Environmental Public Health Commons^™

The Importance Of Well-Being For College Students, Benjamin Williamson, Dr. Mary Jan Greer, Phd, Otr

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Provided education on well-being, enabled independence, and improved quality of life, specifically for college students in this setting.

Advocate for Sustainable Programs:

Advocated for more programs to address the needs of college students and integrated all 8 dimensions of wellness into their current lifestyle

Support Academic Advancement:

Addressed college students' needs for overcoming occupational adversities which affects the longevity and academic success of college students

Motivate College Students:

Provided accessible and occupation-based resources that supported participating college students in independently improving their occupational roles

Advance Holistic Based Strategies:

Incorporated holistic based strategies that apply to each occupational role affecting participating …

Investigating Mercury Contamination In Urban Fish: Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy And Histological Analysis For Environmental And Human Health, Indy L. Cockrill, Ross Andrew

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Mercury contamination in aquatic ecosystems is a pressing environmental and public health concern, particularly in urban areas where industrial runoff and wastewater contribute to heavy metal accumulation. This study investigates mercury presence in fish from Richland Creek in Nashville, TN, by analyzing histological changes in liver and muscle tissues. Mercury bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains, potentially leading to physiological damage in fish and posing health risks to humans who consume contaminated seafood. While prior research has established mercury’s toxic effects, there is a need for localized studies assessing its presence in urban waterways. The hope is to find histological abnormalities …

Contraceptive Hormone Influences On The Role Of Primary Reinforcement And Reinforcer-Enhancement In Nicotine Self-Administration, Kathleen Robin Mcnealy

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Hormonal contraceptives contain a synthetic estrogen (e.g., ethinyl estradiol/EE) and/or a synthetic progestin (e.g., levonorgestrel/LEVO) and can exacerbate nicotine intake. However, whether altered intake reflects changes in nicotine reinforcement or enhancement by nicotine of co-occurring reinforcers is unknown. This reinforcer-enhancement effect is evidenced in rats when nicotine self-administration is increased by the presence of a visual stimulus (VS) reinforcer. This dissertation examined the effects of EE and LEVO on nicotine reinforcement and reinforcer-enhancement in ovary-intact female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were implanted with a jugular catheter and assigned to receive daily injections of EE (Vehicle, 0.125 [Low], or 0.18 [High] μg/day; …

Development Of The Navigation Guide Evidence-To-Decision Framework For Environmental Health: Version 1.0, Nicholas Chartres, Max T. Aung, Sustan L. Norris, Courtney Cooper, Lia A. Bero, Roger Chou, Devon C. Payne-Sturges, Wendy E. Wagner, Jessica W. Reyes, Lisa M. Askie, Daniel A. Axelrad, Deysi Flores Vigo, Jill E. Johnston, Juleen Lam, Keeve E. Nachman, Eva Rehfuess, Rachel Rothschild, Patrice Sutton, Lauren Zeise, Tracey J. Woodruff

Articles

Environmental exposures, including widespread industrial pollution, impact human health and are amplified in more highly exposed communities. Policy and regulatory frameworks for making decisions and recommendations on interventions to mitigate or prevent exposures tend to narrowly focus on exposure and some health-related data related to risks. Typically, such frameworks do not consider other factors, including essentiality, health equity, and distribution of benefits and costs. Further, decisions and recommendations lack transparency regarding how they were developed. We developed the Navigation Guide Evidence-to-Decision Framework for Environmental Health (E2DFEH) to provide a structured and transparent framework incorporating a range of scientific information and …

Exploring The Pathogen Profiles Of Ancient Feces, Drew Capone, David Holcomb, Amanda Lai, Karl Reinhard, Joe Brown

Karl Reinhard Publications

Analysis of ancient desiccated feces – termed paleofeces or coprolites – can unlock insights into the lives of ancient people. We collected desiccated feces from caves in the Rio Zape Valley in Mexico (725-920 CE). First, we extracted DNA with methods previously optimized for paleofeces. Then, we applied highly sensitive modern molecular tools (i.e., PCR pre-amplification followed by multi-parallel qPCR) to assess the presence of 30 enteric pathogens. We detected ≥1 pathogen associated gene in each of the ten samples and a mean of 3.9 pathogens per sample. The targets detected included Blastocystis spp. (n=7), atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (n=7), …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Lead Bioaccessibility And Commonly Measured Soil Characteristics (Detroit, Mi, Usa) Phase Ii, Conor T. Gowan, Sabrina R. Good, Allison R. Harris, Patrick Crouch, Shawn P. Mcelmurry

