Digital Commons Network^™

Breastfeeding And Obesity Among Mothers And Children: A Double-Edged Sword, Jasmin Marie Harpe

Public Health Theses

Obesity continues to be a public health issue, especially among children and women of childbearing age. Breastfeeding results in weight loss among postpartum women, as well as protects growing children from obesity. To date, no reviews have simultaneously analyzed the impact of breastfeeding on obesity for mothers and children. In addition, this review is novel in that it provides evidence from both observational and intervention studies. The primary objectives of this systematic review of studies in the United States (2000-2013) are to: (1) describe the association between obesity and breastfeeding across the developmental lifespan (2) identify the impact of breastfeeding …

Epidemiology And Characterization Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus From Swine Workers In Romania, Eileen Damin Huang

Public Health Theses

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a potent human pathogen associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Livestock are known reservoir for MRSA, which pose substantial health risks for livestock farmers and their community contacts. However, little is known about MRSA among swine workers in Eastern Europe. In this study, we conducted a prevalence survey of swine workers in Romania. Three livestock-associated S. aureus strains (spa type t034, t011, and t4872) and one community-associated S. aureus strain (spa type t321) were isolated from workers on seven commercial swine farms in Transylvania. The rate of MRSA carriage in workers was 6.8%. Veterinarian …

Lymphedema In Ovarian Cancer Survivors: Assessing Diagnostic Methods And Risk Factors, Neel Subramanian Iyer

Public Health Theses

Purpose: Lymphedema is a poorly understood but significant side effect of treatment for gynecologic cancer. We sought to determine the prevalence of lower limb lymphedema (LLL) in a sample of ovarian cancer survivors via three different diagnostic methods while also evaluating the agreement between each method and assessing potential risk factors for LLL. Methods: LLL was measured via self-report questionnaire, optoelectric perometry, and evaluation by a certified lymphedema specialist in women (n = 48) who had completed treatment for their ovarian cancer and were physically inactive. Results: LLL prevalence ranged from 19-42% depending on the diagnostic method, with the self-report …

Hepatitis C Virus Infection And Prostate Cancer Risk: A Population-Based Case-Control Study Using The Seer-Medicare Dataset, Shan Jiang

Public Health Theses

Prostate cancer is the most common type of non-skin malignancy diagnosed among men, but the disease etiology and risk factors remain inconclusive. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection's prevalence is increasing in the US population. Studies have shown that the concentration of free serum testosterone, which may be directly associated with prostate cancer risk, was decreased among men with HCV infection. In order to evaluate the relationship between HCV infection and prostate cancer risk, we conducted a population-based case-control study using the SEER-Medicare dataset.

The study included 194,339 prostate cancer cases and 54,481 controls which were frequency-matched to the cases by …

Healthcare Student Attitudes Toward Vulnerable Patient Populations: Potential Impact For Perpetuating Suboptimal Care, Harry Jin

Public Health Theses

Objective: Stigma endorsed by healthcare providers has been found to be a barrier to care for vulnerable populations, including HIV-infected, people who inject drugs (PWID), and men who have sex with men (MSM) in multiple clinical contexts. We therefore sought to better understand the extent to which stigma is levied toward these three populations by medical and dental students.

Design: This cross-sectional study assessed the attitudes of 1,296 medical and dental students towards HIV-infected, PWID, and MSM patients.

Methods: Students were asked to score their attitudes towards these patient groups using a feeling thermometer, indicating their attitudes on a sliding …

Diaper Need And Maternal Mental Health: A Geographic Assessment In The City Of New Haven, Anna Kruse

Public Health Theses

Introduction: With the burden of poverty currently falling heavily on women and poverty as an established risk factor for poor mental health, it is important to understand the pathways by which poverty influences maternal mental health. Diaper need may represent a form of material hardship that has adverse consequences for the mental health of low income mothers. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between maternal mental health, diaper need, and neighborhood context. We hypothesized that mothers who reported diaper need would also report poor mental health and that neighborhood context would significantly impact this association. …

The Impact Of Pre-Injury Levels Of Depression Among Complicated And Uncomplicated Cases Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury On Functional Outcomes 3 Months Post-Injury, Raj Kumar

Public Health Theses

Background:

The reason why people recover slowly, or fail to recover completely by three months following mTBI is not fully understood. Minimal research has focused on pre-injury depression as a risk factor for recovery after injury. There has also been minimal investigation of the interaction of pre-injury depression with structural brain damage, such as those evidenced on neuroimaging. This pilot study will prospectively examine the effect of pre-injury depression levels among complicated and uncomplicated cases of mTBI.

