Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

12.09.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Employee Profiles

In Person Account Reconciliation and Tableau Training

NSF Proposals with Consultant or Professional Services

Evaluating The Impact Of A One Day Resiliency Training Facilitation Program On Nurses' Wellbeing In An Acute Care Hospital, Amarachi Chidinma Eke-Okoro

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Nursing burnout is a significant problem with far-reaching consequences. High levels of stress, emotional exhaustion, and reduced job satisfaction among nurses contribute to poor patient outcomes, increased medical errors, and high turnover rates. There is a high prevalence of burnout among nurse executives, consequences of which include extreme stress, emotional anguish, and a desire to quit, which points to a larger problem with burnout affecting the nursing profession (Martin et al., 2023). Fostering resilience among nurses can help to mitigate these outcomes by enhancing physical, mental, and social health through building purpose, positive emotions, and effective stress management. …

Use Of Creative Outlets To Impact Quality Of Life For Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Andria Burden, Helen Carey, Zeida Gutierrez

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) profoundly impacts quality of life by limiting participation in meaningful activities. This mixed-methods study explored the role of creative outlets in enhancing quality of life for individuals with ALS. Quantitative data from the ALS-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (ALSSQOL-SF) and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews revealed key themes of adaptation, purpose, community, and quality of life. Findings indicate that creative outlets foster self-expression, social connection, and cognitive engagement while reducing isolation. Recommendations include integrating tailored creative activities into occupational therapy (OT), emphasizing group settings and early introduction to promote adaptability and community-building. This study underscores …

Breaking The Yoke: A Systematic Unmasking Of Challenges To Sustainable Rural Development In South Sudan, Gai Chol Paul

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

South Sudan, a young nation grappling with the legacy of protracted conflict, faces significant challenges in fostering sustainable rural development. While the immense potential of its vast agricultural lands remains largely untapped, the persistent triple threat of insecurity, deficient infrastructure, and the absence of robust government policy actively hinders progress. The ongoing armed conflict, characterized by inter-communal violence and sporadic attacks, casts a long shadow over rural areas in South Sudan. Thus, I developed this mixed-method multiple-case study, grounded in the sustainable livelihoods framework, to explore challenges that hinder sustainable rural development in South Sudan. I collected data through document …

Donald Griffin: A Visionary In Science And Consciousness, Brock Fenton

Animal Sentience

I share some reflections on a sabbatical with Donald Griffin a half-century ago, with fieldwork on bats and echolocating swiftlets in Australia and our discussions of animal behavior and consciousness. Griffin's influence has been vast, from recent advances in bat research, including learning, navigation, and longevity, to his enduring legacy as a pioneer in animal cognition.

Everyone Brings Something To The Table: A Culturally Sustaining Analysis Of Teacher Candidates’ Mixed Reality Teaching Simulations, Erin Scott

Faculty Publications

Discussions of HBCU students’ content knowledge have centered around developing high impact, asset-based approaches to learning (Williams et al, 2022). So, HBCU teacher preparation providers (TPPs) can also focus efforts on culturally sustaining approaches to developing candidates’ content knowledge and researching how high impact practices, like teaching simulations, can help prepare candidates for classrooms. This exploratory case study uses critical cases (n=2); findings suggest candidates have a developing understanding of content, which forms a solid basis for increasing their knowledge. MRTSs are addressed as a potential high impact, culturally sustaining practice for building candidates’ content knowledge. Further, HBCU TPPs can …

A011: Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On Microbiota: Gut-Brain Axis And Hippocampal Neurotransmitters In Aging Mice, Yuqian Liu, Wenqian Yang, Haitao Wang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Objective: Gut flora plays an important role in host stress response, anxiety, depression and cognitive function through the gut-brain axis. Microbial diversity decreases with age, which in turn affects the function of the nervous system. The role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases and neurodegenerative diseases has received increasing attention. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the regulatory role of intestinal flora, gut-brain axis and nervous system function in the prevention of nervous system function decline in the elderly.

Methods: The sample consisted of 16, 52-week-old SPF C57BL/6 male mice that were randomly divided …

A067: Latent Profile Analysis Of The Development Characteristics Of Fundamental Motor Skills In Children, Qinping Xu, Xiaozan Wang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Focusing on the sensitive period of motor development, the current study used TGMD-3 to assess the development level of fundamental motor skills in 4833 children aged 3-6 years in Shanghai. The potential categories of children's fundamental motor skill development characteristics and their interrelationship with demographic variables were analyzed using potential profile analysis and Chi-squared test, aiming to provide references for the construction of motor development interventions for children with different motor development levels. The results revealed that: 1) The developmental level of fundamental motor skills in 3-6-year-old children in Shanghai can be categorized into five latent categories, from low to …

