Iowa Research Articles

In Case You Haven't Heard…

Can sitting too long adversely affect your mental health? As Americans spent more time at home in the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, some studies have shown they spent more time sitting, too, the Ames Tribune reported Nov. 1. And, according to research from Iowa State University's Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory, that extra sedentary time is associated with higher rates of depression. Laboratory Director Jacob Meyer and his team surveyed more than 3,000 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia between April and June 2020, asking them to report their physical activity on a weekly basis and compare it to their level of pre‐pandemic movement. The researchers also calculated the participants' levels of depression and anxiety using clinical scales. On average, people's mental health gradually improved during those eight weeks as they adjusted to pandemic life, Meyer's research shows. But people who maintained high levels of sitting had less improvement in their depressive symptoms than people who were more active. No causal conclusions can be made from the study's findings, Meyer said. It's possible that people who were more depressed sat more, or that people who sat more became more depressed. There may also be other factors at play that were out of the scope of the study.

Undergraduate Certificate in Swine Production Management

Iowa State University (ISU) offers undergraduate certificates to demonstrate completion of a focused study in a specialized area across a variety of disciplines. The certificate has the significant benefit of allowing students to customize their curriculum and document an approved course of study. A Swine Production Management Certificate is now offered within the Animal Science Department at ISU. The certificate requirements are organized to correspond with faculty and employer-defined needs for a successful transition from ISU student to swine industry professional.  The Swine Production Management certificate will integrate technical topics in animal science with practical considerations in enterprise management. Two critical components to the certificate are the capstone Swine Systems Management course and a required internship with a focus on swine production management. Students that complete the certificate will have the background to identify and address challenges in modern swine production enterprises. Further, the certificate assists employers in identifying students that have shown the interest, discipline, and ability to complete this specialized study program. 

Undergraduate Certificate in Poultry Production Management

Iowa State University (ISU) offers undergraduate certificates to allow students to customize their curriculum and demonstrate completion of focused study in a specialized area across a variety of disciplines. The Poultry Production Management Certificate is offered within the Animal Science Department at ISU and integrates technical topics in animal science with practical considerations in enterprise management. Certificate requirements, including a faculty-approved internship, are organized to correspond with faculty and employer-defined needs for a successful transition from student to poultry industry professional.Students that complete the certificate will have the baseline background knowledge to identify and address challenges in modern poultry production enterprises. Further, the certificate assists employers to identify students that have shown the interest, discipline, and ability to complete this specialized study program.

Undergraduate Certificate in Equine Science and Management

Iowa State University offers undergraduate certificates to demonstrate completion of a focused study in a specialized area. The certificate has the significant benefit of allowing students to customize their curriculum and document an approved course of study. An Equine Science and  Management Certificate is offered within the Animal Science Department at Iowa State University. The certificate requirements are organized to correspond with faculty and employer-defined needs for a successful transition from student to equine industry professional.  The Equine Science and  Management certificate will integrate technical topics in animal science with practical considerations in enterprise management. Two critical components to the certificate are the capstone Equine Systems Management course and a required internship in equine science and management. Students that complete the certificate will have the background to identify and address challenges in modern equine enterprises. Further, the certificate assists employers in identifying students that have shown the interest, discipline, and ability to complete this specialized study program. 

Over-Perception about Land Use Changes: Assessing Empirical Evidence and Linkage with Decisions and Motivated Beliefs

Hongli Feng, Assistant Professor Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames; hfeng{at}iastate.edu

Farmer identities influence wildlife habitat management in the US Corn Belt

Abstract Farmer wildlife management practices are critical to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions across intensively used agricultural landscapes. Policies and initiatives aimed at encouraging these practices have generally focused on economic incentives, with limited effectiveness. Farmer identity theory addresses the emergence of norms, values and perceptions in farm management and can contribute to the development of policies and initiatives that engage more effectively with farmers and farming communities. Here we evaluate linkages between farmer identity and wildlife habitat management practices in the intensively farmed US state of Iowa. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis using data from a survey of over 1,300 Iowa farmers that asked their opinions on what constitutes ‘a good farmer’. We use logistic regression to model relationships between farmer identity factor scores and contextual variables against participation in a set of habitat management practices. Four ‘good farmer’ identity types were identified and labelled as productivist, soil conservationist, wildlife conservationist and civic‐minded. Logistic regression results indicated that these farmer identity types have highly divergent responses to wildlife habitat management practices among Iowa farmers. Recreational factors may supplement identity and are also influential towards habitat production on farms. We conclude that farmer identity theory offers a critical link between social and ecological processes on Iowa farms. The research presented here quantitatively associates farmer identity theory with wildlife habitat management, increasing our understanding of how wildlife habitat practices and individual‐level farmer identities interact. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Evaluating the Feasibility of a Future Care Planning Program with Older Adults

