Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Associated With Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (Pfas) Concentrations: Implications For Exposure Assessment And Highly Exposed Communities, Jordan Mcadam

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure has been implicated as a factor contributing to the development of many adverse health outcomes across populations of all ages. Despite this, the factors associated with PFAS concentrations in humans are not well understood. Most studies evaluating factors associated with PFAS concentrations consider a small number of variables. Differences in the factors associated with PFAS levels in populations of high exposure versus low or background exposure (i.e., the general population) have not been considered. Advancing our understanding on this topic is necessary to better understand the serum elimination half-lives and toxicokinetics of PFAS. Additionally, …

Report: Oral Health In North Dakota: Opportunities And Need To Promote Oral Health Equity, Tonya Connor, Shawnda Schroeder, Anastasia Stepanov, Olivia Persinger

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

THIS BOOKLET DESCRIBES THE CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS AND PROMOTE GOOD ORAL HEALTH IN NORTH DAKOTA Research and funding agencies stress the importance of using data to guide, develop, and implement effective and targeted activities to promote health equity. The data presented in this resource can aid decision makers, program developers, health professionals, dental teams, state agencies, and others when responding to the needs of North Dakota communities. USING THIS BOOKLET Countless providers, dental teams, local public health units, clinicians, agencies, and programs in the state are doing amazing work to ensure a healthy North Dakota. However, there are still …

Posthuman Lessons For Writing And Well-Being: Reparative Practices, Anna A. Larsson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The influence of post-humanist interdisciplinary theories on Writing Studies has displaced its conventional preoccupation with the cultivation and management of subjects via First-Year Writing (FYC), to productive but at times artificially divisive ends. This project aims at an inclusive, anti-racist first-year writing ecology through theories of networked consciousness and digital “making.” I reread and recuperate earlier variants of posthumanist writing theory and draw from feminist materialism and mindfulness studies to establish a vision of well-being that I call networked reparative practices. To bring the abstract into the tangible, an often-valued endeavor in a field historically defined by teaching, I introduce …

Mandibular Condylar Hyperplasia And Its Correlation With Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Luis Eduardo Almeida, Marco Cicciù, Andrea Doetzer, Matthew L. Beck, Gabriele Cervino, Giuseppe Minervini

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Condylar hyperplasia (CH) is a rare condition characterised by excessive unilateral growth of the mandibular condyle after cessation of growth on the contralateral side causing facial asymmetry, being more prevalent in the second and third decades.

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the utility of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) as a diagnostic and prognostic factor in condylar hyperplasia, and to determine its potential viability as a therapeutic target.

Methods

This is a case–control study, where 17 mandibular condyles specimens were collected from 17 patients treated for active mandibular condyle hyperplasia and three unaffected human mandibular …

Investigation Of Common Milkweed As A Novel Food Crop For New England, Colter Allen Flynn

Master's Theses and Capstones

Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) represent a reservoir of biodiversity that can be leveraged to help develop a more robust and sustainable food production system. This investigation sought to identify an edible crop species with potential as a novel food crop for the New England food system and conduct a subsequent evaluation of the chosen species based on agronomic traits of interest. A series of interviews were conducted between August and December 2020 with regional experts and specialists with experience in the subject matter. Based on interview data and a subsequent literature review, Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) emerged as …

The First Collective Examination Of Immunosuppressive Practices Among American Intestinal Transplant Centers, Joshua Weiner, Nathaly Llore, Dylan Ormsby, Masato Fujiki, Maria Cristina Segovia, Mark Obri, Syed-Mohammed Jafri, Jedson Liggett, Alexander H. K Kroemer, Cal Matsumoto, Jang Moon, Pierpaolo Di Cocco, Gennaro Selvaggi, Jennifer Garcia, Armando Ganoza, Ajai Khanna, George Mazariegos, Danielle Wendel, Jorge Reyes

Gastroenterology Articles

BACKGROUND: Unlike other solid organs, no standardized treatment algorithms exist for intestinal transplantation (ITx). We established a consortium of American ITx centers to evaluate current practices.

