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Aging-Dependent Effects Of Repetitive Loading Exercise And Antioxidant Supplementation On Oxidative Stress In Skeletal Muscle, Michael J. Ryan May 2010

Aging-Dependent Effects Of Repetitive Loading Exercise And Antioxidant Supplementation On Oxidative Stress In Skeletal Muscle, Michael J. Ryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aging is associated with a reduced ability to buffer oxidants along with an increase in oxidant production, resulting in chronic oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a putative factor responsible for reducing function ability of skeletal muscle and increasing oxidative damage. The objective of this set of investigations was to evaluate the efficacy of reducing oxidative stress on improving muscle function the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to repetitive loading exercise in aging rodents. To achieve this objective, three methods of reducing oxidative stress were utilized; the antioxidant vitamins E&C were used to buffer oxidants, the nutraceutical resveratrol was used to …

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Pretreatments And Energy Potentials Of Appalachian Hardwood Residues For Biofuel Production, Adebola Bamikole Adebayo May 2010

Pretreatments And Energy Potentials Of Appalachian Hardwood Residues For Biofuel Production, Adebola Bamikole Adebayo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Continuous increase in crude oil price and environmental issues related to toxic emissions from the use of petroleum products has necessitated the need to find an alternative renewable source of energy in woody biomass. Accordingly, properties, chemical pretreatments, and enzymatic hydrolysis of logging residues to fermentable sugars were evaluated in this study. Logging residue specimens of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and red oak (Quercus rubra) were collected from fifteen previously harvested sites across West Virginia and then analyzed for their physical, chemical, and thermal properties. Results indicated that logging residues of yellow-poplar and red oak were dried in nature to a …

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Alterations In Hepatic Enzyme Activity And Progesterone Clearance In Lactating Dairy Cows, Caleb Owens Lemley May 2010

Alterations In Hepatic Enzyme Activity And Progesterone Clearance In Lactating Dairy Cows, Caleb Owens Lemley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the cow, inadequate concentrations of progesterone during gestation may lead to an abrupt termination of pregnancy. The primary organ involved in progesterone catabolism is the liver, which contains an abundance of cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP; EC 1.14.14.1) and aldo-keto reductases (AKR; EC 1.1.1.145-151), which are involved in the first phase of steroid inactivation, before second phase conjugation and excretion of the steroid metabolite by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT; EC 2.4.1.17). The objectives of the current experiments were to: (1) determine the effect of feeding two isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets formulated to cause divergent insulin secretion, on hepatic progesterone catabolic enzyme activity …

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Essays On The Public Economics Of Health, Rachel L. Mathers May 2010

Essays On The Public Economics Of Health, Rachel L. Mathers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores three important health issues, utilizing the tools provided by economics to provide new insight into areas of research typically the parlance of those in medical fields of study. The integration of economic theory into existing literature on health issues provides a more detail-rich explanation of health policy and corresponding health outcomes. This dissertation applies economic theory to the health topics of skin cancer, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and AIDS. There are five chapters included in this dissertation, beginning with an introduction in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 addresses the skin cancer paradox, specifically analyzing the relationship between National …

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Pe Followed Me Home From School Today: Effects Of The Activity Challenge On Youth Summer Physical Activity, Kacey Digiacinto May 2010

Pe Followed Me Home From School Today: Effects Of The Activity Challenge On Youth Summer Physical Activity, Kacey Digiacinto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of overweight and obese youth in the nation is growing at an alarming pace (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008; West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 2007). Currently, 3.8% of elementary schools, 7.9% of middle schools, and 2.1% of high schools provide daily physical education (Jones, Axelrad, & Wattigney, 2007). That means that a majority of America's youth are not provided with the opportunity to accumulate the recommended daily amounts of physical activity. With formal physical education in mind schools should be focusing on increasing youth out-of-school physical activity. Teacher assigned, out-of-school, physical activity, self-management …

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Comparing The Use Of Qpcr On Isolated Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) And Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Hepatocytes For Estrogen Screening, Emily Breana Chambers May 2010

