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Adjusting For Confounding By Neighborhood Using A Proportional Odds Model And Complex Survey Data, Babette A. Brumback, Amy B. Dailey, Hao W. Zheng

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

In social epidemiology, an individual's neighborhood is considered to be an important determinant of health behaviors, mediators, and outcomes. Consequently, when investigating health disparities, researchers may wish to adjust for confounding by unmeasured neighborhood factors, such as local availability of health facilities or cultural predispositions. With a simple random sample and a binary outcome, a conditional logistic regression analysis that treats individuals within a neighborhood as a matched set is a natural method to use. The authors present a generalization of this method for ordinal outcomes and complex sampling designs. The method is based on a proportional odds model and …

Help Your Kids Stay On Task As The School Year Nears The End, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Using State And Local Health Survey Data To Advance Phssr, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

State and local health survey data can be used to evaluate the implementation and impact of public health delivery innovations in real-world practice settings.

Gene-By-Diet Interactions And Obesity Among Yup'ik People Living In Southwest Alaska, Dominick Lemas

Chemistry and Biochemistry

BACKGROUND: Molecular approaches have expedited the discovery of human obesity genes, however the heritability explained by these loci remains low (<2%). Gene-by-environment interactions may partially account for the "missing heritability" attributed to variation in obesity phenotypes. OBJECTIVE: The specific aims of this dissertation were to (i) identify genetic polymorphisms associated with obesity-related phenotypes in Yup'ik people and (ii) evaluate how n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake modifies associations between genetic polymorphisms and obesity-related phenotypes in a population with widely varying intake of n-3 PUFAs. APPROACH: We genotyped genetic polymorphisms in (1) candidate genes with a strong physiological role in obesity pathophysiology; (2) candidate genes identified in obesity whole-genome linkage studies that were regulated by n-3 PUFAs; and (3) candidate genes reproducibly implicated in obesity genome-wide association studies (GWAS). DATA & ANALYSES: We used Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) data collected between 2001 and 2008. We estimated dietary intake of n-3 PUFA using nitrogen stable isotope ratios (delta15N) of red blood cells (RBC) and obesity-related phenotypes were obtained by trained staff. Genotype-phenotype analyses used generalized linear models that accounted for familial correlations. RESULTS: Our analyses of candidate genes based on physiology revealed a polymorphism called P479L in carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) that was associated with elevated fasting HDL-cholesterol and all obesity phenotypes. Our investigation of candidate genes that are regulated by n-3 PUFAs and implicated in obesity whole-genome linkage studies demonstrate that polymorphisms in stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD) and steroyl regulatory element binding protein (SLC2A4) were associated with obesity-related phenotypes; however n-3 PUFA intake did not modify associations between SCD and SLC2A4 polymorphisms and obesity phenotypes. Finally, our investigation of candidate genes reproducibly implicated in obesity GWAS demonstrated that genetic predisposition to obesity is associated with adiposity and that interactions with n-3 PUFA intake accounted for more than twice the phenotypic variation in adiposity. CONCLUSION: Taken together, results from this dissertation suggest that selecting candidate genes based on large-scale genomic analyses, such as linkage analyses and GWAS, has the potential to identify gene-by-environment interactions that partially account for the "missing heritability" attributed to obesity.

Consumer Awareness And Belief Regarding The Health Implications Of Soy, Cindy Klement

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This work examines consumer awareness of soy, including which information source enabled consumers to form their beliefs regarding soy's health implications. Controversy surrounds the much-researched topic of soy, including its isolated compounds, processing and manufacturing methods, seed source, and consumption amounts. Inconsistent results in research lead to disagreements on what is and what is not safe, and for whom. Participants in six states were recruited from a convenience sample and asked to complete a seven-question survey. Results indicate a great amount of uncertainty with consumers regarding whether soy is beneficial or detrimental, especially when considering the prevalence of internet soy …

