Digital Commons Network^™

Centering Pregnancy And Traditional Prenatal Care: A Comparison Of Health Practices, Kaylynn Shakespear

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Centering Pregnancy is an alternative method of providing prenatal care with increased education and social support with health assessment in a group setting. This study, a cross-sectional, correlational, convenience-sample design, sought to determine the difference between women who receive prenatal care in Centering Pregnancy prenatal care and those in traditional prenatal care in regards to health behaviors. Adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation. The sample comprised primarily White low-income women. Using multiple linear regression, it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with …

Livestock Mortality At Beef Farms With Chronic Wolf (Canis Lupus) Depredation In The Western Great Lakes Region (Wglr), Arion Vandergon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gray wolf (Canis lupus) depredation on beef calves has been studied extensively in recent years. As wolf populations increase throughout the United States there is a corresponding increase in wolf/livestock interactions. Most research concentrates on summaries of reported depredations and surveys of producers affected by depredations. The objective of this study was to present data on the fate of beef calves on 3 farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin over a 2-year period. Predator presence/absence was studied as an indicator of potential depredations. Also, data are presented comparing 2 techniques that may aid researchers and livestock producers with monitoring …

Decadal-Scale Changes On Coral Reefs In Quintana Roo, Mexico, Thaddeus Allen Nicholls

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 1988 data on coral reef community composition were collected from two areas, Akumal and Chemuyil, Quintana Roo, Mexico, ranging from 5-35m depth. These areas were revisited in 2005 and data were collected by the same methods and at the same depths as in 1988. Data from 1988 and 2005 were compared to determine if the coral reefs had undergone significant changes, and what specific changes had occurred. Chi-square analysis determined that community composition data collected in 1988 are significantly different from data collected in 2005 at all sites and depths within the categories of corals, gorgonians, sponges, and macroalgae. …

Monitoring Calcium, Phosphorous, And Vitamin D₃ Deficiencies In Starter, Growing, And Finishing Pigs, Chris Hostetler, Bob Thaler

SDSU Extension Extra Archives

Due to the increasing cost of dietary ingredients, many swine producers are looking for the most cost-effective ways to meet the nutritional needs of their animals. One of the most costly ingredients in swine diets is inorganic phosphorus, which is normally supple¬mented as dicalcium phosphate. Calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D3 each play a major role in bone formation, and a deficiency in these nutrients can lead to depressed growth, rickets, broken bones, and, eventually, paralysis in the hind legs. A lesser-known symptom of calcium/phosphorus/vitamin D3 deficiency is the formation of large nodules, called rachitic rosaries, on the ribs of market …

Preventative Feeding Of The Dairy Cow In Transition, Alvaro Garcia, Arnold Hippen

SDSU Extension Extra Archives

The transition period in the lactating dairy cow is characterized by decreased feed intake that starts late in the close-up period and recovers several days after calving. This drop in intake results in an imbalance between required and absorbed nutrients. Other factors that are related to the volume and physical form of the feed can lead to problems frequently observed at calving time. In general, the veterinary diagnosis is based upon clinical symptoms of certain ailments. For greater chances of success and decreased treatment costs, it’s necessary to detect these ailments during their subclinical stage, or, better yet, to prevent …

Predicted Versus Measured Thoracic Gas Volume For The Bod Pod® Air Displacement Plethysmography System, Phil A. Blaney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference between measured values of thoracic gas volume (MTGV) and predicted values of thoracic gas volume (PTGV) using the Bod Pod®. One hundred and thirteen college freshmen, both males and females, were tested using the Bod Pod® by first measuring thoracic gas volume with the Bod Pod® technique, then by using pre-determined values based on height, weight, and age that predict thoracic gas volume. Results of a paired t test showed that measured thoracic gas volume and predicted thoracic gas volume were significantly different. A Pearson’s product-moment …

Two Highly Diverse Studies In Computing: A Vitruvian Framework For Distribution And A Search Approach To Cancer Therapies, Brian G. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Solid cancer tumors must recruit new blood vessels for growth and maintenance. Discovering drugs that block this tumor-induced development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is an important approach in cancer treatment. However, the complexity of angiogenesis and the difficulty in implementing and evaluating medical changes prevent the discovery of novel and effective new therapies. This paper presents a massively parallel computational search-based approach for the discovery of novel potential cancer treatments, using a high fidelity simulation of angiogenesis. Discovering new therapies is viewed as multi-objective combinatorial optimization over two competing objectives: minimizing the medical cost of the intervention while minimizing …

Diets Of Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) In Utah Alfalfa Fields, Lynette Nicole Davidson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aphidophagous lady beetles rely on multiple sources of food in their environment. Alfalfa fields provide both aphids and many alternate foods, such as other arthropod prey, pollen, and fungi. Alfalfa fields (Medicago sativa L.) in Utah have low aphid densities, which may require lady beetles to consume alternative sources of food. Many methods can be used to determine these diets; frass analysis is used here to compare the diets of the introduced species Coccinella septempunctata L. with two native species, C. transversoguttata richardsoni Brown and Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, that occur in the Utah alfalfa habitat.

