Digital Commons Network^™

Program Planning On Social Determinants Of Health For Rural Nebraska, Maria H. Cantu Hines

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-health factors that impact health in both direct and indirect ways. Research into SDOH and their effects has been extensive in recent years and has been further documented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the wealth of the literature on the SDOH, awareness of these important factors is not prevalent among community residents. Rural communities are as subject to the impact of SDOH just as their urban counterparts and experience additional complexities related to geography and topography.

This capstone project aims to raise awareness, provide education, and assist with tools and resources, to empower rural …

The Anchor: December 2022, Hope College

The Anchor: 2022

The Anchor began in 1887 and was first issued weekly in 1914. Covering national and campus news alike, Hope College’s student-run newspaper has grown over the years to encompass over two-dozen editors, reporters, and staff. For much of The Anchor's history, the latest issue was distributed across campus each Wednesday throughout the academic school year (with few exceptions). In recent years The Anchor moved to monthly print issues and a more frequently updated website. The Anchor is now published in print twice per academic semester. Occasionally, the volume and/or issue numbering is irregular.

Efficacy And Safety Of Lifileucel, A One-Time Autologous Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (Til) Cell Therapy, In Patients With Advanced Melanoma After Progression On Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors And Targeted Therapies: Pooled Analysis Of Consecutive Cohorts Of The C-144-01 Study, Jason Chesney, Karl D Lewis, Harriet Kluger, Omid Hamid, Eric Whitman, Sajeve Thomas, Martin Wermke, Mike Cusnir, Evidio Domingo-Musibay, Giao Q Phan, John M Kirkwood, Jessica C Hassel, Marlana Orloff, James Larkin, Jeffrey Weber, Andrew J S Furness, Nikhil I Khushalani, Theresa Medina, Michael E Egger, Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, Madan Jagasia, Parameswaran Hari, Giri Sulur, Wen Shi, Xiao Wu, Amod Sarnaik

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Patients with advanced melanoma have limited treatment options after progression on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Lifileucel, a one-time autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy, demonstrated an investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) of 36% in 66 patients who progressed after ICI and targeted therapy. Herein, we report independent review committee (IRC)-assessed outcomes of 153 patients treated with lifileucel in a large multicenter Phase 2 cell therapy trial in melanoma.

Methods: Eligible patients had advanced melanoma that progressed after ICI and targeted therapy, where appropriate. Melanoma lesions were resected (resected tumor diameter ≥1.5 cm) and shipped to a central good manufacturing …

Time Series Classification With Multistage Modeling Using Deep Learning, James Arthur

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Time series classification (TSC) can be efficiently implemented with several techniques. Many techniques are based on analyzing 1-D signals in the time series data. In this work, we make an intrinsic analytical implementation of a new time series classification that involves a two-stage process. Firstly, by using Recurrence Plots (RP), we transform the time series into 2D images. The second stage consists in taking advantage of deep learn- ing models to perform our classification. The image illustration of time series introduces different feature types that are not available for all 1D signals, and therefore our classifi- cation problem is treated …

Morphine-Induced Tolerance Is Reduced By The Consumption Of A Ketogenic Diet, But Not A High Fat/High Carbohydrate Diet, Nina Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Opioid drugs like morphine are used medicinally for pain relief, but also have abuse liability that can lead to opioid use disorder (OUD), which contributes to nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Another rising health concern is the global obesity epidemic, and new evidence suggests that obesity and OUD might converge to impact individuals. For example, high body mass index (BMI) is associated with greater reports of pain among women. Further, opioid overdose risk is increased among individuals diagnosed with obesity, suggesting a potential relationship that might convey enhanced vulnerability among some populations. Given the high …

