Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Tickling Rats On Human-Animal Interactions And Rat Welfare, Megan Renee Lafollette

Open Access Theses

Rats initially fear humans which can lead to negative affect, poor welfare, and difficult handling. Also, modeling and measuring positive affect states in rats can pose an additional challenge. Heterospecific play, or “tickling,” is a handling habituation technique that mimics rat rough-and-tumble play that is being used to study positive affect. It can also be used to reduce fear of human, improve welfare, and elicit a positive affect state. However, current studies implementing the technique in laboratory rats use a wide variety of protocols to achieve differential results. Unlike in laboratory environment, pet store rats experience high levels of novelty …

Evaluating The Physical Welfare Of Dogs In Commercial Breeding Facilities In The United States, Moriah J. Hurt

Open Access Theses

Despite high levels of public concern, the state of commercial breeding (CB) dog welfare is largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the physical welfare of dogs in CB facilities and their environment in Indiana. This study specifically aimed 1) to characterize dog foot health in CB facilities as a function of the length of time dogs were housed on a given flooring substrate, 2) to characterize visual dog body cleanliness and visual kennel cleanliness as a function of the flooring substrate, 3) to determine the efficacy of kennel cleaning procedures and 4) to characterize the dog dental and …

Manufacturer Perspectives On Content Transparency And Material Health In The Us Building Products Industry, Alexandra A. Muller

Open Access Theses

Flawed U.S. federal regulation of chemicals has resulted in a materials market that undervalues human and environmental health in favor of the more traditional attributes of price, performance and aesthetics. In the building products industry, global, dynamic supply chains and proprietary information concerns further complicate the task of assessing the material health of products.

Voluntary material health programs in the green building industry are intended to incentivize the manufacture and selection of safer products by getting companies to gather and assess ingredient, hazard and risk information from their supply chain. Building product manufacturers considered early adopters of the main material …

The Interactive Effects Of Pesticide Exposure And Infectious Disease On Amphibian Hosts, Katherine M. Pochini

Open Access Theses

Natural systems are home to a multitude of natural and anthropogenic stressors, which draw an array of effects on ecological communities. While these effects have been investigated individually, it is important, given the routine co-occurrence of these stressors, to understand their interactive effects. Pesticide exposure and infectious disease are two common, co-occurring stressors that each have documented detrimental effects on species and, as evidence suggests, may have interactive effects. Moreover, existing research suggests that these interactive effects are highly context dependent, eliciting different results based on species, disease agent, toxin, and environment. Given the variability with which species may experience …

Alternative Regulation Of Myc In Lung Cancer, Patrick N. Backman

Open Access Theses

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, accounting for 27% of all cancer induced deaths1. In an attempt to create a effective targeted therapy for the treatment of lung cancer, a strategy used to treat an activated KrasG12D/+;p53 R172H/+ transgenic lung cancer mouse model was to deliver a known tumor suppressive microRNA (miRNA) to stop tumor growth. The tumor suppressive miRNA let-7 was lentivirally delivered in the form of its primary transcript, pri-let-7a-1, and resulted in increased lung size and inflammation compared to lungs exposed to a control lentivirus. It was identified …

Physical Actvity In Pregnant Rat Dams Reduces Mammary Tumor Formation In Offspring, Leon Clah

Open Access Theses

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of cancer death among women. Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet play a role in attenuating the incidence of breast cancer. Current research is beginning to show that exercise during pregnancy can convey long term health benefits to offspring. In light of these studies, the goal of this project was to determine if maternal physical activity during pregnancy could lead to reduced mammary tumor development in female offspring. Towards this goal, female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into two groups, sedentary and exercise, with the exercise …

Effects Of Moderate-Level Sound Exposure On Behavioral Thresholds In Chinchillas, Maria Sandra Carbajal De Nava

Open Access Theses

Normal audiometric thresholds following noise exposure have generally been considered as an indication of a recovered cochlea and intact peripheral auditory system, yet recent animal work has challenged this classic assumption. Moderately noise-exposed animals have been shown to have permanent loss of synapses on inner hair cells (IHCs) and permanent damage to auditory nerve fibers (ANFs), specifically the low-spontaneous rate fibers (low-SR), despite normal electrophysiological thresholds. Loss of cochlear synapses, known as cochlear synaptopathy, disrupts auditory-nerve signaling, which may result in perceptual speech deficits in noise despite normal audiometric thresholds. Perceptual deficit studies in humans have shown evidence consistent with …

Fuel Choice, Acute Respiratory Infection And Child Growth In Uganda, Onyekachi U. Aghasili

Open Access Theses

This thesis seeks to explain the relationship between a household's choice of fuel and the health and nutrition outcomes of children below the age of 5 in Uganda. The first objective is to examine the association between the choice of fuel and the incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI). The second objective is to measure the relationship between choice of fuel, ARI and nutrition outcomes of children. ^ I use data from the 2006 and 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS). The total number of observations is 4,463. Data indicate that 94% of rural households in the DHS sample …

