Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Exploration Of Policies, Equity, And Emerging Threats To The Traffic Safety Environment In The U.S., Sachi Verma

Theses & Dissertations

Road traffic crashes are among one of the leading causes of death around the globe. Additionally, it also causes long-term physical disabilities, mental trauma, and financial pressure. By implementing road safety guidelines such as speed limits, drug and alcohol checkpoints, restraints, and penalties, motor vehicle crashes can be reduced. Road traffic crash survival primarily depends on emergency medical service's timely triaging. Rapid triaging and reduced response times can help road traffic crash morbidities and mortalities. However, several factors can be responsible for EMS delays in responding to a fatal crash. This dissertation aims to observe multiple factors related to EMS …

Investigating Transcriptional Anomalies During Persistence In Chlamydia Trachomatis, Nathan D. Hatch

Theses & Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections. Ctr, a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium, develops within a membrane-bound vacuole termed an inclusion. This protective, nutrient rich, intracellular environment has allowed Ctr to undergo extensive reductive evolution – resulting in a streamlined genome of approximately 1 Mbp and the loss or fragmentation of several biosynthetic pathways, including the ability to synthesize tryptophan (Trp) de novo. During infection, the host immune system releases the cytokine IFNγ. Upon binding to a host cell, IFNγ stimulates the expression of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, an enzyme capable of catabolizing cytosolic Trp, thereby starving …

Improving Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Through Rehabilitation And Biomaterial-Based Drug Delivery Strategies, Yunfan Kong

Theses & Dissertations

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a common problem worldwide, with trauma being a common cause. PNI can lead to loss of sensory and motor functions, chronic neuropathic pain, and mental health issues, significantly impacting patients' family life, work, and social situation. Recent studies revealed that beyond the topical injury site at peripheral nerves, PNIs can also induce dysfunctions in the central nervous system (CNS) by causing maladaptive plasticity, which will result in exaggeration and exacerbation of the pathological condition caused by primary injuries. The common therapy strategies for PNI treatment are using sutures, nerve autografts or conduits in cases requiring …

Assessing The Role Of Distance To Level I Trauma Units On Atv Rollovers, Tractor Rollovers, And Machinery Entanglement Outcomes, Andrew K. Schissel

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rollovers, tractor rollovers, and machinery entanglements cause traumatic injuries to agricultural workers. Response time of first responders combined with travel to trauma units can take a significant amount of time in rural areas, potentially leading to an increased risk of fatal outcomes for those involved in these incidents. The aim of this study is to determine if distance to a level I trauma unit is a factor in the outcomes of these incidents. ATV rollovers, tractor rollovers, and machinery entanglement injuries and fatalities, collected from a 7-state Midwestern region were entered into a GIS system along with …

A Literature Review Of The Psychosocial Impacts On Livestock Producers And Veterinary Responders Involved With Depopulation During And After An Animal Health Emergency, Beth Galles

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

A vital aspect of an animal health emergency in the United States is removing and disposing of diseased and healthy animals through depopulation. It is frequently required to prevent the spread of diseases that affect human health or economic stability. Production animals are eventually slaughtered, but this does not negate the human-animal bond felt between these animals and their caretakers. There is increasing recognition that participation in depopulation may be a traumatic event requiring care for the individuals involved, including livestock producers and veterinarians. Despite this, limited resources are available for these individuals when an animal health emergency occurs. This …

Occupational Exposures Associated With Thyroid Cancer In The Thyroid Tumor And Cancer Collaborative Registry In The Integrated Cancer Center Repository For Cancer Research, James Buckley

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Thyroid cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States, with the rate of new cases increasing from 5.2 per 100,000 in 1985 to 13.8 per 100,000 in 2019, with a peak of 14.5 per 100,000 in 2015. Increased thyroid cancer incidence is associated with certain occupations, including healthcare and agriculture. Most existing literature on occupational exposures and thyroid cancer evaluate their association in terms of occupation type and thyroid cancer, rather than specific occupational exposures and thyroid cancer. This study sought to utilize the wide range of occupational exposure data in the Integrated Cancer Center Repository …

