Digital Commons Network^™

Learning From Women About Hiv Risk, Hiv Testing Behaviors, And Prevention Practices In Mpumalanga, South Africa: A Descriptive Study To Inform Microbicides Introduction, Martha Brady, Saiqa Mullick, Barbara Friedland, Marlena Gehret Plagianos, Linda Du Plessis, Thabiso Mango

HIV and AIDS

The provision of any new prevention product in clinical trial settings is often vastly different from implementation in “real life” public sector settings. In addition, use of antiretrovirals (ARV), such as tenofovir gel, for pre-exposure prophylaxis requires regular HIV testing to ensure users are uninfected before initiating and continuing product use. Therefore, before any ARV-based prevention product can be introduced to women, information is needed on HIV testing practices, how best to integrate products into existing primary health care systems, and women’s risk perception and health-seeking behaviors. The Population Council, in partnership with Solutions IPPT, conducted a study to learn …

Smarter Lunchroom Makeover Pilot- The Effect Of Subtle Nudging Strategies On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among Students Participating In The National School Lunch Program, Eliza Webber

Public Health Theses

Childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States, putting many of the nation’s children at an increased risk of developing serious health conditions. One way this crisis is being addressed is through efforts such as those made by the National School Lunch Program to improve children’s dietary quality by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables provided in school meals. However, offering students more fruits and vegetables does not guarantee that they will consume more fruits and vegetables, and some critics believe these new regulations will simply lead to more meal waste without increasing students’ fruit and vegetable …

The Obese And The Elite: Using Law To Reclaim School Sports, Dionne L. Koller

Oklahoma Law Review

Sports in schools are a uniquely American phenomenon. Athletic programs flourish in high schools, colleges, and universities with traditionally very little interference by legislatures or courts. The most notable, if not limited, exception to this deference is Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title IX), which prohibits educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of gender. As applied to athletic programs, Title IX is often cited as a public policy success. The law has led to the creation of meaningful sports participation opportunities for women and girls and shaped new norms for sports …

Healthy Outside-Healthy Inside: The Human Health & Well-Being Benefits Of Alberta's Protected Areas - Towards A Benefits-Based Management Agenda, Christopher J. Lemieux, Sean T. Doherty, Paul F.J. Eagles, Joyce Gould, Glen T. Hvenegaard, Elizabeth (Lisa) Nisbet, Mark W. Groulx

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

This report details the results of an empirical study that examined perceived health and well-being motives and benefits among visitors to a sample of Alberta’s parks and protected areas. The study revealed several major findings with important policy and management implications. First, the human health and well-being benefits that the visitors expected to receive from visits were perceived to be a major personal motivation in the choice to visit Alberta protected areas. The most important motivation factors identified by respondents were psychological and emotional well-being (89.1% of visitors ranked this important), social well-being (88.3%), physical well-being (80.3%), and environmental well-being …

Louisiana Agriculture Winter, 2015

Louisiana Agriculture

No abstract provided.

Blueberries Improve Glucose Tolerance Without Altering Body Composition In Obese Postmenopausal Mice, Carrie M. Elks, Jennifer D. Terrebonne, Donald K. Ingram, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2015 The Obesity Society. Objective Metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk increases significantly during menopause and remains elevated postmenopause. Several botanicals, including blueberries (BB), have been shown to delay MetS progression, but few studies have been conducted in postmenopausal animal models. Here, the effects of BB supplementation on obese postmenopausal mice using a chemically induced menopause model were examined. Methods After induction of menopause, mice were fed a high-fat diet or the same diet supplemented with 4% BB powder for 12 weeks. Body weight and body composition were measured, and mice were subjected to glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Serum triglycerides …

Isothiocyanate-Rich Moringa Oleifera Extract Reduces Weight Gain, Insulin Resistance, And Hepatic Gluconeogenesis In Mice, Patricio Rojas-Silva, Tugba Boyunegmez Tumer, Peter Kuhn, Allison J. Richard, Shawna Wicks, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Zhong Wang, Randy Mynatt, William Cefalu, Ilya Raskin

