Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Novel Subunit Vaccine Against H5n1 Influenza, Lu Zhang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Influenza is a common infectious disease resulting from a frequently mutated RNA virus. Vaccination is currently the most effective method to prevent people from seasonal or pandemic influenza. The production of traditional egg-based influenza vaccine is time-consuming and provides limited effect against new strains. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a rapid method to produce influenza vaccines. We proposed a novel influenza vaccine based on the E.coli expression system. Hemagglutinin (HA) is the major target surface protein of influenza virus for vaccine development. In this study, we sub-cloned the HAs encoding gene into an E. coli expression vector; the signal …

On Head Lice And Social Interaction In Archaic Andean Coastal Populations, Bernardo Arriaza, Vivien Standen, Karl Reinhard, Aduto Araújo, Jörg Heukelbach, Katharina Dittmar

Karl Reinhard Publications

Archaic mummies from northern Chile were examined for the presence of Pediculus humanus capitis. The excellent preservation of mummies and louse nits/eggs permitted a study of the degree of head lice infestation. We studied 63 Chinchorro mummies (ca. 5000–3000 years B.P.) from the Arica-Camarones coast. An area of 2 cm × 2 cm on each mummy’s head was systematically inspected for louse nits/eggs. Hairs with nits/eggs and lice were collected and analyzed using optic and scanning electronic microscopy. About 79% (50/63) of the mummies resulted positive for pediculosis, with an average of 2.1 nits/ eggs/cm2 per positive individual. Microscopic …

Association Between In Utero Arsenic Exposure, Placental Gene Expression, And Infant Birth Weight: A Us Birth Cohort Study, Dennis Liang Fei, Devin C. Koestler, Zhigang Li, Camilla Giambelli, Avencia Sanchez-Mejias, Julie Gosse, Carmen J. Marsit, Margaret R. Karagas, David J. Robbins

Dartmouth Scholarship

Epidemiologic studies and animal models suggest that in utero arsenic exposure affects fetal health, with a negative association between maternal arsenic ingestion and infant birth weight often observed. However, the molecular mechanisms for this association remain elusive. In the present study, we aimed to increase our understanding of the impact of low-dose arsenic exposure on fetal health by identifying possible arsenic-associated fetal tissue biomarkers in a cohort of pregnant women exposed to arsenic at low levels.

Methods: Arsenic concentrations were determined from the urine samples of a cohort of 133 pregnant women from New Hampshire. Placental tissue samples collected from …

Development Of A Control Banding Method For Selecting Respiratory Protection Against Bioaerosols, Jacques Lavoie, Eve Neesham-Grenon, Maximilien Debia, Yves Cloutier, Geneviève Marchand

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La sélection d’un appareil de protection respiratoire contre les bioaérosols peut s’avérer une tâche complexe compte tenu de l’absence de valeurs limites d’exposition et de données toxicologiques, ainsi que des limites des techniques d’échantillonnage actuelles et de la grande diversité des bioaérosols. Dans ces circonstances, une méthode qualitative d’évaluation et de gestion du risque fournit une alternative aux méthodes quantitatives utilisées en hygiène du travail. Ce rapport propose un modèle de gestion graduée du risque pour le choix de la protection respiratoire contre les bioaérosols infectieux et non infectieux applicable à l’ensemble des milieux de travail et s’adressant aux hygiénistes …

High Hiv Incidence Among Persons Who Inject Drugs In Pakistan: Greater Risk With Needle Sharing And Injecting Frequently Among The Homeless., Rab Nawaz Samo, Arshad Altaf, Ajmal Agha, Omrana Pasha, Shafquat Rozi, Ashraf Memon, Saleem Azam, Meridith Blevins, Sten Vermund, Sharaf Ali Shah

Community Health Sciences

BACKGROUND:

The incidence of HIV among persons who inject drugs (PWIDU) has fallen in many nations, likely due to successes of clean needle/syringe exchange and substance abuse treatment and service programs. However in Pakistan, prevalence rates for PWID have risen dramatically. In several cities, prevalence exceeded 20% by 2009 compared to a 2003 baseline of just 0.5%. However, no cohort study of PWID has ever been conducted.