A Thematic Analysis Of Resilient Experiences Of People Who Use Drugs And Are Living With Hiv Adhering To Hiv Medicine, Valeria Duenas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a disease acquired through sex, from mother to child, sharing needles, and open wound exposure to the blood-borne virus. The disease leads to the rapid weakening of the immune system which renders the individual vulnerable to various opportunistic infections, cancer, disease progression into acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS), and possibly death. Unfortunately, US Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV as they account for nearly 30% of all new HIV infections. A subpopulation disproportionately affected also are people who inject drugs (PWID) which account for 1 in 10 HIV diagnosis in the U.S. Modern medicine has allowed …

Achieving Safe Use Of Advanced Materials In Drinking Water Through Novel Nano Analytics And Enabling Electrification Using Green Catalyst, Kenneth Ray Flores

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The accumulation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in environmental sectors will continue to increase as more applications are discovered for their unique properties and characteristics. Additionally, the presence of nanomaterials in the environment becomes exacerbated as more consumer products containing nanoparticles are approved for use. It is debated whether the toxic effects of nanoparticles stem from the particles themselves, ionic species, or formation of secondary particles. Therefore, understanding the behavior of nanoparticles in the environment becomes key to discerning the toxicological effects of nanoparticles. Many advancements have been made with ICP-MS to understand the behavior of nanoparticles in the environmental systems, …

Nano-Engineered Soft Magnets: Potential Application In Water Treatment, Hyperthermia And Molecular (Organic) Magnets, Yohannes Weldemariam Getahun

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Scrutinizing the remarkable and tunable properties of magnetic materials at a nanoscale size "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom..." Richard Feynman, this study attempts to find sustainable solutions to some of the deteriorating environmental, health, and energy problems the world is encountering. Due to their simple preparation, surface adaptability, and tunable magnetic and optical properties, magnetic nanoparticles have been extensively investigated in water treatment, cancer therapy, data storage, and more. However, relying on non-reusable and chemical-based treatment agents in water, complex and costly cancer treatment procedures and molecular magnets that operate far below room temperature limited those attempts from …

Shooting Scars: A True Story (More Or Less), Trent C. Jonas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When putting together this collection, it made sense to me to view it as a carnival, or a variety show, in which each flight of fancy - or vignette - is accompanied by a kernel of truth, like a ringmaster who introduces a contortionist, or a magician, or a carful of clowns. Because of the "holes in [my] family history" (Sikelianos), this work is necessarily autofiction, but I wanted to ground it firmly in reality so as to create a blend of truth and fiction that is imperceptible to readers, who would likely see it as memoir. I don't mind …

No Better Than Any: An Exploration Of Masculinity And Modes Of Violence, Brian Daniel Lee

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In these seventeen short stories, I attempt to elicit and unmask hegemonic structures for what they are: destructive, dehumanizing, and unnatural. In these stories, I have positioned seemingly benevolent or at least nonviolent male and female protagonists in worlds somewhat removed, but not foreign from our own. The stories are intended to convey a sort of bathetic majority response to the destructive forces at work in society. The purpose for these settings and largely nonplussed characters is to better trace the fault lines of the masculine hegemonic structures and to pull symbolic and systemic violence into an atmosphere where it …

A Case Study In Design, Construction, And Operation Of A Meromictic Solar Pond In Texas, Usa, Bianca Paola Meneses Brassea

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over the last four decades, meromictic solar ponds have been the subject of limnological studies and engineering research. A case of practical interest is the salinity gradient solar pond (SGSP). SGSP science and technologies have been systemically advanced in El Paso, Texas. This dissertation aims to share lessons learned in designing, constructing, and operating the El Paso Solar Pond, a NaCl-based solar pond that achieved high-temperature performance over two decades, commencing in 1984. Many of the practical lessons learned have not been published and are thus not readily available in archival journals, and this contribution provides a remedy. The value …

Faculty Experiences Teaching In An Mba Program In The Context Of Covid-19 A Sensemaking Approach, Jesus Rolando Nuñez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Sensemaking framework is often utilized when disruptive events create ambiguity and force individuals to make sense of things differently, personally and professionally, by "structuring the unknown" (Waterman, 1990, p.41). By way of example, the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant disruptor to the education sector. Institutional decisions driven by the initial crisis kept daily functions and the educational process moving forward in 2020 by faculty members leveraging existing technology to continue teaching their students. The pandemic disrupted the daily routine of brick-and-mortar operations and many institutions' face-to-face delivery of academic content. The implications of the pandemic forced every faculty member …

