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Pedsql™ Gastroparesis Symptoms Module Domain And Item Development: Qualitative Methods, James W Varni, Robert J Shulman, Mariella M Self, Liz Febo-Rodriguez, Heather Charron, Kent Williams, Sam Nurko, Rachel L Rosen, Bruno P Chumpitazi

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objectives: Like adults, children suffer from gastroparesis; however, there are currently no validated instruments to determine the impact of gastroparesis in pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to develop the items and domains to support the content validity of the new Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) Gastroparesis Symptoms Module.

Methods: Patients were recruited from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Pediatric Gastroparesis Registry. The qualitative methods involved an iterative process comprising a literature review of existing questionnaires and gastroparesis clinical research, an expert review panel of pediatric gastroenterologists who provided feedback on the …

Recommendations For The Use Of The Veggie Meter® For Spectroscopy-Based Skin Carotenoid Measurements In The Research Setting, Marcela D Radtke, Mykaela Poe, Jodi Stookey, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Nancy E Moran, Matthew J Landry, Lewis P Rubin, Virginia C Stage, Rachel E Scherr

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Carotenoids are a class of phytochemical compounds found in a variety of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and, therefore, are commonly used as a biomarker for F/V intake. The Veggie Meter® is a noninvasive research-grade instrument that detects and quantifies carotenoids in the skin. To determine current practices and examine variability among users, a survey was administered to researchers using the device (n = 19, response rate = 35.8%) and variation in anatomical site preparation, calibration, number of measurements, measurement site, and documentation was observed. A protocol was developed in partnership with Veggie Meter® users to outline the preparation, calibration, …

Examining Parents Oral Hygiene Knowledge And Their Children’S Oral Hygiene Behaviors, Wallace Moore

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between a parent’s level of oral hygiene knowledge and the oral hygiene behaviors of their children ages 7 to 17 in the greater United States. The theoretical framework of Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Belief Model guided the study. Instruments included the Oral Health Surveys Basic Methods 5th Edition and the Fourth National Survey of China for data collection. Q Data analysis was performed utilizing the chi-square test of independence to determine the likelihood of a relationship between the parent’s oral hygiene knowledge and their child’s …

Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of many turtle species facing conservation challenges. Nearly extirpated in the 1980s, it is currently the subject of a head-start initiative, of which, any lasting behavioral or physiological effects were—until now—unknown! To evaluate the ability of captive-reared individuals to excel in natural habitats, and to foresee any future research or conservation challenges regarding this animal, I explored a suite of variables that influence bite performance and behaviors including captive or free-ranging status, and environmental conditions including body temperature and season. My results indicated that free-ranging M. temminckii outperform those residing …

Factors Associated With Mortality Among Hospitalized Adults With Covid-19 Pneumonia At A Private Tertiary Hospital In Tanzania: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Nadeem Kassam, Eric Aghan, Omar Aziz, Hanifa Mbithe, Kamran Hamid, Reena Shah, Salim Surani, James Orwa, Samina Somji

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. There has been paucity of data for hospitalized African patients suffering from COVID-19. This study aimed to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients suffering from COVID-19 in Tanzania.

Methods: This was a single center, retrospective, observational cohort study in adult patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Demographics, clinical pattern, laboratory and radiological investigations associated with increased odds of mortality were analyzed.

Results: Of the 157 patients, 107 (68.1%) patients survived and 50 (31.8%) died. Mortality was highest in patients …

Virulence And Biofilm Formation In Candida Albicans Are Inhibited By Short Peptide Subunits Of Entv, Shane Cristy

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Candida albicans, the most clinically significant fungal pathogen, commonly causes topical mucosal infections such as oral cavity and urogenital tract infections. It also less frequently causes severe invasive and bloodstream infections. Invasive infections are most prevalent amongst patients with compromised innate immune responses, such as those receiving chemotherapy or recovering from surgery. C. albicans can also form biofilms on implanted medical devices. Fungal infections are difficult to treat due to the paucity of therapeutic options, and this problem is compounded by the resistance properties of biofilm infections.

