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Local Food Systems And Sustainability: A Granville Cookbook, Jocelyn Rafter

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Wellbeing Through Caregiver Support: Improving Quality Of Life For Individuals With Special Needs And Complex Medical Diagnoses In Nicaragua, Jenna K. Devchand

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Individuals with disabilities living all over the world are constantly faced with additional barriers. In low-income countries, such as Nicaragua, there is often a gap in access to resources and education, for both individuals living with disabilities and their caregivers. Access is essential to provide high quality care to meet unique needs. This occupational therapy doctoral capstone project was created to support individuals providing care to children with special needs and complex medical diagnoses in Nicaragua by providing community-based education and sustainable resources to caregivers to enhance wellbeing in daily life. The deliverable was presented in country in Nicaragua to …

Non-Enzymatic Glycoxidation Reports On Society, Environment And Biology To Inform On Enduring Cancer Disparities, Fariha Imtiaz, Boxiao Ding, Bradley A. Krisanits, Katherine A. Walter, Lindsay L. Peterson, Susan Steck, Marvella E. Ford, Gayenell Magwood, Victoria J. Findlay, David Turner

Annual Research Day

Background: Despite advancements in cancer treatment, disparities in incidence and mortality persist among different races and ethnicities. These disparities are influenced by an intricate interplay between environmental, biological and social factors that underscore the need for a multifaceted approach to understand this relationship. Objective/Aim: To show that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) due to non-enzymatic glycoxidation represent informative and functional markers that report on the combined impact of environmental, biological and social factors on enduring cancer disparities. Methods: To address this objective, a more holistic approach to disparities research was used ranging from basic research, population-based investigations, preclinical and clinical …

Food Insecurity Rates And Its Related Factors In The State Of Ohio, Sophia Danchine, Maia Sethi

Scholarship in Medicine - All Papers

Food insecurity is an ongoing issue across Ohio counties, influenced by socioeconomic factors, geographical location, and age and ethnic demographics. This study explores food insecurity rates from 2016 to 2023, comparing urban and rural counties, various social determinants of health, such as income, education, and age, and exploring correlations with racial and ethnic demographics. Using data from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps database, statistical analyses revealed key findings that food insecurity was not significantly different when comparing rural versus urban counties in Ohio. The most significant predictor to food insecurity in 2023 was median household income, followed by percent …

An Interdisciplinary Fetal Neonatal Neurology Collaborative Promotes Integrative Life-Course Brain Health., Mark S Scher, Harris Eyre, Steven Donn, James M Roberts, Michael E Msall, Carolyn M Salafia, Richard Towbin, Peter N Robinson, Ken Loparo, Michael Berk, Elena Moro, Valerie Smith, Susan Ludington, Nadia Badawi, Rod W Hunt, Alistair Gunn, Harvey B Sarnat, Kirthana Kunikullaya, Betsy Pilon

Faculty Research 2026

A proposed interdisciplinary fetal neonatal neurology collaborative offers life-course brain health training across three time-sensitive teaching opportunities. The educational organization includes a broad representation of inter-related fields. Formal training will re-enforce career-long learning that fosters creative thinking. Acquiring a life-course perspective of brain health can contribute solutions to the global public health crisis involving neurological and mental health disorders across the lifespan. Teaching transdisciplinary interventions begins with parental childhood and reproductive health which will influence the maternal-placental-fetal triad throughout pregnancy into labor and delivery. The second teaching opportunity focuses on the symptomatic minority who receive neonatal neurocritical care and convalescent …

Vitriol For The Masses: How The U.S. Government Uses Language Within Propaganda To Influence Citizens’ Opinions On Immigrants, G Smith-Rasmussen

CEG 450 Cultural, Environmental, and Global Studies Capstone

Politicians do not directly express vitriolic words and beliefs; instead, they test the boundaries of what is accepted and slowly push the line until the hate becomes increasingly normalized. The United States government has similar goals in mind when pushing anti-immigration propaganda. The aim is to normalize harmful stereotypes and ideas of what immigrants are, to sway people into supporting their policies. The current immigrant population that is being heavily targeted is Latin immigrants. This paper aims to analyze how harmful the 2024 presidential administrations' language surrounding Latin immigrants is through discourse analysis.