METHODS:

We enrolled a cohort of 636 HIV seronegative PWID registered with three drop-in centers that focus on risk reduction and basic social services in Karachi. Recruitment began in 2009 (March to June) …

Quantifying Value In Public Health: Using Economic Methods To Analyze System Change, Theresa M. Green

Dissertations

In this time of economic downturn, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations, including those in public health, to “prove their worth,” to show the value in improvement strategies. Health agencies have learned to discuss impact in terms of health outcome and mortality/morbidity measures. However, it is critical that these impacts are also expressed in a way that shows cost-efficiency and economic benefit especially for promising, evidence-based public health interventions. Although several methods of economic evaluation including cost-effective analysis, cost-utility analysis, or cost-benefit analysis and return on investment (ROI) have been used in social sciences and health research, fewer examples …

Development And Evaluation Of Chitosan Particle Based Antigen Delivery Systems For Enhanced Antigen Specific Immune Response, Bhanuprasanth Koppolu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Particle-based vaccine delivery systems are under exploration to enhance antigen-specific immunity against safe but poorly immunogenic polypeptide antigens. Chitosan is a promising biomaterial for antigen encapsulation and delivery due to its ability to form nano- and microparticles in mild aqueous conditions thus preserving the antigenicity of loaded polypeptides. The objective of this work is to develop a chitosan particle based antigen delivery system for enhanced vaccine response. Chitosan particle sizes, which ranged from 300 nm to 3 ìm, were influenced by chitosan concentration, chitosan molecular weight and addition rate of precipitant salt. The composition of precipitant salt played a significant …

Revealing The Ubiquitous Effects Of Quantum Entanglement-Toward A Notion Of God Logic, Wen-Ran Zhang, Karl E. Peace

Biostatistics: Faculty Publications

Following Spinoza-Einstein’s interpretation of God or nature, the notion “God Logic” is proposed. This notion is to serve as an elicitation for a consistent set of necessary criteria for: 1) developing the logical foundation of quantum gravity as envisaged by Einstein, 2) revealing the ubiquitous effects of quantum entanglement as suggested by Roger Penrose, and 3) programming the universe as proposed by Seth Lloyd. An evolving set of eleven criteria is proposed for the notion. The possibility of inventing such a logical system is analyzed. A supersymmetrical candidate logic of negative-positive energy dynamic equilibrium is introduced and assessed against the …

Global Mortality Estimates For The 2009 Influenza Pandemic From The Glamor Project: A Modeling Study, Lone Simonsen, Peter Spreeuwenberg, Roger Lustig, Robert J. Taylor, Douglas M. Fleming, Madelon Kroneman, Maria D. Van Kerkhove, Anthony D. Mounts, W. John Paget

Global Health Faculty Publications

Background

Assessing the mortality impact of the 2009 influenza A H1N1 virus (H1N1pdm09) is essential for optimizing public health responses to future pandemics. The World Health Organization reported 18,631 laboratory-confirmed pandemic deaths, but the total pandemic mortality burden was substantially higher. We estimated the 2009 pandemic mortality burden through statistical modeling of mortality data from multiple countries.

Methods and Findings

We obtained weekly virology and underlying cause-of-death mortality time series for 2005–2009 for 20 countries covering ~35% of the world population. We applied a multivariate linear regression model to estimate pandemic respiratory mortality in each collaborating country. We then used …

Diet And Toenail Arsenic Concentrations In A New Hampshire Population With Arsenic-Containing Water, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Roxanne Karimi, Joann F. Gruber, M Scot Zens, Vicki Sayarath, Carol L. Folt, Tracy Punshon, J. Steven Morris, Margaret R. Karagas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Limited data exist on the contribution of dietary sources of arsenic to an individual's total exposure, particularly in populations with exposure via drinking water. Here, the association between diet and toenail arsenic concentrations (a long-term biomarker of exposure) was evaluated for individuals with measured household tap water arsenic. Foods known to be high in arsenic, including rice and seafood, were of particular interest.

