Family and Consumer Sciences Commons^™

Intergenerational Programming: Yesterday's Memories, Today's Moments, And Tomorrow's Hopes, Kathleen Ann O'Rourke

Doctoral Dissertations

Even though the numbers and scope of intergenerational programs continue to grow, research about their impact is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare 12 behaviors of older adults in the presence of absence of children. Six adults with dementia, aged 57 to 86, were videotaped during 10 art activities, 5 with preschool children and 5 with peer adults. The design was a quasi-experimental applied behavioral analysis. Chi-square tests showed that the older adults' behaviors were significantly dependent on children's presence or absence. Repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that children's presence or absence had a significant effect on the …

Effects Of Cis And Trans Unsaturated Fatty Acids On Blood Ethanol Clearance In Rats, Mei-Shin Mong

Doctoral Dissertations

The effects of saturated fatty acids (SFA), cis fatty acids (CFA), and trans fatty acid (TFA) on blood ethanol clearance were determined in 5-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. In the first phase, it was established that the blood ethanol concentrations (BEC) of the SFA and CFA groups were higher than those of the TFA group after 2 weeks of dietary treatment. While the concentrations of liver triglyceride were significantly lower in the TFA group, the levels of plasma triglyceride were not affected by the types of dietary fatty acids.

Possible mechanisms of dietary fat related changes on BEC were investigated in …

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program, Janie L. Burney

Doctoral Dissertations

Data on the economic value of nutrition education programs, such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), can help decision makers choose between alternative programs based on costs and benefits. A cost-benefit analysis of EFNEP was conducted to determine if savings in food expenditures exceeded implementation costs. Costs were collected over a 6-months using expenditure reports and other records. Benefits were determined using prospective data from 371 females enrolled in EFNEP who completed a 24-hour food recall, behavior survey, and recorded the amount of money spent on food monthly at program entry and exit. Two treatment groups received …

Mothers' Perceptions Of Family-Centered Early Intervention Service Coordination, Elsa Macmillan Nownes

Doctoral Dissertations

Profound changes have taken place in the way professionals work with families who have young children with disabilities. These changes have taken place because of revisions in what professionals believe is best practice and changes in laws that govern early intervention. Although previous researchers have addressed many questions pertaining to how best to serve young children and their families in early intervention, no previous researchers have used qualitative methods to explore parental perceptions of early intervention service coordination.

Mothers with children with special needs who resided in all nine districts served by Tennessee's Early Intervention System were interviewed. The sample …

The Effect Of Modifying Eicosanoid Biosynthesis On Tumor Load In The Min/+ Mouse, Chun-Hung Chiu

Doctoral Dissertations

Several lines of evidence strongly link prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) to cancers of the intestine. Epidemiological studies showed aspirin and aspirin-like compounds reduced the relative risk of intestinal cancer in humans by 40-50%. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause regression of intestinal tumors in humans and laboratory animals as well. The precise mechanism of antitumor effect of these NSAIDs is uncertain, but it has been presumed the effect is due to their ability to inhibit prostaglandin biosynthesis. This dissertation is designed to investigate the effect of modifying eicosanoid biosynthesis by NSAIDs and dietary manipulation on tumor load in a …

Dose Response And Functional Consequences Of Choline Induced Changes In Carnitine Homeostasis In Guinea Pigs, James William Daily

Doctoral Dissertations

This study further characterized a newly discovered interaction of two nutrients, choline and carnitine. Increased dietary choline had previously been demonstrated to cause a conservation of carnitine in humans and guinea pigs, and an increased muscle carnitine concentration guinea pigs. The first part of this study compared the effect of varied doses of choline on urinary excretion of carnitine, tissue and whole body carnitine concentrations, and body composition. It was demonstrated that a choline dose of 2 g/kg diet results in a near maximal effect on urinary conservation of carnitine, which is mediated by an increase in the fractional tubular …

Role Of Intracellular Free Calcium In The Obesity And Insulin Resistance Associated With Dominant Agouti Mutations, Jung Han Kim

