Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Violent Conflict Drives World Hunger And Food Insecurity, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

The World Food Program (WFP) with support from the United States and other countries works to provide food to those in need as a result of conflict, adverse climate effects, poverty, and government mismanagement. It is limited in what it can do, however, by budget constraints and rising food prices. On top of the financial issues, the delivery of food assistance is particularly complicated in areas of conflict where warring adversaries often hijack food supplies intended for the other side. While it is illegal under International Humanitarian Law to use starvation as a weapon of war, Dzerowicz (2023) has identified …

The Role Of Digital Citizenship Using Modern Communication And Media Tools In Enhancing Social Responsibility Among Students Of The Middle East University, Ramzi Mubarak Al Tarawneh Dr, Sahar Mohammad Al Tarawneh Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The study aims to explore the role of digital citizenship using modern communication and media tools in enhancing social responsibility among MEU students. A descriptive-analytical approach was used. The study employed a simple random sampling method, with a sample size of 421 students. The findings indicated a statistically significant impact of digital citizenship using modern communication and media tools on social responsibility in its various dimensions. Both digital citizenship using modern communication and media tools and social responsibility were practiced at a high level. Furthermore, a strong correlation was found between digital citizenship using modern communication and media tools and …

Charles H. Schaffer: “Alger County Charcoal King”, Thomas J. Straka

Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region

One of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula’s earliest industries was iron production. Iron furnaces (smelters) were part of that industry; these were primarily fueled by charcoal, produced in hundreds of charcoal kilns scattered across the Upper Peninsula. Charcoal burning was a major industry in its own right, and one person, Charles H. Schaffer, came to dominate it, earning the name “Alger County Charcoal King.” His empire began when the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad expanded east from Marquette and was centered on charcoal kilns at the Onota station in Alger County. When wood supplies near Lake Superior declined, he expanded his charcoal …

Embracing The Irreplaceable: The Role Of Neurodiversity In Cultivating Human-Ai Symbiosis In Education, Piper Hutson

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

This study investigates the indispensable role of human skills—such as empathy, ethical judgment, and nuanced understanding—in the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) within higher education, highlighting the unique contributions of neurodivergent perspectives in creating a symbiotic human-AI relationship. Drawing upon research that evidences the superior performance of diverse teams in creativity and innovation, the paper argues for the integration of neurodiversity into AI development as a means to address the philosophy of 'fearing the Other,' thereby mitigating biases and fostering ethical AI interactions. The technology sector's adoption of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, including biopsychosocial interventions and …

06.03.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Center for Population Studies, NSF Postdoc Berg, Quinn Appointed to HEPAP, Smitherman migraine research

Education And Land Management On The Pacific Crest Trail Phase 4, Ben Sherman, Emma Perry, Cade Cappello, Hattie Cahill, Anna Macklyn, Aidan Tull, Tristian Xu, Augrey Gregg

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

This research is a continuation of research collected on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The purpose of this study was to investigate land ethics and education, Leave No Trace principles, and hiker experiences on the PCT. From July 2023-January 2024, interdisciplinary students collected qualitative and quantitative data through interviews and surveys with hikers on the trail. Past phases of this project have determined that this research is necessary, but due to Covid, the team has only been able to gather data remotely via online surveys and interviews prior to this study. The Baker Koob grant funded travel and research equipment …

Cultivating Agriculture - Cultivando Agricultura: Content Creator, Sophia L. Garcia

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

Agriculture is rooted in culture, yet we rarely discuss the people who drive the industry today. Many voices have yet to share their stories of influencing or making a difference in the agriculture industry. As a result, the idea of a podcast arose as a free, convenient, and accessible way for everyone to hear and communicate stories. During the project, my co-host, Daniela Ramos, and I will work together to address this issue. To diversify and separate the workload, we will each host three episodes individually. As part of my role, I will also be responsible for marketing, including creating …

Dietary Probiotic Supplement Attenuates Methamphetamine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference In Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Kristen Powell

Masters Theses

Substance use disorders (SUD) represent a global public health crisis with limited effective treatment options. Recent findings implicate the gut microbiome and gut/brain axis in the pathophysiology of SUDs. Several preclinical studies have established that psychostimulants alter gut microbiome composition, but no published studies have assessed behavioral effects of dietary probiotic supplements on drug-induced behavioral changes. This study utilized rodent conditioned place preference (CPP) as a behavioral index of conditioned drug reward to determine if a dietary probiotic supplement alters the behavioral effects of (+)-methamphetamine (METH). Fifty-four adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive either a standard rodent …

Agricultural Groundcover Update May 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In May, over 9% (1,410,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.
• Northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 26% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover, predominantly found on landscapes known for sandy soils.
• About 1.3% (208,900 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%. Half of this land was in the West Midlands Ag Soil Zone.

