Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Between Height And Sward Quality In Rotational Dairy Systems, M R. Mosquera-Losada, A Gonzalez-Rodriguez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Height is a good guide for management in dairy systems.Intake by dairy cows depends on amount offered and quality of pasture and for this reason a relationship between that offered and pasture quality with height should be studied. The experiment was conducted in NW of Spain with three different stocking rates in dairy systems. A lower quality sward was found in the taller offered pasture as indicated by its higher ADF and lower CP percentages. Total sward ADF (kg x ha-a) was higher in taller offered pasture, which indicated a lower pasture quality, however the total CP was positively related …

Breastfeeding As Co-Occupation: Occupational Therapy’S Role In Promoting Health And Well-Being, Lisa Joelle Sutton, Julie D. Kugel, Dragana Krpalek, Arezou Salamat

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Even with efforts to encourage mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, the majority of women are not able to undertake breastfeeding as the sole means of infant nutrition provision for various reasons. The role of occupational therapists working with mothers who breastfeed is complex and not strongly supported in the literature. Therefore, this qualitative study was designed to examine the role that occupational therapists may engage in supporting mothers and infants in the co-occupation of breastfeeding.

Method: A qualitative phenomenological study design was applied and included 11 occupational therapists working with breastfeeding dyads. The …

Identifying Delirium In Hospitalized Patients Using Nursing Delirium Screening Scale, Christina S. Arockiam

Dissertations

Delirium is a sudden brain dysfunction that can affect the mental status of hospitalized adult patients. At the project site, there was no consistent screening tool for delirium, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the translation of Heinrich et al.'s research regarding Gaudreau et al.'s Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) would impact the identification of delirium and subsequent provider notification within 30 minutes among adult patients in an acute care hospital in urban California over eight weeks. Virginia Henderson's need theory and the Iowa Model Revised: Evidence-based practice to …

Educating Nurses On The Components Of A Healthy Work Environment, Kathryn L. Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is essential to look at the entire picture to ensure patient care is offered in the highest quality manner possible. One must look at patient satisfaction, quality outcomes, and job satisfaction experienced by the nursing staff providing care to accomplish this goal. Research has shown that nurse burnout has increased exponentially as of late. Some blame the COVID-19 pandemic; others look at the generation of nurses graduating from nursing school and starting in the field, comparing the baby boomer nurse to the Gen Z nurse. Many factors are involved, and with the recent addition of paying particular attention to …

Psychological Profile Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes, Leandro De Lorenco-Lima

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Martial arts and combat sports have been shown to influence several desirable psychological factors positively. This quantitative study aimed to explore the differences in mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, aggression, life satisfaction, and mental health between belt ranks in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes. A sample of 410 BJJ participants (323 males and 87 females) from 18 to 60 years of age was included in this study. Data was collected anonymously via Google Form and included the Mental Strength Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, Grit Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Self-Control Scale, Brief Aggression Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Mental Health …

How Sarcoidosis Mental Health Stories Could Affect Legislation, Dorothy Michelle Kemp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem this general qualitative study with narrative techniques addressed was the lack of empirical research about sarcoidosis mental health based on depression, anxiousness, and feeling lonely. Sarcoidosis legislation was also compared to current mental health legislation, which proposed mental health measures. This study aimed to gather secondary data of firsthand descriptions based on the impacts of sarcoidosis mental health aspects and review sarcoidosis legislation. Accumulated secondary data for this study were a collection of stories from doctors, diagnosed patients, and caregivers based on their narrative of the disease from a mental health perspective. In utilizing the advocacy coalition framework, …

Digital Agriculture Applications In Maize Nutrient Management And Soybean Crop Stands Assessment, Bhawana Acharya

LSU Master's Theses

High soil moisture from frequent excessive precipitation can reduce maize (Zea mays L.) yield and increase nitrogen (N) loss. Early-stage soybeans (Glycine max) are also susceptible to damage under these conditions. Traditional methods for assessing N status in maize and plant stands in soybean are labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, UAV remote sensing was used to assess maize N status under different N rates and excessive soil moisture. For soybeans, we compared a blob detection method with the YOLOv8 model to estimate plant density using ground images from a handheld camera. Additionally, YOLOv8 performance was evaluated …

An Investigation Of The Sub-Lethal Impacts To Pollinators From Pesticides, Emily Beahm

