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On The Road To Better Health? Impacts Of New Market Access On Food Security, Nutrition, And Well-Being In Nepal, Himalaya, Michelle Ursula Grocke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The first road to be built into Humla, Nepal has connected this once-remote Himalayan region to a market in China. This dissertation research assesses the impacts of this road on villagers’ food security, diet and nutrition, and subjective well-being, and investigates the link between objective and subjective health outcomes. The primary aim of this study is to decipher whether villagers’ ‘proximity to road’ is the strongest predictor of the aforementioned health outcomes, or whether other sociocultural and economic variables play a more significant role. A mixedmethods approach and a case-control ethnographic research design were implemented in order to investigate this …

Monitoring Recovery In Collegiate Strength And Conditioning, Alice Read

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract:

Read, Alice, M.S., Spring 2016 Health and Human Performance

Monitoring Recovery in Collegiate Strength and Conditioning

Chairperson: Steven Gaskill

Introduction: Student-athletes at the NCAA Division I level experience high levels of both physical and mental stress associated with training and competing at the highest level of collegiate athletics. In order for strength and conditioning coaches at the NCAA Division I level to maximize training sessions many utilize techniques to monitor athlete recovery status between training sessions. Unfortunately, little data exists on what monitoring methods are in current use and the validity of those methods. Purpose: The purpose of this …

The Accuracy Of Dietary Recall Of Infant Feeding And Food Allergen Data, Zyl Z Van, K. Maslin, T. Dean, R. Blaauw, C. Venter

School of Nursing and Midwifery

AbstractBackgroundResearch investigating the association of infant dietary factors with later health outcomes often relies on maternal recall. It is unclear what the effect of recall bias is on the accuracy of the information obtained. The present study aimed to determine the extent of recall bias on the accuracy of infant feeding and food allergen data collected 10 years later.MethodsMothers were recruited from a prospective birth cohort from the Isle of Wight. When their child was 10 years of age (2011/2012), mothers were requested to complete a retrospective infant feeding questionnaire asking the same questions as those solicited in 2001/2002.ResultsIn total, …

Color Associations As Advertising Strategies: An Analysis Of Consumer Attitudes Toward The Healthfulness Of Energy Bar Packaging, Rachel Lotz

University Honors Theses

Color plays a strong role in shaping consumers’ attitude toward brands, expectations, and likeability in the field of advertising. Associations with colors are formed within consumers’ culture and are often universal in meaning. Through three studies, the role of color in relationship to perceived healthfulness on energy bar packaging is observed. The results show a strong correlation between a particular color associated with healthfulness due to preconceived color associations often highlighted in advertising strategies. However the results raised unexpected, yet insightful correlations with other colors, which participants identified as healthy. When participants were asked to pick the energy bar that …

What Do Physicians Know About Global Plans To Stop Tuberculosis? Interviews From Five Countries, Hannah Johnson

University Honors Theses

Tuberculosis ranks alongside HIV as the leading cause of death worldwide. This fact is complicated by drug-resistant versions of tuberculosis. Furthermore, the limited availability and high cost of stronger antibiotics creates a barrier to treating drug-resistant tuberculosis. In 2000, the United Nations organized to fight tuberculosis via Millennium Development Goal six and the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis. In an effort to understand limitations on the effectiveness of global programs, this research addresses the following question: What do physicians know about global programs for TB? Mixed methods, involving both quantitative and qualitative data, were used to obtain the results of …

Integration Of Movement/Posture: A Dynamic Adaptive Process Model, Daniel A. Akins

University Honors Theses

Structural Integration (SI) is a process of manual therapy and sensorimotor education that aims to facilitate sustainable improvement in whole-body biomechanical functioning and a sense of ease and coherence in normal movement/posture. Traditional and currently widespread explanations for the physiological mechanisms underlying SI theory and practice have focused on notions of fascial tissue change and postural alignment, while recent challenges to these explanations advocate a shift away from these interests toward a neurocentric model that emphasizes movement, pain, and biopsychosocial factors. SI seeks to professionalize and become an auxiliary to healthcare, so it must embrace scientific standards while maintaining its …