Candida albicans exists as a member of the commensal flora of the …

Interaction Techniques For In-The-Moment Privacy Control Over Data Generated By Wearable Technologies, Byron M. Lowens

All Dissertations

Wearable technologies provide users with actionable insights regarding personal health information because of their ability to capture and analyze data continuously and in-the-moment through their rich set of sensors. While these technologies offer the advantages of conveniently capturing personal health data and behaviors outside of a clinical setting, they pose significant privacy challenges. Wearables continuously collect and store sensitive personal information about the wearer. In some instances, personal information amassed by a wearable may be shared without user awareness. In addition to the privacy-invasive risks posed by wearable technologies, executing usable privacy control directly on wearables poses an even greater …

Spatial Distributions Of Arthropods In Soybean And Implications For Pest Management, Anthony Daniel Greene

All Dissertations

Site-specific management of insect pests of field crops has the potential to decrease control costs and environmental impacts associated with traditional pest management tactics, but the success of these programs relies on the accurate characterization of arthropod distributions within a crop. Although the expense of the fine-scale spatial sampling required for management zone identification in fields may offset the overall reduction in costs achieved with site-specific pest management, the correlation of arthropod counts with ground-based and remotely sensed field attribute data could help to make site-specific pest management programs more profitable. In this study, we chose to determine how insect …

Biology And Genetic Variability Of The Leaf Galling Nematode Ditylenchus Gallaeformans, Samara Azevedo De Oliveira

All Dissertations

The plant parasitic nematode Ditylenchus gallaeformans induces galls on stems, leaves, and inflorescences of Melastomataceae plants in Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Due to its specificity to Melastomataceae and severity of symptoms, this nematode has been considered as a possible biological control agent against invasive species of Miconia. Little is known about D. gallaeformans biology, genetic differences among populations, and host genotype specificity. I investigated the population structure and genetic differences among populations from Costa Rica, Dominica and Trinidad collected from different host species. Phylogenetic reconstructions, haplotype networks, and analysis of molecular variance showed strong genetic structure among …

Pediatric Asthma Management: Navigating Child, Family, Healthcare, And Community Factors, Laura Rolke

All Dissertations

Pediatric asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood and disproportionately impacts Black/African American and low-income children. Pediatric asthma management involves regular clinical follow-up, medication adherence, trigger management, and asthma education. This dissertation focuses on the outpatient / primary care management of asthma among Medicaid-insured children ages seven-to-twelve in South Carolina. Chapters 1 & 2 provide an introduction and background to pediatric asthma and pediatric asthma management. The Pediatric Self-Management Model is introduced and discussed to identify modifiable and non-modifiable factors that influence the processes and behaviors of pediatric asthma management. Chapter 3 follows by introducing the methodology for …

Evaluating Pea (Pisum Sativum L.) For Nutritional Traits And Implications For Organic Agriculture And Biofortification, Sarah Powers

All Dissertations

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important cool season food legume for sustainable food production and human nutrition due to its nitrogen fixation capabilities and nutrient-dense seed. However, phosphorus (P) can be a major limiting nutrient for pea production, as their nodules require additional amounts of P to perform and maintain nitrogen fixation activity, and for adequate biomass and yield. To determine if genetic variation exists in pea’s ability to take up and remobilize P from the soil, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to collect tissues at two developmental stages from plants grown under a normal and reduce P …

Biochar Applications To The Remediation Of Lead And Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contaminated Water, Victory Itua Igberase

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the performance of biochar materials as adsorbents to remove Pb and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption and column experiment packed with biochar and geomaterials (pumice) in 1:1 volume ratio was evaluated to address the efficacy of biochar in removing Pb while only batch adsorption was employed for PCB removal with biochar materials. Overall, PT biochars performed the best (42–53 mg g−1) followed by BE biochars (10–32 mg g−1) and AB biochars (17–27 mg g−1) while high temperature biochars were favored in terms of maximum Pb adsorption capacity. Column Pb breakthrough showed similar results, with …

