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Phytochemicals From The Roots Of Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium Corymbosum), Amanda Cirello

Open Access Master's Theses

Growing evidence from many in vitro studies suggest that plants produce secondary metabolites which may have potential physiological properties. The northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plant is commercially cultivated for its valuable dark-blue fruit, which has been extensively researched and has been shown to contain phenolic compounds recognized to have positive health benefits. Thus, an evaluation of other parts of the plant, that as of yet have not been investigated, could be worthwhile. There may be undiscovered bioactive compounds within the roots of this plant that may contribute to the improvement of human health. This rationale supports further …

Pathological Effects Of Soybean Anti-Nutritional Factors On Summer Flounder (Paralichthys Dentatus) Tissues, Rachel Michelle Bone

Open Access Master's Theses

Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), a popular carnivorous fish in New England, is an important candidate for aquaculture development. The inclusion of plant proteins as a replacement for fish meal in the diets of marine carnivorous fish may lead to economical advantages and increased sustainability. Anti-nutritional factors, organic molecules that cannot be digested and may inhibit digestion of other molecules present in soybean meal, but not in soy protein concentrate, may limit the inclusion of soybean meal into carnivorous fish diets by impacting fish growth rates or immune function. In order to determine the mechanisms by which soybean meal …

Characterizing The Benthic Invertebrate Communities Of The Mixed-Coarse Intertidal Habitat In Boston Harbor, Elizabeth N. Eddy

Open Access Master's Theses

The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA) has an extensive intertidal zone, with 47% of the area composed of mixed-coarse substrate. Given anticipated climate change impacts such as sea level rise and ocean warming, and other stressors associated with the urban environment, the critical ecosystem functions provided by the dominant yet largely understudied mixed-coarse habitat are likely to be altered. To evaluate the benthic invertebrate communities of BOHA and to determine what environmental factors of the mixed-coarse substrate affect community structure, 87 sampling sites were distributed between wave-exposed and wave-protected shorelines between mean higher high water and mean lower …

Early Childhood Library Resources And Support, Lisa Catherine Riese

Graduate Research Papers

The increasing demands on teachers' time and the extra strain that small districts face in trying to meet the needs of all students, can mean that sometimes programming or certain groups may be overlooked. In the Colo-Nesco district, realignment of district buildings has caused a loss of library access and resources for the preschool program. This research project created an annotated list of library resources that align with the Iowa Early Learning Standards. Titles were found within the Children's Core database, have been published within the past ten years, and align with the seven content areas of the standards. This …

Is Administration Of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Injections Every Three Months Effective In Decreasing Pain Associated With Endometriosis In Premenopausal Women?, Maria Kern

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic EBM review is to determine whether or not the administration of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injections every three months are effective in decreasing pain associated with endometriosis in premenopausal women.

STUDY DESIGN: A review of two randomized controlled trials and one randomized comparative trial comparing pain improvement from depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injections at different time intervals and/or in comparison to other hormonal birth control methods in premenopausal patients suffering from endometriosis.

DATA SOURCES: Randomized controlled trials and a randomized comparative trial were found using PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE databases.

OUTCOME MEASURED: Outcomes were …

Is Rimonabant A Safe And Effective Treatment For Patients With Alcohol Dependence?, Samantha L. Hughes

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Rimonabant is a safe and effective treatment for patients with alcohol dependence.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three English language randomized control trials published in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three double-blind, placebo controlled randomized trials comparing Rimonabant or Naltrexone to placebo were found using PubMed, OVID, Medline and Cochrane.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Outcomes measured include event rate of heavy drinking days using the timeline follow back method, which facilitates self-reporting of drinking habits by utilizing calendars and personal recall. Other outcomes measured include …

Is Electrical Muscle Stimulation Effective In The Progression Of Oral Feeding, For Patients With Dysphagia, Caused By A Stroke?, Kristen Iaconelli

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not electrical muscle stimulation is effective in the progression of oral feeding, for patients with dysphagia, caused by a stroke.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of 3 randomized controlled trials, published between 2008-2009.

