Digital Commons Network^™

Vitamin D Deficiency And Cultural Influences Among Muslim Women In Southern Illinois, Durar Kassim Shakir

Theses

This study is an analysis of the cultural influences that affect the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Muslim women from sun-rich countries, who now reside in Southern Illinois. Previous studies examine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among this population, while neglecting to examine the extent of cultural influences which can affect the likelihood of having this disorder. Low serum levels of 25(OH)D can occur when there are low levels of vitamin D intake, and when exposure to sunlight is limited. Muslim women are more prone to vitamin D deficiency due to traditional attire, regardless of migration. Upon surveying …

Development Of Food Guide Pyramid For Individuals With Achondroplasia, Kathryn Elizabeth Lamb

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF KATHRYN E. LAMB, for the Master of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, presented on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale TITLE: DEVELOPMENT OF FOOD GUIDE PYRAMID FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ACHONDROPLASIA MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sara Long Roth Previous studies have developed food guide pyramids for different populations. However, no study has developed a food guide pyramid for individuals with achondroplasia. This study used the USDA's food guide pyramid, RDA/DRI, and 2010 Dietary Guidelines to develop a food guide pyramid for individuals with achondroplasia. Although food guide pyramids for different populations exist, …

Characterisation Of Pharmaceutical Grade Horse Chestnut Waste, Joanna Przyborska

Theses

Horse chestnut residue was made available by a local pharmaceutical company. The residue was subjected to compositional analysis and studied to determine potential for residual biological activity, including prebiotic, antimicrobial, anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase effects.

The residue had 52 % total solids, including 2.97% ash, 6.93% protein, 1.89% crude fat. Oleic acid (74.7%) was the main fatty acid components in the crude lipid component. The major ash components were potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.

Prebiotic potential of aqueous extract (HCE) from horse chestnut residue was confirmed. A new formula for calculation of prebiotic index (PI) was developed. PI for probiotics (Lactobacillus …

Genetic Admixture And Tooth Size In An Enslaved Population From Newton Plantation, Barbados, Susannah Munson

Theses

This study examined the amount of European genetic admixture in the enslaved African population from Newton Plantation, Barbados. Newton Plantation was a British sugar plantation from the 17th to 19th centuries. Approximately 150 individuals were recovered from an unmarked slave cemetery during archaeological investigations in the 1970s and 1990s. Using maximum mesiodistal and buccolingual tooth measurements of the available teeth from the individuals in the cemetery, Newton was compared to nineteen comparative samples of African, European, African American and European American populations that date from the time of British colonization to the 20th century. Previous European admixture estimations in the …

The ‘Slow-Growth-High-Mortality’ Hypothesis: How Plant Species, Leaf Quality, And The Third Trophic Level Contribute To The Mortality Of Two Common Leaf-Tying Microlepidopteran Herbivores, Kirk Lee Barnett

Theses

I investigated how the survivorship, abundance, and development of two common microlepidoteran leaf-tiers on four species of oak change in response to leaf quality and exposure to the third trophic level, and used those results to validate predictions under the slow-growth-high-mortality hypothesis. In chapter 1, I begin with a review of the literature by examining the components of plant traits that contribute to the success of insect herbivores and how plants can alter both defensive compounds and nutritional quality in order to deter herbivory. I then describe how changes in leaf quality and defense can be overcome by insect herbivores, …

Evaluation Of Growing Media For Annual Herb Production In Green Roof Modular Trays, Mary Margaret Fischer

Theses

Extensive urban development has led to the resurgence of green roofs. These vegetated roofs provide significant ecological and economic benefits including mitigation of the urban heat island effect, reduced storm-water runoff, lower energy costs, increased biodiversity, and improved aesthetics, as well as food production and security. Urban agriculture and food security are becoming increasingly important factors of the green roof renaissance. Due to weight load limitations of potential buildings, the ability to produce quality food in shallow media, less than 6.75 cm, could encourage green roof food production. The effectiveness of a commercially available green roof media and a vermicompost …

Is It Really More Expensive To Eat Healthy Foods? A Case Study Approach, Laura Elizabeth Hilliard

Theses

Many believe eating healthfully is too expensive and therefore opt for less expensive, lower quality foods. There are disputes between research groups and government as to whether nutrition policies should be adjusted. Federal programs have made strides in combating food insecurity through nutrition help and education programs, but many question if the amount of skills in food selection and preparation can compensate for limited incomes. Regardless, the low incomes' diets are inadequate to meet nutritional needs and people are suffering the consequences. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent one can follow the USDA Food Guide Pyramid …

Influence Of Coffee Vermicompost On Growth And Nutrient Quality Of Greenhouse Spinach And Field Grown Green Bell Peppers, April Lorraine Vigardt

