Digital Commons Network^™

User-Centered Design To Enhance Mhealth Systems For Individuals With Dexterity Impairments: Accessibility And Usability Study, Kuntal Chowdhary, Daihua Xie Yu, Gede Pramana, Matthew Mesoros, Andrea Fairman, Brad Edward Dicianno, Bambang Parmanto

Occupational Therapy Department Faculty Publications and Research

Background: Mobile health systems have been shown to be useful in supporting self-management by promoting adherence to schedules and longitudinal health interventions, especially in people with disabilities. The Interactive Mobile Health and Rehabilitation (iMHere) system was developed to empower people with disabilities and those with chronic conditions with supports needed for self-management and independent living. Since the first iteration of the iMHere 1.0 app, several studies have evaluated the accessibility and usability of the system. Potential opportunities to improve and simplify the user interface were identified, and the iMHere modules were redesigned accordingly.

Objective:In this study, we aim to evaluate …

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda February 24, 2022, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Meeting Agendas

No abstract provided.

February 24, 2022, Caa

Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, February 24, 2022, Layla Halterman, Cici Chagnon, Amelia Kunko, Kalina Witkowska, Marie Sykes, Chase Portaro, Morgan Mason, Liam Reilly, Sean Mcginley, Ro Murphy

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Meet the 2022 Commencement Speakers • Jobs, Internships and Networking, Oh My! • The Voice of Ursinus • Shivering With Anticipation for Rocky Horror • Who's Who in WVOU? • Opinions: Bookstore Fresh Out of Textbooks • How Fabulous is the Fabulous App? • A Springly Check-in

Online Community Engagement Enhances Service Learning, Dan Baron, Kaliah Liggons Mpa, David Pintor, Jonathan Handrup Lsw, Rubén Álvarez Silva M.Ed

Vincentian Studies

DePaul University’s Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning created a program called Online Community Engagement (OCE) to safely connect students with communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. As this article says, “OCE provided self- directed modules including reading materials and videos for students focused on issues such as mental health, immigration, community organizing, police accountability, and gentrification. The modules culminated with a live online events on Fridays featuring guests from DePaul and Chicago communities.” OCE proved highly successful, especially because it provided a way for students to meet community organizers. The article profiles some of the most salient lessons featured in …

Pandemic, Poverty, And Power: Biosocial Ethics Of Global Solidarity For Health, Stan Chu Ilo Ph.D.

Vincentian Studies

Stan Chu Ilo takes a detailed look at the vulnerabilities of the poor within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and of global inequities in general, with a special focus on marginalized people in Africa. Because of its impact on the social determinants of health, which are explained, racism has exacerbated the pandemic’s effects. For this reason, Chu Ilo explores different definitions of power. He advocates a biosocial ethical approach to health—one that considers how people’s living conditions and behavior on both the global and individual levels affect health care decision-making and health outcomes. He discusses the need for the …

A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Study Examining Resilience And Transitioning To Adulthood Among Emerging Adults With Disabilities, Jennifer Emilie Mannino

Dissertations

Transitioning to adulthood is not without challenges. The move away from family influence towards independence and self-determination is filled with uncertainty. Increased challenges and vulnerabilities in transitioning are evident among emerging adults with disabilities because they face additional challenges related to their disability over and above what others of this developmental stage experience.

Understanding The Needs Of A Mobile Phone-Based Telemonitoring Program For Pregnant Women At High Risk For Pre-Eclampsia: Interpretive Qualitative Description Study, Anam Shahil Feroz, Kristina De Vera, Nadia D. Bragagnolo, Sarah Saleem, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Emily Seto

Community Health Sciences

Background: Lack of early risk detection, diagnosis, and treatment of pregnant women at high risk for pre-eclampsia can result in high maternal mortality and morbidity not only in Pakistan but also in other low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). A potential tool for supporting pregnant women at high risk for pre-eclampsia for early detection is telemonitoring (TM). However, there is a limited body of evidence on end-user needs and preferences to inform the design of the TM programs for pregnant women at high risk for pre-eclampsia, specifically in LMICs such as Pakistan.
Objective: This study aims to explore the needs of …

February 24, 2022, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Bone Health In Adults With Epilepsy And Intellectual Disability, Robert Winterhalder, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Epilepsy is more prevalent in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) compared to the general population, and this prevalence increases with increasing severity of ID. Epilepsy affects approximately 22% of people with ID, while 25% of people with epilepsy (PWE) have an ID. Epilepsy is associated with significantly impaired bone health including osteoporosis and bone fractures, while individuals with ID are at increased risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, and vitamin D deficiency.

