Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-32).

eer victimization is a common experience that is associated with later psychopathology. However, there is inconsistency in the strength and statistical significance of this effect. The current study used two methods to try to understand this inconsistency. First, co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms were considered dimensionally. Second, the present study considered temperament as a potential moderator to explain the multifinality of outcomes that occur following peer victimization. A community sample (N = 387; 52% female) of early adolescents (11-15) from a longitudinal study of risk and resilience factors for psychopathology was utilized to test hypotheses. Cross-lagged examinations between victimization and psychopathology were examined, including the moderating effect of temperament. No longitudinal relationship between victimization and psychopathology was found. A significant interaction between victimization and effortful control predicted externalizing and co-occurring symptoms. Future researchers should consider improving the measurement of victimization and temperament to get a better understanding of the effect.

Study questions: Does the proportion of neural tube defects (NTDs) in which there are co-occurring anomalies of other systems vary by geographical area and time in Europe between 1980 and 2015? Which group of factors, e.g., sex, age, family history, condition at discovery, and prenatal screening during pregnancy that potentially affect ascertainment of isolated NTD cases and co-occurring anomalies, are associated with the presence of these anomalies? Methods: Data on fetuses or births with NTDs recorded in 28 European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) registries operating throughout or during a part of the period 1980-2015, were obtained and analysed. Information on the corresponding denominators of total births for each registry were compiled, comprising approximately 15.7 million births. We developed algorithms to classify NTDs that occurred as part of certain recognized genetic and unknown etiology syndromes, isolated NTD cases (either with no other anomaly reported or only an anomaly considered to be secondary to the NTD), and NTDs not occurring as part of recognized syndromes but with one or more co-occurring anomalies. We assessed factors that could impact ascertainment of isolated NTD cases and NTD cases with co-occurring anomalies. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the effect of family history and consanguinity on NTD outcomes. Lastly, we reported on the prevalence of NTDs across Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern Europe as defined by the World Bank. Results: A total of 14,703 fetuses or births with NTDs were recorded in the EUROCAT registries. The total number of births (live and stillbirths) that occurred during the periods when the EUROCAT registries were operating was 15.7 million. The overall prevalence at birth of NTDs in Eastern Europe was 11.6 per 10,000 births, in Western Europe 11.0 per 10,000 births, in Northern Europe 10.5 cases per 10,000 births and in Southern Europe 6.7 per 10,000 births. The most prevalent genetic syndromes were chromosomal anomalies, particularly trisomy 18. The most common secondary anomaly was Arnold-Chiari syndrome which occurred mostly with spina bifida. The most prevalent associated anomalies were limb defects, followed by congenital heart defects, abdominal wall, and urinary system defects. We found anencephaly to be most prevalent in isolated NTD cases without secondary anomalies and spina bifida in secondary anomalies and most of the co-occurring anomalies. For factors that could affect ascertainment, we found that birth type, birth weight, family history, maternal and paternal age (≥30 years) were risk factors for isolated NTD cases and for co-occurring anomalies. Lastly, approximately 48% of NTDs occurred in Northern Europe, followed 29% in Western Europe, 16% in Southern Europe, and 7.6% in Eastern Europe. Conclusion: In the absence of folate fortification, isolated NTD cases showed higher prevalence than NTDs with co-occurring anomalies over the past 35 years across Europe. This research suggests that Europe should develop and implement policies and guidelines for folate fortification to help prevent simpler NTD cases. Further research and data are needed for newer EUROCAT registries to predict trends and prevalence of NTDs. Contribution and involvement: This project was done in collaboration with the experts from the School of Epidemiology and Public Health (SEPH) and dysmorphologists that provided support with regards to NTD classification. AB spearheaded the development of the research protocol and thesis manuscript with funding and support from JL and TR. Evaluation of the output of cases from the algorithm was provided to AB by JL, TR, JE, FB, AN, EB, ML, and the EUROCAT Joint Research Centre.

