Digital Commons Network^™

Nutrition-Related Policy And Environmental Strategies To Prevent Obesity In Rural Communities: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, 2002–2013, Larissa Calancie, Jennifer Leeman, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, Laura Kettel Khan, Kelly R. Evenson, Michelle Schreiner, Carmen Byker, Clint Owens, Jared Mcguirt, Ellen Barnidge, Wesley Dean, Donna Johnson, Jane Kolodinsky, Emily Piltch, Courtney Pinard, Emilee Quinn, Lauren Whetstone, Alice Ammerman, Sheila Fleischhacker

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Residents of rural communities in the United States are at higher risk for obesity than their urban and suburban counterparts. Policy and environmental-change strategies supporting healthier dietary intake can prevent obesity and promote health equity. Evidence in support of these strategies is based largely on urban and suburban studies; little is known about use of these strategies in rural communities. The purpose of this review was to synthesize available evidence on the adaptation, implementation, and effectiveness of policy and environmental obesity-prevention strategies in rural settings.

Reductions In Urinary Collection Frequency For Assessment Of Reproductive Hormones Provide Physiologically Representative Exposure And Mean Concentrations When Compared With Daily Collection, Heather C.M. Allaway, Nancy J. Williams, Rebecca J. Mallinson, Karsten Koehler, Mary Jane De Souza

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective — To determine if reducing the frequency of urinary sample collection from daily to 5, 3, or 2 days per week during a menstrual cycle or 28-day amenorrheic monitoring period provide accurate representations of the reproductive hormone metabolites estrone- 1-glucuronide (E1G) and pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG) exposure and mean concentrations.

Methods — Exercising women presenting with eumenorrhea or exercise-associated menstrual disturbances collected daily urine samples for the assessment of E1G and PdG concentrations. After enzyme immunoassay analysis of the daily samples, E1G and PdG data were systematically removed from each menstrual cycle or amenorrheic monitoring period to mimic three reduced …

Physiological Responses Underlying The Perception Of Effort During Moderate And Heavy Intensity Cycle Ergometry, Kristen C. Cochrane, Terry J. Housh, Ethan C. Hill, Cory M. Smith, Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins, Joel T. Cramer, Glen O. Johnson, Richard J. Schmidt

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study examined patterns of responses for physiological and perceptual variables during cycle ergometry at a constant rate of perceived exertion (RPE) within the moderate and heavy exercise intensity domains. Nineteen (mean age 21.3 ± 0.5 years; 43.4 ± 2.0 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ VO_2Peak) moderately trained cyclists performed an incremental test to exhaustion and two 60 min constant RPE rides at the RPE corresponding to the gas exchange threshold (RPE_GET) and 15% above the GET (RPE_GET+15%). Oxygen consumption (VO₂), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (V_E), …

Cloning And Expression Of Ebi3 And P28 Subunits Of Human Interleukin 27 In E. Coli, Ameneh Koochaki, Mojgan Bandehpour, Sam Massahi, Mahrou Sadri, Bahram Kazemi

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Interleukin (IL)-27 is a heterodimeric cytokine belonging to IL-12 and IL-23 families, secreted by antigen presenting cells(APCs). The IL-27 is composed of 2 subunits: Epstein-Barr virus induced gene 3 (EBI3) and p28. IL-27 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine which has an inhibitory effect on Th17 population and suppress the IL-17 expression. It is suggested that IL-27 could be a potent drug candidate for treating auto immune diseases.

Materials and Methods: The EBI3 and p28 subunits of human interleukin 27 were constructed into plasmid vectors; they sub-cloned into pETDuet-1 expression vector in restriction sites of BamHI, SacI and NotI. Subsequently the …

Neural Circuit Dependence Of Acute And Subacute Nociception In C. Elegans, Yifan Xu

Student Theses and Dissertations

Nociception, the detection and avoidance of harmful cues, is a crucial system in all organisms. Animals use nociceptive systems to escape from substances that decrease survival, and can also modulate the threshold for avoidance behaviors to weigh the attractive features of an environment against its harmful features. To allow regulation, the nociception system of mammals incorporates multiple feedback and feedforward loops in its central and peripheral pathways. The nociception system of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans shares many features of the mammalian circuit. Both neural circuits feature a direct path from sensory neurons to motor neurons that is connected by a …

Why Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others: Metabolic Correlates Of Human Attraction In Aedes Aegypti, Lindsay Lee Bellani

Student Theses and Dissertations

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the principal vectors of two major infectious diseases that plague the developing world today: dengue fever and chikungunya, with dengue fever alone resulting in ~400 million total yearly infections, and ~24,000 deaths (Bhatt et al., 2013). Understanding the biology behind Ae. aegypti attraction to humans is critical for developing novel strategies to combat these diseases. Yet, even the basic act of how mosquitoes choose one human host over another is poorly understood. Many previous studies on differential attraction have focused on small, homogenous subject populations and addressed a single hypothesis. We took the opposite strategy and …

