Digital Commons Network^™

Age As A Factor In Inter-Tissue Spacing Of Stable Carbon Isotope Values In Juvenile Human Remains From The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Annie Laurie Norris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although stable isotope analysis is routinely utilized in bioarchaeology and relies on principles that are well-understood, there are still fundamental issues that have not been thoroughly investigated. This thesis examines the relationship between inter-tissue spacing of carbon stable isotope values (δ13C) and age in juvenile human remains. Analyses of tissues within the same individual reveal disparate isotopic values for a variety of physiological and biological reasons discussed herein. This project examines the distance between the δ13C values in bone collagen, skin, hair, and nail, and examines how these distances vary between different age groups, utilizing data collected from 52 well-preserved …

The Political Ontology Of Race, Michael James

Faculty Journal Articles

Race theory is dominated by two camps. Eliminativists rely on a biological ontology, which contends that the concept of race must be biologically grounded, in order to repudiate the very term, on grounds that it is epistemologically vacuous and normatively pernicious. Conservationists use a social ontology, in which race is based on social practices, in order to retain racial categories in remedial social policies, such as affirmative action and race-based political representation. This article attempts to reorient this debate in two ways. First, it challenges the idea that racial identity is entirely unchosen by defending a political ontology of race …

Subsurface Phosphorus Transport And Scale Dependent Phosphorus Leaching In Alluvial Floodplains, Derek Michael Heeren

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Increased nutrient loads have resulted in several adverse impacts on surface water quality, including excessive algal growth, fish kills, and drinking water taste and odor issues across the United States and especially in the Ozark ecoregion of northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. Nitrogen is a concern, but phosphorus (P) is generally considered the limiting nutrient in most surface water systems. Scientists and engineers need to identify critical nutrient source areas and transport mechanisms within a catchment in order to cost effectively protect and enhance drinking water systems, recreation activities, and aquatic ecosystems. While surface runoff is considered to be the …

Evaluating Relationships Between Mercury Concentrations In Air And In Spanish Moss (Tillandsia Usneoides L.), Kathryn T. Sutton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that is transported globally in vapor form. A major source of mercury contamination to soil, water, and biota is atmospheric deposition. Therefore, comprehensive monitoring of atmospheric concentrations is important. Limitations of conventional atmospheric measurement techniques include high cost and lack of temporal or spatial integration. Bioindicators, however, may serve as an integrative tool to add to conventional mercury measurement techniques. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.) is a potential bioindicator of atmospheric mercury concentration in the southeastern United States because it is an abundant epiphyte that absorbs and accumulates atmospheric pollutants. A study was conducted in …

Prescription Drug Misuse Among College Students: An Examination Of Sociological Risk Factors, William C. Watkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prescription drug misuse (PDM), defined as use without a prescription or solely for the feeling or experience caused by the drug, has become a popular topic among substance use researchers. While the vast majority of studies on the topic tackle epidemiological questions surrounding PDM, there is a notable lack of studies that look specifically at risk factors rooted in sociological/criminological theories. The current research seeks to bridge this gap in the literature by examining theoretically based explanations for PDM among college students utilizing three criminological theories commonly applied to other forms of substance use: Social Learning Theory, Social Bonding/Control theory, …

Biochemical Studies Of Abce1, Lynn Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growth and survival of all cells require functional ribosomes that are capable of protein synthesis. The disruption of the steps required for the function of ribosomes represents a potential future target for pharmacological anti-cancer therapy. ABCE1 is an essential Fe-S protein involved in ribosomal function and is vital for protein synthesis and cell survival. Thus, ABCE1 is potentially a great therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Previously, cell biological, genetic, and structural studies uncovered the general importance of ABCE1, although the exact function of the Fe-S clusters was previously unclear, only a simple structural role was suggested. Additionally, due to …

