Digital Commons Network^™

Intrauterine Exposure To Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) And Childhood Asthma: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Hanae Fujii-Rios

Public Health Theses

Background: Past studies have reported conflicting results regarding the association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of developing childhood asthma.

Objectives: To perform an updated review on past studies investigating the association between prenatal acetaminophen use and the risk of developing asthma within the first ten years of life.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed search (1950-December 1, 2011) to identify studies that investigated the association between intrauterine exposure to acetaminophen and childhood asthma. Inclusion criteria consisted of a study design restricted to prospective cohort studies, primary exposure of acetaminophen intake during pregnancy, and …

Determinants Of Dengue Transmission During Epidemic And Inter-Epidemic Periods In Two Colombian Cities, Yao Fu

Public Health Theses

Dengue fever is an urban disease that has a complex epidemiology consisting of alternating periods of intense epidemics and persistence in endemic locations. No studies have compared the patterns of geographic variation and determinants of dengue transmission in neighborhoods during epidemic and non-epidemic periods. Colombia's individual-based epidemiological surveillance system provides a unique opportunity to study this topic. The goal of this study was to better understand dengue epidemiology in two of the highest dengue fever reporting Colombian cities that vary in climate, Armenia (elevation 1320-1580 m, 21-23 C) and Barranquilla (elevation 5-134m . 27-30 C). We used a novel ecological …

Mental Health And Social Support Among Hiv-Positive Injection Drug Users And Their Caregivers In China, Martha Claire Greene

Public Health Theses

The burden of HIV/AIDS in China is due to injection drug use. Non-clinical caregivers provide much of the care for HIV patients but are often not included in HIV care or research. The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between the caregiver context and mental health of HIV-positive injection drug users and their caregivers. We interviewed 100 patient and caregiver dyads using quantitative methods. A conceptual model was developed and used as a framework for multivariate linear regression modeling. The strongest predictor of patient mental health was social support, which was largely determined by the caregiver's stigma …

Hunting Park Air Quality: Community, Public Health & Environmental Justice, Ashley L. Hopkins

Public Health Theses

The neighborhood of Hunting Park lies in the northern part of Philadelphia and is home to just over 20,000 people mostly African American and Hispanic. The neighborhood is unique because it is a residential community situated next to industrial facilities such as a construction demolition plant, a bus repair facility, and autobody paint shops as well as heavily traveled transportation corridors. Because of its proximity to these sites, the residents of Hunting Park were concerned about harmful exposures. Thus, with the assistance of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, EPA Region III, and the Hunting Park Stakeholders Group and …

Incorporating Effective Grammar Instruction Into The Classroom, Erin Mary Harrity

Honors Program Theses

The debate about the effectiveness of traditional grammar instruction has been ongoing for many decades now. Traditional grammar instruction involves memorization of grammatical rules and practice exercise drills. As early as 1936, the Curriculum Commission of the National Council of Teachers of English stated that “‘all teaching of grammar separate from the manipulation of sentences [should] be discontinued…since every scientific attempt to prove that knowledge of grammar is useful has failed’” (Weaver, Teaching 9). So why is grammar still being taught in the same way-through traditional direct instruction-in many schools? It is because some parents, administrators, politicians, researchers, and teachers …

Handicraft Revolution: Ukrainian Avant-Garde Embroidery And Meaning Of History, Alla Myzelev

Art History

No abstract provided.

Convergence And Divergence In International Dispute Resolution Symposium, Peter B. Rutledge

Scholarly Works

Drawing on the literature, two strands help to frame this paper. The first concerns why parties choose to arbitrate. The second strand is the literature documenting the efforts within the arbitration industry to encourage the use of arbitraments.

