Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Threat Perception As A Determinant Of Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Public Involvement In Air Pollution Abatement In Cache Valley, Utah, Joshua D. Marquit

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Threat perception related to environmental issues such as air pollution may be a determinant of pro-environmental behaviors. Among the potential threats of air pollution, include the perceived impacts on the psychological, social, and economic wellbeing of a community. Because of rapid increases in population growth, urbanization, and the mountainous landscapes, the American West is extremely susceptible to the adverse impacts of air pollution.

A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Air Quality Perception Survey conducted in Cache County, Utah. The survey focused on the public perception of air pollution in Cache County and perceived impact on personal …

Orthodontic Mini-Implant Failure: Assessing The Relationship To Bone Quality Using Qcbct, Joshua Schneider

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cortical bone thickness (mm), cortical bone density (HU), and trabecular bone density (HU) of mini-implants sites in both the maxilla and mandible using QCBCT to determine if they had any effect on mini-implant failure rate. Patient characteristics (age, gender, facial type), mini-implant characteristics (date of placement, manufacturer, length, and diameter), and the mini-implant site (region) were also evaluated. One hundred and six mini-implants in 50 consecutive patients with complete patient records, CBCT information, and T1 radiographs were included in the study. Thirty-four of the 106 mini-implants were considered "failures" resulting in …

The Comparative Radiopacity Between Primary And Permanent Teeth, Robert C. Lee

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: This in vitro study compared the radiopacity between human primary and permanent enamel and dentin. It also compared the radiopacity between human anterior and posterior teeth.

Methods: Extracted primary and permanent teeth were used in this study. One mm enamel and one mm dentin slices were cut from each extracted tooth. Radiographs were taken of each enamel and dentin specimen 1 mm in thickness along with an aluminum step-wedge using procedures specified in International Standards Organization (ISO) 4049:2000. A densitometer was used to measure the Optical Density (OD) of the radiographs of the specimen and the accompanying aluminum step-wedge. …

Cephalometric Analysis Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Wade A. Williams

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if T1-weighted 3D magnetic resonance images performed at 3.0 Tesla could be used to conduct routine orthodontic cephalometric analysis.

Methods: Three cranial imaging methods were compared using sixteen non-growing subjects (10 male and 6 female) who were not claustrophobic, did not have any metallic restorations on the distal of first molars, had no medical implants and the female subjects were not pregnant. Sagittal cranial images were produced by three methods: (1) a digital lateral cephalometric (LC) radiograph (Orthophos XG Plus, Sirona^TM, Bensheim, Germany), (2) a 12-inch FOV cone beam …

The Association Of Maternal Intention To Breastfeed, Early Skin-To-Skin Mother/Infant Contact, And Exclusive Breastfeeding During The Maternity Hospital Stay, Leslie Mary Bramson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breastfeeding is the optimal method to nourish and nurture an infant. Exclusive breastfeeding rates in the United States have reached the goal of Healthy People 2010 that 75% of mother's breastfeed in the immediate postpartum period. Yet, less than 35% of San Bernardino county mothers and 47.7% of Riverside county mothers are exclusively breastfeeding during their maternity hospital stays, with as many as 50% of the infants being weaned from the breast in the first 14 days of life.

This prospective study examined archived data collected by Perinatal Services Network (PSN) of Loma Linda University Medical Center/Children's Hospital for the …

Knowledge, Perceptions, Beliefs And Behaviors Related To The Prevention Of Hypertension Among Black Seventh-Day Adventists Living In London, Maxine A. Newell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study was a cross-sectional survey of the hypertension (HTN) knowledge and risk behaviors of Black Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) in London. Recruitment took take place in 17 predominantly Black SDA churches in London. A questionnaire assessed knowledge and lay-beliefs about HTN and perceptions towards HTN using the health belief model (HBM) constructs of susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale was incorporated into the questionnaire. Blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference were and current lifestyles practices were evaluated for the presence of HTN risk factors.

Of the 312 volunteers, ages 25 to 79, 55% were born …

Effect Of Gutta Percha On The Retention Of A Post Using Different Cements, Saeda H. Basta

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study evaluated the effect of residual gutta percha on the retention strength of prefabricated post cemented with four different cements. Forty intact mandibular single canal canines or premolars were selected for standardized size and quality, endodontically treated, and decoronated to the cementoenamel junction. A post space was prepared to accommodate Para post XP size 4 (Coltene, Whaledent Inc., Cuy Falls, Ohio) to a depth of 8 mm. The Obtura heated gutta percha system was used to inject a very thin line of gutta percha along one lateral wall to the depth of the future post. Forty obturated teeth were …

Comparison Of Microleakage In Three Sealant Placement Protocols Vs. The Enamel Loc System, Audrey T. Sheu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

PURPOSE: To evaluate sealant microleakage using four different application techniques.

