Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationships Between State-Level Economic Policies, Child Maltreatment, And Suicidal Behavior And Mortality., Yana B. Feygin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide has proven to be difficult to predict and prevent at the individual level,1–3 so much so that a recent analysis of individual risk assessments found a maximal positive predictive value of 5.5% for suicide death,2 and suicide continues to be a leading cause of death among adolescents age 10-19 years.4 By targeting modifiable risk factors at the population level, policy has the potential to extend our reach to people and subgroups that are missed by individual level interventions. This ecological study of adolescent suicide rates, state policies, and child maltreatment in US states from 2005-2019 and Kentucky counties from …

Promotional Communication For A College Food Pantry: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Assessment Of Socioecological Variables Related To Past Use Of A Campus-Based Food Pantry., Bunny Marie Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This study examined differences between users and non-users of campus food pantry, conducted communication audit, and made recommendations for future food pantry communication. Methods: Cross-sectional twofold study, first analyzing existing intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental data to test predictors of campus food pantry usage characteristics, using inferential statistics. Secondly, conducting a communication audit that evaluates the reach of student communication. Results: Significant differences were found between users and non-users of food pantry that support hypotheses in relation to gender, age, race, class, marital status, housing type, housing description, and Pell eligibility. Findings could not support hypothesized differences in first-generation status. …

Novel Insights Into Oligodendrocyte Biology From Developmental Myelination Studies In Autophagy Deficient Mice And Analysis Of Oligodendrocyte Translatome Response To Contusive Spinal Cord Injury., Michael David Forston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Loss of myelin causes severe neurological disorders and functional deficits in white matter injuries (WMI) such as traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). This dissertation is focused on autophagy in OL development and the OL translatome after SCI. Chapter I describes the history of myelin, OL development, and their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases and SCI. The proteostasis network, in particular autophagy, and its contributions to white matter pathology is discussed. It concludes examining advantages and disadvantages of unbiased omics tools, like RiboTag, to study transcriptional/translational landscapes after SCI. Chapter II focuses on autophagy in OPC/OL differentiation, survival, and proper myelination in …

The Relationship Between Poverty And Behavior Problems : Examining The Role Of Family And Parental Factors From An Ecological Systems Perspective, Alaina Marie Wodzinski

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The large number of children from low-income households or living in poverty are at increased risk for a range of negative outcomes, including behavior problems. The Family Stress Model is a framework that can be used to describe how poverty may shape the development of behavior problems through its influence on family processes, including parental mental health, parenting, and household environment. While the Family Stress Model has been widely replicated, studies have rarely examined the context of infancy and toddlerhood, during which family-related processes tend to be more impactful in child development. Therefore, the present study evaluated two adaptations of …

Histamine Excretion In Common Indoor And Hematophagous Arthropods, Simona Principato, Alvaro Romero, Chow-Yang Lee, Kathleen Campbell, Dong-Hwan Choe, Coby Schal, Zachary C. Devries

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Histamine is a biogenic amine that regulates multiple physiological functions in diverse organisms, specifically playing a central role in the mammalian immune response. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), excretes histamine in large amounts in its feces as a component of its aggregation pheromone, which contaminates homes. The potential health risks associated with the presence of indoor histamine are unclear, but to predict future exposure risks, it is critical that we understand if other arthropods excrete histamine in any discernible phylogenetic pattern. In the present study, we evaluated histamine excretion by various arthropods; specifically those commonly found …

Effect Of Exercise Training On Circulating Cancer-Associated Immune Cells In Breast Cancer Patients, Lea Haverbeck Simon

Dissertations

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among females. It is well known that the presence of a tumor decreases robust anticancer immunity via immune-modulation and enhanced immunosuppression through a process called cancer immunoediting. However, it has yet to be determined if exercise-based rehabilitation can elevate the peripheral anticancer immune profile and reduce myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) mediated immunosuppression. Purpose: To assess the effects of a 12-week prescribed, individualized, supervised exercise-based rehabilitation program on selected circulating immune cells in BC patients at the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute. Methods: 16 female BC patients …

‘Poor Hockey Behaviors’: Athletes’ Moral Acculturation Experiences In Youth Hockey, Zachary Colter Mccarver