In initial laboratory experiments …

Effect Of Processing And Formulation Conditions On Physicochemical Characteristics Of Food Emulsions, Megan Tippetts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this research was to systematically study the effect of processing conditions on crystallization behavior and destabilization mechanisms of oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions. The effects of oil content (20 and 40 wt %); crystallization temperature (T_c = 10, 5, 0, -5, -10 °C); homogenization conditions, such as high shear (HS), very low pressure homogenization (VLPH), and high pressure homogenization (HPH); and cooling rate (0.2 and 30 °C/min) on both thermal behavior and destabilization mechanisms were analyzed. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was added to VLPH emulsions and its effect on the physicochemical and oxidative stabilities and flavor was studied.

Emulsions …

Cause And Prevention Of Liver Off-Flavor In Five Beef Chuck Muscles, Ranjeeta Wadhwani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Liver off-flavor is a sporadic problem that limits the consumer acceptance of several beef chuck muscles, including the infraspinatus (flat iron steak). Residual blood hemoglobin is known to contribute to liver off-flavor development. This study was conducted to evaluate factors affecting development of liver off-flavor after cooking of beef chuck (shoulder) muscles. The study was conducted in three parts.

The objective of part 1 was to determine effects of muscle (infraspinatus, longissimus dorsi, serratus ventralis, supraspinatus, teres major) and processing (with or w/o carcass electrical stimulation) on residual blood hemoglobin content and total pigment content of raw muscle …

Demographic Factors That Predict Breastfeeding In The Early Postpartum Period In Utah Women, Amyanne Wuthrich-Reggio

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Breastfeeding is considered to be the optimal choice of infant feeding methods, yet the rates of breastfeeding are consistently lower than national recommendations despite efforts to reverse this trend. Designing effective interventions to increase breastfeeding requires a thorough understanding of the women who choose to breastfeed their infants as well as those who do not choose this infant feeding method. In order to determine which demographic factors predicted breastfeeding in the early postpartum period in Utah women, 600 "intercept interviews" were conducted in the spring and early summer of 2007. Women included in the study were 18 years or older …

Effects Of Foraging Sequence On The Ability Of Lambs To Consume Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue (Alkaloids), Birdsfoot Trefoil (Tannins), And Alfalfa (Saponins), Emily Lockard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

All plants contain primary and secondary compounds. Primary compounds are needed by plants and herbivores for maintenance, growth, and reproduction, while secondary compounds play roles as diverse as protecting plants from ultraviolet radiation, defenses against herbivores, pollination attraction, and stress resistance. Secondary compounds have nutritional and medicinal benefits for herbivores as well, especially when eaten in diverse combinations that complement one another. While complementarities among secondary compounds are an important but little understood area of plant-herbivore interactions, even less is known about how the sequences of eating plants with different compounds affects foraging behavior, though they may be critical. In …

Effects Of Olfactory And Visual Predators On Nest Success And Nest-Site Selection Of Waterfowl In North Dakota., Jennifer S. Borgo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Selecting a nest site is an important decision for waterfowl. Because most nest failure is due to depredation, the primary selective pressure in choosing a nest site should be to reduce depredation risk. This task is difficult because predators use differing tactics to locate nests, such as olfactory or visual cues. I investigated several components of waterfowl nest-site selection and success on sites with shelterbelts (planted tree-rows) in North Dakota, during the 2006 and 2007 nesting seasons.

