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Longitudinal Association Between Television Watching, Computer Use And Meal Frequency And Risk Markers In Diabetes Among Youth With Diabetes, Chao Li

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Television watching and computer use are considered to be the main sedentary behaviors in children and youth. However, their longitudinal impact on HbA1c and serum lipids among youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are under-studied. Sedentary behavior is normally assessed by questionnaire in large epidemiological studies, however, its measurement by questionnaire has not been evaluated among youth with diabetes. Also, no recent studies have evaluated the optimal meal frequency for glycemic control in youth with T1D and T2D; for this reason nutritional guidelines on meal frequency for youth with diabetes are vague. …

Building Capacity For Advocacy For Local Food Systems Change: An Ethnographic Study Documenting The Process Of Change In South Carolina Communities, Casey Denise Childers

Theses and Dissertations

The Guide to Community Preventive Services currently does not have sufficient evidence to recommend any nutrition strategies for obesity prevention. Nonetheless, food systems changes are recommended for childhood obesity prevention by the C.D.C., U.S.D.A., and many thought-leading organizations. Creating healthy food communities will require physical and social environmental changes. Community-based groups need to build their capacity to frame community health issues as physical and social environmental issues. This research partnered with community-based groups to build their capacity for advocacy by using media framing research and strategic communications training. Specifically we: 1) conducted a media content about food systems, childhood obesity …

Patient And Provider Perceptions Of Weight Gain, Physical Activity, And Nutrition In Pregnancy, Kara M. Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The high percentage of women who enter pregnancy overweight or obese and gain excessive weight during pregnancy is a growing public health problem. Health care providers are recommended to counsel women on weight gain, physical activity (PA), and nutrition during pregnancy. However, little is known about patient or provider perceptions of these topics. Purpose: Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examined women’s and health care providers’ perceptions of weight gain, PA, and nutrition in pregnancy. This study also examined the role of the health care provider in optimizing pregnancy weight gain. Methods: Pregnant women between …

The Social Determinants Of Success: The Effect Of Status, Framing, And Group Membership On Test Scores, Jennifer L. Mcleer

Theses and Dissertations

Previous findings have shown that intelligence test scores of members of disadvantaged groups are negatively affected by their relative status in test situations. We explain this by assuming that lower-status actors forego benefits that normally follow from successful performance of a task if they anticipate that there are also costs associated with success. We use an integration of Status Characteristics Theory, Rational Choice Theory, Prospect Theory, and Self-Categorization Theory to argue that compared to high status individuals, those of lower status should be particularly affected by costs associated with high performance. We ran an experiment that manipulated factors such as …

Health Behaviors Of Mandated And Voluntary Students In A Motivational Intervention Program, Donna M. Kazemi Phd, Rn, Cne, Fiaan, Maureen J. Levine, Jacek Dmochowski, K Roger Van Horn, Li Qi

Publications

UNLABELLED: College students engage in many unhealthy behaviors, one of these, heavy alcohol use, is a major global public health problem. OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study examined whether students' mandated/voluntary status in a program to reduce college drinking was associated with overall health, ethnicity, gender, and personality traits. Both mandated and voluntary groups participated in the Motivational Intervention (MI) program to prevent high risk drinking. METHODS: Freshmen (710 voluntary, 190 mandated, n = 900) between the ages of 18 and 21, received the MI at baseline and again at 2 weeks, with boosters at 3, 6 and 12 months. Participants completed …

Hypertension Health Behavior Change And Older Adults: The Effect Of An Appreciative Education Approach, Mary Katherine Benya

Theses and Dissertations

Making lifestyle changes has been found to be effective in controlling hypertension. Positive psychology may provide alternatives to existing health behavior change approaches. Appreciative Education (AE), a positive psychology approach, was applied to an existing hypertension control intervention, Lifestyle University (LU), and compared to the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) approach, in a segment of the existing intervention. This study used quasi-experimental, mixed methods pre/post-test, repeated measures design. Two-groups of community-dwelling adults, aged 50+, control SCT (n= 60), and experimental AE (n=33), were compared using the LU intervention. Seven dependent variables were measured at pre-test, post-test 1 and post-test 2. Repeated …

Dissolved And Particulate Phosphorus Distributions And Elemental Stoichiometry Throughout The Chukchi Sea, Meryssa Piper

Theses and Dissertations

As the only gateway of material, particularly nutrients, from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean, the biological and chemical transformations that occur within the Chukchi Sea are critical for understanding Arctic ecosystems. This study examines the biogeochemical cycling of the macronutrient phosphorus (P) relative to carbon and nitrogen in the eastern Chukchi Sea during the ICESCAPE’s mission. Sea ice and water column dissolved and particulate phosphorus samples were collected during two summer expeditions in 2010 (n=593) and 2011 (n=989). Despite being a landlocked marginal sea, the P pool present within the Chukchi Sea was substantially modified by biological processes with …

