The effect of a meat extract on iron absorption in young women : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Human Nutrition at Massey University, Palmerston North Campus, New Zealand

Iron deficiency is a global problem for which determinants and solutions need to be investigated. The first part of this study assessed the iron status and dietary intakes of 85 non vegetarian women aged 18-40 years living in the Manawatu region. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy or breastfeeding in the past 12 months, smoking, excess alcohol consumption and recent blood donation. Dietary intakes were estimated using a 24 hour recall and a non validated food frequency questionnaire. Serum ferritin (SF), haemoglobin (Hb), C-reactive protein, height, weight and supplement use were measured. Two women (2.4%) had iron deficiency anaemia (SF20µg/L). The daily mean and median iron intakes were 12.7±6.2mg and 10.8mg. 71 women (83.5%) consumed less than the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) of 18mg iron per day and 21.2% consumed less than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of 8mg iron per day. Serum ferritin was positively associated with age and total dietary iron intake. No statistically significant relationship was found between serum ferritin and Body Mass Index or exercise, or daily intakes of energy, protein, haem iron, red meat, total meat, vitamin C, vitamin A, total tea, coffee, alcohol, fibre or calcium (p>.05). Eighteen women who had low iron stores (SF<30µg/L) were selected to take part in a second study to investigate the effect of a meat extract (<0.5kDa sarcoplasmic fraction) on non haem iron absorption. Each subject consumed a sodium caseinate meal, a meat meal or a sodium caseinate meal containing the meat extract. Each meal was labeled with 8.5mg 57 Fe and each subject received 0.5mg 58 Fe administered by intravenous infusion. Fourteen days later iron absorption from these meals was determined using ratios of stable isotopes of iron incorporated into the red blood cells. Iron status was significantly inversely related to iron absorption. After adjusting to a serum ferritin of 40µ/L, iron absorption was 3.8% from the sodium caseinate meal, 3.9% from the meat meal and 5.1% from the meal containing the meat extract. These values were not significantly different from one another (p>.05)

Stratigraphy And Geochemistry Of Neoproterozoic Iron Formation, South Australia

In the southern portion of the Adelaide geosyncline, the Neoproterozoic Yudnamutana Subgroup unconformably overlies older Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Adelaidean succession. The Braemar and Holowilena iron formations occur locally in the glacigenic Yudnamutana Subgroup at the transitional contact between the basal Pualco Tillite and overlying Benda Siltstone formations, or stratigraphic equivalents elsewhere.;Magnetite and/or hematite and absence of chert typify these iron formations which are associated with diamictite, subarkosic wacke, siltstone and minor carbonate. Diamictites are typically unstratified and have iron-poor ({dollar}{dollar}30 wt.% Fe{dollar}\sb2{dollar}O{dollar}\sb3{dollar}) matrices. The former commonly occur below the iron formation-bearing intervals whereas the latter are intercalated with them. Low Fe{dollar}\sb2{dollar}O{dollar}\sb3{dollar} diamictites are typified by plutonic and/or extra-basinal clasts and are considered to represent glacimarine deposition from iceberg melt-out during waning glacial conditions. The high Fe{dollar}\sb2{dollar}O{dollar}\sb3{dollar} diamictites locally exhibit evidence of ice grounding (glacial striae) and typically contain intraformational clasts incorporated by sediment gravity processes. Subarkosic Fe wackes and Fe siltstones generally contain 5-20% iron oxide minerals. Sharp-based, coarse-tail graded beds of subarkosic Fe wacke formed due to rapid deposition from high-concentration turbidity currents, whereas intervals of unstratified, ungraded and structureless subarkosic Fe wacke are considered to reflect deposition from density-modified grain flows.;Iron formation exhibits similar major, trace and rare earth element distributions to recent submarine hydrothermal deposits. The chemical composition of associated clastic rocks suggests that iron formation represents deposition of chemically precipitated iron oxides during periods of lessened clastic input. The iron-rich fluids probably emanated from extensional, fault-controlled conduits related to rifting during evolution of the Adelaide geosyncline

Sex-specific breeding ecology of common terns in N. E. England.

Bi-parental care is necessary in a wide range of avian species to successfully raise offspring. I investigated a range of topics relating to sex-specific breeding ecology in common terns Sterna hirundo, a monogamous seabird with negligible sexual size dimorphism. Subtle size differences can be utilised to identify the sex of terns, enhanced by within-pair comparisons which increased the accuracy and simplified computational procedures. Under natural conditions, parental contributions were found to be flexible with respect to adult quality and body condition. Males were also found to provision more efficiently and to deliver more energy to offspring than females. Therefore there was no evidence for females investing more than males during a breeding attempt. Parental favouritism with respect to offspring sex was found, although why this should have occurred is uncertain. Experimentally increased egg production highlighted adult quality as an important factor in determining clutch size. Experimentally increasing male body mass did not result in lower provisioning rates or chick condition, suggesting that this species has a greater buffering capacity than previously thought. Environmental sensitivity of male and female offspring was examined under natural conditions. Mothers produced more female offspring at the end of the laying sequence, and male chicks from these eggs had higher mortality than females. This suggests that gender influences environmental sensitivity, even without sexual size differences

