Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Maternal Overnutrition And Metabolic Challenge In Adult Life On The Histological Integrity Of The Liver And Intestinal Epithelium In Rabbits, Lucía Carolina Cano, Erika Navarrete, Pedro Medina, Juan Pablo Ochoa-Romo, Georgina Díaz, Rodrigo Montúfar-Chaveznava, Rosa María Vigueras-Villaseñor, Ivette Caldelas

Artículos científicos

Introduction: Maternal overnutrition during critical stages of embryonic development has been implicated as a major determinant of developmental and metabolic disturbances in offspring. Current data concerning how perinatal exposure to high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets, followed by re-exposure in adulthood (metabolic challenge), affects the metabolic regulation and structural integrity of the liver and small intestine, key organs of the gut–liver axis (GLA), are limited. Methods: Female rabbits were fed either a standard diet (SD) or a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet (HFCD) before mating and during gestation. The offspring on postnatal day 440 were challenged with an HFCD or SD for 30 …

Modelling The Balance Axiom In Flow Theory: A Physiological And Computational Approach In Steam Education, David Antonio Rosas, Natalia Padilla-Zea, Daniel Burgos

Artículos científicos

This paper addresses the axiom of balance in Flow Theory from a physiological-and-groupbased approach by a quasi-experimental study using mixed methods across two action– research cycles, each divided into pre-test, intervention, and post-test phases. The study involved 56 students in two control and two experimental groups attending robotics and design STEAM courses in natural settings, wearing Polar H10 bands. Each group participated in nine one-hour sessions, with the same instructor. While flow in control groups was measured with intuition-based teacher actions, in experimental groups the teacher received support from a synchronous physiological flow advisory system. Data from these groups were …

Gender Differences In Psychological Strengths Among Rural Adolescents, Angela Preston, Jodi Bullard, Rachel Smith, Ashlyn Peppler

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: Rural adolescents often lack access to mental health care along with increased rates of depression and suicide completion. While psychological strengths have been associated with positive outcomes globally, little is known regarding the prevalence of these indicators (hope, self‐efficacy, resilience, optimism, and gratitude) among adolescents living in rural Texas. The purpose of this study was to describe how rural adolescents report their psychological strengths and examine the data for potential gender differences.

Design and Methods: A secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data was performed on the RStudio platform using tests of central tendency and inferential statistics. Results: There were 425 …

Pilot Study Of The Barriers To Exercise Adherence And Motivation (Beam) Questionnaire For Adults With Osteoarthritis, Haley Ciara Hughes

Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition affecting over 33 million adults in the United States (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). While exercise is one of the leading, non-pharmacological treatments for OA (Zhang et al., 2008), patients often struggle to meet physical activity guidelines, increasing their risk of lifelong disability, falls, and dependence (Wallis et al., 2013). Researchers in physiotherapy have struggled to identify effective, individualized treatments to improve exercise adherence for patients with OA that maintain long-term effects (Ezzat et al., 2015); an area behavior analysts could offer insight and guidance. Behavior analysts have developed indirect functional …

Understanding Hepatitis C Risk And Harm Reduction Needs Among People Who Smoke Drugs: A Client-Centered Qualitative Inquiry, Maxwell Gustin

Anthropology

The spread of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) via non-injectable equipment is plausible, making people who smoke drugs (PWSD) at-risk for possible infection and transmission. While much research has been conducted into injection drug use (IDU), likely due to the rising opioid epidemic, limited studies focus on the risks PWSD face. Currently, state-funded syringe service programs (SSPs) provide harm reduction education and materials to combat these risks. Safer smoking initiatives have been created and are widely used by PWSD, and have access to SSPs. To gain better insight into the HCV and non-HCV-related risks and burdens PWSD face, a qualitative study …

Implications Of The Attenuated Allee Effect On Population Dynamics, Dana Strong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Allee effect is an ecological phenomenon characterized by a per capita growth rate that increases as the population size increases in the context of low population density. The Allee effect can lead to rapid extinction events. Consequently, ecologists can attempt to control the strength of the Allee effect to help increase the population (in the case of endangered species) or decrease the population (in the case of parasites or pests).

This research aimed to study not the strength of the Allee effect, but the intensity of the Allee effect, or how rapidly cooperation between individuals causes the per capita …

Quantifying Nuanced Differences In Hand Dexterity Between The Dominant And Nondominant Hands Of Healthy, Right-Handed, Young Adults, Brian J. Conway, Léon Taquet, Timothy F. Boerger, Kaitlin Goetschel, Kate B. Krucoff, Sergey Tarima, Brian D. Schmit, Max O. Krucoff

