Digital Commons Network^™

Determination Of The Antioxidant Activity Of Surface Treated Pet Films Coated With Natural Extracts, Hebatullah Hassan Farghal

Theses and Dissertations

Food oxidation is one of the major concerns that food producers and consumers face. In that regard, we are developing antioxidant polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filmthat could be employed for packaging fish products. Commercial PET films were surface treated and subsequently coated with either rosemary or clove extracts. Surface treatments involveda) corona treatment and b) chemical modification which are industrial means of surface treatment; Plasma treatment, at laboratory scale, was also used.Radical scavenging activities (RSA) of both pure plant extracts and coated film extractsweremeasured using the 2,2- Diphenyl-1-Picryl Hydrazyl(DPPH) method. Treated films coated with rosemary showed %RSA of 25.6%, 22.4% and …

Climate Change And Food Security In Egypt, Laila Yassin

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the climate change impact on food security with a focus on the agricultural sector and the food production system in Egypt. And, it examines how consistently can policies manage to reduce climate change effects on Egypt’s food security through qualitative research conducted through in depth interviews with ex-perts in the field. Egypt is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to climate change risks. The agricultural sector is one of the affected sectors; this sector is very critical for Egypt’s national and food security since it shapes 17% of its GDP, 40% of its …

Evaluating The Governmental Health Expenditure Pattern And Its Association With Health Outcomes In Egyptian Governorates, Wessam Abass

Theses and Dissertations

Health is one of the basic human rights; not all citizens are able to access quality healthcare services; therefore, countries allocate a considerable fund to healthcare provision but there is no general agreement about the effectiveness of monetary health inputs against health outcomes. The thesis evaluates the current governmental health expenditure pattern in Egyptian governorates and its relation to selected health outcomes. The study conducts secondary analysis for grouped data from different sources for year 2013-2014, applying descriptive, correlation and regression analysis by SPSS tool. It was found that there are disparities between governorates and regions in socioeconomic, health conditions, …

Introducing Entrepreneurship Into The Public University Scheme In Egypt, Ahmed Abbas

Theses and Dissertations

The overall study of available literature regarding entrepreneurship in Egypt reveals several gaps and barriers in the ecosystem. Human Capital represented in: education institutions, availability of skilled labor, and culture norms come at the forefront. Absence of entrepreneurship in the educational curricula in schools and most universities is a contributing factor of t the lagging entrepreneurship activities. This research investigates, explains and analyzes the existing situation of entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship in colleges of commerce in Egyptian public universities. Colleges of commerce are chosen for being the natural home of entrepreneurship education. Description and evaluation of the status quo are …

Calcified Gelatin Nanofibers For Guided Tissue Regeneration Using Water-Based Benign Solvent: An Investigation For Periodontal Applications, Nihal Abdelnabi Elsayed

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal regeneration, especially guided tissue regeneration (GTR), is one of the expanding applications in the field of tissue engineering. GTR barriers serve an exceptional function in healing various periodontal diseases such as gingivitis, periodontitis and loss of alveolar bone. Healing of periodontal pockets is somehow challenging as epithelial cells originated from the gingiva fill the site of defect and no regeneration takes place. Complete cell occlusion is a critical characteristic in case of pockets healing to obstruct gingival tissue growth, which performed via GTR membrane. Various materials were investigated for the synthesis of GTR membranes with collagen being the desired …

Primary Education Reforms Targeting Marginalized Groups: The Role Of Local Non-Governmental Organizations In Slum Areas In Cairo, Faiza Alaraji

Theses and Dissertations

The Egyptian government has implemented different educational programs targeting marginalized groups in Egypt over the years. Primary education reform plans are a priority for decision makers in both developed and developing countries. Many governments paid serious attention to implement successful strategies targeting marginalized groups in their societies. The study examined in depth educational reforms strategies in the selected developed and developing countries. Special attention was devoted to examining the role of NGOs in many developing countries like Ghana, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Civil organizations have added valuable contribution and rich experience to the field of education, especially through informal education programs …

Environmental Education In Egypt: A Preliminary Assessment, Nouran Assyed Fadl Faragallah

Theses and Dissertations

Giving that Egypt is facing serious environmental issues, Egypt needs to raise the public environmental awareness. Effective environmental education is needed to provide students with what is needed for achieving sustainability. This study aims to assess environmental education in formal education in Egypt through two approaches. The first approach is by assessing students' knowledge and attitudes towards environmental concepts. The second approach is by assessing the contribution of environmental policies to implementing environmental education. The study samples were selected from three public schools located in three different cities and villages. The research used qualitative methodology as the investigation was conducted …

Food & Beverages Advertising Viewed By Egyptian Children: A Content Analysis, Mona Rady