Agricultural Groundcover Update April 2024, Justin Laycock

Natural resources published reports

• In April, over 12% (1,876,000 ha) of the arable farmland in the south-west of Western Australia had less than 50% vegetative groundcover, which is inadequate to prevent wind erosion.
• Northern grainbelt had the highest risk of wind erosion and over 26% of this farmland had inadequate groundcover, predominantly found on landscapes known for sandy soils.
• About 1.5% (238,900 ha) of arable land had a high to very high risk of wind erosion because groundcover was less than 30%.

Associations Between Longer Leukocyte Telomere Length And Increased Lung Cancer Risk Among Never Smokers In Urban China, Jason Y Y Wong, Xiao-Ou Shu, Wei Hu, Batel Blechter, Jianxin Shi, Kevin Wang, Richard Cawthon, Qiuyin Cai, Gong Yang, Mohammad L Rahman, Bu-Tian Ji, Yutang Gao, Wei Zheng, Nathaniel Rothman, Qing Lan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The complex relationship between measured leukocyte telomere length (LTL), genetically predicted LTL (gTL), and carcinogenesis is exemplified by lung cancer. We previously reported associations between longer pre-diagnostic LTL, gTL, and increased lung cancer risk among European and East Asian populations. However, we had limited statistical power to examine the associations among never smokers by gender and histology.

METHODS: To investigate further, we conducted nested case-control analyses on an expanded sample of never smokers from the prospective Shanghai Women's Health Studies (798 cases and 792 controls) and Shanghai Men's Health Studies (161 cases and 162 controls). We broke the case-control …

Effects Of A Cb1 Receptor Antagonist On Anxiety In Adult Rats Exposed To Thc During Development, Jennifer Aguilera-Fonseca, Karla Colley, Atoria Hamm, Eddie Galarza, Joe Morse, Rachel Ntor, Destiny Pichardo, Vincent P. Markowski

McNair Scholars Program

No abstract provided.

Neutrophil To Lymphocyte Ratio (Nlr) In Captive Olive Baboons (Papio Anubis): The Effects Of Age, Sex, Rearing, Stress, And Pregnancy, Sarah J. Neal, Angela M. Achorn, Steven J. Schapiro, William D. Hopkins, Joe H. Simmons

Anthropology Faculty Publications

In apes and humans, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be used as a predictive indicator of a variety of clinical conditions, longevity, and physiological stress. In chimpanzees specifically, NLR systematically varies with age, rearing, sex, and premature death, indicating that NLR may be a useful diagnostic tool in assessing primate health. To date, just one very recent study has investigated NLR in old world monkeys and found lower NLR in males and nursery-reared individuals, as well as a negative relationship between NLR and disease outcomes. Given that baboons are increasingly used as research models, we aimed to characterize NLR …

The Role Of Micrornas On Systemic And Central Nervous System- Inflammation In Aged Mice, Anik Banerjee

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

MicroRNAs play a crucial role in multiple biological processes, including development, cell differentiation, proliferation, metabolism, and cell death. Aberrant regulation of microRNAs is seen in many diseases, such as sepsis, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases such as stroke, and metabolic disorders. Because of their involvement in disease processes, microRNAs have been investigated as both potential biomarkers, and as therapeutic targets. Age-related inflammatory diseases including diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis are important risk factors for infection and sepsis. Intestinal barrier impairment occurs with aging and after brain injuries, including stroke. Both aging and stroke increase the risk of infection and sepsis and are …

Policy Design For Biodiversity: How Problem Conception Drift Undermines "Fit-For-Purpose" Peatland Conservation, Benjamin Cashore, Ishani Mukherjee, Altaf Virani, Lahiru S. Wijedasa

