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Caregivers' Relationship Satisfaction And Perception Of Competency As Predictors Of Quality Of Life For Als Patients , Jessica Stewart Allen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

In addition to the physiological impact of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), patients and spousal caregivers experience significant emotional and psychological reactions to the disease and its course. As there is no effective treatment and no cure for this debilitating, fatal neuromuscular disease, treatment should include psychological interventions to improve patients' disease experience. External factors impacting psychological well-being of patients must be identified to allow for effective and relevant intervention. The current study examined the relationships between level of care provided to patients, caregivers' relationship satisfaction, and caregivers' perceived competence, and whether these factors predict patient quality of life (QOL). It …

A Microbiological And Clinical Assessment Of Orthodontic Patients With Poor Oral Hygiene., Brett Eckley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hypothesis: There is no statistically significant difference between counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Bacteroides forsythus, organism morphotypes, and probing depths and plaque scores in orthodontic patients with poor oral hygiene. Thirteen patients were included in the study. Before orthodontic appliances were placed (as baseline) and for four months a BANA test, plaque score, probing depths, and microscopy analysis were performed. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey HSD. Significant differences were found among patients for the BANA and plaque score. Significant differences were found among visits for the BANA, plaque score, and probing depth. There was an increase …

Parks As Gyms? Recreational Paradigms And Public Health In The National Parks, Jay D. Wexler

Faculty Scholarship

When scholars and policymakers think about the relationship between public health and environmental law and policy, they likely think first about controlling pollution and other toxic substances. As other articles have amply demonstrated, water pollution, air pollution, and other environmental toxins can have significant deleterious effects on the public's health. Scholars rightly pay serious attention to these relationships, and policymakers wisely devise methods and strategies to ameliorate the public health risks posed by these polluting substances.

Although pollution control might be the most obvious and important intersection between environmental policy and public health, legal and policy decisions regarding the management …

Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease In Users Of Antioxidant Vitamin Supplements: The Cache County Study, Peter P. Zandi, James C. Anthony, Ara S. Khachaturian, Stephanie V. Stone, Deborah Gustafson, Joann T. Tschanz, Maria C. Norton, John C. S. Breitner

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Antioxidants may protect the aging brain against oxidative damage associated with pathological changes of Alzheimer disease (AD). Objective: To examine the relationship between antioxidant supplement use and risk of AD. Design: Cross-sectional and prospective study of dementia. Elderly (65 years or older) county residents were assessed in 1995 to 1997 for prevalent dementia and AD, and again in 1998 to 2000 for incident illness. Supplement use was ascertained at the first contact. Setting: Cache County, Utah. Participants: Among 4740 respondents (93%) with data sufficient to determine cognitive status at the initial assessment, we identified 200 prevalent cases of AD. …

Thinking Beyond Health To Motivate Dietary Change: Piloting A Vegan Healthy Eating Program For Obesity Management, Mark Alan Berman

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

This pilot study assessed the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a novel approach to facilitating dietary change and weight loss in obese adults by presenting vegan environmental, health and farm animal treatment information in a 6 week, group-based, educational nutrition program (called a vegan healthy eating program). Twenty-nine (29) medically stable, obese adults were recruited from 3 ambulatory care clinics at UCSF and enrolled using partial randomization into one of two serially occurring intervention groups (Group 1 n=14, followed by Group 2 n=15). A delayed intervention control group (n=9) was used, consisting of participants enrolled in Group 2 who were …

Ammonia Release From Organic Decomposition Of Alakaline Thermal Spring Cyanobacterial Mats: Implications For Early Diagenetic Solution Chemistry And Silica Phase Transformations, Jerda A. Smeltzer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Mortality Of Pen-Raised White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Released On Three Areas In Louisiana, Barret Keith Fortier