Body Mass Index, Sleep, And Food Insecurity Predict Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression In College Students, Makenzie Barr-Porter, Amelia Sullivan, Jade Mcnamara

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

This study aimed to assess the relationship between mental health, health behaviors, and food security in young adults in a university environment. Young adults (N = 536) at two United States universities completed a survey assessing health behaviors and characteristics. Logistic regression determined the odds of anxiety and/or depression based on gender identity, body mass index (BMI), food security status (FSS), and sleep restfulness. Over one-third of students were food insecure (36.7%), and almost all reported anxiety (57%) and/or depression (39.1%). Students who identified as female, reported very low FSS, poor sleep, and had higher BMI were at greater odds …

Water Justice, Emily Ann Senkosky

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

My portfolio will be centered around the theme of “Water justice,” which aims to unpack people’s manipulation of riverways and the environmental costs of this practice. Rivers, and their watersheds, have served as lifeblood for human and ecological populations the world over since the dawn of man. Derived from these watersheds is a multitude of ecosystem services and freshwater necessary for the sustainability of life. But freshwater makes up only 3% of the globe’s total water supply, making it a limited and dwindling resource. As the world’s population accelerates, climate change quickens, and societal needs for freshwater advance, the manipulation …

An Assessment Of Vegetable Production Constraints, Trait Preferences And Willingness To Adopt Sustainable Intensification Options In Kenya And Uganda, Rose N. Okoma, Evanson R. Omuse, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Dennis Beesigamukama, Marius F. Murongo, Sevgan Subramanian, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Global food production systems are under pressure due to population increase, limited farmland, biotic and abiotic constrains, and ongoing climate change. Sustainable intensification is needed to increase agricultural productivity with minimal adverse environmental and social impacts. Vegetable-integrated push pull (VIPP) technology coupled with black soldier fly (BSF) frass offer such opportunities to smallholder farmers. However, farmers’ vegetable preferences and willingness to adopt these innovations remain unknown and are variable across various geographic scales. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-person interviews with smallholder farmers were conducted to assess vegetable production constraints and select vegetables to be integrated into VIPP coupled with …

Clinical Evaluation Of Retention And Biting Force In Complete Mandibular Overdentures Retained By Two Implants Using A Solitary Ball And Socket Versus Solitary Bar And Clip Attachments: A Crossover Study, Mohamed Ali Manaa, Khaled Mohamed Zahran, Hesham El-Sharkawy, Ashraf Anwar Gebreel

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: a clinical evaluation of retention and biting force in complete mandibular overdentures retained by two implants using a solitary ball and socket versus solitary bar and clip attachments. Materials and methods: Fourteen completely edentulous male patients aged 49 to 65 were selected and received a maxillary complete denture and two mandibular complete dentures. Each patient received bilateral dental implants placed in the canine areas using a stereolithographic guide. They were grouped according to the period of wearing the prosthesis into: the conventional complete denture group (CD Group), using two duplicated mandibular dentures over three months; ball and socket attachment …

Swallowing Dynamics Of Two Implants Versus Single Implant-Retained Mandibular Overdentures: Randomized Clinical Trial, Mohamed Taha, Christine Raouf Ibrahim, Abdallah Mohammed Ibrahim

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objective This study evaluated the swallowing dynamics of two-implant (2-IOD) versus singleimplant (1-IOD) mandibular overdentures using the Test of Mastication and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) and the Timed Water Swallow Test (TWST). Methods Ten completely edentulous patients were selected from the Out-Patient Clinic of the Prosthodontics Department at the Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University. All patients initially received conventional complete dentures and were considered Group I, then randomly distributed into two equal groups; Group II (2-IOD) received a twoimplant overdenture with locator attachments, while Group III (1-IOD) received a single implant overdenture with locator attachment. Swallowing dynamics were assessed using the …

Digital Versus Functional Pick-Up Techniques For Two-Implant Retained Mandibular Overdentures: A Crossover Study, Aya E. Elnagar, Khaled M. Zahran, Heba Abo-Elfetouh Elsheikh, Fatma Ahmad El Waseef

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objective: To evaluate two pick-up techniques—digital and functional—for two-implant retained mandibular overdentures with respect to occlusal force distribution using the digital occlusal analysis system (Occlusense®). Patients and Methods: Twenty completely edentulous, healthy patients were selected from the Prosthodontics Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University. Conventional complete dentures were first constructed, followed by placement of two implants in the mandibular canine regions using a guided surgical approach and a delayed loading protocol. For each patient, two sets of digitally fabricated mandibular overdentures were constructed. Patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups: Group I received digital complete overdentures with digitally created …

