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Rapid Increase of Female but not Male Obesity: Analysis of the 2023 Vanuatu Health Transition Project Survey on Aneityum
Get PDFGlobally, obesity rates are continuing to increase and countries in the midst of modernization are most vulnerable. Developing nations are undergoing a health transition alongside rapid economic modernization. The nation of Vanuatu, like other Pacific island countries, is experiencing such a transition marked by decreased cases of infectious disease and increased incidence of chronic and non-communicable diseases. Aneityum is a small and sparsely populated island in Vanuatu and is behind more developed islands in its transition. This present study is the latest in a multi-year project examining health in Vanuatu as it undergoes a health transition with an increased prevalence of chronic disease, namely cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we sought to continue tracking the population health on Aneityum, to analyze health differences between men and women, and to compare findings to previous data in Vanuatu. In July and August of 2023, adult males [n=41] and females [n=62] were surveyed and had their anthropometric measurements taken on Aneityum in Vanuatu. Mean anthropometric measurements (body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference) continued to be significantly greater among women than men (P-value \u3c 0.05). Women exhibited higher rates of obesity in all metrics than in previous studies while men remained relatively unchanged. While men still have lower obesity rates compared to those from Efate in 2011, the women of Aneityum have reached similar levels as their counterparts from a decade ago. There is debate whether Ni-Vanuatu populations are more accurately measured by WHO or Asian-Pacific BMI cutoffs. When Asian-Pacific BMI guidelines are applied, male obesity rate rises 4.87% and the female obesity rate rises 17.74%, indicating drastically worse population health than previously thought. Potential explanations for the disparity in obesity rates between males and females include sex-associated fat distribution patterns, social inequality, and cultural habits. This paper provides valuable insights into the state of Vanuatu\u27s health in its transitional period and a greater understanding of the interplay between sex and health
Servant Leadership in the Periodical Literature of Librarianship
No full textLeadership is one of the most critical factors in the success or failure of an organization and can greatly impact the health and well-being of all participants, especially lower participants. (Kendrick, Kaetrena Davis, 2020). In Robert Greenleaf’s 1970 book, The Servant as Leader, he posits that a leader should be a servant first, seeking the health and development of all participants in an organization. This research project investigates the number of articles published in the periodical literature of librarianship about servant leadership, the nature of the coverage, and if servant leadership is being implemented in libraries as it was conceptualized by Greenleaf.
We posed the following questions in investigating the coverage in librarianship:
1. What is the origin of servant leadership?
2. When and where did the idea of servant leadership first appear in the library literature?
3. What is the nature of the coverage and how is it reported?
4. According to the periodical literature of librarianship is servant leadership being employed, and is it possible to detect a trend in the reporting of the past decades?
In our investigation, we used a bibliometric study employing content analysis techniques. Our sampling frame included: LISTA, Library Literature & Information Science Full Text, Library Literature & Information Science Retrospective (1905-1983), and Library and Information Science Collection with coverage from 1905-2023. For the content analysis, we used nine characteristics based on our four research questions to reflect the nature of the coverage in the periodical literature of librarianship about servant leadership.
There was a total of 20 articles on servant leadership in the library literature from 1980, when the first article was published, to 2023. 40% of the articles, the highest percentage, were written between 2013 and 2018. 25% of the articles, the highest percentage, were published in Library Leadership & Management, followed by Catholic Library World at 15%. 85% of the articles were opinion pieces.
In conclusion, there have been very few articles written on the topic of servant leadership in the periodical literature of librarianship. Therefore, it would be important to try to find out why there are so few articles and to more fully explore the potential of servant leadership as a productive leadership style for library management and a way to influence the health and well-being of library staff
Ethanol-induced alterations to astrocytic glutamate transporter mRNA expression in the mPFC of adult mice
Get PDFThe medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is one of several brain structures that is contained in the mesolimbocortical pathway and controls many processes involved in alcohol use disorder (AUD). There is vast glutamatergic output from the mPFC to other mesolimbocortical regions; neuroplastic changes to this system are believed to be closely tied to the development and maintenance of AUD. Astrocytes are key regulators of glutamatergic transmission through their uptake of excess glutamate from the synapse and recycling back into neurons. Ethanol (EtOH) alters the expression of astrocytic genes that encode for transporters that control glutamate homeostasis; these include the glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1), the cystine-glutamate antiporter (xCT), the glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST), and the type 1 equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT-1). The present study examined the effects of acute and repeated EtOH exposure on the mRNA expression of the aforementioned transporters in the mPFC of adult male and female mice using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We found a significant elevation in the mRNA levels of xCT in the male repeated exposure groups compared to the acute exposure and control groups. Additionally, we found a significant reduction in the mRNA levels for GLT-1 in the female repeated exposure group compared to the control group. Lastly, we found no correlation between blood ethanol concentration at sacrifice and the gene expression for any of the assayed transporters in both males and females. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the complex relationship between EtOH, glutamate, and astrocytes. However, further work is required to deduce the sex-specific and time-dependent effects of EtOH on astrocyte-modulated glutamate signaling
How did Covid-19’s Learning Environment Isolate Teenagers and Cause Social Stress?
