Digital Commons Network^™

Hepatitis A Virus And Hepatitis E Virus As Food- And Waterborne Pathogens—Transmission Routes And Methods For Detection In Food, Katalin Nemes, Sofia Persson, Magnus Simonsson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Foodborne viruses are an important threat to food safety and public health. Globally, there are approximately 5 million cases of acute viral hepatitis due to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) every year. HAV is responsible for numerous food-related viral outbreaks worldwide, while HEV is an emerging pathogen with a global health burden. The reported HEV cases in Europe have increased tenfold in the last 20 years due to its zoonotic transmission through the consumption of infected meat or meat products. HEV is considered the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide currently. This review focuses …

Characterizing Cancer Metabolism From Bulk And Single-Cell Rna-Seq Data Using Metaflux, Yuefan Huang, Vakul Mohanty, Merve Dede, Kyle Tsai, May Daher, Li Li, Katayoun Rezvani, Ken Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cells often alter metabolic strategies under nutrient-deprived conditions to support their survival and growth. Characterizing metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is of emerging importance in cancer research and patient care. However, recent technologies only measure a subset of metabolites and cannot provide in situ measurements. Computational methods such as flux balance analysis (FBA) have been developed to estimate metabolic flux from bulk RNA-seq data and can potentially be extended to single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data. However, it is unclear how reliable current methods are, particularly in TME characterization. Here, we present a computational framework METAFlux (METAbolic Flux balance analysis) …

2023 Summer Experience Program Abstracts, The University Of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center

Summer Experience 2023

No abstract provided.

Developing A Game (Inner Dragon) Within A Leading Smartphone App For Smoking Cessation: Design And Feasibility Evaluation Study., Justin S White, Marie K Salem, Séverine Toussaert, J Lee Westmaas, Bethany Raiff, David Crane, Edward Warrender, Courtney Lyles, Lorien Abroms, Johannes Thrul

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Several stand-alone smartphone apps have used serious games to provide an engaging approach to quitting smoking. So far, the uptake of these games has been modest, and the evidence base for their efficacy in promoting smoking cessation is still evolving. The feasibility of integrating a game into a popular smoking cessation app is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to describe the design and iterative development of the Inner Dragon game within Smoke Free, a smartphone app with proven efficacy, and the results of a single-arm feasibility trial as part of a broad program that seeks to …

Clemson Commencement Program, August 2023, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Peer Recovery Coaches For Addiction Recovery Among Indigenous Americans, Nicholas Guenzel

Theses & Dissertations

Addiction is a common and devastating problem among many Indigenous American (IA) groups around the United States. Too few IA health care providers are available to deliver care in a way that leverages IA values and traditions to support addiction recovery. Peer recovery coaches (PRCs) are individuals who have lived experience of addiction and have received specialized training in helping others in recovery. IA PRCs hold significant potential in helping to fill the gap of culturally-specific support in addiction. In this feasibility trial, we recruited a total of 120 adult (≥19 years) IAs with a substance use disorder through Facebook …

Association Of Initial Periodontal Inflammation And Obesity On Oral Wound Healing Outcomes, Neil Bealka Iii

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this prospective cohort pilot study was to determine if initial periodontal inflammation limits healing outcomes after tooth extraction, specifically in terms of reduced periodontal attachment on adjacent teeth and changes in radiographic bone quantity and quality. Additionally, the study sought to explore correlations between patients with high body mass index and post-extraction healing outcomes. The study enrolled nine patients at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College Of Dentistry who required the extraction of a posterior tooth due to advanced periodontal bone loss, non-restorable caries, or root fracture. Prior to extraction, a limited field cone beam CT …

Samd14 Mechanisms In Stress Erythropoiesis, Suhita Ray

Theses & Dissertations

Red blood cells (RBCs) essential for tissue oxygenation are generated by the process of erythropoiesis. Any decrease in the RBCs or the oxygen-carrying molecule hemoglobin leads to anemia, affecting nearly 1.62 billion people worldwide. Stress erythropoiesis describes the process of accelerating RBC production during anemia, to compensate for the loss. Among several important mediators of stress erythropoiesis, paracrine signals - involving cooperation between Stem Cell Factor (SCF)/Kit signaling and other signaling inputs – are required for the activation/function of a unique population of progenitor cells - stress erythroid progenitors (SEPs). Biological mechanisms controlling SEP activation and function can be distinct …

Loading Force In Recreational Runners And Its Effect On Achilles Tendon Biomechanical Properties, Joshua K. Sponbeck