I found that meteorological conditions impacted nest depredation; artificial nests were more likely to be depredated when either temperature or dew point was …

Use Of Stimulus Management Techniques To Reduce Sedentary Behaviors Of Overweight Children, Julie A. Pelletier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An epidemic proportion of children and adolescents is currently overweight or at-risk of being overweight. This is associated with many negative outcomes, including short-term and long-term health risks, as well as increased psychosocial problems. The etiology of this problem is likely complex, though environmental factors (i.e., factors related to decreased physical activity and increased consumption of calories) have been implicated in previous research. Providing effective, easy-to-implement treatment strategies for children who are overweight or at-risk of being overweight could be helpful to reverse the current epidemic and to decrease current health care costs associated with pediatric obesity. The overall purpose …

Mixed Methods For Mixed Reality: Overcoming Methodological Challenges To Understand User Activities In Virtual Worlds, David F. Feldon, Yasmin B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines the use of mixed methods for analyzing users’ avatar-related activities in a virtual world. Server logs recorded keystroke-level activity for 595 participants over a six-month period in Whyville.net, an informal science website. Participants also completed surveys and participated in interviews regarding their experiences. Additionally, the study included online ethnographic observations of Whyville and offline observations of a subset of 88 users in classroom and after-school settings during their participation. A mixed-methods analysis identified a major user emphasis on avatar appearance and customization that was invariant across user typologies. Implications for the use of mixed methods in online …

Manufactured Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles Decrease Expression Of Tight Junction Proteins In Brain Vasculature, Lei Chen, Robert A. Yokel, Bernhard Hennig, Michal Toborek

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Manufactured nanoparticles of aluminum oxide (nano-alumina) have been widely used in the environment; however, their potential toxicity provides a growing concern for human health. The present study focuses on the hypothesis that nano-alumina can affect the blood-brain barrier and induce endothelial toxicity. In the first series of experiments, human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) were exposed to alumina and control nanoparticles in dose- and time-responsive manners. Treatment with nano-alumina markedly reduced HBMEC viability, altered mitochondrial potential, increased cellular oxidation, and decreased tight junction protein expression as compared to control nanoparticles. Alterations of tight junction protein levels were prevented by cellular …

Evaluation Of Competition Between Turfgrass And Trees In The Landscape, Christopher A. Hendrickson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Population growth in regions of the Intermountain West has resulted in rapid growth of residential neighborhoods. In Utah, the landscapes associated with these expanding neighborhoods consume vast quantities of treated water. This is a concern in all states of the Intermountain West, as water becomes increasingly scarce. Traditionally used turfgrasses, trees and other plants in Intermountain West landscapes require significant amounts of supplemental water considering the intense sunlight, dry winds and sparse rainfall typical of the region. Characterizing the interactions between turfgrass and tree species in these landscapes can aid in the identification of candidate species that consume less nutritional …

Farm-Level Contracting For Production Process Attributes: An Analysis Of Rbst In Milk Production, Clayton Cook-Mowery, Nicole J. Olynk, Christopher A. Wolf

Journal of Food Law & Policy

On November 5, 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST), also JOURNAL OF FOOD LAW & POLICY called Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rbGH), for commercial use to increase milk production in dairy cattle. The FDA determined that milk from cows which have been treated with rBST was safe for human consumption and that there was no significant impact on the environment from the production and use of rBST. In February 1994 the Monsanto Corporation (Monsanto) introduced POSILACO bovine somatotropin, making rBST commercially available to United States dairy farmers.

Continuous Microwave Processing Of Peanut Beverages, Cristina M. Sabliov, Dorin Boldor, Pablo Coronel, Timothy H. Sanders

Faculty Publications

The feasibility of peanut beverage sterilization by continuous microwave heating as an alternative to conventional ultrahigh temperature (UHT) system processing was studied. Dielectric properties of two products, Peanut Punch (Nestle Trinidad and Tobago Ltd., Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Jamaican Irish Moss Peanut Drink (distributed by Eve Sales Co., Bronx, NY) were measured. The products had similar dielectric properties. Values for the dielectric constant (average of 60) and dielectric loss (average of 23) indicated that the two products were good candidates for rapid microwave heating. The products were processed in a 5 kW focused microwave unit, at two …

Morbidity Pattern Among Males Attending The Primary Care Clinics At A University Hospital In Central Saudi Arabia, Norah A. Al-Rowais, Yousef A. Al-Turki

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Adopting Change: Relational Flexibility As Vice And Virtue On Mota Island, Vanuatu, Thorgeir Storesund Kolshus

Pacific Studies

On the island of Mota in the Banks Islands, children and adults frequently have their matrilineal and even matrimoiety affiliation, and consequently kin relations, altered and multiplied through various forms of adoption. Most of the 850 Motese count themselves as belonging to several kin groups. This creates personalized kin inventories for each individual. Consequently, an element of choice concerning which relation to emphasize is intrinsic to the Motese kinship system. In this paper, some of the reasons and motivations for these choices are outlined. The traditional flexibility of social relations, with their associated transfer of rights and obligations, also proves …

Canadian Food Law Update, Patricia L. Farnese

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Provided below is an overview of developments in Canadian food law and policy in 2008. This update primarily analyzes regulatory and policy developments by the federal government. This focus reflects the significance of federal activities in the food policy realm. As this is the first Canadian update to appear in the Journal of Food Law & Policy, it is appropriate to include a brief summary of the Canadian regulatory framework for food. The regulatory framework provides the necessary context to identify trends driving recent changes in Canadian food law and policy.

