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Validation Of The Adapted Borg-Cr-10 Effort Scale As It Relates To Swallowing And Patients With Dysphagia, Erin Kurilla

Honors Capstones

The aim of this study was to validate the adapted Borg-CR-10 exertion scale, a self-report scale associated with a specific activity for swallowing with the hopes of enabling speech language pathologists to quantify effort in patients with dysphagia, facilitate uniformity in research, and to help guide treatments. An additional aim was to investigate the relationship between quality-of-life and perception of effort to clarify relative contribution of effort in patient’s perception of impairment. Thirty-two participants, with or without dysphagia, swallowed various consistencies of solid foods and liquids. Following the completion of each swallow, they filled out Borg-CR-10 exertion scale adapted for …

Keep Away From Mouth: How The American System Of Food Regulation Is Killing Us, Eva Merian Spahn

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

Increasing Organ Donation In Ireland : Social Marketing And Infrastructural Improvements., Ronan O'Sullivan

Theses

There were over 600 patients on the organ waiting list in Ireland in November 2010. This is a substantial increase on the 414 patients on the waiting list in 2008. Ireland also witnessed a dramatic decline in the number of donors from 90 donors in 2009 to 58 donors in 2010. This thesis focuses on investigating the current state of organ donation in the Republic of Ireland, with the eventual goal of recommending alterations to improve the system. In depth- interviews were conducted with eleven leading personnel from the fields of organ donation and social marketing in Ireland as well …

The Efficacy Of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (Siop) In Mathematics Instruction On English Language Learner Students, Jose L. Vidot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies by the National Association for Educational Progress found that English Language Learner (ELL) students perform poorly compared to other students on standardized mathematics exams. The research problem addressed how Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) affected the instructional practices of high school mathematics teachers. The purpose of this evaluative case study approach was to explore the extent to which the implementation of SIOP influenced mathematics instruction in a mid-sized rural high school. The conceptual framework for this study was formed by combining Krashen's i+1 nativist theory for language acquisition through comprehensible input, Long's interactionist theory for acquisition of knowledge and …

Patients' Perspectives On Discussing Complementary And Alternative Medicine Therapies With Conventional Doctors, Deborah A. Mcninch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently, little is known about patients' perceptions and beliefs in discussing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with their conventional medical (CM) doctor. The purpose of this descriptive research was to show whether CAM-using patients have an interest in discussing CAM treatments with their CM doctor for comprehensive care as described by the health belief model (HBM) constructs of perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, and perceived benefits of taking action. A sample of 165 participants age 18 or older from 2 chiropractic clinics in the midwestern United States completed a Likert-scaled survey. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression …

Association Between Vegan, Vegetarian, And Omnivorous Diets And Overweight And Obesity, Daniel Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Overweight and obesity and associated health risks have become epidemic in several regions around the world. Numerous studies have addressed the dietary habits of vegetarians and vegans in terms of disease prevention and nutritional deficiencies but the relationship between overweight and obesity and the demographic, psychosocial, lifestyle, and dietary intake of omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans has received less attention. Guided by the social-ecological model, this study included a cross-sectional, quantitative, anonymous web-based survey to obtain dietary information on omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Vegans demonstrated a significantly lower mean and median body mass index ( p=0.00) than omnivores, semi-vegetarians, and vegetarians. …

Hardiness And Attitude On Hypertension Treatment Adherence Among Nigerian Health Care Workers, Chinwe N. Egwuagu-Ndubisi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States have higher rates of hypertension than European Americans. In this ethnographic study, 30 Nigerian immigrant health care workers with hypertension described their self-efficacy management of the disease to ascertain the relationship between health-related hardiness, individual attitudes on compliance, and medication adherence self-efficacy. Using a mixed methods designs comprised of survey tools and focus-group questionnaires, the research questions were focused on understanding attitudes and health practices within Nigerian culture that support self-efficacy management. The theoretical framework for this study is the social learning theory and the social cognitive theory postulated by Bandura. Content …

Relationship Satisfaction Among Married Or Cohabitating Heterosexual And Homosexual Couples In The State Of Hawaii, Adrianna Marie Flavin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore relationship satisfaction among adult, cohabitating heterosexual and homosexual dyads. The United States has the highest rate of divorce among all the industrialized nations. Divorce has been linked to declines in mental and physical health, financial and social instability, unhealthy patterns of over-compensation, and higher levels of separation among the offspring of such couples. Hawaii has the fourth lowest rate of divorce in the country, despite also having the one of the highest rates of interethnic marriage worldwide. Researchers of relationship satisfaction and minority issues have yet to explore the correlates of relationship …

