Showing papers by "University of North Carolina at Greensboro published in 2021"

Online health survey research during COVID-19.

Abstract: Your inbox probably has more invitations to join online health research surveys than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Online surveys have become an important tool for COVID-19 research when conventional survey methods are not feasible. Yet the response to COVID-19 has also underlined the urgent need for high-quality behavioural data. Is the trend towards online health survey research an indication of practices to come or a stark reminder of the perils of convenient sampling methods? This Comment examines unique opportunities associated with online health research surveys, challenges in implementing and interpreting data from online surveys, and considerations for getting the most out of online health research.

Grappling with translanguaging for teaching and assessment in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts: teacher perspectives from Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract: Multilingual practices of translanguaging – fluid, complex, and dynamic processes of using one's complete linguistic repertoire – have been increasingly embraced by researchers and educators in bil...

Dietary Anti-Aging Polyphenols and Potential Mechanisms.

Abstract: For years, the consumption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been considered healthy, increasing longevity, and decreasing morbidities. With the assistance of basic research investigating the potential mechanisms, it has become clear that the beneficial effects of plant-based foods are mainly due to the large amount of bioactive phenolic compounds contained. Indeed, substantial dietary intervention studies in humans have supported that the supplementation of polyphenols have various health-promoting effects, especially in the elderly population. In vitro examinations on the anti-aging mechanisms of polyphenols have been widely performed, using different types of natural and synthetic phenolic compounds. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the experimental evidence demonstrating the beneficial effects of polyphenols on aging-related diseases. We highlight the potential anti-aging mechanisms of polyphenols, including antioxidant signaling, preventing cellular senescence, targeting microRNA, influencing NO bioavailability, and promoting mitochondrial function. While the trends on utilizing polyphenols in preventing aging-related disorders are getting growing attention, we suggest the exploration of the beneficial effects of the combination of multiple polyphenols or polyphenol-rich foods, as this would be more physiologically relevant to daily life.

Coping and Mental Health in Early Adolescence during COVID-19.

Abstract: The current longitudinal study examines changes in overall mental health symptomatology from before to after the COVID-19 outbreak in youth from the southeastern United States as well as the potential mitigating effects of self-efficacy, optimism, and coping. A sample of 105 parent-child dyads participated in the study (49% boys; 81% European American, 1% Alaska Native/American Indian, 9% Asian/Asian American; 4% Black/African American; 4% Latinx; and 4% other; 87% mothers; 25% high school graduate without college education; 30% degree from 4-year college; 45% graduate or professional school). Parents completed surveys when children were aged 6-9, 8-12, 9-13, and 12-16, with the last assessments occurring between May 13, 2020 and July 1, 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak. Children also completed online surveys at ages 11-16 assessing self-efficacy, optimism, and coping. Multi-level modeling analyses showed a within-person increase in mental health symptoms from before to after the outbreak after controlling for changes associated with maturation. Symptom increases were mitigated in youth with greater self-efficacy and (to some extent) problem-focused engaged coping, and exacerbated in youth with greater emotion-focused engaged and disengaged coping. Implications of this work include the importance of reinforcing self-efficacy in youth during times of crisis, such as the pandemic, and the potential downsides of emotion-focused coping as an early response to the crisis for youth.

Updating the Secondary Transition Research Base: Evidence- and Research-Based Practices in Functional Skills:

Abstract: Transition education should be grounded in quality research. To do so, educators need information on which practices are effective for teaching students with disabilities transition-related skills....

On the equivalency of factor and network loadings

Abstract: Recent research has demonstrated that the network measure node strength or sum of a node’s connections is roughly equivalent to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) loadings. A key finding of this research is that node strength represents a combination of different latent causes. In the present research, we sought to circumvent this issue by formulating a network equivalent of factor loadings, which we call network loadings. In two simulations, we evaluated whether these network loadings could effectively (1) separate the effects of multiple latent causes and (2) estimate the simulated factor loading matrix of factor models. Our findings suggest that the network loadings can effectively do both. In addition, we leveraged the second simulation to derive effect size guidelines for network loadings. In a third simulation, we evaluated the similarities and differences between factor and network loadings when the data were generated from random, factor, and network models. We found sufficient differences between the loadings, which allowed us to develop an algorithm to predict the data generating model called the Loadings Comparison Test (LCT). The LCT had high sensitivity and specificity when predicting the data generating model. In sum, our results suggest that network loadings can provide similar information to factor loadings when the data are generated from a factor model and therefore can be used in a similar way (e.g., item selection, measurement invariance, factor scores).