Evaluating Nebraska’S State Health Assessment (Sha) And State Health Improvement Plan (Ship) Methodology To Inform The Redesign Evaluation Plan, Austin J. Osborn

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The Division of Public Health (DPH) within the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is redesigning its State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) procedures. This study aimed to support the Nebraska DPH SHA/SHIP redesign evaluation plan by determining the local health department (LHD) health priority determination processes, Tribal and LHDs’ (T/LHD) CHA/CHIP methodology, and if any differences exist between rural & urban and small, medium, and large jurisdictional size health departments in Nebraska. The results show that most health departments utilize the MAPP process to conduct their CHA/CHIP, one tribal entity utilizes a different …

Influence Of Sexual Orientation On Sexual Risk Behaviors Among High School Students – United States, 2023, Carley J. Cortez

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other (LGBTQIA+) community participate in higher sexual health risk behaviors that lead to outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies than their heterosexual peers. Youth and adolescent LGBTQIA+ populations also experience this increased sexual health risk which will increase the risk for negative health outcomes as adults. The 2019 Youth Behavioral Risk Survey dataset was used to assess the association between sexual orientation on specific sexual health risk behaviors such as total number of sexual partners, history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, and …

Rural-Urban Differences In The Age-Adjusted Pediatric Cancer Mortality In The United States (2000-2020), Reitumetse A. Setai

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

In the United States (U.S.), 5-year survival for pediatric cancers improved from 58% in 1975 to 85% in 2017. However, pediatric cancer remains the second leading cause of death in children between 0 – 14 years. Despite the growing body of pediatric cancer research, there is limited knowledge of the urban and rural disparities of pediatric cancer mortality. This study examined: 1) the differences in the U.S. pediatric cancer mortality rates between rural and urban residents during 2016-2020 by demographic characteristics (age group, sex, race/ethnicity, and income) and cancer types and 2) the trend of pediatric cancer mortality in the …

The Impact Of Doulas On Breastfeeding In Black Women: A Literature Review, Delaney C. Holland

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This literature review was conducted to explore the impacts doulas have on breastfeeding initiation and continuation in the Black population. Black women’s breastfeeding and continuation is exceptionally low compared to white women and other races and ethnicities. Six journal articles were used to examine the relationships that doulas have on breastfeeding initiation and continuation in black communities. There was an array of study designs found throughout the articles to help support the doula and breastfeeding relationship in Black women. The results of this literature review were preliminarily positive, but more evidence is required to firmly establish the positive impact of …

Understanding Gendered Risks For Severe Covid-19 Through Surveying The Gender Diverse Community, Arden Tyree

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Early on in the pandemic, the medical community began noticing that men were more likely to be hospitalized, require admission to the ICU, and die of COVID-19 than women but few studies of COVID-19 make mention of gender diverse people, an often-overlooked population who may have vastly different experiences than non-gender diverse men or women. Their variations in gender and sex characteristics may also help provide further insight into which traits are protective or risk factors for this disease. This project used Poisson regression in order to analyze self-reported survey data. The major associations of interest will be between disease …

The Risk Factors Associated With Personal Protective Equipment Usage Rates In The Central States By Generalized Multilevel Models, Carter E. Vogel

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Agriculture producers in the United States face some of the highest rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries among all occupations. This includes a high risk of respiratory damage when working in dusty environments, chemical and health hazards when working with pesticides or other dangerous chemicals, and hearing damage when working in noisy environments. These risks can be reduced using personal protective equipment (PPE). While some workplaces are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide necessary PPE and monitoring according to the risks of a job, many small farms are not required by OSHA to provide …

Early Childhood Nutrition Education Implementation Evaluation And Planning: Learn, Grow, Eat & Go!, Alyssa L. Wessling

