Environmental Public Health Commons^™

Moving The Worksite Health Promotion Profession Forward: Is The Time Right For Requiring Standards? A Review Of The Literature, Cecilia M. Watkins, G. English

Public Health Faculty Publications

Standards in any profession are adopted to assure that the individuals hired are adequately trained and the programs that they oversee are of the highest quality. Worksite health promotion should be no different than any other field. A review of the research conducted by experts in worksite health promotion is examined, along with an assessment of skills needed to ensure that wellness programs are effective and employees, their families and even their communities are educated on the ways to best prevent chronic diseases and occupational incidences through healthy and safe behaviors. From these reviews, this paper explores the processes used …

Calling Science Pseudoscience: Fleck’S Archaeologies Of Fact And Latour’S ‘Biography Of An Investigation’ In Aids Denialism And Homeopathy, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

Fleck’s Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact foregrounds claims traditionally excluded from reception, often regarded as opposed to fact, scientific claims that are increasingly seldom discussed in connection with philosophy of science save as examples of pseudo-science. I am especially concerned with scientists who question the epidemiological link between HIV and AIDS and who are thereby discounted—no matter their credentials, no matter the cogency of their arguments, no matter the sobriety of their statistics—but also with other classic examples of so-called pseudo-science including homeopathy and other sciences, such as cold fusion. The pseudo-science version of the demarcation problem turns …

Ultraviolet Radiation Penetration Through Clothing, Jordan Ramage

College of Health Sciences Presentations

Occupational exposures to solar ultraviolet (UV-AB) radiation can result in significant health risks including accelerated skin aging, sun burn and skin cancer. Personal protective clothing has been shown to provide useful barriers against such radiation exposures. However, the protection offered by clothing can vary significantly depending on layering, stretch, composition, color, and moisture content. Controlled laboratory tests were performed to determine the penetration characteristics of UV-AB radiation through selected textile materials including natural fibers as well as synthetic fibers. Effects of layering, stretch, color, and moisture content were assessed for an irradiance level (UV-AB) of 11.5 watts/m². The …

Impact Of Poor Air Quality On Chronic Respiratory Problems Among The Elderly, James D. Blando, My Ngoc Nguyen, Manasi Sheth-Chandra, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

[First Paragraph] There is a considerable body of evidence that suggests poor ambient air quality contributes to increased mortality and morbidity. ^1,2,3,4,5 The impact of ambient air quality on different segments of the general population, including children and among the elderly has also been investigated.^6,7,8,9 In light of the well documented public health significance of air pollution, it is imperative that investigators continue to evaluate details regarding the impact of poor air quality. In particular, it is interesting to note that some research has indicated an increased risk of the young and the elderly being admitted to the hospital …

Autism And The Effect Of Introducing A New Noise Source Into Quiet Rural Communities: Risk Factor From Industrial Wind Power Generation, Grace Howell, Debbie Shubat, Carmen Krogh

Data and Test Instruments

Some individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may react negatively to noise including low-frequency noise, infrasound, vibration and other environmental emissions. There are specific concerns in the Province of Ontario, Canada, related to the exposure of people with autism to the environmental noise and infrasound produced by an additional noise source, in this case from the introduction of industrial-scale wind turbines into quiet rural communities. The objective of this report is to explore the potential for effects of exposure to a new noise source on this specific and vulnerable population. There is a significant research gap regarding the impact of …

An Exploratory Study Of Dog Park Visits As A Risk Factor For Exposure To Drug-Resistant Extra-Intestinal Pathogenic E. Coli (Expec)., Lubna N. Ahmed, Lance B. Price, Jay P. Graham

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Background

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are common causative agents of urinary tract infections in humans. Dogs have been found to harbor ExPEC. This study tested stool samples from dogs (n = 16), the shoes of dog park visitors (n = 16) and the shoes of controls (n = 16) for ExPEC. Phenotypic resistance of isolates was characterized.

Findings

ExPEC were present in one-third of the dog stool samples, 9% of the samples from the shoes of dog park visitors and 6% of control samples. Half of the ExPEC isolates were multi-drug resistant.

