Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis On Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome, Samer Hammoudeh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Several criteria establish the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, including high waist circumference, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and glucose and above normal blood pressure. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is on the rise following the rise in obesity across the globe. Qatar, a country in the Arabian Peninsula shares the burden of obesity with recent studies showing prevalences of'---61% among women and —39% among men. These studies found that metabolic syndrome is more common among women. Physical activity helps reduce visceral …

Kinetically Controlled Synthesis Of Triblock Copolymer Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles, Theodore Saleem Sabir

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Concerns for the environmental and economic impact of organic solvents in gold nanoparticle synthesis have motivated the search for more environmentally benign alternatives. One viable approach is the synthesis of AuNPs from tetrachloroauric(III) acid (HAuCl4) using triblock copolymers (TBPs). However, a major challenge of using TBPs is the heterogeneous nature of the formed nanocrystals. Establishing control over AuNP size and shape requires a detailed mechanistic understanding of precursor reduction and nanoparticle growth. By using mixtures of TBPs (L31 and F68), a more flexible method to tune AuNP size and shape is demonstrated. This is achieved by adjusting the TBP/Au(III) ratio …

The Efficacy Of An Audio Program And Discussion Guide In Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding In Cameroon, Africa, Kathryn R. Reinsma

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: In the Northwest Region of Cameroon, approximately 90% of women initiate breastfeeding; however, only 34% continue exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months (Kakute, et al., 2005; WHO, 2008). Entertainment-education is a mass-media communication strategy of placing educational information into media such as television programs, movies, and radio programs (Siegel & Lotenberg, 2007). This form of behavioral change communication has proven effective in addressing health-related issues in developing countries.

Purpose: The aim was to design an audio program and discussion guide to test the hypothesis that an audio program and discussion guide improves exclusive breastfeeding knowledge, beliefs, benefits, self-efficacy, …

Engaging Men: Optimum Transformation Conditions For Domestic Violence Offenders, Benjamin Pierre Scott

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study explored which conditions are optimal for supporting domestic violence offenders in reducing recidivism thereby enabling long-term sustainability of healthy relationships. This study’s objectives were to identify the role of current interventions in creating optimal conditions for change in domestic violence offenders, determining what motivational strategies are effective in producing meaningful engagement in treatment, identifying relational treatment methods and processes that are (are not) effective in reducing domestic violence recidivism, and what is needed programmatically to be effective in decreasing recidivism. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using the methodology of grounded theory. Collection and analysis of the …

Effect Of A Single High-Fat Meal And Vitamins On The Circulatory Response To Local Heat In Koreans And Caucasians, Jongeun Yim

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Blood flow mediated by the vascular endothelium plays an important role in removing heat from the skin. Asians who have thrifty genes have impaired endothelial function (EF) due to the westernized high fat (HF) dietary lifestyle. Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) can produce free radicals which reduces the bioavailability of the endothelium derived relaxing factor, nitric oxide (NO). EF, as measured by the blood flow response (BFR) to heat, occlusion and the free radical concentration after a single HF meal has not been studied in Korean-Asians compared to Caucasians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate baseline and postprandial EF as related …

Impact Of A Medically Supervised Weight Management Program On Obese And Morbidly Obese Persons, Gemechu Abraham Kurfessa

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Overweight and obesity represent a major public health problem. While some studies indicate that a clinic-based, healthy-lifestyle program can result in significant weight loss, a systemic review of major commercial weight loss programs concluded that the evidence to support the use of such programs is minimal. While few argue for the need for weight loss in obese individuals it is important to identify factors associated with successful weight loss. These factors could include financial incentives, frequency of intervention sessions, use of adjunctive weight loss medications and supplemental diet products, and availability of group vs. individual therapy sessions. In addition, …

The Impact Of Nucleoside Sugar Modification On Biochemical Dna Transactions, Adides Williams

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Discrimination by DNA polymerases controls the fidelity of DNA replication, and reduced fidelity results in mutations essential in the etiology of cancer. Polymerase discrimination operates at both dNTP insertion and subsequent elongation steps, and involves several energetic and structural factors that are as yet incompletely understood. While base pairing interactions have been studied extensively, substantially less is known about the role of sugar structure and conformation for polymerase incorporation and extension. In these studies we examined, systematically, the role of sugar structure and conformation on polymerase selection of the dNTP for insertion and polymerase elongation. To accomplish these goals, we …

Development Of A Contextual Model For The Treatment Of Infidelity, Kirstee Williams

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Family systems theory has a history of critique by feminists for ignoring larger societal processes, thus inadvertently assuming equality in processes that are not inherently equal (e. g., Goldner, 1985; Hare-Mustin, 1978). Current research suggests that gendered power processes continue to organize how heterosexual partners relate to each other, making it difficult for couples to build mutually satisfying relationships (Coontz, 2005; Knudson-Martin & Mahoney, 2009). These same societal processes also influence both the etiology of affairs and recovery from them. Therefore, resolution of infidelity involves the interplay of many complex issues, of which gender, power, and culture are part (Williams, …

Effect Of Maternal Hypoxia On The Cerebral And Cardiac Tissue Remodeling, Wenni Tong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Large epidemiological studies and animal studies have indicated a clear association of adverse intrauterine environment with an increased incidence of low birth weight, perinatal mortality, and cardiovascular disease in later adult life. In humans, one of the most common stresses in utero is hypoxia. The goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that fetal hypoxia causes reprogramming of MMPs and TIMPs expression patterns and activities leading to aberrant brain and heart development in the fetuses and neonates. In the first part of project, we tested the hypothesis that maternal hypoxia increases the activity of MMPs and decreases the …

Factors Affecting Parents Misperception Of Overweight Or Obesity In Their Children, Carol Barnes Reid

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Treating overweight children may be more difficult when parents themselves do not correctly recognize their child’s weight status (Camell, Edwards, Croker, Boniface, & Wardle, 2005 Boniface, & Wardle, 2005). While it is a commonly held belief in some cultures that overweight children are healthy, incorrectly assessing overweight in very young children results in unfavorable weight development throughout childhood (Kroje, Struthman, & Gunther, 2006). This is due to the increased likelihood that parents may not take the condition of obesity in their child as being serious, or they may fail to seek or accept professional help in correcting the problem …

Long Term Weight Variability In Adults Of Adventist Health Study 1 And 2, Namgyal Lhawang Kyulo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: The effect of overweight and obesity on the risk of fatal disease tends to attenuate with age. One plausible explanation is that a proportion of elderly people in the ideal weight category (19 to 25 kg/m ) experienced disease-related weight loss - an effect that will attenuate health risk related to overweight and obesity. One potential approach to controlling for this bias would be to examine fluctuations in weight during the adult lifespan by considering multiple measures of weight or recall of body weight during adulthood. Some of these measures are available in the Adventist Health Study cohorts and …