Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Correlation Between Social Determinants Of Health And Drug Selling Among People Who Use Drugs In Rural Appalachia, Kentucky, Grace A. Debo

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Abstract

Aims: To identify demographic, socioeconomic, health and access to resources, and drug use correlates associated with drug selling among adult, people who use drugs (PWUD) in rural Appalachia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from the ongoing KyOSK and SNAP projects. The surveys included information on participant characteristics (demographic, socioeconomic), and health and drug use behaviors. Our analysis was restricted to only those who answered the question regarding drug selling (n=738). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to identify correlates of drug selling.

Results: Among 738 participants, 20.6% reported selling or attempting to sell drugs …

Developing The Fore-U Perinatal Mental Wellness Care Planning Tool, Stephanie Garner

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

No abstract provided.

Health-Related Social Needs Before And After Critical Illness Among Medicare Beneficiaries, Tamar A. Kaminski

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Health-Related Social Needs (HRSNs), such as financial strain, food insecurity, social isolation, and transportation disadvantage, are unmet social needs associated with poor health outcomes and increased healthcare utilization. In qualitative work, survivors of the intensive care unit (ICU) report financial strain; however, little is known about food insecurity, social isolation, and transportation disadvantage after critical illness. The objectives of this study were twofold: (1) to ascertain changes in three HRSNs—food insecurity, social isolation, and transportation disadvantage—from the year before critical illness to the year following discharge among older adult survivors of critical illness, and (2) to evaluate demographic, pre-admission, and …

Evaluating The Length Of Clinical Rotations In Medical Laboratory Science Education, Kendal Beazer

Dissertations and Theses

Medical laboratory scientists and technicians play a crucial role in healthcare by utilizing advanced methods to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring, and prevention of a wide range of diseases. Certifying as an MLS or MLT professional is detailed and specific, requiring years of laboratory training that is crucial to accurately perform testing that impacts patient care. Shortages of qualified medical laboratorians have persisted for decades, causing laboratory administrators to hire individuals who lack basic laboratory training. Laboratory education programs are not keeping up with the staffing demands, in part due to the lack of clinical rotation placements needed for MLS …

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Oropharyngeal Cancer Post-Treatment Surveillance Practices, Rema Shah

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Post-treatment surveillance imaging for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is guided by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and often is routinely performed beyond the suggested guidelines. With the advent of biomarker-based disease surveillance, there may be an alternative option that can reduce the cost-burden of post-treatment imaging for OPSCC. This study investigates the comparative cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical miRNA biomarker test for specifically HPV-negative (HPV-) OPSCC post-treatment surveillance and also investigates whether the extra imaging practices that are often employed for both HPV+ and HPV- OPSCC are truly cost-effective in order to inform evidence-based decision making after OPSCC treatment. …

Prevalence Of Metabolic Comorbidities And Viral Infections In Monoclonal Gammopathy, Mansen Yu

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Monoclonal gammopathy (MG) encompasses a spectrum of related diseases, with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) being the most prevalent, serving as a precursor of smoldering and clinical multiple myeloma. While the association between gammopathies, metabolic conditions and antigenic stimulation has long been recognized, the precise mechanism remains unclear. Prior research has shown that a subset of MGUS and MM is driven by chronic antigenic stimulation of B cells by endogenous lipids and exogenous microbial antigens. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of metabolic comorbidities and viral infections in a large population with monoclonal gammopathy, providing …

30 Years Of Change In The Forest Of Northern Maine, Kelsi J. Anderson

Master's Theses and Capstones

In managed forests, harvesting practices are one of the main factors that determine forest structure, composition, and the provision of ecosystem services. We resurveyed a 238,000-ha portion of the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest in northern Maine after 30 years of changes in ownership and harvesting practices. We found significant changes in forest structure and composition across a suite of forest types within the study region. Notably, there was a shift from spruce (Picea rubens, P. glauca, and P. mariana) to balsam fir (Abies balsamea) in the overstory of softwood stands and an increase in American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in the understory of …

Preoperative Psychosocial Risk Burden Among Patients Undergoing Major Thoracic And Abdominal Surgery, Emily Park

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Objective: Patient-related, biological risk factors such as age, diabetes, and smoking are associated with worse outcomes and increased postoperative complications rates in patients. However, not much is known about the effects of psychosocial risk factors on surgical outcomes. This study aimed to characterize the psychosocial risk burden in patients undergoing major surgery for malignant and benign conditions. Methods: A prospective, comprehensive psychosocial risk assessment of adult patients undergoing major thoracic or abdominal surgery within the Yale New Haven Health system was conducted from July 2023 to December 2023. The study was delivered over telephone, and was comprised of validated survey …

