Digital Commons Network^™

Book Reviews, Journal Of Raptor Research

Journal of Raptor Research

No abstract provided.

Plasma Chemistry Reference Values In Free-Living Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus Fasciatus) Nestlings, Javier Balbontin, Miguel Ferrer

Journal of Raptor Research

No abstract provided.

Vitamins E And A, Carotenoids, And Fatty Acids Of The Raptor Egg Yolk, Nigel W. H. Barton, Nicholas C. Fox, Peter F. Surai, Brian K. Speake

Journal of Raptor Research

No abstract provided.

Barriers To Care For Children With Cerebral Palsy In The Rural State Of Maine: A Mixed-Methods Study, Rayne L. Whitten, Anya K. Cutler, Alexa K. Craig

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Guidelines on orthopedic hip surveillance in children with cerebral palsy have been published to minimize the effects of cerebral palsy and maximize quality of life. Researchers aimed to identify barriers to cerebral palsy care and to assess adherence to national hip-surveillance guidelines among a small subset of children with cerebral palsy who live in a rural state.

Methods: Parents of children with cerebral palsy were interviewed, and thematic analyses were performed on the recorded transcripts. Patient-specific data about imaging and demographics were manually extracted from the electronic health record to perform a mixed-methods analysis.

Results: Twenty-one parents were interviewed, …

Pilot Study On Safe Score - A Novel Quantitative Metric For Evaluation Of Patient Well-Being In Crawfurd Hospital Transitional Care Facility (Cfh Tcf), Lee Jian Wei Desmond, Kweh Ren Hao Clement, Chan Teck Tsin Kevin, Sng Zixiong Ben, Chong Cher Cheong Wilson

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Crawfurd Hospital (CFH) set up a Transitional Care Facility (TCF) in November 2022 as an interim holding facility for medically stable patients awaiting a long-term discharge disposition. The team invented the SAFE score, to monitor 4 main domains commonly impacted in long-term stays – namely Skin, Action (Behaviour), Function and Emotion. A sample size of 50 patients met the inclusion criteria and were scored by the nurses on day 7, day 14, and monthly thereafter during their TCF stay, and once more within 72 hours prior to their discharge. There was no significant improvement or worsening noted across all 4 …

Contrasting Tick Species Behaviors: A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure), Sara Benham, Shovan Dutta, Rohan Maddamsetti, Clayton Wright, Alena Anderson, David T. Gauthier, Holly D. Gaff

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise throughout the world, and there is a need to better understand tick behavior in order to identify potential new interventions. Ticks have a complex life history and can survive months off-host. There is a lack of large-scale data on off-host tick behavior, which leaves a gap in understanding of tick biology outside of tick-host interactions. Introducing undergraduate students to authentic research early in their studies can help prepare them for independent inquiry in upper-level classes. To address the student needs and fill gaps in tick research, students in introductory biology courses recorded observations of …

The Contribution Of Mindfulness Practice To Supporting Children And Their Families’ Challenges Among School Social Workers: A Qualitative Multicase Study Of School Social Workers In California, Catalina Andrade

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to describe the challenges school social workers experience when supporting students and their families in their schools. Additionally, the purpose of this study was to understand how school social workers use mindfulness practices to help them respond to the challenges of working with the students and their families in their school based on Lesser’s mindfulness model (2019): love the work, do the work, don’t be an expert, connect to your pain, connect to the pain of others, depend on others, and keep making it simpler. Methodology: In this multicase study, the …

Mathematical Modeling Of Fruit Drying And System Analysis Of The Process (On The Example Of Persimmon), Gani Dadayev, Jasur Safarov, Shakhnoza Sultanova, Qobiljon Muxiddinov

Technical science and innovation

Vegetable raw materials, as an object of drying, are characterized by a large amount of water and a low content of dry substances. Vegetable raw materials have a capillary-porous structure. Food products contain both bound and free moisture at the same time. The removal of moisture from the material during drying depends on the total moisture content and the form of connection of moisture with the material. Adsorption and osmotic - bound moisture is retained at the interface of colloidal particles with the environment. Food products contain both bound and free moisture at the same time. The quantitative ratio between …

