Digital Commons Network^™

Using Posters To Increase Vegan Entrées Chosen At Classics In Wmu’S Student Dining Center, Sarah Schneider

Honors Theses

The following experiment tested the use of specifically designed posters to see the effect on eating habits of those who ate entrées from WMU’s food counter called Classics in the Student Dining Center. The independent variable was a poster with humorous and factual elements displayed at the point of choice in the dining center. The primary dependent variable was the percentage of vegan entrees chosen out of the total number of vegan and meat entrees served. The secondary dependent variables were the number of vegan entrees prepped and served, and the percentage of each entree that was served out of …

Mindful Parenting And Toddlers' Food Responsiveness: The Role Of Controlling Feeding Practices, Qingyu Jiang, Holly Wilhite, Natalie A. Williams, Dipti A. Dev, Caron A. C. Clark, Pearl Avari, Sarah B. Ladd

Journal of Extension

Controlling feeding practices may negatively impact children's eating behaviors. Mindful parenting may offer a promising way to reduce the use of these practices. This study examined the mediating role of pressuring children to eat and using food as a reward in the association between mindful parenting and toddlers' food responsiveness. Results indicated that higher levels of mindful parenting were associated with lower pressuring to eat, which was related to lower food responsiveness in toddlers. The results may inform Extension professionals providing mindfulness strategies for mothers of young children to improve feeding practices, ultimately reducing children's unhealthful eating behaviors.

The Role Of Green Competence In Enhancing Green Performance Among Healthcare Workers In Indonesian Community Health Centers, Dewi Susanna, Tris Eryando, Dwi Agustina, Artha Prabawa, Rabiatul Adawiah, Lusianah Lusianah, Ratna Sari Dewi

Media Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia

Climate change poses increasing risks to population health and healthcare systems worldwide. Primary healthcare facilities, partic-ularly community health centers, play a critical role in climate change mitigation and adaptation through environmentally sustainable practices. This study aimed to assess the level of green competency of Puskesmas staff and analyze relationship in the green behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 102 personnel at the Community Health Center in East Jakarta, Indonesia, using a total sampling approach. Green competence was measured across five dimensions (knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, awareness) involving a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptively and inferentially using chi-square …

The Lottery You Do Not Want To Win: The Role Of Local Institutional Quality In Brazil's Fight Against The Persistent Transmission Of Poverty, Adaye Sosthene Yvan N'Guettia

Economics Honors Projects

When does improving local institutions increase the poverty-reducing effectiveness of transfers? This paper examines whether federal oversight strengthens municipal administration of anti-poverty programs in Brazil. I develop a governance model in which incumbents allocate resources across diversion, effort, and institutional investment under audits and incentives. Using exogenous variation from Brazil's random CGU audit lottery across 5,500 municipalities, I find audits reduce irregularities, strengthen capacity, improve nutritional monitoring and school infrastructure, and reduce extreme poverty — with effects largest in municipalities with weakest institutions. A marginal-value-of-public-funds analysis confirms the program is self-financing. Results show the poverty-reducing power of transfers depends critically …

Afterword: Palestinian Solidarity As Feminist Labor, Dana Olwan

Gatherings

This afterword was completed in February 2026. Leqaa Kordia was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on March 16, 2026, after spending a year of her life in detention.

Mexican Women Caregivers’ Support For Family Members With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrea Mesa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a persistent public health challenge in the United States, disproportionately affecting Hispanic populations. Mexican-origin women often serve as primary caregivers for relatives living with diabetes, yet their voices and lived experiences remain underrepresented in research. This study addressed the limited understanding of how cultural values and caregiving roles influence diabetes management within Hispanic families. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Mexican-origin women aged 40 to 60 who care for a family member with T2D. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory, the study …

Unpacking Treatment Effect Heterogeneity In A Large-Scale Dropout Prevention Experiment, Thomas Dee, Chloe R. Gibbs, Rebecca Margolit-Chan, Lillian Morrell, James X. Sullivan

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Timely high school completion is a critical step in successful transitions to post-secondary schooling and the labor market. This randomized controlled trial, deployed in two urban, disadvantaged school districts, tests the effectiveness of a mature and comprehensive student-support program on an unusually large scale (n=2,528). While overall effects on graduation rates are small and statistically insignificant, exploratory analyses reveal notable variation by site and over time, mirroring heterogeneity in treatment timing and program implementation. These findings highlight the challenges of scaling interventions and raise concerns about generalizing results from small-scale, single-site evaluations.

