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Strengthening The Health And Well-Being Of American Indian And Alaska Native Elders
Get PDFHealth is a holistic concept within Indigenous communities, emphasizing the balance and interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. This dissertation explores the health and wellbeing of American Indian and Alaska Native Elders, with each of the products for this three-part portfolio, targeting different health matters that are often overlooked among Elders, aged 55 years and older. Using secondary data from National Resource Center on Native American Aging’s 2020-2023 cycle of the Identifying our Needs: A Survey of Elders, I conducted three quantitative research analyses with chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions to assess the association and differences in variables. Manuscript one examines the relationship between traditional food consumption and chronic disease prevalence among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders. Elders reported lower odds of a chronic disease diagnosis when consuming traditional foods more frequently per week. Findings from the study have implications for informing tribal food sovereignty and traditional food reclamation efforts. Manuscript two examines the association between multigenerational housing and mental wellness among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders. A total of 13,918 Elders who resided in a single-family residence or apartment were included in the analysis. There was a statistically significant increase in happiness among those who reported living with two or more people than those who lived alone. Elders who lived alone reported higher percentages of depression than those who had two or more people in a household. The findings for this study highlight the need for continued research on housing and living conditions to inform culturally safe housing initiatives for Elders. Manuscript three examines the relationship between brain health and oral health among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders. Respondents who indicated having one or more memory issues reported higher rates of needing dental care than those with no memory issues. This study has implications for future public health efforts to address dental care shortages and increasing oral healthcare access throughout Indian Country. Elders play a vital role in the maintenance and transmission of traditional knowledge and practices. Therefore, each manuscript contributes to strengthening and informing Elder health and wellbeing efforts
Precipitation Forecast And Verification For sUAS Applications
Get PDFSmall Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) have become a fast-growing part of air traffic in the United States. This significant growth is due to the numerous uses these systems can provide, both recreationally and professionally. Due to the small nature of the sUAS, any weather, regardless of intensity, plays a vital role in flight operations and planning. In a survey of sUAS pilots, it was found that precipitation was the most significant hazard of concern, and the most time-sensitive hazard, as precipitation conditions are most often checked by operators in the immediate moments before flight. This project aimed to create, analyze, and verify the performance of precipitation forecasts to improve sUAS flight operations and planning, given the needs of sUAS operators. Forecasting of precipitation is done probabilistically by taking the fraction of precipitation in a neighborhood. Three methods are used to create such forecasts: modeling data from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh, utilizing computer vision to generate projections of the observations, and a persistence forecast of the observations. From these three methods, probabilistic forecasts are generated for a period of twelve hours. Validation of each method is conducted over multiple degrees of freedom, including forecast hour, region, season, and neighborhood size, as well as further analysis of the effects of convection. Results show that a 100 km neighborhood radius offers the best blend of performance across all forecasting techniques. For the early forecast hours, the observational methods of optical flow and persistence always beat the HRRR in forecast skill. Skill in the observational methods over the forecast period is consistent across regions, except in the western regions of the United States, where optical flow and persistence perform similarly in skill due to orographic effects which resulted in slower-moving precipitation. The available amount of verification data was limited in some regions, which resulted in poorer HRRR verification in those regions. Switch-over times, the time in the forecast period when optical flow becomes less performant than the HRRR, were found to occur around F04 in the forecast period. This information will be used to improve precipitation forecasts for the sUAS application located at://uasforecast.com
An Exploratory Investigation Of The Impact Of Psychological Intimate Partner Violence On College Women: A Qualitative Study
