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Item A Call to Improve Usability, Accuracy, and Equity of Self-Testing for COVID-19 and Other Rapid Diagnostic Tests(Mary Ann Liebert Inc, 2023-11) Drain, Paul K.; Adams, Alexandra K.; Kessler, Larry; Thompson, MatthewThe increasing availability of rapid diagnostic self-tests (RDSTs) for COVID-19 has played an important and increasing role during the pandemic. However, for many underserved communities, RDSTs potential benefits are offset by problems with usability, accuracy, and equity. Given the increased need for and interest in home testing for acute and chronic diseases, including COVID-19, this piece offers ways that regulatory agencies, federal public health agencies, and test developers should engage with diverse communities to ensure equity throughout test development, implementation, and evaluation. Such engagement will ensure maximum personal and public health benefits for current and future RDSTs under real-world conditions.Item Friendships forged in fitness: an ethnography of older women’s social experiences at a community fitness center(Alaska Anthropological Association, 2022) Howell, Britteny M.; Hanson, Bridget L.; Wanner, SamanthaGerontological research demonstrates that the social relationships forged by older women at community and fitness centers can be long-lasting and provide a variety of supportive functions. Research shows that participants, especially older women, are more likely to adhere to a fitness program when they have social supports. Older adults enjoy and respond well to pool- or water-based aerobic exercises that are safe on the joints and provide a comfortable environment away from the gym’s intimidating nature. Therefore, water-based classes provided at community fitness centers are well positioned to provide ample social opportunities to further reinforce continued physical activity for older women, resulting in health and quality-of-life improvements. However, anthropological and ethnographic research into friendship formation and maintenance among older American women is lacking in the literature. This project was a three-month ethnographic exploration of the social relationships created and maintained in the context of water-based fitness classes (water aerobics) at a local community center attended primarily by white older adults (aged 50+). The friendships forged by women in the pool provide a variety of social supports that help to maintain healthy-aging outcomes among participants. Using a Grounded Theory approach, this study utilized participant observation, semistructured key informant interviews, and survey questionnaires to provide a holistic anthropological investigation of the important physical, social, and mental health benefits that fitness center friendships can have on the daily lives of older women in urban Alaska.Item Comparative bone histology of two thalattosaurians (Diapsida: Thalattosauria): Askeptosaurus italicus from the Alpine Triassic (Middle Triassic) and a Thalattosauroidea indet. from the Carnian of Oregon (Late Triassic)(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023-08) Klein, N.; Sander, P. M.; Liu, J.; Druckenmiller, P.; Metz, E. T.; Kelley, N. P.; Scheyer, T. M.Here, we present the first bone histological and microanatomical study of thalattosaurians, an enigmatic group among Triassic marine reptiles. Two taxa of thalattosaurians, the askeptosauroid Askeptosaurus italicus and one as yet undescribed thalattosauroid, are examined. Both taxa have a rather different microanatomy, tissue type, and growth pattern. Askeptosaurus italicus from the late Anisian middle Besano Formation of the southern Alpine Triassic shows very compact tissue in vertebrae, rib, a gastralium, and femora, and all bones are without medullary cavities. The tissue shows moderate to low vascularization, dominated by highly organized and very coarse parallel-fibred bone, resembling interwoven tissue. Vascularization is dominated by simple longitudinal vascular canals, except for the larger femur of Askeptosaurus, where simple vascular canals dominate in a radial arrangement. Growth marks stratify the cortex of femora. The vertebrae and humeri from the undescribed thalattosauroid from the late Carnian of Oregon have primary and secondary cancellous bone, resulting in an overall low bone compactness. Two dorsal vertebral centra show dominantly secondary trabeculae, whereas a caudal vertebral centrum shows much primary trabecular bone, globuli ossei, and cartilage, indicating an earlier ontogenetic stage of the specimens or paedomorphosis. The humeri of the thalattosauroid show large, simple vascular canals that are dominantly radially oriented in a scaffold of woven and loosely organized parallel-fibred tissue. Few of the simple vascular canals are thinly but only incompletely lined by parallel-fibered tissue. In the Oregon material, changes in growth rate are only indicated by changes in vascular organization but no distinct growth marks were identified. The compact bone of Askeptosaurus is best comparable to some pachypleurosaurs, whereas its combination of tissue and vascularity is similar to eosauropterygians in general, except for the coarse nature of its parallel-fibred tissue. The cancellous bone of the Oregon thalattosauroid resembles what is documented in ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. However, in contrast to these its tissue does not consist of fibro-lamellar bone type. Tissue types of both thalattosaurian taxa indicate rather different growth rates and growth patterns, associated with different life history strategies. The microanatomy reflects different life styles that fit to the different environments in which they had been found (intraplatform basin vs. open marine). Both thalattosaurian taxa differ from each other but in sum also from all other marine reptile taxa studied so far. Thalattosaurian bone histology documents once more that bone histology provides for certain groups (i.e., Triassic Diapsida) only a poor phylogenetic signal and is more influenced by exogenous factors. Differences in lifestyle, life history traits, and growth rate and pattern enabled all these Triassic marine reptiles to live contemporaneously in the same habitat managing to avoid substantial competition.Item Impacts of the four-day school week on early elementary achievement(Elsevier BV, 2023-01) Thompson, Paul N.; Tomayko, Emily