Public Health Commons^™

Malaria Resilience In South America: Epidemiology, Vector Biology, And Immunology Insights From The Amazonian International Center Of Excellence In Malaria Research Network In Peru And Brazil, Kathrine Torres, Marcelo U. Ferreira, Marcia C. Castro, Ananias A. Escalante, Jan E. Conn, Elizabeth Villasis, Maisa Da Silva Araujo, Gregorio Almeida, Priscila T. Rodrigues, Rodrigo M. Corder, Anderson R.J. Fernandes, Priscila R. Calil, Winni A. Ladeia, Stefano S. Garcia-Castillo, Joaquin Gomez, Lis Ribeiro Do Valle Antonelli, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Douglas T. Golenbock, Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas, Dionicia Gamboa, Joseph M. Vinetz

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

The 1990s saw the rapid reemergence of malaria in Amazonia, where it remains an important public health priority in South America. The Amazonian International Center of Excellence in Malaria Research (ICEMR) was designed to take a multidisciplinary approach toward identifying novel malaria control and elimination strategies. Based on geographically and epidemiologically distinct sites in the Northeastern Peruvian and Western Brazilian Amazon regions, synergistic projects integrate malaria epidemiology, vector biology, and immunology. The Amazonian ICEMR’s overarching goal is to understand how human behavior and other sociodemographic features of human reservoirs of transmission— predominantly asymptomatically parasitemic people—interact with the major Amazonian malaria …

Validation Of A Brazilian Portuguese Measure Of Family Resources In A Sample Of Parents To Children With Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome, Sarah Barker Ladd

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the aftermath of the 2015 Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, thousands of children and their families continue to face challenges associated with Congenital Zika Syndrome, a developmental condition associated with microcephaly and other serious birth defects affecting the central nervous system. Family-centered rehabilitative care is critical to optimize the trajectories of children who have significant developmental disabilities like CZS. These services involve assessing for the presence of family resources that may help to promote positive outcomes for children. Little is known regarding family resources in the context of caring for a child with CZS in Brazil due to the …

Distillers' Grains: Past, Present, And Future Economic Analyses, Daniel E. Gertner

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is comprised of four chapters, each of which discusses or conducts economic research related to the distillers’ grains market. The first three chapters are meant to be standalone papers. Chapter four provides potential paths forward in distillers’ grains research based on the findings of the first three chapters and concludes the thesis.

The first chapter conducts a comprehensive literature review that categorizes and summarizes economic research on distillers’ grains products. This section shows how the physical market has moved beyond the current academic understanding of market products and structure. Existing research finds that traditional distillers’ grains products positively …

The Coronavirus Pandemic And International Trade, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted economic activities around the world. Many businesses had to cease operations and furlough or lay off their workers. The World Bank (2021) has reported that global economic output fell by 3.4% in 2020. The good news is that the massive infusion of financial support from many governments in high-income countries meant that the worst economic effects of the pandemic were mitigated, and a rapid recovery has begun to make up for the pandemic-related losses. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that the global economy will grow by 5.9% in 2021 recovering the 2020 losses and …

Evaluating The Impact Of Covid-19 On Nebraska Land Auctions And Implications For Future Farm Real Estate Sales In 2021, Jim Jansen, Jeffrey Stokes

Cornhusker Economics

The Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey and Report 2020-2021 provides insight into recent trends on the market value of agricultural land and cash rental rates across the state. Each year, the special feature section from this report covers topics on new or emerging issues related to the agricultural land industry in Nebraska. These topics reflect interest expressed by panel members and readership of the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Highlights Reports. The special feature section in 2021 evaluates the effects of COVID-19 on Nebraska land auctions over the prior year and implications for this transaction method involving future agricultural …

Examining Correlates Of Feeding Practices Among Parents Of Preschoolers, Deepa Srivastava, Lucy R. Zheng, Dipti Dev

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: Parent feeding practices play a critical role in children’s eating behaviors. Limited research has explored child-level correlates of parent feeding practices.

Aim: To identify correlates of feeding practices (responsive and controlling) among parents of preschoolers in the United States.

