Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Nurses' Attitudes Concerning Therapeutic Ward Atmosphere With Those Of Other Members Of The Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Team, Barbara Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The atmosphere of a psychiatric hospital ward has been found to have an influence on patient behavior and on treatment outcome. The ward atmosphere is affected by the patients, the multi—disciplinary team and the nurse who is the team member who spends the greatest amount of time on the ward. A multi-disciplinary team which shares similar attitudes concerning ward atmosphere is more likely to create a therapeutic ward atmosphere.
The multi-disciplinary teams of three adult psychiatric units at a midwestem psychiatric hospital were subject of a research study regarding their attitudes concerning therapeutic ward atmosphere. The scores, of team members …

Relationship Of Spiritual Well-Being To Psychological Well-Being In Bereaved Parents, Marcia E. Hodges

MSN Research Projects

This descriptive correlational study assessed the perceived spiritual and psychological well-being of bereaved parents. Spiritual well-being was measured by the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB) and psychological well-being was measured by the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) Index. The sample consisted of 30 participants from three bereaved parent support groups located in North Alabama. The research hypothesis stated there would be a positive correlation between spiritual well-being and psychological well-being in bereaved parents. Findings revealed a positive correlation between spiritual well-being and psychological well-being in bereaved parents = .77, p_ = .000). Additional findings revealed men tended to report higher subjective spiritual …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An Educational Presentation In Increasing Chemically Dependent Males’ Report Of Sexual Abuse, Linda L. Hand

Masters Theses

Research has demonstrated several factors among sexually abused males such as males sexually abused as children becoming adult sexual abusers; one in four males reporting sexual abuse; and adult emotional trauma, drug abuse, and sexual dysfunction. To break this abuse pattern, we need to focus on increasing males' reports of sexual abuse and initiating treatment.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral educational presentation in increasing males' reports of sexual abuse. It also sought prevalence information and treatment needs. Subjects were 51 males from three chemical dependency treatment centers. One control and four experimental groups were used. The …

Recidivism And The Self Concept Of Male Juvenile Delinquents, Mary B. Stelma

Masters Theses

It is a common belief that a low self concept is related to deviant behavior. The purpose of this study was to compare the self concepts of juvenile recidivists with those of non-recidivists.

A sample of 162 subjects was taken from juveniles who had been treated at a Michigan detention facility. Measures of self concept, using the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965), were taken both prior to and following treatment. Point-biserial correlations were computed for pre-test scores, post-test scores, and changes in scores from pre-test to post-test.

The results showed some significant positive correlations between self concept and recidivism …

Effects Of Caffeine Consumption On Cardiovascular Reactivity To Social Stress, Suzanne L. Keller

Masters Theses

Several risk factors have been linked to cardiovascular diseases; among them are exposure to psychological stressors and caffeine consumption.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of caffeine consumption on cardiovascular reactivity to role play simulations of social stressors. A double-blind alternating treatment design was employed. Eight subjects (five female and three male) received either caffeine-containing or placebo beverages. Each subject received four samples of each beverage over a total of eight sessions. The results include: (a) stressors increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure along with heart rate in baseline, placebo and drug conditions; (b) caffeine produced …

The Psychological Needs Of Sex Offenders Of Children As Measured By The Personality Research Form, Shirley Anne Miller

Dissertations

Major contributors in the field of child sexual abuse have agreed that sex offenders who sexually abuse children are not primarily motivated by sexual desire and have proposed that the simultaneous satisfaction of a number of psychological needs is the prominent motivation of sex offenders of children. Few attempts have been made to empirically validate the clinical and theoretical impressions regarding the psychological needs of this group using psychological measures designed to assess needs or motives.

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent the assumptions about the psychological needs of sex offenders of children would be …

Effects Of Intervention On The Ability Of Students With Hearing Impairments To Write Personal Narrative Stories, Beth L. Miller

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine whether students with hearing impairments could be taught to write more mature personal narrative stories. An experimental group of junior high students received intervention focused on teaching the elements of story grammar and their application to the students' written narrative stories. A matched control group of students spent equal time with the researcher and received intervention focused on improvement of basic language skills. Pretest, posttest-1, posttest-2, and generalization samples were taken. Students' metatextual skills for telling how to write a story were also probed.

A significant difference was found between the experimental and control …

The Purposeful Use Of An Object In The Development Of Skill With A Prosthesis, Hon Keung Yuen

Masters Theses

Theoretically, perceptual information from the interaction with an object and its surfaces (an affordance) facilitates the development of motor skill. This study investigated the use of an affordance in learning control of flexion and extension of an above-elbow training prosthesis. Fifty-two male college students were randomly assigned to two training procedures: two, 1.5-minute periods of a joining dots activity with a flashlight attached to the hook of the prosthesis (affordance group), and practice moving the prosthesis at the elbow joint (no-affordance group) for the same amount of time. To assess generalization of skill to a different task, each subject traced …

Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Seizures In Pigeons And The Effects Of Ethosuximide Thereon, James J. Jakubow

Masters Theses

Previous research has shown that ethosuximide in high enough doses will disrupt operant responding in pigeons. Whether or not these same doses will protect against seizure activity in this species has not been previously tested.

