Digital Commons Network^™

Buddhist Approaches To Environmentalism And Food Insecurity, Grace N. Stott

Honors Theses and Capstones

Buddhism is a religion deep-rooted in history, most prevalent in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. ³ These countries are “developing countries” and may not have the necessary infrastructure to succeed economically and have increased health risks, one of which is food insecurity.⁴ With climate change an increased threat, these areas of the world are more susceptible to environmental problems. The Buddhism religion strongly values sustainability, in both the environment and food insecurity. It values helping others, both humans and nature. Despite the adversity they face, Buddhists have dealt better than communities in similar situations of poverty and …

The Cholera Crisis In Yemen: Case Studies On Vulnerability And Resilience In Sana'a, Al Hudaydah, And Ma'areb, Noor Albannein A. Al-Saad

Honors Theses and Capstones

The largest recorded cholera epidemic in history is happening right now in Yemen, a country which has reported over 2 million cases of cholera as of 2020. Yemen has a history of endemic cholera, but prolonged conflict in the country has led to deteriorating conditions that have triggered massive outbreaks of the disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect causes of the cholera epidemic in Yemen by proposing factors that may confer vulnerability and resilience in Yemeni governorates. Case studies were constructed for three governorates: Sana’a and the inner municipality of Amanat Al Asimah; …

Evaluation Of The Symbiotic Relation Between Endophyte And Poplar Trees Exposed To Landfill Leachate, Catalina Vega Hurtado

Masters Theses

“The contamination of soil and groundwater from leachate leakage from landfill has turned, nowadays, into a global public issue. One of the main concerns about this pollutant is the potential threat to human and ecosystem health. The current research studied endophyte bacteria in association with poplar trees (Populus sp.), as a method of bioremediation of landfill leachates. The objective of the project was to identify treatment strategies that may improve plant performance (survival rates, plant fitness, and degradation efficacy) with the purpose of being implemented in phytoremediation plots, aimed to intercept and treat landfill leachate, before the contamination of watershed. …

Hiv Knowledge And Behaviors Among Young People In Kenya And Lesotho, Beatrice Ochieng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has a great burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and high new HIV infection rates among youths age 15-24 years. Suboptimal practice of HIV risk-reducing sexual behaviors among youths threatens to reverse the gains made in preventing the spread of HIV in SSA. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the effects of comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, on individuals’ attitude toward people living with HIV, and ability to obtain condoms (if needed) on practice of HIV risk-reducing sexual behaviors, in adolescents age 15-19 years and young adults age 20-24 years in …

Mothers’ And Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives About The Vitamin A Supplementation Program In Nigeria, Olufolakemi Mercy Anjorin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects about one third of children under the age of five in Nigeria. There is low uptake of biannual Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) used since year 2010 as the national response to addressing VAD among children 6 to 59 months. Yet, there is limited research on barriers or facilitators to uptake of VAS. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of stakeholders about the VAS program in Nigeria. The theoretical underpinning was the social marketing framework. The central question related to the views of stakeholders toward the VAS program, and their perception about …

Use Of Spanish Audio Podcast To Educate Visually Challenged Hispanics With Diabetes, Baiju Issac

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is the leading cause of death among the Hispanic population, requiring solutions at the individual, community, and population levels. Self-management helps to manage diabetes and prevent complications, but it is a challenge in nursing practice. Health care providers use printed information to teach patients about self-management of diabetes. However, patients with visual impairment are not able to use these resources. Limited English proficiency, low health literacy, and visual challenges result in the underutilization of health care services within Hispanic communities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a Spanish audio podcast and lesson plan as teaching tools …

Principles Of Home Rule For The Twenty-First Century, Richard Briffault, Nestor M. Davidson, Paul A. Diller, Sarah Fox, Laurie Reynolds, Erin A. Scharff, Richard Schragger, Rick Su