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The obesity rate among American children aged two to five years old is 12.7% (Centers for Disease Control, 2022), indicating a need for health interventions at this critical life stage. Nebraska Extension’s Nutrition Education Program has identified a need for direct education materials to reach Nebraskans in early childhood. Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! Early Childhood was identified as an appropriate curriculum to be tested in an early childhood intervention pilot. Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! Early Childhood is a newly developed program built upon the foundation of teaching children about healthful foods and physical activity through gardening. An early …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Candida Auris Laboratory Surveillance In Nebraska, Lissa M. Young

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives: Candida auris is an emerging pathogenic yeast that was first identified in Japan in 2009 and detected in the United States in 2015. As of 2020, C. auris has been reported in cases throughout 41 countries, including the United States. The ability of this species of yeast to spread rapidly and survive for long periods of time on surfaces, the high mortality rate of those infected, and its multidrug resistant phenotype, have rendered it a urgent public health threat (the highest threat level) by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention beginning in 2019 (CDC, 2019). Since …

Evaluating The Impact Of Culturally Informed Interventions On Nebraska's Refugees: A Pilot Study With Healthcare Workers, Falah Nayif Rashoka

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Refugees in the US are at increased risk of poor health outcomes, spanning mental health and general well-being, compared with American-born individuals. With the rapid growth of the refugee population in Nebraska, the need to train healthcare providers to provide culturally competent care has never been greater. A common point of access to healthcare for the refugee population after resettlement is via local health departments and the primary healthcare network. Recent estimates show close to five thousand Yazidi refugees living in Nebraska, most of whom moved after 2009 based on federal legislation admitting those who served in the …

Operation Wasatch: Scenario Based Planning To Assess The Cold Weather Preparedness Of The National Disaster Medical System, Alison Matthews

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: The National Disaster Medical System has little experience with sustained mission operations under anything other than temperate environmental conditions. Extreme weather events increase the complexity of disaster response by presenting significant logistic, operational, and safety challenges. Identifying gaps and vulnerabilities in response capabilities can promote improved Disaster Medical Assistance Team preparedness.

Methods: This discussion based exercise utilized a scenario involving a 7.0 magnitude earthquake along the Wasatch Fault in winter. This exercise was conducted with members of the Wisconsin-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team. Team members provided oral and written feedback in response to exercise objectives and prompts. This feedback …

Association Of Socioeconomic Status And Mental Health Characteristics And Participant Attrition In A Cohort Study, Mathews Thampi

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The cohort study is an essential design for investigating associations between a variety of risk factors or exposures and a plethora of health outcomes. However, one of their biggest weaknesses is participant attrition, which can introduce bias and impact validity. Understanding whether this attrition is related to exposure and outcome is a critical aspect of assessing the potential for selection bias. The Women and Their Children's Health (WaTCH) study is a prospective cohort study designed initially to examine the health impacts of exposure to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The study has undergone two waves of data collection and is …

Housing Is Safety: An Evaluation Of A Transitional Housing (Th), Rapid-Rehousing (Rrh), And Joint Th/Rrh Program For Survivors Of Interpersonal Violence, Bridget L. Claborn

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

In this capstone project, I created a program evaluation plan and conducted preliminary analysis for the Mar􏰀 Parrish Center􏰁s (MPC) transitional housing (TH), rapid-rehousing (RRH), and joint TH/RRH programs for survivors of interpersonal violence and their families. The intent of the project is: (1) to better understand the impact of MPC housing programs; (2) to inform strategies for continuous improvement in client outcomes, access, and satisfaction; (3) to further evaluation capacity for the organization; and (4) to generate practice-based evidence to inform the field at large. As a practitioner in the field of interpersonal violence and former MPC staff member, …

The Relationship Between Congenital Heart Disease And Infant Mortality In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Helen Nneoma Odo

