Digital Commons Network^™

Ruminal Protection And Intestinal Availability Of Rumen-Protected Methionine And Lysine In Lactating Dairy Cows, Sara Menchu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rumen protected Methionine (MET) and Lysine (LYS) are critical for milk protein synthesis in dairy cows. N-acetyl-L-methionine (NALM) is a MET derivative that consists of L-Met protected with an acetyl group that is attached to the α-amino group.N-acetyl-L-lysine (NALL) is a LYS derivative that is similarly protected. The objectives of these studies were to quantify the gastrointestinal availability of NALM and NALL. Three experiments were run as 3 × 3 Latin square using 3 second lactation Holstein cows that have been fitted with cannulas in the rumen and duodenum. The cows …

The Total Western Diet And Vancomycin Treatment Increase Inflammation-Mediated Colorectal Cancer, Niklas David Joakim Aardema

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior work by our research group showed that the total Western diet (TWD), a rodent diet which models the typical American diet, promoted the development of colon tumors when fed to mice. Other researchers previously showed that vancomycin, an antibiotic that changes the gut microbiome composition, causes differential changes in the severity of colon inflammation and CRC. Our goal was to determine the combined effects of feeding the TWD and vancomycin treatment on colitis and CRC, and if these factors interact. We hypothesized that vancomycin treatment would mitigate colitis and CRC in mice fed the TWD. To this end, mice …

The Development, Implementation, And Assessment Of A Home Component To The Fit Game Healthy Eating Program, Hali King Obray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers at Utah State University created a school intervention called the FIT Game that has successfully increased children’s vegetable intake during lunchtime. The aim of this project was to create a home aspect to the FIT Game for parents that would increase the availability of vegetables within the home. Studies within this thesis discuss the development and revision of parent newsletters for the FIT Game program, as well as the implementation and assessment of the revised newsletters. Results from the assessments indicate that providing parent newsletters is not enough to change the vegetable availability at home.

This home component was …

Effects Of Mid-Gestation Nutrient Restriction On Carcass Measurements And Meat Quality Of Resultant Offspring, Shelby M. Quarnberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of this study was to investigate feedlot performance and meat quality of calves born to cows that underwent a nutrient restriction during the second trimester of gestation which may be occurring in the Intermountain West. Thirty-four angus influenced calves from the same sire were used for this study. The calves were born from cows that were separated into either a maintenance group, and kept on an irrigated pasture, or a restricted group, that was placed on an unirrigated pasture and allowed to lose one body condition score during the second trimester of pregnancy. This study begins with the …

Hemodialysis Care Staff Perceptions On Barriers To Optimal Health: Results From A Qualitative Study And National Survey, Daniela A. Gutierrez More

Graduate Theses

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is currently the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, and despite the favorable outcomes reported in previous studies, mortality rates for CKD have yet to show improvement. The purpose of this study was distinguish between the different strategies used to treat CKD as perceived by renal practitioners. It is hypothesized that the lack of improvement in mortality rates may be attributed to the lack of cardiovascular protection.

The Abundance, Geographical Distribution And Habitat Use Of An Introduced Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus Patas) Population In Southwest Puerto Rico, Magaly Massanet

Graduate Theses

The southwest portion of Puerto Rico is home to introduced free-ranging populations of patas (Erythrocebus patas) and rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) monkeys. The rhesus macaque population originated from a colony established in 1961 on the islands of Guayacán and Cuevas off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico as part of the La Parguera Primate Research Center, which was administered by the Caribbean Primate Research Center. The descendants of these escapees have established free-ranging introduced monkey populations in mainland southwest Puerto Rico and the only previous study done on their ecology was conducted from 1990 to 1993 by González- Martínez (1995). …

The Shelby Farms Restoration Center: Changing Behavior Through Atmospheric Experience, Isaac Stephen Akers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Architecture has lost focus on the user experience and the influence that it creates on the overall health of society. One solution is an architecture of atmospheric experience, a theory based on the relationship between sensorial perception, cognitive perception, and environmental qualities that seeks to encourage a shift in behavior. This thesis explores how designing with atmospheric experience can create a place of well-being for all users. This is executed through the design of a wellness center that is located in Shelby Farms, Memphis, Tennessee.