Methods: Participants included parents (n = 273) of preschoolers (3–5 years), recruited from early care and education settings (n = 24) located in a metropolitan city in the US. Analysis included descriptives, correlations, and multiple regression.

Results: For responsive feeding practices, positive associations included child’s weight with unintentional modeling (β = .17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.53]), child vegetable …

Compliance With Hand Sanitizer Quality During The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic: Assessing The Impurities In An Ethanol Plant, Gabriel Cohen, Nathan Kreutzer, Katie M. Mowat, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Bruce I. Dvorak

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Using alcohol-based disinfectants is an effective method for preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, non-traditional manufacturers of alcohol-based disinfectants, such as ethanol plants, need to undergo additional treatment to curb their impurities to limits set by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) to produce alcohol-based disinfectants. To transform them to disinfectant-grade alcohol, 17 process streams in a dry-mill ethanol plant were analyzed to determine the quality parameters for acetaldehyde, acetal, propanol, methanol, and water, including chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and nutrients. Results suggest that the process stream generated by the distillation column requires further treatment because the acetaldehyde …

Development Of Vaccines And Antivirals Against Zika Virus, Aryamav Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV), an arbovirus, poses a major global human health concern because of its ability to cause congenital abnormalities and neurological diseases. While many candidate vaccines and antiviral drugs are in the developmental pipeline, none have been approved for use against ZIKV infection. This dissertation describes the characterization of one vaccine and two antiviral drug candidates against ZIKV infection. A bacterial ferritin-based nanoparticle vaccine, termed zDIII-F, is designed to display multiple copies of ZIKV E protein domain III on its surface. These stable nanoparticles are shown to induce robust antibody-mediated protection against lethal ZIKV infection in …

Incompatibility Group I1 (Inci1) Plasmids: Their Genetics, Biology, And Public Health Relevance, Steven L. Foley, Pravin R. Kaldhone, Steven C. Ricke, Jing Han

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Bacterial plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements that often carry antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and genes encoding increased virulence and can be transmissible among bacteria by conjugation. One key group of plasmids is the incompatibility group I1 (IncI1) plasmids, which have been isolated from multiple Enterobacteriaceae of food animal origin and clinically ill human patients. The IncI group of plasmids were initially characterized due to their sensitivity to the filamentous bacteriophage If1. Two prototypical IncI1 plasmids, R64 and pColIb-P9, have been extensively studied, and the plasmids consist of unique regions associated with plasmid replication, plasmid stability/maintenance, transfer machinery apparatus, single-stranded DNA …

Complexity Of Malaria Transmission Dynamics In The Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Ana Maria Ribeiro De Castro Duarte, Licia Natal Fernandes, Fabiana Santos Silva, Igor Lucoves Sicchi, Luis Filipe Mucci, Izilda Curado, Aristides Ferrnandes, Antônio Ralph Medeiros-Sousa, Walter Ceretti-Junior, Mauro Toledo Marrelli, Eduardo Evangelista, Renildo Teixeira, Juliana Laurito Summa, Marcello Schiavo Nardi, Margoth Ramos Garnica, Ana Carolina Loss, Julyana Cerqueira Buery, Crispim Cerutti Jr., M. Andreína Pacheco, Ananias A. Escalante, Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Gabriel Zorello Laporta

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium vivax are protozoan parasites that can cause malaria in humans. They are genetically indistinguishable from, respectively, Plasmodium brasilianum and Plasmodium simium, that is, parasites infecting New World non-human primates in South America. In the tropical rainforests of the Brazilian Atlantic coast, it has long been hypothesized that P. brasilianum and P. simium in platyrrhine primates originated from P. malariae and P. vivax in humans. A recent hypothesis proposed the inclusion of Plasmodium falciparum into the transmission dynamics between humans and non-human primates in the Brazilian Atlantic tropical rainforest. Herein, we assess the occurrence of human …

Thyreos Completes Seed Funding From Invest Nebraska, Strategic Angel Investors, Nebraska Combine

The Combine

First paragraph:

Thyreos (https://www.thyreosvaccines.com/), a vaccine company that is developing a novel vaccine platform that protects against a range of herpesviruses, has announced a $750,000 investment round led by Invest Nebraska with participation from other local angel investors in the animal health and veterinary space.