Antibiotic-Induced Gut Dysbiosis Elicits Gut-Brain Axis Relevant Multi-Omic Signatures And Behavioral And Neuroendocrine Changes In A Nonhuman Primate Model, Shivdeep S. Hayer, Mackenzie Conrin, Jeffrey French, Andrew K. Benson, Sophie Alvarez, Kathryn Dempsey, Anne Fischer, Zahraa Wajih Alsafwani, William Gasper, Mallory J. Suhr Van Haute, Haley R. Hassenstab, Shayda Azadmanesh, Missy Briardy, Skyler Gerbers, Aliyah Jabenis, Jennifer L. Thompson, Jonathan B. Clayton

Food for Health: Publications

Emerging evidence indicates that antibiotic-induced dysbiosis can play an etiological role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, most of this evidence comes from rodent models. The objective of this study was to evaluate if antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis can elicit changes in gut metabolites and behavior indicative of gut-brain axis disruption in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) – a nonhuman primate model often used to study sociability and stress. We were able to successfully induce dysbiosis in marmosets using a custom antibiotic cocktail (vancomycin, enrofloxacin and neomycin) administered orally for 28 days. This gut dysbiosis altered gut metabolite profiles, …

Development Of A Xenograft For Annular Repair Using Pulsed Electric Field Exposures For Enhanced Decellularization, Prince Mensah Kwaku Atsu

Theses and Dissertations

Severe back injuries and chronic pain necessitate surgical replacement of damaged intervertebral disc (IVD) cartilage in advanced disease stages. Bovine IVD tissue has been exposed to an upper threshold pulsed electric field (PEF) dose, causing cell death without thermal damage to the tissue. Subsequent PEF exposures at lower magnitudes have accelerated the removal of immunogenic biomolecules though electrokinetic extraction using optimized aqueous solutions. This approach yields a natural scaffold, ready for biocompatibility and mechanical strength assessment. The effects of microsecond pulsed electric fields (µsPEF) on primary bovine AF fibroblast-like cells have been characterized in vitro. PEFs of 10 and 100 …

Waiving Snap Interviews During The Covid-19 Pandemic Increased Snap Caseloads, Colleen Heflin, William Clay Fannin, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe

Center for Policy Research

Food insecurity in the United States reached historically high rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus substantially increasing demand for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To facilitate access to SNAP during the pandemic, the federal government granted state SNAP offices the option to waive the interview requirement – an administrative burden associated with the SNAP certification process. This brief summarizes findings from a recent study that used data from SNAP offices across 10 states to examine the impact of SNAP interview waivers on SNAP caseloads from January 5th to April 30th of 2021. Findings reveal that counties that implemented the …

Regional Variability In The Prevalence Of Food Insecurity And Diet Quality Among United States Children, Jayna M Dave, Tzuan A Chen, Alexandra N Castro, Mamie White, Elizabeth A Onugha, Sloane Zimmerman, Debbe Thompson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Understanding the association between food security status (FSS) and diet quality in children is crucial. This study investigated regional variability in FSS, participation in the federal nutrition assistance program (FNAP), and diet quality among US children. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2013 to 2016 were analyzed. The association between FSS, FNAP participation, and diet quality (Healthy Eating Index—HEI-2015) was assessed using multiple linear/logistic regression models. The sample included 6403 children (mean age: 7.5 years; 51% male; 33% Hispanic). Within the sample, 13% reported child food insecurity, and 30% reported household food insecurity. Additionally, 90% participated in …

Social Media As A Health-Related Information Source About The Coronavirus Among A Sample Of Kuwaiti Youth Social Media As A Health-Related Information Source About The Coronavirus Among A Sample Of Kuwaiti Youth, Yagoub Yousif Al-Kandari, Maha Meshari Al-Sejari

Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Due to the rapid dissemination of COVID-19, the public community has begun following social media as a main source of health-related information daily due to the grave, life-threatening implications on patients’ health. The current study aims to (1) detect socio-demographic differences, knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and general health, and social media trust among youth; (2) determine the degree of using social media and traditional media among youth; and (3) examine the relationship between using social media to track COVID-19 news (symptoms, general health knowledge, and social media trust) and the degree of using social media. This is a cross-sectional study …