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Achilles tendinopathy is a common debilitating running related injury. Achilles tendon loading force has been hypothesized as a contributor to Achilles tendinopathy. Loading force through the Achilles tendon during running is impacted by many factors such as footwear and foot strike pattern. Achilles tendon biomechanical (Achilles tendon cross-sectional area, thickness, echogenicity, stiffness, and T2*) responses to loading forces are variable and measurable in vivo. These responses impact the physiologic function of the tendon. Aims: 1) To evaluate baseline Achilles tendon biomechanical characteristics associated with a runner's habitual foot strike pattern. 2) To evaluate single running bout Achilles tendon biomechanical …

The Impact Of Access And Quality Of Antenatal Care On Maternal Mortality Rates Among Women In Pakistan, Fauzia Waqar

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper focuses on the factors contributing to high maternal mortality rates in Pakistan, emphasizing the crucial role of inadequate antenatal care (ANC) and limited access to quality health services. Prominent risk factors include poverty and financial constraints, healthcare workforce shortages, lack of women empowerment, and low socioeconomic conditions. The cultural and traditional context in Pakistan also plays an influential role in shaping these factors. For a substantial reduction in maternal mortality rates among Pakistani women and girls, a shift within the cultural perception of women's health, specifically regarding ANC, is crucial. To effectively reduce maternal mortality rates in the …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study, Bryan A. Pecoraro

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted youth experiencing homelessness (YEH). During the coronavirus outbreak, millions of people’s health worldwide was negatively affected. In addition to poor physical health, society’s mental health was affected by political discourse, viral mitigation factors, social distancing, and distrust of both the media and government. Decades of research with those experiencing homelessness suggest that the housing insecure suffer from a litany of poor outcomes. Their physical and mental health are negatively affected by traumas and illnesses suffered prior to, and during, their transience. This study takes a phenomenological …

Understanding The Compositional And Contextual Factors Influencing Maternal Health Experiences And Outcomes, Tambudzai P. Ndashe

Theses & Dissertations

Despite being preventable, adverse maternal health outcomes continue to be a problem in the United States, which fares worse at preventing these issues than other industrialized nations. Although our understanding of the factors that play a role in the etiology of adverse maternal health outcomes has improved over time, there is still a lot left to understand regarding the role of contextual factors, the upward trajectory of outcomes such as severe maternal morbidity (SMM), and the disproportionate impact of adverse maternal health outcomes on non-Hispanic Black women. This thesis attempted to evaluate the factors that influence procedure-related severe maternal morbidity …

Reducing Oral Health Disparities: Effectiveness Of Preventive Dental Care On Treatment Use, Expenditures And Determinants Of Service Utilization, Rashmi Lamsal

Theses & Dissertations

Given the importance of oral health in maintaining the general health and well-being of an individual, this dissertation includes three independent studies examining dental care utilization and expenditures among adults in the U.S. The first study examines the effectiveness of preventive dental visits on treatment utilization and expenditures among adults aged 18 and above. The second study focuses on the impact of paid sick leave on different types of dental services utilization among working adults aged 18-64. Finally, the last paper compares the differences in dental care utilization and related expenditure between foreign-born and US-born adults with diabetes. The paper …

Health Risks Of Herbal Medicine In The Us: Recommendations To Improve Awareness And Advance Safety, Darya Sinkevich

Master's Projects and Capstones

Adults in the U.S. use herbal medicine as an alternative and in conjunction with conventional healthcare, in many cases because of cultural and economic considerations. With insufficient governmental regulation of the content of herbal supplements, and limited education of healthcare providers on the potential risks and benefits consumers can experience unexpected and potentially harmful health impacts from using herbal medicine.

The health risks associated with these products include but are not limited to, herbal and prescription drug interactions and heavy metal toxicity. For this project, a scoping literature review was conducted using multiple databases to identify the prevalence, health risk, …

Fall Risk Identification And Reduction Among The Gerontological Population At A Long-Term Care Facility, Esther A. Lowe, Breanna Cates, Lisa James, Ashley Samson, Jowel Ochoa, Matthew Ng

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Data obtained from the facility from February 2022 to July 2023 showed that there were a total of 110 falls at the facility with 51% resulting in injury. The facility also lacked a standardized fall assessment tool with minimal follow up after fall incidents.

Context: A microsystem assessment of the geriatric population at the long-term care facility indicated the need for a standardized fall risk screening tool to accurately assess patients.

