Digital Commons Network^™

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Concerning Alimentary Customs And Beliefs Of Women With Children Younger Than 5 Years Old, Nursing And Pregnant Mothers, Of The Following Ethnic Groups: Black, Mixed Race And Natives In Three Rural Regions Of The Imbabura Province, 1998-1999, Elva Susana Yacelga Calderon

Theses and Dissertations

Ecuador, a country of multi-ethnic culture, has very acute health problems, especially in rural areas where two out of every three poverty-stricken Ecuadorians live. 77% of the population under 18 years of age is under the poverty level. The greater part of the indigenous population inhabits the rural areas of the Andes and the Amazon. 76% of children in the rural Andes are poor. Little Afro-Ecuadorian boys and girls also face severe disadvantages where, in the rural areas, poverty climbs above 70% of the population under 18 years of age. Academic desertion is another factor that affects especially the young …

Learner Concerns At The Missionary Training Center In The Technology Assisted Language Learning Program, Elaine T. Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

Chapelle (1997) states the following as a vital question to be asked with respect to computer assisted language learning, “How good is the language experience in CALL for L2 learning?” (n.p.) In order to truly answer this question, investigators need to look to the learner and his concerns. In planning curriculum or designing a program, teachers and administrators normally look toward learner needs. However, these educators are also known to fully implement a new program, at times, without consideration of learner concerns. This appears to be especially true with the use of technology in the second language classroom. Research is …

Dance And Doctrine: Shaker And Mormon Dancing As A Manifestation Of Doctrinal Views Of The Physical Body, Lindsy Stewart Cieslewicz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis compares the dancing of the Shakers (The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance) and the Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) during the nineteenth century, as it was influenced by their doctrinal beliefs about the human body. Specifically, it examines how the role of the physical body in achieving mortal happiness and immortal salvation was viewed by each group and how these beliefs were reflected in their dancing. It describes the different forms of dancing performed by each religious group and how dance functioned as worship and recreation for the …

Dinner For One, Cheryl E. Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Dinner For One, a hypermedia poetry thesis, explores the themes of aloneness, sexuality, independence, and journeys of discovery and distance. The Chinese zodiac stamps used as navigational elements in Dinner for One and the prose poems written as postcards to oneself an others reinforce the notion of travel. The fortunes from Chinese cookies give prophecies and horoscopes, reminding us of our fate, which is beyond our conrol. Dinner For One means to question, through poetry and interactive, hypertextual reading techniques, how much faith and trust we should hold in influences outside of our lives. The poems in this thesis are …

Lds Life Tables: A Comparison Of Long-Lived Populations, Christopher R. Layton

Theses and Dissertations

This research estimates the life expectancy of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Utah. We create gender-specific life tables for four groups: total Utah, active LDS, less-active LDS, and non-LDS. Male life tables are based on data from 1991-1995; female life tables are based on data from 1994-1998. Life expectancy at birth is 75 years for all utah males, 79.8 years for active LDS Utah males, 71.6 years for less active LDS Utah males, and 71.5 years for non-LDS Utah males. Female life expectancy at birth is 80.4 years for all Utah females, 83.9 …

Dating Behavior Of Latter-Day Saint Male Returned Missionaries: A Process Of Managing Desires, Nancy C. Mclaughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Each year thousands of Latter-day Saint males return to their homes after serving a two year religious mission. According to Latter-day Saint doctrine and cultural beliefs, these young men are expected to resume a normal life including dating and involvement in romantic relationships. Research and Latter-day Saint doctrine related to the dating behavior of returned missionaries (RMs) is reviewed. Most previous research has emphasized the quantitative analysis of single aspects of RMs dating behavior such as dating frequency and social status. In an attempt to add to this field of research, this qualitative analysis explored the attitudes and experiences of …

Geographic Literacy Among Lds Returned Missionaries, Paul Cook Stahmann

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of male Ricks College students, while serving as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spend two years living in geographically unfamiliar environments. This thesis compares the geographic literacy of those Ricks College males who have served LDS Church missions with those who have not. A test of geographic literacy was administered to 306 male Ricks College students. Returned missionaries demonstrated significantly higher knowledge of general cultural and physical geography than pre-missionanes. In contrast, returned missionaries demonstrated no greater ability to identify global places such as countries and cities. As expected, the returned missionaries possessed …

Analysis And Organization Of The Family Based Agricultural Production System In The Poroma Community Of Oropeza Province, Marco Antonio Domingo Burgoa Chopitea

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzed the management strategies and organization of crop production in a family agricultural system. This study took place in the Poroma community, Oropeza province, Chuquisaca Department, in Bolivia, at the so called “red zone”, so named for its extreme poverty. The agricultural system used in this study is unique to the pre-puna area of Bolivia and is located in a meso-thermal valley with wet summers. This agricultural system uses a diverse number of native and cultivated plants and animals and incorporates interrelated production strategies in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, and crafts. Two important production sectors have been identified …

