Digital Commons Network^™

Measurement Of Urinary Pesticide Biomarkers Among Latina Farmworkers In Southwestern Idaho, Cynthia L. Curl, Lisa Meierotto, Rebecca L. Som Castellano, Meredith R. Spivak, Kurunthachalam Kannan

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background Women who work in agriculture may have greater risk of pesticide exposure than men who share this occupation. Despite an increase in the fraction of the agricultural workforce comprised by women, few studies have characterized pesticide exposure in the USA with a focus on among these workers.

Objective This pilot study aimed to describe pesticide exposure in a cohort of Latina farmworkers in farming communities in southwestern Idaho.

Methods We collected urine samples from 29 Latina farmworkers, which were analyzed for 11 pesticide biomarkers. We evaluated the effect of pesticide spray season on urinary biomarker levels, and explored the …

Machine Learning-Based Recognition On Crowdsourced Food Images, Aditya Kulkarni

Honors Scholar Theses

With nearly a third of the world’s population suffering from food-induced chronic diseases such as obesity, the role of food in community health is required now more than ever. While current research underscores food proximity and density, there is a dearth in regard to its nutrition and quality. However, recent research in geospatial data collection and analysis as well as intelligent deep learning will help us study this further.

Employing the efficiency and interconnection of computer vision and geospatial technology, we want to study whether healthy food in the community is attainable. Specifically, with the help of deep learning in …

The Effects Of Maternal Diet During Gestation On Offspring Frame Size And Growth In Sheep, Caroline Selesky

Honors Scholar Theses

Poor maternal nutrition negatively affects the health of the offspring including changes in growth and development. Body morphometrics, including body weight, height, length, girth, and body condition score, are commonly used to monitor the health and growth of livestock. However, correlations of ewe and lamb body morphometrics in the presence of poor maternal nutrition have not been well studied. Therefore, we hypothesized that over- and under- feeding ewes during gestation would cause negative effects on the normal body frame measurements of the lamb. To test this, 46 multiparous individually housed ewes, ranging from 2 to 7 years old, were randomly …

Examining The Effects Of Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids On The Antimicrobial Activity Of Piscidins In Vibrio Cholerae, Elizabeth Allen

Honors Theses

Antimicrobial peptides are found in all organisms and have gained notoriety in recent years for their effectiveness against a variety of pathogens. Piscidins, first isolated from the mast cells of vertebrates, comprise a family of these host defense peptides. Piscidins 1 (P1) and 3 (P3), found in sea bass and other fishes, are isoforms with different modes of action. P1 induces membrane perturbation, while P3 binds DNA to exert antibacterial activity. Each has the ability to bind Cu2+ (P1Cu and P3Cu) which dramatically impacts their antimicrobial characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity of metallated and …

Resistance Screening And Association Mapping For Resistance To The Downy Mildew Pathogen Of Spinach, Dotun Olaoye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spinach is an important cool leafy vegetable cultivated around the world, with large scale production in California and Arizona in the U.S. Spinach is a highly nutritious vegetable beneficial in the human diet. Spinach is affected by a number of biotic stressors. Downy mildew, caused by the oomycete pathogen Peronospora effusa, is a major threat to spinach as it affects the leaf quality and impacts the economic value of spinach. Several efforts have led to the development of resistant genotypes/cultivars to this pathogen. However, few studies have examined the genetics of resistance to the downy mildew pathogen in detail. This …

Analyzing The Investment Potential To Increase Prenatal Care Utilization As A Tactic To Decrease Preterm Birth Costs In Tennessee, Michael S. Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preterm birth contributes significantly to health care costs in the United States (Frey & Klebanoff, 2016). Certain components of prenatal care reduce preterm birth incidence (Newnham et al., 2014). Tennessee’s preterm birth rate ranks 35th among the 50 United States (National Center for Health Statistics, 2019). This study analyzed the investment potential to reduce preterm birth cost through increasing prenatal care utilization in Tennessee. Based on 2018 data, the study identified a significant relationship between prenatal care utilization and preterm birth incidence in Tennessee. The study also identified a significant opportunity to increase prenatal care utilization in Tennessee when compared …

A Study On The Impact Of Social Media Marketing In The Event Industry: Executing A Marketing Plan, Adrian N. Bradley

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Marketing is a large part of growing one’s business or event. The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of how social media marketing increases brand loyalty, attendance, and engagement within current and potential guests over traditional event marketing methods. Through this study a data collection survey for the University of Arkansas’ Hospitality Management annual event Students Mastering the Art of Hospitality (SMASH) to gather information on the effectiveness of e social media marketing’s influence on their attendees. Unfortunately, due to a global pandemic SMASH was canceled and the researcher and honor’s committee thought it to be best …

The Effect Of Whey Protein Supplementation At Breakfast On Tryptophan Levels, Food Intake, And Mood In Postmenopausal Women In A 16-Week Randomized Controlled Trial, Danielle Warren

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Whey protein isolate supplementation has been recognized as having potential for regulating appetite, thereby potentially improving mood and food intake.

