Digital Commons Network^™

Efficacy Of Ultraviolet Radiation To Control Lactic Acid Bacteria In Wine Must, Brian D. Williams

All Master's Theses

The use of shortwave ultraviolet (UV_c) radiation to control lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in wine production was studied. A simulated wine sterilizer was built using a commercially sourced ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer commonly used in aquariums and ponds. After growing cultures in test tubes, samples of five different species of LAB were introduced into white grape juice adjusted for brix and pH to match that of wine must commonly found in the Yakima Valley American Viticultural Area. The mixture was then agitated and allowed time to evenly distribute the bacteria throughout the juice. The juice was sent through the …

A Zooarchaeological Analysis Of The Monashka Bay Site (Kod-026) Kodiak Island, Alaska, Ayla Aymond

All Master's Theses

This thesis involved the initial analysis of fauna recovered in 1989 by Christopher Donta at the Monashka Bay site on Kodiak Island. Analysis included all vertebrate remains (n = 36,273) larger than 1/8” from bulk samples collected in Area 3, a midden dating AD 1550-1670 during the site’s Koniag occupation. Results indicated a focus on cod (68% of fish identified to order), with modest amounts of sculpin, and small amounts of flatfish, salmon, herring, bird, and sea mammal. The predominance of cod is likewise seen at other Koniag-era sites in the vicinity, though the lack of salmon, which composed 2% …

Exercise Motivations Of Older Adults, Laura J. Attaway

All Master's Theses

This study examined and compared activity levels and motives in 103 older (over 50 years of age) competitive athletes (CA) and non-competitive fitness exercisers (NCF). The findings indicate that the CA group was significantly higher in the motives of enjoyment, competition, and social recognition. Ranking of the strength of the motivation factors for each group indicated that enjoyment was the strongest motivating factor for both groups, health ranked high for both groups, and social recognition ranked lowest in both groups. Findings related to rankings were not tested for significance, so are more tentative.

Underwater Sound Transmission Through Arrays Of Disk Cavities In A Soft Elastic Medium, David C. Calvo, Abel L. Thangawng, Christopher N. Layman Jr., Riccardo Casalini, Shadi F. Othman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Scattering from a cavity in a soft elastic medium, such as silicone rubber, resembles scattering from an underwater bubble in that low-frequency monopole resonance is obtainable in both cases. Arrays of cavities can therefore be used to reduce underwater sound transmission using thin layers and low void fractions. This article examines the role of cavity shape by microfabricating arrays of disk-shaped air cavities into single and multiple layers of polydimethylsiloxane. Comparison is made with the case of equivalent volume cylinders which approximate spheres. Measurements of ultrasonic underwater sound transmission are compared with finite element modeling predictions. The disks provide a …

Applying The Cacao Change Model To Promote Systemic Transformation In Stem, Anthony Marker, Patricia Pyke, Sarah Ritter, Karen Viskupic, Amy Moll, R. Eric Landrum, Tony Roark, Susan Shadle

Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its inception in the Middle Ages, the university classroom can be characterized by students gathered around a sage who imparts his or her knowledge. However, the effective classroom of today looks vastly different: First-year engineering students not only learn basic engineering principles, but are also guided to consider their own inner values and motivations as they design and build adaptive devices for people with disabilities; students in a large chemistry lecture work animatedly together in small groups on inquiry-based activities while an instructor and teaching assistants circulate and guide their learning; students learning differential equations practice explicit metacognitive skills …

Long Live The Evil Queen: Once Upon A Time's Evolved Villain, Frank S. Lombari

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest Queen of all? In today's pop culture, many traditional villains are beginning to be turned into antiheroes. ABC's television show Once Upon a Time has taken a number of fairy tale villains and provided them both a background and character growth. Specifically, the adaptation of the Evil Queen has shifted from primary antagonist to redeemed hero over the first three seasons. The show also displays her in the real-world rather than just a fairy tale universe. The author claims that this radical development occurs due three essential aspects: the Evil Queen and Snow …

Investigating Insurgency And Counter Insurgency And Attaining A Monopoly On Violence, Bryn Lacey

Theses : Honours

This thesis is an investigation of insurgency and counterinsurgency, how actors from within and without a country combat instability and how the security apparatus, coupled with peace building measures, can attain a monopoly on violence. The thesis uses Afghanistan as a case study to carry out this investigation, covering the time period from 2002 – 2011. Ultimately the thesis provides an assessment of the nation building project in Afghanistan in light of the research into insurgency investigating why the efforts of the security actors have, ultimately, failed to attain a monopoly on violence.