Theses and Dissertations

The Elaboration Likelihood Model posits that there are two routes to persuasion central (logical) and peripheral (emotional). This study employs the ELM to analyze persuasive appeals in ads viewed by Egyptian children between 7-12 years old. First of all, a survey was conducted to uncover food and beverage ads viewed by children on a spontaneous level followed by aided recall of ads. The survey was administered online to 304 children who filled the survey after their parent’s consent and assistance. After removing repeated ads, a total sample of 100 ads were reported and further analyzed. Findings proposed that peripheral cues …

Ethnic Inclusion, Education, Durable Assets And Occupational Opportunities, Nihad Aboud

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of access to durable economic assets,education and occupational opportunities on political inclusion. The study uses aggregated cross sectional data from the DHS surveys and combines it with data from the EPR dataset to obtain measures of economic, social and political inequalities at the group level. The study assumes that the more economic deprivation would lead to reduced political inclusion, whereas increased share of access to education and modern occupations increase the likelihood of political inclusion. The main findings of the study suggest a negative relation between relative economic deprivation and …

Enzymatic Hydrolysis And Ion Exchange Fractionation Of Sulfated Polysaccharides Extracted From Ulva Lactuca And Evaluation Of Their Biological Activity., Nihal Ali Moheib Abdelmoneim Abou El Azm

Theses and Dissertations

Sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) were extracted from the green algae, Ulva lacutca. High molecular weight SPs were enzymatically hydrolysed using viscozyme then fractionated into 8 different molecular weight fractions by means of diethyl amino ethyl (DEAE) anion exchange column chromatography. Crude SPs together with the hydrolysate and the 8 column effluent fractions were tested for their carbohydrate, protein and sulfate contents. In addition, their degree of polymerization (D.P.) was estimated and they were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Their antioxidant and antitumor activities were also determined using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) (MTT) …

Best Strategies For Obesity Prevention In Hispanic Youth Using Family Centered Approaches, Sara J. Gnagey

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States (U.S.), affecting all ages, sexes, and racial or ethnic groups. Obesity has disproportionately impacted Hispanics and Hispanic youth have the highest rates when compared to their non-Hispanic ethnicities. To prevent the growing rates of obesity and the negative impacts it can have on an individual, family, and community, healthcare providers and community leaders need to identify the best strategies for obesity prevention among Hispanic youth. The family units of high importance in Hispanic cultures. This is where values are shared and accepted, and behaviors are developed and supported. Focusing on the family …

Winter Cover Crops Impact On The Distribution Of Soil Inorganic Nitrogen And Subsequent Crop Uptake And Yield Following Fall Applied Anhydrous Ammonium, William Travis Deppe

Theses and Dissertations

The pairing of cover crops with spring application of nitrogen has shown improved nitrogen efficiency in corn production systems. However, studies have shown that only 50% of central Illinois farmers practice spring application of nitrogen. Furthermore, the literature demonstrates that in years with above average rainfall, fall applied N management systems are more susceptible to N loading relative to spring systems. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the efficacy of winter cover crops to impact the distribution of soil inorganic N following fall applied anhydrous ammonium. The experimental site is located at the Illinois State University Research …

Effects Of Sepsis Protocols On Health Outcomes Of Adult Patients With Sepsis, Monika U. Mróz

Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a condition that arises from the host’s own exaggerated response to an infection, directed towards pathogens, but causing multiple organ failure. Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death, and a considerable absorber of healthcare resources. This frequently fatal condition, despite progress in technology and improving knowledge of pathophysiology, is still poorly understood, carries high mortality and morbidity rates, and survivors are often left with permanent disabilities and poor health outcomes.

Initial presentation of sepsis is often nonspecific, making diagnosis difficult, and causing lifesaving treatment delays. Sepsis guidelines are derived from emerging evidence-based research. While there …

Investigation Of Anaplasma Phagocytophilum And Anaplasma Marginale Adhesin-Host Cell Interactions, Kathryn S. Hebert

Theses and Dissertations

Anaplasma phagocytophilum and A. marginale are the etiologic agents of bovine anaplasmosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, respectively. As obligate intracellular pathogens, binding and entry of host cells is a prerequisite for survival. The molecular events associated with these processes are poorly understood. Identifying the adhesins mediating binding, delineating their key functional domains, and determining the molecular determinants to which they bind not only benefits better understanding of Anaplasma spp. pathobiology, but could also benefit the development of novel approaches for protecting against infection. We previously demonstrated that A. phagocytophilum outer membrane protein A (ApOmpA) is critical for bacterial binding and …

Modeling Spatially Varying Effects Of Chemical Mixtures, Jenna Czarnota

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer incidence is associated with exposures to multiple environmental chemicals, and geographic variation in cancer rates suggests the importance of accommodating spatially varying effects in the analysis of environmental chemical mixtures and disease risk. Traditional regression methods are challenged by the complex correlation patterns inherent among co-occurring chemicals, and the applicability of geographically weighted regression models is limited in the setting of environmental chemical risk analysis. In comparison to traditional methods, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression performs well in the identification of important environmental exposures, but is limited by the assumption that effects are fixed over space. We present an …

Holistic Products: Designing With Time, Gifts, And Ritual, Jeremy P. Zietz

Theses and Dissertations

The notion of “you are what you buy” is an updated adage from “you are what you eat”. It makes a connection between our everyday objects and their effect on our lived experience. Looking at our relationships with our things as a type of contract, we must be intentional to shape these object contracts for our own good and health. Instead of our society’s design talents being put toward a consumerist agenda, designers must direct research and development which addresses the effects of our products holistically.