Faculty Publications

© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Scope: Moringa oleifera (moringa) is tropical plant traditionally used as an antidiabetic food. It produces structurally unique and chemically stable moringa isothiocyanates (MICs) that were evaluated for their therapeutic use in vivo. Methods and results: C57BL/6L mice fed very high fat diet (VHFD) supplemented with 5% moringa concentrate (MC, delivering 66 mg/kg/d of MICs) accumulated fat mass, had improved glucose tolerance and insulin signaling, and did not develop fatty liver disease compared to VHFD-fed mice. MC-fed group also had reduced plasma insulin, leptin, resistin, cholesterol, IL-1β, TNFα, and lower hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase …

Diosgenin, 4-Hydroxyisoleucine, And Fiber From Fenugreek: Mechanisms Of Actions And Potential Effects On Metabolic Syndrome, Scott Fuller, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2015 American Society for Nutrition. Metabolic syndrome and its complications continue to rise in prevalence and show no signs of abating in the immediate future. Therefore, the search for effective treatments is a high priority in biomedical research. Products derived from botanicals have a time-honored history of use in the treatment of metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Trigonella foenum-graecum, commonly known as fenugreek, is an annual herbaceous plant that has been a staple of traditional herbal medicine in many cultures. Although fenugreek has been studied in both clinical and basic research settings, questions remain about its efficacy and …

Fat In Flames: Influence Of Cytokines And Pattern Recognition Receptors On Adipocyte Lipolysis, Ryan W. Grant, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2015 the American Physiological Society. Adipose tissue has the largest capacity to store energy in the body and provides energy through the release of free fatty acids during times of energy need. Different types of immune cells are recruited to adipose tissue under various physiological conditions, indicating that these cells contribute to the regulation of adipose tissue. One major pathway influenced by a number of immune cells is the release of free fatty acids through lipolysis during both physiological (e.g., cold stress) and pathophysiological processes (e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes). Adipose tissue expansion during obesity leads to immune cell …

Seasonal Changes In Soil Organic Matter After A Decade Of Nutrient Addition In A Lowland Tropical Forest, Benjamin L. Turner, Joseph B. Yavitt, Kyle E. Harms, Milton N. Garcia, S. Joseph Wright

Faculty Publications

© 2015, US Government. Soil organic matter is an important pool of carbon and nutrients in tropical forests. The majority of this pool is assumed to be relatively stable and to turn over slowly over decades to centuries, although changes in nutrient status can influence soil organic matter on shorter timescales. We measured carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations in soil organic matter and leaf litter over an annual cycle in a long-term nutrient addition experiment in lowland tropical rain forest in the Republic of Panama. Total soil carbon was not affected by a decade of factorial combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, …

2015 Annual Report, Louisiana Rice Research Board, Lsu Agcenter

Louisiana Rice Research Board Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Cumulative Systolic Bp And Changes In Urine Albuminto-Creatinine Ratios In Nondiabetic Participants Of The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Paul Zemaitis, Kiang Liu, David R. Jacobs, Mary Cushman, Ramon Durazo-Arvizu, David Shoham, Walter Palmas, Richard Cooper, Holly Kramer

Faculty Publications

Background and objectives Cumulative exposure to elevated systolic BP (cumSBP) may affect progression of urine albumin excretion in the absence of diabetes. The objective of this study was to examine the association between cumSBP exposure and progression of spot urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in a multi-ethnic cohort of adults without diabetes. Design, setting, participants,&measurements The analysis included 3789 participants without severely increased urine albumin excretion or diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a cohort of 6814 adults aged 45– 84 years. UACR was measured at baseline and approximately 1.6, 3.1, and 9.4 years after the baseline examination. cumSBP was …

The Environmental Health Of The Autistic Student In The Public School Classroom, Antonia Klein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professionals have found autism to be an enigmatic condition. While necessary

biomedical research continues, a gap exists in the inclusion of parental opinions,

knowledge, and experiences in educational planning for their autistic children. The

purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the factors that the parents felt

contributed to the academic success of their autistic child in the public school classroom

environment and ways in which their ideas might contribute to overall educational

planning and classroom design in structure, curriculum development, and intervention

strategies which might lead to reduced stress. Parental input was explored through

semistructured personal interviews …

"Go Not Far To Dine" Pedagogical Approaches To Sustainable Consumption In The Eighteenth-Century Studies Classroom And Beyond, Marlon Pareja, Sher Li Ong, Michelle Merrill, Samara Anne Cahill

1650-1850: Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era

No abstract provided.

