Digital Commons Network^™

Survival Analysis Of Nfl Concussions During The 2014 And 2015 Regular Seasons, E.S. Emme

Public Health Theses

Prior to the 2015 season, the National Football League reported that regular season in-game concussions had fallen 35% from 2012 to 2014. However, the number of concussions suffered during the 2015 regular season increased to 182, the highest total since the league implemented a standardized protocol for diagnosing and treating concussions after the 2011 season. To determine whether this large increase likely represented an increase in actual incidence or simply an increase in diagnosed injuries, survival analysis was used to compare the risk of injury between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. To show that the risk environment of the game …

Virtual Risk: How Msm And Tw In India Use Media For Partner Selection, Heather Ferguson

Public Health Theses

In India, criminalization of adult consensual same-sex relationships and sexual encounters along with stigma toward men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) may impact the use of social media to help MSM and TW connect to their community and find sexual partners. Through 30 individual qualitative interviews with MSM, TW, and key informants, we sought to understand how social media shape how MSM and TW connect to their community, meet men for relationships and sex, and how use of social media influences sexual risk. Qualitative data were transcribed, translated, coded, and analyzed using grounded theory. Results …

Hands Up: A Systematized Review Of Policing Sex Workers In The U.S., Fabian Luis Fernandez

Public Health Theses

This work lays the foundation for a study of criminalization and its effects on the health of street-based sex workers in the U.S. seeking to: 1) conduct a systematized review of sources from across the country settling on seventeen that describe experiences of harassment, false arrests, theft, physical abuse, sexual assault, HIV criminalization, survival tactics, reporting practices, and positive relations with law enforcement and 2.) compare the U.S. literature to international research, reflecting on the ways that public health researchers remain complicit in sustaining these harmful institutions by failing to consider diversity, the criminalized context of sex work, the links …

Assessment Of Floral-Derived Aromatic Compounds And Sugar Lures To Capture Male And Female Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), Kara Mackenzie Fikrig

Public Health Theses

Abstract

The viruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti, including dengue and Zika viruses, are rapidly expanding in geographic range and as a threat to public health. In response, control programs are increasingly turning to the use of sterile insect techniques resulting in a need to trap male Ae. aegypti in order to monitor the efficacy of the intervention. However, there is a lack of effective and cheap methods for trapping males. We attempted to exploit the male physiological need to obtain energy from sugar feeding in order lure the mosquitoes into a passive trap. We tested promising aromatic and sugar lures …

Azithromycin Pharmacodynamics Against Non-Typeable H. Influenzae, James Fisher

Public Health Theses

Introduction

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Significant clinical disease in COPD patients has been tied to non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) infection. However, reasons why some NTHI strains persist despite antimicrobial therapy remain unknown.

Objective

The primary objective was to characterize the pharmacodynamics of azithromycin against a persistent pair of NTHI isolates.

Methods

A persistent pair of NTHI isolates (5P28H1 and 5P54H1) cultured from the sputum of an adult with COPD and determined to be the same strain by multilocus sequence typing was carried for 819 days. The Minimum Inhibitory …

Kidney Transplant Candidate Acceptance Of Live Donor Esrd Risk, Jacqueline Gannon

Public Health Theses

Background: We recently found that potential living kidney donors (LKDs) are willing to accept high levels of end stage renal disease (ESRD) to donate. Since receipt of a living donor kidney is also contingent recipient attitudes, we sought to explore potential recipients’ acceptance of risks to potential LKDs and their attitudes on risk acceptance.

Methods: We conducted a mixed methods prospective study of ESRD patients undergoing evaluation to receive a kidney transplant. Using a novel 10,000 dot diagram, participants indicated the highest chance of a LKD getting ESRD they were willing to accept. Participants also completed demographic, risk taking, and …

Smoking, Genetic Polymorphisms In Dna Repair Genes And Risk Of Thyroid Cancer, Qi Guo

Public Health Theses

While the number of current smokers has declined due to legal and regulatory measures and public health awareness, cigarette smoking remains the top risk factor for many diseases, including cancers originated from various tissues. Meanwhile, thyroid cancer incidence has increased significantly in the USA. Former epidemiology studies have investigated the association between smoking and risk of thyroid cancer, and interestingly results from these studies have shown that smoking has protective effect on risk of thyroid cancer. Studies have tapped into genetic polymorphisms and their association with thyroid cancer (and its subtypes) to further examine the susceptibility of certain gene variants …

Trends In Hpv 16/18-Associated Cervical Lesions In New Haven County, Connecticut, 2008-2014, Susan Elizabeth Hannagan

Public Health Theses

Background: Current vaccines protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18, which are associated with approximately 70% of cervical cancer and 50% of high-grade cervical lesions. Monitoring trends in HPV 16/18-associated lesions is important to assess vaccine impact.

