Public Health Commons^™

From Collaboration To Continuity: Exploring Stakeholder Engagement For Sustainable Global Health Partnerships, Annabelle Falconer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Global health partnerships have been identified as crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and targets related to health and wellbeing. Specifically, the Global Fund, UNAIDS Joint Programme, and the World Food Programme are examples of some of the relevant partners currently engaged in this work, filling roles in global health financing, governance, and delivery. Current literature has identified that the effective engagement of stakeholders in partnerships can be crucial in effective project implementation and that global health partnerships during the era of the Millennium Development Goals did impact health outcomes. This research aims to investigate the current strategies for …

Exploring The Medicalization Of Menstruation: Analyzing Menstrual Hygiene Initiatives By Igos, Non-Profits And National Government In Switzerland, Victoria Wright

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Menstrual health serves as a critical indicator of reproductive health. It is pivotal in achieving various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to women's and girls' comfort, agency, participation, safety, well-being, and dignity (Loughnan et al., 2020). This research investigates the medicalization of menstruation in Switzerland through a mixed-methods approach examining the strategies and roles of key stakeholders such as the WHO, local government initiatives, and NGOs in shaping the landscape of menstrual medicalization.

The findings reveal that while medicalization has brought about progressive changes, including the introduction of menstrual leave policies, it has resulted in a complex regulatory landscape, increased …

Obesity: The Effects On Health And Healthcare, Nadia Abdulbaki

Posters - 2024

▪ In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity.

▪ 2.8 million people die each year due to being overweight and obese.

▪ Obesity is a medical disease that raises the likelihood of developing various conditions and diseases that increase the chances of mortality for affected individuals.

▪ Obesity can be caused by several influences, whether behavioral, socioeconomic, environmental, hormonal, or genetic; however, the primary cause of obesity is mostly attributed to lifestyle. Specifically, it is the consumption of a high amount of calories in conjunction with a low amount of calories expended. This is …

Comparison Of Raw Accelerometry Data From Actigraph, Apple Watch, Garmin, And Fitbit Using A Mechanical Shaker Table, James W. White Iii, Olivia L. Finnegan, Nick Tindall, Srihari Nelakuditi, David E. Brown Iii, Russell R. Pate Ph.D., Gregory J. Welk, Massimiliano De Zambotti, Rahul Ghosal, Yuan Wang, Sarah Burkart, Elizabeth L. Adams, Mvs Chandrashekhar, Bridget Armstrong, Michael W. Beets, Robert Weaver Med, Phd

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the raw accelerometry output from research-grade and consumer wearable devices compared to accelerations produced by a mechanical shaker table. Raw accelerometry data from a total of 40 devices (i.e., n = 10 ActiGraph wGT3X-BT, n = 10 Apple Watch Series 7, n = 10 Garmin Vivoactive 4S, and n = 10 Fitbit Sense) were compared to reference accelerations produced by an orbital shaker table at speeds ranging from 0.6 Hz (4.4 milligravity-mg) to 3.2 Hz (124.7mg). Two-way random effects absolute intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) tested inter-device reliability. …

Lstm-Based Recurrent Neural Network Predicts Influenza-Like-Illness In Variable Climate Zones, Alfred Amendolara, Christopher Gowans, Joshua Barton, David Sant, Andrew Payne

Annual Research Symposium

Purpose: Influenza virus is responsible for a recurrent, yearly epidemic in most temperate regions of the world. For the 2021-2022 season the CDC reports 5000 deaths and 100,000 hospitalizations, a significant number despite the confounding presence of SARS-CoV-2. The mechanisms behind seasonal variance in flu burden are not well understood. Based on a previously validated model, this study seeks to expand understanding of the impact of variable climate regions on seasonal flu trends. To that end, three climate regions have been selected. Each region represents a different ecological region and provides different weather patterns showing how the climate variables impact …