Theses

The vermicomposting of coffee grounds shows great promise for urban areas and university campuses. Several studies have examined using coffee grounds as a substrate for vermicomposting, however, little is known about its effect on plant growth, yield and quality. Therefore, two studies were conducted to assess these effects on greenhouse spinach and field grown bell peppers. Coffee vermicompost (VC) was utilized in a greenhouse spinach study over two spring growing seasons (2011 and 2012). Coffee VC was added to a 1:1:1 (peat, soil, sand) medium by volume (0, 25, 50 and 75%) in 4.5 L clay pots and seeded with …

Perceptions And Satisfaction Of Healthy Food Choices Among College-Aged Females In A Self-Serve Dining Facility Setting, Kristin Timken

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Kristin Timken, for the Master of Science degree in Food & Nutrition, presented on November 21, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: PERCEPTIONS & SATISFACTION OF HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES AMONG COLLEGE-AGED FEMALES IN A SELF-SERVE DINING FACILITY SETTING MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sara Long Roth Objective: The purpose of this study was to measure perceptions of healthy food choices and satisfaction of menu choices among members of a sorority house. Design: Three surveys were used in this experiment, two pre-tests and one post-test. Subjects and Setting: The study consisted of a self-selected sample of …

Passion For Food: Redesigning The Way We Eat, Nicole Chen

Theses

Where has the passion in food gone? The focus of food has been on the obesity epidemic, as people demand fast, cheap, and easy foods. The symbol of food is no longer seen as a basic need for survival because of the abundance and options of goods. Being unaware of food and its' power to bring and express so many facets of life, has given me the chance to discover areas that could be redesigned. During these past few years learning about food has made me fully understand these processes as a symbiotic relationship. In today's society, what separates people …

The Suitability Of Ground Date (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Pits And Ghaf (Prosopis Cineraria L.) Pods As Horticultural Growth Media Or Soil Amendments, Saeed Khalifa Alshaali

Theses

The UAE and its neighboring countries are encountering scarcity of water resources and soil degradation due to salinization. The current over-exploitation of aquifers by the agricultural sector is a major concern for the government. Open field production of forage as a feed for camels, cows and small ruminants requires particularly high amounts of irrigation water. Greenhouse production of fodder might save water, but would require a suitable growth substrate that is readily available in the UAE, and ideally constitutes a palatable fodder itself. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of ground D.pits and G.pods as growth …

Design And Synthesis Studies Of New S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Analogues, Shanshan Wu

Theses

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM), which is involved in methyl group transfers, is the second most abundant coenzyme in the human body. It is made from adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) and methionine catalyzed by adenosyltransferase. Methyltransferases (MTs) transfer the activated methyl group from the sulfur center to a specific position in a variety of substrates, e.g., DNA, RNA, proteins, and secondary metabolites. Methyltransferases have been linked to various diseases, including cancer.

In recent years, more and more SAM analogues have been reported. These analogues show activities in biological target labeling. The purpose of this thesis is to design and synthesize new SAM analogues to inhibit …

Girls Living Healthy, Gabrielle Hewson

Theses

My Master of Fine Arts Thesis Project, entitled Girls Living Healthy, is an educational web site for girls ages 8 to 108. It is designed to inform and teach them how to make healthier nutrition and, subsequently, lifestyle choices. This project combines my passion for healthier living with my skills in, and enjoyment of, writing, illustration, and web design. Girls Living Healthy includes hand-drawn illustrations, original and applied hardcoded scripting language, resource and links, a glossary of less common terms, a quick interactive game called "Mood Swings", and the culmination of over a year's personal research and participation. My overall …

The Grinning Wall: History, Exhibition, And Application Of The Hyrtl Skull Collection At The Mutter Museum, Sara K. Keckeisen

Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Soybean Recombinant Inbred Lines For Yield Potential And Resistance To Sudden Death Syndrome, James Arthur Anderson

Theses

Evaluation of soybean recombinant inbred lines for seed weight yield, agronomic traits, and resistance to sudden death syndrome Sudden death syndrome (SDS) caused by Fusarium virguliforme is a devastating disease in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) that causes up to 70% of yield losses depending on the developmental stage when the plant become infected. The characterization of resistance is greatly significant for disease management. Therefore, three populations were developed by crossing three resistant lines, `Hamilton', LS90-1920 and LS97-1610 with a susceptible line to SDS, `Spencer'. Ninety-four F5:6 recombinant inbred lines from each population (Hamilton x Spencer, LS90-1920 x Spencer, and …

