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Legacy Mining Metal Exposures Contribute To Circulating Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein And Serum Inflammatory Potential In A Native Community, Molly E. Harmon

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Numerous abandoned uranium mines (AUM) within the Navajo Nation contribute uranium (U), arsenic (As) and other metals to the soil, air and groundwater that continue to pose potential health risks to Navajo residents. The prevalence of inflammatory-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) has increased among the Navajo community in recent decades. Environmental exposure to metal contaminants may alter the circulation in ways that are associated with the inflammation-driven process of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Thus, we hypothesize that exposures to AUM metal contaminants are associated with pro-atherogenic changes in the circulation as evidenced by increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) …

The Cytoplasmic Carbonic Anhydrases Βca2 And Βca4 Are Required For Optimal Plant Growth At Low Co2, Robert J. Dimario, Jennifer C. Quebedeaux, David J. Longstreth, Maheshi Dassanayake, Monica M. Hartman, James V. Moroney

Faculty Publications

© 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are zinc metalloenzymes that interconvert CO2 and HCO3-. In plants, both α-and β-type CAs are present. We hypothesize that cytoplasmic bCAs are required to modulate inorganic carbon forms needed in leaf cells for carbonrequiring reactions such as photosynthesis and amino acid biosynthesis. In this report, we present evidence that βCA2 and βCA4 are the two most abundant cytoplasmic CAs in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves. Previously, βCA4 was reported to be localized to the plasma membrane, but here, we show that two forms of βCA4 are expressed in …

Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (Fgf-23) Levels Differ Across Populations By Degree Of Industrialization, Shennin N. Yuen, Kramer Holly, Amy Luke, Pascal Bovet, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Terrence Forrester, Vicki Lambert, Myles Wolf, Pauline Camacho, Regina Harders, Lara Dugas, Richard Cooper, Ramon Durazo-Arvizu

Faculty Publications

Context: Compensatory increases in fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) with increasing phosphate intake may adversely impact health. However, population and clinical studies examining the link between phosphate intake and FGF23 levels have focused mainly on populations living in highly industrialized societies in which phosphate exposure may be homogenous. Objective: The objective of the study was to contrast dietary phosphate intake, urinary measures of phosphate excretion, and FGF23 levels across populations that differ by the level of industrialization. Design: This was a cross-sectional analysis of three populations. Setting: The study was conducted in Maywood, Illinois; Mahé Island, Seychelles; and Kumasi, Ghana. …

An Analysis Of Environmentally-Persistent Free Radical Formation On Surrogate Soil Systems Containing Iron(Iii) And Copper(Ii) And The Potential Remediation Effects Of Laccases, Andrew Paul Mullet

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

New Compartment Model Analysis Of Lean-Mass And Fat-Mass Growth With Overfeeding, Dmytro Shumilov, Steven B. Heymsfield, Leanne M. Redman, Kesava Kalluri, Joyoni Dey

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Mathematical models of lean- and fat-mass growth with diet are useful to help describe and potentially predict the fat- and lean-mass change with different diets as a function of consumed protein and fat calories. Most of the existing models do not explicitly account for interdependence of fat-mass on the lean-mass and vice versa. The aim of this study was to develop a new compartmental model to describe the growth of lean and fat mass depending on the input of dietary protein and fat, and accounting for the interdependence of adipose tissue and muscle growth. Methods: The model was fitted …

Child Maltreatment’S Heavy Toll: The Need For Trauma-Informed Obesity Prevention, Susan M. Mason, S. Bryn Austin, Jennifer L. Bakalar, Renee Boynton-Jarrett, Alison E. Field, Holly C. Gooding, Laura M. Holsen, Benita Jackson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Mar Sanchez, Stephanie Sogg, Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Janet W. Rich-Edwards

Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper is the product of a workshop on the topic of child maltreatment and obesity at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard that brought together the listed authors, who are experts across a number of relevant fields.

Emerging research has highlighted childhood maltreatment and other psychological traumas as risk factors for obesity and related comorbidities.1–3 Although the high rate of obesity in the U.S. affects the entire population, those with histories of maltreatment—making up at least 30% of the population4,5—appear to be at greater risk. Unfortunately, childhood maltreatment is often overlooked as a risk factor for adult …

Changes In Health And Behavior During The Business Cycle, Mohammad Sediq Sameem

Dissertations

This dissertation considers to what extent changes in the unemployment rate – a proxy for the business cycle – drives changes in mortality and crime. I use a panel of U.S. counties from 1990 to 2013. I allow changes in the unemployment rate to have different effects upon mortality / crime in large versus small counties as well as between increases versus decreases in the unemployment rate. My results show great nuance along both these dimensions, suggesting that the effects of the business cycle are more subtle than what previous studies report. These results also give one greater insight into …

