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Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 14 No. 1, Fall 2016, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

Editor's Introduction by Melissa Dale

This special issue presents five papers focused on themes related to the social history of medicine and contemporary cultural understandings of disease and patients' lived experiences in the Asia Pacific.

Rethinking Breast Mountain (Yuam): Surgical Treatments of Breast Cancer in South Korea, 1959-1993 by Soyoung Suh

This article analyzes premodern Korean medical treatises, professional surgical journals, and patient memoirs to expand our understanding of surgical treatment of breast cancer between 1959 and 1993 in South Korea. This essay discusses changing historical connotations of breast ailments, treatments, and surgical interventions. Although the depiction of breast …

The Efficacy Of Periodized Resistance Training In Older Adults, Jennifer Anne Conlon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sarcopenia describes the slow and inevitable age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and consequent function. Fortunately, a continually growing body of research highlights the robust adaptability of the aging neuromuscular system in response to resistance training (RT). Yet, despite an abundance of research studies describing the benefits of RT in the elderly, there is a large variation in the type of training programs employed. Therefore, within the extensive range of beneficial RT stimuli, it is vital to confirm what organizational structure of acute program variables is most effective (i.e. the appropriate dose). The process of organizing a training program considering …

You Are What You Eat: Investigating Food Discourse And Digitally-Mediated Identities, Katelyn Leigh Burton

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation, You Are What You Eat: Understanding Food Discourse and Digitally-Mediated Identities, investigates the rhetorical nature of digital identity creation and management and the role of food discourse within these practices. According to Pierre Bourdieu (1984), “Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier. Social subjects, classified by their classifications, distinguish themselves by the distinctions they make, between the beautiful and the ugly, the distinguished and the vulgar” (6)… and perhaps also between the delicious and the unappetizing, fast food and haute cuisine. Within this project, I use a rhetorical lens to explore digital identity constructions within the food …

Nanoparticles Toxicity On Escherichia Coli: Batch And Kinetic Approach, Nelson M. Anaya-Archila

Open Access Dissertations

Silver and dysprosium oxide are two examples of materials used for the manufacturing of nanoparticles with current and future commercial relevance, respectively. Silver nanoparticles (nAg or AgNPs) are one of the most commonly used nanomaterials in consumer products and medical applications due to their antimicrobial properties. Dysprosium oxide nanoparticles (nDy₂O₃) are gaining interest for biomedical applications because of their fluorescence and paramagnetic properties, which can be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance analysis. However, the fate of nAg and nDy₂O₃ and their possible negative impacts on the environment and public health are …

Cadmium Contributes To Breast Cancer Development By Influencing Cell Adhesion Network, Zhengxi Wei

Open Access Dissertations

Cadmium (Cd) is carcinogenic and a well-established human health risk. Epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that Cd is associated with breast cancer. We reported previously that Cd promoted breast cancer cell growth. Whether Cd treatment also causes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and progression to metastasis in breast epithelial cells is unknown. The dissertation described here investigated the effect of Cd in breast cancer progression.

Noncancerous breast epithelial MCF10A cells, non-metastatic HCC 1937 and HCC 38 cells, and metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with 1 or 3 µM Cd for 4 weeks. The increase in the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin …

Parent Behaviors In Relation To Characteristics Of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Amy C. Laurent

Open Access Dissertations

Emotional self-regulation (ESR) challenges are well documented in the developmental profiles of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, less is known about the development of ESR and the role of parents in ESR development for this population. This study explored the associations between diagnostically significant characteristics of children with ASD (i.e., social communication profile and sensory processing abilities) and parent behaviors associated with development of a child’s ESR.

Participants were 37 children previously diagnosed with ASD and their parents recruited throughout Southern New England. The children’s ages ranged between 30-48 months. The study was a cross sectional design involving …

Folate And Inflammatory Markers Moderate The Association Between Helicobacter Pylori Exposure And Cognitive Function In Us Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Background: Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection is associated with cogni-tive deficits in humans, an association potentially mediated or moderated byfolate concentration or inflammation.Materials and

Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Exami-nation Survey (NHANES) datasets to examine whether folate concentrationor inflammation mediates or moderates the relationship betweenH. pyloriand cognitive function. Models were performed using linear, Poisson, andzero-inflated Poisson regression, and we performed separate analyses forgroups aged 20–59 and 60–90 years with sample sizes ranging from 700 to1700.Results:We did not find evidence of mediation in either age group. In the20- to 59-year group, interactions betweenH. pyloriand ferritin (pvaluesranging from .004 to …

