Digital Commons Network^™

Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis Causing Progressive Dysphagia, Parth Y. Patel, Odaliz E. Abreu Lanfranco

MERF 2019 - Case Reports

Background: There are a multitude of extrinsic and intrinsic etiologies of dysphagia, including mechanical obstruction, infections, neuromuscular conditions, and malignancies. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) of the cervical and upper thoracic spine, a relatively common finding in spinal imaging, is rarely associated with upper esophageal pathology. We present a case of progressive dysphagia due to DISH. Case Presentation: A 64-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a three-day history of chest pain associated with cough, and vomiting. The patient admits to an extensive history of alcohol abuse with current everyday use and a 30-year smoking history. Upon further review, …

Teen Dating Violence Victimization And School Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Health-Related Behaviors, Bernadette K. Ombayo

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

TDV is a significant social problem that has adverse effects on teens’ health-related behaviors and academic achievement. Several studies have examined the association between TDV and health-related behaviors, and TDV and school outcomes separately. However, only one qualitative study explored the relationship among TDV victimization, health-related behaviors, and school outcomes. There is a need for more studies that examine TDV victimization, health-related behaviors, and school outcomes factors interrelate among high school youth. The purpose of this study is to explore risk factors of TDV, examine the moderating effect of gender or ethnicity on the relationship between TDV victimization and school …

Curricular Report No. 2018-19-12 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate: Curricular Changes, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Epidemiology Of Tuberculosis In Internationally Displaced Children Resettling In Harris County, Gabriella S. Lamb

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background More than 300,000 refugees arrived in the United States (U.S.) from 2010-2015, and Texas accepts the 2nd highest number of refugees. Texas also accepts large numbers of asylees, parolees, and special immigrant visa holders. Additionally, a large proportion of trafficked persons in the U.S. live in or pass through Texas. Foreign-born children are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB) and account for two-thirds of U.S. childhood TB cases. Children are at greater risk for progression from TB infection to disease and experience greater morbidity and mortality from TB disease. This makes screening for and treatment of TB infection in children …

Diagnostic Coding Of Physical Abuse Among Patients Evaluated By A Multidisciplinary Child Protection Team In A Pediatric Level I Trauma Center, Holly Hughes Garza

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Child abuse is a substantial public health problem. Numerous studies have used hospital discharge data coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Editions, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 and ICD-10) to identify cases of physical abuse seen in hospitals. Published studies on the sensitivity and specificity of ICD coding for physical child abuse are limited using ICD-9, and non-existent with ICD-10. This study examined the accuracy of ICD coding for physical child abuse, among patients less than 18 years of age, who were evaluated due to concern for physical abuse by a Multidisciplinary Child Protection Team (MCPT) during 2012-2013 …

The Prevalence Of Practicing Safety Professionals’ Knowledge, Involvement, And Competency Associated With Workplace Wellness Programs: Gauging The Safety Profession’S Engagement With The Total Worker Health Initiative, Jennifer C. Laine

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The morbidity and mortality burden of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States became such a public health concern that in 1970 the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law. This law requires employers to provide workplaces “free from recognized hazards” and spurred the development of specific regulations along with the creation of academic and professional training programs to educate individuals about the safety sciences and careers in safety fields. Today there are an estimated 26,000 professionally trained and board certified safety professionals supporting workplace programs across the country, alongside numerous non-certified, but degreed, practicing safety professionals. …

Measuring Goal Attainment In Chronic Disease Self-Management Within Clinical And Research Contexts: Development And Initial Testing Of The Goal Attainment Outcome Measure For Stroke (Gam-S), Barbara Kimmel

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background and Aims: Self-management (SM) skills help stroke survivors achieve behavior risk factors control. Goal setting and attainment are fundamental for SM. The most salient elements of SM effectiveness and measurements are just beginning to be understood. Investigation of measurement of goal attainment of SM risk factors has been the major aim of the study. My dissertation explores research questions concerning the goal attainment measure using data collected at the Veterans hospital.

