Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Between Hiv Replication And Serum Leptin Levels: An Observational Study Of A Cohort Of Hiv-1-Infected South African Women, Livio Azzoni, Nigel J. Crowther, Cynthia Firnhaber, Andrea S. Foulkes

Andrea S Foulkes

Background - Advanced HIV infection can result in lipoatrophy and wasting, even in the absence of ongoing opportunistic infections, suggesting that HIV may directly affect adipose tissue amount and distribution. Methods - We assessed the relationship of fat (measured using anthropometry, DEXA, MRI scans) or markers related to glucose and lipid metabolism with viral load in a cross-sectional sample of 83 antiretroviral-naïve HIV-1-infected South African women. A multivariable linear model was fitted to log10VL to assess the combined effect of these variables. Results - In addition to higher T cell activation, women with viral load greater than the population median …

Transition To Fatherhood: A Puerto Rican Perspective, Suzanne Barenski

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the events that have promoted or hindered a first-time Puerto Rican father's transition to fatherhood. Interviews were conducted with twelve fathers who reported one child one year of age or less. Within the United States the Hispanic population is the largest and the fasting growing minority population. Early father involvement for immigrant and ethnically diverse families has not been widely studied. Analysis of the interview data revealed two main themes; "Accepting of Fatherhood" and "Adjusting to Fatherhood." Specific to these themes, three categories became apparent; "Buying-In: Initial Step to Fatherhood," "The Journey: …

What Women Want To Know: Assessing The Value, Relevance, And Efficacy Of A Self-Management Intervention For Rural Women With Coronary Heart Disease, Holly Evans Madison

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Women have experienced increased mortality from coronary heart disease over the last two decades, while men‘s rate has declined. This suggests that current treatment and prevention strategies are less effective for women. Furthermore, since most women don‘t participate in cardiac rehabilitation, alternatives to these programs must be explored. Purpose: This study sought to refine an intervention for rural women with coronary heart disease designed to promote self-management and provide pilot data evaluating the efficacy of the intervention. Design and Methods: The study design was mixed methods. Focused qualitative interviews provided data regarding the self-management program. In-depth interviews determined the …

Aging, Spacial Cues, And Single-Versus Dual-Task Performance In Competing Speech Perception, Karen S. Helfer, Jamie Chevalier, Richard L. Freyman

Karen S Helfer

Older individuals often report difficulty coping in situations with multiple conversations in which they at times need to "tune out" the background speech and at other times seek to monitor competing messages. The present study was designed to simulate this type of interaction by examining the cost of requiring listeners to perform a secondary task in conjunction with understanding a target talker in the presence of competing speech. The ability of younger and older adults to understand a target utterance was measured with and without requiring the listener to also determine how many masking voices were presented time-reversed. Also of …

Long Chain N-3 Fatty Acids Intake, Fish Consumption And Suicide In A Cohort Of Japanese Men And Women — The Japan Public Health Center-Based (Jphc) Prospective Study, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Akiko Nanri, Motoki Iwasaki, Tetsuya Mizoue, Yumi Matsushita, Yoshihiko Takahashi, Mitsuhiko Noda, Manami Inoue, Shoichiro Tsugane

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

Objective: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been implicated as protective against suicide. However, it is uncertain whether a higher intake of EPA and DHAor of fish, a major source of these nutrients, lowers suicidal risk among Japanese, whose fish consumption and suicide rate are both high. This study prospectively examined the relation between fish, EPA, or DHA intake and suicide among Japanese men and women.Method: Subjects were 47,351 men and 54,156 women aged 40–69 years who participated in the JPHC Study, completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1995–1999, and were followedfor death through December 2005. We used …

A Cross-Sectional Comparison Of The Effects Of Phonotactic Probability And Neighborhood Density On Word Learning By Preschool Children, Jill R. Hoover, Holly L. Storkel, Tiffany Hogan

