Digital Commons Network^™

Bhutan: Human Trafficking, Cindy Osagie

Global Public Health

Human trafficking has been present in Bhutan for many years but has continued to increase along Bhutan’s borders. The reason for this increase can be contributed to the rise of vulnerable citizens. In particular, women and children are extremely susceptible to forced labor and sex trafficking. This brief further details the challenges, political structure, epidemiology, and also the intervention and identification of human trafficking in Bhutan. The increase of human trafficking can also be correlated to the rise in HIV/AIDS in Bhutan. The challenges that has stopped any progress in reducing human trafficking, is the government of Bhutan’s continuous denial …

The Gambia : Tuberculosis, Amen Belayneh

Global Public Health

Tuberculosis in the Gambia

This brief consists of some general information about Gambia, demographic information, the effects of tuberculosis in the country including the challenges brought forth by the disease, and some personal suggestions on the matter. From the general information on Gambia, we learn the location, political structure as well as major internal and external challenges faced by the country. Tuberculosis is one of the country’s major internal challenges in addition to its environmental and economic issues. Under the demographic information we get a broader idea of the Gambia people by looking at population demographic such as birth and …

Tonga: Chronic Diseases, Muhammad Taimoor

Global Public Health

Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean, south of Samoa. The public health brief project is on chronic diseases in Tonga. The total population of Tonga was 107,122 in 2010. The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga is the established religion in Tonga. Tongan’s make up the majority of the population but there are other ethnicities such as Euromericans and Europeans too. The major challenges faced by Tonga are decaying infrastructure, low economy, and political corruption. The widespread of non-communicable diseases such as cancer is a major health issue in Tonga. 74% of all adults in Tonga are the …

Seychelles: Diabetes, Camille Myers

Global Public Health

One of the major health problems in Seychelles, a cluster of islands off the coast of Eastern Africa, is diabetes. There are many different types of diabetes, but the most common type to this region is Type 2 diabetes. At this time Seychelles, and many other countries in Africa, have about half of the adult population diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Along with the diagnosis of diabetes being a problem, people in Seychelles often go undiagnosed for a while because they are ignorant to the risks and the symptoms of the disease. Only about 50% of the population with pre-diabetic …

Qatar: Diabetes, Diangelo Gonzalez

Global Public Health

The State of Qatar is a developed nation that is located in the Middle East and borders the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. The nation is a constitutional monarchy and is currently led by Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The 2,300,000+ people of Qatar face many major challenges. Although it is one of the wealthiest nations in the Middle East, Qatar faces issues of human trafficking, migrants willing to work in poor conditions, and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The most critical issue that plagues this county is diabetes, both I and II. Diabetes is a disease that is …

Palau: Obesity, Tavia Weis

Global Public Health

Located in the heart of the Western Pacific Ocean is a large group of small islands that make up the country of Palau. Known for its growing tourism, beautiful landscapes, and cultural beliefs. Although the country is developing, the current health issue of obesity is a growing concern. With almost half of the population obese and the other half in jeopardy, the rising concerns of the obesity epidemic have taken global news and brought the attention of major countries to try and fix these rising issues. This public health brief will discuss the problems of obesity in Palau and the …

Infant Mortality: Sub-Saharan Africa, Danielle Rae Steffen

Global Issues in Public Health

Like much of the third world, the countries found in Sub-Saharan Africa have a distressingly high infant mortality rate compared to those recorded in places such as the United States and Europe. While there are many factors that play a role in the increased number of infant deaths in this region, lack of access to adequate healthcare for infants and their families is one of the main overarching causes. Although infant mortality rates remain high, there has been significant improvement in infant survival over the last several years which is largely due to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals …

Obesity, Noah Rhodes

Global Issues in Public Health

Obesity is a worldwide issue that can be defined as a non-communicable condition which means that it is non-infectious and non-transmissible and it is defined as having a BMI over 30 even though BMI doesn’t account for the person’s muscle mass which causes some athletes to be considered obese just because they weigh a lot for their height. Diagnosing obesity can be a long process which includes a health history being taken, a general physical exam, calculation of BMI, and measuring waist circumference. Diagnosis of obesity also involves checking for problems such as high blood pressure, variation of cholesterol levels …

