Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Frequency Of Social Interaction, Social Cohesion, Age, And The Built Environment On Walking, Gretchen Allison Luhr

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore, through a social ecological framework, the multifaceted effects of the neighborhood environment by investigating how dimensions of both the built environment and the neighborhood social context may interact to influence walking. Aesthetics, land use mix, crime, and pedestrian infrastructure were considered with respect to built environment walkability, and the neighborhood social context was conceptualized using measures of both social cohesion and social interaction with neighbors. This research used data from an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-funded study of 748 adults (18 years of age and older) residing in the Lents neighborhood in Portland, …

Cost Effectiveness Of Potential Art Adherence Monitoring Interventions In Sub-Saharan Africa, Andrew N. Phillips, Valentina Cambiano, Fumiyo Nakagawa, Loveleen Bansi-Matharu, Papa Salif Sow, Peter Ehrenkranz, Deborah Ford, Owen Mugurungi, Tsitsi Apollo, Joseph Murungu, David R. Bangsberg, Paul Revill

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background -Interventions based around objective measurement of adherence to antiretroviral drugs for HIV have potential to improve adherence and to enable differentiation of care such that clinical visits are reduced in those with high adherence. It would be useful to understand the approximate upper limit of cost that could be considered for such interventions of a given effectiveness in order to be cost effective. Such information can guide whether to implement an intervention in the light of a trial showing a certain effectiveness and cost.

Methods - An individual-based model, calibrated to Zimbabwe, which incorporates effects of adherence and resistance …

Investigations Into The Effects Of Water Exchange And The Structure Of Lanthanide Chelates, Katherine Marie Payne

Dissertations and Theses

Lanthanide chelates are effective agents for improving contrast in MR images. Optimizing the relaxation of inner sphere water molecules is a common focus of research in this field. However, the efforts to design an optimal contrast agent have commonly over-looked the relationship of water position and water exchange kinetics. This work explores structural conformation, the impact of very fast water exchange kinetics on hydration, and differing tumbling rates for regioisomers of a number of lanthanide chelates. We have grown crystals of LnDOTMA and obtained structural data by X-ray diffraction that provide a picture of the chelate during water exchange and …

Surviving Catastrophe: Resource Allocation And Plant Interactions Among The Mosses Of Mount St. Helens Volcano, Trevor David Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Mosses are some of the first colonizers to disturbed sites, yet their roles in early plant community structuring are not well understood. The primary succession zones of volcanoes provide opportunities to conduct natural experiments into how mosses contribute to early plant community formation, as well as how the unique environments found in such zones affect plant traits, particularly those associated with stress tolerance. Though plant community changes have been well-documented since Mount St. Helens (MSH) volcano erupted in 1980, the volcano's moss assemblages, their influence on other plants, and their potential roles in chemical-mediated competition and biogeochemical cycling have garnered …

Real Talk: Developing A Computer-Delivered Sexual Health Program For Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Charles H. Klein, Carmela Lomonaco

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

HIV disproportionately affects Black men who have sex with men (MSM), yet there are few evidence-based programs that respond to the diverse realities of Black MSM communities. This article examines the development of Real Talk, a new harm reduction-based, sexual health intervention for Black MSM. We first analyze the key themes from our formative research: (1) stigma, discrimination, and intersectionalities in the lives of Black MSM, (2) the importance of safe spaces and community provided by health promotion programs, and (3) moving beyond condoms in sexual health messaging. We then describe our agile design product development process and present an …

Immediate And Short-Term Effects Of Kinesio® Taping On Lower Trunk Range Of Motion In Division I Athletes, Hoshito Mizutani

Dissertations and Theses

Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem that contributes to the high cost of health care. Improvement in trunk range of motion has been considered to be an important factor in ameliorating the symptoms of LBP. Kinesio® taping is a prominent therapeutic modality commonly used in the variety of populations for treating musculoskeletal conditions. However, previous research on the efficacy of Kinesio® taping for LBP is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and short-term effects of Kinesio® taping with the muscle inhibition technique on active trunk flexion range of motion. Twenty-five subjects with …

Effects Of Antibiotic Mixtures Across Marine Intertidal Trophic Levels: Examining Environmentally-Relevant Contaminant Concentrations, Jaclyn Rebecca Teixeira