The objectives of this project were to 1) analyze the effects of high-quality whey protein intake on overall diet, and 2) identify and examine a correlation between tryptophan levels and mood regulation.

This research was conducted using a randomized experimental design. A total of 13 post-menopausal women (12+ months after last reported menstrual cycle) were recruited and allocated to one of two dietary intervention (DI) groups: 1) control (maintain current lifestyle; CON; n = 6), and 2) whey protein isolate …

Photomodulatory Effects On Insulin Secreting Beta Cells, Sheccid Alejandra Loya

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by increased blood glucose levels and affects more than 8% of people worldwide (Rutter et. al, 2015). Typically, diabetes is divided into two large subcategories: type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). T1D is an autoimmune disorder caused by the attack of insulin secreting cells by t-cell mediated inflammatory response (Khrraoubi & Darwish, 2015). Currently, islet transplants offer a clinical treatment for restoration of glucose control. However, the current procedure may not be optimal as many transplanted islets do not survive because of the stresses induced during the process (Miki …

Does Integrating Crops With Livestock Production Impact Soil Properties And Crop Production?, Lindsey Anderson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Re-integrating crop and livestock production through cover crop (CC) and corn residue grazing could efficiently utilize resources and ensure profitability while improving environmental quality, but how this integration affects soils and crops is not well understood. We conducted two studies to address this. In the first study, we evaluated the impact of cattle (1.3-3.7 head ha^-1) grazing an oat (Avena sativa L.) CC on soil and crop yields in two adjacent irrigated no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) fields on silt loam soils in eastern Nebraska. Field I was grazed twice, while Field …

A Survey Of Mosquito-Borne And Insect-Specific Viruses In Hospitals And Livestock Markets In Western Kenya, Tatenda Chiuya, Daniel K. Masiga, Laura C. Falzon, Armanda D.S. Bastos, Eric M. Fèvre, Jandouwe Villinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes are prolific vectors of arboviruses that are a global threat to human and animal health. Increased globalization and ease of travel have facilitated the worldwide dissemination of these mosquitoes and the viruses they transmit. To assess disease risk, we determined the frequency of arboviruses in western Kenyan counties bordering an area of high arboviral activity. In addition to pathogenic viruses, insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), some of which are thought to impair the transmission of specific pathogenic arboviruses, were also evaluated. We trapped mosquitoes in the short and long rainy seasons in 2018 and 2019 …

Psychological Scene Gist And The Perception Of Sustainable Business Models Via Digital Media Audit, Shelby Hansen

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The technology space is giving rise to new business models that impact how we interact with companies, the causes we are interested in, and even our perception of how we process information. Within those contexts, I will be using the psychological concept of scene gist to explore the sustainable business model of clean beauty and investigate the technological ways that these companies interact with Gen Z consumers via social media. Gen Z consumers want to interact with companies who are socially responsible and who contribute to causes they believe in. The clean beauty trend is spearheading efforts to eliminate harmful …

De-Icing Impacts On The Danforth Campus, Spring 2021, Nick Charlton-Perrin, Katie Halwachs, Jane Hrinya, Jake Muilenberg, Patrick Wiecko

Sustainability Exchange Projects

De-Icing Impacts on the Danforth Campus, Sustainability Exchange, Washington University in St. Louis, Spring 2021.

University City Sustainability Plan, Fall 2020 & Spring 2021, Alex Chow, Stepha Kvokov, Carter Rholl, Mary Kimball Vereen, Julia Grandury, Michael Lee, Maddie Parise, Theo Promlikitchai, Jacob Weinstein

Sustainability Exchange Projects

University City Sustainability Plan, Sustainability Exchange, Washington University in St. Louis, Fall 2020 & Spring 2021

"At The Peril Of Our Lives": Race, Citizenship, And Philadelphia's 1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic., Abigail Posey

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The late-eighteenth century was a crucial time for determining the social role of black people in Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania at large. In 1780, the state legislature began a gradual abolition process that contributed to a growing free Black population in the city, while many other Black Philadelphians remained in bondage. Their livelihoods remained restricted by anti-Black laws that contributed to the overall poor health of Black Philadelphians. As the yellow fever epidemic began in 1793, Philadelphia’s medical community supported racist scientific myths that Black people possessed a natural immunity to yellow fever. In an agreement with the city and Dr. …

