Digital Commons Network^™

Bcla Clear Presbyopia: Epidemiology And Impact, M. Markoulli, T.R. Fricke, A. Arvind, K.D. Frick, Kerryn Hart, M.R. Joshi, H. Kandel, A. Filipe Macedo, D. Makrynioti, N. Retallic, N. Garcia-Porta, G. Shrestha, J.S. Wolffsohn

School of Health Professions

The global all-ages prevalence of epidemiologically-measured ‘functional’ presbyopia was estimated at 24.9% in 2015, affecting 1.8 billion people. This prevalence was projected to stabilise at 24.1% in 2030 due to increasing myopia, but to affect more people (2.1 billion) due to population dynamics. Factors affecting the prevalence of presbyopia include age, geographic location, urban versus rural location, sex, and, to a lesser extent, socioeconomic status, literacy and education, health literacy and inequality. Risk factors for early onset of presbyopia included environmental factors, nutrition, near demands, refractive error, accommodative dysfunction, medications, certain health conditions and sleep. Presbyopia was found to impact …

Residential Street Trees And Cardiovascular Disease Among Urban-Dwelling Mexican Adults, Christine Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant public health burden in Mexico despite national efforts to address traditional risk factors. With growing evidence that elements of nature can improve physical and mental health of people living in cities, this quantitative epidemiological study of secondary data examined the relationship between the presence of street trees in Mexican metropolitan areas and self-reported CVD in adults over age 40. The integrated socio-environmental model of health and well-being provided the conceptual framework for the study. A secondary data analysis was performed using combined individual health data from Mexico’s 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey and …

The Invisible Co-Afflicted: Caregivers Of Rectal Cancer Survivors, Qi Chen

Publications and Research

Formal survivorship care after successful rectal cancer treatment is lacking, and this burden falls to caregivers. Caregivers, many of whom have no healthcare training, are asked to take on management of bowel function difficulties, ostomy care, while providing tangible, emotional, and financial support for rectal cancer survivors. The rise of young-onset rectal cancer also adds new survivorship care needs, such as family planning and returning to workplace, which compounds existing caregiver responsibilities and burdens.

What Are The Potential Drivers Of Nil Perception Among Student-Athletes?, Fred E. Washington

All Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the impact of the NCAA's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy on student-athletes' college choice. By synthesizing existing academic literature on NIL and college choice models, the study established a comprehensive theoretical framework. The research employed quantitative methods, gathering data through a survey to explore their perceptions and experiences with NIL. The analysis revealed that NIL significantly influenced college selection, with factors such as scholarship type, sport type, and geographic background of the athletes playing crucial roles. Interestingly, most respondents were aware of NIL policies before starting their college search. Demographic insights showed a slight female majority …

Evaluating The Cost Of Gain And Financial Returns Of Cattle Fed Hydroponically Produced Barley Fodder, Lex Peterson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Hydroponically produced fodder continues to garner attention as a feed source within livestock production. This attention in part is due to a belief that hydroponically produced fodder is more efficient in its use of inputs such as water when compared to conventional feeds. Water efficiency is especially appealing in areas like the Intermountain West region of the U.S where water availability is often constrained. This analysis looks to understand how using hydroponically produced barley fodder to finish steers compares economically to finishing steers on a nutritionally equivalent conventional finishing ration. To do so, a stochastic simulation model is constructed to …

Leveraging Generative Ai For Sustainable Farm Management Techniques Correspond To Optimization And Agricultural Efficiency Prediction, Samira Samrose

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Sustainable farm management practice is a multifaceted challenge. Uncovering the optimal state for production while reduction of environmental negative impacts and guaranteed inter-generational assets supervision needs balanced management. Also, considering lots of different factors (cost, profit, employment etc), the agricultural based management technique requires rigorous concentration. In this project machine learning models are applied to develop, achieve and improve the farm management techniques. This experiment ensures the resultant impacts being environment friendly and necessary resource availability and efficiency. Predicting the type of crop and rotational recommendations will disclose potentiality of productive agricultural based farming. Additionally, this project is designed to …

Mental Health Calls For Service During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Examining The Geographic Distribution And Correlates Of Service Requests In Little Rock, Arkansas, Mckayla Bishop