Predicting Agricultural Sciences Students’ Media Literacy In A Post-Truth Era, Abigail Durheim, Kasey Harmon, Taylor Ruth, Cara Lawson

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

As more individuals turn to various forms of online media to seek information, misinformation and skepticism are on the rise when considering news media. Media literacy, or how individuals evaluate information they see in the news media, is critical to addressing this growing problem. This study aimed to explore the predictors of agricultural sciences students’ perceived news media literacy to gather preliminary data around this topic. Through an online survey, students enrolled in an agricultural communication class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln completed a literacy reflection assignment. Students were asked to answer questions about their news media use, perceived media …

Exploring Diet Quality, Food Insecurity, And Health Status Among Utah Residents, Palak Gupta, Lendel Narine

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

A lower-quality diet is a significant contributor to preventable mortality worldwide. This study investigated the intricate relationships between diet quality, food insecurity, and health status among residents in Utah. Using a cross-sectional survey design with a sample size of 1,522 participants, data were collected through an online survey focusing on household characteristics, diet quality, health status, and food security. The primary exposure, household food insecurity, was assessed using a validated 6-item scale, while diet quality was measured through a modified Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants– Shortened Version (REAP-S). The findings revealed an association between very low food security and poor …

Personal Protective Equipment For Minoritized U.S. Agricultural Farmworkers: Community-Based Efforts During The Pandemic & Implications For Extension, Helen Trejo

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

There are an estimated 2 million farmworkers who are essential to the food system in the United States; however, they are exposed to hazardous environmental conditions with limited access and/or use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate community-based organizational efforts to provide farmworkers with apparel-textile basic needs, such as face masks. A primary goal is to address the research gap regarding common environmental factors that impact farmworkers, including pesticides and the pandemic, their use of available PPE, and community-based efforts to improve access to face masks as basic PPE. We consider the …

Extension Partnerships For Innovative Programming: A Community-Based Training On Artificial Intelligence For Workforce Development, Paul A. Hill, Lendel K. Narine, Jordan L. Rushton, Clint J. Reid

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The AI Training Series was Washington County, Utah’s first community education offering on the topic of generative AI (GenAI). The training provided community members with an overview of the capabilities and advantages of GenAI and assisted them in making informed technology adoption decisions. Utah State University Extension partnered with Dixie Technical College and Zonos, a software company, to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning experience based on anticipated outcomes. Results showed the training was effective for disseminating information and advancing knowledge on the topic of GenAI. However, students’ intentions to adopt AI were lower than expected due to perceived barriers …

73 | ‘Akko Iii: The 1991–1998 Excavations: The Late Periods Part 2: The Knights’ Hotel Site, The Messika Plot And Miscellaneous Studies, Danny Syon, Ayelet Tatcher

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

Akko III: The Late Periods comprises two parts (IAA Reports 72 and 73), the third and fourth volumes in a series publishing the results of four excavations that took place within and just outside of the Old City of ‘Akko between 1991 and 1998. These two volumes present the archaeological finds from the Early Islamic to Ottoman periods, concentrating on the architecture and small finds from the Crusader period.

The present volume (Part 2; IAA Reports 73) presents the excavations in the Knights’ Hotel Site, which yielded a wealth of small items of daily use, including glass finds, lead ampullae, …

Napa Valley Certified Organic Viticulture Napa Valley Vineyards Go Green: Transitioning To Organic Cultivation, Eric E. Tapia

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The shift to sustainable agriculture in Napa Valley necessitates certified organic vineyards among wine industry stakeholders to facilitate systemic change. Nonetheless, numerous impediments—such as fiscal constraints, inadequate access to information, and agricultural education—are intended to address these barriers for fostering an environmental stewardship program focused on innovation and sustainability. The methods employed to investigate the transition to organic vineyards include qualitative and quantitative approaches, such as interviews with vintners and data analysis of annual crop yields and the economic impact of certified organic vineyards in Napa Valley. The investigation reveals that vineyard proprietors face significant early challenges, including a steep …

The Influence Of Pitch Type (Fastball, Curveball, And Change-Up) On The Contralateral Trunk Tilt In Adolescent Pitchers, Arlene Nichole Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Baseball participation has grown, with over 15.59 million players aged six and older in 2021. Pitching relies on effective coordination of the kinetic chain to transfer forces and generate ball velocity. While trunk rotation during pitching has been studied, contralateral trunk tilt across pitch types remains underexplored. This study investigated differences in hand velocity, stride length, and contralateral trunk tilt between fastball, curveball, and change-up pitches in 16 adolescent pitchers ages 15-18. Motion data were collected using a seven-camera system interfaced with Theia 3D. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant difference in hand velocity between fastball and change-up (p = …

Metagenomic Sequencing For Early Detection Of Future Engineered Pandemics: Foreshadowing The Privacy Challenge, Nir Eyal, Bridget Williams, Kevin M. Esvelt, Jane R. Bambauer

UF Law Faculty Publications

In this commentary, we imagine how a global system of metagenomic sequencing could be governed in order to reap the benefits and manage the risks. Global institutional engineers and their academic partners would need to develop a new governance model to ensure that all partners involved in a global metagenomic surveillance system cooperate as needed.