Methods and Results: Introductory Chapters 1 and 2, include the background on stroke prevention through self-management interventions and a preliminary literature review of goal attainment in the context …

Should Patients On Metformin Be Screened For Vit B12 Deficiency, And If So When?, Jeet Thaker, Darby Martin, Pooja Kulkarni, Rehab Bakir, Diahann Marshal, Berta Rezik, Islam Zin El Din, Andrea Smith, Lois Lamerato, Katarzyna Budzynska

MERF 2019 - Basic Science Research

Background: Metformin and its ability to cause vitamin B12 deficiency has been thoroughly studied and documented. Despite this, there is no formal screening recommendation. Our study investigates: whether there is a benefit to a formal screening guideline and, if so, when is it appropriate to screen for vitamin B12 deficiency in patients on Metformin. We additionally investigated quantifying if vitamin B12 testing is completed.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study on a population of HAP patients who were ever tested for Vitamin B12 deficiency. Our exposed group was comprised of patients who had filled at least two prescriptions of Metformin between …

Leveraging Environmental Research And Observation Networks To Advance Soil Carbon Science, Alejandro N. Flores

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a critical ecosystem variable regulated by interacting physical, chemical, and biological processes. Collaborative efforts to integrate perspectives, data, and models from interdisciplinary research and observation networks can significantly advance predictive understanding of SOM. We outline how integrating three networks—the Long‐Term Ecological Research with a focus on ecological dynamics, the Critical Zone Observatories with strengths in landscape/geologic context, and the National Ecological Observatory Network with standardized multiscale measurements—can advance SOM knowledge. This integration requires improved data dissemination and sharing, coordinated data collection activities, and enhanced collaboration between empiricists and modelers within and across networks.

Clemson Commencement Program, May 2019, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Well-Being In Correlation To Job Satisfaction In Millennials, Danielle Sommerfeldt

Counselor Education Capstones

The millennial generation is now completely immersed in today’s work force. With job satisfaction playing a large role in whether an individual chooses to stay in a job role and make it a career or move on to the next opportunity out there. Health and wellness in the work life atmosphere pertaining to physical, mental, and emotional well-being could be a contributing factor in what makes the people of a millennial generation choose between different opportunities. The quality of a person’s life and health are becoming the main priority and the focus on whether the company is looking to better …

School Counselor Self-Care Practices As Mitigating Factors Regarding Professional Burnout, Kelsie Brand

Counselor Education Capstones

As the needs of students change, the responsibilities of educators change as well. Growing awareness for childhood mental health, increased focus on academic success, and a drive for career preparation mean that the role of a school counselor is ever changing and may come with many stressors and challenges that may then lead to professional burnout and decreased efficacy as a counselor. To maintain focused and effective care for students, it is important that counselors monitor their mental health and take interventive and preventative measures to ensure they are able to best care for themselves and their students. This issue …

Enhancing Native Pollinators Of Watermelon Agroecosystems In South Carolina, Miriam Meryl Jenkins

All Dissertations

Widespread declines in both managed and wild pollinators worldwide has led to increasing concern for the valuable ecosystem services they provide for natural systems and agriculture. This study examined the potential benefits of diversifying agricultural landscapes by increasing floral diversity on farms on insect biodiversity and crop pollination services. My focal species, watermelon Citrullus lanatus, is an ideal species for pollination studies because it is entirely dependent on insect pollinators to set fruit. Chapter 1 investigates the effect that wildflower strips on watermelon farms has on the delivery of pollination services to watermelon by the pollinator community. Chapter 2 presents …

Undergraduate Research Experiences Reports On Acne Treatment, Heavy Metal In Water, And Measurement Of The Heat Reaction Of Isosorbide Methacrylate, Jaida Lewis

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

This thesis reports on three significant science projects I have done during my undergraduate years. The first part is on the effect of Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic, two active ingredients in face wash for acne control, on MCF-7, epithelial cells. My assays suggested that salicylic acid lowered the viability of the MCF-7 cells, meaning it is more likely to decrease the viability of acne cells, while benzoyl peroxide did not seem to have any effect at all, meaning it is safer to use on the skin. My second research involved measurement of heavy metals, such as aluminum, nickel, cadmium, lead, …

Effects Of Exercise Training On The Blood Lactate Response To Acute Exercise In Cancer Survivors, Arjun Ramani

Master's Theses

Otto Warburg, a German physiologist, deduced that cancer cells exhibit a remarkably different metabolic profile in comparison to normal healthy cells characterized by increased rates of glycolysis and lactate fermentation, even in the presence of adequate oxygen content. Through the respective gain of function/loss of function of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, three major genes emerge as hallmarks of carcinogenic metabolic reconfiguration; HIF-1a, c-Myc oncogenes, and p53 tumor-suppressor genes. A result of their respective gain/loss of function are the upregulation of several glycolytic proteins and subsequent high rates of glucose influx into the tumor microenvironment, as well as lactate production, …

Genome-Wide Association Study In Finnish Twins Highlights The Connection Between Nicotine Addiction And Neurotrophin Signaling Pathway, Jenni Hällfors, Teemu Palviainen, Ida Surakka, Richa Gupta, Jadwiga Buchwald, Anu Raevuori, Samuli Ripatti, Tellervo Korhonen, Pekka Jousilahti, Pamela A F Madden, Jaakko Kaprio, Anu Loukola