Faculty Scholarship

The National League of Cities’ “Principles of Home Rule for the Twenty-First Century” updates the American Municipal Association’s 1953 “Model Constitutional Provisions for Municipal Home Rule.” The AMA approach was widely adopted, but those provisions are now over 65 years old and intervening social, demographic, economic, and political changes necessitates a new approach to the legal structure of state-local relations. The NLC’s approach is organized around four basic principles, which are cashed-out in a model constitutional home rule provision, with commentary. The first principle states that a state’s law of home rule should provide local governments the full capacity to …

An Analysis Of Perception Vs. Reality In Physical Fitness And The Effect Of Fitness Testing On Physical Activity In College Students, Sarah Schwartz

2020 Honors Symposium

INTRODUCTION
• Physical fitness is important to overall health and each fitness component has certain health implications. Fitness assessments are used to predict health implications.
• College students with lower physical activity levels have higher rates of obesity and negative health outcomes
• Most colleges students do not meet recommendations for physical activity despite knowing the benefits

OBJECTIVES
• Assess the degree that perceptions of fitness are associated with measured fitness (1)
• To find out if and how intentions and behaviors change over time after receiving the results of a standardized fitness assessment. (2)

The Relationship Between Excessive Folic Acid Intake And Genome Instability In Human Lymphocytes, Khadijah Ibrahim Alnabbat

Wayne State University Dissertations

Since its synthesis in 1945, Folic acid (FA) is widely used as a supplement/additive to our food due to its stability and high bioavailability. FA is proposed to alleviate anemia and reduce neural tube defects (NTD). As a provitamin, FA is activated through a two-step reaction catalyzed by dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) in the folate metabolism pathway. FA activation rate is found to be slow in humans. After the implementation of mandatory food fortification program of grain and grain products with folic acid in the USA in 1998, many concerns have been raised about the unintended deleterious consequence of exposing the …

Hormonal Regulation Of Glycine Decarboxylase And Its Metabolic Outcomes, Ruta Milind Jog

Wayne State University Dissertations

The amino acid glycine is involved in generation of multiple critical metabolites including glutathione, heme, and creatinine. Interestingly, in both humans and rodents, circulating glycine levels are significantly reduced in obesity, glucose intolerance, type II diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The glycine cleavage system is the predominant glycine degradation pathway in humans. The rate-limiting enzyme of glycine cleavage system is glycine decarboxylase (GLDC), and loss-of-function mutations of GLDC cause hyperglycinemia. Here, we show that GLDC gene expression is upregulated in livers of mouse models of diabetes and diet-induced obesity as well as in the fasted state in normal animals. …

Reduction Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids With Tumor Progression In A Lean Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mouse Model, Elizabeth M. Vlock, Shilpa Karanjit, G. Talmon, Evi A. Farazi

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background and Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in Western countries. While obesity and diabetes are the hallmarks of NAFLD, it also develops in lean individuals in the absence of metabolic syndrome, with a prevalence of 7 percent in the U.S. and 25-30 percent in some Asian countries. NAFLD represents the spectrum of liver disease, starting with excess liver fat accumulation (NAFL) that can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, the pathogenesis of lean NASH-HCC is poorly understood and a mouse model is lacking. We aimed …

Exploring Bullying And Peer Victimization Among African American Adolescents In Chicago’S Southside, Jeoung Min Lee

Wayne State University Dissertations

Adolescent bullying is a serious concern for adolescents, parents, teachers, school officials, and the public. While many studies have explored serious forms of violence (e.g., gang violence and homicide) among urban adolescents, relatively few studies have examined “less serious forms of violence,” such as bullying among these adolescents. This dissertation research, which is divided into three studies, aims to examine antecedents of bullying and peer victimization as well as psychosocial outcomes of peer victimization from a sample of 639 urban African American adolescents in Chicago’s Southside. The first study applies Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems perspective and explores factors that are correlated …

An Assessment Of Knowledge, Behavior, And Consumption Patterns Surrounding Sugar- Sweetened Beverages Among Young Adults, Anne Harguth

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Background The obesity epidemic is a growing problem in this country. Many studies have been conducted in effort to unravel and derail the rise in obesity and overweight status among Americans. Strong evidence supports the notion that excessive sugar consumption is largely contributing to an increase in obesity and risk for many chronic diseases and conditions.

