Digital Commons Network^™

The National School Lunch Program, Elizabeth Strasser

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The National School Lunch (NSLP) Program is a federally assisted meal program that began in 1946 and is designed to provide nutritionally balanced lunches to children. The program started slowly in 1853, in a few school districts around the United States. The efforts spread throughout different cities, and organizations were set in place to serve meals to children in schools under the supervision of the school boards.

The American Dietetic Association believes that all children and adolescents should have access to food and nutrition programs that ensure adequate food supply that promotes optimal physical. and social growth and development.

School …

Maximum Repetition Rates In Children At-Risk For Dyslexia, Amy L. Baxter

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

My senior thesis has focused on current research exploring precursor communication skills being conducted by Dr. Ben Massen at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. To that end, I worked in an acoustics lab analyzing Maximum Repetition Rates (MRR), also known as diadochokinetic rates, DDKs, in young children's speech development. This four year funded research project began in 2004.

In this paper I will provide an overview of the underlying theoretical considerations guiding the study and then describe my particular contribution to the effort, completed during Fall semester 2005 while I was a foreign exchange student.

The Role Of Faculty Advisors In The Success Of Psi Chi Chapters: Leadership Characteristics And Their Relation With Student Organization Success, Mary Ann Bailey

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Leaders of a student organization may have a strong impact on the success of the chapter they lead. The current research study examined leadership qualities of Psi Chi Faculty Advisors, leaders in a Psychology honors society, and how those qualities affected the activity, involvement, and satisfaction of members within Psi Chi. In order to assess these variables, a national online survey was sent out to Psi Chi student leaders asking them to evaluate their Faculty Advisor's leadership characteristics in addition to their Psi Chi chapter. Two-hundred and eighty-five surveys were completed and returned. Results showed a significant positive correlation between …

Nutritional Perspective Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Jessianna Rose

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, incurable, autoimmune disease that affects as many as two million persons in the United States. Current nutritional guidelines are very basic and revolve around specifics of the treatment of symptoms as seen with drug-nutrient interactions. Although current opinion does not directly see the onset of this disease linked to dietary factors, recent research may indicate that there is a link to a possible deficiency of pantothenic acid. This is not a widely accepted theory, but has some very unique observations which shed a new and interesting light on possible interventions through nutrition.

Losing Face: Why More Media Literacy Education Is Needed In Utah's Public School Curriculum, Natalie Andrews, Brooke Nelson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Health programs in Utah's curriculum focus mainly on the after effects of media's influence--eating disorders, low self-esteem and other destructive teenage behavior--and no one puts the correct amount of blame on television or the advertisements that promote buying to be beautiful. However, studies have found a strong correlation in teens between media consumption and negative behaviors. Teens are, after all, a main target for over $30 million ad dollars every year. Utah has curriculum in place for media literacy, but it is scattered throughout multiple subjects and is never rightly treated as its own. Because of this, we propose protecting …

Regulation Of Cardiac Fibroblast Metalloprotease Secretion, Glen De Guzman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes secreted by cardiac fibroblasts. Altered expression of MMPs plays an important role in congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases^1,2. Emerging evidence has led us to consider the role of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PtdIns 4-kinase) in regulating MMP secretion in cardiac fibroblast cells^3-7. PtdIns 4-kinase is a lipid kinase involved in various cellular processes including protein secretion. This project was designed to test the hypothesis that PtdIns 4-kinase controls MMP secretion. Techniques such as cardiac cell culture, transfection, and in-gel zymography were used for this experiment. Results demonstrated that PtdIns 4-kinase …

Acculturative Factors And Mental Health Among Latinos: A Meta-Analytic Review, José De Jesús Rodríguez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research on the relation between acculturation and mental health has yielded discrepant findings, with some studies finding a positive association between the two variables, others a negative association, and still others a curvilinear association. A meta-analysis of 84 studies yielding 3 73 individual effect sizes was conducted to examine the relation between acculturation and mental health among Latinos. The meta-analysis spanned the years of 1989 to 2004 and was comprehensive in its design. Several variables were chosen a priori to determine whether these would moderate the relation between acculturation and mental health. Results of an initial meta-analysis that disregarded the …

The Relationship Between Physical Activity In Adulthood And Late-Life Cognitive Decline: A Population Study, Tera L. Lensegrav-Benson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study examined the relationship between occupational physical activity, late-life leisure time physical activity, and cognitive performance/change over time considering vascular factors. The study followed participants over 7 years (baseline 1995/96; wave 2, 1998/99; wave 3, 2002/03) from the ongoing Cache County Study on Memory, Health, and Aging. Mean age at baseline of the 3,366 participants was 74.55 years (SD= 6.64) and 53.03% were female. Occupational physical activity was assessed via the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Late-life leisure time physical activity based on light, moderate, and vigorous activity was assessed at baseline. Cognitive status was measured with …