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to the Covid-19 global crisis, the United States implemented social interaction restrictions to curb the infection rate amongst citizens, affecting residents' mental health by adding strain from daily routine change. This study examines how mental health has changed during the pandemic by focusing on geospatial differences of volume and concentration within 311 calls in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2018 and 2020. Our data comes from the City of Little Rock’s open database to construct geospatial maps (n= 155 block groups), along with Census survey data logistic regression models to show differences in community characteristics. Overall, mental health worsened …

Decision-Making In Rats: Effects Of Drug Abuse, Safa Binte Hossain

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Decision-making is a critical cognitive function, often impaired by substance abuse. Understanding the underlying mechanisms in both human and animal models is essential for developing effective treatments. This thesis aims to study approach-avoid decision-making in rats and focuses on the impacts of oxycodone self-administration and alcohol abuse on approach-avoid decision-making.We hypothesize that oxycodone self-administration will alter decision-making in female rats, revealing sex differences and distinct psychometric functions, alcohol habituation will similarly affect decision-making in male rats. The study involved 23 Long Evans rats (11 males and 12 females) for decision-making behavioral study connecting multiple levels of rewards and costs combinations. …

L-Arabinose Induced Overexpression For Crystallographic Analysis Of The Spoiie Protein From Clostridioides Difficile, Danielle M. Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The SpoIIE protein plays a crucial role in the sporulation process of Clostridioides difficile, a pathogen responsible for severe gastrointestinal diseases. Understanding the structural and functional aspects of SpoIIE is pivotal for deciphering its role in sporulation and exploring its potential as a therapeutic target. This study investigates the impact of varying concentrations of L-arabinose on the overexpression of SpoIIE in C. difficile, aiming to optimize protein yield and purity for subsequent crystallization and structural determination via X-ray crystallography. Using a recombinant expression system in Escherichia coli, different concentrations of L-arabinose were employed to induce SpoIIE overexpression. Protein purification was …

Alternative Methods For Finishing Beef Cattle: Effects On Performance, Carcass Quality, And Meat Characteristics, Michelle Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of these studies was to evaluate the effects of alternative finishing methods on the live performance, carcass quality, and meat characteristics of beef steers. In study 1, treatments consisted of a conventional feedlot finishing diet with roughage included in the ration (FDLT); a high starch diet fed at 2-2.25% of BW with ad libitum access to bermudagrass pastures (STCH); or a high by-product diet fed at 2-2.25% of BW with ad libitum access to bermudagrass pastures (BYPD). Steers were fed their respective diets once daily and weighed every 28 days until deemed finished. Cattle were then transported and …

Atypical Responses To Sensory Stimuli Or Eating Environments In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lydia Rockers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often encounter challenges in processing sensory inputs. Children with ASD may experience feeding difficulties and over- or under- stimulation during food-related activities such as eating or shopping. These have impacts on the health and well-being of individuals with ASD in childhood and throughout their lives. Further research is needed to address the impact of ambient sound levels in a retail or restaurant setting. The main objective of this thesis was to address these gaps by identifying responses to various environmental and food related stimuli. The findings of this research addressed differences in responses between …

Age, Sex, And Apoe Gene-Specific Associations Between Dynapenic Obesity And Dementia In A Large Cohort, Zhao Yao, Jie Wang, Tianfang Zhang, Hongjing Ai, Zeinab Abdelrahman, Xiaohong Wu, Daming Wang, Fenfen Chen, Ziwei Zhang, Xiaosheng Wang, Zuyun Liu, Zuobing Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To investigate the associations between dynapenic obesity and the risk of dementia, and the modifying effects of age, sex, and the APOE gene, using a large population-based cohort.

Methods: 279,884 participants aged 55 and above from the UK Biobank were included. The participants were classified into four categories based on body mass index and hand grip strength: healthy, obesity, dynapenia, and dynapenic obesity. The incident dementia was identified based on linked hospital records and death register data. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the associations, followed by age-, sex-, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene-stratified analyses.

Results: …

Assessing The Reproducibility Of Research Based On The Food And Drug Administration Manufacturer And User Facility Device Experience Data, Xinyu Li, Yubo Feng, Yang Gong, You Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This article aims to assess the reproducibility of Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) data-driven studies by analyzing the data queries used in their research processes.