Analyzing Food Sources And Food Insecurity Of Kichwa Farming Families In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Reina Watanabe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the right to food is internationally recognized and the United Nations established the sustainable development goal to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030, many households remain without consistent access to food in 2024. In Latin America, approximately 4 in 10 households were reported as food insecure in 2020 with higher rates in rural and indigenous communities. Rural areas, which have great overlap with indigenous communities in Ecuador, experience disproportionately high levels of poverty and food insecurity compared to urban areas. The most populous indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the participants of this study are the …

Leveraging Within-Field Spatial Variability To Optimize Soybean Yield, Seed Quality, And Profitability, Marina Marly Dalla Betta

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Optimizing yield and seed quality in soybean production is critical for both profitability and meeting market demands. However, within-field variability in soil properties poses a challenge in determining optimal management strategies to maximize soybean yield, seed quality, and profitability. This work aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of soybean fields to optimize soybean seeding rates, seed quality, and profitability. Two case studies were used to carry over this research. The first study looked at the optimal economical site-specific soybean seeding rates using 11 on-farm precision experiments across Nebraska. The second study looked at the protein and oil variability within 22 …

The Impact Of Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) On Avian Occupancy And Vegetation Structure, Kenneth Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species, particularly wild pigs (Sus scrofa), pose a significant threat to native ecosystems through both direct and indirect impacts. Wild pigs are large-bodied omnivorous species that can consume a wide variety of plants and animals and are known for destructive foraging behaviors, which likely threatens avian communities through habitat alteration and can impact the long term structure of ecosystems where they are present.

In chapter 1, we used a combination of avian point count surveys, vegetation assessments, and camera trap surveillance to quantify how the occupancy of breeding birds in bottomland hardwood forests changed in relation to …

The Neural Mechanisms Of Visual Art Expertise During Different Stages Of The Creative Process: An Eeg Study, Kim N. Awa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Generating and drafting ideas are creative processes linked to internal neural mechanisms, such as directed attentional states, reflected in alpha band synchronization patterns. Previous research has demonstrated that these mechanisms vary based on levels of expertise during creative tasks. However, few studies have examined the multifaceted nature of ideation and externalization across multiple stages of the creative process, particularly when accounting for domain-specific expertise in imagery and figural tasks. The present study investigates alpha band synchronicity (lower and upper) across visual art backgrounds, specifically among artists, intermediates, and non-artists, during three distinct stages of the creative process: thinking of ideas, …

Socio-Ecological Drivers Of Anthropogenic Marine Debris Effects On Coral Reef Communities In The Florida Keys, Usa, Tokea Payton

All Dissertations

The Florida Keys reef tract has rapidly shifted from a structurally complex, hard coral-dominated reef to a less rugose, soft coral-dominated reef. Persistent anthropogenic stressors facilitate ecological transitions by including recreational and commercial fishing and increased anthropogenic marine debris. These artificial structures are becoming habitats for small marine taxa known as cryptofauna. Cryptofauna are among the most essential yet understudied reef taxa where little is known about their fate considering degrading coral reefs and increasing anthropogenic disturbance. With increased anthropogenic stressors on the marine environment, the SCUBA diving community has initiated extensive marine debris removal efforts to assist in cleaning …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 33. The Story In Evolution., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is best known for his independent formulation of the principle of natural selection. In this work I first review my understanding of Wallace’s intellectual development on this subject, including the notion that he had no model for the evolution of higher consciousness as of his first treatment of natural selection in 1858. This leads to some conclusions about his approach to the subject, and links to parallel ideas inherent in the philosophy of Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Redefining Approaches For Measuring Landscape Subsidence And Permafrost Degradation In Arctic Tundra Environments, Tabatha Lynn Fuson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As climate change accelerates in the Arctic, the degradation of permafrost is leading to significant landscape transformation in tundra landscapes. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted responses of permafrost systems to warming, focusing on the dynamics of surface elevation changes and active layer thickness (ALT) across the North Slope of Alaska. In this study, I explore the capacity of repeat Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology for modeling tundra features and detecting surface subsidence, specifically how different climate and landscape conditions during scanning impact TLS model precision. We also compare TLS model precision estimates to TLS model accuracy by comparing elevation values …