Predictors Of Recidivism In An Adolescent Substance Abusing Population, Christine Pacetti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many adolescents with substance use disorders have ongoing problems with abuse and/or dependence throughout their lives. Little research has been conducted examining the differences among adolescents who do and do not continue to have difficulties. This study compared adolescents who recidivate versus those who do not recidivate after receiving treatment for substance abuse. Adolescents were compared on four categories of variables: (a) demographic variables, (c) delinquency /substance use history, (c) social/educational support, and (d) treatment history. It was found that the most powerful predictors of recidivism within these categories were criminal history severity, age at intake, and treatment completion. The …

Uncovering The Key Of Success In The Utah Medicaid Work Incentive Program: A Grounded Theory Study, Renee H. Nolan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this grounded theory research was to determine what differentiates people with disabilities who leave Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits due to increased income from those who cannot. Fifteen individuals, former and current participants in a Medicaid Buy-In program, were interviewed. Within the context of health and disability, four theoretical propositions were identified: education, opportunity to work, interpersonal support, and secure housing. Higher benefit levels were also found to be an effective barrier for many.

Assessing Cognitive Abilities In A Sample Of Sioux Children Utilizing Traditional And Nonverbal Measures Of Intelligence, Norman C. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The disproportionate number of American Indian students receiving special education services indicates an ongoing need for research leading to improved assessment and placement practices with this population. Standardized tests are most often used to screen and select students for special education services. However, not all intelligence tests have been normed for use with all populations, especially where minority groups have been concerned.

While the merits of traditional intelligence tests must not be discounted, the emergence of new tests and assessment measures is encouraging, particularly for the assessment of American Indian students. A natural next step is to consider a traditional …

An Outcome Study Of Spinal Cord Stimulation Implants In A Retrospective Cohort Of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patients, Anthony Davis Browning

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study was designed to test the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in a retrospective group of 43 failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) patients. A medical record review was conducted on study participants to capture relevant presurgical biopsychosocial variables deemed to be of potential prognostic value. In addition, a multidimensional approach to outcome assessment was undertaken along three general domains: general health status, disease specific outcomes, and surgical outcomes. Descriptive statistics of presurgical variables and outcome measurements are provided as well as a model of outcome prediction based on these prognostic variables. Results suggest that the use of …

Predicting Child Outcomes From Parenting Styles Of Spanish-Speaking Families, Melissa Renee Donovick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate observed parenting practices among first-generation Spanish-speaking Latinos living in Utah. Participants included 50 families with a child between the ages of 4 and 9. Parents and their child engaged in a behavioral observational task that was coded for parenting dimensions and styles to determine if they predict child outcomes among Latino families. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess for behavioral problems. Observations were coded using the Parenting Scale, developed specifically for this study. In general, parents received high ratings on warmth and demandingness, and lower ratings on autonomy granting. Parenting …

The Integration Of The Nutrition Screening Tool With The Interdisciplinary Plan Of Care Form, Beth Hyatt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Literature Review

Undernutrition in the hospital setting has been shown to cause adverse outcomes. Screening for nutritional risk assists in the detection of undernutrition with subsequent early intervention to prevent further decline. While many nutrition screening tools exist, none are proven to detect undernutrition. Furthermore, many barriers exist for utilizing nurses as primarily responsible for screening patients for nutritional risk.

Background

A hospital reviewed the nutrition screening process and found that the form used and screening factors were insufficient to adequately detect undernutrition and appropriate referrals for dietitians.

Objectives

1) Determine if nursing compliance improved when the nutrition screening form …

Antimicrobial Properties Of Syringopeptin 25a And Rhamnolipids, Prerak T. Desai

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The increasing bacterial resistance to available antibiotics requires the search for new antibacterial compounds to be broadened. This study investigated the antimicrobial properties of two secondary metabolites from fluorescent pseudomonads -- syringopeptin 25A, a lipodepsipeptide produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, and a rhamnolipid mixture produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The rate of antimicrobial action was determined by monitoring the rate of uptake of propidium iodide during exposure to the compounds. Inhibition was also confirmed by the microbroth dilution method to determine the MI Cs. Both the compounds inhibited growth of Gram-positive organisms, including Mycobacterium smegmatis, staphylococci, and …

Use Of Natural Antioxidants To Control Oxidative Rancidity In Cooked Meats, Mihir Vasavada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The research in this dissertation focused on determining antioxidant effects of various natural antioxidants in cooked meat systems. Milk mineral (MM), spices, and raisin paste were used in cooked meat systems to verify their potential antioxidant properties.

