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Viral by Design Understanding the Influence of Vaccine Memes on Health Communication
Full text linkMemes are digital messages using images and text to communicate a point of view on social media. They are highly shareable digital artifacts that can serve as vehicles for public health advocacy and misinformation. The increasing role of digital media in public health communication has made internet memes a robust and influential tool in shaping public perceptions of vaccination. This dissertation explores the complex role of vaccine-related memes through three interconnected manuscripts: a concept analysis, a systematic review, and a qualitative study examining vaccination meme evolution over time. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how memes function as a form of health communication, how they influence health decisions, and what implications they hold for nursing, public health, and policy development. Manuscript 1 presents a concept analysis of memes as health communication tools, identifying four defining attributes: virality, iteration, community identity, and humor. These attributes provide a theoretical foundation for understanding how memes shape vaccine-related narratives and public perceptions. Manuscript 2 builds on this foundation with a systematic review of existing research on vaccine memes, synthesizing findings on how memes contribute to vaccine advocacy and misinformation. The review highlights gaps in the literature, including the need for studies on the impact and effectiveness of memes as public health messaging. Manuscript 3 explores the evolution of vaccination memes by conducting a qualitative content analysis (QCA) and reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) of vaccine memes over time, tracking changes in rhetorical strategies, tone, and stance cross different public health crises. Findings from these manuscripts reveal that memes have evolved and respond to shifting public sentiment, political discourse, and trust in health institutions. Vaccine-related memes have transitioned from expert-driven appeals to emotionally charged and politically divisive rhetoric, emphasizing the need for adaptive public health messaging strategies. The implications of this research extend to public health policy, where the strategic use of digital content, including memes, can be leveraged for effective health communication while mitigating misinformation. This work contributes to the growing field of digital health communication by informing nursing, public health, and media/communication studies. By examining memes as cultural artifacts, this research offers insights into how public health professionals can navigate the digital landscape and respond to emerging challenges in vaccine advocacy. Memes continue to influence health decisions, and public health nurses must be prepared to address the challenges and embrace the opportunities associated with these powerful communication tools
Lemhi County Resource Guide - Idaho
Full text linkCounty level and region-specific resource guides focused on mental health and substance use
Skamania County Resource Guide - Washington
Full text linkCounty level and region-specific resource guides focused on mental health and substance use
Custer County Resource Guide - Idaho
Full text linkCounty level and region-specific resource guides focused on mental health and substance use
Gooding County Resource Guide - Idaho
Full text linkCounty level and region-specific resource guides focused on mental health and substance use
HOW'S MY CRYING?
Full text linkThis is a crying shame.My work is subtle; quiet, funny, subdued, bright, sensitive, gestural, and slow. By giving viewers options, they are encouraged to listen more. Listening is where art lives, where it thrives. In the context of my work, listening is a form of sensitivity. Sensitivity is the key process that I engage with in the creation of my work. By creating work from a place of sensitivity, I am exploring spaces of greater honesty and inconsistency through material, emotion, movement, rest and protest
Distribution, abundance, and ecological associations among two species of native mussels (Gonidea angulata and Margaritifera falcata) and one invasive clam species (Corbicula fluminea) in the Columbia River Basin, USA
Full text linkNative freshwater mussels are in decline globally. In the Columbia River Basin, USA, Gonidea angulata (western ridged mussel) are highly threatened and Margaritifera falcata (western pearlshell) are more common, as are the invasive clam Corbicula fluminea (Asian clam). Assessments of bivalve distribution, abundance, and ecological associations are critical to native mussel conservation and invasive clam mitigation. We conducted 147 snorkel surveys and collected environmental data to populate a set of generalized linear mixed-effects models. Variation in G. angulata presence and/or abundance were best explained by impervious surface proportions and annual air temperatures. Margaritifera falcata presence and/or abundance were best explained by host fish presence, G. angulata presence, dissolved oxygen, and elevation. Corbicula fluminea presence and/or abundance were best explained by substrate size, impervious surface proportions, and annual air temperatures. Microhabitat and landscape variables explained some variation in bivalve presence and abundance, but the inclusion of watershed as a random effect increased explanatory value. Consideration of species-specific habitat preferences and watershed-level variation could improve regional management in response to native mussel declines and invasive clam expansion
Self-Perception Factors as Moderators of the Relation Between LGBTQ+ Adolescent Social Media Experiences and Mental Health