LSU Master's Theses

I monitored 60 radio-collared and tagged pen-raised white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to ascertain mortality rates on three areas in Louisiana from April 2001 - April 2002. Two of 60 were not used in the analysis because mortality occurred from complications with darting and an affixed radio-collar. Study deer were exposed to legal hunting mortality only if they emigrated from the three study areas. Twenty deer were released to the wild on the Louisiana State University Deer Study Area (LSUDSA) (4,810 ha), where 9 of 20 (45%) suffered mortality. Harvest accounted for 56%, vehicles 22%, and other 22% of the mortality …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Psychological Conditions And The Incidence Of Athletic Injury, Gregory A. Penczek

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose if this investigation was to examine injury rates among college athletes with a diagnosed psychological condition/mental disorder. Participants were drawn from a pool of 440 male and female intercollegiate athletes (ages 18-26 years). All subjects with a psychological disorder were then identified (n=38) and placed in the diagnosis group. A second group was then selected, which consisted of matched pairs of athletes without a psychological diagnosis. Twelve sports were represented in the sample population with an equal number of male (n=26) and female (n=12) participants in each group. The athletic training database was examined via query to identify …

Abiotic And Biotic Factors Affecting The Distribution Of Solenopsis Invicta Buren, Brachymyrmex Sp., And Linepithema Humile (Mayr) In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Jessica Lynn Rosson

LSU Master's Theses

Ant populations and their distribution are affected by many circumstances. Abiotic factors such as weather, water availability, and soil characteristics may determine if a habitat is suitable for ants. Other factors such as level of disturbance, available food resources, reproductive biology, and natural enemies also contribute to defining ant distribution. Three ant species in East Baton Rouge parish, Louisiana were studied to determine what factors affected their distribution by measuring abiotic and biotic factors at sampling sites throughout the parish. These factors included weather, water availability, vegetation types, level of disturbance, and soil characteristics. Factors which predict abundance of Solenopsis …

Hormesis, Hotspots And Emissions Trading, Jonathan B. Wiener

Faculty Scholarship

Instrument choice -- the comparison of technology standards, performance standards, taxes and tradable permits -- has been a major topic in environmental law and environmental economics. Most analyses assume that emissions and health effects are positively and linearly related. If they are not, this complicates the instrument choice analysis. This article analyses the effects of a nonlinear dose/response function on instrument choice. In particular, it examines the effects of hormesis (highdose harm but low-dose benefit) on the choice between fixed performance standards and tradable emissions permits. First, the article distinguishes the effects of hormesis from the effects of local emissions. …

Probation Restrictions Impacting The Right To Procreate: The Oakley Error, Jennifer L. Levi

Faculty Scholarship

In State v. Oakley, the all-male four-justice majority held that a probation condition restricting David Oakley's right to have children passed constitutional muster. This Article discusses this question of the appropriate approach to evaluating the constitutionality of probation conditions. The Wisconsin Supreme Court's approach is compared to that of other courts in cases involving, in some way, decisions limiting a probationer's right to have children. The Author concludes that regardless of what constitutional standard or degree of scrutiny courts apply, cases can (and do) go both ways with respect to upholding or striking down probation restrictions on fundamental rights. However, …

Sport Nutrition Education: A Study Of Nutritional Practices And Knowledge Among Mississippi Valley Conference High School Athletic Programs In The State Of Iowa, Sara Lynn Hallgren

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

High school athletes are becoming more involved in nutritional supplementation and including foods in their diet high in fat and sugar through increased consumption of "convenience foods" and fast-food. These poor eating behaviors and use of supplementation are reasons why it is becoming increasingly important to bring sport nutrition education to the high school level. It is imperative these athletes receive appropriate education needed to make educated choices about food selections to meet nutritional needs for their sport and development. The purpose of this study is to determine the status of sport nutrition education among Mississippi Valley Conference high school …

Elites, Identity Politics, Guns, And The Manufacture Of Legal Rights, Calvin R. Massey

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Children’S Regulatory Law Reporter, Vol. 5, No. 1 (2004), Children's Advocacy Institute, University Of San Diego School Of Law

