Midwestern Research Articles

Exploring Veteran Mental Health Disparities: A Comparative Analysis of Rural and Urban Communities in the Midwest of the United States.

Veterans face unique mental health challenges influenced by their service experiences and post-military transitions into civilian life. Geographic location also plays an integral role in impacting veterans' outcomes and access to proper care. The purpose of this case study is to examine disparities between rural and urban veterans in the Midwest using data collected from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Self-reported bad mental health days among veterans in rural and urban regions across twelve Midwestern states were analyzed through direct rate estimation and small area estimation techniques utilizing RStudio software. Higher rates of poor mental health days were ultimately observed among urban veterans in most states through both analyses. The results of the direct rate analysis revealed 13.5% of veterans reporting 14 + poor mental health days per month versus 9.5% in rural areas. Likewise, the results of the small area analysis demonstrated 12.2% of veterans reporting 14 + days of poor mental health days per month in urban areas versus 9.8% in rural areas. This highlights the significance of environmental stressors and social determinants of health in differentially impacting mental health outcomes. Thus, tailored interventions utilizing interdisciplinary teams are needed to meet the unique barriers for veterans in different geographic contexts. Despite the cross-sectional nature of the study and reliance on self-reported data, this case study provides valuable insights for mental health disparities among Midwest veterans. Creating a more equitable and accessible mental health landscape for veterans will require targeted and collaborative approaches.

Creating spaces for dialogue and learning to build collective empowerment: A qualitative study on community leadership development in Midwest America communities

ABSTRACT The complexity of today’s community challenges calls for innovative approaches that promote leadership of diverse community members and institutions working collaboratively with communities. This study reports on an evaluation of two neighborhood leadership development programs that examined the impact of programs on participants and their communities. 41 interviews were conducted with 33 program participants and eight facilitators. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants expressed that they were motivated to participate in the leadership program(s) because they saw the need to help others in their communities and wanted to learn how to do that well. Others reported scaling up their capacity and capabilities in doing community work through engaging and empowering others toward achieving shared community development goals. Insights from the study suggest that building communities that are well resourced, equitable, and thriving places, require sustainable investment in hands-on, relational leadership training at the local level.

Care Patterns and Outcomes for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma by Rurality of Patient Residence in a Midwestern State.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common malignancy of the liver and has the worst prognosis of any tumor arising from the liver, with a 5-year survival as low as 10%. However, whether the rurality of a patient's residence impacts care received and survival has not been well studied. We aimed to assess differences in care patterns associated with the rurality of patient's residences and their impact on survival outcomes, hypothesizing that patients in rural areas would experience lower survival. Adult patients diagnosed with ICC between 2010 and 2020 were identified in the Iowa Cancer Registry. Chi-square tests were used to compare values categorical variables by rural/urban status. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine associations with cancer-specific mortality. Of 672 patients diagnosed with ICC during the study period, 53%, 27%, and 21% resided in metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas, respectively. There were no significant differences in age, sex, stage at diagnosis, the proportion receiving chemotherapy within 12 weeks of diagnosis, and undergoing surgery across all groups. Additionally, the proportion receiving definitive care at a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated center was comparable across the three groups (37% metro vs. 43% micro vs. 35% rural). However, rural residents had the highest proportion of traveling ≥ 50 miles for definitive care (22% metro vs. 41% micro vs. 56% rural). In multivariable analysis of patients with Stage 1-3 disease, younger age, receipt of chemotherapy, surgery, and definitive care at an NCI center were independently associated with decreased mortality risk. However, rural residence was not significantly associated with survival (HR: 0.64 [95% CI: 0.38-1.06]). Similar to other complex cancer diagnoses, we found that definitive care at an NCI center was associated with decreased mortality risk for patients with ICC. Although rural residence was not independently associated with survival in this cohort, rural residents traveled significantly longer distances to access definitive care. This highlights a crucial need to improve access to specialized centers for complex cancer care.