Natural Laboratories Of The Deep Sea: Linking Community Composition And Environmental Variables On Low-Temperature Venting Outcrops Of Ridge Flank Hydrothermal Systems To Explore Potential Impacts Of Climate Change, Inform Habitat Suitability Models, And To Understand The Impacts Of High Bathymetric Resolution On Seafloor Characterization, Anne Marie Hartwell

Doctoral Dissertations

The deep sea covers over two-thirds of the globe and represents 95% of the ocean. Most life on Earth is suspected to live on or near the seabed. Yet, these ecosystems are the least known on Earth and are important to explore as they are home to a diverse array of species that are currently under threat because of multiple anthropogenic pressures, including warming oceans. Exploration of these systems is critical to further the understanding of species interactions, biodiversity and their overall relationship to environmental and terrain variables. Many of these variables are used in species distribution models and technological …

Dispersal And Migration In White-Tailed Deer: Implications For Disease Spread, Jackman Mitchell-Robohm

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Scares: A Clinician Guide To Spinal Cord Awareness, Response, And Emergency Support Creation And Implantation Of Scares Protocol Among Hospitalist Advanced Practice Providers, Brittany Biega

DNP Scholarly Projects

While they are more common in patients with oncological disease and trauma, SCE still exist among patients without these comorbidities. Less has been established regarding care protocols in this population. The absence of standardized procedures has been linked to preventable, adverse patient outcomes, including cases of permanent damage due to delayed treatment. This project employs Lean Six Sigma methodologies and Johns Hopkins Evidence- Based Practice to devise a robust SCE protocol, aimed at standardizing care and improving patient outcomes. A multidisciplinary team including general medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology developed “Spinal Emergency Management Guidelines” protocol, which was implemented within the …

Assessing Barriers And Facilitators To School Nurse Recommendations Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination, Amy E. Dark

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background Vaccine hesitancy among students and caregivers is a pervasive challenge for educational leadership and school health staff, leaving the school community at risk for vaccine preventable disease. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an underutilized primary prevention strategy against six HPV related cancers.

Purpose The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to measure the effect of an evidence-based educational intervention and facilitated role play on the knowledge and confidence of school nurses (SNs) when discussing HPV vaccination.

Methods This QI project was performed using a brief educational presentation with facilitated role play and a pre/post survey design. …

Seeing Eye To Eye: Understanding Public Attitudes Toward The Sciences, Charles Reardon

Theses & ETDs

In 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic ripped apart American society in irreparable ways across every aspect of life in the United States. However, this event was not unique, science has often sailed the waves of controversy throughout human history much like the controversy during the pandemic. For American society to continue to progress and advance, the majority of the public must be trusting of the scientific community. In the current study, I explored new attributes that could be related to trust in science. Specifically, I studied personality factors, a person's forgiveness and intellectual humility, in the context of trust in …

Recent Advances On Engineering Of Silver Related Nanocomposites Toward Antibacterial Applications, Donia Dridi, Nhu-Nang Vu, Jaspal Singh, Mostafa Eesaee, Alireza Saidi, Said Elkoun, Phuong Nguyen-Tri

Revues de littérature, synthèses de connaissances

Nanotechnology-driven advancements through the design of well-sized and shaped nanoparticles provide a compelling solution in the fight against widespread diseases, mortalities, and economic impacts caused by bacterial infections and drug resistance. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have gained recognition as safe and economically viable antibacterial agents to counteract bacterial contamination and multidrug-resistant concerns. This work provides a comprehensive review of the antibacterial mechanisms of Ag NPs and their related nanocomposites. Importantly, it delves into the importance of synthesis strategies in governing the size and shape of desired Ag NPs, along with a detailed examination of their advantages and limitations, on the …

Unsung Heroes In Conservation: Evaluating The Limitations Faced By New England Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers And Proposing Solutions For Their Support And Recognition, Shaylee M. Sarmiento

Honors Theses and Capstones

Wildlife rehabilitation is an often-unacknowledged practice within the overarching field of wildlife protection and conservation. This practice involves the treatment and hopeful release of wild animals affected by various ailments. With the continued expansion of and interest in the field, it could be assumed that wildlife rehabilitation is supported and funded by government bodies, but this is not the case. Because of the lack of funding and resources, many wildlife rehabilitation centers cannot achieve their full rehabilitative potential and expand their reach in the conservation world. Additionally, an absence of support leads critics to question the ethical standards of wildlife …

Effects Of 0, 8, Or 16g/D Of Nicotinic Acid To Prepartum Jersey Cows: Effects On Glucose Concentration In Their Calves, Kaitlyn M. Zarrella

Honors Theses and Capstones

The primary objective of this research project is to further investigate the optimization of colostrum production in multiparous Jersey cows, focusing on the influence of diet and seasonal factors. Previous findings by Dr. Stahl in 2023 at the University of New Hampshire Burley-Demeritt Organic Dairy Research Farm indicated that an intake of 23 g/d of nicotinic acid (Niacin; NA) might have been excessive for prepartum Jersey cows, potentially affecting colostrum yield and quality. While an enhancement in intestinal development was noted in calves receiving colostrum from cows supplemented with nicotinic acid, the dosage may have been too high to positively …