Doctoral Dissertations

Several dominant mutations at the agouti locus in the mouse cause a syndrome of adult-onset obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. Although ectopic overexpression of the agouti gene is directly responsible for the disease in these mutations, the precise mechanism is unclear. Intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]i) appears to have a role in mediating insulin signal transduction, and altered handling of [Ca²⁺]i homeostasis and flux is observed in obese and insulin resistant animals and humans. Data reported here demonstrate that mice carrying the dominant agouti mutation, viable yellow (A^vy), exhibit an elevation of [Ca²⁺]i …

The Influence Of Point-Of-Purchase Cafeteria-Based Nutrition Education Program On High School Students, Magali O. Gamio

Doctoral Dissertations

Male and female high school students participated in an intervention designed to promote behavior change in food selection. The students were divided in two groups. Group I received the point-of-purchase cafeteria-based nutrition education program, and Group II received the point-of-purchase cafeteria based nutrition program plus a brief classroom nutrition education intervention. Evaluation instruments included pre-test, post-test 1, and post-test 2 written questionnaires, which included food practices, nutrition knowledge, attitudes and their perceptions about the school food service and the point-of-purchase intervention.

For behavior change, there was a significant Time Effect for females Group II with a significant decrease in both …

Comparison Of The Effect Of Instructional Versus Industry-Specific Computer Simulation On Students Learning In A Front Office Management Course, Mohamed Abdul-Ghani

Doctoral Dissertations

A survey was administered to assess the current and future state of academic computer use in teaching front office management courses, and to evaluate the degree of importance educators of these courses placed in various features of educational software. In addition, an instructional or industry-specific computer simulation program was integrated in a front office management course for undergraduate students. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there were any differences in students' knowledge of the subject matter, attitude toward computers, and ability to transfer the learned skills to another industry-specific software, which could be attributed to the usage …

The Relationship Between Insulin Resistance And Glucose Transport And Transporter (Glut4) Levels In A Rodent Model Of Syndrome X, William Joseph Banz

Doctoral Dissertations

(Part I.) The purpose of this study was to measure insulin regulated glucose transport and GLUT4 protein in aortic tissue from insulin-resistant vs. sensitive rats. We assessed basal and insulin-stimulated [³H]-2-deoxyglucose transport in aorta from lean vs. obese Zucker rats. In a muscle-bath system, insulin significantly stimulated aortic 2-deoxyglucose transport by 30% in lean and obese animals. Further, in the perfusion system with only luminal vessel exposed, insulin significantly stimulated 2-deoxyglucose transport in aorta of lean animals. Western blot analysis demonstrated that aorta contained substantial concentrations of GLUT4 protein. These data demonstrate that the aorta is insulin-sensitive and …

Informing Physicians About The Relevance Of Pl 99-457: An Experimental Evaluation Of A Dissemination Method, Fathima Humera

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate experimentally the combined effects of an information package comprised of a written pamphlet and a videotape on physicians' knowledge about federal law and its implication for making referrals to early intervention programs. There were 38 physicians with practice located in a 16-county region of East Tennessee who participated in the study. Physicians were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Physicians assigned to the experimental group received the information package and the Physicians' Knowledge and Practice Questionnaire. Physicians in this group were given 2 weeks to review the materials and complete …

Cellular And Enzymatic Basis For Carnitine-Mediated Attenuation Of Ethanol Metabolism, Youn-Soo Cha

Doctoral Dissertations

(From the Introduction)

Alcohol (ethanol) is the most widely used of psychoactive drug and has been known in almost all civilizations since ancient times (Keller 1979). There are millions of people throughout the world who responsibly enjoy consuming alcoholic beverages served as food, medicines, and euphoriants. However, alcohol abuse, alcohol intolerance, alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related disabilities are some of the most challenging social, economical and public health problems facing our modern-day society. In the United states alone, the annual cost of lost productivitity and health expenses related to alcohol is estimated to be $117 billion (Hoek et …

Consumer Use Of Innovativeness: An Empirical Conceptualization, Kyungae Park

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to empirically conceptualize consumer use innovative behavior. By separating use and purchase in innovative behavior, comparing these two innovative behaviors, and identifying the best predictor variables of use innovative behavior over the adoption and post-adoption processes, this study investigated whether use innovative behavior was a viable concept in consumer behavior.