Patient And Provider Characteristics And Practice Patterns Of Primary Care Physicians Of Weight-Related Counseling, Kolby T. Redd

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends three types of health education counseling for use in primary care practices for adult, obese patients. While these recommendations are well known, a low percentage of physicians provide this counseling to their patients on a consistent basis. There are inconsistencies in past studies in regards to what aspects of the health encounter influence the likelihood of receiving health education counseling during a primary care visit. The objective of this study was to (1) investigate the patterns of these three types of counseling occurring within primary care practices and to …

Factors Contributing To Interannual Variability In The Abundance Of Bay Anchovy (Anchoa Mitchilli) Larvae, Steven B. Vega Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal ecosystems have been subject to increasing stressors over recent decades due to coastal development, human population growth, and climate change. Improving scientific understanding of the environmental factors which influence the productivity of fish populations in coastal ecosystems is vital to their prudent management, especially as the potential influence of anthropogenic climate change grows. Estuaries serve as critical habitats for many fishes of primary ecological, economic, and recreational importance. One such fish, the planktivorous Bay Anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), is abundant along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US and is a key prey resource for many estuarine and coastal …

The Evolutionary Biology Of Vision In Daphnia, Christopher S. Brandon

Theses and Dissertations

Eyes have attracted the attention of evolutionary biologist since the field’s infancy. In On the Origin of Species, in fact, Darwin famously remarked on the proposition that natural selection could engineer the eye, saying “[it is] absurd in the highest possible degree.” Though, he goes on to explain, beautifully and simply, how his theory of evolution by natural selection could produce such an organ. Indeed, eyes are remarkable examples of complex information acquisition systems that have evolved from simple beginnings. Eyes allow animals to extract environmental information from light, which informs physiological and behavioral responses to resources, predation, and mates. …

Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Environmental And Policy Assessment – Measurement Issues And Implications, Rahma Jamea Yousef Ajja

Theses and Dissertations

Current research has suggested that supportive healthy eating and physical activity (HEPA) policy and practice environments play a significant role in shaping the physical activity levels and eating habits of youth. Subsequently, a wide array of audit tools assessing policy and practice environment characteristics across settings that care for youth were developed. However, the extent that available audit tools accurately reflect the policy environment characteristics of the settings that care for the youth population remains unknown. Therefore, this dissertation encompasses four studies. The purpose of the first study was to examine the measurement properties of audit tools currently in use …

Exploring Communication Patterns In The Discussion Of Maternal Pku Syndrome Between Parents And Daughters, Hannah Beth Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Maternal PKU syndrome is the collection of features and birth defects that arise from uncontrolled phenylalanine levels in a pregnant woman with phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency, previously known as phenylketonuria (PKU). Currently, the literature is lacking in exploring what young women are being told about maternal PKU syndrome. In this study, communication patterns between parents and their daughters about maternal PKU syndrome were investigated through an online survey completed by parents. The survey assessed parents’ level of comfort with this topic, the information they discussed with their daughter and the resources they accessed. Followup interviews were conducted with participants to …

Changing Cigarette Consumption Patterns And Their Relationship To Tobacco Control Policies In A Population Of Low-Intensity Smokers, Santosha Kamala Swayampakala

Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of premature death and disability in the world. Every year six million people will die from tobacco-related diseases. To curb the growing tobacco epidemic, World Health Organization (WHO) adopted its first-ever global public health treaty, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that obligates ratifying countries to implement a range of tobacco control policies. Most of the evidence for the effectiveness of the WHO’s FCTC recommended tobacco control policies comes from high-income countries (HICs). This evidence suggests that as smoking prevalence declines in response to tobacco control policies and programs, the proportion of …

Addressing Disparity: One Unique School’S Efforts To Provide Holistic Education In A Low-Income, Black Community, Allison Anne Parsons

Theses and Dissertations

Schools are meant to provide an equal opportunity for achievement to all students. The reality is that school policies and practices, which govern not only child education but also child health, parenting practices, and other social issues, are based on ideologies of the dominant culture creating an environment the perpetuates current social hierarchies. By doing so, this not only limits minority populations’ access to the opportunities associated with education but also access to health, as education and health are strongly and positively linked.

