Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Investigation Of Complex Formation By Oligomers Of Cytosine And Guanosine, Steven Roberts Davis

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Duplex formation between oligo(C:G) _n where n=3 to 4 was shown not to occur under conditions favorable for duplex formation between poly G and poly C. Instead, a stable guano sine self-structure was found to form which a T_m of 50°C for (Gp)₃ and 80°C for (Gp)₄ at strand concentrations of 10^-5M in 1M NaCl. Neither a duplex nor a self-structure formed in the absence of salt.

Oligomers of guanosine and cytosine were obtained by basic hydrolysis and separated according to chain length using DEAE Sephadex column chromatography. Separation of cytosine oligomers with chain lengths …

Synthesis And Characterization Of N-Alkyl-Adenosine-5'-Diphosphates, Han-Ping Huang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

n-Alkylphosphates and adenosine derivatives have been observed to be competitive inhibitors of coenzyme molecules in many NAD⁺ requiring enzymes. In earlier studies, adenosine derivatives such as AMP, ADP and ADP-ribose were found to be coenzyme competitive inhibitors of the Lactate Dehydrogenase catalyzed reaction. However, n-alkylphosphates, to the contrary, + were found to be noncompetitive inhibitors of NAD⁺.

Furthermore, it was observed previously in Dr. Yuan's laboratory that the effect of n-octylphosphate on the LDH catalyzed reaction was changed from noncompetitive to competitive in the presence of low concentration of AMP. Rossmann et al. reported that the binding …

Tardive Dyskinesia: A Prevalence Study In An Outpatient Population, Virginia J. Ravizza

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this prevalence study was to assess the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia among a chronically mentally ill sample of a suburban mental health clinic. The participants in this study were selected from clients of a suburban mental health clinic who agreed to participate in this prevalence study. There were 45 participants--17 males and 28 females.

The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) was selected as the instrument to measure the abnormal involuntary movements exhibited by the participants of the study on the day of testing. The testing occurred during a specific time period, June 8, 1987 to July 2, …

Perceived Job Stress In Critical Care Nursing In A Military Setting, Jeannette Theriault

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this study. were: to explore job-related perceptions of stress in a group of military critical care nurses; and to determine if differences in anxiety and stress levels existed between nurses working in coronary care (CCCU) and medical/surgical intensive care (ICU) settings using the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Questionnaire of Stressful Factors in Intensive Care. A free response question and a force-response checklist were also used to identify and rank work-related stressors. The sample of Navy nurses (n=105) consisted of 39 CCU nurses, 62 medical/surgical ICU nurses and 4 critical care supervisors. The results of the mailed …

Implications Of A Family Systems Orientation For Preventing Psychiatric Hospitalization, James Howard Bullock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study evaluated the implications of a family systems approach for preventing psychiatric hospitalization by comparing the behavior of field clinicians who professed a systems view versus clinicians who held more traditional nonsystems views. The focus of the investigation was the clinical assessments and decisions of 31 clinicians who worked at five Virginia public mental health centers as they prescreened (i.e., evaluated need for inpatient treatment) 171 candidates for hospitalization. Q-technique was employed to determine theoretical orientation.

It was hypothesized that clinicians who held a systems view would be more likely than nonsystems therapists to evaluate and attempt to …

Psychologists' Volunteering: Attitudes, Beliefs, And Behaviors Toward Psychotherapy Research, James Perry Howell

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Psychologists' volunteering behavior and attitudes toward psychotherapy research were studied using a mail survey. A random sample of 248 male and 248 female doctoral-level members of Division 29 (Psychotherapy) of the American Psychological Association served as subjects. The cover letter requesting their participation in this study contained the systematic manipulation of variables believed to affect volunteering behavior: recruiter gender, normative nature of volunteering for the study, and perceived social importance of the study. The therapist variables of gender, age, and years of experience were also studied in order to determine if volunteerism might result in biased sampling across these variables. …

Reactions Of Organic N-Chloramines In The Gastric Fluid Of The Rat, Kathryn E. Mazina

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Using chlorine as a drinking water disinfectant may have potential health effects due to its reactivity with organic amino nitrogen compounds found in the stomach. Organic N-chloramines have been shown to form in the stomachs of laboratory rats. The possible reactions of N-chloramines in the stomach fluid were examined in this study using a model radiolabeled N-chloramine. ³⁶Cl-N-Chloropiperidine, was synthesized and purified to remove ³⁶Cl-chloride. Stomach fluid was obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats which had been first fasted for 24 or 48 hours and then administered 3 mL of deionized water. Different concentrations of radiolabeled chloramine were reacted with …

A Comparison Of Nursing Role Conceptions Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Their Nursing Faculty, And Clinical Nurse Mentors, Michele Lynn Musella

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This descriptive study focused on the bureaucratic, professional, and service role conceptions of nurses. It was hypothesized that there are significant differences in the ideal and actual perceptions of these role orientations among baccalaureate nursing students, their nursing faculty, and their clinical nurse mentors. The three subscales of Pieta's 1976 Nursing Role Conception Scale (NRC) were used. The results of a discriminant analysis indicated significant differences in professional and service nursing role conceptions among students and both their nursing faculty and clinical mentors (p

Testing Orem's Dependent Care Agency Construct: Parents As Health Educators In The Home, Joann M. Baldwin