Theses

In order to feed a growing global population, agricultural practices must utilize pesticides to maintain high yields. Responsible use of pesticides should be based on literature confirming their efficacy and safety. When pesticides are not adequately investigated prior to their release, there can be severe consequences. Many highly effective pesticides, such as the class neonicotinoids, were allowed to be used commercially prior to thorough assessment of their environmental risks, resulting in consequences that largely have fallen to the exposed pollinator populations. To avoid similar outcomes, I tested the popular biopesticide Botanigard which contains Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus previously exposed …

Variations Of Inflammatory Markers Levels (Esr And Crp) In The Perioperative Period Of Total Knee Arthroplasty, Khalil Ibrahim Sadiq, Mohamedbakir Abbas Abdulzahra, Rafid Mousa Jaffar

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background: The preferred method of treatment for severe osteoarthritis of the knee is total knee arthroplasty (TKA). TKA has been linked to a significant increase in inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)—a test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube—and C-reactive protein (CRP)—a protein made by the liver that increases when there’s inflammation in the body. Aim: Assessment of the typical time trend and physiological kinetics of CRP and ESR during the early postoperative period over 4 weeks Methods: The study was conducted in the Basrah arthroplasty center, from June …

Deterioration Of Bio-Based Polylactic Acid Plastic Teabags Under Environmental Conditions And Their Associated Effects On Earthworms, Winnie Courtene-Jones, Fannie Burgevin, Lily Munns, Maia B. T. Shillam, Francesca De Falco, Antoine Buchard, Richard Handy, Richard Thompson, Mick Hanley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

In response to the plastic waste crisis, teabag producers have substituted the petrochemical-plastic content of their products with bio-based, biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). Despite widespread use, the degradation rate of PLA/PLA-blended materials in natural soil and their effects on soil biota are poorly understood. This study examined the percentage mass deterioration of teabags with differing cellulose:PLA compositions following burial (−10 cm depth) in an arable field margin for 7-months, using a suite of analytical techniques, such as size exclusion chromatography, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, dynamic scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of 28-d exposure to …

Provider Implementation Of Probiotics As An Adjuvant Treatment Modality For Patients With Anxiety And Or Depression In A Primary Care Setting, Sarah Dedmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prevalence of anxiety and depression among Americans is growing rapidly. Patients are seeking out traditional treatments as offered by their primary care providers, but also frequently look toward integrative or complementary methods of managing their symptoms. The use of dietary supplements is at an all-time high, yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate these substances for potency and purity or evaluate them using quality standards as it does pharmaceuticals. Most providers lack education regarding the physiological interaction their patients may experience when using these substances and are naïve to their place in primary care medicine. The …

Systemic Interindividual Dna Methylation Variants In Cattle Share Major Hallmarks With Those In Humans, Wen-Jou Chang, Maria S Baker, Eleonora Laritsky, Chathura J Gunasekara, Uditha Maduranga, Justine C Galliou, Joseph W Mcfadden, Jessica R Waltemyer, Bruce Berggren-Thomas, Brianna N Tate, Hanxue Zhang, Benjamin D Rosen, Curtis P Van Tassell, George E Liu, Cristian Coarfa, Yi Athena Ren, Robert A Waterland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: We recently identified ~ 10,000 correlated regions of systemic interindividual epigenetic variation (CoRSIVs) in the human genome. These methylation variants are amenable to population studies, as DNA methylation measurements in blood provide information on epigenetic regulation throughout the body. Moreover, establishment of DNA methylation at human CoRSIVs is labile to periconceptional influences such as nutrition. Here, we analyze publicly available whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data on multiple tissues of each of two Holstein cows to determine whether CoRSIVs exist in cattle.

