Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Nuclear Contamination Of Kazakhstan, Rebecca Marie Matter

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis studies the radioactive contamination of Kazakhstan's environment, concentrating on the period between February 1989 and January 1993. For each type of nuclear degradation in Kazakhstan the thesis asks the questions: what is its cause and extent, what are its consequences for humans, and what are the human responses. The main causes of Kazakhstan's nuclear devastation are atomic weapons' tests, uranium mining, manufacturing of uranium fuel, and the operation of a fast breeder reactor power generator unit. The amount of radioactive contamination is colossal. The consequences for the health of the population, especially at Semey, are severe. The human …

The Degree Of Exposure To Anesthetic Nitrous Oxide Waste Gas In The Operating Room During Various Surgical Procedures, Kathryn Ann Longworth

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Halsey (1991) summarized the underlying reasons for continuing concern about the problem of waste anesthetic gases. Careful and systematic monitoring studies indicate that individual trends in anesthetic pollution levels are not as low as was confidently predicted 10 years ago, when scavenging devices became commonplace. Second, there are now clear legal requirements for assessment of the situation. It is estimated that each year more than 200,000 health professionals are occupationally at risk of illness as a consequence of chronic exposure to low doses of waste anesthetic gases (Rogers, 1986).

These contaminants are suspected pf being ~eratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and embryo-lethal. …

A Comparison Of Four Muscle Relaxant Techniques And Their Incidence Of Postoperative Myalgia In Ambulatory Patients, William James Garske Jr.

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Postoperative myalgia was measured 24 and 72 hours following the administration of four different anesthetic regimens to 36 patients undergoing outpatient or 23-hour admission procedures. Each patient, ASA class I or II, was to undergo procedures of limited duration, 30 to 90 minutes, and surgical stimulation, including procedures such as knee arthroscopy, hernia repair, and breast biopsy. Anesthesia was induced with propofol 1.5 mg/kg, fentanyl 50 mcg, and maintained with O₂ , N₂O, and isoflurane. Group I (n=20), the control, received no muscle relaxant and was maintained with mask ventilation. Group II (n=5) received succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg …

Validation Of A Bag Sampling Method For 1,3-Butadiene, Lori Eckenrode

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

At this time there is no NIOSH approved means for bag sampling 1,3-butadiene. An attempt was made to use the application of cold (0°F) to inhibit the reactivity of the gas prior to analysis. The State of California Air Resources Board has an approved method for the gas chromatographic analysis of 1,3-butadiene from stationary sources. The method was utilized in the application of industrial hygiene monitoring of affected workers. The application of cold was found to be ineffective at inhibiting the highly reactive nature of 1,3-butadiene. Analyte losses were too great to classify the method as an accurate measure of …

A Cipp Evaluation Of The Administrative Associate Training Program Through Sentara, Patricia A. Criswell

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Hospitals are facing change in today's environment. In order to meet these growing challenges, they are responding by providing value added services. Value added services have been defined as reducing inefficiencies and improving quality and service. Operational restructuring in the form of a new concept called patient-focused care has become the paradigm shift and structural revamping at several hospitals across the nation. Sentara Hospitals have adopted this program to improve the clinical and service quality delivered to the patient. An integral component of this new approach is the multiskilling of staff to reduce duplication, inefficiencies, and improve the quality provided …

Attitudes Of Virginia Dental Hygienists Towards Issues Relevant To The Independent Practice Of Dental Hygiene, Linda Hawkins Mccain

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Adequate studies have not been conducted to assess the attitudes of dental hygienists toward independent practice of dental hygiene. The purpose of this study was to investigate these attitudes. The method of investigation was a survey questionnaire designed by the principle investigator. The research results indicated weak support for the independent practice of dental hygiene. The support for general supervision of hygienists in Virginia and the desire to be allowed to practice in nontraditional settings was stronger. There was reported a very strong opposition to preceptorship in dental hygiene. The majority of Virginia dental hygienists agreed that they were educationally …

The Isolation And Identification Of Polyphenolics From Grape Seeds And Their Activity Towards Specific Cell Lines, Joseph A. Reddy

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Grape seed extract is being marketed in France for cardiovascular use and skin care. The active constituents of both these drugs are certain polyphenols called procyanidins. A similar seed extract has now been obtained from Virginia Chardonnay grape seeds. Ten of the major components in this extract have been isolated in their pure form by the semi-preparative HPLC separation on a YMC ODS-AQ (Octadecylsilane-AQ) column. The ODS-Aq column has been shown to have a better resolving capacity compared to the Spherisorb ODS (Octadecylsilane) column previously described in the literature. This has been attributed to the ODSAQ support which has both …

Evaluation Of The Gross Anatomy Seasonal Changes Function And Histology Of The Perineal Gland In The Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus, Julie Anne Winchell

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The perinea! gland in the hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus, is a seasonally cyclic, subcutaneously located organ which is associated with the reproductive system. On gross dissection, the gland possesses a strong attachment to the penis with only loose fascia! connections to the rectum and surrounding muscle and skin. Histologic exam confirms this connection to the reproductive tract and shows the organ to be a compound tubuloacinar gland with a projection leading into the penis. The cyclic hypertrophy and regression of the gland closely parallels that of the testes and seminal vesicles indicating that this cyclicity may be under …

A Multiple Case Study Of Selected Individuals Who Facilitate The Successful Adoption Of Environmental Public Policy, John H. Austin