To test this question a system for scoring pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in pigeons was developed and the effects of ethosuximide on such seizures were evaluated. In Experiment 1 pentylenetetrazol at 15, 27 and 47 mg/kg reliably induced seizures. In Experiment 2 non-behaviorally active and behaviorally active doses of ethosuximide were tested for their seizure controlling effectiveness.

Doses of 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg ethosuximide …

Muscle Stress And The Use Of Body Mechanics, Kathleen Ann Keeler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the amount of lower back muscle stress produced during lifting tasks, using variations in weight and postures. Electromyographic activity of the erector spinae muscles at the L4-5 vertebral level was measured.

Thirty healthy female subjects participated in the study. Each subject lifted loads of two given weights using both the stooped and squat lifting postures. Electromyographic activity was recorded and averaged throughout each lift.

Results indicated that increased weight resulted in increased stress on the erector spinae muscles, regardless of posture. The squat lifting posture was found to be more stressful on …

The Prenatal Development Of The "Synaptic" Structures In The Guinea Pig Pineal Gland, Zhongrong Luo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pineal "synaptic" ribbons are a heterogeneous population of organelles. In addition to "synaptic" ribbons (SR) sensu stricto, which are electron-dense rods, "synaptic" spherules (SS) and intermediate forms (IMF) are present. The SS are electron-dense spherical structures, the diameter of which is two to three times the width of the SR. The IMF appear as irregularly formed structures. The SR, SS and IMF are surrounded by electron-lucent vesicles. Their function and origin are unknown and also a knowledge of their prenatal development is lacking. In order to gain an insight into the development of the "synaptic structures, the pineal glands …

Calcium/Diacylglycerol-Dependent Protein Phosphorylation In The Nervous System, Katherine Ann Albert

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Calcium/diacylglycerol-dependent protein kinase, most often referred to as protein kinase C, is of interest to research groups across many scientific disciplines for two major reasons. First, protein kinase C is of general importance in signal transduction because its second messenger activator, diacylglycerol, is generated by phosphoinositide metabolism in response to a host of biologically active molecules. Second, protein kinase C has been identified as the cellular receptor for tumor-promoting phorbol esters. Protein kinase C is of particular interest to neuroscientists because its highest activity is in the nervous system. The studies described in this dissertation were undertaken to analyze the …

The Effects Of Two Plyometric Exercises On Vertical And Horizontal Jump Performance, Joseph Daniel King

Graduate Theses

This study investigated performance outcomes of vertical and horizontal jump tests after specific horizontal and vertical plyometric training. There were forty-six subjects with an average age of 113 months. Sixteen females and thirty males were randomly assigned to one of four plyometric treatment groups. Group I performed continuous horizontal bounds. Group II performed a combination of continuous horizontal and vertical bounds. Group III executed continuous vertical bounds, and Group IV was the control group and they did not receive any training. The duration of the training sessions was six-weeks. Each subject was pretested and post-tested on vertical and horizontal jumping …

Dietary And Hormonal Evaluation Of Men At Risk For Prostate Cancer, Donald J. Pusateri

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Relationships between dietary nutrients and plasma and fecal estrone, estradiol-17β, testosterone, and plasma prolactin levels were studied in young Seventh-day Adventist men: 18 nonvegetarians (NV), 20 lacto-ovovegetarians (LOV), and 15 vegans (V). Blood samples and 3 d dietary records were obtained. Contemporaneously collected diet composites and stool samples were analyzed for fiber. The vegetarians consumed significantly more fiber than the omnivores, while NVs and LOVs consumed more saturated fat than the Vs. Although plasma steroid hormone status did not differ, the Vs had significantly higher fecal estrogen levels than the NVs or LOVs. Plasma prolactin levels were significantly higher in …

Patients' Perceived Benefits Of Home Health Services, Rita M. Holley

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

Home care can be described as the provision of health and related social support services to physically and mentally impaired persons in the places of residence considered to be their homes. The purpose of the study was to examine the patients' self perceived benefits of home health care services delivered in Chesapeake, Virginia. This investigation sought to study client satisfaction as it applies to area specific delivery of services, professional competence, and personal qualities. The target population were residents of Chesapeake, Virginia, who were currently or had recently received home care services from ComfortCare Home Health Services.

