Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 164-171). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Social and Political Thought. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 410-454). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR39048

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 281-288).

Project (D. Min.)--Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1987. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-162).

<p> Adventure is a relic of imperialism and the European romanticization of place. It has evolved from quests for domination of place and people (colonialism), to spiritual or consumeristic escape from the modern world, to an attempt to return or reconnect to nature. This paradigm implies that if humans must reconnect to nature, there is an inherent disconnect or a separation. This reconnection is rooted in romantic notions and Cartesian duality of man and nature. However, approaches towards adventure and tourism apart from such dominant Western mountain traditions focus on the critical and contextually based aspects of adventure experiences. These approaches, informed by indigenous meanings of place, traditional ecological knowledge, and ecofeminism, decenter human experience. Likewise, a feminist new materialist approach towards understanding place and materiality also allows for an awareness of entanglements and intra-active relationships of human and more-than-human to emerge, as did this research. </p><p> This dissertation examined place in the context of adventure trekking tourism in the upper Solukhumbu District, Nepal through a walking ethnography of the trails in and around Mount Everest base camp. This research was based on the following questions: 1. How can the future of development of Nepali Himalayan adventure tourism industry move forward ethically and with reciprocity towards the interconnectivity of mountains and people; 2. How can the adventure tourism industry consider the complexities of influence on a place&mdash;from both a direct impact and that of greater anthropogenic impacts? This research was grounded in the background and orientations of Everest tourism, which developed within discourse and materiality of Khumbu, shifting with local identities and meanings of place. Tourism in this context mangles in the edges of local and global cultures looming within immanent threats of the Anthropocene. Discourse composed and idealized from outside the mountain boundaries contributes to motivations for traveling to the Khumbu and perceptions of this place, in turn shaping the expectations of the tourist. In these contact zones mountains are sacred, a business venture, a personal challenge, place of revelation and spirituality, imperial conquest, neocolonial stomping ground, to scientific object of study. Within these complexities, this dissertation examined the concept of place and how meaning and agency develop in relation to adventure tourism experiences in Khumbu and the Anthropocene. A reciprocity develops in which human amongst more-than-human becomes embedded and inseparable. Shifting an anthropocentric gaze that privileges and sets matter apart as isolated and constrained by boundaries determined by humans, demonstrated the vibrant agential reality of more-than-human intimacies such as forgotten landscapes, rocks, dirt, glaciers, and altitude. Nature is not a passive object upon which humans descend, but rather an entangled subjectivity. This awareness allows for a rethinking of human enactments of Anthropocene and complicit behaviors of this epoch, reframing approaches to adventure. The conclusions of this research found that mountains&mdash;more-than-human&mdash;have agency and meaning and are not passive or in the background of human experience. This applies to a practical application of the research through a praxis tool for new materialist research and the adventure industry, in turn decentering the human/anthropocentrism and identified practices of tourism that are both sustainable and more inclusive of the entanglements of people and place.</p>

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Objectives: Obesity-related illnesses are a major public health concern. Although doctors are expected to discuss obesity and health-related behaviour change with patients, they report being unprepared by medical education to do this effectively. Healthcare settings provide an opportunity to help patients tackle unhealthy behaviours and make the necessary changes to improve their health and longevity. This programme of research aims to investigate and improve current obesity management education for medical students. It also aims to identify whether the existing evidence-base on behaviour change techniques has been used to inform educational interventions in this area. Five separate studies were conducted in order to investigate obesity management education for medical students, identify challenges and solutions to its integration within medical schools, and then design and test a novel educational intervention in this area. Methods: Two systematic reviews were conducted to investigate relevant educational interventions about obesity management in terms of a) their efficacy and b) their educational content. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with medical educators (n = 27) was conducted to explore key challenges to integrating this education into medical schools in Ireland and the UK. The final two studies involved designing and validating a communication tool based upon behaviour change techniques, and subsequently evaluating this within an educational intervention in a before-and-after feasibility study (n = 34 medical students). Results: Findings from the systematic reviews illustrated that educational interventions addressing obesity management for medical students are rare. Robust empirical evaluations are scarce, and on the whole authors report using little behaviour change theory or evidence to inform their interventions. Barriers to integrating obesity management education into medical schools may relate to the diverse and opportunistic manner in which it is currently delivered within medical schools; varied support for its inclusion, and varied medical student engagement in the topic. Taking into account these issues, findings of the feasibility study suggest that it is possible to deliver theory- and evidence-based obesity management education to medical students. This educational intervention was delivered consistently by clinical tutors, it was acceptable and valued by students, and results suggest that participants would go on to discuss obesity management with patients and use desired communication skills within such interactions.Conclusions: The available evidence-base on obesity management educational interventions for medical students is poor. However, it is possible to design and deliver this education within an existing undergraduate medical programme. Further research is required to investigate the efficacy and effectiveness of such an intervention in practice.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Also available in print.

The National Electric Coil Company/Cooper Industries, Inc. plant in Harlan County, Kentucky was a mining support operation primarily engaged in the cleaning and repair of mining equipment from 1951 to 1987. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and degradation byproducts, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and vinyl chloride were released into the areas surrounding the plant periodically for decades. Routine water sampling of area wells by the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water revealed significant levels of TCE, PCBs, and vinyl chloride. The toxicology of these chemicals implicates various systems, including cardiovascular, dermal, endocrine, and neurological. University of Kentucky’s Superfund Basic Research Program’s (UK-SBRP) biomedical research is based on the premise that nutrition can modulate the effects of Superfund contaminants. In this study, the Community Outreach Core developed and delivered nutrition education programs to community members to address three issues: reduce total dietary fat, increase omega-3 fat, and increase dietary fiber. Initial efforts revealed the need for a holistic approach to identify and build trust with community members before programs could be presented. Results from informal discussions, qualitative assessments, and 24-hour dietary recalls using 2007 Nutrient Data System for Research were used to measure specific outcomes; increased knowledge, improved attitudes, and dietary behavior changes.