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

For over two decades, scientists have documented the alarming decline of global Peatland ecosystems, regarded as the planet’s most crucial carbon sinks. The deterioration of these unique wetlands alongside their policy attention presents a puzzle for policy scientists and for students of anticipatory policy design. Two contrasting explanations have emerged. Some argue that pressures from economic globalization compel governments to relax environmental standards, while others point to deficiencies in policy design and implementation. Our paper applies Cashore’s Four Problem Types framework to assess a more nuanced explanation: that failure of global and local policies to curb ecosystem degradation is owing …

Naturify 2300, Yarina Yiwei Dai

Masters Theses

In my art practice, I explore the interplay between human desires to manipulate and anthropomorphize nature, as seen in the technological augmentation of plants and living entities. This investigation delves into how this intersection, alongside empathy towards these creations, contributes to fears of uncontrollability and the risks of addiction and excessive dependence on technology.

Bioengineering and genetic modification have cultivated unprecedented developments, allowing humans to manipulate the fundamental building blocks of life. My research speculates on this technology further, modifying the genetic code of organisms and creating bioengineered wearable entities with enhanced traits or entirely new functionalities. The primary objective …

Us Filipino Adults Have Elevated Prevalence Of Hypertension Across The Adult Lifespan: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Electronic Health Record Study, Nancy P Gordon, Irvin C Lien, Jamal S Rana, Joan C Lo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of hypertension increases with age and differs by race and ethnicity. Among U.S. Asian adults, prevalence is higher for Filipino adults than for other major Asian subgroups, but whether this disparity exists across the adult lifespan is unknown. This study examined hypertension prevalence by age decade, comparing Filipino adults with South Asian, Chinese, Black, Hispanic, and White adults.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study used 2015-2016 electronic health record data from a Northern California integrated healthcare delivery system for 1,839,603 adults aged 30-79 years, including 128,124 Filipino adults. Hypertension was defined by diagnosis codes. Sex-specific prevalence was calculated by …

Dyadic Yoga For Head And Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemoradiation And Their Family Caregivers, Kathrin Milbury, David I Rosenthal, Yisheng Li, An Thuy Ngo-Huang, Smitha Mallaiah, Sania Yousuf, Clifton D Fuller, Carol Lewis, Eduardo Bruera, Lorenzo Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Concurrent chemoradiation to treat head and neck cancer (HNC) may result in debilitating toxicities. Targeted exercise such as yoga therapy may buffer against treatment-related sequelae; thus, this pilot RCT examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a yoga intervention. Because family caregivers report low caregiving efficacy and elevated levels of distress, we included them in this trial as active study participants.

Methods: HNC patients and their caregivers were randomized to a 15-session dyadic yoga program or a waitlist control (WLC) group. Prior to randomization, patients completed standard symptom (MDASI-HN) and patients and caregivers completed quality of life (SF-36) assessments. …

From One Nature To Another, Sarah Mann

Masters Theses

Lichen‭, ‬fungi‭, ‬and soil each represent a microcosm of nature‭. ‬They are all quintessential examples of complex symbiosis‭, ‬yet they are often treated as lifeless materials‭. ‬But what if we took a moment to connect with each one on a daily basis‭ - ‬would that impact the way we envision the future‭? ‬

For most of us‭, ‬our homes won’t be radically changing any time soon‭; ‬therefore‭, ‬From One Nature to‭ ‬Another‭ ‬invites us to bring these entities inside and‭ ‬reflect on their possibilities as collaborators‭. ‬Each piece was carefully researched and designed to‭ ‬provide the correct atmospheric …

Exploring How Factors Affecting Exercise Adherence May Inform Strategies To Increase Adherence In General And Depressed Populations: A Literature Review, Henry D. Link

University Honors Theses

Background: Exercise is associated with numerous physical and mental health benefits; however, many people struggle to exercise a sufficient amount and thus do not reap the benefits. Exercise is recognized as an effective treatment for depression with few risks. Professionals must understand the factors affecting exercise adherence to assist individuals of different backgrounds with adhering to exercise over the long term and to avoid common pitfalls that could hinder an individual’s progress.

