Digital Commons Network^™

Treatments For Autism Spectrum Disorder: Literature Review, Jill Donaldson

Senior Honors Theses

This paper is a literature review of some of the popular treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It begins with an overview of ASD, the common symptoms, and comorbidities. It includes a review of pharmacological treatments, behavioral treatments, and dietary treatments. Some treatment options in each of those categories are explained and reviewed. The paper also presents the comparison of various treatments to determine which is the most effective. The paper then concludes with what the most effective treatments are and how combined treatments are used.

“Ichachu”: Ontological Diversity For Assembling Common Futures, Kaliana Conesa

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

The present work explores the role of discursive analyses of language as potent elements in networks of discourse and practice. A particular focus is with how language functions in multiple, overlapping registers, and how this affects its ability to motivate and coalesce diverse actors into communities of practice. In particular, usages of sovereignty, food sovereignty, and ontology are explored as a means for understanding the process of cross-cultural eco-social action. Fundamental to these analyses is the precept that registers of language represent an epistemic diversity always operating in collaborations for biocultural sustainability. By “eco-social action,” it is meant any practice, …

Nostalgia, The Liminal, And Feral Love In Guillermo Enrique Hudson’S “Green Mansions”, George Conesa

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Plastic Shamans, Intellectual Colonialism And Intellectual Appropriation In New Age Movements, Joseba I. Arregi Phd

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

The reality of colonialism plagues indigenous populations and continues into the present, generating new scenarios of oppression. This new oppression is tied to so-called alternative models of progress, to the success of sustainable development, and to the recognition of the importance of biodiversity in the 21^st Century. This work presents three processes of biological and cultural appropriation which constitute a new chapter in the long history of colonial aggression and indigenous resistance.

Covid-19 And Challenges To The Traditional Understanding Of Individual Medical Autonomy, Callon A. Green

Honors Theses

Throughout history, vaccines have provided the human population with the ability to combat dangerous illnesses and avoid preventable suffering. Despite the benefits vaccines provide to the public health of the United States, anti-vaccination sentiment and resistance to vaccine uptake are still prevalent in the modern day. As the COVID-19 pandemic has developed into a major public health crisis that can be controlled through vaccination, the issues underlying vaccine resistance are becoming more critical to return to normal life. Using COVID-19 as a case study, it is evident that the individual choice to deny vaccination can have consequences on the health …

Effect Of Passive Tobacco Smoking Exposure On The Periodontal Status Of Turkish Children, Raif Alan, Onur Gezgi̇n, Emre Korkut, Şükriye Türkoğlu, Esra Çeli̇k, Seyfullah Hali̇loğlu

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of passive tobacco smoking (PTS) through the comparison of the periodontal status and the C-reactive protein (CRP) and cotinine levels in the biologic fluids in children who are exposed and unexposed to PTS. Methods: A total of 148 participants, whom had smokers (PTS-exposed, n=82) and non-smokers (PTS-unexposed, n=66) in their families, respectively, were included in the study. Gingival index, plaque index, probing depth, and bleeding on probing were recorded. Moreover, saliva, urine, and gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected. CRP and cotinine levels in the biological fluids were determined by …

Thyreos Completes Seed Funding From Invest Nebraska, Strategic Angel Investors, Nebraska Combine

The Combine

First paragraph:

Thyreos (https://www.thyreosvaccines.com/), a vaccine company that is developing a novel vaccine platform that protects against a range of herpesviruses, has announced a $750,000 investment round led by Invest Nebraska with participation from other local angel investors in the animal health and veterinary space.

The Third Plague Pandemic And British India: A Transformation Of Science, Policy, And Indian Society, Rebecca L. Burrows

Tenor of Our Times

This paper seeks to understand the role of the Third Plague Pandemic's overwhelming devastation in colonial India, specifically through the new advancements in scientific understanding, unheard of proactive prevention measures, and increased separation between the colonial powers of Great Britain and the common people of India.