Assessment, Referral, And Self Perception In Binge Eating And Obesity Among Adults, Mary Solberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 30 years, binge eating and obesity has increased among all age groups due to lifestyle, environment, social, and biological reasons. To change eating habits, individuals may have to collaborate with others beyond the medical professional. Societal impacts of binge eating and obesity include increases in insurance rates, medical costs, and increased early-age mortality. The purposes of this study were to assess how individuals are referred to other professionals if they self-identify as binge eaters or obese and to understand personal awareness individuals had of binge eating and obesity. Cognitive behavioral theory was used as the theoretical foundation. …

A Sibling Case-Control Study Of Maternal Prenatal Body Mass Index As A Risk Factor For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Ruth Ann Hendrix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to be one in every 150 births. While both genetic and postpartum environmental exposure have been linked to ASD, prenatal maternal weight has not been investigated. The objective of the study is to assess whether overweight or obesity at pregnancy is an important risk factor for the diagnosis of ASD in offspring. A case-control study was designed to answer this question using the public health ecosocial theory. The study population consisted of 70 mothers, who were recruited via the Internet using the viral expansion loop. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used …

The Effectiveness Of Exercise And Nutritional Counseling On Decreasing Body Composition And Increasing Fitness Levels In Firefighters, Michelle R. Mcnear

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; firefighters are at a greater risk for both the disease and death. Their exposure to stress, toxic fumes and smoke, unhealthy eating habits, excessive weight, and low levels of physical activity are all contributing risk factors to this disease. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of a multi-faceted program of exercise and nutritional counseling to decrease body fat composition and increase fitness levels nine months after initial implementation among a sample of 202 firefighters. Social learning theory was the theoretical foundation for the …

Predicting Breast Cancer Screening Among African American Lesbians And Bisexual Women, Cheryl B. Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2009, 713,220 new cases of cancer were diagnosed for women in the United States with more than a quarter million deaths. African American women and lesbians exhibit behavioral risk factors as well as diminished access to and utilization of breast cancer screening that reduces opportunities for early detection. This secondary analysis of a national convenience-based study examined screening compliance among 647 African American lesbian and bisexual women. Barriers to accessing screening represented the theoretical framework for this study. Bivariate chi square analysis was used to assess the association between independent variables: sociodemographic characteristics; participation in wellness activities; sexual orientation/gender …

Physician Decision Criteria Regarding Omega-3 Dietary Supplements, Warren P. Lesser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American Heart Association officials and other expert cardiologists recommend omega-3 (n-3) dietary supplementation for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a prevalent health problem in the United States. Physicians' lack of understanding of possible n-3 preventive health benefits results in underprescribing n-3 dietary supplements and lower n-3 dietary supplement product sales. N-3 dietary supplement marketers do not understand physician n-3 prescribing decision criteria enough to optimize high-impact communication to physicians to increase n-3 dietary supplement product use. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to improve n-3 marketers' understanding of how physicians reach decisions to prescribe or recommend products …

Educational Stakeholders' Perspectives On School-Based Obesity Prevention Programs, Todd Yatchyshyn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem that can lead to adverse health conditions. In several rural Pennsylvania communities, over one third of elementary students are characterized as overweight, having a body mass index above the 85th percentile. The purpose of the study was to investigate educational stakeholders' perspectives about school-based obesity-prevention programs. The conceptual framework focused on cognitive theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the trans-theoretical model of health behavior change, which postulates that an individual's readiness to change is the most important factor of intervention programs. Qualitative interview data were gathered from 18 educational stakeholders. Inductive code-based analysis …

Addressing Prey Selection And Predator Fitness: Ingestion By, And Growth Of Ochromonas Danica On Multiple Bacterial Prey, Briony L. Foster

Biology Theses - Archive

Nanoflagellates provide an important link in aquatic food webs by consuming bacterial biomass and subsequently providing nutrients to higher trophic levels by becoming prey themselves and regenerating nutrients consumed in excess of metabolic needs. Nanoflagellate predation has typically been addressed by examining one or two aspects of a seemingly complex prey identification process, and rarely has the subsequent fitness of the predator been quantified. In this work we examine how bacterial prey size, growth state, growth rate, nutritional composition, and phylogenetic class effect ingestion rate by, and growth rate of, the mixotrophic flagellate Ochromonas danica. A phylogenetically diverse group of …

Innovation Cooperation: Energy Biosciences And Law, Elizabeth Burleson

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This Article analyzes the development and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies that can address climate change. Climate change poses catastrophic health and security risks on a global scale. Universities, individual innovators, private firms, civil society, governments, and the United Nations can unite in the common goal to address climate change. This Article recommends means by which legal, scientific, engineering, and a host of other public and private actors can bring environmentally sound innovation into widespread use to achieve sustainable development. In particular, universities can facilitate this collaboration by fostering global innovation and diffusion networks.