Various concepts have emerged in my creative practice which demand a deeper research and …

The Association Between Physical Activity And Serum Immunoglobulin G (Igg) Antibodies Against Periodontal Bacteria, A. Paige Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to add more research and evidence to the mechanisms surrounding periodontal disease, periodontal microorganisms, and physical activity. The main objective of this study is to evaluate and explore the association between physical activity and serum IgG antibodies, which are grouped into four distinct clusters, formed from species specific 19 periodontal antibody titers. This cross sectional study divided physical activity into three categories: adequately physically active, inadequately physically active, and inactive based on MET scores. Certain models were adjusted for confounders including age, sex, race/ethnicity, income-to-poverty ratio, years of formal education, smoking, alcohol intake, BMI, …

Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Profiling And Investigations Of Tgf-Ss1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Signatures In Namru Murine Mammary Gland Epithelial Cells, Matsepo Ramaboli

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Despite advances in cancer early detection, prevention and treatment, breast cancer is still a major health challenge due to low survival caused by breast cancer metastasis. This warrants critical attention and intervention. From the proteomic standpoint, a protein-based multiplex system that provides large array of informative signals for cancer identification and prognosis is still limited. In this dissertation work, we developed two mass spectrometry-based strategies involving chemical biology tools for rapid protein fingerprinting of breast cancer cell lines, and for probing the O-linked N-acetylglucosamine …

Enhancing Parent-Child Communication And Promoting Physical Activity And Healthy Eating Through Mobile Technology: A Randomized Trial, Danielle E. Schoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Background

Although rates of pediatric and adult obesity remain high in the U.S., finding scalable and engaging ways to disseminate obesity prevention and treatment for families has been challenging. The purpose of the Motivating Families with Interactive Technology (mFIT) study was to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of two remotely-delivered family-based health promotion programs for improvements physical activity (PA), healthy eating, and parent-child communication and relationship quality.

Methods

Parent-child (child age 9-12 years) dyads enrolled in a 12-week mobile intervention to increase physical activity and healthy eating, which included weekly email newsletters and the use of pedometers. Dyads were …

Depression Among Pregnant Latinas In South Carolina, Andrew Fogner

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of depression among pregnant Latinas. To bring to light the importance of prenatal depression prevention, we assessed the effect of the quality of healthcare providers among South Carolina Latinas (n=171). Women answered a validated CES-D and were categorized as depressed (score >16). In multivariate analyses, good perception of quality of healthcare was more likely among women who were not depressed; adjusted odds ratio of 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.37 – 1.55. The findings show the need for tailoring healthcare to Latinas with prenatal depression prevention. It is imperative to understand …

Regulation Of Chronic And Acute Inflammatory Disease By Microrna And Microbiota, Pegah Mehrpouya-Bahrami

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammation is implicated in cancer development, degenerative diseases, allergies as well as artherosecelorsis. Dysregulated immune responses lead to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. Finding the ways to terminate inflammatory responses when no longer needed, demands further investigation. Herein, we investigated the modulation of acute and chronic inflammatory disease models by inducing antiinflammatory state. Acute inflammatory model was induced with SEB, an enterotoxin produced by a ubiquitous Gram-positive coccus, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which exerts profound toxic effects on the immune system, which leads to the cytokine storm and adverse immune response. SEB is the main cause of nosocomial infections, acute …

Exploratory Analysis Of Ptsd Severity And Objective Measures Of Physical Activity Among Combat Veterans, Danny O. Sauceda

Theses and Dissertations

Strong levels of motivation, relatedness and self-determination support the likeliness of participating in habitual exercise. Compared to nationwide estimates, research has demonstrated fitness and performance is significantly lower among those suffering from PTSD. Meeting established recommended daily levels of physical activity (PA) for individuals with PTSD is critical for their physical and mental health status over a lifetime and factors supporting or hindering adherence to habitual exercise are lacking. Furthermore, regular PA among combat Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a viable and substantial treatment option to improve physical health status and cognitive well-being. The purpose of this exploratory …

Mislabeling Of Commercial Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) Products In Spain, Joshua Helgoe