Evaluation Of Glutaminase Expression In Prostate Adenocarcinoma And Correlation With Clinicopathologic Parameters, Zin W. Myint, Ramon C. Sun, Patrick J. Hensley, Andrew C. James, Peng Wang, Stephen E. Strup, Robert J. Mcdonald, Donglin Yan, William H. St. Clair, Derek B. Allison

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

High Glutaminase (GLS1) expression may have prognostic implications in colorectal and breast cancers; however, high quality data for expression in prostate cancer (PCa) are lacking. The purpose of this study is to investigate the status of GLS1 expression in PCa and correlated expression levels with clinicopathologic parameters. This study was conducted in two phases: an exploratory cohort analyzing RNA-Seq data for GLS1 from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal (246 PCa samples) and a GLS1 immunohistochemical protein expression cohort utilizing a tissue microarray (TMA) (154 PCa samples; 41 benign samples) for correlation with clinicopathologic parameters. In the TCGA cohort, …

Obstetric Patients And Healthcare Providers Perspectives To Inform Mobile App Design For Physical Activity And Weight Control During Pregnancy And Postpartum In A Rural Setting, Rachel Tinius, Cathryn Duchette, Sia Beasley, Maire Blankenship, Nancy Schoenberg

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Mobile health technology offers the opportunity for women to engage with physical activity promotion programs without many of the barriers commonly associated with exercise during and after pregnancy (eg, childcare concerns, rigid schedules, fear of doing harm to fetus or self, access to fitness facilities, uncomfortable with body in front of others) which may be particularly useful in under-resourced rural environments. We conducted the first known study on perspectives of pregnant women, postpartum women, and obstetric healthcare providers in a rural setting on needs related to the development of a mobile app designed to increase physical activity during pregnancy …

Disparities In Access To Assisted Reproductive Technology Among Hispanic Women In The United States, Madison Gallagher

Honors Thesis

Infertility is a health problem that affects approximately 7 million women in the United States (Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2015). Due to the high costs of reproductive medicine and infertility treatment, these services tend to be expensive and have limited accessibility without full insurance coverage. Emerging literature outlines the disparities in access to proper treatment for reproductive complications. These existing studies highlight that many minority populations in the United States experience increased challenges regarding access to reproductive medicine and infertility treatment. Among these minority groups are Hispanic women, who are more likely to require reproductive …

Klk3 Snp–Snp Interactions For Prediction Of Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness, Hui Yi Lin, Po Yu Huang, Chia Ho Cheng, Heng Yuan Tung, Zhide Fang, Anders E. Berglund, Ann Chen, Jennifer French-Kwawu, Darian Harris, Julio Pow-Sang, Kosj Yamoah, John L. Cleveland, Shivanshu Awasthi, Robert J. Rounbehler, Travis Gerke, Jasreman Dhillon, Rosalind Eeles, Rosalind Eeles, Zsofia Kote-Jarai, Zsofia Kote-Jarai

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Risk classification for prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness and underlying mechanisms remain inadequate. Interactions between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may provide a solution to fill these gaps. To identify SNP–SNP interactions in the four pathways (the angiogenesis-, mitochondria-, miRNA-, and androgen metabolism-related pathways) associated with PCa aggressiveness, we tested 8587 SNPs for 20,729 cases from the PCa consortium. We identified 3 KLK3 SNPs, and 1083 (P < 3.5 × 10–9) and 3145 (P < 1 × 10–5) SNP–SNP interaction pairs significantly associated with PCa aggressiveness. These SNP pairs associated with PCa aggressiveness were more significant than each of their constituent SNP individual effects. The majority (98.6%) of the 3145 pairs involved KLK3. The 3 most common gene–gene interactions were KLK3-COL4A1:COL4A2, KLK3-CDH13, and KLK3-TGFBR3. Predictions from the SNP interaction-based polygenic risk score based on 24 SNP pairs are promising. The prevalence of PCa aggressiveness was 49.8%, 21.9%, and 7.0% for the PCa cases from our cohort with the top 1%, middle 50%, and bottom 1% risk profiles. Potential biological functions of the identified KLK3 SNP–SNP interactions were supported by gene expression and protein–protein interaction results. Our findings suggest KLK3 SNP interactions may play an important role in PCa aggressiveness.

Surveying Pediatric Caregivers’ Readiness For Dyad Isolation In The Hospital During Covid-19, Shanqing Yin, Mei Zi Quek, Celestine Mun Ting Yeo, Sylvia Mun, Ronghui Li, Derrick Chan

Patient Experience Journal

The onset of any emerging outbreak is stressful for everyone. Singapore was one of many countries affected early by COVID-19. In response, many precautionary measures were quickly initiated, including the isolation of suspected COVID-19 pediatric cases, and their caregivers were isolated together with their hospitalized children as a result. Caregivers play an important role in facilitating their child’s health in the hospital. Rooming in with their children during hospitalization promotes the benefits of parental presence and reduces separation effects. However, sudden admission with strict movement restrictions poses stress to these caregivers too. This study ran a 3-part paper-based survey to …

