Interprofessional collaboration is recognized as the innovative, evidence-based strategy that strengthens health systems and improves performance and health outcomes. While resource-rich countries have benefited much from the implementation of this initiative, literature is scarce regarding sub-Sahara Africa. This quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study described the extent of interprofessional collaborative practice at the tertiary care level in Nigeria and its implications on patient health outcomes, professionals' performance, satisfaction, and healthy practice environment. The relational coordination theory (RCT) provided the conceptual framework for the study. Key research questions were on the association between the extents of interprofessional practice and each of the outcome implications. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey and were analyzed using means, standard deviations, t tests, correlation and regression statistics, and Chi-square tests. Results showed that the health professionals rated the practice of interprofessional collaboration low and perceived that the extents of the practice negatively affected patient's mortality, professionals' work performance, job satisfaction, and the frequency of interprofessional conflicts and strike actions. Recommendations included policy formulation and implementation, commitment and willingness by the health professionals to teamwork and patient-centered care. The implications for positive social change is that these results could be used as a tool to advocate for policy formulation and policy change for effective implementation of interprofessional collaboration; and as a database for future training intervention on collaborative practices among health professionals.

The Logan River was used as a study site to assess the capabilities of two-dimensional depth-averaged hydraulic modeling in the x-y plane of a natural river for use with instream flow studies. Data were collected to spatially represent the study reach with depth, velocity, northing, easting, elevation, and substrate values using a total station and electronic velocity meter. Computational finite element meshes were generated using four different density levels of geometry data to examine the relationship between field data density and computational mesh on geometry errors. Geometry errors were found to be related to smoothing effects, which removed complex channel geometries while overall mesh geometry errors were related to data density in homogeneous versus heterogeneous channel conditions. Results indicate that required field data can be optimized with lower data densities in homogenous sections of the river channel. Of the two hydraulic models examined, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers RMA2 model could not be adequately calibrated given the high slope within the study reach and therefore all subsequent evaluations were made utilizing the CDG2D model. CDG2D model performance was best in the lower gradient sections of the test section at both calibrated and simulated flows with increasing errors for water surface and associated depth and velocity errors as channel gradient increased. These results suggest that additional research is needed to define limiting gradients under which application of this class of hydrodynamic model can be expected for practical instream flow assessments.

Translocations have been used as a management strategy to successfully augment declining native wildlife populations. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) population declines on Anthro Mountain, Utah prompted managers to translocate sage-grouse and test protocols from a successful translocation project in Strawberry Valley, Utah. Sage-grouse from Parker Mountain, Utah were used as the source population for Anthro Mountain and Strawberry Valley translocations. Sixty hens were translocated to Anthro Mountain in 2009 and 2010; I monitored vital rates of the 60 translocated hens and 32 resident hens from 2009-2012. My objective was to determine the overall success of the translocation 4 years after the initial release and compare vital rates to the source population and Strawberry Valley.In Chapter 2, I determined that survival varied by study area and hen age but was not affected by residency status. Annual survival of Anthro Mountain hens was lower than Parker Mountain and Strawberry Valley hens. Adult hen survival in all three populations was higher than yearling survival.In Chapter 3, I determined that the translocation contributed to population growth. Adult resident and previously translocated hens had the highest reproductive success, followed by resident yearlings, newly translocated adults, and newly translocated yearlings. Lek counts increased from 2009-2013 and a new lek was discovered in 2011. Survival was not affected by residency status or age, but varied greatly by year and season. Mean monthly survival was lowest in the fall; this differs from range-wide trends.In Chapter 4, I determined that translocated hens adapted to the release area. They exhibited similar seasonal movements and used similar habitats as residents. The home range size of resident and translocated hens was comparable; however, previously translocated hens had smaller home ranges than newly released hens.Despite landscape level differences between the source and release areas, translocated hens assimilated to the population and contributed to population growth. Although the translocation was successful, the low vital rate estimates are cause for concern. The low estimates suggest that factors such as predation, habitat quality and quantity, and anthropogenic influences may be problematic for this isolated population.

