Digital Commons Network^™

Strategy To Implement And Evaluate A Health And Wellness Program In The Inner-City Of Benton Harbor, Michigan Through The Harbor Of Hope Church, Imasiku Mubita

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The data from the Berrien County Health Department (2011b) shows that the city of Benton Harbor has unusually high prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. In addition, the city is a food desert and residents lack good healthcare coverage which helps to exacerbate these lifestyle diseases among its inner-city residents. Also, the dearth of healthy food intake plus the lack of exercise further hampers the community's health.

Method

A nine-week health-wellness program was opened to the community through the Harbor of Hope church in Benton Harbor. During this program community members had their biometrics screened at the beginning and …

Pandemic Leadership Failures And Public Health, Gidon Eshel

Animal Sentience

In a plainly worded target article whose sagacity and import can hardly be overstated, Wiebers & Feigin place the recent COVID-19 crisis in historic perspective. They warn us that unless we make sweeping changes the next pandemics are all but preordained. They offer a blueprint for dramatically lowering the likelihood of future pandemics.

A Performer’S Guide To Norman Bolter’S Morning Walk For Trombone And Piano, Justin Croushore

Theses and Dissertations--Music

For the past 45 years, Norman Bolter has been one of the most prolific and important composers, performers, and educators for the trombone. Born in Minnesota in 1955, Bolter held the position of Second Trombone of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Trombone of the Boston Pops from 1975 until 2009. He has taught at leading conservatories, universities, and festivals around the world and continues to teach as trombone faculty at the New England Conservatory and the Boston Conservatory today. His compositional output is large and wide-ranged, including works for solo trombone, trombone and piano, trombone ensemble, chamber ensemble, band, …

Training Music Therapists And Music Therapy Students To Provide Trauma-Informed Care: Training Development And Pilot Feasibility Study, Mckenna B. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Music

Adverse childhood experiences are considered a serious public health problem and can lead to complex trauma. Due to the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences in the general population, it is likely music therapists frequently treat clients who have experienced trauma; however, there appears to be no published research on music therapy training and education regarding validated trauma-informed approaches. This study examined the impact of a three-hour educational training on music therapists’ knowledge of trauma-informed care and perceptions of preparedness to practice trauma-informed music therapy. Seven training attendees chose to participate and completed a pre-test and post-test covering demographic information, knowledge, …

Uniting Maternity Care With Neonatal Intensive Care: Analysis Advancing Hospital Experiences For Families Of Newborns Through Design, Stephanie Legg

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The landscape of childbirth has changed immensely over the last century. Medical intervention has surpassed the needs of mother and infant to be together when either requires medical attention. By bringing medical equipment for both into a single hospital room, separation between the two will be decreased. For this study, mothers of infants admitted to neonatal intensive care were questioned with a mix-methods survey to discover what challenges they faced in order to amend the built environment to increase their satisfaction with their hospital and post-birth experience. Mothers showed less ability to interact with their infants when medical needs were …

Innovation In Meat Production: A Problem And An Opportunity, Christopher J. Bryant

Animal Sentience

Innovation in meat production has enabled modern humans to inflict far greater harm on animals, the environment, and public health than was possible just a few decades ago. Wiebers & Feigin aptly express the urgency with which these issues must be addressed. Those advocating for animals on moral grounds face resistance from omnivores citing taste, price and convenience. Further innovation in meat production (plant-based and cultured meat) will enable us to preserve the experience of eating meat whilst phasing out the many problems caused by industrial animal farming.

Hear Me Roar, Abigail R. Seethoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Hear Me Roar, a compilation of personal essays interspersed with short forms, grapples with the nuances of compliance versus autonomy in the context of the male gaze, beauty standards, and pop culture. The collection also explores what it means to treasure something—another person, an object—and how to express and deepen that affection.