No full textResearchers have found psychological intimate partner violence (P-IPV; defined as emotional and verbal abuse utilized to degrade, demean, create fear, control, or isolate; Tolman, 1989; Sullivan et al., 2012) is detrimental to mental health functioning, including increased sexual risk behaviors, depressive and anxious symptomology, and relationship dissatisfaction (Hellemans et al., 2015; Overstreet et al., 2015). Despite this, little is known regarding the academic and psychological lived experiences of survivors of P-IPV. Therefore, the current study sought to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of female-identified students exposed to psychological intimate partner violence while in college. Through a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill et al., 1997) framework, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 female-identified college survivors of P-IPV to explore the unique experiences of P-IPV within a college sample. Transcriptions of the interviews were reviewed by a team of researchers to develop domains, categories, and core ideas of the participant data. Domains emerged including: (a) Control and Manipulation Tactics, (b) Conceptualization of P-IPV, (c) Impact of P-IPV, (d) Involvement with Support Systems, (e) Awareness and Prevention Strategies, (f) Sense of Safety, and (g) Environmental Factors. Results provided a robust and unique dialogue regarding the lived experiences of survivors of P-IPV that were consistent with prior findings on P-IPV. However, results from the current study also expanded existing theory on IPV victimization within the Belongingness Hypothesis (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) to further understand the relationship between P-IPV and the detrimental impact of P-IPV on college survivors
The Roles Of Readily Releasable Stores Of Endolysosome Iron In The Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Alzheimer\u27s Disease
Get PDFAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically as progressive decline in cognition and dementia. Pathologically, AD is characterized by the extracellular presence of senile plaques composed of accumulated amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins and intraneuronal accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. In addition to these pathological hallmarks, AD pathogenesis is characterized by increases in intracellular iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the link between the two have been well described by Fenton’s chemistry. Endolysosomes appear to be affected very early in the onset of AD. Endolysosomes contain labile stores of iron which can be readily released by endolysosome-targeting insults including HIV proteins and weak base drugs; events which lead to endolysosome damage and cell death. The role of endolysosome iron in AD-pathology is not well understood. Therefore, we hypothesized that endolysosome iron plays an important role in Aβ-induced endolysosome damage and cell death. In Chapter I, we reviewed literature about how endolysosomes are involved in Aβ production, Aβ degradation, cellular iron metabolism, autophagy, and their potential as therapeutic targets in the development of drugs against AD.
In Chapter II, we investigated the role of endolysosome iron in Aβ protein-induced increases in reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial depolarization, and regulated cell death. We found that Aβ is uptaken into endolysosomes where they deacidified endolysosomes, decreased endolysosome ferrous iron (Fe2+) levels, increased cytosolic iron and ROS levels, increased mitochondrial iron and ROS levels, and increased cell death. These effects were blocked by chelating the labile Fe2+ stores in endolysosomes with deferoxamine (DFO), suggesting that endolysosome iron may play a critical role in Aβ-induced endolysosome damage and cell death.
In Chapter III, we investigated mechanism(s) by which Aβ proteins cause ferroptosis as well as mechanisms by which DFO rescues Aβ-induced ferroptosis. In SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, we found that Aβ increased lipid peroxidation and caused decreases in levels of the anti-ferroptotic enzyme SLC7A11. These events increased cell death, which was blocked by a well-known inhibitor of ferroptosis, ferrostatin-1. We also found that DFO blocked Aβ-induced increases in lipid peroxidation as well as blocked Aβ-induced decreases in SLC7A11.
In Chapter IV we investigated the uptake of Aβ proteins into endolysosomes via low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1)-mediated endocytosis. In endolysosomes, Aβ degradation is catalyzed by Aβ-degrading enzymes such as cathepsins B and D. Previous studies have shown that in AD-like pathology, LRP-1 is negatively affected and the low levels of LRP-1 suggests that Aβ uptake and degradation is negatively affected. However, the mechanisms that drive Aβ-induced negative regulation of LRP-1 are not known. We investigated mechanisms by which Aβ proteins contributed to decreases in levels of LRP-1 expression in AD-like pathology and we found that Aβ-induced increases in levels of intracellular iron and ROS contributed to decreases in LRP-1 protein levels. Similarly, intracellular iron and ROS overload from ferrous ammonium citrate (FAC) and H2O2 respectively, also decreased levels of LRP-1 protein. Taken together, our findings show that Aβ-induced iron overload and ROS are major contributors to decreased LRP-1 protein levels in AD-like pathology. It remains to be determined how iron surplus specifically decrease LRP-1 protein levels.