Proceedings Of The 2015 Wa Chapter Of Msa Symposium On Music Performance And Analysis, Jonathan R. Paget, Victoria Rogers, Nicholas Bannan, Paul Hopwood, Krista Low, Adrian Yeo, Alix Hamilton, Lindsay Vickery, Stuart James, Carol Williams, Stewart Smith, Robin Ryan, Emma Jayakumar, Cat Hope, Lucas O'Brien

ECU Books

This publication, entitled Proceedings of the 2015 WA Chapter MSA Symposium on Music Performance and Analysis, is a double-blind peer-reviewed conference proceedings published by the Western Australian Chapter of the Musicological Society of Australia, in conjunction with the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University, edited by Jonathan Paget, Victoria Rogers, and Nicholas Bannan. The original symposium was held at the University of Western Australia, School of Music, on 12 December 2015.

With the advent of performer-scholars within Australian Universities, the intersections between analytical knowledge and performance are constantly being re-evaluated and reinvented. This collection of papers presents …

A Principle Of Economy Predicts The Functional Architecture Of Grid Cells, Xue-Xin Wei, Jason Prentice, Vijay Balasubramanian

Publications and Research

Grid cells in the brain respond when an animal occupies a periodic lattice of ‘grid fields’ during navigation. Grids are organized in modules with different periodicity. We propose that the grid system implements a hierarchical code for space that economizes the number of neurons required to encode location with a given resolution across a range equal to the largest period. This theory predicts that (i) grid fields should lie on a triangular lattice, (ii) grid scales should follow a geometric progression, (iii) the ratio between adjacent grid scales should be √e for idealized neurons, and lie between 1.4 and 1.7 …

Numerical Simulation Of Cold Front-Related Hydrodynamics Of Wax Lake Delta, Qian Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study applies a three-dimensional numerical model ECOM-si to simulate the circulation in the Wax Lake delta under winter cold front conditions. This model uses real topography and bathymetry of the area to reproduce tides and the circulation between December 2012 and January 2013, which captures a total of seven cold front passages. The model results demonstrate that the circulation in the Wax Lake delta area is significantly affected by the winter cold fronts. The major findings are: (1) Water fluxes in the delta distributary network are not solely propagated within the channels but also between the channels, indicating inundation …

Production Costs Matter, Roger K. Wilson, Cory Walters

Cornhusker Economics

Production costs matter. Understanding relationships between costs and uncertain output is important in decision making. In the current grain price environment, a stronger understanding of costs and their interaction with other decisions (i.e., risk management), can minimize economic hardship or, in the extreme, reduce the probability of farm liquidation.

Breastfeeding In The Philippine Workplace: What’S Wrong With The Right?, Emily Sanchez Salcedo

DLSU Business & Economics Review

There are four main differences between the Philippine and American statutes that promote breastfeeding. First, the Philippine law provides that lactation breaks should be compensated while the American law explicitly stated that employers are under no such obligation. Second, the Philippine law provides for “culturally appropriate lactation care and services” whereas majority of American states exempt breastfeeding from public indecency laws. Third, the Philippine law makes a conclusive statement that breastfeeding “enhances mother-infant relationship”. The American law wisely left such matter to individual realization. Fourth, the Philippine law puts the right of a mother to breastfeed on equal footing with …

Evaluating The Impact Of Preventative Health Services On Improving General Well-Being, Mallory Lucille Madden