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Georgia Southern receives grant to create new, bilateral study abroad experience

• Georgia Southern student awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant

Effect Of Prebiotic, Probiotic, And Enzyme Supplementation On Gut Fermentation, Markers Of Inflammation And Immune Response In Individuals With Gi Symptoms, Kaitlyn Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current practices support the use of probiotic and prebiotic supplementation to improve chronic gastrointestinal distress (GID). The aim of this study was to determine the tolerance and benefits of GlutenShield (GS), a prebiotic, probiotic, and enzyme supplement, on adults with GID. Subjects (n=20) took either GS or the placebo for 30 days and completed a pre-treatment FFQ as well as a pre- and post-treatment GID questionnaire, blood draw, and stool sample. Participants consumed more total and saturated fat, and less fiber and whole grains compared to the recommended intake. A significant reduction in IgG2 was observed in the GS group …

Research On Extreme Poverty Governance Based On Social Network Analysis, Wenyong Lei

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In this dissertation, the author goes inside some of China's most remote and poorest villages and tries to reveal the determinants, correlates and strategies to address the gap of existing poverty governance system and the complexity and diversity of poor population. He offers in-depth insights into what the poor people think about poverty with two major indicators, identifies evidence on the feasibility of duel-network embedding strategy to reduce poverty, and explains how diverse groups hit by extreme poverty could develop entrepreneurship relationship with diversified market and available social economic resources. Drawing on examples that take place in Xide County, a …

Teaching 4th Grade Students About Nutrition, Raquel Gaytan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Most children do not know how to make healthy food choices and understand why they have to have a good nutrition. It is important for children to know why having a good nutrition is important for their bodies and health. Without good understanding of nutrition, children are not able to care for their health. To address the children's’ lack of knowledge, I created a 3-day lesson on nutrition and delivered it to a 4th grade classroom in Del Rey Elementary in King City, California.

Educating Children On The Benefits Of Physical Activity, Nancy Recinos

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The increased use of technology has lead to a decrease in physical activity engagement by elementary aged children, and children are often unaware of how a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of childhood diseases and illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes. In order to increase understanding about the importance of physical activity, I designed a two-day curriculum on the benefits of physical activity and presented it to a class of third grade students at Natividad Elementary School in Salinas, California.

Benefits Of Integrating Physical Activities Into The Elementary Classroom, Maritza Juliet Ruelas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There have been significant studies stating that physical activities have been eliminated for elementary school students. Today students are expected to attend school for approximately eight hours, five days out of the week. This senior capstone paper examines the many benefits of integrating physical activities into the elementary classroom through the use of literature review, anonymous-survey of twenty two students, and anonymous-survey of four teachers. This means that kinesthetic learning style has been limited for students at the elementary school level. The results indicate that integrating physical activities into the elementary classroom is proven to be beneficial to the overall …

An Analysis Of Parental Engagement In Spanish And Bilingual Families, Marielena F. Villicana

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Head Start programs in the United States began in 1965 and are an important part of preparing low income children through education, health, social and other services. The Monterey County Office of Head Start and Early Start serves more than 1,245 families each year. The majority of the families served have Spanish as a primary language. Using a questionnaire, this study examined parental involvement by identifying the skills parents found most important and the amount of time parents spent developing those skills. Twenty-one parents completed the survey. The study found 93% of parents spend time talking to their children about …

Community Development & Engaging Clients At Omni, Christopher Lizaola

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The OMNI Resource Center is a wellness Center in Salinas; OMNI handles workshops and activities for adults who suffer mental health and who are homeless. Too many people with mental health issues don’t have community support. In addition, there has not been any sufficient advocacy for this population. The project will focus on developing connections with OMNI and other local agencies. It shall be preceded by doing surveys to the clients to see what other resource OMNI can provide to its clients. This research project which will contain data collection interviews will allow me to see if all the resources …

Triglyceride Metabolism Following Oral Fat Tolerance Tests Of Varying Fat Content In Adults, Nathaniel Glen Bodell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Investigations of lipid metabolism commonly utilize an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) to elicit a dramatic increase in serum triglycerides (TG). Although this is common practice there does not currently exist an agreed upon formula for an OFTT. Nor has there been in investigation as to the reliability among commonly used OFTT. Furthermore, the effects of sex and activity level are mixed among the literature. The purpose of this investigation is to discover an ideal OFTT for research and clinical purposes, evaluate the effects of activity and sex on TG metabolism, and to test each OFTT concentration for reliability. …