Dissertations

Competitive youth sport requires athletes to persistently decide what the moral course of action is across situation (Boardley, 2020; Rest, 1984). Sport cultures that contain coaches who endorse a win at all cost mentality encourage athletes’ engagement in behaviors that are detrimental to their opponents to achieve competitive success (Boardley & Kavussanu, 2007). Bandura (1991) proposed that environmental processes can alter how an individual determines the moral course of action through the anticipation of behavior to produce self-referenced positive consequences, such as pride or satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to explore athletes’ moral acculturation experiences within hockey culture …

Myeloid Fth1 Deficiency Protects Mice From Colitis And Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer Via Reducing Dmt1-Imported Iron And Stat3 Activation, Zhaoli Liu, Mariella Arcos, David R. Martin, Xiang Xue

Pathology Research and Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Myeloid cells are critical for iron and immune homeostasis. Ferritin heavy chain (FTH1) is essential for intracellular iron storage. Myeloid FTH1 is important in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. However, the role of myeloid FTH1 in colitis and colitis-associated cancer has not been determined.

METHODS: Myeloid FTH1 deficient and wild-type mice were treated with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or azoxymethane (AOM)-DSS to compare their susceptibility to acute colitis or colitis-associated cancer.

RESULTS: Myeloid FTH1-deficient mice fed with a high-iron diet were less susceptible to DSS-induced acute colitis than wild type mice. Mechanistic studies showed that myeloid FTH1 deficiency …

Effect Of Body Mass Index Percentile On Complicated Appendicitis, Postoperative Complications And Health Service Utilization Among Pediatric Patients In The United States, Nutan Hebballi

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

While overweight and obesity have been extensively studied for complicated appendicitis, postoperative complications, and health service utilization, the effects of being underweight are unknown. This dissertation assesses the associations between the body mass index (BMI) spectrum with complicated appendicitis, postoperative complications, and healthcare service utilization in pediatric patients.  A retrospective review of pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy surgery (01/01/2016-12/31/2020) was conducted using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Computed age and gender-specific BMI percentiles were categorized into underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. The 30-day postoperative complications were grouped into minor, major, and any. Healthcare service utilizations were compared …

Association Of Sustained Low Or High Income And Income Changes With Risk Of Incident Type 2 Diabetes Among Individuals Aged 30 To 64 Years, Jimin Clara Park, Ga Eun Nam, Jinna Yu, Ketrell L. Mcwhorter, Junxiu Liu, Hong Seok Lee, Seong-Su Lee, Kyungdo Han

UK CARES Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Evidence of the association between income fluctuation and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is scarce.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether sustained low or high income and income changes are associated with incidence of T2D.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this population-based cohort study, more than 7.8 million adults without T2D aged 30 to 64 years from a nationally representative sample from the Korean Health Insurance Service database were enrolled in 2012 and followed up to 2019 (median follow-up, 6.3 years [IQR, 6.1-6.6 years]).

EXPOSURES Twenty quantiles of monthly health insurance premiums determined income levels. Income quartiles were annually analyzed …

The Effect Of Message Framing On Parents Of Youth Athletes Attitudes Toward Messages Promoting Healthy Athletic Training Recommendations, John Capra

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

Each year within the United States 73% of children and adolescents participate in some form of organized sport (Aspen Institute, 2020). This participation results in a high rate of injury necessitating 2.6 million emergency room visits each year (Merkel, 2013). Over half of these injuries incurred in youth sport are deemed overuse injuries (Valovich McLeod et al., 2011), which are a leading cause in the high attrition rate seen in youth athletics today (Persson et al., 2020; Mangan, 2018). In order to decrease the prevalence of these overuse injuries, the proper education of, and adherence to, certain recommended sport behaviors …

Perspectives On The Application Of Pharmacogenomics In Patient Care, Erika Meaddough

All Dissertations

Pharmacogenomics, the study of the genetic contribution to inter-individual differences in drug response, has great potential for realizing the goals of precision medicine: the right drug, for the right patient, at the right time. However, application in the clinical setting, through the use of pharmacogenetic testing, still has not gained widespread acceptance. This work describes multiple aspects of pharmacogenomics, which drive current research in this field.