Open Data at Wayne State

Urban soil contaminated with anthropogenic sources of Pb is a major contributor to child Pb exposure. To assess the Pb risk in urban areas, composite samples were collected from 142 voluntary privately owned 142 residential parcels in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, Michigan. Samples were collected at two time periods, before and after treatment applied for those denoted as treatment sites. Samples were collected from areas covered with turf grass on the parcels from the front, middle and rear sections. Soils were collected with a bulb planter at approximately 10cm depth and were cleaned with a tap water-Liquinox detergent solution …

Mercury Concentrations, Health, And Marine Food Consumption Across Four Eastern Caribbean Populations: Insights From A Novel Community-Based Study, Russell Fielding, Catherine Brown, Jessica Dutton, Martin S. Forde, Heather Harewood, Lisa Hunt, Catherine Macdonald, Cameron Mewhirter, Vincent Reid, Madison Smith, Holly Taylor, Katelyn Zimmerman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mercury (Hg), as an environmental pollutant, can have harmful effects on human health. A common way that people are exposed to Hg is through seafood consumption. This project was designed to investigate Hg exposure through seafood consumption and its health effects among adults in 4 Caribbean countries: Barbados (n = 117), Grenada (n = 90), St. Lucia (n = 126), and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (n = 77). We applied a novel, community—based method, which involved recruiting and paying local barbers and hairstylists to collect hair samples from their clients who consented to join the project as participants. Participants …

Rwanda's Natural Remedies: A Fresh Look At The Fight Against Malaria, Leandre Nsabimana Ndisanze

Pomona Senior Theses

Malaria remains one of the most devastating parasitic diseases globally, disproportionately affecting sub-Saharan Africa, where Rwanda continues to face high transmission rates and rising resistance to conventional interventions. Despite decades of control efforts, the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and insecticide-resistant Anopheles mosquitoes threatens to reverse recent gains. This research responds to the urgent need for sustainable and culturally relevant alternatives by exploring the therapeutic potential of Rwandan traditional medicinal plants. These indigenous remedies, long used by local healers, offer an underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds that may provide the basis for novel antimalarial drugs.

The central hypothesis of this …

Archaeoparasitology Of The Colorado Plateau, Karl J. Reinhard, Morgana Caacho

Karl Reinhard Publications

Archaeoparasitology has been conducted in the Southwest for 57 years. In the first decade of the period, two pictures of parasitism emerged. Analysis of compressed organic sediments from a latrine at Elden Pueblo presented a spectrum of geohelminths not different from medieval Europe. These findings contrast pronouncedly with an analysis of coprolites from all other studies that show consistent pinworm parasitism at other sites in the Southwest. We summarize the paleoepidemiological bases for these contrasting phenomena.

All-Terrain Vehicle Injuries Among Youth: A Multidimensional Analysis Of Injury Patterns In West Virginia And Safety Laws Across High-Fatality States, Sabrina Chyann Beal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) pose significant injury risks, particularly among youth. These powerful machines are widely used across recreational and rural settings. West Virginia consistently ranks among the top five states for ATV-related deaths and injuries. Safety equipment and requirements are often not followed nor enforced, causing children and adolescents to be the most vulnerable group because they tend to not wear safety equipment such as helmets, ride on roadways, carry passengers, and operate oversized ATVS. This study examined ATV injury patterns from the WVU Medicine Trauma Registry and ATV laws across the five states with the highest reported fatalities. This …

Developing A Simplified Method Of Measuring Ultrafine Particulate Matter Dose Concentrations For Diesel Emissions, Nafisat Ohunene Isa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Developing a Simplified Method of Measuring Ultrafine Particulate Matter Dose

Concentrations for Diesel Emissions

Ultra-fine particulate matter (UFP), particularly from diesel emissions, poses significant health and environmental risks due to its small size and potential to penetrate deep into the respiratory system. Accurate measurement of UFP concentrations is essential for assessing exposure and mitigating health impacts. However, current methods for measuring UFP can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. This study aims to develop a simplified method for efficiently measuring UFP concentrations from diesel emissions, which will enable easier and more widespread monitoring of air quality and public health impacts. …

