Digital Commons Network^™

Immediate Implant Placement In Extraction Sites With Periapical Lesions: A Retrospective Study, Yuan-Lung Hung

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Immediate implant placement into fresh extraction sites has become a relatively routine clinical procedure with a favorable prognosis. However, immediate placement into extraction sockets with lesions has not been extensively documented in humans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to retrospectively determine the survival rate of implants placed into extraction sockets with visible periapical lesions.

Patient charts of 544 immediately placed implants from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Center for Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry were examined. Eighty-six of the 544 implants had been placed immediately into extraction sockets with periapical lesions and they were included in this study. …

The Skeletal Effects To The Maxilla After Rapid Maxillary Expansion Using Cbct, Brett J. Garrett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to use cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to quantitatively evaluate and compare skeletal expansion and alveolar tipping of the maxilla at the maxillary canine (Cl), first premolar (PI), second premolar (P2) and first molar (Ml) after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Transverse effects to the maxillary suture, nasal width and maxillary sinus were also assessed. Included in the study were thirty consecutive patients (17 males and 13 females; mean age = 13.8 + 1.7 years) requiring RME using Hyrax appliances as part of their comprehensive orthodontic treatment. The pre-RME and post-RME measurements of palatal and …

Posttraumatic And Parent Stress In Parents Of Infant Heart Transplant Recipients, Jessie Rose Stevens

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Heart transplantation during infancy is a life-threatening event, and when successful, the treatment is a life-long process and the potential for life-threatening consequences never ceases. As a result, parents can be impacted in many ways by this traumatic and demanding experience that begins with the initial diagnosis of their infant and continues into the long-term life course of these children. This life-long process has the potential to cause symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder as well as elevated levels of stress in parents. This study examined parental self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms and parental stress in parents of children who received a …

Physiological Effects Of Vibration In Select Populations, Colleen S. Maloney-Hinds

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Recently, researchers have demonstrated that Whole Body Vibration results in significant increases in skin blood flow. No study has determined if there is an optimal frequency or duration for optimizing this response. In addition, there is no known mechanism for the increase in skin blood flow. It is hypothesized that nitric oxide (NO) is responsible for the increase in skin blood flow due to its ability to vasodilate the smooth muscle in response to shear stress. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine the optimal frequency and duration of vibration and determine if NO is the mechanism for …

Consider The Source : The Effects Of Adult Sources Of Human Immunodefciency [Sic] Virus And Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Information On Teen Risk Behaviors For Sexually Transmitted Infection, Janet E. Flores

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), are major health problems for adolescents, who represent over 26% of new cases of STIs diagnosed annually in the United States. Half of all HIV cases in people under age 25 result from sexual transmission during adolescence. Adolescent STI prevention is a national priority for the United States, and parents, schools, and medical providers, among others, are expected to have the greatest impact on adolescent STI risk reduction in teens.

This study used secondary Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS) data to explore the prevalence of high school students with …

Predictors Of Emotional Reactions In Women Treated For Breast Cancer, Erin E. Ramirez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer can be a devastating disease that impacts a woman in all spheres of her life (Ingram, 1989). Previous studies have examined the impact of breast cancer on body satisfaction, as well as the impact on emotional well-being. Studies have also examined the role of the coping style that a woman engages in response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the woman's psychological adjustment to the disease. However, to date, no research has introduced and tested a multifaceted model.

The purpose of this study was to develop a model predicting psychological maladjustment in women treated for …

Effects Of Distress On Health Care Utilization In Cancer Survivors (Nhis 2004), Natalie Christine Kaiser

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Distress rates have been found to be around 43%, as indicated by a study of five comprehensive cancer centers and as measured by the Distress Thermometer (Jacobsen, et ah, 2005). Furthermore, few studies have examined the current health care utilization among cancer patients as predicted by distress. Thus, population-based data from the NHIS (2004) was analyzed using SUDAAN software 1) to ascertain the current levels of distress as measured by the Kessler 6 scale experienced by cancer survivors based upon demographic characteristics, family structure, physical comorbitities, and cancer-related variables, and 2) to determine whether distress rates reported among cancer survivors …

A Model For Preventing Anorexia In College Students, Laura Ann Negin

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The prevalence of anorexia nervosa in the general population is relatively low, but anorexia is at the forefront of health concerns because of its seriousness. Unhealthy weight loss has numerous physical, psychological, and social consequences. Most seriously, the mortality rate for people with eating disorders is the highest of all the major psychiatric disorders.

