Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of One Health Education Materials: A Scoping Review And Quality Assessment, Sydney Jones

Public Health Theses

The increasing risk of zoonotic spillover, driven by climate change and evolving human behaviors, requires a systematic shift in pandemic prevention strategies towards a One Health approach. Central to this approach is effective health communication intended to translate knowledge into actionable recommendations for the most vulnerable populations. This thesis aims to systematically evaluate the quantity and quality of existing One Health communication materials through a scoping review and two distinct methods of quality evaluation: the CDC Clear Communication Index and content analysis. Among 82 communication materials identified in the scoping review, the median overall CDC Clear Communication Index score was …

Light At Night And Cancer Incidence: A Gis-Based Study In The Us, Linshuoshuo Lyu

Public Health Theses

Aims: Light at night (LAN) can cause circadian disruption and was found to be a potential risk factor for several cancers. This study aims to confirm the adverse effect of LAN on hormone-related cancers and explore the association between LAN and the prevalence of various cancer types under an ecological study design. Methods: County-level age-adjusted cancer incidence data was obtained from the CDC Cancer Statistics (2016 to 2020), while LAN data (1996 to 2000) was obtained from the satellite imagery of Version 4 Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Linear mixed effect regression models (LMMs) were performed to assess the relationship of …

Evaluating Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Dengue Fever And Its Vaccination Among Medical Staff In China: A Questionnaire-Based Study, Ip Man Lam

Public Health Theses

Dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus, has seen a significant increase in global incidence in recent decades. China has experienced a rapid rise in dengue cases since 2013, posing a serious threat to population health and increased economic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes towards dengue fever and dengue vaccination among medical staff in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey targeting medical professionals in Zhejiang, Yunnan, and Hainan provinces, which are known endemic areas for dengue virus infection in China. The questionnaire assessed participants' understanding of dengue …

Analysis Of Mercury Exposures In The United States Reported To The National Response Center (2018-2022), Abigail E. Mcdonald

Public Health Theses

Introduction

The frequency and extent of environmental elemental mercury exposures in the U.S. are unknown. Due to its marked toxicity, elemental mercury has been phased out of many newer commercial products. However, mercury-containing products are still available, and a variety of religious, cultural, decorative, cosmetic, and illicit uses have been reported in the community. Small quantities of mercury can be highly toxic, and mercury toxicity can present nonspecifically and multi-systemically with the potential to be easily missed. Therefore, it is important to characterize the settings where mercury exposures occur and the extent of such exposures. The overall aim of this …

Indoor Air Pollution In Nomadic Himalayan Highlander Communities, Charles Minicucci

Public Health Theses

Indoor air pollution (IAP) from burning solid biomass fuel is a major global health challenge, especially in resource-limited settings without access to electricity or reliable fuel sources. In the Kingdom of Bhutan, where, despite a reported 99% of households having access to electricity, the vast majority of rural households still use biomass fuels for cooking and indoor heating. Given the resource limitations and access challenges associated with Bhutan’s remote highlander and herding communities, few solutions for or details about their exposure to IAP are available – especially during nomadic periods where families may spend months beyond the reach of infrastructure …

Exploring The Connections Between The Arts And Mental Health In The Face Of Climate Change, Marla Joy Minkoff

Public Health Theses

Objective: This study aims to explore how engagement with art may shape emotions related to the climate crisis and expand the conception of art as a mechanism of public health practice.Background: Climate change impacts human health not only physically but also psychologically, manifesting in symptoms of climate emotions (e.g., ecological grief, eco-anxiety, eco-paralysis) that arise as a result of changes to the earth and our relationship to the natural world. These symptoms are among the pressing mental health effects of climate change. Methods: A qualitative approach utilizing the Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews (N=10) with …

Exploring The Association Between The Supplemental Nutrition Program For Woman, Infants And Children (Wic) And Gestational Weight Gain, Oyinlola Obatolu