Pulling The Food System Up By The Roots: How Do We Build An Equitable Food System In The Twin Cities?, Aubrey A. Hagen

Geography Honors Projects

Prior to 2020, food insecurity was already a pervasive problem in the United States, with limited access to adequate, nutritious foods being linked to numerous poor physical and psychological outcomes. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and civil uprisings in response to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, the Twin Cities communities are facing overlapping crises that threaten individual and community wellbeing and food security. How do we build a just, equitable, and “crisis-proof” food system? Drawing from theoretical frameworks in social epidemiology and radical food geography, this paper assesses how the local food system and community food insecurity in …

Suppression Of Human Coronavirus 229e Infection In Lung Fibroblast Cells Via Rna Interference, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Jennifer Totonchy, Parvin Mahdipoor, Keykavous Parang, Hasan Uludağ

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Despite extensive efforts to repurpose approved drugs, discover new small molecules, and develop vaccines, COVID-19 pandemic is still claiming victims around the world. The current arsenal of antiviral compounds did not perform well in the past viral infections (e.g., SARS), which casts a shadow of doubt for use against the new SARS-CoV-2. Vaccines should offer the ultimate protection; however, there is limited information about the longevity of the generated immunity and the protection against possible mutations. This study uses Human Coronavirus 229E as a model coronavirus to test the hypothesis that effective delivery of virus-specific siRNAs to infected cells will …

Bearing Witness To The Beauty Of Enactive Kinesthetic Empathy Across Species In Canine-Human And Equine-Human Interactions: Participant-Observation Ethnographies, Donna A. Carlyle, Pamela Graham

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Through observations from ethnographic fieldwork the authors seek to highlight the significance of equine-human and canine-human communication to the fields of both human- animal studies and eudaimonia theories of human well-being. As we shared our insights through academic conversations about our respective research findings, we realized that both studies explore the enigmatic and significant concept of kinesthetic empathy in communication and relationship building between horses and young people and between dogs and young children. The canine-child setting (Study A) is a primary school and classroom in which the children voted to share their environment with a school dog, and the …

Zero Balancing In The Chiropractic Practice, Michele Doucette Dc

Journal of Transformative Touch

Discovering the profound gifts of the leading-edge structural and energetic manual therapy Zero Balancing (ZB), and adding it to my chiropractic and nutrition practice, has unified my personal growth with the sustainability of my professional practice. Much of humanity is starving for wholeness, authenticity, and meaningful connection with ourselves, others, and something greater. Chiropractors are well positioned to be leaders in a true evolution of healthcare, especially if, as we continue to explore the various branches of our therapeutic repertoires, we stay connected to our vitalistic roots that are now more supported than ever by new findings in the fields …

Associations Between Family-Based Stress And Dietary Inflammatory Potential Among Families With Preschool-Aged Children, Valerie Hruska, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Alison M. Duncan, Jess Hines, David W. L. Ma

Faculty Publications

Chronic stress is known to influence dietary choices, and stressed families often report poorer diet quality; however, little is known about how family-based stress is linked with dietary patterns that promote inflammation. This study investigated associations between family-based stress and the inflammatory potential of the diet among preschool-aged children and their parents. Parents (n = 212 mothers, n = 146 fathers) and children (n = 130 girls, n = 123 boys; aged 18 months to 5 years) from 241 families participating in the Guelph Family Health Study were included in the analyses. Parents reported levels of parenting distress, depressive symptoms, …

Measuring And Leveraging Motives And Values In Dietary Interventions, Sarah J. Eustis, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy, Swann A. Adams, James R. Hébert Scd

Faculty Publications

Why measure and leverage food motives and values? Every failure and every success in dietary change can be connected to motivation. Therefore, this research question naturally arises: How can food motives and values be measured and leveraged to improve diet outcomes from the individual to populations? There are four ways that food motives and values (FMVs) can assist researchers and health professionals. First, FMVs can help to create a personalized approach to dietary change. Second, FMVs can inform content for dietary interventions. Third, these FMV measures can be used in data analysis to elucidate differences in adherence and outcomes among …

Tuberculosis And Poor Health Among Migrant And Seasonal Farmworkers In The United States, Lucy Cummins

Health Studies Capstones

The following paper will explore the prevalence of TB among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States, and the systemic forces that contribute to that prevalence. Cyclical of poverty, dangerous working conditions, and barriers to healthcare overall have all led to increased risk of TB infection for farmworkers and their families. Moreover, structural violence traps these farmworkers in conditions of increased risk that have a major impact on their general health. Thus, the issue of TB is not a single issue, but one that relates to a range of social, economic, and political factors. Improving TB outcomes for farmworkers …