An Eighteenth-Century Plea For Sustainable Forestry Ostervald's Description Des Montagnes & Vallees Du Pays De Neuchatel (1764), Alexandra Cook

1650-1850: Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On Workers' Compensation: Opportunities And Considerations, David A. North

William Mitchell Law Review

No abstract provided.

Go Wish- Pediatrics : Pilot Study Of A Conversation Tool In Pediatric Palliative Care, Meghan Ryan Potthoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem: Difficult conversations and decisions are an unfortunate reality for parents caring for children facing life threatening conditions. Confusing, inadequate, and inconsistent communication by health care providers makes advance care planning difficult in pediatrics.
Design: A mixed methods design was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of an advance care planning conversation tool, Go Wish- Pediatrics, on the emotional resources and distress experienced by parents caring for children in palliative care.
Methods: For this pilot study, a mailed invitation to participate was sent to 134 parents of children currently enrolled in palliative care which yielded a total of ten participants. …

"Free The Land": A Call For Local Governments To Address Climate-Induced Food Insecurity In Environmental Justice Communities, Liza Guerra Garcia

William Mitchell Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Resistant-Starch Enriched Yogurt: Fermentability, Sensory Characteristics, And A Pilot Study In Children, Frank Greenway, Jolene Zheng, Kayanush Aryana, Nikhil Dhurandhar, Richard Tulley, John Finley, Michael Keenan, Roy Martin, Christine Pelkman, Douglas Olson

Faculty Publications

The rising prevalence of obesity and the vulnerability of the pediatric age group have highlighted the critical need for a careful consideration of effective, safe, remedial and preventive dietary interventions. Amylose starch (RS2) from high-amylose maize (HAM) ferments in the gut and affects body weight. One hundred and ten children, of 7-8 (n=91) or 13-14 (n=19) years of age scored the sensory qualities of a yogurt supplemented with either HAM-RS2 or an amylopectin starch. The amylopectin starch yogurt was preferred to the HAM-RS2-enriched yogurt by 7-8 year old panelists (P<0.0001). Appearance, taste, and sandiness scores given by 13- to 14-year-old panelists were more favorable for the amylopectin starch yogurt than for HAM-RS2-enriched yogurt (P<0.05). HAM-RS2 supplementation resulted in acceptable (≥6 on a 1-9 scale) sensory and hedonic ratings of the yogurt in 74% of subjects. Four children consumed a HAM-RS2-enriched yogurt for four weeks to test its fermentability in a clinical trial. Three adolescents, but not the single pre-pubertal child, had reduced stool pH (P=0.1) and increased stool short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (P<0.05) including increased fecal acetate (P=0.02), and butyrate (P=0.089) from resistant starch (RS) fermentation and isobutyrate (P=0.01) from protein fermentation post-treatment suggesting a favorable change to the gut microbiota. HAM-RS2 was not modified by pasteurization of the yogurt, and may be a palatable way to increase fiber intake and stimulate colonic fermentation in adolescents. Future studies are planned to determine the concentration of HAM-RS2 that offers the optimal safe and effective strategy to prevent excessive fat gain in children.

Weight Management Counseling And Obesity Severity In Children With Special Health Care Needs, Adeola Sonaike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epidemiologic surveillance indicates an increased susceptibility to obesity among children with special health care needs (SHCN) in comparison to children without. The present study investigated this disparity in weight severity between both groups, with a focus on the provision of obesity management counseling by physicians. This study consisted of a retrospective medical record review that acknowledged the effect of patient-provider interactions on health behaviors and risk perceptions. An independent sample t test compared the incidence of clinician-initiated obesity management counseling received by children with SHCN to that which was received by children without SHCN. This t test revealed a statistically …

Mediation And Moderation Analysis Of Nutrition, Inflammatory Biomarkers, And Cognition In Older Adults, Elizabeth Handing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrition can be viewed as a modifiable factor related to maintaining and preserving health in older adults. Previous studies have found that nutritional factors can influence cognitive abilities, however few studies have examined macronutrients and micronutrients as they relate to cognitive functioning. Research has yet to examine the mechanisms related to nutrition, cognition and aging in an older adult population from a holistic and interactive perspective.

This dissertation examined three research questions to better understand the relationship between age, nutrition, cognition, and inflammatory biomarkers. First, is nutrition related to cognition beyond demographic factors? Do individual nutrients serve as mediators? Second, …

University Of New Hampshire Graduate Course Catalog, 2015-2016, University Of New Hampshire

Graduate Catalog

No abstract provided.

