Digital Commons Network^™

Cranial Deformation As The Cause Of Death For A Child From The Chillon River Valley, Peru, Shelia M.F. Medoncade Souza, Karl J. Reinhard, Andrea Lessa

Karl Reinhard Publications

Two small mummy bundles, found in a tomb at the Chillon River Valley, Lima Plains, Peru exist in the collections of the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They were donated to the collections at the beginning of the 20th century. A multidisciplinary team is now curating and studying them. CT scans confirmed both skeletons were of individuals less than one year old at death. One of the bundles is intact and will be preserved and displayed. The other one was partly decomposed and the authors received permission to unwrap it to analyze the bones in details. Mites and pollen …

A Child And His Fate: Tuberculosis, Perimortem Trauma And Mummification, Sheila M. M.De Souza, Karl J. Reinhard, Bernardo Tessarollo, Jose Fernando Cardona Zannier, Adauto Araujo

Karl Reinhard Publications

A male child, sitting, 7 years, circumferential deformation, skin marked by coiled fibers, nostril plugs, consistent with Aymara practices was CT scanned. Puppae in the skin suggest exposition of the body previous to the funeral. Dark brown color at the skin suggest blood perfusion. A broken area at the right frontal with the skin partially inside is suggestive of perimorten trauma. There were no bone debris inside the skull and the CT images show two confluent fractures defined by radiating lines extending beyond the missing bone surface. The right eyeball is projected out, the tongue is outside the mouth, the …

Pathoecology And The Future Of Coprolite Studies In Bioarchaeology, Karl J. Reinhard, Vaughn M. Bryant Jr.

Karl Reinhard Publications

Human coprolites currently provide an expanding array of information about the diet, health, and ecology of prehistoric people in the Southwest, but for many years coprolites were not recognized or preserved, or they were not considered important and thus were not saved (Bryant and Dean 2006). With the expansion of archaeological field work during the last half of the twentieth century archaeologists have increasingly explored the "complete" potentials of sites, including the collection and analysis of geomorphologic, botanical, and faunal data. In some ideal habitats (e.g., very dry or frozen) this includes exploring the scientific potential of human coprolite studies. …

Pathoecology Of Two Ancestral Pueblo Villages, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Pathoecology is the study of the biotic, abiotic, and cultural environments of disease (Martinson et al. 2003). A parasitic infection is the result of the pathoecological interaction of host behavior, parasite life cycle, the environment in which both life forms live, the nutritional status of the host, and host physiological responses to all of these factors. Parasites contribute to anemia in many ways. Some, such as hookworm, actually consume blood and cause iron loss through their activities. For other parasites, symptoms such as profuse diarrhea reduce intestinal absorption of nutrients. Others, such as certain fish tapeworms, actually compete for absorption …

Paleoparasitology: Perspectives With New Techniques, Adauto Araújo, Karl Reinhard, Otilio M. Bastos, Ligia C. Costa, Claude Pirmez, Alena Iñighez, Ana Carolina Vicente, Carlos M. Morel, Luiz Fernando Ferreira

Karl Reinhard Publications

Paleoparasitology is the study of parasites found in archaeological material. The development of this field of research began with histological identification of helminth eggs in mummy tissues, analysis of coprolites, and recently through molecular biology. An approach to the history of paleoparasitology is reviewed in this paper, with special reference to the studies of ancient DNA identified in archaeological material.

Paleoparasitologia: perspectivas com novas técnicas
Paleoparasitologia é o estudo de parasitos encontrados em material arqueológico. O desenvolvimento deste campo da pesquisa teve início com a identificação de ovos de helmintos em tecidos mumificados, análise de coprólitos e, recentemente, através da …

Enterobius Vermicularis Ancient Dna In Pre-Columbian Human Populations, Alena Mayo Iniguez, Karl J. Reinhard, Luiz Fernando Ferreira, Adauto Araujo, Ana Carolina, Paulo Vincente

Karl Reinhard Publications

In prehistoric populations the paleoparasitological findings show an Enterobius vennicularis homogeneous distribution among North American hunter-gatherers intensified with the advent of agriculture. The same occurred in the transition from nomad hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers in South America, although E. vermicularis infection encompasses only the ancient Andean peoples. Since molecular techniques are sensitive in detecting ancient DNA (aDNA), in this work we have performed a molecular paleoparasitological study of E. vermicularis. aDNA was recovered from North and South American coprolites (4110 BC-AD 900). Human (cox 2 and HVR) and pinworm (5S rRNA spacer) sequences were determined. The sequence analysis confirmed E. …

Polymorphisms In Methionine Synthase, Methionine Synthase Reductase And Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase, Folate And Alcohol Intake, And Colon Cancer Risk, Susan E. Steck, Temitope O. Keku, Lesley M. Butler, Joseph Galanko, Beri Massa, Robert C. Millikan, Robert S. Sandler

Faculty Publications

Background/Aims - We examined associations among folate and alcohol intake, SNPs in genes involved in one-carbon metabolism and colon cancer risk.