DATA SOURCES: All 3 randomized controlled trials were found using the Cochrane database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: All 3 studies measured subjective swallowing function pre- and post-treatment, however, each trial differed in the way they measured this. Permsirivanich et al used a functional oral intake scale (FOIS), or a 7-point scale reflecting the patient’s report of …

Does Daily Intake Of Glucosamine Supplements Prevent The Need For Knee Replacements Later In Life For Adult Patients Predisposed To Osteoarthritis?, Nancy Helmy

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not daily intake of glucosamine supplements prevents the need for knee replacements later in life for adults predisposed to osteoarthritis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary randomized controlled trial studies published between 2001 and 2008

DATA SOURCES: Three double blind randomized control trials comparing glucosamine supplements to placebo were found using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Outcomes were measured using radiographic studies of the knees, joint space measurements, and symptoms were evaluated using Lequesne and WOMAC indexes.

RESULTS: The Reginster (2001) and Pavelka (2002) studies demonstrated no …

Is Whole Body Vibration (Wbv) A Safe And Effective Adjunctive Therapy For Reducing Fall Risk In The Elderly?, Harry J. Guarino

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not whole body vibration (WBV) is a safe and effective adjunctive therapy for reducing fall risk in the elderly.

STUDY DESIGN: A review of English language randomized controlled blinded trials published within peer-reviewed journals from 2005-2010 evaluating the effectiveness of WBV in reducing fall and fall risk. The studies included elderly participants age 60 and older.

DATA SOURCES: Randomized controlled blinded trials were found using PubMed, Medline and OVID databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Outcomes measured were reduction in fall number and reduction in fall risk. Fall number …

Is Individualized Diet Restriction Based On Igg Against Foods Effective For Reducing Migraine Frequency In Adults Who Suffer From Migraines?, Jessica Cicioni

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not individualized diet restriction based on IgG against foods is effective as migraine prophylaxis in adults who suffer from migraines.
Study Design: Systematic review of three English language primary studies, published between 2009-2011.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials and one case report published after 1996 comparing migraine frequency before and after diet elimination based on IgG against foods were obtained using PubMed and Cochrane databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Migraine frequency, recorded by patients in a headache diary throughout the duration of the diet, was the primary …

Is Yoga An Effective Management Strategy For Disordered Eating?, Patricia G. Byrne

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether yoga is an effective management strategy for disordered eating.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies published in 2007, 2009, and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized control trials that evaluated yoga as a treatment intervention for disordered eating found using Medline@OVID and PubMed.

OUTCOME MEASURED: Outcomes were interpreted by eating disorder severity as measured on the Eating Disorder Examination, Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale, and Binge Eating Scale. Secondarily, there was an assessment of associated attitudes and behaviors towards eating, including body satisfaction, physical activity level, …

Does Yoga Aid In The Reduction Of Short-Term Anxiety In Adult Female Breast Cancer Patients?, Lora K. Brown

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not yoga aids in the reduction of short-term anxiety in adult female breast cancer patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies, published between 2007 and 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one before and after comparison study were found using PubMed, Medline, and OVID. These studies analyzed yoga intervention in adult female breast cancer patients suffering from anxiolytic effects.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The main outcomes measured were anxiety state level and symptom severity and distress experienced by patients through use of the …

Jour 7201: Health News And Promotion (Syllabus), Erin Willis

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Advanced seminar that examines and critiques the literature on health communication in two specific areas: news about health and its impact on individuals, and health promotion campaigns.

Jour 7201: Health News And Promotion (Syllabus), Erin Willis

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Advanced seminar that examines and critiques the literature on health communication in two specific areas: news about health and its impact on individuals, and health promotion campaigns.

The Impact Of Availability Of Vegetarian Menu Items On Consumers' Behavioral Intention, Mengwei Yue

Open Access Theses

Yue, Mengwei. M.S., Purdue University, December, 2013. The Impact of Availability of Vegetarian Menu Items on Consumers' Behavioral Intention. Major Professor: Douglas C. Nelson.

The purpose of this study is to find out how the availability of vegetarian menu items affects customers' behavioral intention using the theory of planned behavior and the impact vegetarian-friendly menus have on vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian customers when they make their restaurant selections. This paper also discussed the implications for a vegetarian lifestyle on the food service industry and menu development in restaurants. Seven hypotheses related to the relationship among attitudes, subjective norms, perceived …

Chevron Meets Youngstown: National Security And The Administrative State, Joseph Landau

Faculty Scholarship

The past several years have witnessed a burst of scholarship at the intersection of national security and administrative law. Many supporters of this approach endorse a heightened, “super-strong” brand of Chevron deference to presidential decisionmaking during times of emergency. Believing that the Executive’s comparative advantage in expertise, access to information, and accountability warrant minimal judicial scrutiny, these Chevron-backers advance an Executive-centric view of national security powers. Other scholars, by contrast, dispute Chevron’s relevance to national security. These Chevron-detractors argue for an interventionist judiciary in national security matters. Both camps criticize the Supreme Court’s scaling of deference to the Executive after …