This dissertation presents a model for preventing anorexia nervosa in a population of college students that includes a comprehensive institutional approach, psychoeducational software, a high-risk population, a holistic approach that identifies an individual’s personal risk factors and protective factors, and individual therapy.

The model is built …

Behavioral Compliance And Verbal Intelligence In Children, Jared Jackson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Compliance with parental requests is an important developmental task necessary in the socialization of children. The majority of research has focused on the relationship between child compliance and variables related to age, parental interactions, and child temperament. While these variables account for almost half of the variance related to compliance in children, there is still a large amount of variance unaccounted for. An area that has not been fully explored is the role of verbal intelligence in behavioral compliance of children. This study explored the contributions that verbal intelligence may play in the behavioral compliance of children. Results from this …

Children With Autism: Sleep Problems And Predictors Of Maternal Stress, Cindy Y. Nam

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research examining the impact of children’s autism and the sleep problems frequently associated with the disorder on parents’ stress has been quite limited. Studies have been constrained by methodological problems, including small sample sizes and the examination of children of autism within larger groups of children with a range of developmental disabilities. Typically, diagnostic criteria used to select children for an autism study is not indicated and no measure of the severity of children’s symptomology is included. The present investigation was designed to examine children’s autism symptomology and parents’ reports of their children’s sleep problems as well as the parents …

Predictors Of Emotional Reactions In Women Treated For Breast Cancer, Erin E. Ramirez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer can be a devastating disease that impacts a woman in all spheres of her life (Ingram, 1989). Previous studies have examined the impact of breast cancer on body satisfaction, as well as the impact on emotional well-being. Studies have also examined the role of the coping style that a woman engages in response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the woman's psychological adjustment to the disease. However, to date, no research has introduced and tested a multifaceted model.

The purpose of this study was to develop a model predicting psychological maladjustment in women treated for …

Detection Of Simulated Apical Root Resorption Using Three Cone Beam Ct Machines, Marcus Paulson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine orthodontists' ability to discriminate small differences of simulated apical root resorption (SARR) on extracted teeth, using the output from three cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machines. Twenty-four unrestored maxillary anterior teeth exhibiting normal morphology, were collected. The teeth were scanned by three CBCT machines: 1) the NewTom 3G (AFP imaging, USA), 2) the iCAT (Imaging Sciences, USA) 3) and the MicroCAT II (Siemens Medical, USA). Using a sandblaster the apical portion of each tooth was reduced in 0.5 mm increments up to a total reduction of 1.5 mm. Each root modification was …

Predictors Of Female Sexual Dysfunction, Julie M. Merrell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tiefer, Hall, and Tavris (2002) described factors comprising four categories of female sexual dysfunction. They suggested that unique factors need to be examined to understand sexual dysfunction in women. Socio-cultural, political, or economic factors, partner and relationship factors, psychological factors, and medical factors described as aspects of women’s lives that can be the source of sexual dysfunction. The current study examined indicators of the above factors-body shame, relationship satisfaction, sexual self-schema, positive and negative affect, and overall health-as predictors of female sexual dysfunction. The hypotheses were: Body shame and negative affect will be negatively associated with sexual function; and relationship …

Factors Associated With Aids Risk Behaviors Of African Born Adolescents In Southern California, Dixon Anjejo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The study was aimed at determining if cultural beliefs are salient factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS among African born adolescents aged 15 to 19 years living in southern California. We used a cross-sectional design and collected data in two phases. The first phase was qualitative and data were collected from 25 participants in focus groups. The second phase utilized a questionnaire which was developed from the results of the focus group, using the theory of planned behavior. One hundred and thirty-five black African born teenagers between the ages of 15-19 years living in southern California completed the questionnaire. …

Salivary Characteristics In 3 And 4 Year-Old Children With And Without Visible Caries, Gloria Yañez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

PURPOSE: To compare salivary characteristics in 3 and 4 year-old Head Start children with and without visible caries.