METHODS: All American centers performing ITx during the past 3 y were invited to participate. As a consortium, we generated questions to evaluate and collect data from each institution. The data were compiled and analyzed.

RESULTS: Ten centers participated, performing 211 ITx during the past 3 y (range, 3-46; mean 21.1). Induction regimens varied widely. Thymoglobulin was the most common, used in the plurality of patients (85/211; 40.3%), but there was no consensus regimen. …

Getting Syracuse University Students To Eat More Fruits And Vegetables, Firuza Allahguliyeva

International Programs

This survey study aims to analyze eating habits of Syracuse University students who have a meal plan «Nutrition assessment in the Syracuse University campus» filled out by the SU students finds that most of the subjects eat less fruits and vegetables than recommended daily amount, however they consume so much fast food.

Gross Hematuria And Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Associated With Military Burn Pits Exposures In Us Veterans Deployed To Iraq And Afghanistan, Mosammat M. Perveen, Henry E. Mayo-Malasky, Mary F. Lee-Wong, Julie M. Tomaska, Edward Forsyth, Amy Gravely, Mark A. Klein, Janeen H. Trembley, Tammy A. Butterick, Robert A. Promisloff, Pamela K. Ginex, Paul Barach, Anthony M. Szema

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to describe rates of hematuria and other lower urinary tract symptoms, including self-reported cancer rates, among veterans postburn pits emissions exposure during deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.

METHODS: US post-9/11 veterans with burn pits emissions exposure confirmed via DD214 forms in the Burn Pits360.org Registry were sent a modified survey. Data were deidentified and anonymously coded.

RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent of the 155 respondents exposed to burn pits self-reported seeing blood in their urine. The average index score of our modified American Urological Association Symptom Index Survey was 12.25 (SD, 7.48). High rates of …

Effects Of Measurement Methods And Growing Conditions On Phenotypic Expression Of Photosynthesis In Seven Diverse Rice Genotypes, Megan Reavis, Larry C. Purcell, Andy Pereira, Kusum Naithani

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Light response curves are widely used to quantify phenotypic expression of photosynthesis by measuring a single sample and sequentially altering light intensity within a chamber (sequential method) or by measuring different samples that are each acclimated to a different light level (non-sequential method). Both methods are often conducted in controlled environments to achieve steady-state results, and neither method involves equilibrating the entire plant to the specific light level.

Methods: Here, we compare sequential and non-sequential methods in controlled (greenhouse), semi-controlled (plant grown in growth chamber and acclimated to field conditions 2-3 days before measurements), and field environments. We selected …

Computational Analysis Of Plasma Lipidomics From Mice Fed Standard Chow And Ketogenic Diet, Amy L. Seufert, James W. Hickman, Jaewoo Choi, Brooke A. Napier

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dietary saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are upregulated in the blood circulation following digestion. A variety of circulating lipid species have been implicated in metabolic and inflammatory diseases; however, due to the extreme variability in serum or plasma lipid concentrations found in human studies, established reference ranges are still lacking, in addition to lipid specificity and diagnostic biomarkers. Mass spectrometry is widely used for identification of lipid species in the plasma, and there are many differences in sample extraction methods within the literature. We used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to a high-resolution hybrid triple quadrupole-time-of-flight (QToF) mass spectrometry (MS) …

2023-September-01-Go Beyond The Classroom Mini-Grants, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Creating simulations that train nurses to perform medical procedures, teaching gardening and nutrition to local elementary school students and preparing tax returns for community members are just a few examples of opportunities that are available for East Tennessee State University students to get hands-on experience while making a positive impact on the region.

These experiences are among five initiatives that will receive ETSU’s inaugural “Go Beyond the Classroom” mini-grants, designed to enhance and expand community-engaged learning in courses, programs and co-curricular experiences.