Interventions: A staff presentation was created highlighting the high rate of falls at the facility as well as to educate on the implementation of the Morse Fall …

Advancing Kidney Health In Hispanic/Latino Communities In The Us: Promotoras, Health Education, And Food Security, Estefania Huerta

Master's Projects and Capstones

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is not only a public health concern that affects the health of people living in the United States, but also a global health concern affecting millions worldwide. Diabetes is the leading cause of CKD and when CKD is not managed, it can turn into a life-threatening condition known as End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) where life is not sustainable without dialysis or a kidney transplant. Although CKD is prevalent among all populations in the United States, the Hispanic/Latino population suffers the most complications (Desai et al., 2019). In 1973, Congress extended Medicare services to people with ESRD …

Addressing Food Insecurity Among Undocumented Immigrants In California – An Expansion And Outreach Approach, Duy Nhan T. Ho

Master's Projects and Capstones

A challenge that undocumented immigrants in California face with is the insecurity of food. The experience of food insecurity for undocumented immigrants is more than just a shortage of food, but rather it is the limited access and poor quality of food. Having accessibility to food is important for one’s wellbeing and in lowering the rate of other health disparities that is a public health problem. This paper will discuss the prevalence of food insecurity among undocumented immigrants in California and the barriers that they face with food assistance programs. Further discussion will focus on current interventions that are being …

Expanding The Volunteer Role To Include Advance Care Planning Knowledge, Andrea C. Leomo

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Transition patients at the end-of-life are those patients who are not mentally ready or physically eligible for hospice thus not enrolled in a Palliative or Hospice Program. Only one-third of the Transition patient census had completed and filed advance care plans. Healthcare providers are obligated to perform life-saving measures unless documented otherwise. A lack of advance care planning can create complicated scenarios and cause discordant care incidents.

Context: End-of-life care is a delicate subject to navigate conversations with patients. With holistic care being a large component of hospice and palliative care, it is important to have updated and accurate …

The Effects Of Advanced Factor Analysis Approaches On Outcomes In Randomised Trials For Depression: Protocol For Secondary Analysis Of Individual Participant Data, Frank Doyle, David Byrne, Robert M Carney, Pim Cuijpers, Alexandra L Dima, Kenneth Freedland, Suzanne Guerin, David Hevey, Bishember Kathuria, Shane Kelly, Stephen Mcbride, Emma Wallace, Fiona Boland

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Modern psychometric methods make it possible to eliminate nonperforming items and reduce measurement error. Application of these methods to existing outcome measures can reduce variability in scores, and may increase treatment effect sizes in depression treatment trials.

AIMS: We aim to determine whether using confirmatory factor analysis techniques can provide better estimates of the true effects of treatments, by conducting secondary analyses of individual patient data from randomised trials of antidepressant therapies.

METHOD: We will access individual patient data from antidepressant treatment trials through Clinicalstudydatarequest.com and Vivli.org, specifically targeting studies that used the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) …

Evaluating The Feasibility And Impact Of A Well-Being Retreat For Physicians And Advanced Practice Providers, Amanda K. Bailey, Amanda T. Sawyer, Hong Tao, Leila Durr, Alexandra Lajeunesse, Ravindran Sabapathy, Tyon L. Hall

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Work stress experienced by physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) can have a detrimental psychological and physical impact. Targeted interventions that focus on self-awareness, peer connection, and intentional self-care may reduce stress and improve well-being and professional fulfillment.

Methods: This is a summative program evaluation of a two-day well-being retreat for physicians and APPs employed at a healthcare system headquartered in Florida. Led by mental health professionals in May 2022, this retreat combined facilitator-led workshops and experiential practice activities with opportunities for peer connection and designated time with family members. The retreat objectives were to facilitate social …

Coral Castles: Protecting Polyps From Parrotfish Predation, Kyle Anthony-Kicking Bear Pisano

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Florida's coral reefs are in a state of near-constant degradation concomitant with ever-increasing coastal development and associated anthropogenic impacts. Government agencies, non-profits, and concerned citizens have spent significant time and resources combating these negative impacts. One primary method of mitigating damage to coral reefs is to transplant corals onto degraded reefs using corals that have been grown in nurseries. While many challenges of reef restoration have been overcome, parrotfish predation on freshly transplanted corals persists as a significant issue. Parrotfish are recognized as an essential species on healthy reefs but can also hinder reef restoration efforts by biting young, newly …

Resilience Through Urban Green Spaces: Collaborations And Collective Action Toward Equitable Access And Creation Of Green Space In Albany, New York, Frederick Bentley