Genotyping Of Echinococcus Granulosus And Evaluation Of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract As A Novel Protoscolicidal Agent, Hersh Ahmad Amin, Hoshyar Abdullah Azeez, Sirwan Muhsin Muhammed Ameen

Baghdad Science Journal

Cystic echinococcosis is a globally prevalent zoonotic infection, including in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. It arises when Echinococcus granulosus eggs are ingested, leading to the larval stages that mainly effect the internal organs of humans and livestocks. This study aimed to explore the genetic variability and sequence polymorphisms of E. granulosus and to evaluate the protoscolicidal potential of Moringa oleifera leaf extract. Protoscoleces PSCs were isolated from hydatid cysts collected from infected humans, sheep, cattle and goat. Among the 73 hydatid cysts examined, 63 (86.3%) were fertile. DNA was extracted from PSCs, the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 ( …

Frailty And Activities Of Daily Living In Older Adults In Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Study, Öznur Adadıoğlu, Ahmet Seven, Esin Danç

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to examine frailty status and activities of daily living among older adults.

Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 306 voluntary participants aged 65 years and older who were registered at a primary healthcare center in a city in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, the FRAIL Scale, and the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living.

Results: Among the participants, 36.9% were non-frail, 42.2% were pre-frail, and 20.9% were frail. The mean Katz Index score was 5.42 ± 1.35. The mean scores of activities of daily living …

Osteoporosis Knowledge, Health Beliefs, And Calcium Intake Among Malaysian Chinese Adults In Perak: A Cross-Sectional Study, Thean Hui Ru, Nurul Aimi Ab Kadir, Fatin Izzaty Mohd Shahrin

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The Malaysian Chinese population records the highest national prevalence of osteoporotic hip fractures. This study investigated the relationships between osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs, and calcium intake among Malaysian Chinese adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 205 Malaysian Chinese adults in Kampar, Perak, using the adapted Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT), Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS), and a 30-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ).

Results: Participants demonstrated low osteoporosis knowledge (6.84 ± 2.92), with low perceived susceptibility (14.87 ± 5.00), moderate perceived seriousness (17.81 ± 5.20), and barriers to calcium intake (15.61 ± 4.15), and …

Internet Use And Decision-Making Processes Among Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ayça Balmumcu, Endam Çetinkaya Ak, Sabriye Uçan Yamaç

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restricted access to in-person health services, especially in rural areas. This increased reliance on the internet for health information and decision-making was particularly notable among pregnant women. This study aimed to investigate the role of internet use in decision-making among pregnant women.

Methods: This analytical, cross-sectional study examined 384 pregnant women living in a rural district of Turkey who attended family health centers for prenatal care. Data were collected using the Internet Decision-Making Scale in Pregnancy and a questionnaire assessing internet use patterns during the pandemic.

Results: Pregnant women demonstrated …

Assessing Healthcare Access Among Overweight And Obese Individuals In Türkiye Using Latent Variable Modeling, Banu Beyaz Sipahi

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Overweight and obesity are critical determinants of healthcare access, yet evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped these dynamics in Türkiye remains limited. This study investigates whether the early post-pandemic recovery period altered healthcare access patterns for individuals with excess weight.

Methods: Using nationally representative microdata from the 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2022 Turkish Health Surveys, we constructed a latent Healthcare Access Index based on six indicators of unmet care needs. Probit models were estimated to assess associations between BMI categories and healthcare access, controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors. The 2022 wave serves as the early …

Closing Boston's Pediatric Asthma Equity Gap Through Housing-Integrated Care, Valeria Miranda

Capstones

Asthma morbidity is disproportionately high for preschool-age children (2-5 years) in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston owing to poor housing conditions and a lack of coordination between housing remediation and healthcare systems. Data at the neighborhood level indicate rates of (0-17) emergency department visits as high as 144.1 per 10,000 in Mattapan, compared to 15.0 per 10,000 in West Roxbury, where Black children have emergency department visit rates that are 6.9 times more than the rates for White Children across the city (Boston Public Health Commission, 2023). Additionally, Community Health Worker (CHW)-led home visiting with environmental trigger remediation, …

