Matching Items (50)
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- All Subjects: Obesity
- Creators: School of Life Sciences
- Creators: Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics
Description
Over 40% of adults in the United States are considered obese. Obesity is known to cause abnormal metabolic effects and lead to other negative health consequences. Interestingly, differences in metabolism and contractile performance between obese and healthy weight individuals are associated with differences in skeletal muscle fiber type composition between these groups. Each fiber type is characterized by unique metabolic and contractile properties, which are largely determined by the myosin heavy chain isoform (MHC) or isoform combination that the fiber expresses. In previous studies, SDS-PAGE single fiber analysis has been utilized as a method to determine MHC isoform distribution and single fiber type distribution in skeletal muscle. Herein, a methodological approach to analyze MHC isoform and fiber type distribution in skeletal muscle was fine-tuned for use in human and rodent studies. In the future, this revised methodology will be implemented to evaluate the effects of obesity and exercise on the phenotypic fiber type composition of skeletal muscle.
ContributorsOhr, Jalonna Rose (Author) / Katsanos, Christos (Thesis director) / Tucker, Derek (Committee member) / Serrano, Nathan (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The aim of this creative project was to explore the ideas of impermanence and transience through the lens of different, largely non-western cultural backgrounds, and to incorporate what I learned into my own work as a painter. As part of this, I focused on the materials, techniques, visual strategies, and philosophies that guided the creation of these works. The project consisted of a discrete research phase, during which time I gathered information and materials related to my topic, and a creation phase, when I focused largely on the production of oil paintings and ink paintings whose technique and/or subject matter pertained to impermanence. Research for the most part was conducted by utilizing online and physical collections of work to analyze the formal elements of the work along with the cultural context in which it was created. Ultimately the creative project resulted in a product of three oil paintings and five ink paintings.
ContributorsLewis, Evan G (Author) / Button, Melissa (Thesis director) / Schoebel, Henry (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
In this project I explored the relationship between Qigong and Tai Chi Easy meditative practices and cardiometabolic risk factors, specifically looking at obesity and stress. The meditative focus of Qigong and Tai Chi Easy was expected to improve cardiac vagal tone which should lead to decreases in the inflammatory effects of stress. Additionally, due to the decreases in the harmful effects of stress, we expect to see a decrease in obesity through decreases in BMI and in waist circumference.
ContributorsRameshkumar, Ramya (Author) / Larkey, Linda (Thesis director) / James, Dara (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The purpose of this action research study was to examine the effects the Six Seconds model on the emotional intelligence development of teacher candidates in a teacher education program described above. How would this focus impact a teacher candidate's ability navigate the emotional aspects of teaching, exercise optimism, and make daily choices based on a greater sense of purpose? A mixed-methods (QUAL-quant ) was employed to investigate this question and to gain a greater understanding of emotional intelligence in the teaching profession. The Six Seconds model of emotional intelligence was used as a foundation for the intervention and data collection. Data were collected through an emotional intelligence assessment, a teaching satisfaction survey, semi-structured interviews, observations, field notes, training transcripts, training artifacts, and a participant journal. The results from the study indicated that the Six Seconds model has the potential to positively impact emotional intelligence development in teacher candidates. Moreover, the study resulted in broader assertions about emotional intelligence development among future teachers. Emotional intelligence starts with a commitment to change. Second, teacher candidates must have the opportunity to continuously apply new learning in an environment conducive to EQ development. Finally, the pursuit of a noble goal is critical to the application of all other emotional intelligence competencies.
ContributorsRojas, Michelle (Author) / Carlson, David L. (Thesis advisor) / Heck, Thomas (Committee member) / Stafford, Catherine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Obesity is a growing issue in the Western world, as well as other international countries. This is leading to increases in complications associated with obesity. One such complication is osteoarthritis (OA) of load bearing joints that requires surgical treatment by total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Obesity is also associated with an increase in surgical complications that may lead to poor TKA outcomes. Additionally, the female gender is also known to be associated with increased rates of severe, clinical OA. This study was designed to determine the comparative efficacy of two knee implants in the obese female population through retrospective chart review and data analysis. The implants differ in their level of constraint, with the total stabilizing (TS) being more constrained than the posterior stabilizing (PS). We hypothesized that the TS implants would be associated with improved functional outcomes in the obese female population. The TS implant was observed to be associated with earlier improvement of both passive and active range of motion. This implant also showed greater improvement from pre-operative condition in stability, rejecting our null hypothesis and supporting our hypothesis.