Chapter I is an introduction to pharmacogenomics. Regulatory agencies and professional organizations across the globe provide information about gene-drug interactions that could lead to adverse drug reactions, and/or therapeutic failure. Risks for poor health …

Breeding Cotton For Determinate Growth Habit: Increasing Cotton Fiber Yield By Remobilization Of End-Of-Season Perennial Reserves, Salman Naveed

All Dissertations

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is a major export commodity for the U.S. Despite advances in plant breeding and management practices, the cotton yield gains in the U.S. have stagnated. Therefore, to increase cotton fiber yield, we undertook a novel approach by altering the growth habit of cotton from perennial to annual. In this effort, eight genotypes showing strong expression alleles for five floral induction and meristem identity genes were selected from 44 Upland cotton mini-core collection genotypes and genetically crossed in various combinations to stack the strong expression alleles in a genotype. These efforts have allowed us to develop high-yielding, …

“My Mother Hates Her Body, She Swears She Loves Mine”: The Effects Of Socialization Through Mothering On Daughters’ Body Talk And Intuitive Eating., Andrea N. Jenkins

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

This study examines the effects of early socialization about the body within mother/daughter relationships and its impact on the practice of Intuitive Eating (a practice of listening to one’s own body regarding food, rather than following dieting rules). Though researchers have widely explored mother/daughter relationships and dieting, this study seeks to build on this previous research, while also examining it through a new lens of adult women’s experiences with Intuitive Eating. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 adult women who identify as Intuitive Eaters. Interviews focused on answering three research questions; (1) how does early socialization about food and the …

Association Of Amnioinfusion Volume At The Time Of Surgery For Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome And Latency To Delivery., Braxton Forde, Foong-Yen Lim, David N Mckinney, Mounira Habli, Kara B Markham, Mallory Hoffman, Sammy Tabbah, Marc Oria, Jose L Peiro

Women’s Health Articles

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of amnioinfusion and other peri-operative factors on pregnancy outcomes in the setting of Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) treated via fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP).

METHODS: Retrospective study of TTTS treated via FLP from 2010 to 2019. Pregnancies were grouped by amnioinfusion volume during FLP (< 1 L vs. ≥1 L). The primary outcome was latency from surgery to delivery. An amnioinfusion statistic (AIstat) was created for each surgery based on the volume of fluid infused and removed and the preoperative deepest vertical pocket. Regression analysis was planned to assess the association of AIstat with latency.

RESULTS: Patients with amnioinfusion of ≥1 L at the time of FLP had decreased latency from surgery to delivery (61 ± 29.4 vs. 73 ± 28.8 days with amnioinfusion < 1 L, p < 0.001) and increased preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) < 34 weeks (44.7% vs. 33.5%, p = 0.042). Amnioinfusion ≥1 L was associated with an increased risk of delivery < 32 weeks (aRR 2.6, 95% CI 1.5-4.5), 30 weeks (aRR 2.4, 95% CI 1.5-3.8), and 28 weeks (aRR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-2.3). Cox-proportional regression revealed that AIstat was inversely associated with latency (HR 1.1, 95% CI 1.1-1.2).

CONCLUSION: Amnioinfusion ≥1 L during FLP was associated with decreased latency after surgery and increased PPROM < 34 weeks.

Essays On Human Capital, Labor, And Gender, Kritika Sen Chakraborty

Economics ETDs

This dissertation is a collection of chapters that demonstrate the factors affecting human capital and labor market outcomes of adolescents and the gender differences in the quality of employment of adults in South Africa.

The second chapter evaluates the impact of South Africa’s Child Support Grant, an unconditional means-tested grant provided to age-eligible children, on adolescent nutrition outcomes. The findings suggest that welfare programs can alleviate extreme undernutrition and overnutrition among females during the critical growth period of adolescence.

In the third chapter, I use longitudinal data from rural South Africa linked with geospatial climate indicators to examine the effect …

Three Essays On The Economics Of Children’S Health And Education In Nepal, Khusiman Pun

Economics ETDs

First essay: This paper studies the impact of Nepal’s 1996-2006 Maoist insurgency on the nutritional status of children. We employ the difference-in-difference (DID) model. The proxy for conflict intensity is killings per thousand population (KPT). The finding of our study is that a marginal increase in KPT decreases the height-for-age (HAZ) of the children by 0.0844. The loss in child health was statistically not significant in both non-poor and poor households. Therefore, the impact of the insurgency on child health is largely driven by the negative effect of the insurgency on Janajaties, irrespective of their economic status.