Despite potential health care needs, many older adults do not make concrete plans about future care in late life. Prior community programs have not addressed this need via Cooperative Extension systems. To address these gaps, we developed and evaluated the pilot study program, Future Care Planning, designed to help older adults plan for their own personal, health, and environmental care. The Plan Ahead program (Plan Ahead) consists of two sessions implemented over two weeks to teach older adults to plan for their future care across multiple domains, including health communication, aging in place, and end-of-life discussion. Iowa State University Human Science Extension and Outreach specialists delivered the program to a sample of 161 community-residing older adults. We evaluated 1) the feasibility of the Plan Ahead program, 2) the acceptability of the program, and 3) participants’ intention to change their future care planning. Participants reported that the program was useful and relatively easy to implement. They also reported being satisfied with the content and willing to attend other relevant programs in the future. Overall, the findings suggest that Plan Ahead is feasible as an educational program to help older adults prepare for future care planning.

Ewe Vaginal Microbiota: Associations With Pregnancy Outcome and Changes During Gestation.

Reproductive performance is paramount to the success of livestock production enterprises focused on lamb meat production. Reproductive success is influenced by various factors, possibly including the reproductive tract microbial communities present at the time of copulation and throughout pregnancy. There are few publications that identify the vaginal microbial communities of livestock, and even fewer exist for sheep. To compare ewe vaginal microbial communities, vaginal swabs were taken from 67 Hampshire and Hampshire X Suffolk crossbred ewes from the Iowa State University sheep farm at a pre-breeding time point (S1) and after pregnancy testing (S2). Animals that were determined pregnant were sampled again within a few days of expected parturition (S3). DNA was extracted from these swabs, and 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing was conducted to fingerprint the bacterial communities found within this system. Pre-breeding time point samples showed no differences in community structure between animals later found to be pregnant or non-pregnant, but significant changes were detected in species richness (Chao; P < 0.001) and species diversity (Shannon; P < 0.001) at the second sampling time point. A higher microbial diversity within the S2 time point samples may suggest a more stable environment driven by pregnancy, as this increased diversity is maintained in pregnant animals from the S2 to the S3 time point. Additionally, several bacterial phylotypes, such as Mannheimia, Oscillospiraceae-like OTUs and Alistipes, were more abundant at either the S1 or S2 time points in animals that established pregnancy, suggesting a beneficial effect on pregnancy outcome. This study identifies changes within the microbial communities of the ewe vagina before and during gestation and offers inferences on how these changes may impact pregnancy outcome. Information presented herein offers new knowledge about sheep vaginal microbial communities and serves as a starting point to help guide researchers to improve sheep reproductive performance in the future.

CO₂ Reduction for Formate Production in Electrochemical Flow-Cells

The US Army has called for electrochemical methods for the on-site production of formate from CO2 under moderate conditions. Potassium formate can be considered an environmentally friendly and low-corrosion deicing material. Researchers at Storagenergy Technologies, Inc. have teamed with the Li group at Iowa State University to explore and develop electrochemical solutions for on-site formate production. We screen a variety of cathode catalysts in both H- and flow-cells, and explore several possible flow-cell device configurations with various electrolytes and membrane candidates. We demonstrate a cell capable of industrially relevant current densities (≥200 mA/cm2) while maintaining faradaic efficiency >90% and electrochemical energy efficiency >20%, and compare our results to the state-of-the-art systems in the literature.

Iowa Dairy Goat Survey Conducted to Assess the Industry and Needs of Dairy Goat Producers

With limited resources and networking opportunities for dairy goat producers, they have requested assistance from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in developing educational opportunities to assist in fine-tuning their dairy goat management.The results of an industry wide dairy goat producer survey has been summarized and will help educators and industry collaborators determine educational programming areas in the short and long term. Additionally, results will help all audiences better understand the demographics of dairy goat farms, management practices used, and the future of the industry.

