Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Predation Risk And Food Availability On Parental Care And Nest Survival In Suburban And Wildland Florida Scrub-Jays, Joseph M. Niederhauser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual organisms often use cues from their natural environments to determine many behavioral and life-history "decisions." These "decisions" are usually adaptive, i.e. a response to selection, because the environmental cues on which they are based reliably correlate with increased fitness over time. When the selected behavioral response to a natural cue no longer provides a fitness benefit, then selection for a new response may occur but individuals maintaining the previously selected response may suffer reduced survival and reproduction. Especially in human-modified landscapes individuals making a maladaptive behavioral or life-history choice based on those formerly reliable environmental cues may be faced …

Rock-A-Buy Baby: Consumerism By New, First-Time Mothers, Sara Afflerback

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rock-a-Buy Baby: Consumerism by New, First-Time Mothers, is the first known sociological exploration of need-based consumption for babies, despite the baby gear industry being a $6-billion-dollar business (whattoexpect.com). Data stemmed from qualitative, semistructured interviews with new, first-time mothers (3 months – 1 year postpartum) conducted within participants‘ households. The insights gained from the present study tell us a great deal about the ―needs‖ that predominantly white, middle-class mothers socially constructed in anticipation of their first child, and the consumptive behaviors used to accomplish these "needs." Respondents had turned to similar resources (other mothers, online forums, consumer reports, books, magazines, etc.) …

An Exploratory Study Of Physiologic Responses To A Passive Exercise Intervention In Mechanically-Ventilated Critically Ill Adults, Christina M. Amidei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Muscle weakness is the most common and persistent problem after a critical illness. Early mobilization of the critically ill patient, beginning with passive exercise and progressing to ambulation, may mitigate muscle effects of the critical illness. However, mobilization may produce adverse effects, especially early in the illness when risk for physiologic deterioration is common. If safe, introducing a mobility intervention early in the illness may facilitate ventilator weaning, shorten intensive care unit and hospitals stays, and improve functional status and quality of life for mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. The aim of this study was assess the cardiopulmonary and inflammatory …

Perceptions Influencing School Nurse Practices To Prevent Childhood Obesity, Susan Quelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese with increased risks for numerous physical and psychosocial comorbidities. Schools are ideal environments to address this serious health crisis and school nurses are uniquely positioned qualified healthcare providers to actively participate in childhood obesity prevention (COP). A review of the literature provided findings to identify a gap in the knowledge regarding the association between school nurse COP perceptions and practices. A modified theoretical framework based on Bandura’s health promotion by social cognitive theory guided this study. The purpose of this study was to identify the key perceptions (self-efficacy, …

Salud Y Saludos: The E-News Of The College Of Health Sciences, College Of Health Sciences

College of Health Sciences

Monthly e-newsletter of the College of Health Sciences.

The Foods And Crops Of The Muisca: A Dietary Reconstruction Of The Intermediate Chiefdoms Of Bogota (Bacata) And Tunja (Hunza), Colombia, Jorge Luis Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Muisca people of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia had an exceptionally complex diet, which is the result of specific subsistence strategies, environmental advantages, and social restrictions. The distinct varieties of microclimates, caused by the sharp elevations in this part of the Andes, allows for a great biodiversity of plants and animals that was accessible to the native population. The crops of domesticated and adopted plants of the Muisca include a wide variety of tubers, cereals, fruits, and leaves that are described in detail in this thesis. The Muisca used an agricultural method known as microverticality where the different thermic …

Stable Isotopes And Multiple Tissue Analysis: Reconstructing Life Histories For Individuals From Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Noel Johns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotope analysis is often used to evaluate elements of the lives of past peoples, such as diet and health status, at a societal level. Analysis at an individual level is exceptionally rare, and has not been conducted using a variety of tissues representing both early life and life approximate to death. In this study, δ 13C and δ15N isotope signatures are used to create life histories for single individuals from Romano-Christian period Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Samples are obtained from several different tissues, including tooth dentin, bone collagen, hair, nail, skin, and gut content, all …

