The Impact Of Mandatory Mammographic Breast Density Notification On Supplemental Screening Practice In The United States: A Systematic Review, Shuangqin Huang, Nehmat Houssami, Meagan Brennan, Brooke Nickel

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: Dense breast tissue is an independent risk factor for breast cancer and lowers the sensitivity of screening mammography. Supplemental screening with ultrasound or MRI improves breast cancer detection rate but has potential harms. Breast density notifcation (BDN) legislation has been introduced in the United States (US) and its impact on supplemental screening practice is unclear. This study systematically reviewed current evidence to explore the impact of BDN on supplemental screening practice in the US.

Methods: Medline, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane and the Cinhal Library databases were searched (2009-August 2020). Studies were assessed for eligibility, data were extracted and …

Transhumanist Genetic Enhancement: Creation Of A 'New Man' Through Technological Innovation, George Mendz, Michael Cook

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

The transhumanist project of reshaping human beings by promoting their improvement through technological innovations has a broad agenda. This study focuses on the enhancement of the human organism through genetic modification techniques. Transhumanism values and a discussion of their philosophical background provide a framework to understand its ideals. Genetics and ethics are employed to assess the claims of the transhumanist program of human enhancement. A succinct description of central concepts in genetics and an explanation of current techniques to edit the human genome serve to assess the capabilities and limitations of editing techniques. Potential benefits and liabilities of human enhancement …

Breast Density Notification: A Systematic Review Of The Impact On Primary Care Practitioners, Brooke Nickel, Tessa Copp, Meagan Brennan, Rachel Farber, Kirsten Mccaffery, Nehmat Houssami

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented amount of advocacy and attention surrounding the issue of breast density (BD) in relation to mammography screening. It is largely unknown what impact notifying women of their BD has had on clinical practice for PCPs. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence from existing studies to understand the impact of BD notification on primary care practitioners' (PCPs) knowledge, attitudes, and practice implications.

Methods: Empirical studies were identified through relevant database searches (database inception to May 2020). Two authors evaluated the eligibility of studies, extracted and crosschecked data, and assessed the …

An Overview Of Antimicrobial Compounds From African Edible Insects And Their Associated Microbiota, Cynthia M. Mudalungu, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Segenet Kelemu, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The need for easily biodegradable and less toxic chemicals in drug development and pest control continues to fuel the exploration and discovery of new natural molecules. Like certain plants, some insects can also respond rapidly to microbial infections by producing a plethora of immune-induced molecules that include antibacterial and antifungal peptides/polypeptides (AMPs), among other structurally diverse small molecules. The recent recognition that new natural product-derived scaffolds are urgently needed to tackle life-threatening pathogenic infections has been prompted by the health threats posed by multidrug resistance. Although many researchers have concentrated on the discovery of AMPs, surprisingly, edible insect-produced AMPs/small molecules …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Mental Health Symptoms In Adults Undergoing Covid-19 Testing, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Linh K Nguyen, Tong Han Chung, Olivia Moffitt, Yen-Chi L Le, Mark B Suh, Pooja N Prasad, Eric J Thomas, Christine D Gordon, Kevin O Hwang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Understanding the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons receiving COVID-19 testing will help guide mental health interventions. We aimed to determine the association between sociodemographic factors and mental health symptoms at 8 weeks (baseline) after a COVID-19 test, and compare prevalence of mental health symptoms at baseline to those at 16-week follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study of adults who received outpatient COVID-19 testing at primary care clinics. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 test results with mental health symptoms. Mental health symptoms reported at …

Reanimator/Reflection: 
Creating Mirrors Through Time 
With Ai, Sound, Video And Live-Generated Art In The Dark Age Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eric Millikin

Theses and Dissertations

For my MFA thesis exhibition entitled Reanimator/Reflection, I used artificial intelligence to create three new works of sound and live-generated video art, each based on mirror reflections and 100-year-old racist post-pandemic horror literature by early 20th century American author H. P. Lovecraft. The themes of these writings mirror the issues of our current time. The primary works of Lovecraft that I referenced in the exhibition are “Herbert West: Reanimator,” (1922) a serialized tale about graduate school experiments which attempted to return the dead to life during a plague, and “Nyarlathotep,” (1920) a prose poem that suggests even our dreams …

Sweet Fruit, Daa Guy-Vasson

Theses and Dissertations

The writing and images in Sweet Fruit are an exploration of my creative works. In the first section, memory, making, and poetics come together to help the reader feel the nuances of my experience. In the exhibition works section, images allow an extended look at the work. Accompanying text describes the relevance of my childhood and my parent's Caribbean upbringing to my creative practice.