Second essay: This …

An Assessment Of Clemson Cooperative Extension Agents’ Perceptions Of Work-Related Factors Leading To Burnout, Erika Hwang

All Theses

Turnover and employee burnout are problems the Cooperative Extension System is facing nationwide, and the Clemson University Cooperative Extension System is no exception. There has been previous research done within the Extension system to identify the factors contributing to turnover and burnout, however, both remain an issue. Yet, there has been no research done to examine the Clemson University Cooperative Extension System individually. To further investigate factors contributing to burnout, this pilot study was conducted with Clemson University Clemson Extension agents using a burnout assessment that has not previously been used in Extension research. This study described Clemson University Cooperative …

Examining The Effects Of Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles On Primary Gingival Keratinocytes For The Prevention Of Oral Disease, Jennifer C. Carranza

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Oral plaque biofilm has been identified as the primary contributor to dental conditions such as dental caries and periodontal disease that promotes a diverse and pervasive collection of microbial species to inhabit the oral cavity. Disrupting the plaque matrix early could help combat this global disease burden. This study evaluated the effect of IONPs on primary gingival keratinocytes.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine existing research regarding nanoparticles and determine if IONPs affect the PGK cell membranes with preliminary research to find the maximum lysis possible with PGK cells.

Methods: IONP core/shell syntheses were performed. Considering keratinocyte characteristics, examining data …

The Incidence And Modifiable Risk Factors For Necrotizing Enterocolitis Inpreterm Infants A Retrospective Cohort Study, Kelvin Gitau, Roseline Ochieng, Mary Limbe, Caroline Kathomi, James Orwa

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence and modifiable risk factors for Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants born at ≤32 weeks of gestation weighing <1500 grams, at a private tertiary care hospital in Kenya.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Preterm infants born at ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation and weighing <1500 grams admitted to NICU between 2009 and 2019, were recruited into the study. The primary outcome was NEC Bell Stage IIa-IIIb based on Modified Bell’s criteria. Maternal and neonatal characteristics were evaluated. The association between variables of interest and NEC was determined using logistic regression analysis and the incidence of NEC for the study period was calculated.

Results: A total of 261 charts of infants born at ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation, weighing <1500 were reviewed, and 200 charts met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen preterm infants developed the primary outcome of interest: NEC Stage ≥2a within the first 30 days of admission. The overall incidence of NEC for the study period was 7.5%. Three risk factors were identified as significantly associated with NEC on multivariate logistic regression analysis: antenatal exposure to steroids (OR = 0.056 CI = 0.003-0.964 p = 0.047), cumulative duration of exposure to invasive mechanical ventilation (OR = 2.172 CI = 1.242-3.799 p = 0.007) and cumulative duration of exposure to umbilical vein catheter (OR = 1.344 CI = 1.08-1.672 p = 0.008).

Conclusions: The overall incidence for the study period of NEC Stage ≥ II a was 7.5%. Exposure to antenatal steroids, duration of mechanical ventilation, and duration of umbilical vein catheterization were …

Towards A Social Justice Model Of Inclusion For University-Community Engagement, Dalon Taylor

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

University-community engagement often professes to center the shifting needs and issues that communities face but these are often pushed to the periphery in knowledge creation. The methods of engagement, research agenda, outcomes, as well as the measures of success are typically grounded in the academe and universities can almost always pinpoint immediate benefits for the co-creation of this knowledge. Universities are usually able to secure funding and gain prestige to undertake these engagements and projects are put forth as testaments of universities commitments to social change. Communities often struggle to do the same and many are often not equipped with …

University Of Central Florida Graduate Catalog, 2023 - 2024, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Timing Of Insulin Administration, Brianna Kirkner Bsn, Rn, Amanda Trotter Bsn, Rn, Sydney Sanders Bsn, Rn, Erin Cliver Bsn, Rn

Vizient/ AACN Nurse Residency Program™ EBP Projects

No abstract provided.

Knowledge Of Hemodialysis, Mckenna Amey Bsn, Rn, Erika Jufre Adn, Rn, Lisbeth Nunez Bsn. Rn

Vizient/ AACN Nurse Residency Program™ EBP Projects

No abstract provided.