Coverbal Behavior Of Aphasic And Right Hemisphere Damaged Subjects In Conversation, Jill Duvall

Dissertations and Theses

The frequency and duration of six coverbal behaviors were examined in two experimental groups and one control group. Conversational samples of ten aphasic subjects, ten right hemisphere damaged (RHD) subjects, and ten matched, non-brain damaged (NBD) control subjects were scored for frequency and duration of eye contact, head nod, head shake, head tilt, smile and eyebrow raise. Only the frequency of smile was found to differ significantly; the RHD subjects smiled less often than either of the other two groups.

A Method For The Large Scale Purification Of Hcg (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) From The Urine Of Pregnant Women, Chun-Shyan Kuo

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

A large scale preparation of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) from the urine of pregnant women was accomplished by using kaolin adsorption, NH₄OH extraction and DEAE-cellulose ion exchange. A recovery about 81% of HCG and a specific activity in the 2,000-3,000 IU/mg range was achieved using this purification method.

Two HCG activity fractions, HCG I & HCG II, were isolated from DEAE-cellulose chromatography by a stepwise sodium chloride gradient elution. HCG I was eluted at 0.01-0.02 M NaCl while HCG II was eluted at 0.12-0.02 M NaCl.

The differences between HCG I and HCG II have been studied. The …

The Synthesis And Evaluation Of 5-Phenyloxazolidines As Potential Cardiovascular Drugs, Tammy C. Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Drugs such as adrenoceptor antagonists and certain centrally acting agents are known to lower blood pressure and thus serve as clinically useful antihypertensive agents. Norepinephrine 4, a natural ∝-adrenoceptor agonist, is the major agent associated with increased blood pressure in the periphery. Based on a careful structure-activity comparison, a series of substituted oxazolidines, 20, 21, 22 and 23, have been designed as possible antihypertensive candidates. Specifically, 22 and 23 have been synthesized to serve as potential norepinephrine antagonists.

Preliminary evaluation of these compounds indicated that they were not antihypertensive in nature. The more active compound, 23, …

Interactions Between Aquatic Chromogenic Bacteria And Pathogenic Vibrio Spp., John Louis Harris

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Interactions between populations inhabiting an ecosys­tem are responsible, in large part, for determining which species coexist in that ecosystem. In this study, interac­tions between selected Vibrio species, V. alginolyticus and V. anguillarum, and marine heterotrophic, chromogenic bac­teria in aquatic microcosms were investigated. The ultimate goal of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of ex­ ploiting competitive interactions as a means to biologically control growth of the pathogenic marine bacteria, V. alginolyticus and V. anguillarum. In the majority of ex­periments (14/16), if chromogenic species were allowed to develop stable populations before a Vibrio spp. was intro­duced into a …

The Inhibition Of Bone Formation Occurring Under Weightlessness : The Effect Of Skeletal Unloading On Serum Levels Of A Bone-Derived Growth Factor, Jean D. Sibonga

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A deleterious effect of spaceflight on human health is the loss of bone associated with the prolonged lack of gravitational stress on the skeleton. A potential for bone loss is indicated by the hypercalciuria and decreased heel bone density determined in Skylab astronauts. Histological studies of juvenile laboratory rats in actual spaceflight and in simulation models document a suppression of bone formation with little alteration of bone resorption. The mechanism for net bone loss needs to be defined in order to develop measures for its prevention or correction.

Skeletal growth factors, which may mediate coupling and locally regulate bone volume …

Age-Related Changes In Meissner Corpuscles Of Diabetic Mice As Observed By Electron Microscopy, Vicky R. Ras

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Light touch and low-frequency vibration sense are often impaired in diabetic patients. Meissner corpuscles are distally located mechanoreceptors that respond to these stimuli. Peripheral sensory neuropathy in diabetes progresses from distal to proximal, therefore, Meissner corpuscles are ideally suited to study diabetic neuropathy in the C57BL/Ks (db/db) mouse.

Corpuscles from the forepaw digital pads of 9 diabetic and 9 nondiabetic littermates were studied by electron microscopy. These were divided into 3 age groups; 2.5 months, 10 months, and 17 months old.

Ultrastructural changes observed within various receptor components were myelin figures, multivesicular bodies, vacuoles, basal lamina duplication, abnormal and enlarged …

An Analysis Of Protein-Ligand Interactions For Enzyme Ii-Mannitol From Escherichia Coli, Brent Lee Wood

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Enzyme II^mtl of Escherichia coli was purified from mtlA-overexpressing E. coli strain LJ1112 extraction of isolated membranes with deoxycholate, followed by hexyl agarose and ω-amino hexyl agarose chromatography in Lubrol PX. A 10-fold increase in total pure protein and 2.5-fold increase in specific activity over previously reported procedures was obtained. Tryptic fragments of Enzyme II^mtl were also purified and identified as the membrane and cytoplasmic domains by protein sequencing and SDS-PAGE. The fluorescence spectrum of Enzyme II^mtl suggested that two populations of tryptophan residues existed with emission maxima at 322 and 344 nm, corresponding to buried …