Examination Of The Role Of Ovarian Hormones On Nicotine Withdrawal Severity In Females, Priscilla Giner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Women are more susceptible to the long-term consequences of chronic nicotine exposure, and clinical evidence has shown that abstinence from nicotine exposure produces a withdrawal syndrome that is intensified by estrogen (E2 in rats) and progesterone (PR) in females. The goal of this Masterâ??s thesis was to determine the mechanisms by which E2 and PR promote withdrawal from nicotine vapor inhalation in female rats. Prior work in male rodents has revealed that nicotine withdrawal is modulated in the medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathway. Our hypothesis is that females experience greater inhibition of the IPN via local interneurons that release the …

A031: Design And Practice Of Ai-Powered Precision Teaching Model For Public Physical Education Courses In Universities, Dongxiao Liu, Xuankun Sun, Aowei Zhang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Purpose: Five major teaching pain points often occur in the teaching of public physical education courses in universities: (1) First pain point is easy to have deviations in movement cognition and self-practice. (2) It is difficult to accurately grasp the intensity and density of exercise. (3) Lack of process and phased teaching evaluations can inhibit the cultivation of autonomous exercise drive. (4) Unhealthy aesthetics have a negative impact, leading to a deviation in aesthetic perception among students. (5) Students lack autonomous learning ability and have difficulty cultivating post-class exercise habits. How to resolve these "pain points" are now the key …

A040: The Effect Of Blended Online And Offline Physical Education On The Health-Related Indexes Of Undergraduates, Shijun Gong, Aowei Zhang, Dongxiao Liu, Yanxin Liu

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Purpose: With the explosive development of artificial intelligence, many scholars have carried out research around the combination of online and offline physical education courses. Current research has focused on developing the application of information technology in the classroom teaching of physical education. The main purpose addressed in this study was to investigate the possible effects of implementing such a blended online and offline physical education at home on the health-related indices of students.

Method: Totally 14,708 college students participated, including 6,125 males and 8,583 females. In the analysis approach, research was adopted using SPSS 26.0, specifically the paired-samples T test …

A046: Recreational Skiing Injury Rate: A Case Study Of A Ski Resort In Central New York, Hongwei Guan, David Guan, Xiaoran Li

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Purpose: More people in China are participating in snow sports, especially after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Despite health benefits, skiing and snowboarding are associated with injury risk. Ski safety and injury prevention are essential for sustainable operation of ski resorts with the rapid development of snow sports in China. The purpose of this study was to examine the injury rate at a popular medium-sized ski resort in Central New York and compare it with that of similar ski resorts in Northeastern China.

Method: Direct ski patrol observation and injury incident reports of three seasons from 2020-21 to 2022-23 were …

A049: Associations Between 24-Hour Accelerometer-Derived Novel Metrics With Health-Related Physical Fitness In Chinese Adolescents, Yanping Qiu, Lijuan Wang, Huan Chen, Xiaoqing Li

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Purpose: Time-use estimates are commonly utilized for describing 24-hour movement behaviors. Nonetheless, the average acceleration (AvAcc), intensity gradient (IG) and the most active X minutes (MX metrics) have been proposed as 24-hour movement behaviors novel metrics describing the volume of activity, the intensity distribution and the most active time periods of the 24-h cycle. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine associations between 24-h accelerometer-derived metrics and health-related physical fitness in Chinese adolescents.

Methods: This study recruited 240 students aged 12-18 (143 males, 97 females) from a middle school in Haizhu District, Guangzhou City. The data collection period was from March …

A052: Construction Of Ski Instructors' Competency Evaluation Index System Based On O*Net Working Analysis, Juan Ran, Hongyan Wang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background/Purpose: Skiing has emerged as a preeminent activity in ice and snow tourism, with ski resorts significantly bolstering the winter tourism economy. However, the burgeoning demand for instructors, coupled with the increasing number of enthusiasts, poses critical challenges for the sport's development. To address these issues, we have undertaken a comprehensive competency assessment to inform the training and retraining of instructors. This evaluation is also pertinent for selecting unlicensed instructors.

Method: The study involved 12 experts and 250 ski instructors from Jilin Province. Research was conducted using keywords such as 'competency model' and 'instructor quality'. The O*NET questionnaire and a …

A055: The Relationship Between Grip Strength And Quality Of Life In The Elderly Based, Fanhao Meng

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the "Decade of Healthy Ageing" from 2021 to 2030 to address the challenges of a rapidly ageing global population. The extension of human lifespan is a manifestation of social progress, but aging and increased longevity may be accompanied by problems such as reduced physical and mental abilities and increased risk of diseases, which affects quality of life (QOL). Grip as an indicator of strength and is associated with physical activity in older adults. It is readily applicable in clinical and community settings, and there is an association between grip strength and health-related …