Public Health Theses

Individuals in the United States suffer from an unnecessarily high rate of preventable chronic disease. One reason for this may be the nation's focus on tertiary care rather than preventive care. Health is multi-dimensional and should therefore be approached in an integrative manner. The current study proposes an integrative and preventative approach to health care services that utilizes Rath and Harter's (2010) five dimensions of well-being. We measured the impact of preventative health services in addition to tertiary care services on the general well-being of individuals over a two-month period of time. We found that those receiving preventative care in …

Unanticipated: Healthcare Experiences Of Gender Nonbinary Patients And Suggestions For Inclusive Care, Hannah Mogul-Adlin

Public Health Theses

Transgender populations face substantial barriers to healthcare access, exacerbated by a lack of inclusive research. The health needs of those who are gender nonbinary or genderqueer, identifying outside the binary of man and woman, are especially poorly understood. Using a primarily qualitative online survey, data on gender identity, health access, and healthcare experiences were collected from 81 gender nonbinary participants, and analyzed using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A number of interesting findings emerged, including that 90% of participants across age groups began identifying as gender nonbinary within the last 6 years, 77% reported interest in some aspect …

Impact Of Maternal Demographics On Infant Feeding Habits In American Samoa, Renu Nadkarni

Public Health Theses

Obesity and overweight prevalence in American Samoan adults are among the highest in the world, and levels are also high and increasing in children and infants. Obesity levels are believed to be due ultimately to the dramatic changes in lifestyle and diet over the past half century. A shift away from breastfeeding and to early introduction of formula and solid foods feeding is a dietary habit effected in this change, and can potentially influence a child's future body size and other health outcomes. As decisions about infant feeding are associated with certain maternal demographics in other populations, this study specifically …

The Effect Of Masculine Ideology On Sexual Communication And Sexual Self-Efficacy Among Expectant Adolescent Couples, Melanie K. Norton

Public Health Theses

This study examined the relationship between traditional masculine role norms (status, toughness, anti-femininity) and psychosocial mechanisms of sexual risk (sexual communication, sexual self-efficacy) among young, low-income, and minority parenting couples. Between 2007-2011, 296 pregnant adolescent females and their male partners were recruited from urban obstetrics clinics in Connecticut. Data regarding participants’ beliefs in traditional masculine role norms, frequency of general sex communication and sexual risk communication, and sexual self-efficacy were collected via computer-assisted self-interviews. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to test for actor effects (whether a person’s predictor influences the person’s own outcome) and partner effects (whether a …

Contribution Of Income To Self-Management And Health Outcomes In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes, Kaitlyn Rechenberg

Public Health Theses

Low income has been established as a risk factor for poorer outcomes in

youth with type 1 diabetes; however, the effect of moderate income has not

been studied. The purpose of this secondary analysis of baseline data from a multi-site study was to compare glycemic control, self-management, and

psychosocial outcomes [depression, stress, and quality of life (QOL)] at

different income levels in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Youth (n=320,

mean age=12.3+1.1, 55% female, 64% white, mean A1C=8.3±1.4)

completed established self-management and psychosocial measures. A1C

levels were collected from medical records. Caregivers reported annual family income, categorized as high (>$80K), …

The Epidemiology Of Drug Use And Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors In Mwanza, Tanzania, Xulin Tan

Public Health Theses

Heroin trafficking and consumption has increased steadily over the past decade in Tanzania, but limited information regarding HIV and drug abuse exists for the city of Mwanza. Our study investigates the epidemiology of drug use, and HIV risk behaviors among drug users in the northwestern city of Mwanza. Using a combination of targeted sampling and participant referral, we recruited 480 participants in Mwanza between June and August 2014. The sample was 92% male. Seventy-nine (16.4%) of participants reported injecting heroin, while 434 (90.4%) reported smoking heroin. Housing and cohabitation status were the only socioeconomic characteristics significantly associated with heroin injection. …

Intersection Of Religious And Antiretroviral Experiences And Its Implications For Medication Adherence In Hiv Positive Individuals In León, Nicaragua, Kimberly Stephanie Vasquez