Thomas Aquinas: Soul-Body Connection And The Afterlife, Hyde Dawn Krista

Theses

Thomas Aquinas nearly succeeds in addressing the persistent problem of the mind-body relationship by redefining the human being as a body-soul (matter-form) composite. This redefinition makes the interaction problem of substance dualism inapplicable, because there is no soul “in” a body. However, he works around the mind-body problem only by sacrificing an immaterial afterlife, as well as the identity and separability of the soul after death. Additionally, Thomistic psychology has difficulty accounting for the transmission of universals, nor does it seem able to overcome the arguments for causal closure. Thomas constructs his distinct philosophy of the soul by interpreting Aristotelian …

The Interaction Between An Omnivorous Mud Snail And Bloom-Forming Macroalgae Is Context-Dependent In Shallow Estuaries, Charles Yarrington

Theses

Eutrophication due to anthropogenic nutrient enrichment is the greatest factor leading to estuarine degradation. Even after external nutrient loading has been reduced, internal nutrient recycling has the potential to keep the system in a eutrophic state. In field studies, an association between the Eastern Mud Snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say), and the opportunistic green macroalgae Ulva sp., has been observed and attributed to the detrital food source associated with the algal mat. In this study, we sought to determine the spatial and temporal context-dependence of this relationship, the reciprocal benefits of the association, and the potential feedbacks to macroalgal bloom formation …

Effect Of Soil Salinity Level On Development And Functioning Of Endomycorrhizae In The Groundcover Wedelia Trilobata (L.) Grown On Dune Sand From The Uae, Farivash Abdullah Rajaei

Theses

In semi-arid parts of the world such as the U A E, salinity is a major constraint to plant growth and development. More than 80 % of a land plants live in symbiosis with soil fungi of the Glomeromycota. These are also called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and have been shown to contribute to growth and nutrient uptake of a broad range of agricultural plants. A positive effect of the AM symbiosis on plant performance under salinity has often been observed, but the precise mechanisms behind this effect are unknown to date. Mycotrophic plants common I) grown on saline sandy …

Cognition And Material Exploration Of A Fox, Justin Chick

Theses

In art, there is potential to turn the passive into an active. Task: Take the compass. Use it and draw a circle on graph paper. Fold the graph paper in half. Unfold. In this action, symmetry establishes a drawn circle. In the circle there is a center. To acknowledge the center a drawn periphery of this determined circle, acts as the container for a located center. The larger a diameter is scored, the more dissolved a center will be represented. To concentrate in articulation for the current sculptural research, a determined idea roots in communication. Through acknowledgement of a centralized …

Soy Protein-Poly (L-Lactic Acid) Blend Nanofibers For Drug Delivery Of Nardostachys Jatamansi, Swetha Tiwari

Theses

Electrospun nanofibers when nanofi bers are impregnated with drugs play a significant role in drug delivery. Nanomedical approaches to drug delivery focus on developing nanoscale particles or molecules to improve the bioavailab ility of a drug.

Biodegradable nanofibers were developed using Poly (L – lactic acid) and Soy protein for the delivery of an ayurvedic drug, Nardostachys jatamansi. A weighed quantity of powdered drug – Nardostachys Jatamansi was subjected to Soxhlet extraction using water and ethanol in equal quantities. Various blends of the drug extract and soy protein solution are prepared and mixed in Poly (L-lactic acid). Nanofibers of …

Use Of Controlled Release (Encapsulated Chemical Oxidant) Polymer For Remediation Of Contaminated Water Used For Intentional Biothreat Terrorism And Its Potential Application For Disinfection Of Agricultural Waste Pollution., Christopher Ross Jackson

Theses

The threat of biological agents being used to harm mass populations are of extreme importance in the 21st century. Pathogenic agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoan, and helminthes are of major concern in the wake that they can be used to cause death to anyone exposed. Agents like these can be disseminated by air, through water, or from animal, food, or human-to-human transmission. Controlled release methods are extensively used in the medical and agricultural industry to release chemicals at controlled rates for drug delivery in the human body or pesticide treatments for farming. Few researchers have investigated the use …

Space Radiation Countermeasures In A Life Support System Of Extraterrestrial Environments, Candice Thompson Young

Theses

A Life Support System (LSS) sustains life for an extended period of time in a closed system that includes waste recycling as a functional method of support. For future space missions, the goal is to build extraterrestrial space bases which employ the concept design of a radiation free LSS environment. Effectively maintaining a LSS in an extraterrestrial space environment is difficult without protection from harmful space radiation such as galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and solar radiation. Radiation produces high energy ions which penetrates tissue and destroys DNA. Without radiation protection, life in an extraterrestrial environment will perish. Therefore, it is …

Biodegradation And Mushroom Cultivation Studies On Peanut Shells And Corn Stalks By Pleurotus Ostreatus Under Solid State Fermentation Conditions, Mansuru Usif

