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Employers’ Perceptions of Workplace Readiness Skills
No full textEmployability skills are continually changing, and the workforce provides the transparency needed for the success of business employment. Workplace readiness skills and human capital theory form the backbone for organizational success and sustainability. This study examined employers’ perceptions of workplace readiness skills at the expected proficiency level of an entry-level employee, the average level of skill for an entry-level employee, and the level of importance of the skill to their industry. The Virginia Workplace Readiness Skills have impacted employers and prepared students for the workplace. The results indicated that the workplace readiness skills mentioned in the literature align with the required workplace readiness skills taught in all CTE courses in Virginia. However, employers did mention additions such as empathy
An Investigation of the Characteristics and Uses of School Farms in California FFA’s Superior Region
No full textThis study investigates the characteristics and uses of school farms within Northern California, focusing on their role in school-based agricultural education (SBAE). The research aims to determine the structural and operational attributes of these facilities and to identify their primary uses as experiential learning tools. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 74 agricultural educators. Findings reveal that school farms, averaging 21.27 acres, are predominantly managed by agriculture teachers and are primarily used for housing market animals, supporting Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects. The study highlights the need for diversified school farm facilities to enhance experiential learning across all components of the SBAE model. Recommendations include targeted training for teachers, strategic facility planning through community partnerships, and innovative management approaches to optimize the educational potential of school farms
Cost of Living for Older Adults (65+) in Mountain West Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 2024
No full textThis fact sheet explores 2024 cost of living data for adults over the age of 65 in the largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) across five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are sourced from the “Elder Index,” a dashboard that focuses on housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses that collectively reflect the monthly expenses for those over the age of 65. This fact sheet focuses on five MSAs in the Mountain West: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO; Las Vegas-Henderson- North Las Vegas, NV; Albuquerque, NM; and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Social Jetlag Alters Markers of Exercise-Induced Mitochondrial Adaptations in the Heart
No full textSocial jetlag (SJL) represents the behavioral misalignment of sleep and wake times on work days and free days, and potently disrupts the circadian rhythm. SJL affects up to 70% of the population worldwide and is associated with increased risk for many cardiometabolic diseases. Animal models of acute SJL have shown disruption in locomotor activity and expression of clock genes in select tissues, its impact on the heart remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prolonged SJL (6 weeks), on activity rhythms, and the impact on exercise-induced adaptations in the heart. Male mice (n = 40, C57BL6) were assigned to a control light:dark (LD) cycle or SJL schedule (4-hour shift on weekends) for 6 weeks. Mice in each condition were further divided into voluntary exercise (EX) or sedentary (SED) groups. SJL resulted in significant shifts in the onset of physical activity in both sedentary (SJL-SED) and exercised (SJL-EX) mice on weekends, and exercise accelerated the speed of re-entrainment to the weekday schedule. Exercise induced myocardial hypertrophy in both CON-EX and SJL-EX groups. While there were no changes in mitochondrial content, SJL decreased expression of mitochondrial fusion proteins MFN1 and OPA1, and inhibited exercise-induced increases in MFN2. Taken together, these findings suggest that exercise hastens re-entrainment to the weekday schedule under SJL, but that SJL disrupts exercise-induced alterations to mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics in the heart. Further investigation of cardiovascular function is warranted and will enable the development of strategies to prevent the effects of SJL on the heart
Enhancing Motor Function in Individuals with Lower Limb Amputation Through PeerBased Learning of Balance and Fall Recovery Skills
No full textPurpose: Lower limb amputation (LLA) is a devastating condition that is becoming more prevalent in the United States. We examined the effects of peer-based action observation learning on the brain activation and the eyetracking pattern in individuals with LLA.