Trophic Assessment Of The Invasive Hydrozoan Gonionemus Vertens Using Stable Isotope Analysis : You Are What You Eat, Diana Sisk-Gritz

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Gonionemus vertens, commonly known as the clinging jellyfish, is a small hydrozoan known for their conflicts with humans due to their neurotoxins that can lead to paralysis. Native to the Pacific Ocean, it has now invaded numerous ecosystems in the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Europe, and the United States. In the United States, it has flourishing populations from New Jersey to Maine. However, many questions remain as to how it arrived and spread, but equally important is what impact this species may have in the invaded communities they now reside. Research suggests that G. vertens actively feeds on …

The Vagus Nerve Mediates Gut-Brain Response To Duodenal Nutrient Administration, Robert C. Ross, Yanlin He, R. Leigh Townsend, Philip R. Schauer, Hans Rudolph Berthoud, Christopher D. Morrison, Vance L. Albaugh

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity contributes significant disease burden worldwide, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. While bariatric surgery is the most effective and durable obesity treatment, the mechanisms underlying its effects remain unknown. Although neuro-hormonal mechanisms have been suspected to mediate at least some of the gut-brain axis changes following bariatric surgery, studies examining the intestine and its regionally specific post-gastric alterations to these signals remain unclear. Materials and methods: Vagus nerve recording was performed following the implantation of duodenal feeding tubes in mice. Testing conditions and measurements were made under anesthesia during baseline, nutrient or vehicle solution delivery, and post-delivery. Solutions …

Pharmacological Inhibition Of Lipolysis Prevents Adverse Metabolic Outcomes During Glucocorticoid Administration, Melissa A. Linden, Susan J. Burke, Humza A. Pirzadah, Tai Yu Huang, Heidi M. Batdorf, Walid K. Mohammed, Katarina A. Jones, Sujoy Ghosh, Shawn R. Campagna, J. Jason Collier, Robert C. Noland

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Objective: Glucocorticoids are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of anti-inflammatory drugs; however, chronic treatment promotes iatrogenic (drug-induced) diabetes. As part of their physiological role, glucocorticoids stimulate lipolysis to spare glucose. We hypothesized that persistent stimulation of lipolysis during glucocorticoid therapy plays a causative role in the development of iatrogenic diabetes. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were given 100 μg/mL corticosterone (Cort) in the drinking water for two weeks and were fed either normal chow (TekLad 8640) or the same diet supplemented with an adipose triglyceride lipase inhibitor (Atglistatin - 2 g/kg diet) to inhibit the first step of lipolysis. …

Quality Of Farmed Shrimp (Penaeus Monodon, Fabricius, 1798 And Macrobrachium Rosenbergii, Deman, 1879) As Affected By Melanosis Inhibiting Compounds, M. Khan, J. A. Lively

Faculty Publications

A problem associated with shrimp is blackspot or melanosis and to prevent blackspot, sulfites have been used for years but come with additional health risks. Newer 4-hexylresorcinol formulations exist that allow sulfite-free shrimp, but effects on the quality of Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798, and Macrobrachium rosenbergii, de Man, 1879, beyond melanosis prevention are unknown. Adverse effects on the quality of the shrimp from melanosis prevention treatments would negatively offset the benefits of a sulfite-free product. In order to determine if prevention compounds (sulfite powder or 4-hexylresorcinol based compounds, Everfresh® and Xyrex® Prawnfresh™) affect quality, proximate composition and total plate count …

Dna Methylation Near Cpt1a And Changes In Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins In Response To Weight-Loss Diet Interventions, Xiang Li, Xiaojian Shao, Qiaochu Xue, Minghao Kou, Catherine M. Champagne, Boryana S. Koseva, Yoriko Heianza, Elin Grundberg, Lydia A. Bazzano, George A. Bray, Frank M. Sacks, Lu Qi

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

Context: Carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A, encoded by the CPT1A gene, plays a key role in the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in the mitochondria and may be important in triglyceride metabolism. Previous work has shown that high fat intake was negatively associated with CPT1A methylation and positively associated with CPT1A expression. Objective: We aim to investigate the association of DNA methylation (DNAm) at the CPT1A gene with reductions in triglycerides and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) in response to weight-loss diet interventions. Methods: The current study included 538 White participants, who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets varying in macronutrient components. We …

Trends In Gestational Weight Gain In Louisiana, March 2019 To March 2022, Emily W. Harville, Chelsea L. Kracht, Nicole L. Cohen, Elizabeth F. Sutton, Maryam Kebbe, Leanne M. Redman

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Average gestational weight gain (GWG) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is not known whether this trend has continued. OBJECTIVE To examine patterns of GWG during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivery and conception timing through the second year of the pandemic. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study is a retrospective review of birth certificate and delivery records from 2019 to 2022. Electronic health records were from the largest delivery hospital in Louisiana. Participants included all individuals giving birth from March 2019 to March 2022. Data analysis was performed from October 2022 to July 2023. EXPOSURE Delivery date …