Digital Commons Network^™

College Savings Plans: A Platform For Inclusive And Progressive Child Development Accounts, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden, Sondra G. Beverly

Center for Social Development Research

College Savings Plans: A Platform for Inclusive and Progressive Child Development Accounts

Drougthscape, Winter 2015, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Contents

Director’s report

Central U.S. 2012 report

October-December drought summary

2014 drought summary

Caribbean capacity building

Drought impacts in 2014

California timeline 2014

UC Davis ranching workshop

NASA SMAP data

Global drought info system

Community Capitals

Evaluation and assessment

Indicator-impact research

NDMC on YouTube

Differences In Breast-Feeding Initiation And Continuation By Maternal Diabetes Status, Reena Oza-Frank, Ilana Chertok, Adam Bartley

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

To examine (i) the prevalence of and associations between breast-feeding initiation and continuation by maternal diabetes status and (ii) the reasons for not initiating and/or continuing breast-feeding by maternal diabetes status. Secondary data analyses of a population-based cross-sectional study were conducting using data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2009-2011. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the associations between breast-feeding initiation and continuation by diabetes status. Thirty states and New York City, USA. Mothers of recently live-born infants, selected by birth certificate sampling. Among 72755 women, 8.8 % had gestational …

Concordance Of Self-Report And Measured Height And Weight Of College Students, Virginia Quick, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Suzanne Shoff, Adrienne A. White, Barbara Lohse, Tanya Horacek, Kendra Kattelmann, Beatrice Phillips, Sharon L Hoerr, Geoffrey Greene

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study examined associations between college students' self-report and measured height and weight.

METHODS: Participants (N = 1,686) were 77% white, 62% female, aged 18-24 years (mean ± SD, 19.1 ± 1.1 years), and enrolled at 8 US universities. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated for self-report (via online survey); trained researchers measured height and weight and categorized them as normal (18.5 to < 25), overweight (25 to < 30), obese (30 to < 35), and morbidly obese (≥ 35).

RESULTS: Concordance of self-report vs objectively measured BMI groups using chi-square revealed that 93% were accurate, 4% were underestimated, and 2.7% were overestimated. Pearson correlations and adjusted linear regression revealed significant associations between self-report and measured …

Analytical Perspectives, Budget Of The United States Government Fiscal Year 2015, United States: Office Of Management And Budget (Omb)

Documents

No abstract provided.

A Better Death In Britain?, Barbara A. Noah

Faculty Scholarship

In the United States, patients and physicians often avoid discussing the inevitability of death and planning for it. As a result, opportunities are missed to make choices that comport with patients’ values and preferences. In the absence of such decisions, the default model is to “err on the side of life,” which often results in overtreatment or inappropriate prolongation of life and avoidable suffering. This Article discusses the United States' end-of-life training and care and Britain’s Liverpool Care Pathway as related to end-of-life care availability, quality, and cost. It further sets forth the argument that while the United States' medical …

Inefficiency Of United States Maternity Leave Policies, Kimberly Merkley

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

In the United States, many aspects of the workplace are incompatible with motherhood. These include lack of childcare facilities, inflexibility of workplace hours, and the large amounts of time required to attain top positions. One of the most widespread deficiencies in all industries and workplaces is maternity leave, which is neglected at both the state and federal level. Consequently, a woman is often given little or no job protection, let alone compensation or benefits, while focused on the birth and early nurturing of her child. The United States falls well behind other developed and developing countries in this area.

Negative Feedbacks On Bark Beetle Outbreaks: Widespread And Severe Spruce Beetle Infestation Restricts Subsequent Infestation, Sarah J. Hart, Thomas T. Veblen, Nathan Mietkiewicz, Dominik Kulakowski

Geography

Understanding disturbance interactions and their ecological consequences remains a major challenge for research on the response of forests to a changing climate. When, where, and how one disturbance may alter the severity, extent, or occurrence probability of a subsequent disturbance is encapsulated by the concept of linked disturbances. Here, we evaluated 1) how climate and forest habitat variables, including disturbance history, interact to drive 2000s spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) infestation of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) across the Southern Rocky Mountains; and 2) how previous spruce beetle infestation affects subsequent infestation across the Flat Tops Wilderness in northwestern Colorado, which experienced …

Teaching Health Literacy In Conjunction With Esl, Dora Lee

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the United States, many English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers who have limited English proficiency also have low levels of health literacy. The purpose of this project is to create a curriculum that ESL teachers can implement to improve the English language proficiency and the health literacy skills of adult ESL speakers with limited English proficiency residing in the United States. The curriculum is designed for teachers who work with ESL speakers who may be having trouble obtaining, processing, communicating, or managing health information due to language barriers.