Preventing Civil War: The Role Of Independent Courts, Hector R. Mendoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the role of judicial institutions, typically overlooked in conflict studies, in their capacity to reduce the likelihood of conflict such as civil wars. I argue that courts that enjoy judicial independence can provide institutional mechanisms that reduce conflict, such as civil war. Specifically, I employ several rare events logistic and OLS regression models with robust clustered standard errors testing the effects of judicial independence on civil war likelihood and regime opposition size. The results indicate that judicial independence and judicial power have inconsistent and mixed results across these models and generally do not support the theory. In …

Biology And Epidemiology Of Dengue Viruses In The El Paso And The Surrounding Usa And Mexico Border Communities, Pedro Miguel Palermo Infante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dengue is considered one of the most important human arboviral diseases worldwide. Dengue cases have increased in the last three decades in the Americas, especially along the United States (US)- Mexico (MX) border region, where the main vector of dengue, Aedes aegypti mosquito, is widely distributed. Explosive outbreaks of dengue in northern Mexico have been associated with imported and local transmission of dengue in the US border communities, especially in the Southeast Texas area, also known as Rio Grande Valley. Due to the unknown if dengue virus (DENV) is present in other areas in the US border located west of …

Self Stigma Of Seeking Psychological Help As A Predictor Of College Students' Alcohol Use And Consequences During Covid-19, Aitiana Ivonne Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

COVID-19 has caused continuous depression, anxiety, and stress, in addition to the already increased symptoms of mental illness typically seen among college students. While diagnosed mental illness is common among college aged individuals, college students frequently experience undiagnosed symptoms of mental illness as well. Additionally, college students typically do not disclose any information regarding experiencing symptoms of mental illness and thus do not receive proper treatment for these undiagnosed disorders. There are numerous reasons students choose not to disclose having a mental illness; however, stigma surrounding mental illness and seeking psychological help stands as the most prominent reason. Untreated mental …

Interoperability In An Electrified Pavement System: A Model-Based Systems Engineering Perspective, Beatriz Irene Soto

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In a 2021 statement provided by The White House, (The White House, 2021), the Biden administration announce the goal for electric vehicles to account for 50% of new vehicle sales in the United States by 2035. In addition, the legislation allocates a budget of $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers along highway corridors to facilitate long-distance travel and within communities to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop. This investment will support the President's goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce emissions, improve …

Criminalization And Citizenship: How Racial Discrimination Affects U.S. Immigration Policy, Melissa Lisette Trejo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper focuses on immigration operations and policies from 1990-2008 with a focus on how these operations and policies affected the city of El Paso, Texas. The work begins with a brief introduction of immigration policies from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which gave amnesty to undocumented immigrants. The research follows Bowie High School's lawsuit against the United States Border Patrol, Operation Hold the Line, and how racial scripts were used from 1990-2000. To conclude, the thesis focuses on post-9/11 legislation, criminalization and citizenship profiling, and a hearing that was …

Insights On The Behavior Of Nano-Copper In The Agroecosystem: Mycorrhizal Associations With Spearmint (Mentha Spicata), Suzanne Annette Apodaca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology offers significant potential benefits to our society, including the agriculture sector. With the advancement of nano-enabled agrochemicals towards sustainable and efficient agricultural practices, it is essential to address environmental issues associated with the use of nanoscale materials. The same properties that give promise to applications of nanotechnology in modern agriculture could have unintended consequences on ecosystem dynamics. A point of concern for risk management is the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to beneficial microbial communities, which support a variety of ecosystem services.

