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Essays On Smallholder Farmers In Jamaica: Context-Specific Evidence For Food Security Policymaking, Deborah Evadne Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays that examined the experiences and welfare of traditional food crop farmers in Western Jamaica. It systematically analyses the interplay between smallholder farmers and often overlooked variables in society. The study used qualitative interviewing, field observations and discourse analysis techniques to generate context-specific evidence for food security policymaking.

The first essay examined smallholder farmers' motives for farming. This formed the basis for a farmer typology that provides a portrait of the participants, and was used to inform findings in subsequent essays in this dissertation. The theory of planned behavior provided the conceptual grounding and …

Characterization Of Commercial Probiotics: Antibiotic Resistance, Acid And Bile Resistance, And Prebiotic Utilization, Carmen Lucia Cano Roca

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Probiotics, live microorganisms that beneficially affect the health of their host, must undergo extensive research to ensure they are safe for consumption and possess certain functional properties. Antibiotic resistance in probiotics has raised concern due to the possibility of its transfer to pathogens. Acid and bile tolerance ensures that organisms will survive passage into the intestines. Prebiotic utilization indicates ability to ferment specific carbohydrates for enhanced growth. The objective of this study was to characterize a group of commercial probiotics for their suitability as probiotics.

Nine commercial probiotic strains (7 Lactobacillus, 1 Lactococcus lactis, and 1 Bifidobacterium longum …

Backyard Beekeeping, Rachelle Messner, James Strange, Roslynn Brian

All Current Publications

In an effort to become more sustainable, small-scale backyard operations by private citizens have become increasingly popular. This fact sheet provides a basic guideline for those interested in backyard beekeeping, whether just for the enjoyment of tending the bees, or the reward of the delicious honey produced.

Positive Quality Of Life Factors Identified From Efnep Participant Stories, Wanda M. Koszewski, Megan Hlavacek, Kathryn Yerxa, Sandra B. Procter

Journal of Extension

EFNEP collects stories from participants and educators regarding the program's impacts. The objective of the study reported here was to qualitatively analyze these stories in the context of quality of life. Researchers analyzed 1,057 stories by identifying key words and developing codes to best describe the information. After analysis, codes were grouped into themes. The research demonstrated that EFNEP is perceived to have positively affected the quality of life of participants. These results not only confirm broader EFNEP benefits, but suggest an additional variable (quality of life) to consider as a measureable outcome.

Exploring Extension Involvement In Farm To School Program Activities, Matthew C. Benson

Journal of Extension

The study reported here examined Extension professionals' involvement in farm-to-school program activities. Results of an online survey distributed to eight state Extension systems indicate that on average, Extension professionals are involved with one farm to school program activity, with most supporting school or community garden programs. Results also indicate that Extension professionals are interested in being involved with an average of four farm to school program activities. Results demonstrate that each Extension program area is currently involved and is interested in supporting farm to school through a variety of different activities.

Hybrid Food Preservation Program Improves Food Preservation And Food Safety Knowledge, Sarah L. Francis

Journal of Extension

The growing trend in home food preservation raises concerns about whether the resulting food products will be safe to eat. The increase public demand for food preservation information led to the development of the comprehensive food preservation program, Preserve the Taste of Summer (PTTS). PTTS is a comprehensive hybrid food preservation program comprised of online lessons and corresponding in-person workshops. PTTS participants reported increases in knowledge about food preservation food safety and recommended food preservation techniques after participating.

I-Walk: An Innovative Approach To Community Walkability, Christopher J. Seeger, Catherine J. Lillehoj, Alan D. Jensen, Suzy Wilson

Journal of Extension

One way of combating rising obesity rates and decreasing physical activity levels among children is to promote active transportation to and from schools. The award-winning I-WALK program provides a comprehensive framework for addressing community walkability and related infrastructure. The program uses a unique and innovative methodology that combines volunteer data collection workshops; classroom-based teacher tallies; and a dynamic Web-based survey that brings parents and children together to discuss school transportation issues. The program's success demonstrates the benefits of coalition-building and community-based participatory research approaches to designing healthy and safe local environments.