Jill R. Hoover

Two experiments examined the effects of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density on word learning by 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Nonwords orthogonally varying in probability and density were taught with learning and retention measured via picture naming. Experiment 1 used a within-story probability/across-story density exposure context. Experiment 2 used an across-story probability/within-story density exposure context. Results showed that probability and density interacted to create optimal learning conditions. Specifically, rare/sparse sound sequences appeared to facilitate triggering of word learning. In contrast, the optimal convergence for lexical configuration and engagement was dependent on exposure context. In particular, common sound sequences and dense …

Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Amplify Alternaria Alternata Sporulation And Total Antigen Production, Julie Wolf, Nichole R. O’Neill, Christine A. Rogers, Michael L. Muilenberg, Lewis H. Ziska

Christine A. Rogers

Background

Although the effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration on pollen production has been established in some plant species, impacts on fungal sporulation and antigen production have not been elucidated.

Objective

Our purpose was to examine the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations on the quantity and quality of fungal spores produced on timothy (Phleum pratense) leaves.

Methods

Timothy plants were grown at four CO2 concentrations (300, 400, 500, and 600 μmol/mol). Leaves were used as growth substrate for Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium phlei. The spore abundance produced by both fungi, as well as the size (microscopy) and antigenic …

The Lived Experience Of College Sudents Who Have Been Medicated With Antidepressants, Pamela Joan Aselton

Open Access Dissertations

Increasingly in the last two decades college students have been diagnosed with depression, with estimates of major depression higher than the general population (American Psychiatric Association {APA}, 2005). According to the literature, the stresses of college life along with increased rates of substance abuse, and binge drinking have contributed to the rise in depression in this population. In a large survey of American college students, over half reported some depression since entering college (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse {NCASA}, 2003). Correspondingly, the percentage of young people treated with antidepressants has grown over the past decade, and there is …

What Toxicologists And Risk Assessors Think About Hormesis: Results Of A Knowledge And Opinion Survey, Amy C. Jones

Open Access Dissertations

Hormesis is a nonlinear dose-response characterized by biological responses at low doses that are opposite to those observed at higher doses. Studies and review articles on hormesis are being published at an increasing rate by researchers from diverse disciplines and debate has emerged over the role hormesis in risk assessment. As a result, a survey was conducted to assess toxicologists and risk assessors knowledge and attitudes about the hormesis dose response. Study goals were to: 1) ascertain attitudes towards hormesis and other dose-response models, 2) identify whether acceptance or rejection of hormesis is based on knowledge of hormesis, predisposing values, …

Familiar Physical Activity To Familiar Music: The Effects On Apathy, Agitation, Eating Ability, And Dietary Intake In Institutionalized Older Adults With Dementia, Janet Ruth Moore

Open Access Dissertations

Background: Many older adults with dementia residing in nursing homes or assisted living facilities exhibit behavioral disturbances such as agitation and apathy. In addition they lose their ability to feed themselves and often suffer serious malnutrition as their dietary intake decreases. Music has been linked to decreased agitation in this population and physical activity to music linked to a slower decline in eating ability. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a familiar physical activity to familiar music would reduce apathy and agitation and increase eating ability and dietary intake among institutionalized older adults with dementia. Method: …

Vasopressin Anatomy Of The Mouse Brain, Benjamin D. Rood

Open Access Dissertations

The nine amino acid peptide vasopressin acts as a neurohormone in the periphery and a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in the central nervous system. Historically, research on vasopressin neurons and their projections to the pituitary has helped lay the groundwork for our understanding of peptidergic neurotransmission. Currently, our research on central vasopressin projections is driving a revolution in our understanding of social behavior. Vasopressin affects a number of social behaviors from social memory to aggression to affiliative behavior, such as pair-bonding. Further, with the addition of more and more transgenic mouse models of disease states, anxiety and depression related disorders, and social behavior …

Seasonal And Sex Variation Of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein In Healthy Adults: A Longitudinal Study, David E. Chiriboga, Yunsheng Ma, Wenjun Li, Edward J. Stanek, James R. Hébert, Philip A. Merriam, Eric S. Rawson, Ira S. Ockene

Edward J. Stanek

BACKGROUND

Cross-sectional studies have reported seasonal variation in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). However, longitudinal data are lacking. METHODS