Closing On The Cardiovascular Disparity Among Black Adults In Boston Through Church-Based Community Health Worker Intervention, Ana Porfirio

Capstones

Hypertension and cardiovascular disease disproportionately affect Black adults age 40 and older in Boston's Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods, as heart disease mortality is three times higher among blacks than whites across Boston, and premature death rates are over twice as high in Dorchester and Roxbury as in richer neighborhoods. Historic redlining contributes to barriers in food access and is one factor behind Mattapan's highest age-adjusted mortality rate from heart disease in the city. These brief outlines a culturally concordant church-based Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention that includes a trained CHW who assists adults with uncontrolled hypertension in managing their …

Star Anise's Shield: How Illicium Verum Protects Dna From Oxidative Damage: An Integrated Experimental And Computational Study, Rafeef Amer Abdul-Jabar, Sabaa Ali Mohammed Al. Fadal, Anwar H. Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

Illicium verum, a star anise evergreen tree, is of great ethnopharmacological, medicinal, and biological interest. Objective: To develop an aqueous extract from its fruits and to evaluate its antioxidant potential, particularly in terms of DNA protection. The extraction method was straightforward; total phenolics (123 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (51.3 mg QE/g) were quantified, and antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging and iron (III) reducing) properties determined. The total antioxidant capacity (TAE) of the extract was estimated, and its protectiveness on human genomic DNA was examined. In addition, an in silico computer docking simulation was conducted to describe the molecular interactions of …

Monitoring Of Plankton And The Symbiosis In Maintaining Fertility In Tropical Water, Luthfiana Aprilianita Sari, Fio Surya Pratama Semendo Panhar, Naufal Falatehan, Fitrul Azizi Firdaus, Octavia Kartika Sari, Nurul Ashikin Abdullah, Felipe Polivanov Ottoni, Sulastri Arsad, Veryl Hasan, Syifania Hanifah Samara

Baghdad Science Journal

Plankton serve as live food for aquatic organisms and are indicators of water fertility, which is related to its abundance and diversity. Some live feeds also form a symbiotic relationship with macroalgae, known as epiphytic plankton, which is found in estuarine waters. The Brondong estuary area, Brondong District, Lamongan, East Java, with abundant Caulerpa sp. macroalgae, exemplifies these characteristics. This study aimed to identify the abundance, diversity, uniformity, and dominance indices of zooplankton, epiphytic microalgae, phytoplankton, and chlorophyll a in the Brondong estuary. Given that research on identifying epiphytic plankton species attached to Caulerpa sp. is lacking, this study investigates …

Dung Removal And Tunneling Contributions: Ecomorphological Traits And Functional Performance Of Onthophagus Gazella And Onthophagus Ramosellus, Takhmina Nazir, Mubashar Hussain

Baghdad Science Journal

Dung beetles perform various functions in ecosystems, such as nutrient cycling, aeration of soil, and dung burial activities that increase soil properties. Genus Onthophagus is well known for its role in dung removal and decomposition. We appraised the role of Onthophagus ramosellus and Onthophagus gazella in dung removal under field conditions. Species-specific functional features like body size and dry body weight associate these dung beetle species with tunneling depth and dung removal. We installed mesocosms (18 cm height and 12 cm diameter) at three sites in district Gujrat, i.e., Chak, Chopala, and Kot Mir Hussain. Treatment groups used in the …

Strategies For Managing Change In Home Health Care Businesses, Halbert Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Home health care agencies may experience financial hardship when regulatory inspections result in deficiencies and administrative penalties. Home health company (HHC) leaders are concerned because ineffective change management strategies may contribute to ongoing regulatory deficiencies, penalties, and reduced business performance. Grounded in Lewin’s change management theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore change management strategies some HHC owners successfully implemented to reduce administrative deficiencies and penalties to augment business performance and profitability. The participants were six leaders from HHC firms in the southwestern region of the United States who had developed effective strategies to improve …