Open Access Publications

The heritability of nicotine dependence based on family studies is substantial. Nevertheless, knowledge of the underlying genetic architecture remains meager. Our aim was to identify novel genetic variants responsible for interindividual differences in smoking behavior. We performed a genome-wide association study on 1715 ever smokers ascertained from the population-based Finnish Twin Cohort enriched for heavy smoking. Data imputation used the 1000 Genomes Phase I reference panel together with a whole genome sequence-based Finnish reference panel. We analyzed three measures of nicotine addiction-smoking quantity, nicotine dependence and nicotine withdrawal. We annotated all genome-wide significant SNPs for their functional potential. First, we …

Comparison Of A Numeric And A Descriptive Pain Scale In The Occupational Medicine Setting, George Francis Mcmahon Iii

Doctoral Projects

Pain is a universal phenomenon. The assessment of a patient’s pain is difficult to objectively obtain because the perception of the pain by the patient is influenced by many subjective perception variables. These variables can inflate or deflate the patient’s self-reported pain level which can adversely affect the medical provider’s ability to accurately create a treatment plan for the patient. This study compared the patient’s response to a self-rating of their pain on a numeric pain scale with the response given by the patient on the Mankoski pain scale. Comparison of the numeric pain scale to the Mankoski pain scale …

Barriers In Hypertension Management Among Culturally Diverse Patients In An Urban Urgent Care Setting, Navpreet Kaur

Doctoral Projects

Hypertension is the leading cause of deaths related to cardiovascular disease conditions. A vast number of patients are not taking their medications as prescribed by the physicians. This non-adherence to hypertensive treatment plans results in increased numbers of cases of unstable blood pressure. Medication adherence will help to manage the controllable cardiovascular diseases and will automatically decrease the incidences of emergent cases in hospitals and urgent care clinics. It will further decrease the costs of diagnostic evaluations used during the emergent visits. This decreased patient load in the emergency rooms will improve quality patient care. The study timeframe of data …

Barriers In Health Care In Hmong Men And Women With Cardiac Diseases, Ying Thao

Doctoral Projects

Lauver’s theory of care seeking behaviors is applied to identify perceived barriers to accessing healthcare in Hmong men and women that may influence care seeking behaviors. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers in accessing health care among Hmong men and women ages 50 to 80 with cardiovascular heart disease (CHD) and risk factors for CHD (e.g., diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension). A quantitative descriptive analysis was used to look at demographic characteristics while a multiple regression analysis was used to statistically compare correlations between barriers to care, risk factors for CHD, sex, and access to health care. The …

Pilot Study Of A Breastfeeding Support Training Program Designed Particularly For Infants With Common Congenital Anomalies And Defects, Gretchen Nelson Ezaki

Doctoral Projects

The American Academy of Pediatrics (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2018), the World Health Organization (World Health Organization [WHO)], 2018), and The March of Dimes (March of Dimes, 2016) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. In 2014, 79% of women in the United States began breastfeeding their infants, but only 40.7% and 18.8% continued breastfeeding exclusively at three and six months respectively (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). This doctoral project promotes breastfeeding by creating and testing simple teaching algorithms for training registered nurses to support breastfeeding, including for infants with trisomy 21, congenital heart …

Determining The Relationship Among Cattle Genotype, Hair Coat Score, And Productivity Through The Investigation Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Within Prolactin, Dopamine Receptor D2, And Melatonin Receptor 1a, Erin Davis

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Prolactin (PRL), melatonin (MTN), and dopamine (DA) are all hormones that are believed to play a role in the regulation and growth of hair in beef cattle. There are also single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with each of these hormones or their receptors, indicating that the investigation of these polymorphisms could allow them to serve as genetic markers for the future productivity of an animal. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships among cattle genotype, hair coat score, and productivity through the investigation of single nucleotide polymorphisms within prolactin, dopamine receptor D2, and melatonin receptor 1A. Body weights, …

Evaluation Of Enzyme Effectiveness At Enhancing Fiber Digestion In Small Ruminants, Rachel Ranells

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Feed costs account for up to 70% of total production costs making it vital that livestock producers maximize feed efficiency in a cost-effective manner (Bach, 2012). Producers often utilize feed additives to optimize nutrient absorption and increase productivity (McGrath et al., 2018). This study was conducted to determine the effects of an enzyme supplement containing Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae on dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake and digestibility by lambs fed ad libitum diets of either alfalfa or bermudagrass hay. The study was set up in a 2 2 …

Development Of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts Resistant To Diabetes Mellitus, Jhilmil Dhulekar