The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Mobile Phone Ownership On Maize Yields In Tanzania, Cool Dady Mangole, Kelvin Mulungu, Christian Kamala Kaghoma, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The study uses the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture to evaluate mobile phone ownership's direct and indirect effect on yields in Tanzania. The results indicate that transitioning from not owning to owning a mobile phone improves maize yields by about 16%. Mobile phones indirectly affect maize yield by facilitating farmers' access to extension services - regardless of the type of provider - but only account for about 2% of the total effects. Considering both direct and indirect effects, this study suggests that extension services partially moderate this causal relationship. Further, the impact of mobile phones is stronger among …

Performance Of The Dssat Manihot-Cassava Model For Cassava Cultivation In The Recôncavo Baiano, Diego M. De Melo, Paola De F. Bongiovani, Fabio L.S. Costa, Patricia Moreno-Cadena, Alexandre B. Heinemann, Julian Ramirez-Villegas, Mauricio A. Coelho Filho

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The aim of the present study was to calibrate the DSSAT MANIHOT-Cassava model with information from cassava varieties grown in the Recôncavo Baiano region, Bahia state, Brazil. The database used to calibrate the model was obtained in the dry sub-humid tropical climate in Cruz das Almas city, from 2019 to 2020. The model was calibrated with experimental data obtained under irrigated and rainfed conditions for the BRS Novo Horizonte and Eucalipto varieties. The calibration was carried out by adjusting parameters related to the characteristics of each variety. Model performance was evaluated with statistical indices that indicate the precision and accuracy …

Predicting Food Prices In Kenya Using Machine Learning: A Hybrid Model Approach With Xgboost And Gradient Boosting, Benard O. Ogol, Evans Omondi, John Olukuru, Betsy Muriithi, Kennedy Senagi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Introduction: Food price volatility continues to be a significant concern in Kenya's economic development, posing challenges to the country's economic stability. Methodology: This study examines the application of machine learning methods, employing a hybrid approach that combines XGBoost and gradient boosting, to predict food prices in Kenya. The food prices data from the World Food Programme, covering the period from January 2006 to September 2024, as well as currency exchange rates data from the Central Bank of Kenya in US dollars (USD) and inflation rates data, were collated and preprocessed to be ready for analytics and machine learning. The augmented …

Swatting Flies: Biting Insects As Non-Invasive Samplers For Mammalian Population Genomics, Anubhab Khan, Ryan Carter, Chengetai D. Mpamhanga, Daniel Masiga, Manun Channumsin, Marc Ciosi, Oliva Manangwa, Furaha Mramba, Umer Zeeshan Ijaz, Harriet Auty, Barbara K. Mable

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Advances in next-generation sequencing have allowed the use of DNA obtained from unusual sources for wildlife studies. However, these samples have been used predominantly to sequence mitochondrial DNA for species identification while population genetics analyses have been rare. Since next-generation sequencing allows indiscriminate detection of all DNA fragments in a sample, technically it should be possible to sequence whole genomes of animals from environmental samples. Here we used a blood-feeding insect, tsetse fly, to target whole genome sequences of wild animals. Using pools of flies, we compared the ability to recover genomic data from hosts using the short-read sequencing (Illumina) …

Effects Of Insect Meals On Fish Digestibility, Blood Parameters, And Economic Performance: A Meta-Analysis, M. A. Aaqillah-Amr, A. Hidir, M. Ikhwanuddin, N. A. Fatan, R. Muhammad-Rahimi, S. Ning-Shahira, R. G.N. Siankhe, G. W. Vandenberg, C. M. Tanga, R. Yossa

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This review examines the use of insect meal (IM) as a substitute for fishmeal (FM) in fish feeds within the past decade. While global interest in this alternative is growing, research on its effects on fish digestibility, blood parameters, and economic performance has been limited. Meta-analysis on the apparent digestibility coefficient revealed a negative effect summary on dry matter (0.92) and crude lipid (0.51), although the difference between the two groups was relatively minor. However, a positive effect summary was reported in the apparent digestibility of crude protein (0.12), suggesting a potential advantage in the utilization of protein by fish …

Aflatoxin Prevalence And Association With Maize Grain Physical And Nutritional Qualities In The Informal Markets In Meru County, Kenya, C. Cherotich, M. W. Okoth, Abong’ Go, S. W. Kariuki, E. R. Omuse