Study Of Two Species Of Bees (Apis Mellifica) And Three Types Of Beehives In And Around Chulumani (Prov. Chapare), Jose Cruz Pardo

Theses and Dissertations

In order to improve the diet of the comunarios of Chulumani, and to expect a better production of honeybee; it has been introduced the Apis mellífica cárnica queen in Apis mellífica scutellata colonies. It was also carried out comparative tests among beehives Langstroth, Schirmer and Dadant. The nucleus “S” was only used as an introduction of queens, and the nucleus “M” and “K” were utilized for the development of the colony (submúltiplos of the beehive Schirmer). The study was carried out totally at random with the experimental design with factorial arrangement, and the meaning of the comparative analysis it was …

Cultural Adjustment Factors Of Senior Missionaries On Assignment In The South Pacific For The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Jonathan W. Shute

Theses and Dissertations

The number of senior missionaries serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has increased in recent years. Many of these volunteers travel overseas and are therefore immersed in a different culture. Some of them adjust successfully and others do not. The purpose of this research was to assess senior missionaries' perceptions of the type of preparation they made and training they received before departure, the expectations they had of their assignment, the people and way of life in the islands, and the accuracy of those expectations, the challenges they faced, the factors that they felt helped …

Reclaiming A Sacred Domain: An Ethnographic Study Of Mormon Women Overcoming The Media-Supported Message Of Acceptable Birth Practice Through Giving Birth At Home, Celeste Elain Witt

Theses and Dissertations

This study ethnographically explores the experiences of 30 American Mormon women who chose to give birth at home, a practice which differs from the culturally expected birth practice supported by most media birth scenes. The dominant birth practice among American Mormon women aligns with the biomedical birth system nearly universally practiced in the United States.
Recent research indicates that the biomedical model is supported by most media portrayals of birth (Elson 1997b). Mormon women who had given birth at home with a midwife were located and invited to participate. A semi-structured interview guide was used to frame the research process. …

The Effects Of Use Of A Metacognitive Strategy On The Language Anxiety Of Missionaries At The Missionary Training Center, Laura Millet Bichon

Theses and Dissertations

Language anxiety is a form of anxiety that can negatively affect language learners by disrupting their cognitive processing, by rendering their learning experience unpleasant, and by reducing the quantity and quality of their language production. The language anxiety research contains many suggestions for anxiety reduction, one of these being the use of metacognitive language learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-monitoring, metacognitive strategy called ASWE on the language anxiety levels of young male and female missionaries in the intensive language learning program at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. The ASWE …

Acute Gaba-A Receptor Modulation By Diazepam Following Traumatic Brain Injury In The Rat: An Immunohistochemical Study, Cynthia J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts ionic balance and produces acute widespread depolarization. Restoration of ionic balance and neuronal function after TBI may be achieved by increasing inhibitory neurotransmission (e.g., stimulating GABA-A receptors). This study used antibodies specific for β2/3 subunits to examine changes in GABA-A receptors in the rat hippocampus 24 hours following moderate fluid percussion TBI. The β2/ 3 antibody primarily stained dendritic processes. No injury related changes were found in the CA1 but extensive morphological dendritic alterations were found in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Analysis revealed decreased length of immunoreactive processes in CA3 apical dendrites of …

Study Of P53 Gain Of Function Mutations In P53-Null Astrocytes, Sang H. Choi

Theses and Dissertations

A number of recent studies suggest that expression of mutant p53 with mutations in certain codons show a gain of function and some of the characteristics of an oncoprotein. In order to study gain of function mutation and eliminate the potential of a dominant negative interaction with endogenous wild type p53 protein, p53 knockout mouse astrocytes were used. A retrovirus system was used to introduce mutant p53 genes into these p53-null astrocytes. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot experiments showed the expression of mutant p53 protein in these cells after infection with the mutant p53 retroviruses. Cell growth experiment did not …

The Impact Of A Peer-Led Program On The Peer Leaders' Leadership-Related Skills, Christopher J. Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership and goal setting skills were examined for 49 high school students who implemented a peer-led health and life skills program for sixth grade students. Participants completed surveys that included a leadership scale and a goal setting scale constructed for this study. and an adapted version of the Goals Inventory. Surveys were administered to the participants prior to a 3-day training (Time Point I), immediately following the training (Time Point 2). and at the completion of leading 12. 1-hour workshops (Time Point 3). The results indicate that high school peer leaders perceived an increase in both their leadership and goal …

The Determinants Of Post-Discharge Healthcare Utilization And Outcomes For Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Social Ecological Perspective, Shyuemeng Luu

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a persistent nature: PTSD troubles patients

even decades after the occurrence of traumatic events. The “health behavioral model” is

adopted to examine the effects of external environmental, predisposing, enabling, and

need for care factors on the use of VA post-discharge ambulatory care and readmissions.