Interrelationships Among Local Values Of Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Heat Index, And Adjusted Temperature, Andrea Giraldo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occupational heat stress significantly affects outdoor workers who face challenges due to increased heat exposure. Because of the prevalence of heat illness, it is important to measure heat stress for outdoor workers. Monitoring occupational heat stress most often relies on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measure. Heat Index (HI) is a widely used measure to account for air temperature and humidity. Adjusted Temperature (Tadj) considers air temperature, humidity and estimates radiant heat. There is interest in predicting WBGT from HI and HI from WBGT. This study builds on previous USF research by Bernard and Iheanacho and Irvin to evaluate …

The Acceptance And Use Of Digital Technologies For Self-Reporting Medication Safety Events After Care Transitions To Home In Patients With Cancer: Survey Study, Yun Jiang, Misun Hwang, Youmin Cho, Christopher R Friese, Sarah T Hawley, Milisa Manojlovich, John C Krauss, Yang Gong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Actively engaging patients with cancer and their families in monitoring and reporting medication safety events during care transitions is indispensable for achieving optimal patient safety outcomes. However, existing patient self-reporting systems often cannot address patients' various experiences and concerns regarding medication safety over time. In addition, these systems are usually not designed for patients' just-in-time reporting. There is a significant knowledge gap in understanding the nature, scope, and causes of medication safety events after patients' transition back home because of a lack of patient engagement in self-monitoring and reporting of safety events. The challenges for patients with cancer in …

Treatment And Mortality Following Cancer Diagnosis Among People With Non-Affective Psychotic Disorders In Ontario, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Jared C. Wootten, Lucie Richard, Melody Lam, Phillip S. Blanchette, Marco Solmi, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Background and Hypothesis People with psychotic disorders have a higher risk of mortality following cancer diagnosis, compared to people without psychosis. The extent to which this disparity is influenced by differences in cancer-related treatment is currently unknown. We hypothesized that, following a cancer diagnosis, people with psychotic disorders were less likely to receive treatment and were at higher risk of death than those without psychosis. Study Design We constructed a retrospective cohort of cases of non-affective psychotic disorder (NAPD) and a general population comparison group, using Ontario Health (OH) administrative data. We identified cases of all cancers diagnosed between 1995 …

Identifying Rural Health Clinics Within The Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-Msis) Analytic Files, Katherine Ahrens Mph, Phd, Zachariah Croll, Yvonne Jonk Phd, John Gale Ms, Heidi O'Connor Ms

Rural Health Clinics

Researchers at the Maine Rural Health Research Center describe a methodology for identifying Rural Health Clinic encounters within the Medicaid claims data using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files.

Background: There is limited information on the extent to which Rural Health Clinics (RHC) provide pediatric and pregnancy-related services to individuals enrolled in state Medicaid/CHIP programs. In part this is because methods to identify RHC encounters within Medicaid claims data are outdated.

Methods: We used a 100% sample of the 2018 Medicaid Demographic and Eligibility and Other Services Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files for 20 states …

Identifying Environmental And Genetic Risk Factors Of Diseases In Case-Control Studies, Siting Li

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

In response to the increasing efforts in disease prevention and treatment, this thesis applies statistical methods to investigate environmental and genetic risk factors associated with two diseases: bladder cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). For bladder cancer, we investigated the association between toenail metal mixture and bladder cancer risk, along with gene expression levels associated with bladder cancer risk. For ALS, our investigation involves identifying genetic variants and gene expression levels associated with ALS risk and exploring gene-smoking interactions linked to ALS risk.

In chapter two, we developed an adaptive-mixture-categorization (AMC)-based g-computation method combining g-computation with optimized exposure categorization. We …

Road Traffic Noise Annoyance And Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Population: A Case Series Study In Kota Bharu, Malaysia, Faridah Naim, Nurin H M Nasir

Kesmas

Noise pollution can cause annoyance, significantly threatening the population’s health and well-being. This study aimed to find an association between road traffic noise exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among residents in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. This descriptive study used a case series approach and surveyed 34 residents in selected residential areas near main roads. An adapted questionnaire was distributed to residents using a purposive sampling method. Questions related to sociodemographic information, self-reporting about CVD, and road traffic noise assessment were asked to investigate the underlying risk factors for CVD. The average score of CVD assessment was classified as moderate risk. …