Addressing The Disparities In Dementia Risk, Early Detection And Care In Latino Populations: Highlights From The Second Latinos & Alzheimer's Symposium, Yakeel T. Quiroz, Michele Solis, María P. Aranda, Alicia I. Arbaje, Mirna Arroyo-Miranda, Laura Y. Cabrera, Minerva Maria Carrasquillo, Maria M. Corrada, Gladys E. Maestre, Rosa V. Pirela

School of Medicine Publications

The Alzheimer's Association hosted the second Latinos & Alzheimer's Symposium in May 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held online over 2 days, with virtual presentations, discussions, mentoring sessions, and posters. The Latino population in the United States is projected to have the steepest increase in Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the next 40 years, compared to other ethnic groups. Latinos have increased risk for AD and other dementias, limited access to quality care, and are severely underrepresented in AD and dementia research and clinical trials. The symposium highlighted developments in AD research with Latino populations, including advances …

A Mild Causal Relationship Between Tea Consumption And Obesity In General Population: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study, Cancan Li, Mingyun Niu, Zheng Guo, Pengcheng Liu, Yulu Zheng, Di Liu, Song Yang, Wei Wang, Yuanmin Li, Haifeng Hou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Evidence from observational studies for the effect of tea consumption on obesity is inconclusive. This study aimed to verify the causal association between tea consumption and obesity through a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis in general population-based datasets. The genetic instruments, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with tea consumption habits, were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS): UK Biobank, Nurses’ Health Study, Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and Women’s Genome Health Study. The effect of the genetic instruments on obesity was analyzed using the UK Biobank dataset (among ∼500,000 participants). The causal relationship between tea consumption and obesity was analyzed by …

Determining Vitamin D Status: A Comparison Between Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Women With Breast Cancer By Rp-Hplc, Santosh Gunasekaran, Suma M. Natraj, Prashanth Kumar M V

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background:

Suboptimal levels of Vitamin D, remains a common problem worldwide and its prevalence is high in India, ranging from 70-100%. Several molecular mechanisms have been found about the effects of Vitamin D in modulating glycemic levels and its protective nature in the development of breast cancer. Breast cancer in India is a common problem and studies regarding its association with Vitamin D levels among diabetics remain inconclusive. This study aims to find the association between Vitamin D status and breast cancer in diabetic and non-diabetic women.

Materials and methods:

25 hydroxy vitamin D levels were estimated by RP-HPLC. A …

The Role Of Bacteria And Fungi On Forage Degradation In Vitro, Gilberto V. Kozloski, D. C. Rösler, C. A. Pozo, L. E. Leonardi, Mariana P. Mezzomo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The study was conducted to evaluate the interactive role of bacteria and fungi on forage degradation in vitro. Samples of Cynodon spp. were incubated in a 48-h in vitro gas assay with incubation medium containing or not antimicrobial substances. Treatments were: antibiotic (Ab), antifungal (Af), negative control (i.e. without antimicrobials) or positive control (i.e. with both Ab and Af). Three replicate assays were conducted and, in each assay the gas volume was measured at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h of incubation. Data of cumulative gas production in each flask in each assay was fitted to …

Performance Of Rotational Grazing Of Urochloa Hybrid Cv. Cayman In The Caribbean Region Of Costa Rica, M. Hernández-Chaves, R. Van Der Hoek, S. Abarca-Monge, R. Soto-Blanco, J. Arango

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Costa Rica pasture-based grass is the basis for both dairy and beef production. The Caribbean region with a rainfall exceeding 3000 mm has four seasons: dry (Feb-May), rainy (May-Aug), less rainy (Sep-Oct) and intermediate (Oct-Feb). Many pastures are dominated by Ischaemum ciliare (“Retana”), of poor nutritional quality and permanently grazed with low stocking rates (one animal per ha). To assess the potential of combining improved grasses with rotational grazing, a trial with Urochloa hybrid cv. Cayman was implemented at the INTA research station in Guápiles, Limón province, during four years (2014 to 2018). An intensive pasture management system based …

Comparative Analysis Of The Nutritional, Biochemical And Hematological Parameters Of Pregnant Women Attending The University Of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, Anthony Uchenna Emeribe, Amos Dangana, Hezekiah Alkali Isa, Solomon Elochi Onoja, Theresa Ohunene Otu, Yakubu Ibrahim, Amilia Afzan Mohammad Jamil, Moses D. Lugos, Dorcas Aliyu, Shamsudeen Haruna, Mala Alhaji Baba Mallam, Hadiza Yahaya, Maijidda Aminu Saidu, Silifat Oyewusi, Mustapha Bakare, Idris Nasir Abdullahi, Justin Onyebuchi Nwofe