Staff Education To Improve Nursing Knowledge On Pressure Injury Prevention, Kheeda Kimberly Gopaul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Staff education in this project was focused on improving nursing staff’s knowledge on pressure injury prevention, inspired by the persistent care quality gap. The gap in practice as of 2024 related to hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) at the host health organization was reported to be approximately 0.2 per 1,000 discharges. It was apparent that education could benefit the nursing staff to improve their knowledge in pressure injury prevention. The education in service focused on continuous nursing skin assessments, to ensure over prolonged hospitalization, patients’ skin does not deteriorate with the development of pressure injuries or advancing of pre-existing pressure ulcers. …

Lived Experiences And Competencies Of Mental Health Professionals Supporting Postpartum Mothers’ Mental Health And Well-Being, Shaynie Wolski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and postpartum psychosis, affect postpartum individuals and their families. Limited research has examined the lived experiences and competencies of licensed mental health professionals who address PMADs, potentially limiting counselor educators’ ability to prepare counselors for postpartum mental health needs. Guided by hermeneutic phenomenology and informed by Ecological Systems Theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to answer the guiding question: What are the lived experiences of licensed mental health professionals in recognizing, assessing, and treating PMADs among postpartum clients? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight …

Technologies To Remoisturize Alfalfa In The Windrow For Baling, Earl Creech, Ryan Larsen, Matt Yost, Mark Nelson, Mckenna Barney

All Current Publications

Having the correct moisture at the time of baling is critical to maximizing economic return. In 2020 and 2021, researchers at Utah State University studied moisturization technologies to determine their impact on alfalfa yield, quality, and economic return. This fact sheet provides a research overview and study results on bale moisture and weight, yield, quality, and visual appearance. An economic analysis is also included.

7th International Workshop On Sox Transcription Factors., Aya Uchida

Faculty Research 2026

Marking the 20th anniversary of a well-established meeting series focused on the biological and clinical importance of SOX genes as regulators of cell fate, the 7th International Workshop on SOX Transcription Factors held from 8-11 September 2025 at the Prince Resort MICE Karuizawa in Nagano, Japan, brought together 83 participants from 17 countries. The meeting showcased the foundations of SOX gene research and recent technological and conceptual breakthroughs across diverse model systems and human research, illustrating the field's evolution and emerging directions for future research. Reflecting the breadth of SOX biology - from early embryonic development and sex determination to …

Meeting The Needs Of Individuals With Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Through Occupational Therapy, Tianna Matthews

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new and complex disorder that results in a significant impact on one’s overall health, well-being, and quality of life. The research study was designed to address practitioner knowledge and confidence gaps as they relate to ARFID care by assessing whether an educational in-service could increase pediatric healthcare practitioners’ knowledge of ARFID, confidence with treating ARFID, and their understanding of OT’s role on an interdisciplinary ARFID team.

Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Student-Faculty Interactions In Relation To Academic Anxiety In An Online Learning Environment, Alexandria Ward

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The expansion of online learning in higher education, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly reshaped student experiences and communication practices. While existing research has explored online learning environments, student engagement, and mental health, there remains a gap in understanding how undergraduate students perceive student-faculty interactions in online learning environments and how these interactions impact academic anxiety. Guided by Transactional Distance Theory, which emphasizes dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy, this qualitative phenomenological study addressed three research questions: how students describe their experiences with faculty interactions in online learning environments in relation to academic anxiety, what aspects of communication contribute to …

Probiotic Intervention In Colorectal Cancer: The Cytotoxic And Apoptotic Potential Of Lactobacillus Cell-Free Supernatants, Bahar Yilmaz, Berna Erdal

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: Failures in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) have increased scientific interest in the potential of the bioactive compounds contained in cell-free supernatants (CFSs) obtained from probiotic bacteria for cancer treatment. The aim in this study was to investigate the effects of CFSs obtained from Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei (L. paracasei) on colorectal cancer cell lines (HT-29 and Caco-2) and a healthy colon epithelial cell line (CCD841 CoN).