The Effects Of Phosphatidylserine On Reaction Time And Cognitive Function Following An Exercise Stress, Adam John Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an endogenously occurring phospholipid that has been shown to have cognition and mood enhancing properties in humans, possibly through its role as an enzyme co-factor in cellular signal transduction. Specifically, PS has been identified as activator of classical isoforms of protein kinase C, an enzyme known to be involved in the growth and differentiation of neural cells, and is therefore thought to play a role in the protection of neurons. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of supplementation with PS and caffeine on measures of cognition, reaction time and mood prior to and …

Phosphatidic Acid Increases Lean Body Tissue And Strength In Resistance Trained Men, David Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phosphatidic Acid (PA) is a natural phospholipid compound derived from lecithin which is commonly found in egg yolk, grains, fish, soybeans, peanuts and yeast. It has been suggested that PA is involved in several intracellular processes associated with muscle hypertrophy. Specifically, PA has been reported to activate protein synthesis through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and thereby may enhance the anabolic effects of resistance training. To our knowledge, no one has examined the effect of PA supplementation in humans while undergoing a progressive resistance training program. To examine the effect of PA supplementation on lean soft tissue …

This Is Just Temporary: A Study Of Extended-Stay Motel Residents In Central Florida, Stephanie Guittar Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motel life has existed in the United States for over 100 years. However, it was not until the HEARTH Act in 2009 changed the federal definition of homelessness that those who live in motels more or less permanently were considered homeless persons. This project utilizes qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 18 families with children who are living in motels to explore their experiences with motel life and social service providers, their housing identity, and identity management strategies. Findings show that most of the motel residents did not identify with the conventional definition or image of homelessness and instead negotiated the term …

Front-Line Registered Nurse Job Satisfaction And Predictors: A Meta-Analysis From 1980 - 2009, Deborah Anne Saber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Front-line registered nurses (RNs) make up the workforce that directly affect the care of patients in a variety of different healthcare settings. RN job satisfaction is important because it is tied to retention, organizational commitment, workforce safety, patient safety, and cost savings. The strongest predictors have been difficult to determine because workplaces differ, numerous tools to measure satisfaction exist, the workforce is diversified by generations and work positions, and ongoing policy changes directly impact the work of the front-line RN. The strength and stability of the workforce depends on an accurate understanding of the predictors of job satisfaction for the …

Somatechnologies Of Body Size Modification: Posthuman Embodiment And Discourses Of Health, Meghan Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on persistent gaps in philosophies of the body: the enduring mindbody divide in accounts of phenomenology, the unfulfilled promises of representing and inhabiting the body in online and virtual spaces, and the difference between health as quantified in medical discourse versus health as lived experience. These tensions are brought to light through the electronic food journal genre where the difficulty in capturing pre-noetic, outsideconsciousness aspects of experience and embodied health are thrown into relief against circulating cultural discourses surrounding health, body size, self-surveillance, and self-care. The electronic food journal genre serves as a space for users to …

Fuelwood Collection And Consumption: A Case Study In Lupeta Tanzania, Katie M. Preston

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Fuelwood is a major resource in rural areas. Fuelwood collection and consumption habits were monitored in Lupeta, Tanzania through household interviews and fuelwood collection walks. Social dimensions, economic aspects of fuelwood, and alternative fuel sources were also examined. The study found that for all wealth classes, fuelwood is the primary source of fuel used within the village, with the middle and upper classes occasionally supplementing fuelwood with charcoal. Women collect and consume fuelwood for cooking. The majority of women (69%) prefer to use charcoal because fuelwood collection is labor intensive and time consuming. While the use of charcoal would provide …

The Long-Term Effects Of Whole-Tree Harvest At Final Felling On Soil Properties In A Norway Spruce (Picea Abies (L) Karst.) Stand, Lilli M. Kaarakka