Returning to Motherhood: Post-Incarceration Reintegration and Mothering for Justice-Involved Black Women

Feminist criminologists have centralized gender’s importance in studying justice-involved women’s lives, but understanding how socio-cultural expectations and racialized constructions of motherhood affect post-incarceration reintegration is lacking. Extant research overlooks the consequences of incarceration for poor, Black mothers. To rectify this gap, this paper uses qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews and participant observation with 12 formerly incarcerated Black mothers residing in a large urban city in the midwestern United States. This article fills this gap by using an intersectional framework to illuminate the conflicts between their lived experience as women with criminalized social identities and the societal expectations placed upon them as women and mothers. Findings reveal that post-incarceration reintegration reintroduces stressors associated with mothering while also magnifying the effects of criminalization, punishment, and resource constraints for justice-involved women and mothers.

Developmental trajectories of students' beliefs about social success: Differences between students with and without a middle school transition.

Attaining social success is a significant concern during early adolescence. The characteristics that youth believe will bring social success are known to change over time and vary across contexts, especially over the transition to middle school. The analytic sample included 614 students (52% girls, 48% boys; 53% Black, 47% White) from the Midwestern United States. At yearly intervals during grades 6-8, participants completed self-report surveys assessing their endorsement of five characteristics (sincerity, academic responsibility, dominance, disingenuity, athleticism/attractiveness) that described peers in their grade who have lots of friends and get along well with others (i.e., social success). The sample included students who attended the same school from kindergarten-eighth grade (K8) and students who made a transition from an elementary to a middle school after 6th grade (ESMS). Multigroup longitudinal growth models revealed some concerning trends over time. For both ESMS and K8 students, their endorsement of sincerity decreased, their endorsement of disingenuity increased, and their endorsement of athleticism/attractiveness was high and stable. ESMS students' endorsement of academic responsibility decreased over time and their endorsement of dominance showed increasing trends. K8 students' endorsements of academic responsibility and dominance were stable. However, across contexts, compared to the other characteristics, sincerity was most often ranked the highest. The findings highlight that some changes in students' beliefs about social success may be unique to students who experience a school transition whereas others may be developmentally normative. Implications for the education of young adolescent students are discussed.

Soil moisture and water redistribution patterns in white oak (Quercus alba) saplings and trees in fragmented urban woodlands

In the midwestern United States, models predict extended summer heatwaves and increasingly frequent and prolonged drought conditions. In the Chicago region, the potential for large-scale mortality of white oak trees (Quercus alba) coupled with the ongoing decline of white oak sapling recruitment are major concerns for researchers and practitioners. In this study, we determined the sources of water used by mature white oak trees and saplings in three qualitatively different sites within a remnant oak forest in Chicago during the 2021 drought. We investigated soil moisture dynamics (volumetric water content, VWC) and water isotope composition of leaf tissues (δD, δ18O), rainwater, and groundwater. These data were linked to sapling height (proxy for biomass) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) functional types. We predicted that: (i) mature oak trees use deeper water sources and conducted hydraulic redistribution (HR), and (ii) mature trees shared water with saplings during dry periods via long-distance ECM functional types. Soil moisture decreased progressively from June to October (spring to fall), with August and September having the lowest moisture (<20 % VWC). Following rainfall recharge, temporal patterns of soil moisture showed gravity drainage and then ongoing stair-stepwise drawdown consistent with plant evapotranspiration. Leaf δD and δ18O values in mature trees and saplings were consistent with water uptake from rainfall and subsequent enrichment via evapotranspiration. In two sites, mature trees and saplings demonstrated distinct δD: δ18O slopes, with mature trees more enriched than saplings. In the third site, mature trees and saplings δD: δ18O slopes overlapped but here, the ECM community was dominated by contact-type ECM and sapling height increased with distance from the mature oak. Our findings indicate that HR was not a component of site ecohydrology, and future climate conditions may present increasing challenges for white oak recruitment as both mature trees and saplings compete for limited rainfall-derived soil moisture.

