Digital Commons Network^™

Securing Health Care Rights For Survivors: Developing An Evidence Base To Inform Policy, Jo Durham

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Analysis of current literature on landmine/explosive remnants of war casualties in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam reveals flaws in recording systems. An integrated course of action should aid mine action and public health communities in preventing incidents and providing care to survivors.

Population Cancer Risks Associated With Coal Mining: A Systematic Review, Wiley D. Jenkins, W. Jay Christian, Georgia Mueller, K. Thomas Robbins

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Coal is produced across 25 states and provides 42% of US energy. With production expected to increase 7.6% by 2035, proximate populations remain at risk of exposure to carcinogenic coal products such as silica dust and organic compounds. It is unclear if population exposure is associated with increased risk, or even which cancers have been studied in this regard.

METHODS: We performed a systematic review of English-language manuscripts published since 1980 to determine if coal mining exposure was associated with increased cancer risk (incidence and mortality).

RESULTS: Of 34 studies identified, 27 studied coal mining as an occupational exposure …

Monitoring Aircraft Cabin Particulate Matter Using A Wireless Sensor Network, James A. Hall Jr., Joshua Kiepert, Michael Pook, Sin Ming Loo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The semi-enclosed and pressurized nature of the aircraft cabin results in a highly dynamic environment. The dynamic conditions establish spatiotemporal dependent environmental characteristics. Characterization of aircraft cabin environmental and bleed-air conditions have traditionally been done with stand-alone measurement systems which, by their very nature, cannot provide the necessary sensor coverage in such an environment. To this purpose, a prototype wireless sensor network system has been developed that can be deployed in the aircraft cabin environment. Each sensor node in the system incorporates the ability to measure common aircraft contaminants such as particulate matter and carbon dioxide, along with other key …

Buscando El Moro: A Constructivist Approach To Health Decision-Making In A Dominican Batey, Hilary Harrison Cook

Open Access Dissertations

The field of public health has long sought to improve health and well-being. Originally incorporating socially embedded views of health, the field of epidemiology has largely abandoned this perspective in exchange for statistics-based approximations in population health research. However, a new movement in public health has been gaining momentum slowly that legitimizes other ways of approaching this research. In particular, value has been placed on lived health experiences, and supporting both social justice and community-based health research. By challenging the epistemological grounds of traditional epidemiological research, an argument is put forth for a constructivist epistemology in health research. Simply put, …

Microbes, Individuals, And Medical Charity: Tuberculosis And The Remaking Of Liberal Individualism In Late 19th-Century Philadelphia, Carson Metzger

American Studies ETDs

For most of Western history, tuberculosis was an incurable disease--its victims, destined to die. However, in late-19th century Philadelphia, changes in science, public health, and medical charity contributed to a remaking of the disease. Through the experiments of the bacteriological laboratory, and the commitment of governmental and private resources to tuberculosis treatment, scientists and physicians would come to tout the disease's curability. By the beginning of the 20th century, the disease was transformed into a curable entity caused, not by an uncontrollable force of nature, but by an ostensibly containable microbe, the tubercle bacillus. This dissertation argues that this transformation …

Maternal Modulation Of The Experience Of Novelty On Offspring Hormonal Stress Reactivity, Sarah Dinces

Psychology ETDs

Background: Studies have shown that both maternal and non-maternal environmental influences affect the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. It remains unclear how these influences jointly interact to program offspring HPA function. Here, we test the hypothesis that non-maternal environmental effects on offspring HPA function depend contextually on maternal self-stress regulation. Methods: To examine individual differences in maternal self-stress regulation, mothers basal circulating and evoked corticosterone (CORT) response were measured shortly after weaning. The effects of the non-maternal environment were assessed by employing both the neonatal and the early adulthood novelty exposure procedures. The neonatal novelty exposure procedure occurred from …

Sample Size Considerations In The Design Of Cluster Randomized Trials Of Combination Hiv Prevention, Rui Wang, Ravi Goyal, Quanhong Lei, M. Essex, Victor Degruttola

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Earning Trust And Explaining Complexities As You Communicate Climate Science: The Cause Model, Katherine E. Rowan

July 10, 2013: Best Practices and Communications Strategies for Adapting to Sea Level Rise and Flooding

No abstract provided.

Blood Neutrophil Counts In Hiv-Infected Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Association With Sputum Mycobacterial Load, Andrew D. Kerkhoff, Robin Y. Wood, David M. Lowe, Monica Vogt, Stephen D. Lawn

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Increasing evidence suggests that neutrophils play a role in the host response toMycobacterium tuberculosis. We determined whether neutrophil counts in peripheral blood are associated with tuberculosis (TB) and with mycobacterial load in sputum in HIV-infected patients.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Adults enrolling in an antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic in a Cape Town township were screened for TB regardless of symptoms. Paired sputum samples were examined using liquid culture, fluorescence microscopy, and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were measured in blood samples. Of 602 HIV-infected patients screened, 523 produced one or more sputum samples and had complete …

Alteration Of Biological Properties Of Bacterial Lipids By Calcium Hydroxide Treatment, Sharefa Al-Asfour

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Revenge: The Supreme Court Narrows Protection Against Workplace Retaliation In University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center V. Nassar, Joanna L. Grossman, Deborah L. Brake

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

All eyes were on the Supreme Court as it closed out its term with landmark decisions that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, gutted the Voting Rights Act, and narrowly preserved the ability of colleges and universities to use affirmative action in admissions. But during that same final week, the Court issued two rulings in employment discrimination cases. In both, a divided 5-4 court made it more difficult for employees who experience discrimination to find redress in court.