Parenting Needs As Perceived By Agency Personnel Working With Parents And Young Children In Southern Nevada, Yaebin Kim

Journal of Extension

Extension educators have used different methods to collect information for a needs assessment, including advisory committees, survey questionnaires, focus groups, interviews with key informants, or a combination of the former. This article describes the use of key informant interviews (agency personnel working with parents and young children) that investigated concerns about parents and needs of parents in their community, and summarizes issues uncovered related to family, agency, and community. Results identify important implications for the development of parenting programming with parents of young children and more in-depth future parenting education research.

Taking Care Of You: Body, Mind, Spirit—A Unique Stress Management Program That Improves Lifestyle Behaviors, Molly Vetter-Smith, Vera Massey, Linda Rellergert, Mary Wissman

Journal of Extension

Taking Care of You: Body, Mind, Spirit is a multi-session group program developed by University of Missouri Extension that provides a unique and practical approach to helping adults better managing their stress and bounce back from life's challenges while improving lifestyle behaviors. The program combines mindfulness and a variety of other research-based positive psychology concepts and strategies as well as holistic wellness concepts. As a result of the program, participants' stress levels significantly decreased and health behaviors significantly improved. This is one of very few stress management programs to show significant improvements in lifestyle behaviors.

Improving Food Safety Knowledge Through An Online Training Program, Rebecca S. Dittmar, Jenna Anding, Stephen Green

Journal of Extension

Foodborne illness is a major public health concern in the U.S. The CDC estimates that approximately 48 million Americans become ill, 128,000 hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne illnesses annually. Most of these illnesses are attributed to improper food handling. To meet the growing demand for food safety training, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service developed an online course to educate food handlers in food safety best practices. Since 2008, over 7,200 food service workers have completed the online course, demonstrating that such a tool can be can used to expand Extension's outreach to this important audience.

The Role Of Evaluation In Determining The Public Value Of Extension, Nancy K. Franz Dr., Mary Arnold, Sarah Baughman

Journal of Extension

Extension has developed a strong evaluation culture across the system for the last 15 years. Yet measures are still limited to the private value of programs, looking at problems in a linear way and at isolated efforts. Across the country, Extension evaluators and administrators need to step up to help answer the "so what?" question about complex issues and related programming through stronger evaluation that leads to articulating the public value of Extension work.

Moving Beyond The Program: Incorporating Healthy Living Behaviors Throughout 4-H, Karen L. Franck, Joseph L. Donaldson, John Toman, Teresa Moody

Journal of Extension

A recent national needs assessment of 4-H professionals and volunteers described the need to incorporate a holistic view of healthy living throughout all 4-H programs, thereby promoting healthy lifestyles in all clubs, camps, conferences, projects, events, etc. This commentary issues a challenge to optimize the 4-H environment for healthy living and provides practical ideas to achieve that greater vision, for better living.

Exposure To Traffic Pollution, Acute Inflammation And Autonomic Response In A Panel Of Car Commuters, Jeremy A. Sarnat, Rachel Golan, Roby Greenwald, Amit U. Raysoni, Priya Kewada, Andrea Winquist, Stefanie E. Sarnat, W. Dana Flanders, Maria C. Mirabelli, Jennifer E. Zora

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Exposure to traffic pollution has been linked to numerous adverse health endpoints. Despite this, limited data examining traffic exposures during realistic commutes and acute response exists. Objectives: We conducted the Atlanta Commuters Exposures (ACE-1) Study, an extensive panel-based exposure and health study, to measure chemically-resolved in-vehicle exposures and corresponding changes in acute oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, pulmonary and systemic inflammation and autonomic response.

Methods

We recruited 42 adults (21 with and 21 without asthma) to conduct two 2-h scripted highway commutes during morning rush hour in the metropolitan Atlanta area. A suite of in-vehicle particulate components were measured in …

Essays On The Causes And Consequences Of Child Labor, Elizabeth Kaletski

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the causes and consequences of child labor. The first chapter of this work examines the empirical relationship between working and educational expenditure budget shares for children ages 5-14 in Mexico. The results indicate that, on average, girls engaged in paid work have total annual education expenditure shares that are 49% higher than girls who do not work. This relationship varies significantly with characteristics of both the individual and the household. The second chapter explores the differential impact of migration by male and female household members on household decision making and child outcomes. …

On Rural-Urban Differences In Human Capital Formation: Finding The ‘Bottlenecks’, Elton Mykerezi, Genti Kostandini, Jeffery L. Jordan, Ilda Melo