Specialty Melons Grown under High Tunnel Conditions Yield Good to Excellent Internal Quality

Interest in local foods, especially locally grown fruit, is increasing. High tunnel vegetable growers are strategically poised to meet this demand by growing specialty melons (Cucumis melo). Although specialty melons are commonly grown in high tunnels in other parts of the world, it is an uncommon practice in the midwestern United States. The objectives of this study were to evaluate 10 specialty melon cultivars for high tunnel production and measure fruit yield and internal quality. Fruit of the cultivar Eden’s Gem yielded the greatest number of marketable fruits per plant; however, these melons are small and have a loose cavity. Fruit of the cultivars Honey Orange and Divergent yielded the largest marketable fruit per plant with tighter cavities; however, the cavities were large. All cultivars had good to excellent internal quality in terms of sugar content. The production of specialty melons in the high tunnel was successful, resulting in the production of melons with good to excellent internal quality, and several yielded three to four marketable fruit per plant. Implementing a strong pest management plan for cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi) and powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum, Sphaerotheca fuliginea) is recommended to prevent yield loss, especially in locations such as the Midwest, where cucumber beetles often vector bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila).

Social identity development and religious discrimination among Muslim American youth.

The present study investigated the development of social identity centrality dimensions (i.e., Muslim, ethnic, and American identity centrality) among Muslim American youth as well as associations between religious discrimination and social identity centrality trajectories. Data were collected once annually from 2015 to 2017 with 220 Muslim American youth (M = 14.20, SD = 0.94) in the Midwest United States (girls = 53.2%; boys = 42.3%; missing = 4.5%). Participants were Arab (62.3%), Somali (15.9%), and African American (8.6%), among other ethnic groups (less than 2%). Latent growth curve models indicated that Muslim and ethnic identity centrality displayed negative trajectories and that American identity centrality increased over time. Surprisingly, religious discrimination was not associated with social identity centrality trajectories. This research suggests that Muslim American youths' minoritized social identities develop similarly, whereas youths' American social identity develops differently than these identities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

APOL1 Genotyping, Knowledge, and Attitudes among African American Patients: Building a Cohort in a Midwestern US Urban Community

APOL1 Genotyping, Knowledge, and Attitudes among African American Patients: Building a Cohort in a Midwestern US Urban Community

Phenological Adaptation Is Insufficient to Offset Climate Change-Induced Yield Losses in US Hybrid Maize.

Climate change is projected to decrease maize yields due to warmer temperatures and their consequences. Studies using crop growth models (CGMs), however, have predicted that, through a combination of alterations to planting date, flowering time, and maturity, these yield losses can be mitigated or even reversed. Here, we examine three assumptions of such studies: (1) that climate has driven historical phenological trends, (2) that CGM ensembles provide unbiased estimates of yields under high temperatures, and (3) that the effects of temperature on yields are an emergent property of interactions between phenology and environment. We used data on maize phenology from the United States Department of Agriculture, a statistical model of maize hybrid heat tolerance derived from 80 years of public yield trial records across four US states, and outputs of an ensemble of CMIP6 climate models. While planting dates have advanced historically, we found a trend toward later planting dates after 2005 and no trend for silking or maturity, shifting more time into the reproductive period. We then projected maize yields using the historical model and crop calendars devised using three previously proposed adaptation strategies. In contrast to studies using CGMs, our statistical yield model projected severe yield losses under all three strategies. Finally, we projected maize yields accounting for historical genetic variability for heat tolerance, discovering that it was insufficient to overcome the negative effects of projected warming. These projections are driven by greater heat stress exposure under all crop calendars and climate scenarios. Combined with analysis of the internal sensitivities of CGMs to temperature, our results suggest that current projections do not adequately account for the effects of increasing temperatures on maize yields. Climate adaptation in the US Midwest must utilize a richer set of strategies than phenological adaptation, including improvements to heat tolerance and crop diversification.