Advances in Regression Kriging-Based Methods for Estimating Statewide Winter Weather Collisions: An Empirical Investigation

Winter conditions create hazardous roads that municipalities work hard to maintain to ensure the safety of the travelling public. Targeting their efforts with effective network screening will help transportation managers address these problems. In our recent efforts, regression kriging was found to be a viable and effective network screening methodology. However, the study was constrained by its limited spatial extent making the reported results less conclusive and transferrable. In addition, our previous work implemented what has long been adopted in most of conventional studies—the Euclidean distance; however, use of the road network distance would, intuitively, result in further improving kriging estimates, especially when dealing with transportation problems. Therefore, this study improves upon our previous efforts by developing a more advanced kriging model; namely, network regression kriging using the entire state of Iowa with the significantly expanded road network. The transferability of the developed models is also explored to investigate its generalization potential. The findings based on various statistical measures suggest that the enhanced kriging model vastly improved the estimation performance at the cost of greater computational complexity and run times. The study also suggests that regional semivariograms better represent the true nature of the local variances, though an overall model may still function adequately if higher fidelity is not required.

The Association of Socioeconomic Status and Discharge Destination with 30-Day Readmission after Ischemic Stroke

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the association of socioeconomic status and discharge destination with 30-day readmission after ischemic stroke. Materials and MethodsWe examined 30-day all-cause readmission among patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke in states of Arkansas, Iowa, and Wisconsin in 2016 and 2017 and New York in 2016 using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases. ResultsAmong the 52301 patients included, 51.1% were female. The 30-day readmission rates were 10.2%, 8.2%, 9.3%, 10.4%, 11.6%, and 11.2% for age group 18-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years, respectively (p<0.001). In Generalized Estimating Equation analysis, patients with Medicare and Medicaid insurance were more likely to be readmitted, compared with private insurance, (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.23-1.53; and aOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09-1.45, respectively). Patients in the bottom quartile of zip code level median household income had higher 30-day readmission rate (12.4%) than those in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartile (10.3%, 10.1%, and 10.7%, respectively, p<0.001). Compared with those discharged home with self-care which had the lowest readmission rate (8.4%), patients who left against medical advice had the highest readmission rate (18.6%; aOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.75-2.83), followed by rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities (13.2%; aOR 1.33, 95% CI 1.22-1.46), and home with home health care (11.3%, aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08-1.28). ConclusionsSocioeconomic status and discharged destination affect readmission after stroke. These results provide evidence to inform vulnerable patient population as targets for readmission prevention.

13 Innovative Strategies for Managing Swine Welfare During Natural Disasters

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization. By April 2020, COVID-19 resulted in the simultaneous closure or reduced operations of many processing plants in the upper Midwest, which quickly resulted in supply chain disruptions. Iowa is the leading pork production and processing state, and these disruptions caused producer uncertainty, confusion, and stress, including time-sensitive challenges for maintaining animal care. The Resource Coordination Center (RCC) was quickly created and launched from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The RCC had strategic collaborations with public representation from the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Pork Industry Center, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and private partners through producers, veterinarians, and technical specialists. The RCC’s mission was four-fold: (1) implement appropriate actions to ensure the health and safety of RCC members, stakeholders, and the public, (2) evaluate and reassess appropriate actions as needed for continuity of pork production operations, (3) provide information to pork producers during supply chain disruptions, and (4) maintain a safe and abundant pork supply for consumers. The command structure included Incident Commanders, Command Staff, and four Section Chiefs whom worked with their respective experts. Sections covered (1) operations, (2) planning, (3) logistics, and (4) finance and administration. As it related to animal welfare, the RCC provided information on management decisions, dietary alterations to slow pig growth, pig movement to increase living space, alternative markets, on-farm euthanasia and mass depopulation. Veterinary oversight was continually maintained. A manual was created to provide up-to-date information to inform producer decisions and aid. Although originally created for swine, the RCC also assisted poultry, cattle and sheep producers. In a crisis, Iowa created a model that reacted to producer’s pragmatic and emotional needs. This model could be replicated for any emergency by other states.

