Digital Commons Network^™

Normalizing The Immediate And Early Postpartum Period: A Teaching Module For Nursing Students, Cate Edlebeck

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Worksite Breastfeeding Programs On Breastfeeding Initiation, Duration, And Exclusivity, Amy Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Anthropometric Measurements Used To Assess Adiposity In African American Elementary School Children, Jack Pennington

Theses and Dissertations

Over nine million children 6-17 years old are overweight in the United States. They may face the highest risk ever for overweight, obesity, and associated health problems as adults. This study’s purpose was to evaluate adiposity measurement methods in children by comparing accuracy, cost effectiveness, ease of use, and practicality. IRB approval, parental consent and student assent were obtained. Data were collected by trained employees at six elementary schools on 789 subjects for boys (n= 391) and girls (n=398) 5-11 years old African American children. Hip and waist circumferences, height, and weight were collected. BMI, Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR), …

Optimum Vitamin D Concentrations And Corresponding Vitamin D Supplementation For Health Promotion Among Adults In Primary Care, Michelle K. Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this independent study is to review current evidence-based research to identify optimum vitamin D concentrations and vitamin D supplementation options for health promotion among adults in primary care. Vitamin Dis an essential prohormone necessary for proper bone mineralization, with new research indicating it is also associated with lower risk for many chronic diseases and prevention of infectious processes. Since vitamin D deficiency is widespread across the world, it is important to prevent vitamin D deficiency before the clinical implications are apparent. With optimal vitamin D defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D greater than 75 nanomole per liter, the …

Quality Of Life In Palliative Home Care: Education For Nurses, Lorene Gray

Theses and Dissertations

Palliative care has expanded beyond just caring for people at end-of-life to improving quality of life for all people living with serious, complex, and eventually terminal illnesses. Because of these changes, the need for palliative care services is increasing and nurses must be prepared to understand and provide care for this population. It has been difficult to develop quantifiable outcome measures to define the patients' perception of quality of life because of the difficulty conducting research at endof- life.

The purpose of this review of literature and subsequent independent study project is to better understand, identify and describe the quality …

Learned Communication Within A Patient Centered Medical School Curriculum, Susan J. Splichal

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Descriptive Analysis And Development Of A Lexiconal Language For Pueraria Lobata (Kudzu) Leaves And Utilization Of Pueraria Lobata (Kudzu) Root Starch In Conventional Milk Yogurt, Husniye Imamoglu

Theses and Dissertations

Fresh Pueraria Lobata (kudzu) leaves were evaluated by sensory descriptive analysis. Covariate analysis determined the effects of leaf size and time on 32 sensory variables. Best fit polynomial regressions over time were determined for responses affected. Correlation analyses were executed on attributes in each of the sensory groupings with those variables which were significantly affected by time. Sensory properties of dried kudzu leaves were compared by using three different drying techniques: Convection oven, vacuum and food dehydrator. Covariate analysis determined the effects of leaf size, days, dryers and their interaction on 44 sensory variables. The fitted response regressions were determined …

Potencies Of The Resistant Maize Genotypes Against Biotic Stresses And Understanding Their Strategies, Arunkanth Ankala

Theses and Dissertations

Maize is an important food crop in most parts of the world including the United States. The plants growing in the field are constantly challenged with various biotic stresses like insect herbivores and fungal pathogens. The physical wounds produced on the growing crops by the insects render the plants more vulnerable to the fungal pathogens. Hence developing both insect and fungal resistant maize varieties is crucial to benefit more from the harvest. Several studies have been in advance in this direction and as a consequence insect, in particular lepidopteran larve resistant maize genotype Mp708 and Aspergillus flavus resistant genotype Mp313E …

Leadership And Decision-Making Life Skill Development In Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports Participants, Shanna Marie Holder

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the importance of decision-making and leadership skills in adulthood, it is important to learn these life skills early in life. The purpose of this descriptive research is to determine whether 4-H youth participating in Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports learn leadership and decision-making skills. This research surveyed the Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports state invitational qualifiers at the Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports State Invitational Competitions. The youth surveyed indicated a gain in leadership and decision-making life skills through participation in Mississippi 4-H Shooting Sports Program. The average participant was Caucasian male that was 16 years old, has been participating in …

Determination Of Antioxidant And Total Phenolic Content Of Pueraria Lobata And Evaluation Of Novel Food Products Containing Kudzu, Sandra Lynn Blalock Burney