Epidemiology and Expected Cost of International Medical Repatriation Into South Korea: 2019 to 2021

ObjectiveOverseas Koreans face challenges in accessing adequate medical care abroad. Understanding the epidemiology and costs of international medical repatriation is important. MethodsA retrospective analysis of overseas Korean patients who were repatriated to South Korea between 2019 and 2021 was conducted. The data collected from 121 countries included demographics, medical conditions, and costs. Variables from 9 continents (Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Southwest Asia–Pacific, Russia–Central Asia, North America, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East‒North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa) and the era of coronavirus disease 2019 (February 2020 and after) were analyzed and compared. Based on the available total cost data, stepwise extrapolation was conducted for the total cohort. ResultsA total of 428 overseas Korean patients who had undergone international medical repatriation via air transport were included in this study. The greatest number of repatriated patients were from Southeast Asia (108 patients), and 279 patients were transported within the coronavirus disease 2019 era. The average cost per patient exceeded $7,000, and the total cost estimated by extrapolation was over $8 million. ConclusionInternational medical repatriation is significant for overseas Koreans. Standardized guidelines and system development are essential for effective air medical services.

Advancing apple genetics research: Malus coronaria and Malus ioensis genomes and a gene family-based pangenome of native North American apples.

Wild Malus species flourished in North America long before Europeans introduced domesticated apples. Malus coronaria and M. ioensis are native to the mid-western and eastern United States, while M. angustifolia and M. fusca grow in the southeast and west, respectively. They offer disease resistance, climate and soil adaptability, and horticultural traits for apple breeding. However, their utilization remains limited due to insufficient genomic resources and specific genetics. We report high-quality phased chromosome-scale assemblies of M. coronaria and M. ioensis, generated using long-read and conformation capture sequencing. Phylogenetic and synteny analysis indicated high relatedness between these 2 genomes and previously published genome of M. angustifolia, and lower relatedness with M. fusca. Gene family-based pangenome of North American Malus identified 60,211 orthogroups containing 340,087 genes. Genes involved in basic cellular and metabolic processes, growth, and development were core to the existence of these species, whereas genes involved in secondary metabolism, stress response, and interactions with other organisms were accessory and are likely associated with adaptation to specific environments. Structural variation hotspots were mostly overlapping with high gene density. This study offers novel native North American Malus genome resources that can be used to identify genes for apple breeding and understand their evolution and adaptation.

Pearls of Wisdom from Teaching Rounds: Reconceptualizing “See One, Do One” as Social Learning

Abstract Background Experiential education is paramount to clinical instruction in medicine. During teaching rounds, faculty can assess medical knowledge and clinical reasoning while modeling evidence-based patient care and effective communication. This study aimed to describe observed traits common across faculty who contribute to favorable learning environments. Design Students completed an Internal Medicine (IM) Student Chief elective at a midwestern United States Academic Tertiary Care Center in which M4s aided Clerkship leadership in near-peer teaching and communicating with students. Chiefs participated in rounds for experiential learning in clinical teaching. For this qualitative, descriptive study, M4s were asked to provide at least three “pearls of wisdom,” on observations about teaching and learning in reflective essays during two consecutive academic years. Twenty-nine M4s participated in the elective and submitted 238 pearls. The research team undertook document review and qualitatively analyzed content of Chiefs’ reflective essays. Detailed codes were organized into primary and secondary themes by each author, and then re-evaluated until they reached consensus. Through thematic analysis, we identified faculty traits students found conducive to learning. Results Three primary themes emerged: Attributes, Autonomy, and Achieving Engagement. Conclusion Experiential educational encounters are transformative to developing new physicians. Chiefs highlighted positive aspects of teaching rounds described previously including providing clear expectations, promoting goal setting, engagement, and instilling confidence. They also valued humor, recognizing cognitive overload, displaying humility, listening skills, and mentorship. While one attending cannot replicate all described effective techniques simultaneously, faculty development that promotes refining these approaches may improve the clinical learning environment for all learners.