Depression In Older Adults In Nursing Homes: A Review Of The Literature, Isabella Mccarthy-Zelaya

University Honors Theses

The rates of depression are high in nursing homes and often is not treated. A systematic literature review was conducted searching for research studies on depression interventions in nursing homes. Nineteen studies met selection criteria, which included being published in a peer-reviewed journal, being set in a nursing home and utilizing an experimental design. The sample sizes of the studies ranged from 21 participants to as many as 595; the lengths of the studies varied as well from 4 weeks to 24 weeks, with six studies also including follow-ups up to one year post-intervention. Studies showed that interventions involving reminiscing …

Gi Zoonoses In Companion Pets Of The Homeless : The Effects Of Environment And Behavior On The Prevalence Of Gi Parasites, And The Role Of Veterinarians In Public Health Education, Matthew Edwards

University Honors Theses

Veterinarians are the front-line in the world of pet-health and zoonoses which means they are also at the front-line of human health and have an important role of educating clients on behaviors that would both reduce the risk of human and pet contracting a disease. In this study we collected 85 stool samples in Portland OR, USA and examined these by centrifugal fecal flotation, direct smears and for a small number (n=15) ELISA snap-tests. Parasitic prevalence was found to be 27.1% total including 2.4% Ancyclostoma Sp., 4.7% Cryptosporidium Sp., 7.1% Cystoisopora Sp., 9.4% Taenia Sp., 2.4% Giardia Sp., and 2.4% …

Fitness And Fatness: The Conflation Of Weight With Health, And The Consequences Of Fat-Shaming, Kristin Spurkland

University Honors Theses

Obesity is widely accepted as one of the major health crises facing the United States, and increasingly, the world. Labeled a disease by the American Medical Association, and frequently characterized as an epidemic, obesity is the target of high profile national health interventions, media campaigns, and a multi-billion dollar self-help industry. The message produced by public health agencies is that obesity is a killer, and that reducing weight is a beneficial and achievable goal generating many positive health outcomes. This paper presents two primary arguments that counter the prevailing attitudes towards obesity: that as a stand-alone measure, Body Mass Index …

Animal Hoarding: An In Depth Look At The Issues And Interventions, Amanda Mooneyham

University Honors Theses

Animal hoarding cases in regard to 501(c)3 nonprofit agencies have been on the rise in recent decades and current intervention strategies are struggling to address this complex social problem. Animal hoarding not only affects the animals being abused, but it has adverse effects on humans and the environment. This paper examines the complexities surrounding animal hoarding, specifically focusing on the rescue hoarder mentality. The current intervention methods used are criminal prosecution, civil/regulatory enforcement, and mental health evaluations/treatments. Criminal prosecution is effective for some animal hoarders, but a lack of laws protecting animals along with animals being viewed as property translates …

The Controversy Over Community Water Fluoridation : An Analysis Of Its Effects And Reasons Behind The Arguments, Grace Noda

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores different viewpoints on the history of community water fluoridation and reflects on the arguments made by the pro- and anti-fluoridationists in the United States. Community water fluoridation has been controversial in the United States since it was first proposed in 1945. Since then, fluoridation has been a major factor in reducing the prevalence and severity of dental cavities in the United States (U.S.).

Fluoride safely and effectively prevents dental cavities and is available from multiple sources. Community water fluoridation is one of these sources, providing fluoride to all people regardless of their position within the community. Even …

Physician Quality Reporting System: Initiative To Improve Care For Medicare Beneficiaries, Sara Smith

University Honors Theses

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) in response to congress mandating quality improvements for Medicare beneficiaries. This program has been heavily criticized for its cost, lack of provider participation and poor reception. However, recent reports show the PQRS has produced some quality improvements. Since PQRS will continue to be used in its current form through 2017 and will be incorporated into a new program starting in 2018, it is necessary to assess the weakness and strengths of this program. Addressing these are crucial for the successful continuation of PQRS and improving …

Review: A Novel Multiple Sclerosis Model Utilizing Cuprizone And Rapamycin, Mara Bahri

University Honors Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system leading to debilitating long-term neurologic damage, primarily due to the limited ability of remyelination in the adult human brain. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the combined administration of Cuprizone (CPZ) and rapamycin as a novel animal model for MS. Utilization of CPZ induces non-immune mediated demyelination, therefore bypassing complexities of the immune system and allowing analysis of de-/remyelination. Furthermore, remyelination occurs simultaneous with demyelination due to ongoing oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) differentiation into mature oligodendrocytes (OLGs).