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Increased demand for forest-derived biomass has resulted in changes in harvest intensities in Finland. Conventional stem-only harvest (CH) has to some extent been replaced with whole-tree harvest (WTH). The latter involves a greater removal of nutrients from the forest ecosystem, as all the above ground biomass is exported from the site. This has raised concerns that WTH could result in large changes in the nutrient dynamics of a forest stand and could eventually lower its site productivity. Little empirical data exists to support this assumption as only a limited number of studies have been conducted on the topic. A majority …

Automatic Food Intake Assessment Using Camera Phones, Fanyu Kong

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Obesity is becoming an epidemic phenomenon in most developed countries. The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. It is essential to monitor everyday food intake for obesity prevention and management. Existing dietary assessment methods usually require manually recording and recall of food types and portions. Accuracy of the results largely relies on many uncertain factors such as user's memory, food knowledge, and portion estimations. As a result, the accuracy is often compromised. Accurate and convenient dietary assessment methods are still blank and needed in both population and research societies.

In …

R2p= Mdgs: Implementing The Responsibility To Protect Through The Millennium Development Goals, Jennifer Moore

Faculty Scholarship

This essay is a peaceful call to arms based on the understanding that an essential way to fight the most egregious and widespread human rights abuses is through a broad-spectrum approach to human security grounded in the Millennium Development Goals and a new, non-military, understanding of humanitarian intervention. The responsibility to protect, often cited as a justification for military force to stop genocide, crimes against humanity, and other widespread human rights abuses, is better seen as a commitment by all nations to strengthen their own social welfare and human rights systems, and for those nations with more resources to assist …

Tibial Acceleration In Male And Female Distance Runners In Reduced Body Weight Conditions, Brendan J. Rickert

PTHMS Graduate Research

Seventy-two percent of all stress fractures in athletes come from running, which can cause an immediate cessation of training. Additionally, fifty percent of all stress fractures occur in the distal end of the tibia. One way to keep the athlete moving without slowing down the healing process is using an unloader treadmill (TM) in a rehabilitation setting. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between the level of body weight (BW) unloading in an Anti-Gravity Treadmill and tibial acceleration. Fifteen collegiate cross-country team runners (Gender: 9 males, 6 females; Age: 20.4 ± 2.4 years; Weight 60.1 ± 12.6 …

The Association Of Natural Elements And Trail Use By Adults, Anna E. Greer, Julian A. Reed, Steve P. Hooker

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

We used the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities to examine the association between variations in natural elements (ie, season, weather, and temperature) and adults’ use of a rail-trail in South Carolina (2006-2009). Most (62%) of the 4,468 trail users observed were walkers; 38% were observed participating in vigorous physical activity. Adults were most often observed using the trail during the summer (32%), sunny weather (78%), and moderate temperatures (54%). When promoting trail use among adults, natural elements should be considered.

Health Care And The Illegal Immigrant, Patrick J. Glen

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The question of whether illegal immigrants should be entitled to some form of health coverage in the United States sits at the uneasy intersection of two contentious debates: health reform and immigration reform. Befitting this place, the rhetoric surrounding the issue has been exponentially heightened by the multiplying effects of combining two vitriolic debates. On one side, it is argued that the United States has a moral obligation to provide health care to all those within its borders needing such assistance. On the other, it is argued with equal force that those illegally present in this country should not be …

Nutrition Curriculum Module 7 Cucumber, Unm Prevention Research Center

Module 7 Nutrition Curriculum

No abstract provided.

Nutrition Curriculum Module 2 Broccoli, Unm Prevention Research Center

Module 2 Nutrition Curriculum

No abstract provided.

Nutrition Curriculum Module 3 Pineapple, Unm Prevention Research Center

Module 3 Nutrition Curriculum

No abstract provided.

