Digital Commons Network^™

Challenges And Prospects: Reducing U.S. Methane Emissions Via Red Macroalgae (Asparagopsis Taxiformis) Feed Additives To Inhibit Enteric Methane Production From Ruminant Livestock, Rebecca Gillman

Public Health Theses

Approximately 27% of U.S. methane emissions are emitted by the agriculture sector annually, primarily by ruminant livestock as a GHG enteric fermentation bi-product (EPA, 2022). This proposed intervention explores the feasibility of scaling up use of anti-methanogenic ruminant feed additives, to directly reduce U.S. agricultural methane emissions at the source. A careful review of in vitro, in vivo and small-scale pilot studies revealed that the potent, anti-methanogenic bioactive compounds in red macroalgae (Asparagopsis Taxiformis) can both safely and effectively inhibit methanogenesis during enteric fermentation, resulting in up to 90% reduction in methane emissions without adverse risk or consequence to animal …

Oiremos: The Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Holistic Health Curriculum For A Hispanic Youth Enrichment Program, Margaret Cavendish Kellogg

Public Health Theses

In the spring of 2021, as the Covid-19 pandemic continued to exacerbate health inequities and virtual learning dragged on, I developed and implemented an educational health-promotion intervention for a small group of Hispanic youth in collaboration with a New Haven Latinx social services non-profit, Junta for Progressive Action. The bilingual, culturally-responsive health curriculum wove together engaging activities related to physical, emotional, mental, social, and community health, promoting participants’ socio-emotional learning and equipping them with destigmatizing vocabulary and skills they could use to advocate for their needs. The curriculum was grounded in social and behavioral theories and was informed by participants’ …

Patient Experience During The Covid-19 Pandemic At Smilow Cancer Hospital At Yale-New Haven, Danielle Marie Kline

Public Health Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined many elective, as well as non-elective, procedures designed to improve patients’ care experience. Oncology patients are at higher risk of developing and dying from COVID-19 and experience greater difficulties accessing and affording healthcare, compared to patients without cancer.

Objective: To explore the trends in patient experience of outpatient oncology patients in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We utilized the additional comments section of the Press Ganey survey to ask respondents (n=12,514) about their experiences utilizing care. The survey was administered after each patient visit and analyzed quarterly from January 2020 to February 2021: …

Factors Associated With Failure To Complete Multi-Dose Vaccine Series Among U.S. Children Ages 19–35 Months, National Immunization Survey-Child, 2019, Sarah Yukari Michels

Public Health Theses

Background: Most early childhood immunizations require 3-4 doses to achieve optimal disease protection. Failure to complete multi-dose vaccine series is an important driver of undervaccination. Our objective was to evaluate factors associated with starting but not completing all multi-dose series in the combined 7-vaccine series.

Methods: Using 2019 National Immunization Survey-Child data, U.S. children ages 19-35 months with provider verified vaccination data were classified in one of three vaccination patterns: (1) completed the combined 7-vaccine series, (2) missing ≥1 vaccine series (i.e., selective vaccination), or (3) all series initiated, but did not complete all multi-dose series (i.e., missing ≥1 dose(s)). …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Paternal Perspectives On Breastfeeding Support Among Black Fathers In Connecticut, Jasmine Teresa Rios

Public Health Theses

Background: Despite the persistence of racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding in which Black mothers breastfeed at lower rates, little is known about Black fathers’ experiences with breastfeeding and breastfeeding support services (e.g., maternity hospital-based care, lactation specialty care). This thesis reports Black fathers’ perceptions of breastfeeding, influencers of breastfeeding, and breastfeeding support services in Connecticut using a qualitative, community-based participatory approach.Methods: The study’s focus group guide was co-developed with community partners and adapted from the Barrier Analysis Tool to identify breastfeeding facilitators, barriers, and service improvement areas. Per study design, all participants were fathers to a child under three …

Navigating A Patchwork Maze: Individuals’ Experience Of Administrative Burden When Accessing Homeless Assistance Services, Leah Robinson

Public Health Theses

Despite significant efforts to address the issue of homelessness in the United States over the past several decades, over 500,000 individuals still experience homelessness on any given night. A large portion of this persistent and high rate of homelessness can likely be attributed to the shortage of affordable housing options, the eviction crisis, and limited financial support for rental assistance found throughout the country. However, administrative burdens may also contribute to the high rate of homelessness being seen.Our study explores this question by examining 28 individuals’ experience of administrative burden when navigating the landscape of homeless assistance services in New …

