The Influence of Self-Efficacy on Physical Activity in Older Adults with Diabetes

Diabetes affects million individuals within the United States with the highest prevalence in older adults. Physical activity has been shown to improve diabetes control; yet older adults are significantly less physically active than national recommendations suggest. Higher levels of self-efficacy have been shown to increase physical activity in many populations. Bandura’s theoretical framework of self-efficacy has supported that a higher level of self-efficacy correlates with higher levels of physical activity. The research for this dissertation first explored a gap in the literature regarding older adults with diabetes as it relates to self-efficacy and physical activity with an integrative review. This integrative review was foundational for the pilot study which explored the role of self-efficacy on physical activity in older adults with diabetes. Since the role of self-efficacy on physical activity in this population was not well-researched a mixed-method approach was developed for the pilot study to further enhance this research. A relationship between the self-efficacy and physical activity was established and rich accounts of the multiple influencing factors surrounding self-efficacy and physical activity in rural older adults with diabetes are discussed. Due to the uniqueness of this study, there were no studies we could utilize for direct comparison of our results. However, further testing is recommended with larger sample size and in multiple senior center sites to validate these findings. Although there are limitations to this pilot study, this study adds to the limited number of studies on the role of self-efficacy on physical activity in individuals ≥ 65 years with diabetes and is foundational for future studies

Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Water Quality and Landscape Characteristics for Albemarle Sound, North Carolina

Albemarle Sound, a lagoonal estuarine system on the North Carolina coast, has experienced a large decline in recreational and commercial fisheries over the years and managers are concerned about water quality, including the impacts of nutrient enrichment, or eutrophication. In an effort to help the United States Geological Survey improve its water quality monitoring network, this report compiles and analyzes over 40 years of historic data for the sound using three approaches. Based on the current monitoring program and available historic data collected, five chemical and biological water quality parameters were chosen to characterize the water quality in Albemarle Sound: chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity, inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrate) as N and phosphate-phosphorus as P. This project 1) statistically analyzes the relationships between water quality parameters within and among sub-sections of the Sound; 2) combines multiple sources of LULC data into sub-sections to better understand water quality drivers; 3) develops a GIS-based user interactive toolkit to identify the sensitive location(s). Statistical and geospatial analyses show: 1) Overall, water quality in Albemarle Sound is good over time. 2) Seasonal effects may influence parameter values in some parts of the sound. 3) In light of inorganic nitrogen and phosphate-phosphorus levels, we may pay more attention to the North and South sections, as these two sections were more vulnerable to nutrient problems in history. 4) There are major differences in landscape characteristics between sections, offering some explanation for differences in water quality, and 5) There are some signals in the average concentrations of the five water quality parameters from 2006-2013, indicating that terrestrial drivers such as CAFO animal density and percent cultivated area could be important for water quality in the Albemarle Sound. This report provides fundamental guidance that can be used to inform both management plans and future studies in Albemarle Sound

Water, International Development and Collective Action: An Impact Assessment of an Irrigation Management Project in Southern Kyrgyzstan.

Water scarcity is a severe and growing global challenge. Over the last 50 years, water withdrawals have tripled due to economic development and rapid population growth, placing serious pressure on the planet’s water systems. Agriculture remains the most significant consumer of water, accounting for approximately 75% of all global water use. Millions of rural agriculture-dependent farmers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East already face devastating shortages of irrigation water, a situation that will have severe implications for food security and economic development across the globe. Therefore, efficient irrigation water management is critical to meet the growing demand for water resources. My dissertation seeks to determine the impact of a development project committed to improving irrigation management in Kyrgyzstan. The research focused on the Water Users’ Association Support Program (WUASP), a project dedicated to building the capacity of local institutions of irrigators known as Water Users’ Association (WUAs) through social mobilization, institutional development and participatory rehabilitation. An interrupted panel design and fixed effects regression methods are used to isolate the program effect. Additionally, data from a large N probability survey is used to explore the program’s association with four behavioral mechanisms – knowledge, participation, attitudes and social capital – that link WUASP to irrigation management outcomes. Furthermore, my quantitative methods are supplemented by qualitative data from focus groups, interviews and participant observation collected over nine months of field research. The results indicate that the program improved irrigation management outcomes; these results were mediated by a WUA’s size, economic and social heterogeneity, as well as ecological scarcity. Moreover, the analysis points to a positive program association with the mechanisms of knowledge, participation and attitudes. However, there is no evidence of a positive effect for women or water users located at the end of a canal, and the program failed to generate a positive community dynamic over irrigation. Thus, while WUASP may have promoted efficiency gains among the elite or privileged groups, the findings suggest that in cases of significant economic inequality, the program either had no effect or may have inadvertently increased the disparity between powerful and powerless water users.Ph.D.Public Policy & Political ScienceUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89827/1/hlarue_1.pd