Innovative strategies for managing swine welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization and its impact on animal agriculture in the United States was undeniable. By April, COVID-19 resulted in the simultaneous closure or reduced operations of many meat processing plants in the upper Midwest, leading to supply chain disruptions. In Iowa, the leading pork production and processing state, these disruptions caused producer uncertainty, confusion, and stress, including time-sensitive challenges for maintaining animal care. The Iowa Resource Coordination Center (IRCC) was quickly created and launched by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). The IRCC included public representation from the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA), Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC), and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and private partners including producers, veterinarians, and technical specialists. Supporting swine welfare, the IRCC provided information on management strategies, dietary alterations to slow pig growth, alternative markets, on-farm euthanasia, and mass depopulation under veterinary oversight. In a crisis, Iowa created a model that reacted to producers’ pragmatic, mental and emotional needs. This model could be quickly replicated with an introduction of foreign animal disease.

Performance Evaluation of Bioengineered Recycled Asphalt Materials

In this study, asphalt mixtures were engineered with bio-renewable soybean oil-derived modifiers, and then used for pavement demonstration projects in the U.S. states of Iowa and Minnesota in the summer of 2019. The performance grade, elastic recovery (R), and non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr) of the binders were evaluated. The modification of asphalt binder for the Iowa project almost maintained the high and low temperature grades, and the presence of modifier in the mixture of Minnesota project resulted in a slight decrease in the low temperature grade while maintaining the high temperature grade. The Jnr and R values proved the increase of elasticity and relaxation of the asphalt binder modified for the Iowa project. The Jnr calculated for the Minnesota project revealed a considerable increase in the relaxation of the asphalt binder. Disc-shaped compact tension, Hamburg wheel tracking, and push-pull were the mechanical performance tests performed on the mixtures. Based on the results obtained from these tests, the Iowa mixture, produced with modified asphalt binder, showed a significant improvement in resistance to low-temperature cracking, rutting, moisture damage, and fatigue cracking. The Minnesota mixture, modified in the plant, showed a significant improvement in the fatigue performance and a slight improvement in low-temperature cracking resistance.

The dark side of nighttime all-terrain vehicle use

BackgroundDriving at night is considered a risk factor for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes and injuries but few studies have addressed this issue. Our objective was to compare daytime and nighttime ATV crashes to better understand the potential risk factors associated with riding at night.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on Iowa ATV-related crashes and injuries from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2019 using four statewide datasets: the Iowa Department of Transportation (2002–2019), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (2002–2019), the Iowa State Trauma Registry (2002–2018) and Iowa newspaper clippings (2009–2019). A standardized coding system was developed, and matching records were identified using Link Plus®. Descriptive (frequencies) and bivariate (chi-square, Fisher's exact test) analyses were performed using VassarStats (Statistical Computation Website).ResultsAmong crash victims where light conditions were documented (2125/3752, 57%), about one-quarter (485/2125, 23%) were injured at night. Nighttime crash victims were less likely youth (14% vs. 30%, p < 0.0001), less likely to be wearing helmets (11% vs. 18%, p = 0.003), and less frequently involved in motor vehicle crashes (7% vs. 14%, p < 0.0001) as compared to daytime victims. Nighttime victims were also more likely to be passengers (22% vs. 15%, p = 0.002), to test positive for alcohol (44% vs. 13% in adults, p < 0.0001), and to be injured on a roadway (53% vs. 45%, p = 0.007) and on weekends (76% vs. 63%, p < 0.0001). Numerous differences between daytime and nighttime characteristics were observed for males, females, and adults, whereas most characteristics were similar for youth. The severity of injuries and proportion of fatalities were similar among daytime and nighttime crash victims.ConclusionsNighttime crash victims, particularly adults, were characterized by more frequent risky behaviors like carrying passengers, roadway riding, alcohol use, and lack of helmets. Whereas the frequency of risky behaviors among youth was similar for daytime and nighttime crashes, these behaviors put children at potential risk for injury. Multi-factorial, targeted injury prevention strategies are needed, including improved vehicle design, education about the dangers of nighttime operation, and passage and enforcement of ATV safety laws. Particularly relevant to our study are laws that prohibit nighttime riding.