BioMedicine

Background: Despite the efforts to encourage the intake of nutritional supplements during antenatal periods, there are still many cases of anemia and protein-energy malnutrition during pregnancy. Hence, this study determined the incidence of anemia, protein-energy malnutrition, and associated risk factors among pregnant women in Abuja, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: This hospital-based, case-control study involved randomly selected 176 pregnant and non-pregnant women attending the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, Nigeria. Hemoglobin and hematocrit measurements were used to determine anemia incidence, while plasma protein, zinc levels and body mass index (BMI) were used to determine energy index status. …

Applying Artificial Neural-Network Model To Predict Psychiatric Symptoms, Elaheh Allahyari, Narges Roustaei

BioMedicine

Introduction: Mental disorders result in mental disabilities and discomfort in the affected person as they affect both thinking and behavior. Therefore, more vulnerable people must first be identified to improve the psychological level of society.

Aim: This study aims to determine the importance of gender, employment, education, place of residence, and age in predicting mental disorders using artificial neural network modeling.

Methods: The pattern held between variables in this study will be identified using multilayer feed-forward back-propagation neural networks with five inputs and 10 outputs. To determine the neural network with the least sum of square errors, we evaluated the …

Accessing Food In Rural Food Deserts In Iowa And Minnesota, Lois Wright Morton, Chery Smith

Great Plains Sociologist

The purpose of this research is to examine the food infrastructure (grocery stores and food safety net services) available to meet the food needs of people living in high poverty rural places. Random mail surveys (n=1,516), purposeful in-person surveys (n=665), and market basket food price surveys of 130 USDA Thrifty Food Plan items in 16 grocery stores in six rural counties in Iowa and Minnesota provide data for this analysis. We find that Iowa rural users of food safety net services are more likely to depend on others to get to the grocery store (5.6-6.2%) compared to similar population in …

Role Of Bpifb4 In Immune System And Cardiovascular Disease: The Lesson From Centenarians, Francesco Montella, Valentina Lopardo, Monica Cattaneo, Albino Carrizzo, Carmine Vecchione, Elena Ciaglia, Annibale A. Puca

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

Recent discoveries have shed light on the participation of the immune system in the physio pathology of the cardiovascular system underpinning the importance of keeping the balance of the first to preserve the latter. Aging, along with other risk factors, can challenge such balance triggering the onset of cardiovascular diseases.

Among several mediators ensuring the proper cross-talk between the two systems, bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold-containing family B member 4 (BPIFB4) has been shown to have a pivotal role, also by sustaining important signals such as eNOS and PKC-alpha.

In addition, the Longevity-associated variant (LAV), which is an haplotype allele in BPIFB4characterized by …

Carbon-Sensitive Pedotransfer Functions For Plant Available Water, Dianna K. Bagnall, Cristine L. S. Morgan, Michael Cope, Gregory M. Bean, Shannon Cappellazzi, Kelsey Greub, Daniel Liptzin, Charlotte L. Norris, Elizabeth Rieke, Paul Tracy, Ezra Aberle, Amanda Ashworth, Oscar Bañuelos Tavarez, Andy Bary, Roland Louis Baumhardt, Alberto Borbón Gracia, Daniel Brainard, Jameson Brennan, Dolores Briones Reyes, Darren Bruhjell, Cameron Carlyle, James Crawford, Cody Creech, Steven Culman, William Deen, Curtis Dell, Justin Derner, Thomas Ducey, Sjoerd Willem Duiker, Miles Dyck, Benjamin Ellert, Martin Entz, Avelino Espinosa Solorio, Steven J. Fonte, Simon Fonteyne, Ann-Marie Fortuna, Jamie Foster, Lisa Fultz, Audrey V. Gamble, Charles Geddes, Deirdre Griffin-Lahue, John Grove, Stephen K. Hamilton, Xiying Hao, ‪Zachary D. Hayden, Julie Howe, James Ippolito, Gregg Johnson, Mark Kautz, Newell Kitchen, Sandeep Kumar, Kirsten Kurtz, Francis Larney, Katie Lewis, Matt Liebman, Antonio Lopez Ramirez, Stephen Machado, Bijesh Maharjan, Miguel Angel Martinez Gamiño, William May, Mitchel Mcclaran, Marshall Mcdaniel, Neville Millar, Jeffrey P. Mitchell, Philip A. Moore, Amber Moore, Manuel Mora Gutiérrez, Kelly A. Nelson, Emmanuel Omondi, Shannon Osborne, Leodegario Osorio Alcalá, Philip Owens, Eugenia M. Pena-Yewtukhiw, Hanna Poffenbarger, Brenda Ponce Lira, Jennifer Reeve, Timothy Reinbott, Mark Reiter, Edwin Ritchey, Kraig L. Roozeboom, Ichao Rui, Amir Sadeghpour, Upendra M. Sainju, Gregg Sanford, William Schillinger, Robert R. Schindelbeck, Meagan Schipanski, Alan Schlegel, Kate Scow, Lucretia Sherrod, Sudeep Sidhu, Ernesto Solís Moya, Mervin St. Luce, Jeffrey Strock, Andrew Suyker, Virginia Sykes, Haiying Tao, Alberto Trujillo, Laura L. Van Eerd, Nele Verhulst, Tony John Vyn, Yutao Wang, Dexter Watts, David Wright, Tiequan Zhang, Charles Wayne Honeycutt

