Digital Commons Network^™

The Current Status Of Maternal Health In Samoa: Maternal Health Perspectives According To Professionals And Women, Yesenia Pedro Vicente

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Countries that face pressure to develop at a rapid pace under the western model must adapt to social change and adopt new policies that will secure their well-being. In an attempt to guide these countries, the United Nations has established the Millennium Development Goals as a framework for national development. The United Nations recognizes the importance of improving maternal health and has established it as one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed to by member states. Samoa has agreed to these Goals and is said to be “on track” for improving maternal health by the year 2015. This …

Do No Harm: Perceptions Of Short-Term Health Camps In Nepal, Dena Seabrook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Short-term health camps are a growing form of delivering health care services to needy populations. Often these camps, usually lasting around 2 weeks, are led by I/NGOs in developing nations like Nepal and are staffed with volunteers from the Global North. These camps are largely ungoverned, and there are no evaluative techniques in place to monitor the effectiveness of the work done, raising concerns about the unintended consequences of short-term health camps camps. Nepal is particularly vulnerable to this issue because of the vast number of I/NGOs currently operating within its boundaries.

This research sought to expand the conversation surrounding …

Curative Care As The Access Point To Rural Social Transformation A Case Study Of The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Nancy Liu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Health inequities based on geographic differences and between rural and urban populations in modern India demonstrate the stark differences in health access and community development throughout the country. More than 70% of the Indian population lives in rural areas, and yet a greater proportion of health care spending is devoted to urban populations. In 2004-5, 29.2% of both central and state public expenditures were allocated to urban allopathic services while 11.8% went to rural allopathic services (Balarajan, Selvaraj, and Subramanian 2011, 508). There are more than twice as many government beds in urban than in rural areas and geographic distribution …

New Approaches To The Green Revolution: Successes, Failures And New Rice For Africa, Maia S. Woluchem

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The nature of worldwide food insecurity is staggering, with thirteen percent of the world’s population currently malnourished. The situation is particularly dire in Sub- Saharan Africa, where 265 million people face hunger daily, with 30 to 50 million dying yearly. Solutions to the problem are often unsustainable, save a select few. Once such attempt, coined the Green Revolution, garnered both praise and notoriety through its relatively successful transformation of Southeast Asia in the 1960’s. Aimed at increasing food production, the project focused on small-holder farmers and their acquisition of more productive inputs such as high-yield seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. African …

Access To Healthcare For The Poor: Will The Affordable Care Act Address Income-Related Health Disparities In The United States?, Sonya Fabricant

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Low-income populations live shorter and less healthy lives in the United States due to a complexity of social, environmental and behavioral factors. These populations also face significant barriers in accessing health services. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) passed, marking the first major reform of the American healthcare system since the 1960s. This paper evaluates its potential to address health disparities through changes to medical care delivery. Methodology: Results were compiled from government documents, reports from research institutes, journal articles, and an expert interview. A section-analysis was also performed, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of …

Sharing Earth’S Most Valuable Resource: Cooperation In Transboundary Water Management, Olivia Nesbit

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Natural resources in general and water in particular are undeniably essential to human growth and development. However, in recent years, with rising demands for freshwater, sky-rocketing population growth rates, climate change, shrinking water resources and poor water management, scarcity of this critical resource is a growing problem around the world. A high percentage of the most severe water scarcity is due primarily to mismanagement and ineffective allocation of water resources. There is an overarching legal framework to govern the management of water internationally. The UN Watercourses Convention and the UNECE Water Convention are the two most important documents that govern …

Las Prescripciones De Alimentación En La Cultura Mapuche, Suzanne Block

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: How do the traditional norms and customs within the Mapuche culture impact their diet? Objective: To determine to if a relationship exists between the philosophy of the Mapuche and their diet. Background: Within their understanding of the world there exists guidelines that are followed in order to preserve the equilibrium of all forms of life that exist in within the universe, Waj Mapu. Within Waj Mapu there are distinct dimensions that contain energy, newen, which all interact to create a circular movement between them. Thus, due to the interaction of the dimensions, when there …

Indicadores De Maduracion Sexual Y Su Relacion Con Indices De Masa Corporal (Imc) Y Habitos De Alimentacion En Escolares Femeninas De Arica, Chile, Melissa Colden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The basis of this investigation came from recent evidence that the age of puberty, specifically with respect to young girls, has fallen notably in the past decade. This trend exists in Chile, as well as other countries such as the United States, and has presented itself alongside a portentous epidemic of obesity and malnutrition. Knowing the risks of both disorders, and how their affects have already been manifested in the adolescent population in Chile and the city of Arica, this study sought to develop a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and pubertal development, including the appearance of secondary sexual …

How Pescadores Become Produtores: Gender, Family, And Sustainable Living On Brazil’S Northeast Coast, Wren Brennan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The familial structure of a Brazilian fishing community is explored through participant observation and eight in-depth ethnographic interviews conducted over the course of three weeks of emersion with a family of pescadores artesanais (artisanal fishermen) that now call themselves catadores de algas (seaweed collectors). Previous research suggests that the sexual division of labor in this community, along with coastal environment in which the community exists, is in a state of transition. This project explores the emerging the practice of communal seaweed cultivation as a form of work that exemplifies changing gender relations in conjunction with a changing coastal environment. It …