Methods: Fourteen individuals with LLA (51.9±12.6 years, 4 females, 9 with transfemoral amputations) were asked to learn a balance task through observing the movements demonstrated by individuals with LLA or persons with intact limbs. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, visual attention time, and peak saccade velocity were recorded when participants watched the demonstration videos. Power spectral density (PSD) was used to analyze the power distribution across different frequencies (alpha: 8–13 Hz; beta: 13–30 Hz) in EEG signals over three brain regions of interests (ROI: frontal, central, and posterior) in the peer and non-peer conditions. Differences of EEG power in three ROIs between two conditions over time were determined by three-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures.
Results: Alpha power was significantly lower in posterior area at the duration of 20 to 30 s (p=0.007) and in central area at the duration of 10 to 20 s (p=0.045) during watching peer demonstration videos. This indicated that participants with LLA had higher cortical activation over sensorimotor and visual-related area while watching peer demonstrations. Participants exhibited lower peak saccade velocity during watching peer demonstrations (216.51 ± 62.19 °/s, p=0.006) compared to watching non-peer videos (264.43 ± 83.04 °/s). This implied that participants were more attentive in the peer-based learning condition. There was no significant difference in other cortical rhythms and visual attention time between conditions.
Conclusions: Peer-based learning induced higher cortical activation and elevated attention level in individuals with LLA: this may be related to better motor learning outcomes. Future research should focus on how peer-based post-amputation physical therapy may promote motor skills learning in people with LLA
Patient Engagement and Treatment Adherence in End-Stage Renal Disease Hemodialysis Patients
No full textIntroduction: Chronic hemodialysis patients have a significant treatment-related burden due to the physical and emotional challenges associated with disease management. The physical side effects of hemodialysis treatment, such as pain, muscle cramps, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and pruritus, often contribute to significant emotional challenges, such as depression and anxiety, experienced by 15-45% of patients. These challenges affect their ability to manage the chronic nature of hemodialysis, including lifestyle modifications such as frequently scheduled appointments and changes in functional status, which affect adherence to treatment and treatment outcomes. The present study aimed to examine the association between patient engagement and adherence to HD guidelines and whether the patient engagement level correlates with patient adherence. Engagement was defined as the developmental process of psychological and emotional adaptation to chronic disease, influencing a person’s ability to play an active role in chronic disease management. Adherence was defined as how a person’s behavior compares to the recommendations of the National Kidney Disease Quality Initiative (NKDQI) guidelines of treatment time and fluid restriction. Methods This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. The final analyses included two hundred and four hemodialysis patients from five Fresenius Medical Care community in-center units. While undergoing hemodialysis treatment, each participant answered a demographic survey and two engagement surveys. Treatment data was obtained from the electronic medical record. Patient engagement was measured using the Patient Health Engagement Scale® (PHE-S®) and Patient Activation Measure® (PAM-13® survey). Adherence was defined as 1) they had interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) \u3c 2.5 kg and 2) their time on the dialysis treatment was within 15 minutes of the recommended prescribed treatment time (taking into consideration specific reasons for changes in treatment time). To answer the study questions, Pearson’s correlation and Spearman’s correlation, t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square, and multivariate binomial logistic regression analyses were used to answer the research questions. Results: Univariate analyses identified four factors associated with adherence: age, race, employment status, and length of time on HD. In both multivariate models, Model 1(PHE-S®) and Model 2 (PAM-13®), there was no independent association between adherence and engagement after adjusting for demographic, disease-related, and substance use factors. However, in model 2, using the PAM-13®, increasing age was associated with increased odds of being adherent. Discussion: Adherence is multifaceted, especially in chronic hemodialysis care, requiring continuous patient and family engagement. Adherent patients to fluid restriction and treatment time had higher engagement scores; though not statistically significant, the findings had clinical relevance. The innovative aim of this study was to see if there was a relationship between the psychological and emotional adaptation to chronic disease, influencing a person’s ability to play an active role in chronic disease management (engagement) and adherence after adjusting for demographic, disease-related, and substance use factors. The first model that included the PHE-S® did not identify any significant findings. However, white patients had increased odds of being adherent. The second model that included the PAM-13® identified age as the only significant variable associated with adherence. Participants with a level three or four on the PAM-13® had increased odds of being adherent; However, the result was not statistically significant in the current study. A broader Nursing perspective of nonadherent patients should consider the importance of age and race in developing research to improve engagement interventions and adherence