Active Travel For Children And Youth: Lessons From Active Routes To Schools North Carolina, Leah Ferguson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Integrated Learning Experience (ILE) investigates literature regarding the impact of national Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs and takes a deeper dive into the lessons that can be learned from North Carolina’s Active Routes to School (NC ARTS) programs through an analysis of data collected from 2007 to 2019. This report is focused on understanding the relationship between and among variables included in the Six Es of SRTS framework: Education, Engineering, Encouragement, Enforcement, Equity, and Evaluation. This investigation provides insight that extends understanding of parental comfort and engagement with these programs. A unique theoretical model was developed as were …

Characterization Of Sabp2-Interacting Proteins (Sip) 428: An Nad+-Dependent Deacetylase Enzyme In Plant Abiotic Stress Signaling, Oviavo Nohoesu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abiotic stress leads to a change in the water content of plants. Salinity and osmotic stress affect both the morphology and physiology of plants. Plants have therefore responded to these environmental changes by adapting and tolerating them. The SABP2-interacting proteins (SIP) 428-silenced RNAi transgenic tobacco lines were subjected to various abiotic stresses (salinity, osmotic, and drought). The effect of SIP428-silencing on the tobacco plants subjected to these abiotic stresses was monitored. The results from the root growth data show that the sip428-silenced lines exhibit enhanced tolerance to the stressors compared to the wild-type plants. Interestingly, results of the relative chlorophyll …

Dietary Compliance In A Randomized Double-Blind Infant Feeding Trial During Infancy Aiming At Prevention Of Type 1 Diabetes, Suvi M Virtanen, Marilyn Tanner-Blasiar, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The international Trial to Reduce IDDM in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR) tested the hypothesis whether extensively hydrolyzed casein-based versus regular cow's milk-based infant formula reduces the risk of type 1 diabetes. We describe dietary compliance in the trial in terms of study formula intake, feeding of nonrecommended foods, and serum cow's milk antibody concentration reflecting intake of cow's milk protein among 2,159 eligible newborn infants with a biological first-degree relative affected by type 1 diabetes and with HLA-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. The participating infants were introduced to the study formula feeding at the median age of 15 …

Comparison Of Animal Versus Plant-Based Protein Supplementation To Nitrogen Balance In Female College Students, Adeline Maykish

Master's Theses

Plant-based diets have become popular in the past 10 years, with approximately 11% of Americans self-identifying as vegan or vegetarian, and many others trying to reduce meat consumption. Due to this increasing interest, the plant-based food market has exploded with several novel innovative products serving as alternatives to animal-based products. One such example is almond protein powder, a fairly new protein supplement created as an alternative to whey protein. A number of studies have compared animal-based protein supplementation, such as whey to plant-based supplementation, such as soy, on muscle protein synthesis and skeletal muscle preservation. Due to the novelty of …

Geographic And Occupational Mobility Of Small-Scale Fishers Of Lake Malawi: An Exploratory Study Of Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Access, Malawi., Rochelle H. Holm, Tikhala Chakalamba, Bwighane Ngasama, Fanuel Kapute

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The livelihood of small-scale fishers on the world’s freshwater lakes cuts across the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which covers water and sanitation, and SDG 8 on economic growth. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of fishers’ mobility patterns and access to improved sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, and handwashing practices while at work and home for two fishing camps in Malawi. The study used key informant interviews, questionnaires, water quality testing, and an observational checklist, followed by interviews on fishers’ occupational migration. Many fishers (85%; 51/60) live and work in fishing camps with …

Performance Effects Of A Strength Training Program In Collegiate Runners, Alyssa Younker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that lower limb asymmetries can negatively impact performance and risk of injury. However, there is little research on the effects of lower limb asymmetry on running performance, nor the effects of strength training on lower limb asymmetry in runners. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between jumping ability and asymmetry and long distance running performance, as well as to determine the performance effects a strength training program has on collegiate runners. Data from athlete monitoring of 10 collegiate distance runners and 6 sprinters were analyzed. Athletes (Distance Runners n = 10, Sprinters n …