The accurate evaluation of substance use is a critical component of forensic assessment due to the well-established link between drug use sentencing issues and risk of recidivism. Due to limited resources and chronic time constraints, practitioners typically rely only on self-report measures to assess substance use (SU) patterns. As these measures directly inquire about SU patterns, they remain vulnerable to response distortion. This can lead to ineffective treatment recommendations made to the Court and misuse of resources. The present study investigated the utility of the PAI and SASSI-3 in identifying SU patterns in offenders mandated to a long-term treatment facility. As a second major component, offenders were examined post-release to identify predictors for poor treatment outcomes. Results found the direct questioning approach best identified SU patterns in the present sample. In addition, while statistically significant differences in treatment outcomes were not observed between offenders who endorsed a more severe course of their SU problem versus those who endorsed a much less problematic pattern of use, they were trending in the expected direction. Specifically, offenders who used "hard" drugs regularly (e.g., cocaine, heroin), had more negative consequences directly related to their use (e.g., more arrests, prior treatment), and had a more complex clinical presentation (e.g., endorsing more personality pathology) did have worse outcomes by follow up. Methodological and statistical limitations are discussed in depth, and future directions to improve on this study and clarify these relationships are emphasized.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] En la presente tesis doctoral se ha evaluado el uso de nuevos soportes celulósicos y silíceos como sistemas de filtración para la estabilización y conservación de alimentos líquidos con el fin de afrontar dos grandes retos de la industria de bebidas. Por un lado, evitar o minimizar los cambios en las propiedades nutricionales, estructurales y organolépticas de los alimentos, ocasionados por la pasteurización térmica tradicional, y ofrecer una alternativa al problema de la baja viabilidad debida a los altos costos de inversión/producción al aplicar nuevas tecnologías no térmicas. Por ello, esta tesis doctoral se centra en el desarrollo y evaluación de una nueva tecnología no térmica de conservación de alimentos líquidos basada en la filtración. Se han desarrollado sistemas de filtración a partir de soportes celulósicos y silíceos, sin funcionalizar o funcionalizados con compuestos antimicrobianos. En el primer capítulo se evaluó el uso de materiales de celulosa como soportes filtrantes para el tratamiento de alimentos líquidos. Como primera aproximación se desarrolló un material poroso nano-micro tubular a partir de la extracción y deslignificación del material celulósico presente en el corazón o raquis de la mazorca de maíz. El uso de este soporte resultó ser efectivo como material filtrante para el tratamiento de agua y zumo de naranja, en un sistema de flujo continuo, eliminando la carga microbiana. La aplicación de este soporte como sistema de filtración presenta diversas ventajas como su capacidad de retención microbiana, la reutilización de sub-productos del maíz y, por tanto, su respeto al medioambiente. Sin embargo, sería necesario optimizar el proceso de filtrado para evitar la frecuente obturación de sus poros que requirió varios ciclos de lavado durante el proceso, así como establecer un método de regeneración del material para incrementar su vida útil. Además, este sistema afectó al color del zumo filtrado, que no se mantuvo constante durante el proceso, lo que supone una importante desventaja que es necesaria abordar. Como segunda aproximación, se evaluó el potencial de la inmovilización de una molécula bioactiva sobre membranas de celulosa, para mejorar la capacidad de retención microbiana del material celulósico, así como permitir su reutilización. Los filtros de celulosa funcionalizados con poliaminas demostraron ser eficaces en la eliminación de patógenos en agua, debido a las cargas positivas generadas por los grupos amina inmovilizados en la superficie de las membranas, que atraen y retienen las bacterias cargadas negativamente. Dada la fácil preparación y procedimiento de uso de las membranas de celulosa funcionalizadas con poliaminas, éstas podrían ser consideradas una buena opción para el desarrollo de sistemas de tratamiento de aguas in situ, rápidos, de fácil manejo y de bajo coste. El segundo capítulo describe el desarrollo y aplicación de partículas de sílice funcionalizadas con compuestos de aceites esenciales, con el fin de diseñar coadyuvantes de filtración con actividad antimicrobiana. La filtración de diversas matrices alimentarias (agua, cerveza y zumo de manzana) a través de los soportes funcionalizados con los antimicrobianos naturales demostró ser eficaz en la reducción del recuento de la cepa patógena Escherichia coli, así como frente a la microflora endógena de la cerveza y el zumo (bacterias acidolácticas, aerobios mesófilos, psicrófilos, mohos y levaduras). La eficacia en el control microbiano se