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In Kenya, aflatoxin contamination in maize remains a persistent issue, with potential negative impacts on both public health and economic growth. Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain mold species, primarily Aspergillus flavus. The extent of Aspergillus fungal invasion in maize grains and the resulting increase in aflatoxin levels is heavily influenced by pre-and post-harvest practices. Before harvest, factors such as insect damage and exposure to warm, humid conditions increase the crop's susceptibility to Aspergillus infection and subsequent aflatoxin formation. Post-harvest, additional risks arise when kernels are damaged by pests like rats or when they are stored in unfavorable …

Three-Dimensional Analysis Of Dental Arch Form In Relation To The Vertical Facial Pattern In Class I Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ahmad Ghassan Droubi, Islam Gad, Aly Osman

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Introduction: Understanding the relationship between dental arch form and vertical facial pattern is crucial in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Variations in vertical facial morphology can influence dental arch form, which in turn impacts the effectiveness and stability of orthodontic interventions.

Objectives: The study explores the associations between dental arch form with the different vertical facial patterns, including hyperdivergent, normodivergent, and hypodivergent patterns in skeletal Class I patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational design was employed to examine a sample of 48 patients with skeletal Class I seeking orthodontic treatment; of which 24 males and 24 females. Each …

Evaluating Machine Learning Techniques For Breast Cancer Detection: A Comprehensive Review, Owen Kresse, Youssef Kamel Kamel Hassan Rezk, Alaaelddin Ibrahim Said, Rana Hossameldin Mousa, Merna Adel Abdelrahman Ibrahim, Ahmed Fathy Sweed, Tomas Pegorari, Pablo Nakasato, Ainhoa Osa-Sanchez, Itxasne Del Barrio, Francesc Serra Crespí, Keltse Santisteban Ortiz, Naiara Melián Eguia, Mohamed Elsharkawy, Ibrahim Abdelhalim, Begonya Garcia-Zapirain, Ayman El-Baz

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Breast cancer is considered one of the most common types of cancer among women. significant amount of effort done in early detection to increase survival chance since early detection is a challenging task especially in certain breast cancer conditions or using inefficient imaging modalities AI demonstrated significant potential in breast cancer detection algorithms including convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Transformers, which have achieved highly accurate results but they have some limitations, such as the large amounts of data required for training as CNNs rely on local features, while Transformers focus on global features However, recent research has proposed hybrid models …

The United States Healthcare System: From Medicare To Post-Pandemic Health Policy, William M. Sage

Faculty Scholarship

My purpose in this essay is to comment on national health policy in the United States over the past sixty years.  My conclusions are less optimistic than what I had hoped when I began my teaching and research career in the 1990s to be able to say in 2025.  In particular, the successful expansion of publicly supported health coverage via the passage of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA” or “Obamacare”) in 2010 seems to have triggered -- though I hesitate to say that it caused – a backsliding from broader commitments to clinical performance, population health, and social solidarity that …

Border Decriminalization As A State Project: Lessons From Marijuana And Assisted Suicide Legalization Across The United States, Victor C. Romero

Faculty Scholarship

My prior work argued for the decriminalization of border crossings without proof of specific intent to violate another law (like drug trafficking), which is even less likely to happen now than it was when the piece was published, given the current presidential administration’s zealous deportation strategy and Congress’s seeming acquiescence. As such, I advocate for a second-best solution involving federal-state cooperative agreements wherein border states abutting both Mexico and Canada are given the option by the federal government to pass local legislation decriminalizing border crossings into their states as their communities desire. To the extent that the current presidential administration …

Effect Of Paxlovid On Neurodevelopmental Disorder Diagnosis Outcomes In Offspring Of Mothers Infected With Sars-Cov-2 During Pregnancy, Simone Rogers

CMC Senior Theses

The onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic brought concern over the effects that this virus would have on pregnancy and fetal outcomes, specifically neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal immune activation (MIA), caused by infection during pregnancy, is known to result in neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis in offspring, typically autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This effect has already been observed in mothers who were infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy. However, in 2023, Paxlovid, the COVID-19 antiviral drug, became available to patients experiencing symptoms of the virus, including pregnant women. Consequently, this study seeks to determine whether the risk of …

Addressing Chronic Stress: Activating The Healing Responses, Lily Walther

CMC Senior Theses

This paper seeks to explore the negative effects of chronic stress on the body, emphasize the tissue, cellular, and genetic healing responses that exist to combat these effects, and illustrate the behavioral and physiological interventions that can activate these responses. The concepts of stress and chronic stress have been explained through a progression of models that have been updated over the decades. This includes early theories such as The General Adaptation Syndrome and the Homeostatic Model, as well as more recent depictions such as the Reactive Scope Model. The healing responses are explored on a variety of levels to illustrate …