Shape Shifting: Bodies, Sound, And Queerness, Cordylia B. Vann

Theses and Dissertations

Writings in support of my visual and sonic thesis, Performing Ourselves. The paper examines the relationship between the labor of creating a queer body in how it moves and feels to the creation of choreography, sound, and graphic scores

E-Cigarette Use And Perceptions Among Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Role Of Parental Messages About Tobacco, Mayra S. Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of using e-cigarettes compared to their neurotypical peers. Parent-adolescent communication about tobacco use and number of ADHD symptoms can influence adolescents’ perceptions of e-cigarettes and their e-cigarette use. Adolescents with ADHD (n = 80) completed questionnaires assessing parental messages about tobacco use; e-cigarette harm perceptions; susceptibility to use e-cigarettes; and e-cigarette use. Parents reported on messages about tobacco use, adolescent’s ADHD symptomatology, and completed demographic questionnaires. Twenty-percent of adolescents reported e-cigarette ever use. Adolescent girls were significantly more likely to report higher e-cigarette harm perceptions than boys. Parents reported providing messages …

Impact Of Physical Activity And Cardiorespiratory Fitness On Vascular Homeostasis In Premenopausal Women Consuming A Westernized High-Fat Meal, Lauren N. Pedersen

Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of adults in industrialized nations consume a Westernized dietary pattern, which contributes to fasting dyslipidemia and increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that a single Westernized meal containing high saturated fat may induce alterations in blood lipids as well as disturb multiple factors regulating peripheral vascular homeostasis, including innate immune cell function, oxidative stress, and vascular function. Conversely, participation in acute and chronic exercise may beneficially impact an individual’s postprandial response. Therefore, this dissertation contains three manuscripts seeking to describe how acute exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness, and physical activity level impact the lipemic and vascular homeostatic …

Dendrimer-Based Antibiotics For The Treatment Of Bacterial Biofilm In Cystic Fibrosis (Cf), Younan Ma

Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the predominant pathogen in chronic lung infections of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The most important mechanism of adaptation of PA to host defense and antibiotic treatment is the formation of biofilms within the mucus layer covering the lung bronchi. The effectiveness of antibiotics such as aminoglycosides is significantly attenuated by their limited penetration through thick mucus and embedded biofilm matrix in patients’ lung. Inhaled tobramycin (Tobra), which is the most commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of PA infections for CF patients, is usually found to be in very high concentration in patients’ lung, and yet …

Development Of Unnatural Amino Acid Mutagenesis Technologies To Control Enzyme Activity And Synthesis Of Chemically Reactive Ubiquitin Probes, Jenny Cheung

Theses and Dissertations

Most of the work vital for the survival of the cell are performed by proteins. The primary sequence of proteins is composed of 20 canonical amino acids. However, these 20 amino acids do not offer the full range of functionalities needed for proteins to do their job. Often times, post-translational modifications (PTM’s) occur to add the required functional group. This interaction between all the different proteins in the proteome in addition to PTM’s create a complex system that scientists are still trying to unravel to this day. Many different tools had been developed for this purpose, and one such tool …

From Kindergarten Classrooms To Phd Pursuits: Academic Narratives That Influence Career Decisions In Black Women Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Students, Erin Hanley

Theses and Dissertations

Though Black women continue to receive advanced degrees at increased rates, this attainment is not reflected in the number of Black women serving as faculty members in academia. The field of counselor education encourages the recruitment and retention of diverse students and educators, though the literature outlining the reality of the experiences of Black women in counselor education has been limited. This qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis uncovered the academic experiences of Black women doctoral students from kindergarten to their current doctoral programs, and how these experiences have influenced their career decision making. Guided by Black feminist thought and career human …

Black Feminist Thought, Interrupted: Dissecting The Voice Of Black Feminists In The Blogosphere And Their Engagement With Platform Affordances, Dawn G. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT, INTERRUPTED

DISSECTING THE VOICE OF BLACK FEMINISTS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH PLATFORM AFFORDANCES

By Dawn G. Johnson, Ph.D

A dissertation submitted to the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Media, Art, and Text Department in the College of Humanities and Sciences

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2021

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Archana Pathak, Associate Professor, Dept. of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University

Black women that have long searched for spaces to be creative and have voice due to their …

Understanding Predictors Of Telemedicine Adoption Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bradford S. Pierce