Children's Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

The Meaning Of The Meaningless In The Plays Of Suzan-Lori Parks, Andrea J. Goto

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Mechanical Processing On The Nutritive Value Of Barley Silage For Lactating Dairy Cows, Jong-Su Eun, K. A. Beauchemin, S.-H. Hong, W. Z. Yang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Mechanical processing of whole crop barley before ensiling may be useful for improving nutrient use by dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of feeding mechanically processed barley silage as the main forage source on lactational performance. Twenty-four Holstein cows, 16 primiparous (187±52 days in milk) and 8 multiparous (87±69 days in milk) cows, were used in a completely randomized design with a 2-wk covariate period and a 6-wk treatment period. The 2 treatments were: 1) total mixed ration (TMR) containing regular barley silage (RBS-TMR), and 2) TMR containing mechanically processed barley silage (MPBS-TMR). Barley …

Methane Production By Mixed Ruminal Cultures Incubated In Dual-Flow Fermentors, Jong-Su Eun, V. Fellner, M. L. Gumpertz

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the effects of dilution rate and forage-to-concentrate ratio on gas production by rumen microbes. Continuous cultures were used to monitor methane production at three liquid dilution rates (3.2, 6.3, or 12.5%/h) and three forage-to-concentrate ratios (70:30, 50:50, or 30:70). Filtered ruminal contents were allowed 6 d of adaptation to diets followed by 7 d of data collection. Forage consisted of pelleted alfalfa and the concentrate mix included ground corn, soybean meal, and a mineral and vitamin premix. The experiment was replicated in a split-plot design. Total volatile fatty acid production averaged 58.0 mmol/d and was not affected …

Metabolic Routing Of Macronutrients In Migratory Songbirds: Effects Of Diet Quality And Macronutrient Composition Revealed Using Stable Isotopes, David William Podlesak

Open Access Dissertations

Animals metabolically route specific macronutrients from their diet to build and maintain tissue and researchers generally assume that the isotopic composition of an animal's tissues resembles the isotopic composition of their diet. However, animals regularly change diets and they may route dietary macronutrients differently to specific tissues. Thus, I studied metabolic routing of dietary macronutrients into animal tissue because it is fundamentally important for understanding the nutritional ecology of wild vertebrates and because such knowledge is essential for accurate interpretation of stable isotope patterns in consumers and consumed. Songbirds that routinely switch their diets during migration provide a particularly interesting …

Parents' Descriptions Of Ideal Home Nursing Care For Their Technology Dependent Child, Themselves, And Their Families, Michele A. Mendes

Open Access Dissertations

Home care for technology dependent children is one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. health care industry, but the nursing literature lacks clear directions to guide home care nurses in planning a family-centered practice. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature by eliciting descriptions of ideal home nursing care for technology dependent children from the perspective of their parents, and to compile a comprehensive list of helpful and supportive nursing interventions. A qualitative, descriptive design was used to examine the following research questions: (1) How do parents of technology dependent children describe …

The Factors That Influence Middle-Level Teachers To Incorporate Community Service-Learning Into The Curriculum, Andrea J. Hainey-Turcotte

Open Access Dissertations

This study examined the factors that influence middle level educators to incorporate community service-learning into the curriculum. Eleven participants, each a teacher of middle level students, were interviewed to determine the extent to which they were influenced by intended outcomes for students, the community, and themselves. Findings suggest that participants were influenced to include community service-learning in the curriculum by anticipated benefits to students and community members. Participants hoped that by engaging in community service-learning activities, their students would become better scholars, leaders, citizens, and/or people. It would seem that participants were also driven to the implementation of community service-learning …

The Role Of Glycolytic Substrates In The Initiation And Maintenance Phases Of Colonization Of The Mouse Large Intestine By Escherichia Coli Mg1655 And Escherichia Coli Edl933, Regina L. Miranda

Open Access Dissertations

Escherichia coli is a gram-negative motile rod, and is one of the most common bacterial strains isolated from the human intestinal tract (1,2). E. coli K-12, strain MG1655, is a non-pathogenic laboratory strain of E. coli whose genome has been fully sequenced (1). E. coli O157:H7, strain EDL933, a shigatoxin-producing E. coli (STEC), is a human pathogen, whose genome has also been fully sequenced (34). E. coli EDL933 was first isolated in August of 1982 from patients in the United States suffering from an outbreak of bloody diarrhea, which was traced to contaminated hamburgers (8,9,10,11). E. coli O157:H7 infections are …

