Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Occurrence Of Alexithymia In Children And Adolescents With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Michael S. Routh

Student Dissertations & Theses

Previous studies of the relationship between alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have utilized samples of combat veterans with PTSD. However, children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and are diagnosed with PTSD exhibit similar or identical symptomology. The current study examined alexithymia in a sample of children and adolescents diagnosed with PTSD. It was hypothesized that the sample, when compared to non-PTSD and control samples, would reveal a significantly greater severity of alexithymia and PTSD. Although overall results were not consistent with previous research, trends of group means supported a relationship between alexithymia and PTSD. 1

Spirituality Among Terminally Ill Hospitalized Adults And Healthy Non-Hospitalized Adults In A Military Environment, Richard M. Holt

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify whether or not terminally ill hospitalized adults indicated greater spirituality and well-being than healthy non-hospitalized adults. Reed's (1986b & 1987) studies are the bases for this treaty although this is not a replicate study. The conceptual framework of this research is founded on the developmental life-span, and energy field patterns (Rogers, 1980) impacting spirituality and well-being. It was hypothesized that terminally ill hospitalized adults indicate greater spirituality than healthy nonhospitalized adults in a military environment. A terminally ill and healthy adult group of N=30, (n=15 each) were selected for a convenience sample. …

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Risk Factors Among Hand Therapists, Suzanne Makielski

Masters Theses

The following study examined the presence of risk factors among hand therapists for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. A review of the literature indicated a significant relationship between the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome and manual workers whose occupational tasks involve repetitive wrist and hand movements. Hand therapists were characterized as manual workers while possessing specialized knowledge and skill in the evaluation and treatment of hand and wrist disorders. Biomechanical analysis of various "hands on" techniques revealed repetitive wrist and hand movements including the use of force and increased risk for injury associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. In order to determine …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Therapeutic Strategies On Drug Knowledge And Drug Attitude In Inpatient Psychiatric Substance Abuse Population, Amber Haque

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of instructional strategies on the change of knowledge and attitude scores in mentally ill subjects with a history of substance abuse. Twenty subjects from a state psychiatric hospital were randomly divided into one control and three experimental groups. The study period was ten weeks with each session lasting forty five minutes, twice per week. Subjects studied issues relating to drug abuse outside scheduled sessions as they pleased. Pre- and post-test scores were measured by a drug abuse questionnaire developed at the Pennsylvania State University. Hypotheses formed were: (a) drug education improves knowledge and attitude in …

The Effect Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On The Development Of Diagnostic Reasoning Skills Among Occupational Therapy Students, Judith Lynn Freeman

Masters Theses

Diagnostic reasoning is an essential feature of the occupational therapy treatment process. Acquisition of diagnostic reasoning skills is difficult for students, however, because of paradoxical developmental limitations faced during transition from classroom to clinical learning environments. Educators in pre-professional occupational therapy curriculums are searching for educational methods to prepare students for diagnostic reasoning tasks inherent in practice.

This experimental study compared a computer-simulated diagnostic reasoning activity with a more traditional case study reviewing activity in terms of effect on accuracy of problem identification among occupational therapy students. Results found no significant difference between the effect of computer-assisted instruction and case …

The Biomechanical Analysis Of Two Types Of Place Kicks: The Toe And Instep Kicks, Kaylynn Albers

Masters Theses

This study described the biomechanical differences between two styles of the place kick; the toe kick and instep kick. The biomechanical variables included joint angles, velocities, and displacements. Five high school age subjects kicked five trials of the toe kick and five trials of the instep kick at both 20 and 35 yards. The place kicks were filmed with a high speed camera, digitized and analyzed with peak 4.2 computer software.

The findings for joint angles were consistent with those found in the literature. The velocity for the kicking foot and the ball were lower in this study than found …

Adolescent Substance Use Patterns: Testing A Multidimensional Sociogenic Model, Eric O. Johnson

Dissertations

This dissertation begins with the understanding that behavior is a product of a variegated and complex web of social factors. Bringing this approach to the subfield of adolescent substance use, both substance use itself (alcohol, cigarettes and a broad range of illicit drugs) and the factors that influence such use are viewed as existing within the complex of demographic/structural, social contextual, attitudinal, and behavioral layers of adolescents' social worlds.