Methods: Studies using MAUDE data were sourced from PubMed by searching for "MAUDE" or "Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience" in titles or abstracts. We manually chose articles with executable queries. The reproducibility of each query was assessed by replicating it in the MAUDE Application Programming Interface. The reproducibility of a query is determined by a reproducibility coefficient that ranges from 0.95 to 1.05. This coefficient is calculated by comparing the number …

Understanding The Role Of The Microbiome In Infectious Disease, Developing Surveillance Tools, And Engineering Direct Fed Microbials To Improve Animal Health, Alison Clare (Bartenslager) Neujahr

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

With the ever-increasing demand for animal protein and the continual need for the assurance of proper animal welfare, investigations of preventative strategies for diseases is greatly needed. Specifically in the cattle industry, infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as pinkeye, causes a large economic loss to the producer. However, effective mitigation strategies are lacking. Partly, this is due to the lack of studies investigating the ocular microbiome. Therefore, studies investigating the bovine ocular microbiome are greatly needed to better understand IBK disease etiology. To this end, we investigated the changes in the ocular microbiome in animals before, during and after …

Effect Of Cvd Education On The Perception And Modifiable Health Behaviors Of College Students, Sanitha Douglas

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

Research reports that cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been a national and global health problem for many years, and that knowledge has increased regarding its prevention (Hennekens, 2020). However, according to Hennekens (2020), CVD remains the number one cause of death in America and most developed countries worldwide. The lack of perception and knowledge of actual CVD risk in the young adult population may be contributing to this deadly disease. This project evaluated the effectiveness of education on CVD risk perception and modifiable health behaviors of college students.

Purpose

This project’s purpose was to assess college students' perception of their …

On Counter-Memes: A Rhetorical Study Of Allyship In Social Media Memetics From 2015-2024, Kaitlyn Samons

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the importance of Online allyship through a newly coined term in Memetics and Mis- and Disinformation: “Counter-Memeship.” This work combines previous contributing works on “memes,” “counter-memes,” “counter-stories,” and “allyship” through the lens of feminist, white, and communication theories. Internet memes and studies are explored by looking at how Online participants in internet spaces interact with each other in modern-day protests in memetic ways. The researcher utilizes descriptive and exploratory methods to articulate better how internet memes work between 2015 and 2024. The primary purpose of this research is to see whether Online protests can be considered non-performative …

How Far Does The Apple Fall? Intergenerational Processes Underlying The Attainment Of Decent Work And Implications For Occupational Health And Well-Being, Baylor A. Graham

All Dissertations

Despite decades of progress spurred by the Decent Work Agenda (International Labor Organization, 1999), efforts to improve working conditions, ensure fair wages, and establish health and well-being as fundamental standards in employment practices continue to be sorely needed. The burden of inadequate decent work has demonstrated profound effects on individual health and well-being. However, the effects of inadequate decent work are rarely investigated over long periods of time and are entirely unexplored in relation to effects on children as they age and enter the workforce themselves. Accordingly, this dissertation investigated the intergenerational effects of decent work, extending beyond the immediate …

Exploring Equity In Introductory Biology Genetics Education, Sandy G. Phillips-Long

All Dissertations

The dissertation “Exploring Equity in Introductory Biology Genetics Education” delved into the critical examination of equity within undergraduate genetics education. Chapter One outlined the background, significance, research framework, and manuscripts included in this study. Chapter Two was a scoping review that provided an overview of the current pedagogical approaches in undergraduate genetics education. It identified six active learning pedagogies: Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE); group work; case-based learning; inquiry-based learning; Virtual Reality (VR); and Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret the data, and Think of the next Experiment (CREATE). Chapter Three was a systematic literature review investigating pedagogical …

The Development Of A Novel Cartilage Analog Scaffold For Chondral Regeneration, Vishal Thomas

All Dissertations

Focal Chondral Defects (FCDs) are cartilage injuries that affect about 900,000 Americans every year. Left untreated, these may lead to osteoarthritis and eventually necessitate painful knee replacements. Current treatment options are limited in terms of durability, cost, and availability of grafts. Tissue engineering, using natural scaffolds, are a highly attractive alternative promising cost efficiency, abundance, and long-term benefits. However, their low mechanical strength and dense matrices are impediments that could lead to sub-optimal repair.