An Examination Of The Nonresidential Stepmother Role, Jenine Rocca

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Stepmothers are consistently underrepresented in stepfamily research (Orchard & Solberg, 1999), particularly nonresidential stepmothers (Johnson et al., 2008). The present research investigated how nonresidential stepmothers conceptualise, construct, and evaluate their roles, and to identify factors leading to their role adoption. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight nonresidential stepmothers residing in Perth, Western Australia, who had contact with their stepchildren for fifteen days or less per month. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and results indicated that in terms of their role conceptualisation, the participants perceived their role to have changed, compared their roles to existing roles, and also …

Capturing The Cape : A Photographic Case Study Of The Cape Range Bioregion Of Northwest Australia ; Straight Lines : A Photographic Case Study Of The Cape Range Bioregion Of Northwest Australia, David J. Bradley

Theses : Honours

In Australia, as with much of the world, landscape photography has played a significant role in raising awareness of human impact on the environment. For the most part, this awareness raises questions of conservation and preserving the natural world. Landscape photography commonly depicts environmental issues in one of two ways: the damaging effects of humanity’s mastery over the environment; or the sublime wonder of nature. In effect, the messages sent by landscape photography are singular, describing either nature, or culture. However, with an intention to develop a more sustainable viewpoint concerning humanity’s relationships with the environment, landscape photography could be …

Cross-Talk Between Nfkb And The Pi3-Kinase/Akt Pathway Can Be Targeted In Primary Effusion Lymphoma (Pel) Cell Lines For Efficient Apoptosis, Azhar Hussain, Saeeda O. Ahmed, Maqbool Ahmed, Omar S. Khan, Sally Al Abdul Mohsen, Leonidas C. Platanias, Khawla S. Al-Kuraya, Shahab Uddin

Centre for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research

Background: A number of constitutively activated signaling pathways play critical roles in the survival and growth of primary effusion lymphoma cells (PELs) including NFkB and PI3/AKT kinase cascades. NFkBis constitutively activated in a number of malignancies, including multiple myeloma, Burkitt’s lymphoma and diffuse large cell B-cell lymphoma. However, its role in primary effusion lymphoma has not been fully explored.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We used pharmacological inhibition and gene silencing to define the role of NFkB in growth and survival of PEL cells. Inhibition of NFkB activity by Bay11-7085 resulted in decreased expression of p65 in the nuclear compartment as detected by …

Fundamental Forces Driving United States And International Financial Regulations Reform, Lawrence G. Baxter

Faculty Scholarship

Multiple forces create a systemic crisis of the proportions of the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Global and domestic financial reform is a difficult and perplexing task, one that is likely to take many years, and one that will surely continue to be shaped by a diverse range of forces. Recent measures remain incomplete and in some cases are even proving to be misdirected. This article considers seven fundamental forces shaping actions on future reform, specifically the (1) long term impact of the Crisis (and all financial crises); (2) increase in the “financialization” of the global economy, seemingly disproportionate to …

Biological Evaluation Of A Novel Tissue Engineering Scaffold Of Layered Double Hydroxides (Ldhs), Fateme Fayyazbakhsh, Mehran Solati-Hashjin, M. A. Shokrgozar, S. Bonakdar, Y. Ganji, N. Mirjordavi, S. A. Ghavimi, P. Khashayar

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bone Tissue Engineering (BTE) Composed of Three Main Parts: Scaffold, Cells and Signaling Factors. Several Materials and Composites Are Suggested as a Scaffold for BTE. Biocompatibility is One of the Most Important Property of a BTE Scaffold. in This Work Synthesis of a Novel Nanocomposite Including Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) and Gelatin is Carried Out and its Biological Properties Were Studied. the Co-Precipitation (PH=11) Method Was Used to Prepare the LDH Powder, using Calcium Nitrate, Magesium Nitrate and Aluminum Nitrate Salts as Starting Materials. the Resulted Precipitates Were Dried. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron …

Accelerating Anthropogenic Land Surface Change And The Status Of Pleistocene Drumlins In New England, Deborah W. Woodcock, John S. Rogan, Samuel D. Blanchard