Biotinidase Deficiency In Pakistani Children; What Needs To Be Known And Done, Bushra Afroze, Mohammad Wasay

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Release As Remedy For Excessive Punishment, Alexander A. Reinert

Articles

Although the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual” punishment means different things in different contexts, it plainly forecloses state and federal actors from choosing ex ante to impose a punishment that is either disproportionate or inconsistent with minimum standards of decency. In other words, the Eighth Amendment mandates that no punishment be imposed if the only other choice on the table is an unconstitutional punishment. Although this principle can be gleaned from the disparate strands of Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, its remedial consequence has not been fully implemented. In this Article, I propose that providing a remedy of release from …

Not A Drop To Drink, Beth A. Monsebroten

Theses and Dissertations

Fluid restrictions for the management of lower extremity edema in patients with heart failure has long been a treatment standard. However, the use of evidence based medicine has found this treatment option does not have the research to support the continued use with patients. An extensive literature review was conducted to find the most appropriate treatment options for these patients. It was determined fluid restrictions are not effective in reducing lower extremity edema in patients with heart failure. The discontinuation of this practice and the use of weight based diuretic therapy are suggested. Further research should be conducted into the …

Ssri Safety During Pregnancy, Julie N. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Depression is one of the most common disorders in our country today. The most frequently used treatment for depression is the antidepressant drug class, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRis). Due to a higher incidence of depression during pregnancy, researchers have been meticulously trying to detennine the risks and benefits of SSRI use and risks of depression to the mother and her fetus. The purpose of this project is to provide healthcare providers with current evidence about SSRI use during pregnancy. A brochure was presented to healthcare providers which addressed the risks and benefits of SSRI use and the risks of …

Can Breastfeeding Greater Than 6 Months Reduce The Risk Of Childhood Obesity? A Literature Review, Jessica M. Kotrba

Theses and Dissertations

Breastfeeding has many benefits for infants. It provides nutrients and antibodies that protect them from getting ill. Breastfeeding also has benefits for children as they grow older such as decreasing their risk of becoming obese. This paper will look at current research about how breastfeeding especially for at least six months can reduce a child's risk of becoming obese later in life.

Welfare Reform: The Politics Of Redistributive Policy, Carolyn Winfrey Holcomb

All Student Theses and Dissertations

My analysis will focus on whether the goals of Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reauthorization Act (PRWORA) of 1996 was self-sufficiency or was it designed to eliminate redistributive public policies and the implementation of morality policies. The purpose of this research was to analyze the barriers or impediments that the single mothers living in poverty encounter in society and whether PRWORA adequately addressed the barriers facing single mothers living in poverty. Specifically, my research analyzed the barriers of the family structure, culture of poverty, residential mobility, inadequate education, and the lack of social capital that may or may not have …

A Comparative Study Of The Teaching Methods Of Christian And Secular Preschools, Lloyd Mcdaniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is a comparative study of the teaching methods of Christian preschools and secular preschool. I used two Christian and two secular preschools for the study. The study included interviews of the teachers and preschool directors and observations of actions in the classroom. Many children enter kindergarten not fully prepared for a classroom environment. Some of these children have never been outside the home without a parent and to be placed in a strange setting with strange people and answering to adults that are not parents, can be quite stressful. They are expected to become adjusted and start learning …

Causes And Control Of Selected Diseases Related To Backyard Chicken Flocks In Utah, David D. Frame

All Current Publications

This fact sheet will discuss the cause and control of a few chicken diseases that either may be encountered or should be prevented from occurring in small suburban/urban flocks in Utah

Review: Technical Aspects For The Utilization Of Small Grain Straws As Feed Energy Sources For Ruminants: Emphasis On Beef Cattle, J. Severe, D. R. Zobell

All Current Publications

This publication defines Straw and provide information on straw composition, plant cell wall development, and treatments of straw for feed.

Potential Roles For Vitamins E And C In Combination In Modulating Exhaustive Swimming And High Altitude-Associated Lung Injury In Rats., Fahaid H. Al-Hashem

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the potential role of vitamins E and C in protecting against acute swimming induced lung damage at different altitudes. METHODS: The study was carried out between January and March 2011. Eighteen male rats were bred and reared at either high altitude in Abha city or low altitude in Riyadh city, KSA. The rats were divided into 3 groups: 1) non-stress control, 2) forced swimming stressed, and 3) vitamin E and C pretreated stressed. At the end of the procedure, lung tissue levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and …

Evidence Of Reduced Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonization In Multiple Lines Of Bt Maize, Tanya E. Cheeke, Todd N. Rosenstiel, Mitchell B. Cruzan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise of the Study: Insect-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize is widely cultivated, yet few studies have examined the interaction of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with different lines of Bt maize. As obligate symbionts, AMF may be sensitive to genetic changes within a plant host. Previous evaluations of the impact of Bt crops on AMF have been inconsistent, and because most studies were conducted under disparate experimental conditions, the results are difficult to compare. Methods: We evaluate AMF colonization in nine Bt maize lines, differing in number and type of engineered trait, and five corresponding near-isogenic parental (P) base hybrids …