Editors’ Introduction: June 2024, Thalia R. Goldstein, Amy M. Belfi

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The "State Of Art": Evolutionary Ethics In Thomas Hardy's Tess Of The D' Urbervilles, Brooks Lampe

Faculty Publications - Department of English

What was literary naturalism? One might be tempted to say it was an experiment in fiction (at least in Europe), eventually absorbed into its more successful sibling, Realism. Or one might argue it was a seminal movement which has been misunderstood and read reductively as depicting humans as passive pawns in an indifferent world. Beyond this obstacle of perceived one-dimensionality, there is the less obvious but equally challenging charge that naturalism was, at bottom, a propagandistic genre, appropriating, as Keith Newlin suggests, melodrama for the purpose of persuading readers to "redress social imbalance" ( 4). Finally, there is the muddiness …

Fabrication And Analysis Of A Gas Sensor Utilizing A Fabry-Perot Interferometer With Varied Thicknesses Of Zif-8 Coating On End-Faced Single-Mode Optical Fiber, Nahideh Salehifar, Rex E. Gerald, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This research investigates the potential of integrating optical fiber and sensitive thin film coating materials to develop diverse chemical sensing platforms. We utilized a layer-by-layer synthesis technique, along with specific pre- post treatment methods, to create highly effective nonporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), specifically ZIF-8, ranging from the nanometer scale to the micrometer scale (800 nm to 110 μm). Additionally, we successfully cultivated ZIF-8 on both sides of a single-mode fiber (SMF) with thicknesses of 25 μm and 50 μm. In a separate experiment, we successfully grew ZIF-8 on one side of an optical fiber, achieving a thickness of 10 μm. …

Bs Nutrition Coordinated Graduate Program, Public Health

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Association Between Fine Particulate Matter And Eczema: A Cross-Sectional Study Of The All Of Us Research Program And The Center For Air, Climate, And Energy Solutions, Gloria Chen

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

A chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by disruption of the epidermal barrier, eczema has increased in prevalence in tandem with industrialization. Ambient air pollution is a ubiquitous exposure resulting from industrial processes that includes fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter measuring less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5). Studies on the potential association between PM2.5 and eczema have produced conflicting results. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of eczema with exposure to PM2.5 in a diverse national cohort of American adults.

In this cross-sectional study, eczema cases were identified via electronic health records (EHR) in the All of …

Cerebral Arachnoid Cysts Are Radiographic Harbingers Of Epigenetics Defects In Neurodevelopment, Kedous Mekbib

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Cerebral arachnoid cysts (ACs) are the most common space-occupying lesion of thehuman brain but we know very little about its pathogenesis and association with other neurological phenotypes complicating clinical management.

To better understand AC pathogenesis and clinical presentation, we conducted wholeexomesequencing of 617 patient-parent trios, analysis of human brain and mouse meningeal single-cell RNA sequencing and natural language processing of patient medical records, the largest and only integrative genomic study of ACs to date.

We found seven genes: ADNP, ARID1B, KDM5C, PURA, FOXP1, MAP2K1 andSCN2A, had an exome-wide statistically significant burden of de novo variants. Our AC candidate genes were …

Illness Perception And The Impact Of A Definitive Diagnosis On Women With Ischemia And No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: A Qualitative Study, Leslie Yingzhijie Tseng

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) disproportionately impacts women, yet the underlying pathologies are often not distinguished, contributing to adverse health care experiences and poor quality of life. Coronary function testing at the time of invasive coronary angiography allows for improved diagnostic accuracy. Despite increased recognition of INOCA and expanding access to testing, data lack on first-person perspectives and the impact of receiving a diagnosis in women with INOCA.Methods: From 2020 to 2021, we conducted structured telephone interviews with 2 groups of women with INOCA who underwent invasive coronary angiography (n=29) at Yale New Haven Hospital, New …

Introduction, Dace Balode

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Articles in this special issue of the journal are based on the research project "Living and Believing Gender in a Neo-Conservative Future: The Case of Women's (Non) Ordination in the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church" which was funded by the Latvian Council of Science. They provide in-depth perspectives on how gender equality and the resistance to it are navigated within the religious practices and discourses in Latvia.