Resource Reviews, Phyllis Fox

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Diversity Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Functional And Ecological Responses To Stressful Soil Conditions., Charlene N. Kelly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi mediate interactions between plants and soils, and are important where nutrient or metal concentrations limit plant growth. Variation in fungi in response to edaphic conditions and the fungal community composition may influence the effectiveness of the plant-mycorrhizal associations in some soil environments. For this thesis, I performed two studies to investigate the diversity of AM fungi: 1) Intraspecific variation among fungal species to confer Al tolerance to a host plant and 2) Shifts in population structure of AM fungi following succession in a serpentine grassland. Results of the first study demonstrate functional differences across three AM …

The Impact Of A Social Skills Intervention On The Development Of Resiliency In Preschool Children., Tamala L. Lowther

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Children need to learn appropriate behavior in their early years. Educators of young children have been given the job of importing very important social competency skills, such as coping, problem solving, cooperation, and self-control skills. Interventions designed to meet the developmental level and individual needs of the children enrolled in a preschool should build factors that will lead to increased social skills and resiliency. This research involved implementing social skill prevention in a preschool classroom in a non-profit childcare center in rural West Virginia. The research examined the effectiveness of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), in increasing protective factors …

Jurisdictional Conflict In Global Antitrust Enforcement, Hannah Buxbaum

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Bioethics? The Law And Biomedical Advance, Roger B. Dworkin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Internationalizing An Institution: An Emerging Model Of Effective Leadership, Infrastructure And Cultural Factors., Amelia Davis Courts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the United States continues to play a leadership role in the international arena, it depends on the higher education sector to prepare capable leaders who can be guiding forces in the international economic, political, and social environments of the twenty-first century (National Association of State and Land Grant Universities, 2000). This is the ultimate goal of international education. Although current literature clearly describes the benefits of internationalizing higher education, there are few studies that describe how it can be successfully implemented at the institutional level. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach, this study examined the factors that contributed to …

Identification And Characterization Of A Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae Putative Toxin-Antitoxin Locus, Dayle A. Daines, Justin Jarisch, Arnold L. Smith

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Certain strains of an obligate parasite of the human upper respiratory tract, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), can cause invasive diseases such as septicemia and meningitis, as well as chronic mucosal infections such as otitis media. To do this, the organism must invade and survive within both epithelial and endothelial cells. We have identified a facilitator of NT(Hi) survival inside human cells, virulence-associated protein D (vapD_Hi, encoded by gene H10450). Both vapD_Hi and a flanking gene, H10451, exhibit the genetic and physical characteristics of a toxin/antitoxin ( TA) locus, with VapD_Hi serving as the …

Comparative Life Histories Of Georgia And Virginia Cotton Rats, Bradley J. Bergstrom, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Adult hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) were collected from the field monthly for >2 years from populations near the northern edge of their range in Virginia and contemporaneously from south-central Georgia. Body measurements and weights were taken at capture, and after dissection embryos, corpora lutea, and placental scars were counted and measured; testes and seminal vesicles were dissected out, measured, and weighed. This allowed comparison of several life-history parameters between the populations and tests of several life-history hypotheses. The breeding season was up to 2 months longer in Georgia than in Virginia, where there was typically a 3-month …

Change In Diet, Physical Activity, And Body Weight In Female College Freshman, Scott M. Butler, David R. Black, Carolyn L. Blue, Randall J. Gretebeck

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To examine diet, physical activity, and body-weight changes associated with relocation from home to university.

Methods: Diet, fitness/physical activity, body-weight parameters and self-efficacy were assessed among 54 freshman women upon college entry and 5 months later.

Results: Although caloric intake significantly decreased, a significant increase occurred in body-weight parameters that may be attributed to significant decreases in total physical activity.

Conclusions: Interventions are needed aimed at increasing physical activity; improving diet quality related to consumption of vegetables, fruits, breads and pasta, and meats; and decreasing alcohol consumption.