Rethinking Captivity While Preserving The Elephant Psyche: The Renovation And Expansion Of The Elephant Exhibit At The Memphis Zoo, Mario Lashean Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how the built enviornment can improve the natural, emotional and social behavior of the African Elephant species while fostering increased human interaction and empathy. The growing resistance against the capture and confinement of wild elephants by animal rights activists has prompted zoos to increase their standards for elephant confinement. The need to renovate and expand elephant habitats has become a primary concern for the zoo industry. As of March 2011, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has updated the standards for elephant management and care. Zoo standards for the treatment and …

Unh Hospitality Management Department Hosts Wine Expo May 1, Lori Wright

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Soil Fertility And Corn And Soybean Yield And Quality In A Six-Year Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilization Experiment, Peter M. Anthony

Agriculture and Horticulture

Optimum management of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers for corn [Zea mays L.] and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production requires quantitative understanding of multiple soil processes and crop responses, including supply and immobilization of N and P by soil, the response of yield and quality to nutrient availability, and the relationships and interactions between N and P cycling, crop response, and other soil physical and chemical variables. We conducted a six-year experiment on two 16-ha fields on glacial-till soils in south-central Minnesota. In each year of a corn--soybean rotation, we measured soil physical and chemical parameters and grain …

Health And Empires: Implications For Political Development On The Health Of The Inhabitants Of Great Moravia (9th--10th Centuries), Megan Michelle Ellicott

Anthropology

The early medieval period was a time of great change in Europe. Politically thee empires ruled Europe: Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. During this time early cities began to form in Europe, and new patterns of settlement developed. Great Moravia was a state level society in the southeastern region of the Czech Republic during the late 9th and early 10th centuries. This thesis explores the impact of urban development on the health of its inhabitants. In order to do this, rural (Josefov and Lahovice) and urban (Mikulcice-Kostelisko) skeletal populations were examined for cribra orbitalia, …

Aurora, Vol. 05, No. 1 (Fall 2012), Marketing And Communications

Aurora

No abstract provided.

Aurora Vol. 04 No. 2 (Spring 2012), N/A N/A

Aurora

No abstract provided.

Factors Contributing To Weight Gain Among College Freshman And Beyond, Cody L. Chipp

Psychology

Background: Linked with a higher risk of life threatening illnesses, obesity in the United States has become an epidemic, with a prevalence rate of overweight and obese adults of nearly 68%. Obesity rates have accelerated over the past two decades and one crucial developmental period for weight gain is among emerging adults attending college. Using an explanatory mixed-method design, this study examined contributing factors to weight gain among college students, including eliciting university stakeholders' perceptions of supports and barriers to exercising and healthy eating among students. Method: Data collection for the quantitative phase of the study consisted of two waves, …

Highland Hunters: Prehistoric Resource Use In The Yukon-Tanana Uplands, Gerad M. Smith

Anthropology

The purpose of this study was to conduct a first approximation of explorations and excavations throughout the White Mountain and Steese Conservation areas during the summer field seasons of 2010 and 2011 in the Yukon Tanana Uplands. An analysis of the lithic artifacts from five site excavations (the Big Bend, Bachelor Creek, Bear Creek, US Creek and Cripple Creek) was then undertaken. These assemblages were then examined and modeled using risk-assessments, optimal resource use, and behavior processes in order to explore the interdependence of environment, ecology, and material culture that drove prehistoric subsistence cycles in this area. This archaeological research …

Thule Plant And Driftwood Use At Cape Espenberg, Alaska, Laura J. Crawford

Anthropology

This thesis addresses the question of Thule plant and woody fuel use at Cape Espenberg, Alaska between approximately AD 1500 and 1700. The objective of this thesis is to determine how the Thule at Cape Espenberg were using various plant species, including edible plant species and fuelwood species. Few studies have been done on prehistoric Arctic plant use, and so this study intends to add to this nascent but growing field. By examining charcoal and macrofossil remains, this thesis is also intended to discover similarities and differences between the Thule and their modern Inupiat descendants in terms of plant and …

The Effect Of Nutritional Stress And Life History On The Rate Of Telomere Loss In Black-Legged Kittiwake And Red-Legged Kittiwake Chicks, Lara Johnson

2012 Research Day Posters

Slow-track species such as the red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) and fast-track species such as the black-legged kittiwake (R. tridactyla) respond differently to environmental pressures. We examined how nutritional stress may affect the rate of telomere loss, a proxy for life expectancy, in these two seabirds. We did not find a significant effect of nutrition on telomere dynamics. However, there was a difference in species effect, with black-legged kittiwakes having an increase and red-legged kittiwakes a decrease in telomere length. This result may reflect differences in life history.