Methods: Associations between toenail arsenic and consumption of 120 individual diet items were quantified using general linear models that also accounted for household tap water arsenic and potentially confounding factors (e.g., age, caloric intake, sex, smoking) …

Household Wealth And Neurocognitive Development Disparities Among School-Aged Children In Nepal., Shivani A Patel, Laura E Murray-Kolb, Steven C Leclerq, Subarna K Khatry, James M. Tielsch, Joanne Katz, Parul Christian

Global Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Wealth disparities in child developmental outcomes are well documented in developed countries. We sought to (1) describe the extent of wealth-based neurocognitive development disparities and (2) examine potential mediating factors of disparities among a population-based cohort of children in rural Nepal.

METHODS: We investigated household wealth-based differences in intellectual, executive and motor function of n = 1692 children aged between 7 and 9 years in Nepal. Using linear mixed models, wealth-based differences were estimated before and after controlling for child and household demographic characteristics. We further examined wealth-based differences adjusted for three sets of mediators: child nutritional status, home …

The Need To Include Animal Protection In Public Health Policies, Aysha Akhtar

Animal Welfare Collection

Many critical public health issues require non-traditional approaches. Although many novel strategies are used, one approach not widely applied involves improving the treatment of animals. Emerging infectious diseases are pressing public health challenges that could benefit from improving the treatment of animals. Other human health issues, that overlap with animal treatment issues, and that warrant further exploration, are medical research and domestic violence. The diverse nature of these health issues and their connection with animal treatment suggest that there may be other similar intersections. Public health would benefit by including the treatment of animals as a topic of study and …

Molecular Detection Of Culture-Confirmed Bacterial Bloodstream Infections With Limited Enrichment Time, Miranda S. Moore, Chase D. Mccann, Jeanne Jordan

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Conventional blood culturing using automated instrumentation with phenotypic identification requires a significant amount of time to generate results. This study investigated the speed and accuracy of results generated using PCR and pyrosequencing compared to the time required to obtain Gram stain results and final culture identification for cases of culture-confirmed bloodstream infections. Research and physician-ordered blood cultures were drawn concurrently. Aliquots of the incubating research blood culture fluid were removed hourly between 5 and 8 h, at 24 h, and again at 5 days. DNA was extracted from these 6 time point aliquots and analyzed by PCR and pyrosequencing for …

Public Health Considerations Of Launching Nuclear Waste To The Sun, Murray R. Berkowitz

PCOM Scholarly Works

The article discusses the public health aspects of disposing of radioactive nuclear waste by launching it to the sun. Disposing of radioactive nuclear waste by launching it to the sun remove the threats of exposure from leakage of a storage facility. The high temperatures will incinerate and consume all matter prior to its reaching the sun's corona.

Decreased Pulmonary Function Measured In Children Exposed To High Environmental Relative Moldiness Index Homes, Stephen J. Vesper, Larry Wymer, Suzanne Kennedy, Linda Faye Grimsley

Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Exposures to water-damaged homes/buildings has been linked to deficits in respiratory health. However, accurately quantifying this linkage has been difficult because of the methods used to assess water damage and respiratory health.

Purpose: The goal of this analysis was to determine the correlation between the water-damage, as defined by the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) value in an asthmatic child’s home, and the child’s pulmonary function measured by spirometry, “forced expiratory volume in one second, percent predicted” or FEV1%.

Methods: This analysis utilized data obtained from the “Heads-off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana” (HEAL) study. The children (n= 109), 6 …

Construction Workers' Crystalline Silica Exposure: Statistical Analysis Of A Literature-Based Database, Jean-François Sauvé, Charles Beaudry, Denis Bégin, Chantal Dion, Michel Gérin, Jérôme Lavoué

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’exposition prolongée par inhalation à des poussières de taille respirable contenant de la silice cristalline est reconnue pour causer des maladies respiratoires, dont le cancer du poumon et la silicose. De nombreuses études ont relevé la surexposition des travailleurs de la construction à la silice cristalline, puisque ce composé est présent dans de nombreux matériaux utilisés sur les chantiers. L’évaluation de l’exposition à la silice cristalline dans cette industrie constitue un défi en raison de la multitude de conditions de travail et de la nature temporaire des chantiers.