Comparing The Use Of Qpcr On Isolated Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) And Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Hepatocytes For Estrogen Screening, Emily Breana Chambers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exposure of fish to estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs) is believed to be a contributing factor of intersex (the presence of immature oocytes in the testes) and fish kills in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. EEDCs are often seen in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants. A simple and common way to look at the estrogenicity of water samples is to deploy Passive Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS) and extract the hydrophilic compounds from the filters with methanol. Samplers were deployed upstream and downstream of two wastewater treatment plants, one on the Conococheague River and one on the Monocacy River, …

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Residual Feed Intake, Body Composition And Fertility In Yearling Beef Heifers, Kevin S. Shaffer May 2010

Residual Feed Intake, Body Composition And Fertility In Yearling Beef Heifers, Kevin S. Shaffer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One hundred thirty-seven spring born yearling beef heifers of English breed types were used to determine the relationships between residual feed intake (RFI) and growth rate, body composition, mature size, and fertility. Heifers were housed in a drylot facility during the trial and data were collected over a two-year period (year 1, n=67; year 2, n=70). Individual feed intake, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS ), hip height (HH), and carcass ultrasound measurements (subcutaneous rib and rump fat; RIF and RUF, respectively, longissimus muscle area; LMA, and intramuscular fat; IMF ) were collected. Individual feed intakes were expressed as …

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Utilization Of Leaf Meal As A Potential Feed Source, Jason K. Smith May 2010

Utilization Of Leaf Meal As A Potential Feed Source, Jason K. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alternative feeds are currently utilized by producers throughout much of animal agriculture as a method of reducing feed costs. Under careful resource management, and proper understanding of their potential effects on animal performance, some deciduous tree leaves may prove to be a valuable feed resource, as substantial tonnage exists in the forests of the United States. In order to assess their value as a feed source, fall-dropped Quercus alba (white oak) and Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar) leaves were collected at the Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beaver, WV by the USDA-ARS. Proximate analysis and fiber determination, as well as …

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Long Term Ampk Activation Limits Obesity Induced Muscle Atrophy, Joshua C. Drake May 2010

Long Term Ampk Activation Limits Obesity Induced Muscle Atrophy, Joshua C. Drake

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of this study was to identify obesity-induced alterations in regulatory mechanisms of skeletal muscle mass and how they would be altered with long term (8 weeks) AMPK-agonist treatment. 8 week old male, lean (L) wild type [body weight (BW) = 26.9 g] and ob/ob (O) [BW = 46.2 g] mice were fed an AMP kinase (AMPK) activator, beta-GPA (F), mixed at a 1% concentration within their food or normal chow as control (C) for 8 weeks. Following an overnight (12 hr) fast, all mice were sacrificed and the gastrocnemius complex was excised for analysis. Muscle mass was lower …

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The Effects Of Non-Thermal Electron Beam Irradiation On Quality Indicators Of Peanut Butter, Amanda El-Rawas Jan 2010

The Effects Of Non-Thermal Electron Beam Irradiation On Quality Indicators Of Peanut Butter, Amanda El-Rawas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electron beam (e-beam) irradiation is an effective non-thermal processing step for the reduction of Salmonella in peanut butter. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of e-beam irradiation on the quality of peanut butter. Peanut butter samples were exposed to e-beam doses of 0 (control), 3.2, 7.0, or 27.7 kGy, confirmed by film dosimetry. Doses correlated with a 5- and 12-log reduction of Salmonella respectively; with 27.7 kGy representing an extreme dose. Samples were examined over a 15-day period at 22°C. Color analysis (L, a*, b*), spreadability, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test (TBARS) for lipid oxidation …

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Effects Of Essential Oils On Rumen Fermentation, Eating Behavior And Milk Production In Lactating Dairy Cattle, Lisa Rachel Tager Jan 2010

Effects Of Essential Oils On Rumen Fermentation, Eating Behavior And Milk Production In Lactating Dairy Cattle, Lisa Rachel Tager

