Digital Commons Network^™

Psychosocial Predictors Of Survival In Persons With Hiv Or Aids, Carlos A. Escoto

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The HIV pandemic is in its second decade of existence. HIV has distinguished itself by effecting every part of the globe. It is estimated that there are currently over 40 million people living with HIV or AIDS diagnoses in the world today. Great strides have been made in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. Combination therapy of drugs has been shown to keep viral replication at very low levels. The result of drug therapies has resulted in keeping persons with HIV from progression to full blown AIDS. Also, drug therapies are responsible for a significant drop in mortality rates from …

Patient Satisfaction And Effectiveness Of A New Resin Used To Bumper Orthodontic Brackets, Timothy B. Elison

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fear of pain is a key factor in discouraging patients from seeking orthodontic treatment, with many patients discontinuing treatment due to pain experienced in the early stages of treatment. Patients often complain of traumatized lips and buccal mucosa, which is usually caused by the brackets. Orthodontists try to minimize this pain and discomfort by using bumpering materials. Although wax is the most commonly used product, there are many bracket bumpering materials available.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and patient comfort/satisfaction of a new flowable resin, Ortho Shield, designed to protect the lips and …

Plagiocephaly: Developmental And Medical Outcomes, José Leonardo Fuentes

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Plagiocephaly, a condition that is observed by deformation of the head, comes as the result of different etiologies. The most serious involving premature fusion of one or more of the cranial sutures, a condition referred to as craniosynostosis. While children with craniosynostosis may be considered for developmental screening to determine whether they fall at risk for developmental delay, children with plagiocephaly are typically not seen as being at risk, their condition typically treated as a cosmetic problem. This study consisted of 85 children, 37 with plagiocephaly, 9 with craniosynostosis, and 39 nonclinical subjects. Results of this study suggest that children …

Comparative Perceived Breast Cancer Risk Before And After An Intervention, Constance F. Welebir

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer screening has the potential of early detection, more effective treatment, and possible arrest of certain breast cancers, yet many women do not adhere to screening guidelines. With research showing that people use social comparison while making risk judgments, often holding optimistically biased beliefs about their health, women who maintain an optimism bias about their breast cancer risk may not practice routine breast cancer surveillance. Therefore, effective interventions designed to inform women of their breast cancer risks and to encourage adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines are necessary. This study investigated the role that social comparison plays in risk …

The Relationship Between The Osteonal Cement Line And Bone Strength, Avery Kazuhiro Egerer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Bone includes many structural and chemical components which provide both flexibility and strength. One such structure is the cement line, a 1-5 μm-thin structure located primarily in compact bone. Past research has correlated the pathological condition of “shin splints” with the micro-damage of bone, which often follows cement lines. It has been suggested that cement lines have rather paradoxical properties. Upon fatigue fracture of bone, microcracks often travel along cement lines and become trapped. This trapping and subsequent dispersion of energy have been hypothesized to prevent a complete fracture from occurring, extending bone life. Cement lines have been implicated in …

The Effects Of A Hypocaloric Diet Enriched In Oleic Acid Using Almonds Versus Complex Carbohydrates On Metabolic And Anthropometric Parameters During Weight Reduction, Michelle Ann Wien

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purposes of this study were to determine the effect of almonds rich in oleic acid as an alternative to complex carbohydrates on metabolic and anthropometric parameters during weight reduction and to evaluate self-reported satiety and satisfaction. A convenience sample of 57 adults was recruited from the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program at City of Hope National Medical Center. Subjects were randomized to an almond-enriched hypocaloric diet or to a complex carbohydrate-enriched hypocaloric diet for twenty-four weeks. Mixed model analysis showed that the use of almonds more favorably influenced weight loss (p< 0.0001), body mass index (p = 0.0001), waist circumference (p = 0.0255) and fat mass (p = 0.0205) compared to complex carbohydrates. Additionally, blood ketone levels were statistically significantly higher in the almond group (p = 0.0230) than in the complex carbohydrate group. No significant difference was found in the total cholesterol:HDL ratio between the groups, however both groups had statistically improved ratios over time with resulting decreases in cardiovascular risk. The glucose (p = 0.0006), insulin (p< 0.0001), insulin:glucose ratio (p = 0.0008), HgbAlc (p

Pain Experienced By Patients During Periodontal Recall Treatment, Thu-Diem Chung

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The aims of this study were to determine; 1) the degree of pain experienced by patients during probing and debridement; 2) if the treating hygienists could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients; and 3) if the patients' pain responses could be predicted by factors such as the patients' age, gender, number of residual periodontal lesions, and the patients' answers to a questionnaire on dental anxiety.

Prior to the maintenance procedures, 2 groups of 20 adult patients to be treated by 2 hygienists completed an anxiety questionnaire. Subsequently, measurements of probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings …

Patterns Of Scholarly Productivity In Physical Therapy Faculty, Ardith L. Williams-Meyer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Due to the proliferation of entry-level doctorate physical therapy programs (DPT), there are two important qualifications for current physical therapy educators: 1) they should hold academic doctorate degrees and 2) they need to conduct scholarly activity, such as research, to increase the scientific base for physical therapy practice. In order to determine current faculty preparation for the increasing number of DPT programs, this descriptive study compared the current percentage of doctorally prepared faculty teaching in entry-level doctorate and masters degree programs, and determined their contributions through original research, publications as first or contributing authors or presentations, during the last five …

Effect Of Electrode Size, Shape, And Placement On Electrical Current And Subject Comfort During Electrical Stimulation, Bonnie J. Forrester

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Six healthy subjects were studied to determine the optimal size, shape and placement of stimulating electrodes during the application of electrical stimulation (ES) to the biceps, quadriceps, and tibialis anterior muscles. Subjects were recruited to allow for diversity in age, sex, and skin pigmentation. Subjects sat in a custom designed multi-positional chair, which allowed precise positioning of each extremity. After determining the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the muscle and careful determination of the motor point, ES, with a biphasic square wave of 300 ms duration and a frequency of 30 Hz, was used to bring the muscle to 10% …

Prevalence Of Various Upper Extremity Disorders In Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Versus Patients Without Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Daniel C. Buda

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background and Purpose: Increasingly larger numbers of patients present with repetitive strain injuries of the upper extremities, especially carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). A large number of these patients appear to have more than one upper extremity condition. The purpose of this study was to determine the probability that a patient diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome will also be diagnosed with other upper extremity and/or cervical spine disorders.

Subjects: A group of 188 subjects diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and a group of 203 subjects without carpal tunnel syndrome were selected through a chart review of patients at Loma Linda …

Biomarkers Of Bone Turnover In Vegetarians And Omnivores, Susan Kim Louie Lue

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A cross-sectional study on fasting serum and 24-hour urine samples were used to determine whether biochemical markers of bone turnover, resorption and formation, differed in a group of 50 healthy premenopausal Caucasian women eating vegan, lactoovovegetarian(LOV) and omnivorous diets.

The women, ages 20-42, had participated in a study of bone mineral density(BMD). The three groups were comparable in mean age, BMI, calorie intake, calories spent in exercise, kcal/kg body weight, protein/day, protein/kg body weight and urinary creatinine.

Biomarkers included those of bone resorption—pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline, and N-telopeptides, and of bone turnover—serum and urinary osteocalcin(OC), skeletal alkaline phosphatase, and propeptide-type-I-carboxyterminal-procollagen(PICP). In all …