The Macrophage Autophagy-Lysosome System In Atherosclerosis Pathogenesis, Astrid Carolina Rodriguez Velez

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis, pose significant health concerns, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of underlying mechanisms for effective therapeutic interventions. In this dissertation, I studied diverse topics, ranging from dietary impacts to intracellular processes, shedding light on novel avenues for atherosclerosis research. It is divided in 4 core projects. In Chapter 2) I studied how dietary protein drives atherosclerosis and lesion complexity. We found that protein ingestion acutely elevates amino acid levels in blood and atherosclerotic plaques, stimulating macrophage mTOR signaling. This is causal in plaque progression as the effects are abrogated in macrophage-specific Raptor-null mice. Mechanistically, we find amino acids …

Effects Of Public Policy On Family Planning For Millennial Women In The United States, Rachel Marie Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Care During Pregnancy And Early Childhood For Growth And Development In Low- And Middle- Income Countries, Ranadip Chowdhury, Ravi Prakash Upadhyay, Bireshwar Sinha, Nita Bhandari, Sunita Taneja, Jai K. Das

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

No abstract provided.

'Never Cry For Food': Food Security, Poverty, And Recurring Themes In News Media Regarding Rabbit Farming In East Africa, Kimberly E. Johnson, Julia Hayes, Patricia Davidson, Chiwoneso B. Tinago, Geoffrey Anguyo

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Rabbit farming is a form of low input agriculture that has potential to address food security and poverty in East Africa and beyond. For low input agriculture, farmers utilize local and affordable farm resources making it accessible across income levels. Understanding barriers and facilitators to rabbit farming could increase effectiveness of this form of low input agriculture in communities struggling with low food security and poverty, particularly for indigenous, smallholder farms. News media is an available source of data about community perceptions and practices on issues such as rabbit farming, food security, and poverty. For this qualitative study, researchers applied …

Tiktok’S Influence On Generation Z Female’S Comparative Behavior, Brookelynn Dinkler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to address TikTok’s role in the comparative behaviors among Generation Z females. This study specifically evaluated the communication of society’s perception of beauty standards and how it resonates with and influences TikTok users. A qualitative approach was taken to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of participants and fill the gap in qualitative media effects research. The research question being addressed was: How has TikTok influenced society's idea of physical beauty and body image concerns among Generation Z females? Through the lens of social comparison theory, the research found that the application …

Tfeb Drives Mtorc1 Hyperactivation And Kidney Disease In Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Nicola Alesi, Damir Khabibullin, Dean M Rosenthal, Elie W Akl, Pieter M Cory, Michel Alchoueiry, Samer Salem, Melissa Daou, William F Gibbons, Jennifer A Chen, Long Zhang, Harilaos Filippakis, Laura Graciotti, Caterina Miceli, Jlenia Monfregola, Claudia Vilardo, Manrico Morroni, Chiara Di Malta, Gennaro Napolitano, Andrea Ballabio, Elizabeth P Henske

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is caused by TSC1 or TSC2 mutations, leading to hyperactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and lesions in multiple organs including lung (lymphangioleiomyomatosis) and kidney (angiomyolipoma and renal cell carcinoma). Previously, we found that TFEB is constitutively active in TSC. Here, we generated two mouse models of TSC in which kidney pathology is the primary phenotype. Knockout of TFEB rescues kidney pathology and overall survival, indicating that TFEB is the primary driver of renal disease in TSC. Importantly, increased mTORC1 activity in the TSC2 knockout kidneys is normalized by TFEB knockout. In TSC2-deficient …