Activity Based Profiling: New Insights Into Metabolic Homeostasis, Keith Tan

Student Theses and Dissertations

There is mounting evidence that demonstrates that body weight and energy homeostasis is tightly regulated by a physiological system. This system consists of sensing and effector components that primarily reside in the central nervous system and disruption to these components can lead to obesity and metabolic disorders. Although many neural substrates have been identified in the past decades, there is reason to believe that there are numerous unidentified neural populations that play a role in energy balance. Besides regulating caloric consumption and energy expenditure, neural components that control energy homeostasis are also tightly intertwined with circadian rhythmicity but this aspect …

Normalization Among Heterogeneous Population Confers Stimulus Discriminability On The Macaque Face Patch Neurons, Akinori F. Ebihara

Student Theses and Dissertations

Primates are capable of recognizing faces even in highly cluttered natural scenes. In order to understand how the primate brain achieves face recognition despite this clutter, it is crucial to study the representation of multiple faces in face selective cortex. However, contrary to the essence of natural scenes, most experiments on face recognition literatures use only few faces at a time on a homogeneous background to study neural response properties. It thus remains unclear how face selective neurons respond to multiple stimuli, some of which might be encompassed by their receptive fields (RFs), others not. How is the neural representation …

Characterization Of Bacterial Metabolites Involved In Host Pathogen Resistance, Kavita J. Rangan

Student Theses and Dissertations

The intestinal microbiome can mediate host resistance to enteric pathogens by modulating host immunity or by directly inhibiting pathogen growth and virulence. Although the abundance and diversity of bacterial metabolites in the intestine is appreciated, the majority of intestinal bacteria and bacterial products have not been characterized in the context of microbiota-mediated pathogen resistance. In this thesis, we describe two projects aimed at developing new methodologies to study how intestinal bacteria, and the metabolites they generate, inhibit bacterial pathogenesis. In Chapters 2 and 3, we use a chemical reporter strategy to analyze fatty acid protein modifications in bacteria. Dietary and …

If Long-Term Resistance To A Spruce Beetle Epidemic Is Futile, Can Silvicultural Treatments Increase Resilience In Spruce-Fir Forests In The Central Rocky Mountains?, Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione, James N. Long

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Within the Central Rocky Mountains, spruce beetle populations have the potential to rapidly transition from endemic to epidemic levels in the spruce-fir (Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir) forest type. Conventional management has focused on creating resistance to spruce beetle outbreaks by manipulating the overstory density and composition. Three silvicultural treatments, single tree selection, group selection, and shelterwood with reserves, were established in a spruce-fir forest in northern Utah with the goals of increasing both resistance and resilience to outbreaks. Resistance and resilience metrics were explicitly defined. Pre-harvest and two post-harvest measurements were used to assess how the different silvicultural treatments …

The Effectiveness Of A Coconut Beverage On Exercise Performance, Rayanne K. Nguyen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Coconut water (CW) is a new sports drink on the market appealing to consumers who are seeking a more natural alternative to the traditional carbohydrate-containing sports beverage. CW contains five essential electrolytes as compared to the standard sports drinks which typically contains only two or three. Very little research has been completed in testing the effect of CW in exercise performance; however, carbohydrate-based sports drinks have been confirmed to replete glycogen reserves and thus act as an effective ergogenic aid. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of CW on recovery and exercise performance in …

An Exploratory Study Of Arranged-Love Marriage In Couples From Collectivistic Culture, Samreen Qamaruddin Patel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomena of arranged-love marriage in married individuals from collectivistic cultures currently residing in the United States. This study was an attempt to understand the first-hand experiences of individuals who have entered into arranged-love marriages. Participants were asked semi-structured probing questions to gain an in-depth analysis of their experiences. It was discovered that contemporary Asian-Indian/Pakistani marital arrangements draw on concepts from both collectivistic and individualistic cultures as it relates to mate selection. Utilizing the modernization theory as an ecological backdrop and the social-exchange theory to understand the individuals in this type of …

Effects Of Eccentric Weight Training And A Whey Beverage On Muscular Hypertrophy And Strength In Trained Males, Meagan Mary O'Connor

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Consumption of high quality protein and carbohydrates post resistance exercise has been shown to increase muscle mass while decreasing muscular damage. Eccentric only exercises have been shown to increase muscle hypertrophy and strength.;Methods: Twenty-three resistance-trained males age 18-30 enrolled in this study and were randomly assigned to either a 29 g whey protein isolate or 132.5 g whey and carbohydrate beverage following an 8-week eccentric only resistance weight lifting protocol. 19 participants tested one-rep maximum tests for the bench press and leg press along with anthropometric measurements prior to, halfway through, and following completion of the study.;Results: Split-plot repeated …