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objectives of the current studies were to: (1) investigate the effects of cinnamaldehyde (CIN), eugenol (EUG), and capsicum oil (CAP) on rumen fermentation and pH characteristics in continuous culture using a corn-based dairy ration; (2) to assess the in vivo effects of CAP at the recommended dosage, a blend of CIN and EUG at the recommended dosage, and a blend of CIN and EUG at a high dosage closer to levels used in vitro, on rumen fermentation, rumen pH, milk production, and feeding behavior; and (3) to assess the effects of CAP in a larger scale study on eating …

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Late-Preterm And Full-Term Infant Sleep: Relations With Maternal Cognitions And Nocturnal Behaviors, Marion E. Young Jan 2010

Late-Preterm And Full-Term Infant Sleep: Relations With Maternal Cognitions And Nocturnal Behaviors, Marion E. Young

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Approximately 13% of infants born in the United States each year are delivered prematurely, defined as prior to 37 weeks gestation. Among these premature infants, 84% are born between 32 and 36 weeks gestation (Kelly, 2006). Past research has found that the sleep/wake patterns of late-preterm and full-term infants are different (Gossel-Symank, Grimmer, Korte, & Siegmund, 2004; Ingersoll & Thoman, 1999; Ju et al., 1991). However, little is known about psychosocial factors (i.e., maternal sleep-related cognitions and nocturnal behaviors) that may contribute to differences between late-preterm and full-term infant sleep. Few studies have investigated the relations among infant sleep behavior, …

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Looking Back: Primary Decision Makers' Narratives About The Decision To Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatment From A Family Member., Jean M. Seifarth Jan 2010

Looking Back: Primary Decision Makers' Narratives About The Decision To Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatment From A Family Member., Jean M. Seifarth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Advances in biomedical and critical care technology make it possible to prolong life in patients with severe illness or injury; however, these innovations render choices regarding Life-Sustaining Treatments (LST) more complex for the decision maker. This study addressed a gap in the literature regarding how primary decision makers reflected on the time they were responsible for making a critical decision to withdraw LST for their family member who experienced an unexpected illness or trauma. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the primary decision makers’ narratives about the decision to withdraw Life Sustaining Treatment (LST) of a …

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Listeria Survival After Isoelectric Solubilization And Precipitation Of Fish Protein With Organic Acids, Rachel Otto Jan 2010

Listeria Survival After Isoelectric Solubilization And Precipitation Of Fish Protein With Organic Acids, Rachel Otto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With mechanical fish processing, a substantial amount of protein is discarded as byproducts. Isoelectric solubilization and precipitation (ISP) is a process that recovers previously discarded protein using extreme pH shifts to solubilize and precipitate protein from byproducts. Typically, strong acids are used for pH reduction but have limited impact on bacterial load; therefore, organic acids were used during ISP processing to test the impact on Listeria ssp. concentrations. The goals of these studies were to determine the effectiveness of organic acids, specifically acetic and citric acids, to reduce L. innocua during the protein recovery process of ISP and to determine …

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Successful Weight Loss In Women Participating In The West Virginia Wisewoman Study: A Mixed Methods Approach, Jennifer A. Presley Jan 2010

Successful Weight Loss In Women Participating In The West Virginia Wisewoman Study: A Mixed Methods Approach, Jennifer A. Presley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives. This mixed-methods study was designed to examine sociodemographic, health-related lifestyle, quality of life, and social support factors associated with weight loss in women, and to describe the high points, low points and turning points in the stories of women who lost at least 5% of their baseline weight in the West Virginia WISEWOMAN study.;Methods. Using chi square tests and t-tests, data from the West Virginia WISEWOMAN study were used to compare the 67 women who successfully lost at least 5% of their baseline weight to the 334 women who stayed within 5% of their baseline weight. For the qualitative …

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Considering The Curricular Impact Of Lactation Consulting/Counseling On Breastfeeding Decisions Within Two West Virginia County Wic Programs., Joni M. Johnson Gray Jan 2010