My goal in this paper is to bridge a gap between this second strand and the first, more theoretical strand. What is missing from both strands is a concrete, system-wide understanding about why parties opt for arbitration as opposed to other forms of dispute resolution. In other words, I seek both to give concrete understanding to the theoretical model articulated in the …

Thomas Jefferson And His Religious Beliefs In The Contexts Of History And Today, Nolan Christian Hovland

Honors Program Theses

The written word has great power. It has been said that the pen is more powerful than the sword, and one would be hard pressed to prove otherwise. When studying a figure from history like Thomas Jefferson. it is possible to study the architectural designs, pictures, artifacts from his Iifetime, as well as the recent DNA discoveries. but his written words allow for the most complete study of his life. Like other men and women of his day, Jefferson wrote many, many letters. These letters were written to scores of different people over the course of his life. I le …

Pay Expectations: How Do They Influence Selection Of College Degrees And Motivational Effort Towards College?, Benjamin J. Mccarty

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of expected monetary compensation on selection of degree type and motivation to succeed in college. These pay expectations are created based on factors such as educational background required for position and knowledge of personal capabilities and competence. A sample of 57 undergraduate college students, ages 18 and over, took a survey assessing undergraduate major, salary expectations in their post-college career, and motivation of success in college. Levels of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are measured and compared with pay expectations to determine the motivational influence towards selecting a college major. Gender …

La Lógica Curativa Maya Kaqchikel: Oración, Fármaco Y Supervivencia Cultural, Servando Z. Hinojosa

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Dada la creciente presencia de recursos médicos occidentales en el altiplano guatemalteco, se observa que practicantes de la medicina tradicional maya han llegado a conocer y a manejar una importante cantidad de fármacos y otros productos de patente. Esta utilización se ha llevado a cabo dentro de un esquema terapéutico fisiológico que a la vez reconoce la frecuente apariencia de casos de males de naturaleza espiritual como son el susto, el mal de ojo y la brujería. Esta situación se vuelve más compleja puesto que el sistema nacional de salud privilegia los conceptos occidentales y urbanos de la salud y …

Feasibility Study Of Trans-Cranial Direct Current Stimulation In Presence Of Brain Tumor, Abhilash Nair

Dissertations and Theses

Trans-cranial Direct Current Stimulation has been shown to modulate cortical neuronal activity. Weak constant current is applied to the scalp using electrodes, leading to sub-threshold changes in neuronal membrane potential. Before actual clinical stimulation is performed, such systems are validated by simulating the stimulation and the resulting current flow patterns using finite element solvers. However, the reliability of such models depends upon the accuracy with which the underlying anatomy has been modeled [1]. In earlier studies it has been shown that the current flow patterns within the brain are altered due to the presence of lesioned brain tissues[2]. Here we …

A Study Of The Electrocoalescence On Spherical Droplets In A Flow Focusing Juction Microchannel, Shady A. Habib

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

National Sovereignty V Regionalism; Toward A Common Fisheries Policy For Caricom, Andrea Chambers

Dissertations and Theses

The hypothesis which guides this thesis is that successful integration cannot be achieved so long as member states of a regional grouping are unwilling to subordinate the individual interest to the collective interest. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) – which is the second oldest regional institution in the Western Hemisphere – is the central focus of the work. In order to assess this hypothesis, the study first discusses the relevant integration literature, and then addresses the issue of individual vs. collective interests in CARICOM overall. Next it examines the specific functional area of fisheries which effectively illustrates the complexity of this …

Female Leaders And Women's Empowerment; 3 Case Studies, Nicole Dimarco

Dissertations and Theses

"The issue of women’s empowerment and gender equality is a global issue and one that, in many parts of the world, is in dire need of attention. It is for this reason I have decided to examine whether women in positions of power facilitate the enactment of gender-oriented measures or whether they continue to focus on the traditional national security interests, or interests of another kind, of their countries. My hypothesis is that women in power are not significantly more likely than men to pursue gender-specific policies while in office. Instead, much depends on environmental factors and individual personality. Sometimes …

Printed Complaint Electrochemical Systems, Abhinav Machhindra Gaikwad

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The United Nations And Gender-Mainstreaming; International Conferences On Women And The Development Of Gender Mainstreaming Policies In Caribbean States, Camasita Campo

Dissertations and Theses

"International conferences, especially UN-sponsored summits, are popular venues for political coalition around various issues of global concerns, mobilizing large audiences consisting of state representatives, NGO groups and other interested parties. Many small states participate at leading international summits. Some of these states for many obvious reasons are preoccupied with economic survival. Their limited resources are expended on economic priorities and little or none is left for the implementation of social development programs. As a result, these small states are constrained from defining contours of social development, without the cooperation of the international community. They must therefore depend on external actors …

The Rising Threat Of Food Security; A Keynesian Solution To A Global Problem, Auour Heoinsdottir

