Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 58

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Depaul Digest Oct 2023

Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Education Professor Jason Goulah fosters hope, happiness and global citizenship through DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education. Associate Journalism Professor Jill Hopke shares how to talk about climate change. News briefs from DePaul’s 10 colleges and schools: Occupational Therapy Standardized Patient Program, Financial Planning Certificate program, Business Education in Technology and Analytics Hub, Racial Justice Initiative, Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Intimate Partner Violence and Brain Injury collaboration, School of Music Career Closet, Sports Photojournalism course, DePaul Migration Collaborative’s Solutions Lab, Inclusive Screenwriting courses. New appointments: School of Music Dean John Milbauer, College of Education Dean Jennifer …


The Influence Of Vehicular Traffic And Land Use Typology On The Spatial Patterns And Concentrations Of Soil Lead (Pb) In The Uptown Community Area Of Chicago, Andreas 'Dre' Harris Jun 2023

The Influence Of Vehicular Traffic And Land Use Typology On The Spatial Patterns And Concentrations Of Soil Lead (Pb) In The Uptown Community Area Of Chicago, Andreas 'Dre' Harris

DePaul Discoveries

Lead (Pb) is a harmful element whose presence threatens the well-being of living organisms and their environments. There are higher concentrations and an increased risk of Pb exposure in areas that provide fewer natural pathways for Pb to accumulate into. In urban areas, the soil is one of the most common and available environmental sinks for Pb accumulation. This study examines the total soil Pb concentrations in relation to land-use types and average daily traffic volumes (cars/day) in each census tract in the Uptown Community Area of Chicago. This study provides insight into how land use and traffic volume may …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 12 Cover Art, Katherine Petralia Jun 2023

Depaul Discoveries Volume 12 Cover Art, Katherine Petralia

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.


Monitoring Personal Exposure To Air Quality Gradients While Biking On An Elevated Urban Trail, Gavin D. Salas Jun 2023

Monitoring Personal Exposure To Air Quality Gradients While Biking On An Elevated Urban Trail, Gavin D. Salas

DePaul Discoveries

Air pollution is a major global health concern, specifically as it relates to the human exposome. The EPA criteria pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and NOx can have severe impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular health, particularly in populations with chronic illnesses such as asthma, those facing economic hardships and individuals who frequently spend time outdoors, such as bicyclists and runners. To understand the impact of air pollution on human health, it is essential to assess personal exposure. This study aimed to investigate personal exposure to air pollution levels while biking along …


Stratospheric Effects On Uv, Speed Of Sound, Pressure, And Temperature, Joshua V. Chis, Joana Diaz, Brianna E. Ortiz, Imani G. Robertson, Jelani A. Shadd Jul 2022

Stratospheric Effects On Uv, Speed Of Sound, Pressure, And Temperature, Joshua V. Chis, Joana Diaz, Brianna E. Ortiz, Imani G. Robertson, Jelani A. Shadd

DePaul Discoveries

The atmosphere is composed of several layers, each with its own distinct environment varying in temperature, pressure, and levels of UV radiation. Quantifying these varying parameters proves to be useful in understanding atmospheric composition in greater detail. Variance in the composition of the atmosphere allows for the study of the evolution of physical phenomena at different altitudes. Our group quantified this variance using a high-altitude weather balloon and designed an experimental method to observe the nature of sound propagation through varying altitudes. The goal was to develop an altitude-dependent model of the speed of sound by using an open-air, microcontroller-based …


What's In Your Soil? A Comparative Assessment Of Total Lead In Soils In Southwest Side And North Side Chicago Communities, Jennifer Garcia Jul 2022

What's In Your Soil? A Comparative Assessment Of Total Lead In Soils In Southwest Side And North Side Chicago Communities, Jennifer Garcia

DePaul Discoveries

In Chicago, city officials continue to locate polluting industries in predominately Black and Hispanic/Latinx neighborhoods. Lower income families are disproportionately exposed to greater amounts of toxic chemicals such as lead (Pb). While the City of Chicago focuses its effort in removing industrial sites from the North Side, a predominately white community area, sources of industrial pollution are more likely to be found in communities of color. Due to the prevalent sources of Pb on the Southwest side, residential soil is often highly disturbed and contaminated. Pb is a serious neurotoxin, and ingestion or inhalation of Pb contaminated soil and dust …


Atmospheric Phosphorus Deposition Into A Fresh Water Wetland: Prairie Wolf Slough Restored Wetland, Isaac B. Daitzchman Jul 2022