Kim Williams: Professionalizing Domesticity In Montana And Abroad, 1923-1986, Emmett Ball

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Kim Williams was a renowned writer and naturalist living and working in Missoula, Montana in the 1970s and 80s. She gained national recognition for her regular guest appearances on National Public Radio’s program “All Things Considered,” where she offered home-spun lessons on frugality, naturalism, and happiness through simplicity. Williams’s professionalization of domesticity was the culmination of a lifelong battle in an attempt to reconcile her own personal conception of femininity against her conflicting aspirations for a professional career and a familial, domestic life. There is little scholarship analyzing Williams’s personal life, and no known scholarship has attempted to condense her …

Critical Reasoning: A User's Manual, V.4.0, Jason Southworth, Chris Swoyer

Philosophy Open Educational Resources

Teaching critical reasoning is difficult. So is learning to reason more carefully and accurately. The greatest challenge is teaching (and learning) skills in such a way that students can spontaneously apply them outside the classroom once the course is over (teaching people to apply skills in the classroom can be hard enough, but clearly isn’t a worthwhile goal in itself).

We (the authors) have learned a good deal about these matters from the students who took courses using earlier drafts of this book, and from colleagues who’ve taught from it. But one key theme of this book is the importance …

One Planet, One Health, Michael W. Fox

Animal Sentience

We have to reduce our collective exploitation and consumption of animals. That is what is bringing on pandemics and other zoonotic diseases, accelerating climate change, destroying biodiversity, and causing untold amounts of animal suffering.

St. Augustine And St. Thomas Aquinas On The Mind, Body, And Life After Death, Christopher Choma

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Historical and philosophical investigation of the thoughts of two of philosophy's most innovative Christian thinkers. The thesis primarily deals with the relationship between the mind and the body through the lenses of St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas. Thesis also includes theological discussions of life after death, and how one can be certain that the soul survives the corruption of the body.

A Modified Standard American Diet (Msad) Induces Physiological Parameters Associated The With Metabolic Syndrome In C57bl/6j Mice, Sophie Bru Chehade

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity manifests physiologically in multiple organ systems of the body, typically increasing the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders. Researchers have questioned the causative role that western dietary patterns have on disease pathogenesis and have speculated that quality and quantity of dietary fats and/or carbohydrates have a predictive role in the development of these disorders. Standard reference diets such as the AIN-93 rodent diet have historically been used to promote optimal animal model health and reduce variation of results across experiments. These diets have been invaluable to murine research; however, their translational value in studying human nutrition-related pathologies is limited. Early …

Early Childhood Quality Of Education And Late-Life Cognitive Function In A Population-Based Sample From Puerto Rico, Cheyanne Celine Barba

All ETDs from UAB

In general, greater years of education is associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment in older adulthood, but the strength of this association has been found to differ by study population. Additionally, quality of education is understudied, despite evidence that quality of education and, in turn, literacy, may be additional indicators of cognitive reserve. This thesis examined years of education, literacy, and childhood quality of education indicators in relation to late-life cognitive outcomes in an older Puerto Rican population. We hypothesized that greater years of education, literacy, and quality of childhood education would be positively associated with each other, as …

Self-Awareness Of Functional Deficits In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kayla Ann Steward

All ETDs from UAB

Performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) can become compromised in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Poor self-awareness of deficits, also known as anosognosia, occurs in a substantial minority of those with MCI and varies in extent depending on the domain examined. This dissertation attempts to explain the inter- and intra-patient variability in anosognosia by examining (1) differences in objective IADL performance and self-awareness of functional difficulties between those with amnestic single- (-ASD) and multi-domain (-AMD) MCI, and by examining (2) the neuropsychological and (3) neuroanatomical correlates of anosognosia for IADLs in older adults across a broad …

Spectrum 2020, Saint Mary's College Of California

The Undergraduate Spectrum

No abstract provided.

An Image Of Perfection

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

The Bulletin: Sidney Kimmel Medical College At Thomas Jefferson University, Volume 69, Issue 1, Winter 2020

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

This issue includes:

• Dean's Column - An Acquired Taste
• On Campus - Sidney and Caroline Kimmel Fund New Biomedical Research Building
• A Message from Elizabeth A. Dale - Generosity Goes Both Ways
• Discovery - It Takes a Village
• Solving the Puzzle - Shaping Jefferson's Neuroscience Department
• Faculty Profile - Kristin Rising, MD
• Alumni Profile - Neal Flomenberg, MD
• Student Profile - Hannah Garrigan
• Class Notes - 2019 Alumni Weekend
• Class Agent
• In Memoriam
• By the Numbers - The Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience

