"Infant Mortality Rate" (IMR), is an important socio-economic indicator which measures an important dimension of the well-being of any society. For the developing and less developed countries of the world, Infant Mortality Rates are much higher than those in the developed countries. This research aims to study IMR in India, a country which achieved considerable growth in industrial and agricultural sectors during the post-independence era, but which still has a relatively high level of IMR. Different formulations for measuring IMR are given and work done by different searchers in this area are reviewed in this study. Indicators of the variables affecting IMR are chosen, a time series regression model is estimated by ordinary least squares, and the results discussed. A cross-section analysis of the states in India is also attempted. The results of these analyses, concur quite well with other studies done for countries in similar stages of economic development.

FACTORS RELATED TO ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOODS AND THE ASSOCIATION WITH CANCER MORTALITY IN THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES (Under the direction of Lee Mobley, PhD) Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States. However, nutrient rich diets are known protective factors against this disease. Unfortunately, many areas in the United States do not have adequate access to nutritious foods. This study aims to examine cancer mortality rates in these counties in relationship to access to food. The main hypothesis is that greater accessibility to nutritious food sources in counties is associated with lower county cancer mortality rates. Methods: Exploratory spatial cluster analysis was used to determine whether patterns of observed cancer mortality were spatially random or not. Finding spatial structure, spatial regression was used to determine the association between several factors related to nutritional access in relation to cancer mortality rates in counties in the Southeastern US. Results: Results from this study indicated that cancer mortality rates are clustered in the southeast into areas with higher than average and areas with lower than average risk. The patterns are statistically significantly different than would have been observed by chance, using a 5% level of significance. Spatial regression indicated a positive statistically significant relationship between the number of households that live more than one mile away from a grocery store with no vehicle access and increased cancer mortality (p=.00002). Conclusion: Further research should be conducted to determine which factors in counties are contributing to cancer mortality. Results showed that although individuals have access to healthy foods, they may also have equal access to unhealthy food selections. Behaviors should be assessed to find out what factors influence food choices.

This thesis explored the paradoxes of CHD and diet in Europe. A correlational study which examined the relationship between mortality from CHD in men below 65 years with national food and cigarette consumption in 19 western European countries showed that cross-sectionally, wine, vegetables and vegetable oils were the most strongly related with CHD death rates during 1985-87 (r = -0.80, -0.65 and -0.62 respectively). When the data on foods were converted to nutrients, the antioxidant α-tocopherol was the most strongly related to CHD across western Europe (r = -0.78). The major determinant of α-tocopherol supply was usually sunflowerseed oil. The cross sectional finding on α-tocopherol is important because it explains more than 60% of the variability of heart disease in western Europe and also the French and other European paradoxes of CHD. Longitudinal correlations of CHD deaths and α-tocopherol supplies during 1970 to 1987 within most of the countries studied supported the cross-sectional negative relationship. The rest of this thesis focused on the development and validation of two vitamin E indices which could be useful markers of vitamin E status. The first assay investigated whether binding of α-tocopherol to RBC reflected the longer-term intake of vitamin E and possibly also of vitamin E status if bone marrow metabolism reflects the body's demands for free radical scavenging and catabolism of α-tocopherol. The second marker of vitamin E status was the α-tocopherol concentration of the RBC. α-Tocopherol measurements predicted normal individual vitamin E intakes, assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, with good degree of accuracy (r = 0.9, p<0.05). This assay was also sensitive to an increase in intake of 30 mg α-tocopherol daily for 18 weeks, demonstrated by the significantly higher concentration of α-tocopherol in the RBC of the supplemented subjects compared with the controls.

No description available.

Prolonged severe winter weather increases mortality in shorebirds wintering in Britain, with Redshank suffering much more than other species. I studied eco- physiological factors which might affect the chances of survival of Redshank to determine wether British-breeding Redshank (T. t. totanus) and the larger Icelandic breeding Redshank (T. t robusta) are equally affected. I examined the seasonal changes in body mass (BM), total lean mass (TLM) and mass of fat (FM) in wild and captive birds of both races in NE England, using total body electrical conductivity. I measured mass-specific standard metabolic rates in both races at temperatures (T(_a)) between -5ºC and 25ºC using open-flow respirometry. By combining these with measurements of heat loss from heated taxidermic mounts of Redshank, I calculated the effects of air tengerature, wind speed and solar radiation on maintenance metabolism (M(_maint)) of each race. I also measured the composition of carcasses of Redshank which died on the Wash, SE England following prolonged severe weather in February 1991. I found that i) both races accumulated similar fat reserves during mid-winter as an insurance against impending bad weather and food shortages; ii) robusta had a higher mass-specific basal metabolic rate (BMR) and higher thermal conductivity (K(_es)); iii) severe weather mortality in Redshank m Britain coincided with time periods when M(_maint) in both races exceeded 2.5xBMR and daily mean temperatures were -2ºC or below continuously over a period of 5 days; iv) there were no racial differences in foraging behaviour; v) both races died during severe weather as a result of starvation after depleting almost all fat and similar amounts of protein reserves; vi) the reserves of robusta would sustain them without food for 0.5 days less than britannica exposed to the same weather conditions. The differences in BMR between the two races was discussed in terms of differences in breeding latitude and migratory lifestyle. The higher K(_es) of robusta was thought to result from the higher BMR, rather than a lower level of insulation provided by the plumage. During severe weather when food availability is reduced, I would predict that robusta, with their higher mass-specific M(_maint) and larger body size, would find it more difficult to meet their daily energy requirements through food intake alone. Given that the energy obtained by robusta from fat and protein reserves would sustain them for shorter periods than those of britannica, I would predict that during periods of prolonged severe weather, the latter would have a greater chance of survival.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2007. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Daniel Goodman. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-144).

Thesis (M. P. H.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on November 9, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. P. H.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Also available in print.