Post Natal Impact Of Maternal Tryptophan Deficiency On Central Co2/Ph Chemosensitivity, Bryan P. Mosher

2012 Research Day Posters

Cells and mechanisms underlying central chemosensitivity, are poorly understood and can be controversial. Our overarching hypothesis is that brainstem 5-HT and/or GABA neurons contribute to detection and response to changes in pH/CO2. Our experiments are designed to provide insight into respiratory physiology, and pathologies thought to result from chemosensory dysfunction such as the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A deficiency of 5-HT resulting from maternal dietary restriction could enhance vulnerability to SIDS. It was recently shown that rat pups born to dams fed a tryptophan deficient diet have a reduced number of central 5-HT neurons and reduced ventilatory sensitivity to …

Glucose Transporter 4 Expression In White Blood Cells Of Young And Old Sled Dogs, Theresia Schnurr

2012 Research Day Posters

Obesity has reached alarming levels in the United States Recent statistics show that 1 out of 3 individuals are either obese or overweight! The principle role of the hormone insulin is to mediate the redistribution of the glucose transporter- 4 (Glut4) from an intracellular vesicle pool into plasma membranes of insulin-responsive tissues and thus regulating the uptake of glucose. Insulin resistance is characterized by an inability of cells to respond to insulin upon stimulation with glucose and presents as an important risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Glut4 is the only glucose transporter responsive to insulin and …

Attitudes, Knowledge, And Beliefs On Cancer And Its Prevention In Northwestern Rural Alaska, Jenna Schmidt

2012 Research Day Posters

Rural Alaskans face unique challenges in accessibility. Most villages and cities are not connected to road systems, limiting travel between rural and urban areas. This also limits connectivity between small communities. Residents rely heavily on air travel. The accessibility of health care and education is limited due to geographical isolation of communities (State of Alaska, 2006). The State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (2009) cites cancer as the leading cause of death in Alaska since 1993. Early detection and treatment is key as it reduces the risk of mortality due to different forms of cancer. Accessibility of …

Family And Consumer Science Department: Our History In Pictures, Melanie Burns

History of EIU

This pdf booklet is of a presentation given by Dr. Burns that chronicles the history of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University.

The New Hampshire, Vol. 101 [102], No. 43 (Apr. 17, 2012), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 101, but it is the 102nd volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Red King Crab Hatchery Culture And Ecological Requirements: Applications For Stock Enhancement, Benjamin J. Daly

Fisheries

The ecologically and commercially important red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is depleted throughout much of the North Pacific and thought to be recruitment limited, making it an appropriate candidate for stock enhancement efforts. This research addresses bottlenecks associated with hatchery production and lays the groundwork for developing release strategies. I investigated effects of diet, stocking density, and size grading on survival, growth, and shell coloration of recently-settled juvenile red king crabs in large-scale hatchery experiments. I also conducted laboratory experiments with fish predators to determine if red king crab predator responses could be enhanced with experience. Finally, I tethered hatchery-cultured …

Variability In Population Trends, Life History Characteristics, And Milk Composition Of Northern Fur Seals In Alaska, Alison Banks Hayden

Marine Biology

The northern fur seal population on the Pribilof Islands has been declining since the 1960s and is now less than 30% of its former size. Chapter 1 examines factors that might cause a population to decrease to such an extent and concludes that only nutritional limitation caused by climate change or commercial fisheries, predation by killer whales, or a combination of factors that includes conditions in the North Pacific during the winter were possible explanations. Chapter 2 reports the seasonal patterns in proximate composition of fur seal milk between St. Paul Island (one of the Pribilof Islands) and Bogoslof Island …