Today - May 2016, Loma Linda University Health

TODAY

Inside this Issue:

-- More than 3,000 attend Loma Linda University Health Vision 2020 Groundbreaking Event
-- Sold-out LLUH Women's Conference inspires attendees to 'Be the Artist of Your Life'
-- Daniel Samano's two big home runs
-- Loma Linda University Health helps community discover 'Your Best Pathway to Health'
-- Annual Children's Day teaches kids about health care in a fun, safe environment
-- LLU alumna appointed as Florida surgeon general
-- ECMO open house displays new CARDIOHELP technology to help critically ill children survive
-- President Hart leads work bee to uncover original Loma Linda Sanitarium steps
-- …

Eating Local At Uri: The Real Food Challenge, Kayleigh M. Hill

Senior Honors Projects

Over the past decade sustainability has become more than just a buzzword at the University of Rhode Island. We have adapted it into the fabric of our school and created a student body that is focused on the health of our future, on promoting environmental, social and economic prosperity that is created and sustained by action on a local level. In other words, we have realized that before we can “Think Big”, we have to first consider the impact our actions have on every level of society. This project focuses on how the action of eating is a direct reflection …

Exercise Is Medicine, Colby A. Sousa

Senior Honors Projects

College student are often faced with new challenges upon arrival to campus, including making independent decisions about their health and wellness.

As students face new academic and social responsibilities, issues with time management and stress often compromise many students abilities to adopt and maintain health promoting behaviors, including eating well and participating in regular physical activity. The adoption of less health promoting behaviors is associated with increases in rates of illness, increases in weight, adoption of poor sleeping patterns and increasingly poor stress management.

As such, knowledge of the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity/ exercise for optimal health …

The Impact Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (Bde-47) Administration In Mice And Its Implications In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Kristen Ciampi

Senior Honors Projects

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease characterized by the accumulation of fat in liver cells that is not due to alcohol consumption. Steatosis results when more than 5-10% of the liver’s weight consists of fat. People who are overweight, or who have diabetes or high cholesterol are more likely to develop NAFLD. Over time, NAFLD can advance to cause cirrhosis, and eventually, liver cancer or failure.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs, BDEs) are brominated flame- retardants, and are found in many plastics and household products such as cars, textiles, televisions, and computers. BDEs are released into the environment and …

Closing The Achievement Gap: Assessing Best Practices In Rhode Island After-School Programs, Joseph Korzeb

Senior Honors Projects

There is a saturation of scholarly research affirming the existence of a gap in academic achievement between students in need and students of privilege in the United States. However, there is a current debate to decide the most effective intervention strategies that should be employed to close this achievement gap. This study will examine the role that after-school programs play in closing the gap. Specifically, this study will investigate best practice components for after-school programs and will attempt to determine if select after-school programs in Rhode Island provide proven best practices for students in need.

This study attempts to define …

Regionalizing Institutional Food At Uri, Lauren A. Breene

Senior Honors Projects

In recent years a demand for locally sourced food has arisen among students, faculty, and staff at the University of Rhode Island. Having now recognized this demand the hour is upon us to organize and create a movement that is as enlightened as it is revolutionary. Published material regarding regionalizing institutional food, however, is fragmented and difficult to apply to URI. The aim of this project is to collect and analyze the existing research in order to produce a cohesive text written in the context of URI. The paper details the motivation behind this movement in the form of a …

Linking Trophic Interactions In Above- And Below-Ground Systems, Savannah Bennett

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study explored trophic interactions among herbivores, plants, and soil communities. Two experiments were conducted such that the below-ground effects of an above-ground herbivore, as well as the above-ground impacts of soil biota could be examined. The first project investigated the effects of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) herbivory on soil communities associated with oak trees (Quercus rubra L.). The goal of this study was to compare soil biota from defoliated oak trees with soil communities from undefoliated trees. The abundances of bacteria, bactivorous nematodes, and herbivorous nematodes were compared between a defoliated sampling site and an undefoliated site in …

A Novel Solution To Targeting Prosthetic Joint Infection, Christopher Chen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Prosthetic arthroplasty may be a life changing event for better or worse. The integrity of bone cartilages such as the lateral and medial meniscus found between the femur and tibia may degrade over time due to natural causes which may eventually result in bone on bone exposure causing excruciating pain. Prosthetics are used to replace the cartilage and bone damage using femoral and tibial component and a plastic spacer. A small percentage of all orthopedic replacement surgeries may lead to infections. These infections are caused by biofilm forming bacteria which allows bacteria to attach to abiotic surfaces and mature as …