Symposium On The Challenges Of Electronic Evidence, Daniel J. Capra, Sidney A. Fitzwater, Peter Pitegoff, Jeffrey S. Sutton, Paul Grimm, John Haried, Richard W. Vorder Bruegge, Jeffrey Bellin, Paul Scechtman, Deirdre M. Smith, Shira A. Scheindlin, David Shonka, Daniel Gelb, Andrew Goldsmith, George Paul, Paul Lippe

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Restoration Of Bison (Bison Bison) To Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, A Feasibility Study, Daniel S. Licht

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is a 3,057-acre park located in western Nebraska. The unit is comprised of northern mixed-grass prairie vegetation, typical of the Northern Great Plains. Weather, fire, and grazing are generally considered to be the ecological drivers of prairie ecosystems and critical for prairie health. However, grazing has essentially been absent since the 1960s. In 2014, a Department of the Interior report explicitly listed the park as a high priority for bison restoration. This report evaluates the feasibility, management options, benefits, and challenges of restoring bison to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.

A potential bison …

Raw Milk, Raw Power: States Of (Mis)Trust, Diana Mincyte

Publications and Research

In recent years, raw milk has emerged as one of the most contentious food commodities, considered a serious health risk by public health officials and a source of healing and nourishment by raw milk proponents. The purpose of this article is to explore the ways in which consumers construct and experience trust in food that is often procured in informal markets. Because the image of an overreaching, exploitative government features prominently in popular narratives surrounding raw milk consumption, this article is explicitly concerned with the role of the state in public food debates. Drawing on two complementary empirical cases of …

Is There A Right To Die?: A Comparative Study Of Three Societies (Australia, Netherlands, United States), Lara L. Manzione

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Animal Agriculture Laws On The Chopping Block: Comparing United States And Brazil, Elizabeth Bennett

Pace Environmental Law Review

Brazil and the United States are among the largest producers and exporters of livestock in the world. This raises important animal rights and environmental concerns. While many of the impacts of industrial animal agriculture are similar in Brazil and the United States, there are key differences in the effects on animals and the environment. The variations between Brazil and the United States are due to ecological, production method, and regulatory differences between the countries. Despite their dissimilarities, however, Brazil and the United States both largely fail to adequately protect farm animals and the environment from the impacts of large-scale animal …

Obesity And Mortality: Are The Risks Declining? Evidence From Multiple Prospective Studies In The United States., Tapan S. Mehta, Kevin R. Fontaine, Scott W. Keith, Sripal S. Bangalore, Gustavo De Los Campos, Alfred Bartolucci, Nicholas M. Pajewski, David B. Allison

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

We evaluated whether the obesity-associated years of life lost (YLL) have decreased over calendar time. We implemented a meta-analysis including only studies with two or more serial body mass index (BMI) assessments at different calendar years. For each BMI category (normal weight: BMI 18.5 to <25 >[reference]; overweight: BMI 25 to60, YLL for grade 1 obesity decreased by 1.02 years (P < 0.001) and increased by 0.63 years for grade 2-3 obesity (P = 0.63). Among women aged ≤60, YLL for grade 1 obesity decreased by 4.21 years (P < 0.001) and by 4.97 years (P < 0.001) for grade 2-3 obesity. In women aged >60, YLL for grade 1 obesity decreased by 3.98 years (P < 0.001) and by 2.64 years (P = 0.001) for grade 2-3 obesity. Grade 1 obesity's association with decreased longevity has reduced for older Caucasian men. For Caucasian women, there is evidence of a decline in the obesity YLL association across all ages.

Resistant Starch Type 4-Enriched Diet Lowered Blood Cholesterols And Improved Body Composition In A Double Blind Controlled Cross-Over Intervention, Sailendra N Nichenametla, Lee A. Weidauer, Howard Wey, Tianna Beare, Bonny Specker, Moul Dey

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

A metabolic health crisis is evident as cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Effects of resistant starch type 4 (RS4), a prebiotic fiber, in comprehensive management of metabolic syndrome (MetS) remain unknown. This study examined the effects of a blinded exchange of RS4-enriched flour (30% v/v) with regular/control flour (CF) diet on multiple MetS comorbidities. In a double blind (participants-investigators), placebo-controlled, cluster cross-over intervention (n = 86, age≥18, 2-12 week interventions, 2-week washout) in the United States, individuals were classified as having MetS (With-MetS) or not (No-MetS) following International Diabetes Federation (IDF)-criteria. RS4 …