J.; Gunter, Katherine B.; Schuna, John; McClelland, MeganThis study explores the impact of four-day school weeks on early elementary achievement. Using covariate adjusted regression analyses and data on all students who entered kindergarten in Oregon, USA between 2014 and 2016, we examine differences in 3rd grade math and English Language Arts test scores (i.e., achievement) for students enrolled in a four-day school week versus a five-day school week at kindergarten entry. On average, we find minimal differences between 3rd grade test scores of four-day and five-day students, but there are notable differential effects across the spectrum of these students’ kindergarten readiness scores and educational program participation. We find that above median performers on kindergarten assessments, White students, general education students, and gifted students – student groups that make up more than half our sample – are the most negatively impacted by the four-day school week during the early elementary period. We generally find no statistically significant evidence of detrimental four-day school week achievement impacts for students who were below median performers on kindergarten assessments, minority students, economically disadvantaged students, special education participants, and English as a second language students.Item Identifying family-child activities among children with prenatal drug exposure in a Tribal Nation: Caregiver perspectives on barriers, facilitators and positive outcomes(Public Library of Science, 2022-09) Russette, Helen; Brown, Joshua; Belcourt, Annie; McKay, Kimber; Graham, Niki; Semmens, Erin O.Background. Native American newborns experience high rates of prenatal drug exposure leading to devastating outcomes within Indigenous communities. Such children are at heightened risk of maladaptive outcomes if early intervention does not occur. A need exists to identify strategies that promote resilience. Objectives. Identify barriers and facilitators that families experience in family-child engagement activities across the community, culture, outdoors, and home settings to inform a cultural-sensitive and community-relevant study aimed at quantifying positive family-child engagement activities as a resilience factor in this population. Methods. Biological parents and caregivers to children, ages 0–3 years old with or without prenatal drug exposure (N = 15) were recruited from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to participate in an in-person semi-structured interview. Data analysis consisted of research yarning and directed content analysis to collect unique stories and to identify common activities, barriers, supports and positive outcomes to families, respectively. Results. Attending multiple powwows/celebrations, swimming, and reading were the most mentioned activities. Cost and transportation were common barriers. The most common support mechanism provided was having family or friends present to participate in activities. Cultural knowledge and bonding were common positive outcomes for a child engaging in activities. A collection of stories identified both familial barriers to traditional ways of knowing and participation in community, and community-implemented efforts to bridge that gap among families with a history of drug and alcohol use. Conclusions. This study identifies potential resilience factors specific to families to children with prenatal drug exposure that reside in Indigenous communities.Item Are All Four-Day School Weeks Created Equal? A National Assessment of Four-Day School Week Policy Adoption and Implementation(2021-08) Thompson, Paul N.; Gunter, Katherine; Schuna, John M. Jr.; Tomayko, Emily J.Four-day school weeks are used in over 1,600 schools across twenty-four states but little is known about adoption and implementation of these types of school calendars. Through examinations of school calendars and correspondence with school districts, we have compiled the most complete four-day school week dataset to date. We use this unique database to conduct a comprehensive analysis of four-day school week policy adoption and implementation. We find adoption of four-day school weeks is often financially motivated and has generally remained a small, rural district phenomenon. These schedules feature a day off once a week—often Friday—with increased time in school on each of the remaining four school days that, on average, is nearly an hour longer than the national average among five-day schools. Four-day school week schedules average only 148 school days per year, resulting in less time in school than the national average for five-day schools (180 days per year) despite the longer school days. Substantial heterogeneity exists in the structure of these schedules across states, which may help explain differential four-day school week effects on student outcomes across institutional settings in the previous literature.Item Predictors of Overweight and Obesity in American Indian Families With Young Children(2019-02) Adams, Alexandra K.; Tomayko, Emily J.; Cronin, Kate A.; Prince, Ronald J.; Kim, Kyungmann; Carmichael, Lakeesha; Parker, TassyObjective: To describe sociodemographic factors and health behaviors among American Indian (AI) families with young children and determine predictors of adult and child weight status among these factors. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional baseline data. Setting: One urban area and 4 rural AI reservations nationwide. Participants: A total of 450 AI families with children aged 2-5 years participating in the Healthy Children, Strong Families 2 intervention. Intervention: Baseline data from a healthy lifestyles intervention. Main Outcome Measures: Child body mass index (BMI) z-score and adult BMI, and multiple healthy lifestyle outcomes. Analysis: Descriptive statistics and stepwise regression. Results: Adult and child combined overweight and obesity rates were high: 82% and 40%, respectively. Food insecurity was high (61%). Multiple lifestyle behaviors, including fruit and vegetable and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, adult physical activity, and child screen time, did not meet national recommendations. Adult sleep was adequate but children had low overnight sleep duration of 10 h/d. Significant predictors of child obesity included more adults in the household (P = .003; beta = 0.153), an adult AI caregiver (P = .02; beta= 0.116), high adult