Weight Loss Apps : Behavioral And Psychological Factors Related To Usage And Success, Kelsey Alexandra Gatto

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mobile weight loss applications (‘apps’) such as MyFitnessPal® and Lose It!® have millions of downloads and allow users to track their intake on the go by accessing a massive digital nutrition database, and while the apps have been successful tools for participants in structured weight loss initiatives, little research has explored their efficacy for stand-alone users. The aim of this study was to examine the role of user adherence behavior, portion estimation and consumption norms, and the potential for the app to act as a behavior change tool. An online survey was administered to individuals 18 years or older who …

Effects Of Differences Of Middle Eastern And American Cultural Backgrounds On Salt Perception Using Facereader : A Pioneering Tool To Capture Instant Emotional Reactions, Mohamad Bassel Khair

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

A preliminary study was conducted (n=65) to compare the consistency of measurements of emotional reactions to salt intake using FaceReader (facial expression analyzer) and hedonic self-reports. Study participants tasted six different samples of mashed potatoes with three different concentrations of sodium (Na) (two samples of 0 mg, 178 mg, and 356 mg/15g each). Emotional reactions were measured with FaceReader and self-reported on a 10-point scale, and the mean for each of the different sodium concentrations was calculated. Six different emotional expressions were measured (happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, and disgusted) for each of the samples. Differences between the means for …

Factors Influencing The Eating Practices Of Hospital Nurses During Their Shifts, Tina Maria Monaghan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Background

Nursing is the largest health care profession in the U.S. There are 3.1 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide, over four times as many as there are physicians. Hospital nurses have a vital presence in the healthcare industry as highly skilled professionals who perform the essential service of patient care on the front line. Research points toward an association between work environment and nurse outcomes. Several studies have linked favorable nurses’ work environments to improved patient experience and care quality. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence hospital nurses’ eating practices during their shifts.

Methods …

The Influence Of Age, Gender, And Leisure On The Life Satisfaction Of Widowed Older Adults, Marcela Kepic

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Spousal loss can be a stressful life event for older adults and a difficult experience that affects daily life and life satisfaction of older adults. Life satisfaction is considered an important part of successful aging. The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in leisure activities, a person’s gender, and time since spousal loss influence life satisfaction of widowed older adults. A sample of 222 widowed older adults selected from the Americans Changing Lives (ACL) dataset was used in order to determine the relationship and impact of predictor variables on time since spousal loss, change in physical leisure …

Effects Of Massive Familiarization On Crossmodal Aesthetic Preference, Nicholas J. Voss, Dylan S. Campbell, Ronald S. Friedman

Psychology

An investigation was carried out to determine whether familiarization to the experience of visual dissonance would have crossmodal effects on the preference for dissonant and consonant musical stimuli. We hypothesized that subjects who viewed a large number of disharmonious color combinations would come to show greater liking for dissonant musical stimuli than their counterparts who had seen either harmonious or single color images. Findings showed that there was no difference in preference between groups, though musical experience and score on a benign masochism measure predicted larger differences between average ratings of consonant and dissonant chords. These results are discussed in …

Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers; A Needs Assessment, Olivia N. Pennington

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

Background. Multiple health disparities are associated with the Marshallese population in Northwest Arkansas. Childhood obesity, linked to a decrease in exclusive breastfeeding, is one of the predominant issues. Since their migration to the United States, exclusive breastfeeding rates of Marshallese mothers have steadily declined throughout the years. Little research has been conducted to help combat this growing health disparity. Due to the increased growth in this population in Northwest Arkansas, it is imperative that measures are taken to decrease these disparities to improve the overall health of the future generations.

Objective: To determine the relationship between maternal age, …

Nebline, May 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Emerald Ash Borer is Getting Closer

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Viruses, Vaccines And The Public, Judy Diamond, Julia Mcquillan, Amy Spiegel, Patricia Wonch Hill, Rebecca Smith, John T. West, Charles Wood

World of Viruses

Current research in virology is changing public conceptions about vaccines and infectious disease. The University of Nebraska State Museum collaborated with research virologists, science writers, artists and learning researchers to create public outreach materials about viruses and infectious disease. The project, funded by the National Institute of Health’s SEPA program, developed comics, a book with Carl Zimmer, and other materials and programs. The project launched three kinds of learning research: 1) a survey of Nebraska adults on their opinions about vaccines and infectious disease; 2) a study comparing the mental models of viruses, vaccines and infection from virologists, teachers, and …