Effects Of Food Elimination, Based On Alcat Testing, On Inflammatory Markers, Body Composition, And Medical Symptoms, Jodi Marie Hoppensteadt

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Growing evidence suggests that systemic inflammation and obesity are associated. Lifestyle changes such as dietary modification may be beneficial in reducing obesity-related chronic inflammation and its related disease states. Conversely, inflammation may be exacerbated by food intolerance(s). Therefore, it is important to determine if dietary modifications have an effect on inflammatory markers, body composition or medical symptoms. Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine whether an elimination diet plan, based on ALCAT testing, influenced inflammatory response, body composition and medical symptoms. Conclusions: These results suggest that the elimination of inflammatory foods had a positive impact on SAA, …

Growing A Sustainable Community, Joseph Fulginiti, Alexander Moxam, Roderick Thompson

CwiC-PH

Poster includes: Summer Goals, Community Barriers, Fruits of Labor, Room for Growth and Community Assets.

Table Of Contents, Journal Of Law And Health

Journal of Law and Health

No abstract provided.

Practice What You Preach: Does The National School Lunch Program Meet Nutritional Recommendations Set By Other Usda Programs?, ‘Lizabeth Disiena

Journal of Law and Health

Part II of this Note provides a historical background of the National School Lunch Program,20 specifically analyzing the purpose, implementation, and current state of the program. Part III begins by explaining why consideration of calories plays an important role in achieving proper weight management. It then concludes with a comparison between the caloric intake requirements of the National School Lunch Program,21 and the nutritional recommendations by other USDA government health initiatives,22 and non-governmental programs.23 Finally, Part IV proposes that the National School Lunch Program24 provide nutrition options for students that appropriately consider age, gender, and activity level in determination of …

Establishment Of Biotrophy By The Maize Anthracnose Pathogen Colletotrichum Graminicola: Use Of Bioinformatics And Transcriptomics To Address The Potential Roles Of Secretion, Stress Response, And Secreted Proteins, Ester Alvarenga Santos Buiate

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Colletotrichum graminicola is a hemibiotrophic pathogen of maize that causes anthracnose leaf and stalk rot diseases. The pathogen penetrates the host and initially establishes an intracellular biotrophic infection, in which the hyphae are separated from the living host cell by a membrane that is elaborated by the host, apparently in response to pathogen signals. A nonpathogenic mutant (MT) of C. graminicola was generated that germinates and penetrates the host normally, but is incapable of establishing a normal biotrophic infection. The mutated gene is Cpr1, conserved in eukaryotes and predicted to encode a component of the signal peptidase complex. How …

The Threat Lives On: How To Exclude Expectant Mothers From Prosecution For Mere Exposure Of Hiv To Their Fetuses And Infants, Shahabudeen K. Khan

Cleveland State Law Review

There is a renewed interest in HIV/AIDS issues given that better treatment is available. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, recently published best practice guidelines to reform HIV-specific criminal laws to conform to modern science. The DOJ’s latest guidelines urge states to “reform and modernize” the laws to reflect modern science. There is a lot of unfinished work regarding the ineffectiveness and stigma associated with HIV criminal transmission laws as a whole. These laws are “no good” and counterintuitive in the fight against this unfortunate disease. There have been calls to repeal these laws in their entirety. That …

Community Based Programming Promoting Physical Activity, Jennifer Hight M.S. Otr/L

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing health concern, negatively impacting a child’s quality of life, and ability to engage in daily occupations; while contributing to rising healthcare costs. This Capstone Project is a community based program encouraging the development of gross motor skills in the four year old population of a local childcare center to promote engagement in physical activity for less engagement in sedentary daily activities.

Purpose: Although many causal factors have been linked to childhood obesity, current review of the literature demonstrating effective interventions to decrease obesity in the pediatric population is limited, and there is a scarcity …

A Descriptive Study Of Menopausal Woman's Life Experiences, Stressors And Their Occupational Meanings, Melanie Ford Dr.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This study describes some of the major physical and emotional occupational needs of menopausal women, and the direct impact this has on their relationships and overall well-being. The primary objective of this research project was to describe the life experiences of menopausal women and how various stressors affected their emotional, physical, and relational occupations. A descriptive grounded theory method was used to explore the stressors, their meanings, and the women’s unique perspectives of their menopausal experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then coded and analyzed into key categories. From this information, specific themes were formulated, resulting in an …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Primary Care, Priti Patel