debe a la combinación de la adsorción física y la inactivación por contacto con los compuestos de aceites esenciales inmovilizados. Además, la evaluación de las propiedades físico-químicas y sensoriales de los alimentos líquidos demostró un efecto poco significativo, éste depende del tamaño de las partículas de sílice usadas y de la molécula bioactiva inmovilizada. Por lo tanto, el sistema de conservaci� / [CA] En la present tesi doctoral s'ha avaluat l'ús de nous suports cel·lulòsics i silicis com a sistemes de filtració per a l'estabilització i conservació d'aliments líquids, amb la finalitat d'afrontar dos grans reptes de la indústria de begudes. D'una banda, evitar o minimitzar els canvis en les propietats nutricionals, estructurals i organolèptiques dels aliments, ocasionats per la pasteurització tèrmica tradicional, i oferir una alternativa al problema de la baixa viabilitat deguda als alts costos d'inversió/producció en aplicar noves tecnologies no tèrmiques. Per això, aquesta tesi doctoral es centra en el desenvolupament i avaluació d'una nova tecnologia no tèrmica de conservació d'aliments líquids basada en la filtració. S'han desenvolupat sistemes de filtració a partir de suports cel·lulòsics i silicis, sense funcionalitzar o funcionalitzats amb compostos antimicrobians. En el primer capítol es va avaluar l'ús de materials de cel·lulosa com a suports filtrants per al tractament d'aliments líquids. Com a primera aproximació es va desenvolupar un material porós nano-micro tubular a partir de l'extracció i deslignificació del material cel·lulòsic present en el cor o raquis de la panolla de dacsa. L'ús d'aquest suport va resultar ser efectiu com a material filtrant per al tractament d'aigua i suc de taronja, en un sistema de flux continu, eliminant la càrrega microbiana. L'aplicació d'aquest suport com a sistema de filtració presenta diversos avantatges com la seua capacitat de retenció microbiana, la reutilització de subproductes de la dacsa i, per tant, el seu respecte al medi ambient. No obstant això, seria necessari optimitzar el procés de filtrat per a evitar la freqüent obturació dels seus porus que va requerir diversos cicles de rentada durant el procés, així com establir un mètode de regeneració del material per a incrementar la seua vida útil. A més, aquest sistema va afectar el color del suc filtrat, que no es va mantenir constant durant el procés, la qual cosa suposa un important desavantatge que és necessari abordar. Com a segona aproximació, es va avaluar el potencial de la immobilització d'una molècula bioactiva sobre membranes de cel·lulosa, per a millorar la capacitat de retenció microbiana del material cel·lulòsic, així com permetre la seua reutilització. Els filtres de cel·lulosa funcionalitzats amb poliamines van demostrar ser eficaces en l'eliminació de patògens en aigua, a causa de les càrregues positives generades pels grups amina immobilitzats en la superfície de les membranes, que atrauen i retenen els bacteris carregats negativament. Donada la fàcil preparació i procediment d'ús de les membranes de cel·lulosa funcionalitzades amb poliamines, aquestes podrien ser considerades una bona opció per al desenvolupament de sistemes de tractament d'aigües in situ, ràpids, de fàcil maneig i de baix cost. El segon capítol descriu el desenvolupament i aplicació de partícules de sílice funcionalitzades amb compostos d'olis essencials, amb la finalitat de dissenyar coadjuvants de filtració amb activitat antimicrobiana. La filtració de diverses matrius alimentàries (aigua, cervesa i suc de poma) a través dels suports funcionalitzats amb els antimicrobians naturals va demostrar ser eficaç en la reducció del recompte del cep patogen Escherichia coli, així com enfront de la microflora endògena de la cervesa i el suc (bacteris àcid làctics, aerobis mesòfils, psicròfils, floridures i llevats). L'eficàcia en el control microbià es deu a la combinació de l'adsorció física i la inactivació per contacte amb els compostos d'olis essencials immobilitzats. A més, l'avaluació de les propietats fisicoquímiques i sensorials dels aliments líquids estudiats va demostrar un efecte poc significatiu, aquest depèn de la grandària de les partícules de sílice usades i de la molècula bioactiva immobilitzada. Per tant, el sistema de conserv / [EN] In the present doctoral thesis the use of new cellulosic and silica supports as filtering systems for the stabilization and preservation of liquid foods has been evaluated to overcome two major challenges of the beverage industry. On the one hand, avoid or minimize the changes in the nutritional, structural and organoleptic properties of food caused by traditional thermal pasteurization, and offer an alternative to the problem of low viability due to high investment/production costs when applying new non-thermal technologies. Therefore, this doctoral thesis focuses on the development and evaluation of a new non-thermal technology for the preservation of liquid foods based on filtration. The filtering systems have been developed from cellulosic and silica supports, non-modified or functionalized with antimicrobial compounds. In the first chapter, the use of cellulose