Methods - Colon cancer cases (294 African Americans and 349 whites) were frequency matched to population controls (437 African Americans and 611 whites) by age, race and sex from 33 North Carolina counties from 1996 to 2000. Folate and alcohol intakes were collected by dietary interview. Five SNPs were genotyped using DNA from whole blood: SHMT C1420T; MTRR A66G; MTR A2756G, and the previously-reported MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% …

Physical Activity And Blood Pressure In Childhood: Findings From A Population-Based Study, Sam D. Leary, Andy R. Ness, George Davey Smith, Calum Mattocks, Kevin Deere, Steven N. Blair, Chris J. Riddoch

Faculty Publications

The pathological processes associated with development of cardiovascular disease begin early in life. For example, elevated blood pressure (BP) can be seen in childhood and tracks into adulthood. The relationship between physical activity (PA) and BP in adults is well-established, but findings in children have been inconsistent, with few studies measuring PA mechanically. Children aged 11 to 12 years were recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. 5505 had systolic and diastolic BP measurements, plus valid (at least 10 hours for at least 3 days) accelerometer measures of PA; total PA recorded as average counts per minute …

Influence De La Charge De Travail Sur Les Indicateurs Biologiques D'Exposition De Cinq Solvants, Robert Tardif, Ginette Charest-Tardif, Ginette Truchon, Martin Brochu

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Plusieurs facteurs qui sont susceptibles d’exercer un impact majeur sur le comportement des contaminants dans l’organisme des individus exposés. À cet égard, la ventilation alvéolaire joue un rôle particulièrement important puisqu’elle est directement influencée par l’intensité de l’activité physique ou de la charge de travail. Or toute augmentation de cette charge de travail se traduit par une augmentation de la ventilation alvéolaire laquelle dépend de la fréquence respiratoire et du volume courant. Selon les produits en cause, ces modifications physiologiques peuvent avoir des répercussions importantes sur les quantités de contaminants absorbées et sur leur élimination, et par conséquent, sur leurs …

A Study Of The Distribution And Abundance Of The Adult Malaria Vector In Western Kenya Highlands, Li Li, Ling Bian, Guiyun Yan

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Background: A sharp rise in the malaria mortality rate has been observed recently in western Kenya. Malaria is transmitted by mosquito vectors. Malaria control strategies can be more successful if the distribution and abundance of mosquito vectors is predicted. However, how mosquito vectors are distributed in space remain poor understood, and this question is rarely studied using spatial methods. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the distribution and abundance of mosquito vectors. To achieve this objective, spatial and non-spatial methods were employed. The data on the distribution of adult mosquitoes, and mosquito breeding habitats in a study …

Evaluation Of Pre And Post Treatment Filtration Performance Of Kinetico Macrolite® Ceramic Media Compared To Traditional Sand/Anthracite And Gac Filters In Drinking Water Treatment Process, Jeff Cochran

All ETDs from UAB

This study was conducted in conjunction with the Birmingham Water Works Board to evaluate Kinetico ceramic filter media against GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) and Sand/Anthracite filters. The Birmingham Water Works Board Water Treatment Pilot Plant was located and operated on the Shades Mountain Filter Plant (SMFP) premises. The evaluation was conducted in three phases: plant matching, plant optimization, and pre-filter testing. The initial phase called for determining the best combination of Kinetico Macrolite Ceramic media to match or outperform the existing Sand/Anthracite dual media filters located at SMFP. At the end of the testing it was determined that 18 inches …

Air Pollution And Preterm Births In Atlanta, Georgia, Corey Masuca

All ETDs from UAB

Exposure to ambient outdoor air pollution exposure is one of the many extraneous factors associated with preterm births. Many epidemiological studies involving preterm births and ambient air pollution have repeatedly indicated positive associations. However, for many such studies, results may be statistically significant but weakly associated or inconclusive. Such results may be primarily attributable to the fact that most studies include only single or multiple criteria air pollutants but not the total air pollution mixture of criteria air pollutants and air toxic pollutants (e.g., PAHs) to which people are actually exposed. This study assessed associations between pollutant classes, including criteria …