Food System Assessment, Virgene Hanna, Rosyland Frazier, Khristy L. Parker, Irena Ikatova

ISER Reports

Food assessments are conducted for different reasons such as creating a more sustainable commercial food production system or to target particular policies. The main focus of this effort was to locate indicators that could be updated regularly so current information would be readily available and so that changes or trends could be monitored. Without knowing the current state of food-related indicators it’s difficult to make informed decisions about which issues and goals are priorities. We start with an overview of the food system model we used. Chapter 2 is a demographic overview of Alaska’s residents. The next five chapters present …

The Negative Effects Of Tourism On National Parks In The United States, Lauren Finnessey

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Tourism is one of the largest industries worldwide, and travelers commonly visit national parks because of the peaceful scenery they offer. While tourists love to see these natural environments in their undisturbed states, they are often times adding to the degradation of these parks. Tourists can harm the environment in many ways, and may be unaware of what they are doing. Many visitors are there to see the beauty in nature and are focusing on enjoying themselves and not what they are leaving behind. Actions such as trampling vegetation and parking in areas that are not designated for parking can …

The George-Anne, Georgia Southern University

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Policy And Food Security: A Comparison Of Viet Nam And India, Roxanne Nicole Buckman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The following project investigates the important links between state policy decisions and food security by comparing the cases of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Republic of India. In this way, the project demonstrates how policy decisions impact food security by determining what a state does with its food resources. Each case study describes the types of policies pursued by the respective countries as well as the state of food (in)security within the population. The findings are then analyzed alongside one another to compare and contrast the different policy approaches and resulting food security situations. This analysis shows …

Caregiver Burden: A Qualitative Approach To Understanding The Experiences Of Caregivers To Technologically-Dependent Children With Cerebral Palsy, Crystal Dawn Ton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a broad term that refers to a group of chronic neurological disorders that impairs motor functing due to damage to a developieng brain. Caring for a child with CP who is technologically-dependent is a challenging experience. The caregiver's experinces are critical to understanding this population and learning best how to serve its needs. Therefore, this thesis qualitatively explores both the burdens and benefits assocaited with caregiving for a child with CP. The findings from such exploration suggest that two types of burden, objective and subjective, are present in the livesof these caregivers, as well as the …

Condition-Dependent Effects On Proceptive Behaviors In Meadow Voles, Nicholas James Hobbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, live in transitional grasslands where food is available in patches of uneven quality. As such, voles may differ in their access to quality and sufficient forage. It is hypothesized that voles that have access to better quality and more abundant forage will be more likely to signal their interest in opposite-sex conspecfics and be more likely to secure mates compared to voles that do not have such access. This and related hypotheses were tested. The expression of the behaviors used to indicate interest in a potential mate varied with the nutritional status of the actor and …

Changes In Restrained Eating In An Adolescent Population: A Longitudinal Study, Paige Frankfurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

OBJECTIVES: This study examined changed in restrained eating (RE) over time as a function of race, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Participants were 7th grade students (N = 1,533; mean age = 13 years) from the first six years of the Memphis Health Project, a 10 - year longitudinal study of smoking onset and other health related behaviors. METHODS: A mixed repeated measures model with an Auto regressive moving average (1,1) variance covariance matrix was used to examine changes in RE scores over time as a function of race, gender, and BMI. RESULTS: RE scores significantly decreased over time …

Heart's Blood: A Biography Of Lemuel Whitley Diggs, Richard Harold Nollan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation examines the career of Lemuel Whitley Diggs, who joined the faculty in 1929 at the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis. As a white doctor, he spent his career seeking more effective therapies for patients afflicted with sickle cell anemia, which was considered a black disease, a racial marker, and a sign of black inferiority. His most insightful contributions to understanding sickle cell occurred in the 1930s and 1940s while he was relatively unknown except to a handful of sickle cell researchers nationwide. By the late 1940s, storing blood for later transfusion became a practical reality, enabling …