Cystic Fibrosis In Context: A Look Into Patient Advocacy, Race, Genetics, And Big Pharma, Kayla Sloan

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

Despite more people having Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) community receives more private funding, venture capital contributions, and access to participation in political discussions. This divide makes sense given the racial disparities between the mostly black SCD community and the predominately white group of patients with CF. In this paper, I look at how advocacy organizations and scientists build relationships with patients, the impact of race on the history of these advocacy groups, and how conversations about future biotech initiatives differ due to disparities in disposable capital between the two groups. SCD patients have had to combat …

Transmission Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (Sars-Cov-2) In A Patient Transport Van, Lucas D. Jones, Ernest R. Chan, Sarah N. Redmond, Jeffrey D. Kovach, Marlin Linger, Peter A. Zimmerman, Curtis J. Donskey

Faculty Scholarship

We report 2 episodes of potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission from infected van drivers to passengers despite masking and physical distancing. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed relatedness of driver and passenger SARS-CoV-2. With the heater operating, fluorescent microspheres were transported by airflow >3 meters from the front to the back of the van.

Association Of Hair Concentrations Of Antiretrovirals With Virologic Outcomes Among People Living With Hiv In Guangxi, China, Quan Zhang, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Shuaifeng Liu, Zhiyong Shen, Yuejiao Zhou

Faculty Publications

Background: Hair concentrations of antiretrovirals are an innovative and non-invasive method for measuring cumulative antiretroviral exposure and assessing long-term antiretroviral adherence. This study aimed to examine hair concentrations of antiretrovirals in relation to virologic outcomes among PLHIV in Guangxi, China.
Methods: Cross-sectional data of hair concentrations of antiretrovirals and HIV viral load were collected from 215 PLHIV in Guangxi, China. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association of hair concentrations of antiretrovirals with virologic outcomes.
Results: Of the 215 participants, 215, 67, and 163 PLHIV are receiving lamivudine, zidovudine, and efavirenz, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that hair …

Muscle Performance Changes With Age In Active Women, Ryan M. Miller, Eduardo D. S. Freitas, Aaron D. Heishman, Keldon M. Peak, Samuel R. Buchanan, J. Mikhail Kellawan, Hugo M. Pereira, Debra A. Bemben, Michael G. Bemben

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine age-related differences in muscle performance in women divided into young (YW, 20–39 years, n = 29) middle-aged (MAW, 40–59 years, n = 33), and older (OW, ≥60 years, n = 40) age groups. Methods: Hand grip strength, vertical jump performance, and knee extensor (KE) strength (0 deg/s, 60 deg/s, and 240 deg/s), speed of movement (SoM; at 1 Nm, 20%, 40%, and 60% isometric strength), and endurance (30-repetition test at 60 degs/s and 240 deg/s) were assessed. Computed tomography-acquired muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) was measured and included to determine specific strength (KE …

The Danger Of Apathy: College Students' Receipt Of Mumps Vaccine During An Outbreak, Laura A. Keane

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

A mumps outbreak occurred on the James Madison University campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia, during the Spring 2018 semester. For many of the students, it was probably the first time they had to decide on their own whether or not to receive a vaccine. This study examined the relationships between students’ general vaccine acceptance; measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine acceptance; vaccine knowledge; and intent to receive/receipt of the MMR booster. An explanatory, cross-sectional study was distributed in Fall 2019 to students in two health courses (n = 243). For students who were enrolled during the Spring 2018 semester, the …

Tocilizumab In Hospitalized Patients With Severe Covid-19 Pneumonia, Ivan O Rosas, Norbert Bräu, Michael Waters, Ronaldo C Go, Bradley D Hunter, Sanjay Bhagani, Daniel Skiest, Mariam S Aziz, Nichola Cooper, Ivor S Douglas, Sinisa Savic, Taryn Youngstein, Lorenzo Del Sorbo, Antonio Cubillo Gracian, David J De La Zerda, Andrew Ustianowski, Min Bao, Sophie Dimonaco, Emily Graham, Balpreet Matharu, Helen Spotswood, Larry Tsai, Atul Malhotra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is associated with immune dysregulation and hyperinflammation, including elevated interleukin-6 levels. The use of tocilizumab, a monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor, has resulted in better outcomes in patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia in case reports and retrospective observational cohort studies. Data are needed from randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