Synchronous Primary Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma And Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report Highlighting "Lymphoma First Approach", Rahim Dhanani, Ambreen Abdullah Unar, Muhammad Hassan Danish, Hamdan Ahmed Pasha, Ummiya Tahir, Mubasher Ikram

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of all thyroid carcinomas and accounts for up to 90% of all thyroid malignancies. It is the most indolent form of the disease and has an excellent prognosis. On the other hand, Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare entity accounting for only about 1% to 5% of all thyroid malignancies and only 2% of extranodal lymphomas. Synchronous PTC and PTL is a very rare condition and only a few cases have been reported in the literature up till now. We report one such case in a 52-year-old lady who was …

Exposure To Parasitic Infections Determines Features And Phenotypes Of Active Convulsive Epilepsy In Africa, Nelson K. Langat, Symon M. Kariuki, Gathoni Kamuyu, Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Kenneth Ae-Ngibise, Anne Wang'ombe, Anthony Ngugi, Honorati Masaja, Ryan G. Wagner

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Epilepsy affects 70 million people worldwide, 80% of whom are in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) contribute considerably to the burden of epilepsy in LMICs, but the nature and presentation of epilepsy following these infections is not fully understood. We examined if epilepsy foutcomes are associated with the exposure to parasitic infections.
Methods: This was a case-comparison study nested in a cross-sectional survey of people with active convulsive epilepsy, with cases as those exposed to parasitic infections, and comparison as those unexposed. Associations of exposure to parasites with clinical and electroencephalographic …

Re-Aim Evaluation Of Workplace Weight Management Interventions: A Systematic Review, Adrienne Gothard

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Overweight/Obesity is a major public health concern that affects nearly a third of the world’s population. In addition to personal health effects such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, obesity can take a toll on an employer’s bottom line, specifically healthcare costs and absenteeism. Many employers promote intervention programs targeted at lifestyle and behavioral factors to improve workforce health. A 2016 systematic review by Weerasekara et al. compared several of these intervention programs based on the effectiveness of the program, measured in participant’s weight changes from baseline to post-intervention. While this information can be valuable to employers who are interested …

Evaluating A Community-Based Breastfeeding Support Organization In Nebraska, Katelyn Elaine Goodroe

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Specific Aims: The aims of this evaluation plan are to investigate the role of the Nebraska nonprofit organization, MilkWorks, in promoting breastfeeding and family support programming and to identify future internal and external growth opportunities through an assessment of the organizational practices using stakeholder perspectives and marketing structure to better promote infant and parental health.

Significance: As a best practice, evaluation of MilkWorks is critical to providing proper services for promoting infant development and parental health in urban and rural Nebraska communities.

Background: MilkWorks was founded in Lincoln, Nebraska, by mothers with the intention of promoting breastfeeding by offering support …

Exploring Appraisal, Emotional, Informational, And Instrumental Support For Novice Agricultural Education Teachers In California: A Phenomenological Study, Alyssa A. Schager

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perceived emotional, appraisal, informational, and instrumental support for the novice, secondary agricultural teachers in the state of California. The theory guiding this study was social support theory as it frames the social support constructs to be explored. With 10 novice agricultural teachers across the state of California serving as study participants, data collection included a questionnaire, individual interviews, and focus groups. Data were analyzed by a seven-step, modified Van Kamm data analysis procedure. Findings, which will be disseminated to the agricultural education research community and leaders in California’s agricultural education …

Hardware For Quantized Mixed-Precision Deep Neural Networks, Andres Rios

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Recently, there has been a push to perform deep learning (DL) computations on the edge rather than the cloud due to latency, network connectivity, energy consumption, and privacy issues. However, state-of-the-art deep neural networks (DNNs) require vast amounts of computational power, data, and energyâ??resources that are limited on edge devices. This limitation has brought the need to design domain-specific architectures (DSAs) that implement DL-specific hardware optimizations. Traditionally DNNs have run on 32-bit floating-point numbers; however, a body of research has shown that DNNs are surprisingly robust and do not require all 32 bits. Instead, using quantization, networks can run on …