This study used qualitative methods including ethnography to explore how racism was perpetuated through the dominant discourses …

An Evidence-Based Approach To Prepare Interdisciplinary Team Members For Implementation Of The Abcde Bundle, Jessica Murner Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

Quality improvement projects contribute to the development of evidence-based management strategies for successful implementation of evidence-based practices in health care, thus reducing the risk of change implementation failure. This study assessed practice change implementation strategies for the awakening and breathing trial coordination, delirium assessment and management, early exercise and mobility (ABCDE) bundle. The ABCDE bundle is an evidence-based, interdisciplinary framework for managing pain, agitation, and delirium, reducing the duration of mechanical ventilation, and supporting early mobility in critically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to implement a nurse-driven initiative to design and put into place an evidence-based approach …

The Recovery Of Gut Barrier Function With Selenium Rich Diet In Acute Dss-Induced Colitis, Sarah Depaepe

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Acute Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis is an inflammatory ailment limited to the colon. It works to destroy the morphology and gut barrier goblet and epithelial cells that aid in providing homeostasis. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is known to play a role in reducing inflammation in areas elsewhere in the body. The current study is focused on how Se alters gut barrier permeability and functionality related to the recovery of tight junction regulation and mucin secretion. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were randomly placed into control (normal water) and 2% DSS water …

Environmental Exposures And Childhood Pulmonary Function, Pallavi Prakash Balte

Theses and Dissertations

Fetal origins of adult disease hypothesis states that adverse influences early in developmental period and particularly during intrauterine life can result in permanent changes in physiology which may lead to increased disease risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. Both fetal and adolescent period are critical time periods for development of lungs. Any adverse environmental exposures during these critical periods of lung growth is a form of programming which can have long term effects on pulmonary function. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the association between different environmental exposures and pulmonary function in children and late adolescents. The first …

Statewide Scale-Up Of Group Prenatal Care In South Carolina, Kristin M. Van De Griend

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Poor birth outcomes and racial disparities in birth outcomes in South Carolina are widely recognized problems. To improve maternal and child health outcomes, especially among vulnerable groups, universal access to timely, appropriate, and effective care should remain a priority through increased availability and accessibility. An interagency collaborative in South Carolina expanded CenteringPregnancy (CP) from two to five medical practices throughout the state. CenteringPregnancy is associated with improved birth outcomes and reduced rates of racial disparities in preterm birth throughout the United States. Important questions in the literature remain about strategies and determinants of scaling up sexual and reproductive …

The Role Of Intermembrane Space Redox Factors In Glutathione Metabolism And Intracellular Redox Equilibrium, Hatice Kubra Ozer

Theses and Dissertations

The mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) is a unique subcellular compartment that houses key thiol-dependent redox pathways such as protein transport, mitochondrial respiration, and detoxification of ROS (reactive oxygen species). These pathways are all dependent on cysteine-rich proteins, thus maintaining thiol-disulfide balance in this organelle is crucial for cellular functions. An IMS protein import pathway called the Mia40-Erv1 disulfide relay system uses disulfide bond formation for the import and retention of substrate proteins in the IMS. Erv1 is also suggested to be involved in maturation of cytosolic Fe-S cluster proteins and regulation of iron homeostasis in S. cerevisiae. However, these studies …

Extensive Genome Rearrangements Of Caulobacter K31 And Genomic Diversity Of Type B3 Bacteriophages Of Caulobacter Crescentus, Kurt Taylor Ash

Theses and Dissertations

The genus Caulobacter is found in a variety of habitats and is known for its ability to thrive in low-nutrient conditions. K31 is a novel Caulobacter isolate that has the ability to tolerate copper and chlorophenols, and can grow at 48°C with a doubling time of 40 h. K31 contains a 5.5 Mb chromosome that codes for more than 5500 proteins and two large plasmids (234 and 178 kb) that code for 438 additional proteins. A comparison of the K31 genome and the Caulobacter crescentus NA1000 genome, the representative strain and most well studied isolate of the Caulobacter genus, revealed …

Fate And Behavior Of Silver Nanoparticles To The Estuarine Organisms, Prorocentrum Minimum And Crassostrea Virginica, Shelby Victoria Butz

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticles are known to be entering the environment and are shown to have adverse effects on aquatic organisms (Fabrega et.al. 2011, Lapresta-Fernandez et.al. 2012, Matranga and Corsi 2012, Moore 2006). The purpose of this study was to quantify the uptake of AgNPs by two estuarine organisms and determine the associated toxic effects of accumulation. There are multiple procedures for nanoparticle (NP) synthesis that involve various core and surface materials, which result in various characteristics such as size, shape, and surface coating. In this study silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by a chemical reduction of silver salts and characterized in stock …

Compositional Traits In Sorghum Bicolor Characterized By Transcriptome, Ionome And Genome-Wide Association Analysis, Nadia Shakoor

Theses and Dissertations

To address the challenge of global mineral malnutrition, current biofortification research in crop plants aims to improve mineral concentration and micronutrient bioavailablity via genetic and traditional breeding methods. Many staple food crops are also used as biofuels, and the chemical and mineral composition of these energy crops directly affect biomass quality and subsequent energy output. Identification of genes and QTL that impact mineral and compositional traits in the grain and biomass of major cereals, including sorghum, is fundamental to developing breeding and selection methods aimed at increasing bioavailable minerals and improving biofuel suitability and seed nutritional quality. A combinatorial strategy …