Susan Lanza-Jacoby, Phd

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

It’s been 35 years since the Chair of Surgery at the time, Dr. Francis E. Rosato, Sr., hired Susan Lanza-Jacoby, PhD, to develop a research function within Jefferson’s Department of Surgery. Since then, her lab has been among the first to show that COX2 inhibitors are protective against the development of breast cancer. More recently, it was the first to identify that a 25-percent decrease in daily caloric intake delayed the onset of pancreatic cancer. And despite growing competition for grant dollars, Dr. Jacoby has been able to remain an independent investigator since coming to Jefferson in 1979.

Outside the …

Treating Acute Respiratory Failure

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

In March, Jefferson’s Adult ECMO Program saved the life of Kennett Square resident and entrepreneur Steve Burkes. Burkes, 59, and his wife, Caroline Henrich, an attorney, report that his symptoms started with chills and fever. Since Burkes had recently been playing with their new Amazon parrot, the couple thought perhaps he had contracted an infection from the bird. Instead, it turned out to be Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), caused by a rare bacterial infection unrelated to the parrot.

By the time Henrich drove her husband to Jennersville Regional Hospital, he was incoherent. (“I felt like I was burning up …

Area Hospitals Turn To Jefferson's Adult Ecmo Program

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

In 2010, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital introduced new capabilities for portable extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which provides both cardiac and respiratory support to individuals with severely diseased or damaged heart and lungs. Since then, the hospital has built the area’s only comprehensive, surgeon-led Adult ECMO Program that includes a dedicated unit and team of clinicians with special training and experience in using this life-saving technology.

“Our program is gaining recognition in the community, with other hospitals increasingly referring critically ill patients to our team,” says Nicholas C. Cavarocchi, MD, FACS, FCCP, Director of the Surgical Cardiac Care Unit and Professor …

From The Chair: Overview

Jefferson Surgical Solutions

One Jefferson

There is palpable excitement in the air here at Jefferson. Efforts to transform our University, led by our new President Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, are well underway. Many from our Department have contributed to the changes we see on the horizon. “Health Is All We Do”…has been embraced as our new motto.

“We will reimagine health care, health education and discovery to create unparalleled value”...has been embraced as our vision statement.

A recent extensive strategic retreat process has generated a Blueprint for Strategic Action (BSA) with four foundational enablers. These are:

• Partnerships

• Diversity

• Technology …

Growing Roots: Gardening As A Means To Mitigate Urban Poverty And Its Symptoms, Maeve Bassett

2014 Student Theses

Urban gardening has become a very popular trend in the last few years in both affluent neighborhoods as a form of relaxation and in impoverished areas as a form of hunger relief. In impoverished areas, urban gardens are usually exclusively advertised as a solution to limited food access; however, there is a naïve belief that these gardens are effective forms of mass food production. Presently, these gardens are not productive enough to globally effect food production and the environment. However, to the communities surrounding the gardens, the effects are immense. Urban gardens are cheap and effective solutions for many of …

Cmsi Archive Translation: Chinese Sea Power Expansion And The State Of Sea Power In The Indian Ocean, Li Jian [李剑 ]

CMSI Translations

The article analyzes the strategic competition between China and India in the Indian Ocean, where both powers seek to expand sea power and secure critical chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait. It argues that China’s naval modernization and maritime presence challenge India’s traditional dominance and intersect with U.S. interests in maintaining regional stability. The author highlights that control of sea lanes and access to bases will shape future power balances, making maritime security in the Indian Ocean central to broader questions of hegemony and great-power rivalry.

Research Summary: Testing Universal College Savings Accounts At Birth: Early Research From Seed For Oklahoma Kids, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

SEED for Oklahoma Kids is a large-scale policy test of automatic and progressive Child Development Accounts (CDAs), and it is the first truly universal model in the United States. The SEED OK CDA is universal in that it opens an Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan (OK 529) account on behalf of every infant in the treatment group. This report summarizes key findings and conclusions from SEED for Oklahoma Kids research. Even at this early stage, SEED OK research is informing policy and the design of college savings plans at the state level. Amore recent summary of SEED OK research is …

Trends In The Use, Sociodemographic Correlates, And Undertreatment Of Prescription Medications For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In The United States From 1999 To 2010, Earl S. Ford, David M. Mannino, Anne G. Wheaton, Letitia Presley-Cantrell, Yong Liu, Wayne H. Giles, Janet B. Croft

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The extent to which patients with COPD are receiving indicated treatment with medications to improve lung function and recent trends in the use of these medications is not well documented in the United States. The objective of this study was to examine trends in prescription medications for COPD among adults in the United States from 1999 to 2010.