Multiracial Tobacco, Alcohol, And Drug Use: An Investigation Of The Function Of Racial Identity In A Longitudinal Sample From Youth To Young Adulthood, Julia Katrina Crumly

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of the research is threefold. The first purpose is to determine if multiracial individuals are at a higher risk for alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. The second purpose is to determine the relationship between racial identity and risk behaviors. The third purpose is to determine how the change/no change of racial identity longitudinally contributes to one’s risk to engage in risk behaviors. A national representative longitudinal data set was obtained and analyzed for the purpose of this study. Results of the study reveal that there are differences in multiracial groups for risk behaviors, minority identification is not necessarily …

Wavelet-Based Regression And Classification For Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Data, William R. Prucka

All ETDs from UAB

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique capable of in vivo characterization of the spatial and angular dependence of free water diffusion in tissue. By studying intra- and extra-cellular water mobility, inference can be made about the surrounding medium. The non-uniform angular dependence of diffusion, known as anisotropy, is evident in fibrous tissues, which exhibit greater diffusion parallel versus perpendicular to the fiber orientation. DTI’s sensitivity to anisotropy makes it an effective tool for measuring the integrity of fibrous myelinated white matter tracts in the brain. For demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), DTI has …

Multifactor Effects And Evidence Of Potential Interaction Between Complement Factor H Y402h And Loc387715 A69s In Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Sanna P. Seitsonen, Päivi Onkamo, Gang Peng, Momiao Xiong, Petri V. Tommila, Päivi H. Ranta, Juha M. Holopainen, Jukka A. Moilanen, Tapani Palosaari, Kai Kaarniranta, Seppo Meri, Ilkka R. Immonen, Irma E. Järvelä

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Variants in the complement cascade genes and the LOC387715/HTRA1, have been widely reported to associate with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of visual impairment in industrialized countries. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the association between the LOC387715 A69S and complement component C3 R102G risk alleles in the Finnish case-control material and found a significant association with both variants (OR 2.98, p = 3.75 x 10(-9); non-AMD controls and OR 2.79, p = 2.78 x 10(-19), blood donor controls and OR 1.83, p = 0.008; non-AMD controls and OR 1.39, p = 0.039; blood donor controls), respectively. Previously, …

Physicians' Communication With Older Patients, Particularly Older African American Women, About Sexual Health And Sexual Risk Behaviors For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)*, Regina Vaughn Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

HIV/AIDS is rising among people age 50 and older in the U.S. but primary care physicians may not be talking to their older patients about sexual health and high-risk sexual behaviors nor routinely testing them for HIV/AIDS. Do primary care physicians in Arkansas obtain sexual histories on their older patients? Are primary care physicians in Arkansas knowledgeable enough about HIV to impart risk-reduction information to their older patients? These are but two of the questions this research seeks to answer. Contrary to what the medical or general population believes, many older persons remain sexually active throughout their lifetime. The problem …

The Meaning Of Work, Mental Health And Organizational Commitment, Estelle Morin

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Le projet présenté ici vise à déterminer les facteurs reliés au sens du travail qui ont un impact sur la santé mentale au travail et l’engagement organisationnel. Les résultats attendus sont d'une part, vérifier les relations entre les facteurs du sens au travail, la santé mentale au travail et l’engagement organisationnel et d'autre part, recommander des actions visant à corriger ou améliorer les facteurs qui affectent le sens du travail.

Les hypothèses suivantes ont été testées :

1. Les caractéristiques du travail suivantes sont positivement corrélées entre elles : l’utilité du travail, …

Développement De Marqueurs Et Validation D’Outils De Diagnostic Pour Le Dépistage De L’Hypersensibilité Induite Par Le Béryllium, Michel Fournier, Jacques Bernier, Pauline Brousseau, Daniel Cyr, Guy Viel, Sébastien Sauvé

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le béryllium est connu pour sa grande toxicité. Il provoque, suite à l’inhalation de poussières ou de vapeurs des pneumopathies sévères (bérylliose) et des atteintes chroniques dite maladie chronique du béryllium (MCB). En moyenne, 1à 20% des travailleurs exposés deviennent sensibilisés, desquels 1 à 10 % développent la MCB. Il existe un test de laboratoire couramment utilisé pour déceler la sensibilisation d’un travailleur au béryllium; il s’agit du test de prolifération des lymphocytes en présence de béryllium le "Beryllium Lymphocyte Proliferation Test" (BeLPT). Bien que ce test permette de détecter la sensibilisation, il offre peu de valeur prédictive quant aux …