How To Prolong The Career Life Of A Practicing Physician: Assessing The Causes And Extent Of Physician Burnout In A Primary Care Setting, Jean M. Tsigonis

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Physicians report widespread burnout and job dissatisfaction. Institutional and personal changes are necessary for meaningful work and restoration of the joy of the practice of medicine. This practicum project conducted a survey to assess the causes and extent of physician burnout at Tanana Valley Clinic (TVC). The Areas of Worklife Survey-Maslach Burnout Inventory (AWS-MBI) was used to gather data on the causes and extent of physician burnout. Analysis of the AWS-MBI survey data produced by Mind Garden was done by the principal investigator. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) assesses the extent of physician burnout. The Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) …

Fostering Professional Quality Of Life In Nurses: An Online Curriculum, Kari Green

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The nursing profession is based on compassion toward others, with inherent risks and rewards for nurses. The cost of caring is even more prevalent within the context of the current healthcare crisis. Despite implications at the personal, professional, and larger healthcare system level, little effort is being directed toward mitigating these negative effects. The efficacy of self-care and mindfulness practices is promising, yet succinct tools are not readily available. An online curriculum was created to promote awareness, provide evidence-based education, and encourage application of self-care and mindfulness practices for nursing students, practicing nurses, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to help …

Blended Learning In Culinary Arts: A Case Study In Learning And Perception, Naomi S. Everett

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

There is great need for skillful culinary employees for a wide variety of positions in the hospitality, hotel, and restaurant industry. Culinary school provides a baseline educational experience for students looking to pursue this career field. Culinary instructors find themselves obligated to discover ways to promote student learning in classic culinary competencies while evolving with a population that is tech-savvy and requires more than the standard lecture and rote memorization of materials. This paper describes an exploratory study that incorporated videos as part of a blended learning model in a traditional face-to-face culinary arts class at the University of Alaska …

The Potentiating Effects Of Acetaminophen On Oxidant Air Pollutant Sensory Irritation And The Onset Of Asthma, Bennett J. Doughty

Honors Scholar Theses

Through its toxic metabolites, acetaminophen can cause oxidative injury in the liver. This damage has not yet been investigated in the respiratory tract. If acetaminophen also causes oxidative stress and injury here, this widely used antipyretic could potentiate the adverse effects of oxidant air pollutants. Thus, the primary goal of this project is to determine if low non-hepatotoxic doses of APAP is correlated with an increase of oxidative stress in the airways, possibly linking APAP to the onset of asthma. Using data that reflected murine breathing patterns, the addition of acetaminophen greatly increased the reflex irritant response to ETS through …

Evaluating Dietary Quality And Taste Preferences With A Simple Liking Survey: Application To Studying Individuals With Morbid Obesity, Marina L. Zoghbi

Honors Scholar Theses

Feasible ways are needed to screen for dietary behaviors and taste preferences in clinical settings. We examined the internal validity and reliability of a brief survey to assess food preferences and dietary behaviors among morbidly obese individuals considering bariatric surgery. Survey-reported liking is a proxy for dietary intake, correlating with reported food intake and biomarkers of nutritional status (Sharafi et al, 2015) and linking taste genetics with diet and health (Pallister et al, 2015). Methods –Enrolled were 138 morbidly obese patients awaiting bariatric surgery, who completed a 100-item liking survey of foods/beverages, physical/sedentary activities, and pleasurable/unpleasurable experiences. They were oriented …

Early Hearing Loss And Language Outcomes: A Review And Case Study, Sarah Reid

Honors Scholar Theses

Early hearing loss is a widespread medical and developmental concern that affects over 1 in 500 infants (Mehl, 1998). Hearing impairments in children have been linked to a variety of adverse developmental outcomes, including poor speech and language ability and difficulties with cognition and social-emotional adjustment. Early intervention has been demonstrated to be one of the most important factors in influencing outcomes for children born with congenital hearing loss (Vohr et al., 2008). This review and case study aims to outline the connection between early hearing loss, intervention, and speech/language abilities by exploring the case of a 13-month-old infant with …

Understanding Tacit Theories Of Nonprofit Administrators In Collaborative Interorganizational Networks, Ella C. Sanders

Honors Theses

As the nonprofit sector increases in size, many organizations are choosing to collaborate as a new approach to delivering goods and services to the public. Collaboration occurs when “organizations work together to address problems through joint effort, resources, and decision making and share ownership of the final product or service” (Guo & Acar, 2005). In my research, I ask the question: How do nonprofit administrators conceptualize this kind of interorganizational collaboration? These conceptualizations are referred to as tacit theories: the wisdom and knowledge of administrators that is implicitly known as a result of experience. I compare these tacit theories to …