METHODS: We performed a trend analysis using data from up to 1426 participants aged ≥20 years with self-reported COPD from six national surveys (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2010).

RESULTS: During 2009-2010, the age-adjusted percentage of participants who used any …

A Training Programme To Build Cancer Research Capacity In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Findings From Guatemala, Lauren D Arnold, Joaquin Barnoya, Eduardo N Gharzouzi, Peter Benson, Graham A Colditz

2010-2019 OA Pubs

PROBLEM: Guatemala is experiencing an increasing burden of cancer but lacks capacity for cancer prevention, control and research.

APPROACH: In partnership with a medical school in the United States of America, a multidisciplinary Cancer Control Research Training Institute was developed at the Instituto de Cancerología (INCAN) in Guatemala City. This institute provided a year-long training programme for clinicians that focused on research methods in population health and sociocultural anthropology. The programme included didactic experiences in Guatemala and the United States as well as applied training in which participants developed research protocols responsive to Guatemala's cancer needs.

LOCAL SETTING: Although INCAN …

Building A Lifetime Of Economic Security: Mobilizing For Change, Center For Social Development

Center for Social Development Research

Building a Lifetime of Economic Security: Mobilizing for Change

Human Papillomavirus Genotype Prevalence In Invasive Penile Cancers From A Registry-Based United States Population, Brenda Y. Hernandez, Marc T. Goodman, Elizabeth R. Unger, Martin Steinau, Amy Powers, Charles F. Lynch, Wendy Cozen, Maria Sibug Saber, Edward S. Peters, Edward J. Wilkinson, Glenn Copeland, Claudia Hopenhayn, Youjie Huang, Meg Watson, Sean F. Altekruse, Christopher Lyu, Mona Saraiya, The Hpv Typing Of Cancer Workgroup

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is estimated to play an etiologic role in 40-50% of penile cancers worldwide. Estimates of HPV prevalence in U.S. penile cancer cases are limited.

METHODS: HPV DNA was evaluated in tumor tissue from 79 invasive penile cancer patients diagnosed in 1998-2005 within the catchment areas of seven U.S. cancer registries. HPV was genotyped using PCR-based Linear Array and INNO-LiPA assays and compared by demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics and survival. Histological classification was also obtained by independent pathology review.

RESULTS: HPV DNA was present in 50 of 79 (63%) of invasive penile cancer cases. Sixteen viral …

Does Outstanding Student Debt Reduce Asset Accumulation?, William Elliott, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Ilsung Nam

Center for Social Development Research

In this study, the authors use the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to assess whether student loan debt is associated with total assets. They find that median 2009 assets for households with no outstanding student loan debt ($207,000) are higher than they are for households with outstanding student loan debt ($174,000). Multivariate statistics indicate that a household with a four-year college graduate, outstanding student loan debt, and median assets ($451,520) in 2007 had $136,73 (36%) less home equity in 2009 than a household with a similar household with no outstanding student loan debt. The main policy implication of this study …

Biotechnology: Can The Transatlantic Trade And Investment Partnership Reconcile Eu And Us Differences On Gmos?, Claude Chereau

Economics & Business Analytics Faculty Publications

The US and EU have announced negotiations for a free trade agreement to be completed by end of 2014. While tariff barriers between the two entities are limited, their trade is encumbered with non-tariff barriers (NTBs), one of them being their diverging approach to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the agriculture and food industries. The US operates from a science-based perspective while the EU relies on the precautionary principle. This paper reviews the developments of GMOs in both the US and EU and draws on measures outlined in international organizations and recent trade agreements to explore options for the US …

Segregation In United States Healthcare: From Reconstruction To Deluxe Jim Crow, Kerri L. Hunkele

Honors Theses and Capstones

During the time period between Reconstruction and the Deluxe Jim Crow era, African Americans were legally oppressed, which hindered their ability to live fully and equally in society with whites. This was especially true in terms of healthcare. Segregation laws were implemented to separate blacks from the rest of society in everyday life; the worst of these laws affected the ability of African Americans to gain access to medical care that was equal to whites. This inequality prevented blacks from being accepted into society and from living quality lives that stem from adequate healthcare. Although the federal and state governments …