Theses and Dissertations

The mislabeling of commercial fish products is a pervasive, worldwide problem. Most consumers of seafood are unaware this issue directly affects them and can even have negative impacts on their health. Mislabeling occurs when a product’s label is inconsistent with its content. Although mislabeling can be unintentional, deliberate mislabeling is a more common trend to increase profits and/or bypass fishing regulations - a form of economic fraud. Unfortunately, oversight, enforcement, and research are vastly insufficient in relation to the global scale of the problem. In order to add to the small knowledge base on European mislabeling rates, determine if overfished …

Exploring Children’S Physical Activity Levels Through Structure And Measurement, Jessica L. Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold: 1) to establish best practices for wrist-based accelerometry for 5-11 year old children and 2) to explore the contribution of activity structure to children’s physical activity (PA) levels.

The purpose of study 1 aimed to determine differences in counts/5second epoch produced by the dominant and non-dominant wrist during seated, sedentary activities in 5-11 year old children and ultimately create a cutpoint threshold to distinguish seated sedentary behavior from light physical activity. 167 children, ages 5-11 years, performed up to 8 sedentary activities for 5 minutes while wearing ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers on both wrists. …

Mysleep101©: An Educational Mobile Medical Application For Sleep Health In Primary Care, Sonya Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Insufficient sleep has emerged over the past few decades as a public health concern. As little as 1 to 2 hours of sleep loss can produce extreme fatigue and physiological drives similar to thirst and/or hunger which increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents, work related mistakes and injuries. Sleep restriction whether voluntary or involuntary has produced a culture of chronic sleep deprivation that can be seen throughout the population. Chronic lack of quality sleep has been shown to adversely affect cardiovascular health, cognitive function, memory, immune responses and hormonal regulation among other homeostatic functions. Sleep disorders represent the cause …

Quality Over Quantity: Positive Interactions During Family Meals In Food-Insecure Households Compensate For The Negative Impacts Of Household Chaos On Child Emotional Well-Being, But Not Diet Quality, Tiara Nicόl Rosemond

Theses and Dissertations

Family meals are important family activities that have many positive nutritional and emotional benefits for children. Positive family meal experiences may provide opportunities for children to strengthen emotional bonds, leading to a sense of security and, fostering improved children’s self-regulation of healthier food intake and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, children in food insecure households experience higher amounts of chaos, lower diet quality, and worry about having enough to eat compared to children in food-secure households, all of which may affect both family meal frequency and interpersonal quality. Yet, the relationships between food insecurity, household chaos, and family meal frequency and interpersonal …

The Influence Of Prenatal And Early Life Factors On Bmi Z Scores And The Risk Of Being Obese In Early Childhood, Junxiu Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a serious public health challenge. The underlying causes behind the rising levels of childhood obesity might be driven by prenatal and early life factors. Recently, several studies have examined the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and the risk of obesity in the pediatric population. Findings on the association of both inadequate and excessive GWG with offspring obesity are inconsistent and vary by maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) status. Inconsistent findings also exist for the association of GWG and BMIZ as a continuous outcome. Nevertheless, existing studies mainly focus on the BMIZ upper centiles using logistic …

Exploring The Relationship Between Church Level Predictors Of Status And Obesity Risk In African American Women Of Faith, Kinjal Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

Although obesity is a nationwide epidemic, there are large racial, gender, socioeconomic, and geographical disparities in the rates of this condition. Specifically, African American women are more likely to be classified as obese as compared to all other gender and racial groups. Scholars have targeted African American churches to implement dietary and physical activity interventions in an attempt to combat the racial disparity in obesity rates. One of the main correlates studied in regards to obesity has been individual level markers of status such as socioeconomic status and subjective social status. Even though we focus on churches as a place …

Stimuli Responsive Nanoparticle For Cancer Targeted Therapy, Huacheng He

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticle is the particle with a size in the range from several nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. It has been extensively used for cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, it is still a great challenge to fabricate nanoparticles with spatiotemporally controllable delivery of anticancer drugs to tumors and with high therapeutic efficacy. This thesis mainly focuses on the development of stimuli responsive nanoparticles for cancer targeted therapy. These nanoparticles either response to internal stimuli such as pH and redox potential or external stimuli like temperature and light could effectively target tumors and control the release of anticancer drugs there to improve …

Promoting Progress To Assist Youth With Disordered Eating In School Mental Health, Bryn Elizabeth Schiele

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating has become a significant issue among children and adolescents; nearly 14% of all youth displaying disordered eating patterns. Despite the prevalence of these disorders amongst school-age students, there is a deficit of empirical literature on the integration of eating disorder support services in schools, as well as a lack of knowledge and training of school mental health (SMH) professionals regarding the appropriate interventions for this population. While eating disorders have previously been considered as outside of the school mental health domain of practice (e.g., Judge, 2001), this view has changed and there exists a significant need to provide …