Capstone Collection

The crisis of climate change-driven disaster and instability is affecting humans all over the world, especially vulnerable populations in urban settings. This crisis exacerbates social inequalities in cities that exist from a legacy of discriminatory policies. This research centers local perspectives and policies on access and utilization of green spaces as a vital social and green infrastructure within the city of Albany, NY. Building off literature establishing green space as a means to build climate resilience and foster community wellbeing, this paper uses a socio-ecological lens to explore efforts being made by government and community organizations to foster equity, social …

The U.S. Government's Global Food Security Strategy And The Effectiveness Of Agriculture-Led Growth Through The Perspectives Of Climate Change And Sustainability, Marcella Mcnerney

Capstone Collection

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Global Food Security Strategy Fiscal Year 2022-2026 addresses food security in developing countries. The U.S. Global Food Security Strategy set forth by USAID lays forth a strategy for increasing food security in twelve targeted low-income and developing nations. How well the USAID policy does this with consideration of climate change, sustainability, and socio-economic well-being is crucial to examine given the fact that climate change impacts and predictions are now affecting food systems at all stages, from growth through production. The following discussion combines elements of a policy brief and research paper to …

Issue 424: August 10-24, 2023, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Elevation And Soaking Conditions On Dry Bean Cooking Time, Chelsea Didinger, Karen Cichy, Carlos Urrea, Madalyn Scanlan, Henry Thompson

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Dry beans and other pulses (e.g., chickpeas and cowpeas) are nutrient-dense foods that promote human and environmental health. However, consumption is declining in many regions around the world. Addressing barriers to greater pulse intake is important to reverse this trend. Cooking time is one such barrier, with consumers viewing the long cooking times of many pulses as a hurdle to higher consumption due to lack of time or fuel availability. Equipping consumers with simple, accessible ways to reduce pulse cooking time is one way to mitigate this barrier. Accordingly, this study assessed changes to cooking time when pinto beans ( …

Factors Related To Tracheostomy Timing In Moderate To Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Carla M. Figueroa-Gomez, Eli M. Rhoads

Posters: 2023 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the chronic lung disease of prematurity, occurs in infants born at less than 32w gestational age (GA) who require respiratory support at 36w GA. Infants with moderate BPD are considered G2 (above LFNC oxygen support) and severe is G3 (ventilator support) [3]. A small portion of infants will require tracheostomy placement for long-term respiratory support. The diverse clinical courses and inter-center variations have contributed to the uncertainty of tracheostomy timing [4]. According to previous studies, early tracheostomy placement may be associated with improved developmental outcomes and lower mortality [1,2]. This study follows 19 patients who had their …

The Current - Volume 34 Orientation And Sports Edition, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

A Review With Updated Perspectives On In Vitro And In Vivo Wound Healing Models, Murni Nazira Sarian, Nabilah Zulkefli, Shazeli Zain, Sandra Maniam, Sharida Fakurazi

Turkish Journal of Biology

A skin wound or perforation triggers a series of homeostatic reactions to safeguard internal organs from invasion by pathogens or other substances that could damage body tissues. An injury may occasionally heal quickly, leading to the closure of the skin's structure. Healing from chronic wounds takes a long time. Although many treatment options are available to manage wound healing, an unmet therapy need remains because of the complexity of the processes and the other factors involved. It is crucial to conduct consistent research on novel therapeutic approaches to find an effective healing agent. Therefore, this work aims to cover various …

Effectiveness Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Increasing Growth And Yield Of Maize Overlaid On Oil Palm Aged 4 Years, Cucu Suherman, Sri Desi Nurliawati, Mira Ariyanti, Intan Ratna Dewi, Mochamad Arief Soleh

Jurnal Kultivasi

The intercropping system in oil palm plantations is an effort to optimize land, especially at the immature stages (IS), which have a large open space between the trees, so it can be used for cultivating annual crops such as maize. Oil palm trees are generally planted on marginal lands, such as Inceptisol, which generally lacks in phosphor (P). These problems can be reduced by applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to elevate P. This experiment was to determine the dosage and effectiveness of AMF that can improve the growth and yield of maize intercropped with a 4-year-old oil palm. The experiment …

Impact Of Strokes: The Burden Of Care, Post-Cva Fatigue & Caregiver Role Strain, Tanya G. Schlemmer

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Strokes and cerebral vascular accidents (CVAs) and related disease events are an unfortunate circumstance that inflicts individuals around the world and impacts people every day as individuals and their caregivers. The consequences of these strokes or CVA events are life-changing for all those involved. As a result of long-term disability related to strokes, the caregiver may undergo many emotional, psychological, and physical factors that impact their daily lives. There is a relatively short period of time to react to the necessary change and as a result there may be differences in coping associated with these unexpected health circumstances. Many stoke …