“Community-engaged learning provides the opportunity for our students to make connections between their academic course content and …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On International Students, A. Faruk Levent, Abdussamet Aktaş

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: 2023 Blood Lead Testing And Response Plan, Erika R. Marquez, Natascha Kotte, Amanda Louise Haboush, Jelsy A. Cadenas-Santos

Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy Reports

Childhood lead poisoning is one of the most preventable environmental health hazards in history. While childhood lead poisoning rates have decreased substantially since the 1970s, mounting evidence suggests that chronic, low-level exposure in early childhood can have long-lasting impacts on children. In Nevada, there are over 218,000 children under the age of 6 but only 3% are tested for lead – making Nevada one of the lowest testing states in the United States (U.S.).

The Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (NvCLPPP) staff and Advisory Committee hope that stakeholders use this blood lead testing plan as guidance to prevent and …

Finding Synergy: Improving Biopesticide Efficacy For Disease Control Through Co-Application With The Natural Product Chitosan, Liza M. Degenring

Doctoral Dissertations

Annual crop losses caused by plant diseases are estimated worldwide at 220 billion US dollars. Conventional fungicides are the primary means to control these diseases, however there are growing concerns over human health, effects on non-target species, and environmental contamination. Furthermore, many plant pathogens have developed fungicide resistance due to overexposure to chemicals with single modes of action. There is a worldwide trend to explore alternative tools to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides while continuing to reduce plant disease. Among these control strategies are the use of antagonistic microorganisms (biopesticides) and naturally occurring compounds that have fungicidal activity. Chitosan …

Effects Of Dietary Cation Anion Difference And Nicotinic Acid Supplementation On Jersey Prepartum Cows, Colostrum, And Calves And Creating A Model For The Prediction Of Colostrum Quality And Quantity In Jersey Cows From Performance In The Previous Lactation And Environmental Changes, Tess Catherine Stahl

Doctoral Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted. The objectives of the first experiment were to evaluate colostrum quantity, quality, nutrient composition, and bioactive compounds from Jersey cows fed two levels of dietary cation anion difference (DCAD; –40 or –80 mEq/kg) with or without 23 g/d unprotected nicotinic acid (NA) and its effect on cow and calf performance. The hypothesis is that both DCAD and nicotinic acid could improve colostrum quality, increase quantity and bioactive compound concentration, and improve calf intestinal development. Previous research indicated the benefits of supplementing NA in prepartum Holsteins towards improved colostrum quality, as well as enhanced feed efficiency (FE) …

Physiological And Biochemical Analysis Of The Nitrogen Metabolism And Lead Treatment In Hybrid Poplar Clone Nm6 (Populus Nigra L. X P. Maximowiczii A. Henry), Medini Weerasinghe

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACTThe first objective of my Ph.D. research was focused on understanding the reasoning for changes observed in the physiology and metabolism of the poplar plants in response to foliar application of nitrogen. Increased use of nitrogen in the soil in agriculture, in the form of nitrogen fertilizers, has helped to promote high-yield agriculture over the past decades. However, a large fraction of nitrogen applied to croplands in the form of fertilizer and manure ends up entering the freshwater system causing degradation of the water quality and eutrophication of groundwater, rivers, lakes, and coastal and marine ecosystems. Chemical fertilization is also …

Smart Bottle Firmware And Wireless Charging Integration, Khanh Thy Chau Le, Justin Truong

Electrical Engineering

In the past 3 decades, there has been a 60% increase of infants under the age of 2 who are considered obese [1]. The California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Child Development Department wants to research parents feeding habits and the Smart Bottle tool was built to aid this effort in finding the relationship between infant obesity and parent feeding habits. The Smart Bottle is a baby bottle meter attached to the bottom of the bottle. The goal of this device is to analyze the state of the feeding the parent is currently at and measure the amount of …

Research Nexus : Volume 5 - 2023, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

• Researcher Spotlight: Dr Sajid Soofi, CoE-WCH
• Research Office Launches Pure: Revolutionizing Research Grant Management
• AKU ISMC Achieves UKRI Accreditation: Opening New Doors for Research
• Student Research Forum Unites AKU and UBC for Climate Change Study
• LevelUp: Elevating Research Administration and Grants Management Skills