Medicines That Kill, Lina Ahmed Abushouk

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

The prevalence of counterfeit drugs on the African continent has been increasing at an alarming rate. “Medicines that Kill” is a research paper that attempts to analyze the factors that make African countries particularly susceptible to this global threat. Nigeria, a country that has had some of the highest rates of counterfeit drugs in the world, is the main case study for this paper. Its efforts to combat the issue are compared and contrasted with those of Tanzania and Kenya in an attempt to understand what aspects of the issue are unique to Africa and the methods that have been …

Sacrée Et Inviolable: The Hiv+ Mother In Ivoirian Health Policy, Amber Alaniz

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

« La personne humaine est sacrée (2)… Le domicile est inviolable. Les atteintes ou restrictions ne peuvent y être apportées que par la loi. (4) La famille constitue la cellule de base de la société. L'État assure sa protection. (5)» Constitution of La Côte d’Ivoire, Articles 2,4,5[1]

The Ivoirian national constitution, authored and enacted in July of 2000, while expressing a devotion to democratic thought (Preamble) and to the sovereignty of the individual (Article 2), also acknowledges the primacy of the Ivoirian family and collective identity as the basis of society and advances a moral duty on the part …

Busting A Gut: Portrayals Of Obesity In Popular Culture, Carly Babel

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

Obesity is America’s number one leading health epidemic, affecting more than 93 million Americans today (OAC). From 1985 to 2010, obesity has gone from affecting an average of 10% of individuals in just about every state to today affecting 33.8% of people within each state. Children and adults alike all over the U.S. are being diagnosed with obesity and encouraged to change their lifestyles. Doctors are prescribing patients to lose weight, exercise, eat healthy, and in extreme cases, go under the knife, but none of these recommendations are making a dent in lowering the rate of obesity. Rather, the number …

Physical Activity Effects On Depressive Symptoms In Black Adults, Elisa R. Torres, Carolyn M. Sampselle, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, David L. Ronis, Harold W. Neighbors

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: Randomized trials found physical activity (PA) effective in decreasing depressive symptoms. Few studies included Black participants. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the effects of PA on depressive symptoms in Black adults. Methods: Articles were abstracted by conducting a computer and hand search of eligible studies. Results: Eight of 13 studies found a significant inverse relationship between PA and depressive symptoms in Black adults. Sources for the heterogeneity were explored. Conclusion: Future studies should include representative samples of Black adults, incorporate a theory which considers multiple levels of influence, account for genetic factors in the …

Financial Incentives: Pay For Performance (P4p) And The Chronically Ill Patients, David Conley, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

P4P is the reimbursement incentive that is based on quality improvement, efficiency, which is dominating the healthcare landscape and CMS. A literature review was conducted to search for and review significant information regarding P4P and how it pertains to chronic conditions and reimbursement methods. This literature review displayed while some programs were able to display a benefit/ profit for those involved such as insurance companies, hospitals, physicians and/or patients, most programs were unable to establish quality measures, cost effectiveness and positive program outcomes worth noting.

2012 Undergraduate Research Competition Program, Coastal Carolina University

Undergraduate Research Symposium Programs

4th Annual Undergraduate Research Competition, March 30-31, 2012. Competition schedule was included in the 10th Celebration of Inquiry program from 2012. Theme: From Curiosity to Exploration: Linking Knowing and Doing. No abstracts available.

2012 Little International Agricultural Exposition Catalog, Little International Agricultural Exposition South Dakota State University

Little International "Little I" Agricultural Exposition Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Development Of Dna Barcodes To Identify Edible Mushrooms, F.A. Avin, S. Vikineswary, T. Yee Shin, S. Bhassu

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Basidiomycetes as one of the largest groups of edible mushrooms have become more important in recent times for their medicinal and nutritional properties. For many years, species of this family have been mainly classified by their common phenotypic traits, however, taxonomic identification based solely on morphological features can be misleading and unreliable. In contrast, DNA based identification provides a powerful and reliable method for taxonomic discrimination of fungi, it can be performed at any growth stages using parts of the fruit body, monoand dikaryotic mycelia, or any other organic fungal. In the current study, three different DNA and c‐DNA molecular …

March 30, 2012 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Dietary Heterogeneity Among Western Industrialized Countries Reflected In The Stable Isotope Ratios Of Human Hair., Luciano O. Valenzuela, Lesley A. Chesson, Gabriel J. Bowen, Thure E. Cerling, James R. Ehleringer

Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Faculty Publications

Although the globalization of food production is often assumed to result in a homogenization of consumption patterns with a convergence towards a Western style diet, the resources used to make global food products may still be locally produced (glocalization). Stable isotope ratios of human hair can quantify the extent to which residents of industrialized nations have converged on a standardized diet or whether there is persistent heterogeneity and glocalization among countries as a result of different dietary patterns and the use of local food products. Here we report isotopic differences among carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of …