Methods:

Patients were recruited consecutively from the Emergency Room (ER) of Ben Taub General Hospital, in Houston, TX, from April 2000 to January …

Water Quality Near Shale Gas Development Sites In Rural Southwestern Pennsylvania, Vanessa Towers Lamers

Public Health Theses

The recent development of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" has increased the economic potential of drilling unconventional and previously untapped natural resources. Shale gas development and production of natural gas is expanding due to these advanced technologies and a strong demand for domestic energy. Geological estimates have calculated that the Marcellus shale, present under much of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia, contains about 1.9 trillion cubic feet of gas. Natural gas from shale is accessed differently from traditional oil and gas extraction due to its advanced technologies of horizontal drilling and high volume hydraulic fracturing. This type of fracking …

The Association Of Acculturation And Poor Nutritional Behavior Among Latinos In The Los Angeles County Health Survey 2007, Julie Lee

Public Health Theses

Objective

This study aimed to explore the associations between acculturation and nutritional behaviors among Latino adults living in Los Angeles County.

Methods

We studied 2562 Latinos aged 18 years and older who responded to the 2007 Los Angeles County Health Survey. Using a modified acculturation scale incorporating language(s) spoken at home, nativity/birthplace, and years lived in the United States, the study population was categorized into low, medium, or high acculturation levels. Two key nutritional behaviors were assessed: whether the individual did not consume five or more servings of fruits/vegetables in the past day and whether the individual ate fast food …

The Role Of Antibiotics In Microbial Interactions Of Copd, Kimberly Lay

Public Health Theses

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations caused by bacterial infections account for more than 50% of all exacerbation episodes, with Haemophilus influenzae as the most frequently isolated pathogen. The role of antibiotics in treating COPD bacterial exacerbations remains unclear.

Objective: The current analysis evaluates the interaction of H. influenzaes with other pathogens while controlling for the use of antibiotics.

Methods: Data were from a longitudinal study of COPD patients conducted at a VA medical center from 1994-2010. Analysis was restricted to sputum samples collected over the course of one year in a total of 130 patients. Presence of Moraxella …

Categorical Vs. Dimensional Models Of Mental Health Assessment, Nic Stewart

Honors Program Theses

The model that is currently in place is the categorical model and its use has been widespread since 1980 when the DSM-III was published and used internationally for categorical assessment (Mayes & Horwitz, 2005). It has since been widely utilized by professionals, but is not without flaws. Based on the argument for an alternative approach, researchers have argued several limitations of the categorical model: that no true discrete mental illness can be reasonably operationalized by categorical measures; that negative stigmas can accompany a diagnosis of mental illness; that there is inherent uncertainty when making diagnoses, whether to perceive certain information …

A Comparison Of Brazil And The United States: How Higher Education Can Shape And Be Shaped By History, Politics, Culture, And Economy, Cassandra Mae Oliveira

Honors Program Theses

This thesis will argue that, in order to cooperate, negotiate, and coexist in the future with Brazil, it is necessary to understand the way in which Brazil is educating its youth in comparison to how the United States is doing so since the products of these educational systems are the future leaders of their nations. Also, this thesis will analyze the reasons these educational institutions evolved so differently by reviewing how they were influenced by the intricate histories, the differing political leadership, the eccentric cultures, and the fluctuating economies of each nation. It will also evaluate how these different university …

Clean Up Our Home: Ellen Swallow Richards' Human Ecology And Emerging Environmental Ideologies, 1890-1915, Raeann Lillian Swanson

Honors Program Theses

In the late 1880s, after years of study and hard work, Ellen Richards began publishing her ideas on the home and the natural and urban environment. She called for the knowledge of basic scientific principles to be available to everyone. She believed that ignorance was holding back the public from altering their environment to make life healthier, happier, and safer. Over one hundred years later, Malcolm Gladwell wrote the book The Tipping Point. In his book, Gladwell explores the Broken Windows Theory that social scientists claimed they developed in the 1980s. The Broken Windows Theory states that there is a …