We collected data on diet, physical activity, psychosocial factors, physiology, and anthropometric measurements from 534 healthy adults (mean age 48 years, 48.5% women, 87% white) at quarterly intervals over a 1-year period between 1994 and 1998. Using sinusoidal regression models, we estimated peak-to-trough amplitude and phase of the peaks. RESULTS

At baseline, average hsCRP was 1.72 mg/L (men, 1.75 mg/L; women, 1.68 mg/L). Overall seasonal variation amplitude was 0.16 mg/L (95% CI 0.02 to 0.30) and was lower in men (0.10 mg/L, …

Predicting Low Dose Effects For Chemicals In High Through-Put Studies, Edward J. Stanek, E. J. Calabrese

Edward J. Stanek

High through-put studies commonly use automated systems with 96-well plates in which multiple chemicals are tested at multiple doses using log-2 dose increments after a suitable incubation period. There are typically multiple (ranging from five to eleven) doses on each chemical, and occasionally plate replications of the dose-response studies. The target endpoint for such studies is typically the LC50, but for some chemicals, there may be multiple doses below a benchmark dose where there is no apparent adverse response relative to control response. We show how an estimation approach can lead to clearly interpretable results about response in the low …

The Protective Effects A Full-Term Pregnancy Plays Against Mammary Carcinoma, Matthew P. Carter

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

No abstract provided.

Recreational Physical Activity And Premenstrual Syndrome In College-Aged Women, Aimee R. Kroll

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

It is estimated that up to 85% of premenopausal women experience at least one premenstrual symptom and 15-20% meet clinical criteria for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS has a high morbidity level and reduces the quality of life for many women of reproductive age, with pharmaceutical treatments having limited efficacy and substantial side effects. Physical activity has been recommended as a method of reducing menstrual symptom severity. However, little evidence exists to support a clear relationship between physical activity and PMS. Using a cross-sectional design, we evaluated the relationship between physical activity and PMS and menstrual symptoms among 186 women aged …

Analysis Of An Actin Binding Guanine Exchange Factor, Gef8, And Actin Depolymerizing Factor In Arabidopsis Thaliana., Aleksey Chudnovskiy

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Polarized cell growth is a fundamental biological process that is tightly regulated spatially and temporally. In plants the key systems to study polar cell growth are pollen tubes and root hairs. In recent years a lot of work has focused on elucidating the mechanisms that mediate this process. The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in polarized cell growth. Different studies in plant and animal models show that signaling mediated through small GTP-binding proteins is a common theme in actin signaling. In recent years many groups have shown that small GTP binding proteins regulate actin dynamics through the activity of …

Interconversion Of The Specificities Of Human Lysosomal Enzymes, Ivan B. Tomasic

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked recessive lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) known to affect approximately 1 in every 40,000 males, and a smaller number of females. FD results from a deficiency of functional α-galactosidase (α-GAL), which leads to the accumulation of terminally α-galactosylated substrates in the lysosome. The predominant treatment is Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), requiring the regular infusion of recombinant human α-GAL. More than half of individuals receiving ERT experience a range of adverse infusion reactions, and it has been reported that as many as 88% of patients receiving ERT develop neutralizing IgG antibodies against the drug.

In aim …

Encapsulation Of Curcumin In O/W Nanoemulsions And Its Bioaccessibility After In Vitro Digestion, Kashif Ahmed

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The functional ingredient curcumin has a variety of biological and pharmacological actions, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-virus, anti-oxidant, and anti-HIV properties coupled with low toxicity. However, curcumin possesses low bioavailability due to its poor solubility in water. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different lipid-based formulations of curcumin on in vitro solubilization and bioaccessibility. Oils representing LCT, MCT, LCT:SCT mix and SCT were used to prepare O/W (nano)emulsions with droplet sizes as low as 174 nm. An in vitro digestion model simulating the small intestine milieu in the fasted and fed state was used to …