Dans le but d’améliorer les connaissances sur les conditions de travail pouvant …

The Reality Of Disaster: An Educational Template That Brings Community Into The Classroom, Mary T. Bouchaud Phd, Msn, Cns, Rn, Crrn, Edward H. Jasper Md

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Reassessing Google Flu Trends Data For Detection Of Seasonal And Pandemic Influenza: A Comparative Epidemiological Study At Three Geographic Scales, Donald R. Olson, Kevin J. Konty, Marc Paladini, Cecile G. Viboud, Lone Simonsen

Global Health Faculty Publications

The goal of influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance is to determine the timing, location and magnitude of outbreaks by monitoring the frequency and progression of clinical case incidence. Advances in computational and information technology have allowed for automated collection of higher volumes of electronic data and more timely analyses than previously possible. Novel surveillance systems, including those based on internet search query data like Google Flu Trends (GFT), are being used as surrogates for clinically-based reporting of influenza-like-illness (ILI). We investigated the reliability of GFT during the last decade (2003 to 2013), and compared weekly public health surveillance with search query …

Illusion Or Ununderstood Reality: Spiritual Or Psychic Healing And Protection In Southern Madagascar, Henri Lucien Sandifer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Far from the hospital room and its doctor, the medicine and philosophies of Lakazy and its Ombiasa pertain to a domain largely untouched by western logic and science. Their practices appear to be effective and unique enough to have survived the advent of compelling new theological and scientific belief systems and the vastly different perspectives on community health and stability which these systems have brought to Madagascar. The prime examples of these new arrivals are Christianity and modern medicine, respectively. Within and without their sacred space, the mission of the true Ombiasa is to support their community and for this …

The Mosakowski Institute For Public Enterprise Five Year Report, Mosakowski Institute

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

This report contains the highlights of the first five years of Clark University’s Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise. It includes a description of the Institute’s founding, its commitment to use-inspired research, transformational educational experiences, and community connectedness, the Institute’s leadership and finances, and a listing of projects undertaken and faculty partners.

Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) In Madagascar: A Case Study Of A Neglected Tropical Disease, Sarah Grace Sawyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over 50% of Madagascar’s population is infected with intestinal or urinary schistosomiasis (Rollinson et al., 2012). The disease slowly debilitates infected persons, who are frequently children, resulting in lower productivity and reduced learning in school-age children. The disease involves a vicious cycle perpetuated by a number of environmental, psychological, and social factors. A multifaceted approach, involving mass treatment, biological control, environmental control, education, and disease surveillance, can lead to schistosomiasis control and elimination in Madagascar. This would yield many socio-economic benefits such as increased productivity, increased school attendance rates, and generally better welfare. Schistosomiasis is the most burdensome and deadly …

A Silent Killer Of India’S Women: Investigating The Barriers To Adequate Tuberculosis Treatment And Diagnosis For Women In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Evonne Mcarthur

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nearly 20 years ago, the World Health Organization declared tuberculosis as a global public health emergency, yet today TB still remains a major global health challenge. It is estimated that during 2012 8.6 million were infected with TB and 1.3 million died from the disease (WHO, 2013). Globally, more than one third of the population is infected with TB and, after HIV/AIDS, TB is the greatest killer world-wide due to a single infectious agent. 95 percent of the global TB burden lies within low and middle-income countries and among the 22 countries determined to be high epidemiological burden countries, India …

“Breastfeeding Perceptions And Practices” A Comparative Study Of Two Opposing Socio-Economic Level Quarters Within Yaoundé, Cameroon, Alexandria J. Ross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project aims to identify and analyze the conditions that influence breastfeeding perceptions and practices within two opposing socioeconomic level quarters of Yaoundé, Cameroon: Bastos and Madagascar. According to the World Health Organization recommendations for optimal infant and young child nutrition, mothers are advised to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of life after birth before introducing complimentary feeding. Cameroon since 2005 has adhered to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. It is classified as a Category 1 as a country which discourages commercial pressures to feed alternative forms of nutrition known as breastmilk substitutes.