materials as filtering supports for the treatment of liquid foods was evaluated. As first approximation, a porous nano-micro tubular material was developed from the extraction and delignification of the cellulosic material present in the corn stalk. The use of this support was effective as filtering material for the treatment of water and orange juice, in a continuous flow system, eliminating the microbial load. The application of this support as filtering system has several advantages, such as its microbial retention capacity, the reuse of corn by-products and, therefore, its respect for the environment. However, it would be necessary to optimize the filtering process to avoid the frequent clogging of its pores that required several washing cycles during the process, as well as to establish a method of material regeneration to increase its life. In addition, this system affected the color of the filtered juice, which did not remain constant during the process, representing an important disadvantage that must be addressed. As a second approach, the potential of the immobilization of a bioactive molecule on cellulose membranes was evaluated to improve the microbial retention capacity of the cellulosic material, as well as to allow its reuse. The cellulose filters functionalized with polyamines proved to be effective in eliminating pathogens in water, due to the positive charges generated by the amine groups immobilized on the surface of the membranes, which attract and retain the negatively charged bacteria. Given the easy preparation and usage of the polyamines-functionalized cellulose membranes, these could be considered a good option for the development of fast, easy to use and low cost in situ water treatment systems. The second chapter describes the development and application of silica particles functionalized with essential oil components to design filtering aids with antimicrobial activity. The filtration of various food matrices (water, beer and apple juice) through the supports functionalized with natural antimicrobials proved to be effective in reducing the load of the pathogenic strain Escherichia coli, as well as reducing the endogenous microflora of beer and the juice (lactic acid bacteria, mesophilic, psychrophilic, mold and yeast). The removal capability is due to the combination of physical adsorption and contact inactivation with the essential oil compounds immobilized. In addition, the evaluation of the physicochemical and sensory properties of the liquid foods studied showed a not significant effect, it depends on the size of the silica particles used and the immobilized bioactive molecule. Therefore, the proposed preservation system has a high potential for cold beverage pasteurization processes. / N. Peña-Gomez would like to thank for financial support in the frame of her PhD project to Operational Programme of the European Social Fund (ESF) 2014-2020, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Generalitat Valenciana and FEDER-EU (Projects RTI2018-101599-B-C21 and AGL2015-70235-C2-1-R). The authors also thank the Electronic Microscopy & Microanalysis Laboratory at Patras University for support. / Peña Gomez, N. (2020). Development of polymeric and silica filtering materials functionalized with antimicrobial compounds for the elimination of microorganisms in liquid food [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/137041 / TESIS / Compendio

No description available.

The problem of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders among the veteran population can impact numerous aspects of a veteran's life, including self-esteem, relationships, employment, and legal issues. The Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) at the Saint Cloud, Minnesota VA Healthcare System is a program that provides residential treatment for this population. Identifying practical and beneficial treatment methods promotes better coping mechanisms for veterans and impacts social change by providing timely and cost-efficient care for veterans, while also leading the way for overall changes and improvements in other VA residential treatment programs. This study identified how using the integrated treatment model in the MH RRTP impacted depression, anxiety, and sobriety protective factors among 1,136 veterans who completed the program between 2016 and 2017, and if there were any significant differences in outcomes among various age groups and lengths of stay in the program. Outcome measures taken at pre and post treatment, using BDI-II, BAI, and BAM, were analyzed by using six one-within one-between (mixed-model) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests. Significant interaction effects were noted for protective factors in length of stay and age group categories and for depression and length of stay. Significant main effects for within-subjects factors were consistently noted for all categories, indicating a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms, while increasing protective factors for the veterans in this study. The results demonstrated that veterans responded favorably without regard to potential differences in age groups and lengths of stay.