Childhood Obesity: United States, Jessica Nguyen

Global Issues in Public Health

Childhood obesity, a noncommunicable disease usually caused by consuming more energy in meals than your body needs, is often due to hereditary causes and the structure of their communities. With the average weight of American children increasing in the past thirty years, parents should be more informed on how to improve their offspring’s development and reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases. The Body Mass Index is the scale used to determine whether or not the child is considered overweight for their height and age, based off of their extra body fat. After comparing the child to the CDC growth charts, …

Type 2 Diabetes, Aj Mimlitz

Global Issues in Public Health

The purpose of this two page educational document is to inform not only educators, but also students about the description of type two diabetes and what populations are affected, the epidemiology of type 2 diabetes, including how get diagnosed and how that diagnosis will affect specific outcomes, and the solutions to how we can prevent or begin to cure type 2 diabetes. This brief project shows plenty of statistics revolving around these main points. Research shows that “type 2 diabetes already causes 5 million deaths per year, expecting to become the 7th cause of death globally by 2030” (Alidrisi & …

Food Insecurity: United States, Courtney Handzel

Global Issues in Public Health

Food insecurity is a global issue and has caused struggles to millions of people, specifically in the United States. This environmental issue involves not having the resources to obtain adequate food supply. The economic and social influences that affect food insecurity leave vulnerable populations, such as low-income families and minority races, at a greater disadvantage. This issue causes serious health complications to arise too, the most common being diabetes. The increased risk of diabetes due to food insecurity has been studied on several occasions and the results all show the correlation, lack of food security increases the risk of diabetes. …

Recent Research On The Minimum Wage: Implications For Missouri, Jonathan Meer

Center for Applied Economics

The minimum wage has long been a contentious policy issue, but particularly so in Missouri in recent years. When St. Louis raised its city minimum wage in 2015, with increases planned to $11 per hour by 2018, legal battles held up implementation and a state law eventually overrode the local ordinance. This essay delves into the sources of this policy dispute, first by examining the theoretical issues involved, then focusing on recent research, particularly regarding outcomes other than the traditional focus on employment outcomes. Using minimum wage increases as an anti-poverty policy is not likely to succeed. While the empirical …

The Effect Of Ostomate-To-Ostomate Support On Psychosocial Adaptation To Stoma, Marjorie C. Summers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Approximately one million people in North America are living with an ostomy, and an additional 100,000 will undergo ostomy surgery annually. Persons living with ostomies, often referred to as ostomates, require specialized care and management to sustain physical health and quality of life. Fecal diversion ostomates, when compared to the general population, are more likely to experience psychological disturbance and higher levels of depression. These ostomates have reported increased loneliness, lowered self-esteem, decreased or absent libido, irritability, suicidal ideation, poor self-image, and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia. Being an ostomate has been associated with a reduction in …

Best Practices For Screening, Identification, And Referral Of Female Collegiate Athletes With Disordered Eating, Brenda Caudill

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, including depression. Female collegiate athletes are at greater risk compared to the non-athlete population. Athletic personnel should be prepared to screen, identify, and refer female athletes for eating disorders. However, most staff are not familiar with common signs and symptoms of disordered eating, which could delay recognition of unhealthy behavior and ultimately long-term health risks. Appropriate screening protocols can assist with early identification. The purpose of this DNP project was improve the knowledge of the athletic staff regarding eating disorder recognition, awareness of university policy for identification and referral …

Increased Overwinter Mortalities Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Fawns During A Drought Year, Marie I. Tosa, Matthew Thomas Springer, Clayton Nielsen, Eric M. Schauber

Publications

Mortality rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780)) fawns have been quantified throughout North America. Few studies, however, have assessed cause-specific mortality of fawns after the first 3 months of life or during a severe weather event. During 2010-2014, we captured and radiotracked 93 fawns in southern and central Illinois and recorded 18 mortality events. In order of importance, survival rates were affected by days since capture, year of drought, age at capture, week post-capture (1/0 indicator), and region. Estimated overwinter (fall through spring) survival rate (± SE) of fawns in both regions during 2010-14 was 0.83 ± …