Conservation Status Of A Threatened Tree Species: Establishing A Baseline For Restoration Of Juglans Cinerea L. In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Usa, Amanda M. Parks, Michael A. Jenkins, Keith E. Woeste, Michael E. Ostry

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

To mitigate the loss of native tree species threatened by non-native pathogens, managers need to better understand the conservation status of remaining populations and the conditions that favor successful regeneration. Populations of Juglans cinerea L. (butternut), a wide-ranging riparian species, have been devastated by butternut canker, a disease caused by a non-native fungal pathogen. We assessed J. cinerea within Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) to determine post-disease survivorship and health, recruitment history, environmental conditions associated with survival, and the extent of hybridization with a non-native congener. Monitoring records were used to locate and collect data for 207 J. cinerea …

Systematic Identification Of Tor Downstream Effectors Using Random-Walks On The Yeast Interactome, Shahin Mohammadi, Ananth Grama, Shankar Subramaniam

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Coach Expectations On Female Athletes' Motivation To Play, Megan Matthews Buning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This concurrent, embedded mixed methods study used predominantly quantitative analyses to examine coach expectations and behaviors on female athletes' intrinsic motivation to play softball. Qualitative methods in the form of structured, open-ended questions were used to enhance the data by examining athletes' perceptions of coaching behavior and changes in motivation and competence levels. A cluster sampling technique was used to randomly select 20 Division I softball teams competing in the United States. The resulting quantitative participant sample included 174 female collegiate athletes ranging in age from 18-22 years old, and 20 male and female head coach participants ranging in age …

Design And Analysis Of Scalable Video Streaming Systems, Musab S. Al-Hadrusi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Despite the advancement in multimedia streaming technology, many multimedia applications are still face major challenges, including provision of Quality-of-Service (QoS), system scalability, limited resources, and cost. In this dissertation, we develop and analyze a new set of metrics based on two particular video streaming systems, namely: (1) Video-on-Demand (VOD) with video advertisements system and (2) Automated Video Surveillance System (AVS).

We address the main issues in the design of commercial VOD systems: scalability and support of video advertisements. We develop a scalable delivery framework for streaming media content with video advertisements. The delivery framework combines the benefits of stream merging …

Cytogenetic Analysis Of Depleted Uranium Exposure And Age-Dependent Susceptibility To Ionizing Radiation, Marina Victoria Bakhmutsky

Wayne State University Dissertations

Chapters 2 and 3:

Depleted Uranium (DU) is a high-density heavy metal that has been used in munitions since the 1991 Gulf War. DU is weakly radioactive and chemically toxic and long term exposure may cause adverse health effects. This study evaluates genotoxic effects of DU exposure in Gulf War I Veterans as a function of uranium (U) body burden by measuring chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes with the cytokinesis blocked micronucleus assay (CBMN) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) whole chromosome painting. Study subjects are Gulf War I Veterans exposed to DU during friendly fire incidents in 1991 …

Financial Development And Health Capital Accumulation, Gunakar Bhatta

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation examines the interrelationship between financial development and health capital accumulation. While credit to GDP ratio, liquid liabilities to GDP ratio and market capitalization to GDP ratio are used as the proxies for financial development, health capital is represented by life expectancy, infant mortality and low birth weight. A simple static model in the utility maximization framework shows that financial development increases the medical care through income effect thus augmenting the health status. This is also supported by econometric analysis. Using various econometric models such as pooled OLS, fixed effect and instrumental variable approach, the study shows that higher …

Insight Into Human Brain Evolution Through Phylogenetic Analysis And Comparative Genomics, Amy Marie Boddy

Wayne State University Dissertations

As a species, humans are often considered to be unique among mammals, with respect to their large brain size and enhanced cognitive abilities. Humans are the most encephalized mammals, with a brain that is six times larger than expected relative to body mass. Presumably, it is this high degree of encephalization that underlies our advanced cognitive abilities, including the skills needed for complex language and culture. Understanding how large brains evolved can shed light on what makes the human brain unique and introduce possible mechanism for human specific neurodegenerative diseases. This study takes a both a phenotypic and molecular approach …