Exploring The Effect Of Arousal And Valence On Mouse Interaction, G. Mark Grimes, Jeffrey L. Jenkins, Joseph S. Valacich

Faculty Publications

Determining a user’s affective state can be an important element when trying to understand human-computer interactions. Accurately assessing affect during system use, however, can be very difficult, especially in a non-laboratory setting. Extensive previous research in neuroscience has shown that arousal and valence influence motor control. In this research, the prior relevant neuroscience findings inform the investigation of mouse movement behavior under conditions of low and high arousal as well as positive and negative valence. A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted, providing support for hypotheses predicting that arousal and valence may be inferred by monitoring for differences in the distance, …

Leisure Trends And Technology Within Generations X, Y, And Z, Alyssa Eisenman

Honors Program Theses

A generation is defined as "a grouping of individuals who share birth years and thus share life stages" (Hunter-Jones, 2012, p. 2). This research paper will focus on Generations X, Y, and Z, inclusive of their general characteristics and the various ways in which each generation chooses to recreate and spend their leisure time. Generations X, Y, and Z make up a majority of today's population from our education system as students to the workplace as employees. They make up the current college student body, as some members of Generation X are in graduate school, and members of Generations Y …

Evaluating The Effects Of Common-Pool Resource Institutions And Market Forces On Species Richness And Forest Cover In Ecuadorian Indigenous Kichwa Communities, Johan A. Oldekop, Anthony J. Bebbington, Karl Hennermann, Julia Mcmorrow, David A. Springate, Bolier Torres, Nathan K. Truelove, Niklas Tysklind, Santiago Villamarín, Richard F. Preziosi

Geography

We compare conservation outcomes between a protected area (PA) and four indigenous common-property regimes (CPRs) under differing degrees of market integration in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We first assess how market forces and common-pool resource institutions governing processes of forest conversion affect biodiversity and forest cover, and whether institutions mitigate the effect of market forces. We then analyze how biodiversity and forest cover differ between a PA, and communities with different market access. Finally, we link biodiversity and forest cover changes within communities to differences in land-use practices. While we show similar levels of forest cover and biodiversity between the PA …

Incidence Of Injury And Illness In Merchant Seafarers, Rafael Yitzhak Lefkowitz

Public Health Theses

This retrospective study estimates cumulative incidences of injury and illness in a seafarer cohort using data from one company providing remote medical services and claims auditing for seafarers. There were 3,526 medical events and 16,626 individual medical services in the merchant seafarers covered by these services between 2008 and 2012. The majority of medical events occurred in men, numbering 3,099 (97.5%); median age was 38.9 years (range: 18-80). The total at-risk seafarer population was estimated by utilizing standard crew size for each class of vessel, and this was used to calculate cumulative incidence for injury and illness. The four-year overall …

Risk Factors And Consequences Of Substance Use Among Youth In Post-Conflict Liberia: A Qualitative Study, Margaret Wheeler Lippitt

Public Health Theses

Background: Substance abuse has a significant impact on the health and well-being of post-conflict populations; however, little is known about substance use in Liberia. Available evidence was generated during the immediate post-conflict period or has not focused on the populations at greatest risk. Because patterns of substance use may have shifted 10 years after the end of the conflict, this study aims to outline the current patterns of substance use and the risk factors for and consequences of substance use among high risk groups in Monrovia, Liberia. Methods: A qualitative design using in-depth, in-person interviews with current and former substance …

Short Chain Fatty Acid Production By Probiotic Organisms In The Gastrointestinal Tract, Elyssa Rautiola

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Interest in determining the mechanism by which pro biotic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) has increased over the past few years. This study uses gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to characterize lactate production in aerobic test tube cultures, aerobic bioreactor cultures, and anaerobic bioreactor cultures. To collect anaerobic bioreactor samples, a novel in vitro anaerobic model was developed. The pH and colony forming units of each bacterial sample was also measured in order to understand the correlation between lactate production and bacterial growth. The purpose of this study was to analyze production of SCFA …