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Currently accepted pedotransfer functions show negligible effect of management-induced changes to soil organic carbon (SOC) on plant available water holding capacity (θAWHC), while some studies show the ability to substantially increase θAWHC through management. The Soil Health Institute's North America Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements measured water content at field capacity using intact soil cores across 124 long-term research sites that contained increases in SOC as a result of management treatments such as reduced tillage and cover cropping. Pedotransfer functions were created for volumetric water content at field capacity (θFC) and permanent wilting point (θPWP). New pedotransfer functions had …

February 23, 2022 Greenmail, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

GreenMail (student newsletter through 2024)

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Quality Of Life In Weight Loss Programs, Brooke Taylor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The obesity epidemic has plagued the United States for over 50 years, but there is still much education and research that needs to be done to understand weight loss, specifically the relationship between weight loss and quality of life. This paper considers this relationship from three angles: first, by considering the different types of weight loss treatment, including traditional behavioral weight loss, surgery, acceptance-based programs, and internet weight-loss interventions; second, by considering the impact of weight loss on quality of life through the lens of specific demographics, specifically female, child, and elderly populations; and finally, by considering the impact of …

Sleep And Economic Status Are Linked To Daily Life Stress In African-Born Blacks Living In America., Zoe C. Waldman, Blayne R. Schenk, Marie Grace Duhuze Karera, Arielle C. Patterson, Thomas Hormenu, Lilian S. Mabundo, Christopher W. Dubose, Ram Jagannathan, Peter L. Whitesell, Annemarie Wentzel, Margrethe F. Horlyck-Romanovsky, Anne E. Sumner

Publications and Research

To identify determinants of daily life stress in Africans in America, 156 African-born Blacks (Age: 40 ± 10 years (mean ± SD), range 22-65 years) who came to the United States as adults (age ≥ 18 years) were asked about stress, sleep, behavior and socioeconomic status. Daily life stress and sleep quality were assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. High-stress was defined by the threshold of the upper quartile of population distribution of PSS (≥16) and low-stress as PSS < 16. Poor sleep quality required PSQI > 5. Low income was defined as groups, PSS were: 21 ± 4 versus …

Long-Term Sustainability Implications Of Diverse Commercial Pollinator Mixtures For The Conservation Reserve Program, Amanda J. Ashworth, Taylor Adams, Alayna Jacobs

Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Research

The persistence of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) seed mixtures following planting is crucial for the long-term support of pollinator habitat; however, the role of disturbance regimes and their interactions in supporting this ecosystem service are largely unknown. This study set out to evaluate how ecological disturbances (prescribed burn, light disking, or fallow control) and commercially available diverse species mixtures (‘Hamilton’, ‘Bamert’, and ‘Holland’) affect pollinator habitat and the flowering period of commonly used CRP species mixtures. Specifically, three pollinator species mixtures were assessed for plant stand dynamics (plant density, yield, and dual-use pollinator-lignocellulosic feedstock potential); the resulting soil properties; and …

Evaluating Split Timing Fertilizer Applications For Improving Bread Baking Quality Of Soft Red Winter Wheat In Kentucky, Ammar Al Zubade, Krista Jacobsen, Tim Phillips, Mark Williams, David Van Sanford

Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Research

There is growing interest among farmers to locally produce high protein and strong gluten wheat that is suitable for bread making and meet the demand of local artisanal bakers in Kentucky. The warm and humid weather in southeast region is ideal for soft red winter wheat (SRW) production which characterized by low protein content. The technique of splitting nitrogen (N) fertilization according to the growth stages has been suggested to improve protein content and its composition. This study evaluated the effect of split N application on yield and baking quality traits of two SRW wheat cultivars grown in the eastern …