Public Health Theses

Background: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has been an impactful federal public assistance program that has provided nutrition education and support to millions of low income women and children around the country. Despite its positive impact on perinatal and birth outcomes, the precise mechanisms between WIC and these outcomes remain unclear. Past studies have looked at the relationship between WIC and gestational weight gain (GWG), a potential mediator of the effect of WIC on birth outcomes, but they have mainly focused on city or state level data or Medicaid enrollees. This study aims to …

A Climate Change Calamity: Assessing The Impact Of Flooding On Waterborne Disease Burden In Pakistan, Haleigh Schultz

Public Health Theses

Background: Pakistan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In 2022, extreme flooding ravaged the country as a result of unprecedented monsoon rains, resulting in widespread environmental and health devastation. As flooding events damage water, sanitation and health (WASH) infrastructure, contribute to disaster conditions, and strain healthcare systems, heavy rains can impact waterborne disease transmission and outbreak events. Extreme flooding events are expected to increase in prevalence, severity, and scope as the climate continues to change in the future. This study aims to assess the impact of monsoon seasons and flooding events on waterborne disease burden in Pakistan …

Behind The Produce Curtain: Exploring Occupational Health Of Connecticut Migrant Farmworkers In A Changing Climate, Nicole-Kristine Limlingan Smith

Public Health Theses

Due to climate change exacerbating high heat days, it is speculated that farmworkers will bear the brunt of this in the fields. High heat is only one of many consequences of climate change but was chosen as the occupational exposure of study due to its lack of literature in northeastern states like Connecticut. This study has three aims. The first aim is to explore the health impacts of extreme and prolonged heat exposure in Connecticut migrant farmworkers. Second, understand the current awareness among health care providers and the intervention methods that are being taken, if any. Finally, understand what barriers …

“I Don't Work For The Prison. I Don't Work For The Hospital Either. I’M Yours. Who Else Here Is Yours?” A Qualitative Analysis Of Facilitators And Barriers Of Launching Enhanced Perinatal Programs In Seven State Prisons, Karenna Thomas

Public Health Theses

The United States incarcerates women at the highest rate globally (Fair & Walmsley, 2022), while simultaneously failing to provide incarcerated individuals with adequate reproductive health care. Perinatal programs, including a combination of one-on-one and group prenatal and postpartum education, labor and birth support with a doula, separation support, and lactation care have been implemented as an alternative to standard care in around 21 states (Wilson et al., 2022). While the efficacy of these programs among incarcerated individuals has been established (Bard et al., 2016; Barkauskas et al., 2002; Schroeder & Bell, 2005; Shlafer et al., 2018; Shlafer, Saunders, Boraas, et …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Helicobacter Pylori Screenings In Asian Americans In The United States, Qin Wang

Public Health Theses

Background: Gastric cancer remains a significant public health concern, particularly for Asian Americans in the United States, who are at higher risk. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a known risk factor for gastric cancer (GC) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and its eradication has proven effective in preventing both conditions. Due to the lack of clinical standards in H. pylori screening for this high-risk group of Asian Americans, we explore whether population-based screening using carbon-13 urea breath test (C-UBT) and/or endoscopy is cost-effective in the United States for Asian Americans. Methods: We built a cohort state-transition Markov model to …

Assessment Of Suicide Risk In Emergency Department Settings For Adults In Nepal: Validation Of The Nepali Ask Suicide-Screening Questions, Pei Wang

Public Health Theses

Objectives: Suicide is a severe public health crisis around the globe. Low-middle-income countries (LMICs) bear 77% of the global suicide burden. Screening is a significant component of suicide prevention, but there is a dearth of suicide screening tools, especially in LMICs. This study focused on validating the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) within an adult Emergency Department (ED) population in Nepal. Although the validation occurred in an ED setting, the Nepali ASQ is designed with the flexibility to be useful in a variety of healthcare contexts, extending its applicability beyond just emergency care.Methods: We systematically translated and adapted the 4-item ASQ, …