Translation And Validation Of The Spanish Version Of The Quality Of Life Inventory For Adolescents (Qolie-Ad-48), Perla Michelle Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: In 1999, an instrument was developed to assess quality of life (QoL) among adolescences with epilepsy. To our knowledge there is not a validated Spanish version of this questionnaire. There is a gap in the literature about QoL and epilepsy among speaking Spanish populations. Objectives: 1) To conduct an English-Spanish translation of the QOLIE-AD-48; 2) to evaluate the reliability of the Spanish version of the QoLIE-AD-48; and 3) to assess the validity of the Spanish version of the QoLIE-AD-48. Method: Phase 1 translation: Methods followed the published work of Sousa and Rojjanasrirat (2010). Phase 2 Pilot study: the sample …

Mindfulness-Based Practices For The Impaired Performance Athlete, Mackenzie L. Campbell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Mindfulness-based programs are becoming commonly considered for the improvement of athlete's mental and physical state. However, their usage in improving performance in impaired athletes is limited and not fully understood. The purpose of this thesis was to review the standing literature on the topic of the application of mindfulness to improving athletic performance in wellbeing-impaired athletes. Seventy-three articles were included as references for this paper describing functional mechanisms, clinical significance and anecdotal evidence that points to the effectiveness of mindfulness in sport for the treatment of pain, injury recovery, prevention of injury, and chronic illness. Ultimately, this review supports the …

Methane Emission Treatment And Potential Upcycling Using Methylomicrobium Alcaliphilum, Jace Parkinson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Anthropogenic methane emissions are harmful to the environment and can be difficult to treat. Use of M. alcaliphilum for bioremediation of methane looks to be one of the most promising methods of reducing the negative environmental impacts of methane emissions while simultaneously providing an economic incentive. Successful bioreactor design for M. alcaliphilum based methane treatment requires biokinetic constants and microbial growth information. Methods were established for determining biokinetic constants, including growth rate, biomass yield, specific methane consumption rate, and a correlation between methane oxidation and carbon dioxide production for M. alcaliphilum. Values determined for these constants were used to …

Accessing Healthcare In The Intermountain West During The Age Of Precarious Labor, Jordan Hammon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research aims to improve our understanding about the association between precarious employment and healthcare access. Using the framework of neoliberalism and the history of welfare reform in the United States, this thesis investigates the relationship between precarious labor and two outcomes associated with health insurance access, namely Medicaid utilization, and being uninsured. I also examine one potential consequence of Medicaid utilization and lack of insurance, having a usual place of health care in the context of the Intermountain West region of the United States.

Using new survey data and quantitative methodologies, this research shows how economic changes, particularly related …

Foliar Photodegradation In Pesticide Environmental Modeling, Sean M. Lyons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The work described here was conducted to better understand how pesticides will behave following their application to crops or soil. This understanding will allow for better use of pesticides which will protect the environment and non-target organisms while remaining effective against pests. The Pesticide Dissipation form Agricultural Land (PeDAL) model was developed to simulate pesticide behavior following application and laboratory experiments focused on the photodegradation of select pesticides on alfalfa leaves were conducted to support this model.

Susceptibility Of High-Elevation Forests To Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Ponderosae Hopkins) Under Climate Change, David N. Soderberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Across western North America, pine forests are important for timber, wildlife habitat, and at high elevations are important for water retention and yield from rain and snowmelt. The mountain pine beetle (MPB) is one of the most significant disturbance agents shaping pine forests, and like all insects, temperature is a major driver of its population success and the dynamics of the landscapes that they inhabit. Changing temperature regimes can therefore directly influence MPB population persistence at a particular location, in addition to potential shifts in the range boundaries that they inhabit. MPB is currently expanding its range northward in British …