Establishing A Microfiber Recovery Rate In Human Lung Tissue, Kylie Nicole Babin-Howard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5mm) are of increasing concern to environmental and human health as they have persistently been found in all areas of study—becoming a ubiquitous part of the planet. Microplastics have been found in a variety of human tissues (lungs, blood, brain matter, etc.) yet their health effects are poorly understood, with experimental exposure model studies indicating adverse health effects. Microfibers have been found to be more toxic when compared to other microplastic shapes and are also shed from a majority of everyday items, with environmental reports showing that fibers are more than twice as prevalent than …

Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders impose a staggering toll on the United States (U.S.), straining healthcare systems, destabilizing communities, and profoundly impacting both individuals and families. Approximately one in six Americans aged 12 and older had a past-year substance use disorder in 2022 (Key Substance Use, 2022), and nearly one-third of adults experience a substance use disorder in their lifetime (Wu, 2010), contributing to an economic burden exceeding $400 billion annually (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011). Family history of substance use disorders is a key predictor of vulnerability, with individuals who have affected relatives being 2–8 times more …

Multi-Sensor Data Fusion And Gis-Drastic Integration For Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment With Rainfall Consideration, Wu Jiazhe, Dai Xinrui, Su Yangcheng, Zheng Xiangtian, Bushra Ghaffar, Rabiya Nasir, Ahsan Jamil, Zeeshan Zafar, Mohammad Suhail Meer, M. Abdullah-Al-Wadud, Rahila Naseer, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In many areas of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, groundwater is the primary source of fresh water, and it supplies around one-third of the world's fresh water. Agriculture is the primary economic sector on the coast in the southern district (Nowshera). More food productivity is required due to the expanding population and diminishing agricultural lands, which increases the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in farming. The current study was conducted in northwestern parts of Pakistan to evaluate the impacts of the frequent use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural fields. Nine hydrogeological parameters were considered, and …

From The Ocean To Our Kitchen Table: Anthropogenic Particles In The Edible Tissue Of U.S.. West Coast Seafood Species, Summer D. Traylor, Elise F. Granek, Marilyn Duncan, Susanne Brander

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microplastics (MPs) and other anthropogenic particles (APs) are pervasive environmental contaminants found throughout marine and aquatic environments. We quantified APs in the edible tissue of black rockfish, lingcod, Chinook salmon, Pacific herring, Pacific lamprey, and pink shrimp, comparing AP burdens across trophic levels and between vessel-retrieved and retail-purchased individuals. Edible tissue was digested and analyzed under a microscope, and a subset of suspected APs was identified using spectroscopy (μFTIR). Anthropogenic particles were found in 180 of 182 individuals. Finfish contained 0.02–1.08 AP/g of muscle tissue. In pink shrimp (Pandalus jordani), the average AP/g was 10.68 for vessel-retrieved and …

An Analysis Of Suspected Microplastics In The Muscle And Gastrointestinal Tissues Of Fish From Sarasota Bay, Fl: Exposure And Implications For Apex Predators And Seafood Consumers, Eric Conger, Miranda Dziobak, Elizabeth J Berens Mccabe, Tita Curtin, Ayushi Gaur, Randall S Wells, John E Weinstein, Leslie B Hart

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Microplastics have been found in the gastrointestinal (GI) fluid of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), inhabiting Sarasota Bay, FL, suggesting exposure by ingestion, possibly via contaminated fish. To better understand the potential for trophic transfer, muscle and GI tissues from 11 species of dolphin prey fish collected from Sarasota Bay were screened for microplastics (particles <5 mm diameter). Suspected microplastics were found in 82% of muscle samples (n=89), and 97% of GI samples (n=86). Particle abundance and shapes varied by species (p<0.05) and foraging habit (omnivore vs. carnivore, p<0.05). Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) had the highest particle abundance for both tissue types (muscle: 0.38 …

Exploration Of Positive Deviance In Prevention Of Underweight In The Under-Five: A Qualitative Study On Low-Income Urban Families, Irwan Budiono, Lukman Fauzi, Dewi Sari Rochmayani