Aku Research 2023, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

- 40 years of research excellence

- Pioneering study to address adversity and brain development

- Multi-gene testing recommended for hereditary breast cancer

- IED builds support for teacher licensing in Pakistan

- Grading system developed by AKU-EB adopted in Pakistan

- One-quarter of health workers in Kenyan study show signs of depression

- The politics of the veil in interwar Turkey

- The state of East Africa’s news media: Confident under pressure

- Drug-resistant fungal infections raise alarm

- Researchers identify low-cost interventions for reducing malnutrition in Kenya

- Project tests feasibility of ultrasound scans in rural Kenya

- …

Effects Of Perennial Forage Composition And Harvest Intensity On The Weed Seedbank Community, Lilly E. Hartman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Most arable weeds arise from a resident soil seedbank and are typically controlled with tillage and herbicides, each of which pose sustainability challenges to growers and consumers. However, agronomic management practices that reduce weed seed input to the seedbank and that accelerate mortality of seeds already in the soil could reduce the need for more conventional weed control. Previous research and farmer practice has demonstrated that rotation of annual crops with several years of perennial forage can reduce weed abundance and the need for chemical weed control. In perennial forage systems, crop species and harvest intensity may have important effects …

Associations Of Dietary Patterns With Brain Volume In The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, Chris Guarino

Master's Theses and Capstones

Adherence to the MeD (Mediterranean Diet), MIND (Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Reduce Hypertension Intervention for Neurocognitive Delay), and other dietary patterns may benefit cognitive function among Hispanic/Latino adults. Greater regional and total brain volumetric measures are associated with an increased risk of dementia, but whether the MeD and MIND dietary patterns relate to brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults remains unclear. The objective of the current study was to quantify the associations of the MeD, MIND, and empirically derived dietary patterns with brain volume among Hispanic/Latino adults. We used data from the longitudinal Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Approximately 12.7 y from …

Multi-Level Barriers And Opportunities For Nutrition Access In New Hampshire Hispanic Communities, Brooke Kelleher

Master's Theses and Capstones

The US Hispanic population, which has doubled in size in New Hampshire (NH) over the last decade, experiences a high prevalence of cardiometabolic disease and food insecurity. Fiber intake, which can be protective against cardiometabolic disease, decreases in Hispanics after a period of living in US food environments. Multi-level approaches have been effective at addressing diet quality and cardiometabolic disease in vulnerable populations and are warranted in NH Hispanic communities. Using the Socioecological Model (SEM), this thesis examined the influences of the individual, setting, sector, and social/cultural SEM levels on access to nutritious foods in Hispanic/Latino communities in NH. Additionally, …

Movement Patterns, Habitat Use, And Survival Of Anadromous Rainbow Smelt In Great Bay Estuary, Nh, Chloe Pearson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Anadromous rainbow smelt in the northeastern USA have experienced range contraction over the past few decades, and are now restricted to waters in Massachusetts and northwards. In their current range, populations appear to be in decline, including in New Hampshire; in Great Bay, New Hampshire, conservation methods such as habitat restoration and stocking efforts have been suggested to improve populations, with projects underway to implement these methods. To optimize these conservation efforts, specific knowledge regarding rainbow smelt habitat use in estuaries is needed, including the specific habitats used as well as timing and duration of use. In March 2021, we …

Effects Of Flaxseed-Based Feed Supplement On Production Performance, Energy Utilization, Milk Fatty Acid Profile, And Enteric Methane Emissions In Jersey Cows Grazing Mixed Grass-Legume Pasture, Md Atikur Rahman

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study investigated the effect of an extruded flaxseed-based feed supplement ‘LinPRO-R (LNPR)’ on milk production and composition, milk FA profile, nutrient digestibility, ruminal metabolism, purine derivatives (PD) excretion, and enteric methane (CH4) emissions in grazing dairy cows during the summer season. Eighteen multiparous and 2 primiparous mid-lactating organic Jersey cows (128 ± 52 DIM) were used in a randomized complete block design. cows grazed mixed grass-legume pasture (Dactylis glomerata L., Trifolium repens L., Trifolium pratense L., Lolium perenne L., Phleum pratense L.) overnight (herbage allowance = 15 kg of DM/cow/day) following a strip grazing method and fed partial total-mixed …