Tenets Of Neoconservatism: Biological And Theological Versions Of Life And Gender In Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Aivita Putniņa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper examines the tenets of neoconservatism in current Christian discourse. The notion of life that evolves around biology and procreation is seen as a marker of conservative argumentation. As Jordanova (1995) has argued, a shift in the ‘natural’ association of children with their mothers instead of their fathers occurred in the18th century due to a shift in perspective in life sciences and technology. The new model of procreation involving both parents and a biological, rather than theological, understanding of the process supports arguments that justify not ordaining women and taking anti-LGBTQ+ positions while simultaneously deleting its historical ties to …

Mcmurdo Dry Valley Lake Edge 'Moats': The Ecological Intersection Between Terrestrial And Aquatic Polar Desert Habitats, Michael S. Stone, Shawn P. Devlin, Ian Hawes, Kathleen A. Welch, Michael N. Gooseff, Cristina Takacs-Vesbach, Rachael Morgan-Kiss, Byron J. Adams, J. E. Barrett, John C. Priscu, Peter T. Doran

Faculty Publications

Aquatic ecosystems - lakes, ponds and streams - are hotspots of biodiversity in the cold and arid environment of Continental Antarctica. Environmental change is expected to increasingly alter Antarctic aquatic ecosystems and modify the physical characteristics and interactions within the habitats that they support. Here, we describe physical and biological features of the peripheral 'moat' of a closed-basin Antarctic lake. These moats mediate connectivity amongst streams, lake and soils. We highlight the cyclical moat transition from a frozen winter state to an active open-water summer system, through refreeze as winter returns. Summer melting begins at the lakebed, initially creating an …

Measuring And Modelling Functional Moat Area In Perennially Ice-Covered Lake Fryxell, Antarctica, Michael S. Stone, Mark R. Salvatore, Hilary A. Dugan, Madeline E. Myers, Peter T. Doran

Faculty Publications

The perennially ice-covered lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), Antarctica, are an important reservoir of liquid water in an arid and largely frozen environment. During the austral summer, the margins of these ice covers melt, forming a “moat” of liquid water and thin ice, allowing exchange between lake waters and the atmosphere to occur and serving as an interface between lake, soil, and stream ecosystems. The size of these moats varies from year to year. Here, we have established the first published record of moat area changes at MDVs’ Lake Fryxell through time using manual traces of the moat …

Summer-Wet Hydrologic Cycle During The Middle Miocene Of The United States: New Evidence From Fossil Fungi, Jennifer M.K. O’Keefe, Matthew J. Pound, Ingrid C. Romero, Noelia B. Nuñez Otaño, Martha E. Gibson, Jessica Mccoy, Margaret E. Alden, C. Jolene Fairchild, Julia Fitzpatrick, Emily Hodgson, Taylor Horsfall, Savannah Jones, June E. Lennex-Stone, Christopher A. Marsh, Alyssa A. Patel, Tyler M. Spears, Laikin Tarlton, Liberty F. Smallwood, O. L. Vanderespt, Jeremyah R. Cabrera, Cortland F. Eble, William C. Rember, James E. Starnes, Mac H. Alford, Alyson Brink, Sophie Warny

Faculty Publications

Hydrologic reconstructions from North America are largely unknown for the Middle Miocene. Examination of fungal palynomorph assemblages coupled with traditional plant-based palynology permits delineation of local, as opposed to regional, climate signals and provides a baseline for study of ancient fungas. Here, the Fungi in a Warmer World project presents paleoecology and paleoclimatology of 351 fungal morphotypes from 3 sites in the United States: the Clarkia Konservat-Lagerstätte site (Idaho), the Alum Bluff site (Florida), and the Bouie River site (Mississippi). Of these, 83 fungi are identified as extant taxa and 41 are newly reported from the Miocene. Combining new plant-based …

Holocene Hydroclimate Stability In Three Lake Sediment Records From The Southeastern United States, Aubrey L. Hillman, Sumar B. Hart, Vann Smith, Sophie Warny

Faculty Publications

Many Holocene paleoclimate records from the southeastern United States (SE US) have limited chronological constraints and/or low sedimentation rates and consequently low resolution; this presents challenges in discerning the relative importance of synoptic–scale drivers of past hydroclimate. In this study we summarize three lake sediment records that are uniquely located to test hypotheses regarding the importance of the Pacific North American (PNA) pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over the last 5000 years. At Pigeon Marsh, Buck Pond, and Halls Pond, we used sedimentological (radiocarbon dating of transect cores), physical (grain size), geochemical (carbon and nitrogen ratios and isotopes), …

Guiding Undergraduate Researchers In The Virtual World: Mentoring Experiences Of Globally Distributed Students, Emily Faulconer, Brent Terwilliger, Robert Deters, Kelly George

Publications

The advancement of technology has led to an increase in undergraduate students pursuing degrees online. The translation of undergraduate research to the online environment is relatively new, though gaining momentum, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentoring is a key undergraduate research support, particularly for those engaged online, as it fosters a supportive environment for online students to develop their skills and knowledge in their field of study. This study aims to explore the positive impacts of mentoring undergraduate research for fully online students. A single case study methodology was used, with interview data collected from four research mentees completing …