Considering The Curricular Impact Of Lactation Consulting/Counseling On Breastfeeding Decisions Within Two West Virginia County Wic Programs., Joni M. Johnson Gray

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to a glaring absence of research into the breastfeeding decisions of Appalachian women, this study investigates the potential influences of the WIC program and its counseling on the infant feeding decisions of West Virginia women. Using the lens of critical theory, the study employs a mixed methods research approach, including the distribution of a breastfeeding perception survey, extended interviews with WIC lactation consultants and an analysis of WV WIC’s proposed and practiced breastfeeding education curriculum. Results suggest that WV mothers are informed about the benefits of breastfeeding, but not necessarily from interactions with the WIC program. Rather, a latent …

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Maximizing Broiler Performance And Health Through Feed., Kelley Grace Stacey Lilly Jan 2010

Maximizing Broiler Performance And Health Through Feed., Kelley Grace Stacey Lilly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Feed represents approximately 70% of the costs required to produce broiler chickens. A concern in commercial poultry production is pellet quality and the cost required to make pellets of high quality. However, improvements in broiler performance attributed to improved pellet quality may help to alleviate these costs. In Chapter 2, two experiments were conducted at West Virginia University: Experiment 1) pellets were manufactured by utilizing varying processing techniques in order to create five dietary treatments, unique in feed form and Experiment 2) was conducted to explain variations in feed form on broilers of varying sex categories with consistent nutrient availability …

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The Use Of A Proficiency-Based Clinical Tool In The Evaluation Of Clinical Knowledge And Skills In The Athletic Training Setting, Shannon L. Baldwin Jan 2010

The Use Of A Proficiency-Based Clinical Tool In The Evaluation Of Clinical Knowledge And Skills In The Athletic Training Setting, Shannon L. Baldwin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Context. Athletic training clinical education has changed significantly since the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) became the accrediting body for the profession. One of the changes is to require proficiency in both didactic knowledge and clinical performance through evaluation. Clinical education studies are evident and methods of teaching and learning are explored frequently, however little is known about the connection of athletic training students' didactic performance and clinical proficiency competencies with on the field experiences. Objective. The purpose of this study was to create a clinical proficiency evaluation tool as a means to evaluate an athletic training …

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Assessing The Influence Of Coronary Heart Disease Knowledge, Perception Of Personal Risk, And Delay Discounting Of Future Health On Diet And Physical Activity, Kimberly Bosworth Blake Jan 2010

Assessing The Influence Of Coronary Heart Disease Knowledge, Perception Of Personal Risk, And Delay Discounting Of Future Health On Diet And Physical Activity, Kimberly Bosworth Blake

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) can be favorably impacted by healthful diet and physical activity, health care providers face a population that generally exhibits unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. Identifying strategies to improve the effectiveness of health care provider guidance is urgently needed to reduce CHD risk. The objective of this series of studies was to determine the association between CHD knowledge, perceived risk, and delay discounting and diet and physical activity (PA) levels in adults. The research design was cross-sectional and the methods included an online survey to obtain information regarding CHD knowledge, perceived …

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The Effects Of Fungal Pigments On Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectral Peak Formation, Amanda Dawn Buskirk Jan 2010

The Effects Of Fungal Pigments On Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectral Peak Formation, Amanda Dawn Buskirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fungi are ubiquitous microorganisms that commonly cause diseases with high mortality rates in immunocompromised hosts. In order to successfully treat the infection and subsequently decrease mortality rates, it is necessary to rapidly identify the causal organism(s) and promptly begin the proper treatment. Common identification methods, such as viable culture characterization, are often time consuming or not species-specific, as is the case with many molecular or immunodiagnostic assays. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been used to discriminate between many clinically relevant microorganisms. Recently, MALDI-TOF MS has been used to discriminate between monilaceous fungal species, however, darkly pigmented …

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Selenium Removal By Nano-Magnetite Impregnated Diatomaceous Earth, Isabel Cardona Jan 2010

Selenium Removal By Nano-Magnetite Impregnated Diatomaceous Earth, Isabel Cardona