Atmospheric Phosphorus Deposition Into A Fresh Water Wetland: Prairie Wolf Slough Restored Wetland, Isaac B. Daitzchman

DePaul Discoveries

Phosphorus is a major element needed for plant growth. Excess phosphorus from agricultural runoff and urban stormwater can enter waterways, resulting in growth of toxic algal blooms that are deleterious to local fauna. One way to remove phosphorus is by diverting agricultural and urban runoff into wetlands. One such wetland is Prairie Wolf Slough (PWS), located in north suburban Chicago, IL. Stormwater enters PWS through an inlet channel and exits through an outlet pipe into the Chicago River. A 16-year study documented that a significantly greater mass of phosphorus leaves PWS than enters through the inlet. This study accounted for …


Synthesis Of Triaminopyrimidine Derivatives For Inhibition Of Inflammatory Caspases, Marianna C. Haddad, Caitlin Karver Jul 2022

Synthesis Of Triaminopyrimidine Derivatives For Inhibition Of Inflammatory Caspases, Marianna C. Haddad, Caitlin Karver

DePaul Discoveries

Caspases are cysteine-dependent aspartic proteases whose functions are connected to different mechanisms of cell death and inflammation. As caspase-1 plays a significant role in the immune response, its activity has been of interest as a target for inhibitor development as its inhibition will reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in inflammatory diseases, thus minimizing the symptoms that arise and serving as a possible therapeutic approach. Prior work discovered a family of potent inhibitors of caspase-1 with a common triaminopyrimidine scaffold. To further explore structure-activity relationship profiles of potential inhibitors of caspase-1, two different syntheses were attempted to create two new …


Optimization Of Dye Molecules For Use In Studying Inflammatory Caspase Enzymes, Josiah D. Stewart, Phasu Sirinit Jul 2022

Optimization Of Dye Molecules For Use In Studying Inflammatory Caspase Enzymes, Josiah D. Stewart, Phasu Sirinit

DePaul Discoveries

Inflammatory caspases are important enzymes in the initial immune response to pathogens. A common method of studying caspase activity is through the use of fluorogenic assays, in which the cleavage of a substrate by an enzyme results in the emission of fluorescence. Fluorogenic assays require the use of fluorophores: molecules that will fluoresce upon the cleavage of a substrate. Different fluorophores have different characteristics, and these characteristics can be analyzed in order to determine which fluorophores will be most suitable for activity assays. Two commercially available fluorophores were compared for use in fluorogenic assays of inflammatory caspases: MCA and EDANS. …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 11 Cover Art, Dina Khdair Jul 2022

Depaul Discoveries Volume 11 Cover Art, Dina Khdair

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.


Triangulation And Finite Element Method For A Variational Problem Inspired By Medical Imaging, Tim Komperda, Enrico Au-Yeung Aug 2021

Triangulation And Finite Element Method For A Variational Problem Inspired By Medical Imaging, Tim Komperda, Enrico Au-Yeung

DePaul Discoveries

We implement the finite element method to solve a variational problem that is inspired by medical imaging. In our application, the domain of the image does not need to be a rectangle and can contain a cavity in the middle. The standard approach to solve a variational problem involves formulating the problem as a partial differential equation. Instead, we solve the variational problem directly, using only techniques available to anyone familiar with vector calculus. As part of the computation, we also explore how triangulation is a useful tool in the process.


Correlation Effects On Intramolecular C-H...Oh And O-H...O Hydrogen Bond Interactions In Azelaic Acid: An Ab Initio Study, Sabina Kalata, Alina Huang, Ruben Parra Aug 2021

Correlation Effects On Intramolecular C-H...Oh And O-H...O Hydrogen Bond Interactions In Azelaic Acid: An Ab Initio Study, Sabina Kalata, Alina Huang, Ruben Parra

DePaul Discoveries

Electron correlation effects on both conventional, O-H…O, and nonconventional, C-H…O, intramolecular hydrogen bonds present in a selected azelaic acid folded conformation were evaluated ab initio using HF and MP2 methodologies. The relative strength of the hydrogen bonds was examined through different indicators derived from geometry, vibrational frequencies, and electron density along the hydrogen bond path. The HF method results in weaker O-H…O and C-H…O hydrogen bonds when compared with the corresponding results using the MP2 method. Additionally, the stability of the folded azelaic conformation is found to depend on the level of theory used. Accordingly, the zero-point corrected energies of …


Insignificant Impacts Of Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Chicago Air Quality, Adam W.T. Steffeck Aug 2021