Discussion

The findings suggest that dogs may …

Staphylococcus Aureus And The Ecology Of The Nasal Microbiome, Cindy M. Liu, Lance B. Price, Bruce A. Hungate, Alison G. Abraham, Lisbeth A. Larsen, Kaare Christensen, Marc Stegger, Robert Skov, Paal Skytt Andersen

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

The human microbiome can play a key role in host susceptibility to pathogens, including in the nasal cavity, a site favored by Staphylococcus aureus. However, what determines our resident nasal microbiota—the host or the environment—and can interactions among nasal bacteria determine S. aureus colonization? Our study of 46 monozygotic and 43 dizygotic twin pairs revealed that nasal microbiota is an environmentally derived trait, but the host’s sex and genetics significantly influence nasal bacterial density. Although specific taxa, including lactic acid bacteria, can determine S. aureus colonization, their negative interactions depend on thresholds of absolute abundance. These findings demonstrate that …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Primary Care, Priti Patel

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The Capstone Project is focused on communicating, influencing and educating other health care professionals regarding the role of occupational therapy in the future model of primary care delivery initiated by the adoption of the Affordable Care Act and the Triple Aim Initiative. Currently, primary care, the largest health care platform in United States, is not inclusive of occupational therapy services. Occupational therapists have the scope, knowledge and understanding to be part of the redesigned team model of primary care. Educating those currently working in primary care about adding occupational therapy services can have a significant impact on the profession of …

Effects Of Cobalt On Dna Double Strand Break Repair-Deficient Cells, Sean Raph Ms

All Student Scholarship

Epidemiology studies of human workers exposed to particulate cobalt have found increased incidence of lung cancer. A hallmark of lung cancer, chromosome instability(CIN) manifests as either numerical or structural abnormalities, which are thought to result from unrepaired or miss-repaired DNA double strand breaks, homologous recombination (HR) and non homologous end joining (NHEJ). Previous studies have shown that HR protects cells against metal induced CIN while NHEJ does not. We investigated whether this outcome occurs for cobalt.

The Impact Of Population, Health, And Environment Projects: A Synthesis Of Evidence, Rachel Winnik Yavinsky, Carolyn Lamere, Kristen P. Patterson, Jason Bremner

Reproductive Health

This working paper synthesizes the existing research and results from projects that integrate family planning with environment, livelihoods, natural-resource management, and other non-health development sectors. The report synthesizes the published and gray literature on current and past integrated projects and the experiences of implementers to generate a summary of the state of knowledge on integrated family planning and environment projects. Specifically, this synthesis documents what is being measured by integrated projects, the proven benefits of integration, and gaps in the evidence base. Based on this analysis, the synthesis highlights and discusses successes and challenges for documenting the impact of integrating …

Curatorial Implications Of Ophyra Capensis (Order Diptera, Family Muscidae) Puparia Recovered From The Body Of The Blessed Antonio Patrizi, Monticiano, Italy (Middle Ages), Johnica J. Morrow, Diesel A. Baldwin, Leon G. Higley, Dario Piombino-Mascali, Karl J. Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

The discovery of dipteran remains on mummified individuals can lead to either cause for curatorial concern or to a better understanding of the individual’s post-mortem environment. The present study analyzed insect remains associated with the body of a unique medieval mummy of religious significance, that of the Blessed Antonio Patrizi da Monticiano. A total of 79 puparia were examined and all were identified as Ophyra capensis (Diptera: Muscidae). Additionally, a desiccated moth (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) was encountered. Puparia of O. capensis would be associated with normal decomposition shortly after the death of the mummified individual, and not an infestation beginning during …

La Paradoja Hispana Epidemiológica: Investigando Las Preconcepciones Y Generalizaciones, Maya H. Sandalow

CMC Senior Theses

En los Estados Unidos, los latinos suelen tener menos acceso a la educación, el trabajo, y el seguro médico en comparación con los blancos no-latinos, pero aun así el grupo parece superar ciertos obstáculos de la salud. Las estadísticas de la población latina muestran mayor longevidad y otras tasas favorables en comparación con los blancos no-latinos. Los expertos han titulado esta contradicción “La Paradoja Hispana Epidemiológica”.

Desafortunadamente, la investigación de la paradoja está llena de generalizaciones y presuposiciones erróneas sobre la población latina diversa. Esta tesis investiga los participantes que producen generalizaciones sobre la supuesta paradoja para mostrar que estas …

Are Semen Quality Parameters Sufficient For Biomonitoring Spermatozoa Dna Integrity And Oxidatively Damaged Dna, Hueiwang Anna Jeng, Ruei-Nian Li, Wen-Yi Lin

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between semen quality parameters and DNA integrity, and determine whether semen quality parameters could serve as a reliable biomarker for monitoring sperm DNA damage. Conventional semen parameters from a total of 202 male human subjects were analyzed. DNA fragmentation and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′- deoxyguanosine (8-oxoGuo) were used to assess sperm DNA integrity. DNA fragmentation was analyzed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), while 8-oxodGuo was quantified by the liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) coupled with an on-line solid phase system. The levels of …