This …

An Epidemic Model Structured By The Time Since Last Infection, Jorge Alturo Alfaro Murillo

Open Access Dissertations

Epidemiological models structured by time since infection have their origin in the seminal work of 1927 by Kermack and McKendrick. Compared to ordinary differential equations (ODE) models, they are able to capture differences in infectivity of the individuals in a more suitable manner. Their use declined in the second half of the 20th century, probably because the theory for ODE models is more robust, complete and has proved successful in providing insights and predictions for many epidemiological problems. Nevertheless, it is important to understand in what occasions the inclusion of time since infection may alter the outcomes in a significant …

Sequential Screening For Psychosocial And Behavioural Risk During Pregnancy In A Population Of Urban African Americans, Michele Kiely, Marie G. Gantz, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Ayman El-Mohandes

Publications and Research

Objective: Screening for psychosocial and behavioral risks, such as depression, intimate partner violence and smoking, during pregnancy is considered state-of-the-art in prenatal care (PNC). This prospective longitudinal analysis examines the added benefit of repeated screening over a one-time screen in identifying such risks during pregnancy.

Design: Data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial to address intimate partner violence (IPV), depression, smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure (ETSE) in African-Americans women.

Setting: PNC sites in the District of Columbia serving mainly minority women

Population: 1044 African-American pregnant women in the District of Columbia

Methods: Mothers were classified by …

Association Of Dietary Intake Patterns With Emotion Regulation, Megan Holt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Western dietary patterns, characterized by high intakes of trans fatty acids (TFA’s), are associated with numerous preventable chronic diseases. Conversely, a Mediterranean dietary pattern is known to be favorably associated with health. Recent findings suggest a correlation between Mediterranean dietary patterns and positive affect, and an inverse correlation with negative affect. Trans fatty acid intake is also associated with negative affect. Further, affect disturbances are associated with emotion dysregulation. We have yet to understand the association of diet with emotion regulation after taking affect disturbances into consideration. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of Mediterranean diet …

Roe V. Wade At 40, Gerard V. Bradley

Journal Articles

Under the leadership of Chief Justice Warren Burger, who joined it in 1969, the Supreme Court departed from the course taken during the 16-year tenure of his predecessor, Earl Warren. The Burger Court rolled back precedents in criminal procedure and obscenity, while stopping the drive to universalize welfare rights and equalize public schooling expenditures. Roe v. Wade (1973), on the other hand, extended the Warren Court's deepest commitments: sexual liberation, obviously; equality, with respect to both race and class; and even church-state separation, insofar as the Roe Justices identified opposition to abortion with Catholic dogma. These more or less "progressive" …

Is There A Viability-Vulnerability Tradeoff? Sex Differences In Fetal Programming, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elyssia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff.

METHODS: We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 studies) and also new analyses of previously published findings in which sex differences were not reported (6 studies).

RESULTS: The review and reanalysis of studies from our group are consistent with the overwhelming evidence of increasing risk for viability among males exposed to environmental …

Jordanian University Student’S Attitudes And Perceptions On Mental Health, Amira Khablein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study examines the attitudes and perceptions of students at a private, Jordanian University to examine, through surveys, interviews and a focus group whether the stigma commonly associated with mental health in the Middle East and North African region persists for students and the reasons behind this stigma. It was also investigated what kind of disorders came to mind when asked to name specifics to see if students focused on the illness of psychological disorders when weighing mental health. It was found that the stigma does not necessarily exist for students, though it is perpetuated throughout the community and …

Mexican-American Children’S Perspectives: Neighborhood Characteristics And Physical Activity In Texas-Mexico Border Colonias, Nelda Mier, Chanam Lee, Matthew Lee Smith, Xiaohui Wang, David Irizarry, Elias H. Avila-Rodriguez, Laura Trevino, Marcia G. Ory

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

The qualitative study described in this article investigated perceptions about environmental factors infl uencing physical activity (PA) among children from underserved neighborhoods known as colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten focus groups were conducted with 67 Mexican-American colonia children ages 8 to 13 living in one of the poorest border counties in the U.S. Analyses indicated that PA among children was influenced by neighborhood characteristics, including litter, speeding cars, unleashed dogs, and dark streets. The children also underlined intrapersonal and social environmental factors. Findings may inform policy makers and public health professionals about ways to promote PA among underserved children …