No Association Between Current Depression And Latent Toxoplasmosis In Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Shawn D. Gale, Andrew N. Berrett, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Changes in behaviour and cognition have been associated with latent infection from the apicomplexan protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) in both animal and human studies. Further, neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia have also been associated with latent toxoplasmosis. Previously, we found no association between T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibody (IgG) seropositivity and depression in human adults between the ages of 20 and 39 years (n = 1 846) in a sample representative of the United States collected by the Centers for Disease Control as part of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from three datasets collected …

Buyers In The Baby Market: Toward A Transparent Consumerism, Jody L. Madeira, June Carbone

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This Article assesses the forces on the horizon remaking the fertility industry, including greater consolidation in the health care industry, the prospects for expanding (or contracting) insurance coverage, the likely sources of funding for future innovation in the industry, and the impact of globalization and fertility tourism. It concludes that concentration in the American market, in contrast with other medical services, may not necessarily raise prices, and price differentiation may proceed more from fertility tourism than from competition within a single geographic region. The largest challenge may be linking those who would fund innovation, whether innovation that produces new high …

Sphingolipid Metabolism And Insulin Resistance In Dairy Cattle, Jorge Eduardo Rico Navarrete

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

No abstract provided.

Designing A Valid And Reliable Instrument To Measure Teachers' Use And Perceptions Of Initiatives That Address The Low Socioeconomic Achievement Gap In West Virginia Title I Schools, Rosemary Beatrice Coyle Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Initiatives that research tells us should be increasing achievement for poor children have not succeeded in reducing the achievement gap for the low socioeconomic subset in the United States and in West Virginia schools (Reardon, 2011; WVDE, 2009). This study developed a valid and reliable instrument to examine teachers' perceptions of the use of 16 research based initiatives that have been directed to improving the achievement gap of poor children. The research question was: What are the psychometric properties of a survey instrument that is designed to assess teachers' perceptions of the uses and effectiveness of reform initiatives that have …

Paradoxical Roles Of Nanoparticles In Cancer Therapeutics And Carcinogenesis, Emily Despeaux

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nanoparticles (NPs) are becoming increasingly common in consumer goods and are under investigation for a variety of industrial and biomedical applications. However, challenges in determining NP toxicity may prevent them from reaching their full potential. NPs cannot be treated as single class for toxicity evaluations. Even among particles made from the same material, particle-specific physical properties, including size, shape, surface charge, agglomeration state, and surface modifications have a strong effect on the toxicity. Even so, the obstacles to conclusively and reproducibly evaluating toxicity span all NP classes. NP literature is riddled with confusing and often contradictory reports regarding the biocompatibility …

Controls On Ecosystem Nitrogen (N) Status And Carbon (C) Balance In Red Spruce Forests Located In A Region Of Historically High Atmospheric N Deposition., Kenneth R. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (N) can have a strong influence on patterns of carbon (C) and N cycling in forest ecosystems. High-elevation red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) forests in the central Appalachian Mountains have historically been among the most sensitive ecosystems to the negative effects of N deposition. I examined the primary environmental factors that influence 1) N status, 2) belowground C balance, and 3) red spruce aboveground growth in seven high-elevation study sites that are located in an area where N deposition has been historically moderate to high. I established the seven sites in 2011 along a transect …

Association Of Urinary Phthalates With Self-Reported Eye Affliction/Retinopathy In Individuals With Diabetes: National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2010, Manju Mamtani, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero, Hemant Kulkarni

School of Medicine Publications

Background. An epidemiological association between exposure to phthalates and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known. However, the potential role of environmental phthalates in the complications of T2D is unknown. Methods. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2010, we studied the association of 12 urinary phthalate metabolites with self-reported eye affliction/retinopathy in 1,004 participants with diabetes. Data from retinal imaging was used to validate this outcome. Independence of the phthalates→T2D association was studied by adjusting for age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, poverty income ratio, physical activity, glycated hemoglobin levels, total serum cholesterol, serum high-density …

Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Preference Of Aquatic Versus Terrestrial Prey In Appalachian Headwater Streams, Erin E. Thayer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis aims to investigate the foraging behavior of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), specially focusing on prey preference. Brook Trout are mainly restricted to head-water streams in Appalachia, which is a portion of their native range. These environments generally have low autochthonous materials. Therefore, resident aquatic organisms rely heavily on terrestrial inputs, i.e. leaf litter and terrestrial invertebrates (TI's), to subsidize individual energy requirements at critical times of the year. There is mixed evidence demonstrating stream dwelling trout show either a feeding preference towards aquatic invertebrates (AI's) or towards TI's. Chapter one is an in depth literature review of headwater …

