Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Celis (Compact Eyesafe Lidar System): A Portable 1.5 Μm Elastic Lidar System For Rapid Aerosol Concentration Measurement, Michael D. Wojcik, Alan W. Bird

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

CELiS (Compact Eyesafe Lidar System) is a tactical elastic lidar system commissioned by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) for the purpose of air quality environmental compliance issues surrounding the offroad use of wheeled and tracked vehicles. A complete CELiS instrument weighs less than 300 lbs., is less than 2 cubic meters in volume and uses 700 W of 120V AC power. CELiS has a working range of better than 2km and a range resolution of 5m.

Landscape-Level Controls On Dissolved Carbon Flux From Diverse Catchments Of The Circumboreal, Suzanne E. Tank, Karen E. Frey, Robert G. Striegl, Peter A. Raymond, Robert M. Holmes, James W. Mcclelland, Bruce J. Peterson

Geography

While much of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within rivers is destined for mineralization to CO2, a substantial fraction of riverine bicarbonate (HCO3-) flux represents a CO2 sink, as a result of weathering processes that sequester CO2 as HCO 3-. We explored landscape-level controls on DOC and HCO3- flux in subcatchments of the boreal, with a specific focus on the effect of permafrost on riverine dissolved C flux. To do this, we undertook a multivariate analysis that partitioned the variance attributable to known, key regulators of dissolved C flux (runoff, lithology, and vegetation) prior to examining the effect of permafrost, …

Are Individuals' Views On Inquiry-Based Learning Related To The Level Of Inquiry They Have Experienced?, Maria Ang

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Inquiry based learning is an active learning process that engages students in data analysis, critical thinking and questioning. Many educators mistakenly think that science inquiry is either an all or nothing teaching method where they either guide the students through the process or leave it completely up to them. In truth, it can be divided into four different levels depending on the amount of information students are given at the beginning. The higher the inquiry level of an instructional activity the more student centered the activity. The purpose of this research was to determine if there is a relationship between …

Analysis Of Dna Copy Number Variants In Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisae, Alexander Friske

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Many diseases such as autism, epilepsy, mental retardation, Parkinson 's disease, and cancers, can result from a type of genetic variation known as copy number variations (CNV). CNVs are segments of DNA that exist in multiple copies o f the genome, with variation between individuals in the number of copies. They may be formed when mistakes in DNA replication occur while the cell is grown under stressful conditions. We hypothesize that when the yeast cells are under replication stress, such as low levels of DNA polymerase, the cell will develop CNVs in the location of a known chromosomal fragile site. …

Investigation Of The Evolutionary Origin And History Of A Newly Identified Transposable Element In Rodents, Ashley Larm

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The retroviral-like transposable element mys has been identified in a limited group of new-world rodents, providing a unique opportunity to assess its evolutionary origin and activity within various rodent genomes. In the course of this investigation we identified an element that appears to represent a distinct, but related, group of elements in the Mexican volcano mouse that we refer to as mys-like. We have determined the presence of this mys-like element in related species of rodents, suggesting that it likely dates back to a common ancestor of the Reithrodontomyini rodent tribe. The mys-like element predates the previously identified mys element …

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 …

Does The Perception That Stress Affects Health Matter? The Association With Health And Mortality, Abiola O. Keller, Kristin Litzelman, Lauren E. Wisk, Torsheika Maddox, Erika Rose Cheng, Paul D. Creswell, Whitney P. Witt

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

The Influence Of Positive Affect And Anxiety On Attention And Creativity, Rafal Skiba

Dissertations and Theses

The study examined naturally occurring effects of positive affect and anxiety (exam stress at different points in the semester) on attentional performance and creative abilities of undergraduate students. The mood of participants was measured by PANAS and STAI questionnaires. Their attention was tested on the Eriksen Flanker Task, and creativity on the Remote Associates Test (RAT) and Compound Word Problems (CWP). One of the main goals of this study was to verify the prediction based on the Broaden and Build theory of positive resources by Fredrickson (2001). Although the mood manipulation used in this study, that is, placing both testing …

Sociocultural Predictors Of Perceived Sexism In Urban College Students, Jennifer M. Grant

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Triangular Diplomacy And The End Of The Vietnam War; Forcible Diplomacy And Feeble Bombings, Christian Fauerbach

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Immortalizing The Spirit Of The Colonizer, Maximiliano Lombardi

Dissertations and Theses

"European colonial expansion has institutionalized and simultaneously normalized, at the global level, the supremacy of a class, of an ethno-racial group, of a particular type of state organization, spirituality, an epistemology, a particular kind of institutionalization, a production of knowledge, language, pedagogy, and an economy oriented toward the accumulation of global capital. To understand these processes we cannot separate them from each other. In fact, even the word ""capitalism"" is misleading because it leads us to think of an economic system, when in reality it is a hegemonic system that transcends economic relations and includes race, sex, gender, spiritual, linguistic, …

Strategies For Engagement; A Case Study For The Detroit Institute Of Arts And Its Relationship To The Detroit Arab Community 2001-2010, Sarah Katherine Jorgensen

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Slave Drivers; Increased Foraging By Host Workers Under The Slave-Making Ant Plotomognathus Americanus, Kevin Purce

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Classical Education Programs For The "Generation Y" Museum Visitor, Hannah Boles

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Pleistocene Climatic Change On The Phylogeography Of Euploea Mulciber (Lepidoptera; Nymphalidae; Danainae), Elva Yang

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Clay Minerals In The Transformation Of E. Coli, Ekaterini Porttellou

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Glia-Mediated Neurodegeneration In The Drosophila Melanogaster Cns, Ivan J. Santiago

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.