Indigenous Peoples And Local Communities Report Ongoing And Widespread Climate Change Impacts On Local Social-Ecological Systems, Victoria Sharakhmatova, Victoria Reyes-García, David García-Del-Amo, Santiago Álvarez-Fernández, Petra Benyei, Laura Calvet-Mir, André B. Junqueira, Vanesse Labeyrie, Xiaoyue Li, Sara Miñarro, Vincent Porcher, Anna Porcuna-Ferrer, Anna Schlingmann, Christoph Schunko, Ramin Soleymani, Adrien Tofighi-Niaki, Mariam Abazeri, Emmanuel M.N.A.N. Attoh, Ayansina Ayanlade, Julia Vieira Da Cunha Ávila, Daniel Babai, Rodrigo C. Bulamah, Joao Campos-Silva, Rosario Carmona, Julián Caviedes, Rumbidzayi Chakauya, Mouna Chambon, Zhuo Chen, Fasco Chengula, Esther Conde, Aida Cuní-Sanchez

Faculty Publications

The effects of climate change depend on specific local circumstances, posing a challenge for worldwide research to comprehensively encompass the diverse impacts on various local social-ecological systems. Here we use a place-specific but cross-culturally comparable protocol to document climate change indicators and impacts as locally experienced and analyze their distribution. We collected first-hand data in 48 sites inhabited by Indigenous Peoples and local communities and covering all climate zones and nature-dependent livelihoods. We documented 1,661 site-agreed reports of change corresponding to 369 indicators. Reports of change vary according to climate zone and livelihood activity. We provide compelling evidence that climate …

Examining Factors Associated With The Use Of Community Food Resources: An Application Of The Andersen Model To Inform Future Interventions, Abiodun T. Atoloye, Oluyemisi Akinsola, Melissa Murillo

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The role of the food environment in shaping nutrition and health has gained substantial attention from policymakers, public health researchers, and advocacy groups. To promote equities in food access and nutrition outcomes, understanding factors linked with the utilization of local community food resources is crucial. Using Andersen’s service utilization model, we explained how adults use their neighborhood food resources. In a cross-sectional study design, an online survey was conducted in REDCap Version 13.4.0 via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) involving 1830 adults with a mean age of 37.9 ± 12.1 years. Participants answered questions on predisposing, enabling, and need factors …

N-Acetylaspartate From Fat Cells Regulates Postprandial Body Temperature, Jessica B Felix, Pradip K Saha, Evelyn De Groot, Lin Tan, Robert Sharp, Elizabeth S Anaya, Yafang Li, Holly Quang, Nooshin Saidi, Layla Abushamat, Christie M Ballantyne, Christopher I Amos, Philip L Lorenzi, Samuel Klein, Xia Gao, Sean M Hartig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

N-acetylaspartate (NAA), the brain’s second most abundant metabolite, provides essential substrates for myelination through its hydrolysis. However, activities and physiological roles of NAA in other tissues remain unknown. Here, we show aspartoacylase (ASPA) expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) governs systemic NAA levels for postprandial body temperature regulation. Proteomics and mass spectrometry revealed NAA accumulation in WAT of Aspa knockout mice stimulated the pentose phosphate pathway and pyrimidine production. Stable isotope tracing confirmed higher incorporation of glucose-derived carbon into pyrimidine metabolites in Aspa knockout cells. Additionally, serum NAA positively correlates with the pyrimidine intermediate orotidine and this relationship predicted lower …

The Unprecedented Stressors Of Early Childhood Educators During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Post-Pandemic Restoration: A Case Study, Ida Mae Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to describe the unprecedented stressors of early childhood educators (ECE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic restoration at two early childhood education centers (ECEC) in a midwestern state. The central research question was: How did the COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented stressors impact ECE in the post-pandemic era? Data collection included structured interviews with open-ended questions, focus groups, and documents. The three data sources were triangulated for themes, perspectives, and interpretations, and coding was used to help gain a deep understanding of the stressors experienced by early childhood educators. The conceptual framework guiding this …

Reducing Global Food Loss And Waste Could Improve Air Quality And Lower The Risk Of Premature Mortality, Alessandro Gatto, Maksym Chepeliev

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

While the global food system substantially contributes to environmental degradation and climate change, significant amounts of lost or wasted foods along the food supply chain actively contribute to global air pollution and related health risks. In this study, we use an environmentally-extended input–output model to quantify air pollution embedded in global food loss and waste (FLW) and investigate how FLW reduction policies can mitigate air pollution linked to food consumption, decreasing associated premature mortality risks across global regions. While estimating a positive impact of FLW reduction policies on decreasing air pollution levels (from −1.5% of SO2 emissions to −10.2% of …