Nutrition Curriculum Module 7 Strawberry, Unm Prevention Research Center

Module 7 Nutrition Curriculum

No abstract provided.

Nutrition Curriculum Module 8 Asparagus, Unm Prevention Research Center

Module 8 Nutrition Curriculum

No abstract provided.

An Effectiveness Evaluation Of Motivational Interviewing As An Addition To An Internet-Based Health Promotion Program For Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers, Casey Nicole Ruggiero

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

People with disabilities (PWD) frequently experience preventable and/or manageable secondary health conditions such as weight problems, depression, and chronic pain (Jones & Bell, 2003; Seekins, Clay, & Ravesloot, 1994). Importantly, high rates of secondary conditions are correlated with low employment rates in Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) consumers (Ipsen, Seekins, & Ravesloot, 2010; Ipsen, Seekins, & Arnold, 2011). Thus, one pathway to improving employment outcomes in rehabilitation programs may involve enhancing health through the reduction of limiting secondary conditions (Ipsen, 2006; Ipsen et al., 2010). This pilot study tested whether the addition of telephone-based Motivational Interviewing (HPE+MI) to Health Plans for Employment …

Another Day, Another Donut: Political Economy, Agency, And Food In A Montanan Homeless Shelter, Jacqueline Devereaux Semmens

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Despite widespread undernutrition among the homeless, there has been little anthropological research on the experience of food insecurity in this population. Between 20 and 40 percent of the homeless population is undernourished and one third regularly miss meals (Gelberg 1995). This thesis addresses the significant problem of food insecurity in the homeless from a political economic perspective, analyzing how larger social structures influence the individual person. Fifteen residents at a shelter in Missoula, MT were interviewed about their dietary practices and experience of social service programs. The macro-social level influences the diet of the individual in two important ways: first, …

Heat Acclimatization During Seasonal Wildfire Suppression, Brianna Lui

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine heat acclimatization across a 4-month fire season in the western United States. Methods: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) (n =12) and non-WLFFs (n =14) completed a 60-min heat stress trial (treadmill walking at 50% peak VO2) in a climate controlled chamber (43.3°C, 33% RH) prior to and following the fire season (May through September). Peak VO2, body composition, core (Tc) and skin (Tsk) temperatures, heart rate (HR), physiological strain index (PSI), plasma volume change, sweat rate and perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during the heat stress trials. Results: Average peak VO2 was similar …

Full Issue, Issues In Religion And Psychotherapy

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Lactobacilluscasei Supragenome And Its Influence In Species Evolution And Lifestyle Adaptation, Jeff Broadbent, E. C. Neeno-Eckwall, B. Stahl, K. Tandee, H. Cai, W. Morovic, P. Horvath, J. Heidenreich, N. T. Perna, R. Barrangou, J. L. Steele

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The broad ecological distribution of L. casei makes it an insightful subject for research on genome evolution and lifestyle adaptation. To explore evolutionary mechanisms that determine genomic diversity of L. casei, we performed comparative analysis of 17 L. casei genomes representing strains collected from dairy, plant, and human sources. Results Differences in L. casei genome inventory revealed an open pan-genome comprised of 1,715 core and 4,220 accessory genes. Extrapolation of pan-genome data indicates L. casei has a supragenome approximately 3.2 times larger than the average genome of individual strains. Evidence suggests horizontal gene transfer from other bacterial species, particularly lactobacilli, …

Identification Of Plasmalogens In The Cytoplasmic Membrane Of Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis, T. S. Oberg, Robert E. Ward, J. L. Steele, Jeff Broadbent

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Plasmalogens are ether-linked lipids that may influence oxidative stress resistance of eukaryotic cell membranes. Since bacterial membrane composition can influence environmental stress resistance, we explored the prevalence of plasmalogens in the cytoplasmic membrane of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. Results showed plasmalogens are a major component of the B. animalis subsp. lactis membrane.