Evaluating Associations Between Pesticide Use And Kidney Function In The Biomarkers Of Exposure And Effect In Agriculture (Beea) Study: Using Cluster Models To Group Farmers With Similar Pesticide Use, Thomas Shao

Public Health Theses

Pesticides are commonly used in agrarian areas to control for certain forms of undesirable plant or animal life. The widespread use of pesticides and the variety of chemicals that make up this class pose adverse health effects to those exposed to pesticides. Farmers often use multiple pesticides, and their use is often correlated with other pesticides. However, analyses typically examine each pesticide individually and mixture analysis is not as heavily considered. To further evaluate the exposure of pesticide usage, hierarchical clustering methods were used to identify similar questionnaire response patterns. This technique has been used to quantify homogenous exposure estimates …

Occupational And Socioeconomic Risk Factors Of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Rongcan Sun

Public Health Theses

Hazardous noise (>85 dBA) is among the most common occupational exposures and responsible for the majority of noise-induced hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss impacts many aspects of a person’s life, including workplace safety, daily routine, economic consequences, and quality of life. However, studies on the relationship between occupational noise exposure and hearing loss were usually done in specific industries rather than the general population. In addition, studies focused on associations between socioeconomic factors and hearing loss rarely take the type of occupation into consideration. In this study, we aim to evaluate both occupational noise exposure and socioeconomic status as …

Nutrition And Hookworm Infection: A Causal Analysis Of The Literature, Mengting Su

Public Health Theses

Hookworm infection is one of the neglected tropical diseases, particularly in low and middle-income countries, but we know relatively little about causal evidence related to malnutrition. This is mainly due to the relatively small research community compared to those investigating the impact of hookworm infection on host nutritional status and disease complications. Causal inference is critical in epidemiology and biomedical research because it can be a powerful tool in enlightening prevention efforts and developing etiology models. The application of causal criteria to address complex epidemiological research questions is indeed helpful in proposing more interventions to improve the health and well-being …

Association Between Household Chaos And Childhood Overweight-Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Young Samoan Children, Ruiyan Michelle Wang

Public Health Theses

AbstractObjective: Household chaos – sustained disorganization, disorder, and hurriedness in the home setting – has been shown to be associated with a variety of adverse health effects for children. The present study examines the relationship of household chaos with childhood overweight and obesity among Samoan children aged 5 to 12 years. Additionally, the present study explores characteristics of the home environment that may be captured by the household chaos measure. Methods: This analysis uses data from the third wave (2019-2020) of data collection in the Ola Tuputupua’e cohort study. Height and weight were used to construct the childhood overweight/obesity outcome …

Musculoskeletal Outcomes Among Older Adults Following Hospitalization For Covid-19: A Pilot Study, Clara Ming Hei Wong

Public Health Theses

Background Older individuals are at high risk for musculoskeletal impairment following hospitalization due to decreased neuromuscular function and bone mineral density (BMD) arising from illness itself, and external factors such as immobilization and changes in nutritional status. To address the knowledge gap regarding the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 on musculoskeletal outcomes, this thesis aimed to study the relationship between COVID-19 severity and physical functional, incidence of falls and fractures in older adults. Secondarily, in a subset of patients we examined the relationship between COVID-19 severity and osteoporosis- and sarcopenia-related measures. Methods This study analyzed data from the VALIANT study and …

Quantitative Real-Time Pcr Assays For The Detection Of Leptospira, Alice Zhao

Public Health Theses

Leptospirosis is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The genus is comprised of 40 pathogenic species divided among P1 (19) and P2 (21). Leptospirosis incurs a disproportionately large burden of disease in urban slum regions of developing countries that lack adequate sewage disposal, water treatment, and sanitation infrastructure. While P1 species have been identified in cases of human infection, it is unclear if all Leptospira species are capable of infecting humans, especially P2 species. Among P1 species, L. interrogans has been described as the most frequent specie to cause disease in both animals and humans, …

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfass) In Household Dust From North China: Occurrence, Contribution, And Human Exposure, Yakun Zhou