Methods: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2 and 3 and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) cases of women residing in the catchment area of New Haven County, CT were reported to the Connecticut HPV-IMPACT surveillance system, and diagnostic specimens were obtained for HPV DNA testing. Cases were geocoded to census tracts and linked to area-based measures of race, ethnicity, and poverty. Statistical …

Neighborhood-Level Socioeconomic Status And County Fairs And The Risk Of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli Incidence In Connecticut, 2012 To 2014, Gili Hrusa

Public Health Theses

Abstract

Background: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is a reportable illness. It is associated with a spectrum of clinical manifestations that range from watery and/or bloody diarrhea to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life threatening condition which causes acute renal failure in both children and adults. A study in Connecticut (CT) by Whitney et al. (2015) found a strong association between higher socioeconomic status (SES) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli incidence. In the same study, there was a weaker association demonstrated between rurality and STEC incidence as well. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between …

Vitamin D Status And Age Of Menarche:, Alexandra Hua

Public Health Theses

Early age of menarche (AOM) increases risk for chronic disorders, including cardiovascular disease and related mortality, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer. Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to earlier onset of menstruation, but there is limited research examining vitamin D and its association with AOM. The objective of this study was to examine the association between vitamin D levels and AOM by analyzing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2001-2010. We hypothesized that that vitamin D deficiency is associated with earlier age of menarche in adolescent and early adult females in the United States. Cross-sectional …

What Can We Learn From Healthy Positive Weight Deviants In Samoa?, Sophia Hua

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Over 90% of females and over 80% of males in Samoa are either overweight or obese. The continuing economic and nutrition transition in Samoa has contributed to a sharp rise in prevalence. Excess weight affects both the younger and older generation of Samoa. With little evidence of decreasing prevalence in overweight or obesity, the country needs to make weight loss/prevention of weight gain a public health priority. This paper will look at the behaviors of healthy positive weight deviants in Samoa to inform targetable changes the population can make.

Setting/Participants: 3,475 participants were eligible for this study from four …

Concussions In Female Collegiate Diving: An Exploratory Study, Sarah Kemp

Honors Program Theses

An abundant amount of research is being put into sports-related concussions. A vast majority of the research is being done on high-contact sports such as football, ice hockey, rugby, basketball, and soccer. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of concussions in women’s collegiate diving and examine the diver’s readiness to return to competitive sport. Twenty-four Division I divers from different Midwestern universities completed a survey that included prevalence questions, a checklist of symptoms that they experienced, and several questions regarding confidence to return to play. The data showed that 54.2% of the participants have had a …

Lifetime Residential Water Source And Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Connecticut Based Case-Control Study, Hannah Grace Kaneck

Public Health Theses

While incident thyroid cancer diagnoses continue to increase at a rate faster than any other cancer in the US, questions about environmental exposures’ link to small malignancy increases persist. Nitrate consumption as a predictor for thyroid cancer has become a topic of interest due to their ubiquitous contamination of water and food supplies. No epidemiological studies have looked at the correlation of residential water source over an entire lifetime and its relation to thyroid cancer. A Connecticut based case-control study conducted in 2010-2011, including 462 histologically confirmed incident thyroid cancer cases and 498 Connecticut based controls used multivariate unconditional logistic …

E-Cigarette Use Among Urban Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study Of Prevalence And Predictors Of Use, Melody Kingsley

Public Health Theses

Purpose: In a study of middle school students, the objectives were to (1) document prevalence of early e-cigarette use and characteristics of users, and (2) identify psychosocial and behavioral factors that predict susceptibility and uptake.

Methods: Students in 12 randomly selected public schools in New Haven, Connecticut, completed health and behavior surveys in grades 7 and 8 (N=490). Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess the prevalence of e-cigarette susceptibility (considering e-cigarette use) and e-cigarette uptake among students at grade 7 and grade 8. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between psychosocial and behavioral characteristics measured at grade …

The Adolescent Refugee Experience: Cultural Attitudes Of High School Burmese Refugees Living In Iowa, Alexis Helgens

Honors Program Theses

This research seeks to explore the experience of a group of high school refugee students who currently reside in Waterloo, Iowa. At home, the Burmese refugee high school students are surrounded by a rich Burmese culture; they interact with the Burmese language, food, and family. In school, they are surrounded by American systems; English is the only accepted language, and American pop culture is inescapable. With a growing number of refugees entering the country, it is vital to understand the experience and perceptions of developing young adults. Better understanding will facilitate in giving schools and other services tools to equip …

Residential Proximity To Manufacturing Facilities And Risk Of Thyroid Cancer, Nathan Kloczko

Public Health Theses

In the past two decades, thyroid cancer incidence has increased at a rate faster than any other malignancy. Environmental contamination has been a suspected risk factor in this trend. One potential source of environmental exposures is pollution from industrial manufacturing facilities. We investigated whether proximity to industrial facilities was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer in an exploratory analysis within an existing population-based case-control study in Connecticut using a novel data resource.

