Environmental Public Health Commons^™

Temporal Trends In Serum Concentrations Of Polychlorinated Dioxins, Furans, And Pcbs Among Adult Women Living In Chapaevsk, Russia: A Longitudinal Study From 2000 To 2009, Olivier Humblet, Oleg Sergeyev, Larisa Altshul, Susan A. Korrick, Paige L. Williams, Claude Emond, Linda S. Birnbaum, Jane S. Burns, Mary M. Lee, Boris Revich, Andrey Shelepchikov, Denis Feshin, Russ Hauser

Mary M. Lee

BACKGROUND: The present study assessed the temporal trend in serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls (PCBs) among residents of a Russian town where levels of these chemicals are elevated due to prior industrial activity.

METHODS: Two serum samples were collected from eight adult women (in 2000 and 2009), and analyzed with gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry.

RESULTS: The average total toxic equivalency (TEQ) decreased by 30% (from 36 to 25 pg/g lipid), and the average sum of PCB congeners decreased by 19% (from 291 to 211 ng/g lipid). Total TEQs decreased for seven of the eight women, and the …

Genetic Modification Of The Association Between Peripubertal Dioxin Exposure And Pubertal Onset In A Cohort Of Russian Boys, Olivier Humblet, Susan A. Korrick, Paige L. Williams, Oleg Sergeyev, Claude Emond, Linda S. Birnbaum, Jane S. Burns, Larisa Altshul, Donald G. Patterson Jr., Wayman E. Turner, Mary M. Lee, Boris Revich, Russ Hauser

Mary M. Lee

BACKGROUND: Exposure to dioxins has been associated with delayed pubertal onset in both epidemiologic and animal studies. Whether genetic polymorphisms may modify this association is currently unknown. Identifying such genes could provide insight into mechanistic pathways. This is one of the first studies to assess genetic susceptibility to dioxins. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether common polymorphisms in genes affecting either molecular responses to dioxin exposure or pubertal onset influence the association between peripubertal serum dioxin concentration and male pubertal onset. METHODS: In this prospective cohort of Russian adolescent boys (n = 392), we assessed gene-environment interactions for 337 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms …

A Dietary-Wide Association Study (Dwas) Of Environmental Metal Exposure In Us Children And Adults, Matthew A. Davis, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Margaret R. Karagas, Zhigang Li, Jason H. Moore, Scott M. Williams, H. Robert Frost

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to toxic metals occurs through diet but few studies have comprehensively examined dietary sources of exposure in US populations.

Purpose: Our goal was to perform a novel dietary-wide association study (DWAS) to identify specific dietary sources of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic exposure in US children and adults.

Methods: We combined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with data from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Intakes Converted to Retail Commodities Database to examine associations between 49 different foods and environmental metal exposure. Using blood and urinary biomarkers …

The Characterization Of Chitin Microparticle Preparations: Degree Of Acetylation And Its Effect On Immunologic Response, Julianne R. Zimmerman

Masters Theses

Studies examining the immune response upon exposure to chitin microparticles in living models have reached drastically differing conclusions, and the reason remains unclear. One notable issue between the experiments is that they have not characterized their chitin preparations for degree of acetylation. They all use different chitin processing methods prior to administration, which could potentially be the source of the variance between studies. Chitin and chitosan preparations specified in the literature and several novel preparations were analyzed for degree acetylation (DA) using High Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD). It was found that autoclaving and sonication processing steps …

Rapid Method Of Processing Sperm For Nucleic Acid Extraction In Clinical Research, Matthew K. De Gannes

Masters Theses

Background: Sperm contain highly compact nuclei, inhibiting DNA extraction using traditional techniques. Current methods extracting sperm DNA involve lengthy lysis and no means of stabilizing DNA, hindering clinical research.

Objective: We sought to optimize an efficient method of extracting high quality human sperm DNA.

Methods: Sperm from three volunteers were isolated using PureCeption. We tested 1) proteinase K with DNA/RNA Shield, 2) DTT and TCEP as reducing agents, 3) QIAshredder homogenization, and 4) stability of sperm DNA fresh (baseline) or after 4 weeks of storage at 4^OC in DNA/RNA Shield using modified Quick-gDNA MiniPrep. DNA was PCR amplified …

Madison County, Kentucky Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Analysis, Dr. Ritchie D. Taylor, Dr. Vijay Golla, Jacqueline Brown, Bryan Makinen, Carl Richards, Michael Bryant