Public Health Theses

Measurements and analysis of an emerging contaminant of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and adverse health effects associated with PFAS have received increasing attention around the world. In this study, 64 participants’ household dust were collected in Jinan, China during September 2018 and January 2019, conducted as part of the Biomarkers of Air Pollutants Exposure in the Chinese aged 60-69 (China BAPE) study. Concentrations and composition profiles of 7 individual PFASs were determined and estimated daily intakes of PFASs via dust ingestion for children and adults were calculated. By using a dimension reduction method − principal component analysis (PCA) and …

The Nexus Of Climate Change, Biodiversity, And Food Security: A Brazil Case Study, Andrew M. Berger

Dissertations and Theses

What is referred to as climate change today is the rapid warming of the climate, largely from human actions, and the effects that come with that warming. One study published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2021 argues that, “human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases have caused increases in global average temperatures, changes in precipitation timing and intensity, rising sea levels, and many other changes.” A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) study found that when looking at the number of countries exposed to climate extremes in five year periods from 2000 to 2020, the number of countries “exposed …

Youth Musicians’ Executive Functioning And Its Impact On Emotional And Behavioral Health, Michael A. Tate

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of neuroscience literature shows that music promotes brain development, as learning a music instrument involves multiple brain regions and neurocognitive systems. In partnership with a non-profit organization with a mission to strengthen New York City communities through music education programs, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of music training on children’s executive functioning (EF), as well as emotional and behavioral outcomes. We hypothesized that (i) children’s EF would develop more rapidly with exposure to the program; (ii) the intensity of practice would be associated with rate of growth of children’s EF, emotion regulation and behavior; (iii) …

Early Risk Factors For School-Age Adhd And Irritability: The Roles Of Prenatal Risk, Intrusive Parenting Style During Preschool And Caregiver-Child Attachment Quality., Ashley M. Rainford

Dissertations and Theses

ADHD is a highly impairing neurodevelopmental disorder and the family context provides a critical early environment where children’s risk for the disorder may be heightened or reduced. A parent’s style, that is their approach to interacting and guiding the child may provide children with warmth and security, or elicit fear, distrust and disappointment, both of which in turn impact behavior. However, the parent-child relationship is not unidirectional; it is dynamic. Children with high ADHD-like behaviors have greater difficulty relating to and interacting with their caregivers, while caregivers become increasingly stressed and show greater hostility and less warmth in their parenting. …

Covid-19 Vaccine Related Anxiety Partially Mediates The Association Between Covid-19 Related Anxiety And Student Adjustment To College During The Pandemic, Hanh Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions to the education of millions of college students, who were forced to adapt to sudden changes in living and learning environments. In this study, we sought to investigate two different dimensions of anxiety that were specific to the pandemic – COVID-19 related anxiety and COVID-19 vaccine anxiety – hoping to pinpoint the relationship between these two variables and students’ ability to adapt to college. Specifically, using cross sectional survey data during three semester waves (Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022) we hypothesized (1) a decreasing trend across time in both COVID-19 related anxiety …

Impact Of Percutaneous Transluminal Intervention On Vascular Hypoxia And The Role Of Micro-Calcifications On Atherosclerotic Plaque Rupture, Andrea Corti

Dissertations and Theses

Atherosclerotic disease is initiated by cholesterol build-up beneath the endothelium, which evolves into a fibroatheroma, a lipid-rich plaque covered by a fibrous cap. Many of these plaques are considered as vulnerable, as they grow to occlude the luminal section of the artery (chronically stenotic) or become mechanically unstable with a higher chance of rupturing (rupture-prone). On one hand, chronically stenotic vulnerable plaques are symptomatic lesions that are often treated with Percutaneous Transluminal Intervention (PTI). Unfortunately, approximately 10% of PTI procedures are followed by severe Neointima Hyperplasia (NH), which causes a new occlusion and failure of the implant. A significant precursor …

Joint Laughter Between Patient And Therapist: Exploring The Function Of These Moments And Their Relationship To The Working Alliance In Short-Term Psychotherapy, Molly Rappaport

Dissertations and Theses

Laughter emerges in infancy and reflects mutually aroused and regulated positive affect within the caregiver-infant relationship and repeated cycles of shared, co-regulated positive arousal have been shown to play a critical role in fueling secure attachment bond formation and laying the groundwork for the infant’s capacity for affect regulation (Schore, 2003). Throughout life, laughter continues to function as an attachment behavior with the possibility of promoting interpersonal closeness or creating distance. Attitudes toward the role of laughter in psychotherapy vary among psychodynamically-oriented clinicians and research has mostly focused on the kinds of humor and interventions that provoke laughter rather than …