Path-Bigbird: An Ai-Driven Transformer Approach To Classification Of Cancer Pathology Reports, Mayanka Chandrashekar, Isaac Lyngaas, Heidi A. Hanson, Shang Gao, Xiao Cheng Wu, John Gounley

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: Surgical pathology reports are critical for cancer diagnosis and management. To accurately extract information about tumor characteristics from pathology reports in near real time, we explore the impact of using domain-specific transformer models that understand cancer pathology reports. METHODS: We built a pathology transformer model, Path-BigBird, by using 2.7 million pathology reports from six SEER cancer registries. We then compare different variations of Path-BigBird with two less computationally intensive methods: Hierarchical Self-Attention Network (HiSAN) classification model and an off-the-shelf clinical transformer model (Clinical BigBird). We use five pathology information extraction tasks for evaluation: site, subsite, laterality, histology, and behavior. …

Revolutionizing Denture Excellence: An Invigorating In-Vitro Exploration Of Organic Products In Prosthetic Rehabilitation, Nighila Ravindran, Sneha Joseph, Aswani Surya K

Annual Research Symposium

The denture base comes into contact with diverse substances in the oral cavity, acting as a reservoir for microorganisms like corynebacterium, streptococcus, lactobacillus, and candida. This colonization elevates the risk of complications such as denture stomatitis and candidiasis. Commercial denture cleaners have explored the use of natural ingredients, less commonly employed but offering various advantages. These ingredients aim to mitigate the potential issues associated with microbial colonization on denture surfaces, contributing to improved oral hygiene for denture wearers. The exploration of natural elements reflects a nuanced approach to denture care, considering both efficacy and less conventional alternatives.

Investigating Racial And Ethnic Healthcare Disparities In Screenable Ob/Gyn-Related Cancers, Lara Laughrey

Annual Research Symposium

This is a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature addressing healthcare inequity based on race and ethnicity with a specific focus on Ob/Gyn-related management and treatment of screenable cancers.

Assessment Of Emotional Intelligence Among Students In Dental College, Gowri Nandana S Final Year Student, Sudeep C. B Professor And Head Of The Department Of Public Health Dentistry

Annual Research Symposium

Over an extended period, the examination of intelligence predominantly centered on the adaptive deployment of cognitive abilities. In more recent times, scholars such as Gardner (1983) and Sternberg (1988) have proposed comprehensive frameworks for comprehending intelligence. Pioneering the concept of "emotional intelligence," Salovey and Mayer (1990) posited that emotional intelligence encompasses three distinct categories of adaptive capabilities: the evaluation and expression of emotions, the regulation of emotions, and the utilization of emotions in problem-solving. The objective is to evaluate emotional intelligence among dental students across various educational institutions.

Quality Of Life In Orthodontics, Claudia Eisenhuth, Gabriel Eisenhuth, Connor Schwartz, Amir Mohajeri, Man Hung, Tiffany Nelson, Ryann Glenn

Annual Research Symposium

Orthodontic treatment goes beyond mere cosmetic enhancement; it significantly impacts various aspects of an individual's quality of life. Beyond the physical benefits of improved oral function and prevention of dental issues, orthodontics also yields profound psychological benefits. Aligned teeth enhance self-confidence, reduce social anxiety, and contribute to better relationships and professional opportunities. Moreover, addressing dental concerns through orthodontic treatment reduces psychological distress and promotes overall happiness and satisfaction. Real-life case studies vividly illustrate the transformative effects of orthodontic interventions, emphasizing the importance of considering quality of life outcomes in dental care.

Exploring The Interconnected Role Of The Oral Microbiome And Periodontal Disease In The Development And Progression Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Malak Al-Regib, Claudia M. Tellez Freitas

Annual Research Symposium

This comprehensive review explores the complex linkage among the oral microbiome, periodontal disease, and the onset and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Success And Challenges Of Infrazygomatic Crest Implants In Orthodontics, Gauri Gill

Annual Research Symposium

Poster on success rates of mini implants used in the infrazygomatic region for orthodontic anchorage , as well as the factors that influence the success of the mini implant placed in IZC region.