Trauma And Its Shadow: The History Of Flashbacks, David Becker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The flashback is a concept born in cinema, adopted by science and embraced by popular culture as a metaphor for memory—everyday recollections, psychedelic illusions, and traumatic intrusions—that informs and influences our relationship to the past. This creative thesis traces the one-hundred-year timeline of the concept of flashbacks, focusing on its expansion into the field of psychology. How did a film term end up in the pages of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the primary tool used by psychologists to diagnose mental illness, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Flashbacks gained psychological complexity in Hollywood during the …

Telomeres, Nutrition And Mortality: Risk Factors For The Rate Of Telomere Length Decline And The Associations Between Telomere Length, Nutrition And Mortality, Saruna Ghimire

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures located at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, thought to protect the DNA from damage. As a person experiences stressors, harmful exposures, and other diseases throughout their life, telomeres are thought to become damaged and their length shortened, decreasing their ability to protect the DNA. Nutrition is an important aspect of healthy aging. Preservation of telomere length (TL) is thought to be one of the mechanisms by which good nutrition can delay or prevent the development of chronic disease and death. Recent evidence of preservation of TL with good nutrition is promising. Thus, the aim of …

Optimizing Back Squat Performance, Arthur Hockwald

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The back squat is a task commonly used to train and test performance levels in competitive sports and strength based performance events. The purpose of this study was to analyze the potential performance benefits for a 1-repetition max (1RM) back squat under conditions in which the three key factors of OPTIMAL theory of motor learning (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016) are present: Enhanced expectancies (EE), autonomy support (AS), and an external focus (EF) of attention. Participants (N = 23) were assigned to either an optimized condition, which included EE AS, and EF, or a control condition. They were asked to perform …

College Student Depression: An Examination Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Gender And Sexual Orientation Diversity, And Help-Seeking Willingness, Sharon Jalene

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Depression is a serious illness characterized by persistent low mood, reduced cognitive capacity, and fatigue. Although treatable, depression is the leading cause of disability and ill-health worldwide and a significant contributor to suicide, the second leading cause of death for young Americans. In any given two-week period, 8.1% of adults in the United States had moderate to severe depression (2013-2016). The rate of depression for females was twice that of males and compared to the majority, sexual and gender minorities (SGM) were at a threefold risk. Furthermore, evidence suggests that depression incidence is three times higher in college students than …

An Alternative Reading Of Feminist Criticism On S. Weir Mitchell, Erika Hylton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation represents a renewed look at nineteenth-century physician and author, S. Weir Mitchell. This includes a discussion of how his “rest cure” fits into the medical and cultural trends of his era as well as revisiting the academic responses to both him and his cure. Those in the academy who write on Mitchell today are primarily feminist critics who approach him through the study of women writers who were his patients, such as Virginia Woolf and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, among others. The dominant pathway here is through Gilman’s short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” as well as other documents produced …

Workload Position Evaluation To Determine Efficient Training Load For Optimal Competition Performance Of Female Collegiate Soccer Players, Michaela Kelsey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to describe player workload between competition and training of female collegiate soccer players; as well as to determine workload between positions to better our understanding of the mechanical and physical demands of a full soccer match of collegiate female soccer players. Methods. The study sample was comprised of 20 female Division 1 Collegiate soccer players in 7 positions: goalkeeper (n = 1), Attacking Midfielders (n = 2), Defensive Midfielders (n = 3), Center Backs (n = 3), Outside Backs (n = 4), Strikers (n = 2), and Wingers (n = 5). 19 training …

The Bioarchaeology Of Instability: Violence And Environmental Stress During The Late Fort Ancient (Ad 1425 - 1635) Occupations Of Hardin Village, Amber Elaine Osterholt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Conflict, poor health, environmental instability, captive taking, and culture change are all potential contributors for the abandonment of the Middle Ohio River Valley at the end of the Protohistoric Period in eastern North America. This project investigated the relationship between these factors among the Fort Ancient community of Hardin Village. The data presented in this study use bioarchaeological analysis to reveal how environmental and cultural instability influenced communities to leave their homeland. Bioarchaeology was well suited for this investigation because it links the most direct evidence of violence and poor health and nutrition (skeletal injuries and evidence of disease) to …

