Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence And Determinants For Overweight And Obesity Among Residents Of A Mining Township In Kitwe, Zambia, In 2011: A Population-Based Survey, Cosmas Zyaambo, Olesegun Babaniyi, Peter Songolo, Adamson S. Muula, Emmanuel Rudatsikira, Victor M. Mukonka, Seter Siziya

Faculty Publications

Background: Obesity and overweight in Africa have been attributed to demogra- phic and nutritional changes that have resulted from urbanization and sedentary lifestyles and increased caloric intake without much physical activities. This has put populations at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, and cancer. The objective of this study was to deter- mine the prevalence and associated factors for combined overweight and obesity among residents of a mining town, Kitwe, in Zambia.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using a modified WHO glo- bal Non Communicable Diseases Surveillance Initiative STEPs 1 and 2 method of …

Designing Wise Communities That Engage In Creative Problem Solving: An Analysis Of An Online Design Model, Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, Ludmila Layne, Casey Frechette

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Addressing the conference theme of “design thinking,” this paper discusses an instructional design model, WisCom (Wisdom Communities) that we developed to build a wise learning community online, to solve open-ended, ill-structured problems such as solving a health crisis or an environmental disaster, which requires the exchange of multiple perspectives, inter-disciplinary thinking, creative problem solving, and social construction of knowledge. Based on socio-constructivist, sociocultural theories of learning and mediated cognition (Vygotsky, 1978), distributed cognition (Hutchins, 1995; Pea, 1993), group cognition (Stahl, 2006), research on how people learn (Bransford, Vye, Bateman, Brophy, & Roselli, 2004), and distance education design principles (Moore & …

Fingerprinting Co₂ Cartridges Used In Bb Guns, Alexandra Oswald

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Does A Ketogenic Diet Infer Neuroprotection In A Rat Model Of Neurotrauma, Ryan Lange

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Bullying In Schools, Chantal M. Gagnon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Peer aggression and bullying are significant problems for children in American schools. While a large body of research has been conducted in this area, none to date has examined the combined roles of temperament (behavioral activation system, or BAS, and behavioral inhibition system, or BIS), and empathy in predicting participation in bullying interactions. Previous research has found that low empathy facilitates aggressive behavior, while high empathy inhibits it, and has linked poor emotion regulation to conduct disorders. Thus, if these factors can predict behaviors towards peers, they may also predict (independently and in combination) involvement in bullying, specifically the roles …

Children's Adaptave Strategies In A Tool Use Task, Allison. Weinstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Problem solving and strategy adaptation was assessed in 47 children ranging from 36 to 67 months. This was evaluated through problem sets in which participants were given tools that failed to reach given goal states, and then instructed to select appropriate tools in order to reach desired results. Analyses revealed that when participants were given a choice of tools to solve a given problem, they were more likely to select a correct tool when options were similar in function and appearance. Additionally, participants were more likely to verbalize the need for a new tool when there was a lack of …

Simultaneous X-Ray And Neutron Diffraction Rietveld Refinements Of Nanophase Fe Substituted Hydroxyapatite, Andreas Kyriacou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The effect of Fe substitution on the crystal structure of hydroxyapatite (HAp) is studied by applying simultaneous Rietveld refinements of powder x-ray and neutron diffraction patterns. Fe is one of the trace elements replacing Ca in HAp, which is the major mineral phase in bones and teeth. The morphology and magnetic properties of the Fe-HAp system are also studied by transmission electron microscopy and magnetization measurements. Samples of Ca(5-x)Fex(PO4)3OH with 0< x < 0.3 were prepared. Single phase HAp was identified in x-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) of samples with x < 0.1 inferring that the solubility limits are less than 0.1. Hematite ((Sa(B-Fe2O3) is identified as a secondary phase for higher Fe content. The refined parameters show that Fe is incorporated in the HAp structure by replacing Ca in the two crystallographic sites with a preference at the Ca2 site. This preference explains the small effect of the Fe substitution on the lattice constants of HAp. The overall decrease of the lattice constants is explained by the ionic vi size difference of Ca and Fe. The increasing trend of the a-lattice constant with x in the Fe substituted samples is attributed to a lattice relaxation caused by the substitution of the 4- and 6-fold Fe at the 7- and 9-fold Ca1 and Ca2 sites. This Ca local geometry reduction is indicated by a slight increase of the Ca1-O3 and Ca2-O1 bond lengths. Above the solubility limit x = 0.05, the Fe is partitioned in and out of the HAp structure with increasing nominal Fe content x. The excess Fe is oxidized to hematite. The TEM analysis and magnetic measurements support the results of the simultaneous Rietveld refinements. The TEM images show no significant effect on the morphology and size of the HAp particles upon Fe incorporation. The particles are either spheres or short rods of dimensions 20-60 nm. Hematite particles are imaged in the samples with x exceeding the solubility limit. These particles

Software Framework For Prognostic Health Monitoring Of Ocean-Based Power Generation, Mark. Bowren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