Complete residential histories of 408 thyroid cancer cases and 470 controls were collected and geocoded. Manufacturing facility addresses were gathered from a novel source of publicly …

A Healthy Herd: Addressing The Justifications For Vaccine Denial And Applying The Health Belief Model To The Current Anti-Vaccination Movement, Sarah L. Mchugh

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore and analyze the existing literature regarding the refusal to receive vaccinations designed specifically to prevent Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), which has spurred a serious public health issue that puts every unvaccinated person at risk. It will investigate the reasons people refuse to get vaccinations for themselves or their children. The analysis of the current situation and the application of the Health Belief Model to the related factors will provide potential explanations regarding how the decision-making process may strengthen efforts towards increasing vaccination rates.

Impact Of Alcohol On Households And Families In Trinidad And Tobago, Rebecca Lakew

Public Health Theses

Objective: To characterize the lived experience of women in Trinidad and Tobago who have at least one family member with chronic alcohol use.

Method: In-person, semi-structured qualitative interviews.

Results: 1) The cultural context in which women with alcohol dependent relatives live shapes their understanding of their roles; 2) a tension emerged between the participants’ idealized role in their family and the reality; 3) participants employed a range of coping mechanisms to deal with their alcohol dependent relative; and 4) the experiences of the participants can be better understood in the larger context of systems of support and enablement in Trinidad …

Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Loss Of Heterozygosity Correlates With Replicative Lifespan And Mitotic Asymmetry In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Emine Guven, Lindsay A. Parnell, Erin D. Jackson, Meighan Parker, Nilin Gupta, Jenny Rodrigues, Hong Qin

Scholarly Works

Cellular aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can lead to genomic instability and impaired mitotic asymmetry. To investigate the role of oxidative stress in cellular aging, we examined the effect of exogenous hydrogen peroxide on genomic instability and mitotic asymmetry in a collection of yeast strains with diverse backgrounds. We treated yeast cells with hydrogen peroxide and monitored the changes of viability and the frequencies of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in response to hydrogen peroxide doses. The mid-transition points of viability and LOH were quantified using sigmoid mathematical functions. We found that the increase of hydrogen peroxide dependent genomic instability often occurs …

Factors Influencing Care-Seeking Behavior Among Patients In Ethiopian Primary Health Care Units, Orit Abrahim

Public Health Theses

Abstract

Background

The utilization of primary health care in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa has been limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the factors that influenced why patients sought care at health centers versus primary hospitals in the primary health care unit (PHCU) in three regions in Ethiopia. The study also examined whether these factors varied based on a patient’s clinical or demographic characteristics and by whether they had sought prior care.

Methods and Findings

We conducted a cross-sectional study using face-to-face interviews in the local language with 796 people (99% response rate) seeking outpatient care in …

Why Bias Challenges To Administrative Adjudication Should Succeed, Kent H. Barnett

Scholarly Works

How much confidence would you have in a judge whom your opponent hired, can pay bonuses to, and can seek to discipline or remove? I recently argued that numerous administrative adjudicators very likely suffer from an unconstitutional appearance of partiality because the agencies that are often parties in administrative hearings can hire, pay bonuses to, discipline, and remove these adjudicators.

In this Article for the Missouri Law Review’s Symposium on A Future Without the Administrative State?, I contend that challenges to adjudicators’ appearance of partiality are well positioned to be part of the new wave of structural challenges to the …

The Cost Of Uncertainty: Navigating The Boundary Between Legal Information And Legal Services In The Access To Justice Sector, Jennifer Bond, David Wiseman, Emily Bates

Journal of Law and Social Policy

The self-regulatory bodies that oversee legal professionals in Canada maintain strict control on the delivery of legal services, and access to justice projects must therefore always be conscious of activities that would violate certain restrictions. Careful adherence to these parameters is made difficult, however, by the lack of clarity about where the relevant boundaries are drawn. Using a project that provides legal assistance for refugees as a case study, this article highlights the challenges that the unclear distinction between “legal information” and “legal services” creates for access to justice initiatives. We conclude that the uncertainty can carry a variety of …