Dissertations and Theses

"Is food security a threat to Global security? Recent history suggests so. After all, since 1947 the international community has struggled to implement agreements on agriculture in the name of preserving peace. Most recently, in the last of the Doha Development Round negotiations, efforts have been made to enhance food security (with measures such as equal access to resources, trade liberation, and the removal of tariffs for developing countries). In my thesis I will explore both the theory of these policies and their efficacy in practice. More specifically, I will examine the limitations of past policies (such as ""anti-dumping"") aimed …

The One State Solution An Alternative Vision For Ending The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Abdul Yousef

Dissertations and Theses

"The debate for a two state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been ongoing for decades. However, given the current circumstances and realities on the ground, this approach has become more implausible with each passing day. Therefore, many have come to argue the real solutionwould be a single state that would afford equal rights for both Israeli and Palestinian citizens regardless of ethnicity, religion, or racial background. Considering the troubled history of the region, many would view a state where Israelis and Palestinians living together, sharing land, and engaged in a peaceful democratic process to be an unattainable fantasy. This …

The Effects Of Social Media On Democratization, Melissa Spinner

Dissertations and Theses

"Within the past decade people around the world have become progressively more aware and interested in the new uses of digital technologies in movements for political change. The technologies have given more people and groups access to information and the tools needed to increase productivity and communication than in the past. As a result of these new digital technologies, the number of people contributing to their civil societies has radically increased. My thesis questions: What is the value of digital activism in the process of democratization around the world? How did those that succeed successfully use these new technologies as …

The Impact Of Design On The Compliance Of States With International Agreements, Jakub Walko

Dissertations and Theses

This work tackles the question of the importance of design of international agreements on the compliance they elicit on all levels of the global trade regime. Discussing the international legal theories that underpin the different perspectives on this issue and scrutinizing case studies of both large and small treaties this thesis establishes the impact that elements of an agreement's structure have on its aggregate success. A case study of the GATT/WTO system illustrates the challenges of scale and diversity of trade issues while the study of the OILPOL and MARPOL environmental pollution regimes presents a lens on the practical implementation …

Brazil As A Regional And International Leader, Justin Ferber

Dissertations and Theses

Brazil's critical role in South American integration and political crisis management in Latin America, as well as its increasing power in international trade, finance, and security underscorethat Brazil influence over regional and international affairs.This thesis argues that Brazil has leveraged its economic strength and soft power—which it derives from its successful domestic social policies and distinguished diplomatic history of promoting international cooperation and peaceful conflict—to project regional and international leadership.

Unveiling The Headscarf Debate; A Study Of Multiculturalism, Zaineb Malick

Dissertations and Theses

"Thanks to the deepening of globalization, we live in an increasingly diverse world. International migratory patterns bring people of different, often less familiar, cultures to other parts of the world, including the West. For some, assimilation into a dominant culture and broader national identity seems appropriate; for others who want to preserve their unique identity, there is a struggle in accommodating to the new norms and behaviors of their host country. This paper attempts to survey the challenges of multiculturalism; more specifically, it reviews the difficulty in integrating non-western norms into western culture. As I will discuss in greater detail, …

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation Of Binary Drop Coalescence At Low Weber Number, Lina Baroudi

Dissertations and Theses

"A numerical study has been performed using a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for an incompressible binary fluid based on the Cahn-Hilliard diffuse interface approach to investigate the early-time coalescence dynamics of two liquid drops. The two drops approach each other at a very low Weber number (We) and the coalescence process is driven by surface tension. When the two drops come into contact, the curvature diverges and causes infinitely large surface tension forces, leading to the formation of a rapidly growing liquid bridge. Depending on the forces that govern the widening of the liquid bridge, the coalescence dynamics can be …

Formulation & Thermophysical Analysis Of A Beeswax Microemulsion & The Experimental Calculation Of Its Heat Transfer Coefficient, Ravi Ramnanan-Singh

Dissertations and Theses

Experimentation and implementation of Phase Change Materials (PCM) as suitable Thermal Energy Storage (TES) mediums has garnered greater attention in recent decades. PCMs have the ability to not only store Sensible Heat (SH) within a given temperature range, but also store large amounts of Latent Heat (LH) as they undergo a phase change, whether it is from solid to liquid or liquid to gas. This investigation examines the preparation of a beeswax microemulsion, the analysis of its thermophysical properties, and the experimental method to calculate its heat transfer coefficient under laminar flow conditions. First, the beeswax microemulsion was formulated to …