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The capacity of parents to act as health educators in the home is proposed as a functional piece of Orem's dependent care agency construct. A new data collection instrument, the Health Education Questionnaire, was developed to explore the conceptual dimensions of an intellectual pre-production phase of health action-taking. Parents' self-reported knowledge and beliefs regarding selected health topics, as well as their perceptions of ego strength and valuing health were proposed as independent factors in dependent care agency related to health education in the home. Methodology included the investigation of reliability using Cronbach's alpha and validation of the agency construct using …

Clinical Effects Of Daily Rotary Electric Toothbrushing On The Presence Of Gingivitis And Supragingival Dental Plaque, Laura Jean Mueller

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if statistically significant differences existed in the gingival health of subjects who brushed with a rotary electric toothbrush (Rota-dent^R when compared to a conventional toothbrush (Oral B-35^R). A randomized, two group research design was employed using forty subjects. At baseline and at two week intervals for six weeks, gingivitis and supragingival dental plaque were measured by the Loe and Silness Gingival Index and the O'Leary Plaque Index, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the Rota-dent^R was superior to the conventional toothbrush in reducing dental plaque accumulation and equally effective …

The Effectiveness Of Oral Health Computer Assisted Instruction On Increasing The Oral Hygiene Status Of Children, Claudia Ann Michalak

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction on the oral hygiene status of children. Over a one month period, as measured by the Personal Hygiene Performance Index, sixty-five fifth grade students participated in one of three intact groups: oral health computer assisted instruction, traditional oral health instruction, or no oral health instructions. Oral health instructions were identical in content for computer assisted and traditional lecture formats. During pretest evaluations, students were presented with a dental kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and an oral health instruction pamphlet. The Personal Hygiene Performance Index was performed on each student prior …

Pre-Natal Learning Needs Perceptions Of Expectant Parents And Childhood Educators, Cynthia Divens Sweeney

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between the unique learning needs of expectant parents and those perceived by childbirth educators. A purposive sample of 40 expectant parents and ten childbirth educators completed the Expectant Parents Learning Needs Tool (EPLNT) and a demographic inventory developed by the researcher. Subjects were classified into five groups based on their status as first-time fathers, repeat fathers, first-time mothers, repeat mothers, and childbirth educators. Data were analyzed using t-tests for independent samples and an ANOVA for group differences. The results showed significant differences in the learning needs between the expectant parents …

The Antimicrobial Effectiveness Of Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenylphenol, And Nonphenal Oxyethylene Iodine Complex On Dental Operatory Surfaces, Maureen Anne Lawless

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Short Term Temporal And Spatial Variability Of Phytoplankton In The Elizabeth River, Robert L. O'Reilly

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate short-term temporal and spatial components of phytoplankton variability within a tidal estuarine system, in reference to natural changes in the local environment.

Multiple water samples were collected weekly from October to December 1984 at 4 stations in different branches, or sections, of the Elizabeth River. Collection of chlorophyll~ data was structured to fit an analysis of variance, while the phytoplankton species and their environmental relationships were analyzed using multivariate techniques.

Lower chlorophyll a concentrations from 0.75 to 2.87 ug/1 were characteristic of the Main Stem and Southern Branch, while higher values of 1.27 …

The Effects Of Various Lumbar/Sacral Back Support Systems Upon Human Peak Muscular Force, Total Work, And Average Power, Michael Lee Woodhouse

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of the present investigation was to study the effects of two lumbar/sacral back supports upon peak muscular force, total work, and average power. Subjects consisted of ten well conditioned male volunteers with an age range of 21-35 years. Each subject volunteered individually to participate and was required to read and sign an inform consent form prior to participating in the investigation.

The investigative design was quasi-experimental with a repeated measures (treatment-by-subjects) methodology. Each subject experienced three testing treatments to include each lumbar/sacral support and one without. The testing protocol consisted of three isokinetic back testing devices developed by …

Biochemical And Histological Evaluation Of Normal Human Epidermis Vs Cultured Human Epidermis, Ngo Thi Bich Lien

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cultured human keratinocytes were grown in vitro for transplantation purposes in case of severe burns. Single keratinocytes were harvested from human epidermis and grown in culture flasks such that multilayered sheets of keratinocyte cells were harvestable in approximately three weeks. In order to evaluate cultured epidermis for equivalency with normal human epidermis, biochemical and histological studies were performed. Thin sections of cultured epidermis were shown to be composed of cells that had undergone developmental differentiation, but not terminal differentiation. Biochemical analyses of keratin and prekeratin proteins isolated from cultured epidermis indicated that cultured keratinocytes have electrophoretic patterns similar to keratins/prekeratins …

A Comparison Of Myofascial Release And Ultrasound In The Treatment Of Musculoskeletal Pain, Dianna Lynn Bishop

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of myofascial release (MFR) compared to ultrasound (US) in treating musculoskeletal pain. Data in the form of number of trigger points, active range-of-motion of the affected joint, pain scale measurement, and a Treatment Response Questionnaire score, were collected.

The Mann-Whitney U value supported that the MFR group outranked the US group 47 percent when ranking the percent change in trigger point number from pre to post treatment.

The Mann-Whitney U value supported that the MFR group outranked the US group in pain scale measurement. Kruskal-Wallis H value supported that MFR …