METHODS: In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients who were hospitalized with severe Covid-19 pneumonia in a 2:1 ratio receive a single intravenous infusion of tocilizumab (at a dose of 8 mg per kilogram of body weight) or placebo. Approximately one quarter of the participants …

Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors Affecting The Expression Of Covid-19-Relevant Genes In The Large Airway Epithelium, Silva Kasela, Victor E Ortega, Molly Martorella, Suresh Garudadri, Jenna Nguyen, Elizabeth Ampleford, Anu Pasanen, Srilaxmi Nerella, Kristina L Buschur, Igor Z Barjaktarevic, R Graham Barr, Eugene R Bleecker, Russell P Bowler, Alejandro P Comellas, Christopher B Cooper, David J Couper, Gerard J Criner, Jeffrey L Curtis, Meilan K Han, Nadia N Hansel, Eric A Hoffman, Robert J Kaner, Jerry A Krishnan, Fernando J Martinez, Merry-Lynn N Mcdonald, Deborah A Meyers, Robert Paine, Stephen P Peters, Mario Castro, Loren C Denlinger, Serpil C Erzurum, John V Fahy, Elliot Israel, Nizar N Jarjour, Bruce D Levy, Xingnan Li, Wendy C Moore, Sally E Wenzel, Charles Langelier, Prescott G Woodruff, Tuuli Lappalainen, Stephanie A Christenson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The large airway epithelial barrier provides one of the first lines of defense against respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Substantial inter-individual variability in individual disease courses is hypothesized to be partially mediated by the differential regulation of the genes that interact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus or are involved in the subsequent host response. Here, we comprehensively investigated non-genetic and genetic factors influencing COVID-19-relevant bronchial epithelial gene expression.

METHODS: We analyzed RNA-sequencing data from bronchial epithelial brushings obtained from uninfected individuals. We related ACE2 gene expression to host and environmental factors in the SPIROMICS cohort of smokers with …

Blood Transcriptome Profiling As Potential Biomarkers Of Suboptimal Health Status: Potential Utility Of Novel Biomarkers For Predictive, Preventive, And Personalized Medicine Strategy, Hao Wang, Qiuyue Tian, Jie Zhang, Hongqi Liu, Jinxia Zhang, Weijie Cao, Xiaoyu Zhang, Xingang Li, Lijuan Wu, Manshu Song, Yuanyuan Kong, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The early identification of Suboptimal Health Status (SHS) creates a window opportunity for the predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) in chronic diseases. Previous studies have observed the alterations in several mRNA levels in SHS individuals. As a promising “omics” technology offering comprehension of genome structure and function at RNA level, transcriptome profiling can provide innovative molecular biomarkers for the predictive identification and targeted prevention of SHS. To explore the potential biomarkers, biological functions, and signalling pathways involved in SHS, an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq)–based transcriptome analysis was firstly conducted on buffy coat samples collected from 30 participants with SHS and …

Innovations In U.S. Health Care Delivery To Reduce Disparities In Maternal Mortality Among African American And American Indian/Alaskan Native Women, Swapna Reddy, Nina Patel, Mary Saxon, Nina Amin, Rizwana Biviji

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Despite spending more on health care than any other country, the United States has the worst maternal mortality rate among all developed nations. African American and American Indian/Alaskan Native women have the worst outcomes by race, representing a stark health disparity within the country. Contributing factors disproportionately experienced by these minority populations include challenges of access to consistent and high-quality prenatal care, prevalence of underlying conditions, toxic stress due to systemic racism, and unconscious bias in health care. While many of these factors lie upstream in the lives of women, and seemingly beyond the scope of the clinical walls, the …

Gestational Weight Gain In 4 Low- And Middle-Income Countries And Associations With Birth Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis Of The Women First Trial, Melissa S. Bauserman, Carla M. Bann, K Michael Hambidge, Ana L. Garces, Lester Figueroa, Jamie L. Westcott, Jackie K. Patterson, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Sumera Ali Aziz, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) is essential for healthy fetal growth. However, in low- and middle-income countries, where malnutrition is prevalent, little information is available about GWG and how it might be modified by nutritional status and interventions.
Objective: We describe GWG and its associations with fetal growth and birth outcomes. We also examined the extent to which prepregnancy BMI, and preconception and early weight gain modify GWG, and its effects on fetal growth.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the Women First Trial, including 2331 women within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guatemala, India, and Pakistan, …