Remotely Sensed Assessments Of Malnutrition In South Sudan, Rebecca Chausse

Public Health Theses

South Sudan is consistently considered the hungriest country in the world further exasperated by armed conflict and extreme climate events such as drought and flooding. This thesis includes a remote sensing analysis of thermal activity to assist in identifying areas with higher or lower Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scales in certain contexts. Key Findings reveal a statistically significant negative correlation between U.S. dollar price of cereals and tubers and observed thermal activity (p-value=0.0280703, rho=-0.6727273), indicating that an increase in one variable may coincide with a decrease in the other within Rumbek Centre and Gogrial West. These findings may …

Trauma-Informed Digital Health Interventions: A Scoping Review, Amelea Lowery

Public Health Theses

Background: Trauma exposure is a pervasive issue around the world and the impacts of trauma can be long lasting and detrimental to individual and population health outcomes. Trauma responses can influence and determine an individual or community’s approach in seeking supportive resources. Given the critical role of supportive resources and the prevalent use of technology and internet use, it is essential to understand how digital health interventions contribute to addressing trauma explicitly. This scoping review aims to explore the landscape of trauma-informed digital health interventions for adults, assess their outcomes, and identify their measurable impacts across various settings.Methods: A scoping …

A Simulation-Based Approach For Power And Sample Size Estimation In Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trials With Time-To-Event Outcomes, Xintong Lu

Public Health Theses

Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials (SWCRTs) have become increasingly popular across various disciplines, particularly in public health and medical research, as they allow evaluation of interventions rolled out sequentially across multiple clusters. However, time-to-event outcomes in SWCRTs pose significant methodological challenges. Traditional closed-form solutions for power and sample size estimation often fail to capture the complexities introduced by the implementation of staggered treatment and the discrete nature of outcome measurements. In this paper, we propose a simulation-based RShiny platform aimed at addressing these limitations by offering a more accurate and flexible approach to determining power and sample size in SWCRTs …

Garland V. Cargill: It’S A Duck! Except At The Supreme Court . . ., Maureen Johnson

Chapman Law Review

Garland v. Cargill may go down as one of the most notorious cases ever handed down by the Supreme Court. By a 6-3 tally, “bump stocks”—which essentially turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns—were deemed outside the purview of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). Initially, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that bump stock-converted weapons did not fall within the statutory definition of a machine gun. Amidst a bipartisan outcry following the 2017 Las Vegas Massacre, the ATF changed course, determining that bump stock conversions were indeed “machine guns” and therefore prohibited by the NFA. …

Travel Literature. Mircea Eliade’S Occidental View In The Himalayan Journal And The Portugal Journal, Irina Armianu

Literatures and Cultural Studies Faculty Publications

This article retraces Mircea Eliade’s mystical travel through the Himalayas as shown in his Himalayan Journal and his struggle to survive as a writer under the weight of brutal historical events in his Portugal Journal. The two travel journals reveal the influence of geographical and historical elements on Eliade's mystical writing. A deeper analysis of these journals is necessary to link travel genre to mystical thought. The next pages will show (1) how these journals fit into the category of existential travel, as theorized by Erik Cohen in "The Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences" (179-201), (2) Eliade’s own transcendence of his …

Actuator Optimization And Control Of Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton For Community-Based Mobility Assistance: More Lightweight, More Affordable, And More Stable, Sainan Zhang

Dissertations and Theses

Lightweight and smart exoskeletons offer the potential to improve mobility in children. State-of-the-art pediatric exoskeletons are typically clinic-based since they are either tethered or portable but cumbersome, and their design is often not optimized across a range of environments and users. Child growth progressively alters key exoskeleton design requirements, yet no prior work investigated actuator optimization to accommodate child growth. Moreover, exoskeletons typically use the torque sensor or spring mechanics as exteroceptive feedback, but these torque sensing methods not only lead to extra cost and mass but also cause a small range of stable controller gains.

