Life Sciences Commons^™

Asthma In Vermont Dairy Farmers, Wyll T. Everett, Victoria Lauren Close, Rebecca Merriam-Stelfox, Sravana Paladugu, Jacob B. Reibel, Ruby L. Russell, Rebecca Ryan, David Kaminsky

Public Health Projects, 2008-present

Introduction. Although 5.4% of the Vermont population participates in agriculture as an occupation, little data exists on the prevalence of asthma in Vermont dairy farmers, due to inadequate sample sizes. Previous studies have shown dairy farmers are at risk of respiratory illness due to unique exposures intrinsic to their occupation. We conducted a study to assess the prevalence of asthma in dairy farmers in Vermont, to understand rates among this population and potential occupational risks.

Methods. We distributed a paper survey modeled after previously-validated surveys, such as the BRFSS, to farmers at Vermont Farmer Bureau meetings, farmers markets, …

Assessing Community Dynamics And Colonization Patterns Of Tritatoma Dimidiata And Other Biotic Factors Associated With Chagas Disease Prevalence In Central America, Lucia Consuelo Orantes

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by multiple triatomine vectors across the Americas. In Central America, the predominant vector is Triatoma dimidiata, a highly adaptable and genetically diverse Hemiptera. In this research, we used a novel reduced-representation DNA sequencing approach to discover community dynamics among multiple biotic factors associated with Chagas disease in Central America, and assess the infestation patterns of T. dimidiata after seasonal and chemical disturbances in Jutiapa, Guatemala. For our first study, we used a hierarchical sampling design to obtain multi-species DNA data found in the abdomens of 32 T. dimidiata …

Corn Cropping Systems To Improve Economic And Environmental Health, Heather Darby, Lindsey Ruhl, Sara Ziegler, Julija Cubins, Abha Gupta

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2017, UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops & Soils Program continued a multi-year trial at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT to assess the impact of corn cropping systems on overall health and productivity of the crop and soil. Yields are important and they affect the bottom line immediately and obviously. Management choices involving crop rotation, tillage, nutrient management, and cover crops also make differences in the long term. Growing corn with practices that enhance soil quality and crop yields improves farm resiliency to both economics and the environment. This project evaluated yield and soil health effects of five different corn …

The Cardiovascular Epidemiology And Genome-Wide Associations Of Biomarkers Of Innate And Adaptive Immunity: Scd163 And Sil2ra, Jon Peter Durda

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and worldwide. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries, is a common cause of CVD. For many years, research in atherosclerosis was focused on lipid metabolism and the accumulation of low-density lipoprotein in the arteries. While this research set public health guidelines for lipid management, lipid concentration was not the only factor influencing atherosclerosis and CVD events. Many scientists, as far back as the 1850’s recognized the role of inflammation in the progression of atherosclerotic disease. The continuous low levels of immune activation in the …

Master's Project: Burlington Geographic: A Place-Based Landscape Analysis And Community Engagement Project In Burlington, Vt, Sean R. Beckett

Rubenstein School Masters Project Publications

Community health surges when inhabitants share a rich sense of place, a quality emerging when people are deeply engaged in understanding their complex and layered landscape. Wendell Berry advises, “if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.” But how does a city converge around a collective “where” that authentically represents its diverse stories and perspectives? Answers to this question become tools for growing sustainable communities.

As a program coordinator for the UVM/Shelburne Farms PLACE (Place-based Landscape Analysis and Community Engagement) Program, I orchestrated a city-wide celebration of integrated natural and cultural history called Burlington …