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined change in physicians’ use of telemedicine before, during, and expectations after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the ability of personal and environmental variables to predict telemedicine adoption, and applied the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model to physicians’ adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic. A total of 230 licensed physicians currently practicing in the United States were recruited. Telemedicine accounted for 3.72% of physicians’ clinical work prior to the pandemic, 46.03% during the pandemic, and predicted 25.44% after the pandemic ends. Physicians within hospitals reported less telemedicine use during the pandemic (M = …

Ck2 Phosphorylation Of Human Papillomavirus 16 E2 On Serine 23 Promotes Interaction With Topbp1 And Is Critical For E2 Plasmid Retention Function, Apurva Tadimari Prabhakar

Theses and Dissertations

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agents in most cervical cancers and have been implicated in a rising number of oropharyngeal cancers. HPV positive oropharyngeal cancers have increased significantly over the last two decades with no specific anti-viral therapeutic options for the treatment of HPV diseases. During its lifecycle, HPV16 encoded E2 protein interacts with host cellular factors to regulate viral transcription, replication and genome segregation/retention. Our understanding of the cellular partner proteins that E2 uses to mediate its functions remains incomplete.

Previously, an interaction between E2 and the host protein TopBP1 was identified. In earlier studies, it was also …

Pushing The Limits: Increasing The Speed And Specificity Of Sars-Cov-2 Testing, Grayson Way

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence and spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of continual improvements upon current microbiological testing methods. Rapid and accurate testing can help mitigate spread by improving on the time to quarantine and quarantine duration required. As of the writing of this thesis, COVID-19 has been responsible for more than 500,000 deaths in the United States of America, and greater than 2 million deaths globally. The work done in this thesis has shown improvements in the current SARS-CoV-2 testing methodology by reducing the time it takes for patient testing while maintaining accuracy and the sensitivity required …

With Great(Er) Power Comes Great(Er) Responsibility: Indigenous Rights And Municipal Autonomy, Alexandra Flynn

All Faculty Publications

This article asks how the dialogue surrounding greater municipal autonomy intersects with Aboriginal rights and title, recognized under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 (Constitution), with a particular focus on Toronto. The first part of this article sets out the ways in which Toronto sought empowerment following the Better Local Government Act or Bill 5, including judicial consideration of the constitutional role of Canadian municipalities, the legislative advances made by provincial governments, and the yet-implemented possibilities of protection through a little-used mechanism within the Constitution. Part II analyzes the obligations of municipalities in respect of Indigenous Peoples …

Discharge Instructions In The Emergency Department, Josh Jorgensen

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

No abstract provided.

Exploring Renewable Energy Futures In Humboldt County Consistent With The Goals Of California’S Renewable Portfolio Standard, Amin M. Younes

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Humboldt County has abundant wind, solar, and biomass resources, but has made limited progress towards the state’s 2045 requirement of 100% clean electricity. A recently rejected onshore wind project showed that technically and economically viable projects can fall to social and political challenges, emphasizing the need for social considerations in renewable transitions. I therefore integrated community members’ preferences into modeling of RPS-consistent renewable energy scenarios in Humboldt County. My model suggests that offshore wind, utility-scale solar, distributed solar, and biomass power are technically and economically viable sources of significant local generation at varying costs.

In interviews with energy-engaged residents, I …

A Comparison Of The Removal Of Estrogen Between Different Wastewater Treatment Processes, Danielle J. Jones

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Pharmaceuticals are found in water systems and are classified as contaminants due to their adverse effects on numerous types of aquatic organisms. Estradiol, a natural occurring estrogen and ethinylestradiol, a common synthetic estrogen found in birth control, are a class of pharmaceuticals called endocrine-disruptive contaminants (EDC). These contaminants have been shown to cause developmental delays in fish as well as feminizing male fish in concentrations as low as 1 ng/L for both estradiol and ethinylestradiol, and bioaccumulating in mollusks and oysters. There are many natural and human-assisted methods for removing pharmaceuticals in water, and they are dependent on both the …

Use Of Redwood Basal Hollows By Bats: A Focus On The Townsend's Big-Eared Bat On The North Coast Of California, Amon Jotesh Armstrong

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Loss of roosting resources, either through disturbance or removal, negatively affects bats. For sensitive species, such as the Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), determining roost requirements is a critical component in conserving their habitat. Such cavity roosting bats on the North Coast of California may use hollows in large redwood trees. In this study, I examined the factors determining the use of basal tree hollows by different bat species at eight redwood forest sites in Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino Counties, California. Bat guano was collected from 179 basal hollow roosts from 2017 to 2018, and guano mass …