Geography

Drumlins are glacially derived landforms that are prominent in the landscape over much of southern New England. We carried out a comprehensive ground-based survey in a three-town study area in eastern Massachusetts with the goals of establishing the extent to drumlins have been altered and assessing the associated environmental consequences and probable driving factors. Results show that many drumlins have been significantly altered through levelling and truncation (creation of steep cut and fill slopes), with projects involving movement of 1-1.5×106 m3 of earth materials not now uncommon. Stormwater and wetlands infractions were documented at all the larger excavation sites and …

Some Preliminary Thoughts On The Law Of Neighbors, Jim Smith

Scholarly Works

A fundamental characteristic of real property law, one that is definitional in nature, is that its subject matter consists of land parcels. A land parcel, in contrast to an ownership interest such as a fee simple estate, is not an abstraction. Each land parcel has a physical reality, and virtually all land parcels abut other parcels. Each parcel has one particular location, defined by its proximity to other pieces of property. The value of a land parcel depends heavily upon its location, and the nature of neighboring parcels has a major impact in determining that value.

Owners of neighboring parcels …

The Effects Of Host Nutritional Status And Dietary Factors On The Treatment Efficacy Of Albendazole In School-Age Children Infected With Hookworm In The Kintampo North District Of Ghana, Sara Ann Nguyen

Public Health Theses

Background: In endemic settings unable to support economic growth, inexpensive anthelminthics, such as albendazole, are the cornerstone for hookworm infection treatment and control. However, the overall efficacy of albendazole against hookworm may be reduced after periodic chemotherapy. (Hotez et al., 2004) In addition, there are few studies exploring the role of nutritional status as a potential host factor influencing drug response and the constituents of diet has often been overlooked when determining anthelminthic efficacy, despite previous accounts of nutrient content of a meal or consumed food item affecting drug metabolism. Evaluating nutritional status as a potential host factor may partly …

Intimate Partner Violence And Breastfeeding Outcomes: An Examination Of The 2007 Zambia Demographic And Health Survey, Eunie Park

Public Health Theses

Objective: To assess associations of experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and breastfeeding behaviors among a large, population-based sample of Zambian women using the 2007 Zambian Demographic and Health Survey (2007 ZDHS).

Methods: All women with a last-born infant aged under 2 years in Zambia who participated in the 2007 ZDHS Domestic Violence Module were included in the analysis. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations of experiences of lifetime IPV, type of IPV, current IPV, and IPV during any pregnancy to the following breastfeeding outcomes: early breastfeeding initiation, use of prelacteal feeds, any breastfeeding (N=1892), and exclusive …

Stress And The Diabetes Mind: Job Loss Predicts Cognitive Function In The Health And Retirement Study, Hutson Dempsey Olsen

Public Health Theses

Introduction

Diabetes is a proposed cause of dementia and age-related cognitive decline. While the effects of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia are well-known, scholarship tends to neglect distinct but related pathologies, such as chronic stress. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a common proxy- mid-life involuntary job loss- is associated with reduced cognitive function among a cohort of diabetics. A second objective was to determine if age of diabetes onset moderates this relationship.

Methods

This cross-sectional study gathered diabetes data from the 2003 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Mail Survey on Diabetes, while measures of cognitive function …

Hpv Type Distribution In New Haven County, Ct Among Women With Cin2+ Diagnoses From 2008-2010, Chelsea Anne Russ

Public Health Theses

Background

The human papillomavirus is a necessary cause of cervical cancer leading to >12,000 cervical cancer diagnoses and >4,000 deaths in the United States in 2007. In 2006, the first HPV vaccine was approved by the US FDA, which prevents the acquisition of high-risk types of HPV (16/18) that cause 70% cervical cancer cases in the US and 50% of precancerous lesions. Our objectives were to examine HPV type distribution among women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3 (CIN2+) by area-based measures of race, ethnicity, and poverty and individual level characteristics.