Full text linkThe relation between adolescent social media use and mental health has proven tenuous, with little attention paid to marginalized populations, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus (LGBTQ+) youth. Given the potential risks and benefits associated with social media use among this population, the current study sought to examine how self-perception factors (i.e., collective self-esteem, loneliness) may moderate the relation between social media experiences and mental health and well-being for LGBTQ+ youth. A total of 180 LGBTQ+ adolescents ages 13 to 19 (M = 15.89, SD = 1.70) were recruited through outreach to nationwide organizations serving LGBTQ+ individuals. All data were collected online through single administration self-report questionnaires distributed through Qualtrics. Contrary to hypotheses, greater self-reported frequency of social media use was related to greater symptoms of depression and anxiety and lower well-being, whereas other social media frequency measures were unrelated to mental health. However, negative experiences with social media and victimization experiences were related to all mental health variables. Neither loneliness nor collective self-esteem were moderators in the relations between social media engagement and mental health and well-being, although they showed variable patterns of relations in analyses, with loneliness generally predicting a greater proportion of variance in the mental health criterion variables. These findings demonstrate the relevance of negative and minority-stress related experiences on social media for LGBTQ+ adolescent mental health and well-being, as well as how loneliness may be an important variable in this process. These results may have implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing the impacts of these factors for LGBTQ+ youth
AGGREGATION OF POLYDISPERSE VOLCANIC ASH PARTICLES UNDER TURBULENT AND MOIST CONDITIONS
Full text linkVolcanic eruptions may result in ash fallout with severe negative impacts on health, infrastructure, environment, and aviation. Volcanic ash transport and deposition (VATD) poses the most significant hazard in the case of eruption events. To mitigate these hazards and model ash transport and fallout accurately, comprehensive understanding the physical aggregation process of ash particles within volcanic plumes is of paramount interest. Even though there is a wealth of evidence in field observations supporting the aggregation of fine ash particles in water-rich volcanic plumes, most commonly employed ash transport codes neglect this agglomeration process. Ash particles finer than 125 μm largely settle out of the atmosphere as aggregates. As these aggregates are larger than single particles, they fall out of the atmosphere faster. Overlooking this premature fallout lead to systematic error in the prediction of ash dispersal.This study experimentally investigates two crucial factors that affect ash particle aggregation: 1. Liquid film coating on the particles in moist environments, as is expected in volcanic plumes with high water content; 2. The presence of turbulence which is ubiquitous inside volcanic plumes. The foremost objective of the work is to analyze and characterize the roles of these conditions in particle aggregation. A novel turbulence tower is used to simulate environments found inside volcanic plumes. This octagonal chamber employs carefully arrayed synthetic jet actuators to produce a nearly isotropic, homogeneous column of turbulence along the central axis of the tower. Tests are conducted under maximum turbulence, which has a Reynolds number, Reλ ≈ 240, with a corresponding Taylor microscale of 4.9 mm, at peak jet power (29 W), and under no turbulence conditions. Pre-chilled particles are allowed to fall through the tower under both turbulence intensities for a range of relative humidity levels, directly related to the particle liquid film thickness. Monodisperse solid glass spheres of̴ 40 μm diameter are used as ash particle analogs. Highly polydisperse volcanic ash collected from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens are also tested extensively. For solid glass particles, the RH levels tested are 55%, 63%, 68%, 78%, 85%, and 95%. Two sets of tests are done at 55% and 63% and the data extracted are averaged. Volcanic ash particles are tested at 58%, 60%, 67%, 70%, 75%, 78%, 82%, 87%, 90%, and 93% RH levels.Aggregate samples are collected from these different conditions and microscopically imaged. These images are analyzed with a MATLAB image processing pipeline to extract information about the aggregation response of particles as functions of RH and turbulence levels. The results obtained demonstrate that monodisperse particle aggregation behavior adhere somewhat strictly to an upward trend for rising turbulence and humidity conditions. With the exception of a few unexpected surges and drops, increasing moisture content and turbulence lead to increasingly larger aggregate areas and perimeters and decreasing circularities. The probability distribution of aggregate sizes is also plotted.In significant contrast, it is observed that the aggregation behavior of polydisperse volcanic ash particles is complex and erratic, exhibiting stochastic sticking response. Only but a very weak upward trend can be discerned as relative humidity levels rise. The effect of turbulence on aggregation is even less obvious and appears seemingly random. Some suggestions for physically explaining these extreme fluctuations are ventured.Some of the limitations of this work are addressed in the conclusion section. It provides a reasonable framework for further studies attempting to quantify the effects of moisture and turbulence on volcanic ash particle aggregation behavior. The data obtained from this investigation and from similar experiments in the future may be implemented to refine existing ash transport codes to account for particle aggregation as a function of particle liquid coating thickness and turbulence.
