Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Utility Of Mobile Phones For Health Among Women Living With Hiv In Urban Malawi, Linda Marie Dietrich

Theses and Dissertations

The use of mobile phones are becoming ubiquitous with growing interest by healthcare providers to utilize mobile phone technology for various health-related applications, called mHealth. This is especially true in low-income countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. When implementing mHealth applications, it is important to understand the dynamic social, cultural and environmental factors where mHealth will be implemented to ensure that interventions developed are effective. A qualitative study to explore the sociotechnical factors experienced by women participating in an HIV support group in urban Malawi was conducted to enhance our understanding of women’s experience with mobile phone use and …

Point Of Use Biosand Filters Of The Rural Dominican Republic, Kurtis Quamme

Theses and Dissertations

The point of use biosand filter (BSF) is used globally as a drinking water treatment solution. In this research, point of use BSFs were inoculated with active biosand from the Linnwood Drinking Water Treatment plant slow sand filter beds (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and with sands collected from point of use filters operating in the Dominican Republic. These filters were maintained with varying source waters (surface water, groundwater, or tap water to simulate chlorination encountered in the field). The microbial community of filters with varied influents and biosand inoculum were analyzed quantitatively by sequencing and qPCR. Filter efficacy and microbial community were …

Health In Your Hand: Assessment Of Clinicians’ Readiness To Adopt Mhealth Into Rural Patient Care, Bryan Weichelt

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Technology is as much rural as it is urban, but mobile health (mHealth) could have a unique impact on health and quality of life for rural populations. The adoption of mobile technologies has soared in recent decades leading to new possibilities for mHealth use. This project considers the impact of these technologies on rural populations. Specifically, it is focused on assessing the barriers of physicians and healthcare organizations to adopt mHealth into their care plans. Gaps in knowledge exist in assessing organizational readiness for mHealth adoption, the use of patient-reported data, and the impact on rural healthcare. This project …

Exploring Interactive Survivorship Plans: Patient Perceived Value, Acceptance And Usability Evaluation Of An Online Breast Cancer Survivorship Tool, Akshat Kapoor

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Having recently been discharged from the hospital, several breast cancer survivors find themselves unable to adjust to the transition and take charge of their own health, away from the confines of the hospital.

With the rapid advancement in treatment methods and techniques, the rate of breast cancer survivors has grown exponentially. It is crucial to provide adequate means to support cancer survivors in an active manner. This includes regular monitoring for recurrence (or occurrence of new cancers), handling any related and non-related comorbidities, provide recommendations for preventive care as well as dealing with any long term side effects from …

Effects Of Drift, Selection And Gene Flow On Immune Genes In Prairie Grouse, Zachary Bateson

Theses and Dissertations

Fragmentation of natural habitats is related to population decline in many species. The resulting small and isolated populations are expected to lose genetic variation at a rapid rate, which reduces the ability to adapt to environmental change. One concern is that small populations are more susceptible to emerging pathogens due to the loss of variation at immune genes. My dissertation examined the relative effects of gene flow, genetic drift and selection on immune genes in prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido), a species that has undergone drastic population declines across their range. In the first chapter, I examined how artificial gene flow through …