The Patterns of Adolescent Substance Use Typology, developed by Stanley S. Robin and me (1992a), is used to categories the overall level and kind of substance use, over time, that adolescents …

Management Of Dairy Farm Wastewater – A Case Study, Saed Mohamed Al Awadi

Dissertations

There are several dairy farms and milk processing plants in U.A.E. which contribute to the problem of industrial wastewater discharges in the country. This study emphasized the waste management aspects of dairy farms and examined the wastewater characteristics, wastewater treatment and effluent reuse in Al-Rawabi Dairy Plant in Dubai as a case study.

An extensive sampling and analysis program was conducted over a period of one year to determine wastewater characteristics at Al-Rawabi Dairy Plant. It has been found that the wastewater COD, BOD, Solids, Nitrogen and Phosphorus content is relatively high but daily variations in pollution loads were not …

Co-Sensitization Of Dopamine And Serotonin Receptors Occurs In The Absence Of A Change In The Dopamine D1 Receptor Complex After A Neonatal 6-Ohda Lesion, Li Gong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To test whether SKF 38393 could ontogenetically sensitize dopamine (DA) D$\sb1$ receptors and whether this sensitization would be associated with biochemical changes, intact and neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats (200 $\mu$g i.c.v.) were treated daily from birth with SKF 38393 (3.0 mg/kg i.p. x 28 days) or its vehicle. In DA D$\sb1$ neonatally sensitized 6-OHDA rats, enhanced locomotor responses were observed with the first SKF 38393 challenge dose (3.0 mg/kg i.p.) at 6 weeks. This response increased further with weekly SKF 38393 treatments. Enhanced stereotyped behaviors were seen in both lesioned and sensitized rats at 8 weeks. There was no change …

Enhanced Renal Sympathetic And Cardiovascular Responses To Substance P In Hypertension, Gregory W. Lindsay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve responses were measured in 9-13 week old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and compared to those in age and sex-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats following intravenous injection of the neuropeptide substance P (SP), the nicotinic stimulant 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP), and the adrenoceptor stimulant norepinephrine (NE). Charles River Sprague-Dawley (CD) rats were used in some studies to develop methodologies. Measurements were made in control rats and also following sinoaortic denervation, pithing, ganglion blockade, or adrenoceptor blockade. Responses were evaluated in order to determine if ganglion stimulation by SP was enhanced in SHR compared to WKY …

Reproducibility Of Periodontal Probing, Su-Fang Wang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study evaluated reproducibility of periodontal probing by conventional manual and automated force-controlled electronic probes. A total of 1206 sites (6 sites per tooth including maxillary and mandibular incisor/canine, premolar, and molar sites) in 15 patients with history of moderate or advanced chronic periodontal disease were examined. Probings included probing pocket depths (PD), as well as probing attachment levels (PAL) from a reference stent. Measurements were recorded to the nearest 0.5 mm with both methods. Patients were examined twice, 7 to 10 days apart. At each visit, all sites were probed first with the conventional probe and then with the …

Pain And Hospital Patients Perception Of Quality, Kathy L. Beck

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Each year pain disables approximately 50 million Americans. These patients seekhealth care for the relief of pain and its underlying cause. Many of those seeking relief from pain are hospitalized and others experience pain during their hospitalization. All of these patients have the right to relief of their pain and none should suffer pain needlessly. Yet, often nurses fail to accurately assess and adequately manage patients' pain.

Adequate pain management may increase patient perception of nursing care quality. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between pain relief and patients' and nurses' perceptions of quality. The relationship …

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 …

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. …

Beyond "Detached Concern": The Cognitive And Ethical Function Of Emotions In Medical Practice, Jodi Lauren Halpern

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

This dissertation analyzes the ideal of "detached concern" in medical practice. This ideal arises as an attempt to bridge the gap in medicine between managing diseases and recognizing patients "as persons." First, physicians take their emotions to interfere with making objective diagnoses and making every aspect of their practice "scientific." Second, physicians idealize detachment as the stance of the impartial moral agent who is able to care for all types of patients out of a sense of duty. Third, physicians also recognize the need to be empathic; however they conceive empathy as a purely cognitive capacity that is compatible with …

Analysis And Evaluation Of The Workplace Exposure Assessment Workbook Developed By Keith Tait Including Some Recommended Revisions, Lisa Hebberd

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Some risk due to the contamination of workplace environments is an inevitable part of human lives. These risks can often be reduced by improving the control of environmental pollution in the workplace. An extremely important challenge for any industry is to develop a mechanism to identify acceptable levels of safety, or "acceptable risk" in the workplace for specific situations, and to assure adequate quality control over measured or calculated exposure concentrations and their possible contributions to adverse health effects.