A Spectroscopy Study Of The Brain: Exploring Sex Differences In Healthy Older Adults, Angela Gushue

CMC Senior Theses

Cognitive decline and aging-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, disproportionately affect patients based on sex, but the mechanisms underlying these skewed effects are unknown. This proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) study seeks to understand if sex disparities in aging exist in neurometabolite concentrations of older adult brains. Sixty-seven participants, ranging from 60 to 85 years of age, underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and H-MRS of the brain. Concentrations of myo-inositol, total creatine, total NAA, and total choline were calculated in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, left hippocampal cortex, left medial temporal gyrus, left primary sensorimotor cortex, and right dorsolateral prefrontal …

From Fields To Fast Foods: Food Culture, Identity, And Health In Puerto Rico Under The U.S. Empire, Ivanna Morales Mercado

CMC Senior Theses

Operation Bootstrap, launched in 1947, fundamentally altered Puerto Rico’s economy, just as much as its food culture. Prioritizing manufacturing over agriculture led to the collapse of the island’s farming sector, increasing reliance on food imports and leading to a rise in diet-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular issues. This thesis examines the legacies of Operation Bootstrap on Puerto Rico’s food system, health outcomes, and cultural identity by emphasizing the need to value intergenerational knowledge. The oral history research in this study highlights the importance of intergenerational knowledge in reclaiming sustainable agricultural practices and healthy, culturally significant …

Beyond Teaching A Man To Fish: Smallholder Cultivation, Certification, And Cooperation In Southeast Asian Aquaculture, Sasha Shunko

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the barriers and opportunities facing smallholder aquaculture farmers in Southeast Asia, focusing on Thailand. It examines how certification systems, technical assistance, and policy interventions can effectively include smallholders in development and sustainability efforts. Based on field interviews with Thai shrimp farmers, analysis of certification schemes, and review of other agricultural intervention models, the research traces how market access, corporate concentration, and environmental change shape smallholder livelihoods.

The findings show that while certification is promoted as a tool for sustainability and market integration, in practice it often excludes the very farmers it seeks to empower. Redundant standards, limited …

Neural Correlates Of Attentional Biases In Dietary Choice: Role Of Childhood Socioeconomic Status, Justine Jamie N. Gotico

CMC Senior Theses

Childhood poverty has been shown to increase adult risk for obesity above and beyond its direct effects on adult socioeconomic status (SES). One proposed mechanism of these effects is by shifting behavioral patterns of dietary consumption and choice, for example by increasing rapid attention to high-calorie unhealthy foods. Yet, whether such neural mechanisms can explain observed differences in dietary behavior based on childhood SES remains an open question. Here we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine early attentional correlates of low childhood SES during a dietary choice task, based on research suggesting that early attentional biases toward high-calorie foods emerge …

Serum Levels Of Uric Acid In Females Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome With And Without Insulin Resistance-Baghdad Medical City / 2024, Marwah Kamal, Ban Abdul-Ridha Al-Hashimi, Ruaa Alaa Kamal, Lina Jebur

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine abnormality of the females, the anovulation, hyperandrogenism, infertility, and metabolic dysfunctions which are the main characteristic features of this disease, the elevated of serum uric acid is linked to metabolic disease as PCOS . Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of hyperuricemia in in females of polycystic ovarian syndrome with and without insulin resistance and compare serum level of uric acid in patients of polycystic ovarian syndrome with and without insulin resistance. Methods: Cross-sectional comparative study, non-probability convenience sampling was conducted at Out-patient's department of Gynecology in Baghdad Medical City, from March 15th …

The Effectiveness Of Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine In End Stage Renal Disease Patients On Hemodialysis, Ali Alwan, Zaid Ali, Harith Hadi

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Background: Immunization is the most effective way to prevent transmission of hepatitis B virus and hence the development of acute or chronic hepatitis B. End stage renal diseases (ESRD) patients have lower seroconversion rates compared with the subjects with intact renal function. Moreover, even after the completion of hepatitis B vaccination schedule , anti-HBs titer of responders was found to be low and decline logarithmically with time.Study objectives: this study is to identify the effectiveness of Hepatitis B vaccine and its response in end stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis. Patients and methods: A cross sectional study with analytic components …