Evaluating Growth Patterns Of Beech Bark Disease Fungal Agents Neonectria Faginata And Neonectria Ditissima Under Different In Vitro Conditions, Santiago Rivera Reyes

Master's Theses and Capstones

The co –occurring fungal species Neonectria ditissima and Neonectria faginata are major canker-forming pathogens in the beech bark disease (BBD) systems which has caused restructuring of forests throughout northeastern North America. The role of nutrients in structuring microbial community interactions has been studied in BBD forests stands but has yet to be fully understood and examined under specific in-vitro conditions. This study aimed to investigate how nitrogen, phosphorus, and temperature levels influence the growth, reproduction, and competitive hierarchies between N. ditissima and N. faginata. We performed in-vitro assays where species were first individually and then jointly grown under different concentrations …

Mechanistic Models Of Human Decision-Making And Ecological Dynamics In Small-Scale Fisheries, Sophie Wulfing

Master's Theses and Capstones

Small-scale fisheries are essential to the livelihoods of 40 million people worldwide. They are key sources of nutrients and income for these communities that rely on them. However, understanding the status of these fisheries requires in-depth data collection, often in remote areas. Further, each small-scale fishery is very individualized, and external groups attempting to impose fishing restrictions are often met with low compliance or are unsuccessful in their efforts to conserve fish stocks due to a lack of understanding of either fishing culture or the ecology of the harvested species. In this thesis, I employ various mechanistic models to small-scale …

Resource Recovery Of Biological Residues From The Brazilian Poultry Industry In Mitigating Environmental Impacts: A Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Approach, Edmar Costa Alves, Israel Henrique Dos Santos Alves, Bruna Borges Soares, Aurélio Ferreira Borges, Arshad Jalal, Arun Dilipkumar Jani, Cassio Hamilton Abreu-Junior, Gian Franco Capra, Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poultry farming is often associated with negative environmental impacts, such as water quality degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. This study covers important gaps in the geographic scope of poultry farming using Life Cycle Assessment analysis. Data on animal feed, energy, packaging, and waste were collected from the poultry industry in Rondônia, Brazil. The life cycle inventory included all inflows and outflows of feed production, poultry housing, slaughter, processing, the retail market, and the functional unit of “1 kg chicken meat with 0.22 kg protein”. The ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method was used for seven categories of impact. The results …

Chronic Illness Education 2023: Increasing Nutritional Knowledge And Health Motivation In The Southeast Michigan Pediatric Population, Laila Al-Jerdi, Elizabeth Helfrich, Nicole Lafrance, Noah Robertson, Tobin Smith, Sean Williams, Jamil Jomaa

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Physical Treatments To Modify The Functionality Of Carrot Pomace And The Development Of An Enhanced Beef Patty, Jordan O.A Richards

Master's Theses

Approximately one-third of the global food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted somewhere along the food chain. Carrots are one of the most important and widely produced root vegetables grown worldwide; they are rich in many beneficial bioactive compounds such as dietary fiber and carotenoids. Every year, an estimated 29% of processed carrots are lost as waste. The U.S. is the 3^rd largest producer of carrots worldwide, 85% of which come from California. During carrot juice processing, up to 50% of the raw material remains as carrot pomace. Carrot pomace may contain up to 55% total dietary …

A Longitudinal Assessment Of Racial And Ethnic Inequities In Food Environment Exposure And Retail Market Concentration., Qianxia Jiang, Debarchana Ghosh, Sandro Steinbach, Kristen Cooksey Stowers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: This paper assesses trends in food environment and market concentration and racial and ethnic inequities in food environment exposure and food retail market concentration at the US census tract level from 2000 to 2019.

DESIGN: Establishment-level data from the National Establishment Time Series were used to measure food environment exposure and food retail market concentration. We linked that dataset to race, ethnicity and social vulnerability information from the American Community Survey and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. A geospatial hot-spot analysis was conducted to identify relatively low and high healthy food access clusters based on the …