Theses and Dissertations

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is an edible vine from the legume family native to China but growing prolifically throughout the southeastern United States. Legumes are abundant in the beneficial compounds phytoestrogens, specifically isoflavones. This research analyzed Mississippi-grown kudzu roots, leaves, and flowers for antioxidant activity and total phenolic content and evaluated consumer acceptability of food products containing kudzu. Results indicated kudzu flowers, roots, and leaves contained phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity amounts in flowers, roots, and leaves were 77.9%, 75.7%, and 56.5%, respectively. The dip products that were developed and evaluated were mayonnaise- and sour cream-based dips that contained either …

Early-Season Management Of Twospotted Spider Mite On Cotton And Impacts Of Infestation Timing On Cotton Yield Loss, John Frederick Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, most twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, infestations occurred during the late season near maturity, but since 2005, infestations of cotton have become more common throughout the entire season. Several factors may have contributed to the increasing frequency of mites in seedling cotton, one of which is a shift in production practices from furrow applied aldicarb to neonicotinoid seed treatments for thrips control. Another factor that may impact T. urticae densities in seedling cotton is a shift from pre-plant tillage to conservation tillage or no-till cropping systems. Although the literature confirms that T. urticae can cause extensive cotton yield …

Effects Of Management And Hydrology On Vegetation, Winter Waterbird Use, And Water Quality On Wetlands Reserve Program Lands, Mississippi, Kathryn Sarah Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

No evaluations of plant and wildlife communities in Wetlands Reserve Program wetlands have been conducted in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Therefore, I evaluated active and passive moist-soil management (MTYPE) and early and late draw-down on plant communities, waterbird use, and water quality on 18 WRP lands, Mississippi, 2007-2009. Active-early sites had greater waterfowl Vegetative Forage Quality (VFQI), percentage occurrence of grass, plant diversity, and structural composition than passively managed sites (P < 0.10). I modeled variation in densities of wintering waterbirds; the best model included VFQI*MTYPE and decreased % woody vegetation (wi ≥ 0.79). Additionally, waterbird densities varied positively with active-late management (R2 ≤ 0.27), as did duck species richness with flooded area (R2 = 0.66). I compared water quality parameters among managed wetlands and drainage ditches but did not detect differences due to variability. Therefore, wetland restoration on WRP lands should focus on active management and maximizing wetland area.

An Exploration And Comparison Of Multicultural Awareness And Knowledge Between Undergraduates And Counseling Graduate Students, Phyllis Joanna Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined the levels of cultural awareness and knowledge among graduate students enrolled in a counseling program at Mississippi State University. A secondary purpose was to assess differences in the level of cultural awareness between Caucasian and African American graduate students enrolled in this counseling program. The study continued the work of Cottrell (2004) who examined undergraduate student’s levels of cultural awareness and knowledge using the Culture Shock Inventory (CSI). Archival data from his study included a sample of 665 undergraduate students. The sample was extended to include 200 graduate students in a counseling program at …

Injury And Damage By Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus Festinus (Say), In Group Iv Soybean, Ishakh Pulakkatu-Thodi

Theses and Dissertations

Threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), is a pest of soybean during vegetative and reproductive stages. The primary damage from this pest is girdling of the main stem during vegetative stages and girdling of the petioles during reproductive stages. Previous research determined that yield losses are greater during reproductive stages than vegetative stages. I hypothesized that some reproductive stages are more vulnerable to damage than other stages. I used field cages infested with different pest densities at five reproductive stages of group IV soybean. A greenhouse study compared the injury and damage caused by the adults and nymphs. The field …

Making Milking Modern: Agriculture Science And The American Dairy, 1890-1940, Micah Aaron Rueber

Theses and Dissertations

In the late nineteenth century most dairy farmers went about their work in much same manner as had their predecessors centuries earlier. However, by 1940 most farmers practiced recognizably modern dairying techniques. Use of mechanical milking machines was widespread and growing, farmers compounded rations by combining feeds that blended precise proportions of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins, and breeders, eager to maximize the influence of productive bloodlines, evaluated their animals with the use of scientific scorecards and employed intense breeding plans that relied on various forms of inbreeding in order to fix the desirable aspects of prized cattle. Yet the …

Exceptionally Well-Preserved Quaternary Fossils From Sawmill Sink Blue Hole, Abaco, The Bahamas, Nancy Ann Albury