Investigating The Role Of Chaos In Minimizing Tumor Growth, Maxwell Geiger

Annual Research Symposium

Chaos is a type of motion found in mathematical systems that is highly sensitive to initial conditions. While many biological systems described in literature have been analyzed for the presence of chaotic dynamics, there are still many that are yet to be discovered. The goal of this project is to reassess Itik and Banks’ discovery of chaotic behavior in their population dynamics model of cancer growth. Once chaotic behavior is confirmed, we want to investigate how chaos could possibly be controlled to minimize tumor growth and discover novel treatments for cancer patients.

A Pharmacist’S Central Role In Improving Hormonal Contraceptive Access, Aleese Smith, Urvi Patel, Alexandra Arledge, Josie Young, Erin Johanson

Annual Research Symposium

In 2019, the roles of Utah pharmacists grew with the implementation of a statewide standing order allowing prescribing abilities for hormonal contraceptives. With the rates of unplanned pregnancies in Utah up to 1 in every 5; pharmacists have a new role in birth control distribution. Pharmacists and pharmacy interns across the state of Utah are able to prescribe self-administered hormonal contraceptive medications including: oral pills, vaginal insertion medications, and birth control patches. Pharmacists are entrusted with the responsibility to evaluate the patient and their needs to ensure all women receiving birth control are educated about the risks and side effects …

The National Status Of Pharmacists’ Ability To Prescribe Hormonal Contraceptives, Aleese Smith, Urvi Patel, Alexandra Arledge, Josie Young, Erin Johanson

Annual Research Symposium

The scope of practice for pharmacists first expanded in California and Oregon with the ability to prescribe hormonal contraceptives to patients in their communities. Since 2016, over 33 states now allow for pharmacist prescribing of birth control in their pharmacy practice laws.

90% of Americans live within 5 miles of a retail pharmacy, making community pharmacies an accessible resource who may otherwise be unable to access contraceptives. The gap in care experienced by certain patient populations is now being filled by pharmacists with their ability to prescribe birth control.

Ligaplant: Recreating Natural From Artificial, Disha Kamavisdar

Annual Research Symposium

Missing teeth can be substituted by the use of the dental implants. The most widely used implants in the current scenario are the osseointegrated implants with various shortcomings and the most prominent one is the lack of the periodontal ligament. To overcome this, implants with periodontal ligaments can be procured and this can be possible by the application of the tissue engineering concept along with suitable implant material.

Application Of In-Silico Computational Biology Strategies To Demonstrate Mechanism Of Oral Cancer Cell Death By Natural Peptide, Dr Dominic Augustine

Annual Research Symposium

This research work is designed to identify biomolecules from Earthworm Coelomic Fluid (ECF) of Eudrilus Eugeniae (EE) that can inhibit oral cancer cells from proliferating. The study aims to construct a homology model of the 18 kDa protein from ECF of EE (18-ECFP) with molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) to enable its molecular docking with pro-apoptotic caspase receptors with determination of binding energy scores. The study also evaluates the anti-cancer potential of 18-ECFP on SCC-9 cells in vitro by wet lab techniques.

Pathogenic Implications Of Candidal Species In Both Oral Cancer And Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders - A Review, Dr Dominic Augustine, Sowmya Sv, Kuntala Mondal

Annual Research Symposium

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the 6th most common cancer in worldwide. Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and betel quid chewing are its major risk factors other factors that can lead to OSCC include excessive sun exposure, viral or fungal infection, poor nutrition, and poor oral hygiene. The carcinogenesis of OSCC occurs gradually and oral epithelial dysplasia is considered a potential histologic precursor of OSCC. Most OSCC cases are preceded by clinically evident oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). The aim of this review is to correlate the association between Candida species and oral potentially malignant disorders and its possible mechanisms …