Evaluating Social Determinants of Health Competency of Rehabilitation Clinical Staff and Students

Background:Clinical rehabilitation providers and trainees need social determinants of health competency to support health equity and improve the quality of care for all patients.Methods:A total of 199 clinical rehabilitation providers and trainees in the Midwest United States completed the Addressing Client Needs with the social determinants of health (SDOH) scale (ACN:SDH; Johnson, 2023), which assesses social determinants of health competence, as well as professional and personal demographic questions.Results:Students reported higher SDOH competency and higher positive attitudes related to addressing SDOH. In addition, clinical staff and students who reported higher SDOH competence were also more likely to assess patient SDOH, consider SDOH when developing a plan of care, and address SDOH directly with patients versus those who reported less SDOH competence.Conclusion:SDOH competence is directly related to patient care and an important competency for staff and students to gain through curriculum and continuing education opportunities.

Effects of Photoperiod Treatments on Stock Plants and Cutting Rooting of Winecups

Production of attractive and water-efficient plants native to the plains and prairies of central North America can sometimes be limited because of problems associated with successful rooting of vegetative cuttings. Winecups (Callirhoe involucrata) is an attractive native plant, valued for its long period of bloom, drought tolerance, and winterhardiness, but can be difficult to propagate from seeds and vegetative cuttings. Seed dormancy issues can result in unreliable germination and seedling variations, which reduces crop uniformity. Although propagation from rooted cuttings maintains crop uniformity, cuttings often fail to root or root poorly. Manipulating the growing conditions of stock plants to suppress reproductive growth may improve rooting success of vegetative cuttings. Based on research conducted earlier with other ornamental perennials and programmed photoperiods, winecups plants were grown under three programmed photoperiods to determine if a particular photoperiod could be used to suppress reproductive growth and promote vegetative growth. The study consisted of three experiments, all conducted in similar fashion but at different times during the year. Results indicate that plants grown under 10-hour and 8-hour photoperiods remained vegetative longer when compared with plants grown under 12-hour photoperiod. Vegetative cuttings harvested from plants grown under 8-hour photoperiod had higher percent rooting when compared with vegetative cuttings harvested from plants grown under 10-hour and 12-hour photoperiods. Based on the findings from this research, plant propagators may be able to increase production of winecups by growing stock plants under 8-hour photoperiod.

Targeted Funding for Anti-Trafficking Initiatives: An evidence-based anti-oppressive approach

Community-driven research is key to creating evidence-based collaborative systems that meet the multifaceted needs of human trafficking survivors and address oppressions that create vulnerabilities to human trafficking. Programmes and solutions require money and evidenced-informed processes, or they risk investing in systems that will not meet the needs of the intended target populations. This paper reflects on how a community-initiated research project influenced funding to enhance anti-trafficking work in a Midwestern US state. We urge other regions to adopt this model of research and resource allocation in their own anti-trafficking efforts.

The impact of operational police stress on affective commitment: the mediating role of psychological safety

PurposePolice stress is a critical concern for public safety agencies. This study proposes a research model to examine the relationship between police operational stress and affective commitment, mediated by psychological safety.Design/methodology/approachA survey was developed and administered to law enforcement professionals from two large police agencies in a Midwestern US state and Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.FindingsThe results suggest the research model applies similarly in both countries. A significant relationship between police operational stress and lower affective commitment was found. Psychological safety mediated this effect, suggesting its importance in mitigating stress. The focus on psychological safety offers valuable insights for understanding officer well-being in high-stress environments.Research limitations/implicationsQualitative methods might be used to help better understand the contextual elements around police stress and its consequences. Results indicate that supportive work environments that foster psychological safety can be a powerful tool to buffer the negative effects of stress and promote officer well-being and retention.Practical implicationsA comprehensive understanding of the psychological factors influencing officer morale and engagement is essential for developing interventions to enhance law enforcement effectiveness. Psychological safety helps create a supportive work environment, reducing stress’s negative impact on officer commitment.Originality/valueThis study makes a distinctive contribution by examining the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between operational stress and affective commitment among police officers in two countries. Building upon prior research that has examined the impact of stress and psychological safety, this study is among the first to investigate how psychological safety specifically mitigates the negative impact of stress on officer commitment.