Coping Mechanisms Of Elderly, Ill, Homebound Clients, Vivien Tune

MSN Research Projects

This study was a descriptive one whose purpose was to identify coping mechanisms used by elderly, ill, homebound clients. The sample included 30 home health clients in a small southern community. The average age of the subjects was 76 years. Data were collected using Coping Resources Inventory (Hammer & Mart i n g , 1988) and a demographic and health history form. Data were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, and Pearson r_. Analysis of the data revealed that the elders utilized spiritual/philosophical , cognitive, social, and emotional coping skills equally and more often than physical coping skills. There were …

Power Strategy Usage Among Nurse Practitioners In Conflict Resolution With Physicians, Marlene Hurst

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine which power strategies nurse clinicians utilize in resolving conflict with physicians. A sample of 50 nurse clinicians were surveyed using the Modified Offermann and Schrier Tool. The data were analyzed using the chi-square statistical test. Findings indicate that the most frequently used strategy for conflict resolution is direct, rational power tactics. The most frequently used strategies were items such as "Openly discussing your differences and needs" or "Telling him/her you've studied the issue and know a lot about it." The strategies used the least were items such as pouting, coercion, or blackmail. …

The Effects Of Stress Education On Stress Levels In Grade School Children, Lou Ann Hubbard

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effects of stress management on stress levels in grade school children. The hypothesis to be tested was : There will be no significant difference in stress levels of grade school children following a stress education program. The setting included two third-grade classes in a small rural elementary school in North Alabama. There were 37 students in the study, 21 in the control group and 16 in the treatment group. Data were collected using the Teacher Questionnaire, to assess each student's stress level as perceived by the teacher, and the Everyday …

A [6-14c] Glucose Autoradiographic Study Of The Rat Brainstem Under Hypercapnic And Hypocapnic Conditions: Identification Of Respiratory-Related Regions, Tobey M. Leung

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The effects of systemic hypercapnia on brainstem metabolism were studied with the [6-¹⁴C] glucose autoradiography method. Neuronal pools which are metabolically active take up more [6-¹⁴C] glucose and maybe revealed pictorially as darker areas on autoradiograms. Since a high concentration of carbon dioxide stimulates central chemoreceptors and hence enhances respiratory drive, the darker regions on the autoradiograms may represent regions concentrated with respiratory-related neurons. Two discrete regions in the ventrolateral medulla (a column near nucleus ambiguus and a column in the lateral reticular nucleus) appeared dark and were analyzed with an image processing system, which converted …

Increasing The Self-Esteem Of Junior High Emotionally Disturbed Boys, La Rue Eaton Richey

Graduate Theses

Emotional disturbance can be viewed as an inability to manage one's behavior. This inability to maintain self-control in stressful situations represents a serious problem not only for the individual but for family and school personnel. In this study, Reasoner's (1984) Building Self-Esteem program was used with seventh and eighth grade emotionally disturbed boys in a West Texas community. Their self-esteem scores did increase as measured by Coopersmith (1984) Self-Esteem Inventory. *

Comparison Of Five Different Serological Assays For Determination Of Antibody Levels Against Herpes Virus Type 1 And 2, Murat Sami Küçük

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

To aid in the diagnosis of certain clinical types of Herpes virus infections, we evaluated and compared five serological methods for measuring Herpes virus antibody. The five tests we compared are complement fixation test (CF), indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA), anticomplementary immunofluorescent assay (ACIF), enzyme linked immunoassay test (ELISA), and the latex agglutination test (LA). The main objective of this study was to establish which of the currently available serologic tests was best suited for clinical laboratory use and which may then replace the complement fixation test. In the comparative testing, one hundred twenty serum samples were divided into four …

Eating Disorders: The Correlation Of Family Relationships With An Eating Disorder Continuum, Jana Schweitzer

Dissertations and Theses

For the purposes of this study, eating disturbances were placed on a continuum ranging from disordered to normal, and family factors were examined via this framework. Research on anorectics and bulimics indicates that a variety of family variables contribute to the etiology of eating disorders. Research suggests the presence of a subgroup of persons who experience some disturbance in their relationships with food but not to the severity observed among eating disordered individuals. This study examined the relationship between family factors and eating disturbances.

The Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injury On The Rehabilitation Process : A Literature Review, Laura B. Brown

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

A discussion of the incidence and prevalence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is presented. A focus on the cognitive deficits and vocational rehabilitation is maintained throughout the paper. Cognitive deficits such as language, memory, and communication skills are discussed. Common rehabilitation appraches are presented for cognitive rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation and components of the services network utilized for IBI rehabilitation are described. The cost effectiveness of the TBI rehabilitation model is discussed. Exemplary programs for both cognitive and vocational rehabilitation are described.