Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mitigation Of Teratogenic Agents: Is There Promise In Ion Modulating Drugs?, Aastha Pokharel

Masters Theses

As reported by the CDC, birth defects remain a common occurrence in the United States, with malformations originating in many places in the developing organism. Furthermore, the etiology of many of these defects remain unknown, with some factors consisting of genetics, environmental pollutants and teratogens. In our study, we examined whether insults by teratogenic agents, ethanol in particular, can be mitigated by hyperpolarizing agents acting to restore the cell’s potential. We first evaluated whether three hyperpolarizing drugs (Lamotrigine, Gabapentin, and Ivermectin) induced teratogenic effects on CD-1 mice and found that Ivermectin induced craniofacial malformations, and exposure to Lamotrigine and Gabpentin …

Validity Parameters For Step Counting Wearable Technologies During Treadmill Walking In Young People 6-20 Years Of Age, Zachary Gould

Masters Theses

Introduction: Wearable technologies play an important contemporary role in the measurement of physical activity (PA) and promotion of human health across the lifespan, including for young people (i.e., children, adolescents, and young adults). As new objective wearable technologies continue to develop, standardized approaches to documenting validation parameters (i.e., measures of accuracy, precision, and bias) are needed to ensure confidence and comparability in step-defined PA. Purpose: To produce validity parameters for step counting wearable technologies during treadmill walking in young people 6-20 years of age Methods: 120 participants completed 5-minute treadmill bouts from13.4 to 134.1 m·min^-1. Participants wore eight …

Sperm Mitochondrial Dna Biomarkers As A Measure Of Male Fecundity And Overall Sperm Quality, Allyson Rosati

Masters Theses

Introduction. Sperm parameter analysis is the standard method of male fecundity testing; however, minimal evidence supports associations between individual sperm parameters and reproductive outcomes. Our previous work shows strong associations between sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and time-to-pregnancy (TTP) in general populations, and between mtDNAcn and fertilization outcomes in clinical populations. Thus it is possible for sperm mtDNA biomarkers to act as summary measures of semen quality. In this study, we developed a sperm quality index (SQI) from semen parameters and compared its ability to measure fecundity to sperm mtDNAcn.

Methods. We received 384 semen samples from the Longitudinal …

Sexual Experiences And Association With Depression And Anxiety Among Sexual Minority Women, Brie Engelbrecht

Masters Theses

Depression and anxiety are among the most prevalent forms of mental illness in the U.S, affecting an estimated 18% of the population. Recent studies have shown that sexual minority women may undergo sexual experiences that affect their risk of anxiety and depression. However, prior studies of this association are sparse and have largely been conducted among sexual majorities and have yet to examine differences between vulnerable sexual orientation groups. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between sexual experiences (i.e., sexual assertiveness, sexual self-efficacy, and outness) and anxiety and depression among young sexual minority women in a cross-sectional study (N=328) from the …

The Association Between Dengue Virus Infection And Liver And Kidney Function Among Cambodian Children, Ashley Moineau

Masters Theses

Severe liver and kidney dysfunction are prevalent in 10%-30% of the Southeast Asian population. Dengue virus infection has been reported as a modifiable risk factor for liver and kidney dysfunction, especially among children in Southeast Asia. Epidemiologic studies assessing this relationship are sparse, often failed to include children, and did not adjust for important covariates. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between dengue virus infection and liver and kidney dysfunction among hospitalized children in Cambodia (n=551). Participants with a serologically confirmed dengue virus infection were categorized according to increasing severity of infection (i.e. dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, or dengue shock …

A Cross-Sectional Study Of Phthalate Exposure And Inflammation Biomarker Levels Among Postmenopausal Women, Avery Trim

Masters Theses

Phthalates are industrial chemicals added to plastics found in products such as children’s toys, cosmetics, and household items, and some laboratory studies suggest phthalates may increase levels of inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with many chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Although research is limited, recent studies suggest a strong positive relationship between mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and monocarboxynonyl phthalate (MCNP) and c-reactive protein (CRP), as well as monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Additionally, this relationship has not been examined among postmenopausal women, a population that is at higher risk …

Reproductive Factors And Postmenopausal Fsh Levels, Rebecca Costa

Masters Theses

Recent studies have shown that postmenopausal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels may be predictive of future cardiovascular disease risk. However, little is known about postmenopausal FSH levels, including the level of variation between women and factors associated with this variation. We assessed the relationship of multiple reproductive factors with FSH levels among 588 postmenopausal women in the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Participants were aged 53 to 73 years and not using hormone therapy at baseline (1998-2001). Reproductive factors were assessed at baseline, along with FSH levels. After adjustment for sex steroids, adiposity measures, plasma lipids, blood pressure, …

Impact Of Parity On Gait Biomechanics, Bekah P. Stein

Masters Theses

Background: Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) is an incurable condition that affects nearly 50% of adults, and women are twice as likely as men to develop OA. Throughout pregnancy, women experience large changes in morphology and gait mechanics, as well as changes in joint loading. It is possible these adaptations could cause lasting changes postpartum, which may potentially contribute to initiation of OA, thereby increasing the overall risk of OA for women.

Purpose: This exploratory study looked to identify differences between lower limb gait mechanics of healthy nulliparous women and healthy parous women.

Methods: 28 healthy female participants (14 parous, 14 …

Utilization Of Emulsion Chemistries For Delivery And Antiviral Application Of Carvacrol, Hao-Yuan Hsu

Masters Theses

Human norovirus (HuNoVs) are the most common enteric pathogen around the world that cause ~50% of foodborne illness of disease outbreaks annually. HuNoVs are the member of the Caliciviridae family, which consist of small (38 nm), unenveloped, single stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses. Norovirus are divided into 5 genogroup (GI, GII, GIII, GIV, GV, GVI and GVII). The GI, GII, and GIV cause human illness, in addition, GII.4 genotype cause the most human disease. Due to HuNoVs are difficult cultured in vitro, the cultivable HuNoVs surrogates have been widely studied. Recently, some studies have been conducted with HuNoVs surrogates, for …

Spatial Patterns In Socio-Economic Factors And Rapid Repeat Pregnancies In Kalamazoo County, Mi, Dennis Donkor

Masters Theses

Rapid repeat pregnancy (RRP) refers to a pregnancy that occurs less than 24 months after a live birth. In the United States, several studies have focused on factors that influence women to rapidly repeat pregnancies at the national and state level. As a result, this study explores spatial patterns in RRP in Kalamazoo County at the block group local level using birth records of moms in the county from 2008 to 2014. The study further investigates individual and neighborhood factors influencing RRP. Results from the hotspot (Getis Ord G*) revealed that block groups in eastside Kalamazoo township are significant hotspots …

An Assessment Of Schools' Wellness Policies And Teachers’ Perspectives And Confidence In Teaching Nutrition In Elementary Schools In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Asma Yahya

Masters Theses

Nutrition education in school can provide students with the knowledge and skills to improve their eating behavior and overall health. This study aimed to evaluate the content of school wellness policies and understand teacher perspectives about teaching nutrition education at their schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 2020, electronic surveys were used to evaluate the wellness policies in 11 elementary all-female government schools and teachers’ perspectives about the nutrition education offered in three elementary all-female government schools. Sixty-one teachers and eleven principals participated in this study. Fisher’s exact tests were used to test the differences between teachers’ perspectives and their …