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the personal and professional characteristics of successful individuals who have had a positive influence on the development of public policy concerning the environment. Additionally, which characteristics are most likely to enhance success and determine which of these characteristics might contribute to efforts toward developing public environmental policy in the future were investigated. The purpose was accomplished through the design and implementation of a multiple case study utilizing a qualitative research methodology. The sample for this study included six public servants who were identified as actively involved in affecting the development of public …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Types Of Clinical Instruction On Selected Variables Among Urban Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Janice Parks Hylton

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide baseline data regarding student perceptions of bureaucratic, professional, and service values and of instructors/preceptors as role models for each model of clinical supervision, traditional versus preceptored. A non-probability, convenience sample included 113 baccalaureate nursing students from two accredited programs in an urban area. Two instruments were used to identify student perceptions of bureaucratic, professional, and service values and of instructors/preceptors as role models. The results of the questionnaires revealed no significant differences between the students' perceptions of bureaucratic and service values and perceptions of instructors/preceptors as role models, Students' perceptions of professional …

Longitudinal Study Of Plasma And Erythrocyte Selenium Levels In Type I Diabetic Children During Development And Treatment Of Ketoacidosis, Pi-Hsia Fan

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Most studies on the biological activity of selenium have focused on its role at the active site in the ubiquitous enzyme, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) which catalyzes the removal of hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxides (1). A connection between selenium deficiency and a wide range of diseases in animals and humans has been reviewed (2). Development of various forms of human cancer (3), failure of the immune system (4), as well as some cardiovascular diseases (5) have been reported or suspected to correlate with selenium deficiency. However, the physiological function of selenium in these different diseases is not fully understood, and …

Separation And Quantification Of Queuine-Modified And Unmodified Transfer Rna Isoacceptors, Jorge Miguel Pereira De Oliveira Da Silva Santos

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The discovery of a base-exchange modification in the first position of the anticodon of four transfer RNA (tRNA) isoacceptor families has been shown to be correlated with a decrease in the rate of cell division in several tumorigenic tissues. This fact led to the hypothesis that wobbling in the anticodon might be a control point wich mediates the rate of translation. A suitable method for separation of different tRNA isoacceptor families had to be created in order to generate a means for quantitatively measuring degrees of this base modification in tRNA. Radio labelled amino acids were used to charge tRNA …

Competitive Enzyme Immunoassay By Polyclonal Antibodies Against Organophosphorus Pesticides, Kuo-Lan Wen

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) comprise one of the major classes of pesticides in use today because they are highly effective and less toxic. Because of their extensive use, there is a need for monitoring OPs in water and vegetables. Gas chromatography (GC) is the usual method for OPs screening, but it is time-consuming and has the high cost of instrumentation. The goal of this project was to find an easy method which was sensitive and had less instrumentation required to test OPs.

Microwells and microtubes were utilized as the solid-phase immobilization for the development of an enzyme immunoassay for OPs. A …

An Exploratory Study Of Terminal Syndrome, Phyllis Jean Adams

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to establish the identity of a syndrome related to nursing care of the terminally ill patient, regardless of a malignant or non-malignant disease origin. The sample consisted of completed medical records of 15 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and 15 cancer patients. The commonalities between the two groups are: (1) Defining Characteristics--dyspnea, anxiety, abnormal breath sounds, dry skin, pale skin, pain, anorexia, presence of pressure sores, incontinence, and generalized edema; (2) Nursing Diagnoses--high risk for altered respiratory function, anxiety (individual and family), skin integrity (impaired and high risk for impaired), altered comfort: pain, high …

The Identification And Magnitude Estimation Of Stressors In A Selected Military Population At One Training Command, Susan W. Miller

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the most stressful aspects of being a student at a military training command. ·Forty students listed the significant stressors that they encounter at the training command. This list was reviewed and consolidated into a stressor rating questionnaire with 16 stressors. A convenience sample of 86 students rated the stressors. In the second part of the study, the students rated the stressors on a scale of "0 to 1000". The study revealed that the most significant stressors for students were absence of family and friends, uncertainty about their future, dealing with instructor's attitudes, …

The Relationship Of Locus-Of-Control And Altruism To Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Providers Universal Precaution Practices, Joanne L. Wakeham

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between locus of control, altruism, occupational risk, and personal factors to the frequency of universal precautions practices of prehospital emergency medical care providers. The effects of OSHA's Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens; Final Rule on reducing prehospital emergency medical care providers occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were also examined. Prehospital emergency medical care providers from municipal and private EMS agencies in the Tidewater Emergency Medical Services region participated in this study. Prehospital emergency medical care providers self-reported perceptions of locus of control, altruism, occupational risk, and universal precautions practices were …

The Distribution And Occurrence Of Aerobic Heterotrophic Antimicrobic-Producing Bacteria Isolated From The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Linda Lea Gilmer

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Three different estuarine microenvironments in the lower Chesapeake Bay were investigated for the occurrence and geographical distribution of antimicrobic-producing bacteria. Samples were taken from the water column, fish skin, and algal surfaces. A total of 1472 bacterial isolates were assayed for antimicrobial activity against fungal, Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial test organisms. Of the total bacterial isolates assayed, 5. 2% were active antimicrobic producers. Algal surf aces were shown to have a higher incidence of antimicrobic-producing bacteria than the water column or fish skin. No antimicrobic activity was demonstrated by bacteria isolated from the flounder fish skin. The majority of the …