Materials and methods: Cytotoxic effects on the cell lines were determined by MTT assay. In line with the IC50 values obtained, morphological changes were …

Antiatopic Dermatitis Activity Of Lissachatina Fulica Mucin: Network Pharmacology Analysis And Experimental Validation, Atin Supiyani, Wasmen Manalu, Lina Noviyanti Sutardi, Mawar Subangkit, Andriyanto Andriyanto

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: Lissachatina fulica mucin (LFM) has been used as a nutraceutical, therapeutic agent, and cosmetic ingredient. The bioactivity of mucin depends on bioactive compounds whose composition is strongly influenced by the snail’s diet. This study investigated the bioactive compounds in L. fulica mucin as potential therapeutic agents for atopic dermatitis (AD).

Materials and methods: LFM was collected from snails fed long beans and melon rinds for 4 weeks, freeze-dried, and analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry followed by network pharmacology (NP) analysis to identify its bioactive compounds. A total of 60 BALB/c mice were sensitized on the dorsal skin with 1% …

Advancing Maternal Health Equity In Nebraska: Examining Prenatal Care Access Disparities, Policy Context, And Doula Integration As A Complementary Solution, Marlette Grace Dulcinee Mabiala-Maye

Theses & Dissertations

Maternal health inequities persist across the United States, with Black, Native American, and immigrant-origin women facing disproportionate barriers to timely prenatal care. This dissertation examined access to prenatal care in Nebraska, a mixed rural and urban state with extensive maternity care deserts, through three interrelated aims. Aim 1 analyzed PRAMS data using survey-weighted regression with race-by-socioeconomic-status interactions to characterize disparities in the timing and barriers to care. Aim 2 evaluated the state’s October 2020 Medicaid expansion across pre-pandemic, acute pandemic, and post-expansion periods. Aim 3 applied qualitative description and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to interviews withtwenty-three maternity care …

Frailty As A Framework To Understand Tuberculosis Severity, Recovery, And Sequelae, Yoscelina Estrella Martinez-Lopez, Benjamin W. Black, Jessica Lee, Brian J. Buta, Lisa Y. Armitige, William A. Fountain, Rafael Samper, Aanand D. Naik, Joanne Turner, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications

Tuberculosis (TB) causes profound systemic illness, and many survivors experience long-term sequelae associated with disability and premature mortality. Current TB severity indicators capture isolated aspects of disease and may not reflect the integrated physiological impact of infection on the host. Frailty, a multidimensional syndrome characterized by reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors, predicts adverse outcomes and guides clinical management in geriatrics. We propose frailty as an integrative framework for understanding the systemic effects of TB across the life course, encompassing disease severity, recovery, and long-term sequelae. We discuss biological mechanisms through which Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection may erode physiological …

For Weight Loss: Why Do Glp-1 Agonists Work, And How Can We Make Them Work Better?, Charlise Giang, Jieyi Meng, Mahmoud Ali Mohammad, Zhenqi Liu, Xinle Wu, Yi Zhu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have revolutionized the management of not only type 2 diabetes but also obesity. However, even with rapid therapeutic advances in GLP-1RAs, questions regarding the fundamental principles of GLP-1-mediated weight loss and the enhanced efficacy of next-generation therapies remain. In this comprehensive review article, we first examine the milestones of GLP-1, from its initial discovery and biological characterization to its successful translation into clinical therapy. Furthermore, this review highlights the latest clinical trial data, specifically HbA1c reduction, weight-loss efficacy, and safety profiles, while exploring current pipelines of major pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, we delineate the mechanistic …

Improving Pressure Injury Prevention Through Braden Scale Compliance And Education In The Emergency Department, Joycelyn Lee, Kira Simone Faerstain, Alyssa Kristine Ortiz, Ashley Briseida Cruz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Pressure injuries are a major burden in healthcare, particularly in the Emergency Department (ED). Patients can be sedentary for prolonged periods of time and don't always get their skin checked promptly. Patients visiting the ED often have comorbidities and patient-specific medical needs, such as seniors with fragile skin, malnourishment, immobility, etc. At a Southern Los Angeles Hospital, leadership found that there was a need for improvement in this area. Implementing standardized risk assessment methods can help to improve the consistent use of the Braden Scale as a predictive and preventive tool for identifying patients' risk for pressure injuries and promoting …