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Studies have found lower levels of educational achievement for students in rural areas focusing mostly on cross-sectional data. Using the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we follow the same youth cohort to examine whether there are metro-nonmetro gaps in high cognitive achievement, high school graduation, college readiness, degree attainment, and earnings. We find that gaps emerge early in life and they remain constant through high school.In addition,results suggest that rural students graduate from high school at the same rate as their urban counterparts, but they fall behind when it comes to college graduation rates. Growing up in a rural …

Examining Social Support In A Rural Homeless Population, Afton Jackson, Lisa Shannon

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with social support in a rural, homeless population. Ninety-six (N= 96) individuals voluntarily agreed to participate in an evaluation examining effectiveness of enhanced substance use and mental health services provided to homeless individuals. The primary variables of interest were: demographics, substance use, mental and physical health, and social support. We used bivariate analyses to examine the sample using two different indicators of past-thirty-day social support: (1) family/friend social support [no support/support] and (2) self-help group social support [no support groups/support groups]. We used two multivariate logistic regressions to examine the …

Instituting A Behavioral Wellness Program And Updating A Clinical Pathway For Economically Disadvantaged Overweight And Obese Adults In A Community Health Center: A Clinical Scholarship Project, Kimberly D. Buck

Dissertations

This project is intentionally instituted in an underserved community in an attempt to bridge the gap of health disparities in a population that would otherwise not have access to such programs. The purpose of this clinical scholarship project is to work with the Midwestern health center to encourage weight loss as well as to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce risk factors among economically disadvantaged persons by: (a) starting a wellness program that incorporates both behavioral and physical health using principles of motivational interviewing and health coaching, and (b) updating a clinical pathway for persons with a body mass index twenty-five …

Effect Of A Lifestyle Modification Intervention On Perceived Stress: Associations With Weight Loss And A1c In Type 2 Diabetes, Karin A. Garcia

Open Access Theses

Stress may have an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications (Black, 2006). Individuals with T2D who experience higher levels of stress also tend to experience poorer glycemic control and more exacerbated diabetes related complications than less stressed counterparts (Surwit & Schneider, 1993). Obesity has also been linked to T2D as those with a higher BMI are at greater risk for developing the disease and disease-related comorbidities (Astrup & Finer, 2000; Moore, Wilson, D’Agostino, Finkle & Elliso, 2000). Lifestyle modification interventions, designed for individuals with or at risk for developing T2D, have primarily focused …

Deep-Sea Octopus (Graneledone Boreopacifica) Conducts The Longest-Known Egg-Brooding Period Of Any Animal, Bruce Robison, Brad A. Seibel, Jeffrey Drazen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Octopuses typically have a single reproductive period and then they die (semelparity). Once a clutch of fertilized eggs has been produced, the female protects and tends them until they hatch. In most shallow-water species this period of parental care can last from 1 to 3 months, but very little is known about the brooding of deep-living species. In the cold, dark waters of the deep ocean, metabolic processes are often slower than their counterparts at shallower depths. Extrapolations from data on shallow-water octopus species suggest that lower temperatures would prolong embryonic development periods. Likewise, laboratory studies have linked lower temperatures …

A City Club Report On Measure 92: Gmo Labeling, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Volume 51, Number 50: July 30, 2014, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Prognostic Value Of A Quantitative Analysis Of Lipoarabinomannan In Urine From Patients With Hiv-Associated Tuberculosis, Andrew D. Kerkhoff, Robin Wood, Monica Vogt, Stephen D. Lawn

Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Detection of the mycobacterial cell wall antigen lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine can be used to diagnose HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) using a qualitative (positive/negative) read-out. However, it is not known whether the quantity of LAM present in urine provides additional prognostic information.

Methods/Findings

Consecutively recruited adult outpatients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa were investigated for TB regardless of clinical symptoms using sputum smear microscopy and liquid culture (reference standard). Urine samples were tested using the Clearview TB-ELISA for LAM and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. The ELISA optical densities (OD) were used as a quantitative assessment of urine LAM. …

Hotline Press Newspaper- July 2014 Vol 30 No 12, Hotline Press Newspaper

Hotline Press Newspaper 2014

No abstract provided.