Objective This study assessed sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, knowledge of sugar-sweetened beverages, disease risk associated with consumption, and correlation between the knowledge and consumption among a sample of students at a large midwestern university. A cross-sectional, retrospective design with random sampling was utilized for this …

Functional Relevance Of Renal Histamine Receptors In The Kidney, Mikhail Fomin

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The immunology of kidney disease is complex and involves factors from both the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Histamine is an important immunomodulator, as well as a regulator of allergic inflammation, gastric acid secretion, and neurotransmission. Although an increase in histamine level and expression of histamine-metabolizing enzymes have been shown in the kidney, renal pathological and physiological effects of histamine have not been clearly defined. The goal of this study was to provide insight into the physiological importance of the histamine-related pathways in the kidney, with emphasis on the collecting duct (CD), a distal part of the nephron important …

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Beijing Lineage And Risk For Tuberculosis In Child Household Contacts, Peru, Chuan-Chin Huang, Alexander L. Chu, Mercedes C. Becerra, Jerome T. Galea, Roger Calderón, Carmen Contreras, Rosa Yataco, Zibiao Zhang, Leonid Lecca, Megan B. Murray

Social Work Faculty Publications

Few studies have prospectively compared the relative transmissibility and propensity to cause disease of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing strains with other human-adapted strains of the M. tuberculosis complex. We assessed the effect of Beijing strains on the risk for M. tuberculosis infection and disease progression in 9,151 household contacts of 2,223 culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in Lima, Peru. Child contacts exposed to Beijing strains were more likely than child contacts exposed to non-Beijing strains to be infected at baseline, by 12 months of follow-up, and during follow-up. We noted an increased but nonsignificant tendency for child contacts to develop TB. …

Does Cold Water Immersion At A Temperature Below 10°C Reduce Perceived Muscle Soreness After Exercise More Than A Water Temperature Above 10° C?, Cara Blenke

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not cold water immersion at temperatures below 10°C reduce perceived muscle soreness after exercise more than water temperatures above 10°C.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three randomized controlled trials published in 2016 and 2017

DATA SOURCES: Data sources for this review were articles published in peer-reviewed journals using PubMed Database and Cochrane Collaboration

OUTCOME(S) MEASURED: The outcome measured was the patient’s reduction in muscle soreness post exercise when submerged in cold water using the visual analog scale.

RESULTS: Machado et al. (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science …

Network Structure Of Vertebrate Scavenger Assemblages At The Global Scale: Drivers And Ecosystem Functioning Implications, Esther Sebastián-González, Zebensui Morales-Reyes, Francisco Botella, Lara Naves-Alegre, Juan M. Pérez-García, Patricia Mateo-Tomás, Pedro P. Olea, Marcos Moleón, Jomar M. Barbosa, Fernando Hiraldo, Eneko Arrondo, José A. Donázar, Ainara Cortés-Avizanda, Nuria Selva, Sergio A. Lambertucci, Aishwarya Bhattacharjee, Alexis L. Brewer, Erin F. Abernethy, Kelsey L. Turner, James C. Beasley, Travis L. Devault, Hannah C. Gerke, Olin E. Rhodes Jr, Andrés Ordiz, Camilla Wikenros, Barbara Zimmermann, Petter Wabakken, Christopher C. Wilmers, Justine A. Smith, Corinne Kendall, Darcy Ogada, Ethan Frehner, Maximilian L. Allen, Heiko U. Wittmer, James R. A. Butler, Johan T. Du Toit, Antoni Margalida, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, David Wilson, Klemen Jerina, Miha Krofel, Rich Kostecke, Richard Inger, Esra Per, Yunus Ayhan, Hasan Ulusoy, Doğanay Vural, Akino Inagaki, Shinsuke Koike, Arockianathan Samson, Paula L. Perrig, Emma Spencer, Thomas M. Newsome, Marco Heurich, José D. Anadón, Evan R. Buechley, José A. Sánchez-Zapata