METHODS: The four application techniques evaluated were acid etch only, Adper L-Pop bonding, Optibond bonding, and Enamel Loc One-Step Sealant. Sixty-four extracted third molar teeth were assigned on one of four application techniques (n=16) and Clinpro sealants applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. The teeth were thermocycled for 500 cycles, dyed, and embedded in resin. The samples were then sectioned and evaluated for microleakage on the buccal and lingual surfaces. Statistical methods employed to analyze the data were the Kruskal-Willis rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS: No significant …

The Impact Of Being Born With Cleft And Cleft Reparative Surgery On Overall Health And Speech Outcomes, Khatansuudal Evsanaa

Master's Theses

Orofacial cleft is one of the most common and treatable birth defects in the world. If left untreated, orofacial cleft can impair normal speech development, growth, and could lead to a number of health consequences later in life. The main motivation of the study is to measure the impact of being born with cleft and the cleft reparative surgery on overall speech and health cleft for teenagers in India using difference-in-differences approach along with household fixed effects method. An overall health outcome was measured using height, weight, grip strength and BMI, and the speech acceptability was measured using a “Universal …

Real-Time Ultrasound Simulation For Medical Training And Standardized Patient Assessment, Bo Sun

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With the increasing role played by ultrasound in clinical diagnostics, ultrasound training in medical education has become more and more important. The clinical routine for ultrasound training is on real patients; therefore monitored and guided examinations involving medical students are quite time-constrained. Furthermore, standardized patients (SPs), who are increasingly used in medical school for teaching and assessing medical students, need to be augmented. These SPs are typically healthy individuals who can not accurately portray the variety of abnormalities that are needed for training especially when medical examinations involve instrument interactions. To augment SPs in a realistically effective way and also …

A Delphi Study Assessing Long-Term Access To Electronic Medical Records (Emr), Byron D. Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort addressed the issue of long-term access to electronic medical records as technological generations become obsolete, thereby preventing the access to patient health information. Using the Delphi methodology, experts with experience in electronic medical records and applicable systems provided insight based on their years of hands-on experience managing and/or using records and these systems. The end result of this research was a collection of ideas that medical institutions and medical informaticians must consider to ensure that patients and hospitals do not lose long-term access to electronic medical records as electronic medical records and technology continually evolves. Results of …

Infant Feeding Decisions Among Pregnant Black Wic Participants And The Role Of Peer Support, Astrid D. Mickens

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the important factors that impact infant feeding decisions among Black women, and to determine whether peer support influences the relationship among theoretical constructs of the social learning theory. A convenience sample of 110 Black pregnant women, ages 18-45, attending Women, Infant and Children (WIC) clinics throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties were recruited to participate in the study through the Nutrition Services Department. Eligible participants included pregnant Black WIC clients in any stage of pregnancy.

The survey questions contained information about perceived support, cognitive knowledge, abilities and beliefs regarding breastfeeding. The goal …

In-Vivo Delivery Of Dna Vaccines Using Metallo-Lipid Nanoparticles, Clarissa Sara Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There has been a rapidly growing area of research in the design and synthesis of molecules that self-organize in water to form functional nanosystems and due to the high interest in the area metal ligand complexes were tested as drug delivery systems with a Leishmania vaccine. Herein, we present the design, synthesis and functional activity of Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes that self-assemble in water to form spherical nanoscale structures that exhibit an affinity to bind DNA and deliver it into eukaryotic cells with a high percent efficiency in-vitro. In order to assess the effectiveness of these nanoparticles to deliver DNA …

Idiopathic Lesions And Visual Deficits In The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) From Longs Island Sound, Ny, Christopher Robert Magel

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In 1999 a mass mortality of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) occurred in western Long Island Sound (WLIS). Although the etiology remains unknown, warm bottom water temperature, hypoxia, heavy metal poisoning, and pesticides have been suggested as casual factors. Subsequently, lobsters from WLIS have continued to display symptoms of morbidity that include lethargy and cloudy grey eyes, caused by idiopathic lesions. The effects of these lesions on lobster vision are unknown. We therefore used electoretinography (ERG) to document changes in visual function in lobsters obtained from WLIS, while simultaneously using histology to quantify the extent of damage. Of the lobsters …

Regulation Of L-Type Voltage-Dependnet Calcium Channels By The Rem Gtpase, Chunyan Pang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The Rem, Rem2, Rad, and Gem/Kir GTPases, comprise a novel subfamily of the small Ras-related GTP-binding proteins known as the RGK GTPases, and have been shown to function as potent negative regulators of high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca²⁺ channels upon overexpression. HVA Ca²⁺ channels modulate Ca²⁺ influx in response to membrane depolarization to regulate a wide variety of cellular functions and they minimally consist of a pore-forming α1 subunit, an intracellular β subunit, and a transmembrane complex α₂/δ subunit. While the mechanisms underlying RGK-mediated Ca²⁺ channel regulation remain poorly defined, it appears that both membrane …

Treatment Of Industrial Wastewater Containing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients With A Membrane Bioreactor, With The Aim Of Reducing Resource Consumption, Pádraig Colm Ó'Maolcatha

Theses

The biodegradation of a selected active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) during wastewater treatment in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was examined experimentally. A comparison study was conducted by operating a conventional activated sludge (CAS) pilot plant in parallel to the MBR. The MBR was operated under varying conditions of pH (pH6 and pH8), MLSS (6g/L and l0g/L) and SRT (20 days and 30 days) according to a full factorial design of experiments. In the CAS, pH and SRT were altered as above but MLSS was maintained at 3-4g/L. Comparable average API removal results of 95.5% and 95.7% were obtained for the MBR …

Analysis Of Residual Solvents In Pharmaceuticals By Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography, Cristina Marie Crimi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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