. In this study, two protein-inpolysaccharide bioinks (alginate-fibrinogen and methylcellulose-gelatin-alginate) were developed to …

Feature Selection And Machine Learning Approaches In Prediction Of Current E-Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults In 2022, Wei Fang, Ying Liu, Chun Xu, Xingguang Luo, Kesheng Wang

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Feature selection is essentially the process of picking informative and relevant features from a larger collection of features. Few studies have focused on predictors for current e-cigarette use among U.S. adults using feature selection and machine learning (ML) approaches. This study aimed to perform feature selection and develop ML approaches in prediction of current e-cigarette use using the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6). The Boruta algorithm and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to perform feature selection of 71 variables. The random oversampling example (ROSE) method was utilized to deal with imbalance data. …

Ingrid Cardona, Mark Naison

Oral Histories

Disciplines

African American Studies

Abstract

Summary by Jocelyn Defex.

In this oral history interview for the Bronx COVID-19 Oral History Project, Grace Schmidt and Allison Lecce interview Ingrid Cardona, the Food and Nutrition Department Operations Manager at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. Ingrid discusses her background, her role in food service management at the hospital, and the adaptations her department made during the pandemic. Ingrid, raised in the Bronx, has worked at St. Barnabas for over two decades, initially joining due to a connection through her mother.

In her role, Ingrid manages food safety standards and oversees a unionized …

Engaging Children In Conversations About Loss With The Help Of A Canadian Activity Book, Giulia Adele Dinicola

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

In Canada, the practice of medically assisting patients in dying has been legal since 2016. Patients who have been diagnosed with serious diseases or disabilities—including mental illnesses, starting in March 2024—may meet the requirements to seek medically assisted suicide. As a result of this legalization, medical and ethical communities have expressed concerns regarding those who assist their loved ones in the process of dying. To date, little has been written about how children react when someone close to them decides to end their life due to unbearable suffering. In July 2022, the Canadian Virtual Hospice group published the Medical Assistance …

No. 107 An Order To Provide Continued Relief To Victims Of Severe Weather And Flooding In Tennessee, Bill Lee

Executive Orders

No abstract provided.

Heart Rate And Energy Expenditure Validity Of Garmin Instinct Devices During Hiking Outdoors With And Without Trekking Poles: A Pilot Study, Kavon Mcarthur, Bethany Hoag, Josie Gines, Myranda Peck, James Navalta, Facsm, Kelly Goonan, Julie E. Taylor, Marcus M. Lawrence

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

ACSM has again named wearable technology the top fitness trend for 2024. Yet, the validity of wrist-worn devices for measuring average/maximal heart rate (HR) and estimating energy expenditure (EE) during outdoor hiking with and without trekking poles is unknown. PURPOSE: To determine the concurrent validity of identical Garmin Instinct devices to record valid measures of average and maximal HR as well as estimated EE during outdoor hiking with no poles, 1 or 2 trekking poles. METHODS: 11 (n=6 males, n=5 females, aged 20-39 yrs) adults randomly completed 3 pole conditions (no poles, 1 or 2 poles) during an ~10 min. …

The Effect Of Low Water Intake On Blood Glucose Measured With A Continuous Glucose Monitor, Doris Cheung, Safiya Rufino, Adam Seal

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The number of people with Type II diabetes is rapidly increasing worldwide. Previous studies have shown several factors contribute to the development of Type II diabetes, such as genetics, diet, and physical activity. Previous laboratory studies have demonstrated adequate water intake may slightly reduce post-prandial blood glucose. However, none have focused on the relationship between water intake and blood glucose excursions in a free-living situation. PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effect of low water intake on glucose regulation in a free-living situation using continuous glucose monitoring. METHODS: In a counterbalanced cross-over fashion, three participants were randomly …

Comparison Of Pulmonary Measures During Virtual Reality Exercise And Outdoor Exercise, Setareh Zarei, Devin Green, Myranda Peck, Olivia R. Perez, Eric Lambert, Ty Erickson, Lijie Zhou, James W. Navalta, Jeffrey Cowley

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The development of high-tech wearable devices is revolutionizing not only the way we live but also the way we exercise. Pulmonary responses to virtual reality (VR), as one of the latest technologies on the market, have been largely unstudied. To ensure that the workload is equivalent, one approach is to compare VR and outdoor (OUT) walks of similar visual environments. The findings from this study may be an initial step in providing evidence of VR as a platform for virtual exercise. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess whether walking in VR affects pulmonary responses differently than …

Concurrent Heart Rate And Energy Expenditure Validity Of Polar Verity Sense Devices During Light And Moderate Intensity Resistance Training In Recreationally Active Adults: A Pilot Study, Collin Dawson, Spencer Maxwell, Olivia Perez, Setareh (Star) Zarei, Devin Green, Bethany Hoag, Michael Wong, Dustin Davis, Jeffrey C. Cowley, Merrill Funk, James W. Navalta Facsm, Marcus M. Lawrence