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The Capstone Project is focused on communicating, influencing and educating other health care professionals regarding the role of occupational therapy in the future model of primary care delivery initiated by the adoption of the Affordable Care Act and the Triple Aim Initiative. Currently, primary care, the largest health care platform in United States, is not inclusive of occupational therapy services. Occupational therapists have the scope, knowledge and understanding to be part of the redesigned team model of primary care. Educating those currently working in primary care about adding occupational therapy services can have a significant impact on the profession of …

The Association Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Magaly Perez Nieves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A research report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that more than 50% of people with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the United States (U.S.) also have arthritis. The diabetes population is disproportionately affected by arthritis, but there has been limited and inconsistent research to confirm the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study aimed to identify an association between T2DM and RA for noninstitutionalized U.S. adults between 1999 and 2012 using a nationally representative sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (n =31,488 ). A …

Awareness Of Diabetes Risk Associated With Individuals 18 And Older, Rebecca Jane Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is increasing at epidemic proportions, and is 12-17% higher in Marion County Florida than it is across the state, based on Florida Department of Health statistics. The purpose of this DNP project was to determine if awareness of individual risk of developing Type 2 diabetes through a questionnaire would result in high-risk participants agreeing to attend a diabetes prevention program (DPP) at a local medical clinic. The health belief model and Rosswurm and Larrabee's model for change were used as frameworks. The review of the literature showed that prevention programs were highly effective …

Health Care Seeking Behavior And Provider Responses For Hcv-Positive African Americans, Kathleen Susanna Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Of the 3.5 million persons infected with chronic HCV in the United States, the African American population is the largest racial group with chronic HCV. Disparities in access to care and treatment involve a complex set of individual, interpersonal, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that influence the course of HCV infection in the African American population, resulting in poorer outcomes and survival. Drawing upon both the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior, this study was conducted to determine whether the seeking of health care by HCV-positive African Americans and the responses of health care providers to HCV-positive …

Financing School-Based Health Centers: Sustaining Business Operational Services, Ingrid Monique Hayes-Burrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School-based health centers (SBHCs) have faced challenges in securing adequate funding for operations and developing sound business systems for billing and reimbursement. Specifically, administrators often lack strategies to develop and sustain funding levels to support appropriate resources for business operations. The focus of this descriptive study was to explore best practice strategies to develop and sustain funding through the experiences of SBHC administrators. The conceptual framework included Elkington's sustainability theory, which posits that corporate social responsibility, stakeholder involvement, and citizenship improve manager's effect on the business system. Twenty full-time SBHC administrators working in separate locations throughout the state of Maryland …

Diabetes Self-Management Education Program, Lesa Faye Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is a devastating disease in American. The disease can cause chronic health comorbidities, and untreated diabetes has negative consequences for individuals and on our nation's economy. Newly diagnosed diabetics often have a lack of knowledge about the disease process. The purpose of this project was to design and implement a diabetes educational program to enhance participants' knowledge about diabetes management and self-care using the Health Belief Model. Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) is critical in improving patient outcomes and the prevention of diabetes related complications. Participation in a standardized diabetic educational intervention will improve patient knowledge, as measured by a …

Diabetes Education Tailored Towards English Speaking Caribbean Immigrants, Joanna A. Dunk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing among persons of Caribbean ancestry in the United States, yet there is little research on the differences in the health and nutrition patterns of diabetics from this population. This study created a culturally-sensitive diabetes education program for the staff of an internal medicine practice that treated patients from the English-speaking Caribbean. The project was guided by the health belief model, as well as Leininger's theory of transcultural nursing. Methodology of project had a quality improvement focus. The comprehensive curriculum included diabetes medications, physical activity, culturally-tailored medical nutrition therapy, complications, self-care behavior, problem solving, and …

Examination Of Adhd Symptoms In Children Of Traveling Armed Services Members, Giovanda Dewette Norman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has captured a notable increase in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States. This increase in ADHD diagnosis is also seen in children in military communities. A gap in the literature exists regarding how military deployment affects the presentation of ADHD symptoms of children aged 3 to 15 in military families. The study examined the effect of military deployment status on children aged 3 to 15 with symptoms of ADHD. Participants were 164 military families, representative of the diversity of the military, from military bases around Southern California. Each participant responded to 2 questionnaires: …

Efficacy Of African American Grandmothers Regarding The Education Of Custodial Grandchildren, Valarie Louise Petty Boyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The roles of grandparents, from occasional helpers to custodial adults in their grandchildren's lives, often raise levels of social discomfort among those involved,; especially when the children are still in elementary school. A disproportionate number of custodial grandparents are African American women. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 8 custodial African American grandmothers in Delaware regarding the education of their school-aged grandchildren. The theoretical foundation was Carter and McGoldrick's theory of families as interconnected systems, and Sands, Goldberg-Glen, Shin, and Robin's theory that life event changes often lead to stress and coping strategies. Data were collected through in-depth …