The immunosuppressive agent, rapamycin inhibits the regulatory pathway Akt/mTOR, …

Diabetes And Physical Activity, Jameela Banu

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Diabetes has been on the rise globally. Although many factors contribute to the increasing risk and manifestation of this disease lack and decreased physical activity/ exercise stands out as one of the major factors. Treatment interventions for prediabetic and diabetic patients include diet and lifestyle changes with enhanced physical activity/ exercise. Several types of physical activity are available for these patients but, recommendations have to be made on an individual basis after giving due consideration to the comorbidities and other risks and barriers. Implementation of progressive resistance therapy may be successful in maintaining glucose homeostasis in diabetic patients.

Assessing The Information Needs And Information Sources Of Urban And Peri-Urban Livestock Keepers In Kinondoni And Morogoro Urban Districts, Tanzania., Consolata Angello 1, Jangawe Msuya 2, Doris Matovelo 3

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper discusses the information needs of urban and peri-urban livestock keepers and the various information sources used and their effectiveness in disseminating livestock information. Mixed method approach was the methodology used in the study whereby quantitative data was gathered using questionnaires while qualitative data was gathered using in-depth interviews and participant observations. Findings from this study revealed that livestock keepers had various information needs such as disease control (95.3%), nutrition and feeds (62.2%), markets (56.3%), housing techniques (29.1%) and loans (20.1%). Urban livestock keepers also used different sources of information to access information including veterinary shops (77.2%), extension services …

Gras-Fed Americans: Sick Of Lax Regulation Of Food Additives, Martha Dragich

Faculty Publications

Americans are “GRAS-fed” because of a “loophole” in the strict regime Congress provided for the regulation of food additives. Additives - and food products containing them - are exempt from this strict regime if they are accorded GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status. The guidelines Congress provided for achieving that status by scientific evidence of safety are no longer observed. Most additives are determined by the producer alone to be GRAS. At the same time, Americans’ consumption of highly processed foods continues to rise, giving rise to long-term health problems that are increasingly tied to diet. The average American’s diet …

A Qualitative Pilot Study Of Aging Women’S Physical Activity Experiences In One University Fitness And Wellness Center, Alexis Hobbs

Online Theses and Dissertations

Physical inactivity is one of the driving risk factors for developing health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (World Health Organization, 2003). The prevalence of these diseases increases with the aging process, which renders participation in physical activity crucial among the aging population. There is strong evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of these health disparities and disabilities (Young & Dinan, 2005), however despite these well-documented benefits, aging women still remain sedentary. This study examined the phenomenon of women 55 years of age or older and their lived experiences of participating in physical activity within a university …

An Unprecedented Research Project Into The Alcohol Retention Variation Of Flavored Spirits, Armanda Fae Mcfadden

Online Theses and Dissertations

Accurate determination of alcohol by volume (ABV) is necessary, but previously used techniques are proving inaccurate with new flavored spirits. Specifically, control experiments showed that increasing concentrations of sugar led to increasingly inaccurate ABV determination. We hypothesize the intermolecular forces present in these beverages are significantly altered by the presence of sugar, which in turn leads to the observed inaccuracies in ABV measured through distillation. We used additives such as NaCl and NaOH to strategically and systematically vary intermolecular interactions and the influences of these additives on ABV were tested through distillation, densitometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Given …

Development And Evaluation Of A Firefighter Physical Performance Program For Undergraduate Fire And Safety Students, Jessica Ann Moody

Online Theses and Dissertations

The number one on-duty cause of death in the fire service is heart attacks. The International Association of Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Chiefs teamed up to create the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT). Fire departments across the nation will have consistent physical performance tests to hire more physically capable candidates as part of the Wellness-Fitness Initiative (International Association of Fire Fighters, 2014).