Kesmas

Children under the age of five (the under-five) from low-income families are more vulnerable to experience underweight. This nutritional vulnerability is evident in the preliminary study, where 35.1% of the under-five experience underweight, and 28.48% are low-income families. This study aimed to explore Positive Deviance (PD) behaviors in preventing underweight among the under-five. The study applied a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data collection took place in July-August 2022, focusing on low-income families in the Gunung Brintik area. Data were collected through two focus group discussions, seven in-depth interviews, and five key informant interviews. Coding, subtheme, and theme …

Risk Factors For Cognitive Impairment In Adult Population Of Coastal Area: A Cross-Sectional Study In Maringkik Island, Indonesia, Herpan Syafii Harahap, Arina Windri Rivarti, Nurhidayati Nurhidayati, Fitriannisa Faradina Zubaidi, Dini Suryani, Legis Ocktaviana Saputri, Yanna Indrayana, Athalita Andhera, Muhammad Hilam, Abiyyu Didar Haq

Kesmas

Cognitive impairment is a medical condition commonly found in elderly populations, which can be due to vascular risk factors in patients. There remains limited data on risk factors for cognitive impairment among coastal region populations. This study aimed to investigate risk factors for cognitive impairment in the adult population of Maringkik Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Data collected were age, sex, education level, hypertension, antihypertensive treatment, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, and body mass index status. A total of 114 participants were recruited using a consecutive sampling method. The participants’ cognitive function assessment used the Mini-Cog instrument. The cognitive impairment …

Molecular Detection Of Pathogenic Bacteria In American Dog Ticks (Dermacentor Variabilis) In Brown County, Nebraska, Nicole Messbarger, Darby Carlson, Keith Geluso, Julie Shaffer

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Ticks carry and transmit disease pathogens that cause many human illnesses. Many of these diseases in humans are accompanied by a wide variety of symptoms making tick-borne illnesses often difficult to diagnose. The rate of reported tick-borne illnesses in humans has increased during the past decades in the United States, alongside a rise in concern for public health and safety. In northern Nebraska, the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is the primary tick encountered by humans and domestic animals in the region. This species is a known vector for spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses and tularemia (Francisella …

Hiv/Aids-Associated Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Treating Disadvantaged Communities Among Pre-Community-Based Dental Education Dental Students In The Us, Aditi Tomar, Hannah Balcezak, Shirley Lewis Miranda, Marie C Latortue, Richa Chinchkhandi, Lisa Wigfall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study examines HIV/AIDS-associated knowledge and attitudes towards treating disadvantaged communities among predoctoral dental students in U.S. dental schools who have not yet commenced their Community-Based Dental Education (CBDE) training. It also compares the difference in the knowledge and attitudes between students with reported community engagement with PLWHA and those without. Our study comprised 89 predoctoral dental students within their D1-D3 years of dental school who had not yet initiated their Community-Based Dental Education (referred to as pre-CBDE dental students). Their responses were collected via an online survey. The participants were 68% females, 94% heterosexual, and with a mean age …

Prevalence And Relevant Factors Of Nocturia And Its Impact On Sleep Quality In Chinese University Students, Yakai Liu, Zhenwei Zhang, Huijie Hu, Xiangfei He, Pengchao Xu, Qifeng Dou, Cuiping Song, Huiqing Zhang, Israel Franco, Konstantinos Kamperis, Søren Rittig, Jianguo Wen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and relevant factors of nocturia and its impact on sleep quality in university students in Mainland China. A large-scale survey was conducted on 14,000 university students from 3 universities in Henan province, China by using an anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire collected the information from the past six months. The relationships between the prevalence of nocturia and its relevant factors were evaluated. A total of 13,874 questionnaires were collected and 13,104 qualified for statistical analysis. A total of 659 students suffered from clinically relevant nocturia (CRN) (4.56% in male and 5.34% …

Impact Of Temperature On Children’S Nutrition: A Comparative Study Of Three Ecological Regions Of Nepal, Prakriti Shakya

Master's Theses

Nutrition obtained during the growth period of childhood significantly influences long-term well-being and overall productivity, ultimately contributing to the economy of a society. However, weather shocks can wreak havoc by damaging crops, changing yields of important crops and disrupting market access, which directly impacts the food intake of both adults and children. When these adverse events occur during childhood, short term and long term inadequacy in nutrition as well as disease incidence can cause malnutrition leading to stunted growth and cognitive impairment that may persist into adulthood, affecting the labor market and increasing health expenditure. To address this issue, we …