ContributorsWorhacz, Kellen Michael (Author) / Hinrichs, Richard (Thesis director) / Jacofsky, Marc (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
There has been an alarming rise in the prevalence of obesity which has been attributed to the paralleled rise in consumption of high-fat foods. It’s commonly accepted that high-fat diets can lead to increased weight gain, however not all fats have the same physiological action. This study primarily focuses on the effect of canola oil, a monounsaturated fat, on energy homeostasis and body composition when it’s given as a supplement to a high-fat diet composed of saturated fatty acid. Rodent models were divided into three dietary groups: 1) low-fat diet (LFD), 2) high-fat diet (HFD) and 3) canola oils supplemented HFD (HF+CAN). After 4 weeks of dietary intervention, samples of epididymal fat, perinephric fat, and liver were analyzed across the three groups to see if the changes in energy homeostasis could be explained by the cellular behavior and composition of these tissues. Interestingly, the supplement of canola oil appeared to reverse the deleterious effects of a saturated fat diet, reverting energy intake, body weight gain and adipose tissue sizes to that (if not lower than that) of the LFD group. The only exception to this effect was the liver: the livers remained larger and fattier than those of the HFD. This occurrence is possibly due to a decrease in free fatty acid uptake in the adipose tissues—resulting in smaller adipose tissue sizes—and increased fatty acid uptake in the liver. The mechanism by which this occurs has yet to be elucidated and will be the primary focus of upcoming studies on the effect of monounsaturated fat on other diets.
ContributorsZuo, Connie Wanda (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Deviche, Pierre (Committee member) / Herman, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Dogs' health and wellbeing is of great importance to their owners. The most common nutritional problem for pet dogs is obesity, with 22-40% of pet dogs being classified as overweight or obese. With many adverse health effects associated with obesity, this is a major concern for owners and veterinarians. The degree to which dogs enjoy consuming certain foods can have substantial implications for their body weight, so it is important to understand which aspects of foods make them appealing to dogs. This study aimed to determine whether nutritional aspects of commercial dog foods predict dogs' preferences for those foods. It was found that consumption preference is positively correlated with protein content (p < .001), therefore implying that the protein content of commercial dry dog foods may predict dogs' consumption preferences. Consumption preferences were not predicted by other available measures of food content or caloric value. Dogs' preference for foods high in protein content may be due to the satiating effect of protein. Since foods high in protein both reduce the amount of energy consumed and are found to be palatable to dogs, high-protein dog foods may offer a way for dog food manufacturers, veterinarians, and pet owners to combat obesity in pet dogs.
ContributorsPrevost, Emily Danielle (Author) / Wynne, Clive (Thesis director) / Hall, Nathaniel (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
‘why we bend' a Bachelor of Fine Arts honors thesis exhibition by Ximenna Hofsetz and Tiernan Warner brings together installation, digital, sculptural, and printed artwork. The main focus concerns memory; and its vague, formless, and hazy nature. The work also examines what would happen if cognitive space could be physically mapped? What would it look like in sculptural form? Memory erodes and distorts with time. We influence our memories as much as they affect us. Thus, just as relationships are ever-changing, and our memories of those we interact with constantly shifting, our relationships with our own memories are malleable and evolve through time. This transient nature of memory is depicted in the various stylistic means of this exhibition by referencing time and space as well as personal memories and ephemera in both concrete and abstract ways. ‘why we bend’ implements a variety of multimedia techniques to examine recollection and its hold on us.
ContributorsHofsetz, Ximenna Cedella (Author) / Gutierrez, Rogelio (Thesis director) / Hood, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
This project explores a variety of ways of framing the problem of obesity, beginning with a multidisciplinary assessment of genetic, environmental, cultural, nutritional, and socioeconomic factors involved in the structure and the consequences of each frame. How obesity is framed as a problem has a profound impact on the kinds of solutions that may be deemed scientifically appropriate. But frames are not entirely evidence-based, inasmuch as political and moral values infuse debates about the nature of obesity. Drawing on interdisciplinary resources from bioethics and the philosophy of science, I strive to offer strategic insight in to how to navigate the complexity of these issues.
ContributorsYanamandra, Meghana (Author) / Robert, Jason (Thesis director) / Wharton, Christopher (Committee member) / Drago, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and scientists must work to approach it from a unique angle. The focus of my thesis is the application of brown adipose tissue as a combatant for fat loss in the body. Unused as adults, brown adipose tissue increases metabolism and mitochondrial function to burn more fat in individuals that cannot lose weight conventionally. Current research works to introduce safe hormonal pathways in the sympathetic nervous system to generate more of this tissue.
ContributorsGrade, Neenah Young (Author) / Morse, Lisa (Thesis director) / Appel, Christy (Committee member) / Mayol-Kreiser, Sandra (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05