Public Health Theses

Worldwide, in 2012, there were about 35.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).1 Antiretroviral (ARV) significantly improved the livelihood of PLWHA through virological suppression, which has reduced HIV related mortality rates, and decreased the risk of HIV transmission through vaginal and anal sex.2,3 Optimal ARV adherence, around 95%, is required to maintain virological suppression.29 In 2000, a review paper reported that nonadherence rates were around 50-70%.30 Suboptimal adherence can lead to increased mortality, HIV transmission, and ARV resistance.2,3 Global suboptimal illustrates the importance of identifying barriers and facilitators to ARV adherence.7 Research is urgently needed to determine important barriers and …

Cigarette Smoking And Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Population-Based Case-Control Study, Qian Wang

Public Health Theses

Abstract

Objective: Thyroid cancer incidence has increased substantially in the United States. Previous studies of the relationship between cigarette smoking and thyroid cancer have yielded conflicting results.

Methods: In order further clarify the association between cigarette smoking and risk of thyroid cancer, we analyzed data from a population-based case-control study in Connecticut in 2010-2011 including 462 histologically confirmed incident thyroid cancer cases and 498 population-based controls. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between cigarette smoking and risk of thyroid cancer adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Our data showed a decreased risk of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma …

The Microbiome And Pneumonia Disease Severity In Asthmatic Children, Sarah Rae Wannier

Public Health Theses

Background: Pnuemonia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and children diagnosed with asthma have been shown to be at greatly increased risk of recurrent Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP). CAP in asthmatic children can incur nearly double the healthcare costs and lead to poorer outcomes during the course of the pneumonia infection.

Objective: This study seeks to determine if sputum (SP) samples may be used in the pediatric population to better understand the microbiome environment during severe pneumonia in place or in conjunction with the more commonly used nasopharyngeal (NP) samples. Additionally, this study seeks to identify features of …

The Effect Of Exercise Versus Usual Care On Depression In Breast Cancer Survivors: The Hormones And Exercise (Hope) Study, Bridget Ann Winterhalter

Public Health Theses

Purpose: Despite effective therapies and treatments, breast cancer survivors often suffer from distressing side effects which may increase depressive symptomatology. Aromatase inhibitors (AI) are widely used as adjuvant treatment in breast cancer patients, but are associated with side effects such as joint pain that may impact quality of life. We conducted, in 121 breast cancer survivors receiving an AI, a yearlong randomized trial of exercise versus usual care on depressive symptomology.

Methods: Eligibility criteria included taking an AI for at least 6 months, reporting < 90 minutes per week of exercise and no strength training, and reporting > 3 on a scale of 10 for worst joint pain on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). …

Acculturation And Likelihood Of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Liberian Refugees And Ghanaians Living In Buduburam Camp In Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study, Meley T. Woldeghebriel

Public Health Theses

Poor breastfeeding practices can put children at increased risk of morbidity and mortality particularly due to diarrheal and respiratory diseases and impaired physical and mental development. It is therefore important to understand the determinants of exclusive breastfeeding, particularly among residents in refugee settlements who may not have access to key resources and health education. The purpose of this study was to explore if acculturation influenced exclusive breastfeeding practices among Liberian refugees living in the Buduburam refugee settlement. A cross-sectional survey was administered between July - August 2008 to Ghanaian and Liberian women, with at least one biological child between 6 …

Development And Validation Of A Nomogram To Predict Pathological Complete Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer, Qi Yang

Public Health Theses

Purpose The purpose of this study was to combine clinical pathologic variables that are associated with pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy into a prediction nomogram.

Methods A total of 15,553 women who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy for invasive breast cancer in 2010 and 2011 were identified from National Cancer Database (NCDB). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to examine the association of patient age, race, tumor histology, tumor grade, molecular type, and clinical stage with pCR. A nomogram was then developed to predict individual patient probability of pCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Internal validation was performed in …

Talk Don’T Touch? Considerations For Children’S Attorneys On The Physical Touch Of Clients, Andrea L. Dennis

Scholarly Works

Researchers focused on the representation of children and attorneys for children have taken great pains to explore issues surrounding the attorney-child client relationship and recommend strategies and policies supporting positive development of the relationship. Notwithstanding the breadth of available information, almost no attention has been aimed at whether attorneys should physically touch their clients. This article fills that gap.