Assessing Health Implications Of Monarch Butterfly Populations And Behaviors, Kira Goldman, Kelsey E. Fisher Dr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Pollinator populations have seen massive declines over the past decade due to anthropogenic activity and climate change posing serious threats to the health of humans and ecosystems (Ulyshen & Horn, 2023). As agents responsible for the production of about 35% of micronutrient rich food crops necessary for adequate nutrition to lead healthful lives and prevent nutrition associated diseases, pollinator decline is a public health concern (Aizen et al., 2009). Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) serve as bio indicators for the health of pollinator populations because of their analogous habitat and food resources shared with many other pollinator species, including bees and …

Adsorbents From Rice Husk And Shrimp Shell For Effective Removal Of Heavy Metals And Reactive Dyes In Water, Md Ibrahim H Mondal, Shovra Chandra Chakraborty, Md Saifur Rahman, Shaik Merkatur Hakim Marjuban, Firoz Ahmed, John L Zhou, Mohammad Boshir Ahmed, Masoumeh Zargar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Widespread contamination by heavy metals (HMs) and dyes poses a major health risk to people and ecosystems requiring effective treatment. In this work, rice husk (RH) and shrimp shells were extracted to obtain amorphous silica and chitosan, respectively, which were utilized to produce nano-chitosan-coated silica (NCCS). To ensure the stability of the nanoparticles, silica was freeze-dried after being coated with nano-chitosan. Functional groups (-NH

A Fork In The Road: Uncovering The Impact Of Industrial Animal Agriculture On The Physical Health Of Communities Of Color, Mariana Zepeda

Population Health Research Brief Series

Nearly all (99%) farmed animals in the U.S. come from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). CAFOs are industrial agriculture facilities defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as operations where animals are raised in confinement and meet animal size and waste material thresholds. Communities located near CAFOs, which tend to have high shares of low-income and racial/ethnic minority residents, are at risk of exposure to CAFO-related air and water pollutants. This brief summarizes the health risks for communities located near CAFOs. Additionally, it calls for government regulations that improve transparency, management, and consumer empowerment.

Aloe Vera Assisted Green Synthesis Of Ag And Cu Co-Doped Zno Nanoparticles And A Comprehensive Analysis Of Their Structural, Morphological, Optical, Electrical And Antibacterial Properties, Md Hasnat Rashid, Saiful Islam Sujoy, Md Saifur Rahman, Md Jahidul Haque

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates the potential of utilizing Aloe vera-assisted green synthesis with transition metal dopants of Ag and Cu for greater efficiency and sustainability in advanced scientific applications utilizing ZnO nanoparticles. Samples were prepared using the co-precipitation method, maintaining a basic pH media of 10. Aloe vera gel extract was chosen for its acclaimed role as a stabilizing and reducing agent and its proven antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. The XRD report revealed the hexagonal Wurtzite crystal structure of nanoparticles, exhibiting a crystallite size range of 17-23 nm with substantial alterations in lattice parameters, dislocation density, and bond lengths when …