Baylisascaris Spp. In Non-Raccoon Procyonid Hosts And Assessment Of Potential Risk Of Human Exposure, Max Carlin Parkanzky

Open Access Theses

Baylisascaris procyonis (Bp) is a large roundworm of the common raccoon (Procyon lotor) which serves as the definitive host. Bp is an important cause of clinical larva migrans, including severe neurological disease, across numerous taxa including humans. Other procyonids, as well as occasionally dogs, can act as definitive hosts for this or other Baylisascaris spp. Many of these animals are becoming more common as household pets, posing a risk to people who come in contact with these animals. We have investigated whether patent Baylisascaris spp. infection exists in captive non-raccoon procyonids and if humans who contact these animals …

Consumer Inferences Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Claims On Packaged Foods, Gaeul Kim

Open Access Theses

With the growing public demands in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the food industry, CSR claims have begun to appear on food packages, as companies started communicating their CSR initiatives to consumers. Although food packages emerged as an important CSR communication tool, consumers' processing of CSR claims and the effects of these claims on product evaluations still remain unknown. In this regard, the present study carries two important research questions. First, do non-health/nutrition-related CSR claims influence consumers' product evaluations, such as perceived health benefits or tastes? If so, how does the effect of CSR claims differ by type of CSR …

Evaluating Breast Cancer Stem Cell Response To Antiangiogenic Therapy, Connor J. Holloway

Open Access Theses

Angiogenic inhibitors function by blocking tumor cell signals used to recruit host tissue vasculature to the tumor site, thereby depriving the cancer of the nutriment needed for further expansion. The development and implementation of angiogenic inhibitors in conjunction with standard chemotherapy agents has increased progression-free survival but not overall patient survival. It is hypothesized that chronic exposure to large doses of AAT drugs worsens hypoxic conditions within the tumor mass, selectively stimulating aggressive cancer stem cell populations to grow and proliferate. ^ In this study, the expression of the CSC biomarkers ALDH1, DLL1, and EpCAM were evaluated in breast cancer …

The Impact Of An Omega-3 Enriched Diet On Hyperactivity And Biochemistry In An Animal Model For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Nadine M. Hammoud

Open Access Theses

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most diagnosed behavioral disorder in children. It affects around 5% of children worldwide and 11% of children in the United States, with rates increasing. Pharmaceutical treatments, such as amphetamines and methylphenidates, are not effective for everyone and are known to have unwanted side effects. While the etiology of the disorder is not yet fully understood, there are clear genetic and environmental components. Nutritional insufficiencies have recently become a popular environmental risk factor under investigation. Essential fatty acids (EFA), omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in particular, are needed for proper brain development and function. Our lab …

The Effects Of Heat Stress On Immunity In Laying Hens And Dairy Cattle, Rebecca Ann Strong

Open Access Theses

With the increase in global climate change and the population growth driving the high demand for additional food production, heat stress (HS) is a major concern in the livestock industry across all species. Animals experience HS when exposed to high environmental temperatures outside their thermal neutral zone. The level of the effects can vary due to the length and intensity of HS to which the animal is exposed to. In experiment one, laying hens with access to cooled perches during HS had a lower heterophil to lymphocyte ratio compared to the control hens after 4 h of acute heat stress, …

Iron Nutriture Following Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery, Breanne N. Wright

Open Access Theses

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) is effective for weight loss, but is commonly associated with iron deficiency and its clinical manifestation, anemia. Diagnosing iron deficiency is complex because iron status depends on other nutrients; additionally, anemia following surgery is not specifically due to deficiency in iron, as it can be due to deficiencies in other nutrients including zinc, copper, vitamin B₆, folate, and vitamin B ₁₂. In patients who have undergone RYGB, our aims were to 1) conduct a comprehensive assessment of nutrients involved in iron homeostasis, 2) determine the contribution of dietary intake to iron deficiency, …

Efficacy Of Cleaning Method For Removal Of Exogenous Welding Fume Contamination From Nail Tissue Prior To Use As A Biomarker For Welding Fume Manganese Exposure, Jeffrey Corral Bainter

Open Access Theses

Nail tissue has been proposed as a biomarker for body burden of occupational exposure to manganese from welding fumes. Though recent studies have shown correlation between manganese exposure and both nail tissue concentration as well as concentrations in dopaminergic regions of the brain, concerns of the validity of nail tissue as a biomarker have arisen due to the potential for exogenous contamination of Mn to undermine the quantization of endogenous Mn in nail. Previous studies have used a cleaning method of 1% Triton X-100 surfactant plus sonication in order to attempt to remove exogenous welding fume contamination. Determination of the …

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Alters Lipid Metabolism And Epithelialto- Mesenchymal Transition In Metastatic Epithelial Breast Cancer Cells, Alle Nicole Barnard