Reductions In Muscular Strength Three Months And Six Months Following Bariatric Surgery Are Proportional To Absolute Weight Loss, Renee Walton

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Prior studies in patients following bariatric surgery have demonstrated an associated reduction in lean muscle mass concomitant with total weight loss. Less described are any changes of skeletal muscular strength following bariatric surgery and if changes in strength are propmiional to total weight loss. Purpose: To describe changes in upper and lower body strength following weight loss surgery. Methods: Seven subjects (age (yr) = 48 ±13; weight (kg)= 137.4 ± 5.4; BMI (kg/m² ) =50 ±5) who underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery at Henry Ford Hospital (6 Roux-en-Y bypass and 1 vetiical sleeve) were assessed. Within 30 days prior to …

Casualties Of The Drug War, Allan Wachendorfer

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The "War on Drugs" started with the Controlled Substances Act and expanded with the Sentencing Reform Act and Anti-Drug Abuse Acts. Mostly they have provided tertiary measures that have done little to eradicate drugs or drug addiction. Instead, the U.S. remains the number one nation in the world in drug use. In addition, there is an ever growing prison population that has surpassed unsustainable levels. Many of the people behind bars are there for drug related crimes. It is time to examine drug policies, particularly those that send people to prison, and to consider establishing more programs that help people …

Insights Into Readmission Rates Of Atrial Fibrillation Patients Referred To Bridge, Thomas Vasko

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Purpose and Background

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and costs and estimated $6 to $26 billion annually largely due to hospitalizations. Bridging the Discharge Gap Effectively (BRIDGE) is an NP-driven transitional care program for cardiovascular patients. BRIDGE has demonstrated lower rates of readmission for patients with acute coronary syndrome who participated but not for atrial fibrillation (Afib) patients. We sought to assess differences between Afib patients who participated in the BRIDGE program and those who did not.

Conceptual Framework

The BRIDGE program is based on the Bumpus Integrated Client-Focused Transitional Care Model that posits …

Searching For An Answer: Defensible E-Discovery Search Techniques In The Absence Of Judicial Voice, Harrison M. Brown

Chapman Law Review

No abstract provided.

Afterword: The Libertarian Middle Way, Randy E. Barnett

Chapman Law Review

No abstract provided.

Libertarianism, Law And Economics, And The Common Law, Todd J. Zywicki

Chapman Law Review

No abstract provided.

Back To The Future Of Originalism, Josh Blackman

Chapman Law Review

No abstract provided.

“None Ends Where He Begun”: Astronomical And Polemic Revolutions In John Donne, Andrew Fleck

Literatures and Cultural Studies Faculty Publications

Some modern commentators welcome the alleged approach of the “post-human” era as a liberation from the constraints of essentialist identity. Others lament it as a harbinger of the death of the soul. But both groups will find it instructive to consider that the nature of humanity has always been a contested topic. The chapters collected here suggest that the emergence of the modern idea of the human was at least as fraught a process as its putative demise.

David Hawkes and Richard G. Newhauser have selected a wide array of contributions for this volume. Renowned scholars from several disciplines have …

Design, Product Development And Risk Assessment Of Tin (Sn) Ring Electrodes As A Substitute To Silver-Silver Chloride (Ag Agci) Ring Electrodes For High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Hd-Tdcs), Linford Leitch

Dissertations and Theses

The objective of this research thesis is to test the viability of Tin (Sn) ring electrodes as an inexpensive alternative to sintered Silver-Silver Chloride (Ag|AgCl) ring electrodes for High Definition – transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS). Throughout our initial bench top testing of tin electrodes in combination with a ‘conductive electrode gel’, the passing of a 2mA direct current on agar block showed the formation of white cloud around the anode electrode and a cluster of air bubbles on the cathode. The analysis of pertinent literature indicates that the white milky substance produced during the stimulation at the anode is …

Effects Of Chemotherapy On Sensory Inhibition And Sensory Memory In Breast Cancer Survivor, Raquel Bibi

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Toward Resolving The Problem Of Modern Piracy; A Case Study Of Somalia, Kamil Peter Kozlowski

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.