ATF4 activation promotes hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction by repressing NRF1-TFAM signalling in alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Abstract: Objective Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD); however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully understood. We previously found that hepatic activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) activation was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in ALD. This study aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of ATF4 in alcohol-induced hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction. Design ATF4 activation was detected in the livers of patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH). The role of ATF4 and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in alcohol-induced liver damage was determined in hepatocyte-specific ATF4 knockout mice and liver-specific TFAM overexpression mice, respectively. Results Hepatic PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 ER stress signalling was upregulated in patients with AH. Hepatocyte-specific ablation of ATF4 in mice ameliorated alcohol-induced steatohepatitis. ATF4 ablation also attenuated alcohol-impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and respiratory function along with the restoration of TFAM. Cell studies confirmed that TFAM expression was negatively regulated by ATF4. TFAM silencing in hepatoma cells abrogated the protective effects of ATF4 knockdown on ethanol-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Moreover, hepatocyte-specific TFAM overexpression in mice attenuated alcohol-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and liver damage. Mechanistic studies revealed that ATF4 repressed the transcription activity of nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), a key regulator of TFAM, through binding to its promoter region. Clinical relevance among ATF4 activation, NRF1–TFAM pathway disruption and mitochondrial dysfunction was validated in the livers of patients with AH. Conclusion This study demonstrates that hepatic ATF4 plays a pathological role in alcohol-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and liver injury by disrupting the NRF1–TFAM pathway.

Machine learning algorithm-based risk assessment of riparian wetlands in Padma River Basin of Northwest Bangladesh

Abstract: Wetland risk assessment is a global concern especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. The present study explored the spatiotemporal dynamics of wetlands, prediction of wetland risk assessment. The wetland risk assessment was predicted based on ten selected parameters, such as fragmentation probability, distance to road, and settlement. We used M5P, random forest (RF), reduced error pruning tree (REPTree), and support vector machine (SVM) machine learning techniques for wetland risk assessment. The results showed that wetland areas at present are declining less than one-third of those in 1988 due to the construction of the dam at Farakka, which is situated at the upstream of the Padma River. The distance to the river and built-up area are the two most contributing drivers influencing the wetland risk assessment based on information gain ratio (InGR). The prediction results of machine learning models showed 64.48% of area by M5P, 61.75% of area by RF, 62.18% of area by REPTree, and 55.74% of area by SVM have been predicted as the high and very high-risk zones. The results of accuracy assessment showed that the RF outperformed than other models (area under curve: 0.83), followed by the SVM, M5P, and REPTree. Degradation of wetlands explored in this study demonstrated the negative effects on biodiversity. Therefore, to conserve and protect the wetlands, continuous monitoring of wetlands using high resolution satellite images, feeding with the ecological flow, confining built up area and agricultural expansion towards wetlands, and new wetland creation is essential for wetland management.

A scoping review critically examining research connecting social and emotional learning with three model-based practices in physical education: Have we been doing this all along?:

Abstract: The purpose of this scoping review is to critically examine previous research that connects three selected model-based practices (MBPs) to social and emotional learning (SEL) outcomes in K-12 physi...

A Rapid Qualitative Assessment of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV in the US South.

Abstract: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19-related illness. Our community-based participatory research partnership collected and analyzed semi-structured interview data to understand the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a sample of racially/ethnically diverse gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living with HIV. Fifteen cisgender men participated; their mean age was 28. Six participants were Black/African American, five were Spanish-speaking Latinx, and four were White. Seventeen themes emerged that were categorized into six domains: knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19; COVID-19 information sources and perceptions of trustworthiness; impact of COVID-19 on behaviors, health, and social determinants of health; and general COVID-19-related concerns. Interventions are needed to ensure that PLWH have updated information and adhere to medication regimens, and to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on social isolation, economic stability, healthcare access, and other social determinants of health within this vulnerable population.

School Bullying, Mental Health, and Wellbeing in Adolescents: Mediating Impact of Positive Psychological Orientations

Abstract: School bullying is a serious psychosocial problem due to its detrimental effects on youth school functioning and adjustment. The present study explored the effects of victimization and perpetration experiences on positive psychological orientations, mental health problems, and subjective wellbeing in high school students. Participants of the study included 456 adolescents studying in two public high schools in a city of Turkey. They were 52.5% (239) female and 47.5% (217) male, and their ages ranged between 13 and 19 years (M = 15.53, SD = 1.13). Findings from the analyses indicated that adolescents in victim and perpetrator groups reported significantly fewer positive psychological orientations, diminished subjective wellbeing, and greater emotional and behavioral problems compared with their non-involved peers. Further outcomes revealed that positive psychological orientations mediated the link between school bullying and mental health problems as well as wellbeing, suggesting the importance of these constructs in developing effective intervention strategies to prevent school bullying and promote youth mental health and wellbeing in school settings.

Keeping Creativity under Control: Contributions of Attention Control and Fluid Intelligence to Divergent Thinking.