Zoning Out Discrimination: Working Towards Housing Equality In Ontario, Jessica Simone Roher

Journal of Law and Social Policy

In Ontario, it is the role of local government to ensure that housing is accessible and to eliminate barriers to housing. This paper examines how the Ontario Human Rights Code can be employed to challenge municipal zoning bylaws regulating permitted land-uses, namely by establishing that certain bylaws adversely affect individuals protected under the Code by restricting where those individuals may live. While Ontario litigants have been relatively successful in using the Code to challenge direct and indirect discrimination in housing, the case of zoning bylaws reveals key limitations to achieving housing equality through human rights legislation. This paper compares the …

Socioeconomic Rights Adjudication In Canada: Can The Minimum Core Help In Adjudicating The Rights To Life And Security Of The Person Under The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms?, Ania Kwadrans

Journal of Law and Social Policy

Violations of the minimum core economic and social rights (ESR) deprive society’s most vulnerable individuals and groups of the very resources that are essential to life and basic well-being. States have an obligation to ensure that meaningful remedies are available for such infringements. Though articulating a minimum core for ESR poses challenges, and critics of the concept find it beyond the institutional competence of courts, it remains an important tool for adjudication. The minimum core focuses the inquiry on the underlying goals of human rights: the protection of vulnerable and marginalized groups from the most serious forms of deprivation and …

Book Review: Women’S Rights To Social Security And Social Protection, Edited By Beth Goldblatt & Lucie Lamarche, Vanessa De Sousa

Journal of Law and Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Dietary Patterns And Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Population-Based Case-Control Study, Jiaxin Liang

Public Health Theses

Thyroid cancer (TC) incidence has increased greatly during the past decades with a few established risk factors. The relationship between diet factors and TC remains unclear. Limited literature has investigated the association and with inconsistent findings. We examined the association between dietary pattern and risk of TC in a population based case-control study conducted in Connecticut (2010-2011). 390 historically confirmed incident TC cases and 436 population-based controls that completed baseline dietary history questionnaires were included in the analyses. We identified 3 distinct dietary patterns (“Starchy Foods and Desserts”, “Fruits and Vegetables”, “High Protein and Fat”) through principal components analysis. Multivariate …

Liberty And Justice For All? : Ethics In The American Criminal Justice System, Haley Hasenstein

Honors Program Theses

The American Bar Association (ABA) claims a commitment to ethics for all that fall under its jurisdiction. As a part of the Bar Exam that lawyers must take to join the Association they are issued a character and fitness test, where some prior misbehavior may disqualify an individual from becoming barred. “Miscarriages of justice” is a common theme among literature about lawyers in the criminal justice system. In this study I will shed light on some of the ethical discrepancies in the legal profession’s values and practice. This study focuses on criminal lawyers’ experiences with personal ethics as well as …

Stress, Social Support, And Low Birth Weight: The Birth To Twenty Cohort, Esther Lim

Public Health Theses

The role that psychosocial factors play in determining birth weight has been thought to play an analogous role as physical insults during pregnancy. In particular, maternal social support and stress have been studied separately with respect to their association with low birth weight (LBW), with more recent studies examining their interaction. The latter case has found that the level of social support reported by participants can modify the association between perceived levels of stress and LBW status. However, much of the research conducted to study and establish this relationship has mostly taken place within the high income countries (HIC) of …

The Effectiveness Of Egfr-Tkis In Treatment Of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis, Xiao Li

Public Health Theses

Epidermal growth factor receptor- tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is one of the genetic targeted medicines that is used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer. However, because EGFR-TKIs have a specific target, they are not believed to benefit all non-small-cell cancer patients.

We conducted a meta-analysis synthesizing 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of EFGR-TKIs among two patient populations: unselected patients with unknown EGFR mutation status and selected patients harboring EGFR mutation

Among unselected patients, the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs is inferior to chemotherapy. The hazard of disease progression in the EGFR-TKI group is 1.46 times that in the …

The Role Of Journaling In Reflective Writing In Experiential Education: A Case Study Intervention, John Bennion, Mat Duerden, Anne Whitehouse

Faculty Publications

Research suggests that journaling will increase reflection and improve program outcomes (Bain, et al, 1999; Duerden, et al, 2012) This study involved a partnership with a non-profit, Global Explorers (GEx), which provides international immersion experiences for youth. Their programs are designed to teach youth participants principles of leadership, environmental awareness, service, and science. This study, which tested whether teaching journaling techniques to youth program facilitators would have a positive impact on participant outcomes, addressed the following hypotheses: 1) Greater training in reflective thinking among participants would be associated with higher outcome scores, and 2) Participants in the intervention group (facilitators …