Open Access Theses

Evidence suggests that high vitamin D status (marked by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)2 D) is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. It has been established that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH) 2 D) can alter glycolysis and the Krebs cycle of breast cancer cells (Jiang et al., 2010; Zheng et al., 2013) but little information is available on 1,25(OH) 2 D's alterations of lipid metabolism in breast cancer cells. Thus, the current research investigates if there was an effect of 1,25(OH) 2 D on proteins that regulate lipid metabolism in MCF10A, MCF10A-ras, MCF10CA1h, and MCF10CA1a epithelial breast cancer cells. While …

The Combined Effects Of Anthropogenic And Environmental Stressors On Fundulus Grandis Development, Christopher Jacob Klinkhamer

Open Access Theses

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in the release of ~ 5 million barrels of crude oil from the Macondo wellhead into the Gulf of Mexico. Oil from the spill was documented on 1,772km of shoreline with 847km of shoreline remaining oiled a year after the spill, and 687km of shoreline remaining oiled two years after the spill. Currently, there are few data available concerning long-term, sublethal effects associated with chronic exposure to crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the anthropogenic-induced stress of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure, aquatic organisms living in estuarial areas of …

Using The Microsoft Kinect To Assess Human Bimanual Coordination, Joshua James Liddy

Open Access Theses

Optical marker-based systems are the gold-standard for capturing three-dimensional (3D) human kinematics. However, these systems have various drawbacks including time consuming marker placement, soft tissue movement artifact, and are prohibitively expensive and non-portable. The Microsoft Kinect is an inexpensive, portable, depth camera that can be used to capture 3D human movement kinematics. Numerous investigations have assessed the Kinect's ability to capture postural control and gait, but to date, no study has evaluated it's capabilities for measuring spatiotemporal coordination. In order to investigate human coordination and coordination stability with the Kinect, a well-studied bimanual coordination paradigm (Kelso, 1984, Kelso; Scholz, & …

Investigation Into The Control Of Melittin Secondary Structure And Antimicrobial Activity, Zachary B. Molinets

Open Access Theses

Antimicrobial resistance has been an exponentially growing problem since the discovery of antibiotics. Antibiotics have been misused for many years and this misuse has grown into a real problem for the medical community. While there are countless safeguards to prevent infection by a resistant strain of bacteria, there are still many plagued by it and must be treated with sometimes dangerous antibiotics. Melittin, along with many other peptides, contain potent antimicrobial properties, but are also toxic toward enthrocytes. The control of the secondary structure of peptides provides the key to adjusting their activity.

Clinical Investigation Of Plethysmographic Variability Index: A Derivative Index Of Pulse Oximetry In Anesthetized Dogs, Vaidehi V. Paranjape

Open Access Theses

Plethysmographic Variability Index (PVI) is a derivative index of pulse oximetry that allows evaluating an individual's intravascular volume status. Perfusion Index (PI) represents the strength of pulse signal at the anatomic site of measurement from which PVI is calculated using changes in PI over respiratory cycles. Plethysmographic Variability Index has been used to detect hypovolemia and predict fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated human patients however, fewer studies are available in spontaneously breathing patients. The use of PVI has not been explored extensively in dogs so far. The goals of this study were to establish a common range for PVI and …

Physical Activity Informational Websites: Accuracy, Language Ease, And Fear Appeal, Samantha Rose Paige

Open Access Theses

Introduction. Health information is one of the most common searches on the Internet. Literature supports that, in general, health information readily available to Internet consumers is not accurate, lacks plain language for ease of understanding, and does not incorporate behavior-change theoretical frameworks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate each of these components. Method. Three keywords, "physical activity," "exercise," and "fitness," were entered into four popular search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The first 5 result pages were considered, totaling a sample of 493 websites. After exclusionary criteria, 102 websites were reviewed and analyzed with guidance from ACSM recommendations, …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Black Men, Jacqueline Reiter

Open Access Theses

Objective: Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and lower risk for diseases such as hypertension, stroke and cancer. In other related studies, education level, retail food environment, and fruit and vegetable consumption were also examined together to discover patterns and associations. Currently, Black males have a higher risk for poor health outcomes. Limited research has focused specifically on Black men's fruit and vegetable consumption. This study explored the association between education level, food store access (measured by proximity) and fruit and vegetable consumption in black African American men.

Design: The data for this study …

Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products: Emerging Contaminants In Aquatic Ecosystems, Jenny E. Zenobio

Open Access Theses

In recent years, the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic systems has led to research on their fate and effects. PPCPs have been found in mixture in wastewater effluents, surface, ground, and drinking water at low concentrations from areas of intense urbanization. Although adverse effects to human health from the current environmental concentrations are unlikely, the impacts to ecological receptors are not clear. We performed field and laboratory studies to quantify and evaluate effects of PPCPs on fish. First, a field study was conducted at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado (2010-2012) because a portion of …