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

When individuals present with hand injuries, clinicians often use the contralateral hand as an internal control. However, subtle differences in baseline dexterous abilities between the dominant and nondominant hands are poorly understood. To address this gap, here we quantified such differences, measured as independence (individuation) and smoothness of finger movements. A cohort of 47 right-hand-dominant healthy adults (22 males and 25 females) moved each finger independently 10 times, while joint angle data were tracked with a dataglove (CyberGlove III, CyberGlove Systems, San Jose, CA). Each finger’s performance was compared with its counterpart on the opposite hand using Wilcoxon-signed rank tests. …

Pfos And Lung Injury: A Review Of Human And Experimental Evidence, Farzana Hakim

Theses and Dissertations

Human epidemiological research has shown the adverse health consequences of long-term accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human tissue. Specifically, this review will examine the relationship between PFAS exposure, impaired immune system functioning, and an elevated risk of respiratory disease using both human and experimental data. Research on human populations indicates that children exposed to PFAS have lower levels of antibodies to vaccines; those children prenatally exposed to PFAS are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections; and that adult humans have a higher incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Additionally, experimental studies demonstrate that PFOS and PFOA …

Experimental Characterization Of An Additively Manufactured Porous Gyroid Air-Cooled Heat Sink, Grant S. Resler

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper presents the development of a ducted test facility designed to evaluate heat sinks efficiency at varying air velocities. This enables the evaluation of both heat transfer and pressure drop performance. These metrics are essential to the overall efficiency of heat sinks and help identify the optimal air velocity to achieve the desired thermal performance. A standard plate fin heat sink was used as a control for comparison to a novel heat sink. The specialized heat sink geometry was generated using nTop, a generative design software focused on additive manufacturing. This design was fabricated via Direct Metal Laser Sintering …

A Prevalence Study Of Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Children In Elbasan, Albania: Directions For Health Care Policy, Artilda Lala

All Dissertations

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most prevalent disorders worldwide, especially in children from low-income and underdeveloped countries. In Albania, anemia is a major public health concern with many unstudied regions (prefectures and rural municipalities). Childhood IDA can impair cognitive development, immunity and overall well-being, so early diagnosis and prevention of anemia is critical. This study examined the prevalence of IDA in children aged 0-10 years in the district of Elbasan, Albania. The data were additionally analyzed for relationships with demographic (age, gender, education, parental education and child academic performance) and nutrition variables.

A cross-sectional study design was …

An Old Vehicle With A Fresh Coat Of Paint: Demystifying Autonomous Smart Contracts In The Context Of U.C.C. § 2-202, Daniel Kennedy

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reduction In Patient Falls: A Quality Improvement Project, Jotis J. Lee

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Patient falls remain one of the most frequent adverse events in hospital settings, leading to injury, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. The identified problem was high fall rates at a specialty hospital. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based (EB) educational intervention, using the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) toolkit, in improving direct care nursing staff’s knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability to implement fall prevention strategies for high-risk patients. The aim was to improve the nursing staff’s knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability …

Acute Effects Of Lactate Infusion On Metabolism, Ad Biomarkers, And Cognition, Riley E. Kemna, Paul J. Kueck, Anneka Blankenship, Casey S. John, Chelsea N. Johnson, Zachary D. Green, Hana Mayfield, Lauren Yoksh, Lance Johnson, John P. Thyfault, Jonathan D. Mahnken, Benjamin F. Miller, Jill K. Morris

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Impaired cerebral glucose metabolism is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lactate is an alternative brain fuel; however, whole-body lactate metabolism has not been measured in AD. METHODS: The Lactate for Energy and Neurocognition Trial (NCT05207397) was a single-arm trial that enrolled 24 cognitively healthy (CH) older adults and 12 cognitively impaired (CI) participants. Subjects underwent a stable isotope lactate infusion to evaluate lactate metabolism, cognitive testing, and blood biomarker analyses. pTau217, brain-derived tau (BD-tau), pTau181, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), total tau, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were analyzed by Simoa HD-X (Quanterix). RESULTS: …

Net Effects Of Correlated Determinants Of Health Among U.S. Older Adults, Haomiao Jia, E I. Lubetkin

Publications and Research

Background

The health effect produced by a contributing factor alone may be different from the effect when other interacting factors are present. The effects of a set of contributors, estimated by regression coefficients, may be invalid or inappropriate if some of the predictors are correlated or the model has interaction and nonlinear terms. The net effect (NE) of a given contributing factor is the effect produced by the factor alone, not by other factors due to their correlations with the factor of interest. This study estimated NE of selected determinants of health for U.S. older adults.