The MM study determined the antioxidant activity of 1.5% MM added to uncured cooked beef meatballs, and possible additive effects of MM in combination with 20-ppm or 40-ppm sodium nitrate in cooked beef sausages. There was no additive inhibition of lipid oxidation in samples containing 20-ppm or 40-ppm sodium nitrite plus 1.5% MM. Cooked meat yield was not different between control meatballs and …

Type 2 Diabetes And The Risk Of Osteoporotic Hip Fracture In Utah Men And Women, Megan Bunch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior studies have unequivocally established a consistent association between osteoporotic hip fracture risk and type 2 diabetes mellitus. One reason this association still remains unclear is primarily due to the limited amount of research conducted in this area. The Utah Study of Nutrition and Bone Health (USNBH) is a case-control study conducted in Utah during the period of 1997-2001 to determine risk factors for osteoporotic hip fracture. All study participants (n = 2590) were determined from Utah residents 50-90 years of age. Cases were determined from 18 Utah hospitals during 1997-2001. Age and gender-matched controls were randomly selected from the …

Addition Of Three Dietary Fibers In An Extruded Whey And Cornstarch Expanded Snack Food, Alisha M. Wood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Different fiber types were incorporated in an extruded expanded high-protein snack food. Three dietary fibers (powdered cellulose, wheat fiber, and oat fiber) were selected based on ease of extrusion, percent total dietary fiber, visible expansion, and commercial availability. A high-fiber, high-protein snack food containing whey protein, normal cornstarch, and pregelatinized waxy cornstarch was extruded using the three selected fibers. The fibers replaced the normal cornstarch at 30, 60, and 80% yielding extrudates with three fiber levels (18, 36, and 48%). Each treatment or combination of fiber type and extrudate fiber level was extruded in triplicate. A control with no fiber …

Smoking, Anemia, And Risk Of Oral Clefts In Utah, Melinda Michelle Moss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cigarette smoke contains sufficient carbon monoxide to induce maternal and fetal hypoxia. Hypoxia is a known teratogen, and consequently maternal smoking has been the focus of many studies on adverse birth outcomes, including cleft lip and palate. Current literature of epidemiological studies on smoking and clefts suggests a modest but statistically significant increase in risk of clefting associated with maternal smoking. A biological condition that may also contribute to hypoxia is anemia. Data from the Utah Child and Family Health Study was used to assess the effects of hypoxia-inducing conditions, maternal smoking, anemia, and their interaction, on the risk of …

Model-Centered Instruction: A Design Research Study To Investigate An Alternative Approach To Patient Education, Mary Ann Parlin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While medical technology, intervention, and treatment continue to advance, patients often find themselves involved in an increasingly complex healthcare system. Because of this, many patients lack access to the knowledge to facilitate successful navigation or participation in healthcare systems to their best advantage. Patient education that provides experiential information has been shown to reduce anxiety levels and increase patient health outcomes and compliance with medical instructions or recommendations. Given the demonstrated effectiveness of experiential instruction in patient education, Model-Centered Instruction (MCI) has the potential to be an effective instructional design for patient education because it affords the learner experience with …

Assessing The Cognitive Development Of A Sample Of Infants In Paraguay, Shannon Peairson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is very little research to date on infant development in developing countries, including Paraguay. The present study aimed to determine the effects of Pastoral del Nino, an ECD program, in rural Paraguay by assessing two groups of infants. Group 1 (n = 50) was receiving no intervention and group 2 (n =58) was participating in Pastoral del Nino. Both groups were matched for SES and age of infant. Results indicate that group 2 performed better on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Mental Development Index. Group 1 had a mean MDI score of 77.96 and group 2 …

The Relationship Between The Outcome Questionnaire And The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale In Marital Assessment, Adam Malan Poll

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This correlational study attempted to determine if the Outcome Questionnaire can be used to collect the same information as the Revised Dyadic Adjustment scale in marital assessment. Both measures are common pretreatment assessments and have relational components. The study used secondary data from the Utah State University Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. Reliability and correlational tests were performed and the results indicate that the assessments measure different constructs. There also were no statistically significant correlations when comparing the measures by gender, marital distress, and marital satisfaction. Implications are discussed including the formulation of new clinical cut-off scores and the importance …