The Enduring Role Of Conflict In The Perpetuation Of Famine: Advancing 'The Right To Adequate Food' For Sustainable Peace, Robert M. Bane

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis evaluates developments and trends in global conflict dynamics, global systems of governance, and global hunger. Together, the thesis investigates and upholds the notion that famine is a ‘man-made’ phenomenon and explains how famine persists in a world abundant with food. Through analysis and research the following is found: the occurrence of global conflict is accelerating alongside an increase in the severity of organized violence dynamics; global authoritarianism is expanding presenting a threat to global freedoms and liberal democracy; as these trends are occurring, world hunger is steadily on the rise reflecting a significant backsliding of progress achieved …

One-Carbon Metabolism In Children With Marasmus And Kwashiorkor, Thaddaeus May, Bethany De La Haye, Gabrielle Nord, Kevin Klatt, Kevin Stephenson, Sara Adams, Lucy Bollinger, Neil Hanchard, Erland Arning, Teodoro Bottiglieri, Kenneth Maleta, Mark Manary, Farook Jahoor

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Kwashiorkor is a childhood syndrome of edematous malnutrition. Its precise nutritional precipitants remain uncertain despite nine decades of study. Remarkably, kwashiorkor's disturbances resemble the effects of experimental diets that are deficient in one-carbon nutrients. This similarity suggests that kwashiorkor may represent a nutritionally mediated syndrome of acute one-carbon metabolism dysfunction. Here we report findings from a cross-sectional exploration of serum one-carbon metabolites in Malawian children.

METHODS: Blood was collected from children aged 12-60 months before nutritional rehabilitation: kwashiorkor (N = 94), marasmic-kwashiorkor (N = 43) marasmus (N = 118), moderate acute malnutrition (N = 56) and controls (N = …

How Do Low-Income Single-Mothers Get By When Unemployment Strikes: Patterns Of Multiple Program Participation After Transition From Employment To Unemployment, Chi-Fang Wu, Yu-Ling Chang, Soohyun Yoon, Salma Musaad

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Little is known about longitudinal patterns of welfare program participation among single mothers after they transition from employment to unemployment. To better understand how utilization patterns of these welfare programs may change during the 12 months after a job loss, we used the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the patterns of participation in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and unemployment insurance among 342 single mothers who transitioned from employment to unemployment during the Great Recession. Using sequence analysis and cluster analysis, this paper identified four distinct patterns of program participation: …

Exosome- And Microrna-Based Therapeutic Approach For Tendinopathy, Angela Wang Ilaltdinov

Dissertations and Theses

Tendinopathy, characterized by degeneration and chronic inflammation, is a significant clinical burden. Current treatments focus on symptom management but do not sufficiently address its underlying pathology; however, stem cell-based approaches aimed at repairing diseased tissues may overcome this limitation. Therapeutic effects of stem cells may be due in part to paracrine actions, including some mediated by exosomes – extracellular vesicles secreted by cells that play a role in cell communication. MicroRNA (miRNA), small non-coding RNA carried by exosomes, are likely responsible for many exosome effects. Exosomes and miRNA therapies show promise in treating diseases such as cancer and arthritis, but …

Depletion And Enrichment Of Phytosterols In Soybean Oil Lipid Emulsions Directly Associate With Serum Markers Of Cholestasis In Preterm Parenteral Nutrition-Fed Pigs, Greg Guthrie, Barbara Stoll, Shaji Chacko, Mahmoud Mohammad, Candace Style, Mariatu Verla, Oluyinka Olutoye, Deborah Schady, Charlotte Lauridsen, Nick Tataryn, Douglas Burrin

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Clinical reports show a positive correlation between phytosterol concentrations and severity of cholestatic liver disease markers in infants during long-term administration of parenteral lipid emulsions. Establishing a causal link between phytosterols and cholestasis has been complicated by confounding factors of lipid emulsion load, fatty acid composition, and vitamin E in many of these studies. The goal of this study is to determine whether altering the phytosterol concentration within a common soybean oil-based emulsion will alter the onset and severity of cholestasis in parenterally fed preterm piglets.