Rejection Of African Indigenous Food: The Case Of Rwanda, Eugene Baraka

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Rwanda has one of the highest stunting rates among children globally, and malnutrition remains one of the most pressing public health issues. Lack of diversified diets, due to colonialization and nutrition transition, is the leading cause of the double burden of malnutrition in the country where the progress to reduce undernutrition is slow and obesity rates are rapidly rising. Consumption of indigenous foods has proven to diversify diets, but very few studies have been conducted to assess which ones are available for consumption in Rwanda. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability and use of indigenous foods …

Spoken Barriers: The Effects Of Spanish-English Interpretation Within The United States Health System, Michelle Lounsbery

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In recent times the prevalence of the Spanish language in the United States has been on a steady incline, and the language barrier created between patients and providers is only growing. Studies display a direct relationship between communication barriers formed by insufficient interpretation methods and negative patient outcomes due to a lack of understanding. This study will evaluate of the effects of Spanish-English interpretation in the United States health system as well as review the significance of direct patient-provider communication and how to improve these methods. Research methods will involve the use of other accredited academic literature and studies, as …

Food Sourcing And The Relationship To Height Of 6th To 7th Graders In Southern Ethiopia And Zambia, Fulxen Ignacio Bescansa Luers

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Introduction: Zambia and Ethiopia are Sub-Saharan African countries experiencing high rates of malnutrition and stunting. This study examines food sourcing and its relationship to stunting.

Methods: Anthropometric assessment and food frequency-sourcing interviews were taken for 488 6th-7th graders in Livingstone, Zambia and Hawassa, Ethiopia. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.

Results: Most students sourced food from local markets and home gardens; however Zambian students used a greater variety of sources. Those sourcing from home gardens were significantly taller.

Discussion: Home gardening provides economic and health benefits, as well as food security. A focus on preservation and use …

Malaria In Southern Venezuela: The Hottest Hotspot In Latin America, Maria Eugenia Grillet, Jorge E. Moreno, Juan V. Hernández-Villena, Maria F. Vincenti-González, Oscar Noya, Adriana Tami, Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, Martin Llewellyn, Rachel Lowe, Ananias A. Escalante, Jan E. Conn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Malaria elimination in Latin America is becoming an elusive goal. Malaria cases reached a historical ~1 million in 2017 and 2018, with Venezuela contributing 53% and 51% of those cases, respectively. Historically, malaria incidence in southern Venezuela has accounted for most of the country’s total number of cases. The efficient deployment of disease prevention measures and prediction of disease spread to new regions requires an in-depth understanding of spatial heterogeneity on malaria transmission dynamics. Herein, we characterized the spatial epidemiology of malaria in southern Venezuela from 2007 through 2017 and described the extent to which malaria distribution has changed country-wide …

Impacts Of The Pandemic In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2021 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steven A. Schulz

Nebraska Rural Poll

Most rural Nebraskans felt various impacts from the pandemic. While many rural Nebraskans had someone in their household that quarantined because of possible coronavirus exposure or who contracted COVID-19, most have friends or family in their community that quarantined or contracted the virus. Many rural Nebraskans also have friends or family both inside and outside their community who were hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 or who died as a result of it.

Most rural Nebraskans say the following were affected a fair amount or a great deal by the pandemic: their socialization with others, their life overall, and their …

Impacts Of The Pandemic In Metropolitan Nebraska: 2021 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steven A. Schulz

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Most metropolitan Nebraskans felt various impacts from the pandemic. While many metropolitan Nebraskans had someone in their household that quarantined because of possible coronavirus exposure or who contracted COVID-19, most have friends or family in their community that quarantined or contracted the virus. Many metropolitan Nebraskans also have friends or family both inside and outside their community who were hospitalized as a result of COVID-19.