In this work, a natural biomaterial, the bovine nucleus pulposus (bNP), derived from intervertebral disc tissue, was identified as a candidate scaffold for cartilage regeneration. Mechanical …

Evaluating The Use Of The Braden Scale For Predicting Pressure Sore Risk© In Residents Of A Short-Term Rehabilitation Facility, Amelia Simmons

All Dissertations

Background: Pressure injuries are significant health issues and one of the biggest challenges organizations face on a day-to-day basis. Aside from the high cost of treatment, pressure injuries also have a great impact on patients’ lives and on the provider’s ability to render appropriate care to patients The keys to preventing the development of pressure ulcers is to identify at-risk individuals as soon as possible so that measures can be implemented.

Objective: To evaluate use of the Braden Scale© on admission and weekly for three weeks in residents admitted to a short-term rehabilitation facility for two months immediately following a …

Estimation Of Some Biochemical Markers In Acute Myeloid Leukemic Patients Before And After Chemotherapy, Ayinda Mariwan Mohsen, Zeyan Abdullah Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

The aim of this study was to measure the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), peroxynitrite (PN), homocysteine (HCY), and uric acid (UA) in acute myeloid leukemic patients (AML) (before and after taking chemotherapy) and compare results with a healthy control group. The present study includes 120 age ranged 18-70 years old suffered from AML as well as 40 healthy group. Subjects were collected from patients and a control group at Erbil’s Nanakali Hospital, they were classified into four groups: Group 1 (G1) which includes 40 healthy subjects, Group 2 (G2) includes 40 AML patients before taking chemotherapy (newly diagnosed cases), Group …

Grhpr Gene Variations In Iraqi Patients Infected With Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones, Duha Abed Almuhssen Muzahim Alzubaidy, Luma Hassan Alwan Al Obaidy

Baghdad Science Journal

The alterations in glyoxylate reductase and hydroxy-pyruvate reductase concentrations in the sera and the genetic alterations associated with calcium oxalate kidney stones in Iraqi patients were not studied previously so this study aimed to focus on these points. This study included 80 subjects; they were 50 patients with calcium oxalate stones compared to 30 apparently healthy controls. Biochemical investigations for kidney functions (creatinine, urea, and uric acid), were performed on the sera of both groups. Also, complete blood count, random blood sugar, and blood group tests. Furthermore, urine had been collected for General Urine Examination to visualize oxalate crystals in …

August 2024, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

National Immunization Awareness Month

Each year, thousands of adults in the United States get sick from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines.

Diet Modification Reduces Pain And Improves Function In Adults With Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review, Karen Stanfar, Corey Hawes, Mina Ghajar, Laura Byham-Gray, Diane R. Radler

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

The effect of dietary modifications on pain and joint function in adults with osteoarthritis (OA) is an emerging area of study. This systematic review aimed to evaluate if adults with OA who consume diets with a higher proportion of plant phenols and omega-3 fatty acids would have less pain and improved joint function than those with a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids and refined carbohydrates.

Methods

Database searches of CINAHL (EBSCO), Clinical Trials (NIH-NLM), Cochrane Library (Wiley), Dissertation & Thesis Global (ProQuest), Embase (Elsevier), Medline (OVID), PubMed (NLM), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Sciences (Clarivate) for …

Genetic Variance Present In Toll-Like Receptor 2 Of Gopherus Polyphemus, Hannah Varghese

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), a keystone species of the Abacoa Greenway Preserve, face many health risks, like Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD), caused by Mycoplasma agassizii infection. While URTD’s effects differ among tortoise populations, Abacoa’s tortoises display lower fatality rates with unclear causes. This study explores genetic variance in Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) as a possible contributor to lower fatality rates from URTD infection. TLR2 initiates the immune response to Gram-positive bacteria in other tortoise species but is not currently sequenced in Gopherus polyphemus. Genetic sequencing targeted TLR2 through blood genomic DNA extraction, PCR fragment amplification with newly designed primers, …

Effect Of Semaglutide On Regression And Progression Of Glycemia In People With Overweight Or Obesity But Without Diabetes In The Select Trial, Steven E Kahn, John E Deanfield, Ole Kleist Jeppesen, Scott S Emerson, Trine Welløv Boesgaard, Helen M Colhoun, Robert F Kushner, Ildiko Lingvay, Bartolome Burguera, Grzegorz Gajos, Deborah Bade Horn, Irene M Hramiak, Ania M Jastreboff, Alexander Kokkinos, Michael Maeng, Ana Laura S A Matos, Francisco J Tinahones, A Michael Lincoff, Donna H Ryan, Select Trial Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether semaglutide slows progression of glycemia in people with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity but without diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a multicenter, double-blind trial, participants aged ≥45 years, with BMI ≥27 kg/m2, and with preexisting cardiovascular disease but without diabetes (HbA1c