Untwining Threads: Second Wave Hmong Parents’ Conceptualizations Of Ways To Support Their Adolescent Children’S Education, Mao Sea Lee

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research identifies the support systems for adolescents’ education within the second wave Hmong refugee family setting. The study examines the parents’ perspectives on their own support systems for their adolescents’ education. The work focuses on studying both the instrumental support and psychological care these parents provide their teenage children and interprets why these parents choose to provide these resources. Studying these parents’ ways of supporting their adolescents provided a more in-depth understanding of why these recent refugee parents choose to invest of their resources to their adolescents’ education and, subsequently, what education means to them. The research also brought …

Mandibular Attachment Device Effects On African American Veterans With Heart Failure, Tracey T. F. Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure is a growing epidemic that affects people nationwide and is disproportionate to African Americans. The purpose of this quantitative repeated measures study was to determine whether mandibular attachment device (MAD) therapy impacts symptoms of heart failure in African American male veterans diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The oxidative stress theory was applied in this study to assess whether MAD therapy received from Veterans Affairs (VA) dental clinics impacted heart failure symptoms, after controlling for patient body mass index (BMI) levels and smoking status. Research questions examined whether MAD had a significant effect on symptoms of heart failure …

Single Mothers’ Perceptions Of Police Encounters And Effectiveness Related To Youth Gun Violence, Janay M. Gasparini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Single mothers and their children residing in high-crime communities (HCCs) in the United States are disproportionately exposed to crime, and therefore, the criminal justice system. Specific challenges of single motherhood in HCCs compound the link between juvenile offending and single-female-headed households. Little is known, however, about how single mothers in HCCs perceive and use the police as a resource to help prevent juvenile offending, specifically gun violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of single mothers with police as they related to the arrest of their children for a gun crime. The research questions focused …

Effects Of Group Play In Sand On Obese Women’S Self-Perceptions, Marianezoi Antares

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity poses an escalating threat to public health in many countries. A better understanding of the psychological construct of obesity and alternative approaches for treating it are needed. The purpose of this study was to examine secondary data to measure the effects of a program using group play in sand on self-perceptions of obese Danish women. The framework was based on elements from the Bandura’s social learning theory and conception of self-efficacy integrated with the concept of body image perception. Participants (N = 34) were obese women in Copenhagen, Denmark, who used group play in sand as their therapy program. …

Investigating Growth-Related Hormones And Their Roles In Metabolism In Fish Skeletal Muscle, Ross Michael Lee Reid

All ETDs from UAB

The endocrine system is essential for the maintenance and regulation of skeletal muscle growth and metabolic processes, as secretions of growth-related hormones directly regulate these systems. The roles of these growth-related hormones are well understood in mammals yet are not well defined in teleosts. Thus, the work outlined in these chapters provides novel insight for the actions of two growth-related hormones, Growth Hormone (GH) and Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP), in fish skeletal muscle. First, Chapter 2 highlights the work expanding the application of resazurin as a novel method of in vivo metabolic assessment across fish life-stages, which was utilized …

Nutrition Transition And Ses As A Fundamental Cause: An Integrative Approach To Examine Weight Status Among Women In Nepal, Sanjeev Acharya

All ETDs from UAB

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in developing countries is a public health problem. Globally and in Nepal, women have higher burden of overweight and obesity. Over the recent years, Nepal has made progress in human development and is also experiencing nutrition transition. In this context, the goal of this study is to investigate the change in association between socioeconomic status (SES) and body weight over time, examine whether SES – body mass index (BMI) varies across region and occupation, and test for the double burden of malnutrition among adult women. Using a novel framework that integrates nutrition transition …

Cognitive Factors And Treatment Adherence In Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis, Benjamin Edwin Burgess

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening chronic illness which requires adherence to a many complex and time-consuming treatments. Adherence is suboptimal in this population. Thus, it is important to consider predictors of treatment adherence. Research has evaluated a number of cognitive factors that are related to adherence in groups with chronic illnesses, including those with CF. The present study considers three factors (health locus of control (HLC), perceived social support, and perceived disease severity) in order to address important gaps in the literature evaluating their relationships with treatment adherence. For each of these factors, the current research is limited by …