Extreme Drought Impacts Have Been Underestimated In Grasslands And Shrublands Globally, Melinda D Smith, Kate D Wilkins, Martin C Holdrege, Peter Wilfahrt, Scott L Collins, Alan K Knapp, Osvaldo E Sala, Jeffrey S Dukes, Richard P Phillips, Laura Yahdjian, Laureano A Gherardi, Timothy Ohlert, Claus Beier, Lauchlan H Fraser, Anke Jentsch, Michael E Loik, Fernando T Maestre, Sally A Power, Qiang Yu, Andrew J Felton, Seth M Munson, Yiqi Luo, Hamed Abdoli, Mehdi Abedi, Concepción L Alados, Juan Alberti, Moshe Alon, Hui An, Brian Anacker, Maggie Anderson, Harald Auge, Seton Bachle, Khadijeh Bahalkeh, Michael Bahn, Amgaa Batbaatar, Taryn Bauerle, Karen H Beard, Kai Behn, Ilka Beil, Lucio Biancari, Irmgard Blindow, Viviana Florencia Bondaruk, Elizabeth T Borer, Edward W Bork, Carlos Martin Bruschetti, Kerry M Byrne, James F Cahill, Dianela A Calvo, Michele Carbognani, Augusto Cardoni, Cameron N Carlyle, Miguel Castillo-Garcia, Scott X Chang, Jeff Chieppa, Marcus V Cianciaruso, Ofer Cohen, Amanda L Cordeiro, Daniela F Cusack, Sven Dahlke, Pedro Daleo, Carla M D'Antonio, Lee H Dietterich, Tim S Doherty, Maren Dubbert, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Felícia M Fischer, T'Ai G W Forte, Tobias Gebauer, Beatriz Gozalo, Aaron C Greenville, Karlo G Guidoni-Martins, Heather J Hannusch, Siri Vatsø Haugum, Yann Hautier, Mariet Hefting, Hugh A L Henry, Daniela Hoss, Johannes Ingrisch, Oscar Iribarne, Forest Isbell, Yari Johnson, Samuel Jordan, Eugene F Kelly, Kaitlin Kimmel, Juergen Kreyling, György Kröel-Dulay, Alicia Kröpfl, Angelika Kübert, Andrew Kulmatiski, Eric G Lamb, Klaus Steenberg Larsen, Julie Larson, Jason Lawson, Cintia V Leder, Anja Linstädter, Jielin Liu, Shirong Liu, Alexandra G Lodge, Grisel Longo, Alejandro Loydi, Junwei Luan, Frederick Curtis Lubbe, Craig Macfarlane, Kathleen Mackie-Haas, Andrey V Malyshev, Adrián Maturano-Ruiz, Thomas Merchant, Daniel B Metcalfe, Akira S Mori, Edwin Mudongo, Gregory S Newman, Uffe N Nielsen, Dale Nimmo, Yujie Niu, Paola Nobre, Rory C O'Connor, Romà Ogaya, Gastón R Oñatibia, Ildikó Orbán, Brooke Osborne, Rafael Otfinowski, Meelis Pärtel, Josep Penuelas, Pablo L Peri, Guadalupe Peter, Alessandro Petraglia, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Valério D Pillar, Juan Manuel Piñeiro-Guerra, Laura W Ploughe, Robert M Plowes, Cristy Portales-Reyes, Suzanne M Prober, Yolanda Pueyo, Sasha C Reed, Euan G Ritchie, Dana Aylén Rodríguez, William E Rogers, Christiane Roscher, Ana M Sánchez, Bráulio A Santos, María Cecilia Scarfó, Eric W Seabloom, Baoku Shi, Lara Souza, Andreas Stampfli, Rachel J Standish, Marcelo Sternberg, Wei Sun, Marie Sünnemann, Michelle Tedder, Pål Thorvaldsen, Dashuan Tian, Katja Tielbörger, Alejandro Valdecantos, Liesbeth Van Den Brink, Vigdis Vandvik, Mathew R Vankoughnett, Liv Guri Velle, Changhui Wang, Yi Wang, Glenda M Wardle, Christiane Werner, Cunzheng Wei, Georg Wiehl, Jennifer L Williams, Amelia A Wolf, Michaela Zeiter, Fawei Zhang, Juntao Zhu, Ning Zong, Xiaoan Zuo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of short-term (~1 y) drought events-the most common duration of drought-globally. Yet the impact of this intensification of drought on ecosystem functioning remains poorly resolved. This is due in part to the widely disparate approaches ecologists have employed to study drought, variation in the severity and duration of drought studied, and differences among ecosystems in vegetation, edaphic and climatic attributes that can mediate drought impacts. To overcome these problems and better identify the factors that modulate drought responses, we used a coordinated distributed experiment to quantify the impact of short-term drought on …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

High Prevalence Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Associated Risk To Humans In Central Illinois, Esther Onuselogu

Masters Theses

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a neglected tropical disease and a growing health threat in the United States. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) often coexist with humans in urban and suburban areas and serve as reservoir hosts for T. cruzi. While T. cruzi is rare in humans and domestic animals in the U.S., it is common in wildlife species, particularly raccoons and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in the raccoon population of Central Illinois and evaluate the risk of transmission to humans. …