RESULTS: Of 17,604 participants, 8,803 were assigned to semaglutide and 8,801 to placebo. Mean ± SD intervention exposure was 152 ± 56 weeks and follow-up 176 ± 40 weeks. In both treatment arms mean nadir HbA1c for participants was at 20 weeks. Thereafter, HbA1c increased similarly in both arms, with a mean difference …

Assessing The State Of Obesity Care: Quality, Access, Guidelines, And Standards, Lee M Kaplan, Caroline M Apovian, Jamy D Ard, David B Allison, Louis J Aronne, Rachel L Batterham, Luca Busetto, Dror Dicker, Deborah B Horn, Aaron S Kelly, Jeffrey I Mechanick, Jonathan Q Purnell, Ximena Ramos-Salas, Assessing The State Of Obesity Care Writing Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: An international panel of obesity medicine experts from multiple professional organizations examined patterns of obesity care and current obesity treatment guidelines to identify areas requiring updating in response to emerging science and clinical evidence.

AIMS: The panel focused on multiple medical health and societal issues influencing effective treatment of obesity and identified several unmet needs in the definition, assessment, and care of obesity.

METHODS: The panel was held in Leesburg, Virginia in September 2019.

RESULTS: The panelists recommended addressing these unmet needs in obesity medicine through research, education, evaluation of delivery and payment of care, and updating clinical practice …

Assessment Of Gfr In Patients With Cancer: A Statement From The American Society Of Onco-Nephrology, Abhijat Kitchlu, Verônica T Costa E Silva, Shuchi Anand, Jaya Kala, Ala Abudayyeh, Lesley A Inker, Mitchell H Rosner, Sabine Karam, Prakash Gudsoorkar, Shruti Gupta, Sheldon Chen, Nattawat Klomjit, Nelson Leung, Tomaz Milanez, Shveta S Motwani, Sheikh B Khalid, Vinay Srinivasan, Rimda Wanchoo, Jan H Beumer, Geoffrey Liu, Nizar M Tannir, Ani Orchanian-Cheff, Yimin Geng, Sandra M Herrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate assessment of GFR is crucial to guiding drug eligibility, dosing of systemic therapy, and minimizing the risks of both undertreatment and toxicity in patients with cancer. Up to 32% of patients with cancer have baseline CKD, and both malignancy and treatment may cause kidney injury and subsequent CKD. To date, there has been lack of guidance to standardize approaches to GFR estimation in the cancer population. In this two-part statement from the American Society of Onco-Nephrology, we present key messages for estimation of GFR in patients with cancer, including the choice of GFR estimating equation, use of race and …

Quantifying Relationships In Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Based On Content Analysis Of Unstructured Research Texts, Ahmed Alibage, Antonie J. Jetter, Elpiniki Papageorgiou

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

FCM projects often rely on knowledge-based approaches, such as expert interviews, which can be challenging to conduct because they require extensive expert participation. We propose a novel alternative to create FCM models based on expert knowledge that is already codified in research texts and other publications. In this approach, thematic network analysis identifies FCM concepts and signed causal connections, while computation of t-coefficient is used to determine the weights of the identified edges. We introduce and evaluate the approach in the context of a real-world system modeling project that is based on 47 carefully selected, peer reviewed research publications on …

Proteomics In Orthopedic Research: Recent Studies And Their Translational Implications, George Li, Argyrios Stampas, Yoshihiro Komatsu, Xueqin Gao, Johnny Huard, Sheng Pan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Proteomics is a growing field that offers insights into various aspects of disease processes and therapy responses. Within the field of orthopedics, there are a variety of diseases that have a poor prognosis due to a lack of targeted curative therapy or disease modifying therapy. Other diseases have been difficult to manage in part due to lack of clinical biomarkers that offer meaningful insight into disease progression or severity. As an emerging technology, proteomics has been increasingly applied in studying bone biology and an assortment of orthopedics related diseases, such as osteoarthritis, osteosarcoma and bone tumors, osteoporosis, traumatic bone injury, …