Prevalence And Associated Factors Of Excessive Recreational Screen Time Among Colombian Children And Adolescents, Silvia A. González, Olga L. Sarmiento, Alberto Florez-Pregonero, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Jean Philippe Chaput, Mark S. Tremblay

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Objectives: Excessive recreational screen time (RST) is associated with detrimental effects for physical, psychological and cognitive development. This article aims to describe the prevalence of excessive RST among Colombian preschoolers, children and adolescents and explore its factors associated. Methods: We analyzed data from the National Survey of Nutrition 2015. The sample included 4,503 preschoolers, 5,333 school-aged children and 6,623 adolescents. Poisson regression models with robust variance were conducted to estimate prevalence ratios and determine associated factors of excessive RST. Results: Fifty percent of preschoolers, 61% of school-aged children and 73% of adolescents in Colombia had excessive RST. Positive associations were …

Association Between Shift Rotation And 30-Year Framingham Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease Among Male Workers In A Medium-Sized Manufacturing Factory, An-Yi Hung, Lung-Chang Chien, Ro-Ting Lin

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Faculty Research

Rotating shift work is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study compared the CVD risk score in 129 male line workers aged 22–49 years on different shifts in a medium-sized metal production factory from 2017 to 2020. We classified workers into four groups: permanent day shift, weekly rotation involving five consecutive nights, weekly rotation involving 3–4 consecutive nights, and monthly rotation involving two consecutive nights. We used the Framingham Risk Score to estimate the 30-yr risks of general and hard CVD (CVD risk estimates). We investigated the differences in CVD risk estimates between different groups using …

Bacterial Indole As A Multifunctional Regulator Of Klebsiella Oxytoca Complex Enterotoxicity, Nagender Ledala, Mishika Malik, Karim Rezaul, Sara Paveglio, Anthony Provatas, Aaron Kiel, Melissa Caimano, Yanjiao Zhou, Jonathan Lindgren, Kristyna Krasulova, Peter Illes, Zdenek Dvorak, Sandhya Kortagere, Sabine Kienesberger, Amar Cosic, Lisa Pöltl, Ellen L. Zechner, Subho Ghosh, Sridhar Mani, Justin D. Radolf, Adam P. Matson

Faculty Research 2022

Gastrointestinal microbes respond to biochemical metabolites that coordinate their behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that bacterial indole functions as a multifactorial mitigator of Klebsiella grimontii and Klebsiella oxytoca pathogenicity. These closely related microbes produce the enterotoxins tilimycin and tilivalline; cytotoxin-producing strains are the causative agent of antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis and have been associated with necrotizing enterocolitis of premature infants. We demonstrate that carbohydrates induce cytotoxin synthesis while concurrently repressing indole biosynthesis. Conversely, indole represses cytotoxin production. In both cases, the alterations stemmed from differential transcription of npsA and npsB, key genes involved in tilimycin biosynthesis. Indole also enhances conversion of tilimycin …

Can Covid-19 Teach Us How To End Mass Incarceration?, Amy Fettig

University of Miami Law Review

In this essay, the author argues that federal, state and local government response to the COVID-19 epidemic in prisons and jails was largely incompetent, inhumane, and contrary to sound public health policy, resulting in preventable death and suffering for both incarcerated people and corrections staff. However, the lessons learned from these failures provide a roadmap for policy priorities and legal reform in our ongoing need to decarcerate and end the era of mass incarceration, including: (1) rolling back extreme sentences, recalibrating sentences generally and providing for “second look” mechanisms to those currently serving sentences beyond 10 years; (2) ensuring that …

Neural Correlates Of Inhibitory Control And Associations With Cognitive Outcomes In Bangladeshi Children Exposed To Early Adversities, Eileen F. Sullivan, Wanze Xie, Stefania Conte, John E. Richards, Talat Shama, Rashidul Haque, William A. Petri, Charles A. Nelson

Faculty Publications

There is strong support for the view that children growing up in low-income homes typically evince poorer performance on tests of inhibitory control compared to those growing up in higher income homes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the work documenting this association has been conducted in high-income countries. It is not yet known whether the mechanisms found to mediate this association would generalize to children in low- and middle-income countries, where the risks of exposure to extreme poverty and a wide range of both biological and psychosocial hazards may be greater. We examined relations among early adversity, neural correlates of …