Public Health Faculty Publications

The results of a commodity flow analysis of hazardous materials for KY Highway 21 (KY-0021) and KY Highway 627 (KY-0627) conducted by Western Kentucky University, in partnership with the Madison County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), are presented within this report. This report specifically focuses on the portions of these highways located in Madison County, Kentucky. Figure 1.1 shows the location of Madison County in relationship to the state of Kentucky. The purpose of this report is to present information regarding the patterns of hazardous materials transportation along KY-0021 and KY-0627 as observed from August 4, 2014 through August 15, …

Rowan County, Kentucky Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Analysis, Dr. Vijay Golla, Dr. Ritchie D. Taylor, Jacqueline Brown

Public Health Faculty Publications

The results of a Commodity Flow Analysis of Hazardous Materials for Interstate 64 (I-64) conducted by Western Kentucky University in partnership with the Rowan County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are presented within this report. This report specifically focuses on the portion of the I-64 corridor located in Rowan County, Kentucky. Figure 1.1 shows the location of Rowan County in relationship to the state of Kentucky. The purpose of this report is to present information regarding the patterns of hazardous materials transportation observed along I-64 in Rowan County from June 16, 2014 through July 11, 2014. Finally, the report presents …

Montgomery County, Kentucky Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Analysis 1, Dr. Vijay Golla, Dr. Ritchie D. Taylor, Jacqueline Brown

Public Health Faculty Publications

The results of a Commodity Flow Analysis of Hazardous Materials for Interstate 64 (I-64) conducted by Western Kentucky University in partnership with the Montgomery County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are presented within this report. This report specifically focuses on the portion of the I-64 corridor located in Montgomery County, Kentucky. Figure 1.1 shows the location of Montgomery County in relationship to the state of Kentucky. The purpose of this report is to present information regarding the patterns of hazardous materials transportation along I-64 as observed from July 14, 2014 through August 1, 2014. In addition, this report also summarizes …

Trauma Informed Practices For Oakland Unite Service Providers, Maereg D. Haile

Master's Projects and Capstones

Oakland, California - a home to almost 400,000 residents - is the top five most violent cities of the nation. There are lots of factors that greatly contribute to violence including: Poverty, housing/homelessness, unemployment, food insecurity, educational attainment, substance abuse. These factors feed to greater healthy disparities and increased trauma in low-income communities – specifically in east and west Oakland. Measure Y, now called Oakland Unite, is the current violence prevention effort that is set for reauthorization in November 2014. In order for these efforts to continue, Oakland Unite has started looking at comprehensive violence prevention initiatives that includes mental …

Reducing Obesity And Obesity-Related Diseases In Richmond, California: Understanding The Importance Of Partnerships In Community-Based Health Education, Arlette Hernandez

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the United States obesity has become a major public health issue. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults and children. In the city of Richmond, California, adults and children are experiencing the highest rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases in comparison to other residents of West Contra Costa County. In an effort to reduce the rates of obesity in Richmond, two non-profit organizations have partnered up to provide innovative community-based health education to combat obesity and type II diabetes.

This paper will explore and summarize the 300-hour fieldwork the author experienced and completed …

Origin And Evolution Of European Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Marc Stegger, Thierry Wirth, Paal S. Andersen, Robert L. Skov, Anna De Grassi, Lance B. Price, +23 Additional Authors

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) was recognized in Europe and worldwide in the late 1990s. Within a decade, several genetically and geographically distinct CA-MRSA lineages carrying the small SCCmec type IV and V genetic elements and the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) emerged around the world. In Europe, the predominant CA-MRSA strain belongs to clonal complex 80 (CC80) and is resistant to kanamycin/amikacin and fusidic acid. CC80 was first reported in 1993 but was relatively rare until the late 1990s. It has since been identified throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, with recent sporadic reports in sub-Saharan Africa. While …

Racial Disparities In Access To Community Water Supply Service In Wake County, North Carolina, Jacqueline Macdonald Gibson, Nicholas Defelice, Daniel Sebastian, Hannah Leker

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Anecdotal evidence suggests that historically African American communities on the fringes of cities and towns in North Carolina have been systematically denied access to municipal drinking water service. This paper presents the first statistical analysis of the role of race in determining water access in these fringe areas, known as extraterritorial jurisdictions. Using publicly available property tax data, we quantified the percentage of residences with municipal water service in each census block in Wake County (the second-largest by population in North Carolina). Using the resulting water service maps plus 2010 U.S. Census data, we employed a logistic regression to assess …

The Medical Reserve Corps: Volunteers Making A Difference, Mary Lou Manning Phd, Crnp, Cic, Faan, Neale Batra Ba

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Research Translation: Informing Evidence-Based Policies, Anna G. Hoover

Anna G. Hoover

This presentation describes the need for evidence-based policy, outlines strategies for researchers and communities to inform various policy stages, and provides a case study example of research generated specifically to inform policy implementation.