Methods

In 2008, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) …

Influence Of Quercetin-Rich Food Intake On Microrna Expression In Lung Cancer Tissues, Stephanie Shao

Public Health Theses

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and has the highest cancer-related mortality rate. Epidemiologic studies, including the Environment and Genetics in Lung Cancer Etiology (EAGLE) study, have reported that frequent consumption of quercetin-rich foods is inversely associated with lung cancer incidence. Although experimental studies suggest that quercetin intake might modulate microRNA (miR) expression, this mechanism has not been fully examined. We investigated this hypothesis in lung carcinogenesis using EAGLE lung cancer tissues.

Methods: miR expression data were measured by a custom-made array in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 264 lung cancer cases (144 adenocarcinomas and …

Acculturation And Cardiovascular Markers And Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Dorothy Sheu

Public Health Theses

Acculturation may help illuminate the context of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. This systematic review sought to examine the associations between acculturation and atherosclerosis, CHD, and stroke. A search of ten databases in addition to reference lists led to relevant articles. This research limited to quantitative studies conducted among Asian adults in North America, and further selected for those that included measurements of atherosclerosis, CHD, or stroke, to comprise this review. This review included articles of all languages, years published, and publication types. Twenty-nine articles were found that both fit the aforementioned criteria and measured acculturation. Among these …

Obesity As A Risk Factor For Hospital Acquired Infections In Pediatric Trauma Patients: A Pilot Study, Elyor Vidal

Public Health Theses

Context

The prevalence of obesity among young Americans in the 6 to 19 year old category has tripled since the 1960's. Today, 50% of individuals in this age group are either overweight or obese (Kimm, 2002). Studies have shown that increased percentage of body fat weakens the body's immune system (Falagas, 2009). Moreover, trauma can be an immuno-compromising condition. A study by Brown et al. in 2006 showed that obese pediatric trauma patients had more sepsis (15% vs 4%, P = .007) and wound infection (26% vs. 8%, p = .03), along with other clinical complications.

Objective

This project serves …

Medical And Family History And The Risk Of Endometrial Cancer, Xiaolu Bi

Public Health Theses

BACKGROUND: Women with a medical history of pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure or other selected medical conditions, as well as a family history of cancer, are assumed to be at increased risk of endometrial cancer. This study was designed to test these assumptions, as evidence for them is lacking. METHODS: We carried out a population-based case-control study in Connecticut between 2004 and 2008, including 668 endometrial cancer cases and 674 controls from eligible residents matched with age. Medical histories and family history of cancers were reported and conditional logistic regression was used to estimate …

Moral Luck And The Ethics Of The Rising Cesarean Rate, Jessica Bolhack

Public Health Theses

One in three pregnant women delivering in the United States will undergo a cesarean section, at a rate of 32.8% and climbing. The cesarean section is associated with considerable excess risk of morbidity and mortality to infant and mother, including a four-fold risk of maternal death relative to vaginal birth. As the gatekeepers of surgical birth, obstetricians have an ethical and scientific imperative to minimize the number of non-indicated cesarean births. And yet, cesarean rates are responsive to fear of malpractice litigation, physician time-constraints, and patient payer-type. These findings, while ethically troublesome, point to a promising new direction for controlling …

Exhibiting Health: Museums As A Venue For Public Health Intervention, Jacqueline Katherine Bruleigh

Public Health Theses

Public health interventions are as broad as the field itself. Through this paper, I will highlight the missed opportunity that museums present as an intervention site for public health. I will then discuss the design, content, challenges, successes, and directions for growth of a specific exhibition (Big Food: Health, Culture, and the Evolution of Eating), as an example of successfully translating public health into the museum context, which could be used as a starting point for further interventions in this underutilized venue.