A Scoping Review Of Biopsychosocial Risk Factors And Co-Morbidities For Common Spinal Disorders, Bart N Green, Claire D Johnson, Scott Haldeman, Erin Griffith, Michael B Clay, Edward J Kane, Juan M Castellote, Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran, Matthew Smuck, Eric L Hurwitz, Kristi Randhawa, Hainan Yu, Margareta Nordin

Physical Therapy Collection

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review was to identify risk factors, prognostic factors, and comorbidities associated with common spinal disorders.

METHODS: A scoping review of the literature of common spinal disorders was performed through September 2016. To identify search terms, we developed 3 terminology groups for case definitions: 1) spinal pain of unknown origin, 2) spinal syndromes, and 3) spinal pathology. We used a comprehensive strategy to search PubMed for meta-analyses and systematic reviews of case-control studies, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials for risk and prognostic factors and cross-sectional studies describing associations and comorbidities.

RESULTS: Of …

Building Bridges To Connect With Stakeholders: A Template For Success, Kimberly A. Reed

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

The modern age of communication, with the 24x7 news cycle and "information overload," can impact our ability to connect with stakeholders. Kimberly Reed, a Washington professional who has built bridges for more than 20 years both across the aisle and around the globe with non-profits, trade associations, government officials, and risk and crisis communication professionals, presented a case study on Expo Milano 2015: "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" (the "World's Fair," which was the world's largest gathering and discussion on the topic of food). She shared best practices that featured Drs. Deanna and Tim Sellnow and provided practical resources …

The Endogenous Cannabinoid System: A Budding Source Of Targets For Treating Inflammatory And Neuropathic Pain, Giulia Donvito, Sara R. Nass, Jenny L. Wilkerson, Zachary A. Curry, Lesley D. Schurman, Steven G. Kinsey, Aron H. Lichtman

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

A great need exists for the development of new medications to treat pain resulting from various disease states and types of injury. Given that the endogenous cannabinoid (that is, endocannabinoid) system modulates neuronal and immune cell function, both of which play key roles in pain, therapeutics targeting this system hold promise as novel analgesics. Potential therapeutic targets include the cannabinoid receptors, type 1 and 2, as well as biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes of the endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Notably, cannabinoid receptor agonists as well as inhibitors of endocannabinoid-regulating enzymes fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase produce reliable antinociceptive effects, …

Dyslipidemia In Children With Arterial Ischemic Stroke: Prevalence And Risk Factors., Sally Sultan, Michael Dowling, Adam Kirton, Gabrielle Deveber, Alexandra Linds, Mitchell S. V. Elkind

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Background—Risk factors for pediatric stroke are poorly understood and require study to improve prevention. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) values peak to near-adult levels before puberty, a period of increased stroke incidence. The role of lipids in childhood arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) has been minimally investigated. Subjects/Methods—We performed a cross-sectional analysis of lipid and Lp(a) concentrations in children with AIS in the International Pediatric Stroke Study (IPSS) to compare the prevalence of dyslipidemia and high or low ranking lipid values in our dataset to reported population values. We tested sex, BMI, race, ethnicity, family history and stroke risk factors …

Dietary Compound Proanthocyanidins From Chinese Bayberry (Myrica Rubra Sieb. Et Zucc.) Leaves Inhibit Angiogenesis And Regulate Cell Cycle Of Cisplatin-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells Via Targeting Akt Pathway, Yu Zhang, Shiguo Chen, Chaoyang Wei, Gary O. Rankin, Yon Rojanasakul, Ning Ren, Xingqian Ye, Yi Charlie Chen

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancy and natural products have drawn great attention for cancer treatment. Chinese bayberry leaves proanthocyanidin (BLPs) with epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) as its terminal and major extension units is unusual in the plant kingdom. In the present study, BLPs showed strong growth inhibitory effects on cisplatin-resistant A2780/CP70 cells by inhibiting angiogenesis and inducing G1 cell cycle arrest. BLPs reduced the tube formation in HUVECs and attenuated the wound healing ability in A2780/CP70 cells. BLPs further reduced the level of ROS and targeted Akt/mTOR/p70S6K/4E-BP-1 pathway to reduce the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF, …