Food, Law & The Environment: Informational And Structural Changes For A Sustainable Food System, Jason J. Czarnezki

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This Article considers legal, theoretical, and practical steps to a more sustainable food model. Part I discusses the underlying reasons for problems in the current food system, including those manifested in law, and the perceived benefits of creating a new agricultural paradigm. Part II discusses the major agricultural and food programs that have become more common in shaping a different food system model, specifically focusing on direct marketing (for example, farmers markets and community-supported agriculture) and the organic movement as it relates to small farmers. Part III argues that in order to change modern American food consumption, two changes must …

The Future Of Food Eco-Labeling: Organic, Carbon Footprint, And Environmental Life-Cycle Analysis, Jason J. Czarnezki

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This Article discusses public and private efforts to inform consumers about environmentally preferable food choices. Part II describes the environmental consequences of the modern food system. Part III describes existing public and private eco-labeling regimes, including organic labeling, carbon footprint labeling, and country of origin labeling.

Regulatory Hide And Seek: What Agencies Can (And Can't) Do To Limit Judicial Review, Amanda Leiter

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Many authors discuss judicial oversight of agency actions. Our subject, which is less well examined, is agencies’ role in modulating that oversight. We consider cases in which the timing or form of an agency action has curtailed judicial review of the agency’s policy choices. In some such cases, the agency’s choice of form deprived the court of statutory or Article III jurisdiction. In others, the court chose to delay or deny review to avoid interfering with agency policy development. Despite these differences, though, all such “reviewability” cases pose important constitutional questions about the degree to which an agency should be …

Individual Resting Metabolic Rate And Nutrition Education: Does This Knowledge Lead Individuals Into Making Healthier Lifestyle Choices?, Melissa Updyke

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Promoting healthier lifestyle choices to college aged individuals is important since the choices they make during early adult years will affect them later in life. Roughly 27% to 35% of college students are overweight (BMI 25929.9 kg/m2) or obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) and only 20% participate in regular moderate activity. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether college students make healthier lifestyle choices after receiving information on individual resting metabolic rate and nutrition education. Subjects: Forty Georgia Southern students (20 males and 20 females), between the ages of 19 and 24 years participated in the study. …

Comparative Retrospective Analysis Assessment Of Extracellular Volume Excess In Hypertensive Hemodialysis Patients, Amma Serwaah-Bonsu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, accounts for almost 50% of the deaths in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) yet hypertension remains very poorly controlled in this population. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare control of hypertension in hemodialysis (HD) patients when extracellular volume (ECV) was assessed and managed by clinical parameters and physical assessment data alone with control of hypertension when data from blood volume monitoring (BVM) technology was also used to assess and manage ECV in a freestanding outpatient hemodialysis unit. The main cause of hypertension in the ESRD population has been …

A Framework For Monitoring Local And Regional Food Systems, Heather Victoria Davis

Capstone Collection

The US food system has been experiencing gradual, yet significant, changes in recent years - with many people recognizing that conventional approaches are not only unsustainable, but also detrimental. As an alternative paradigm, the development of local food systems has been flourishing because of the benefits they bring to us: more local control over our food; supporting the local economy and entrepreneurs; healthier food options; fewer “food miles” and the related benefits of lowered use of petroleum; stronger community bonds; job creation for our rural communities; more gentle on the environment; and a more secure food system overall. Monitoring the …

Perceptions Of Access To Education: Inclusion And Exclusion For Non-Karen Refugees In Mae La Camp, Matthew Gross

Capstone Collection

Mae La refugee camp on the Thai/Burma border is the largest of the seven “Karen” refugee camps in the area and is considered the center of education for refugees. Continued fighting inside Burma between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the ethnic armies as well as the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis in 2008 have greatly altered the demographics in Mae La refugee camp. Perceptions of Access to Education: Inclusion and Exclusion for Non-Karen Refugees in Mae La Camp attempts to understand, through qualitative data, how non-Karen speaking refugees perceive their access to education. Is education in Mae …