Theses

Peanut shells (PS) and corn stalks (CS) are abundant agro-industrial wastes that are mainly disposed of by burning or soil incorporation. The biodegradation of PS and CS in various substrate combinations (SCs) was studied under solid state fermentation with Pleurotus ostreatus. A two factorial experiment in a completely randomized design (CRD) was used in this study. The abilities of the selected SCs to support fruit body yield was also investigated as a one factorial experiment in a CRD. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine significant differences at 5% level of significance. The results from the biodegradation studies showed …

Development Of Emotional Health Monitoring And Feedback System Based On Facial Expression Recognition,Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory, And Regional Agriculture, Franshaun Latrice Hardy

Theses

An individual’s emotional, as well as physical state plays a valuable role in their overall productivity. If one has a balance of physical and emotional well being, the likelihood of their performance will increase towards their daily tasks and assignments. One’s nutritional diet plays a vital role in creating and producing balance into their lives. Studies have shown that the foods you eat have a significant effect on your physical, mental and emotional state.The objective of this research was to develop a system that will enable more research for emotion monitoring and feedback with the long term goal of developing …

An Assessment Of Animal Agricultural Producers Within North Carolina In Relation To Their Perceptions Regarding The Animal Agricultural Industry, Jessica Gowins

Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of North Carolina animal agricultural producers relative to the sociological, biological, and economic aspects of the animal agricultural industry. A survey instrument was used in this study to obtain perceptions as well as demographic information. The survey was distributed to producers at the producer meetings and randomly throughout the state. A one-week interval, three round data collection method was used. Convenient sampling was used to collect 88 surveys. Producers agreed or strongly agreed that: people’s perceptions of animal agricultural industry are affected by animal rights groups; the prevention and control …

Characterisation Of Crataegus Monogyna Fractions And Assessment Of Their Functional Properties, Eilish Shortle

Theses

Hawthorn {Crataegus monogyna) is a herb that has been used medicinally since ancient times. In modern medicine it is known for its cardiotonic properties and is used as a cardiovascular protective, hypotensive and hypocholesterolemic agent. In recent years supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has become more popular as an extraction method for botanical material as it is an environmentally-friendly method that can produce toxic-free extracts. The optimal SFE extraction conditions for the extraction of antioxidant compounds from both, hawthorn leaf & dower and hawthorn berries, using carbon dioxide, were determined in this study. The optimized extracts were then compared to pre-prepared …

Development And Trial Of A Report Card On Children’S Physical Activity In Western Australia, Maria Doolan

Theses

Current levels of physical activity in Western Australian children and adolescents do not meet national physical activity recommendations. Insufficient physical activity and increasing levels of sedentary behaviours endanger the physical, mental and social health of young Western Australians. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Report Card to monitor Western Australia’s status in delivering the 10 Key Rights (identified and articulated in the

Charter for Active Kids and developed by the Children’s Physical Activity Coalition) which aim to guide current and future physical activity interventions for Western Australian children and adolescents. The Report Card targeted multiple …

An Assessment Of Phosphorus Recovery From Dairy Wastewater, Éanna Kelleher

Theses

Phosphorus is an important nutrient for plant and animal life. It is one of the three essential nutrients required for plant growth; Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. It plays a vital role in the quality and structure of plants. In animals it is essential for the transfer of energy around the body and for the development of the skeleton. Phosphorus is mined from deposits of phosphate rock and is mainly used to produce fertiliser which is applied to agricultural land to improve plant growth. However, phosphorus is a finite resource and, similar to oil, is expected to peak during this century. …

Dynamic Herbal Monographs For A Digital World, Niamh O'Brien

Theses

Post analysis of a worldwide survey of Medical Herbalists, 93% of respondents were in favour of an online system which could update monographs dynamically. 63% of respondents suggested that some current monographs are out of date and lack certain practicalities in areas such as : Interactions, Dosage and Safety. Research into gaining optimal responses from surveys led to a 78% response rate. Survey analysis resulted in a modem up-to-date monograph template being created and each of the aforementioned information systems tested against same. Testing involved the generation of XML, HTML, PHP and OWL languages for encoding documents to allow for …

Evaluation Of Novel Low Molecular Weight Antimicrobial Compounds Produced By Lactic Acid Bacteria., Jiahui Leona Guo

Theses

Fungal food spoilage plays a pivotal role in the deterioration of food and feed systems and some fungi are also able to produce compounds toxic for humans and animals. The mycotoxins produced by fungi can cause serious health hazards and include toxins which are cancerogenic, immunotoxic, teratogenic, neurotoxic, nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic effects and Kashin-Beck disease. In addition to this, fungal spoilage/pathogens cause losses of marketable quality and hygiene of foodstuffs, resulting in major economic problem throughout the world. Nowadays, food spoilage can be prevented using physical and chemical methods, but no efficient strategy has been proposed so far to reduce …