The informal economies of the Ukrainian-Romanian borderlands

The aim of this thesis is to explore the informal economies of post socialism as they are practiced in two rural communities on either side of the Ukrainian-Romanian border, which are now dependent on migrant worker remittances, cross-border small trading and consumption and a wide range of non-market economic practices for not only daily but also long-term survival or social reproduction. As informal economic practices have been sustained and even proliferated in the region, the thesis responds to a need to understand how local communities produce, embed and give meaning to these everyday, routinised practices in the borderlands. The thesis therefore addresses two key questions: How are informal economies in the Ukrainian-Romanian borderlands practiced?; How do communities construct and embed meanings for these practices? The themes of language, citizenship, gender and marriage enable us to understand the processes through which the practices are discursively and performatively given meaning

Motivations, expectations and the development of career-capital In self-initiated expatriates

This study investigates current, past and future self initiated expatriate’s (SIE) as an increasingly important source of human capital. Through the use of a structured questionnaire, responses were collected from 309 individuals. This paper contributes to existing literature surrounding the topic of why SIE’s decide to move and what these individuals perceive as important within organizations. The results of the study reveal that SIE’s move abroad for different reasons, with adventure and career reasons reported as most frequent. With regards to employer branding, individuals who move for both career or adventure reasons value intrinsic factors, such as feeling accepted and feeling good at work. Careerists are found to value extrinsic factors such as promotion and job security, compared to adventurers who place more value on employer reputation, such as the quality and innovation of goods. Finally, in order to further understand how firms can retain SIE’s, three frequently reported reasons for repatriation are identified; personal development, social and bureaucratic reasons. Following the empirical research, the study is supported by the career capital theory in order to provide implications and recommendations for practitioners. Developing knowing-how career capital is particularly important in careerists. Developing knowing-whom career capital is considered important for both adventurer and careerist SIE’s. Finally, developing knowing- why career capital is closely linked to intrinsic factors and is considered important for all SIE’s, regardless of their reasons to move

Choosing To Learn In Two Languages: Why Non-Latino, English-Speaking Families Select Spanish/english Dual Language Bilingual Programs

Interest in bilingualism for majority language speakers is an emerging trend in the US. In many parts of the country, English monolingual families are able to place their children in dual language bilingual education (\u27DLBE\u27) programs in order for them to learn another language. Because of availability and demand, the majority of these programs use Spanish and English in instruction and exist at the elementary school level. Traditionally meant to serve students whose home language is Spanish and whose English skills are emerging, these programs have now become popular among a different population: non-Latinos whose home language is primarily or only English (described in this research as non-Latino English-speakers, or \u27NLES\u27). As a result, the demographics of many DLBE programs are shifting. This qualitative research study describes reasons NLES families select and remain committed to Spanish/English DLBE programs, as well as factors that lead to program attrition for this population. Data is principally based on in-depth interviews of mothers whose children are in varying phases of participation in a DLBE program, including some whose children have left DLBE programs. The research setting is New York City, and research was conducted among families with children at one of three public schools in the same school district in the borough of Queens. The research sought to understand not only why NLES families might select Spanish/English DLBE programs for their children, but also what influences their commitment to these programs in the long term. Findings from this dissertation research are timely given the new school chancellor\u27s focus on the expansion of bilingual education programs in New York State as well as a well-documented uptick in interest in bilingual education among English monolinguals. The families interviewed in the current study considered learning Spanish, receiving academic enrichment, and staying in local public schools among their primary motivating factors for enrolling their children in DLBE programs. The families most likely to have children who left DLBE programs were those whose children had insufficient academic support (particularly with second language development), or who were given a different academic opportunity. Those whose children were most successful in DLBE programs were the families who had some connection to Spanish and the ability or willingness to support the language at home. What these findings indicate is that while interest in bilingual programs among NLES families is increasing, interest is not enough: these families must commit to them long term in order for their children to become bilingual and the programs to remain sustainable. Notwithstanding, I believe that the choices of families like those who participated in this study are indicative of a broader national trend. How schools harness the energy of this new interest and work to retain NLES families while still meeting the needs of the emergent bilingual population these programs have long served will affect the sustainability of DLBE programs. Schools that can effectively integrate and educate both populations equitably could transform traditional language education in the US

Teachers\u27 Experiences with Comprehension Instruction in Upper Elementary Classrooms