EXTRUSION PROCESSING OF UPCYCLED ALMOND INGREDIENTS UTILIZATION OF ALMOND PROTEIN CONCENTRATE AND SKINS IN DIRECT EXPANDED PRODUCTS
Full text linkDirect expanded products are considered a major segment of extruded products made and consist of a large portion of the snack food market, both in the U.S. and internationally. The utilization of starch-rich matrices remains a crucial factor in determining the expansion potential, pasting characteristics, and overall quality of direct expanded products. Yet, continual use of primarily starch-based products also overlooks key nutritional benefits from other biopolymers and macronutrients, such as fiber and protein. As a result, ongoing research in finding compatible alternative ingredients for substitution or fortification continues to persist for better value addition of expanded products. Many alternative ingredients have been utilized in literature with varying results, being primarily dependent on the nutritional and functional properties of the ingredients. Thus, this research explores the utilization of byproduct almond ingredients, rich in protein and fiber, in direct expanded extruded products.The first study focused on the extrusion of pearled, short-grain white rice, utilizing a defatted almond protein concentrate flour with ~60% protein content (w/w). This protein flour is the result of upcycled almond press-cakes that were dried and further defatted, forming a stable flour. A Box-Behnken design was used to model the extrusion factors likely to impact extrudate qualities: inclusion level of the protein flour (5, 15, and 25% w/w), moisture content of the flour blend (18, 20, and 22% w.b.), and the screw speed of the extruder (300, 400, and 500 rpm). Modeled responses, with high R2 values, showed strong correlations between extrudate qualities (expansion ratio, water absorption and solubility, and extrudate color) and extrusion factors of influence. Higher % of almond protein inclusions showed higher potential for radial expansions, however also forming large non-uniform, and irregular extrudates. Higher inclusions of protein content also lowered the water absorption capacity of extrudates, while showing no influence on extrudate water solubility. The color of extrudates was influenced by all factors, showing the potential for Maillard browning interactions, dependent heavily on higher protein contents, low moisture, and high screw speeds. Overall, several interactions were observed with the inclusion of almond protein, resulting in varying expanded products of different qualities. Moisture content and screw speed were shown to be significant influences on product quality and may be able to balance negative attributes associated with an increase in protein content.The second study utilized a high-fat (~20% w/w) almond skin flour within a cornstarch base. These almond skins were a result of blanched almond byproducts, further dried and milled to a small particle size (median particle size D(50) = 424.20 ± 24.20μm). Keeping moisture content at a constant 16% w.b., which was shown to be ideal in the almond protein study, almond skin inclusion (5, 10, 15, and 20% w/w) and screw speed (150, 250, 350, 450 rpm) were chosen as main factors of influence. Almond skins were shown to have a significant influence (p>0.05) on radial expansion, water interactions, extrudate color, pasting characteristics, and energy applied to the extrusion system (SME). Overall, almond skins were shown to behave similarly to other non-soluble fibers, leading to reduced expansion and darkening of the extrudates with the increase in the inclusion levels. A low inclusion (5 – 10% w/w) however may be advantageous in expanding cornstarch extrudates, and at low screw speeds were shown to have larger radial expansions than the control (100% cornstarch). The use of these almond ingredients in extrusion may have similar characteristics in their disruption of the starch matrices, but present two different products. Depending on the final product vision, it is possible to at least utilize lower percentages of both ingredients (5-10%) for value addition without compromising overall extrudate quality