Riding My Bike In Paradise With Margaret Fuller: A Phenomenological Study, Nanette Rasband Hilton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was perhaps the most famous American woman during the nineteenth century. After her tragic death, reprints of her best-selling books were heavily edited and she was nearly forgotten. During and after her lifetime, Fuller fell victim to the phenomenological alterity identified and defined by theorists including Derrida and Edward Said as Othering. She spent her career combating Othering in all its forms. Through the lens of both social identity theory and multiple identity theory this study examines how Fuller grappled with social prescriptions. As an autodidact, she mined diverse literary resources to construct heterogeneous texts that cultivate …

Delineation Of Events In Centripetal Migration During Drosophila Oogenesis, Travis Tait Parsons

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

All multicellular organisms initially start out as a single cell. This cell must use the genetic information encoded in its DNA to multiply in number and build itself into a complex multicellular organism. How this process occurs is the focus of developmental biology, a field that seeks to understand how a combination of genetic information and environmental conditions shape a cell from its beginnings as a zygote all the way to maturity. A fundamental part of this process is the ability of cells to work together in order to build complex tissues and organs. Cells achieve this coordination by using …

Development Of A Breast Cancer Survivorship Care Toolkit, Lauren Elaine Scott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A breast cancer survivor’s journey does not end with treatment. After treatment, most breast cancer survivors go on to face many life-long physical and mental challenges caused by their cancer and treatment. Once active cancer treatment is completed, patients enter the next important step in cancer care, cancer survivorship. Cancer survivorship is a comprehensive approach to post-oncology management that promotes the best outcomes for survivors as they transition from oncology care to primary care; and new breast-cancer survivorship guidelines have emerged. Research suggests that primary care NPs’ lack of awareness of the current 2016 American Cancer Society/American Society of Clinical …

The Effects Of Injury On Running Status And Gait Biomechanics, Kristyne Wiegand

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Over the past several decades, endurance running has grown steadily as a popular form of physical activity. Running is easily accessible, does not require expensive equipment, and can be performed without specific skill training. Individuals who run also experience health benefits like increased cardiovascular health and reduced risk of all-cause morbidity. Despite these benefits, running is also associated with high rates of musculoskeletal injury. Although researchers have attempted to identify injury risks and mitigate the incidence of running injury, there is still no consensus as to why runners become injured. Research has also attempted to identify biomechanical movement patterns that …

Generalized And Higher Dimensional Apollonian Packings, Daniel Lautzenheiser

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, we show that circle, sphere, and higher dimensional sphere packings may

be realized as subsets of the boundary of hyperbolic space, subject to certain symmetry

conditions based on a discrete group of motions of the hyperbolic space. This leads to

developing and applying counting methods which admit rigorous upper and lower bounds on

the Hausdorff (or Besikovitch) dimension of the residual set of several generalized Apollonian

circle packings. We find that this dimension (which also coincides with the critical exponent

of a zeta-type function) of each packing is strictly greater than that of the Apollonian

packing, supporting …

Modelling Appropriate Use Of Trypanocides To Restrict Wide-Spread Multi-Drug Resistance During Chemotherapy Of Animal African Trypanosomiasis, Ibrahim I. Wangwe, Sarah A. Wamwenje, Caroline Mirieri, Nicodemus M. Masila, Lillian Wambua, Benard W. Kulohoma

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Trypanocide resistance remains a huge challenge in the management of animal African trypanosomiasis. Paucity of data on the prevalence of multi-drug resistant trypanosomes has greatly hindered optimal veterinary management practices. We use mathematical model predictions to highlight appropriate drug regimens that impede trypanocide resistance development in cattle. We demonstrate that using drugs in decreasing resistance order results in a negligible increase in number of cattle with resistant infection, in contrast to a more pronounced increase from trypanocide use in increasing resistance order. We demonstrate that the lowest levels of trypanocide resistance are achieved with combination therapy. We also show that …

Older Adults’ Perceptions Regarding Transportation Services In San Jose, Ca: Access, Barriers, And Innovations, Deborah Bolding

Mineta Transportation Institute

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of older adults concerning barriers to the use of public transportation, to identify programs and services that best meet transportation needs, and to obtain suggestions for improvements or innovations in order to enable them to engage more fully in their community. Four focus groups, with a total of 25 participants, were held in three locations in San Jose, CA. While the participants were able to use public transportation to access shopping, medical services and other destinations, they expressed concerns related to physical barriers, frequency of services, the behavior of some …