RESULTS: Focusing on genomic blocks with ≥ 5 CpGs and a systemic interindividual variation index of at least 20, …

Intratumoral Microbiome Of Adenoid Cystic Carcinomas And Comparison With Other Head And Neck Cancers, Tatiana V Karpinets, Yoshitsugu Mitani, Chia-Chi Chang, Xiaogang Wu, Xingzhi Song, Ivonne I Flores, Lauren K Mcdaniel, Yasmine M Hoballah, Fabiana J Veguilla, Renata Ferrarotto, Lauren E Colbert, Nadim J Ajami, Robert R Jenq, Jianhua Zhang, Andrew P Futreal, Adel K El-Naggar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, usually slow-growing yet aggressive head and neck malignancy. Despite its clinical significance, our understanding of the cellular evolution and microenvironment in ACC remains limited. We investigated the intratumoral microbiomes of 50 ACC tumor tissues and 33 adjacent normal tissues using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This allowed us to characterize the bacterial communities within the ACC and explore potential associations between the bacterial community structure, patient clinical characteristics, and tumor molecular features obtained through RNA sequencing. The bacterial composition in the ACC was significantly different from that in adjacent normal salivary tissue, and the …

Pedagogical Disruptive Innovations And Positive Deviance During Covid-19 Mandatory School Closures: A Case Study Of Public-School Teachers In San Juan County, New Mexico, David R. Mcgee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to discover and describe the types of positive deviance and disruptive innovation during the non-voluntary transition to remote learning for teachers from San Juan County, New Mexico. This study investigated how classroom teachers altered their pedagogical practices from their face-to-face classroom juxtaposed to their non-voluntary transition to the remote classroom. Positive deviance is defined as any outcome is unique, non-normative, extraordinary, uncommon, and honorable and is perceived as positive to the organization. Disruptive innovation is a business theory that explains how a good enough innovation can be pushed through as a …

Challenges Faced By Adult Gifted Students Who Have Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phenomenological Study, Dawn M. Nessler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the educational experiences of gifted adult students who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). The theory guiding this phenomenological study was Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration, with a focus on how the tragedy of various natures impacts the development of an individual's identity. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the shared educational experiences of gifted undergraduate students who have experienced a TBI. 12 participants from Strong Minds, Kind Hearts, a Christian counseling and educational office located in Northwest Florida engaged in the study. Stratified sampling was used within the …

Quasi-Experimental Study Of The Impact Spaced Practice And Retrieval Have On Mathematical Fact Fluency In Third-, Fourth-, And Fifth-Grade Students, Stefanie L. Breneman-Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group study was to determine if there is a difference in mathematical fact fluency among third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students with varying practice methods and spacing intervals while controlling for pre-test scores. The study filled the literature gap by examining the impact of each variable and their combined additive effect in a third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade student population. Given the importance of math fact fluency on overall math performance, finding the most effective means for building retention is imperative. The sample included 196 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students. Data collection was completed …

"A Life Altering And Special Journey": The Lasting Impact Of Mindfulness On Semester-Long Study Abroad Participants, Ana Conboy, Kevin Clancy

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Education abroad is held up as a high-impact practice with the potential to engage college and university students in a transformative learning experience (Kuh, 2008). The Institute for International Education (IIE) reports that 347,099 U.S. students received academic credit for study abroad during the 2018-2019 academic school year (IIE). Extensive research into student learning gains abroad have demonstrated that developing student metacognition, or one’s ability to be intentionally self-reflective, is central to transformative learning in the study abroad experience (Vande Berg et al., 2012; Zull, 2012). Consequently, international educators are continually searching for pedagogies (praxis) to facilitate metacognitive learning within …

Improving Home Designs For Disease Prevention In Gated Communities And Satisfying Living Space Needs In Egypt: A Post-Pandemic Living Assessment, A. Moustafa Kamel Neveen Youssef Azmy, Shahira Sharaf Eldin

Journal of Engineering Research

Abstract Pandemics such as SARS and COVID-19 have highlighted the importance of preventing and controlling diseases. Virus transmission in residential buildings, especially multi-unit apartment complexes, has prompted calls for innovative housing designs. While Western countries prioritize physical and mental health in residential building design, China focuses on comfort, aesthetics, appearance, and lifestyle.