User Perceptions Of Shared Sanitation Among Rural Households In Indonesia And Bangladesh, Kali B. Nelson, Jonathan Karver, Craig Kullman, Jay P. Graham

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

The practice of sharing sanitation facilities does not meet the current World Health Organization/UNICEF definition for what is considered improved sanitation. Recommendations have been made to categorize shared sanitation as improved sanitation if security, user access, and other conditions can be assured, yet limited data exist on user preferences with respect to shared facilities.

Objective

This study analyzed user perceptions of shared sanitation facilities in rural households in East Java, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.

Methods

Cross-sectional studies of 2,087 households in East Java and 3,000 households in Bangladesh were conducted using questionnaires and observational methods. Relative risks were calculated to …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Newly Implemented, Proactive Approach To Legionellosis Investigations Conducted By The Southern Nevada Health District, Devin Charlotte Raman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project is an evaluation of a new, more proactive approach to legionellosis investigations conducted by the Southern Nevada Health District. The new protocol was conceived, written and adopted in April of 2012 with the goal of preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease that can have a significant impact on public health and the resort industry of Las Vegas. The objectives of this project were to determine if the remediation methods were successful at eliminating the target organism from water systems and maintaining a negative status throughout the monitoring period, to conduct a cost/benefit analysis, and to compare this protocol with …

Developing A Community Health Worker Program In Chichigalpa, Nicaragua, Monterey Starkey

Other Graduate Research

The city of Chichigalpa, Nicaragua suffers from poor health that causes high rates of morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the people in Chichigalpa could be helped with better water solutions, nutritional status, and overall health knowledge. The people are poor and often do not have access to a doctor due to location or financial reasons. Therefore, a Community Health Program was created to train local community health workers to screen for diseases and to teach the local people preventive care, mainly focusing on water, nutrition, and CKDu. Objectives included assessing the community, recruiting community health workers, developing training curriculum, and training …

El Mal De Chagas Y Su Potencial De Eliminación, Eileen Stillwaggon

Economics Faculty Publications

La Asamblea Mundial de la Salud ha elegido algunas enfermedades como blancos para la eliminación. Hay mucha esperanza y una alta probabilidad de que varias enfermedades, recientemente llamadas desatendidas, sean eliminadas en las próximas décadas. Vamos a presenciar el fin de la transmisión de la dracunculiasis, la filariosis linfática, la poliomielitis, y en las Américas por lo menos, la oncocercosis. Ya se ven éxitos significativos como la cuasi erradicación de la dracunculiasis y paso importantes en contra de otras aflicciones. [Original Spanish version]

The World Health Assembly has chosen some diseases as targets for elimination. There is much …

Association Between District-Level Perceived Safety And Self-Rated Health: A Multilevel Study In Seoul, South Korea, Seung-Sup Kim, Jaesung Choi, Kisoo Park, Yeongseung Chung, Sangjo Park, Jongho Heo

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Objectives Several studies have reported the relationship between residents’ perceived neighbourhood safety and their health outcomes. However, those studies suffered from unreliability of neighbourhood safety measure and potential residual confounding related to crime rates. In this study, using multilevel analysis to account for the hierarchical structure of the data, we examined associations between district-level perceived safety and self-rated health after adjusting for potential confounders including the district-level crime rate.

Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting We used the first wave of Seoul Welfare Panel Study, which has 7761 individuals from 3665 households in 25 administrative districts in Seoul, South Korea. District-level perceived …

The Semen Microbiome And Its Relationship With Local Immunology And Viral Load In Hiv Infection, Cindy M. Liu, Brendan J.W. Osborne, Bruce A. Hungate, Kamnoosh Shahabi, Sanja Huibner, Richard Lester, Michael G. Dwan, Colin Kovacs, Tania L. Contente-Cuomo, Erika Benko, Maliha Aziz, Lance B. Price

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Semen is a major vector for HIV transmission, but the semen HIV RNA viral load (VL) only correlates moderately with the blood VL. Viral shedding can be enhanced by genital infections and associated inflammation, but it can also occur in the absence of classical pathogens. Thus, we hypothesized that a dysregulated semen microbiome correlates with local HIV shedding. We analyzed semen samples from 49 men who have sex with men (MSM), including 22 HIV-uninfected and 27 HIV-infected men, at baseline and after starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR. We studied the relationship of semen …