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 48% of Americans use prescription drugs within each 30-day period, and there are signs this trend is increasing. Although many studies track pharmaceuticals’ fates in contaminating waterways, only fairly recent efforts have examined the potential impacts of these drugs on non-target organisms. The antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, often prescribed together to treat bacterial infections, have been detected worldwide in marine and estuarine environments at concentrations up to 700-800 ng/L each. Toxic effects of these drugs have been identified in freshwater organisms, with synergistic effects observed in short-term studies of mixtures of the two; however, little research has examined possible …

Plastin 1 Widens Stereocilia By Transforming Actinfilament Packing From Hexagonal To Liquid, Jocelyn F. Krey, Evan S. Krystofiak, Rachel A. Dumont, Sarath Vijayakumar, Dongseok Choi, Francisco Rivero, Bechara Kachar, Sherri M. Jones, Peter G. Barr‑Gillespie

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

With their essential role in inner ear function, stereocilia of sensory hair cells demonstrate the importance of cellular actin protrusions. Actin packing in stereocilia is mediated by cross-linkers of the plastin, fascin, and espin families. Although mice lacking espin (ESPN) have no vestibular or auditory function, we found that mice that either lacked plastin 1 (PLS1) or had nonfunctional fascin 2 (FSCN2) had reduced inner ear function, with double-mutant mice most strongly affected. Targeted mass spectrometry indicated that PLS1 was the most abundant cross-linker in vestibular stereocilia and the second most abundant protein overall; ESPN only accounted for ∼15% of …

One-Year Postpartum Outcomes Following A Weight Management Intervention In Pregnant Women With Obesity, Kimberly K. Vesco, Michael C. Leo, Njeri Karanja, Matthew W. Gillman, Cindy T. Mcevoy, Janet C. King, Cara L. Eckhardt, K. Sabina Smith, Nancy Perrin, Victor J. Stevens

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

This analysis was focused on 1-year maternal and infant follow-up of a randomized trial that tested a weight management intervention conducted during pregnancy.

Methods

One hundred fourteen women with obesity (mean BMI 36.7 kg/m²) were randomly assigned at a mean of 15 weeks gestation to a weight management intervention or usual care control condition. The intervention ended at delivery and resulted in less gestational weight gain and a lower proportion of large-for-gestational-age newborns among intervention compared with control participants. The primary outcome at 12 months postpartum was maternal weight. Secondary outcomes included infant weight-for-age and weight-for-length z …

Civic Engagement Among Orphans And Non-Orphans In Five Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Christine L. Gray, Brian W. Pence, Lynne C. Messer, Jan Ostermann, Rachel A. Whetten, Nathan M. Thielman, Karen O'Donnell, Kathryn Whetten

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Communities and nations seeking to foster social responsibility in their youth are interested in understanding factors that predict and promote youth involvement in public activities. Orphans and separated children (OSC) are a vulnerable population whose numbers are increasing, particularly in resource-poor settings. Understanding whether and how OSC are engaged in civic activities is important for community and world leaders who need to provide care for OSC and ensure their involvement in sustainable development.

Methods: The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study (POFO) is a multi-country, longitudinal cohort study of OSC randomly sampled from institution-based care and from family-based care, and …

The Development And Evaluation Of An Online Healthcare Toolkit For Autistic Adults And Their Primary Care Providers, Christina Nicolaidis, Dora Raymaker, Katherine E. Mcdonald, Steven K. Kapp, Michael Weiner, Elesia Ashkenazy, Martha Gerrity, Clarissa Kripke, Laura Platt, Amelia E.V. Baggs

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND: The healthcare system is ill-equipped to meet the needs of adults on the autism spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to develop and evaluate tools to facilitate the primary healthcare of autistic adults. DESIGN: Toolkit development included cognitive interviewing and test–retest reliability studies. Evaluation consisted of a mixed-methods, single-arm pre/postintervention comparison.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 259 autistic adults and 51 primary care providers (PCPs) residing in the United States.

INTERVENTIONS: The AASPIRE Healthcare toolkit includes the Autism Healthcare Accommodations Tool (AHAT)—a tool that allows patients to create a personalized accommodations report for …

Distribution, Quantification And Toxicity Of Cinnamaldehyde In Electronic Cigarette Refill Fluids And Aerosols, Rachel Z. Behar, Wentai Luo, Sabrina C. Lin, Yuhuan Wang, Jackelyn Valle, James F. Pankow, Prue Talbot

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution, concentration and toxicity of cinnamaldehyde in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) refill fluids and aerosols.