A Case Study Of Endocrine And Immune Responses To Traditional Hand-Tap Tattooing, Lauren A. Landgraf, Tomasz Nowak, Jeffrey Gassen, Michael Muehlenbein, Christopher D. Lynn

Pacific Journal of Health

Tattooing is a stressor that could have adaptive benefits. Previous research indicates that endocrine and immune systems adjust to the stress of modern electric tattooing over lifetime experience, but it is unclear how these systems react to traditional hand-tap tattooing. The objective of this study was to explore how the body responds to this intense cultural stressor through examining traditional tattooing in Samoa, where saliva samples were collected throughout the first day from a Samoan man receiving the tattoo. Morning elevations and diurnal profiles of cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), and bacteria killing activity (BKA) are described, …

Voices Of Wisdom: Geriatric Interviews On Self-Management Of Type 2 Diabetes In The United States-A Systematic Review And Metasynthesis, David F Lo, Ahmed Gawash, Kunal P Shah, Jasmine Emanuel, Brandon Goodwin, Don D Shamilov, Gaurav Kumar, Nathan Jean, Christian P White

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

This review is aimed at unraveling the intricacies of diabetic self-management among geriatric people, drawing on current insights and understanding the complex paths geriatric people navigate. A wide search was conducted in health-oriented databases, including CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, while gray literature was excluded. The search combined keywords and subject headings, focusing on the geriatric population, diabetes, self-management, and qualitative research. A three-tiered screening process was employed, with titles and then abstracts initially reviewed. Full-text analysis followed, with disagreements resolved among reviewers. In total, there were 248 participants included across these eight studies. …

Towards Addressing Mental Health In Rural Louisiana: Blueberry Supplementation As A Natural Intervention, Katy E. Venable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Depression and anxiety are major public health issues; however, there is an unmet need for novel effective and accessible treatments, particularly in rural communities. Blueberries are an unexplored nutraceutical for these conditions due to their excellent nutritional profile, with particularly high levels of polyphenols and anthocyanins and benefits on mood, cognition, and health. Therefore, we conducted a double-blind, randomized pilot study in a rural population. We employed a cross-over design to test the effects of 12 weeks daily ingestion of 24 g of whole freeze-dried blueberry powder versus placebo on symptoms of depression and anxiety in those diagnosed with depression …

Toward Concurrent Identification Of Human Activities With A Single Unifying Neural Network Classification: First Step, Andrew Smith, Musa Azeem, Chrisogonas O. Odhiambo, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Hanim E. Diktas, Spencer Upton, Corby K. Martin, Brett Froeliger, Cynthia F. Corbett, Homayoun Valafar

Publications

The characterization of human behavior in real-world contexts is critical for developing a comprehensive model of human health. Recent technological advancements have enabled wearables and sensors to passively and unobtrusively record and presumably quantify human behavior. Better understanding human activities in unobtrusive and passive ways is an indispensable tool in understanding the relationship between behavioral determinants of health and diseases. Adult individuals (N = 60) emulated the behaviors of smoking, exercising, eating, and medication (pill) taking in a laboratory setting while equipped with smartwatches that captured accelerometer data. The collected data underwent expert annotation and was used to train a …

Set-Based Tests For Genetic Association Studies With Interval-Censored Competing Risks Outcomes, Zhichao Xu, Jaihee Choi, Ryan Sun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Over the past decade, massive genetic compendiums such as the UK Biobank have gathered extensive genetic and phenotypic data that hold the potential to provide unparalleled insight into the genetic etiologies of various complex diseases. However, much of the disease information is collected as time-to-event outcomes in interval-censored form, and conventional tools for genetic association analysis are often not available for this type of data. For example, set-based inference for common and rare variants analysis is a fundamental investigation in germline genetics studies, but there is a lack of approaches that can perform set-based testing when the interval-censored outcome of …

Triceps Surae Muscle Forces During Walking And Dancing Across Varied Footwear, Elias Wallnöfer, Clara Egner, Robert Csapo, Arnold Baca, Hans Kainz

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Despite a high prevalence for Achilles tendinopathies in athletic populations, research on individuality in muscle coordination, a possible contributor to this disorder, is limited. Effects of shoe condition and kinematics on force share between triceps surea muscles during normal gait and a dance step were investigated and compared between two methodological approaches. Muscle coordination was analyzed based on musculoskeletal simulations in a generic and an electromyography-informed approach. The electromyography-informed mode revealed higher individuality and a higher force production in medial gastrocnemius for the dance step in high heels compared to bare foot. The study underscores the importance of viewing Achilles …

Muscle Stiffness, Length And Range Of Motion Are Unchanged In Males And Females In Response To An Acute Bout Of Static Pectoral Stretching, Rebecca A. Franklin, Sarah Bohunicky, Shizhen Wang, Trisha D. Scribbans