Enhancing The Proportions Of Healthy Fatty Acids In Milk From Dairy Cows, Korie A.S. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Twenty cows were used in a repeated measures, block design experiment for 9 wk to determine the effects of feeding partially ruminally inert calcium salts (Ca-salts) of fish oil (FO) and a general fatty acid (FA) supplement (EnerGII) at varying levels. The effects on cow health, milk components, composition of milk FA, and sensory evaluation of milk were evaluated. Cows in the 4 treatments were fed either a control diet of 57% forage and 43% concentrate mix with EnerGII fat supplement at 1.65% of diet DM (CTL) or EnerGII in basal diet was partially replaced with (a) 0.21% …

Food Resources Of Carnaby’S Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus Latirostris) In The Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Study Area, Leonie E. Valentine, William Stock

Research outputs pre 2011

Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo is an endangered species, with less than 50% of the original population remaining (Garnett and Crowley 2000). A major threatening process includes habitat fragmentation and the removal of critical feeding resources (Cale 2003). The GSS study area in an important foraging area during the non-breeding season for Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo. Both native banksia woodlands and pine plantations have been recognised as an important food resource (Perry 1948; Saunders 1974b; Saunders 1980). Expanding urban populations and agricultural development has resulted in the removal of approximately 50% of native vegetation in the GSS study area. Within the remnant vegetation, the energetics, …

Autism Fast Start Checklist, Tina Taylor, Leeann Whiffen

Faculty Publications

This Fast Start Checklist was created to help parents in Utah who are concerned that their child is exhibiting signs of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It serves as a general guideline for obtaining support through the evaluation and initial treatment process and is not intended to be all-inclusive. Early Intervention and school personnel can guide parents to these resources as they collaborate to determine the best route for serving children who exhibit signs of ASD. Parents should be encouraged to not try to do everything on this list, as they are provided as points to consider. This checklist is …

Winning The Cold War, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Psychological Distress And Change In A Pediatric Obesity Population, Amy Rebecca Beck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pediatric overweight and obesity is a growing national epidemic with 15 percent of children ages 6-19 considered obese and at least 22 percent considered overweight. While there is considerable research pointing to contributing factors of obesity, there is a paucity of research which elucidates what contributes to successful intervention. Considering that by the year 2050, nearly 50 million Americans may be obese, understanding the factors delineating success of weight loss and prevention is a necessity. The purpose of this study was to utilize archival data from the LLU Growing Fit Program to evaluate the levels of psychological distress experienced by …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2008, Zelpha B. Johnson, D. Wayne Kellogg

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Teacher And Technology: How Faculty Resource Centers Can Enhance Higher Education Teaching And Learning, John T. Freden

Theses and Dissertations

As many classrooms around the world utilize instructional technology to attempt to enhance student learning, the faculty resource centers that support this instructional technology are sometimes left out of the equation. This study asks the question "What can faculty resource centers do to help teachers integrate instructional technology to improve student learning?" To help answer this question surveys were sent out to educators at two different higher education institutions. Questions were asked in a survey about the educators' background information, instructional technology, and faculty resource centers. The , information gathered from this survey is useful to faculty resource centers as …

Tolerance And Accumulation Of Copper, Lead And Zinc By Ceratopteris Richardii, Dorothy Jelagat Cheruiyot

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental contamination has increased rapidly in recent years. There is a need to develop cheap and environmentally friendly remediation methods. Numerous studies have evaluated the ability plants to remove contaminants from the environment. The present study evaluated the ability of Ceratopteris richardii gametophytes and sporophytes to tolerate copper, lead and zinc and for the sporophytes to accumulate the three metals in their shoots. Spores were sown in plant medium treated with varying concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn. Fifteen-day- old sporophytes were transferred into medium mixed with varying concentrations of the three metals. Ceratopteris richardii tolerated and accumulated each of …