Most metropolitan Nebraskans say the following were affected a fair amount or a great deal by the pandemic: their socialization with others, their life overall, their company/ workplace and their mental health. Conversely, most rural …

Trust In Media, Institutions, And Health Information In Metropolitan Nebraska: 2021 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steven A. Schulz

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Overall, most metropolitan Nebraskans have confidence in their local institutions (public safety agencies in their community, public schools in their community, and voting and election systems in their county). However, many have very little confidence in many national institutions (the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Presidency) as well as the Governor.

Metropolitan Nebraskans most trust information received from friends/family/ acquaintances, local news sources (TV and newspapers), public sources (PBS and public radio) and state newspapers. They least trust information from social networking sites, Internet blogs, and Fox News.

Most metropolitan Nebraskans trust local health professionals for …

Datos Sobre La Enfermedad Arterial Periférica (Eap) Para Hispanos/Latinos (Facts About Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.) For Hispanics/Latinos)

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

Casi 10 millones de personas de 40 años o más en los Estados Unidos tienen enfermedad arterial periférica (EAP).

Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

Conclusion

As we learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, and start recovering and rebuilding, we have an opportunity to offer a more comprehensive, more fulfilling, and more inclusive vision of what constitutes public health. And for a generation of children facing unprecedented pressures and stresses, day in and day out, change can’t come soon enough.

It won’t come overnight. Many of the recommendations offered in this Advisory require structural buy-in and change.

But everyone has a role to play in combating this mental health pandemic. Without individual engagement, no amount of energy or resources can overcome the biggest barrier …

Bedbug Education, Treatment, And Prevention, Elizabeth Bedford

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Cimex lectularius (bedbug) has become a severe issue in more recent years due to travel, immigration, and importation of products. Unfortunately, most people do not know their biology hence do not treat these arthropods correctly. Many myths and misinformation are currently available to people on the internet and with pest professionals. Education and proper treatment must eradicate these pests in homes, commercial buildings, and other places. To prove whether or not education with treatment garners better results,ten homes were treated with the same heating and chemical process, with only five being educated before, during and after. All homes were inspected …

The Ideology Of Baby-Mama Phenomenon: Assessing Knowledge And Perceptions Among Young People From Educational Institutions, Opeyemi S. Adeojo, Daniel Egerson, Gabriel Mewiya, Rowland Edet

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the knowledge and perception of the ideology of baby-mama concept among the youths. Particularly, this paper assessed the knowledge of the concept of baby mama among youths and also their opinion on the acceptability of this style of family structure. The study employed a qualitative approach through an in-depth interview research method. Forty respondents between the ages of 16 and 40 years were selected across three educational institutions in Oyo state, south-west Nigeria. The participants of the study voluntarily agreed to participate in the research and everything said during the course of the interview was transcribed and …

Cross-National Attitudes About Paid Parental Leave Offerings For Fathers, Qi Li, Chris Knoester, Richard J. Petts

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using cross-national data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme (N = 33,273), this study considers institutional, self-interest, and ideational factors in analyzing public opinions about the provision, length, and source of paid parental leave offerings for fathers. We find substantial support for generous leave offerings. Multilevel regression results reveal that being a woman, supporting dual-earning expectations, and realizing more family strains lead to support for more generous leave offerings. Endorsing separate spheres and intensive mothering attitudes reduces support for more generous leave offerings; although, gendered attitudes interact with one another in predicting leave preferences, too. Finally, country-level indicators …

Attitudes About Paid Parental Leave: Cross-National Comparisons And The Significance Of Gendered Expectations, Family Strains, And Extant Leave Offerings, Chris Knoester, Qi Li, Richard J. Petts

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using data on paid parental leave preferences from 35,488 adults situated within 26 different OECD countries, and multilevel modeling, this study examines public opinions about the provision of paid parental leave, some government funding of leave offerings, and preferred lengths of leave offerings. We consider how attitudes may be similar or different across social contexts and then focus upon the extent to which gender, gendered parenting role attitudes, family strains, and country-level institutionalized leave offerings are associated with leave preferences. The findings indicate that the vast majority of respondents are in favor of rather widespread and generous paid parental leave …