Use of copper (Cu) products in agriculture are based on their abundance, role as a micronutrient, and …

Ensuring An Inclusive Environment For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Patients, Joseph Samona Dds, Michael Korleski Rdh, Bsdh, Stephen J. Stefanac Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article emphasizes the need for an inclusive environment in dental practice for Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) patients. It sheds light on the challenges faced by DHH patients during dental appointments, such as communication barriers due to mask-wearing and lack of sign language interpreters. The article highlights the importance of using proper terminology, understanding communication preferences, and providing accommodations to ensure effective communication with DHH patients. It also discusses legal requirements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide reasonable accommodations. Ensuring inclusivity in dental practice is essential to improving access to care and enhancing oral health outcomes …

10-Minute Ebd: Are Hearing Protective Devices Effective For Protecting Clinicians From Noise Exposure In Clinical Practice?, Julie Frantsve-Hawley Phd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Ten-Minute Evidence-Based Dentistry Article provides an example of implementing the evidence-based dentistry search process with trusted search engines and identifying the best literature through critical appraisal to answer the clinical question: Are Hearing Protective Devices Effective for Protecting Clinicians from Noise Exposure in Clinical Practice? This article examines the effectiveness of hearing protective devices for safeguarding clinicians from noise exposure in dental practice. The clinical environment, exacerbated by COVID-19 aerosol-reducing devices, exposes oral health providers to elevated sound levels. While there's no conclusive evidence regarding the impact of handpieces on hearing, occupational noise exposure in dental settings can affect …

Dentistry And The Law: Employee Vs. Independent Contractor, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This month’s Dentistry and the Law column discusses hiring a dentist as an employee or an independent contractor. Employing a dentist as an independent contractor offers advantages such as avoiding compliance with various employment laws and not having to withhold taxes. However, there is uncertainty regarding whether tax and other authorities will recognize the independent contractor relationship. Factors like supervision and control play a significant role in this determination. To mitigate uncertainty, practices can contract with an entity owned by the dentist, providing a potential solution. Legal counsel is recommended for setting up such arrangements.

Headquarters Report: Mda Strategic Plan: In The Rear View Mirror And Around The Curve, Karen Burgess Cae

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Association Executive Director's year-end report discusses the accomplishments and challenges of the MDA's 2021-25 Strategic Plan. Member value remains high, as indicated by a Net Promoter Score of 43 and positive feedback on benefits like TDSC.com. However, younger practitioners are less engaged due to pandemic-related challenges. Member engagement saw a successful in-person Annual Session and increased online engagement. Organizational sustainability remains strong, but efforts are focused on maintaining membership participation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including a collaborative website, made significant progress. Advocacy efforts resulted in Medicaid reform and defeating restrictive bills. The report concludes by emphasizing the evolving …

J Mich Dent Assoc December 2022

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Monthly, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and feature articles to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

In this issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story on Ensuring an Inclusive Environment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients.
• A clinical feature: Traumatic Ulcerative Granuloma Mimicking Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Lichen Planus.
• Feature information on the University of Michigan’s BioArtography Project.
• A recap on MDA volunteer leadership activity at the 2022 ADA House of Delegates.
• News you need, Editorial and regular department …

The Art In Science: The University Of Michigan’S Bioartography Project, Deborah L. Gumucio Phd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

"The Art in Science: The University of Michigan’s BioArtography Project" emphasizes the importance of using art to convey scientific information to the public. Scientists and medical professionals often struggle to communicate their research effectively to non-experts. The BioArtography Project, initiated in 2005, combines art and science to bridge this communication gap. It features striking images of cells and tissues under microscopes, accompanied by lay-language descriptions of the research behind each image. The project aims to engage the public, stimulate curiosity, and convey information about scientific discoveries. BioArtography images have led to meaningful discussions with the public, dispelling myths and educating …

2022 Author/Title Index To The Journal Of The Michigan Dental Association, Jackie Hammond

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association annually publishes an index of the year’s articles listed by title and author. This resource is intended to aid in content searches.