Health Effects Of Nanoparticles, Claude Ostiguy, Brigitte Soucy, Gilles Lapointe, Catherine Woods, Luc Ménard, Mylène Trottier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Research in the nanoparticle (NP) and nanotechnology field is growing at a breathtaking pace. The reason is simple: the unique properties of NP will allow the development of products with unprecedented characteristics and opportunities in every field of human activity, and with tremendous economic impacts. It is currently anticipated that the number of exposed Quebec workers, not only in manufacturing these products but also in using and processing them, will increase over the next few years. Several products are already available commercially and some Quebec companies now have large-scale NP production …

Racial Differences In Birth Outcomes: The Role Of General, Pregnancy, And Racism Stress, Tyan Parker Dominguez, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Laura M. Glynn, Calvin J. Hobel, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: This study examined the role of psychosocial stress in racial differences in birth outcomes.

Design: Maternal health, sociodemographic factors, and 3 forms of stress (general stress, pregnancy stress, and perceived racism) were assessed prospectively in a sample of 51 African American and 73 non-Hispanic White pregnant women.

Main Outcome Measures: The outcomes of interest were birth weight and gestational age at delivery. Only predictive models of birth weight were tested as the groups did not differ significantly in gestational age.

Results: Perceived racism and indicators of general stress were correlated with birth weight and tested in regression analyses. In …

Timing Of Fetal Exposure To Stress Hormones: Effects On Newborn Physical And Neuromuscular Maturation, Lauren M. Ellman, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Calvin J. Hobel, Aleksandra Chicz-Demet, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of the study was to determine the specific periods during pregnancy in which human fetal exposure to stress hormones affects newborn physical and neuromuscular maturation. Blood was collected from 158 women at 15, 19, 25, and 31 weeks' gestation. Levels of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and maternal cortisol were determined from plasma. Newborns were evaluated with the New Ballard Maturation Score. Results indicated that increases in maternal cortisol at 15, 19, and 25 weeks and increases in placental CRH at 31 weeks were significantly associated with decreases in infant maturation among mates (even after con trolling for length …

Familialism, Social Support, And Stress: Positive Implications For Pregnant Latinas, Belinda Campos, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Cleopatra M. Abdou, Calvin J. Hobel, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined the association of familialism, a cultural value that emphasizes close family relationships, with social Support, stress, pregnancy anxiety, and infant birth weight. Foreign-born Latina (n = 31), U.S.-born Latina (n = 68), and European American (n = 166) women living in the United States participated in a prospective study of pregnancy in which they completed measures of familialism, social support, stress, and pregnancy anxiety during their second trimester. As expected, Latinas scored higher on familialism than European Americans. Familialism was positively correlated with social support and negatively correlated with stress and pregnancy anxiety in the overall sample. …

Stress And Blood Pressure During Pregnancy: Racial Differences And Associations With Birthweight, Clayton J. Hilmert, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Tyan Parker Dominguez, Cleopatra M. Abdou, Calvin J. Hobel, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: To extend findings that African American women report greater stress during pregnancy, have higher blood pressure (BP), and are twice as likely to have low birthweight infants relative to white women. This study examines a) racial differences in associations between stress and BP during pregnancy, and b) the combined effects of stress and BP on infant birthweight in a sample of 170 African American and white women.

METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal study of pregnant women was conducted in which measures of BP, stress, and other relevant variables were collected. Multiple measures of systolic and diastolic BP were taken at …

Differential Dynamic Properties Of Scleroderma Fibroblasts In Response To Perturbation Of Environmental Stimuli, Momiao Xiong, Frank C. Arnett, Xinjian Guo, Hao Xiong, Xiaodong Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Diseases are believed to arise from dysregulation of biological systems (pathways) perturbed by environmental triggers. Biological systems as a whole are not just the sum of their components, rather ever-changing, complex and dynamic systems over time in response to internal and external perturbation. In the past, biologists have mainly focused on studying either functions of isolated genes or steady-states of small biological pathways. However, it is systems dynamics that play an essential role in giving rise to cellular function/dysfunction which cause diseases, such as growth, differentiation, division and apoptosis. Biological phenomena of the entire organism are not only determined by …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of Low Cost Interventions To Reduce Childhood Immunization Dropouts In Pakistan, Hussain Raza Usman