Immunohistochemical Expression Of Cyclin D1 In Dentigerous Cyst, Odontogenic Keratocyst And Unicystic Ameloblastoma- An In-Vitro Study, Kuntala Mondal, Sv Sowmya, Dominic Augustine

Annual Research Symposium

Cyclin D1, a G1 cyclin member, regulates the transition of the cell cycle from the G1 phase to the S phase. The uncontrolled and elevated expression of cyclin D1 has been associated with rapid growth, heightened proliferative activity and increased histologic aggressiveness. Unicystic ameloblastoma pertains to cystic lesions that present clinical, radiographic, or gross features akin to jaw cysts. Nevertheless, upon histological scrutiny, these lesions display a distinctive ameloblastomatous epithelium lining the cystic cavity, with or without luminal or mural proliferation. This cystic variant of tumor bears substantial resemblances to dentigerous cysts, and occasionally, both entities can become indistinguishable upon …

An Immunohistochemical Panel For The Accurate Differentiation Between Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma And Pleomorphic Adenoma, Kuntala Mondal, Sv Sowmya, Dominic Augustine

Annual Research Symposium

Salivary Gland Tumors (SGTs) are a diverse group of neoplasms, with a wide range of histological subtypes, some of which can exhibit overlapping features. Amongst this group of tumors, Pleomorphic Adenoma (PA) and Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC) stand out as prevalent entities originating from the salivary glands. The accurate differentiation between these two entities is crucial for treatment planning, as it influences decisions regarding the extent of surgical resection. Because of the overlapping histopathological features, it is difficult to differentiate these two lesions with the help of conventional Hematoxylin & Eosin (H& E). The evaluation of Immunohistochemical (IHC) markers holds pivotal …

Cheiloscopic Characteristics Detection And Pattern Classification By Machine Learning Technique, Dr Dominic Augustine, Sowmya Sv

Annual Research Symposium

Machine Learning (ML) is a field enhancing the rapid growth of technology. Though use of digital softwares for cheiloscopic investigations have been attempted with limited success, the use of ML based techniques are scarce and seldom have been employed in forensic odontology. The present study aimed to identify cheiloscopic patterns through machine learning based methods and to correlate the segmented patterns with age and gender of individuals.

Association Between Abo Blood Grouping And Odontometry: An Unexplored Evidence In Forensics, Dr Dominic Augustine, Sowmya Sv

Annual Research Symposium

Recent research has exhibited a strong association between ABO blood groups and susceptibility to diseases. Extraoral and intraoral hard tissue landmarks provide a stable and reliable record for odontological and anthropological analysis, forensic investigations and identification. The association between anthropometric indices and ABO blood grouping have been reported in the past, however, the association between ABO blood groups and odontometric indices is yet to be comprehensively explored. This study aimed to establish the correlation of ABO blood groups with odontometric indices and extraoral hard tissue landmarks for personnel identification.

Advanced Techniques For Tooth Pulp Rna Extraction In Forensic Investigations-A Systematic Review, Kuntala Mondal, Sv Sowmya, Dominic Augustine

Annual Research Symposium

Teeth are fundamental structures in a forensic context due to their high strength and specificity. It is challenging to obtain high quality RNA from pulpal tissues. It has been described that pulp RNA degradation could be an indicator of post-mortem interval. Researchers have been in the quest to develop optimal techniques for tooth RNA extraction. The systematic review aimed to determine the most reliable method of RNA extraction from dental tooth pulp for forensic investigations.

Assessment Of Micrometastasis In Lymph Nodes Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma –Attaining Excellence Through Immunohistochemistry, Dr Dominic Augustine, Sowmya Sv, Kuntala Mondal

Annual Research Symposium

Cervical lymph node metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck (SCCHN). Lymph node prognostic determinants hold immense significance in influencing both patient’s survival outcomes and the propensity for recurrence. The current study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Cyclin D1 and Pan-CK for the detection of lymph node micrometastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue sections and re-evaluate the tumor staging.