In Chapter V we investigated the role of endolysosome iron in available options for treatment against AD. Our previous studies have shown that weak base drugs that get trapped in endolysosomes induce endolysosome damage and cause neurotoxicity. Also, we have previously shown that beta site Aβ precursor protein cleaving enzyme -1 (BACE-1) which is the rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the production of Aβ resides in endolysosomes. Though this class of drugs reduce Aβ burden, they have been discontinued due to neurotoxicity concerns. Therefore we sought to explain mechanism(s) by which BACE-1 inhibitor drugs cause neurotoxicity. We examined BACE-1 inhibitor drug-induced effects on endolysosome iron levels, intraorganellar iron and ROS levels, and mitochondrial membrane polarization. We found that BACE-1 inhibitor drugs but not non-BACE-1 anti-AD drugs decreased endolysosome Fe2+ levels, increased intracellular Fe2+ levels as well as ROS, and depolarized mitochondrial membrane potentials. All of these effects were blocked by chelating endolysosome iron with DFO. Thus, neurotoxicity associated with BACE-1 inhibitor drugs appears to be associated with perturbation of endolysosome iron, and the labile iron pool in endolysosomes contribute to cellular iron metabolism, Aβ uptake and degradation, and the development of therapeutic drugs against AD
Impacts Of Climate Variability On Cold Region Hydrologic Change In The Prairie Pothole Region
No full textThe Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North and South Dakota is highly sensitive to climate variability, with its numerous depressional wetlands and shallow lakes responding dynamically to shifts in snow accumulation, melt, and evaporation. This study investigates the hydrological processes driving lake level fluctuations and watershed responses across 25 subbasins in PPR of North Dakota and South Dakota over a 23-water year (2001-2023) using the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM). Key state variables, including Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), open water evaporation, snowmelt runoff, and contributing area extent, were modeled to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of cold-region hydrology under changing climatic conditions. A distinct temperature gradient was noted, with warmer temperatures in southern and eastern subbasins resulting in decreased SWE and earlier snow melt. In contrast, cooler northern and western areas preserved higher SWE, postponing runoff and supporting spring flows. Evaporation, modeled using the Penman-Monteith approach, was highest in the southern and eastern PPR, driven by warmer temperatures. Results reveal distinct hydroclimatic periods, 2004-2008, 2009-2013, and 2014-2021, each dominated by different processes. The 2009-2013 period exhibited increased snowmelt-driven connectivity and extensive fill-and-spill runoff, whereas 2004-2008 and 2014-2021 were evaporation-dominated, leading to lake level declines and reduced contributing areas. By addressing a key regional-scale knowledge gap in PPR hydrology, this work enhances understanding of how climate variability translates into hydrological change, offering valuable insights for water resource management, landscape resilience planning, and the sustainability of recreational fisheries in the PPR
Which University Faculty Are Successful Researchers? Developing And Testing Measures Of Research Competence To Predict Faculty Research Motivation And Success
No full textUniversity faculty play a pivotal role in producing research that leads to positive social change through the creation of new knowledge, enhancement of higher education quality, and improved university rankings. Faculty produce more when they feel competent, autonomously motivated, and acknowledged. Past studies have measured faculty research competencies using self-report scales that may contain biases, potentially leading to significant discrepancies in research outcomes. My program of research – a three-article dissertation – aimed to develop and validate the test-based measures of faculty research competence that can more reliably predict faculty research success. The three studies provide an enhanced understanding of what faculty research competence is, the gaps in literature, the levels of competence among faculty, and how competence predicts faculty research success. The identification of various methods for measuring faculty research success requires a more comprehensive collection and summary. The first article identified the factors affecting faculty research success following a systematic literature review. Using the Boolean search, 265 studies were selected for abstract screening. Finally, 36 studies were selected for full-text review, which covered 237,980 faculty members from STEM and non-STEM areas in 29 countries. The results indicated that faculty research success is measured through several forms of academic publications, including the number of articles published in journals, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, citations, and the h-index. Faculty research success was influenced by