Objective: This literature review aimed to identify factors affecting exercise adherence and to explore how those factors could inform strategies to increase exercise adherence among depressed …

On-Site Sensory Experience Boosts Acceptance Of Cultivated Chicken, Mark Chong, Angela K. Y. Leung, Tricia Marjorie Fernandez

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study set out to assess if presenting cultivated chicken in the context of a familiar meal, in a familiar dining setting, would motivate repeat consumption and recommendation. A survey of 107 diners was conducted at Huber's Butchery and Bistro in Singapore – the world's first butchery to serve cultivated meat – from April to June 2023. The findings showed that eating cultivated chicken significantly boosted post-consumption acceptance levels. In addition, cultivated chicken's tastiness may be a more important factor than its integration into a familiar meal or dish in fostering repeat consumption. Implications for the cultivated meat industry, limitations, …

Flanker Task Performance In Young And Older Adults: A Behavioral And Erp Study, Fatima Medrano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Research suggests that as we get older, executive function abilities decline (Hasher & Zacks, 1988; Salthouse, 1996). One affected ability is that of inhibitory control, which aids in monitoring our responses to non-target stimuli or information. Current research on inhibition reveals inconsistencies across studies. Monitoring brain responses during the Flanker (used to measure inhibitory control) task may add valuable insight into the processes underlying group differences behaviorally, by studying the N200 and P300 event-related potentials which have been associated with inhibitory control processes. This study investigated whether there are differences between older and younger adults in inhibitory control and whether …

Cross-Linguistic Differences In Neural Encoding And Processing Of Stop Consonants: The Impact Of Language Experience On Attention Allocation, Aline Dos Santos Oliveira

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study aims to examine the intricate relationship between language experience and the neural processing of stop consonant speech sounds. Previous research has shown minimal differences in amplitudes and latencies of cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEPs) to speech sounds across listeners from various language backgrounds. It is only towards the later latencies (around the P2 peak at 200 ms), that there have been suggestions of cross-linguistic differences. In addition, a recent study, observed an AEP difference between monolinguals and bilinguals when processing speech, specifically an "Nd effect”. The Nd effect, which is an increased negativity of the AEP is proposed …

Long Time No See: New Reports Of Legua Rosea Amédégnato And Poulain, 1986 (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Romaleidae: Romaleinae: Leguini), A Rare Arboreal Grasshopper From Brazil, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Renan Da Silva Olivier, Larissa Lima De Queiroz, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira, Jardel Boscardin, Guilherme Rabelo D’Angelis

Insecta Mundi

The genus Legua Walker, 1870 comprises only two known species from Central America and Brazil, with a notable scarcity of collected specimens. Herein, we provide a new contribution to our knowledge of the distribution of Legua rosea Amédégnato and Poulain, 1986 (Romaleinae: Leguini), that has a restricted distribution in Brazil, based on entomological collection data and social media information. Our records emphasize the importance of natural history collections and new tools for biodiversity studies.

ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:17E0802B-A389-4983-AC74-21B51197F557

Effect Of Social Media On Shaping The Agenda Of The Communicator In The Jordanian Tv Channels, Amer Khaled Ahmad Dr, Hamza Mohammad Nahar, Maram Mohammad Naji Manajreh Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The study aimed to assess the extent to which communicators at Jordanian television channels use social media platforms as an information source, and the impact of these platforms on their news and information selection priorities. This was achieved using a survey tool distributed on an equal quota sample of (150) communicators from Jordanian television channels (Jordan TV, AlMamlaka TV, Roya TV). The study found that all the study subjects used social media platforms as a source of information, with the "X platform (formerly Twitter)" being the most used platform. The statement "understanding the audience's interests and preferences to produce tailored …

Risk Factors For Pediatric Ischemic Stroke And Intracranial Hemorrhage: A National Electronic Health Record Based Study, Stuart Fraser, Samantha M Levy, Amee Moreno, Gen Zhu, Sean Savitz, Alicia Zha, Hulin Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Stroke is an important cause of morbidity in pediatrics. Large studies are needed to better understand the epidemiology, pathogenesis and risk factors associated with pediatric stroke. Large administrative datasets can provide information on risk factors in perinatal and childhood stroke at low cost. The aim of this hypothesis-generating study was to use a large administrative dataset to assess for prevalence and odds-ratios of rare exposures associated with pediatric stroke.