Eastern Kentucky University is a nationally recognized school for its fire science program; however students are not required to take educational classes to better prepare them for physical performance tests. Students starting in a training …

Relationships And Sports: Mechanisms In Relational Motivation And Its Impact On Athletic Performance, Alexandra Szarabajko

Online Theses and Dissertations

Relationally-Autonomous Reasons (RARs) for pursuing goals are motives that take one’s own personal needs and the needs and desires of close others into account. These relational reasons motivate people in pursing health, school, or sports goals. The purpose of this study was to identify what mechanisms drive relational motivation that in turn affects athletic performance. Participants (n = 156) in this study were student-athletes from various sports, who completed a questionnaire. Athletic performance was obtained and standardized through each athlete’s performance statistics within their sport. The results of the study revealed that closeness, support, accountability, and shared values predicted relational …

Family Preferences For Childcare In Central Kentucky, Sarah Taylor Vanover

Online Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood professionals have established a set list of characteristics that denote a high quality early care and education environment for children under the age of kindergarten, but these may not be the same characteristics that parents consider in the decision-making process. The researcher used survey research to obtain quantitative research data from three hundred and ten participants that live in Central Kentucky and have a child under the age of kindergarten currently in childcare. The participants completed a survey that used a Likert scale from 1 to 4 to rate thirty-six characteristics of childcare programs and were asked to …

The Potential For Nigella Sativa In Treating In Risk Factors Related To The Metabolic Syndrome, Danielle L. Vaughn

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

What Motivates Patients To Remain In Longitudinal Observational Studies?, Sravanthi Kaza

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract Background: Low retention rates threaten the validity of clinical research studies and generalizability of the results.

Aims: To survey Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN) Cohort Study participants to evaluate University of Michigan retention strategies, to develop best practices, and to identify other strategies that will improve retention.

Methods: 90 patients that are currently participating in the HBRN Cohort study at the University of Michigan were surveyed.

Results: Participants were a good mix of male (51.2%) and female (46.5%), mostly non-Hispanic, between the age of 40 and 60 years (50%). Roughly half were Asian Chinese (50.2%), had some graduate school …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Safety Training Provided To Corrections Personnel In Appalachia, Ali K. Al Yammahi

Online Theses and Dissertations

The context of the study was assessment of whether corrections officers in Appalachia are receiving adequate health and safety training who attended health and safety trainings sessions provided by the OSHA Training Institute and Education Center on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. Participants included in the study were corrections officers who have been working in corrections for a minimum of two years. Participants were required to be working in Appalachian corrections during distribution of the questionnaire. Participants were selected by using convenience and snowball sampling procedures. The questionnaire was sent on 4 separate occasions, 10 of the expected 30 …

New Hampshire Best Management Practices For Erosion Control On Timber Harvesting Operations (2016), Unh Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands and UNH Cooperative Extension would like to thank the members of the Best Management Practices Revision Committee who assisted in providing direction, guidance and expertise in the preparation of this manual. Committee members include: Susan Francher, NH Division of Forests and Lands Sarah Smith, UNH Cooperative Extension Linda Magoon, NH Department of Environmental Services Ken Desmarais, NH Division of Forests and Lands Scott Rineer, Wagner Management Ltd Karl Honkonen, USDA Forest Service K. Roger Simmons, Jr., White Mountain National Forest Robert Colter, White Mountain National Forest Michael Lynch, USDA Natural Resource …

Assessment Of Resistance Gene Analog, Peroxidase, And Wrky Genepolymorphisms In The Genus Lens Miller, Duygu Sari, Nedi̇m Mutlu, Cengi̇z Toker

Turkish Journal of Botany

Resistance gene analogs (RGAs), peroxidases (POXs), and WRKY transcription factors are gene families related to stress-response pathways that regulate enhancement of stress tolerance in crop plants. In this study, the polymorphisms of these gene families were determined in the genus Lens Miller and Vicia montbretii (Fish. And Mey) Davis and Plitmann. A total of 32 genotypes of 7 lentil taxa, including 1 accession of cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. Subsp. culinaris), 11 accessions of L. Culinaris subsp. Orientalis (Boiss.) Ponert, 3 accessions of L. Culinaris subsp. Tomentosus Ladiz., 4 accessions of L. Culinaris subsp. Odemensis Ladiz., 3 accessions of L. …