Methods The distribution and concentration of cinnamaldehyde were determined in 39 e-cigarette refill fluids plus 6 duplicates using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A cinnamaldehyde toxicity profile was established for embryonic and adult cells using a live cell imaging assay, immunocytochemistry, the comet assay and a recovery assay.

Results Twenty of the 39 refill fluids contained cinnamaldehyde at concentrations that are cytotoxic to human embryonic and lung cells in the MTT assay. Cinnamon Ceylon aerosol …

Selecting Medical Hardware Using Pairwise Comparisons: A Patient's Perspective Of Cochlear Implant Device Selection, Timothy R. Anderson, Shabnam Razeghian Jahromi

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selecting medical hardware can be a difficult and permanent decision for patients that they are often unprepared for. The authors explore the use of pairwise comparison techniques to better inform medical decision making in an application of choosing between three major cochlear implant manufacturers. This paper appears to be the first study to apply a pairwise comparison decision making approach for cochlear implant device selection. Also, unlike many medical decision making studies that are developed by the healthcare professional, this model and analysis was conducted entirely by the patient for the purpose of making the real-world decision of a device. …

A Livelihood Intervention To Improve Economic And Psychosocial Well-Being In Rural Uganda: Longitudinal Pilot Study, Bernard Kakuhikire, Diego Suquillo, Elly Atuhumuza, Rumbidzai Mushavi, Jessica M. Perkins, Atheendar S. Venkataramani, Sheri D. Weiser, David Bangsberg, Alexander C. Tsai

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

HIV and poverty are inextricably intertwined in sub-Saharan Africa. Economic and livelihood intervention strategies have been suggested to help mitigate the adverse economic effects of HIV, but few intervention studies have focused specifically on HIV positive persons. We conducted three pilot studies to assess a livelihood intervention consisting of an initial orientation and loan package of chickens and associated implements to create poultry microenterprises. We enrolled 15 HIV-positive and 22 HIV-negative participants and followed them for up to 18 months. Over the course of follow-up, participants achieved high chicken survival and loan repayment rates. Median monthly income increased, and severe …

A Framework To Address Challenges In Communicating The Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease, Liana Winett, Lawrence Wallack, Dawn M. Richardson, Janne Boone-Heinonen, Lynne C. Messer

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Findings from the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) suggest that some of the most pressing public health problems facing communities today may begin much earlier than previously understood. In particular, this body of work provides evidence that social, physical, chemical, environmental, and behavioral influences in early life play a significant role in establishing vulnerabilities for chronic disease later in life. Further, because this work points to the importance of adverse environmental exposures that cluster in population groups, it suggests that existing opportunities to intervene at a population level may need to refocus their efforts “upstream” to …

Quef And Quef-Like: Diverse Chemistries In A Common Fold, Adriana Bon Ramos

Dissertations and Theses

The tunneling fold (T-Fold) superfamily is a small superfamily of enzymes found in organisms encompassing all kingdoms of life. Seven members have been identified thus far. Despite sharing a common three-dimensional structure these enzymes perform very diverse chemistries.

QueF is a bacterial NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes the reduction of the nitrile group of 7-cyano-7-deazaguanine (preQ₀) to a primary amine (preQ₁) in the queuosine biosynthetic pathway. Previous work on this enzyme has revealed the mechanism of reaction but the cofactor binding residues remain unknown. The experiments discussed herein aim to elucidate the role of residues lysine 80, …

Dietary And Physical Activity Acculturation And Weight Status In Chinese College Students, Yanni Zhang

Dissertations and Theses

This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between length of residence in the United States (U.S.) and dietary and physical activity acculturation, and the relationships between dietary and physical activity acculturation and weight status in 55 Chinese college students. Length of residence in the U.S. was positively associated with larger portion size, greater amount of physical activity, and change in BMI in male participants. Adoption of a Western diet was associated with weight gain. Portion size change was positively associated with BMI change. Lunch size change was positively correlated with BMI change in males while negatively correlated with BMI change in …

Understanding Neighborhood Satisfaction For Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities: A Mixed Methods Study, Amy Leigh Shearer

Dissertations and Theses

Physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods are important to resident satisfaction for clinical and nonclinical populations. This study draws upon data collected from a sample of 172 individuals with psychiatric disabilities living in 16 supportive housing sites in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Research questions explore the extent to which subjective and objective measures of neighborhood physical and social environments contribute to neighborhood satisfaction for this population. Mixed methods were employed to construct a detailed understanding of the factors that influence satisfaction with one's neighborhood of residence. Predictor variables were neighborhood social climate, neighborhood physical quality, perceptions of safety, crime …