Data were obtained from the Patient Treatment File (PTF) and the Outpatient Care File

(OPT), the Area Resource File (ARF), American Hospital Association data sets (AHA), and the Uniform Crime Report (UCR).

The use of VA post-discharge ambulatory care is analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The readmission to VAMCs …

Functional Characterization Of Mitogen-Dependent And Self-Perpetuating Nb2 Lymphoma Cell Lines, Charlotte Cockrell

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation involved the functional characterization of four Nb2 sub lines (Nb2-U- 17, Nb2-l l , SFJCD l , and D5) for their mitogenic and apoptotic responses to DEX ± PRL treatment. Many protein factors have been implicated to be crucial in controlling the apoptotic and mitogenic pathways. In conjunction with functional studies, an immunocytochemical investigation of four protein signals (NFKB, IKBa, STAT 5b, and the GR) was undertaken in an attempt to establish a relationship between the functional responsiveness of a given cell line and the concentration of a particular protein marker. Comparison of the functional data obtained for …

Kinetics And Mechanisms Of Macromolecular Disposition In The Rat Lung, Masahiro Sakagami

Theses and Dissertations

The kinetics and mechanisms of macromclecular absorption from the airways of the rat lung were studied in vivo and in vitro, following identical solute administration methods. The isolated perfused rat lung (IPRL) was used as an in vitro model, and the disposition of 7.4 and 4.3 kDa fluorophore-labeled polyhydroxyethylaspartamide (F-PHEA) and other small and macromolecular reference solutes was investigated across doses and in the presence of a variety of biochemical inhibitors.

Absorption profiles of F-PHEA, and the solute's lung distribution at different times after administration, were statistically identical in vivo and in vitro, showing that the IPRL possessed a viable …

Excisional Wound Healing And The Role Of Homeobox Genes, David Allen Lanning

Theses and Dissertations

The biochemical and physiologic mechanisms responsible for excisional wound contraction have been extensively studied but are not completely understood. Furthermore, the genes that regulate these processes are unknown. As a result, there are limited treatment options available for patients with diseases or conditions characterized by abnormal tissue contraction. In an attempt to improve our understanding of these mechanisms and identify some of the putative regulatory genes, we studied excisional wound healing in the mid-gestational fetal rabbit. These wounds normally do not contract nor are they associated with inflammation, fibrosis, or scar formation. However, we have been able to induce contraction, …

Unsupportive Social Interactions As Moderators Of Adjustment In Acute Cardiac Patients, Scott L. Green

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of unsupportive social interactions, within Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) cognitive appraisal model, on individual's mood states following an acute cardiac event (i.e., myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting). It was hypothesized that unsupportive social interactions would exacerbate the effects of a patient's appraisals of threat secondary to an acute cardiac event. Participants in the present investigation were 67 patients from the cardiology unit of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. Each participant had incurred an acute cardiac event, as classified by the International …

Representing Culture: Reflexivity And Mormon Folklore Scholarship, David A. Allred

Theses and Dissertations

When writing about a culture, ethnographers can convey important insights about society. However, ethnography can also misrepresent culture. To address this fact, reflexive ethnography attempts to influence both the methodology and the rhetoric of writing about culture. Reflexivity seeks to acknowledge the bias of the researcher. To include the voice of the cultural insiders, and to more closely represent the dynamics of cultures that always have an element of hybridity. However, reflexive ethnographies can also be unwieldy and impractical. Therefore, one must find a pragmatic application of reflexivity.

Reflexivity can have application to Mormon folklore studies. The most important Mormon …

Relation Between Internal Parasites With Basic Services And The Nutritional Status Of Children Five Years Of Age In The Indigenous, Black And Mestizo Communities Of The Rural Area, Imbabura Province, R. Patricio Paguay Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

Various studies have been done to determine the prevalence of anemia in our country, but these studies don't reflect the true magnitude of this sickness, considered in Ecuador a problem of public health since these investigations correspond to urban sectors and margins and not to rural places where the care is very deficient and in certain cases useless, mainly because of the difficult access and the lack of economic resources of the government institutions. The current work was realized in coordination with the school of Nutrition and Dietetics and with the help of the Benson Agriculture and Food Institute was …

Relationship Between Intestinal Parasitosis With The Basic Services, And The Nutritional State Of Children Under The Age Of Five Of Black, Native, And Mestizo Ethnicities In The Rural Area Of The Province Of Imbabura 1998-1999, Carlos Rosero