Gardening Experience Is Associated With Increased Fruit And Vegetable Intake Among First-Year College Students: A Cross-Sectional Examination, Jennifer Loso, Daniel Staub, Sarah E. Colby, Melissa D. Olfert, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Melissa Vilaro, James Colee, Wenjun Zhou, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Anne E. Mathews

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Background—Gardening interventions have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake among school-aged children. It is unknown whether these effects persist into later adolescence or adulthood, and little is known about whether gardening in later adolescence is related to F/V intake. Objective—To identify the relationship between both childhood and recent (within the past 12 months) gardening experiences and current F/V intake among college students. Design/participants—A cross-sectional evaluation of 1,121 college freshmen with suboptimal F/V consumption from eight US universities. Main outcome measures—Participants completed the National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable Screener and questions about gardening experiences. Respondents were grouped …

2018 Symposium Brochure

Programs

No abstract provided.

“It’S Making Memories”: A Qualitative Investigation Of Family Mealtime Cognitions, Barriers And Strategies For Success Of Parents And School-Aged Kids, K. M. Eck, K. Spaccarotella, C. L. Delaney, Melissa D. Olfert, K. P. Shelnutt, C. Byrd-Bredbenner

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objective: Family meals, particularly those occurring in calm environments, are associated with numerous health benefits for both children and parents. However, families often struggle to share meals, with the frequency declining as kids get older. This qualitative research study aimed to explore the factors influencing family meal behaviors.

Methods: Parents (n=38) and school-age children (n=37) participated in focus group discussions guided by Social Cognitive Theory.

Results: Content analysis results indicate that parents and children believed family meals were important, promoted communication, and strengthened family bonds. Parents and children reported that a calm, enjoyable, conflict-free mealtime environment bolstered mealtime enjoyment and …

Low Sucrose, Omega-3 Enriched Diet Has Region-Specific Effects On Neuroinflammation And Synaptic Function Markers In A Mouse Model Of Doxorubicin-Based Chemotherapy, Tonya S. Orchard, Monica M. Gaudier-Diaz, Panchita Phuwamongkolwiwat-Chu, Rebecca Andridge, Maryam B. Lustberg, Joshua Bomser, Rachel M. Cole, Martha A. Belury, Courtney A. Devries

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin may negatively affect long-term brain functioning in cancer survivors; neuroinflammation may play a causal role. Dietary approaches that reduce inflammation, such as lowering sucrose and increasing eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid (EPA + DHA), may attenuate chemotherapy-induced neuroinflammation and synaptic damage, thereby improving quality of life. Ovariectomized, C57BL/6 mice were assigned to a chemotherapy (9 mg/kg doxorubicin + 90 mg/kg cyclophosphamide) or vehicle two-injection regimen, with injections two and four weeks after starting diets. In Study 1, mice received low sucrose diets with EPA + DHA or No EPA + DHA for four to six …

Waking Up Every Day In A Body That Is Not Yours: A Qualitative Research Inquiry Into The Intersection Between Eating Disorders And Pregnancy, Elizabeth A. Claydon, Danielle M. Davidov, Keith J. Zullig, Christa L. Lilly, Lesley Cattrell, Stephanie C. Zerwas

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Women with eating disorders are more likely to negatively react to finding out they are pregnant, although this difference in attitudes between women with eating disorders and controls disappears at 18-weeks’ gestation. Those with anorexia also are twice as likely to have an unplanned pregnancy and those with bulimia have a 30-fold increased chance compared with healthy controls. Therefore, due to these considerations, pregnancy and the transition to motherhood can be an extremely challenging time for these women both psychologically and physically. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand the intersection between eating disorders and pregnancy …

Respiratory Muscle Training Positively Affects Vasomotor Response In Young Healthy Women, Angela Valentina Bisconti, Michela Devoto, Massimo Venturelli, Randall Bryner, Mark Olfert, Paul D. Chantler, F. Esposito