Molecular Identification Of Parasites In An Intestinal Coprolite From A Mummified Religious Dignitary Of The Piraino Mother Church Crypt, Sicily, Amanda Rollins, Krystiana Krupa, Georgia Millward, Dario Piombino-Mascali, Karl Reinhard, Frederika Kaestle

Karl Reinhard Publications

Intestinal contents were sampled from a spontaneously enhanced mummy from the Sepulcher of the Priests of the Piraino Mother Church in the Province of Messina, Sicily. This adult male mummy, Piraino 1, is an unidentified religious dignitary dating from the late-18th to mid-19th centuries. Immunological and molecular diagnostics were used to test for common and clinically significant parasites. A morphological diagnosis of Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) was confirmed genetically. A previously undetected Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) infection was also identified genetically. These data indicate that the Piraino 1 individual was simultaneously infected with multiple intestinal parasite species indicative of poor hygiene. This …

Availability And Consumption Of Vitamin A Foods Among Southern Ethiopian And Zambian Primary Students, Trang Vuong

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Purpose: Understand vitamin A food availability in open-air markets (OAM’s), and consumption of those foods by primary school children in southern Ethiopia/Zambia.

Methods: Conducted inventories of all consumable/potable items and interviewed 6-7th grade students about consumption of items with vitamin A.

Results: Students consumed most of the 14 vitamin A foods/items sold in OAM’s. Zambian students ate more liver, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, and wild fruits, while Ethiopian students almost never consumed squash, watermelon or wild fruits.

Conclusions: The availability of Vitamin A foods in Ethiopian and Zambian OAMs are varied; however, Zambian children reportedly eat more vitamin A foods. Nutrition …

Statement Of World Aquatic Scientific Societies On The Need To Take Urgent Action Against Human-Caused Climate Change, Based On Scientific Evidence [Dear Colleague Letter], Scott A. Bonar, Brian R. Murphy, Leanne H. Roulson, Jesse T. Trushenski, Douglas J. Austen, Michael Edward Douglas

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Dear Colleague Letter from the American Fisheries Society to fellow scientific societies, July 25, 2020, about the urgent need for responsive collective action to mitigate impending radical climate change. Includes the Statement of World Aquatic Scientific Societies on the Need to Take Urgent Action Against Human-Caused Climate Change, Based on Scientific Evidence, emphasizing the importance of aquatic ecosystems. Includes extensive citations and notes.

"Water is the most important natural resource on Earth as it is vital for life. Aquatic ecosystems, freshwater or marine, provide multiple benefits to human society, such as provisioning of oxygen, food, drinking water, genetic resources; regulation …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware. The commonly known screening method among …

Multistate Mumps Outbreak Originating From Asymptomatic Transmission At A Nebraska Wedding — Six States, August–October 2019, Matthew Donahue, Blake Hendrickson, Derek Julian, Nicholas Hill, Julie Rother, Samir Koirala, Joshua L. Clayton, Thomas Safranek, Bryan Buss

United States Public Health Resources

In August 2019, 30 attendees at a Nebraska wedding developed mumps after being exposed to one asymptomatic index patient who was fully vaccinated according to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations (1), resulting in a multistate outbreak. A public health investigation and response revealed epidemiologic links that extended from the index patient through secondary, tertiary, and quaternary patients and culminated in a measles-mumpsrubella (MMR) booster vaccination campaign in the local community where approximately half of the patients resided.

Grains, Grasses, And Tubers: Staple Carbohydrates In The Diets Of Middle School Children Of Southern Zambia And Ethiopia, Brianna Juma

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Purpose: Survey staple carbohydrate availability in local markets, complete anthropometric assessment, and interview primary school children about carbohydrate consumption in Southern Zambia and Ethiopia

Methods: Market inventories, anthropometric assessments, and interviews of 6th and 7th grade students

Results: Ethiopians have a greater diversity of available carbohydrates, have better overall anthropometric values compared to Zambian children, and consume more nutritious and varied carbohydrate types.

Conclusions: Diversity in carbohydrate availability and consumption, as well as more nutritious options, are associated with healthier growth rates among primary school children in Southern regions of Zambia and Ethiopia.