I-LEEP Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 3

https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/ileep_newsletter/1002/thumbnail.jp

ARC Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1

https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/arc_newsletter/1000/thumbnail.jp

Aedes aegypti Saliva Alters Leukocyte Recruitment and Cytokine Signaling by Antigen-Presenting Cells during West Nile Virus Infection

West Nile virus (WNV) is transmitted during mosquito bloodfeeding. Consequently, the first vertebrate cells to contact WNV are cells in the skin, followed by those in the draining lymph node. Macrophages and dendritic cells are critical early responders in host defense against WNV infection, not just because of their role in orchestrating the immune response, but also because of their importance as sites of early peripheral viral replication. Antigen-presenting cell (APC) signals have a profound effect on host antiviral responses and disease severity. During transmission, WNV is intimately associated with mosquito saliva. Due to the ability of mosquito saliva to affect inflammation and immune responses, and the importance of understanding early events in WNV infection, we investigated whether mosquito saliva alters APC signaling during arbovirus infection, and if alterations in cell recruitment occur when WNV infection is initiated with mosquito saliva. Accordingly, experiments were performed with cultured dendritic cells and macrophages, flow cytometry was used to characterize infiltrating cell types in the skin and lymph nodes during early infection, and real-time RT-PCR was employed to evaluate virus and cytokine levels. Our in vitro results suggest that mosquito saliva significantly decreases the expression of interferon-β and inducible nitric oxide synthase in macrophages (by as much as 50 and 70%, respectively), whilst transiently enhancing interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression. In vivo results indicate that the predominate effect of mosquito feeding is to significantly reduce the recruitment of T cells, leading the inoculation site of mice exposed to WNV alone to have up to 2.8 fold more t cells as mice infected in the presence of mosquito saliva. These shifts in cell population are associated with significantly elevated IL-10 and WNV (up to 4.0 and 10 fold, respectively) in the skin and draining lymph nodes. These results suggest that mosquito saliva dysregulates APC antiviral signaling, and reveal a possible mechanism for the observed enhancement of WNV disease mediated by mosquito saliva via a reduction of T lymphocyte and antiviral activity at the inoculation site, an elevated abundance of susceptible cell types, and a concomitant increase in immunoregulatory activity of IL-10

I-LEEP Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 2

https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/ileep_newsletter/1001/thumbnail.jp

ARC Newsletter May 2017

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Genetically engineered mesenchymal stem cells as a proposed therapeutic for Huntington's disease.

There is much interest in the use of mesenchymal stem cells/marrow stromal cells (MSC) to treat neurodegenerative disorders, in particular those that are fatal and difficult to treat, such as Huntington's disease. MSC present a promising tool for cell therapy and are currently being tested in FDA-approved phase I-III clinical trials for many disorders. In preclinical studies of neurodegenerative disorders, MSC have demonstrated efficacy, when used as delivery vehicles for neural growth factors. A number of investigators have examined the potential benefits of innate MSC-secreted trophic support and augmented growth factors to support injured neurons. These include overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial-derived neurotrophic factor, using genetically engineered MSC as a vehicle to deliver the cytokines directly into the microenvironment. Proposed regenerative approaches to neurological diseases using MSC include cell therapies in which cells are delivered via intracerebral or intrathecal injection. Upon transplantation, MSC in the brain promote endogenous neuronal growth, encourage synaptic connection from damaged neurons, decrease apoptosis, reduce levels of free radicals, and regulate inflammation. These abilities are primarily modulated through paracrine actions. Clinical trials for MSC injection into the central nervous system to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and stroke are currently ongoing. The current data in support of applying MSC-based cellular therapies to the treatment of Huntington's disease is discussed

ARC Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 4

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