Ethnic Minorities And Food Security In Northern Thailand, Monalisa Diamond

Capstone Collection

The issue of food security is complex. By analyzing the relationship between international, national and local society, one can better contextualize food security issues. Using an embedded research design (with a qualitative leaning) supported by quantitative data, research is conducted via surveys, interviews and focus groups. This research design was chosen to offset limited sample sizes with quantitative data to strengthen findings. Research findings were cross analyzed to identify three emergent themes. The three cross-cutting themes identified and analyzed are: Thai citizenship, employment and chemical pesticide use (chemical pesticide use did not arise among Burmese refugees and is only applicable …

Transforming Lives And Communities: A Case Study On Building Partnerships In The Philippines Through Appreciative Inquiry, Rizalina L. Ababa

Capstone Collection

The growing number of poor in the Philippines is alarming. Neither the national government nor any individual organization acting alone has been able to alleviate the rising percentage of poverty. With this prevalent need in the country, networks, alliances and partnerships among several organizations, including faith-based organizations, have been established to help respond to the needs of those living in poverty.

OM Philippines–Cebu Ministries, a faith-based Christian organization was started in 2001. It has worked specifically among the poor through children’s programs in partnership with local Protestant churches. Like many NGOs, OM Philippines has been exploring new strategies to expand …

Fallow Effects On Soil, David C. Nielsen, Francisco J. Calderón

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Fallow has been defined as a farming practice wherein no crop is grown and all plant growth is controlled by cultivation or chemicals during a season when a crop might normally be grown. (Haas et al., 1974). Fallow as a practice, associated with crop rotation, had its origins in Mediterranean agriculture (Karlen et al., 1994) and continues to be used throughout the semiarid and arid regions of West Asia and North Africa (Ryan et al., 2008). Additionally, summer fallow has been practiced widely across the 15 western states of the United States and the farmed areas of the prairie provinces …

Water Infiltration And Surface-Soil Structural Properties As Influenced By Animal Traffic In The Southern Piedmont Usa, Alan J. Franzluebbers, John A. Stuedemann, Dorcas H. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Surface-soil structural condition in perennial pastures is expected to be modified by how forage is (a) harvested through haying or grazing and (b) stimulated through source of nutrients applied, as well as by compactive forces, e.g., grazing cattle or hay harvest machinery. Changes in surface-soil condition can affect hydrologic processes that have important implications for plant growth, greenhouse gas emissions and off-site water quality. We determined the effects of harvest management and nutrient source on the rate of ponded water infiltration and penetration resistance in a bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]/tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Schreb. S.J. Darbyshire) pasture …

Dry Matter Production And Leaf Elemental Concentrations Of Rambutan Grown On An Acid Ultisol, Ricardo Goenaga

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Little is known about the adaptability of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) to highly acidic soils rich in aluminum (Al). A 2-yr field study was conducted to determine the effects of various levels of soil Al on dry matter production, plant growth, and nutrient concentration in the leaves of four cultivars of rambutan. Cultivars and the cultivar x year interaction were not statistically significant for most variables measured in the study. Total, leaf, petiole, stem and root dry weights significantly increased at soil Al concentrations ranging from 0.67 cmol kg⁻¹ to 11.0 cmol kg⁻¹. At this range …

Twentieth-Century Trends In Essential Fatty Acid Intakes And The Predicted Omega-3 Index: Evidence Versus Estimates, William S. Harris, David M. Klurfeld

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Although the health benefits of omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids are widely appreciated, those of the omega-6 (n–6) fatty acids have become somewhat controversial in recent years, with some viewing them as harmful at current intakes (1, 2) and others (3) [including the American Heart Association (4)] supporting the status quo. Understanding the relations between intakes of these essential fatty acids and disease prevalence over time could inform the debate. To that end, this issue of the Journal contains a report by Blasbalg et al (5) that attempts to reconstruct those intakes and, from this information, to estimate fatty acid tissue …

Climate Impacts On Agriculture: Implications For Forage And Rangeland Production, R. C. Izaurralde, A. M. Thomson, J. A. Morgan, P. A. Fay, H. W. Polley, J. L. Hatfield

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Projections of temperature and precipitation patterns across the United States during the next 50 yr anticipate a 1.5 to 2°C warming and a slight increase in precipitation as a result of global climate change. There have been relatively few studies of climate change effects on pasture and rangeland (grazingland) species compared to those on crop species, despite the economic and ecological importance of the former. Here we review the literature on responses of pastureland and rangeland species to rising atmospheric CO₂ and climate change (temperature and precipitation) and discuss plant and management factors likely to influence pastureland and rangeland …