Theses and Dissertations

A diverse assemblage of exquisitely-preserved fossil animals and plants were collected from Sawmill Sink blue hole in Abaco, Bahamas. More than 40 species have been identified including extinct tortoise, an extant crocodile, and birds that no longer live in The Bahamas. This study addresses the mechanisms that preserve fossils in blue holes and discusses paleoecological implications from faunal diversity and sediment composition. Blue holes are waterilled caves with surface openings that may trap animals and surface-driven vegetation. In Sawmill Sink the talus cone within the halocline acts as a substrate on which organics collect that drive microbe ecology. Their byproducts, …

A Novel Approach To Grass-Legume Management, Juan Kevin Quamina Solomon

Theses and Dissertations

A 2-yr grazing study quantified pasture and animal responses of four forage systems (FS) grazed at two stocking rates (SR; 3 or 6 animals ha-1). Using „Marshall? annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and „Durana? white clover (Trifolium repens L.), FS treatments included spatially separated grass and legumes within the same paddock (SS), monoculture grass (MG), monoculture legume (ML), and a binary grass and legume mixture (MIX). Annual herbage mass (HM) was similar among FS at high SR (1900 kg ha-1), but at low SR, grass plots had greater HM (2900 vs. 2000 kg ha-1) than plots of legume monocultures. Animals …

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Liberalized Diets And Therapeutic Diets In Long-Term-Care Residents, Connie Ray Black

Theses and Dissertations

The population of elderly people in the United States is predicted to increase in large numbers within the next few decades. Many of them will be admitted to long-term-care centers in the waning years of their lives. Health care professionals will need to be prepared for this influx of the elderly into these institutions and for their demands of improved quality of life in these centers. Unplanned weight loss has become one of the major predictors of mortality in long-term-care residents. The purpose of the study was to compare the use of liberalized diets with the traditional therapeutic diets long …

The Middle School Transition In Private Schools: Student Perceptions, Eileen Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS: STUDENT PERCEPTIONS By Eileen Irby Atkinson, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Director: Cheryl Magill, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Leadership Students transitioning into the middle school often experience difficulty adjusting to their new environment. During this transition, declines in academic motivation, academic achievement, and connectedness have been noted. Most research on this transition has taken place in public school settings. This research investigated the impact of the middle school transition in …

Exploring The Mechanism Of Alginate Acetylation In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Janice Paletta

Theses and Dissertations

The opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis patients. During chronic infection of the cystic fibrosis lung, P. aeruginosa undergoes conversion to a mucoid phenotype, constitutively producing the exopolysaccharide alginate, composed of the uronic acids D-mannuronate and L-guluronate. This alginate production contributes significantly to virulence in the cystic fibrosis lung. Evidence suggests that the acetylation state of the mannuronate component of the alginate influences the ability of components of the immune system to phagocytose the organism. To garner new and relevant information regarding the mechanism of alginate acetylation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a …

Oral Health Status Of Children In The Child Health Investment Partnership (Chip) Program, Latrice Foster

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe children’s dental disease status and functional health literacy of families enrolled in the Child Health Investment Partnership program in Roanoke Valley. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of children (n=166) enrolled in the Child Health Investment Partnership of Roanoke Valley, Virginia (CHIP). The parents of the 166 children completed the Life Skills Progression (LSP) survey at enrollment between September 2004 and September 2008 to assess their functional health literacy levels. Their LSP scores were used to determine their subsequent health care literacy (HCL), personal health literacy (PHL), and dental-child utilization …

An Affordable Living Community, Erin Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with a former grocery store building, “An Affordable Living Community,” explores the possibilities of redesigning big box buildings. Here, the building is transformed into an affordable living community - a place for people to live, work, learn, and interact. The renovation creates a place for not only its residents, but also the surrounding neighborhoods. The building provides the challenges of breaking the generic, window-less facade, as well as bringing light into the building. This model would encourage the health, learning, and support of its community.

Factors Influencing Shopping, Cooking, And Eating Behaviors Among Low-Income Families During A One-Month Period Of Time, Janice Darko

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate changes in shopping behaviors among low-income families over a one-month period of time in Utah County, Utah.

Design: Two researchers conducted thirteen 90-minute focus groups.

Setting: Two community organizations serving low-income populations and a university campus.

Participants: Seventy-two low-income adults who were the primary household food shoppers and who had at least one child less than 18 years in their household.

Main Outcome Measures: Shopping behavior changes during one month period of time.