Methods: Preterm piglets were administered, for 21 days, either enteral nutrition (ENT) or …

Bibliometric And Visual Analysis Of Research On The Links Between The Gut Microbiota And Pain From 2002 To 2021, Menghan Mao, Yanyu Zhou, Yingfu Jiao, Suqing Yin, Chiwai Cheung, Weifeng Yu, Po Gao, Liqun Yang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background and aims: The gut microbiota is involved in the regulation of pain, which is proved by plenty of evidence. Although a substantial quantity of research on the link between the gut microbiota and pain has emerged, no study has focused on the bibliometric analysis of this topic. We aim to present a bibliometric review of publications over the past 20 years and predict research hot spots.

Methods: Relevant publications between 2002 and 2021 were extracted from the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database on April 22, 2022. CiteSpace (version 5.8 R3c), VOSviewer, …

Developing And Predicting Of Early Mortality After Endovascular Thrombectomy In Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke, Yimin Chen, Sijie Zhou, Shuiquan Yang, Mohammad Mofatteh, Yuqian Hu, Hongquan Wei, Yuzheng Lai, Zhiyi Zeng, Yajie Yang, Junlin Yu, Juanmei Chen, Xi Sun, Wenlong Wei, Thanh N Nguyen, José Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo, Xuxing Liao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality across the world. However, there is a paucity of information regarding mortality rates and associated risk factors in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). In this study, we aimed to clarify these issues and analyzed previous publications related to mortality in patients treated with EVT.

Methods: We analyzed the survival of 245 consecutive patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy for AIS for which mortality information was obtained. Early mortality was defined as death occurring during hospitalization after EVT or within 7 days following hospital discharge from the …

New Natural Compound Inhibitors Of Pdgfra (Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Α) Based On Computational Study For High-Grade Glioma Therapy, Wenzhuo Yang, Shengnan Wang, Xiangmao Zhang, Hu Sun, Menghan Zhang, Hongyu Chen, Junxiang Cui, Jinyang Li, Fei Peng, Mingqin Zhu, Bingcheng Yu, Yifan Li, Liu Yang, Wanwan Min, Mengru Xue, Lin Pan, Hao Zhu, Bo Wu, Yinghao Gu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: High-grade glioma (HGG) is a malignant brain tumor that is common and aggressive in children and adults. In the current medical paradigm, surgery and radiotherapy are the standard treatments for HGG patients. Despite this, the overall prognosis is still very bleak. Studies have shown that platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA) is an essential target to treat tumors and inhibiting the activity of PDGFRA can improve the prognosis of HGG. Thus, PDGFRA inhibitors are critical to developing drugs and cancer treatment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to screen lead compounds and candidate drugs with potential inhibitors against …

Maternal Feeding Styles And Child Appetitive Traits: Direction Of Effects In Hispanic Families With Low Incomes, Maria A Papaioannou, Nilda Micheli, Thomas G Power, Teresia M O'Connor, Jennifer Orlet Fisher, Sheryl O Hughes

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Feeding styles of parents have been associated with dietary quality/intake and weight outcomes; however, much of the research to date has been cross sectional and the direction of influence unclear. This prospective longitudinal study evaluated the direction of effects between feeding styles and child appetitive traits over time in a sample of 129 Hispanic parent/child dyads that participated in a larger study. Data analyzed for the current study were collected when the children were 4-5 years old and again at ages 7-9 years. Parents (all mothers) reported on their feeding styles and children's appetitive traits using well-established questionnaires. Cross-lagged panel …

Seasonality Of Children's Height And Weight And Their Contribution To Accelerated Summer Weight Gain, Jennette P Moreno, Salma Musaad, Hafza Dadabhoy, Tom Baranowski, Stephanie J Crowley, Debbe Thompson, Tzuan A Chen, Craig A Johnston

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Validation Of The Family Health Behavior Scale For The Brazilian Population, Luiza Tweedie Preto, Camila H Scarpatto, Laura Lessa Gaudie Ley, Carolina Silveira, Margareth Rodrigues Salerno, Jennette Palcic Moreno, Stela Maris De Jezus Castro, Linda Booij, Rita Mattiello

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: To validate the Family Health Behavior Scale (FHBS) for Brazilian families.

Methods: The sample included 272 children aged 5 to 12 years old. Caregivers and their healthy answered the FHBS and questions about physical activity. In addition, anthropometric measurements of the children's weight and height were performed, as well as the bioimpedance exam. The scale was translated and the following validities were assessed: content (qualitative analysis and content validity index), construct (factor analysis) and concurrent validity (difference between domains and the total score with the categories of BMI, fat percentage and physical activity). Reliability (Cronbach's alpha, ceiling-floor effect, two-half …