Investigation Of The Correlation Between Odd Oxygen And Secondary Organic Aerosol In Mexico City And Houston, Ezra Wood, M. Canagaratna, S. Herndon, J. Kroll, T. Onasch, C. Kolb, D. Worsnop, W. Knighton, R. Seila, M. Zavala, L. Molina, P. Decarlo, J. Jimenez, A. Weinheimer, D. Knapp, B. Jobson, J. Stutz, W. Kuster, E. Williams

Public Health Department Faculty Publication Series

Many recent models underpredict secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particulate matter (PM) concentrations in polluted regions, indicating serious deficiencies in the models' chemical mechanisms and/or missing SOA precursors. Since tropospheric photochemical ozone production is much better understood, we investigate the correlation of odd-oxygen ([Ox]≡[O3]+[NO2]) and the oxygenated component of organic aerosol (OOA), which is interpreted as a surrogate for SOA. OOA and Ox measured in Mexico City in 2006 and Houston in 2000 were well correlated in air masses where both species were formed on similar timescales (less than 8 h) and not well correlated when their formation timescales or location …

Defining Accelerometer Thresholds For Physical Activity In Girls Using Roc Analysis, Sofiya Alhassan, Thomas Robinson

Sofiya Alhassan

Background Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is a common method used in diagnostic and screening tests to define thresholds levels of a factor that discriminates between 2 levels of another factor. The purpose of this analysis was to use ROC analysis to determine the optimal accelerometer-measured physical activity (PA) thresholds for predicting selective cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Methods ROC was performed using data from Stanford Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Studies trial. PA was assessed for multiple days using accelerometers. CVD variables were overweight, elevated triglyceride, reduced HDL-C, hypertension, impaired fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and clustering of multiple CVD risk …

An Online Calculator To Compute Phonotactic Probability And Neighborhood Density Based On Child Corpora Of Spoken American English, Holly L. Storkel, Jill R. Hoover

Jill R. Hoover

An online calculator was developed (www.bncdnet.ku.edu/cml/info_ccc.vi) to compute phonotactic probability--the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence--and neighborhood density--the number of phonologically similar words--on the basis of child corpora of American English (Kolson, 1960; Moe, Hopkins, & Rush, 1982) and to compare its results to those of an adult calculator. Phonotactic probability and neighborhood density were computed for a set of 380 nouns (Fenson et al., 1993) using both the child and adult corpora. The child and adult raw values were significantly correlated. However, significant differences were detected. Specifically, child phonotactic probability was higher than adult phonotactic probability, especially for …

Differentiating The Effects Of Phonotactic Probability And Neighborhood Density On Vocabulary Comprehension And Production: A Comparison Of Preschool Children With Versus Without Phonological Delays, Holly L. Storkel, Junko Maekawa, Jill R. Hoover

Jill R. Hoover

The purpose of this study was to differentiate the effect of phonotactic probability from that of neighborhood density on a vocabulary probe administered to preschool children with or without a phonological delay.

Smoking During Pregnancy And Risk Of Abnormal Glucose Tolerance: A Prospective Cohort Study, Penelope Susan Pekow, Amy E. Haskins, Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson, Elena Carbone, Renee T. Fortner, Lisa Chasen-Tabe

Penelope Susan Pekow

Background: Disturbances in glucose metabolism during pregnancy are associated with negative sequalae for both mother and infant. The association between smoking and abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between smoking prior to and during pregnancy and risk of AGT. Methods: We utilized data from a prospective cohort of 1,006 Hispanic (predominantly Puerto Rican) prenatal care patients in Western Massachusetts. Women reported pre- and early pregnancy smoking at recruitment (mean = 15 weeks) and mid pregnancy smoking at a second interview (mean = 28 weeks). AGT was defined as > 135 …

Prediction-Based Classification For Longitudinal Biomarkers, Andrea S. Foulkes, Livio Azzoni, Xiaohong Li, Margaret A. Johnson, Colette Smith, Karam Mounzer, Luis J. Montaner

Andrea S Foulkes

Assessment of circulating CD4 count change over time in HIV-infected subjects on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a central component of disease monitoring. The increasing number of HIV-infected subjects starting therapy and the limited capacity to support CD4 count testing within resource-limited settings have fueled interest in identifying correlates of CD4 count change such as total lymphocyte count, among others. The application of modeling techniques will be essential to this endeavor due to the typically nonlinear CD4 trajectory over time and the multiple input variables necessary for capturing CD4 variability. We propose a prediction-based classification approach that involves first stage modeling …