Guide On Incentives For Responsible Investment In Agriculture And Food Systems, Anna Bulman, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, Ladan Mehranvar, Ella Merrill, Yannick Fiedler

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

To support implementation of the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS RAI), CCSI has developed resources for governments and other stakeholders in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

This work includes an online course on creating an enabling environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems. The course is freely available, accessible online and available for download. Part I highlights the features and key players of an enabling environment that promotes responsible investment in agriculture and food security. Part II addresses multi-stakeholder engagement in the design of legal and …

“An Oak In A Flower-Pot”: The Brontë Sisters’ Depictions Of Female Agency During The Victorian Era, Jessica Dunn

Honors Theses

This thesis discusses the most popular novels written by the Brontë sisters – Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – in the context of the overbearing patriarchal culture of the Victorian era, specifically through the characterization of feminine agency displayed in each novel. By engaging with the novels as a trinity, this thesis uniquely reveals the more nuanced aspects of the novels through the sisters’ respective depictions of female agency following the lives of their respective protagonists – Jane Eyre, Catherine Earnshaw, and Helen Graham. Additionally, this thesis seeks to engage in conversation …

The Role Of Gac/Rsm Signal Transduction Pathway In The Biology Of Antagonistic Marine Bacterium Gynuella Sunshinyii 449, Anhthu Truong

Honors Theses

Gynuella sunshinyii is a newly characterized bacterium with a remarkable ability to produce multiple secondary metabolites that act as potential antibiotics for medical applications. Currently, little is known about gene regulation in this unusual microorganism. In 2018, studies conducted of rhizosphere microbiomes of tidal marsh grasses on Deer Island, MS, resulted in multiple isolates of halophilic, aerobic, Gram-negative bacteria with antagonistic properties. One of the most active antagonists was identified as Gynuella sunshinyii 449. The genome of strain 449 was sequenced with Illumina MiSeq, assembled with Unicycler and SPAdes, and annotated with RASTtk. The annotation revealed a 6.09 Mb genome …

Michigan Physician Orders For Scope Of Treatment: Development Of A Nationally Recognized Program, Megan Owens

Doctoral Projects

Background: Advance directives are well intentioned, but fail to promote patient autonomy in emergent situations.

Objective: To develop a sustainable portable medical order program consistent with national standards through an evidence-based toolkit.

Methods: A literature review and policy analysis were conducted to develop toolkit. Interviews were conducted with content experts to validate toolkit.

Results: The final toolkit consisted of five components: educational materials for healthcare providers, a policy brief, strategies for fund development, strategies for quality monitoring, and a cost savings exemplar.

Conclusions: An evidence-based toolkit tailored to state-specific barriers is critical to development of a portable medical order program.

Simulation Of Fracture Strength Improvements Of A Human Proximal Femur Using Finite Element Analysis., Waleed Ebraheem Alim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most common hip fracture in the elderly occurs as a result of a fall to the side with impact over the greater trochanter resulting in a fracture of the proximal femur. The fracture usually involves the femoral neck or the intertrochanteric region. It has recently been determined that the fracture crack of a hip fracture typically initiates on the superior-lateral cortex of the femoral neck and then propagates across the femoral neck, resulting in a complete fracture. The strength of the superior-lateral cortex of the femoral neck is likely determined by the combined properties of the generally thin cortex …

Investigating The Role Of Spiders In Integrated Pest Management For Biological Control Of Nebraska Crop Pests, Samantha Daniel

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As generalist predators, spiders are capable of fulfilling a wide variety of ecological niches allowing them to intercept and prey upon an array of insect species. This characteristic could be particularly advantageous within agricultural ecosystems. This project sought to reveal the composition and abundance of spider communities within cornfields in western Nebraska and the impact of agronomic practices on those communities as well as determine the potential for spider predation upon two key pests of corn. Spiders were collected from eight corn fields from May to August 2017 and four corn fields from May to August 2018. Additionally, the populations …

Characterizing The Susceptibility And Biological Fitness Of Nebraska Western Corn Rootworm Populations To Pyramided Plant-Incorporated Protectants, Jordan D. Reinders

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a pest of field corn, Zea mays L., across the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt. Transgenic corn expressing two or more insecticidal proteins (‘pyramid’) derived from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) is a common management strategy employed in areas of continuous corn production. The newest rootworm-Bt pyramid registered in the U.S. is SmartStax^® PRO, which contains two rootworm-Bt proteins (Cry3Bb1, Cry34/35Ab1) and DvSnf7 dsRNA. With the pending commercialization of SmartStax^® PRO, understanding the current susceptibility of Nebraska WCR populations to the Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 pyramid (SmartStax^®) and …