Neurotoxic Effects Of Childhood And Adolescent Blood Lead Levels, Fiona Farrar Fordyce

Public Health Theses

Background

Lead has long been established as a potent neurotoxin, childhood being a key period of exposure due to rapid development at that stage in life. While lead is known to cause harmful health effects in the entire population, it is known to particularly damage the developing nervous system in children and potentially interfere with behavioral development. In 2001 a small cohort of children were identified with elevated blood lead level in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Objectives

This study investigated whether 2001 blood lead levels (BLL's) or current (2011) BLL's have had an effect on the behavioral outcomes in this group of …

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 …

A Pilot Project To Assess The Effect Of Tobacco Smoking On Multiple Sclerosis Susceptibility And Severity, Milena Anne Gianfrancesco

Public Health Theses

The field of multiple sclerosis (MS) is in need of a consistent method of measuring smoking to examine its role in disease risk and severity. A pilot study was conducted to examine the association between smoking and disease risk in MS cases (n=26) and controls (n=26). Disease severity within MS patients was assessed through clinical and radiological outcomes. These measures were confirmed within a larger dataset of MS patients (n=512) that additionally contained genotyping information. There were no significant differences in disease risk or severity in the pilot study. Within the larger dataset, clinical score trended toward significance (p=0.13). Stratification …

An Environmental Systems Analysis Of Hydropower And Its Effects Upon Indigenous Settlements In Karnataka, India, Amy Joens

Honors Program Theses

Hydroelectricity is a very common method of energy production. Large dams are constantly being introduced to the river landscape in areas all over the world. There are definite benefits to hydropower, but the drawbacks may be even more evident. As modernization and development expand across developing nations like India, indigenous populations are often subject to the highest ration of negative impacts and consequences. This research explores both the costs and benefits of hydroelectricity, while using specific examples of dam construction projects to analyze aspects of the cumulative effects of a hydropower project. The Kabini Dam in southern Karnataka, India is …

Uncovering Morphological Variation In Light Of Genetic Data Within The Ozark Minnow, Notropis Nubilus, Sara Katherine Holmes

Honors Program Theses

It has been hypothesized that the modern distribution of the Ozark minnow was shaped by the fragmentation of a widespread ancestral population by periodic glaciations during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene eras (Berendzen et al., 2010). Today, the species comprises three distinct genetic clades that are: upper Mississippi and northern Ozarks, western Ozarks, and southern Ozarks. In light of this hypothesis, the objective of this study is to determine if the morphology of the fish displays differences that parallel the genetic variation. One way to determine these morphological differences within a population is to look at the geometric morphometrics …

Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography As A Noninvasive Method To Assess Damaged And Regenerating Adult Zebrafish Retinas., Travis J. Bailey, Darin H. Davis, Joseph E. Vance, David R. Hyde

Biology

These experiments assessed the ability of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to accurately represent the structural organization of the adult zebrafish retina and reveal the dynamic morphologic changes during either light-induced damage and regeneration of photoreceptors or ouabain-induced inner retinal damage. Retinas of control dark-adapted adult albino zebrafish were compared with retinas subjected to 24 hours of constant intense light and recovered for up to 8 weeks or ouabain-damaged retinas that recovered for up to 3 weeks. Images were captured and the measurements of retinal morphology were made by SD-OCT, and then compared with those obtained by histology of the …

Co-Occurrence Patterns Of Common And Rare Leaf-Litter Frogs, Epiphytic Ferns And Dung Beetles Across A Gradient Of Human Disturbance, Johan A. Oldekop, Anthony J. Bebbington, Nathan K. Truelove, Niklas Tysklind, Santiago Villamarín, Richard F. Preziosi

Geography

Indicator taxa are commonly used to identify priority areas for conservation or to measure biological responses to environmental change. Despite their widespread use, there is no general consensus about the ability of indicator taxa to predict wider trends in biodiversity. Many studies have focused on large-scale patterns of species co-occurrence to identify areas of high biodiversity, threat or endemism, but there is much less information about patterns of species co-occurrence at local scales. In this study, we assess fine-scale co-occurrence patterns of three indicator taxa (epiphytic ferns, leaf litter frogs and dung beetles) across a remotely sensed gradient of human …