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Vasomotor response is related to the capacity of the vessel to maintain vascular tone within a narrow range. Two main control mechanisms are involved: the autonomic control of the sympathetic neural drive (global control) and the endothelial smooth cells capacity to respond to mechanical stress by releasing vasoactive factors (peripheral control). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on vasomotor response, assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and heart rate variability, in young healthy females. The hypothesis was that RMT could enhance the balance between sympa- thetic and parasympathetic neural drive and reduce …

Arabidopsis Mate45 Antagonizes Local Abscisic Acid Signaling To Mediate Development And Abiotic Stress Responses, Nikola Kovinich, Yiqun Wang, Janet Adegboye, Alexandra A. Chanoca, Marisa S. Otegui, Paige Durkin, Erich Grotewold

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Anthocyanins provide ideal visual markers for the identification of mutations that disrupt molecular responses to abiotic stress. We screened Arabidopsis mutants of ABC (ATP‐Binding Cassette) and MATE (Multidrug And Toxic compound Extrusion) transporter genes under nutritional stress and identified four genes (ABCG25, ABCG9, ABCG5, and MATE45) required for normal anthocyanin pigmentation. ABCG25 was previously demonstrated to encode a vascular‐localized cellular expor- ter of abscisic acid (ABA). Our results show that MATE45 encodes an aerial meris- tem‐ and a vascular‐localized transporter associated with the trans‐Golgi, and that it plays an important role in controlling the levels and distribution of ABA in …

Rubella Immunity And Serum Perfluoroalkyl Substances: Sex And Analytic Strategy, Courtney S. Pilkerton, Gerald R. Hobbs, Christa Lilly, Sarah S. Knox

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been associated with decreased immunity to child- hood tetanus and diphtheria immunizations. If these vaccinations are vulnerable to influence from PFASs, questions arise about associations with other common inoculations.

Objective

To examine whether serum PFASs were associated with reduced immunity to rubella immu- nization, and whether interactions with sex or ethnicity warranted analytic stratification. Usually, toxicology analyses are calculated controlling for race and sex. However, sex differ- ences in immune function have been reported and a reduction of immunity to rubella in women could pose risks such miscarriage.

Methods

We analyzed a nationally representative sample …

Food Choice Priorities Change Over Time And Predict Dietary Intake At The End Of The First Year Of College Among Students In The U.S., Melissa J. Vilaro, Sarah E. Colby, Kristin Riggsbee, Wenjun Zhou, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Melissa D. Olfert, Tracey E. Barnett, Tanya Horacek, Morgan Sowers, Anne E. Matthews

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This study assessed food choice priorities (FCP) and associations with consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV), fiber, added sugars from non-beverage sources, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) among college students. Freshmen from eight U.S. universities (N = 1149) completed the Food Choice Priorities Survey, designed for college students to provide a way to determine the factors of greatest importance regarding food choices, and the NCI Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Changes in FCP and dietary intake from fall 2015 to spring 2016 were assessed. Multiple regression models examined associations between FCP and log-transformed dietary intake, controlling for sex, age, race, and BMI. Participant …

Genome-Wide Association Analysis With A 50k Transcribed Gene Snp-Chip Identifies Qtl Affecting Muscle Yield In Rainbow Trout, Mohamed Salem, Rafet Al-Tobasei, Ali Ali, Daniela Lourenco, Guangtu Gao, Yniv Palti, Brett Kenney, Timothy D. Leeds

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Detection of coding/functional SNPs that change the biological function of a gene may lead to identification of putative causative alleles within QTL regions and discovery of genetic markers with large effects on phenotypes. This study has two-fold objectives, first to develop, and validate a 50K transcribed gene SNP-chip using RNA-Seq data. To achieve this objective, two bioinformatics pipelines, GATK and SAMtools, were used to identify ∼21K transcribed SNPs with allelic imbalances associated with important aquaculture production traits including body weight, muscle yield, muscle fat content, shear force, and whiteness in addition to resistance/susceptibility to bacterial cold-water disease (BCWD). SNPs ere …