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to remove selenium from aqueous solution using nano-magnetite impregnated diatomaceous earth (DE) as an adsorbent. The adsorbent was prepared at the laboratory with a ratio of magnetite/DE of 10%. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of pH, temperature, adsorbent concentration, selenium speciation, contact time and presence of competing anions on selenium removal efficiency in conjunction with studies on adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and adsorptive thermodynamics. Rapid adsorption occurred within 30 min and selenium uptake decreased with increase in temperature. Low pH values (i.e. 2--4) favored selenium adsorption as expected for anion adsorption …

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Sleep And Sleepiness Among First-Time Postpartum Parents, Salvatore Insana Jan 2010

Sleep And Sleepiness Among First-Time Postpartum Parents, Salvatore Insana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives. Postpartum maternal sleep disturbance is common. However, little research has examined postpartum fathers' sleep. Additionally, the magnitude of postpartum mothers' and fathers' daytime sleepiness has not been objectively indexed. The aims of this dissertation study were to: (1) objectively examine the difference in sleep and sleepiness levels among first-time mothers and fathers during their early postpartum period; (2) examine parents' perceptions of their own and their partner's mood, sleep, and sleepiness.;Method. Twenty one first-time postpartum mother-father dyads (N = 42; 27.38 +/- 4.92 years; 91.67% white; 15.40 +/- 3.53 years of education; annual household income {dollar}56,091 +/- {dollar}34,320), completed …

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Genetic Characterization, Ginsenoside Analysis And Micropropagation Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.), Samuel G. Obae Jan 2010

Genetic Characterization, Ginsenoside Analysis And Micropropagation Of American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius L.), Samuel G. Obae

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), is an economically important medicinal plant native to eastern deciduous forests of North America. Like many other medicinal plants worldwide, P. quinquefolius is mainly collected from the wild. And because of its growing demand, abundance of wild populations is threatened with over harvesting. In West Virginia, P. quinquefolius is available both in cultivation and in the wild. Even though P. quinquefolius occurs in all 55 counties in West Virginia, patterns of its harvesting and cultivation vary across the state. As described in chapter 2, the genetic diversity and population structure of P. quinquefolius under two …

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The Effects Of A Phytogenic Feed Additive Versus An Antibiotic Feed Additive On Oxidative Stress In Broiler Chicks And A Possible Mechanism Determined By Electron Spin Resonance And The Effect Of Allopurinol, Uric Acid Sodium Salt Administration, And Inosine On Xanthine Oxidoreductase Activity And Plasma Uric Acid In Broilers., Tabatha L. Settle Jan 2010

The Effects Of A Phytogenic Feed Additive Versus An Antibiotic Feed Additive On Oxidative Stress In Broiler Chicks And A Possible Mechanism Determined By Electron Spin Resonance And The Effect Of Allopurinol, Uric Acid Sodium Salt Administration, And Inosine On Xanthine Oxidoreductase Activity And Plasma Uric Acid In Broilers., Tabatha L. Settle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the first study was to compare a phytogenic feed additive and an antibiotic feed additive when measuring oxidative stress in young broilers. Phytogenic feed additives are plantderived products used in poultry feeding to improve overall performance of broilers. Although the precise mechanism by which the increased growth rate is realized remains uncertain, these products have antioxidant components that are known to reduce oxidative stress. This is considered important in that reactive oxygen species (ROS), the causative factor of oxidative stress, can result in damage to biological systems within the bird. In this study, 588 one day-old Cobb …

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Burden Of Care And Health -Related Quality Of Life Among Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rahul Khanna Jan 2010

Burden Of Care And Health -Related Quality Of Life Among Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rahul Khanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caring for a child with autism is a challenging experience for parents, who also have to assume the role of a caregiver. Several studies have documented the occurrence of negative outcomes among caregivers of children with autism. Autism has been shown to affect every aspect of caregivers' lives, whether it is their mental health, physical health, financial health, or social health. The purpose of this study was to gather in-depth information about the impact of autism on primary caregivers. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for this purpose. As part of the project, three studies were conducted. Data …