Methods

Participants, aged ≥ …

Recording Alternative Rock Guitar: Gear, Techniques, And Implementation, Alberto De Jesus Garcia Padilla

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper examines the tools, techniques, and creative decisions involved in recording alternative rock guitar, with particular attention to how genre defining sounds are achieved through gear choice, signal chains, microphone placement, and digital workflows. Drawing on historical context and influential alternative rock artists, the study outlines common guitars, amplifiers, pedals, and recording practices associated with the genre. These concepts are then applied to a practical case study: the recording of guitar parts for the band Phone Booth. By combining traditional amplifier recording with modern digital amp modeling, this project demonstrates how alternative rock guitar tones can be achieved without …

An Analytical Assessment Of Sentiment Analysis Trends And Methods Through Systematic Review And Topic Modeling, Chelsey Hill, Fatima Irshaidat, Marina Johnson, Jorge Fresneda

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Sentiment Analysis (SA) applies Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to identify and interpret opinions, emotions, and sentiment polarity in text data. This study presents a systematic literature review of SA research published between 2012 and 2024 using a dataset of 14,482 journal articles indexed in Scopus. The primary objective of this research is to provide a data-driven overview of the evolution of SA research, offering insights into methodological evolutions, emerging application areas, and the growing influence of AI in the field. The research findings reveal a multidisciplinary growth of SA research, with increasing contributions from Health Sciences …

Injury Prevention And Care Training Website, Samantha E. Myers

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Injury Prevention and Care is a University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) resource within Campus Recreation and Wellness. It serves a variety of students, staff, , and other membership holders with a variety of resources and treatments in caring for injuries and in seeking to prevent new or worsening of injuries. In facilitating the health and growth of this department and their staff, updating the current training resources, and making them more accessible was necessary. Moving forward, discussions of the importance of accessibility and providing various resources, both in IPC and across the UNO campus, were pivotal in the formation and …

Pathways To Aggression: Understanding Peer Victimization In Adolescence, Makenzie H. Clarken

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Insight into aggression among early adolescents is important to understanding its predictors and consequences. In adolescence, aggression is typically related to underlying issues. Addressing this is important, as unmanageable aggression progressing past early adolescence can result in involvement in the criminal justice system. Studies show that peer victimization is associated with increased levels of aggression. Aggressive adolescents may attract victimization from their peers, or those who are victimized may respond with aggression. The current study followed a sample of 182 fifth and sixth graders over the course of the school year. Constructs such as aggression, peer victimization, and social withdrawal …

Empowerment Or Imprisonment? The Line Between Sex Work And Sex Trafficking: A Comparison Of Law Enforcement And Academic Perspectives, Jocelyn Belcastro

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This research explores the line between consensual sex work and sex trafficking to gain a better understanding of the prevalence and pathways through which sex work may transition into sex trafficking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with law enforcement professionals that work closely with survivors of sex trafficking to examine the pathways from consent to coercion. An interview with a former sex worker, now college professor, was also conducted to examine the lived experience and academic perspective. Both the law enforcement and academic perspectives were analyzed and compared to one another to form a nuanced understanding of the complex issue of …

Holistically Analyzing The Initial Athlete-Provider Interaction During Sports Injury Diagnosis, Tyler Baldwin

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Recovering from injury is crucial for an athlete’s health-related quality of life and mental health. A potentially significant moment that could influence an athlete’s mindset towards recovery is the interaction between the provider and athlete during initial diagnosis. To analyze this moment from both perspectives, this study performs a thematic analysis of five semi-structured provider interviews and ten athlete interviews. In this study, all five providers exemplified an understanding of this moment’s significance, expressing awareness of their potential impact on the athlete’s mindset, and emphasizing mutual understanding to ensure streamlined recovery. Meanwhile, all ten of the athletes expressed self-awareness regarding …

Cal Poly Semester Conversion Time Capsule, Maximus La Via, Matthieu Gol, Viki Sarmasi, Tuyetthuc Nguyen

Mechanical Engineering

As Cal Poly transitions from the quarter system to the semester system, aligning itself with the other California universities, the idea has been proposed to commemorate this moment in the history of the university with a time capsule. The time capsule will be on display on the first floor of the library for a few years and later moved into the library’s archive room for permanent storage. 50 years after the completion of the semester conversion project, the time capsule will be opened. This project aims to create a secure and aesthetic device capable of storing and protecting memorabilia from …

Exploratory Diver Geotechnical Equipment (Edge), Angel Villicana, Merrick Zellers, Erik Heuchert, Lucas Heuchert

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this report is to showcase how our final Core Sampler design and prototype address the needs of Navy Divers. Geotechnical equipment for Navy divers has not been updated since the early to mid-1980s, resulting in imprecise and outdated sampling methods. The primary purpose of this project is to enhance, modernize, and redesign a tool to collect a minimally disturbed core sample of the seabed for geotechnical evaluation. This report presents the full development of our project from concept to verification and final outcomes. It begins with the statement of disclaimer, followed by a four-panel executive summary and …

Dinosaurs, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on the topic of dinosaurs.

Espanol Chapter Books, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on chapter books in Spanish.

Infant And Toddler, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on books for infants and toddlers.

Espanol Kids, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on children's books in Spanish.

Pets, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on the topic of pets.

Early Reader, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on early reader books.

Espanol Adult, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on adult books in Spanish.

Health Literacy, Children's Health

Book Recommendations

Book recommendation list from the digital library collection focused on the topic of health literacy for all ages.