Looking back at the lawsuit that transformed the chiropractic profession part 4: Committee on Quackery

This is the fourth article in a series that explores the historical events surrounding the Wilk v American Medical Association (AMA) lawsuit, in which the plaintiffs argued that the AMA, the American Hospital Association, and other medical specialty societies violated antitrust law by restraining chiropractors' business practices. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of the history of the origins of AMA's increased efforts to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession and the development of the Chiropractic Committee, which would later become the AMA Committee on Quackery. This historical research study used a phenomenological approach to qualitative inquiry into the conflict between regular medicine and chiropractic and the events before, during, and after a legal dispute at the time of modernization of the chiropractic profession. Our methods included obtaining primary and secondary data sources. The final narrative recount was developed into 8 articles following a successive timeline. This article is the fourth of the series that explores the origins of AMA's increased efforts to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession. In the 1950s, the number of chiropractors grew in Iowa, and chiropractors were seeking equity with other health professions through legislation. In response, the Iowa State Medical Society created a Chiropractic Committee to contain chiropractic and prompted the creation of the "Iowa Plan" to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession. The AMA leadership was enticed by the plan and hired the Iowa State Medical Society's legislative counsel, who structured the operation. The AMA adopted the Iowa Plan for nationwide implementation to eradicate chiropractic. The formation of the AMA's Committee on Chiropractic, which was later renamed the Committee on Quackery (CoQ), led overt and covert campaigns against chiropractic. Both national chiropractic associations were fully aware of many, but not all, of organized medicine's plans to restrain chiropractic. By the 1960s, organized medicine heightened its efforts to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession. The intensified campaign began in Iowa and was adopted by the AMA as a national campaign. Although the meetings of the AMA committees were not public, the war against chiropractic was distributed widely in lay publications, medical sources, and even chiropractic journals. Details about events would eventually be more fully revealed during the Wilk v AMA trials.

US Latino/a Studies at Iowa State University: Diversity and the Work of Transformation

US Latino/a Studies at Iowa State University: Diversity and the Work of Transformation

University Implementation of TEACHActive – An Automated Classroom Feedback System and Dashboard

Computer vision has the potential to play a significant role in capacity building for classroom instructors via automated feedback. This paper describes the implementation of an automated sensing and feedback system, TEACHActive. The results of this paper can enable other campuses to replicate a similar system using open-source software and consumer-grade hardware. Some of the challenges discussed include faculty recruitment, IRB procedures, camera-based classroom footage privacy, hardware setup, software setup, and IT support. The design and implementation of the TEACHActive system is being carried out at Iowa State University and is being tested with faculty in classrooms pilots. Preliminary interviews with instructors show a desire to include more active learning methods in their classrooms and overall interest in a system that can perform automated feedback. The primary results of this paper include lessons learned from the institutional implementation process.

Cluster Preface: Modern Nickel-Catalyzed Reactions

Ruben Martin is a professor at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Tarragona, Spain. He received his Ph.D. in 2003 from the University of Barcelona under the guidance of Prof. Antoni Riera. In 2004, he moved to the Max-Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung as a Humboldt postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Alois Fürstner. In 2005, he undertook further postdoctoral studies at MIT with Prof. Stephen L. Buchwald as a MEC-Fulbright fellow. In 2008, he began his independent career as an assistant professor at the ICIQ (Tarragona). In 2013, he was promoted to associate professor and shortly after to ICREA Research Professor. Ruben Martin has focused his career on designing synthetically useful Ni-catalyzed methodologies for streamlining the preparation of added-value chemicals from simple precursors without losing sight of mechanistic considerations, when appropriate.Gary A. Molander is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States. He completed his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Iowa State University under the tutelage of Prof. Richard C. Larock. He earned his Ph.D. at Purdue University under the direction of Prof. Herbert Brown and undertook postdoctoral training with Prof. Barry Trost at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He began his academic career at the University of Colorado, Boulder, moving to the University of Pennsylvania in 1999, where he is currently Professor of Chemistry. His research interests have focused on the utilization of organolanthanides, Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with trifluoro­borate salts, and the merger of photoredox catalysis and Ni catalysis for tackling a priori uphill transformations under visible-light irradiation for accessing valuable scaffolds in both academic and pharmaceutical laboratories.