COMPUTATION OF RAIN-INDUCED ATTENUATION AT CENTIMETRIC WAVE BAND FOR SLANT PATH COMMUNICATION IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

In this paper, five globally recognised rain attenuation models for slant path communication are considered in order to compute the amount of attenuation and obtain the optimal rain attenuation models for North Central region of Nigeria. The models are Bryant, Garcia-Lopez, ITU-R P.618-9, Simple Attenuation and Svjatogor. These models were evaluated at Ku and Ka-bands and at three elevation angles of 55o, 42.5o and 23o. 5-minute integration time rainfall data obtained from the Tropospheric Data Acquisition Network (TRODAN), Anyigba, Nigeria was converted to 1-minute integration time using Lavergnat and Gole rain rate model. Predictions were made for circularly polarised signals at different percentages of time of the year. The cumulative distribution of rain attenuation computed showed that attenuation values generally ranged between 9 and 19 dB at time percentage exceedance of 0.01% for the Ku-band, while it ranged between 21 and 41 dB at 0.01% for the Ka-band. Also, computations by the Garcia-Lopez and Bryant models were in agreement with the ITU-R P.618-9 model, while the Simple Attenuation and Svjatogor models underestimated the computed rain attenuation values at every percentage of time in all the stations considered

Registration of ‘MN‐Rothsay’ spring wheat with high grain yield and lodging resistance

Abstract‘MN‐Rothsay’ (Reg. No. CV‐1208, PI 702731) hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) was released by the University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2022 because of its high grain yield and lodging resistance. MN‐Rothsay is a medium‐late maturity cultivar with below average plant height, containing the semi‐dwarfing alleles Rht‐B1b and Rht24b. The lodging resistance of MN‐Rothsay is similar to ‘Linkert’, a 2013 release that was the most widely grown cultivar in Minnesota from 2016 to 2020, largely due to its superior lodging resistance. MN‐Rothsay has moderate resistance to Fusarium head blight (caused primarily by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe), good resistance to prevalent races of pathogens causing leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) and stem rust (P. graminis Pers.: Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. &amp; E. Henn.), and is well‐adapted to the north central United States.

Evaluation of Reduced Fungicide Applications for Disease Management in Cold-Climate Wine Grapes in Wisconsin.

Cold-climate wine grapes are produced on 8,000 ha in the North Central region of the United States. Wisconsin has experienced considerable growth, with a 26% increase in acreage since 2017. Chemical management of fungal diseases in cold-climate, interspecific hybrid grapes mirrors that of traditional Vitis vinifera cultivars despite significant differences in disease susceptibility. Most cold-climate cultivars display disease tolerance or resistance to key pathogens such as Plasmopara viticola (downy mildew), Erysiphe necator (powdery mildew), and Phyllosticta ampelicida (black rot). Current fungicide programs in Wisconsin's cold-climate grape industry underutilize genetic resistance, resulting in overreliance on at-risk fungicides and an increased threat of fungicide resistance development. In vineyard trials, the impacts of a reduced fungicide application number compared to current grower "Standard" programs was assessed for disease incidence and severity for five diseases: anthracnose, black rot, downy mildew, Phomopsis cane and leaf spot and powdery mildew. In 2022, with moderate disease pressure at both vineyard sites, there were no significant differences observed when fewer fungicides (six or five applications vs. four applications) were applied. In 2023, higher disease incidence was observed in the "Standard" spray program at one study location which received a greater number of fungicide applications. In both years, grape cultivar was a significant factor with the 'LaCrosse' displaying greater average disease severity than the 'St. Pepin' in both the "Standard" and "Reduced" Programs. These findings present a promising opportunity for cold-climate grape growers to reduce the number of fungicide applications while maintaining disease control and marketable yield.