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are conditions that are present at birth and can affect the structure of an infant’s heart and the way it works. Millions of children are born each year with congenital heart disease yet screening for CHD is not practiced in Low- and Middle-income countries (LMICs). Studies on access to healthcare for infants with congenital heart disease have not kept pace. This literature review centers on the role of congenital heart disease in infant mortality, its burden, incidence and prevalence in LMICs. The databases of PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase were searched and the selected articles for …

Effects Of Hospital Interventions On Maternal Mortality Rates Of African American Women: A Literature Review, Oluwatosin A. Soyege

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Maternal mortality is a serious health concern and harms society’s economic, physical, and psychological well-being. It is tragic for the woman’s family and community when a woman passes away during pregnancy, at delivery, or shortly after delivery. Hospital interventions are needed to mitigate the social impact of maternal mortality. In the U.S., several initiatives have been enacted to reduce maternal mortality. Fighting racism would also help African American women’s rates of maternal mortality as they are subject to stigma in everyday contexts, during pregnancy and obtaining healthcare, and when obtaining resources and services during pregnancy. This paper reviews the literature …

Assessing Meatpacking Worker's Perceptions Of Supervisors' Concern For Safety And Supervisors' Support, Sara Reyes

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Occupational safety is a major public health issue, given that failure to meet safety regulations can lead to incidents and death. Meat processing facilities have some of the highest rates of non-fatal and fatal injuries compared to other industries. A reported 5.9 incidents per 100 full-time occupied within meat processing industries. The majority of workers within meat processing plants are people of color and immigrants, leading to a disproportion in reports of incidents and safety concerns. Immigrant workers frequently occupy positions within the kill floor and fabrication departments. Supervisors are often at the forefront of safety, yet workers often report …

Lessons Learned Creating Microbiology Laboratory Demonstration Videos, Marnie Imhoff, Linsey Donner

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

Microbiology laboratory classes are designed to allow students to apply knowledge gained during lectures and become proficient in laboratory skills. Students are introduced to procedures for working with and identifying microorganisms. Instructors must prepare students to perform and interpret the necessary testing procedures to be successful. Laboratory demonstration videos provide students with a first-person, unobstructed demonstration on how to perform laboratory techniques. The videos can be used as a visual learning tool to supplement courses with an in-person laboratory session or as a component in online learning. This article describes the creation of instructional microbiology laboratory demonstration videos.

The Role Of Psychological Safety On Employee Satisfaction And Retention In Healthcare Delivery Settings: A Systematic Literature Review, Jamey Paul

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The healthcare industry typically has a high rate of employee turnover due to higher job stresses and burnout, lower job satisfaction, and insufficient organizational support and work culture. This turnover has worsened since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological safety, a shared belief by organizational members that the team/unit is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, can be one of the many ingredients that contribute to employee satisfaction and reduce turnover. This systematic literature review explored the role of psychological safety on job satisfaction and retention of healthcare workers in delivery settings by synthesizing the known antecedents and outcomes of psychological …

Coil And Gel Foam Embolization Of A Replaced Common Hepatic Artery Pseudoaneurysm: A Rare Anatomic Variant, Kevin Cokingtin Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis To Parabens In Topical Corticosteroids (Including “Hypoallergenic” Triamcinolone Ointment!!): Definite Relevance To A “Non-Allergen”, Joohee Han Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Eruptive Lichenoid Actinic Keratosis: A Potential Side Effect Of Ivig, Allison M. Lloyd-Mclennan Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Unusual Mode Of Endovascular Femoral Sheath Failure And Disruption Requiring Open Operative Retrieval, Ali H. Hakim Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Not Just Testicles And Ovaries: A Case Report Of Gallbladder Torsion, Jason Lizalek Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Is It Really Appendicitis? Spigelian Hernia With Incarcerated Ovary Presenting As Acute-Onset Right Lower Quadrant Pain, Elizabeth Maginot Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Extensive Tophaceous Pseudogout Of The Temporomandibular Joint, Reconstructed With Custom Alloplastic Temporomandibular Joint And Mandibular Sagittal Split Osteotomy, Chad S. Sloan Et. Al.

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

No abstract provided.