Social Support And Health Behaviors, Bryan Michael Kingry

Wayne State University Dissertations

Empirical evidence exists showing a correlation between social support and health behaviors. However, does social support act the same across several health behaviors? The purpose of this study was to determine if social support has an impact across diet, physical activity and smoking in adults. The participants were 2,821 adults over the age of 40 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2006, NHANES III). Multiple regression models were used to explore such a correlation. The findings suggest that social support does not act the same across varying health behaviors. The findings also suggest that educational attainment was the …

Charitable Giving: Motivations, Deterrents & Consequences, Jennifer Lawson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Charitable giving has been suggested to be beneficial to everyone involved in the activity. This study has shown charitable giving can be costly to involved participants. Motives, deterrents and outcomes of charitable giving will be discussed in this paper. Implications for future practice and study will also be discussed.

The Relationship Between Generalized Anxiety Disorder In Women And Hormonal Imbalances, Self-Efficacy And Lifestyle: Implications For Licensed Professional Counselors And Counselor Educators, Gillian Bernadette Robbins

Wayne State University Dissertations

The intent of the study was to conduct a preliminary enquiry of the relationship between Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in women and hormonal imbalances, self-efficacy, and lifestyle. Key consideration was given to the study as it points to implications for licensed professional counselors and counselor educators. A nonexperimental, correlation design was used in the study and conducted in a large urban city in Ontario, Canada. Participants in the study were female clients receiving bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for a minimum of three month at a Medical Health Spa. A total of 55 participants completed a demographical survey, the Generalized …

Elucidation Of The Functional Role Of Pcbp-The Cytosolic Iron Chaperone Protein Family, In Cellular Iron Homeostasis, Poorna Subramanian

Wayne State University Dissertations

Biological Role of Ferritin - Iron is essential for life and often utilized as a cofactor in many proteins. In humans, iron accumulation causes cirrhosis, arthritis, cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus, and it is associated with increased risk of cancer and heart disease. In contrast, decreased brain iron content results in permanent neurocognitive and motor impairment. Intracellular iron content must be maintained within a narrow range to avoid the adverse effects of iron depletion or excess, and this function is performed by the protein ferritin. Ferritins are iron storage proteins that are ubiquitously expressed in animals, plants and bacteria. They serve …

Differential Bait Preference And Rate Of Attraction By Argentine Ants (Linepithema Humile Mayr) At Freshwater And Saltwater Marsh Sites In Southern California, Victor D. Carmona-Galindo, Meghan Moore, Melanie Tansuwan

Biology Faculty Works

Ants are a type of foraging insect species which harvests food resources based on availability. When ants locate food resources that are scarce within their habitat, they tend to be more strongly attracted to that food resource. This study used protein, carbohydrate and control based baits to examine if there was a deficiency in resources demonstrated by the ants at two different wetland habitats. We sampled Argentine ants (Linepithema humileMayr) within the saltwater and freshwater marshes of Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, CA. We found significant differences in the rapid deployment of Argentine ants towards protein baits over …

Dynamics Of Plant Root Growth Under Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, M. Madhu, J. L. Hatfield

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

Plant growth is influenced by above- and belowground environmental conditions and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations enhances growth and yield of most agricultural crops. This review covers current knowledge on the impact of increasing CO₂ concentration on root dynamics of plants in terms of growth, root/shoot (R/S) ratio, root biomass, root length, root longevity, root mortality, root distribution, root branching, root quality, and the response of these root parameters to management practices including soil water and nutrients. The effects of CO₂ concentration on R/S ratio are contradictory due to complexity in accurate underground biomass estimation …

Lysine Optimization Of A Commercial Fishmeal-Free Diet For Hybrid Striped Bass (Morone Chrysops × M. Saxatilis), Steven D. Rawles, S. Adam Fuller, Benjamin H. Beck, T. Gibson Gaylord, Frederic T. Barrows, Matthew E. Mcentire

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

Substitution of fishmeal with alternate proteins in aquafeeds often results in dietary imbalances of first-limiting essential amino acids (EAA) and poorer fish performance. This growth trial was undertaken to test the hypothesis that ideal protein theory accurately predicts first-limiting amino acids and optimumlysine level for a fishmeal-free, commercial-grade diet formulated for hybrid striped bass (HSB). The ideal model for formulation was the amino acid pattern of hybrid striped bass muscle. A negative control diet based on soybean (45%), corn gluten (10%), and poultry by-product (13%) meals was formulated on an ideal basis to contain 18% lipid, 40% crude protein (CP), …