Theses and Dissertations

The parasitosis in the tropical countries like Ecuador, are found in the different population groups of all ages, sexes, social conditions, ethnic groups, especially in those without hygienic conditions, pertaining to different geographic zones and the prevalence varies in agreement with the ecology, the human factors and the social economic characteristics. The fecal contamination on land and water where an adequate disposition of excretes, the surrounding conditions, the deficient living conditions, the rural life, the absence of bathrooms, the custom to not use shoes and to have contact with the water. The deficiency of hygienic education, contamination of foods and …

Agronomical Behavior Of Two Kinds Of Swiss Chard (Beta Vulgaris Var. Cicla L.) Fertilized With Earthworm Humus In An Underground Greenhouse In Viacha, La Paz, Walter Von Boeck

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the following work was to evaluate the agronomical behavior of two kinds of Swiss chard fertilized with earthworm humus, and at the same time to know the yield and the costs of production. This work was done in the community of Letanias, located 32 km. from the Department of La Paz and at an altitude of 3860 meters above sea level. Two kinds of Swiss chard were used in this work, Fordhook Giant and Petoseed C003. The three doses of earthworm humus, used as fertilizers, were a2, a3, and a4. The quantity of fertilizer used was 1314, …

Implementing A Context-Based Teaching Curriculum For French Learners At The Mtc, Stephanie Wallace Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

Two control groups and two experimental groups of missionaries and teachers participated in a study comparing a grammar-based method of teaching to a context-based method. The study lasted for two weeks during June 1997. Each classroom was recorded using a timing-based observation system that captured 13 missionary and teacher language behaviors. The behaviors were recorded in real time and later evaluated to determine in which classroom setting the most real communication occurred. A second purpose was to determine the effectiveness of teacher training with respect to teachers in the experimental group. Findings revealed that missionaries in the context-based classroom received …

A Comparison Of Reading And Math Achievement Scores Between A Single-Track Year-Round Education School And A Traditional Calendar School; Implications For Administrators, Terri Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

With Arkansas ranking among the lowest in student achievement across the nation, the cry for reform and accountability in our public school system is growing. There is a vast array of reform efforts taking place in the 310 school districts across this state. One such effort is that of year-round education. At the onset o f the study, five school districts had implemented year-round education within their districts. That number is growing. To determine if year-round education provides a valid reform effort, the study was conducted. The study statistically compared year-round education students to their traditional calendar school counterparts. The …

A Descriptive Case Study Of A Single Innovation’S Effect On Multiple Literacy Initiatives In Arkansas, Deborah N. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

When schools implement high quality classroom instruction, research-based interventions, networks of support at multiple levels, and a strategic plan for monitoring change elements, students are provided a range of opportunities that promote successful learning. This descriptive case study examined Reading Recovery's effect on the acceleration of the change process in selected elementary schools in Arkansas. Two purposeful samplings were used to investigate, discover, understand, and gain insight. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to develop the description. Data-driven decisions toward the building of a comprehensive early literacy school reform model for accelerating change were also examined in relation to reading …

The First Statewide Study Circles On Education In America: Participant Perceptions Of Study Circles In Two Arkansas Communities, Jo Sykes Chesser

Theses and Dissertations

Parents and other community citizens were empowered in educational change in two Arkansas communities through a process of participative decision making. The study circle, begun at Chautauqua in 1874, proved to be a new communication process for school-to-community relationships. Arkansas Friends for Better Schools, one of two state sponsors of the 1998 'Calling the Roll: Study Circles for Better Schools,' cooperated with Study Circles Resource Center and Southwest Educational Development Laboratory to implement the Study Circles program on education in five Arkansas communities in the fall of 1998. Superintendents and School Boards endorsed the program; community coordinators organized study circle …

Dorothea Lange In Utah, 1936-1938: A Portrait Of Utah's Great Depression, James R. Swensen

Theses and Dissertations

In his 1978 biography of Dorothea Lange, Milton Meltzer appraised Lange's 1936 photography in Utah as nothing more than mundane work done for the benefit of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and not for her own benefit as a photographer. Yet, her work in Utah encapsulates the aspirations, goals, and styles of Lange, and gives insight into her vision as a photographer and representative of the New Deal. Through carefully composed photographs, Lange shows the hardships and hope of life in Utah during the Great Depression.

This thesis investigates Lange's photographs in order to gain a greater understanding of the …

Elaboration And Validation Of The Educational Material Used In Nutritional Education In The Communities Of Copalacaya, Choquenaira, Callisaya, And Muruamaya, Of The Providence Ingavi Of The Department Of La Paz 1998, Maria Isabel Mercado Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This work had the objective to elaborate and validate educational, graphic material to give Nutritional Education in the communities of Copalapaya, Choquenaira, Callisaya, and Muruamaya belonging to the Ingavi province. With exclusive material for the rural area and with themes directed toward women, men, and children, such material was elaborated with the participation of all the community, where each one of them they put its abilities and gave ideas to improve the material and on all requested that the drawings be as close to reality as possible. The development of the study proceeded by the following: It started with a …