Sheep Updates 2014, James Kynge, David Lindsay, Johan Greeff, John Young, Luke Stephen, Graham Gardner, Stephen Lee, Bindi Murray, James Rowe

Sheep Updates

This session covers nine papers from different authors:

Genetic Research: A brave new world of opportunities

1. "China's Appetite" - The implications for WA, James Kynge, Chairman, FT Confidential Research, Emerging Markets Editor, Financial Times, London.

2. The genetics warm-up - the secret language of genetic research and its impacts on WA's sheep flock, Professor David Lindsay, University of Western Australia, Perth WA

The strength of genetic data: is it really valuable?

3. Genetic research in Western Australia - What have the compromises in production been? Johan Greeff, Senior Geneticist, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia

4. Show …

2014-July-30-Plant Biochemistry Research, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

The Association Of Wellness Policy Quality And Percentage Of Obesity In Schools, Bryce M. Abbey

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Schools possess a unique opportunity to reach a large captive audience and are becoming one of the battlegrounds for childhood obesity. To address the school environment’s role on the influence of American children’s nutritional intake and participation in physical activity, the United States (US) Federal Government adopted the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, placing an emphasis on implementation of the local school wellness policy (LSW). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between LSW and percentage of obesity in school districts within Nebraska. Aggregate district-wide body mass index (BMI) percentile data were utilized from previously collected …

Psychosocial Food-Related Behavior And Food Intake Of Adult Main Meal Preparers Of Food For 9-10 Year-Old Children Participating In Icook, A Five-State Childhood Obesity Pilot Prevention Study, Ashley A. Miller

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding adult outcomes of programs aimed at childhood obesity prevention is necessary because parents/caregivers are the most important influence on a child’s physical activity and eating habits. Based on the principles of the social cognitive theory, the iCook 4-H pilot study taught dyads consisting of 9-10 year-old children and their primary meal preparers cooking skills, healthy shopping and meal habits, and easy ways to incorporate physical activity as a family. The program took place in five states, Maine, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In each state, adult-youth dyads (n = 54) were recruited by 4-H programs and nutrition …

Reduced Intestinal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Increases Vagal Sensory Innervation Of The Intestine And Enhances Satiation, Jessica E. Biddinger, Edward A. Fox

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced by developing and mature gastrointestinal (GI) tissues that are heavily innervated by autonomic neurons and may therefore control their development or function. To begin investigating this hypothesis, we compared the morphology, distribution, and density of intraganglionic laminar endings (IGLEs), the predominant vagal GI afferent, in mice with reduced intestinal BDNF (INT-BDNF_/_) and controls. Contrary to expectations of reduced development, IGLE density and longitudinal axon bundle number in the intestine of INT-BDNF_/_ mice were increased, but stomach IGLEs were normal. INT-BDNF_/_ mice also exhibited increased vagal sensory neuron numbers, suggesting that their survival was enhanced. …

The Effect Of A Community-Based Exercise Program On Inflammation, Metabolic Risk, And Fitness Levels Among Persons Living With Hiv/Aids, Stacy E. Cutrono

Open Access Dissertations

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic remains a top national health priority. Chronic inflammation may be a critical component in the disease course of HIV as C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated and associated with increased mortality. This study examined the effect of three months of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training among a diverse cohort of HIV-infected men and women. The fixed effect of time for CRP was found to be non-significant (F[1,57.3]=1.7, p=0.19). There was a significant fixed effect for time for upper body (F[1,51.6]=18.1, p<0.05) and lower body strength (F[1,48.0]=15.7, p<0.05) and significant declines in diastolic blood pressure (p=0.002) and waist circumference (p=0.027). Though levels of CRP were not impacted after three months training, participants demonstrated a significant increase in muscular strength as well as beneficial changes in metabolic risk factors. Future studies should focus on determining the optimal exercise intervention length and mode to reduce inflammation.

Adherence Inhibition Of Human Pathogens Campylobacter Jejuni And Campylobacter Coli By Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides, Alejandra Ramirez-Hernandez

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adherence is the first and one of the most important steps of bacterial pathogenesis. Natural derived components that inhibit the adherence of pathogens to the surface of epithelial cells have received considered interest. The goal of this research was to assess the anti-adherence activity of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), pectic oligosaccharides (POS) and cranberry high molecular weight component (HMW) against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. First the anti-adherence activity of MOS and their purified fraction (pMOS) was tested against three strains of C. jejuni and two strains of C. coli. Results shown significant reductions in adherence (up to 70%) …