METHODS: The data for patients aged 0-18 with a diagnosis of either ischemic stroke or intracranial hemorrhage were extracted from the Cerner Health Facts EMR Database from 2000 to 2018. …

The Santa Clara, 2024-05-28, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Comparing Researchers’ Degree Of Dichotomous Thinking Using Frequentist Versus Bayesian Null Hypothesis Testing, Jasmine Muradchanian, Rink Hoekstra, Henk Kiers, Dustin Fife, Don Van Ravenzwaaij

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

A large amount of scientific literature in social and behavioural sciences bases their conclusions on one or more hypothesis tests. As such, it is important to obtain more knowledge about how researchers in social and behavioural sciences interpret quantities that result from hypothesis test metrics, such as p-values and Bayes factors. In the present study, we explored the relationship between obtained statistical evidence and the degree of belief or confidence that there is a positive effect in the population of interest. In particular, we were interested in the existence of a so-called cliff effect: A qualitative drop in the …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, August Alexander, Kevin Summers, E. Paige Lloyd, Alyssa Aragon, Lauren Wols, Erica Larson, Colton Arciniaga, Lily Baeza, Ellie Barnett-Cashman, Sidney Barbier, Maverick Bartholomew, Ryan Bell, Trevor Briggs, Amanda Brown, Cory Marchi, Maddy Pontius, Jennifer Gallagher, Claire Kwok, Channing Bullock, Alex Mccollister, Kim Gorgens, Daniela Chavez, Yamilet Espinoza Nuñez, Giovanni Valladares Giron, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Daniel Cierasynski, Brandon Cohen, Spenser Dobbs, Lindsay Goolsby, Noah Craver, Nyah Cubbison, Liam Doherty, Nicole Doris, Yan Qin, Alexander Nguyen, Lily Harmon, Shubh Todi, Naichen Zhao, Noah Fagello, Stacia Fritz, Paola Gascot-Chinea, Alex Volkova, Janelyn Geronimo, Elsie Harrington, Shane Simmons, Clarice Hise, Laura Moreno Palmer, Henry Xu, Yesu Leela Pasupula, Emily Fisher, Zachary Hogan, Colin Kleckner, Alyssa Knaus, Erin Kubat, Sam Werkema, Katie Lamberton, Lilliya Larson, Allie Leary, Vanessa Leon-Gamez, James H. Gallagher, E. Dale Broder, Robin M. Tinghitella, Emma Loeber, Alina Mali, Ixchel Marquez, Lauren Mcgrath, Ella Matthews, Grace Naegelen, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Rachel Brough, Alexandra Norman, Joe Ontiveros Rodriguez, Ben Dossett, Ori Miller, Janamejay Sharma, Christopher Reardon, Vincent Pandey, Regan Parish, Ren Pratt, Alisha Pravasi, Sanchari Das, Cari Reichel, Emma Robson, Victoria Rockwell, Jayce Rumsey, Steven Said, Norah Schroder, Alaina Smith, Shannon Murphy, Shujan A. Sharafeldeen, Stanley M. Kanai, James T. Nichols, David E. Clouthier, Macalia R. Augustus, Daniel Silva Rios, Scott Simpson, Anna Sparling, Chase Spurbeck, Kimberly Chiew, Christine Stadnik-Poteroba, Jacqueline Stephenson, Evelyn Stovin, Mia Supan, Lauren Tapper, Will Thrush, Anna Vogt, Michaela Walheim, Jon Weber, Hunter Whitehouse, Kansas Wood, Hayley Sayre, Lydia Mccann, Maread Mclaughlin, Kelly Krumrie, Olivia Wuttke

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Beyond The Human: Crossovers For An Onto-Epistemological Bifurcation, Ester Toribio-Roura

Articles

Building upon recent studies in new materialisms and feminist critical posthumanism with a focus on human and more-than-human relationships, this paper examines how the posthuman paradigm, by postulating the queering of identit(ies) via entanglement with the more-than-human (including technology), and by offering a critical examination of diverse modes of existence within a broader ecological context, can foster more inclusive and ethically sound ways of being in the world. Although posthumanism encompasses a wide range of perspectives and theories, including transhumanism, at its core, it challenges traditional notions of humanism, blurring the boundaries between what is human and what is more-than-human, …