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Wearable technology is again the top fitness trend from ACSM for 2024. Our lab recently found that bicep-worn devices (Polar Verity Sense) are valid for measuring average/maximal heart rate (HR) but are not valid for estimating energy expenditure (EE) during acute resistance exercise training (RT). We postulated that the errors may have been due to the device’s algorithms assuming higher intensity during RT, but no study has directly tested these outcomes with various RT intensities. PURPOSE: To determine the concurrent validity of identical Polar Verity Sense bicep-devices to record valid measures of average and maximal HR as well as estimated …

Hydration Behavior Following Education And The Use Of A Hydration Monitoring Device, Victor A. Trujillo, Cynthia Galvez, Aqueen Lenon, Saemi Lee, Brian Bender, George Crocker, Michael S. Joseph

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Maintaining proper fluid balance is essential for metabolism, circulation, and temperature regulation. Physical activity, ambient temperature and humidity, fluid intake, and diet are some of the factors that influence a college student’s hydration status. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of hydration education and the use of a urinal-based hydration monitoring device (HMD) on hydration status in men on a college campus. METHODS: This study was conducted over eight weeks in a first-floor men’s bathroom located in a natural science building. The design consisted of four 2-wk interventions. The order of the treatments was …

Effects Of Different Caffeine Doses On Fat Oxidation And Cardiovascular Response During Exercise At Fatmax In Overweight/Obese Female College Students, Zhigang Gong, Shihong Yu, Yuquan Ding, Huiying Zhou, Siping Xin, Tianou Zhang

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Caffeine is commonly used among athletes for its performance-enhancing effects. However, its impact on fat oxidation in overweight/obese individuals during exercise at maximal fat oxidation intensity (FAT_max) is not well understood. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of different doses of acute caffeine ingestion on fat oxidation and cardiovascular response in overweight/obese female college students during exercise at FAT_max. METHODS: Eleven overweight/obese female college students participated in four trials after ingesting caffeine (3 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 9 mg/kg) or a placebo (cellulose). Each trial included 1 hour of rest and 40 minutes of continuous running at FAT …

Feasibility Of A Random-Action Target System For Enhancing Performance Of Experienced Shooters In High-Pressure Scenarios, Mariana Castro, Andreas Stamatis, Ali Boolani, Matthew L. Smith

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Effective firearm performance demands accuracy and rapid decision-making, especially for law enforcement, competitive shooters, and military personnel. Traditional training often lacks real-world cognitive challenges, such as decision speed and response inhibition under pressure. This study addresses this gap by incorporating cognitive realism into firearm training to improve shooters’ ability to manage the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT), where balancing quick reactions with precision is critical to avoid errors in unpredictable scenarios. PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of a non-anticipatory, random-action target system (RATS) by collecting preliminary data on its impact on shooting performance, focusing on accuracy, omission, and commission rates among experienced …

Influence Of Auditory Input On Mood States During A 30-Minute Self-Paced Walk, Maya Caon, Andreas Stamatis, Zacharias Papadakis, Ali Boolani

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The therapeutic effects of self-paced walking on mood enhancement are well-documented; yet, existing literature predominantly examines laboratory-based protocols that fail to incorporate auditory stimuli as a potential modulator of mood states. PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of various auditory inputs on mood states during a 30-minute bout of self-paced walking. METHODS: A randomized controlled crossover design was employed (n = 24; 9 males; M_age: 23.04). Participants performed four 30-minute walking bouts around a track while wearing noise-cancelling headphones delivering one of four conditions: positive auditory input, negative auditory input, self-selected music, or silence. Mood states …

Intermittent Hypoxic Breathing With Exercise Mimics Hypoxic Training Spo2 And Improves Waist Circumference And Rmr In Obese Women, Gina Brindisi, Aj Fisher, Adrienne Reid, Adrienne Herrenbruck, Jessie Hirsch, Alexander Rothstein

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The obesity epidemic is currently overwhelming our healthcare system. Nutrition and exercise therapy are two suggested strategies to manage obesity, but do not always provide a reliable situation for all affected. Increasing exercise efficacy while decreasing the impact and volume of exercise may reduce the risk of injury in obese individuals. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of utilizing a hypoxic breathing protocol, including the impact on body composition, skeletal muscle strength, resting metabolic rate, and blood oxygen (SpO2) values, in obese women (ages 40-65) in order to add evidence to support the use of an …

Chronic Lumbar Radiculopathy With Superior Cluneal And Superior Gluteal Neuropathy, Feras Atassi, Vered Arbel, Aditi Gupte, Tal Amasay

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

CASE HISTORY: A 39-year-old female presenting with chronic left lower back pain radiating down the leg and affecting the gluteal region. The pain is described as burning and is accompanied by atrophy of the left gluteal muscles. Additional symptoms included muscle weakness and sharp spasms. Functional movements of daily living aggravated pain. PHYSICAL EXAM: Examination identified a decrease in the circumference of the left thigh, tenderness in the Left gluteal region and anterolaterally hip joint, a decrease in ROM of the lumbar spine, muscle weakness on the left lower extremity, and antalgic gait pattern. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES: Lumbar Radiculopathy, Labral Tear …