The “Asian”-Ness of Women Influencing the Romance Plot in Contemporary YA Literature
No full textContemporary young adult literature (YAL) is a growing genre that features a diverse range of stories, allowing young readers to see themselves reflected in realistic stories. One of its prominent subgenres, contemporary young adult romance focuses on a modern love story between two individuals. Historically, Asian American female characters were often depicted as the “model minority” stereotype or represented as exoticized figures who held traits such as mysterious, submissive, or seductive creatures. These portrayals often treated the Asian American experience as monolithic. However, the genre now explores an intersection of identity and romance, addressing themes commonly found in contemporary realism that have moved past historical tropes and themes of trauma and assimilation. In contemporary YA romance, by analyzing the four YA contemporary romance novels: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2014) by Jenny Han, Not Here to Be Liked (2021) by Michelle Quach, A Pho Love Story (2021) by Loan Le, and Emergency Contact (2018) by Mary H.K. Choi, I argue that the Asian female protagonist uses love as a catalyst for self-discovery, while their cultural heritage serves as a driving force to intertwine narratives of cultural negotiation and personal growth.. This raises the question: how have harmful stereotypes evolved from their historical narratives into modern stories, and what do they reveal in terms of racial hierarchies and identities of the self
Assessing the Effects of Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemia on Amyloid Beta Accumulation and Cognitive Behavior in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Pathology
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible and devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive synaptic, dendritic, glial, and neuronal loss, collectively leading to impairments in learning, memory, and deterioration of cognitive and behavioral functions. AD is the most common form of dementia accounting for 60-80% of all cases. AD affects approximately 7 million Americans and is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. Furthermore, by 2050, the US is projected to spend over $1.1 trillion on AD-related treatments. Pathological hallmarks of AD include beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and chronic neuroinflammation, which can promote and exacerbate both Aβ and NFTs levels and lead to synaptic and neuronal loss. AD is classified as either early onset (EOAD) or late onset (LOAD). EOAD is associated with genetic mutations and accounts for 3-5% of all AD cases. In contrast, LOAD accounts for 95-97% of all AD cases with no genetic etiology; however, several genetic and/or other comorbidities confer increased risk for LOAD. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for AD. DM confers up to a 4-fold increased risk for developing AD, and approximately 81% of individuals with AD have type II diabetes (T2DM) or are glucose intolerant. Hyperglycemia – abnormal elevated blood glucose levels – is the primary characteristic of DM. We have previously shown that chronic hyperglycemia can initiate and promote neuroinflammation, resulting in significant increases in hyperphosphorylated tau protein (pTau), learning and memory impairments, and other AD-related targets that are consistent with other AD models. However, the mechanisms by which chronic hyperglycemia increases Aβ levels are still being elucidated. We administered low and staggered dosages of streptozotocin (STZ), a diabetogenic drug that selectively targets and destroys insulin producing β-cells, to induce hyperglycemia in a well-established male mouse model of human Aβ progression ( APP/PS1). The project aim was to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which chronic hyperglycemia increases Aβ levels. Briefly, our data indicate altered fasting blood glucose levels (BGLs), dysfunctional metabolic metrics, behavioral learning and memory deficits, increased Aβ load, and AD- and DM-related protein targets in the hippocampus, a region that is first affected by AD. These findings provide critical insight into the molecular pathways by which DM exacerbates AD pathogenesis, which may guide the development and/or amelioration of novel therapeutic strategies for individuals affected by both DM and/or AD
The Role of Chronobiology in Sleep, Physical Activity, and Stress Responses: Implications for Health and Performance