On The Acceptance Of Urban Beavers In Martinez, California, Zane A. Eddy

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

As ecosystem engineers, beavers construct complex riparian and wetland habitats that benefit many other species, including endangered salmonids. Through their landscape alterations, beavers also promote increased groundwater recharge and provide refugia during wildfires and high flow events by impounding water and allowing it to spread across the landscape. Prior to the North American colonial fur trapping campaigns, there were between 60 and 400 million beavers in North America. By the beginning of the 20th century, beavers were extirpated from many parts of the continent, however through human efforts, their population has since rebounded to between 10 and 15 million. The …

A Proposed Return-To-Ride Protocol For United States Jockeys Following Concussion, Carolina Quintana, Kimberly I. Tumlin, Matthew C. Hoch, Nicholas R. Heebner, Bianca L. Grimshaw, Carl G. Mattacola

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Professional horse racing jockeys participate in a high-risk sport, however there is limited research and policies regarding welfare and safety. Despite the high incidence and risk of concussions, there are not standardized protocols for returning these unique athletes to participation following concussion. A return-to-ride concussion protocol for thoroughbred horse racing athletes must take into account the unique considerations and practices of the sport. Current concussion management strategies suggest removal from riding and activity when a concussion is suspected. This is followed by further evaluation for diagnosis, a period of both cognitive and physical rest before a gradual return-to-activity prior to …

The Effects Of The L. Plantarum Strain Rc1.4 Starter Culture With Or Without Sucrose Addition On Fermentation Efficacy, Microbial Content, And Aerobic Stability Indicators Of Alfalfa Silage, Taylan Aksu, Shami̇l Vali̇dov, Li̇li̇i̇a Kari̇mova, Murat Demi̇rel, Taner Levendoğlu, Si̇bel Erdoğan, Mehtap Güney

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

To develop the approach for efficient alfalfa silage fermentation, L. plantarum strain RC1.4 (LP-RC1.4) was used as starter culture with or without sucrose. Trial groups consisted of ten repetitions for each treatment including (1) control, with added sterile water (10 mL); (2) LP, silages treated with LP-RC1.4 alone (106 cfu g$^{-1}$ FM); (3) LP-S1, silages treated with LP-RC1.4 (10$^{6}$ cfu g$^{-1}$ FM) plus sucrose at 10 g/kg fresh matter; (4) LP-S$_{2}$, silages treated with LP-RC1.4 (106 cfu g-1 FM) plus sucrose at 20 g kg$^{-1}$ fresh matter. Inoculation improved the quality of the silaging demonstrating a lower decrease of silage …

Effect Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Organ Donation And Transplantation In Turkey, Emi̇ne Gülşah Torun, Mutlu Uysal Yazici

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Novel Ofdm Transmission Scheme Using Generalized Prefix With Subcarrierindex Modulation, Yusuf Acar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The cyclic prefix (CP) is a prefix technique widely used in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems in order to eliminate the intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by the dispersion of wireless channels. However, CP reduces the number of symbols that can be transmitted in one OFDM symbol. Therefore, CP is one of the bottlenecks of OFDM systems limiting their spectral efficiency (SE). This limitation on the SE of the classical CP-based OFDM system is the main motivation for this work to introduce a novel method. In this paper, the design of a new CP structure, which is based on the …

Working The Third Space: Reformulating Practice In The Transition From Classroom Teacher To Teacher Educator, Fleur Diamond, Stephanie Wescott, Kristen Molloy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The working lives and identities of teacher educators remain an under-researched aspect of teacher education. This paper reports on a collaborative narrative inquiry by three early career teacher educators as they made the transition from classroom practice in schools, to teacher education in a university setting. The authors confronted technical understandings, or ‘official stories’ (Zukas & Malcolm, 2019) of what it means to prepare prospective teachers, derived from contemporary standards-based policies about teacher professionalism. The paper proposes the concept of ‘working the third space’ as a way of framing teacher educators’ efforts to draw upon classroom teaching experience while challenging …

Supplemental Index To Volume 99

Nebraska Law Review

INDEX BY TITLE

INDEX BY AUTHOR

INDEX BY SUBJECT

You Can Call Me Al: Regulating How Candidates’ Names Appear On Ballots, Peter Nemerovski

Nebraska Law Review

In electoral politics, names matter. Studies and anecdotal evidence show that candidates whose names suggest a certain ethnic heritage— for example, an Irish-sounding surname in Chicago, or a Hispanic name in South Florida—outperform candidates without such names, and that “American-sounding” names and names with positive connotations can give candidates a leg up. Therefore, candidates for public office often seek to run under the name they regard as most electorally advantageous. Election boards, secretaries of state, and ultimately courts are often called upon to decide whether a particular candidate can run for office under a particular name.

This Article looks at …