Based on the theoretical framework of consumer innovative behavior and post-adoption usage behavior, this study tested use innovativeness for the clothing product. College students of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville participated in the questionnaire survey for data collection. Five hundred thirty nine responses were …

A Fundamental Investigation Of The Effects Of Die Geometry And Process Variables On Fiber Diameter And Quality Of Melt Blown Polypropylene Webs, Ahamad Yacub A. Khan

Doctoral Dissertations

An elaborate investigation was carried out to study the effects of die geometry and process variables on fiber diameter and shot formation of melt blown polypropylene webs. This four part investigation included the study of die orifice di mansions such as diameter and UD ratio, die geometry variables such as nosetip angle, air gap, nosetip setback, face gap, and process variables such as polymer throughput rate, volumetric flow rate of primary air, die-to-collector-distance, resin melt flow rate (MFR), and melt shear viscosity. Also the effects of different process variables on physical and mechanical properties of the webs were studied during …

Predictors Of Bone Density In Women: A Longitudinal Study, Susan G. Munroe

Doctoral Dissertations

This research was a 15-year follow-up study of the relationships of age, physical measurements, diet group (non-vegetarian, NV; vegetarian, V), use of estrogen, dietary intakes of energy, calcium, and bone density in 60 healthy postmenopausal NV (n=31) and V (n=29) women, (age range 53-92). The V group was comprised of 29 lacto-ovo-vegetarian women, the remaining 31 subjects were NV. All subjects had been participants in an earlier (1976-1979) bone density study conducted in these laboratories. Measurements of height, weight, triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), and bone density of the radius and ulna were made (single photon absorptiometry); 7-day dietary records, and …

The Influence Of Peers On The Food-Related Behavior Of Adolescents During And Post Pregnancy, Lisa Marie Varner

Doctoral Dissertations

Peer influence on snack food selections and nutrient intake from snacks was investigated in adolescents during pregnancy and at 12 months postpartum. Seventy pregnant (PG) adolescents completed two 24-hour food recalls, one two-day food record, and a Peer Influence Questionnaire (PIQ) pertaining to participation with close friends in various activities and discussions (including nutrition- and food-related). Fifty-three of the 70 PG adolescents brought a peer to an interview session and participated with this peer in a Snack Food Selection Activity. Thirty-two of the PG adolescents also completed at postpartum (PP) the food records/recalls and the PIQ; an additional 27 adolescents …

Pregnant And Postpartum Adolescents' Appetite Compulsions, Food Preferences, And Reasons For Dietary Change, Janet Faye Pope

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine factors influencing the nutritional habits of adolescents during and after pregnancy. Data were collected on 97 white adolescents during the third trimester of pregnancy, and on 64 of the same adolescents at one year postpartum. The study included three components: (a) an exploration of reported changes in eating habits and reasons for the changes; (b) a semi-structured interview used to obtain information about appetite compulsions (cravings, aversions, and pica); and (c) a sensory analysis of preferences for 16 specific foods.

Data showed that adolescents made positive changes in their diets during pregnancy; 64% reported …

Determining The Effect Of Television, Parents, And Peers On The Food Choices Of Pregnant Adolescents, Dena Leah Goldberg

Doctoral Dissertations

The influence of television, parents, and peers on the food choices of 79 pregnant adolescents, aged 14 to 18, was studied. Two 24-hour diet recalls and a two-day food record, questionnaires about television viewing habits and communication with parents and peers relating to food selection and food purchasing, and semi-structured interview regarding television commercials were administered in the last trimester of pregnancy.

Adolescents consumed 38% of their calories and 36% to 41% of total vitamin and mineral intake per day while watching television. Foods consumed while watching television were significantly lower (P=0.03) in fat than foods consumed while not watching …

Effect Of Carnitine On The Disposition Of Alcohols, Robin Ann Ruark Brothers

Doctoral Dissertations

Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 300-500g, were fed Purina rodent chow with or without a supplement of 0.5 % L-carnitine (CS or NS groups) for 5-7 days, after which they were given a single oral dose of methanol (2.25 g/kg), isopropanol (2.0 g/kg), ethylene glycol (5.56 g/kg), or ethylene glycol (5.56 g/kg) followed by ethanol (3.0 g/kg) 1 hour later in aqueous solutions. Serial blood and urine samples were collected over time and analyzed for the respective alcohols by gas chromatography. The data were subjected to pharmacokinetic analysis and statistical analysis.