Researchers studying diet selection of ungulate herbivores have generally considered plant palatability independent of animals' dietary history. However, more recent studies demonstrate that experiences within the life of an animal strongly influence plant selection. We are beginning to understand how food preferences and aversions are formed through gastro-intestinal feedback. My research specifically examines factors that influence the formation of conditioned flavor aversions in the generalist herbivore, sheep. I first examined how variability of food toxicity affects the intake of those foods. I determined that sheep apparently have several mechanisms for regulating intake of toxic foods regardless of whether or not toxic variation can be detected through flavor changes. When changes in flavor correspond to changes in toxicity, animals adjusted intake based on an increase or decrease in toxin concentration. When toxic variation was not detectable through flavor, animals adopted a conservative strategy of eating an amount based on the maximum toxin dose they had experienced.' I was also interested in how illness following the consumption of one food influences the selection of other foods. In diet selection, animals may generalize selection responses among foods with similar flavors. Generalization may be particularly important in the selection of novel foods, i.e., a new food may look, smell, or taste like a familiar food that is preferred or avoided. In several experiments on the generalization of flavor aversions I found that: 1) sheep generalize aversions from familiar to novel foods when both foods had a flavor in common; 2) the more sick an animal got after eating a food the greater the aversion formed to the food and the greater the generalization of that aversion to new foods; 3) the salience or intensity of flavor did not affect the strength of conditioned flavor aversions in sheep on the generalization of the aversion, but this may not always be the case; 4) flavor intensity strongly influenced the acceptance of a novel food. A novel food (wheat) with a strong flavor (3% added ground oregano) was more avoided than a novel food (wheat) with a mild flavor (1% oregano added).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the funds of knowledge of Latino and Latina high school adolescents, and how they used their funds of knowledge to solve engineering design problems in their communities. This study was based on the assumption that creating a bridge between different formal resources (e.g., engineering design processes) and informal resources (e.g., funds of knowledge) is an important step toward encouraging Latino and Latina high school adolescents to enter and remain in the field of engineering. The intent of this study was to generate a framework of funds of knowledge that teachers can draw from in order to create culturally responsive high school engineering instruction that connects adolescents’ out-of-school practices to the formal practices of engineering. An ethnographic approach was used to investigate the funds of knowledge of fourteen Latino and Latina high school adolescents. The participants were selected from a rural community located in the Western United States. They were divided into four different groups and each group selected a problem in their community that was of interest to them. Each group met twice per month and every student was interviewed every month individually. For this study, data sources included participant responses to individual interviews, observations of group discussions, retrospective and concurrent protocols, and participant-generated products. A constant comparative analysis showed that the participants possessed an understanding of societal, environmental, technical, and other engineering-related practices, dispositions, and habits of mind, which helped them to engage in engineering design in a holistic way. The study suggested that Latino and Latina adolescents, although profoundly underrepresented in engineering, bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences that are relevant to engineering design thinking and practice.

In the US, the roaded landscape has had serious ecological effects. We studied wildlife-vehicle collisions occurring on the 248 state routes in Utah from 1992 to 2002. We tracked trends and patterns in deer-vehicle collisions, evaluated all routes for frequency of deer kills, and identified "hotspots" ( segments of road with high concentrations of collisions per mile). We found pronounced patterns: e.g., 61.15% of all collisions occurred on only 10 routes. We studied the effects of posted speed limit and annual average daily traffic flow and found that no relationship existed between traffic volume and/or posted speed limit and the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions that occurred. We put the economic costs associated with wildlife vehicle collisions into a public safety perspective and confirmed that associated costs, damage, injuries, and loss of resources are significant aspects ofDVCs that require attention and justify mitigation.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The modern fair trade movement and resulting network emerged during the twentieth century as a strategy to alleviate extreme poverty through creating equitable trading initiatives and markets. Since its emergence, fair trade has grown tremendously to include initiatives across the globe, particularly within the Global South. Although the intent to do good is present amongst fair traders, the impact of these initiatives remains rather ambiguous, especially in regards to culture. Using a case study approach, this thesis aims to identify the cultural implications of fair trade activities and initiatives on Ghanaian basket weavers and their local communities, and then determine the effectiveness of the fair trade movement in aligning intent with impact within this context given these findings. From there, specific policy recommendations are provided for future initiatives.

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