Abstract: Increasing research efforts are focused on explaining the cognitive bases of creativity. However, it remains unclear when and how cognitive factors such as intelligence and executive function uniqu...

International Sexual Health And REproductive health (I-SHARE) survey during COVID-19: study protocol for online national surveys and global comparative analyses.

Abstract: Background: COVID-19 may have a profound impact on sexual health, reproductive health and social life across the world. Shelter in place regulations that have extended across the globe may influence condomless sex, exacerbate intimate partner violence and reduce access to essential reproductive health services. Population representative research is challenging during shelter in place, leaving major gaps in our understanding of sexual and reproductive health during COVID-19. This International Sexual Health And ReproductivE health (I-SHARE) study protocol manuscript describes a common plan for online national surveys and global comparative analyses. Methods: The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to better understand sexual and reproductive health in selected countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitate multinational comparisons. Participants will be recruited through an online survey link disseminated through local, regional and national networks. In each country, a lead organisation will be responsible for organising ethical review, translation and survey administration. The consortium network provides support for national studies, coordination and multinational comparison. We will use multilevel modelling to determine the relationship between COVID-19 and condomless sex, intimate partner violence, access to reproductive health services, HIV testing and other key items. This study protocol defines primary outcomes, prespecified subanalyses and analysis plans. Conclusion: The I-SHARE study examines sexual and reproductive health at the national and global level during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will use multilevel modelling to investigate country-level variables associated with outcomes of interest. This will provide a foundation for subsequent online multicountry comparison using more robust sampling methodologies.

Positive, Negative, and Disorganized Schizotypy Predict Differential Patterns of Interview-Rated Schizophrenia-Spectrum Symptoms and Impairment.

Abstract: The present study assessed the construct validity of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS). Specifically, it assessed the associations of the MSS positive, negative, and disorganized schizoty...

Binary MnO2/Co3O4 Metal Oxides Wrapped on Superaligned Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers as Binder Free Supercapacitor Electrodes

Abstract: Increasing the performance of energy storage systems using different metal oxides and carbon nanomaterial as support scaffolds in electrode manufacture is of great importance. However, deposition of active material using binders or conductive agents results in reduced effective contact areas in the electrodes and between the electrolytes, lowering the energy storage capacity. In this work, a homogeneous and stable low current electrodeposition of binary metal oxides MnO₂/Co₃O₄ on superaligned electrospun carbon nanofibers (SA-ECNFs) greatly overcomes these shortcomings. The morphology tests revealed that the manganese oxide (MnO₂) and cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) were uniformly wrapped around the carbon nanofibers to form a porous morphology, rendering high energy storage capacity from both the pseudocapacitance and electrochemical double layer (ECDL). Electrochemical tests indicated that the as-prepared MnO₂/Co₃O₄@SA-ECNFs electrode displays a specific capacitance of 728 F g–¹ in 6 M KOH electrolyte in CV vs 622 F g–¹ of MnO₂@SA-ECNFs electrode at 5 mV s–¹. The performance of galvanic charge–discharge (GCD) at 2 A g–¹ of the electrode demonstrated 64.5 Wh kg–¹ for energy density and 1276 W kg–¹ for power density and a capacity retention of 71.8% over 11 000 cycles.

Self-efficacy and human motivation

Abstract: Self-efficacy refers to perceived capabilities to learn or perform actions at designated levels. Theory and research support the idea that self-efficacy is an important motivational construct that can affect choices, effort, persistence, and achievement. Situated in Bandura's social cognitive theory, self-efficacy is a personal construct that affects and is influenced by behaviors and social/environmental variables. Scientific investigation of self-efficacy began in clinical studies but since has expanded into diverse fields. In education, an important research extension was to contexts involving learning. This expanded research focus has suggested some adaptations to original theoretical predictions involving persistence, learning, maintenance and transfer, and context. Future research is recommended on methodology, goals, context, collective self-efficacy, diversity, and technology.

Balancing the sexology scales: a content analysis of Black women's sexuality research.

Abstract: Existing research adopting a sex positive and intersectional framework for investigating Black women's sexualities is scarce. We conducted a 46-year (1972-2018) content analysis of sexualities research focussed on Black women. It sought to examine which sexualities topics were published most; whether the publications aligned with sex-positive, neutral or negative discourse; what methodologies were used; and differences in how various identities were investigated among Black women. Using human coding, we applied an integrative approach to the content analysis. Results found 245 articles meeting criteria. Approximately one-third of articles within the analysis focussed on the topic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and sexual risk behaviours among Black women. Only 6.5% of articles utilised a sex-positive discourse. Quantitative articles were the most published methodology, and publications disproportionately overlooked Black women's intersectional identities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.