To facilitate pediatric exoskeleton …

Molecular Origins Of Phase Stability In Phase-Change Nano-Emulsions For Thermal Energy Storage By Nmr Spectroscopy, Jungeun Park

Dissertations and Theses

Phase change materials (PCMs) are latent heat storage materials that can store or release thermal energy during phase transitions. Organic PCM nano-emulsions are formed by emulsifying oil in water in the presence of surfactants, enhancing thermal conductivity and pumpability. However, PCMs nano-emulsions can become unstable due to repeated thermal cycling and shear in heat transfer systems.

To better understand the molecular origins of phase instability in PCMs nano-emulsions, liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements were applied to a model PCM nano-emulsion. Quantitative ¹H single-pulse NMR measurements established the liquid fraction of oil within nano-emulsions as a function of temperature, …

Understand The Structure-Water-Responsive Relationship By Engineering Silk Materials, Yeojin Jung

Dissertations and Theses

Water-responsive (WR) materials mechanically swell and shrink in response to changes in relative humidity, and they have demonstrated the capability to exert higher actuation energy than conventional actuators and artificial muscles. As a result, WR materials have recently gained attention as potential high-energy actuating components for engineering applications. Despite the growing interest in this emerging category of WR materials, the fundamental WR mechanism of their significant performance is still not fully understood, limiting the ability to rationally design engineered systems. This dissertation presents three approaches for understanding the water-responsiveness of materials by engineering Bombyx (B.) mori silkworm silk protein. First, …

Brics Currency And Dollar Hegemony: Passing Of The Torch?, Sami Tomaihi

Dissertations and Theses

The dawn of the 21st century has brought with it tremendous uncertainty with regard to the nature of global dominance. As doubts concerning the United States’ viability as a hegemon emerge, questions about how new powers may come to prominence circle (Rapayane, 2020). The BRICS bloc -- consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, respectively -- is a collection of regional powers in the developing world that have engaged in a series of high-profile collaborations together in the ostensible interest of increasing global advocacy within the developing world (Kubayi, 2022). One radical means that has been proposed within …

Parasympathethic Nervous Activity And Social Exclusion In Borderline Personality Disorder, Rebecca E. Barnes

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

The experience of being excluded is universally unpleasant. However, for individuals that suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), the experience of social exclusion, or ostracism can be unbearable (Bortolla, et al., 2019). While there is a significant amount of research on physiological reactivity in BPD, no studies adequately connect the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) responses of people with BPD to social exclusion which is critical to understand as the inability of the PNS of individuals with BPD to adapt to stressors may be a contributing factor to the elevated rate of suicide and suicide attempts in this clinical population …

Motherhood In Crisis: A Qualitative Study Of First-Time Mothers Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Tamzin M. Baker

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore the psychological impact of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) on a first-time mother’s identity. What effects does life-threatening illness have on the development of maternal identity and connection? This question was explored with a sample of six mothers via semi-structured interview and self-report measure with the aim to shed light on a scarcely studied phenomenon that is predicted to affect a greater number of mothers in the future. These research questions were explored through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009) resulting in group experiential themes and three theoretical constructs: (1) a …

Teach Them How To Say Goodbye: Student Therapist Termination At A Psychodynamic Training Clinic, Michael Ferrara

Dissertations and Theses

Termination is arguably one of the most important aspects of psychotherapy, however, the research into training for termination is sparse. Further, student therapists report that their training for termination provided little guidance, instruction, or acknowledgment of clinical realities around treatment endings. Using a semi-structured interview with a sample of 11 student therapists at a psychodynamic training clinic, this study explored experiences of termination and the preparation for those endings. Qualitative thematic analysis indicated that this group of student therapists did not experience shared and structured termination training but did not feel they were unprepared for the endings with their patients. …

Identity-Focused Therapist Self-Disclosure In Matched Sexual/Gender Minority Dyads: A Longitudinal Therapy Process-Outcome Study, Brian Thomas Neff