Welfare Status, Gender, And The Utilization Of Marital Counseling Services, Courtney A. Wyatt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine how welfare status, gender, and the interaction between welfare status and gender relate to the utilization of counseling services related to marriage (i.e., "marital help-seeking"). This study was a secondary analysis of the Utah Marriage Survey data set from 2003. Two samples were utilized in this study, and generated a total sample of I ,316 participants. The first sample was made up of I, 173 randomly selected Utah households, identified through a random-digit dialing sampling technique. The second sample was obtained from a random selection of current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families …

Tapirs And Rhinoceroses In Captivity: An Examination Of The North American Captive Populations And Their Husbandry, Lisa A. Nordstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

All species of Tapiridae and Rhinocerotidae are threatened or endangered in the wild. Captive populations have been established for most of these species, but successful management has proved challenging. Effective ex situ conservation strategies, however, rely on the ability of zoological institutions to maintain and breed these endangered species. In this study, I examined the captive environment to identify the factors associated with reproduction, mortality, and health of rhinos and tapirs. Zoological institutions in the North American region that currently housed rhinos and/or tapirs were surveyed in 2003. Attaining an approximately 90% response rate, I compiled information on the following …

Turning Points And Protective Processes: A Qualitative Study On Resilient Youth Through Their Perspective As Resilient Adults, Michael E. Monson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigates the processes of resiliency and the turning points of decision-making in youth from at-risk environments. The study utilizes a constructivist, qualitative approach, to examine indicators of resiliency from both an individual and contextual perspective. The narrative descriptions of eleven adults from at-risk childhoods are analyzed through biographical interviews.

Analyses were completed to determine common factors that contribute to the process of resiliency in successful adults. Results indicate that the influences of risk on healthy functioning are modified by shifting environmental protective factors, resources, and developed attributes of self-efficacy. Risk and adversity had a strengthening effect that contributed …

The Labour Of Her Own Hands: Nineteenth Century Gardening Discourses And The Work Of Jane Webb Loudon, Kelli Lee Towers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Jane Webb Loudon, wife of eminent horticulturist and landscape architect John Claudius Loudon, has been largely ignored by historians and literary critics. Yet in her brief career she produced some of the most practical and influential gardening works of the early nineteenth-century. Beginning with Gardening for Ladies in 1840, Loudon published seventeen books and edited two magazines on gardening, botany, and natural history, most of them specifically directed to a female audience. These books would educate an entirely new class of gardeners, and allow women in particular to engage not only with gardening, but also with aesthetics, social reform, morality, …

Therapeutic Processes In A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Depressed Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Meredith Brent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have higher rates of depression than healthy youth. A cognitive-behavioral treatment, primary and secondary control enhancement training-physical illness (PASCET-PI), for depressed adolescents with IBD was associated with reductions in depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the salience of nonspecific processes (factors inherent in any human relationship) and specific processes (factors related to therapy content) during PASCET-PI sessions and their association with improvements in psychological functioning.

Participants included 10 adolescent patients with IBD with mean illness duration of 31.9 months. At intake, eight participants qualified for a diagnosis of major depressive …

Juvenile Drug Courts: Using Participant Characteristics To Predict Outcome, Sara M. Boghosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Juvenile drug courts are becoming an increasingly popular answer to rising rates of substance use-related crime among adolescents in the U.S. However, outcome evidence for the efficacy of juvenile drug courts is limited at this time. Currently, approximately 50% of juvenile drug court participants do not graduate from drug court programs nationwide. However, the nongraduates are believed to have a poor prognosis following termination from drug court. The purpose of this study was to determine if participant characteristics are related to outcome in juvenile drug courts. Neither demographic variables (age, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status) nor substance use variables (age at …

Expressive Writing And Breast Cancer: Outcomes And Linguistic Analyses, Kelly N. Hughes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project examined the imp act of an expressive writing intervention as compared to a general health in formation control on breast cancer patients' postradiation treatment. It further examined the content of the expressive writing narratives. The sample included women who were completing radiation treatment for breast cancer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and City of Hope hospital. The measures utilized in this study were self-report instruments targeting psychological distress (PANAS, JES) and general functioning (SIP), as well as demographic questionnaires. Results revealed the expressive writing intervention significantly impacted positive affect over time. Furthermore, participants from both the treatment and …

Predicting School Placement Outcomes Of Children With Disabilities Who Was Once Enrolled In Early Intervention, Mark Stanley Jesinoski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

From longitudinal data from 223 children with disabilities in Utah, variables collected at entry into Part C early intervention and Part B early childhood special education services were used to differentiate between children and to predict placement outcomes in elementary school. Scores on the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Parenting Stress Index, Social Skills Rating System, number of hours mothers worked outside the home, and fathers ' education in years were differentiated between children who exited from and children who remained in special education. These same scores were also used to predict whether children would remain in or …