The Impact Of Trekking Poles On Smart-Watch Step Counts During Outdoor Hiking In Healthy Adults, Josie Gines, Bethany Hoag, Kavon Mcarthur, Myranda Peck, Catalina Kerwin, Wyatt Fullmer, James W. Navalta, Kelly Goonan, Marcus M. Lawrence, Julie E. Taylor

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Hiking is a popular form of recreation with over 57 million participants in the U.S. Many of those hikers also use smart-watches to track their steps, distance and other variables. Anecdotally, the use of trekking poles appears to reduce the accuracy of these smart-watch measures, most notably step counts. PURPOSE: To determine if differences were observed in step counts when hiking with or without trekking poles. METHODS: 10 recreationally active adults (n=5 males, n=5 females, aged 20-39 yrs) randomly completed three trekking pole hiking conditions (no poles, 1 pole, or 2 poles) of ~10 min. uphill and ~10 min. downhill …

The Effects Of Fasting And Circadian Rhythms On Hunger And Mood: A Randomized Cross-Over Study, Bridger H. Murdock, Lizzy Gipson, Bruce W. Bailey

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Recent research highlights the role of circadian rhythms in regulating hunger and satiety. Preliminary evidence suggests that fasting earlier in the day may better align with circadian rhythms, potentially leading to lower hunger compared to later fasting windows. PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the impact of different 24-hour fasting windows on subjective measures of hunger and mood. METHODS: A randomized crossover design was implemented with 24 participants (11 males, 13 females) with a BMI greater than 27. Each participant completed three 24-hour fasts, starting at either 8 am, 1 pm, or 6 pm, with a 5-day washout period …

The Impact Of Trekking Poles On Respiratory And Metabolic Physiological Responses During Outdoor Hiking In Healthy Adults, Bethany Hoag, Josie Gines, Kavon Mcarthur, Myranda Peck, Catalina Kerwin, Wyatt Fullmer, Alexander Jarvis, Cameo Knight, Mckay Pollmann, James W. Navalta, Facsm, Kelly Goonan, Julie E. Taylor, Marcus M. Lawrence

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Limited information exists on the effects of trekking poles on respiratory and metabolic physiological responses in outdoor (as opposed to indoor/treadmill) hiking settings on variable (i.e., non-well-groomed) long distance (>250 meters) terrain. Moreover, no study has examined the impact of one or two poles compared to no poles on physiological outcomes in any outdoor hiking setting. PURPOSE: To determine the impact one or two trekking poles has on respiratory and metabolic physiological responses during outdoor hiking compared to no poles. METHODS: 11 recreationally active adults (n=6 males, n=5 females, age: 24.9±6.5 yrs; height: 176.2±12.0 cm; mass: 76.8±13.1 kg) randomly …

Meal Glucose Tolerance Test (Mgtt): A Validation Study, Lindsey P. Stallworth, Jacob Meeks, Mike Nelson, Eliza Middleton, Jacob Page, Alexander Black, Neil Peterson, James Lecheminant, Chad Hancock

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices (CGMs) allow for a dynamic assessment of postprandial glycemic variability (GV). Using a CGM device, such as the Freestyle Libre Pro, researchers can monitor research participants blood glucose levels continuously for up to 14 days in a free-living environment. Because of this, researchers have begun to rely on CGMs as a tool to understand chronic changes in glycemic responses. PURPOSE: For this research study, we are investigating the viability of using a CGM and standard meal test (MGTT) to assess the glycemic response against a standard Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). METHODS: On two separate …

Cross-Sectional Diet Analysis For Musculoskeletal Performance In College Students, Atithi K. Multani, Alexis Bowers, Todd C. Shoepe

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Dietary nutrients are a valuable component of musculoskeletal health and performance. PURPOSE: This study aims to describe quality of dietary intake and relationships of nutrients on muscle strength performance through nutritional diet logs in college students. METHODS: The 41 participants (21 females and 20 males, aged 20.19±1.74 years, BMI: 24.57±4.11) recorded a single-day nutrient diet record which was analyzed with NutriCalc. Maximal voluntary contractions were acquired for ten isokinetic, isotonic, and handgrip strength variables and analyzed via bivariate correlation on SPSS. RESULTS: In men, daily fiber (grams/kg/bw) showed significance for elbow extension (r=0.413, p=0.035), knee flexion peak …

Relationship Between Fat-Free Mass Index, Body Composition, Sports Nutrition Knowledge, And Sleep Quality In Female Soccer Players, Samantha Campuzano, Michael Rodriguez, Haydin Pazdur, Guillermo Escalante, Jason Ng

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Previous research has reported an inverse relationship between body fat percentage (BF%) and sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) in athletes. Fat-free mass index (FFMI) is a related measurement that allows for the normalization of fat-free mass (FFM) by dividing the FFM in kg by height in meters squared. However, it is unknown whether this variable is influenced by an athlete’s SKN and sleep quality. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between FFMI, BF%, total body water (TBW), SNK, and sleep quality score (SQ) in Division II female soccer players. METHODS: Twenty-eight women (Mean + SD: Age = 19.4 ± 1.1 …