BMI (P = .001; beta= 0.176), gestational diabetes, high child birth weight (P < .001; beta= 0.247), and the family activity and nutrition score (P = .04; beta= 0.130). Conclusions and Implications: We found multiple child-, adult-, and household-level factors influence early childhood obesity in AI children, highlighting the need for interventions to mitigate the modifiable factors identified in this study, including early life influences, home environments, and health behaviors.Item Understanding Correlates of Physical Activity in American Indian Families: The Healthy Children Strong Families-2 Study(2018-11) Grant, Vernon M.; Tomayko, Emily J.; Prince, Ronald J.; Cronin, Kate A.; Adams, Alexandra K.Background: Little is known about factors contributing to physical activity (PA) in American Indian (AI) populations. Addressing this gap is paramount as sedentary activity and obesity continue to increase in this population. The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with PA among AI families with young children. Methods: Height and weight of both adult (n = 423) and child (n = 390) were measured, and surveys assessed demographics, PA, stress (adult only), sleep, and screen time. Separate multivariate logistic regression models were constructed for adults and children (reported as adjusted odds ratios, aORs). Results: For adults, age (aOR = 0.952; P ≤ .001), television viewing (aOR = 0.997; P = .01), and computer use (aOR = 0.996; P = .003) decreased the odds of being active. For children, high adult activity (aOR = 1.795; P ≤ .01), longer weekday sleep (aOR = 1.004; P = .01), and family income >$35,000 (aOR = 2.772; P = .01) increased the odds of being active. We found no association between adult PA with stress or adult sleep or between child PA with body mass index and screen time. Conclusions: Given the complexity of the factors contributing to obesity among AI families, multigenerational interventions focused on healthy lifestyle change such as decreasing adult screen time and increasing child sleep time may be needed to increase PA within AI families.Item Development of a culturally informed child safety curriculum for American Indian families(2017-04) Berns, Ryan M.; Tomayko, Emily J.; Cronin, Kate A.; Prince, Ronald J.; Parker, Tassy; Adams, Alexandra K.American Indian (AI) children are disproportionately affected by unintentional injuries, with injury mortality rates approximately 2.3 times higher than the combined rates for all children in the United States. Although multiple risk factors are known to contribute to these increased rates, a comprehensive, culturally informed curriculum that emphasizes child safety is lacking for this population. In response to this need, academic and tribal researchers, tribal community members, tribal wellness staff, and national child safety experts collaborated to develop a novel child safety curriculum. This paper describes its development and community delivery. We developed the safety curriculum as part of a larger randomized controlled trial known as Healthy Children, Strong Families 2 (HCSF2), a family-based intervention targeting obesity prevention in early childhood (2–5 years). During the development of the HCSF2 intervention, participating tribal communities expressed concern about randomizing enrolled families to a control group who would not receive an intervention. To address this concern and the significant disparities in injuries and unintentional death rates among AI children, we added an active control group (Safety Journey) that would utilize our safety curriculum. Satisfaction surveys administered at the 12-month time point of the intervention indicate 94% of participants (N = 196) were either satisfied or very satisfied with the child safety curriculum. The majority of participants (69%) reported spending more than 15 min with the curriculum materials each month, and 83% thought the child safety newsletters were either helpful or very helpful in making changes to improve their family’s safety. These findings indicate these child safety materials have been well received by HCSF2 participants. The use of community-engaged approaches to develop this curriculum represents a model that could be adapted for other at-risk populations and serves as an initial step toward the creation of a multi-level child safety intervention strategy.Item Control of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) development and senescence by the interaction between a chromosome six grain protein content locus, day length, and vernalization(2011-11) Parrott, David L.; Downs, Eric P.; Fischer, Andreas M.Regulatory processes controlling traits such as anthesis timing and whole-plant senescence are of primary importance for reproductive success and for crop quality and yield. It has previously been demonstrated that the presence of alleles associated with high grain protein content (GPC) at a locus on barley chromosome six leads to accelerated leaf senescence, and to strong (>10-fold) up-regulation of several genes which may be involved in senescence control. One of these genes (coding for a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein termed HvGR-RBP1) exhibits a high degree of similarity to Arabidopsis glycine-rich RNA-binding protein 7 (AtGRP7), which has been demonstrated to accelerate flowering under both long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions, but not after vernalization. Development of near-isogenic barley lines, differing in the allelic state of the GPC locus, was compared from the seedling stage to maturity under both SD and LD and after vernalization under LD. Intriguingly, pre-anthesis plant development [measured by leaf emergence timing and pre-anthesis (sequential) leaf senescence] was enhanced in high-GPC germplasm. Differences were more pronounced under SD than under LD, but were eliminated by vernalization, associating observed effects with floral induction pathways. By contrast, differences in post-anthesis flag leaf and whole-plant senescence between low- and high-GPC germplasm persisted under all tested conditions, indicating that the GPC locus, possibly through HvGR-RBP1, impacts on both developmental stages. Detailed molecular characterization of this experimental system may allow the dissection of cross-talk between signalling pathways controlling early plant and floral development on one side, and leaf/whole-plant senescence on the other side.