Analysis: Focus groups were recorded and transcribed, and then coded independently by two researchers with any differences reconciled. Paired t-tests were used to test …

Qualitative Description Of College Students' Dinner Groups, Brita Michelle Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to discover how college students conduct dinner groups and students' perceptions of the benefits and difficulties of participation.

Design: Qualitative study conducted with seven focus groups.

Setting: A university campus.

Participants: Thirty-six college students participating in dinner groups. Dinner groups were defined as a group of ≥3 people cooking for each other (or together) and eating together ≥4 times a week.

Analysis: The focus groups were recorded, transcribed, coded, and reconciled. NUDIST® NVivo software was used in identifying themes and subthemes.

Results: Dinner groups were composed of roommates and/or other students living nearby. …

Diet Reconstruction Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Using Stable Isotopes, Joshua M. Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

We determined the diet contributions of grasses, forbs and shrubs for three herds of bighorn sheep along the Wasatch Front, Utah using stable isotope techniques and determined the electivity values for different forage species for four herds. Forbs were generally the most common forage eaten across all herds while shrubs were the least used forage resource. The Provo Peak and Mount Nebo herds used grasses, forbs and shrubs at proportions similar to other bighorn sheep populations across the west, while the Antelope Island herd used forbs at higher levels than any other local herd. Additionally, the herd on Antelope Island …

The Clinical Utility Of Molecular Typing Of Multiply-Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Children With Cystic Fibrosis, Ruth Ann Luna

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic infection with P. aeruginosa is expected in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), but the ability to delay, prevent, or better manage infection with multiply-resistant P. aeruginosa (MRPA) can potentially increase quality of life and extend survival. The Texas Children’s Hospital CF Care Center has identified an endemic MRPA strain (dominant clone), and this study aimed to identify risk factors for acquisition of the clone as well as determine differences in patient outcome associated with subsequent infection with the clone. The study included 71 patients with CF with documented MRPA infection. Designation of patients as members of the dominant clone …

Influences On Active Family Leisure And Its Relationship To Obesity, Shallie Marlene Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control influence adolescents' intent to participate in active family leisure and furthermore to explore the nature of the relationship between active family leisure and body mass index (BMI) among adolescents. Adolescents (N = 472) completed an online questionnaire assessing the theory of planned behavior (TPB) variables, active family leisure, individual active leisure, and BMI. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Tests of direct paths of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to intent indicated these variables were significant predictors of intent …

Gendered Distances: A Methodological Inquiry Into Spatial Analysis As An Instrument For Assessing Gender Equality In Access To Secondary Schools In Mukono District, Uganda, Patrick Richard Wawro

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on how accessibility to secondary schools in the Mukono District of Uganda is related to the sex and gender of the student and the distance that separates the student's home from the school they attend. This research is methodological inquiry exploring the use of spatial analysis, specifically how cognitive and metric distances can be used as alternatives to gross enrollment rates (GER) and net enrollment rates (NER) for assessing gender equality in realized accessibility to secondary schools. Student home locations were collected for 756 secondary students, including 437 boarding students and 319 day students from 8 different …

Development And Use Of Microsatellite Markers For Genetic Diversity Analysis Of Canahua (Chenopodium Pallidicaule Aellen), Amalia Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a poorly studied, annual subsistence crop of the high Andes of South America. Its nutritionally value (high in protein and mineral content) and ability to thrive in harsh climates (drought, extreme elevations, etc.) make it an important regional food crop throughout the Andean region. The objectives of this study were to develop genetic markers and to quantify genetic diversity within cañahua. A set of 43 wild and cultivated cañahua genotypes and two related species (C. quinoa and C. petiolare) were evaluated for polymorphism using 192 microsatellite markers derived from random genomic …

A European Case Study On The Intersection Between Public And Private Space: Increasing Breastfeeding Rates In A Modern World, Steven Matthew Stearmer

Theses and Dissertations

Health organizations around the world, from international bodies of government to local advocacy groups, are pushing the benefits of breastfeeding. While this is commendable, no study has ever been completed to assess on a regional scale the available policy options and their effectiveness at producing increased breastfeeding rates. It is my contention that five key factors influence the effectiveness of breastfeeding policies in Europe; Acceptance of public breastfeeding, maternity resource commitment, legal protection of breastfeeding in public and business space, a united voice in favor of breastfeeding, and limitations to formula advertisements in hospitals on media outlets. These five factors …