Insignificant Impacts Of Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Chicago Air Quality, Adam W.T. Steffeck

DePaul Discoveries

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of air quality improvements around the world resulting from the stay-at-home orders were widespread. However, for Chicago, no significant air quality improvements occurred despite large reductions in private vehicle transportation due to the lack of commuters. The city of Chicago is a nexus for long-haul transportation by trucks and trains, which did not decrease during the pandemic. These transportation sources use mostly diesel fuel engines and emit NOX, a precursor to tropospheric ozone, and PM2.5, both of which are harmful air pollutants. Using open access EPA air quality …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 10 Cover Art, Nicolette Listenbee Aug 2021

Depaul Discoveries Volume 10 Cover Art, Nicolette Listenbee

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.


Lab Notes Nov 2020

Lab Notes

Scientia

Paleo Showcase; Expert Opinions; School of Nursing Director Appointed; EPISTEM Porject; CSH Honors Award Recipients; Diversity Fellowship


Association Of Neighborhood Disorder And Minority Stress With Depression Among Young Gay And Bisexual Males In Denver And Chicago, Liesl Gonzales, Douglas Bruce Jul 2020

Association Of Neighborhood Disorder And Minority Stress With Depression Among Young Gay And Bisexual Males In Denver And Chicago, Liesl Gonzales, Douglas Bruce

DePaul Discoveries

Excess risk for poor mental health outcomes has been found within sexual minority populations. This study aimed to examine factors that may contribute to depression rates within two populations of YMSM in Denver and Chicago. 100 HIV-positive and 100 HIV-negative YMSM completed a survey regarding demographic information, minority stress (such as same-sex stigma), and perceived neighborhood disorder. Chicago participants reported higher rates of neighborhood disorder, history of incarceration, and being kicked out of a parent’s house, variables predicted to be positively correlated with depression. Surprisingly, it was found that YMSM in Denver were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms …


Examination Of Inflammatory Caspase Aggregates Formed In The Presence Of Lipopolysaccharide, Grant D. Andersen Jul 2020

Examination Of Inflammatory Caspase Aggregates Formed In The Presence Of Lipopolysaccharide, Grant D. Andersen

DePaul Discoveries

Inflammatory caspases are involved in the innate immune response, in which cell damage and microorganism invasion lead to cell death via pyroptosis and the release of chemical signals that produce inflammation. Currently, little is known pertaining to the mechanism of activation for one of the major caspase isoforms, caspase-4, other than its ability to bind LPS and become more active because of it. It has been theorized that caspase-4 agregation occurs through a non-cannonical based pathways in forming its respective complex following binding to LPS. Alternatively, caspase-4 may be activated after binding LPS micelles. Herein, we sought to incorporate lipopollysaccharide …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 9 Cover, Steven Reese Jul 2020

Depaul Discoveries Volume 9 Cover, Steven Reese

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.


Spring 2020 Apr 2020

Spring 2020

Scientia

From the Dean: Forward Motion; Strategic Plan Summary: Make No Little Plans; Alumnus Profile: Principled Prescription - William McDade is making medicine more diverse nationally: Living Our Mission: A Just World - For Mark Potosnak, concern for the environment isn't just a job, it's a moral obligation; One Peace at a Time: Psychology professors LaVome Robinson and Leonard Jason are working to prevent violence in schools; Impactful Inquiry: Real-world opportunities give undergraduate students a head start on their career paths; Lab Notes


Behavioral Responses To Gold Nanoparticle Exposure And H2o2-Induced Oxidative Stress In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Rachel Pride, Ashley Wagner Jun 2019

Behavioral Responses To Gold Nanoparticle Exposure And H2o2-Induced Oxidative Stress In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Rachel Pride, Ashley Wagner

DePaul Discoveries

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been utilized in many biomedical disciplines, most notably cancer therapy and drug delivery. Recent research suggests that with specific peptide manipulation, AuNPs can deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing for treatment of neurodegeneration and other neurological afflictions. Neurodegeneration has been shown to be caused by oxidative stress. The present experiment aimed to assess the effects of AuNPs on C. elegans behavior that had undergone H2O2-induced oxidative stress. It was predicted that worms exposed to both H2O2 and AuNPs would have higher survival, mechanosensation, and thrashing rates than …


A Life Cycle Assessment Of Jewelry, Jessica Fernandez, Christie Klimas Jun 2019

A Life Cycle Assessment Of Jewelry, Jessica Fernandez, Christie Klimas

DePaul Discoveries

Jewelry is unique in that it is not a necessity, yet it holds sentimental and material value to the owner. Jewelry sales in the US have increased throughout time, meaning the demand for gold has almost always been increasing, as well. With more than half of the gold mined going towards the production of jewelry, it is the product with the highest demand of the resource. However, mining for the metals to produce a piece of jewelry, specifically gold, has negative consequences on both the environment and the people working in or living near mines. This study is a life …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 8 Cover, Jessica Hughes Jun 2019

Depaul Discoveries Volume 8 Cover, Jessica Hughes

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.