Gender-Specific Motivators And Barriers To Adopting Healthful Diets And Losing Weight Among Middle-Aged West Virginians, Stephanie K. Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gender-specific motivators and barriers to adopting healthful diets and losing weight among middle-aged West Virginians Stephanie K. Thompson Background: About 70% of West Virginia adults are overweight and obese. Diet is a modifiable determinant of weight-related conditions. Innovative interventions are needed to help overcome the barriers to prevent and delay chronic conditions. In order to implement an intervention that is needed, learning the motivators and barriers to healthful eating and weight loss is the first step.;Objective: To learn what helps or hinders healthful eating and weight loss among middle-aged adults in West Virginia.;Methods: Gender-specific focus groups were conducted among 45 …

Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Adults: Burden Of Healthcare Services' Utilization And Expenditures, Rini Vohra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Study 1.;Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have extensive comorbidities. The current literature lacks documentation of prevalence of different types of comorbidities and their association with healthcare utilization and expenditures among adults with ASD as compared to adults without ASD.;Aim: To determine: 1) the differences in prevalence of psychiatric, non-psychiatric comorbidities, other health conditions, healthcare utilization, and expenditures among adults with and without ASD; and 2) the association of type of comorbidity with healthcare utilization and expenditures of adults with ASD.;Method: A retrospective cohort study using claims data from three state Medicaid Analytic eXtract was conducted. Adults aged 22--64 …

Does Enhanced Nitrogen Input Affect The Structure And Composition Of Forest Vegetation? Results From Long-Term Experiments At The Fernow Experimental Forest, Christopher Alan Walter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effects of nitrogen (N) deposition have been studied in many ecosystems, and one general pattern of response that has emerged from these studies is a decline in species richness. Globally, anthropogenic deposition of N has more than doubled the ambient input of N in terrestrial ecosystems, and the rate at which humans produce reactive N continues to increase annually. As a result of both the current and projected future rates of N input, N deposition is a threat to biodiversity worldwide and is projected to contribute, along with other global change factors, to species extinction. To prevent the loss …

Consumers' Uses Of Nutrient Content Claims And Their Relationship With Health Orientation And Online Media Exposure And Attention, Kelly A. Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this research is to explore consumers' general uses of nutrient content claims on food packaging. In addition, the research looks at an individual's self-reported health orientation, as well as their personal online media usage. This study used quantitative research to explore these factors. An online survey of the individuals who make personal health and food choices was conducted to better understand their reported uses of nutritional claims, as well as their lifestyle habits. Findings suggest that individuals do use nutrient content claims while looking at food packaging, and that this significantly relates to their health orientation and …

Responses And Adaptation Strategies Of Terrestrial Ecosystems To Climate Change, Zhen Yu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Terrestrial ecosystems are likely to be affected by climate change, as climate change-induced shift of water and heat stresses patterns will have significant impacts on species composition, habitat distribution, and ecosystem functions, and thereby weaken the terrestrial carbon (C) sink and threaten global food security and biofuel production. This thesis investigates the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change and is structured in four main chapters.;The first chapter of the thesis is directed towards the impacts of snow variation on ecosystem phenology. Variations in seasonal snowfall regulate regional and global climatic systems and vegetation growth by changing energy budgets of …

Effects Of Rumen-Protected Methionine, Choline And Betaine On Dairy Cattle Health And Performance, Yu Zang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dairy cows experience extensive lipid mobilization in adipose tissue during the transition from gestation to lactation. A high amount of circulating non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) results in fatty liver that is associated with reduced milk production (Duffield et al., 2009), metabolic diseases (Hammon et al., 2006), and decreased reproductive performance (Walsh et al., 2007). The function of VLDL is to export TAG from liver. Previous work suggested that micronutrients supplemented may elevated VLDL export. Choline has been shown to increase milk production and milk fat yield (Erdman et al., 1991) and decrease triacylglycerol (TAG) in the liver (Pomfret et al., …

Design And Development Of An Online Course For Careers In The Equine Industry, Crystal Elizabeth Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The equine industry provides 640,000 jobs annually in the United States. Spending by suppliers and employees generates additional jobs for a total employment impact of 1.4 million full time equivalent (FTE) jobs. There are horses in every state, and over 4.6 million people are involved in the equine industry as owners, service providers, employers and volunteers. Overall, the horse industry directly contributes over {dollar}39 billion dollars annually to the US economy (American Horse Council, 2005). Students commonly recognize hands-on careers related to owning, training, and breeding horses, or veterinary medicine. However, fewer realize the diverse opportunities as service providers. Students …

Quality Indicators Of Egg Sticks With Added Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Lutein Under Different Packaging And Temperature Storage, Elizabeth Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Omega-3 enhanced egg sticks were developed by replacing egg yolk with ?-3 rich salmon, algae, and flax oils. The eggs were fully cooked before analysis. Quality indicators for storage stability were measured throughout a 28-day period under different packaging and storage temperatures. Half of the egg sticks were vacuum packed, while the other half were aerobically covered with household plastic wrap. Further, eggs in both packaging groups were equally split into storage temperatures of 4°C and 10°C, to mimic refrigeration and temperature abuse, respectively. Quality indicators were measured each week in all groups. Quality indicators included texture (TPA, Kramer shear), …