Semantic Knowledge Use In Discourse Produced By Individuals With Anomic Aphasia, Stephen Kintz, Heather Harris Wright, Gerasimos Fergadiotis

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background---Researchers have demonstrated that people with aphasia (PWA) have preserved semantic knowledge (Dell et al., 1997; Jefferies & Lambon Ralph, 2006). However, Antonucci (2014) demonstrated that some PWA have impaired access to certain types of knowledge more than others. Yet, all these studies used single concepts. It has not been demonstrated whether PWA have difficulty accessing certain types of features within a discourse sample.

Aims—The main goals of this study were to determine if semantic knowledge and two category types were used differently within discourse produced by participants with anomic aphasia and healthy controls.

Method & Procedures—Participants …

Study Design Of A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial To Evaluate A Large-Scale Distribution Of Cook Stoves And Water Filters In Western Province, Rwanda, Corey L. Nagel, Miles Kirby, Laura D. Zambrano, Ghislaine Rosa, Christina K. Barstow, Evan A. Thomas, Thomas Clasen

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: In Rwanda, pneumonia and diarrhea are the first and second leading causes of death, respectively, among children under five. Household air pollution (HAP) resultant from cooking indoors with biomass fuels on traditional stoves is a significant risk factor for pneumonia, while consumption of contaminated drinking water is a primary cause of diarrheal disease. To date, there have been no largescale effectiveness trials of programmatic efforts to provide either improved cookstoves or household water filters at scale in a low-income country. In this paper we describe the design of a clusterrandomized trial to evaluate the impact of a national-level program …

Process Evaluation And Assessment Of Use Of A Large Scale Water Filter And Cookstove Program In Rwanda, Christina K. Barstow, Corey Nagel, Thomas Clasen, Evan A. Thomas

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: In an effort to reduce the disease burden in rural Rwanda, decrease poverty associated with expenditures for fuel, and minimize the environmental impact on forests and greenhouse gases from inefficient combustion of biomass, the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) partnered with DelAgua Health (DelAgua), a private social enterprise, to distribute and promote the use of improved cookstoves and advanced water filters to the poorest quarter of households (Ubudehe 1 and 2) nationally, beginning in Western Province under a program branded Tubeho Neza (“Live Well”). The project is privately financed and earns revenue from carbon credits under the United Nations …

Social Support And Depression Symptomatology Post Injury In Division 1 Athletes, Alyssa Catherine Tiedens

Dissertations and Theses

The way in which an athlete responds to the injury--emotionally, behaviorally, and cognitively--can significantly affect the athlete's mental health in a negative way if not handled appropriately. There are different forms of social support that are known to be helpful with coping during specific stages of injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived levels of social support and depression symptomatology post injury in Division 1 collegiate athletes at Portland State University (PSU).

Participants were PSU student athletes (n=115). Variables: social support amount (SSQN), social support satisfaction (SSQS), and depression symptomatology (CESD-R) score. Selected injured …

Assessment Of A Mycorrhizal Fungi Application To Treat Stormwater In An Urban Bioswale, Alaina Diane Melville

Dissertations and Theses

This study assessed the effect of an application of mycorrhizal fungi to stormwater filter media on urban bioswale soil and stormwater in an infiltration-based bioswale aged 20 years with established vegetation. The study tested the use of commercially available general purpose biotic soil blend PermaMatrix^® BSP Foundation as a treatment to enhance Earthlite^™ stormwater filter media amelioration of zinc, copper, and phosphorus in an ecologically engineered structure designed to collect and infiltrate urban stormwater runoff before it entered the nearby Willamette River.

These results show that the application of PermaMatrix^® BSP Foundation biotic soil amendment to Earthlite …

Is Housing Making People Sick?: An Overview Of Seven Studies That Raise Questions To Consider As We Incorporate Health Into Planning And Build New Housing To Address Shortages And Energy Efficiency, Merilee D. Karr

Metroscape

The article discusses the unintended consequences of some of the strategies for housing energy efficiency: they can lead to indoor air pollution that is making people sick. As we pursue ways to reduce the cost of housing, we must pursue innovation in building materials and techniques that might reduce the negative health consequences of sealing our homes from the elements.