All Dissertations

Diabetes Mellitus, characterized by high levels of blood sugar, is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Almost 25 million Americans are currently diagnosed with diabetes, with numbers rising rapidly. Hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia coexist in diabetes and result in inflammation, stiffening and degeneration in blood vessels which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and arterial diseases such as coronary and peripheral artery disease. The diseased arteries can be replaced with synthetic materials, but the small-diameter arterial replacements (< 6 mm diameter) fail after 5-10 years because they are not resistant to the damage associated with diabetes. Tissue engineering offers a promising approach to develop decellularized extracellular matrix-based vascular scaffolds, repopulated with the patients’ own stem cells, to provide a non-immunogenic, patient-tailored vascular graft with improved remodeling and integration with native tissue. However, the presence of diabetes will structurally modify the implanted tissue engineered grafts. Therefore, it is necessary to develop tissue engineered vascular constructs capable of resisting diabetes-related alterations. The primary focus of this research was threefold: 1) Develop decellularized vascular scaffolds derived from porcine renal arteries with matrix integrity and mechanical properties similar to native blood vessels, 2) test the resistance of scaffolds treated with penta-galloyl glucose (PGG) to diabetes in functional small animal model, and 3) determine the immunomodulatory effect of adipose derived stem cell differentiation and seeding on scaffold remodeling in a diabetic environment.

First, a complete decellularization procedure of porcine renal arteries was established and optimized to remove all cellular and nuclear material from the …

Fat-Soluble Vitamins In Dietary Supplements: Optimization Of Extraction, Simultaneous Determination By Hplc And Stability Studies, Yaqi Wang

All Dissertations

In recent decades, consumption of multivitamin/mineral (MVM) dietary supplements has significantly increased, reflecting a huge demand from the commercial market. Meanwhile, there is a big concern of the stability and shelf-life of vitamins, including fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs), in the dietary supplements. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct precise analysis and stability evaluation of the FSVs in the commercial products so as to scrutinize their content levels.

An optimized method to extract the encapsulated FSVs (i.e., vitamin A acetate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3 and vitamin E succinate) from MVM supplements was developed in light of four critical factors, including the …

Neighborhood Variability In Obesity In Children In Omaha, Nebraska, Ann Essay

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of childhood obesity is a serious public health concern in the United States. Although several individual-level factors have been found to be associated with obesity in children, neighborhood environmental and social factors likely play an important role. The main goal of this study was to describe the prevalence of child obesity in Omaha, Nebraska by various demographic subgroups, determine if obesity prevalence varies by neighborhood operationalized as zip code, and examine the association between neighborhood-level child obesity prevalence and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status. It was hypothesized that child obesity prevalence varies by demographic subgroup and by zip code …

Training For Evidence-Based Youth Physical Activity Leader Practices, A. Jake Larose

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Purpose: From a social ecological viewpoint, the way in which individuals interact with their surrounding environment, has a direct effect on their actions. One approach to modify behavior change is to strive to change the environment, thus driving behavior change. Participating in physical activity (PA) is a behavior to be targeted, due to its numerous health benefits. A population to consider targeting for increasing PA is children, as creating PA habits in childhood has been shown to track into adulthood . Change at a population level should begin by focusing efforts on the environments in which children are spending their …

The Correlates Of The Maternal Fetal Attachment In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Orphee L. Tamba

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Maternal-fetal attachment is defined as the relationship of affection that exists between the pregnant woman and her fetus during pregnancy. It increases throughout the pregnancy and predicts not only the attachment style between the mother and the child but also the chances of optimal socioemotional development during infancy. The Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale measures the Maternal-Fetal Attachment (MFA). Several versions of this scale have been adapted in various parts of the world. However, to date no study has been conducted on the validation of this scale in sub-Saharan Africa and the identification of factors associated with the MFA. This cross-sectional …

Examining The Prevalence Of Urban American Indians With Uncontrolled Diabetes In Nebraska., Nasreen Wahab Maiwandi

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Diabetes is a major public health problem in American Indian Alaska Native (AI/AN) population which contributes to an increased number of morbidity and mortality.

Diabetes was largely unknown in AI/AN communities before the World War II but soon after the WWII Indian Health Service (IHS) providers began reporting diabetes among this population. (McLaughlin, 2010). A group of researchers in 1963 identified the first type II diabetes epidemic in Pima Indiana community of Arizona among AI/AN population. (Shultz, LO, et al, 2006). Soon, cases of diabetes in AI/AN more than doubled in prevalence rate compared to the general U.S. population, resulting …

Contents, Journal Editors

Journal of Food Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Food Law & Policy - Spring 2019, Journal Editors

Journal of Food Law & Policy

No abstract provided.