The Proportions Of People Living With Hiv In Low And Middle-Income Countries Who Test Tuberculin Skin Test Positive Using Either A 5 Mm Or A 10 Mm Cut-Off: A Systematic Review, Andrew D. Kerkhoff, Ankur Gupta, Taraz Samandari, Stephen D. Lawn

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adam10 Overexpression Dysregulates Notch Signaling In Favor Of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell (Mdsc) Accumulation That Deferentially Modulates The Host Response Depending On Immune Stimuli And Interaction With Mast Cells., Sheinei Saleem

Theses and Dissertations

Although the physiological consequences of Notch signaling in hematopoiesis have been extensively studied, the differential effects of individual notch cleavage products remain to be elucidated. Given that a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) is a critical regulator of Notch and that its deletion is embryonically lethal, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress ADAM10 at early stages of lymphoid and myeloid development (A10Tg). ADAM10 transgene expression alters hematopoiesis post-hematopoietic Lineage-Sca-1+c-kit+ (LSK) subset differentiation but prior to lineage commitment of progenitor populations. This results in delayed T cell development, abrogated B2 cell development, and dramatic expansion of functionally active myeloid derived suppressor …

Pouring Salt On A Wound: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence Factors Alter Na+ And Cl− Flux In The Lung, Alicia E. Ballok, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen with multiple niches in the human body, including the lung. P. aeruginosa infections are particularly damaging or fatal for patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis (CF). To establish an infection, P. aeruginosa relies on a suite of virulence factors, including lipopolysaccharide, phospholipases, exoproteases, phenazines, outer membrane vesicles, type III secreted effectors, flagella, and pili. These factors not only damage the epithelial cell lining but also induce changes in cell physiology and function such as cell shape, membrane permeability, and protein synthesis. While such virulence factors are important in …

Influence Of Water Conductivity On Amphibian Occupancy In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Robert W. Klaver, Charles R. Peterson, Debra A. Patla

Western North American Naturalist

Investigation of amphibian occupancy at potential breeding sites can provide information about the distribution and relative abundance of species, as well as insights into habitat relationships across large areas such as national parks. Based on previous research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), we hypothesized that the probability of amphibian occupancy increases with water conductivity. We conducted amphibian surveys with habitat measurements at 235 wetland sites in the GYE in 2002, thereby locating breeding populations of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas), boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata), Columbia spotted frogs (Lithobates luteiventris), and barred tiger salamanders …

Shooting Ourselves In The Foot: Why Mandatory Reporting Of Gunshot Wounds Is A Bad Idea, Jocelyn Downie, Merril Pauls

Research Papers, Working Papers, Conference Papers

A recent position statement by the Ontario Medical Association's Section on Emergency Medicine called on the Ontario government to pass a law requiring physicians to report gunshot wounds to police The Ontario government quickly passed a motion to "introduce legislation to require hospitals and physicians to report gunshot wounds and knife injuries to their local police service" The goals behind the position statement are laudable "to assess and reduce immediate public risk and to collect data to inform future prevention strategies" However mandating that physicians report gunshot wounds is an illconceived response to the problem of gunrelated violence It will …

Isolation And Molecular Characterization Of Leptospira Interrogans And Leptospira Borgpetersenii Isolates From The Urban Rat Populations Of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, D. Benacer, M.Z. Siti Nursheena, A. Fairuz, R.L. Galloway, Kwai Lin Thong

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Rats are considered the principal maintenance hosts of Leptospira. The objectives of this study were isolation and identification of Leptospira serovars circulating among urban rat populations in Kuala Lumpur. Three hundred urban rats (73% Rattus rattus and 27% R. norvegicus) from three different sites were trapped. Twenty cultures were positive for Leptospira using dark-field microscopy. R. rattus was the dominant carrier (70%). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed that all isolates were pathogenic Leptospira species. Two Leptospira serogroups, Javanica and Bataviae, were identified using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) identified two serovars in the urban rat populations: L. …

Comparison Of Systemic And Mucosal Immunization Withhelper-Dependent Adenoviruses For Vaccination Against Mucosal Challenge With Shiv, Eric A. Weaver, Pramod N. Nehete, Bharti P. Nehete, Guojun Yang, Stephanie J. Buchl, Patrick W. Hanley, Donna Palmer, David C. Montefiori, Guido Ferrari, Philip Ng, K. Jagannadha Sastry, Michael A. Barry