There was significant reduction in blood methanol concentration in the CS …

The Effect Of Exercise, Diet Restriction And Aging On The Pituitary-Adrenal Axis In The Rat, Madeline Dellwo

Doctoral Dissertations

The effects of calorie restriction and exercise on feed consumption, growth, and the pituitary-adrenal axis were studied in aging male Wistar rats. The study consisted of 4 experimental groups: Sedentary, ad libitum fed controls (A); Sedentary, diet restricted by feeding on alternate days (R); Exercised by swimming on alternate days, ad libitum fed (AE); Exercised by swimming on alternate days, diet restricted by feeding on alternate days (RE).

Training effect was verified by heart weight:body weight ratio. Exercise resulted in a significantly lower body weight, in spite of the fact that exercised animals ate more than the sedentary animals. Body …

The Effect Of Dietary Sulfur On The Metabolism Of Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Mei Fung Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

The test hypothesis of this investigation was that methionine-supplemented diets could possibly interfere with the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids, thereby altering the biosynthesis of the active metabolites, prostanoids, and the profiles of tissue phospholipids. The postulated mechanism of action for this dietary regimen would be to increase the tissue concentration of the active methyl donor, S-Adenosyl-methionine (SAM) which is also called an activated methionine. SAM is a potent inhibitor of the cycloaxygenase enzyme which is important for the synthesis of biologically active prostanoids.

The results demonstrated that liver microsomes from rats fed the methionine-supplemented diet had a statistically significant …

Functional Performance Of Thual Barley Grown In Two Locations As Affected By Salt In Model And Food Systems, Ruthann Burroughs Swanson

Doctoral Dissertations

Functional properties of Thual hull-less whole-grain barley flours milled from barley grown in two locations were studied. Proximate composition of Tennessee-produced barley flour approximated that of whole-wheat flour; flour milled from Alaska-produced barley had reduced protein and increased carbohydrate plus ash levels. Alaska barley flour had higher levels of the amino acids detrimental to loaf volume, whereas higher levels of amino acids related to increased loaf volume were present in the Tennessee barley flour. Photomicrographs of flour components revealed a bimodal starch distribution. Starch granule shapes approximated those of wheat. Adhering matter was present.

Composite flours that were 50% bread …

Modulation Of The S-Adenosylmethionine To S-Adensoyhomocyseine Ratio: Effect On Transmethylation, George Loo

Doctoral Dissertations

Regulation of transmethylation by lowering the molar ratio of S-adenosylmethionine to S-sdenosylhomocysteine (SAM: SAH ration) was studied. Reduction of the ration in vitro caused a decrease in the activities of rat liver thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT), thiol methyl-transferase (TMT), and protien(lysine)methyltransferase (PLMT). Furthermore, rats injected with D,L-homocysteine thiolactone had a reduction in the hepatic SAM:SAH ration, as well as a decrease in the activities of TPMT and PLMT, but not TMT, in liver.

Reduction of the hepatic SAM:SAH ratio in rats fed a pyridoxine-deficient diet resulted in a decrease in the activity of PLMT, but not TPMT and TMT, in liver. …

A Typology Of Information Search Patterns: Apparel Selection Of Employed Women, Soyeon Shim

Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify segments displaying different information search patterns among employed purchasers of apparel; (2) to determine the consumer, situational, product, and market characteristics that correlate with each segment; and (3) to develop an exploratory framework of the processes which produce characteristics of information search patterns.

A random sample of 3,000 female consumers, age 25-44, was sent questionnaires resulting in a 47 percent return rate (n=1410). Only employed women were used for this research (n=1034).