Publications and Research

The organization of ecological assemblages has important implications for ecosystem functioning, but little is known about how scavenger communities organize at the global scale. Here, we test four hypotheses on the factors affecting the network structure of terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblages and its implications on ecosystem functioning. We expect scavenger assemblages to be more nested (i.e. structured): 1) in species-rich and productive regions, as nestedness has been linked to high competition for carrion resources, and 2) regions with low human impact, because the most efficient carrion consumers that promote nestedness are large vertebrate scavengers, which are especially sensitive to human …

Development Of 3d Porous Chitosan-Based Platform For In Vitro Culture, Kailei Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures have been widely used in biological research since two-dimensional (2D) cultures have many limitations including alteration of cell morphology, metabolic pathways and gene expression. Therefore, the application of 2D cell cultures in pharmaceutical companies for drug screening causes reproducibility issues in animal studies, which strongly influences the efficiency of drug development. The aim of my studies is to develop 3D cell culture models to better mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) in tumor microenvironment, not only for deeper understanding of interaction between cells and ECM, but also for the application in drug screening. Three different compositions of …

Outcomes Of Prenatal Marijuana Use, Sierra Clark

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Holistic therapy is becoming a national trend and a lot of people are turning to marijuana for its potential benefits. Even pregnant women are using marijuana to manage nausea and vomiting. 1 Currently, medical marijuana is legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia, with 10 states also legalizing its recreational use. 1 In the US, between 16.2% of pregnant women are using marijuana daily.2 In a study surveying 785 pregnant women, 79% reported perceiving little to no harm in prenatal marijuana use.3 Due to the increase in its use and the common perception of being harmless, it is …

Video Games, Screen Time, And The Impact On Body Mass Index And The Cardiovascular Fitness Of Adolescence, Joshua Sylvan

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To determine the effect of screen time/video gameplay has on the BMI and cardiovascular fitness of adolescence between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.

Methods: All data were collected and analyzed based on the CDC’s NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS).

Results: Analysis showed that there was no significant difference between body mass index and time spent using a computer as well as no significant difference between estimate maximal O2 uptake (primary endpoint for cardiovascular fitness) and time spent using a computer.

Insufficient Sleep In 2020: Where Does Ohio Stand?, Daniel Masters

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Objective: To determine the impact of insufficient sleep on premature death and mental health as well as see how the levels of insufficient sleep in Ohio compare to previous years and to other states in the US. Methods: Data on insufficient sleep, premature death, smoking, food environment index, physical inactivity, and poor mental health days was all collected from County Health Rankings and then analyzed. Results: Insufficient sleep was found to be moderately correlated to years of potential life lost in a positive manner in Ohio in 2020. Insufficient sleep has risen in Ohio from 2016 (35.76%) to 2020 (37.04%). …

Statement On Dentistry As Essential Health Care, American Dental Association

News Releases

This collection includes standard news releases, information kits and other documents distributed for publicity, information, announcements of events, etc. as issued from the ADA. Items included in this collection are archival and any costs, links, contact information, or other figures may be out of date. Please contact the ADA to verify information.