High Achievers Awards 2015, Aga Khan University Examination Board

The Aga Khan University Examination Board Archives

• Director’s Message
• Candidate Performance 2015
• Subject-wise Graphs for High Achievers 2015
• AKU-EB Alumni
• Wall of Fame
• A Bridge to Fulfil My Dreams...
• High Achievers Awards 2015
• SSC-Over All Top Positions in Pakistan
• SSC Part I
• SSC Part II
• HSSC - Overall Top Positions in Pakistan
• HSSC Part I
• HSSC Part II
• When Ideas Flow, Villages Grow

Plant Functional Traits Of Dominant Native And Invasive Species In Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems, Jennifer L. Funk, Rachel J. Standish, William D. Stock, Fernando Valladares

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The idea that dominant invasive plant species outperform neighboring native species through higher rates of carbon assimilation and growth is supported by several analyses of global datasets. However, theory suggests that native and invasive species occurring in low-resource environments will be functionally similar, as environmental factors restrict the range of observed physiological and morphological trait values. We measured resource-use traits in native and invasive plant species across eight diverse vegetation communities distributed throughout the five Mediterranean-climate regions, which are drought-prone and increasingly threatened by human activities including the introduction of exotic species. Traits differed strongly across the five regions. In …

Some Practices Of Theological Reasoning, Or, How To Work Well With Words, Brad Kallenberg

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

This Companion introduces readers to the practice of Christian theology, covering what theologians do, why they do it, and what steps readers can take in order to become theological practitioners themselves. The volume aims to capture the variety of practices involved in doing theology, highlighting the virtues that guide them and the responsibilities that shape them. It also shows that the description of these practices, virtues and responsibilities is itself theological: what Christian theologians do is shaped by the wider practices and beliefs of Christianity. Written by a team of leading theologians, the Companion provides a unique resource for students …

New Media Communication Preferences, James G. Ward Ed.D., Wally Guyot Ph.D., Robert Meier Ph.D., Mark Bannister J.D.

Applied Business Faculty Publications

According to Barelka, Jeyaraj, and Walinski, “New Media is conceptualized as an umbrella class of information and communication technologies that is intended to connect individuals in novel and meaningful ways” (2013: 56). As part of the process of continuous quality improvement, a study was conducted in the College of Business and Entrepreneurship at a rural Midwestern university. The survey sought to determine business student preferences for the use of various types of new media to receive information from the Dean’s Office. Facebook, smartphone, and YouTube were the most popular among the students in the study; therefore, the researchers focused on …

What Role Can Regional Economics Plan In Addressing Health Questions?, Mouhcine Guettabi

ISER Presentations

No abstract provided.

Orda Fy2015 Grant Awardees, Office Of Research Development And Administration

ORDA Grant Awardees​

No abstract provided.

The Increasing Weight Of Regulation: Countries Combat The Global Obesity Epidemic, Allyn L. Taylor, Emily Whelan Parento, Laura A. Schmidt

Indiana Law Journal

Obesity is a global epidemic, exacting an enormous human and economic toll. In the absence of a comprehensive global governance strategy, states have increasingly employed a wide array of legal strategies targeting the drivers of obesity. This Article identifies recent global trends in obesity-related legislation and makes the normative case for an updated global governance strategy.

National governments have responded to the epidemic both by strengthening traditional interventions and by developing novel legislative strategies. This response consists of nine important trends: (1) strengthened and tailored tax measures; (2) broadened use of counter-advertising and health campaigns; (3) expanded food labeling; (4) …

Radiation-Induced Esophagitis Is Mitigated By Soy Isoflavones, Matthew Donovan Fountain

Wayne State University Theses

Lung cancer patients receiving radiotherapy present with acute and chronic esophagitis, resulting in pain and difficulties swallowing. These effects are due to radiation injury to the normal tissues in the esophagus. Our previous studies in pre-clinical models of lung cancer and naïve mice have shown that soy isoflavones alleviates radiation-induced toxicity to normal lung, including a decrease in pneumonitis and fibrosis. In this study, we have investigated whether radiation-induced esophagitis can be reduced by soy isoflavones. C57BL/6 mice were treated with 10 Gy or 25 Gy for thoracic irradiation and soy isoflavones given daily at 1mg/mouse up to 16 weeks. …