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Most HIV-1 infections are thought to occur at mucosal surfaces during sexual contact. It has been hypothesized that vaccines delivered at mucosal surfaces may mediate better protection against HIV-1 than vaccines that are delivered systemically. To test this, rhesus macaques were vaccinated by intramuscular (i.m.) or intravaginal (ivag.) routes with helperdependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vectors expressing HIV-1 envelope. Macaques were first immunized intranasally with species C Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) prior to serotype-switching with species C HD-Ad6, Ad1, Ad5, and Ad2 vectors expressing env followed by rectal challenge with CCR5-tropic SHIV-SF162P3. Vaccination by the systemic route generated stronger systemic CD8 T …

Livestock-Associated Methicillin And Multidrug Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Is Present Among Industrial, Not Antibiotic-Free Livestock Operation Workers In North Carolina, Jessica L. Rinsky, Maya Nadimpalli, Steve Wing, Devon Hall, Dothula Baron, Lance B. Price, Jesper Larsen, Marc Stegger, Jill Stewart, Christopher D. Heaney

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Objectives

Administration of antibiotics to food animals may select for drug-resistant pathogens of clinical significance, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In the United States, studies have examined prevalence of MRSA carriage among individuals exposed to livestock, but prevalence of multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA) carriage and the association with livestock raised with versus without antibiotic selective pressure remains unclear. We aimed to examine prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility, and molecular characteristics of S. aureus among industrial livestock operation (ILO) and antibiotic-free livestock operation (AFLO) workers and household members in North Carolina.

Methods

Participants in this cross-sectional study were interviewed and provided a …

Summer 2013: Personally Speaking/Exile In A Dubious Paradise, Tom Conner

St. Norbert College Magazine 2013-2018

Professor Tom Conner shares his sabbatical experience on Devil’s Island.

Humanitarianism And The Anthropology Of Hunger, Kate Klein

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

While the early view of hunger as the product of a world population too large to sustain has largely been eliminated, and the mainstream international community has come to accept that food insecurity results from issues of distribution rather than an insufficient global food supply, the emphasis on biotechnology in agriculture, humanitarianism in international aid, and social justice in international human rights law in the contemporary era has contributed to other barriers that prevent hunger alleviation.

In this thesis, I argue that these previous contemporary developments have had the capacity to hide hunger. My analysis of technology and humanitarian aid …

Pediatric Oncology: Causes, Treatments, And The Role Of Integrated Medicine, Maria Furnari

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

Cancer is responsible for approximately 10%-12% of childhood deaths, and is second only to accidents as the leading cause of death in individuals over age 14 (Rape & Bush, 1994). There are various forms of cancer that can afflict a child and numerous ways to combat the disease. While it is important to fight the physical aspects of the disease to increase the child's chance of survival, it is also important to deal with the psychological issues that accompany pediatric oncology. Various psychological treatments are available to help a child endure the emotional and physical stresses associated with chemotherapy and …

Clinic Connection: Summer 2013, Centracare Clinic

Clinic Connection

• President’s Message: "The importance of team work in health care"
• Collaborating to improve care locally and throughout Minnesota
• Neoplasms: Documenting ‘Current’ versus ‘Personal History’
• Heart failure — an epidemic in the U.S.
• Medical weight management provides options for obesity
• Wound Center offers array of services to patients
• Doctors perform first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement at St. Cloud Hospital
• Study links childhood trauma and adult behavior
• Introducing our new CentraCare Clinic Specialists

Mole Street Journal, June 2013, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dept. Of Chemistry And Biochemistry

Mole Street Journal

No abstract provided.

Integrated Health Care Systems: A Holistic Approach To Medicine, Tatiana Kaehler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines how the strengths of both allopathic and traditional medical systems are harnessed in integrated health care systems – a system which “consciously targets and harnesses people’s links with biodiversity for health care reasons” (Quansah, personal communication, July 1, 2013). It uses examples of integrated health care in Madagascar to prove that integrated health care systems offers health care in an affordable and accessible manner, while also promoting cultural sustainability and conservation of biodiversity. By recognizing and establishing integrated health care systems throughout the world, global health disparities can be addressed and various health goals can be accomplished.

Com Outlook Summer 2013, College Of Osteopathic Medicine

COM Outlook

No abstract provided.

Healthy You, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Healthy You

No abstract provided.

Checkup, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Checkup

No abstract provided.

Healthy Horizons, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Healthy Horizons

No abstract provided.

Maribel Gamon - Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis In India: Solving A Problem By Reconstructing The Public Health Infrastructure, Maribel Gamon

Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program 2013

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, commonly referred to as TB, is responsible for causing about 630,000 cases per year of infectious diseases worldwide. Recently, multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become an alarming public health concern. In addition, many developing countries lack effective treatment programs. India is one of those countries with a high prevalence of TB, seemingly affected by disconnectedness in their public health infrastructure. India, although a developing country, is still burdened with both chronic and infectious diseases, and there is a reactive public health system that must place focus on long-term effects of emerging resistant strains of TB. It is important …