Numerous studies have focused on the effectiveness of integrated treatment services for people with cooccurring disorders (CODs) within the criminal justice system (CJS). However, there has been a paucity of research on the effectiveness of community-integrated treatment services with CODs and influences on decreasing their interaction within the CJS. This study quantitatively examined the possible relationships between integrated treatment services and CODs and their effect on decreasing interactions within the CJS. The sample (N = 320) consisted of people with CODs from a community-based facility. The statistical analysis was a 2-way (2 x 2) and 3-way (2 x 2 x 2) mixed factorial analysis of variance. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in the number of interactions within the CJS between integrated treatment services and single treatment services, as well as a statistically nonsignificant difference between male and female. Future studies are recommended to examine the predictive value of the long-term effects of integrated treatment services in decreasing interactions within the CJS. The social implications of the study could be integral to community behavioral health care agencies and administrators of correctional institutions in demonstrating how pertinent integrated treatment services can be in decreasing the overrepresentation of people with CODs within the CJS. Furthermore, it will contribute to the continuous need for developing evidence-based programming and practices for CODs within community-based programs, increasing public safety to communities, and the tremendous cost-effectiveness to correctional programs.

No description available.

<p>This dissertation evaluated the complex inter-relatedness between co-occurring childhood maltreatment exposures, physical intimate partner violence (perpetration and victimization), substance use frequency, and molecular genetics for substance use, utilizing appropriate developmental models and theoretical approaches. Three studies were proposed within this dissertation. Data for the three studies come from a national longitudinal panel study: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; Harris, 2013). Across studies, latent profile analysis was used to evaluate co-occurring childhood maltreatment exposures based on type and severity of exposures, which resulted in three homogenous sub-groups. The first sub-group was composed of individuals that had high levels of physical abuse exposure and moderate levels of childhood neglect and emotional abuse exposures (high physical abuse sub-group). The second sub-group (high sexual abuse sub-group) included individuals with high severity of sexual abuse exposure and moderate severity of all other childhood maltreatment types (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect). This second sub-group was, therefore, the most vulnerable in terms of their childhood maltreatment exposure. A final normative sub-group was also found that included a majority of individuals with low severity of childhood maltreatment exposure across types. Additionally, across all three studies, a probabilistic multifaceted genetic risk score (i.e., polygenic risk score) was created to evaluate substance use related genetic risk. The first study evaluated the role of co-occurring childhood maltreatment exposure on substance use development from adolescence to young adulthood while evaluating substance use related genetic moderation. Generalized estimating equations were used to test the proposed model in study 1. Findings suggest that the high physical abuse sub-group was more susceptible to genetic risk and had increases in substance use frequency only at high levels of genetic risk. In contrast, for the high sexual abuse sub-group, childhood maltreatment and environmental exposures were more ubiquitous for substance use development from adolescence to young adulthood. To elaborate, the high sexual abuse sub-group demonstrated increases in substance use from adolescence to young adulthood irrespective of genetic risk. In study 2, substance use frequency in young adulthood was tested as a mechanism between childhood maltreatment sub-groups and subsequent physical intimate partner violence perpetration in adulthood. Once again, genetic moderation for the direct association between childhood maltreatment sub-groups and substance use frequency in young adulthood was tested within the larger mediation model. In study 3, physical partner violence victimization in young adulthood was tested as a mediator of the association between childhood maltreatment sub-groups and substance use frequency in adulthood. In study 3, in addition to the above-mentioned genetic risk score, an additional substance use related dopamine polygenic risk score was also tested. Specifically, in study 3, genetic moderation by both genetic risk scores was tested on 1) the direct pathway from childhood maltreatment sub-groups to substance use frequency in adulthood, and 2) the direct pathway from physical intimate partner violence victimization in young adulthood to substance use frequency in adulthood. In both studies 2 and 3, product of co-efficient method was used to estimate mediation hypothesis, and moderated-mediation models were used to test for genetic moderation within the mediation model. Research aims for studies 2 and 3 were largely not supported. However, supplementary models indicate that substance use frequency may not be a causal mechanism but may be a contextual factor exacerbating the association between childhood maltreatment exposures and physical intimate partner violence perpetration. Implications for findings are discussed in detail. </p>