Development And Application Of Quantitative Gene Expression Assays In Wild-Caught, Non-Model Fish Species, Cassidy Megan Hahn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Great Lakes Basin is the most significant freshwater resource in North America. It is a central location for diverse anthropogenic enterprises and consequently has been heavily impacted by the release of toxic substances. Environmental studies increasingly identify the presence of both contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and legacy contaminants in aquatic environments; however, the biological effects of these compounds on resident fishes remain largely unknown. To address this issue, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Contaminants Programs initiated a multiagency, collaborative study which included chemical analysis of water and benthic sediment, assessment of caged fathead minnows and assessment …

Conditioning Thermal Stability And Dose Effects Of Commercially Available Phytase Preparations On Performance And Tibia Mineralization Of Young Broiler Chickens, Victoria B. Homan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Phytases have become a vital part of broiler diets due to their ability to decrease feed cost and potential environmental pollution caused by the use of excessive phosphorus. The objective of the first study was to compare the effects of various inclusions of a Transgenic Phytase Corn (TPC) to a Granulated Bacteria Phytase (GBP) on 21-d broiler performance and tibia mineralization. Treatments varied in non-phytate phosphorus (Negative control (NC) = 0.2, positive control (PC) = 0.4, 0.3, and 0.35), phytase product (TPC or GBP), and phytase dose (500-3000 FTU/kg). A 2x2 factorial analysis was performed with the main effects phytase …

The Feasibility Of A Home Telenutrition Intervention For Weight Reduction In Men In West Virginia, Michelle Campion

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: West Virginia (WV) has one of the highest national rates of obesity, especially among middle-aged men, and one of the lowest Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) ratios per capita. Providing nutrition advice via teleconferencing may allow obese WV middle-aged men to overcome access barriers that are preventing them from overcoming obesity. However, before large-scale interventions can be effectively conducted, the feasibility must be assessed.;Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a home telenutrition weight-loss program using videoconferencing among obese men in WV. Feasibility is assessed through technical difficulties tracked throughout the intervention and through a …

Do Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, And Nutrition Affect Healthy Weight In Middle School Students In An Appalachian Community? Children's Health Opportunities Involving Coordinated Efforts In Schools (Choices) Project, Kibum Cho

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background/Purpose: The study was a three-year, multi-component, school-based health programs implemented in two middle schools in an Appalachian county. The purpose of this study was to: (a) examine the association between healthy weight and physical activity, sedentary behavior, and nutrition and (b) explore predictors affecting changes in physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and nutrition. Methods: The sample consisted 1,620 subjects with 3,263 observations aged 11 to 16 years, who enrolled in the Children's Health Opportunities Involving Coordinated Efforts in Schools (CHOICES) Project in 2012-2014. Each subject was observed at least one time point. Two main analyses were conducted, a logistic regression …

Childhood Obesity Among Young Children Living In Poverty And Associations With Activity Level, Food Choices, And Parental Perceptions, Ashlee Cunningham

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Young children living in poverty are exposed to a number of barriers in their environment that put them at risk for physical health problems, specifically obesity and increased BMI. Physical activity level, food choices, and parental perceptions of children's weight are barriers to healthy weight in children and can consequently lead to other future developmental problems. A population of low income, preschool aged children was examined using measures of child BMI, parental income, parental education, fast food consumption, amount of TV watched, and parental perceptions of children's weight. Findings showed child BMI was related to children watching more TV in …

The Association Between Early Dental Visits, Dental Outcomes, And Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life In West Virginia Children, Jennifer Momen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and objectives: Early dental visits provide the opportunity to reduce the prevalence of early childhood caries through risk assessment, counseling, and provision of specific preventive measures. Despite the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's recommendation that the first dental visit should occur by 1 year of age, many children are not receiving care until much later. Evidence that early dental visits improve dental outcomes is vital to educate parents and health care providers. Hence, this study examined the association between a child's age at the first dental visit and dental outcomes, parents' awareness of the recommendation for the first dental …

Associations Among Task Self-Efficacy, Physical Activity And Subjective Wellbeing, Abigail M. Nehrkorn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The physical and psychological health benefits resulting from physical activity engagement have been documented in previous literature, including the connection between physical activity and subjective wellbeing (SWB). Associations have also been found between task-related self-efficacy and physical activity, connecting these concepts to Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT; Bandura, 1982, 1997), such that retaining a higher belief in one's physical activity abilities has been associated with successful physical activity engagement. Previous literature has documented these separate associations, but not as much focus has been placed on examining task self-efficacy, physical activity, and SWB in one model, especially during the time of …