The Effect Of The Cooper Wellness Program In Promoting Long- Term Lifestyle Behavior Changes, Ernesto P. S. Medina Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Most research on health behavior change programs examines their effectiveness in producing initial behavior changes, but fails to evaluate long-term maintenance of those changes. This study examined the effectiveness of the Cooper Wellness Program (CWP) in Dallas, Texas, in promoting maintenance of lifestyle behavior changes for one year or longer in the areas of diet, exercise, and stress management.

The CWP offers an intensive live-in lifestyle behavior modification program in four-, seven-, or 13-day formats. Data were collected from 223 individuals who attended the CWP between January, 1989, to February, 1992. The study addressed the following areas: 1) long-term maintenance …

Determinants Of Elite Athletes' Commitment To Sport: Examination Of The Sport Commitment Model In The Professional Sport Domain, Tammy Kay Hall

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the applicability of the Sport Commitment Model for a group of elite, professional athletes. The model proposes that an athlete's commitment will increase as sport enjoyment, personal investments, social constraints, and involvement opportunities increase and will decrease with an increase in involvement opportunities. The influence of identification as an athlete, a determinant of commitment not included in the original model, was also examined. One hundred and eighty three professional football players from the Canadian Football League (CFL) (n = 121) and National Football League (NFL) (n = 69) participated in the study. Each subject completed …

Sds Non-Acrylamide Polymeric Gel-Filled Capillary Electrophoresis For Molecular Size Separation Of Protein, Devon Andres

Honors Theses

Sodium dodecyl sulfide (SDS) non-acrylamide gel-filled capillary columns are a new technology being used for analysis and separation of biotechnology-derived proteins. This research was to compare this new technology to the current methods of SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). The molecular mass of four different recombinant proteins were determined by two commercialized SDS non-acrylamide gel-filled capillary columns, SDS-PAGE, and HPSEC. The data obtained showed that the SDS non-acrylamide gel-filled capillary columns were compatible with the SDS-PAGE technique for molecular mass determination. HPSEC was shown to be unreliable for molecular weight determination. SDS non-acrylamide gel-filled capillary …

A Profile Of Psychosocial Adjustments And Self-Care Practices Of Individuals With Diabetes Living In Rural Mississippi, Regan Mensch Brown

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of the psychosocial adjustments and self-care practices of individuals with diabetes mellitus living in rural Mississippi.

Effects Of Shift Work On Insulin Dependent Diabetics, Rebecca D. Blount

MSN Research Projects

Over 25% of the work force is comprised of insulin-dependent diabetics. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the impact of shift work on blood sugar levels in insulin-dependent diabetics. Rogers' Theory of Homeodynamics was the conceptual framework guiding the study. The research question was does rotating shift work have an impact on blood sugar levels in insulin-dependent diabetics. The total sample (N = 40) was selected from 100 insulin-dependent diabetics who work at an industrial plant in midwestern Alabama. Thirty insulin-dependent diabetics who were working rotating shifts and 10 insulin-dependent diabetics who worked regular day shift were …

Perceptions Of Nurse Practitioners Regarding Expanded Practice In The Emergency Department, Donnie Scoggin

MSN Research Projects

Nurse practitioners have been in collaboration with physicians for several years. However, there is only a small percent who work in the emergency department. Due to an increasing population seeking primary care in the emergency department, the purpose of this research study was to identify the perceptions of nurse practitioners regarding the expanded practice in the emergency department. King's Theory of Goal Attainment was utilized as the theoretical framework for the study. The research question for this study was what are the perceptions of nurse practitioners regarding the role of expanded practice in the emergency department? The Scoggin Task Checklist …

The Management Of Nasogastric Tube Feedings In Chronic Care Settings, Joyce M. Robinson