Exploring Change And Stability In Counterterrorism Policy, Prosecution, And Sentencing Of Terrorists In America Over The Last Three Decades In The United States, Georgianna Grace Bettis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effects of legislation changes on how terrorists are adjudicated in American federal courts. The overarching question is: how have prosecutorial and sentencing outcomes changed in response to homeland security policy shifts over the last few decades? The project examines the impact of policy on changes to terrorists’ sentencing in three time periods, marked by three major events: The 1993 World Trade Center Attack, the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, and the attack on the Twin Towers (9/11/2001). In addition to terrorists’ demographic and background attributes (i.e., gender, age, terrorism category), the …

Deep Submarine Infiltration Of Altered Geothermal Groundwater On The South Chilean Margin, Vincent J. Clementi, Yair Rosenthal, Samantha C. Bova, Elizabeth K. Thomas, James D. Wright, Richard A. Mortlock, Owen C. Cowling, Linda V. Godfrey, Laurel B. Childress, Ivano W. Aiello, Alejandro Avila, William Biggs, Christopher D. Charles, Anson H. Cheung, Kimberly Delong, Isabel A. Dove, Xiaojing Du, Emily R. Estes, Ursula Fuentes, Cristina García-Lasanta, Steven L. Goldstein, Anna Golub, Julia Rieke Hagemann, Robert G. Hatfield, Laura L. Haynes, Anya V. Hess, Nil Irvali, Yael Kiro, Minda M. Monteagudo, Jonathan E. Lambert, Chen Li, William M. Longo, Sarah Mcgrath, Hailey Riechelson, Rebecca S. Robinson, John Sarao

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge is increasingly recognized as an important component of the oceanic geochemical budget, but knowledge of the distribution of this phenomenon is limited. To date, reports of meteoric inputs to marine sediments are typically limited to shallow shelf and coastal environments, whereas contributions of freshwater along deeper sections of tectonically active margins have generally been attributed to silicate diagenesis, mineral dehydration, or methane hydrate dissociation. Here, using geochemical fingerprinting of pore water data from Site J1003 recovered from the Chilean Margin during D/V JOIDES Resolution Expedition 379 T, we show that substantial offshore freshening reflects deep and focused …

Shades Of Blue, Allison D. Thomas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

"Shades of Blue" is a confessional narrative that explores the ways in which our lives can be covered in a tinge of color. The experiences that shaped this collection are marked by the calm powder blues and rough midnight blues that change the way we see and think about the world. This narrative work took on a confessional voice because of the autobiographical nature of confessional poetry. Like other confessional collections this work is an exploration of the self and the truth of life. This collection was constructed by employing various poetic devices and forms. Several poems take on correspondent …

Acute Effects Of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation On Blood Glucose And Energy Metabolism In Overweight/Obese Population, Ali Mossayebi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: In the perspective of preventing cardiovascular disease and promoting health, weight control and physical activity are the main concerns. Electrical stimulation (ES) is an alternate strategy to induce muscle contraction, using electrical impulses. However, effectiveness of ES induced muscle contraction to improve energy expenditure and glucose metabolism is not well examined.Purpose: To determine the acute effect of ES on whole body energy expenditure and body glucose metabolism in sedentary overweight or obese population Methods: Sedentary overweight/obese participants (n=8; age: 37.25 ± 6.09 years; BMI= 37.57 ± 2.43 kg/m2) were included in this study. All participants received bilateral quadriceps ES …

Exploring The Effect Of Environmental Degradation On The Shape Memory Properties Of Polymers, Jorge Mario Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A key detriment of the use of polymers by our society is the negative effect this material class has had on the environment. A category of polymers known as shape memory polymers (SMP)s have the ability to return to a programmed original shape form after deformation to a temporary shape by using stimuli such as temperature, electrical pulses and even magnetism. The shape memory effect allows for some polymers to heal if they are damaged. This ability to heal means that components made from these materials can be reused rather than thrown away if they are damaged. The work presented …