Examining The Role Of Neighborhood Quality On The Association Of Mammography Adherence Among Racial/Ethnic Groups, Roman Johnson

All ETDs from UAB

Although several racial/ethnic minority women groups (e.g., Latina, Black, Asian-American, and Native-American women) have lower breast cancer incidence than white women, they are more likely to die from breast cancer. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is racial/ethnic differences in mammography use. Mammography has been shown to contribute to the discovery of tumor proliferation earlier which translates to less breast cancer complications like greater risk of breast cancer-related mortality. Previous studies on racial/ethnic differences in mammography adherence (e.g., annual and biannual mammography adherence) have been inconclusive, and they generally overlook important contextual factors, namely neighborhood quality and geographic location (e.g., …

Adolescent Fast Food Consumption: Underlying Factors And Related Health Outcomes, Lindsay Marie Stager

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity represents one of our nation’s leading public health issues. In 2017, over 30% of U.S. high school students presented with either overweight (15.6%) or obesity (14.8%). These trends are alarming as early childhood and adolescence are critical developmental periods for establishing healthy eating and exercise behaviors. Though past research has uncovered many factors related to adolescent eating behaviors, few studies have examined the longitudinal impacts of parenting and family variables on diet across the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Further, there is a lack of longitudinal research regarding health outcomes of fast food consumption during this same developmental period. …

Novel Methods For Establishing The Capacity For Nociception And Cognition In The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Chris Taylor

All ETDs from UAB

Here we demonstrate the utility of a zebrafish-based model of nociception to serve as a novel screening tool for analgesic drugs. Zebrafish swimming behavior was measured following administration of various algogens used in rodent research. All compounds reduce distance traveled, thought to be an expression of nociception. Furthermore, we undertook to investigate the contribution of sex and feeding history on the acetic acid-evoked nociceptive response in zebrafish. Data suggest that male fish were more sensitive to pain than females, and that females recovered from pain faster than males. Dietary restriction increased pain sensitivity in zebrafish. We then tested the viability …

Single Cell Proteins Affect Growth Performance And Body Composition Of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus Vannamei, Yuan Yuan

All ETDs from UAB

The globally growing human population has increased the needs for protein based food. Single cell proteins (SCPs) as unconventional protein source, when coupled to aq-uaculture production, offer a means to ensure future protein needs can be met. To demon-strate a given type of SCP has potential as a protein source for use in aquaculture feed; a number of investigations are needed including demonstrating that the SCP is attractable and accepted by the animals, leads to equivalent survival, growth and nutritional compo-sition. This dissertation represents a series of investigations designed to evaluate the fea-sibility of using a bacterial based (MRD-Pro) and …

Religious/Spiritual And Secular Coping Among Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis And Their Caregivers, Christina Marie D'Angelo

All ETDs from UAB

Cystic fibrosis (CF) – a genetic, progressive disease affecting approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States – has been linked with psychological maladjustment and clinical difficulties among both affected individuals and their caregivers, specifically as the disease progresses and becomes more difficult to treat. Religious/spiritual and secular coping strategies, however, can offset many of the detrimental effects. Yet despite the salient effects that coping can have, aspects of coping among individuals with CF and their caregivers are still largely understudied and poorly understood. In general, less is known about religious/spiritual coping specifically including how it changes across the lifespan, how …

At The Mercy Of The Mexican Supreme Court: The Implications Of Party Capability On Indigenous People's Cases, Alan Cardenas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Indigenous Peoples in Mexico have long struggled in securing their rights in colonizing states. Applying party capability theory, this paper seeks to empirically understand the Mexican Supreme Court's behavior in cases pertaining to Indigenous Peoples. This paper thus evaluates the degree to which the Mexican Supreme Court is indeed an impartial actor that produces "equal protection under the law" for everyone (Galanter, 1974). Specifically, this paper examines the questions: To what extent does the Mexican Supreme Court protect Indigenous Peoples' rights? Are Indigenous Peoples legally affected by the power disparity perpetuated by the inequality in the country? This paper thus …