MSN Research Projects

Nursing time is a valuable commodity and efficient use of that time is critical. The procedure for nasogastric tube (NG) placement verification has remained constant and is the same today as it was when intermittent tube feeding first emerged into practice. Technology has changed tremendously since that time, and it was this researcher's belief that the current procedure for tube placement verification represents redundancy and a resultant waste of time. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the management of continuous-flow, large-bore NG tube feeding with respect to two foci: tube displacement and consequent complications and the efficacy of the 2- …

A Correlation Of Selected Personalogical Variables And Performance Of Breast Self-Examination By Registered Nurses, Vetta Russell

MSN Research Projects

The American Cancer Society (1991) predicts that one out of every nine women in America will develop breast cancer. One of the recognized methods of early detection of breast cancer is breast self-examination on a regular basis. Very little research has been done to identify nurses who perform breast self-examination (BSE) or to describe those nurses. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the BSE performance of registered nurses and to describe these nurses using selected variables. The two research questions this study sought to answer were do registered nurses perform BSE and what personalogical variables are the best predictors …

A Descriptive Study Examining The Health Beliefs And Practices Among Women Over 40 Years Of Age Concerning Mammographic Screening, Carlene M. Wolfe

MSN Research Projects

Mammography has provided the earliest means of breast cancer detection, but compliance has remained low. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify health beliefs and practices of women over 40 years of age regarding mammographie screening. Also, it was to compare health beliefs and practices between women engaging and not engaging in mammographie screening. The Neuman Systems Model was used to guide the study. Two null hypotheses were developed to guide this study. They were Ho^: There is no significant difference in health beliefs between women who engage in mammographie screening and women who do not engage in …

The Relationship Between Perceived Control Of Health In Older Adolescents And Their Likelihood Of Engaging In Health-Promoting Behavior: A Replication, Annette Amos Williams

MSN Research Projects

This correlational study was designed to describe the relationship between perceived control of health in older adolescents between the ages of 2 0 and 21 years and the likelihood of engaging in health-promoting behaviors. This study was a replication of a study conducted by Mitchell (1987) with adolescents between the ages of 16 and 19 years. The theoretical framework for the study was predicated on Pender's Health Promotion Model (Pender & Pender, 1986) which propositions that cognitive/perceptual and modifying constituents stimulate an individual's likelihood of engaging in health-promoting behaviors. Antecedent researchers have established that cognitive/perceptual components such as locus of …

The Significance Of The Parental Replacement Role Model And The Parental Supplement Role Model To Black Adolescents Experiencing Repeat Pregnancies, Evelyn Peggy

MSN Research Projects

Adolescent parenthood has continued to be a national problem. Repeat pregnancy has continued to increase among rural black adolescents. The significance of cultural beliefs and norms and the parental role model assumed by the grandmother post-delivery may be keys to determining successful interventions to break the cycle. The purpose of the study was to determine whether black adolescents utilized the Parental Replacement Role Model or the Parental Supplement Role Model more frequently after delivery of their first child. The sample included 39 black adolescent mothers, age 13 to 18 years, experiencing a repeat pregnancy with at least one living child …

Effectiveness Of Erythropoietin Therary In The Treatment Of The Anemia In Clients With End-Stage Renal Disease In Mississippi, Elizabeth Duncan

MSN Research Projects

Clients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) often experience an associated anemia which has been attributed to an endocrine deficiency of erythropoietin. The purpose of this descriptive, retrospective study was to describe the characteristics of the effectiveness of erythropoietin (EPO) therapy on the anemia associated with ESRD. The research question generated was how effective is EPO therapy in the treatment of the anemia in clients with ESRD in Mississippi? Orem's Self-Care Model was the theoretical framework used for this study. The sample (N = 100) consisted of 55 males clients and 45 female clients from an ambulatory dialysis unit in Northeast …

Perspectives Of Primary Health Care Needs By Chronically Ill Adolescents And Their Parents, Catherine Benoit

MSN Research Projects

This current descriptive correlational study is a replication of Dragone's (1990) research. Three null hypotheses guided this current study. Ho1: There is no significant difference in degree of agreement between perceptions of the top five primary health care needs identified by chronically ill adolescents and their parents HOg: There is no difference in degree of agreement of perceptions of primary health care needs among early, middle, and late age groups of chronically ill adolescents. HO]: There is no difference in use of health care professionals as resources between parents and chronically ill adolescents. Orlando's Nursing Process Theory (1961) provided a …