METHODS: This case-control study was performed on 84 healthy 3 and 4 year-old Head Start children. After consent and inclusion criteria were met, each child was screened and assigned to one of two test groups based on their caries status. Group 1 consisted of children with no visible evidence of caries, although non-visible caries may have been present. Group II consisted of children with visible evidence demonstrating three or more carious lesions. Each child's unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva samples were collected …

The Effects Of Communication On Adolescent Sexual Behavior In Eastern Europe, Sharon Mieras Perugini

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

HIV/AIDS rates have continued to rise in Eastern Europe where adolescents are particularly vulnerable. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) has successfully been applied to understanding adolescent sexual risk behavior and provides a theoretical framework for the prevention of HIV/AIDS. According to TRA, attitudes and subjective norms predict behaviors via the mediating role of intentions, and in order to have an impact on behavior, changes must occur at the attitude and subjective norm level. Because parents have been found to influence their children's attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions, the moderating effects of parent communication on sexual risk behavior of adolescents …

Emotional Stroop Effects: Eating Disorders And Obesity, Kristy Anne Kuehfuss

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study addresses the effects of emotional valence on selective processing of body-shape related words in young women who suffer from anorexia, bulimia, or obesity, and non-clinical controls. Research in the area of emotional Stroop interference has indicated that persons with eating disorders, particularly anorectics, show elevated latencies in naming colors of words related to food or body-shape, in contrast to either neutral words, or to non-clinical control groups. One intriguing issue regarding the emotional Stroop interference among various clinical populations relates to the question of whether the interference is due to the emotionality of the relevant words or to …

The Relations Of Pain, Religious Coping, And Depression In Fibromyalgia Patients, Derek O. Bacchus

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study attempted to examine the relationship between Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) pain, religious coping, and depression. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), RCOPE, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to assess these constructs in 50 participants. The sample was primarily middle aged and female, which is typical of the FMS population. This study used multiple regression to make assumptions about the causal progression of the variables. Study findings show that religious coping does not appear to significantly mediate the strong relationship between FMS pain and depression. This research served to uncover …

Repeatability Of Serial Carotid Intima Media Thickness Scanning On Individual Subjects, Judi Nightingale

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. Heart disease affects millions of Americans each year. In order to improve primary prevention, early risk identification is essential. B-mode ultrasound of the common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) assesses risk of a coronary event early in the process of plaque development. Because IMT changes are so small over time, in order to determine clinically significant versus clinically insignificant changes in IMT over a 12 month time period, a protocol is needed which can detect the least significant difference (LSD) of at least 0.030 mm.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a well-defined …

The Association Between Lifestyle Factors And Inflammatory Markers, Kerry Ann Stonebrook

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels are established risk factors for CVD, inflammation is being evaluated as a potential independent risk factor. A key cytokine regulator of the inflammatory response, interleukin-1 (IL-1), has emerged as playing a particularly important role at the genetic level in determining the degree to which the inflammation pathway is turned on. How an individual’s genetic make-up affects inflammation, CVD risk, and response to lifestyle intervention is an area of research that is in …

The Latino Caregiver Experience Among Dementia And Non-Dementia Caregivers : Can Community Based Care Management Improve Caregiver Health?, Catherine Oliveros

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: This study provides an analysis of the Latino caregiving community in Southeast Texas and the role community based care management plays in influencing caregiver physical and emotional well-being. Design and Methods: A non-random sample of 63 Latino caregivers was interviewed by phone. Caregiver physical and emotional well-being was studied through burden, depression, perceived health status, and resourcefulness. Regression, correlation, and comparison analysis was performed with key variables. Results: Acculturation was positively correlated with care management use. In comparing dementia and non-dementia caregivers both groups had similar levels of depression and burden, however, the dementia group had significantly lower levels …

Predictability Of Cardiovascular Disease Event Rates By Common Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communties (Aric) Study, Mara Hollander

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) is a non-invasive reliable predictor of the extent and severity of CVD. There is difficulty acquiring all measurements for validated three-site carotid IMT. More accessible one-site common carotid artery (CCA) IMT has not yet been validated with CVD events.

Purpose: This study will evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of one-site CCA IMT compared to three-site IMT in predicting cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Assessment of whether the association of incremental one-site CCA IMT to a CVD event is significant with and without adjustment for traditional cardiac risk factors was made.

Methodology: Data from The Atherosclerosis …