Scientia: Fall 2018 Nov 2018

Scientia: Fall 2018

Scientia

Gerald Koocher Steps Down as Dean; Calculus, Conquered; Math Magic; New Programs: We've Got a Degree in That; Lab Notes; To Croatia, With Curiosity; Human Nature Inextricable from Scientific Advances; The Scientists of Summer


United States Population Future Estimates And Long-Term Distribution, Sean P. Brogan May 2018

United States Population Future Estimates And Long-Term Distribution, Sean P. Brogan

DePaul Discoveries

The population of the United States has always increased year over year. Even now with decreasing birth rates, the overall population continues to grow when looking at conventional models. The present study specifically examines what would happen to the U.S. population if we were to maintain the current birth and survival rates into the future. By 2050, our research shows that the U.S. population will become much older and cease to grow at all.


Risk Factors Associated With Missed Medical Appointments Among Hiv-Positive Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Willie Love, Douglas Bruce May 2018

Risk Factors Associated With Missed Medical Appointments Among Hiv-Positive Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Willie Love, Douglas Bruce

DePaul Discoveries

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are overrepresented in the HIV epidemic in America. Retaining HIV positive YMSM in HIV care is very critical to reduce the overall burden of the HIV epidemic in America. Our study focused on identifying significant risk factors that affects retention in care for YMSM. Missing two or more medical appointments was how we measured retention in care. Using data gathered from ATN 086-106 study. This ATN cross-sectional study provided HIV positive males and females between the ages of 12 and 24 with an extensive questionnaire. The goal of this study was to …


Correlates Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Among Hiv-Positive Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Janelle Flores, Douglas Bruce May 2018

Correlates Of Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Among Hiv-Positive Young Men Who Have Sex With Men, Janelle Flores, Douglas Bruce

DePaul Discoveries

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important in HIV management. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk factors for non-adherence to ART in HIV-positive young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Data pertaining to possible risk factors for non-adherence was collected from ATN086-106, a study protocol within the Adolescent Trials Network of HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN). Variables that were significantly associated with non-adherence to ART in bivariate analyses were entered into multivariate logistic regression models to identify correlates of non-adherence to ART. The results indicate that YMSM who used marijuana and methamphetamine and missed medical appointments were …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 7 Cover, Martha Lazarski May 2018

Depaul Discoveries Volume 7 Cover, Martha Lazarski

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.


The Impact Of African American Male Incarceration Rates On The Racial Disparities In Hiv/Aids Rates, Michelle S. Aelion Jul 2017

The Impact Of African American Male Incarceration Rates On The Racial Disparities In Hiv/Aids Rates, Michelle S. Aelion

DePaul Discoveries

In the United States, HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts African Americans and African American communities. The nature of this national health disparity is complex and cannot be explained simply by one factor or an individual’s behavior within a given community. This paper suggests that the disparity in African American male incarceration rates is among the most important factors to consider in the racial disparities of HIV/AIDS rates. Existing studies on relevant subjects were examined and used to create a conceptual model of factors. This model presents an outline of factors during pre-incarceration, incarceration, and post-incarceration that contribute to the racial disparities in …


Alternative Interventions For Children Coping With Chronic Conditions: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Pelsi, Kim S. Amer Jul 2017

Alternative Interventions For Children Coping With Chronic Conditions: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Pelsi, Kim S. Amer

DePaul Discoveries

Reduction of stressors and anxiety levels in adolescents with chronic illnesses is a critical concept in pediatric health care in America today. The many stressors associated with chronic illness include displaying physical and mental differences, social stigma, financial difficulty, and family stress. These stressors may affect the adolescent’s ability to learn and cope in everyday life. The current research was a critical review of the literature examining studies done with adolescents coping with chronic diseases and illnesses. The aim was to analyze the most efficacious non-pharmacological methods for reducing stressors in adolescents with chronic illness. A critical review of the …


Depaul Discoveries Volume 6 Cover, Amanda Copeland Jul 2017

Depaul Discoveries Volume 6 Cover, Amanda Copeland

DePaul Discoveries

No abstract provided.