On August 5, 2010 the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has designated the Center for Ocean Energy Technology (COET) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) as a national center for ocean energy research and development of prototypes for open-ocean power generation. Maintenance on ocean-based machinery can be very costly. To avoid unnecessary maintenance it is necessary to monitor the condition of each machine in order to predict problems. This kind of prognostic health monitoring (PHM) requires a condition-based maintenance (CBM) system that supports diagnostic and prognostic analysis of large amounts of data. Research in this field led to the creation of …

Age Before Stage: Insulin Resistance Rises Before The Onset Of Puberty: A 9-Year Longitudinal Study (Earlybird 26)., An Jeffery, Bs Metcalf, J Hosking, Aj Streeter, Ld Voss, Tj Wilkin

Peninsula Medical School

OBJECTIVE: Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with diabetes. IR is higher during puberty in both sexes, with some studies showing the increase to be independent of changes in adiposity. Few longitudinal studies have reported on children, and it remains unclear when the rise in IR that is often attributed to puberty really begins. We sought to establish from longitudinal data its relationship to pubertal onset, and interactions with age, sex, adiposity, and IGF-1. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The EarlyBird Diabetes study is a longitudinal prospective cohort study of healthy children aged 5-14 years. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), skinfolds (SSF), adiposity …

Physical Activity As An Aid To Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy (Leap) Trial: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Michael Ussher, Paul Aveyard, Isaac Manyonda, S Lewis, Robert West, B Lewis, Bess Marcus, Adrian H. Taylor, Pelham Barton, Tim Coleman

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Facilitated Physical Activity As A Treatment For Depressed Adults: Randomised Controlled Trial, Melanie Chalder, Nicola J. Wiles, John Campbell, Sandra P. Hollinghurst, Anne M. Haase, Adrian H. Taylor, Kenneth R. Fox, Ceire Costelloe, Aidan Searle, Helen Baxter, Rachel Winder, Christine Wright, Katrina M. Turner, Michael Calnan, Deborah A. Lawlor, Tim J. Peters, Deborah J. Sharp, Alan A. Montgomery, Glyn Lewis

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Plymouth Families Project Evaluation 2011, Z James

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Developing Sustainable Student Communities: Informal Learning And Becoming Peer, Rod Parker-Rees, Mel Joyner, Joanna Haynes

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

We aimed to exploit opportunities arising from the merging of the faculties of Health and Education to explore ways of supporting students in the development of a network of sustainable communities.While there is a substantial literature on how students engage and participate in the academic cultures of HEIs and on factors which affect student retention and quality of life, less research has been focused on the relationships between what might be called the formal curriculum and the informal learning opportunities afforded by participation in a student community.In the context of the creation of the Faculty of Health, Education and Society, …

Moon Vehicle: Reflections From An Artist-Led Children's Workshop On The Chandrayaan-1 Spacecraft's Mission To The Moon, J Griffin

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This article reflects on the journey to the Moon of the spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 as it was interpreted through an artist-led workshop. The workshop participants were a group of children who lived close to where Chandrayaan was built and some of the engineers and scientists responsible for creating the spacecraft. Insights from the workshop show how a mission to the Moon draws on both the technological and the imaginative; they also have bearing on the relative agency of these individuals to contribute to the Moon missions in ways that are personally meaningful to them.

The Socio-Temporary In Architecture: Territories Of Second-Order Cybernetics, S Murrani

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Drawing Into Knowing: A Natural History, Sm Black, L Imperatore

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Co-presentation w/ Lynn Imperatore. ABSTRACT Whether drawing commences in strategic suspension of cognition or from a posture that seeks deeper recognition of the considered object, this research pair share a method of practice that employs the drawn line to trace paths commencing outward from acknowledged deficiencies of information. Both view drawing as tool for exploration; a kind of raw material of thought-made-visible in marks that nibble away at preconception and other barriers to knowledge. The resultant records of such active thinking reveal discoveries to both the artists and a wider audience. A practice-based drawing project was devised in order to …

Investigating E-Commerce Adoption In Small And Medium-Sized Tourism Enterprises: A Case Of Travel Agents In Egypt, Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Elraouf Abou-Shouk

Plymouth Business School Theses

SMEs are often described as slow adopters of technology. However, adopting e-commerce is one of many strategies taken by travel agents to re-intermediate themselves in the global travel market against the threat of disintermediation. Exploratory studies have revealed that Egyptian travel agents are laggards when it comes to technology adoption, although they perceive e-commerce as a beneficial tool that can increase their chances of survival. As many as 59.2% of Egyptian travel agents were found not to have websites (Egyptian Travel Agents Association, 2008), this study investigates the factors affecting e-commerce adoption by travel agents. Past literature has shown that …

Multi-Level Elections In Western Europe: Determinants Of Voting And The Role Of Salience., Jeremy Johns