All ETDs from UAB

Childhood immunization coverage in Pakistan remains sub-optimal despite universal and free of cost availability of vaccines. Structural impediments to progress may include the immunization card that is hard to read and interpret. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effect of redesigned immunization card and center-based education to mothers on immunization completion at rural immunization centers in Karachi, Pakistan. Other objectives were to identify the predictors of immunization completion and to identify factors associated with delay at first dose of diphtheria-tetanuspertussis (DTP1). Mother-child units were enrolled from six immunization centers at DTP1 and randomized to four study groups: …

Review Of The Social And Emotional Wellbeing Of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Darren Garvey

Research outputs pre 2011

The first case of diabetes among Indigenous people was recorded in Adelaide in 1923. Records prior to this time showed that Indigenous people were fit, lean, and did not suffer from any form of metabolic condition, which were largely believed to be a characteristic of European populations. The earliest detailed studies investigating the development of diabetes in Indigenous populations were not undertaken, however, until the early 1960s. These and subsequent studies found a significant correlation between the development of a ‘westernised’ lifestyle and the levels of type 2 diabetes in the Indigenous population.

Since that time, type 2 diabetes has …

Promoting Healthy Weight In The Preschool Years: A Portfolio And Planning Guide To Address Barriers In Primary Care, Margaret Miller, Renee Campbell-Pope, Lydia Hearn

Research outputs pre 2011

The rapidly rising incidence of overweight and obesity in Australia, particularly among young children has led to an urgent need for effective prevention. Recent figures indicate that 15% of preschool children in Australia are overweight, and a further 6% are obese1,2, with rates rising steadily especially among children from lower socioeconomic groups.

Family, childcare, primary health care, early childhood education and the community are influential environments for young children3-7 with the potential to engage in an integrated approach to promote healthy weight and development of healthy eating and active lifestyle habits during the pre-school years5,8,9.

In 2006, the Child Health …

Falls, Depression And Antidepressants In Later Life: A Large Primary Care Appraisal, Ngaire Kerse, Leon Flicker, Jon J. Pfaff, Brian Draper, Nicola T. Lautenschlager, Moira Sim, John Snowdon, Osvaldo P Almeida

Research outputs pre 2011

Background: Depression and falls are common and co-exist for older people. Safe management of each of these conditions is important to quality of life.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used to examine medication use associated with injurious and non-injurious falls in 21,900 community-dwelling adults, aged 60 years or over from 383 Australian general practices recruited for the DEPS-GP Project. Falls and injury from falls, medication use, depressive symptoms (Primary Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)), clinical morbidity, suicidal ideation and intent, health status (SF-12 Health Survey), demographic and lifestyle information was reported in a standardised survey.

Findings: Respondents were 71.8 years (sd 7.7) …

Healing The Health Care System: Summaries From The Department Of Health Policy Summer Seminar, David B. Nash, Nora Dowd Eisenhower, Rosemarie Greco, Deborah C. Meiris

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Editorial Introduction:
The disease management field continues to evolve. The range of chronic diseases treated has expanded to include such conditions as obesity and pain management, and the care continuum now encompasses wellness, prevention, and population health. One population that is an ideal candidate for our collective efforts is that of older adults. Global and national population projections reveal the impending staggering increase in the age 65+ cohort, which will cause a sharp increase in the demand for health care and other services due to such age-related issues as multiple chronic conditions, falls, and depression.

To begin to address these …

Ketahanan Hidup Setahun Pasien Stroke Di Rs Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta, Sri Mulyani

Kesmas

Di Indonesia, penyebab utama kematian di rumah sakit adalah stroke. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui ketahanan hidup 1 tahun pasien stroke yang dirawat di RS Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta tahun 2003 dan faktor yang mempengaruhinya. Rancangan penelitian ini adalah kohort retrospektif. Sampelnya adalah total populasi, yaitu 275 pasien yang didiagnosa mengalami serangan stroke pertama dan dirawat di RS Cipto Mangunkusumo Jakarta, yang masuk tanggal 1 Januari sampai 31 Desember 2003. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa probabilitas ketahanan hidup pasien stroke berbeda beda, tergantung pada tipe stroke, ruang rawat, dan penyakit jantung. Masing-masing probabilitas ketahanan hidup setahun pasien stroke adalah sebagai berikut: 63,7% …