demographic, job, institutional, and psychosocial factors. The first synthesis informed the design of the second systematic literature review, which aimed to identify the core components of faculty research competence. The core competencies of faculty research were unclear; thus, the current study systematically reviewed the literature to identify these. Using Boolean searches, 553 articles were selected for first-level screening. These yielded 46 peer-reviewed journal articles for full-text analysis, six of which focused on faculty populations. Six core components of faculty research proficiency were identified: finding and reviewing literature, planning a study, collecting and analyzing data, writing research, disseminating research findings, and managing research projects. This study also identified 18 sub-competencies which helped to develop a test to measure faculty research competence more reliably. Following the findings of studies one and two, the third article aimed to develop and validate a test for measuring Faculty Research Competencies Test (FRCT) and examining how FRCT predicts the motivation and success of social sciences faculty in North American higher education institutions (NAHEIs). We developed FRCT, considering AERA, NCME, and APA guidelines, and found the items were acceptable to measure faculty research competence. This study collected online data from 154 social science faculty working at NAHEIs and found faculty members tended to rate their self-reported competence significantly higher than their test-based competence. This study also found significant group differences in faculty research competence considering faculty gender, race, age, origin, highest degree, rank, tenure status, Carnegie classification of institutions, and type of contract. Path analysis revealed that FRCT significantly predicted autonomous motivation, and autonomous motivation, in turn, predicted faculty research success. The findings provide a more valid measure for identifying faculty research areas that require skill improvement to achieve success in research. These three studies of the current program of research identified the factors contributing to faculty research success, core competencies of faculty research competence, and introduced a test-based measure of FRCT-SS. These findings will help future researchers identify how faculty research success will be measured and what support is needed to achieve success as researchers. Moreover, this study will open a new window for measuring faculty research competence and success more reliably, which may be applicable in other disciplines (STEM, Health and Medical sciences), regions (Europe, Asia), and populations too. The potential findings should help the top management of universities (e.g., vice-president of research and development), heads of the disciplines, funding agencies, and faculty (themselves) to understand the knowledge gaps in different domains of research competence that will open a new window of training and learning
Mindfulness And Modification Therapy (MMT) Group Feasibility And Acceptability Among Prison Residents With Dysregulated Behaviors
Get PDFMindfulness and Modification Therapy (MMT; Wupperman, 2019) is a transdiagnostic therapy that systematically integrates aspects of six empirically supported treatments for impulsive and dysregulated behavior. As such, MMT may offer an efficient approach to addressing a variety of dysregulated behaviors, thereby supporting increased safety within carceral settings and enhancing goals of rehabilitation. To date, MMT has demonstrated positive results in community settings when treating substance misuse and anger/aggression, but it has not yet been examined in a prison setting. The present research examines the feasibility and acceptability of using a 14-session version of group MMT as a voluntary treatment option with residents within a state prison in the midwestern region of the United States (U.S.). Outcomes related to various aspects of emotional and behavioral regulation were examined. Results showed high levels of retention and engagement in MMT groups, indicating it was well-received and suitable for implementation in a prison setting. Furthermore, results showed significant increases in mindfulness and distress tolerance with large and moderate effect sizes, respectively. Self-reported aggression, depressive symptoms, and experiences of urges/cravings reduced significantly, with moderate effect sizes. Qualitative feedback indicated participants felt empowered by the changes they achieved through MMT and appreciated engaging in a group setting. In sum, MMT shows much promise as a viable and effective treatment option for dysregulated behaviors among prison residents
Cedar Waxwing, Song Lyrics, undated
Get PDFSong lyrics for Cedar Waxwing by Bill Gessner. One sheet of paper, handwritten on both sides. It also includes many inserted revisions. The song is a metaphorical description of human civilization from the ancient to the modern. Going back and forth, Gessner talks about different animal species, such as dinosaurs and birds.https://commons.und.edu/gessner-lyrics/1019/thumbnail.jp