A Qualitative Study On Adequate Sleep In Preschool Children – Can We Sleep On It?, Seema Zainulabdin Lasi, Noreen Afzal, Somal Kayani

Human Development Programme

Sleep is a significant marker of physical and psychological health. The present research was undertaken to explore perceptions of parents, teachers and pediatricians about preschool children’s sleep patterns, habits, and problems from urban Karachi, Pakistan. A qualitative research approach was employed; data collection methods were Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The themes identified were children’s sleep patterns, sleep environment, sleep rituals, distractions, sleep problems, the impact of inadequate sleep, and recommendations to improve. Emergent themes were inconsistency of rules from parents, lack of opportunities for outdoor physical activity, different kinds of stresses, social and cultural events …

Intriguing Plumicoles From The Common Yellowthroat (Aves: Passeriformes) On Vaca Key, Florida, Lawrence J. Hribar

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

2020 Football Media Guide, University Of South Florida. Athletic Communications Office, Brian Siegrist, Jay D'Abramo, Tom Zebold

Football Media Guides

The media guide for the University of South Florida's (USF) 2020 football season. Included are sections on the 2020 season outlook, player biographies, coaches and staff, a 2019 season review, program records, program history, and information on USF Athletics. The Bulls finished the season with a 1-8 record.

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On Bedside Shift Reports, Dana Wickersheim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn 2017, The Joint Commission issued a sentinel event alert regarding inadequate nurse hand-off communication. Inadequate hand-off communication can lead to medication errors, delay in treatment, falls, and wrong-site surgery. To help ensure safe handoff of care between nurses by involving the patient and family, bedside shift report was created. Bedside shift report was developed to help improve patient safety and quality, patient experience of care, nursing staff satisfaction and time management, and accountability between nurses. Despite the implementation of bedside shift report in nursing practice, it continues to be inconsistently applied, which poses risks to patients and can lead …

Preventing Aspiration Pneumonia Using An Aspiration Prevention Protocol, Lee James-Pettway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital-acquired pneumonia, which includes aspiration pneumonia (AP), is a preventable condition that is costly to all healthcare institutions (more than $17,000 to $ 30,000 per episode), because insurance no longer covers the cost of hospital-acquired harms. Each episode in the hospital setting can lead to patient complications, increased use of antibiotics, patient mortality, as well as decreased patient survey scores. Several factors put patients at risk of developing AP, and screening for these risk factors on admission and implementing preventative nursing interventions can decrease the incidence. Based on an extensive literature review, an evidence-based, clinical practice guideline (CPG) was identified …

Preschool Teacher Perspectives Of Crisis Preparedness, Sara Ann Machado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of preschool teachers

regarding school-based emergency planning in independently funded childcare centers.

Current research has investigated perspectives of crisis preparedness by a variety of

school staff but has not yet included the extent to which preschool teachers feel prepared

to handle a school crisis event. This study was based on the integrated model of school

crisis preparedness and intervention proposed by Jimerson, Brock, and Pletcher. This

study examined how preschool teachers describe the effect of crisis preparedness drills

and training on their ability to handle school crisis events prior to, …

Barriers To Mental Health Services Related To Stigma In Northern California, Kandalena Ary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

California Senate Bill 1041 recognized mental health as a contributing barrier for individuals struggling to achieve independence from aid through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to meet the needs of the state's low-income families while reducing barriers to self-sufficiency. As mental health illnesses continue to increase, the engagement and utilization of services have not increased. The purpose of this study was to explore county policy infrastructure addresses making mental health services known, accessible, and increase participation to decrease barriers in utilization of available resources. The research questions were used to examine the effectiveness of processes …

Physician–Patient Communication: Association With Health Literacy In African Americans Living With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Brittany Egeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy is needed throughout care to understand basic health, prevent diseases, understand diagnoses, and treatment and management of complicated diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Inadequate physician–patient communication is related to medication errors and overall understanding of basic health information in chronic condition such as T2DM. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between physician–patient communication and health literacy, glycemic control, diabetic knowledge, and demographics. The target population consisted of African Americans, ages 18-75, diagnosed with T2DM. Primary data were collected from a family medicine clinic using 4 questionnaires: s-TOFHLA (short form of functional …