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Stretching is common, yet little work has explored the influence of stretch intensity and sex differences in response to stretching. We investigated the acute effect of static pectoral stretching at two intensities (110 and 120%) on pectoralis minor length, horizontal abduction range of motion (HA-ROM), and pectoralis major and minor stiffness using shear wave elastography in males and females. Twenty-four participants (N=24, 12 female; age: 25±4.6) attended two sessions where they received three sets of a randomized stretch for 30s with 30s rest between. There were no differences in pectoralis minor length, HA-ROM, or pectoralis minor or major …

Effects Of Short Vs. Long Warm-Up Protocols On Biomechanics And Performance In A 50- M Swimming Trial, Marina Gil Calvo, Mario Asensio Moreno, Daniel Boullosa

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two warm-up, protocols differing in volume, on biomechanical and performance parameters in a simulated 50m freestyle swimming trial. Twelve well-trained male swimmers of regional and national levels performed, in random order, two 50-m time trials on separate days, after a 600m, 12 min warm-up (Short Warm-Up, SWU) or a 1200m, 24 min warm-up (Long Warm-Up, LWU) protocols in random order. The results show that only the SWU warm-up protocol significantly improved swimming performance, although there is no difference between protocols in most kinematic parameters.

Dynamic Versus Self-Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching On Vertical Jump Performance, Jason Wicke, Ashley Pauly, Alicja Swiechowska, Giuliana Pocino

ISBS Proceedings Archive

Most warm-up routines are performed without the help from coaches or trainers. Warm-up routines often include a stretching component. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-PNF is comparable to dynamic stretching prior to performing a vertical jump. Twelve participants performed pre- and post-intervention vertical jumps in random order and at least 48 hours apart. Interventions included dynamic stretching, self-PNF and a control. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between or pre- versus post-intervention for vertical jump height and peak force. However, there was a slight increase in both measures for post-dynamic stretching and a slight decrease …

Using Participant Descriptive Characteristics, Heart Rate And Inertial Sensors To Estimate Running Economy, Krista Vohlakari, Sailee Sansgiri, Timo Rantalainen, Esa Hynynen, Neil Cronin

ISBS Proceedings Archive

In this study, we aimed to develop a machine learning algorithm to estimate running economy. Inertial sensor, heart rate and participant descriptive characteristics were used to estimate running economy by training and comparing five different machine learning models. Fourteen subjects performed a VO₂max running test on a treadmill with four-minute stages. Submaximal running speeds (lactate level < 4 mmol/l) were used to train the models. The best-performing model was a k-nearest neighbour regressor, which achieved average root mean square error of 0.097 ± 0.059 kcal/kg/km and average mean absolute percentage error of 8.7 ± 5.8 % compared to ground truth running economy data. Despite reasonably accurate running economy estimates, the model is currently not very generalisable, probably due to the small dataset used for training.

Gender Effect On Torque And Explosive Characteristics At Knee Extensor In Triathletes With High And Low Eating Attitudes, Xin-Cen Wen, Wei-Chun Hsu, Li-Xin Tang, Ting-En Li, Jo-Yu Chung, Yi-Jia Lin

ISBS Proceedings Archive

This study examined the impact of eating attitudes on the strength, agility, explosiveness, and endurance performance of 26 triathletes who were categorized into EAT-Better and EAT-Worse groups. Isometric knee extensor maximal voluntary contractions were conducted before and after cycling incremental VO2 max tests. Results showed that there were no significant between-group differences at baseline and there were gender differences in Peak Knee Extensor Joint Torque and Knee Extensor Joint Impulse. At fatigue status, only females exhibited a decrease in fatigue-induced Knee Joint Impulse. Although there were no significant between-group differences in fatigue status, EAT-Worse exhibited a more notable decrease than …

Tibial Load In Runners With A History Of Bone Stress Injury: A Case Control Study, Megan A. Peach, James Becker, Kaitlyn Mckibben

ISBS Proceedings Archive

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in tibial bone load during running in subjects with a history of bone stress injury (BSI) as compared to healthy controls. Subjects with a recent history of tibial BSI (n=3), >1 year since tibial BSI (n=3), and healthy controls (n=3) ran on an instrumented treadmill while motion capture data was collected. Mixed model ANOVA (p1 year since tibial BSI. While a relationship between time and bone load post tibial BSI is possible based on the results of this study, additional studies are essential to confirm this association and progress our understanding …