No full textIntroduction: Chronobiology, the study of internal biological rhythms, provides essential insights into how synchronization with these rhythms influences physiological processes, including sleep, metabolism, inflammation, and cognitive function. The modern lifestyle often disrupts these natural rhythms, resulting in circadian misalignment, which has been linked to impaired health outcomes such as increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysregulation. While much attention has been given to chronotype, the individual preference for activity timing, and its impacts on health and performance, less is known about how chronotypical alignment influences physiological and psychological responses in specific occupational contexts or everyday life. This dissertation aims to address these gaps by comprehensively examining the role of chronobiology in modulating physiological and behavioral responses to sleep disruption, physical activity, and occupational stressors, with particular attention to wildland firefighting.Methods: Three interconnected studies were conducted to explore the impact of chronotype, social jetlag (misalignment between biological and social clocks), and exercise timing on inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, sleep quality, physical activity, and mental health outcomes. In the first study, the effects of acute sleep deprivation were investigated on inflammatory and oxidative stress responses during simulated wildland firefighting scenarios in male participants. Biomarkers were assessed at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and during recovery. The second study monitored wildland firefighters over a two-week critical training period, analyzing how chronotype and social jetlag influenced inflammatory biomarkers, body composition, and recovery patterns. Chronotype and social jetlag were assessed using validated questionnaires, while physiological biomarkers were measured using blood samples collected pre- and post-training. The final study investigated the effects of aligning habitual exercise timing with chronotype in a general adult population. Physical activity levels, sleep quality, and mental health parameters were evaluated using questionnaires and statistical analyses to compare chronotypically aligned versus misaligned exercise groups. Results: The studies collectively demonstrated that circadian alignment affects physiological and psychological responses to stressors and exercise. Specifically, the acute sleep deprivation study revealed heightened inflammatory and oxidative stress responses during simulated wildland firefighting, exacerbated by sleep loss. In wildland firefighters, misalignment between chronotype and training schedules impacted inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting greater susceptibility to stress-induced physiological disruptions among those experiencing higher social jetlag. Additionally, the third study showed that chronotype-aligned exercise notably improved mental health outcomes compared to those with misaligned exercise schedules. Conclusions: This dissertation provides compelling evidence that aligning daily activities, especially physical exercise, with individual circadian preferences can optimize health, enhance performance, and improve overall quality of life. These findings highlight the critical importance of considering chronotype and circadian rhythms in occupational health and general public health interventions. Future research should further explore chronic interventions and their potential benefits in mitigating the negative effects of circadian misalignment and sleep disruption on health and performance outcomes
Improved Electric Load Modeling of Residential Air Conditioning
No full textThe recent increase in energy production from renewable resource introduces a new challenge in managing and maintaining balance between electricity supply and demand, due to uncertainty and variability of wind speed and solar irradiance. To address this growing problem, demand-side management, such as Demand Response (DR) programs, is employed to adjust power consumption. Residential air conditioners (ACs) are the most suitable candidates for DR, due to their intensive power consumption and inherent thermal inertia that allows flexibility in their operations (by adjusting their set-point temperatures) without sacrificing customer comfort. Most prior research on AC load models assumes that such a load draws constant rated power when the unit is powered on. However, the power consumption depends on outdoor temperature. Furthermore, previous works focused on houses with a single AC load. However, a significant fraction of the homes, especially two-story buildings, have 2 AC units. Unlike AC cycling behavior observed in single-zone houses, where the duty cycles of an AC unit are relatively constant, the two-zone case exhibits varying duty cycles due to the air movement through the stairwells and the different temperature set-points. This thesis proposes an improved RC model of an AC load that takes into account the power consumption’s dependence on the ambient temperature. The model is then extended to a premise with two AC units, by coupling the air temperature dynamics between zones. Model parameters will be estimated using recorded historical data of some local homes. Some applications, including customer bill management under Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity rates and potential participation in grid services (ramping grid service, peak load management), will be assessed through time-series numerical simulation using local weather data