An Intervention To Prevent Symptoms Associated With Hepatitis C: A Pilot Study, Donna M. Zucker

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

The objectives of this study were to (a) pilot test instruments measuring fatigue and quality of life (QOL); (b) pilot test an exercise intervention; and (c) estimate the effect size of this intervention relative to completion of combination therapy, fatigue, QOL, and walking distance in 20 patients with chronic hepatitis C about to begin interferon alpha and ribavirin treatment. Alpha reliabilities for both the Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale and Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire were moderately high. Power analyses of all outcome measures indicated a small effect size and sample size estimate of 30–40 per group to achieve power of …

Differential Effects Of Out-Of-Home Day Care In Improving Child Nutrition And Augmenting Maternal Income Among Those With And Without Childcare Support: A Prospective Before–After Comparison Study In Pokhara, Nepal, Shinji Nakahara, Krishna Poudel, Milan Lopchan, Om Raj Poudel, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Masao Ichikawa

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

Objectives: We examined (1) whether attending out-of-home day care centres (DCCs) has differential effects on improvement of child nutrition and facilitation of maternal employment depending on availability of non-institutionalised childcare support and (2) whether attendance increases infectious diseases. Methods: In a prospective before–after comparison study at public DCCs in Pokhara, Nepal, we compared weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ) and height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) among children attending DCCs between at admission, after 6 months, and after 1 year and determined differential changes in these measures between those with and without appropriate childcare support. We used repeated measures analysis of variance with interaction terms between …

Correlates Of Sharing Injection Equipment Among Male Injecting Drug Users In Kathmandu, Nepal, Krishna Poudel, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Junko Yasuoka, Anand Joshi, Masamine Jimba

Elaine Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Publication Series

Background: HIV prevalence is high and risky injection practices occur frequently among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Nepal. We explored the correlates of sharing injection equipment (having injected with a needle or syringe previously used by another) among male IDUs in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: From August to September 2007, we anonymously interviewed 296 male IDUs in Kathmandu, Nepal, using a structured questionnaire. We performed bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis and identified variables associated with sharing injection equipment. Results: Over half (n = 152) of the participants reported injecting drugs with a needle or syringe previously used by another in …

The Complementary Roles Of Public Health & Medicine In The Us Health Care System, David Buchanan

UMass Institute for Global Health Community Education and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Pskov Youth Reproductive Health Project, David Buchanan

UMass Institute for Global Health Community Education and Outreach

The goals of the Comprehensive Community-Based Public Health Prevention Project in Pskov, Russia are: (1) to improve reproductive health outcomes, by reducing high rates of abortion and STIs, by increasing use of protective contraceptive methods; and (2) to increase life expectancy and improve quality of life, by reducing high rates of diabetes and stroke, by implementing community-based health promotion activities focusing on improving dietary and physical activities and reducing smoking and alcohol consumption, in Pskov, Russia.

The project is based in the city of Pskov, which is the capital of Pskov Oblast. Pskov Oblast is one of 86 states in …

Application Of Quantum Cascade Lasers To High-Precision Atmospheric Trace Gas Measurements, Ezra Wood, J. Barry Mcmanus, Mark Zahniser, David Nelson, Joanne Shorter, Scott Herndon, Rick Wehr

Public Health Department Faculty Publication Series

We review our recent results in development of high-precision laser spectroscopic instrumentation using midinfrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). Some of these instruments have been directed at measurements of atmospheric trace gases where a fractional precision of 10−3 or better of ambient concentration may be required. Such high precision is needed in measurements of fluxes of stable atmospheric gases and measurements of isotopic ratios. Instruments that are based on thermoelectrically cooled midinfrared QCLs and thermoelectrically cooled detectors have been demonstrated that meet the requirements of high-precision atmospheric measurements, without the need for cryogens. We also describe the design of and results …