Principal Components Factor Analysis with Varimax Rotation was used: (a) to find out factors of information search activities, and …

Relationships Of Self-Concept, Food And Nutrition Attitudes And Knowledge, And Health Habits To Food Selection And Nutrient Intake, Diane Jean Palmer Libby

Doctoral Dissertations

To examine the relationships between self-concept and food- and nutrition-related behavior, information was collected from 153 single women ages 18-35. Participants were contacted through their places of employment and represented a variety of occupations. Each participant had an educational level between a high school diploma and a four-year college degree.

Participants completed a questionnaire requesting information about demographic facts, attitudes toward self, attitudes toward the importance of food and nutrition, nutrition knowledge, and health habits. Each participant also completed a three-day food record. Factor analysis of the attitudes toward self, attitudes toward the importance of food and nutrition, and health …

Modulation Of Drug Metabolism By Food Restiction, Paul Kupen Su

Doctoral Dissertations

The effects of the level and duration of feed restriction on the in vitro activities of hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme system were examined in male weanling Sprague Dawley rats fed ad libitum or feed restricted at 15%, 30% and 45% for a period of one to five weeks (Experiment I). Increasing levels and duration of feed restriction resulted in significant progressive increases in hepatic microsomal protein, cytochrome P-450 content and the in vitro activities of microsomal aniline hydroxylase. p-chloro-methly-aniline(PCMA)N- demethylase and p-nitrophenol UDP-glucuronyl transferase activities were unaltered by the feed restriction while cytochrome c reductase activity was significantly decreased. In …

Predictors Of Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults From Low-Income, Rural Areas Of Southern Appalachia, Stephan Maxwell Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations

A person's quality of life has been assumed by some researchers to be related to material and achieved status or to the material conditions of life by other researchers. Individuals' perception of the quality of their lives, however, is an experience of satisfaction. Therefore, researchers have begun to examine how individuals perceive the quality of their lives based upon individuals' internal comparisons of their own expectations and aspirations (i.e., internal referents) as predictors of life satisfaction. These internal referents may not be tied to mainstream American standards or values. Most life satisfaction studies, to date, have concentrated on middle-class, urban …

Effects Of Cadmium, Calcium, Age And Parity On Bone Mineral, Density And Strength In Female Rats, Beverley F. Hammond

Doctoral Dissertations

Weanling female rats were fed diets containing one of three levels of Ca (0.3, 0.6 or 0.9%) and one of four levels of Cd (0, 1, 5 or 10 ppm) in the drinking water. One half of each group was bred first as adolescents (55 days) and the other half as mature (110 days) females. Approximately 10 animals from each group were sacrificed after the first pregnancy and the remaining animals after the fourth pregnancy. Reproductive performance, plasma and bone Ca and P and bone density and strength were measured.

After the first pregnancy, offspring of dams treated with 5 …

A Study Of Fine Structure Development Of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) In High Speed Spinning By Using A Pneumatic Drawdown Device, Chi-Chung Bai

Doctoral Dissertations

High speed melt spinning of linear, branched, and high molecular weight poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymers using a pneumatic drawdown device was carried out in this study. Characterization of the structure of final spun fibers of each polymer and the structure development along the spinline for different mass throughputs and take-up velocities were studied.

The final spun fibers were characterized with various techniques: birefringence, density, wide angle x-ray scattering (WAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), shrinkage, and tensile testing. A filament cutting technique was utilized and on-line temperature and birefringence measurements were performed to study the PET structure development along the spinline. …

Effects Of Cooking Method, Fat Level, And Days On Feed On The Objective And Sensory Characteristics Of Restructured Steaks, Carol A. Costello

Doctoral Dissertations

Top rounds from steers fed grain 0, 28, 56, or 84 days were removed and flaked in a Urschel Comitrol containing a plate with 1.9-cm openings. Fat (beef plates approximately 55% fat) from animals fed grain was finely ground. Flaked meat and fat were mixed and formed into 227-g restructured steaks with 15%, 20%, or 25% fat. Steaks were cooked in a microwave oven on a preheated browning dish or broiled in a conventional oven to an internal temperature of 73^oC ± 2^oC or 73^oC, respectively.

Greater cooking losses were exhibited for steaks heated …