This Article consists of three parts. Part I describes the literature commanding attorneys for children to develop quality relationships with their clients. These works recognize that young clients seek good relationships with their attorneys, but that barriers to creating quality relationships …

Adiponectin Protects Against Paraquat-Induced Lung Injury By Attenuating Oxidative/Nitrative Stress., Rong Yao, Yaxiong Zhou, Yarong He, Yaowen Jiang, Peng Liu, Lei Ye, Zhijie Zheng, Wayne Bond Lau, Yu Cao, Zhi Zeng

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

The specific mechanisms underlying paraquat (PQ)-induced lung injury remain unknown, which limits understanding of its cytotoxic potential. Although oxidative stress has been established as an important mechanism underlying PQ toxicity, multiple antioxidants have proven ineffective in attenuating the deleterious effects of PQ. Adiponectin, which shows anti-oxidative and antinitrative effects, may have the potential to reduce PQ-mediated injury. The present study determined the protective action of globular domain adiponectin (gAd) on PQ-induced lung injury, and attempted to elucidate the underlying mechanism or mechanisms of action. BALB/c mice were administered PQ, with and without 12 or 36 h of gAd pre-treatment. The …

A Mathematical Investigation Of The Drivers Of Lyme Disease Ecology At Two Ecologically Contrasting Sites, Malia Joy Carpio

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Lyme disease is an emerging tick-borne disease of increasing concern in the United States. In order to create and to implement effective public health interventions for Lyme disease, there must be a better understanding of the factors driving pathogen transmission.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives of this study were to determine how presence/absence of “super-spreaders” and observed differences between two ecologically contrasting sites influence Borrelia burgdorferi transmission.

METHODS: A next generation matrix R0 model was parameterized with field data from an island site (Block Island, Rhode Island) and a mainland site (Connecticut) in order to generate R0 estimates. A local …

Five-Year Resistance Trends Of Bacterial Isolates In Kigali, Rwanda, Makeda Aminah Carroll

Public Health Theses

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the phenomenon of decreased sensitivity to pharmaceutical agents that kill or inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens, is a serious threat to public health worldwide. Many countries, including Rwanda, lack current information on antibiotic sensitivity profiles that would greatly aide clinicians and policy-makers. The current study aims to describe the time trends of antibiotic sensitivity for the isolates of six different bacterial pathogens from patients at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda and to make inference about future patterns of drug resistance in the study setting, to guide physicians in their prescribing practices and provide baseline data …

Extended Conventional Therapy In Adult Xlh Patients, Jessica Ann Connor

Public Health Theses

Context: Treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) with active vitamin D metabolites and phosphate can partially correct skeletal deformities. It is unclear if therapy influences the occurrence of two major long-term morbidities in XLH: enthesopathy and dental disease.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between treatment and enthesopathy and dental disease in adult XLH patients.

Design: Observational and cross-sectional.

Setting: Academic medical center’s hospital research unit.

Participants: 52 XLH patients aged >= 18 at time of study.

Interventions: None

Main outcome measures: Number of enthesopathy sites identified by radiographic skeletal survey and dental disease severity (>5 or <=5 dental abscesses), identified historically.

Methods: Associations between proportion …

A Case-Control Study To Assess Risk Factors For Community-Associated Clostridium Difficile Infection, Samantha Greissman

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), initially thought to be acquired in the hospital, has occurred often in persons not recently hospitalized. Community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) may affect healthy individuals who lack the traditional risk factors for health care-associated CDI (HA-CDI). Risk factors for CA-CDI have yet to be fully identified.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the risk factors for CA-CDI in the small Connecticut sample of a larger multi-state case-control study being conducted by the Emerging Infections Programs, and to help inform analysis of the larger study.

METHODS: A matched case-control study was conducted of consenting individuals. …