Examining The Influence Of Healthy Eating Identity On Shopping Behaviors, Jordan Brittingham

Theses and Dissertations

Eating identity is shown to be a promising measure capable of enhancing our understanding of nutrition behavior. Persons with healthy eating identities are less likely to consume the typical American diet and report healthier diets in general. While there are several studies linking healthy eating identity and diet, there is currently no research examining healthy eating identity in relation to food shopping behavior, an important aspect of nutritional intake. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of healthy eating identity on shopping behaviors including supermarket utilization, supercenter utilization, likelihood of shopping at the nearest store, distance to …

Periodontal Microorganisms, Obesity, Chronic Inflammation, And Type 1 Diabetes, Georges Joseph Nahhas

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a low-grade chronic inflammation in the tissues surrounding the teeth caused by multiple, mostly gram-negative pathogens. It is associated with diabetes, obesity, and chronic inflammation. The specific roles that periodontal microorganism play in these conditions are not well-studied. Hereby, we explored how periodontal bacteria from sub gingival plaque clustered in youth with and without type 1 diabetes, and how such patterns related to body-mass-index percentile (BMI percentile), C-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin. Cross-sectional data were collected from 105 youth with type 1 diabetes and 71 without diabetes. Participants were between 12 and 19 years of age receiving …

Ferric Reductases And Transporters That Contribute To Mitochondrial Iron Homeostasis, Anshika Jain

Theses and Dissertations

Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, yet the availability of Fe to plants is often limited. This is because in most soil types, Fe precipitates as ferric-oxyhydroxy complexes, making it unavailable for uptake by plants. While the mechanisms involved in Fe uptake from the soil are relatively well understood, the mechanisms involved in its further distribution to the aerial portion of the plant and to subcellular compartments are not fully understood. During Fe deprivation, plants up-regulate root Fe acquisition machinery. How plants sense Fe deprivation and tie the Fe status of the plant to …

Product And Consumer Characteristics As Moderators Of Consumer Response To Sustainable Products, Kealy Carter

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays. In both, product sustainability is broadly focused on the environmental and social performance (Luchs et al. 2010) of a product. The first essay explores the role of firm sustainability reputation in behavioral intentions for sustainable products. Additionally, this essay applies construal level theory (Liberman and Trope 1998; Vallacher and Wegner 1985, 1987) and addresses the situation that exists wherein sales of sustainable products produced by firms founded under sustainability principles are more stable than those produced by traditional firms (Clifford and Martin 2011). The second essay introduces a measure of consumer perceived product sustainability …

Exploring The Association Between Depression And Obesity Among Alzheimer's Patients, Stephanie Clugstone

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder that affects elderly individuals, and is becoming an increasing concern among the aging population of the world. Due to the projected increase in incidence of AD, modifiable risk factors such as depression and obesity should be evaluated, as prevention is the only current option. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and depression among AD patients, and to evaluate the association between depression and obesity. Patients were chosen from a subset of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s disease registry, which included information about weight status and depression, as well as several other …

Diversity, Genetics, And Health Benefits Of Sorghum Grain, Davina Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

Staple cereal crops provide the majority of nutrients to the world's population, and thus, can significantly impact human nutrition and health. Phenotypic and genetic diversity within a crop can be useful for biofortification and crop improvement, but quantitative phenotyping is needed to identify varieties with high or low concentrations of a nutrient of interest, and to identify alleles responsible for quantitative trait variation of the nutrient. Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a diverse and widely adapted cereal crop that provides food for more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and is becoming increasingly popular in specialty …

Weight-Gain And Energy Balance, Benjamin Thomas Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

Energy balance is the result of a dynamic relationship between energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE) and energy storage (ES). These three components of energy balance have extremely complicated associations, and all three major components are consistently influenced by physiologic, psychological, and sociologic factors. Concerted changes between EE and EI result in alterations of the ES. Most often in clinical and research settings, bodyweight is used as marker of body composition (i.e., ES) changes. Traditional measurements of bodyweight do not give an accurate portrayal of ES change or the role it has in energy balance. This dissertation supplies new methods …

Early Screening And Identification Of Preschool Children Affected By Serious Emotional Disorders, Cathy Renee Robey-Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness has surpassed physical health problems as the leading cause for morbidity and mortality in American children. National prevalence of serious emotional disorders in the 0-5 age group has ranged from 9.5% to 14.2%. Of the 15 million children affected by mental illness, less than 20- 25% receive any treatment. Nationwide, early screening, identification, and treatment of preschoolers with emotional or behavioral disorders have become a critical priority in order to reduce the increasing burden of healthcare costs for mental illness and psychiatric care. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a screening process for …