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Preadmission Academic Achievement Criteria As Predictors Of Nursing Program Completion And Nclex -Rn Success, Tanya L. Rogers Dec 2009

Preadmission Academic Achievement Criteria As Predictors Of Nursing Program Completion And Nclex -Rn Success, Tanya L. Rogers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Admission policies and practices in higher education, including those in nursing programs, are diverse; yet administrators have traditionally relied upon preadmission academic achievement for selection of qualified students. Higher education administrators have the responsibility to serve the institution and all of its constituents, ensuring that admission policies and regular systematic evaluation of those policies are important aspects of that service.;The nursing shortage and limited resources have pressed nursing schools to implement innovative strategies to increase the number of qualified graduates. State University's School of Nursing has used a score sheet to rank associate degree nursing applicants since 1984. The preadmission …

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A Market Assessment Of Greenhouse Products And Associated Rural Development In Semi-Arid Regions Of Mexico, Edgar Arturo Quevedo-Martinez Dec 2009

A Market Assessment Of Greenhouse Products And Associated Rural Development In Semi-Arid Regions Of Mexico, Edgar Arturo Quevedo-Martinez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Greenhouse products represent a feasible alternative for small producers compared to open-field production. Using a combination of enterprise budgeting, capital investment analysis and optimization, we found that under most of the conditions investigated the six different crops investigated are profitable. Greenhouse production has the added benefits of conserving scarce land and water resources, potentially reducing production and market risk, and offering consumers healthful products of good quality, that can contribute to the development of the local economy. One problem is that a larger up-front investment is often essential.;This study focused on three main areas: (1) A production and market assessment. …

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Characteristics Of Subordinate Follicles Following Removal Of The Dominant Follicle: Induction Of Selection, Matthew Dean Dec 2009

Characteristics Of Subordinate Follicles Following Removal Of The Dominant Follicle: Induction Of Selection, Matthew Dean

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In mammals, ovarian follicles begin as primordial follicles. Over time these follicles are gradually activated and begin growth. As they proceed, granulosal and thecal cells are acquired. Eventually, the follicles become dependent on FSH for survival. Two or three times each cycle, a transient increase in FSH allows a cohort of follicles, including the follicle that will ovulate, to continue growing. However, these follicles secrete inhibin and estradiol, which suppress FSH secretion. Eventually, all the follicles of the cohort undergo atresia due to the declining concentrations of FSH, except for the follicle which has the potential to ovulate. This follicle …

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The Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of A System Based Physical Activity Promotion Program In A Free, Rural, Primary Care Clinic, Martha E. Summers Dec 2009

The Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of A System Based Physical Activity Promotion Program In A Free, Rural, Primary Care Clinic, Martha E. Summers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background. Despite the consequences of physical inactivity, it is under recognized and not addressed consistently in primary care. The Healthy People 2010 recommendations are that adults should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Clinical practice guidelines advise that primary care practitioners take the opportunity whenever possible to advise, discuss, negotiate, or encourage physical activity in inactive adults. Objective. The primary objective was to identify beliefs about physical activity that act as barriers among providers and to educate them about the current recommendations for physical activity. An additional objective …

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Initiating A Practice Change: Prescribing Probiotics Concurrently With Antibiotic Therapy, Patty Hermosilla Dec 2009

Initiating A Practice Change: Prescribing Probiotics Concurrently With Antibiotic Therapy, Patty Hermosilla

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and significance. Over half of all hospitalized patients are treated with antibiotics and antibiotic use is rising. There has been a 500% increase in antibiotic associated diarrhea, a common side effect of antibiotic use, in the last decade. Probiotics are a safe and cost effective measure to prevent or reduce antibiotic associated diarrhea.;Problem statement. The majority of patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit receive antibiotic therapy; however, few are prescribed probiotic therapy concurrent with antibiotics.;Project design. Education was provided to health care providers regarding antibiotic associated diarrhea and the benefits of probiotic use. A guideline was developed …

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