2006 MU theses - Access restricted to UM
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Item Comparison of a commercial weight loss program to traditional exercise(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Bolhofner, Anne; Ball, Stephen D. (Stephen Daniel)[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] To compare the effectiveness of a popular commercial weight loss program, Weight Watchers (WW) to a traditional exercise program (TE) for weight loss and body composition. A secondary purpose was to investigate changes in blood chemistry and blood pressure. Forty-three overweight (BMI [greater than or equal to] 25) and sedentary women received a 12 week membership to either WW or TE. Subjects in WW were instructed to follow the dietary and exercise recommendations of the program, which generally included weekly weigh-ins, counseling sessions, and a point counting system to monitor calories. Subjects assigned to TE were instructed to follow the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for weight loss which included both aerobic and anaerobic exercise a minimum of three times weekly. Outcomes included body weight (BW), body fat percentage (%BF) measured via skinfolds and the BOD POD, intraabdominal fat (IAF) and subcutaneous abdominal fat (SAF) measured via computed tomography, total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol with subfractions (HDL-C, HDL2-C, HDL3-C), triglycerides (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). BW decreased significantly for WW (P [less than] 0.001) but not for TE (P = 0.055). %BF by BOD POD was not significantly different for either group at 12 weeks. Both groups lost a significant amount of IAF (P[less than] 0.05) but no between group differences existed. SAF decreased significantly for WW (P [less than] 0.001) but not for TE. There were no significant differences found within or between groups for any lipoprotein measurement. SBP and DBP decreased significantly for both groups (P [less than] 0.05) but no between groups differences existed. Although the WW group lost a significant amount of BW by week 12, %BF by BOD POD did not improve indicating a large loss of lean tissue. It is likely the TE group did not perform the volume of exercise necessary to elicit body composition changes.Item Practicing the faith: conversion and the construction of a Muslim religious identity(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Winchester, Daniel A.; Neitz, Mary Jo, 1951-[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] While the secularization thesis has long posited that religious selves would increasingly fade into obscurity in the modern social landscape, recent research in the sociology of religion has challenged this dominant assumption. Yet the realization that religious identities are not fading into obscurity as previously imagined has brought with it a host of new questions about the study of religious groups and individuals, not the least of which is how to frame the issue of religious identity itself. This study attempts to shed light on this issue, drawing on the insights of contemporary scholars of identity in order to better understand how a group of Muslim converts in mid-Missouri went about the process of constructing new religious selves. Drawing especially on the insights of Pierre Bourdieu, I demonstrate that religious conversion can, at least in part, be conceptualized as the practical construction of a new religious habitus, a new set of embodied aptitudes and dispositions that allow the social agent to create and experience a religious reality in everyday life.Item Aza-analogues of distyrylbenzene (DSB) synthesis, structures, and properties of 1,4-phenylenediamine bisimines (PDABI)(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Murphy, Richard F., III.; Glaser, Rainer, 1957-[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The drive for electo-optically active materials was officially initiated in 1966 with the publishing, by NASA, of a 137 page report. The "Electro-optic Projection Study" outlined the advantages of optical processing over those of electronic. These include increased bandwidth, modulation response ([pi] electron response), and decreased expense. We are focused on the creation of dipole parallel-aligned crystals as potential players for use as electro-optic materials. The successful synthesis of several near-perfect and perfect parallel dipole aligned crystal with acetophenone azines marks our first contributions to this database of materials, and we look to increase that number. The design principal that guides our material designs encompasses three major themes: acceptor and donor groups that create a molecular dipole, dipole minimization through the use of a [pi]-conjugation stopper, and arene-arene T-contacts (amongst other) as intermolecular synthons. The purpose of this study is to probe the aza-analogues of distyrilbenzene, heretofore referred to as the bisimines (Ph-C=N-Ph-N=C-Ph). In chapter 1, the design principal and synthesis of the symmetric bisimines will be presented. Chapter 2 will be a theoretical, computational investigation of the conformational profile of the single imine (benzylidene aniline) and double imine (bisimine) systems. Chapter 3 is a presentation of the observed packing interactions in the crystallized bisimines. Chapter 4 is a conformation and packing study of planar azine analogues chlorobenzaldazine and bromobenzaldazine.Item A seven-letter word for art(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Troolin, Eric; Calvin, James H. (James Halvorsen), 1958-[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] In our limiting of cognition, we deny the full spectrum of the mind. We disavow the existence of aberrant thoughts towards the ends of anonymous complacency. We willingly tread on eggshells and heartily compliment the Emperor's new clothing. The simple truth is that reality is sloppy, careless, difficult and aimless. It is a chaotic organism, and it is all we have. Our assumptions about our shared systems of thought and action are dangerously misleading, and our constructed reality must be questioned in order for us to exist as more than petty drones. My work incites this act of questioning in a disquietingly humorous manner. By challenging the tenets of communal acceptability within fine art, I prompt continued acts of questioning beyond the domain of fine art. I utilize a combination of pragmatism and eccentricity to blur the perceived distinction and categorization of thought and reality. In realizing moments of personally whimsical insight within controlled structures, I influence the viewer to simultaneously accept both logic and absurdity. This paradox fundamentally restructures the perception of cognition in an amiable manner, as my work employs a sly charm that renders this restructuring approachable to all. This approachability reduces the feeling of separation that would render my endeavors as simply aberrant, or fundamentally estranged. In this capacity, my work retains an insidious quality, a careful guile, which instigates the critical scrutiny of our shared reality.--From public.pdfItem Exploring personality factors associated with treatment-seeking behavior among individuals with bulimia nervosa(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2006) Maldonado, Christine R.; Bardone-Cone, Anna[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] There are numerous treatments that have been developed for bulimia nervosa (BN), but few individuals with BN seek treatment. It is important to understand factors associated with treatment seeking so that those who are less apt to seek treatment are targeted. The study aims to investigate the relation between personality traits and treatment-seeking behaviors in BN individuals. Various personality trait measures and treatment-seeking behavior related to eating or weight problems was assessed in a community and clinical sample of women with BN. A wide variety of treatments were sought by the sample. Increases in emotional dysregulation and maladaptive perfectionism predicted number of treatments sought. Increases in emotional dysregulation were associated with an increased likelihood to use therapy-focused treatment while increases in dissocial behavior were associated with an increased likelihood to use a weight-focused treatment. Further research is needed to assess the degree that personality traits predict treatment-seeking behavior.