'Makin' It Out': The Cost Of Dropping Out Of High School On The Health Status Of Afro-American Women In Urban Slums, Sesa E. Bakenra-Tikande

CMC Senior Theses

“We carry our histories in our bodies, how could we not?” – Nancy Krieger

In the United States and abroad, socioeconomic status (income, education, and occupation) greatly impacts health outcomes for a given population. There is a strong and consistent socioeconomic gradient within health outcomes which has been documented as far back as in Ancient Egypt and China (Krieger, Willains, & Moss, 1997; Liberatos, Link, & Kelsey, 1988) The general trend shows that individuals with higher socioeconomic status generally enjoy lower rates of morbidity (disease) and disability, which can ultimately lead to higher mortality rates (House et al. (1992) and …

Electronic Cigarette Use Among Irish Youth: A Cross Sectional Study Of Prevalence And Associated Factors, Kate Babineau, Keisha Taylor, Luke Clancy

Articles

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Environmental Exposure On Human Epigenetic Regulation, C. J. Marsit

Dartmouth Scholarship

Environmental toxicants can alter epigenetic regulatory features such as DNA methylation and microRNA expression. As the sensitivity of epigenomic regulatory features may be greatest during the in utero period, when critical windows are narrow, and when epigenomic profiles are being set, this review will highlight research focused on that period. I will focus on work in human populations, where the impact of environmental toxicants in utero, including cigarette smoke and toxic trace metals such as arsenic, mercury and manganese, on genome-wide, gene-specific DNA methylation has been assessed. In particular, arsenic is highlighted, as this metalloid has been the focus …

Kitchen 2.0: Investigation Of The Effect Of Ventilation On Indoor Air Quality, Kelli Marie Whelan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Even in today’s technology-filled world, nearly half of the global population still relies on some form of biomass to meet their daily energy requirement. Currently, improved combustion technologies (improved cookstoves) are the most common intervention to reduce fuel usage and to reduce human exposure to harmful products of incomplete combustion. This report explores an alternative option to cookstove replacement: ventilation as a low-cost, low-impact solution for health risk reduction.

The Impact Of Climate Change On Human Health, Mary Snow, Richard Snow

Publications

Climate change is impacting human health. An obvious effect of a warmer environment is more frequent and severe heat waves. During the European heat wave of 2003, there were an estimated 35,000 more deaths than normal in the first two weeks of August. Many of the deaths resulted from cardiovascular complications among the elderly. As heat waves become more commonplace in the future, so will the number of heat strokes and the onset of other cardiovascular problems. Higher summertime temperatures also increase tropospheric ozone concentrations which in turn affects people with asthma and causes lung and heart damage. Increases in …

Parasitology In An Archaeological Context: Analysis Of Medieval Burials In Nivelles, Belgium, S. E. Rácz, Elisa Pucu De Araujo, E. Jensen, C. Mostek, Johnica J. Morrow, M. L. Van Hove, R. Bianucci, D. Willems, F. Heller, Adauto Araujo, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Coprolites were recovered from three burials near the Grand Place of Nivelles, Belgium. These remains yielded evidence of geohelminth parasitism. The evidence contributes to studies of differential parasite egg preservation related to the taphonomic conditions within the three burials. Using coprolite analysis techniques, parasite egg concentrations were quantified for each burial. Coprolites from the individual in Burial 122 were abnormally large and abundant, indicating an intestinal blockage. Additionally, this individual hosted an extremely high number of parasites evinced by the calculated parasite egg concentrations (Trichuris trichiura = 1,577,679 total eggs; Ascaris lumbricoides = 202,350 total eggs). Statistical analyses revealed …

Paleoparasitology – Human Parasites In Ancient Material, Adauto Araújo, Karl Reinhard, Luiz Fernando Ferreira

Karl Reinhard Publications

Parasite finds in ancient material launched a new field of science: paleoparasitology. Ever since the pioneering studies, parasites were identified in archaeological and paleontological remains, some preserved for millions of years by fossilization. However, the paleoparasitological record consists mainly of parasites found specifically in human archaeological material, preserved in ancient occupation sites, from prehistory until closer to 2015. The results include some helminth intestinal parasites still commonly found in 2015, such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms, besides others such as Amoebidae and Giardia intestinalis, as well as viruses, bacteria, fungi and arthropods. These parasites as a …