No description available.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Robert van Engelen, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Computer Science. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 1, 2003). Includes bibliographical references.

Sixty-six chronic low back pain sufferers, recruited through the media, were randomly divided into three groups. Following an assessment consisting of psychological questionnaires, pain monitoring and measurement of paraspinal electromyogram (EMG), one group received paraspinal EMG biofeedback, and a second group received a placebo treatment. The third group received no intervention. Two further assessments were carried out on all groups immediately after and three months after treatment. All groups showed significant reductions in pain, anxiety, depression and paraspinal EMG, but there were no differences among the groups. A regression analysis failed to identify subject characteristics which predicted positive outcome in the biofeedback group, but the Evaluative scale of the MPQ and hypnotizability were significant predictors of outcome for the placebo group. The results are discussed in terms of a general placebo effect of participating in research designed to reduce pain. It is concluded that paraspinal EMG biofeedback is not an effective treatment for chronic low back pain in a non-hospitalized population.

This thesis has explored the effects of three variables in thermal biofeedback training using false feedback. The three controlled variables in this study are: knowledge of response for the student experimenter, and training sessions. Knowledge of response refers to the identification of a particular internal response (either GSR or skin temperature) of a subject.Although not statistically significant, results for the knowledge of response variables were found to be in the theoretically predicted direction in all conditions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1976. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 358-372).

No description available.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Biological Sciences / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris syn. Senecio jacobaea), a common weed of pasture and poorly managed land worldwide, is toxic to livestock and horses. There is no fully satisfactory control option available. The aim of the work described in this thesis was to assess the potential of root infecting pathogens to cause disease in ragwort, and to examine the possibility of using them as biological control agents against this weed. Thirty-six root infecting isolates were obtained from ragwort roots, collected from a nationwide postal survey where Pony Club adult leaders were asked to provide samples. Twenty-one of these were identified as Fusarium spp. by morphological identification and tested for the ability to cause disease on aseptically raised ragwort seedlings. Twelve isolates demonstrated virulence towards ragwort when measured by disease score over a 14 day period. These isolates were identified by molecular means using the internal transcribed spacer and translation elongation factor genes, as either Fusarium avenaceum or F. acuminatum while isolates of F. solani, F. redolens, F. cerealis or F. culmorum did not exhibit virulence except one isolate of F. culmorum which was weakly virulent. To investigate the biological control potential of virulent isolates, a representative of F. avenaceum and F. acuminatum plus the one weakly virulent F. culmorum isolate, were tested against plants of agricultural importance in grasslands. Six grasses (crested dogs tail, Cynosurus cristatus; Timothy, Phleum pratense; red fescue Festuca rubra; Italian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum; and two varieties of perennial ryegrass, L. perenne) were unaffected by inoculation with any of the isolates. There was no significant difference between the symptoms caused by F. avenaceum and F. acuminatum on ragwort, red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (T. repens). F. culmorum was more virulent towards white clover than either red clover or ragwort. This suggests that although high concentrations of pure PA may inhibit fungal growth, the range of other nutrients in the plants can counteract this negative effect.