Exploring How Maternal Phosphorus Status Affects Calf Growth And Performance, Elizabeth Lafferty

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study will focus on how maternal phosphorus status of beef heifers affects the growth and performance of their calves. Heifers have been offered free-choice mineral with either 0 or 4% supplemental phosphorus from 30 days after weaning until calving. A study by H. Hilfiker, a University of Arkansas honors student, investigated the effects of these treatments from 30 days after weaning until 60 days after the breeding season when heifers were confirmed to be bred or open. For this developing heifer project 64 crossbred Angus heifers were assigned randomly into 8 groups (8 heifers/ group) before assigning each group …

Essays On The Unintended Effects Of Tobacco Control Policies On Adolescent Health Behaviors, Rebecca Sen Choudhury

Doctoral Dissertations

My dissertation examines the unintended consequences of tobacco control policies on adolescent health behaviors and outcomes. The first essay examines the effects of cigarette taxes on teenagers’ physical activity. Smoking and physical activity are both strategies for weight management, and exercise may be a way to reduce some of the ill effects of smoking. These different links suggest that cigarette taxes could either increase or decrease physical activity. We explore this relationship using repeated cross-sectional 1991-2017 data from the national and state Youth Risk BehaviorSurveillance System (YRBS), combined with state-level policies and controls. Our smoking participation results confirm past work; …

Gdf1 As A Regulator Of Ceramide Metabolism And Hematopoiesis In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Weiyuan Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer of the myeloid lineage of blood cells. In AML, hematopoietic precursors acquire mutations or chromosomal changes that cause differentiation arrest. This results in an uncontrolled proliferation of these malignant cells in the bone marrow that can interfere with normal blood cell production. AML progresses rapidly and can be fatal within weeks if left untreated. The only current curative treatment is bone marrow transplant, which has potentially life-threatening side effects. Thus, a better understanding of the underlying biology of AML is needed to enable the development of better therapeutic modalities.Ceramides are a family of wax-like …

Genome Evolution And Population Dynamics Of Staphylococcus Bacteria, Joshua Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

The gram-positive bacterial genus Staphylococcus (phylum Firmicutes) is a heterogeneous group that consists of commensals and opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. To date, there are 57 validly published species according to the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN). The most well-studied and widely sampled species is Staphylococcus aureus, which causes a wide range of diseases in humans from relatively minor skin infections to much more invasive and serious sepsis, pneumonia, or endocarditis. For many years, Staphylococcus other than S. aureus have been regarded as non-pathogenic, but these bacteria are now being recognized as potential pathogens in …

The Banner - V. 156, No. 5 - (May 2021), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

The Dangers Posed By Open-Flame Cooking: The Case Of Chiapas, Mexico., Holly Renee Zoeller

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Open-flame cooking, the central cooking approach used by some three billion individuals across the globe, primarily in developing countries, poses serious health and environmental risks. While some countries have begun to transition to cleaner stoves, this effort has confronted widespread resistance. People who have been using this ancient cooking method and whose culinary traditions rely on this cooking approach have remained recalcitrant in their efforts to continue cooking the traditional way. This study focuses on Chiapas, the southernmost and the poorest state in Mexico, which skirts the Guatemalan border. This study provides ample evidence of the health risks associated with …

Tiny Tusks Internship: The Relationship Between Skin-To-Skin Contact And Breastfeeding Success And Duration, Katlin Daniel

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breastfeeding is known to be beneficial to infants, children, and mothers. It is recommended that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding in addition to other appropriate foods for up to 2 years of age. However, the U.S is ranked low among other countries regarding breastfeeding rates and duration. This sheds light on the need for further interventions in order to increase the number of infants who are breastfed initially and continued to be breastfed for at least 6 months. Researching and implementing evidence-based care that assists mothers in successful and maintained breastfeeding is …

Tiny Tusks Internship: Barriers To Breastfeeding, Cameron Watson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding and Infant Support Internship allows students to gain insight on breastfeeding practices through volunteering at University of Arkansas sporting events. Therefore, I chose to review prevalent barriers to breastfeeding that mothers in the United States face. These mothers were at least one of these: Hispanic, Marshallese, African American, disabled, employed, a veteran, living in a rural area, or a woman of the general American population. This topic is relevant because of the many benefits that breastfeeding provides for both the baby and the mother.