@font-face { font-family: Cambria ; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }p.MsoNormalCxSpFirst, li.MsoNormalCxSpFirst, div.MsoNormalCxSpFirst { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }p.MsoNormalCxSpMiddle, li.MsoNormalCxSpMiddle, div.MsoNormalCxSpMiddle { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }p.MsoNormalCxSpLast, li.MsoNormalCxSpLast, div.MsoNormalCxSpLast { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; } @font-face { font-family: Times ; }@font-face { font-family: ＭＳ 明朝 ; }@font-face { font-family: Cambria Math ; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman ; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria; }.MsoPapDefault { margin-bottom: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; } The central goal of elementary reading instruction is to teach students to make sense of the range of texts that they encounter during their school careers and lives. The issue of interest in this study is to better understand educational practice for upper elementary reading comprehension instruction. Using a case study design within the framework of symbolic interactionism, I studied four upper elementary teachers and examined the nature of their experiences with organizing, carrying out, and learning about reading comprehension instruction. Three weeks of classroom observations of each teachers’ language arts instruction and three interviews of each teacher constitute the major sources of data for this study. Results suggest that each teacher provided her students a different type of instructional experience around reading comprehension, despite having access to same kinds of instructional materials and assessment information. The instructional experiences offered by the teachers were contingent upon the teachers’ perspectives on the construct of reading comprehension and the factors that weighed most heavily in their individual decision-making processes about reading comprehension instruction. Several additional patterns emerged across the teachers. All four teachers made adaptations to their core reading program, utilized a small, consistent set of instructional routines in day-to-day instruction, and identified working with struggling students as an area of concern with which they felt unprepared to handle well. None of the teachers were observed or reported consistently employing direct, explicit, accountable ways of talking with students about texts or about ways of thinking through texts. These findings suggest future research and professional development efforts to improve reading comprehension instruction should begin with the ways in which teachers think about reading comprehension and the kinds of decisions teachers make as a result of their working definitions. In addition, more attention needs to be paid to supporting teachers in making thoughtful adaptations to their curriculum materials, in expanding the range of instructional routines employed on a regular basis, and in learning how to meet the needs of students struggling with comprehension. Finally, greater emphasis needs to be placed on fostering the kinds of talk amongst teachers and students that leads to the most robust reading comprehension development

The Nature And Effectiveness Of A Community-based Volunteer-delivered Health Education Program: A New Zealand Based Case Study

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly becoming one of the largest contributors to preventable death globally each year. This disease is predominately caused by poor lifestyle choices such as unhealthy diet, inactivity, smoking and the harmful use of alcohol. Modern treatments of CVD are often surgical and pharmaceutical which can be both invasive and expensive and do not necessarily address the causation or prevention of the disease. Research is now being done in preventative health to study the effects that a healthy lifestyle has in both reducing and even reversing CVD. Lifestyle intervention programs are a part of this preventative health phenomenon. This study aims to explore the nature and effectiveness of the Coronary Health Improvement Program (CHIP), in its ability to reduce CVD risk factors. Data was collected from a set of volunteer-delivered CHIP programs that were conducted in Hawera, New Zealand. The sample consisted of 284 participants who responded voluntarily to local program advertising. Participants were given a blood screening and questionnaire which was conducted at the commencement and conclusion of the 30 day intervention. The blood screening was given to measure baseline biometrics (BMI, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides and glucose) and the questionnaire was a tool used to gather information about the participants’ basic demographics, lifestyle, and family and medical histories. The data was then analysed to determine changes in the blood screening biometrics post intervention. Also these changes were further examined to determine the impact, if any, of participants’ lifestyle and family medical histories. An analysis of the nature of the program and its delivery was also conducted through interviews with the program facilitator. Participants’ blood screening results post intervention indicated a significant reduction in their biometrics from the baseline scores with reductions of 4% to 23%. In particular, participants who recorded high baseline figures recorded the most significant changes after the 30 days. There were significant differences across gender, marital status and age in the reduction of a number of the participants’ biometrics. This study provides valuable evidence suggesting that a volunteer-delivered, community based, CHIP lifestyle education program is effective in improving the health of participants and, in particular, reducing CVD risk factors. These findings will be important for the designing and delivery of lifestyle education programs for the prevention and treatment of CVD for the future

Alternative Classroom and Teaching Strategies and Techniques that Support Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): An Exploratory Study

Boys are diagnosed five times more frequently than girls with Attention Deficit (ADHD). Further, teachers are finding it hard to cope with boys with ADHD due to a lack of understanding about ADHD symptoms and boys\u27 personalities. Frequently medication has become the first option in addressing these issues. This research study examined current practices used for boys with behaviour problems as well as trialling a number of alternative approaches such as music therapy, aromatherapy, yoga, building and construction, gardening and computer generated learning. During the implementation phase, teachers were closely observed and then participated in an in-depth interview with the researcher. Through this exploratory study the data has revealed behavioural improvements as a result of the varying strategies and has demonstrated that alternative strategies may be a better option than medication for these boys with behavioural problems, including ADHD