Introduction To The Special Section: Positive Developmental Strategies For Engaging Emerging Adults And Improving Outcomes, Janet S. Walker, Celeste Seibel, Sharice Jackson, John D. Ossowski

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

As compared to any other age cohort in the US population, young people in late adolescence and early adulthood have a higher rate of unmet need for mental health services. Not only are these young people (from about 16 to 25 years old, and referred to here as “emerging adults”) more likely to experience a serious mental health condition (SMHC), but they are also less likely to engage in services. Furthermore, when emerging adults do engage in services, they face multiple barriers to service continuity, particularly as they come up to “milestone” ages at 18, 21, and 24.

There is …

Glial Cell Involvement In Early Alzheimer's Disease, Rachel Y. De La Torre

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Glial cells, the resident immune cells of the brain, are important for brain health as they represent a critical function both in brain injury as well as in brain development and maintenance. Following brain injury, glia quickly respond by cleaning up neuronal and synaptic debris. In addition to their role as the cleaning cell of the brain, recent research has shown that during development, glia also shape and fine-tune neural connections by eliminating weak synapses fated for removal. However, whether glial cells also continue to remodel synaptic architecture in the adult brain is unclear. Moreover, synaptic pruning and loss are …

Elimination Of Taenia Solium Transmission In Northern Peru, Hector H. Garcia, Armando E. Gonzalez, Victor C.W. Tsang, Seth E. O'Neal, Fernando Llanos‑Zavalaga, Guillermo Gonzalvez, Jaime Romero, Silvia Rodriguez, Luz M. Moyano, Viterbo Ayvar, Andre Diaz, Allen Hightower, Philip S. Craig, Marshall W. Lightowlers, Charles G. Gauci, Elli Leontsini, Robert H. Gilman

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Taeniasis and cysticercosis are major causes of seizures and epilepsy. Infection by the causative parasite Taenia solium requires transmission between humans and pigs. The disease is considered to be eradicable, but data on attempts at regional elimination are lacking. We conducted a three-phase control program in Tumbes, Peru, to determine whether regional elimination would be feasible.

Methods: We systematically tested and compared elimination strategies to show the feasibility of interrupting the transmission of T. solium infection in a region of highly endemic disease in Peru. In phase 1, we assessed the effectiveness and feasibility of six intervention …

Food-Related Practices And Beliefs Of Rural Us Elementary And Middle School Teachers, Nancy Findholt, Betty T. Izumi, Jackilen Shannon, Thuan Nguyen

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

INTRODUCTION:

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects rural populations; therefore, promoting healthy eating among rural children is essential. Teachers are important role models for children and can influence children's eating behaviors through their own behaviors and beliefs about food. This study examined the food-related practices and beliefs of rural elementary and middle school teachers.

METHODS:

Data were used from the SNACZ study, a school- and community-based trial conducted in rural Oregon. Kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers (n=87), teaching students usually aged 5-14 years, from eight rural school districts completed a baseline survey in November 2012 concerning their classroom food practices, eating behaviors at …

Transgender Patients' Experiences Of Discrimination At Mental Health Clinics, Corrine Ann Stocking

Dissertations and Theses

The transgender population is makes up about 0.3% of the U.S. population (Gates 2011). The term transgender is both an identity and an umbrella term used to describe people who do not adhere to traditional gender norms (Institute of Medicine 2011). Transgender people experience many barriers to services, negative health outcomes, and discrimination (Fredrikson-Goldsen et al. 2013; Institute of Medicine 2011; Eliason et al. 2009; Hendricks & Testa 2012). Mental health clinics are an important site for understanding transgender peoples' experiences due to being a gatekeeper for other medical services and their role in helping transpeople with issues surrounding coming …

Investigating The Origin And Functions Of A Novel Small Rna In Escherichia Coli, Fenil Rashmin Kacharia

Dissertations and Theses

Non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate various cellular processes in bacteria. They bind to a chaperone protein Hfq for stability and regulate gene expression by base-pairing with target mRNAs. Although the importance of sRNAs in bacteria has been well established, the mode of origination of novel sRNA genes is still elusive, mainly because the rapid rate of evolution of sRNAs obscures their original sources. To overcome this impediment, we identified a recently formed sRNA (EcsR2) in E. coli, and show that it evolved from a degraded bacteriophage gene. Our analyses also revealed that young sRNAs such as EcsR2 are expressed …