Dissertations and Theses

Therapist self-disclosure (TSD) is a controversial clinical intervention whose benefits and drawbacks remain contested. Notably, no prior research has differentiated explicitly between self-disclosures related to the therapist’s core identities and those peripheral to identity, and qualitative studies suggest that identity-focused therapist self-disclosure (TSD-I) may be beneficial when therapist and patient share at least one marginalized identity. LGBTQ+ people, who experience significant health disparities and utilize psychotherapy more than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, could benefit particularly from TSD-I. The mental and physical health challenges facing LGBTQ+ individuals are predominantly explained through minority stress theory, which suggests that societal prejudice and …

Investigating The Roles Of Dapk, P53/Cep-1, And Mitochondrial Damage In Necrotic Neurodegeneration In C. Elegans, Anil Singh

Dissertations and Theses

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., with minority groups, suffering higher fatality rates. Stroke is caused by ischemia, where occlusion of blood supply to the brain results in neurodegeneration. Most of the damage is attributed to excitotoxicity, where an accumulation of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the synapse overstimulates postsynaptic neurons and ultimately leads to cell death (largely by necrosis). Stroke treatments are often ineffective, due to the delay between the onset of stroke and the delivery of effective treatment. To address this, we focus our study on putative later-acting mediators of excitotoxicity such as …

Synthesis Of Novel 5-Aryl 2’-Deoxyuridine And 2’-Deoxycytidine Analogues, Kevin E. Persaud

Dissertations and Theses

Briefly, the following report details a synthetic route to prepare 5-phenyl-2’-deoxycytidine analogues. This multistep synthesis began with silyl protection of the 3’- and 5’-hydroxyl groups of 5-iodo-2’-deoxyuridine. Next, the installation of a phenyl ring at the C5 position of the nucleobase via a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, yielding 5-phenyl-2’-deoxyuridine (5-PdU). After that, modification of the obtained 5-PdU at the C4 position was performed with benzotriazole-1-yl-oxy-tris-(dimethylamino)-phosphonium hexafluorophosphate (BOP, a peptide-coupling agent) and a base (cesium carbonate) to activate the amide group of the uridine nucleobase for subsequent displacement with a variety of amines. Modification of the C4 position resulted in protected 5-phenyl-2’-deoxycytidine …

Character Strengths In Applied Behavior Analysis And The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study, Michael G. Johansen

Dissertations and Theses

Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have continued to rise. Individuals diagnosed with ASD may display a range of deficits in social communication, behaviors, and symptoms that limit everyday functioning. Among the treatments for ASD, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is typically the earliest and longest intervention individuals with ASD are exposed to. Concerns have been raised over ABA being a compliance-based therapy which potentially produces prompt reliance, reinforcement dependency, and a lack of intrinsic motivation. In an attempt to address these concerns, this study aimed to assess the potential benefits of including the concept of character strengths from the field …

Mentalized Affectivity Among Adolescents In Wilderness Therapy: An Initial Exploration, William Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Mentalized affectivity (MA) blends emotion regulation and mentalization in a single construct that underlies psychopathology and is a target of psychotherapeutic intervention as a mechanism of change. Little research has investigated MA’s role in psychopathology and treatment for adolescents. Change in MA has yet to be investigated. Wilderness therapy is a non-traditional treatment model for “hard-to-reach” adolescents; its mechanisms of change have not been robustly researched. This study aims to investigate change in adolescents’ MA capacities over the course of wilderness therapy, in order to explore the role of MA components (Identifying, Processing, Expressing) in adolescent psychopathology; the relation between …

Making Sense Of The Space Between: A Qualitative Study Of Therapist’S Experience And Use Of Therapeutic Enactments, Paul Ballantyne Lafreniere

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to examine a particular category of technical challenge in therapy: enactments. Enactments, broadly defined, are moments or stretches of time in therapy where both the patient and therapist cannot put their conflicts into words, and instead act them out within the therapeutic milieu. These phenomena frequently elicit shame and guilt on the part of the therapist, and can prove detrimental to treatment. Equally, however, investigation of these moments within treatment can be of considerable clinical utility. In this qualitative phenomenological study, 6 therapists were interviewed about their experiences working with enactments in clinical practice. The strategies which …