Foliar N And P Resorption And Nutrient (N, P, C, And S) Contents Of Vaccinium Arctostaphylos L. And Vaccinium Myrtillus L. From East Black Sea Region Of Turkey, Ali̇ Bi̇lgi̇n, Yasemi̇n Zeren, Şule Güzel

Turkish Journal of Botany

Phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), carbon ©, and sulfur (S) contents of the leaves and specific leaf area (SLA), leaf mass per area (LMA), and N and P resorption were researched in Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. And Vaccinium myrtillus L., economically important for the East Black Sea region of Turkey. The leaves samples were collected from Solaklı Valley in Trabzon at 60 to 1800 m for V. Arctostaphylos L. And 2100 to 2300 m for V. Myrtillus L. The N, C, and S contents were determined by Dumas method and P concentration by the stannous chloride method. Nutrient contents, SLA, and LMA …

Haematococcus: A Successful Air-Dispersed Colonist In Ephemeral Waters Is Rarely Found In Phytoplankton Communities, Savvas Genitsaris, Natasa Stefanidou, Matina Katsiapi, Elisabeth Vardaka, Konstantinos Ar. Kormas, Ulrich Sommer, Maria Moustaka-Gouni

Turkish Journal of Botany

In a literature search, the presence of Haematococcus in phytoplankton communities and its biogeography were investigated. Haematococcus, although showing a wide biogeographical distribution, has been rarely found in phytoplankton communities. Simultaneously, the colonization potential of air-dispersed Haematococcus in ephemeral waters and its interactions with coexisting phytoplankton taxa were examined by microscopy and molecular methods. Haematococcus was a successful colonist, appearing among the first taxa in the experimental containers. According to principal component analysis, Haematococcus growth rate was negatively correlated with the abundance and species richness of the other autotrophs. Furthermore, a negative correlation between Haematococcus and Chlamydomonas and a positive …

Health-Related Behaviors And Nutritional Status Of Adolescents Who Study Asboarders And Day-Students, Emi̇ne Ela Küçük, Osman Günay

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Boarders and day-students study together in regional boarding schools. This study was carried out to compare the health and nutritional status of boarders and day-students who study at regional boarding schools in Turkey. Materials and methods: A total 634 boarders and 492 day-students in the 4th?8th years of nine boarding schools in Giresun Province of Turkey were included. A questionnaire including 49 questions about sociodemographic characteristics and health and nutritional status was completed by the students. Height and weight measurements of the students were also taken. The chi-square test was used for statistical analyses. Results: The boarders evaluated their …

In Ovo Feeding With Ss-Hydroxy Ss-Methylbutyrate And Broilerperformance, Intestinal Health, And Immunity Status, Ömer Hakan Muğlali, Mustafa Salman, Ayhan Gacar, Fi̇li̇z Akdağ, Mustafa Yavuz Gülbahar, Alper Çi̇ftçi̇, Ertan Emek Onuk, Fi̇li̇z Karadaş, Hüseyi̇n Eseceli̇

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The effects of in ovo administration of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on broiler performance, intestinal health, and immunity were investigated. At day 18 of incubation, fertile eggs were divided into negative (no injection) and positive (physiologic serum injection) controls and three HMB treatment groups. HMB solution was injected at 0.1% (Group 1), 0.2% (Group 2), and 0.3% (Group 3) concentrations. There were no significant differences between the groups for live weight gain, feed conversion rate, and hot carcass, breast meat, liver, and heart weight. However, the gizzard weight in Group 1 was significantly higher than those in the other groups (P < 0.05). Although the intestinal villi lengths in the treatment Groups 1 and 3 on day 20 were greater than those in the control groups (P < 0.01), at the end of the experiment there were no significant differences among the groups. For antibody levels, the differences between groups on days 4 and 42 were highly significant (P < 0.01), and the antibody levels in Group 2 were higher than those in the other groups. Separately, growth performance and antibody levels were positively correlated with the length of villi in Group 2 (HMB 0.2%).