The Role Of Sleep In The Enhancement And Impedance Of Episodic Emotional Memories, Rafael De Jesus

Dissertations and Theses

"The current study examined whether sleep enhances the retention of emotionally arousing memories, and whether an emotional memory can be blocked with a single night of sleep deprivation. Using a modified version of a slide show varying in emotionality with respect to the narrative (participants' acting as either a mother or father experiencing the tragic death of their imagined child), 100 (healthy young adult student volunteer) subjects following the experience were randomly assigned to either a normal night of sleep or were variously sleep deprived (in laboratory). After having experienced the emotional event followed immediately by a night of sleep …

Self-Concept Related To Identities And Safer-Sex Cognitions In Young Adults Who Have Lost A Parent To Aids, Marcie Berman

Dissertations and Theses

In-person interviews conducted with 40 English-speaking AIDS-bereaved 18-22 year olds and a control group revealed a significant difference in identities. Data were collected from an AIDS-bereaved group through Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and an introductory psychology class at Hunter College, City University of New York. Hierarchical Classes (HICLAS; Ceulemans & Van Mechelen, 2005) data analysis uncovered a significant difference in how the groups elaborate their current and ideal selves and their self-cognitions surrounding protected and unprotected sex with both new and ongoing partners. Chi-square analysis showed significant differences in elaboration levels regarding how the AIDS-bereaved viewed unprotected …

Reducing False Positive Feigning Classifications On The Sirs Among Criminal Defendants With A History Of Trauma, Lea Corconan

Dissertations and Theses

Clinical research has demonstrated that individuals with a traumatic history elevate scales on the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS; Rogers, Bagby, & Dickens, 1992) leading to their misclassification as malingerers. Rogers, Payne, Correa, Gillard, and Ross (2009) created the trauma index (TI) by summing 3 SIRS scales to reduce the number of false positives in a severely traumatized sample. The TI was included as an additional criterion in determining feigning. The TI has not been studied using a forensic sample. Fifty-one adult male criminal defendants were identified as malingering by the SIRS with a final sample of 5 definite …

Sensation Seeking, Early Pregnancy And Criminal Justice System Involvement Among Latino Youth, Jillian Jankie

Dissertations and Theses

The present study examined the relationship between the level of sensation seeking, early pregnancy, and criminal justice system involvement among Latino youth. It is a secondary analysis of data that comes from the Boricua Youth Study, an ongoing longitudinal study of Puerto Rican children and preadolescents living in the South Bronx and Puerto Rico. In the current analysis, data were analyzed on 69 participants who had completed measures of sensation seeking, pregnancy and arrests to predict whether sensation seeking would predict arrests and pregnancy at the second time period. Sensation seeking was evaluated at baseline. Early pregnancy and criminal justice …

Perceived Discrimination And Depression As It Relates To Nativity Status Of Students From Immigrant Backgrounds, Melissa Huey

Dissertations and Theses

"Research has found that foreign born immigrants' have better mental and physical health, as well as higher levels of academic achievement, than native born individuals from immigrant families (Vega, et. al., 2004). There is some evidence that perceived discrimination could be a possible explanation for these nativity differences (Juang & Cookston, 2009). The current study tested the hypothesis that native born individuals from immigrant backgrounds will have higher levels of depression than their foreign born counterparts and that native born respondents will report higher levels of perceived discrimination than foreign born. The study also tested whether perceived discrimination mediates the …

Interaction Of Long- And Short-Term Memory On Selective Attention During Timbre Discrimination, Eva Garcia

Dissertations and Theses

The present study investigated the effects of short- and long-term memory on processes of selective attention during timbre discrimination. Pitch served as the distractor dimension, held constant on standard trials and deviating from the standard frequency on distractor trials. Short-term memory was operationalized as levels of covariate context: Within a block of trials, pitch deviants (p=.28) were either absent (baseline condition), varied orthogonally (filtering condition) or systematically (positive and perfect conditions) with timbre values. Long-term memory was operationalized as levels of psychophysical context: Within a block of trials, the range of pitch change was psychophysically equated with timbre change in …