Plymouth Business School Theses

Previous comparative research into the determinants of voting using aggregate data has suffered from two limitations: it relied predominantly on country-level data; and it seldom ventured beyond a consideration of one or two types of elections. In order to overcome these shortcomings, we use an original dataset in which data are aggregated to sub-national units; and include examples of national, sub-national, and supra-national elections. A total of 66 elections between 1995 and 2008 are included, drawn from ten Western European countries: Belgium, England, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. For each country, the same sub-national geographical …

North Korea: Transport And Logistics Scenarios And South Korean Enterprises' Location Decisions, Kelvin Ka Liong Pang

Plymouth Business School Theses

North Korea is one of the world’s last remaining communist countries. Insistence on self-sufficiency has resulted in the stagnation of its economy and collapse of its transport distribution system. This research project examines how various scenarios for North Korea and the implications of South Korean enterprises’ location decisions affect future transport and logistics developments in North Korea. In the foreseeable future, aside from Chinese companies, South Korean investors will probably be the only companies to invest heavily in the North, driven by political and economic motivations. The objectives of this study are four-fold. Firstly, it analyses the political and economic …

An Empirical Study Into Uk Customer Expectations Of Dining Out In Relation To Meal Cost, Christina Westhead

Plymouth Business School Theses

The continued growth of the UK dining out industry, and the unceasing trend in popularity for customers to spend time and money eating outside the home, has led to an increase in the number of dining out establishments, and competition between businesses. Although there have been studies examining aspects of the restaurant industry and food consumption outside the home, very little research has looked specifically at customer expectations. Therefore, this thesis examines customer expectations associated with the meal experience in relation to the varying costs of dining out opportunities. In addition, the study reflects on customers’ socio-economic characteristics combined with …

‘Implicit Creation’ – Non-Programmer Conceptual Models For Authoring In Interactive Digital Storytelling, Ulrike Martina Spierling

Plymouth Business School Theses

Interactive Digital Storytelling (IDS) constitutes a research field that emerged from several areas of art, creation and computer science. It inquires technologies and possible artefacts that allow ‘highly-interactive’ experiences of digital worlds with compelling stories. However, the situation for story creators approaching ‘highly-interactive’ storytelling is complex. There is a gap between the available technology, which requires programming and prior knowledge in Artificial Intelligence, and established models of storytelling, which are too linear to have the potential to be highly interactive. This thesis reports on research that lays the ground for bridging this gap, leading to novel creation philosophies in future …

Does A Patient’S Disease Report Card Encourage Patient Self- Accountability And In Turn Improve Patient Literacy?, Janine Mccaffrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Poor chronic disease management and control is common in the United States. This study will look at using individual disease report cards to improve patient knowledge of their own chronic diseases which in hopes will improve self accountability as well as health literacy.

Doctor Of Nursing Practice Awareness: A Public Service Announcement, Rachael Buitrago

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The purpose of this project was to demonstrate the need for public awareness of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. A five minute public service announcement was created to educate and create awareness of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)/DNP role and education required to obtain the degree. Americans should be educated regarding their options available to access their health care concerns. More than 3,600 members of the Doctor of Nursing Practice.org website were invited to view the PSA and partake in the questionnaire. Of those members and anyone viewing the PSA from the YouTube.com website, the project yielded a …

Transitional Care-Apn Guided Care Coordination, Karen P. Shields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an epidemic with estimated direct and indirect costs to the United States for 2008 of 34.8 billion (AHA, 2008). CHF is the only cardiovascular disease whose incidence is increasing (Williams, 2009). The most significant factor contributing to the increased incidence of CHF is the increased elderly population. Based on the 44-year follow-up of the NHLBI’s Framingham Heart Study, eighty percent of men and 70 percent of women under age 65 who have CHF will die within eight years (Williams, 2009). As the population ages, the total number of Americans with chronic conditions will rise rapidly. …

The Effects Of A Walking Exercise Program On Glucose Control In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Judy R. Dasilva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Individuals with type 2 diabetes are often unaware that physical activity can improve glucose utilization and thereby decrease blood sugar. The author investigated a 16 week walking intervention on Type 2 diabetics and the impact this exercise has on HbA1c levels, weight loss and exercise levels. Two men and seven women (n = 9 ) participated in the program. Results indicated significance increase in physical activity levels (t = 11.08 p = .001) and increased weight loss ( t = 12.5 p = .001) but no significance difference for HbA1c ( t = 1.4 p=1.08). Implications include the benefits of …

Effects Of A Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Training Program Upon Police Officers Before And After Crisis Intervention Team Training: An Evidenced Based Program Evaluation Project In Miami Dade County Florida, Horace Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Throughout communities across the United States, police officers frequently come in contact with individuals who are experiencing an active state of mental health crisis and do not have the necessary skills to safely and effectively intervene. The deinstitutionalization of patients in American psychiatric hospitals began in the 1970s (Burris, 2004). This policy was meant to be a way to help re-integrate those chronically ill patients back into the community (Burris, 2004). The theory of deinstitutionalization consists of component processes: the release of persons residing in psychiatric hospitals to families and alternative living facilities in the community, the diversion of potential …