The Effects Of Social Gratitude On Anxiety, Depression, And Persistence To Graduate Among College Students, Terrie L. Hilbun

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Anxiety and depression have become increasingly prevalent among college students, leading to negative consequences such as decreased persistence to graduate. This study’s goal was to research the effects of a two-week gratitude intervention on attitude health, focusing on gratitude, depression, anxiety, and persistence of college students. The participants were drawn from a convenience sample of community college students located in northeast Alabama. A single pre-and post-test design was utilized, to compare the effects of a social gratitude intervention on gratitude, anxiety, depression, and persistence. A total of 25 volunteers, aged 18 or older, participated. It was hypothesized that there would …

Using Interprofessional Collaboration To Bridge Athletic Training And Strength And Condition Programs In High School Settings To Reduce Injuries, Craig Hermans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this practicum is to identify the differences between between the athletic training professional and the strength and conditioning professional in a school which may cause barriers in using interprofessional collaboration. Currently, the rate of reinjury in a student-athlete population is quite high due, in part, to the different focuses between athletic trainers and that of strength and conditioning coaches. This practicum prepares a compiled review of the literature of research as well as independent research evaluating the student/athletes’ recovery from injury in relation to reinjury. The findings from the research serve a purpose to establish a deeper …

Implementing Integrated Hypertension And Diabetes Management Using The World Health Organization's Hearts Model: Protocol For A Pilot Study In The Guatemalan National Primary Care System, Irmgardt Alicia Wellmann, Luis Fernando Ayala, José Javier Rodríguez, Timothy C Guetterman, Vilma Irazola, Eduardo Palacios, Mark D Huffman, Peter Rohloff, Michele Heisler, Manuel Ramírez-Zea, David Flood

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The HEARTS technical package was developed by the World Health Organization to address the implementation gap in cardiovascular disease prevention in low- and middle-income countries. Guatemala is a middle-income country that is currently implementing HEARTS. National authorities in Guatemala are interested in exploring how hypertension and diabetes management can be integrated in HEARTS implementation. The objective of this study is to conduct a feasibility and acceptability pilot trial of integrated hypertension and diabetes management based on HEARTS in the publicly funded primary care system in Guatemala.

METHODS: A single-arm pilot trial for 6 months will be carried out in …

Steeper Size Spectra With Decreasing Phytoplankton Biomass Indicate Strong Trophic Amplification And Future Fish Declines, Angus Atkinson, Axel G. Rossberg, Ursula Gaedke, Gary Sprules, Ryan F. Heneghan, Stratos Batziakas, Maria Grigoratou, Elaine Fileman, Katrin Schmidt, Constantin Frangoulis

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Under climate change, model ensembles suggest that declines in phytoplankton biomass amplify into greater reductions at higher trophic levels, with serious implications for fisheries and carbon storage. However, the extent and mechanisms of this trophic amplification vary greatly among models, and validation is problematic. In situ size spectra offer a novel alternative, comparing biomass of small and larger organisms to quantify the net efficiency of energy transfer through natural food webs that are already challenged with multiple climate change stressors. Our global compilation of pelagic size spectrum slopes supports trophic amplification empirically, independently from model simulations. Thus, even a modest …

Exploring The Role Of Physical Activity Influencing Emotional Regulation And Mental Health In Adolescents, Alejandro G. Martinez, Lindsay Gietzen, Valerie F. Mcdaniel

Pacific Journal of Health

This research paper explores the intricate relationship between physical activity, emotional regulation, and mental health in adolescents through an in-depth content analysis grounded in catharsis theory and the transactional theory of stress and coping. It underscores physical activity as the best practice for adolescents to manage emotions and mental health, identifying key themes that highlight its role in enhancing emotional regulation skills and reducing anger, anxiety, and depression. The catharsis theory suggests physical activity releases negative emotions, while the transactional theory explores how adolescents perceive and respond to stressors. Emphasizing the positive impact of physical activity on emotional regulation and …

The Utah Statesman, January 8, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.