Get PDFPrevious literature suggested that Covid-19 quarantines/ lockdowns affected adolescents and young children in negative ways. The research suggested that lockdowns were the leading cause of stress, and for the people who already have stress, it served as an amplifier. Many studies suggest that since young children and teenagers need to socialize, but they can’t because of the restrictions, it is common for them to feel depressed and stressed out. Feelings of depression and anxiety have been known to cause destructive qualities if left untreated such as, hostile behavior, weight loss and even suicidal thoughts. I plan on collecting data from adolescents and young adults (17-24) via an online poll, as well as in person interviews. I expect the findings to support my hypothesis that the learning environment during Covid-19 isolated teenagers socially, as well as the social isolations causing unnecessary stress.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1004/thumbnail.jp
Effects of Reduction in Social Enrichment on a Novel Rat Model of Approach and Avoidance Orientation
Get PDFThe goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a reduction in social enrichment by measuring behavioral changes in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) in male and female rats of High Approach (HAO) and Low Approach Orientation (LAO). The results indicated that at baseline, both total arm entries and open arm entries were affected by HAO vs LAO and sex. The percent change in closed arm entries in LAO females was sensitive to the social environment, whereas those in the HAO were behaviorally unaffected. The experimental LAO female group had an increase in percent change of closed arm entries while their control LAO counterparts had a decrease. Results suggest that the LAO female rats may translate to a population more sensitive to social stress and thus may be useful in identifying biological markers for predicting vulnerability to sudden changes in social environments.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1007/thumbnail.jp
The Significance of Femoral Bicondylar Length & Femoral Head Diameter in Sex Estimation
Get PDFThis research examines correlations between femoral measurements and sex estimation, focusing on femoral bicondylar length and femoral head diameter. The study seeks alternative methods for incomplete pelvis or skull cases, utilizing femoral features to indicate sexual dimorphism. It will use the Goldman dataset, which includes several populations with variations in sexual dimorphism, as well as log regression, to create sex estimation methods. Subsequently, these methods will be tested using data from the University of South Florida’s (USF) Donated Skeletal Collection, consisting of over one hundred human skeletal remains for research and educational purposes. The results show that both measurements performed reasonably well in sex estimation, accurately predicting the sex of 55% of individuals in the USF dataset. However, combining both femoral measurements increased accuracy, with 63.2% of individuals accurately predicted. In conclusion, research underscores the reliability of femoral measurements, notably bicondylar length and head diameter, as indicators for sex estimation.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1017/thumbnail.jp
Impacts Of Daily Diet On Stress Levels Among College Students
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to assess the impact of dietary habits and stress levels among college students. We hypothesize that implementing healthier dietary habits will lead to less stress among college students. An anonymous online survey was administered through social media on platforms such as GroupMe, Instagram, iMessage, Reddit, and Facebook. The survey included basic demographic questions including types of food consumed, alcohol and drug use, physical activity, and mental health status such as anxiety, depression, stress, and motivation. Pearson’s Correlation Analysis was utilized using SPSS version 28.0. Results showed a association between dietary choices, alcohol consumption, and stress levels. The ultimate goal of this study was to determine if diet choice and alcohol consumption were contributing factors to the stress levels among college students. Future interventions are needed for improving college students\u27 dietary habits and overall health and well-being.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1018/thumbnail.jp
Werewolves? There Wolves: Outcast Renegades and Paragons in Tales From Antiquity to the Middle Ages
Get PDFWerewolves are prevalent in tales throughout Greco-Roman antiquity and the later Middle Ages. While werewolves are typically the main characters in these tales, they are outcasted from society while transformed and only sometimes accepted back when human again. This research aims to explore the various factors contributing to a former werewolf’s acceptance or rejection back into society, specifically by focusing on the werewolf’s class, gender, characteristics while transformed as well as what event transformed them. Ultimately, the results implied that men of higher class who are transformed by women are generally accepted back into society whereas men of lower class who transform themselves are rejected. It was also found the medieval tales to be more sympathetic to the higher-class werewolves while antiquity tales are often unsympathetic. By developing a categorizing method, this research contributes to the overall understanding of antiquity and medieval outcasts and how their literature reflects society’s own reaction of outsiders.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1026/thumbnail.jp
Goddess, Murderess, Doctress: An Exploration of the English Suffix “-ess” and Its Decline in Use
Get PDFThe suffix “-ess” is used to create feminine forms of masculine or gender-neutral nouns in English. However, contemporary usage increasingly favors unmarked, gender-neutral forms for female referents in favor of these explicitly marked feminine forms. Drawing on data from Google’s Ngram Viewer and insights from gender studies and linguistics, this research examines and accounts for the decline in use of words suffixed in “-ess.” This analysis contends that the decline is driven by factors including increasing equality in the workforce, negative associations of words suffixed with “-ess” such as “mistress” and “adultress,” and a rejection of male-centric language norms. The decline in use of the suffix “-ess” is one manifestation of a greater trend toward adopting gender-neutral language and achieving gender equality in language. By examining the decline of the suffix “-ess,” this study gives insight into how a language adjusts to fit the society of its speakers.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1036/thumbnail.jp
Theory to Practice: Utilizing Key Philosophical Theories in a Transdisciplinary Approach to Complex Social Problem-solving
Get PDFIntegrating major theoretical principles into transdisciplinary studies allows for a more nuanced evaluation of complex social problems and their respective solutions. Major theoretical principles from the discipline of philosophy, such as transitional anger, the difference principle, and the veil of ignorance, allow for one to reevaluate their initial perceptions of complex social problems, and allow for a “fairer” reaction, which will create a fairer response. This paper argues that these major theoretical principles found in the field of philosophy will be incorporated into transdisciplinary theoretical principles to allow for mindfulness towards initial reactions, biases, and existing privileges.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1041/thumbnail.jp